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Valcartier – The Largest Winter Playground in North America
Setting – the largest winter playground in North America. We are flying down Everest, a human chain of inner tubes, each of us squealing deliciously, eyes squeezed shut, hearts drumming loudly in our ears. The vertical plummet straight down, as soon as the gate lifts, has me clutching even harder to handles on either side of my tube while simultaneously also wrapping my triceps around my younger daughter’s boots and grounding us both. All that planking at the gym literally paying off right now in this moment as we scream all the way down. At the bottom, when the ground levels out and the tubes finally slow to a halt,…
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Where in Canada Can You Stay in a Hotel Made of Ice?
I wake on a bed of ice, intricate carvings of a basilisk surrounding me, light subtly creeping through a snow ceiling and polished bricks of ice. Outside this crystal ice palace, the world is still and silent. The kids, in the bed beside ours, just a few feet away are still snugly bundled, not yet stirring. Beside me, wrapped in a burrito sleeping bag, is my husband. I hear the familiar rise and fall of his breath. What Can I Expect Overnight at Hôtel de Glace Quebec? I squeeze my eyes shut a moment longer, listening with my whole body to the sounds of morning in an ice castle. A…
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All the Best Things to Do in Saguenay Lac Saint Jean
Saguenay Lac Saint Jean was a complete mystery to me when we arrived there after touring Quebec Maritime and Quebec City this spring. I didn’t really know what to expect and I had never been before. Sometimes those adventures are the best. Having no preconceived notion of what to expect allowed me to let my imagination run wild. I’d say the sky is the limit when you take that kind of trip but it’s only half true in Saguenay Lac Saint Jean. The sky, the lake, the mountains and fjord are really the only limits. Boasting some stunning natural vistas, a spectacular lake, which many say looks more like an…
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Whale Watching in Tadoussac For the First Time
I am on a 3-hour Tadoussac whale watching tour on a cold Monday in May. For years I have imagined going whale watching. Didn’t know where or when, simply that it had to happen. So here I am searching for whales breaching, whales dotting the horizon, whale tails…anything and everything whale. “I’m not leaving until I see whales,” I have told my travel companions on a Tadoussac whale watching tour. At the start of the day after a home cooked breakfast in Auberge La Sainte Paix, a bed and breakfast where we stayed overnight, I warned the three travel bloggers with me that I would not leave Tadoussac until I…
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STEM Camp – Summer Day Camps Building Curiosity
Imagine a camp where you build your own space suit, or monitor weather in space. A camp where your children explore the world around them, ask questions and create experiments. Building curiosity and engaging young people all summer long is the name of the game at STEM Camp. I couldn’t be happier to share Stem Camp with you. STEM Camp is one of my favourite children’s STEM summer day camps. You already know STEM is the future and maybe you wonder how to nurture that interest. Maybe you worry your kids don’t get enough STEM in school. Well, STEM Camp is a great way to address that. These innovative hands-on summer day…
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Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac – Modern Amenities in an Old World Castle
Nestled inside the walls of Old Quebec lies the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac. Originally a castle, this stunning building is now one of the most luxurious, memorable hotels in Canada. I stayed at Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac while I attended the Women in Travel Summit being held there, and I can say without a doubt that it was one of the most scenic and luxurious hotels I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting. Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac Perfectly Combines Old World and Modern Day The Fairmont began as a castle, and as such, it has some unique rooms, which I find charming. It recently underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation, and it…
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One of a Kind Saguenay Family Resort with Wolves
Waking up to wolves and bison and sled dogs is a bit surreal. But, you need not be a fictional character from a Canadian novel to make this wildlife experience happen. You can entertain your wild side and get spiritual too at a Saguenay Family Resort called Ferme 5 étoiles in Sacre-Couer-Saguenay, Cote Nord Region of Quebec. This family friendly destination in Quebec Nord region is comfortable, unique and open all year long. Recently I stayed there with friends while on a press trip. From the moment we arrived to the second we left we were enamoured with the rescue animals and excited about the prospect of a wolf encounter.…
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One of a Kind Walking Feast – Quebec Food Tour
This post contains affiliate links as a service to my readers. If you make a purchase via one of the links I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. A Quebec food tour is a wonderful way to learn history and get an insider’s view into where to eat when visiting the city. The food in Quebec City is a curious blend of multiple influences from Europe and aboriginal peoples in Canada. That makes the food scene exciting, unique, and worth investigating, which is exactly what we did recently when visiting Quebec City for a womens’ travel writing conference. From Toronto, Quebec City is a long drive…
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Mont-Tremblant National Park – The Beauty of the Laurentians
Quebec may be one of my favourite places on earth. It’s naturally splendid, resource rich, and always makes for a memorable trip. Plus, it’s no secret I love to be close to the mountains. Mont-Tremblant National Park, Parc National Du Mont-Tremblant, is a spot I had not seen until this past year. With its many rivers and magnificent Laurentian Mountains Mont-Tremblant National Park has something to engage every member of your family. On a press trip last summer I had the chance to visit the Laurentians and Mont-Tremblant National Park. This breathtaking park offers the full beauty of The Laurentians on display for all to enjoy. From hiking, biking and canoeing to cross…
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Gatineau and Outaouais Region Celebrate Canada 150
This year Gatineau in the Outaouais Region of Quebec has some remarkable reasons to visit. MosaiCanada 150 and the brand new Canadian History Hall exhibit in the Museum of Canadian History were the most powerfully charged of all the experiences I had this summer travel season. If you are Canadian, you need to see this. It’s hard not to be moved seeing Canada’s history on display. MosaiCanada 150 and the new exhibit together are powerful narratives about Canada’s story. Gatineau Becomes a Riot of Colour Summer is short in Canada and this year it vanished quickly, with the strange cool and rainy weather we had in much of southern Ontario.…
