Montreal Botanical Gardens

Spread across 180 acres just a couple of miles east of downtown, the nearly 80-year-old botanical garden is brilliantly landscaped and full of surprises. Sure, there are the showstopping Rose Gardens, along with the carefully manicured Japanese and Chinese gardens, but save time for a climb through the scrubby, rocky Alpine Garden, which moves from the Rockies to the Caucasus to the Himalayas within the space of a dozen feet. The Flowery Brook, a sea of peonies, irises, and lilies planted alongside a meandering brook, will make you think you’ve landed in a Beatrix Potter book—that is, until you spot the concrete tower of the “Big O” Olympic Stadium hulking in the background.