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Exploring Véloroute des Bleuets - Quebec's "Blueberry Bike Route"

12/6/2019

 

The Véloroute des Bleuets is my favourite of all cycling Quebec adventures - even in the off season!

My trip to Lac Saint Jean was part of a hosted media visit. All research, writing, and opinions are my own.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through said link we are paid a small commission.

Cycling Quebec véloroute des bleuets Vanessa crossing a bridge
With sunny blue skies and a bracing wind, I bravely mounted my bike to go searching for blueberries in the Quebec countryside. But if you're looking at my jacket and scarf in the photo above and thinking it looks far too cold for blueberry season, you'd be partially right. You see, I wasn't in search of blueberries to eat! I was searching for Quebec's famous blueberry bike route, known as the "véloroute des bleuets".

Made up of over 20 different short to medium length rides through the blueberry-producing countryside, the véloroute des bleuets circles around Lac St Jean, not far from the northern Quebec city of Saguenay. The route includes towns such as Alma (my personal favourite), Saint-Felicien, Roberval, and Sainte-Monique, as well as Pointe-Taillon National Park, and includes terrain suitable for all riders.

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Next Stop, Poutine! Your In-Depth Quebec City Food Tour Guide

13/8/2018

 

Where can you find poutine AND fine wine? On a Quebec City food tour, of course! We're reviewing two of the most popular options - as well as giving you the inside scoop on our favourite Quebec City bed and breakfast.

Complimentary participation in these Quebec City food tours was offered to attendees of the Women in Travel Summit. This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through said link, we'll be paid a small commission and we thank you for your support.

Enjoying poutine on a Quebec City food tour Picture
When you think of Quebecois food, does your mind wander to old fashioned fare with a heavy emphasis on maple syrup and local delicacies? Or maybe you're craving less wholesome treats like a heaping plate of poutine? Perhaps your tastes are a bit more refined, with a eye towards wine and French joie de vivre? If you're like me and want a little bit of everything, your best bet is a Quebec City food tour so that no category is left out. Happily, when I was in Quebec City for the Women in Travel Summit, I participated in not one but two fantastic foodie experiences. Read on to hear about each tour, including what I loved, what I felt could have been improved, and my favourite stop on each. Plus there's a bonus review of my favourite Quebec City bed and breakfast which I know you'll like as much as I do!

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The Most Adventurous Things To Do in Saguenay: Kayaking the Saguenay Fjord

10/5/2018

 

Saguenay is the best place to go kayaking in Quebec - even if there are a few misadventures along the way.

My trip to Saguenay was part of a media visit organized by the Saguenay Lac Saint Jean tourism board. Some links within this blog post are affiliate links, which means we are paid a small commission should you make a purchase through said link.

Things to do in Saguenay: Kayaking the Saguenay Fjord Picture
If this isn't the face of confidence and athleticism, I don't know what is!
Brimming with confidence and cutting a dashing, athletic figure, I nimbly slid into the stern of my sea kayak, ready to embrace the elements and be one with nature.

Wait a minute.... that's not me! I've never been nimble at anything I do, let alone anything to do with boats! But when I had the opportunity to kayak the Saguenay, Quebec, Fjord - and specifically be in the Saguenay St Lawrence Marine Park, adjacent to Fjord National Park- I WAS truly ready to be one with nature. The chance to navigate a fjord here in Canada was a rare travel experience I couldn't miss. 

As for the confidence.... well... let's just say that I was about as confident as I was nimble. But it didn't take me long to hit my stride, with only a few minor mishaps. And it was all worth it to be better acquainted with an absolutely incredible corner of the world. Here's why I think sea kayaking is among the best things to do in Saguenay (even if there were a few awkward wetsuit moments along the way). 

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Tales From The Anti-Adventurist: Vanessa Goes Beluga Whale Watching, Quebec Style

7/5/2018

 

Beluga whale watching in Quebec is an exhilarating travel experience - but what would a queasy girl like myself think about it?

​My trip to Tadoussac was part of a hosted media visit with the Quebec Maritime tourism board and I thank them for their support. All research, writing, and opinions are my own.

beluga whale watching Quebec: visiting the Fjord Picture
Vomiting. Vomiting on people. Toppling over furniture. Quietly crying. Some of my most woe-begotten travel moments have involved motion sickness and many of those have involved boats. Who can forget when I had motion sickness while on the Houseboat Museum of Amsterdam? I'm not an adventurous girl and, on the rare times that I am, that adventurous spirit does NOT involve boats. But all that changed when I had the chance to go beluga whale watching in Quebec; Tadoussac to be exact. "Whale watching: Quebec" has been on my travel bucket list for a long time, and for good reason. Whale watching in Tadoussac is reputed to be among the best in the world and there was no way that I was going to miss it - no matter what my stomach wanted to do!

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Memories and Maple Syrup in Montebello Quebec

21/10/2017

 

What makes a girls' getaway all the sweeter? Adding in a delicious dose of maple on a trip to Montebello, Quebec.

Marina Chateau Montebello Quebec at sunset
Girls' getaways are the perfect time for rest and relaxation.
Can there ever be too much of a good thing? Not when it comes to maple! This classic Canadian flavor is so much more than a pancake topping. And when I had the opportunity to partner with Ford Canada for a girlfriends' wellness weekend in Montebello, Quebec, I knew that my favorite autumn flavor would only sweeten the experience.

I was excited to indulge in as much of Quebec's signature condiment as possible, and I soon learned that there was more to maple than meets the eye. Traditional pancakes, step aside! Here are my favourite Montebello maple moments. 

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Feasts and Flavors: My Favourite Lunch Spots in Montreal

13/10/2016

 

Where should you have lunch in Montreal? Finally, I have some answers! These are some of my favourite lunch spots in Montreal.

My visit and food tour were sponsored by Montreal Tourism and I thank them for their support. All research, writing, and opinions remain my own. This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, we may be paid a small commission.

Lunch spots in Montreal: Platter of sausages and garnishesPicture
Is there a lunch spot in Montreal serving up anything better than this?
For a travel writer, I sometimes do a poor job of coming up with personal recommendations. I remember once describing my favourite cafe in a particular city - only to realize I was talking about a Starbucks. Oops!

And other times, I felt I knew a city well only to draw a blank when asked for restaurant recommendations. I found myself confronted with this very situation when a friend asked for advice on where to eat lunch in Montreal. I know Montreal! Or, at least I thought I did. Haven't I written more about Montreal than any other city on the blog? Then why was I struggling with my answer?

I eventually cobbled together a response for my friend but I wasn't entirely satisfied. I've been determined ever since to come up with a killer list of my favourite lunch spots in Montreal and they're all around $12 - or much less. So go ahead, ask me for a recommendation. I've got this! 

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My Favourite Montebello Foodie Spots

30/1/2015

 

Traveling to Montebello, Quebec? Here's where to get the best food and drink.

Jennifer Doré Dallas 
is a blogger, foodie and paparazzi who has traveled to 35+ countries. While traveling, she has a Ziploc bag addiction and hates umbrellas. Stuff she can’t leave behind? Her notebook and camera (ok, ok, her iPhone as well…). Her budget tip? Markets and grocery stores and staying away from guidebook restaurants. Follow her adventures at Moi, mes souliers.
Picture
Those who know me know I’m an absolute foodie and I love discovering new spots in my province in between my international wanderings. That’s how I got around to Montebello, a place that had often been recommended to me time after time that I had not yet set foot in.

Well-renowned because of its imposing Château Montebello, the city, or town I should say, is bustling and its popularity isn't slowing down! More and more local producers are opening shop to complement those who have been around for ages, for the great pleasure of my taste buds.

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Sleeping Like Rock Royalty: John Lennon's Bed-In For Peace Suite in Montreal

16/10/2014

 

Legends, luxury, and John Lennon - all for the cost of a regular hotel suite!

John Lennon Yoko Ono Bed In For Peace Montreal Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Give Peace A Chance Beatles Quebec
Room 1742 is a suite unlike any other.
Have you ever wanted to party like a rock star when you travel? Or live the life of a legend, sitting in the lap of luxury? Or follow in some of the most famous footsteps in the world? With a little luck, you can enjoy all three when you stay at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth and have a slumber party with John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

In late May, 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono arrived in Montreal following their first Bed-In for Peace in Amsterdam and a one day event in the Bahamas. The Fairmont wasn't their first choice of location but many other hotels had turned them down. 

As it turns out, I think the Fairmont was the perfect choice and a little bit of that musical magic is still felt in the halls today. The four adjoining rooms of the Bed-In (now configured as one large suite) were used to record Give Peace A Chance and played host to likes of Timothy Leary, Allen Ginsberg, and dozens of other visitors. 

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Hotel Review: The Omni Montreal

23/9/2014

 

The Omni Montreal Gets Mornings Right.

My visit was facilitated in part by Tourism Montreal. This did not affect my review and all opinions are Vanessa's own. This post contains affiliate ads.

Breakfast beverages Montreal Omni Hotel Travel Quebec TurnipseedTravel.com
How much money do you think you need to spend for a hotel to wake you up each morning with a silver carafe of homemade hot chocolate and fresh orange juice? Turns out, not nearly as much as you think!

I had never stayed at an Omni brand hotel before I visited their property in Montreal and it couldn't have come at a better time. I was beginning to think that all hotels were basically just about the same and it was time to shake things up. So when the Omni staff offered to register me as a senior loyalty member in order to more fully experience the Omni brand, I was appreciative but not necessarily overly enthused. That is, until I heard about the breakfast drink program.

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