The last time I visited beautiful Montreal, I was 7-and-a-half months pregnant with my first child. We had an incredible time despite my swollen feet in the 40+ degree heat wave. We ate at beautiful rooftop terraces and spent an entire day floating in pools and lounging in hammocks at a spa.

Somehow, seven years have gone by and our family was looking for a destination for a last minute summer road trip. My baby bump on that first trip is now a big kid who developed a serious love for Montreal smoked meat this summer. When he realized Montreal was an actual place you could visit AND eat the sandwiches, we were settled.

I'm the type who over-researches trips beforehand, and I still had my old list of restaurants and things to do. It was pretty laughable to realize how much life has changed in between trips; there was no chance of taking both kids (including a busy 3 year old) to the trendy types of restaurants we used to visit.

Don't get me wrong - I'm a big believer than you can take little kids nice places without ruining the evening for other diners. I just find that can feel like a lot of work and ideally I'd like to feel relaxed and not anxious (especially travelling with a 3 year old in the phase where he's refusing a lot of naps, but still clearly needs them and becomes a walking meltdown when he doesn't sleep).

So I scrapped the list and changed my expectations for the trip. No, there probably wouldn't be a lot of luxurious latte & croissant time like there was last time, but it's also an opportunity to see a different side of the city.

Here are some do's & don'ts that helped us make the most of our time.

DO: read up on playgrounds and green spaces

Kids needs to run and play, we know this. Going to places that require manners and restraint (restaurants, museums, crowded public places) are do-able but balanced by some time being wild and crazy. We looked up some unique playgrounds and parks and worked those into our days. Nathan Shuster Park, Mont Royal and Médéric-Martin Park were perfect for us.

DON'T: plan on doing major walking

Little legs get tired, and we're done with the stroller. Some of the walking I thought was do-able was too much. Ice cream helps, but only so much.

DO: get all the takeout

My husband and I love food; it's pretty much our main reason to travel. At times we didn't think the kids had a fancier restaurant in them, we got takeout and brought it to the parks we visited. We still got to enjoy nice food without the pressure of taking littles to an adult-oriented place.

DON'T: skip the Biodome

We had such a great time at the Biodome, where you walk through five ecosystems of the Americas and get up-close viewings of the animals. We were lucky enough to show up before it got too busy and our boys were enchanted by the different worlds.

DO: wake up early for some alone time

I detest waking up early but I was willing to set an alarm to sneak out for a bit of quiet time while my husband and the kids were snoozing. Walking the cobblestone streets in the early morning before the tourist crowds show up was lovely, and I found some early-opening cafés to spend some time reading and thinking. I got my coffee and croissant after all!

DON'T: rely on a car if you don't have to

I'm not sure if Montreal is notorious for traffic or if we were just unlucky with construction, but a few very short car trips turned into much longer travels. Take the metro if you can; Montreal's transit system is great and kids will love the experience if you live in a small town like us with no subway systen.

DO: get a hotel with a pool

Now I'm a bit divided on this one. My kids absolutely loved the pool and it was pretty much the main thing they both cared about. We stayed at the Westin which has great facilities and we loved that when you're in the entrance area you can see the glass-bottomed pool and people swimming above you. It also had a sauna and hot tub, which we took turns enjoying after the kids went to sleep.

The downside for me was that if I'm in a different city to explore, I want to see the city as much as possible and spend less time in the hotel. The boys could have spent their entire trip in the pool and they wouldn't have minded one bit if they didn't see any of Montreal at all.

I think my brother-in-law is right; the hotel is such a highlight for kids you can pretty much just book a hotel room in your area and make it a staycation without leaving town. Our boys' highlights were the pool, elevator, and watching TV in bed. My 3 year old's highlight of the trip, he told us, was "traffic"! He loved watching cars go by the hotel out the window more than anything else.

Until next time...

Our kids are still little so we know that every future trip will be a little different because we'll be in a different era. Our goal this time was to go with the flow and just enjoy being in a different (and beautiful) city for a little while. Until next time Montreal...and next time I'm making time to go thrifting!