MONTREAL - In summer, this joyful French Canadian city Montreal brings a smile to a lot of people's faces. But what do you expect in a place that will do almost anything Just For Laughs - the name of the city's annual funfest, which attracts some of the world's best comedians to perform at various venues around Montreal.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - It was around noon when our US Airways flight touched down at Charlotte’s International Airport. It was closer to 1 p.m. by the time we collected our rental car and headed out on I-77.

QUEBEC CITY - Off the beautifully ornate lobby of the famed Fairmont Chateau Frontenac Hotel sits a dimly-lit area with a few chairs, a small chest and a portrait of a man dressed in the robes of a Cardinal.  The area is dedicated to Monsigneur Laval, a former Cardinal of this Catholic-dominated city and founder of nearby Laval University.

MONT-TREMBLANT, QUEBEC - A visitor bellies up to the Whisky Bar in the lobby of Le Grand Lodge and is greeted by reflections of the past. Under a glass panel that runs the full length of the bar rests images of sports personalities who made Mont-Tremblant famous around the world.

MONT-TREMBLANT, QUEBEC - Caroline bent my leg and with the weight of her own body pressed up against it, pushed it back until she introduced my knee to my nose.

MOUNT AIRY, N.C. - The man walking towards us along North Main St., was whistling a familiar tune. It’s one you hear being whistled a lot in this sleepy little town nestled in the shadow of the stunningly beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.

SAN FRANCISCO - It was a day of wine and roses which began with me looking at the sun rise over the Bay Bridge and then watching it turn the Golden Gate Bridge a brilliant orange before dipping into the tranquil Pacific Ocean.