The easy hike to the Carbide Willson Ruins in Gatineau Park is particularly lovely in spring. If you can do the hike in May, you'll find the forest carpeted with trilliums - and the birds busy singing their hearts out. But the hike to the ruins is also a great one for fall. Colours in Gatineau Park have a habit of dazzling those who visit. I think this is a hike that will feed your…
Growing up in Ottawa, I was very lucky to live within spitting distance of Gatineau Park. As a kid I didn't take advantage of the cross-country ski trails very often but if I lived in the area now, I would be a frequent visitor. Here's why. Gatineau Park is only 20 minutes from downtown Ottawa. In the winter, it offers fabulous cross-country skiing on over 50 trails stretching from Gatineau to Wakefield. There are trails for every level of skier - and loads…
Why visit Québec City in the depths of winter you might ask? The city receives up to 400 cm (13 feet) of snow per year and the average daily high in December, January and February is only -5.9°C (21°F). Not quite the Caribbean vacation many envision. And yet Quebec City in winter is a wonderful spot to visit. The city has an infectious joie de vivre and there's plenty to do from outdoor adventures to…
The hiking in La Mauricie National Park in Quebec took me aback. First, it was way more beautiful than I expected. And the hikes that were labeled moderate, turned out to be on the tough side of moderate. I think because I live near the Rocky Mountains, I figure nothing can be quite as hard in comparison. I was proved wrong on this trip and again hiking to the summit of Le Mont Albert in…
Canada’s 23rd National Park - La Mauricie National Park protects a chunk of billion year old scenic Canadian Shield. It doesn't have the wow factor of some of the other national parks in Canada but it's accessible, family friendly and the lakes and Laurentian foothills are still very beautiful. A Canoe or Kayak Trip in La Mauricie National Park There are two main launch points for a paddling trip - Lac Wapizagonke and Lac Édouard. Both offer…
One winter I was fortunate to have a few days to visit Mont Tremblant Quebec. Despite growing up just two hours away in Ottawa, it took me over five decades to visit this part of the province. It was love at first sight. My love affair with the Quebec Laurentians in winter started well before I reached the village of Mont Tremblant Quebec. As you head north from Montreal on Highway 15 you pass through…
A trip to Gatineau Park feels like a trip down memory lane for me. I grew up in Ottawa so I spent a lot of my youth skiing at Camp Fortune and swimming in the park's lakes. But it had been over three decades since I'd been back. And what a treat to find most of what I remember unchanged. Our base for exploring Gatineau Park was the Moulin Wakefield Inn, just 15 minutes away…
Mont Sainte Anne in Quebec is best known as a downhill ski resort but I'd recommend visiting for the phenomenal cross-country skiing on 200+ kilometres of trails. Mont Sainte Anne, one of the mountains in the Laurentian mountain chain, is located about 40 kilometres northeast of Quebec City in the town of Beaupré. The cross-country ski area (Ski du fond in French) is just seven kilometres up the road from the downhill area in the…
When the chance of a tour of the Ice Hotel in Quebec City (called the Hôtel du Glace in French) presented itself I jumped at the opportunity. I'd heard about the Ice Hotel for years and I was curious about what it would actually look like. And I wanted to know just how cold it felt inside. The Ice Hotel in Quebec City is far more beautiful than I ever imagined it would be -…
If you're planning a trip to Montreal - and you're looking for a hotel in the heart of old Montreal that exudes charm, history and warmth, look no further than Hôtel Pierre du Calvet. It's the oldest private house in the city that offers accommodation. The Hôtel Pierre du Calvet Built in 1725, the hotel boasts fabulous stone walls some of which must be at least a foot thick, beamed ceilings and wood paneling. Despite…
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