Rural escape 2 o'seas adults - help!
 

Can anyone advise a good area and accomm in the Ontario/ Quebec region. Don't know the area at all! We're hiring a car from Toronto (happy to drive up to about 4 hours or a bit more if necessary)and want to cycle, walk etc through woodland with hilly views if poss. Also we'd like to self-cater but not camp, (small cottage?) - and sometimes eat out at a cosy bistro or similar. We'd like somewhere pretty, not crowded with other vacationers! We're going for the first week in July. Are we being unrealistic? Any advice / website contacts a great help. email me if you prefer. Thanks!

Hi Janey,<BR><BR>Visit the website www.sepaq.com(or .ca)<BR>Try the wild life Reserves section you can find National Parks that rent self catering cabins at a good price. The Papineau-Labelle park is about 6 hours from Toronto and 2 hours from Montreal. Or visit the Bonjour Quebec website, the agents are very helpful.

I am from Toronto but every year I go to the Laurntien's in Quebec. you can stay at a great rsort...Gray Rocks, The Grand Lodge or Mount Tremblant. Very nice in the summer...just what you described. At Gray Rocks you can get a lodge with full kitchen and living room. I love it!!

Try this website for finding a self-catered resort/place in Ontario. I have used it a fair bit myself. <BR><BR>http://www.resorts-ontario.com/search.cfm<BR><BR>Scroll down to select an area of Ontario and housekeeping units (self catered). From Toronto, you can get to Parry Sound or Kingston in about 3-31/2 hrs, little traffic (I've done Parry Sound in 6hrs one Fri night!!)<BR><BR>Remember that much of the population in Toronto leaves every Friday afternoon/night for cottage country, returning to the city sunday night (Mon of a long weekend). Try to avoid these times to mimize your drive north.

Thank you for your helpful tips and comments. Have a great summer!<BR>Janey<BR>

Janey - We were in Quebec the first week of July last year. On the Ile of Orleans just outside of Quebec City I recomend the chalet moulin de saint-laurent - very nice cottages with views of the St. Laurence river.www. moulinstlaurent.qc.ca. We stayed there last July and liked it very much. Nicely appointed cottages that included dinner at the excellent restaurant and self serve breakfast. The breakfast was left in your cottage for you to enjoy - cereal, fruit, yogurt, juices, croissants and one morning wonderful waffles. We enjoyed this place very much. The island was great for cycling - 6 or 7 little villages about 7 miles apart - very rural, lots of farms, each village had a church and bakery.<BR><BR>If you'd like to visit Mount Ste. Anne area we stayed at Chalet Montmorency www.chaletsmontmorency.com and liked that also. They were 2 bedroom ski chalets and the hiking was very nice in this area. You could take a tram up and down the mountain or we walked up and then took the tram down. - there were very nice views and lots of wild flowers. Also visted Sept Falls which was another nice hike.

Tobermory at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula. It is the home of the Bruce Peninsula National Park - gorgeous scenery (cliffs,grottos,caves,flower pots - a rock formation shaped like a flower pot, wild flowers including tiny perfect orchids,wildlife,water as clear and blue as the caribbean but I am afraid considerably colder. Also the town of Tobermory is quite pleasant - attractive waterfront,several nice restaurants. The drive is about exactly 4 hrs from Toronto.