When November kicks in a lot of us have a panic attack that may even turn into depression. But the bare trees, the shorter days and the lower temperatures are no reasons to immure ourselves until the snow melts! Winter in Québec can be magical, and not only for seasoned skiers. As long as you're well covered of course!
Winter nights have always been about gathering around the fiddler or the storyteller and the Petite-Nation hostel, in the Ottawa Valley, keeps up with traditions by hosting concerts every week. The hostel's P'tit Café welcomes regional, Quebecers and international artists, and it's one in a few places where you can go to a Will Driving West or a Bernard Adamus gig in a picturesque village, without the crowd of a Montréal venue!
We tend to forget that there is more than highways 40 and 20 between Montréal and Québec City. Trois-Rivières, for instance, hosts a winter festival called Les Nuits Polaires. When leaving the hostel, grab a hot chocolate at Café Morgane around the corner and your good to go for hours of sporting competitions, concerts and other cultural activities.
When taking route 155 towards La Tuque, which runs along the St-Maurice River and between mountains, you'll quickly realise that you're not going to Santa's village but to the north, the real one. At La Tuque, you can speed up on a dog sleigh or on more than 650 km of snowbike trails, or you can soak in the nature at your own pace on snowshoes or cross-country skis at La Mauricie National Park.
The sky is carpeted with stars, the waves are hitting the beach and you're relaxing in the spa. Is it Cancun? Maybe...if you purposely ignore the ice rink on your left. Welcome to the Sea Shack, Gaspé's warmest spot!
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