Fall Foliage On The St. Lawrence: Québec To The Canadian Maritimes – With Smithsonian Journeys

Toronto, located on the NW shore of Lake Ontario, is the capital of the province of Ontario and the third largest city in Canada. Its population of 6 million in the Greater Toronto Area is cosmopolitan and international. While the majority of Torontonians speak English as their primary language, over 160 languages are spoken in the city. Read more about Toronto, Canada

Montreal is the largest city in Quebec, Canada, and is also the largest inland port in the world. Situated between a majestic mountain and the sparkling St Lawrence River, sailing into the port with its impressive skyline of grand 19th century grey stone buildings never loses its fascination for passengers. Old Montreal is one of the main attractions, where visitors can travel by horse-drawn carriages, stroll along the cobble stone streets, visit museums, art galleries, chic boutiques and vintage coffee shops. Read more about Montreal, Canada

Quebec, capital of the Canadian province of the same name, is so ‘French’ it is said that to visit Quebec is to experience France without crossing the Atlantic. French must be the predominant language on signs, retail or food service employees always greet customers in French, and there are even laws dictating whether parents can send their children to English or French school. The architecture, ambience and mostly French-speaking citizens are proof that some of France has been permanently ingrained in North America. Read more about Quebec, Canada

The 96 km Saguenay River is a major river of Quebec, Canada. It is bordered by steep cliffs and has a very high flow rate. The river drains into the Saint Lawrence River at Tadoussac, where its cold waters merge with the warmer waters of the St. Read more about Saguenay River, Canada

Charlottetown, Canada’s Birthplace, is the capital of Prince Edward Island, one of the Atlantic Provinces of Canada. The downtown area with its heritage landscape of many Victorian-era houses and buildings has many walking trails. The boardwalk takes you along the shoreline from the shops and restaurants at Peake’s Quay to Victoria Park, as well as the parks along the waterfront redevelopment. Read more about Charlottetown, Canada

Îles de la Madeleine or the Magdalen Islands form a small archipelago in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and are part of the Canadian province of Quebec. Formed from molten rock that escaped from middle earth, the islands are the visible peaks of a deep underwater ridge that connects wind-swept dunes and sandy beaches. Read more about Iles de la Madelaine, Canada

Baddeck is a village (pop. 770) in Victoria County, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is situated on the northern shore of Bras d’Or Lake on Cape Breton Island. Read more about Baddeck, Canada

Louisbourg is located on the SE coast of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada, where the very well-known Fortress of Louisbourg proudly stands. Its very scale gives us pause. It is no mere fort, this destination is a fortified town, alive with citizens, soldiers and sailors from the four corners of the world. Read more about Louisbourg, Canada

The historic port town of Lunenburg is situated on a peninsula at the western side of Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada. Being proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 has ensured protection of the unique architecture and civic design that is the best example of planned British colonial settlement in North America. It has won: the National Historic District winner of the Communities in Bloom; the most beautiful small town in Canada; the Prettiest Painted Place in Canada; the Port City of the Year; as well as several of the Society of American Travel Writers’ awards. Read more about Lunenburg, Canada

Boston is the capital and largest city in Massachusetts, USA. Calling this quaint and delightful city the 'Athens of America' might seem a bit pretentious, but the city's 19th-century glory radiates through its grand architecture, and its world-renowned academic and cultural institutions. Disastrous 'urban renewal' projects in the 1950s provoked such a furious backlash that Boston now has some of the best preserved historic buildings and neighbourhoods in the country. Read more about Boston, USA