Weekend Getaway :: Quebec City

For as long as we've been married, Steve and I have always talked about driving to Canada. It might seem strange to think about our neighbors to the north as a vacation destination, but we live in a bordering state, Steve had never been to the country and I longed to return to Quebec, where I spent a week as a student during the studio art abroad.

We finally jumped on the chance to take a roadtrip to Quebec City over Memorial Day weekend, figuring that three days would be just enough time to take in some sights, experience the unique French Canadian culture and eat plenty of crepes. Plus, this could count as our official "babymoon" - a trip to celebrate (alone...for maybe the last time in a while!) the upcoming life-altering experience of having a child.

The drive from Portland to Quebec was easy peasy...straight up 95 until Waterville, then back country forested "highways" to the border crossing. And as we had hoped, I saw my very first moose a few miles from the Canadian border! It was a young moose, so not particularly impressive in size, but still a thrilling sight for a newbie moose viewer like myself. Once over the border, we were instantly struck by the shift in language - road signs, advertisements and radio stations...all in French! Before we knew it, we were crossing over the mighty St. Lawrence river, and navigating the steep, hilly streets of Quebec city in search of our b&b.

I won't get into the drama surrounding our stay at a certain bed & breakfast, but let's just say that if you're looking for a recommendation of where to stay in Quebec, I don't have anywhere to personally recommend! Despite this inital hiccup in our travel plans, we thoroughly enjoyed our time wandering the historic streets and parks of Vieux Quebec. The city was a vibrant, clean and extremely walkable place...so much so that we ended up walking nearly 10 miles on each day of our visit! We also found the Quebecois to be wonderfully friendly and helpful people. Despite French being their primary language, at the first sign of a language disparity they gracefully made the switch to English, without any hint of exasperation or rudeness.

In my travel journal, where I scrapbook and write about our trips together, I like to make a list of "highlights" from each of our journeys. Here's our Quebec city highlights:

* Crepes! and gelato every day

* A mid-day siesta atop the highest grassy hill in Quebec, overlooking Chateau Frontenac

* Walking on top of the old city's high wall

* Watching the many bizarre and entertaining street performers

* Exploring the quaint and bustling pedistrian-zoned streets of Vieux Quebe

* Hiking the Canyon Ste. Anne waterfalls - just a 30 minute drive from the city

* A nice dinner out on my birthday at Le Lapin Sauté (the sauteéd rabbit) - where I tried rabbit for the first time and really liked it!

* A night time "cruise" by ferryboat on the St. Lawrence, with the city all lit up

*Strolling the romantic Promenade des Governeurs - a boardwalk overlooking the river

* Seeing a total of 4 moose on our drive to and from Canada!

* Stopping at the "Dairy Bar" at the southern tip of Moosehead Lake on the way home

A bizarre side note: For a few hours one day the entire city was engulfed by the smoke and ash from the Quebec wildfires that were raging hundreds of miles away. The city had an eery orange glow, as the sun was almost completely snuffed out by the ash and smoke, but leaving a fiery red ball in the sky. Luckily the winds shifted and by evening it was clear again for our ferry cruise boat ride.

Needless to say, we're excited to go back and visit this great city again sometime soon. We're beginning to really cherish these "get-up-and-go" opportunities, now that we're on the 4 month countdown to October. That said, there were lots of babies and stroller to be found in Quebec, so perhaps this will be our little one's first trip abroad. :)