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Canadian Adventure: Eagles, Owls, and Crepes in Mont Tremblant

August 27, 2012 by

Bonjour everyone! As you all know by now, I spent my vacation in French Canada, including in the beautiful mountain town of Mont Tremblant. Our final day in Mont Tremblant was just as exciting as the days before. After sleeping in – which I rarely get to do any other time of the year – we ventured down to the bottom of the village (walking, because the chair lifts were not open yet) to Creperie Catherine for breakfast. Although the setting was lovely, the crepes were unfortunately average – after all of the glowing reviews, I expected much more. Oh well, it was still a wonderful setting and great for a photo opp.

After breakfast, we ventured up the mountain – thankfully not walking the very long trek – via the mountain cable cars…

The $20 or so dollars we spent was well worth it for the view alone and made me thankful, once again, that I didn’t have to walk up the mountain…especially with two small children in tow…

We arrived at the top and were amazed by the view – the pedestrian village looked so small, almost like a model or diorama. We walked around for a bit, including climbing the stairs at the very steep lookout tower. Then, it was time for the raptor show!

A trained falconer and paleontologist presented a 45 minute talk on birds of prey in the Quebec area, including a white barn owl, a huge bald eagle (awesome!), and a beautiful horned owl – the very bird I had hope to see during the show…

I definitely don’t consider myself an outdoorsy kind of a girl, but owls intrigue me and I’ve always wanted to see one up close, particularly the horned owl. And on this very trip, my wish came true! Darwin the horned owl was born in captivity but was every bit as wild as I imagined. This was by far one of the best parts of my trip and I’m sure you can see why.

After saying goodbye to Darwin, we headed back down the mountain via cable car and did our last few minutes of browsing in the village shops…

Then, it was au revoir Mont Tremblant ….

And hello to Ottawa, the Capitol of Canada! Ciao until next week :-)

Bistro Chic

 

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Canadian Adventure Day 4: Mont Tremblant, Quebec

August 20, 2012 by

After spending two days in French Montreal, we headed to higher ground and a little more R&R. We drove about 1.5 hours northwest of Montreal to the mountain town of Mont Tremblant, Quebec, in the Laurentide Mountains. The drive was beautiful and seemed short compared to the 7.5 hour drive from Niagara to Montreal. Throughout our drive, we noticed even more of the French language on road signs, which was amplified when we finally arrived at our destination.

Mont Tremblant is a popular ski resort town that remains vibrant even in the summer. And, just like Montreal, nearly all of those who live and work in the area speak French as a first language, which made our trip quite interesting and memorable.

Our hotel, The Fairmont, was located at the base of the mountains and was everything I expected. It was beautiful, modern, and yet reminded me of a classic ski resort lodge. The standard room we booked was actually quite large for four people and made me wish we were staying for more than one night. And, because I am a Fairmont Presidents Club member, I received a lovely maple treat upon checking into my room…

The Fairmont is located in a pedestrian village, which nestles a lovely mixture of tourist shops, restaurants, and activities for all ages. But, first up, was an afternoon hike. We opted to stay on the easier trail that was packed with winding curves, bridges, and waterfalls. It was everything I wanted in a Canadian hike and more. However, with two small kids in tow, we only made it about 1/3 the way through the trail and made our way back.

After resting for a bit in the Village, the kids were thrilled to take on the luge ride – a winding, nonmotorized go-cart-like cart that you steer down the mountain. We all loved it and after doing it one time, we had to do it again! The luge was fantastic but not the end of our excitement. Next up, the kids tackled a small ropes course about 7 feet off the ground. And some of the most fun we had was simply riding the ski lift from the top of the village to the bottom.

All of the activity and excitement left us exhausted by the end of the day. So after dinner and a little Olympics entertainment, it was off to bed for the whole family.

Join me next week as I take you all the way up to the top of the mountain. Bonsoir!

 

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Canadian Adventure Day 2: Bonjour, Montreal!

August 13, 2012 by

Bonjour from Montreal! As part of my Canadian vacation, we stopped in Montreal for two days for a true French experience outside of France. After checking into the lovely Hotel Le Crystal (big rooms and great location), our first stop in this French Canadian city was Old Port in Old Montreal. In Old Port, we dined at Jardin Nelson, an outdoor cafe where patrons are surrounded by flowers from a garden. Although I loved the ambience, the service and the food were a bit lacking.

The 7.5 hour drive from Niagara to Montreal caught up with us pretty fast. However, heading back to the hotel early allowed us to gain some much needed rest and wait up early to enjoy a Nespresso a la Montreal…

After a wonderful breakfast at M’Cafe, we spent most of the day at the Montreal Botanic Garden, followed by a quick stop at Notre Dame…

…outside and inside….

On our final morning, we headed back to Old Montreal for a stop at Olive et Gourmando, a quaint French cafe that reminded me of one straight out of Paris….

There, we enjoyed a few yummy pastries and a hot cafe mocha (probably the best espresso I had on my whole trip) before heading into the Laurentian mountains to Mont Tremblant.

Check back next week to see the mountain town and my up close and personal encounter with wildlife.

Ciao!

 

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Canadian Adventure Day 1: Niagara Falls

August 6, 2012 by

Bonjour Everyone! I am officially back from my week-long Canadian Adventure and have so much to share. From walking on quaint cobblestone streets in Montreal, to holding wild animals in the mountains of Quebec, to catching Olympic fever in a different country, my trip to Canada was one that I will always remember.

And now, for the recap – let’s start with Day 1 in Niagara Falls. I have to admit, I have never had any desire to go to Niagara Falls. But after seeing the Falls on television during the recently televised tightrope walking event, I was excited that my family and I booked a night there. We stayed at the Marriott Fallsview hotel on the Canadian side of the Falls, which, for weeks, everyone had been telling me was much better than the American side. And, other than having my point-and-shoot digital camera stolen on the first day, the trip was lovely. I especially loved our direct view of the falls from our room – it’s really a must if you ever get a chance to go to Niagara.

We started our trip with an obligatory boat ride on the Maid of the Mist. As we were walking up to the boat, my husband asked one of the employees what part of the boat got the most water. And yes, that is exactly where we stood! I had gone into this adventure thinking that I would just feel the “misting” of the falls. Little did I know that the plastic cheap plastic rain poncho given to me at the start would come in so handy despite being paper thin. After getting very wet (mostly my hair and feet) we walked back to the main strip for dinner at our hotel. Now, I’ve never been to the American side of the Falls, but I’ve heard it is very touristy and a little shady. On the contrary, the Canadian side had beautiful landscaping and was kept impressively clean even with the loads of tourists.

After dinner, we settled into our room where we watched the Falls changing colors before our eyes – a site that was promptly followed by an equally surprising fireworks display. A great ending to a great day. But more importantly, an excellent to start my trip.

Next stop…..Montreal!

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