For years the Mingan Archipelago National Park has been on my bucket list. I first heard about the park when I started researching places to include in my book on 100 adventures across Canada back in 2013. Kayaking through an archipelago of over 1000 islands that make up the park sounded like a magical adventure to me. Unfortunately the kayaking company I'd looked at shuttered its doors, and there was no replacement for years. So…
Seven of us are heading to the westernmost island in Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve for a lighthouse stay. We have less than a full 24 hours on the island, but it can be walked from end to end in about ten minutes so we have ample time for R&R and exploration. (The island is only 350 metres long and less than 100 metres wide.) From a distance it looks like we're heading for Alcatraz…
The scenic Charlevoix region has long been served by trains from Quebec City - but with hiccups along the way where service has stopped, sometimes for years at a time. Today the Charlevoix Train is very much in existence offering seasonal train trips between Beauport and La Malbaie with numerous stops along the way. The Charlevoix Train follows the north shore of the St. Lawrence River for 125 kilometres with views of the river, cliffsides and parts…
Le Petit Train du Nord, a 200 kilometre multi-use trail in Quebec's Laurentian region checks off almost every box cyclists dream about. Cue the beautiful countryside, delicious local food, charming small towns and villages, excellent signage and relatively easy cycling - especially if you bike from north to south. Throw in the option of getting a shuttle to the start pointing point in Mount-Laurier and a daily luggage transfer and you've got one winner of…
A few years ago John and I included a winter visit to the scenic Charlevoix region located less than 100 kilometres northeast of Quebec City. On that trip we enjoyed a stunning drive, albeit a hair-raising one along Highway 381, through a dramatic landscape of lumpy mountains and frozen rivers that included Parc national des Grands-Jardins with its sub-Arctic taiga-like terrain. At that time I knew there were backcountry huts in the area used by…
Pink Lake in Gatineau Park, located less than a half hour drive from downtown Ottawa, is not what you think it might be. First off, the only thing pink about it are the colourful visitors ambling around the lake on the Pink Lake Trail. The Pink part relates to the name of the family that settled nearby and "loaned" their name to the lake. Walking around Pink Lake in the Gatineau One can walk 2.5…
If you were a giraffe and you lived in some parts of Quebec you would barely be able to see over a snowbank by the time March rolled along. The province of Quebec is truly one of the exceptional places to visit if you love everything about winter - fresh air, outdoor adventures like downhill and cross-country skiing, skating, snowshoeing, fat tire biking along with superb local food, lovely places to stay and Quebecers infectious…
If you love winter then Quebec's vast Mauricie region is the place to go. The region is one of rolling hills and pristine forest, dotted with lakes in spectacular Canadian Shield country. Much of the landscape is accessible from a selection of lodges and resorts that are scattered across the area. They all offer an array of winter activities that make the season fun. None of them are more than a two to 2.5 hour…
Isn't it time for a made in Canada winter holiday? The Sacacomie Hotel in Quebec checks off all the boxes for exactly that. It seems my best and most romantic winter vacations in the last few years have taken place in Quebec (except for the time John and I slept on the floor in the dorm the night before the Canada Ski Marathon.) They know how to "do" winter in this province. Perhaps it's the influence…
If you live in the Montreal - Quebec City corridor then you've likely heard of and perhaps even visited La Mauricie National Park, located equidistant between the two cities. Albert van Dijk, Chief of Conservation Services in the park explains that "it's not as spectacular as other parks but it offers a great experience." If you compare La Mauricie National Park to the rugged beauty of Canada's mountain parks that might be true but in my…
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