Well the words St-Laurent pop up again for yet another street sale this weekend. The sale is a mix between the merchants on the street who put out tables to sell overstocked items and also one where residents can rent a space at Beaudet Park (corner of Du College and Decarie, next to the Metro entrance).

This part of it is called  “Marché Urbain” and it is a community garage sale where residents display their wares and used items in order to sell them (cover charge is 20$ per table).  The merchant association also hires jugglers, clowns, painters, inflatable games and musicians so families can have a fun time.

Location: Boul. Decarie, VSL from Cote Vertu to Du College
Dates: June 18 (only a smattering of merchants): hours vary, June 19 (main day) : 12-5, June 20: 10-4ish
Tel: 514-747-3045

Boulevard St-Laurent has been hard hit over the last few years as the city has taken it upon themselves to rip it up to renew it, over and over again. It’s time to re-learn the new shopping on the street and give these local merchants a bit of our community support.

This weekend the Boulevard St-Laurent sidewalk sale will be happening from Thursday to Sunday. The street sale begins at Sherbrooke and goes all the way up to Mont-Royale.  Some of the stores mentioned in my Smart Shopping Montreal book that fall into that section of the street:

3653 Slovenia - homemade sausages: veal knockwurst, lyoner, pariser, schnitzel, all kinds of bacon and on…
3667 Nino La Cuisinere - for all things kitchen
3843 Boucherie Hongroise - grab one of their sizzling sausages to go while you peruse the street
3885 La Vieille Europe - charcuterie and foods from all over the world
3985 Frenco en Vrac - bulk food for more natural products
4358 Schreters - best shop on the street for men’s and boys clothing and now- ladies shoes

Dates and Times: June 17 & 18: 9:30-9, June 19 & 20: 9:30-6. Some stores on the lower Main, closer to Sherbrooke may stay open later on the weekend as they are in the busy restaurant area.

Next Monday, on CJAD 800AM, you can listen to  me and my husband, Stan Posner on the Tommy Schnurmacher Show. This is a call-in show for an entire hour. For the first half hour, we will be talking about our Drive I-95:Exit by Exit Info, Maps, History and Trivia book and answering questions about driving South to Florida. In the 2nd half of the hour, those of you with those important shopping questions, this is your chance to have me answer them.  I will be on Tommy’s show at least once a month. If you miss  the show, you can always write to me here at my website.

Location: CJAD 800AM
Time: 11-12 noon
Date: Mon Nov 9th
www.drivei95.com

Road trips are back again, because by traveling in the security of your own car and visiting friendly small town America, it brings back the way life used to be and the way we would like it to be again.

To help those who travel up and down the East coast, my book, Drive I-95: Exit by Exit Info, Maps, History and Trivia is a new style of guidebook. It combines colorful easy-to-follow pictorial maps and fun stories, eliminating the trepidation of a road trip down America’s busiest highway.

Travelers can look ahead exit-by-exit to see which motels and gas stations are coming up, where the radar traps are or where to stop for a good homemade meal. The drive from Boston to Miami or any section in-between will become more pleasant and less stressful by knowing where to find: 24 hour gas stations (and which ones have a mechanic!) and pharmacies, 800 numbers for motel chains, camp grounds, golf courses, places that allow pets, shopping malls, supermarkets, internet availability and even which radio stations to tune to.

My husband, Stan Posner and I share stories of the road: history that happened on it, quirky museums worth a visit, Americana trivia, homey towns to explore, or places to run with the kids and pets. These can be read for entertainment during the drive and may entice motorists to stop, stretch their legs and discover someplace new.

The maps and the fun stories of the road are useful for family travelers (Christmas, Spring break or summer), seniors, salesmen, truckers, campers and RVers, University students and their parents, military personnel and people who live and work near I-95

www.drivei95.com

Today we (my husband and I) taped a few scenes for Josh Freed’s next documentary called, “My Messy Life“. He interviewed people who live with clutter in their lives. Who is to say that neat is normal? There are brilliant people who have no problem with huge amounts of clutter on their desks or office, etc. Won’t tell you what we filmed here but we sure had fun with Josh and his crew (Andre and Chris).

Right now the show is supposed to air on CTV on May 31st. Will keep you posted….