Each year the amount of time the four of us can find to get away together keeps getting smaller and smaller. This year we had a mere week between the time the boys ended their summer internships and when they had to go back to school, which limited our choices somewhat, to say the least. However, I was determined to find something new and interesting.

Herb loves to watch shows about people traveling, whether it be by boat, motorcycle, kayak, llama – you name it, just as long as people are moving through space along interesting terrain. Recently, we had watched one about two young guys who motorcycled through the Charlevoix region of Quebec, which is located along the northern shore of the St. Lawrence River. Now, before this, I had never even heard of Charlevoix or considered it as a travel destination, but I have to say that it looked quite quaint and charming, and above all reachable in a one-week period. Also, I had always wanted to visit Mont-Tremblant, and that could easily be combined with a trip to Charlevoix.

Charlevoix is the cultural and historic heart of the province of Quebec. It is an area of farms and charming villages as well as dramatic landscapes: rolling hills, lakes, mountains, forests, fjords, and grand vistas of the St. Lawrence River. It is a relatively quiet and undiscovered tourist destination for people from the States. In contrast, Mont-Tremblant is much more touristy and commercialized. In fact, the only reservation that I made ahead of time—and it definitely was needed—was for our stay in the Parc National du Mont-Tremblant.

Okay, so I might not have been as excited about this adventure as some of the more dramatic ones of the past, but I was still enthused at the prospect of seeing some new places. I was especially enthused about the prospect of spending the next seven days together, an increasing rarity as the boys get older.