Nine days
Eight cities (national parks not included)
Approximately 2400km
Two adults
Two (very loud) kids
One car
And one virus that's been a part of our lives for over 100 days now.
With no international flights allowed (at least not without quarantining), we have embarked on the most ambitious trip we've made as a family so far, and left Ontario to explore Quebec.
A Toronto to Quebec City drive is one of the most driven routes in Canada, but it's also one of the most spectacular routes. The two iconic cities have so much to offer, but the road between the two offers even more. We built an itinerary that is the perfect mix of urban and nature (probably more nature really) and have been lucky enough to experience some of the most amazing things along the way, so if you're thinking of making this trip, I promise you won't regret it!
Here are the places we visited, the things we've seen and the hotels we stayed at. All you have left to do is load the car and get going.
Day 1: Toronto >> Ottawa >> Mont Tremblant
The first day had the most driving time so we have planned to break it into 2 parts, to make it easier on the kids (and ourselves). We left Toronto early in the morning and arrived in Ottawa just in time for an early lunch. We then took a long walk along the beautiful Rideau Canal and then had ice-cream at The ByWard Market in downtown Ottawa before hitting the road again. Ottawa will only keep you entertained for a day max, so this was a quick but needed stop.
From there we drove straight to Mont Tremblant. A ski resort in the winter, a summer resort in the...summer. The kids were exhausted but happy, especially knowing that this is just day 1 of staying in cool hotels, eating ice cream daily and sharing a room with mommy and daddy (yay!).
Accommodation in Mont Tremblant: Residence Inn by Marriott Mont Tremblant Manoir Labelle
Day 2: Mont Tremblant
Discovering the highest peak in the Laurentians via the longest trail (guess who picked it) and Crisscrossing Mont Tremblant through waterfalls, streams and lakes sounded like a really good plan at 10am. The hike was supposed to take approximately 2 hours so we just packed snacks (and put Tom in a backpack) and sprayed ourselves with sunscreen and bug spray before leaving the hotel. It was hot and humid so we also packed water, and there was a thunderstorm 'planned' for 3pm. Little did we know the thunderstorm took the highway to Mont Tremblant, and hit us 3 hours earlier than expected, leaving us soaked from head to toe. At first we waited for it to pass, and stayed under a tree, but it wasn't too long before we realized that we would stay wet even if we waited, so we continued to climb up the mountain. Fast forward to 2 hrs and 1,000 mosquito bites later, we took the gondola down the mountain and back to the village, while enjoying some spectacular views. Was it worth it? yes. Will I ever let my husband choose hiking trails again? hard no.
The rest of the day was spent recovering at the hotel and walking around Mont Tremblant Village.
Accommodation in Mont Tremblant - same as above.
Day 3: Mont Tremblant >> Parc national de la Mauricie >> Quebec City
After spending 2 days in civilization, it was time to enjoy some real nature, and so we arrived at Parc National de la Mauricie. The Park has more than 150 lakes of various sizes, and we chose the Wapizagonke Lake, in the city of Shawinigan. Surrounded by mountains, this lake is a narrow shape and length, and has a small beach that makes you feel like you own it. The only sounds heard are the birds, frogs and mosquitoes (see the theme here?), and the views are breathtaking. We camped there for a few hours and canoed for a bit before heading to Quebec City. Again, we arrived at Quebec City late, but had enough time to tour the old city, enjoy dinner and recharge for the next day.
Accommodation in Old Quebec City: Hotel Palace Royal
Day 4: Quebec City >> Tadoussac
Quebec City has so much to offer (we returned to it again later) that we felt bad leaving so fast, so we spent the morning of day 4 touring the old city and visiting some of its historical sites, and didn't leave before having a great lunch at one of the many restaurants that the old city has. Even though we were still in Canada, Quebec City has such a European vibe, and along with the French spoken around us, we really felt like we left Canada. Good thing we didn't have to bring our passports!
We then continued our trip and drove to Tasoussac, a village of 800 people, at the confluence of the Saguenay and Saint Lawrence rivers. The cold, fresh water from the Saguenay and the warmer, salty water of the St. Lawrence, meet to create a rich marine environment. The indigenous Innu called the place Totouskak (plural for totouswk or totochak) meaning "bosom", probably in reference to the two round and sandy hills located on the west side of the village. Sounds special, right? It feels just as special as it sounds. We spent the afternoon in the swimming pool followed by a lovely dinner at the hotel's restaurant. The hotel is located 10 min walk from the marine, and the views from the hotel room were everything! Accommodation in Tadousaac: Hotel Tadoussac
Day 5: Tadoussac >> Saguenay
The highlight of this trip was the planned Whale Watching. Tadoussac is one of the greatest whale observation sites in the world and it is probably the number one reason to visit this village. Not every day you get to see the world's largest animal, and we couldn't be more excited about it. The boat only left at around 1pm, so we had the morning to enjoy the hotel's pool and have lunch at one of the coolest spots in the village. Fish and Chips, I'm glad you asked. Then we were ready to watch some whales, 5 to be exact! We watched a mommy whale and her baby (who's only a few months old) making circles in the water and having lunch, came across a few sea lions, and just when I thought the whales were the highlight of my day, 3 Beluga whales were swimming behind the boat we were on. It was a Bucket list item, and it sure felt like one.
After 3 hours in the water we headed to Sagueney, another city in Quebec, known for Saguenay Fjord, which leads to the St. Lawrence River. Generally a pretty boring city (they do have Tim Hortons and Starbucks...), but we wanted to sleep close to the Fjords so that we can make the most of the following day.
Accomodation in Saguenay: La Saguenéenne - Hôtel et Centre de Congrès
Day 6: Saguenay >> Fjord-du-Saguenay >> back in Quebec City
We headed to Saguenay Fjord National Park as soon as we woke up, as the weather forecast showed a thunderstorm later that day, and really we drove all the way here just to see the Fjords. For those of you who haven't watched Frozen / Frozen 2 (lucky you) a fjord is a long, deep, narrow body of water that reaches far inland. Fjords are often set in a U-shaped valley with steep walls of rock on either side. They are found mainly in Norway, Chile, New Zealand, Greenland, the U.S. state of Alaska, and...Canada! They are unbelievably beautiful and definitely worth a visit. We visited the Saguenay Fjord National Park to see them, and even took a short hike before it rained. Then we drove back to Quebec City to enjoy another night in the city.
Accommodation in Quebec City (same as earlier): Hotel Palace Royal
Day 7: Quebec City >> Montreal
After another French breakfast in Quebec City (Croissant please!), we spend the morning chillaxing and sunbathing in a beautiful park called La Promenade Samuel-De Champlain. As much as we enjoy the parks and nature in and around Toronto, Quebec City has so much more of it. Within a few minutes drive inside the city you can find huge green parks with picnic areas, biking and running trails, all near the water.
From there we continued to our last big stop of the trip, Montreal. We arrived late in the afternoon but had just enough time for cocktails in the sun, Mexican dinner and a walk by the water, since we stayed by the Old Port of Montreal (highly recommended area). The city had just started re-opening a few days before we arrived and is still recovering from Coronavirus influence, but we were still able to enjoy most of what it has to offer, and the best part: we stayed in the most amazing boutique hotel which we probably couldn't have afforded on a regular day, only because the prices were low to encourage visitors to stay there. SUCCESS!
Accommodation in Montreal:
Day 8: Montreal
Montreal is the largest city in Quebec, and as such, it has so much to offer that we have decided to extend our stay and booked another night at the amazing hotel before heading home. We spent day biking, paddle boating, wandering around the Old Port of Montreal, and mostly just enjoying the sun and the food, since it was -20 degrees last time we were here (!!!). Tom even napped in a bed for the first time during this trip, as until day 8 we've always been on the road around his nap time. We needed this extra day to relax. Road tripping is fun but also exhausting, so if possible, spending a car-less day is highly recommended. It also allows you to drink throughout the day without thinking too much :) Another beer? Don't mind if I do.
Accommodation in Montreal - same as above.
Day 9: Montreal >> 1000 Islands >> Toronto
Last day. Time sure flies when you're having fun. We needed to wrap up this trip with one last experience for the kids. Also, Montreal is way too far from Toronto to do the drive without doing a big stop, so we stopped exactly halfway between the two cities. Joel Stone Park (part of 1000 Islands) was exactly what we needed, and more. A cute little beach with splash pads nearby, located in a town called Gananoque, back in our province, Ontario. We no longer had to say Merci :) Thank You worked just fine, and even though we had the best time in Quebec, it was good to be home. From there we headed home, tired but happy, and have already started planning our next trip.
Accommodation in Toronto: Home Sweet Home.
A few words about traveling in the time of Coronavirus:
Canada, as well as the rest of the world, is still adjusting to this new reality, and the tourism industry seems to be one that got hit the hardest. It will take a long time before life goes back to normal and we can hop on a plane to Mexico for the weekend, or travel to see our families. Now is the time for domestic tourism to shine and for us to explore more of what's under our nose.
Hotels and other tourism service providers are doing their best to keep their employees and customers safe, and although we like our hotel room cleaned daily and our breakfast buffet, there's also another way to do it, and it's just as enjoyable as the old way.
Take a trip to a town near you, support local businesses, have fun, just don't forget to wear a mask :)