HIT THE ROAD THIS SUMMER
A guide to weekend family adventures
Research has shown the time it takes for a parent’s hair to catch fire is directly related to the length of time one’s child tells knockknock jokes in the car. That time is approximately one hour.
Each of these weekend getaways is within a two-hour radius of Montreal. You’re on your own for the second hour.
MONTEBELLO
“Are you going to Omega?” the Bonichoix cashier asked a tourist who’d picked up five pounds of carrots. When she got an affirmative answer from the tourist — me, that is — she shook her head: “You’re going to need more carrots.”
We call Parc Omega the human zoo because people are caged in their vehicles while the locals wander along the paths, poking their noses in for a quick inspection — and a carrot — before moving on to the next human enclosure. The locals are 15 species of Canadian animals: elk, boar, bison, wolves (those last don’t poke their noses into your car, thank heavens) and others.
Most of the animals roam freely and have the option to melt into the forest when they’ve had enough human contact or if, like the bison, they just can’t rouse themselves to care enough. Predators like grey and Arctic wolves, bears and foxes are behind fences. There is a farm a short hay ride away and two playgrounds for children to run off steam after all that time in the car. (399 Route 323 North, Montebello, 819-423-5487, parcomega.ca.)
While you’re in Montebello, pop in to one of the friendliest tourist info centres in Quebec for a map and briefing about the town. The centre is in an old train station smack in the middle of the village, so everything you need is within a 15-minute walk. If you’re not spending the night at Château Montebello, at least stop by to walk around and through the world’s largest log cabin. Then fill up at Snack et Délices Montebello, which serves fast-food favourites with a twist: everything is made with local ingredients, including exquisite local cheeses.
At the edge of downtown is the Bonichoix grocery store. And whatever you think, you’re going to need more carrots.
COATICOOK
There are so many things to do in the Coaticook area, you should save it for a long weekend (but if you do, book your room well in advance).
Capelton Mine — a cool choice for a hot day — was struck by prospectors looking for gold who found copper instead. The discovery was made smack in the middle of the U.S. Civil War, when the mineral was highly sought after. It closed in 1907 as other industries made headway in the region, and it lay dormant till the mid-1990s, when underground tours were organized by an enterprising local family. (5800 Capelton Rd., North Hatley, 888-346-9545, capelton.ca. Tours begin June 23. $8-$46.)
Afraid of dark, enclosed spaces? Maybe heights are more your thing: Parc de la Gorge, on the banks of Coaticook River has the longest suspension footbridge in North America, at 169 metres — that’s almost a soccer field and a half. It’s among 20 kilometres of trails in the park, which also offers treasure hunts and Foresta Lumina, an after-dark chance to be in the woods when the fairies come out to lead visitors with thousands of lights through the garden of wishes. (135 Michaud St. 888-524-6743, gorgedecoaticook. qc.ca. $2-$16; reservations are a must for Foresta Lumina.)
Le Salon d’Antan is a unique, old-style gaming parlour where larger games like Hopping Fleas and the Triangle were designed and built by local artisans. The salon attempts to please every game style, from luck to speed to family to skill. (115 Wellington Rd. 819-578-0805, salondantan.com. $6-$8.)
MORRISBURG, ON
For an all-day adventure, head to Upper Canada Village, an 1860s immersive experience that’s a must-visit, especially for parents of a certain age who loved Little House on the Prairie. (13740 County Road 2, 800-437-2233, uppercanadavillage.com. $13-$20, ages four and under free.)
Not historic enough for you? We have just the thing.
Prehistoric World is an experience 37 years — give or take a few million — in the making.
The owner greets guests with “Welcome to my backyard” and offers the use of bug spray to people who forgot their own. There are 50 life-size dinosaurs in Serge and Paul Dupuis’s backyard. Each was built with reinforced concrete, even though “it’s terrible to sculpt with.” It took the brothers two years to build the brontosaurus. Although they stopped advertising some time ago, “people keep on coming.”
There are picnic spots among the dinosaurs, and the one-kilometre walking trail takes an hour or two, depending on how excited your kids are to come face-to-toe with a T-Rex at last. (5446 Upper Canada Rd., 613-543-2503. Adults $10, children $6. Cash only.)
Very few good adventures happen on the 401, so take Old Highway 2 home. Along the way are chip stands and garage sales, and Cooper Marsh Conservation Area is more than worth your time — it’s a great halfway spot for a breather and to look for wildlife like frogs and chipmunks or even a loon. (County Road 2, Summerstown, ON, 613-938-3611, rrca.on.ca. Free, but donations welcome at the interpretation centre.)
SHAWINIGAN
If you spend your days reminding yourself to keep your feet on the ground, it might be time to let loose. Do it with your feet a dozen feet in the air at d’Arbre en Arbre. You are secured with safety ropes for 84 obstacle challenges like “suspended bridges, paths, cargo nets, Tarzan vines and a 106-metre-long zip line.” (l’Île Melville Park. 866-536-7155, arbreenarbre. com. $11.45-$30.45.)
Right across the street is Cité de l’énergie, where the theme is global energy. You can get right into it with 20 interactive stations, plus La Planète Énergie. There’s a Hydro- Québec observation tower with a panoramic elevator, and a pontoon crossing, and tons of other activities. Cirque Éloize is there till Aug. 18 with Nezha, l’enfant pirate. (1000 Melville Ave. 866-900-2483, citedelenergie.com. $10-$25 for the science centre and historical tour, more for separate activities.)
My family are suckers for provincial and federal parks, so the Forges du Saint-Maurice is high on our list of must-sees. Built on the bones of the first ironworks in Canada, there’s a creepy Fontaine du Diable, which comes with its own ghost story, a 3D multimedia show and many more activities. Parks Canada sites are free for people 17 and under for all of 2018. (10000 boulevard des Forges Blvd., Trois-Rivières, 888773-8888, pc.gc.ca/en/ lhn-nhs/qc/ saintmaurice. $3.90.)
MONTPELIER, VT.
According to New England Today, Montpelier is the only state capital without a McDonald’s. And that’s fine, because you didn’t come here for that. You probably came for the farmers’ market and indie shops. Or maybe you came for all the free stuff, but we’ll get to that later, for on your way home.
We have a hundred Rock of Ages puns in a drawer at the office, but we know you’re very busy and we don’t want to take that for granite.
The quarry offers tours of the spectacular 180-metre-deep Smith Quarry, but also a chance to watch artisans navigate the old and new worlds with diamondtipped saws and precision grinders used side-by-each with hand tools used “in much the same way as Michelangelo did centuries ago.” And how boss is this: there’s a granite bowling-lane prototype on their grounds. You play with a rubber bowling ball — it turns out regulation balls eventually break when they’re used on a granite lane, which is why the idea never took off. (558 Graniteville Rd., Graniteville, Vt. 866-748-6877, rockofages.com. Free, but guided tours are US$2.50-$5.)
On your way home from Montpelier, stay off the main highway to sample some of the region’s best products. You can spend half a day tasting to determine exactly what you want to bring home.
Chocolate: Lake Champlain Chocolates store and café. (2653 Waterbury Stowe Rd., Waterbury Center, Vt., 802-241-4150, lakechamplainchocolates.com.) You can detour to their Burlington location for free self-guided and factory tours.
Cheese: Cabot Farmers’ Store. (2657 Waterbury-Stowe Rd., Waterbury Center. 802-244-6334, cabotcheese.coop.)
Cider and doughnuts: Cold Hollow Cider Mill. (3600 WaterburyStowe Rd., Waterbury Center. 800-3-APPLES (800-327-7537), coldhollow.com.)
Whiskey and more: Smugglers’ Notch Distillery. (276 Main St., Jeffersonville, Vt., 802-309-3077, smugglersnotchdistillery.com.)
No matter how much planning you do via newspaper stories and scouring the internet, it’s in your best interest to call first to make sure the information you have is accurate. Tourist info kiosks are truly your best friend. The staff are always friendly, and generally they ’re local — no one knows their town or region better.
* The research cited above on knockknock jokes is unscientific and was carried out in the car of a Montreal Gazette staffer. Here’s one for the road:
Knock, knock! Who’s there? Alpaca. Alpaca who? Alpaca the suitcase, you load the car!