OnTheRoad: Mont-Tremblant National Park and Ottawa

Saint-Côme

The drive from Québec to our next destination was beautiful. We saw fall colors on this trip before, but up in the mountains they were fare more intense and more varying, from yellow over orange to red. Probably the most intense colors of the trip, since the leaves started to change late this year, we were too a little too early, but it's hard to predict the change...

We arrived at the cozy guest house Auberge Aux Quatre Matins where we stayed for two nights. Alltough our room was tiny, we had a nice stay, the food was delicious and we were able to enjoy the hot tub in the backyard.

A really yummy breakfast

The weather wasn’t very promising unfortunately. It was cloudy and rainy all the time and we weren’t all too motivated to go out. The warmth of the lounge with its comfy couches was far more inviting. Maybe we also reached a point, and this is expectable when on the road for some time already, where we were tired and just wanted to relax. Eventually the skies cleared up and we went on a short hike. Since our guest house was located close to the Mont-Tremblant National Park, we only had to drive for about 20 minutes to the tourist office and another 15 minutes to the parking lot, from where we started the hike. The L’Envol Trail is an easy hike and will take you up to a lookout point in about 1 hour and 45 minutes, depending on how fast you walk… The hike itself is very unspectacular and a bit monotonous. Once you reach the top you will be rewarded by a breathtaking view over the Valley of the Pimbina. The panorama is really worth the hike.

All too soon we had to leave Saint-Côme. On our way to Ottawa we stopped at Mont-Tremblant a popular ski resort among Canadians and Americans. Its colorful houses almost pale the colors of the fall leafs of the surrounding woods. It’s quite touristy and unfortunately the people there aren’t too friendly. But it was a nice stop though.

There are huge parking lots and from there you will reach the village in a few minutes. You can also take a shuttle, but it’s really unnecessary.

Some more fall colors on our way to Ottawa.

Ottawa

Ottawa didn’t disappoint. It was a long anticipated visit, at least from my side. I was so excited to be in Canada’s capital. We even stayed at an Airbnb, even though we said never again, after our last trip and some really bad experiences. But we had the nicest flat to ourselves right at the gates of Chinatown. We loved it. Same as Québec, Ottawa combines both modern and old architecture.

Centre Block and Peace Tower on Parliament Hill

Fairmont Château Laurier

We spent a very fun day exploring the city, including a forgotten iPhone at a restaurant, yes, it didn’t took me long to realize and good for me, the waiter kept it safe, so I could pick it up. The people were very funny and friendly. We enjoyed the sun, visited the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica and set there for a moment in quiet. I ate a caramelized apple, a favorite treat of mine and watched the sun go down over this beautiful town.