If you’re looking to get away from the everyday grind while avoiding the usual tourist destinations, why not put some of these less conventional ones on your list? No doubt they’ll make you forget all about your LTE network and text messages.

Experience a new kind of road trip by setting your sights on these surprising locations.

London Psychiatric Hospital (abandoned), London (ON)

If you get a thrill from getting chills down your spine, you’ll want to pay a visit to the former London Psychiatric Hospital, which is now abandoned.

The hospital, which was originally named the London Asylum for the Insane, opened in 1870, and was renamed several times afterwards. The old buildings are easy to find, as they are located right next to the new mental health facilities.

The abandoned buildings are in poor condition, so it is not recommended to go inside. However, you can take a stroll around the premises during the day. And don’t worry: Highbury avenue is right there if you need to make a quick escape!

Le Grand Rassemblement, Sainte-Flavie (QC)

If your road trip brings you near the Gaspésie, make a quick stop in Sainte-Flavie to see these sculptures, which are likely to leave you speechless. Created by artist Marcel Gagnon, the pieces are located right near the Saint-Lawrence river, with some of them actually ending up in the water depending on the tides.

The sculptures, created in 1986, have changed over the years due to being exposed to the elements: some have deteriorated, while others have even disappeared. Go see them during a low tide: there is no way they’ll leave you indifferent.

The World’s Largest Lobster, Shediac (NB)

If you’ve left Quebec and are headed East to the Maritimes, consider going to Shediac, New Brunswick.
On the hunt for a quirky and unique attraction you won’t find anywhere else? You’ve come to the right place. Located on Main street next to Camping Parasol, the World’s Largest Lobster awaits at any time of the day or night!

The Bottle Houses, Cap-Egmont (PEI)

If you continue driving through the Maritimes, you’ll eventually cross over the nearly 13-kilometer-long Confederation Bridge to Prince Edward Island. Crossing is a memorable experience, but so is visiting The Bottle Houses in Cap-Egmont.

It took Édouard T. Arsenault, a veteran of the Second World War, four years to build three houses using over 25,000 bottles. Not only can you visit the insides of the houses, but you can also enjoy the constructions’ unusual themes, like the six-gabled house, the tavern, and the chapel.

Sable Island, Halifax (NS)

Feeling more adventurous? Nova Scotia has something grand to offer! Located 290 kilometers off the Halifax coast while remaining on its territory, Sable Island is a unique location that will forever stay engraved in your memory.

Accessible only by boat or plane, this exotic destination is located right in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and is home to a population of wild horses. As well as seeing the horses roam freely—such a rare treat!—you’ll also discover that migratory birds find Sable Island to be a haven.

If one of your goals is to disconnect, this island, which is practically invisible on a globe, is just the destination!

Bell Island Community Museum, Bell Island (NL)

If you’ve been itching to learn more about history and visit some mining sites while you’re at it, you’ll be delighted when you arrive in Newfoundland!

Located on the island of the same name, the Bell Island Community Museum is the perfect place to learn about mining communities and how people lived from the end of the 19th century until 1966. You can visit the museum, which covers the German U-boat attacks during the Second World War, and wander around the old mines with a guide.

It’s hard to be distracted by a phone call or notification when you’re fully immersed in a historical visit!

Happy travels!