Boston thru New Hampshire to Quebec City

Old May 23rd, 2016, 01:38 PM
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Boston thru New Hampshire to Quebec City

I'm posting this under Eastern Canada also because half of the trip will be spent there. My hub & I are planning approx. a 10 day trip round trip from midwest to Boston in mid-Sept., renting a car and spending a several days driving/staying in New Hampshire ,crossing into Quebec province with ultimate destination of Quebec City.
5 yrs.ago we flew to Boston and stayed several days touring there,then on to Concord and points west like the Berkshires,etc.followed by Vermont from bottom to top. So this time we think it may be an easy drive from Logan to stay the first couple days around Lake Winapasaukee NH or actually Squam Lake Inn, which we are told is a charming area for historic stuff and antiques (like us!). Then we'd make our way up to Mt. Washington, the auto road... and a few of the "Notches" like Franconia,Pinkham,Crawford Notch, parks w/waterfalls.
Cross into southern Quebec on I-91 to a small elegant resort on a lake in North Hatley (near Magog,Sherbrook) and chill out looking at the leaves (?) for a couple of days. From there about 2-3 hours to Quebec City for 4 nites.Not sure where to stay, looking for small and charming in the old section tho. Think we may take a structured daytour (Is Viatour a good company locally or any others recommended?} want to see all the usual sites in the city and leave the car parked.Sites would include Ile D'Orleans, Montmorency Falls, Anne deBeaupre Shrine etc.). The big question is whether we should bother going to Montreal. We're not fond of big cities, major traffic, stuff like that.
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Old May 23rd, 2016, 03:45 PM
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Montreal is a big city where people happen to speak a form of French and eat a lot of Jewish food. Nothing wrong with either. There are at least two wonderful museums, the Musee des Beaux Arts and the Canadian Center for Architecture. It is an interesting city but not a beautiful one.

Quebec (the city) is magical. I would sacrifice other things to stay at the Chateau Frontenac because of its location and its ambience. Could it be run down around the edges? Perhaps. I honestly don't know. I haven't been there for a while. It has character and is in a great location. To a certain extent, it _is_ the setting.

I you find yourself out in the Eastern Townships, you will find yourself in a world where the towns gave English names but the population is Francophone. Interesting when you need to do something like fill your car with gas and you don't speak any French, much less Canadian French.

The area around Lac Magog was fascinating. So much like the US, but snails on the children's menu.

Go for it!
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Old May 24th, 2016, 08:30 AM
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Topping - I'm also thinking about Boston to Quebec City this fall so hope you get more responses.
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Old May 24th, 2016, 08:51 AM
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I've stayed at the Hotel de Vieux Quebec several times. Wonderful location, quaint European feel, wonderful breakfast delivered to your door in a basket and the staff are totally bilingual. Everything is in walking distance and they do have off street parking. Did I mention the price is fabulous especially given the current exchange rate???!!! You will absolutely love Quebec City...epecially the old city. Hmmmm....might be time for another visit!
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Old May 24th, 2016, 11:19 AM
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Hi Donnawho,

If you're not fond of big cities, major traffic and stuff like that, you probably might want to give Montreal a skip. If you'd give Boston or Chicago or Philly a skip if in the area, you'll likely feel similarly about Montreal. Mind you, living in the city of Montreal, I find traffic much worse elsewhere in North America. Suburban Charleston SC traffic seemed hair-rising to me (funny enough, when I stayed in the downtown peninsula of Charleston SC, traffic wasn't as bad there); my little section of urban Montreal is pretty traffic-free by comparison.

As far as Montreal not being a beautiful city is concerned, I actually think as far as cities in North America go, it's got some things that make it more attractive than most. Views of the river while hiking on the mountain, lovely; biking by the Lachine Rapids, beautiful; parts of Old Montreal can make you feel in Europe (this is an old city by European standards although not as old as Quebec City); approaching the city from the South Shore at night is quite the vista. Sure, it's got its share of ugly, but I can't think of a city that doesn't.

Have a great trip whatever you decide to do! Daniel
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Old May 25th, 2016, 01:06 PM
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We just got back from two lovely days sort of near Squam Lake. If you can stay there, it's lovely and quiet unlike nearby Lake Winnipesaukee which will be very active with boats and jet skis. It is an easy drive from Boston north and the scenery starts getting good north of Manchester NH. I usually recommend going I93 to I293 and then I93 again. It sounds confusing but the original highway is I293 and it goes along the Merrimack River in Manchester with the opposite side lined with the old mill buildings which are now restaurant, offices and colleges. I293 connects back with I93 just north of Manchester.

You will also miss Canterbury Shaker Village which I think has the most interesting tour in the state. You can take either exit 17 or 18 to get there.

I think you'll probably take exit 23 to Meredith which is an upscale tourist town on Lake Winnipesaukee and from there travel to the Squam Lake area. For your wanderings in the area, if you go to Center Sandwich there's a sweet little town center (Corner House is a good place to eat) and then it's a pretty drive to Tamworth where there's a summer theater and brand new distillery in a beautiful old building. Tamworth is also home to the Remick Museum. We haven't been on the tour of the buildings but enjoyed a bird walk around their fields which are open to the public. Get the DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteer for the location of covered bridges and waterfalls. From there you can connect with Rt 16. It's only a short way to Chocurua. There's a mill pond with a small park and interesting waterfall with a section you can tell once powered a mill.

If the Quimby Barn Museum is open in Center Sandwich, it has some beautiful old vehicles including a dog sled. The other museum is full of things, a little dusty but interesting. There's a line of Tappan Chairs that look like Shaker Chairs that are still being made in town by a young man who bought the business. You can see some Tappan chairs in the museum.

If you have the DeLorme detailed road maps you can wander around and then find your way back to your hotel. There are some very beautiful homes and barns in the area. We took a wrong turn today and ended up lost for awhile, just taking whichever next road looked more used. (We were supposed to be on Rt 113A)
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Old May 26th, 2016, 06:23 PM
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Excellent suggestions, thanks to all for sharing!
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Old May 26th, 2016, 06:35 PM
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Meant to write Montreal is an old city by*North American* standards not European...oops!
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Old May 27th, 2016, 04:50 AM
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I think Montreal is a wonderful city but with the other things you have planned including Quebec City I would not go there this trip.

You will probably be a little early for seeing leaves in mid-September. There are interesting wineries and cideries in the Eastern Townships. Louise Penny's very good mysteries are fun to read to get you in the mood for this area
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/...rticle4375199/
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Old May 30th, 2016, 08:40 PM
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I stayed at both the Chateau Fronternac and the Hotel de Vieux mentioned above in Quebec in the last year!
The Chateau is a castle and it was my 50th birthday. We paid to be on the gold floor which was expensive. It offered breakfast and late afternoon snacks with an honor bar and private check in and check out. We were upgraded to a suite with a view for my birthday. It was small for a suite but the views were fantastic. We were on the 17th floor with the river view. The bed was very comfortable. We paid 550ish plus taxes (which are high in canada) per night and that wasn't what the room actually cost, I was upgraded. The hotel is a very impressive building. If I had paid 400 per night for an average room with no view, I think I would have been mad. I imagine the regular rooms are just regular.
I then took my daughter to QC and we stayed at the Hotel de Vieux and that ran about 200 per night and included breakfast(the cute basket mentioned). We had a room that was not refurbished yet but the beds were very comfortable and the room was clean and quiet. We were at the back of the hotel and had no view but it was quiet and we didn't spend much time in our room except sleeping. The hotel was refurbishing the rest of their rooms after this past fall. (we were there in June 2015). The hotel sits on a street with many shops and restaurants they close off from cars at night.

If I were to return, I would stay at the hotel de vieux. It was a great price, the staff was so friendly and it did feel like a small european hotel. We had a great time staying there. The Chateau was crowded and it seemed like a cruise ship descended upon the lobby daily. If you don't like crowds, don't stay at the chateau!
Also, we did a bus tour of the Falls, and then on to St Anne's, a bakery, a copper place, etc.. It was a full day and very informative. We booked it through the Chateau, but there were people from different hotels on the tour with us.
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