After years of talking the talk and dreaming the dream, our bags are finally packed, the route is officially mapped, and the whale watching tour is reserved.  The first official vacation since 2024’s epic Disney parks adventure, the Beandricks’ family is headed out on the road for a two week adventure into Quebec, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

For all the travel I’ve done in my life, Canada still contains so much untrodden territory. I’ve had the fortune of seeing the West, experiencing the Prairies, and witnessing the undeniable beauty of the Yukon. Even Ontario still has countless places worth discovering—I’ll always appreciate the quiet of Algonquin, and won’t deny the love for my own backyard. The East, however, remains largely unexplored for me, and while flying would certainly be easier, I can think of no better way to experience it than packing the car and making the drive. As a Canadian, it almost feels like a rite of passage.

Granted the kids aren’t exactly pumped about the amount of time we’ll be spending in a vehicle, I can’t help but think and trust how these next two weeks are going to become core memories for them – ones that they tap back into when they potentially have kids of their own and map out the same route to share with their future families.  While the experiences differ greatly from that of an international theme park, there is still so much to look forward to and we’ve each contributed to a list of events to look forward to.  We’ll do all the things that tourists are sure to do – we’ll see the whales (gulp), visit the Anne of Green Gables museum, explore the Bay of Fundy, and, perhaps most importantly, eat all the seafood.

The preparation has felt different than any trip we’ve taken in the past, with little to no actual planning taking place.  We have ‘most’ of our accommodations figured out, and ‘most’ of our days outlined, but there are plenty of gaps to fill, especially since we’re making this trip in an electric vehicle without really knowing where we’ll need to stop along the way.  I have no doubt we’ll be fine and that we’ll make the most of whatever hand we’re dealt, but there’s definitely a touch of uncertainty hanging over our heads as we make our first scheduled charing stop only to discover that not only were all stations full, but that Tesla has designed their stations in such a way that, unless you drier a Tesla, you actually need to take up two parking spots because otherwise the cord won’t reach.  So, yes, we became the jerks taking up two valuable charging stations in the middle of the day on a long weekend.  But hey, don’t blame me – feel free to write your letters of complaint to Elon.

Not that our travels are totally devoid of plans – aside from the aforementioned tourist hot spots, we’re embark on this journey with not only a background plan, but a mission.  The goal of all goals for any proud Canadian.  The search for what all of us search for in our daily lives.  The hunt for that thing that will elevate our status as human from good to great.  Our true mission in life:  we are seeking out Canada’s best poutine.

We’ve spent weeks perfecting our scoring system, with thought and care put into each of the criteria; a culmination of many discussions on how to properly weight and rank each potential point.  Something as serious as things cannot be taken lightly.  We can’t just go saying “this is the best poutine” all willy-nilly like.  We have a responsibility and the people back home expect and deserve better than that.  No, this isn’t some haphazard, random, higgledy piggledy survey we’re conducting, this is serious business.

With points possible across 5 major categories – cheese, gravy, fries, construction and over all taste, we’re not simply looking for “does it have cheese?”…no, no, no.  Just like the dish itself, there is nuance to these things. Subtle distinctions that separate greatness from mediocrity.

There are obvious detractors, obviously; if you’re putting cheddar on here, for example, then you’re immediately disqualified.  Shredded vs Curd?  That’s not even worthy of a score sheet.  We want to see and experience Michelin-level commitment here.  Does the cheese have a balance of squeak and pull?  Can the fries hold to the weight of the toppings, or are they just turning to mush?  Am I still getting proper disbursement of topping at the bottom of the dish?  There is a careful balance to strike between flavour, mouth-feel and appearance, and on all three accounts, yes – you will be judged harsh, but fair.

No matter what happens over these next two weeks—from the lobster to the poutine—I’m not taking for granted that I get to experience it all together as a family. Yes, there will be bickering in the car. There will be frustration at charging stations. I will be asked, if we’re there yet  at least seven hundred and forty-eight times. But that’s part of what road trips are all about.  They’re memories in the making.

These are some of the most formative years for my girls, and some of the most precious years for me. Whether we travel north, south, east, or west, I’ll always be their dad. But I won’t always be the person they want to spend two weeks trapped in a car with.

So I’ll gladly take every kilometre, every detour, every charging stop, every questionable poutine, and every moment while I still can.