Quebec City mini getaway

[CuseFaninVT]

Good morning all. Just a quick one here. Did two nights up in QC earlier this week. It’s a 4-4.5 hour drive from the house in South Burlington. Needed a getaway and decided to take advantage of our son being home to provide pet care. This was our first journey back into Canada since before the pandemic.

Stayed at the Hotel Manior Victoria. Hotel Manoir Victoria - The 4-star hotel in the heart of Old Québec Nice hotel in a great location in the old town. Best part of the hotel, however, was the connected restaurant, Chez Boulay Chez Boulay: a bistro inspired by boreal cuisine which gave us one of the top 5 meals we’ve ever had. Everything was outstanding here.

We walked a ton in town, shopping in the Saint Joseph District as well as on Rue Saint-Jean just up the hill. We did a morning at the Museum of Civilization, checking out the exhibits on Egypt, Rene Levesque and the First Nations Witness Blanket. This last one is about the Indian schools the Canadian government subjected the native children to, and which were still operating in some cases in the 80s. Moving and powerful.

Other highlights of our excursion included a wonderful brunch at Chez Muffy (Quebec City Restaurant | Chez Muffy | Auberge Saint-Antoine). I’m lucky I didn’t come back 15 pounds heavier thanks to this place. Had a very nice dinner sitting at the bar at Bello Ristorante (Bello Ristorante | Restaurant Italien Vieux-Québec). A little touristy, but great wine and food.

Tried to hit a brewery in the Grand Allee area but being there on Monday and Tuesday really cut down on some of our options.

Anyway, successful little winter visit, and will be looking forward to returning in the warm weather.

 

[Roger N]

I love Quebec City. My uncle worked for Goodyear there in the 50's and 60's. Visited about 5-6 years ago.

 

[Eric15]

Quebec City is wonderful. You walk around and you're like "wait am I really just a few hours from the US?" They really need to get an NHL team again.

 

[OrangeDW]

Quebec City is wonderful. You walk around and you're like "wait am I really just a few hours from the US?" They really need to get an NHL team again.

How’s the drive from Upstate NY in the winter?

Dicey roads at any point? Or smooth and easy drive? Have driven to Montreal before. Would love to make a winter Quebec City trip.

 

[Eric15]

How’s the drive from Upstate NY in the winter?

Dicey roads at any point? Or smooth and easy drive? Have driven to Montreal before. Would love to make a winter Quebec City trip.

Back in the Fall of 2012 my wife and I did a 10-day fall road trip in early October from DC to Montreal > Quebec City > Portland, ME > Boston. Foliage was surreal through Quebec and rural Maine. May be dicey driving up there in the winter but Quebec City has an annual winter festival that is supposed to be great (I haven’t personally been).

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Back in the Fall of 2012 my wife and I did a 10-day fall road trip in early October from DC to Montreal > Quebec City > Portland, ME > Boston. Foliage was surreal through Quebec and rural Maine. May be dicey driving up there in the winter but Quebec City has an annual winter festival that is supposed to be great (I haven’t personally been).

The winter carnival is great, especially with kids. Very busy though.

Main roads were typical highway winter driving. Hit a few slow downs but nothing too bad. Some of the side roads we had to use to get down to VT border crossing were dicey from blowing snow.

 

[OrangeDW]

The winter carnival is great, especially with kids. Very busy though.

Main roads were typical highway winter driving. Hit a few slow downs but nothing too bad. Some of the side roads we had to use to get down to VT border crossing were dicey from blowing snow.

I look at a map and for some reason it’s in my head that the route that connects Montreal to Quebec City must be driven on by cars with chains on the tires or something, in the winter.

It’s just so far north!

 

[cuseattle]

The winter carnival is great, especially with kids. Very busy though.

Main roads were typical highway winter driving. Hit a few slow downs but nothing too bad. Some of the side roads we had to use to get down to VT border crossing were dicey from blowing snow.

I remember sliding down a frozen waterfall and being covered with ice droplets. Must be 40 years ago.
Had the best crêpes anywhere and was amazed at how charming and old-timey everything was there.

 

[Cusester]

Would you have a problem there if the only French you spoke was merci and "voulez-vous couches avec moi, ce soir"?

 

[OttoMets]

Back in the Fall of 2012 my wife and I did a 10-day fall road trip in early October from DC to Montreal > Quebec City > Portland, ME > Boston. Foliage was surreal through Quebec and rural Maine. May be dicey driving up there in the winter but Quebec City has an annual winter festival that is supposed to be great (I haven’t personally been).

That's awesome, in the fall of 2009 my wife and I did something similar: DC to Syracuse to Montreal to Portland to the Hudson Valley to DC.

That long leg through rural Maine was something else. Never could've imagined it'd be so desolate. The border crossing consisted of a tiny cottage.

 

[Cusester]

Would you have a problem there if the only French you spoke was merci and "voulez-vous couches avec moi, ce soir"?

Actually that's an honest question. My wife and I would love to visit but neither of us speak any French. If that's a problem I'd rather know before we get there.

 

[Eric15]

Actually that's an honest question. My wife and I would love to visit but neither of us speak any French. If that's a problem I'd rather know before we get there.

Literally everyone there speaks English. You’ll be totally fine.