Unplug in Quebec, Canada
Our family loves to travel, but exploring overseas is a little too pricey for our budget—and the whole process is a bit daunting, to be honest. So learning last spring about the possibilities Quebec, Canada, offers to travelers piqued my interest.
The Gimotty men (my husband and sons) were already tied up with various obligations for one week this summer, so my two teen girls and I jetted to Quebec Canada, for five days of adventure without having to cross an ocean! With our passports in hand, we flew into Montreal where border crossing was a breeze, and the flight was shorter than from KC to LA. Our goal was to immerse ourselves in a foreign nation’s culture and activities without the hassles that come with European travel. We quickly discovered getting around was easy, especially because everyone we met was bilingual and eager to speak English to us. These Midwestern girls appreciated that.
We first ventured a few hours east of Montreal to the charming Montéregie region (City of Sorel), which boasts breathtaking views of the St. Lawrence River and its islands. Our home base was the Hotel de la Rive, situated right along the river. Vast views of the waterway and the crispness of the summer air (Kansas City was experiencing temperatures near 100 at the time) enamored the region to us immediately! While in Sorel, we experienced the multimedia, interactive wonder of Statera, the 104th Island. The 360-degree dome experience, museum and exploration course celebrate the complex natural, anthropological and industrial development of this beautiful region.
The next day we spent in the lovely Chambly city and went to Ferme Guyon, which is something like a cross between Deanna Rose Farmstead, Powell Gardens and Family Tree Nursery. We admired fluttering friends at the butterfly pavilion and interacted with numerous farm animals. The girls and I also participated in a few interesting workshops at Ferme Guyon, including how to be a bee keeper and the art of making butter. That afternoon, we made our way to the rustic and adventurous Domaine Pourki located in Sabrevois, where we enjoyed nautical activities.
Although our day in Chambly in the Montéregie region was delightful, the evening held the most memorable activity of the entire trip: hot air ballooning in Sabrevois. Our family has attempted to go hot air ballooning in Kansas City before, but uncooperative weather has nixed the adventure all three times. Naturally, the girls and I guarded our hopes in Canada, but we were delighted when the weather cooperated and we were soaring 3,000 feet in the air, thanks to La Magie de l’Air. We continued our adventures into the evening by sleeping in a Bora Bora-style hut on the banks of the Richelieu River. Our family doesn’t generally revel in the rustic, but these huts had electricity and provided an unforgettable stay for us.
Continuing our adventures in Quebec, day three served up more outdoor adventure and even some history. In the morning, we went to Arbraska at Mont Saint-Grégoire to enjoy their ropes courses and zip lines. Next door, we enjoyed one of Quebec’s most longstanding traditions, the sugar shack. Straight from the maple trees of the ropes course, sticky sweetness is extracted and turned into mouthwatering maple syrup. Although the sap actually flows only in the spring, we still enjoyed the sugar shack and history that accompanied it. Our next stop was the Fort-Chambly National Historic Site, where we interacted with the fort’s newest family-friendly exhibit titled Smuggling: Outsmart the Exhibition. I was amazed to find out how many goods were smuggled from Montreal into New York back in the day—not just fur pelts but also fine linens. We topped the morning off with a lovely lunch at Fourquet Fourchette, which served distinctive regional cuisine and was conveniently located next door to the fort.
That afternoon we drove to Laval and visited the tranquil Parc de la Riviere-des-Mille-Iles. Laval is an island located 30 minutes North from Montreal. We canoed in a rabaska through the peaceful, protected wildlife sanctuary. With a memorable and tiring day under our belts, we looked forward to checking into our Hilton hotel in Laval, knowing they had recently remodeled and offered spacious family suites to simply relax.
Thrilling adventures my girls have long wanted to conquer filled our final day in Laval. We started at one of Laval’s must-see attractions, the Cosmodome, where we were immersed into interactive space missions with virtual animations and hands-on exhibits. We then took to the waves and went to Maeva Surf, an indoor surf center where the girls enjoyed flowriding. The patient and qualified instructors had my girls standing up on surfboards in no time. We topped off the morning’s fun with an island-themed lunch and piña coladas (non-alcoholic, of course!). The day’s final thrill was skydiving at SkyVenture. Defying the laws of gravity, my girls were soaring in the vertical wind tunnel within a few seconds of instruction. The tandem skydiving was one of the greatest adventures my daughters have ever experienced.
So why vacation in Quebec? With kids tethered to their phones these days, I found it so appealing to break away from the norm and experience international travel without the headaches of going overseas. Quebec offered a good combination of peaceful, outdoorsy activities in the rural regions that appealed to our desire to unplug and plenty of fun thrill-seeking adventures in the upscale urban areas. Having a European feel with lots of French culture and traditions, Quebec warmly welcomed these three Kansas Citians. The Gimotty girls will treasure our Quebec vacation memories for years to come.
Susan Gimotty lives in Overland Park and feels fortunate whenever she gets to travel outside of her favorite place, Kansas City.