What better way to explore your amazing country than a road trip? Then add in winter beauty, a big snowman, and snowy landscapes ... and voila! Quebec City was the perfect destination to see explore and immerse our children in Canadian culture.
The main reason for going was to attend the Winter Carnival and meet bonhomme, the large snowman that everyone learns about in elementary school! It was kind of like a dream come true to see this massive, french snowman walking around his palace with his big, red scarf around his waist. After one night's stopover in Cornwall to meet friends, we kept on trucking the 8 hour drive to Quebec City, or as the locals call it, just, Quebec. After pulling over to admire the semi frozen St. Lawrence river, we drove up the big hill in the middle of old town and enjoyed a warm, Quebecois meal (sheppard's pie and caribou drink!). The following couple of days were dedicated to carnival activities. Our first stop was bonhomme's palace, where you could walk through and see ice sculptures within and get almost lost in the labyrinth of ice walls. Once you got to the top, it was a beautiful vista looking across at the carnival activities. We later had a hot toddie at an ice bar, some poutine by the heaters, and bumped into Bonhomme himself to take some photos. Next, we wandered down the road to see the very detailed ice sculptures in a park and even played on musical ice drums. Everly enjoyed the ice slide the most and was very brave to go down on her own. Everly and Addison both thought it was fun to sit on the ice bed and then we gave maple taffy making a try in the snow, yum! Warming up by the heaters in the cabins was key, as we were contending with -25C weather, c'est la vie! The following day we did some ice tubing, ice hockey, icey ball pit, and admired some more sculptures.
Old Quebec did not disappoint. The view from the top of the city and of the river was captivating. The cobblestone streets were darling and very European, offering gift shops, confectionery stores, restaurants, and stunning photo opts. We loved exploring the grounds of the Chateau Fairmont and the battlegrounds on and near the hill. We did some ice skating in the city and also celebrated Valentine's Day with our favourite people at an Italian restaurant.
The girls' favourite part was seeing bonhomme and playing in our Air BnB! They thought it was fun to make forts, sleep in big beds, and watch a movie on the pull out couch. They were easy to please! In the meantime, James and I took turns parenting to do some 'kidless' activities. I spent the day at Strom nordic spa on the St. Lawerence. The infinity pool over the river, the lazy river with tubes, the eucalyptus steam rooms, the outdoor swings, face mud masks, massage salt rub, relaxation rooms, saunas, and cold plunges were all so dreamy. James spent his kidless time wandering the streets, taking in the sights and popping in for a flight at local breweries.
We took one day to get out of the city and see some natural wonders. We did a hike at the Jacques Cartier provincial park and borrowed a chariot stroller on skis! The girls were so cozy for our hike, nestled in the valley of mountains and we ended up a cabin with a wood fireplace where we could warm our hands and toes. It was a picturesque spot and we hope to return sometime in the summertime. We also went to Montmorecy Falls, which was super cool because it was all frozen. It's much larger than Niagara, so you can imagine its beauty.
The Aquarium of Quebec did not disappoint, either. We all got to touch stingrays and sea stars. We saw sea horses, sea jellies, and octopi. They also had outdoor exhibits (brr) of polar bears, arctic foxes, and seals. It was outstanding!
The drive home wasn't so bad, especially because we beat the winter storm that hit Ontario and Quebec by just one day! We highly recommend a trip to Quebec City for anyone who wants to feel a taste of Europe within our own borders!
