Quebec, Canada June 2015
Day 1: June 20
We left the house later than we usually would do when we go on a road trip since we are selling our house and it needs to be good looking all the time. We left at 8:17 am. It went very smooth, no traffic or accidents till later in the afternoon. We had already passed Albany, NY and were close to the Canadian border when we were left with a 20 mile gas tank and no gas stations to find nearby. We decided to go off the highway and try to look for the nearest village in the hope we would find a gas station there. We drove in the middle of nowhere when after a few miles driving we saw some men standing at the side of the road. They were very friendly and drove in front of us leading us to the nearest gas station. The drive to Port Henry, where the gas station was, was amazing, very picturesque and at the same time it was nerve racking if we would make it, but we did. From Port Henry it was less than an hour to the border. At customs we had to stop and show the passports. It was exciting to use our American passports for the first time. After answering some questions we entered Canada. We arrived in Montreal at around 8 pm. We checked into the Marriott Courtyard Downtown. Wonderful modern hotel, great room. The staff is very friendly and the concierge recommended us a good Italian restaurant so we decided to give it a try. The name of the restaurant is Il Focolaio located on 1223 Rue du Square Phillips. The place was packed but we didn't have to wait to long. We all ate pizza. The pizza size is perfect and we all finished our pizzas till the last bite. After dinner we walked around in the city. Liron found a place where she ate a Nutella crepe for dessert. It was OK but not as good as our favorite crepe place in Breckenridge, CO. On our way back to the hotel we walked into a big music festival. Montreal has many festivals during the summer.
After a good night sleep we went to Starbucks around the corner from the Marriott for breakfast. From there we walked to the old city of Montreal. There were mainly tourist shops and restaurants. It's not very big or impressive. For lunch we walked back to Rue Sainte-Catherine which is the main street in the newer part of the city. We ate at Eggspectation, a delicious place for breakfast or lunch. There are many buildings connected with each other underground in Montreal. We went to one building and then we decided to go back to the hotel to take the car to drive to Quebec City. The drive took us 2.5 hour. We arrived at the Hilton around 7 pm. We were recommended by the concierge for some restaurants on Grande Allee Est which is located behind the Parliament building. We ate dinner at Savini. A great place for pastas. We walked back from the restaurant through the Parc de la Francophonie which is next to the Parliament building. Beautiful well maintained gardens with sculptures. Back in the hotel Nir and I went to sleep while the girls stayed awake reading books on their iPads. This is something new to us all, the girls never enjoyed reading. On the long drive to Canada we suggested them to download a book on their iPads, and so they did, since then they haven't stopped reading. When ever they have the chance they read.
Day 3: June 22
Today we went to the old city which is located just outside of the hotel. The old city is surrounded by a fortification of 3 mile. We entered through Porte (gate) Saint-Jean and had breakfast at Chez Paillard on Rue (street) St. Jean. This is a bakery well known with locals and tourists. The coffee was great but the croissants and pain au chocolate wasn't that amazing. We expected more but after traveling last year through Europe we got very spoiled with our taste. Old Quebec is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is no need for a car, we walked through the whole old city. It's a very clean city and cute to walk through. After our breakfast we continued walking on St. Jean towards the City Hall. On the square there we noticed a Roots store and the girls got very excited and started running towards it. Roots is like the Canadian A&F.
After some good shopping at Roots we sat in the garden of the City Hall and Liron played in the fountain. After she got soaking wet we walked towards the Fairmont hotel which is known as Quebec's Chateau (castle). From there we took the stairs down towards the Lower Town where we had lunch. From there we walked on the outside of the fortifications towards an indoor market which wasn't worth the visit. From there we walked up towards the Upper Town towards Parc de l'Esplanade and left the old town through Porte St. Louis. We went to the same street as where we ate yesterday night. First we sat on a terrace at L'Atelier for a beer and then we decided to go back to Savini for dinner since we enjoyed the food there so much. The girls went back to the hotel after dinner and Nir and I decided to walk a bit more through the newer city.
Day 4: June 23
Today we woke up and it was pouring outside. We walked to Starbucks for breakfast. After breakfast we went back to the hotel and checked out. We went straight from the hotel to the RV depot “Discount”. It took us 45 min. The office of the RV depot is located in a gas station. We had to wait a while for the owner to come. They had told us to come at 1 pm but we were there much earlier. Jonathan the owner of the place was very nice and helpful. He gave us great service. The RV is brand new and looks great. It is a 31 Ft RV and it has two slide outs so it’s really big. From the depot we went to Metro Supermarket for some groceries. We had brought a lot of dry food from home but we still needed the milk, fruit, vegetables and meat. From the supermarket we drove to our campground, Camping Stoneham located along 73N. It was an hour drive. The campground looked very nice driving through it. There’s a river going through the campground and our site is next to it. Nir and Liron went to play some Frisbee while Noa and I organized the RV. Nir came later inside to make some hotdogs for dinner. We are very exciting to be back in a RV and to start our trip.
Day 5: June 24
Nir and I woke up and we let the girls sleep in. We woke up to a blue sky with a beautiful view of the mountains and the soothing noise of the river that streams next to us. We had coffee outside and some French bread with Nutella.
We started driving towards NP Jacques-Cartier but the GPS took us the wrong way. It took us south for half an hour when we got to a private road and dead end. After asking a nice lady we came to the conclusion that it was to the north from our campground and it was only a 10 min drive from there. So instead of 10 min it took us 1.5 hour to get to the NP. After visiting the visitor’s center we decided to do the Les Loupes hike. There are 4 levels of hikes in this park; easy, intermediate, advanced, and expert. This is an 11 km (7mile) advanced hike with two observation decks on the route with breathtaking views.
Elevation is 500 meter (1650 ft.). We were lucky with the weather, it was a great temperature for such intense hike, around 70F. The girls didn’t complain ones during this hike; they hiked with a great pace while laughing and singing. The trail was quiet busy because it was a national holiday and since this NP is only half an hour from Quebec city many people came. When we finished this hike we went back to the same campground. On the way we bought some firewood for the fire pit. We made a nice dinner and the girls played a bit outside. It had cooled down a lot so we decided to eat inside. After dinner we went outside and made ‘s Mores on the fire. It wouldn’t be a camping trip without ‘s Mores:-)
Day 6: June 25
Today we woke up again luckily with a blue sky just freezing cold. We turned the heater on. Since this RV is brand new and most probably we are the first to ever drive it the heater had that strange smell and it made the smoke detector go off. Noa woke up in a panic but didn’t have any problem falling back asleep when she knew everything was ok. Nir and I enjoyed our coffee and bun with Nutella outside before unhooking.
It was actually nicer outside than inside. We started driving towards our next campground on route 175N towards Saguenay. This is a beautiful road mainly along forests and lakes. Around 9:30 am we stopped at a great rest area with an amazing view over a lake. What a great way to wake up like that. While Nir
made pancakes someone knocked on the door. The man said, “As fellow RV’ers we have to salute one another.” It was a nice family with two kids and a dog from Ontario. We had a small conversation and then ate our breakfast. We moved on and from Saguenay we took the 170E. It was a very tiring drive for Nir since there was a very strong wind. We stopped at Fjord du Saguenay NP but decided to make a U-turn and go to the park tomorrow. The ranger at the booth gave us a good tip what to do for the afternoon. She suggested going to Petit Saguenay. When we arrived there we first had a good lunch and then Nir took a nap. Noa continued reading her book and Liron and I played a few games. After he woke up we went outside to explore. This place was so picturesque, truly unbelievable! The girls went immediately down towards the big rocks since it was low tide. We just sat there on the rocks in awe soaking up the beauty around us.
Before leaving we walked on the wharf. After Petit Saguenay we drove to our campground, Camping Le Quatre Chemins at L’Anse-Saint-Jean. It is a very small and cute campground. The girls found out that there’s WiFi at the clubhouse next to the pool. After not having service for two days they immediately took that opportunity. After catching up on Instagram, Facebook and other media they came back to the RV. Nir and I enjoyed a borrel (beer and chips) in the mean time. Nir went to join the girls to catch up on some work while I cooked. Liron and I played a bit of baseball and we went to see the river that goes along the campground. After dinner Nir and Liron played Frisbee, and Noa continued reading again.
Day 7: June 26
Today we woke up early and decided to wake the girls up too. We made croissants, got dressed and headed towards Fjord du Saguenay NP, the Baie Eternite entrance.
We started our hike at 11:15 am. We did “The Sentier de la Statue trail”. This trail started behind the visitor’s center. There are two main lookouts along this difficult trail. We went all the way till the end. It’s a 7.5 km long trail, it goes steep and it’s mainly climbing over a staircase of rocks. There are a few rest areas set up along the way for a break (you need those). At the end you get to the Notre Dame du Saguenay statue. This statue has been keeping an eye on the fjord since 1881.
From there you have a magnificent view of the fjord. Again the girls did an amazing job climbing this trail that was even harder than the last one we did in Jacques Cartier NP. It was worth it but I was finished when we were back at the visitor’s center. There was free WiFi at the visitor’s center and of course we had to take our time to catch up on all media. Before returning to the campground we decided to make a quick stop at an overlook that is also a part of the NP. This was L’Anse de Tabatiere, the only viewpoint overlooking the fjord that is accessible by car. Since it’s a part of the NP you have to have an entry pass, since we already paid earlier in the other part we could enter without paying again. It wasn’t worth the drive up there, especially with an RV. What was worth is the drive through L’Anse Saint Jean to get to this viewpoint. This is a very old picturesque village, the church is from 1890, and a covered wooden bridge from 1929.
We stopped in the village for some groceries and drove back to the campground. I made pasta with Bolognese sauce. The weather was beautiful so we enjoyed our dinner outside but as soon as the mosquitos started flying around us we went back inside. Here in Quebec you definitely need good bug spray because there are plenty.
Day 8: June 27
Today we drove to our next destination. We left around 8:45 am and continued on the 170 east. We followed this road till we got to the junction of 138, there’s really no other option. This is all a part of “Route du Fjord” a very scenic road, truly a beautiful and worthy drive. We stopped at a rest area in Saint Simeon along the St. Lawrence River where we woke up the girls. We had breakfast there, and after that we continued on route 138 east (even though in my opinion it should be north) for another 15 km. to Baie des Rochers. To get there you need to take a small road and we were not even sure what to expect but we took the chance. At the end of the road there was a sign that RV’s couldn’t continue and we had to park at a small parking lot. When we walked towards the end of the road we came to a magical place. There was a waterfall that spilled its water into the St. Lawrence River. The girls immediately took the opportunity to get in the water and walk over the boulders in the stream of the waterfall.
After sitting for a while on the rocks and enjoying a Zen moment we decided to take a little hike. We did the Anse de Sable, which is a 2 km. hike up the mountain. We didn’t finish the whole hike because the girls were not wearing their hiking shoes but Keen and that wasn’t comfortable for the hike up. We came all the way till the top where there was a beautiful overlook. The trail would continue down the other side of the mountain to a beach but we went back to the RV. From there we continued toward Baie Sainte Catherine. We stopped at the Pointe Noire overlook but decided not to go in since it was already 4 pm and would close at 5 pm, it’s part of the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park. We went to our RV campground. We played some volleyball, two against two. After that Liron and I played baseball while Nir was doing some work and Noa was catching up with some friends. We had dinner outside and then we made ‘s Mores again at our campfire.
Day 9: June 28
Nir woke up to catch up with some work. In the mean time I bought tickets for a whale watch cruise at 10 am. So we woke up the girls and we drove 5 min. from the campground till the wharf from where the cruise left. The cruise took 3 hours on the St. Lawrence River and a bit into the Saguenay Fjord.
When we just departed Nir noticed Beluga whales and he immediately yelled out so all people came to the side of the boat. There were four Beluga’s in sight and very cool to see those marine mammals. The Beluga is an Artic dweller that also lives in the St. Lawrence. They spend the summer in the mouth of the Saguenay. It’s a threatened species despite not having been hunted in 30 years. Then very soon on the other side we hear people yelling and very close to the boat a Fin whale came out of the water. The Fin whale is the second largest living animal on the planet. They return every summer to the feeding grounds of the St. Lawrence. They come up 3 times to breath and then take a deep breath to take a deep dive and stay under water for 15 to 20 min. Unfortunately I was on the other side of the boat taking pictures of the Beluga’s and so I missed the opportunity to take a picture of the Fin whale. After that we saw many Minke whale. This whale can often be spotted near the shore. We also saw penguins and seals. So we can say that we had a successful whale cruise. We were also very lucky with the weather, it was beautiful sunny and the river can have big waves but today it was very calm, like a mirror. After the cruise we took the ferryboat
from Baie Sainte Catherine to the other side of the Fjord, to Tadoussac. We took the 138 east to Les Escoumine where we stopped for some groceries and to eat lunch. We continued the road and we stopped again at a rest area after Colombier so that Nir could take a nap. Since it was low tide Liron and I decided to take a stroll on the sand. We found many cool
conch shells and some driftwood that we will take home with us. Liron has decided to put this in her bathroom in the new house. After that we had a 45 min. drive till our campground in Baie Comeau, Camping Boreal. We arrived only around 8 pm. We made a quick dinner and will go to sleep early since we have to wake up very early tomorrow morning.
Day 10: June 29
This morning we woke up at 5:30 am since we had to take the ferry. We drove from our campground in Baie Comeau to Godbout, it took us 45 min. The ferry would depart at 8 am. I had already made a reservation a month ago. It’s a huge ferry. Nir stayed in the RV and went to sleep while Liron was still sleeping. Noa had woken up and went upstairs with me to the lounge. Unfortunately it was an old and smelly ferry and we didn’t enjoy it at all. It was a shame because it was also raining so we couldn’t sit outside. It took the ferry 2.15 hour to cross the St. Lawrence River. It’s unbelievable how wide this river is, it’s almost like you are on the sea. We arrived in Matane at 10:15am. From there we took the 132 east towards Sainte Anne des Monts. We had lunch at a rest area on the way and drove straight to our campground Ancre Jaune. We decided to make this an easy day. The weather was also bad, raining and a cold wind. The campground isn’t large or really nice but the location is wonderful. It’s on a beach on the St. Lawrence River and here you can definitely smell the salt from the ocean. The ocean spills into the river here. After a bit reading, playing games and relaxing the weather started to clear up. Liron and I went for a stroll on the beach while Noa stayed inside to read her book and Nir was catching up on some work. Liron
and I found all kind of cool rocks that we will take with us home for an art project. We also found a beautiful piece of driftwood and will take that home too. This place is btw well known for driftwood sculptures that you can find all over town. Every August they have a four-day driftwood sculpture festival. We had an early dinner and did a fun game before going to sleep.
Day 11: June 30
Today we woke up at our usual time, around 7 am. We prepared croissants for breakfast, got dressed, unhooked and drove towards Gaspesie National Park. This was a 20 min. drive from the campground. Like always we went first to the visitor’s center. I bought a buff at their store to keep the bugs away from my neck. Liron and I have been bitten badly by mosquitos, especially in our necks. The park ranger recommended us a hike. The girls had asked if we could do an easy hike today but we decided to do another intense one without really telling the girls. We left the RV at Ruisseau Isabelle parking lot and started our hike towards the first destination that was the summit of Le Mont Olivine, 4.3 km.
This hike had a significant elevation change and very rocky. After enjoying our lunch and the beautiful view over the valley, a lake and Mt. Albert that still had some snow on the top, we continued to a hut named Le Serpentine. From the summit till the hut was another 3.1 km. It was for the most part downhill. First we went down all the way till the lake and then we had to climb up along a waterfall that came from the snow of Mt. Albert. We took a short rest and had a snack at the hut. The walk to there was spectacular but the view from the hut wasn’t so great, it was just a good rest stop. From the hut we went back to the parking lot, which was another 4.9 km. All together it was a 12.3 km. (8 mile) loop with an elevation of 700m. (2.200 ft.). It was a super tiring hike but OMG so worth it. In one hike to get to a summit, to walk along a lake and waterfall, see snow topped mountains was worth each and every moment. After the hike we stopped for a short period at the visitor’s center to eat ice cream and most important they had a good WiFi service so we could all catch up on some media and emails. On our way back to the campground we decided to stop at La Grande Fosse rest area, which is still inside the national park. We made a quick dinner and since it was already 7 pm and it was next to the Sainte Anne River we were hoping to see a moose. There are many, many road signs “be aware for crossing moose”, but unfortunately so far this whole trip in Quebec we haven’t seen one moose.
Day 12: July 1
We left the campground around 8:30 am after Nir and I enjoyed our morning coffee next to the St. Lawrence estuary. We went straight to Metro, which is a big grocery story chain here in Quebec. The girls continued sleeping while we did the groceries. We started driving towards Quebec city on the 132 west. It seems for some reason that they don't have signs with north and south, very weird. The 132 is a regional road all along the coast. If you have the time it's worth taking this route instead of highway 20. We stopped at the roadside rest area a few km. before arriving to the village Baie des Sables. This is a great area along the water where you can beachcomber.
We already took some driftwood, shells, and rocks with us. We ate breakfast there and really took our time. There was a man walking his dog and he started talking to us for quiet a while, he was very friendly. Something we didn't know is that the Quebecois do not recognize Canada, and therefor still speak French. This region is also very quiet from tourists. The people that travel in this area are mainly French Canadians. After we left and continued driving on the 132 it started raining. From time to time we would take the road that goes straight through a village, some are very picturesque. We arrived at our campground De L'Anse in Rimouski around 4 pm. Since it was pouring rain we decided the rest of the day to stay on the campground in the RV. We had finally very good WiFi connection so we were all happy to catch up on emails and media. We had a beer and dinner and went to sleep pretty early.
Day 13: July 2
We arrived at Du Bic National Park at around 8:30 am. Again Nir and I went to the visitor's center to find out about day hikes. Du Bic is a coastal park and very small compared to the other parks we have visited. We decided to do a very easy hike for today since we are all pretty tired from all the other hikes that we have done so far. An RV trip isn't a vacation, it's a trip. We wake up early every morning, you need to prepare all your meals yourself, drive, plan the day, hike, be outside in nature, making campfires in the evening, etc. You really need to love this kind of trips, it's not for everybody. Anyway we decided to do a 4 km. hike (stroll), Le Chemin Du Nord. We woke the girls up, ate some breakfast, drove to the Ferme Rioux parking lot where we started our hike. It's all flat and we walked instead of on the path near the shoreline over the beach. At the end you arrive at a teahouse, La Rose des Thes, where we indeed enjoyed an amazing tea, one of the best I ever had.
We sat outside on the terrace with a spectacular view over the water and islands and there are many sweetbrier plants and the fragrance of these plants reminds me of the island Vlieland in Holland. It was wonderful to sit there. When we came back to the RV we had lunch. After that we drove to the Le Pic Champlain parking lot. Nir decided to walk up to the lookout while the girls and I took the shuttle up. We were just tired and didn't feel like climbing up again even though it's an easy hike again compared to all the others. There are also many bugs and especially Liron and I can't stand it anymore since we are the ones who get bitten most. The drive up took less than 10 min. and Nir joined us very quickly at the lookout. It took him 37 min. to climb up the 346 m. elevation mountain. The lookout offers some of the most beautiful vistas in the region.
Liron and Nir walked down while Noa and I took the shuttle. They came down in 35 min.. After the park we went to Rimouski. At the visitor's center you can get a parking pass for free parking since we are not from the area otherwise you need to pay everywhere. This place is the most boring place ever and the girls where smart to stay in the RV. Nir and I went quickly back to the RV. On the way back to the campground we stopped again at a Metro to get some produce. At the campground we had a beer with snack outside (borrel in Dutch), later we had dinner inside the RV because the wind was picking up. This is a very nice campground and we are on a hill with a beautiful view, we are looking at the beautiful sunset from here.
We left the house later than we usually would do when we go on a road trip since we are selling our house and it needs to be good looking all the time. We left at 8:17 am. It went very smooth, no traffic or accidents till later in the afternoon. We had already passed Albany, NY and were close to the Canadian border when we were left with a 20 mile gas tank and no gas stations to find nearby. We decided to go off the highway and try to look for the nearest village in the hope we would find a gas station there. We drove in the middle of nowhere when after a few miles driving we saw some men standing at the side of the road. They were very friendly and drove in front of us leading us to the nearest gas station. The drive to Port Henry, where the gas station was, was amazing, very picturesque and at the same time it was nerve racking if we would make it, but we did. From Port Henry it was less than an hour to the border. At customs we had to stop and show the passports. It was exciting to use our American passports for the first time. After answering some questions we entered Canada. We arrived in Montreal at around 8 pm. We checked into the Marriott Courtyard Downtown. Wonderful modern hotel, great room. The staff is very friendly and the concierge recommended us a good Italian restaurant so we decided to give it a try. The name of the restaurant is Il Focolaio located on 1223 Rue du Square Phillips. The place was packed but we didn't have to wait to long. We all ate pizza. The pizza size is perfect and we all finished our pizzas till the last bite. After dinner we walked around in the city. Liron found a place where she ate a Nutella crepe for dessert. It was OK but not as good as our favorite crepe place in Breckenridge, CO. On our way back to the hotel we walked into a big music festival. Montreal has many festivals during the summer.
Day 2: June 21: Happy Fathers Day!!!
After a good night sleep we went to Starbucks around the corner from the Marriott for breakfast. From there we walked to the old city of Montreal. There were mainly tourist shops and restaurants. It's not very big or impressive. For lunch we walked back to Rue Sainte-Catherine which is the main street in the newer part of the city. We ate at Eggspectation, a delicious place for breakfast or lunch. There are many buildings connected with each other underground in Montreal. We went to one building and then we decided to go back to the hotel to take the car to drive to Quebec City. The drive took us 2.5 hour. We arrived at the Hilton around 7 pm. We were recommended by the concierge for some restaurants on Grande Allee Est which is located behind the Parliament building. We ate dinner at Savini. A great place for pastas. We walked back from the restaurant through the Parc de la Francophonie which is next to the Parliament building. Beautiful well maintained gardens with sculptures. Back in the hotel Nir and I went to sleep while the girls stayed awake reading books on their iPads. This is something new to us all, the girls never enjoyed reading. On the long drive to Canada we suggested them to download a book on their iPads, and so they did, since then they haven't stopped reading. When ever they have the chance they read. 
Today we went to the old city which is located just outside of the hotel. The old city is surrounded by a fortification of 3 mile. We entered through Porte (gate) Saint-Jean and had breakfast at Chez Paillard on Rue (street) St. Jean. This is a bakery well known with locals and tourists. The coffee was great but the croissants and pain au chocolate wasn't that amazing. We expected more but after traveling last year through Europe we got very spoiled with our taste. Old Quebec is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is no need for a car, we walked through the whole old city. It's a very clean city and cute to walk through. After our breakfast we continued walking on St. Jean towards the City Hall. On the square there we noticed a Roots store and the girls got very excited and started running towards it. Roots is like the Canadian A&F.
After some good shopping at Roots we sat in the garden of the City Hall and Liron played in the fountain. After she got soaking wet we walked towards the Fairmont hotel which is known as Quebec's Chateau (castle). From there we took the stairs down towards the Lower Town where we had lunch. From there we walked on the outside of the fortifications towards an indoor market which wasn't worth the visit. From there we walked up towards the Upper Town towards Parc de l'Esplanade and left the old town through Porte St. Louis. We went to the same street as where we ate yesterday night. First we sat on a terrace at L'Atelier for a beer and then we decided to go back to Savini for dinner since we enjoyed the food there so much. The girls went back to the hotel after dinner and Nir and I decided to walk a bit more through the newer city.Day 4: June 23
Today we woke up and it was pouring outside. We walked to Starbucks for breakfast. After breakfast we went back to the hotel and checked out. We went straight from the hotel to the RV depot “Discount”. It took us 45 min. The office of the RV depot is located in a gas station. We had to wait a while for the owner to come. They had told us to come at 1 pm but we were there much earlier. Jonathan the owner of the place was very nice and helpful. He gave us great service. The RV is brand new and looks great. It is a 31 Ft RV and it has two slide outs so it’s really big. From the depot we went to Metro Supermarket for some groceries. We had brought a lot of dry food from home but we still needed the milk, fruit, vegetables and meat. From the supermarket we drove to our campground, Camping Stoneham located along 73N. It was an hour drive. The campground looked very nice driving through it. There’s a river going through the campground and our site is next to it. Nir and Liron went to play some Frisbee while Noa and I organized the RV. Nir came later inside to make some hotdogs for dinner. We are very exciting to be back in a RV and to start our trip.
Day 5: June 24
Nir and I woke up and we let the girls sleep in. We woke up to a blue sky with a beautiful view of the mountains and the soothing noise of the river that streams next to us. We had coffee outside and some French bread with Nutella.
Elevation is 500 meter (1650 ft.). We were lucky with the weather, it was a great temperature for such intense hike, around 70F. The girls didn’t complain ones during this hike; they hiked with a great pace while laughing and singing. The trail was quiet busy because it was a national holiday and since this NP is only half an hour from Quebec city many people came. When we finished this hike we went back to the same campground. On the way we bought some firewood for the fire pit. We made a nice dinner and the girls played a bit outside. It had cooled down a lot so we decided to eat inside. After dinner we went outside and made ‘s Mores on the fire. It wouldn’t be a camping trip without ‘s Mores:-)Day 6: June 25
Today we woke up again luckily with a blue sky just freezing cold. We turned the heater on. Since this RV is brand new and most probably we are the first to ever drive it the heater had that strange smell and it made the smoke detector go off. Noa woke up in a panic but didn’t have any problem falling back asleep when she knew everything was ok. Nir and I enjoyed our coffee and bun with Nutella outside before unhooking.
It was actually nicer outside than inside. We started driving towards our next campground on route 175N towards Saguenay. This is a beautiful road mainly along forests and lakes. Around 9:30 am we stopped at a great rest area with an amazing view over a lake. What a great way to wake up like that. While Nir
made pancakes someone knocked on the door. The man said, “As fellow RV’ers we have to salute one another.” It was a nice family with two kids and a dog from Ontario. We had a small conversation and then ate our breakfast. We moved on and from Saguenay we took the 170E. It was a very tiring drive for Nir since there was a very strong wind. We stopped at Fjord du Saguenay NP but decided to make a U-turn and go to the park tomorrow. The ranger at the booth gave us a good tip what to do for the afternoon. She suggested going to Petit Saguenay. When we arrived there we first had a good lunch and then Nir took a nap. Noa continued reading her book and Liron and I played a few games. After he woke up we went outside to explore. This place was so picturesque, truly unbelievable! The girls went immediately down towards the big rocks since it was low tide. We just sat there on the rocks in awe soaking up the beauty around us.
Before leaving we walked on the wharf. After Petit Saguenay we drove to our campground, Camping Le Quatre Chemins at L’Anse-Saint-Jean. It is a very small and cute campground. The girls found out that there’s WiFi at the clubhouse next to the pool. After not having service for two days they immediately took that opportunity. After catching up on Instagram, Facebook and other media they came back to the RV. Nir and I enjoyed a borrel (beer and chips) in the mean time. Nir went to join the girls to catch up on some work while I cooked. Liron and I played a bit of baseball and we went to see the river that goes along the campground. After dinner Nir and Liron played Frisbee, and Noa continued reading again.Day 7: June 26
Today we woke up early and decided to wake the girls up too. We made croissants, got dressed and headed towards Fjord du Saguenay NP, the Baie Eternite entrance.
We started our hike at 11:15 am. We did “The Sentier de la Statue trail”. This trail started behind the visitor’s center. There are two main lookouts along this difficult trail. We went all the way till the end. It’s a 7.5 km long trail, it goes steep and it’s mainly climbing over a staircase of rocks. There are a few rest areas set up along the way for a break (you need those). At the end you get to the Notre Dame du Saguenay statue. This statue has been keeping an eye on the fjord since 1881.
From there you have a magnificent view of the fjord. Again the girls did an amazing job climbing this trail that was even harder than the last one we did in Jacques Cartier NP. It was worth it but I was finished when we were back at the visitor’s center. There was free WiFi at the visitor’s center and of course we had to take our time to catch up on all media. Before returning to the campground we decided to make a quick stop at an overlook that is also a part of the NP. This was L’Anse de Tabatiere, the only viewpoint overlooking the fjord that is accessible by car. Since it’s a part of the NP you have to have an entry pass, since we already paid earlier in the other part we could enter without paying again. It wasn’t worth the drive up there, especially with an RV. What was worth is the drive through L’Anse Saint Jean to get to this viewpoint. This is a very old picturesque village, the church is from 1890, and a covered wooden bridge from 1929.
We stopped in the village for some groceries and drove back to the campground. I made pasta with Bolognese sauce. The weather was beautiful so we enjoyed our dinner outside but as soon as the mosquitos started flying around us we went back inside. Here in Quebec you definitely need good bug spray because there are plenty.
Day 8: June 27
Today we drove to our next destination. We left around 8:45 am and continued on the 170 east. We followed this road till we got to the junction of 138, there’s really no other option. This is all a part of “Route du Fjord” a very scenic road, truly a beautiful and worthy drive. We stopped at a rest area in Saint Simeon along the St. Lawrence River where we woke up the girls. We had breakfast there, and after that we continued on route 138 east (even though in my opinion it should be north) for another 15 km. to Baie des Rochers. To get there you need to take a small road and we were not even sure what to expect but we took the chance. At the end of the road there was a sign that RV’s couldn’t continue and we had to park at a small parking lot. When we walked towards the end of the road we came to a magical place. There was a waterfall that spilled its water into the St. Lawrence River. The girls immediately took the opportunity to get in the water and walk over the boulders in the stream of the waterfall.
After sitting for a while on the rocks and enjoying a Zen moment we decided to take a little hike. We did the Anse de Sable, which is a 2 km. hike up the mountain. We didn’t finish the whole hike because the girls were not wearing their hiking shoes but Keen and that wasn’t comfortable for the hike up. We came all the way till the top where there was a beautiful overlook. The trail would continue down the other side of the mountain to a beach but we went back to the RV. From there we continued toward Baie Sainte Catherine. We stopped at the Pointe Noire overlook but decided not to go in since it was already 4 pm and would close at 5 pm, it’s part of the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park. We went to our RV campground. We played some volleyball, two against two. After that Liron and I played baseball while Nir was doing some work and Noa was catching up with some friends. We had dinner outside and then we made ‘s Mores again at our campfire.
Day 9: June 28
Nir woke up to catch up with some work. In the mean time I bought tickets for a whale watch cruise at 10 am. So we woke up the girls and we drove 5 min. from the campground till the wharf from where the cruise left. The cruise took 3 hours on the St. Lawrence River and a bit into the Saguenay Fjord.
When we just departed Nir noticed Beluga whales and he immediately yelled out so all people came to the side of the boat. There were four Beluga’s in sight and very cool to see those marine mammals. The Beluga is an Artic dweller that also lives in the St. Lawrence. They spend the summer in the mouth of the Saguenay. It’s a threatened species despite not having been hunted in 30 years. Then very soon on the other side we hear people yelling and very close to the boat a Fin whale came out of the water. The Fin whale is the second largest living animal on the planet. They return every summer to the feeding grounds of the St. Lawrence. They come up 3 times to breath and then take a deep breath to take a deep dive and stay under water for 15 to 20 min. Unfortunately I was on the other side of the boat taking pictures of the Beluga’s and so I missed the opportunity to take a picture of the Fin whale. After that we saw many Minke whale. This whale can often be spotted near the shore. We also saw penguins and seals. So we can say that we had a successful whale cruise. We were also very lucky with the weather, it was beautiful sunny and the river can have big waves but today it was very calm, like a mirror. After the cruise we took the ferryboat
from Baie Sainte Catherine to the other side of the Fjord, to Tadoussac. We took the 138 east to Les Escoumine where we stopped for some groceries and to eat lunch. We continued the road and we stopped again at a rest area after Colombier so that Nir could take a nap. Since it was low tide Liron and I decided to take a stroll on the sand. We found many cool
Day 10: June 29
This morning we woke up at 5:30 am since we had to take the ferry. We drove from our campground in Baie Comeau to Godbout, it took us 45 min. The ferry would depart at 8 am. I had already made a reservation a month ago. It’s a huge ferry. Nir stayed in the RV and went to sleep while Liron was still sleeping. Noa had woken up and went upstairs with me to the lounge. Unfortunately it was an old and smelly ferry and we didn’t enjoy it at all. It was a shame because it was also raining so we couldn’t sit outside. It took the ferry 2.15 hour to cross the St. Lawrence River. It’s unbelievable how wide this river is, it’s almost like you are on the sea. We arrived in Matane at 10:15am. From there we took the 132 east towards Sainte Anne des Monts. We had lunch at a rest area on the way and drove straight to our campground Ancre Jaune. We decided to make this an easy day. The weather was also bad, raining and a cold wind. The campground isn’t large or really nice but the location is wonderful. It’s on a beach on the St. Lawrence River and here you can definitely smell the salt from the ocean. The ocean spills into the river here. After a bit reading, playing games and relaxing the weather started to clear up. Liron and I went for a stroll on the beach while Noa stayed inside to read her book and Nir was catching up on some work. Liron
and I found all kind of cool rocks that we will take with us home for an art project. We also found a beautiful piece of driftwood and will take that home too. This place is btw well known for driftwood sculptures that you can find all over town. Every August they have a four-day driftwood sculpture festival. We had an early dinner and did a fun game before going to sleep.
Day 11: June 30
Today we woke up at our usual time, around 7 am. We prepared croissants for breakfast, got dressed, unhooked and drove towards Gaspesie National Park. This was a 20 min. drive from the campground. Like always we went first to the visitor’s center. I bought a buff at their store to keep the bugs away from my neck. Liron and I have been bitten badly by mosquitos, especially in our necks. The park ranger recommended us a hike. The girls had asked if we could do an easy hike today but we decided to do another intense one without really telling the girls. We left the RV at Ruisseau Isabelle parking lot and started our hike towards the first destination that was the summit of Le Mont Olivine, 4.3 km.
This hike had a significant elevation change and very rocky. After enjoying our lunch and the beautiful view over the valley, a lake and Mt. Albert that still had some snow on the top, we continued to a hut named Le Serpentine. From the summit till the hut was another 3.1 km. It was for the most part downhill. First we went down all the way till the lake and then we had to climb up along a waterfall that came from the snow of Mt. Albert. We took a short rest and had a snack at the hut. The walk to there was spectacular but the view from the hut wasn’t so great, it was just a good rest stop. From the hut we went back to the parking lot, which was another 4.9 km. All together it was a 12.3 km. (8 mile) loop with an elevation of 700m. (2.200 ft.). It was a super tiring hike but OMG so worth it. In one hike to get to a summit, to walk along a lake and waterfall, see snow topped mountains was worth each and every moment. After the hike we stopped for a short period at the visitor’s center to eat ice cream and most important they had a good WiFi service so we could all catch up on some media and emails. On our way back to the campground we decided to stop at La Grande Fosse rest area, which is still inside the national park. We made a quick dinner and since it was already 7 pm and it was next to the Sainte Anne River we were hoping to see a moose. There are many, many road signs “be aware for crossing moose”, but unfortunately so far this whole trip in Quebec we haven’t seen one moose.
Day 12: July 1
We left the campground around 8:30 am after Nir and I enjoyed our morning coffee next to the St. Lawrence estuary. We went straight to Metro, which is a big grocery story chain here in Quebec. The girls continued sleeping while we did the groceries. We started driving towards Quebec city on the 132 west. It seems for some reason that they don't have signs with north and south, very weird. The 132 is a regional road all along the coast. If you have the time it's worth taking this route instead of highway 20. We stopped at the roadside rest area a few km. before arriving to the village Baie des Sables. This is a great area along the water where you can beachcomber.
Day 13: July 2
We arrived at Du Bic National Park at around 8:30 am. Again Nir and I went to the visitor's center to find out about day hikes. Du Bic is a coastal park and very small compared to the other parks we have visited. We decided to do a very easy hike for today since we are all pretty tired from all the other hikes that we have done so far. An RV trip isn't a vacation, it's a trip. We wake up early every morning, you need to prepare all your meals yourself, drive, plan the day, hike, be outside in nature, making campfires in the evening, etc. You really need to love this kind of trips, it's not for everybody. Anyway we decided to do a 4 km. hike (stroll), Le Chemin Du Nord. We woke the girls up, ate some breakfast, drove to the Ferme Rioux parking lot where we started our hike. It's all flat and we walked instead of on the path near the shoreline over the beach. At the end you arrive at a teahouse, La Rose des Thes, where we indeed enjoyed an amazing tea, one of the best I ever had.
We sat outside on the terrace with a spectacular view over the water and islands and there are many sweetbrier plants and the fragrance of these plants reminds me of the island Vlieland in Holland. It was wonderful to sit there. When we came back to the RV we had lunch. After that we drove to the Le Pic Champlain parking lot. Nir decided to walk up to the lookout while the girls and I took the shuttle up. We were just tired and didn't feel like climbing up again even though it's an easy hike again compared to all the others. There are also many bugs and especially Liron and I can't stand it anymore since we are the ones who get bitten most. The drive up took less than 10 min. and Nir joined us very quickly at the lookout. It took him 37 min. to climb up the 346 m. elevation mountain. The lookout offers some of the most beautiful vistas in the region.
Liron and Nir walked down while Noa and I took the shuttle. They came down in 35 min.. After the park we went to Rimouski. At the visitor's center you can get a parking pass for free parking since we are not from the area otherwise you need to pay everywhere. This place is the most boring place ever and the girls where smart to stay in the RV. Nir and I went quickly back to the RV. On the way back to the campground we stopped again at a Metro to get some produce. At the campground we had a beer with snack outside (borrel in Dutch), later we had dinner inside the RV because the wind was picking up. This is a very nice campground and we are on a hill with a beautiful view, we are looking at the beautiful sunset from here.
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