Broke & Impulsive

3 Girls and a Dog. We travel the world on a very tight budget and at this point we're getting pretty damn good at it! If you like Tips, Hacks and Really embarrassing stories stick around! 

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Summer is meant for adventure 🚙☀️😊🏞

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Hey everyone! So while we’ve been saving up, we’ve been trying to make mini trips when we can to be out and about. This last week we made a mini trip to Toronto. We drove around to see the CN tower and spent some time wandering around High Park to see the animals. It was a really amazing day. All said and done we spent less than $80, most of that was in gas. The park is free and it is huge! We really recommend it as a spot to check out if you are in the area. It really just reminded us that even if you don’t have a lot of money, you can still experience some really amazing places. It took us about an hour and a half to get to Toronto from Orillia, the traffic was exceptionally quick getting there. Unfortunately it was not the case coming home. Sweet baby Jesus the traffic was ridiculous. It was start and stop and we had to eventually get off and take the back roads. Which is actually where we found the Italian restaurant! Elisa had been there once before on a detour and we were in need of a break from the car and something to eat. It was amazing! The people were super friendly and the food was delicious. It was just a really great day! If you guys have any recommendations for us to see in Ontario let us know! Thanks!

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We’ve been spending a great deal of time thinking about how to bring max on the road with us, and it’s really got me thinking about motor homes. We might have one chance with a family member, but I might also be looking at taking a loan to get one. I’ve seen so many beautiful DIY projects as well. We’ve been saving and planning for the trips to come, and I hope by next year Max will be joining us on the road! If anyone one has any ideas or experiences in projects like this, please send me some ideas!

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The thing to remember when traveling is that the trail is the thing, not the end of the trail. Travel too fast and you miss all you were traveling for."

Logan Sackett in “Ride the Dark Trail” by Louis L’Amour

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Showing our support for Elisa’s beau.🎼👏🏻❤️

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North Bay here we come again!

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While we’re saving up and planning our next trips, I’ve decided to start a bookstagram! It’ll give me a chance to practice some different kinds of photography and given that I work at a bookstore and my pay check pretty much goes straight back, it seemed fitting. If that’s your kind of thing feel free to check it out. There’s not much there yet though! Instagram @Western_reads -Nikita

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Wasaga Beach, Ontario. It was a beautiful day here in Ontario and since Madeline and I (Nikita) had the morning off, we decided to go to the beach. Not just any beach but the worlds largest fresh water one- Wasaga Beach! While it’s a little bit of a ghost town this time of year, it’s still beautiful. The tractors had just finished combing the sand when we got there, and I couldn’t help but take off my flip flops and bury my toes in it. We took Max for a walk down the shore and made plans to come back in the summer. Since it’s so close to home we will definitely be heading back when it’s nice enough to swim. Considering we still have snow banks in some spots, it may be a while yet.

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Working at a bookstore gives me plenty of time to get ideas about where to travel next. Although I should probably spend more time working than reading!We’re currently saving for a bigger trip this August and we can’t wait to go. Thanks to everyone for such positive responses to our posts! We never imagined people would be so interested. We promise more things to come!

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The Orillia Fish and Game Conservation Area, Ontario. A wonderful place for an afternoon walk!

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One who returns to a place sees it with new eyes. Although the place may not have changed, the viewer inevitably has.

Louis L’Amour, “Bendigo Shafter” 

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Coboconk, Ontario. 

Since Sunday was such a beautiful day and also Elisa’s birthday, we hit it to the road for a closer-to-home trip. It was a nice change to have Tommy along for the drive as well! Still pretty tired from getting back from Pennsylvania, we wanted a nice relaxing drive, heading a little northeast to Coboconk, or Coby as most people call it, my family’s hometown and a great place to spend the summer as a kid. So we drove around as I pointed out the sights, stopped for the pictures and made plans to go back this summer. I had to show them ‘Canada’s Smallest Jail’ a disputed title among several small townships, but a pretty tiny jail all the same. It was a great day to wander around old stomping grounds and reminisce. There are so many fun places to visit close by. So while we start to save up for a bigger trip at the end of this summer, we’ll be exploring southern Ontario!

We also found this rock at the jailhouse and we’ll be taking it somewhere in the next few weeks! 

- Nikita

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Sometimes you have to take a backroad just to see where it goes.

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What a fantastic mini road trip! 

We cut it a bit short so we could come back and have a little birthday party for Elisa, but we had such a blast getting out on the road for a short trip. We left Friday night, crossed the border and made our way to Pennsylvania. We wasted some time in a Sheetz enjoying their amazing frozen beverages, then hit up a Walmart; It’s always fun seeing how different things can be even with countries as close as Canada and the US. We then spent Saturday leisurely driving home and seeing some sights. We cruised past Niagara and decided we didn’t want to rush such a wonderful place; especially since Madeline hasn’t been there since she was a child. So we’re going to make an entirely different trip out of Niagara next month. It’s so possible to do amazing trips when you think about what’s closest to you. Stopping and seeing the “Pirate Ship” was a spontaneous decision and a highlight of the trip. 

It seems kind of boring but our idea of fun is mostly hanging out and driving together. We love pooling our money and saying “Let's just drive to the states tomorrow, how about Pennsylvania?” Being able to leave our hometown and just drive somewhere is an amazing feeling. We have bigger plans for this summer and fall, but mini road trips are what keeps us going. All said and done we had a wonderful mini road trip for less than $130. Between gas, food and some light shopping, it wasn’t that much at all. 

- Nikita

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The “Pirate Ship” of Jordan Harbour, Lake Ontario. 

While most people call it the Pirate Ship, I have since I was a kid, it isn’t actually one. She’s a replica of La Grande Hermina, one of Jacques Cartier famous ships used to sail the Saint Lawrence. A well-intended businessman brought her with hopes of a floating restaurant, only to have financial troubles and for her to be later mysteriously burned and forever moored at the harbour. While she has an interesting history all the same, the name stuck. Resting in Lake Ontario, it has always loomed by the highway as we headed south for as long as I can remember; We’ve driven past this for years, and it’s a landmark for most people in southern Ontario. Given all that, this was the first time I’ve ever stopped to look at it or get a picture. It’s just off the QEW and so easy to get to. So, on our way home we decided that we were going to pull off a finally look at it. It was well worth it! She’s a beautiful ship, the damage and age taking nothing away from the awe of seeing such a vessel up close. We were all so glad we took the time to stop and enjoy it. That’s the beauty of road trips - you have all the control of when, what and where you want to go. Maybe we’ll stop and see her again sometime.

 -Nikita 

 Find it here.

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On of my favorite things on road trips is trying new things. Food especially! We’ve been trying to hit up more local dinners and such to really experience what’s out there. (There’s this one diner in Merritt B.C that has some of the best pie I’ve ever had.) That being said, I never thought my favorite drink would come from a gas station. Sheetz frozen hot chocolate is absolutely amazing! And when you get the munchies at 10pm, needing a place to stop and take your eyes off the road, most places are closed. Relaxing in a Denny’s is actually a lot of fun; The nachos were fantastic and we had a chance to plan out where we were going next. As much as we save money by packing food and eating as we go, it’s really nice to take a break and treat yourself. It’s also a great chance to take advantage of free WiFi. As it was a shorter trip we splurged a bit more on treats than we normally would. On longer trips we tend to pack more and spend less. Given its also Elisa’s birthday trip, we were a little more inclined to splurge as well. -Nikita

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Pennsylvania, USA. A beautiful morning for a road trip.