I feel like summers are always busy, but this summer has been particularly INSANE. Between moving in June, Corey starting residency and my wedding schedule, there hasn’t been too much time for relaxation. So when Corey unexpectedly got vacation time in July, we knew a few day getaway would be a much needed break in our schedules. After visiting Montreal this spring, we thought Quebec City would be a perfect place for a mini vacation! It is just 3 hours from Burlington and it seriously feels like you’re in another world! This city is so charming and will be the perfect place for a weekend trip in the future :)

Day 1: Arrived in Quebec City!

– We stayed at the Hilton because we got a good deal online and it had a pool (which we didn’t even use!). The hotel was great for our first visit because it had a great location, was easy to find, and the concierges gave us some GREAT recommendations on where to eat. But now that we know the city a little better, I think next time we’ll probably try to opt for an Air B&B find. One thing I’m VERY thankful for is that we had wi-fi in the hotel. On a vacation, I actually really like being disconnected, but when you don’t have any cell service in a foreign country, we used our hotel as a home base to screen shot directions & look up things to do before we would head out for the day.

– Our first evening in the city we walked around and explored! With no agenda and really no direction, we just kind of walked around the quaint & very charming street of Old Quebec City. It was such a gorgeous evening and we made our way from our hotel near Parliament Hill down into the Petit-Champlain District.

– We ate dinner at Chez Boulay and it was one of the BEST dinners I’ve ever had! Oh. my. word. From the bread, to the wine, to the main course… Just so delicious.

I love this guy so much. He was such a good sport about stopping every 5 seconds while I took a picture. And holding my bag :)

This was one of my favorite spots in Old Quebec. Love everything about this cute little building!

This was where we ate dinner on night 1. Oh my gosh, I’m still dreaming about that meal.

Day 2: Montmorency Falls

– This was kind of a rainy day. We headed to the mall in the morning to try to find Corey a rain jacket (without luck, but the mall did have an amusement park & a hockey rink inside!). It started to clear up a bit so we headed to Montmorency Falls which is right outside of the city. We climbed up what seemed like a bajillion stairs to reach the top, but then got to walk across a footbridge that went right over the waterfall. I am really glad that I decided to throw my sneakers in the car at the last minute, because the climb up those stairs would have been horrendous in flip flops.

– Then we got back into the city and since the concierges had nailed it with the Boulay recommendation, we went to them again for advice! They sent us to Bello, a very yummy Italian restaurant. So hip inside and great food.

– We did a little more exploring, then headed in for the night. I don’t know how much walking we did over these 3 days but I’m sure it was a lot!

Love love love these window boxes on the left!

After a pretty rainy day, we got back to our hotel just in time to catch the sun peek out over the city. And of course a shot of Corey looking great with the Kelly Moore camera bag :)

Day 3: Crepes, Spa & Cirque Du Soilel

– I had my fair share of red wine & bread our first two days in Quebec City, but I was still in search of a crepe! So on our last morning in the city, we headed to a creperie, La Petit Chateau (how could you not with a name as cute as that?!). It was right by Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, the most photographed hotel in the world! Delicious strawberry & nutella crepe and then we were off!

– Corey & I first got a couple massage on our honeymoon in Hawaii (okay okay, so we actually got 2 on our honeymoon). So we want to make it a “thing” to get couples massages on all of our trips together! Corey actually was the one who did all the research on this and found Siberia Station Spa, a spa located about 30 minutes north of the city. Its mantra is “Hot. Cold. Rest.” – which I was skeptical about the cold part, but it was actually AMAZING! They have all of these hot tubs, cold pools, saunas, steam showers, fireplaces, hammocks and more all over the grounds and you just move along at your own pace. The idea is that you heat up your body, cool off quickly then rest your body. Oh my gosh, I seriously don’t know that I’ve ever been more relaxed! I took one of the most epic naps of my life in a hammock by a fireplace. So we spent the early afternoon at the spa before our massages, which were to die for. I felt all the stress of wedding season just melting away :)

– Then we left Quebec City and headed for Trois Rivieres, a city located right in between Quebec City & Montreal, to see a Cirque Du Soilel show. These shows are so amazing! The whole show was in French, but luckily acrobats doing amazing tricks with their bodies needs no translation. Ordering dinner on the other hand was a different story ;)

Le Chateau Frontenac

The spa! 

 

The amphitheater for the show… such a cool venue!

And a few food “instas” from the trip… When we left my stomach was full of wine, bread & crepes and my heart was full from 3 full uninterrupted days with my husband in the midst of the chaos that is wedding season & residency.

To anyone looking for a European-like getaway, I highly recommend Quebec City! So charming and unlike any city in the US but so close and affordable!