Earlier this month Adam and I had a whirlwind getaway to Quebec. We ate our way through the countryside, went whale watching, visited several farms and spent some time in Old Quebec. A few days away from the kids and regular responsibilities was just what we needed!
Quebec is CHARMING.
We could have easily spent more time there to really soak up the culture, architecture, countryside, and history… But there are a couple little boys who would have really missed us. We managed to pack a lot into our four day trip. I recommend planning some “must see” places but also allowing some downtime to just pull off on the side of the road to enjoy the landscape or pit spots at cafes or shops.
Early October the leaves were just incredible. The fall foliage was magical – the red, oranges and yellows were so vibrant. The drive throughout the countryside was picturesque everywhere we looked.
On our first day we arrived in Quebec City and had to stop into Old Quebec before departing for Charlevoix, QC. Old Quebec was maybe about 30 min from the Airport. Within the fortification it felt like a little piece of Europe right here in Canada. So charming, full of history and beautiful architecture.
We were pretty lucky to be invited on this trip with Lincoln Canada as part of their launch for their new vehicle the Aviator. Such an incredible vehicle and it was a treat to drive. We thoroughly enjoyed the vehicle while taking in the scenery. We made countless stops just to take it all in.
We had lunch at the Centre de l’Émeu de Charlevoix and learned a bit about Emu’s. They are pretty unique animals and not often farmed in North America. We stayed two nights at the Fairmont Le Manoir , La Malbaie, QC. The property was beautiful and had a nice onsite restaurant. We didn’t spend a lot of time on the property because we were out exploring.
The weather was perfect!
Day 2 we drove to Baie-Sainte-Catherine and went on a Whale watching excursion. The day was mild, calm and the perfect conditions to see many whale sightings. I didn’t expect to see so many whales – it was truly impressive!
During our drive back to the hotel, we made several stops because the scenery was so beautiful.
For Dinner we ate at Vices Versa , La Malbaie, QC. The meal was quite possibly one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten. It is owned and run by husband+wife duo. I highly recommend eating here if you can fit it in your schedule.
Day 3 we planned to head back to Quebec City and took a scenic route and made a few stops along the way to pick up a few local items to bring home for Thanksgiving Weekend. We stopped at La Ferme Basque De Charlevoix, which was a beautiful duck farm. We got some tasty jams and cheese toppers. Then we stopped at the Cheese Factory Laiterie Charlevoix and had to get some cheese curds for Adam to try!
We had lunch at Auberge La Goéliche, Sainte-Pétronille, QC then we made our way back to Old Quebec. We stayed at hotel the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, Québec City, QC. I could hardly wait to explore all of the charm of Old Quebec!
Things to do in OLD QUEBEC
I highly recommend just strolling through the streets and soaking up the beautiful architecture, and make sure you have time to pop into some shops or cafes. Old Quebec is surrounded by fortifications and is the only walled city in North America. I literally felt like I was in Europe. Unfortunately we didn’t have a lot of time to stroll around, I could have spent DAYS exploring! Some highlights for me were just strolling the beautiful streets, listening to street performers, viewing the street venders products and just popping into whichever shop or cafe that caught our eyes.
We stayed at the Fairmount Le Chateau Frontenac – its a famous hotel and apparently the worlds most photographed hotel – kind of mind blown that it is in Canada!
We started our walk at our hotel and grabbed a coffee and also popped into La Boutique de Noël de Québec – great spot to grab little souvenirs. We made our way down Place Royale, and down Breakneck Steps (L’Escalier Casse-Cou) then onto Quartier Petit Champlain. We really enjoyed the Quartier Petit Champlain! Its the most adorable (and popular) little neighbourhood. There are lots of clothing shops, local artists selling their goodies and more souvenirs.
We took the Funicular back up to the upper town. I am afraid of heights and normally do not enjoy things like this, but the news of the city and of St. Lawrence River were pretty incredible.
Once we got to the top (it was a really short ride) we strolled Dufferin Terrance and took in the views of Chateau Frontenac as we enjoyed Street performers along the boardwalk. One thing we notice was how busy the hotel was. People just go in for the sake of going in. It’s pretty extravagant.
We had an eleven course dinner at Laurie Raphaël. The meal was incredible and not far from our hotel. We ended our evening with a couple cocktails at the hotel bar.
This is just a recap of the things we did while we stayed in Quebec. There is so more more to see. A couple things I’d love to see on our next trip (or if we had an extra day) I’d love to enjoy Old Quebec for another day and I’d also love to visit Montmorency Falls and also take the Ferry to Levis.
Hope you enjoyed our little getaway to Quebec. If you have any recommendations or suggestions for our next visit please let me know!
xo Amy
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