*Old Qu*ébec *City shot with Portra 800 // Canon AE-1*

Early February, I had the opportunity to travel north to Québec with Ethan. We initially were going for a couple of client shoots but we had both never been so we decided to plan a week long trip. Our time was short but we experienced so much from exploring the streets of Old Québec to ice skating through a forest to some really unique stays. In this blog, I will be highlighting all of the things we did, where we stayed and places we ate. As a gluten free gal (not by choice), I was interested to see what I would be able to find and to my surprise, there were many GF friendly spots.

Vermont to Canada

*Road Trippin’ shot with Portra 400 // Contax T2*

Since we live in southern Vermont and had a few stops to make in Québec, it made sense to drive. After randomly stumbling upon a vintage travel guide, checking 50 times for our passports and packing up the car, it was time to hit the road. We left early in the morning on February 3rd and it took us about two hours until we reached Stanstead to cross the border. Our crossing was easy for a couple of reasons. It was early so there was no traffic and we were going into Canada… ha. I’ve crossed before by car and I’ve only ever had issues trying to get back into the United States. The Canadian patrol was stern but friendly. He asked us a few questions about what we were doing while here and where we were staying. If you do cross by car, be prepared with all of your itinerary information!

*The famous Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac with Portra 400 // Contax T2*

Old Québec City

Our first stop and perhaps my favorite part of the trip was Old Québec City. Not only was it beautiful and historical but it broke up the drive a bit since we would eventually be two more hours north for a client shoot. I have only been to a few other countries and I have been itching to get to Europe. Québec is a mostly French speaking province so it kind of felt like I was in Europe. It certainly scratched the itch a bit! Ethan and I try to be as intentional as possible when we travel so we did practice a little French before our trip. We basically just wanted to be able to communicate basic things like hello, how are you, may I have a coffee, etc. At times, we were taken as locals in the shops and at times, they immediately knew we were American and greeted us with a “hello”.

When we first arrived to the city, it was snowing and magical! Luck was on our side because the last twenty minutes of the drive was pretty bad so if we had left Vermont any late, the snow might’ve caused much more delay. Thankfully, our timing was perfect and we got to our hotel just as the snow began getting heavier. We had time to kill before checking into our hotel so we wandered the streets for a little by foot. They were very quiet which made for the perfect pictures and experience. Not much was open though and we weren’t sure if it was the snow or just time of the season. Either way, it was really neat to wander around the old streets with very little people.

Wandering the Streets - a mix shot by myself and Ethan on Canon AE-1 // Contax T2

Hôtel Le Clos Saint-Louis

After wandering the snowy streets for a couple of hours, it was time to check into our hotel in the late afternoon. We chose the Hôtel Le Clos Saint-Louis as in the heart of the old city, was reasonably priced, had available rooms and offered a romantic experience. The building is a renovated Victorian mansion with a 19th century charm that blends French and British styles. When we travel, we really want to embrace the entire experience which personally, I think means choosing unique accommodations over chain hotels. It give you a chance to really soak up all that a place has to offer. The streets felt like we took a step back in time so naturally, we wanted our stay to feel like that as well.

We booked the Exclusive Suite that features high ceilings, original antique woodwork, large windows, marble fireplace, a queen bed and Victorian-inspired furniture. It definitely is a bit higher priced than the other rooms but our travel costs were covered this week by our client so we decided to splurge. I would like to note the Le Clos Saint Louis operates with a virtual reception and does not have an elevator. We didn’t have any trouble checking in or finding parking but I did read reviews of some others having trouble and not having a human physically there made it a stressful process.

After settling into our room, we freshened up and headed back out in the city but this time for a date night. Since a majority of the trip was work related, we wanted to set some intentional time to enjoy ourselves and what better time to do it than our first night of the trip! For our date, we went ice skating in the hear of the city at D’Youville and then had dinner at Hortus Bistro. If you are visiting in the winter, ice skating at this rink is a must do! Ethan and I were so lucky to have the rink to ourselves for a few moments as it was snowing and a week night. It felt like we were in a romcom as we skated around under the twinkling lights, snowflakes and beautiful French music. To my knowledge, the rink is open to the public all the time as long as they aren’t running the Zamboni on it.

Now to dinner! Bistro Hortus is an entirely gluten free French restaurant focused on local farm to table dishes. We ordered the Hortus style nachos, the Chicken from Charlevoix and the vegetable curry. We also opted for dessert - tea, the vegan chocolate cake and a crème brûlée. Everything was really delicious and presented in such a unique way. It definitely wasn't your average restaurant. Every dish had a lot of depth and flavor presented with true artistry. I highly recommend this spot whether you’re gluten free or not!

Forest Ice Skating in Shannon, Québec

As soon as Ethan and I found out we were going to Québec, we knew we had to find the quintessential Canadian experience — ice skating through a forest. To our surprise though, it was a bit tough to find a forest to skate through. The locations were either too far off our route, closed or not exactly what we were looking for. For example, there was one that offered multiple experiences and you had to buy a day pass. We searched for awhile and Ethan ended up finding a recreation center in Shannon, Quebec that offered forest skating for a few bucks each. It was rather busy as we arrived just as a school field trip was taking place but within the hour, it quieted down and it felt like we were the only ones zipping through the trails. This was a really cool experience and I highly recommend it! I love ice skating but I don’t like indoor rinks. There is something about ice skating outside on a pond or a trail like this that make it feel more magical and myself connected to nature. Be sure to bundle up! Even when the sun is out, you’ll still be freezing.

TOPAZ - A Luxury Micro-Home

After a couple days in more populated areas, it was time for our first client shoot. 30 minutes outside of the city in Lac-Beauport lies a luxury micro-home called Topaz. This spot offers breathtaking view of the lake and mountains, as well as gorgeous sunsets from the highest peak in Lac-Beauport. It’s surrounded by accessible year round trails but if you plan to visit during the winter season, you will need a vehicle with AWD or 4x4 and winter tires to access the property. There are also shuttle services to the property incase you don’t have that and still want to book a stay.

We were only here one night to photograph but we did our best to capture the feeling of staying here. This place is booked out often but our client really wanted us to photograph it. On the drive, we planned out our shot lists and meals. For groceries, we mostly shopped at any IGA we could find as they offered many options especially gluten free. Waking up and being cozy while having breakfast to this view was the best part.

Villa Les Flots

After a quick night at Topaz, we headed to our next shoot two hours north in La Malbaie, Quebec. It was the Villa Les Flats, a luxurious vacation spot overlooking the St. Lawrence River. It was a beautiful mix of vintage farmhouse and modern mountain chalet. Below is one of my favorite photos shot on our trip - Ethan stoking the fire in the most beautifully designed living room.

We had a couple nights here to create some videos and capture some photos. This spot is definitely meant for a group trip consisting of family or friends. There’s multiple rooms, a pool and ping pong table, a giant outdoor area as well as kitchen to gather. It was very peaceful and we ended up having some time to slow down and relax.

What’s ironic is that a couple of years ago, I would never have jumped at the chance to go more north in the winter. I was living on the road and chasing an eternal summer on the west coast. While it was fun, it was also exhausting. Since moving back to New England, I’ve found a deep appreciation for this harsh season and the own unique magic it can offer. For me, the quietness has offered a chance to sit and reflect while preparing for spring. The grandpa sweaters, hot drinks, blue hour and ice skating have also been a nice perk too!

After the villa, it was time to start the journey back to Vermont! It was much longer than the way up but still didn’t feel too bad. It took us about 7 hours total. Crossing back into the states was definitely more stressful. It was later in the day, busier and the border patrol was much more intense — asking us more detailed questions and addresses of where we were. Still, we managed to get in and get home by dinner time. Although short, we really enjoyed our time in Québec and we plan to visit again perhaps in a warmer season. I do think that this is a great winter destination for a romantic getaway. If you enjoyed reading about our trip, I also have a video on my YouTube channel here filmed on a handycam :)

If you’ve made it to the end, thank you! I feel so grateful to have had all of these experiences and hope something here can inspire your next trip. All of the film shot on this trip was developed and digitally scanned by Negative Lab in Los Angeles. I have been sending my film here for over a year now and I am always pleased with my scans. I cannot express the difference the lab makes! If you’re interested in giving them a try, use ‘WILD15’ for 15% off your next order. For transparency, I do not make any money when you use this code but I do receive a discount off my processing services by spreading the word. Whether you’ve read this post or use my code, every little bit helps keep me doing what I love. For more work and easier updates, follow me on Instagram. Until next time! With love, stay wild ~ Jess

A Week in Québec, Canada