Montreal and Quebec 2024

September 3-9, 2024

Montréal, September 3-5

While most of the travel blogs on RambleOnRV are from trips we took in our RV, this is a non-RV trip we took with friends. Picking our friends up in Albany, NY, we drove up to Montréal, where we stayed together in an Airbnb. The border crossing was empty and easy, and Upon arrival, we walked around the neighborhood and happened upon a small boulangerie (bakery) on SW Sherbrooke Street called Plougastel. We stopped in for some chocolatines (chocolate croissant), a baguette, and other delicious pastries. The man who ran the shop actually complimented my French (which is a first!) and gave us extra chocolatines that were slightly overcooked but still delicious. For dinner, we found a Mexican restaurant for dinner with outside seating.

We only had the next full-day to walk around the city. Having traveled to Montréal several times in the past, and having friends living in the city who we wanted to visit, we had a busy day planned. We started by hiking up Mount Royal and around Mount Royal Park. At the top, we saw the Mount Royal Cross, visited the Mount Royal Chalet, and enjoyed amazing views of the city and the McGill University campus. After that we walked to Carré Saint-Louis (Saint-Louis Square), a quaint, very European-looking area of town where the roofs of the houses are bright colors and you can walk through green alleyways tucked between old brownstone homes. This is where we met up with a friend who gave us a tour of one of the alleyways he helped develop and maintain. From there, we walked down Saint- Denis Street, a vibrant street filled with shops and restaurants, to beautiful Old Montréal for some more pastries and a visit to the Old Port. Heading back to the Airbnb, we returned to the patisserie for more treats and had dinner in the apartment.

Québec, September 5-9

We left Montréal in the morning, heading up the Chemin du Roy (King’s Road), “the first roadway built between Québec City and Montréal that could accommodate wheeled vehicles along its entire length.” Although Montréal and Québec are only about three hours by car, taking this scenic drive allowed us to enjoy stopping in small towns and seeing historic markers along the way. After about five hours of driving, we veered off the Chemin du Roy and took the highway as the drive was taking longer than we anticipated and we wanted to get to Québec before dark. We arrived at our Airbnb, unpacked, and walked around the area. The apartment we were staying at was outside of the historic downtown so we were able to see some of the other places in the area, including Victoria Park. We ate dinner at the apartment and planned our day for tomorrow.

The next day, having downloaded a self-guided walking tour map of the city, we walked all over historic Québec, weaving our way through the beautiful streets and fun shops, and making our way to the water and Le Château Frontenac, an amazing hotel built in the late 1800s. In addition to walking along the water, we were lucky to be visiting during the sculpture series, Le Mignonisme by Philippe Katerine, a public art installation with huge pink figures situated around the old city. We stopped at a small coffee shop for patisseries and coffee. And we had a beer and fries at Pub St. Patrick.

Wanting to see the environs, the next day we headed to the Parque National de la Jacques-Cartier where we hiked the Éperon Trail, offering beautiful views of the valley. We spent most of the day at the park and headed home for dinner and to plan for the next day.

On our last full day in Québec, we first drove to Montmorency Falls, a spectacular 272 foot waterfall that flows into the St. Lawrence River. Surrounded by a park, we were able to walk around. And then despite the cold, cloudy weather, we decided to climb down (and then back up) the 487 steps where we could see the falls from the bottom. After climbing back up, we drove across the bridge spanning the St. Lawrence to explore L’Île-d’Orléans, an island made up of six villages and a road that circles the entire island. We made several stops along the way, including the Chocolaterie de l'Ile d'Orleans, a quaint cafe with a little store decorated with witches called La Maisonnette d’Ile d’Orleans, a small fishing town where we walked a bit in the rain, and the Hangar Aux Artisans where we purchased a small piece of art to hang in Maude. We also stopped at the Fromagerie Ferme Audet where our friends tried the fresh goat cheese, the Observation Tower, and a few other stops along the route. After a full day of site-seeing, we drove back to the Airbnb for the evening.