Canada Day 4: Vieux Québec City,
Musée du Fort, Château Frontenac,
L'Érablière du Lac-Beauport and Le Musée des animaux du Québec

Le Chateau Frontenac - Click to EnlargeMusee du Fort - Click to Enlarge
Erabliere du Lac-Beauport - Click to EnlargeQuébec Wildlife Museum - Click to Enlarge

4/3/07

4X4 ICON 2000 - 2008 The DVD! - Click here for details!

4X4 ICON 2000 - 2008 The DVD!

Tuesday, April 3, 2007 - Vieux Québec City, L'Érablière du Lac-Beauport

Vieux Québec

In the morning of our first day in Old Québec, we took our time getting up.  We had purposely left our plans for the next few days fluid.  There was a list of places we wanted to visit with no particular order to do so.

One of the things we intended to do throughout the vacation was to eat well in choice restaurants.  We planned not to eat at fast food places, and especially not at any national or international chain places that we have at home.  We just did not see the adventure in that.  So continuing our quest for good breakfasts, using Frommer's guide again, we identified a brunch spot in the old town whose claim to fame was crepes.  That was enough for us to walk down and check it out.

Le Casse Crepe Breton

Le Casse-Crepe Breton is located at 1136 rue St-Jean. 

Casse-Crêpe Breton

The dining rooms and kitchen are quite charming.  We got superb service and had some of the best breakfast food ever.  We enjoyed watching the people around us and the activity out in the street, not to mention watching the cook prepare the meals!

La Casse-Crepe BretonTom at La Casse-Crepe BretonDiners at La Casse-Crepe Breton
Le Casse-Crepe Breton - Click to EnlargeLe Casse-Crepe Breton - Click to Enlarge
La Casse-Crepe BretonMenu board at La Casse-Crepe BretonMenu board at La Casse-Crepe BretonLa Casse-Crepe Breton

After that I parted company with Maria and the boys as they went off to do a little shopping while I went to get the Jeep.  Along the way I stopped to make some photographs and check a couple stores for travel stickers and miniature vehicles.  I was rewarded with all three.

Old town QuébecPlace D'Youville
Old Town Québec

Toy Cars from Gift ShopSticker later used on trip Photo Album

I walked back to the hotel, made some images, and continued to the Jeep, arriving at 1:03pm.  Because the parking garage was too low, I needed to park the Jeep in a nearby lot behind the ruins of a church.  It was a fair walk from the hotel and a long walk from the old town.

Rue St-Jean Gate
Rue St-Jean Gate

Palace Royale Entrance

Palace Royale

Palace RoyalePalace RoyalePalace RoyalePalace RoyalePalace Royale
Palace Royale

Church RuinsBack of Church Ruins
Back of Church RuinsBack of Church Ruins

Using the walkie-talkies that we carry, I located the rest of the family at 1:21pm and we drove down to the street near the Musée du Fort.

Édifice Louis-S.-St-Laurent

Le Chateau Frontenac

Le Chateau Frontenac

Musee du Fort

We got there in time for the next show in English which started at 2:00pm.  The Musée has a diorama and presents a light show that depicts many battles of Québec.  There is also a little shop that has some interesting items.  I had to remind Ted to get his fingers out of the mouth of the little bottles with ships in them - he wanted to check out the little delicate ships inside...

Ships at La Musee du Fort
Ships at La Musee du FortShips at La Musee du FortShips at La Musee du Fort

Ships at La Musee du Fort

Gun at La Musee du Fort

The diorama was wonderful and helped us to understand the area since many of the buildings are still standing in the same spots.  The light show was quite interesting.  It highlights different parts of the diorama and describes the battles that occurred in the defense of the city over several years.

Diorama at La Musee du Fort
Diorama at La Musee du FortDiorama at La Musee du FortDiorama at La Musee du Fort

Diorama at La Musee du FortDiorama at La Musee du FortDiorama at La Musee du FortDiorama at La Musee du Fort
Diorama at La Musee du Fort
Diorama at La Musee du FortDiorama at La Musee du FortDiorama at La Musee du Fort

Chateau Frontenac

After that, around 2:30pm, we walked the short distance up the hill to Le Chateau Frontenac.  It was bitter cold outside with a good wind coming off the water.  We took refuge inside and toured the various hotel shops on the main floor facing the water.

Le Chateau Frontenac
Le Chateau Frontenac

We went back outside.  The temperatures soon had us calling this grand landmark "Le Château Frozen-ass".

St Lawrence River

Le Chateau Frontenac

Le Chateau Frontenac

Sights of Old QuébecSights of Old QuébecSights of Old Québec

Maria and the boys had found some shops they wanted me to see, so we walked over to that area and visited them.  One shopping highlight was the Artisans Canada shop where Tom had fallen in love with some of the chess sets.  I could see why - they are hand-painted and exquisite. 

Chess SetChess Set
Chess Set
Chess SetChess SetChess SetChess Set Maker

They are also very expensive - too expensive for a seven-year-old boy.  Tom was very disappointed but I could not justify it for a kid.

Maria returned to the Jeep at 3:24pm and waited while Ted, Tom and I took a walk near Laval to photograph cannons in Parc Montmorency. 

Parc Montmorency

Tom and Ted had fun "aiming" the cannons.

Sights of Old Québec
Sights of Old Québec

 

cannon at Parc MontmorencyTom with cannon at Parc Montmorency
Tom with cannon at Parc Montmorency

Sights of Old Québec

Another of the activities we planned was to visit a Maple Sugar farm.  This involved a drive out of town and up north about 40 minutes.  Maria had the hotel concierge make the reservation for us, thereby dodging the possible language barrier (we found that this was unnecessary as everyone we encountered very graciously switched to speaking English when they saw the need).

L'Érablière du Lac-Beauport

At 3:47pm we drove out of town to L'Érablière du Lac-Beauport and Le Musée des animaux du Québec, arriving at 4:16pm.

L'Érablière du Lac-Beauport

L'Erabliere du lac Beauport

Erabliere du Lac-Beauport - Click to Enlarge

There, we were treated to a number of interesting things.  Upon our arrival the kids found old-school maple tree taps and buckets on the trees.

Erabliere du Lac-Beauport

We checked in at the main building and got the schedule of events.  Then we took a walk over to the Trappers Camp.  Inside we found a large display of various wild animals.

Québec Wildlife Museum - Click to Enlarge

Québec Wildlife Museum

Québec Wildlife Museum

Québec Wildlife MuseumQuébec Wildlife MuseumQuébec Wildlife MuseumQuébec Wildlife MuseumQuébec Wildlife MuseumQuébec Wildlife MuseumQuébec Wildlife Museum
Québec Wildlife MuseumQuébec Wildlife MuseumQuébec Wildlife MuseumQuébec Wildlife Museum

Hostess at the Québec Wildlife Museum

Québec Wildlife Museum

After we took in the exhibit, we went over to the dining hall.  There we paid for our meal tickets and then went to the maple syrup building where we got an explanation of historic and modern maple syrup production, supported by displays of the various periods.

Tickets

Erabliere du Lac-BeauportErabliere du Lac-Beauport
Sugar Shack

Erabliere du Lac-BeauportErabliere du Lac-Beauport
Erabliere du Lac-BeauportErabliere du Lac-Beauport

After we spent some money in the gift shop we went back to the dining hall and had supper.  It was a generous fare including:

  • Oven Baked Omelet

  • Maple Flavor Brown Beans with Pork

  • Crispy Salted Pork Sizzlings

  • little sausages, bread

  • Maple Ham

  • Meat Pie

  • Hashed Brown Roasted Potatoes

  • Home-made Fruit Ketchup

  • Home-made Crêpes with Maple Syrup

  • Tea, Coffee or Juice, fruit punch, Fruitopia

  • maple syrup pie

We had fun talking with the other people sitting nearby.  There was a group of teenagers who had traveled here from Virginia too.

During and after supper we were entertained by a talented performer who played fiddle/guitar/accordion, and organized entertainment with wooden spoon playing for the kids.

Ted and Tom playing wooden spoonsTed and Tom playing wooden spoonsEntertainer at Erabliere du Lac-Beauport
Ted and Tom playing wooden spoons

The dining hall also appears to be a regular nightspot for locals as well.

Erabliere du Lac-Beauport
Erabliere du Lac-BeauportErabliere du Lac-BeauportErabliere du Lac-Beauport

There was some square-dancing.

Erabliere du Lac-Beauport EntertainerDancing at Erabliere du Lac-BeauportDancing at Erabliere du Lac-BeauportTed dancing at Erabliere du Lac-BeauportTom and Ted dancing at Erabliere du Lac-Beauport
Tom and Ted dancing
Entertainer at Erabliere du Lac-BeauportEntertainer at Erabliere du Lac-BeauportEntertainer at Erabliere du Lac-Beauport
Tom and Ted dancing

Then we went outside for Maple Taffy-on-the-Snow.

Maple Syrup Taffy at Erabliere du Lac-Beauport
Maple Syrup Taffy at Erabliere du Lac-Beauport

There was also some snowball fighting going on...

Snowballs at Erabliere du Lac-Beauport
Snowballs at Erabliere du Lac-Beauport
Erabliere du Lac-Beauport

After all that, at 7:20pm we said our Thank-you's and returned to town.  I took a little detour and drove through the old town and stopped to take some night photos of Chateau Frontenac at 7:49pm. 

Château Frontenac

A guard at the nearby U.S. Consulate came out to see what I was doing while photographing Le Château Frontenac.  I explained and finished taking pictures.  I think my live parking in a reserved space had probably triggered his interest.

Chateau FrontenacChateau Frontenac
Chateau Frontenac

After that we returned to the hotel at 8:15pm and called it a night.  This was a very full day!

Previous: Monday, April 2, 2007 - Road-Trip - Montreal, Québec, to Vieux Québec City, Canada | Next: Wednesday , April 4, 2007 - Vieux Québec - Day II

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