Seasonal Weekend Trips

Spring awakens with Quebec City Tulip Festival and sugar bush tours throughout the Laurentians offering authentic maple syrup experiences with pancake breakfasts, tree-tapping demonstrations, and tire sur neige (maple taffy on snow). Cabanes à sucre in Saint-Eustache, Saint-Benoit, and Mirabel provide traditional Quebecois meals with live music. The Ottawa Tulip Festival in May showcases over 300,000 tulips across Commissioners Park creating spectacular photo opportunities. Summer beckons to the Eastern Townships with lake activities on Lake Memphremagog, Lac Brome, and Lake Massawippi offering swimming, sailing, and paddleboarding. Magog beach becomes summer headquarters while nearby vineyards provide afternoon wine tastings. Mont-Tremblant transforms into outdoor adventure paradise with hiking, mountain biking, zip-lining, and beach access. The Laurentians offer endless lake cottages and water sports. Fall showcases spectacular foliage throughout the Laurentians and Eastern Townships typically peaking mid-October with vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows covering mountainsides. Mont-Tremblant, Mont-Orford, and Mont-Sutton provide scenic gondola rides and hiking trails showcasing autumn colors. Charlevoix celebrates harvest season with special culinary tours, cider tastings at local producers, and artistic events in Baie-Saint-Paul galleries. The Route des Sommets scenic drive delivers breathtaking fall vistas. Winter transforms Mont-Tremblant and surrounding Laurentian resorts into premier ski destinations with hundreds of trails, night skiing, and cozy village atmospheres. Quebec City hosts Winter Carnival with ice palace, toboggan slides, outdoor activities, and evening festivities creating magical winter wonderland. Ice hotels in Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier offer unique overnight experiences. Dog sledding, snowshoeing, and ice fishing become popular activities throughout the region. Book fall foliage accommodations 8-12 weeks early as September-October fills quickly with leaf-peepers. Winter ski weekends require reservations 6-8 weeks ahead especially for Christmas through February peak season. Sugar shack reservations need 4-6 weeks notice as they fill completely on weekends during March-April season. Summer lake rentals book 3-6 months early for July-August availability especially for waterfront properties.