The first major stop on this road trip is Quebec City, my favourite city in the country. It is a long drive from home but well worth it once you get there. When the Love-goddess and I used to vacation in Nova Scotia during the summer, we would bolt for Quebec and hang out there for two or three days before finishing off the trip east.
It is always a good idea to break up long road trips into manageable and enjoyable chunks. In the “retirement age group” this is more important than ever. Long drives can really wear down our now less than youthful bones and muscles.
One day soon, we will have cars that will do all the driving for us, and these long-haul drives will be considerably less onerous than they are now. This first image in the Quebec collection is our car driving itself along the 401 using the built semi-autonomous driving feature. It is not fully autonomous because you do have to keep grabbing the wheel every 15 seconds or so to let the car know that you are still there and ready to assume control.
The photos in this post, and others in this series, are best enjoyed on a desktop/laptop or in horizontal view on your iPad. There is an issue looking at them on cellphones which I am trying to get resolved.
The semi-autonomous driving features works beautifully in our car. It takes you around bends smoothly and slows down when cars in front of you slow down, all the while maintaining a proper safe distance.
The last hurdle. Pierre Laporte Bridge over the St. Lawrence River leading into Quebec.
I wouldn’t have known about this new route without Google maps pointing it out. There is now a new, almost nonstop roadway along the waterfront from the bridge to the old town. It is called Blvd. Champlain. I am fairly certain this is a brand-new route, because the reclaiming of land and building of new features continues all along the way. According to Google maps, the drive during rush-hour was a half an hour shorter than the usual route along Chemin Saint-Louis.
Checking into the Clarendon Hotel right in the heart of all Quebec. It has been fully renovated since the last time we stayed here. It is the oldest hotel in the city, even older than the Château Frontenac.
The charming lobby.
The view from our hotel room at night.
Bistro 1640 where we had dinner on our first night. If you have ever been to Quebec city, you will know exactly where this is… in very close proximity to the Château Frontenac.
Very happy for the long drive to be over.
Here is an interesting restaurant feature that I have never seen before. Not only do they have a wine cellar, but they also have a cheese cellar.
When in Quebec City you have to have French onion soup at least once. 🙂
Not too many people out on the street after dinner. The weather was wild, especially the wind.
I love how they illuminate the Château Frontenac at night. I took this picture to show just how violently the trees were blowing in the wind.
But then I figured out I should just shoot a video clip to capture the beauty of this wild night. Check out how rapidly the clouds are moving above the Frontenac.
Down in Petit Champlain on the morning of the second day. It was a little cloudy and rainy to begin with, but then it cleared up beautifully.
The view from the promenade looking out over Petit Champlain and across the St. Lawrence to Levis.
Not too much action on the artist’s laneway Rue du Trésor this morning.
We had drinks at the “1608 Bar” and dinner in the “Sam Bistro” at the Château Frontenac.
The food was great, and reasonably priced. I had Mushroom and Foie Gras Guinea Fowl.
Hanging out with our new Coureur des Bois friend.
When heading east after leaving Quebec City, we always take the little car ferry across from Petit Champlain to Levis, rather than driving back to the bridge. It probably saves at least half an hour of driving time.
