SURPRISE!
“Pack your bags, we’re leaving in 30 minutes!” » This is what we said to the children when they came to dinner at our house on a very ordinary Wednesday in May. The RV rented for the week appeared at the same time in front of the house.
Before I had kids, I loved going on simple, minimalist adventures and sleeping in unexpectedly. You know, real vanlife! With four children, it's no longer so simple! Purchasing such a vehicle, with the price of gasoline, not forgetting registration and insurance (phew!), won't happen right away! This year, we preferred to rent one to live the experience before dreaming of more! I present our journey to you, if this can inspire some :)
DAY 1 – DEPARTURE
We hit the road at 1 p.m. towards the Quebec region. The children were very excited to discover the route on a map, using clues that we had planned.
FIRST NIGHT – 200 km
It was in Pont-Rouge, with one of my cousins, that we parked the beast for the night. An aperitif in the sun, the children in the spa, Claude's homemade pizza... What could be better? After dinner, we took the path behind the house to go to the Jacques-Cartier promenade. We enjoyed the beautiful light of the sunset. In May, the water level is high and the flow is powerful – a natural spectacle that impresses me every time. A small fire awaited us on the way back to end the evening in style.
DAY 2 – DIRECTION SAGUENAY – 300 km
We made our first stop at Fjord Museum , in La Baie. Accompanied by two passionate guides, we went down with a group to the bank at low tide. Children equipped with water boots and a shovel had the opportunity to discover species like the nereïs, the gammarus, the common clam, and more! Afterwards, we headed inside to check out the permanent exhibition. Among these, our favorites were the tank for handling aquatic species found in the fjord, and the multimedia show NAVIS, which plunges us into the heart of the Saguenay fjord. The Fjord Museum, a must-see in the region to discover, whatever the season!
After enjoying an impromptu aperitif at the Quai de La Baie, we parked our RV at the house of the very generous and welcoming friend of one of my cousins for the night. We discovered his family land and its fun attractions with joy. The children explored the corners of the forest, a magical moment.
DAY 3 – DIRECTION SAINT-FÉLICIEN
We were expected at a cousin's house in Saint-Félicien for dinner and to spend the night. On our way, a guide from the Alma tourist information office advised us to make a stop to visit Lake Crystal. The children had a lot of fun collecting and identifying precious stones with a sieve in a waterfall provided for this purpose. I admit that at first glance, I doubted the quality of the activity. However, I was delighted to see the sparkles in my three oldest's eyes as they identified their gemstones. Then, as we continued on our way, the children continued to observe their stones until we reached our destination. A good moment of tranquility for us! Hihi!
Arriving in Saint-Félicien at cousin Anne-Marie's house, the children were very happy to see each other again and discover the place. It was around the fire at nightfall, after having devoured without restraint a bag of marshmallows and a box of biscuits, that the children surprised us by improvising a show of jokes and shadow puppets.
DAY 4 – SAINT-FÉLICIEN ZOO
It's simply a must! The bears… Aaaaaaaah! A beautiful synergy between the fauna and flora, the facilities are beautiful, clean, the video presentation at the beginning is superb… everything is wow!
After our visit, we took the road towards the park national from Pointe-Taillon where we slept for two nights. Since 2021, the Camp-de-Touage-Les-Îles sector has been designed so that visitors, by motorhome or trailer, have access to the beauties of the lake. It is also possible to sleep in a tent. The name “touage” refers to the activities of towing logs on Lake Saint-Jean that began in 1859.
The reception chalet and amenities are impeccable. The layout of the family toilet is really very practical for showers with young children. We arrived just in time to see the sunset spectacle on Lake Saint-Jean.
DAY 5 – DISCOVERING POINTE-TAILLON
Full of pancakes in our bellies, we took a segment of the Véloroute des Bleuets, which runs directly through Pointe-Taillon National Park. Good to know, bike rental is free for children. Since there weren't many bikes available for adults, you had to arrive early.
The water level being very high, we were unable to see the beautiful sandy beaches for which Pointe-Taillon is famous. We still greatly appreciated the tranquility of this park.
DAY 6 – RETURN
It was via the beautiful Route 155 that we took the return route. We stopped at La Tuque for dinner at the Parc des Falls-of-the-Petite-Rivière-Bostonnais . Superb view of the falls and the mountains. Short hike accessible to all.
For the next time
- Hiking in the Eucher trail in La Baie for a beautiful view of the fjord and the bay of Ha! Ha!
- Visit of historic village of Val-Jalbert – it was closed when we visited.
- Visit to the cave park « Fairy Hole » – it was closed when we visited.
- Stop at the Perron cheese shop – seems to be a must in the region.
- Tour of microbreweries ! We're saving this for our next romantic trip.
- There Véloroute des Bleuets in full – we’re putting this on our to-do list!
