snorklesue

My husband and I are planning to drive to Quebec City from Boston on June 25, stopping for two nights in Maine, maybe Moosehead lake area. We will are thinking of spending 3 nights in QC before heading north along the St Lawrence to visit some of the national parks. We would love some suggested places to stay on the way to Baie-Comeau (we have about 4 nights scheduled) where we will ferry over to the Gaspe Peninsula for 4 nights before heading home. I know a little about QC and Charlevoix but not much about Gaspe. We are active seniors, like walking, kayaking, etc. I think we must have hotel res. in QC, what about elsewhere? Thanks for any and all suggestions!

mat54

First to let you know that July 1 is Canada Day National Holiday and a long weekend. I would advise having advanced reservations for those 3 nights (Friday, Saturday, Sunday).

Three nights in Quebec City is a good amount of time. You'll be spending most or all of it in the relatively compact Historic District of Old Quebec (Vieux Quebec) which is the main tourist attraction here.

Just to let you know - "National Parks" is a bit confusing in Quebec. There are National Parks of Canada (these are what most provinces refer to simply as "National Parks") however in Quebec "Provincial" parks are also called National Parks.

The Gaspe Peninsula has some wonderful scenery but it's a spread out area and the road is a winding 2 lane. When we visited 3 years ago we found we were spending more time in the car than we had anticipated, although this was partly because there happened to also be a LOT of road construction (closed lanes, delays) at that time, so maybe you won't find this. We had a brief stop in Parc du Bic, looked very scenic but our time was limited. We were unable to visit Reford Gardens which I've heard are wonderful. You could stay in Rimouski for these last 2. Forillion National Park (of Canada) is compact but has some beautiful scenery. The adjacent town of Gaspe is quite scenically located. Down the coast Perce features the famous Perce Rock - definitely worth seeing, and boat rides to Bonaventure Island to view the seabird colonies, a popular activity. The town of Perce is a tourist centre with a variety of accommodation, restaurants and souvenir shops.

In the interior is Parc de la Gaspesie (provincial) which is quite unique in this part of North America with its spectacular mountain scenery and glaciers. There are several easy walks/hikes you can take to view these.

snorklesue

Thank you for your reply-it was very helpful. We decided to just concentrate on QC and Charlevoix this time and save the Gaspe for another trip. We will be doing a lot of driving just to get up there and get home-we actually live in NY but will be in Boston to visit our kids in June and thought we'd keep on driving north for a vacation.

mat54

With only a week I can understand your decision. I have done daytrips only through the Charlevoix region but found it extremely scenic with some charming little towns for lunch/shopping stops or potentially overnights. If you go as far as the Saguenay/Tadoussac - that area is famous for whale-watching (in Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park). Plan/book ahead for a boat trip, but we saw several species right from the shore once (don't know how regular that is). If you want to break up the drive home, you might consider returning through the Eastern Townships with a stop in either the charming little historic village of North Hatley or perhaps the more bustling town of Magog scenically set on Lake Memphremagog (a famous Monastery/Cheeserie is nearby).

mat54

I wanted to add something I had forgotten - I have not visited the north shore beyond the Saguenay, but friends had recommended that when we do, we should visit or stay in Les Escoumins, a small town that they enjoyed very much. Also, I should have re-read your original post before my last post as I see that including your Quebec City stay you actually have 11 days, not a week. It might be possible for you to include the Gaspe with that much time although it may necessitate substituting this for some of your planned time on the North Shore. There is a ferry at Les Ecoumins (may have limited crossings) and another (I think more regular one)from Saint Simeon although this is further south.

snorklesue

Wow, what great help!! Thank you so much. I have been trying to figure out the ferry system and where to cross so we can drive home on the other side and you gave me the answer-Les Escoumins. Our itinerary now is 2 nights in Maine, 3 in QC, 3 in La Malbaie and 3 in Les Escoumins if I can find a place, otherwise we'll stay in Tadoussac. Then drive south and find a place to break up the trip to NY for one or two nights. We really aren't crazy about driving more than 5 or 6 hours. Thanks again for all your advice.