WHALES AND WINNERS IN CHARLEVOIX
A ninety minute drive east on Route 138 from the city of Quebec and voila, here is unspoiled Charlevoix. If food is said to be a religion in Quebec, nature must be a religion here, where the St.Lawrence River rushes or meanders behind fir, cedar, spruce and pine, and makes a backdrop for the mirror lakes, small farms and vacation cottages that dot the landscape. This is a Canadian getaway with more to offer than trout and salmon fishing; here are some of the oldest golf courses in North America, vast parks and Laurentian Mountain peaks, a monastery, art galleries and museums, miles of sand beaches, and from May to October, whales.
Charlevoix, named for a Jesuit historian, is both the name of a village and a 2300 square mile region comprised of many small towns. It is specifically at the confluence of the Saguenay and St.Lawrence Rivers where many whale species–minke, blue, beluga and more–can best be seen. Here, at the wharves of Baie St. Catherine or Tadoussac one may board one of the diesel-engined boats designed for whale watching expeditions. The boats are of varying sizes, some holding 500 or more souls (and that many pairs of binoculars) or smaller ones, like the zodiac or catamaran, which require all passengers to wear life vests; take your pick. Be warned that from the deck of any vessel this may not turn out to be a photographer’s dream trip. The mammals surface here and there without warning, shutters click, but chances of catching more than a fin or the curve of a shiny mammalian back on film are not good. The experience of listening to the guide elaborate on the habitat, lifestyle and history of local marine and bird life (in French and English) and eating in a café aboard while waiting to spot whales–or seals–take up the slack and enrich the experience.
For those who want more sports action, the options are endless: there’s horseback riding, accessible for an hour, a full day or more, sea kayaking, biking, hiking. In Baie-Saint-Paul hang gliding is available and kites can be rented. The mountain climbing center at Saint-Siméon provides qualified instructor/guides, whitewater rafting in Saint-Aimé-des Lacs has overnight camping as an option and Saint-Irénée offers stunning views from the back of motorcycles–theirs or yours. Most of these hamlets are within convenient driving distance of one another.
When the landscape turns white, usually early in November, one may hit the slopes to schuss downhill, ski cross country or sit with a hot chocolate in a horse-drawn carriage. Snow-shoeing is popular, skating available and hardy souls may choose to shiver happily through a week or weekend of winter camping.
When Samuel de Champlain initiated the settlements and trading posts along the St.Lawrence River in the early 17th Century, he might have imagined its potential as a living or vacation utopia. Unlikely though, that he could foresee today’s Charlevoix Microbrewery with its locally made brews and down-home lunches and dinners, the Ecological Centre at Port au Saumon, or the pretty yellow Poterie de Port-au-Persil, where students work at producing local pottery and artisans sell their 21st Century jewelry and glass creations. Very unlikely too is the possibility that he could have foreseen the Casino de Charlevoix, its bit of Vegas glamour a jiving multilevel gambling beehive in the Malbaie area. An interactive video challenges visitors to determine whether they are fit to gamble, and either way, the choices are vast: Blackjack, mini-baccarat, poker and more than 700 slot machines make the time really fly.
The casino is part of the very grand Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu. The kingpin of Charlevoix, the resort is situated on a sovereign site above the terraces that overlook the river, and features regional cuisine at three restaurants, a spa, golf course, and you-name-it recreational facilities. Visitors of royal blood will feel right at home here in its crystal chandelier elegance, as will those with more prosaic occupations necessitating proximity to modem connections and fiber-optic tele-conferencing. Many other lodging options–along the coast or inland–are available at more modest prices in guest houses or small hotels.
Whether indulging in a truffle feast at the restaurant “Le Charlevoix,” simply painting at your easel or throwing quarters into slots, this Canadian Eden, where the air is fresh and the American dollar strong, may well be hitting the vacation jackpot.