Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here- I've gone down a rabbit hole lol. I could EASILY plan a 3 week trip with a mix of camping and other lodging but alas, my husband only has about 12 days but could *possibly* add 2 days onto the beginning of the trip for a full 2 weeks. I have 6 straight weeks off this summer and starting next summer will have 8 but we don't have unlimited funds.

My 9-year-old is interested in a mix of city life and the outdoors (30/70 mix) and my 6-year-old will be super happy to be on a boat, play on beaches, short, hikes, biking, and food. (I think about 4-5 flat miles in cooler weather is all he can do right now until he learns how to not stop-go and conserve energy).

Here's one rough itinerary I've got.
1 night Lake George or Burlington, VT
3 nights QC
2 nights baie-st-paul
2 night Tadoussac
1 night Rimouski or National Park du Bic
2 nights gaspespie
2 night Perce
1 nights somewhere return

I'm not sure about the Gaspe region part....

After reading more about the Zodiak tours, my kids are not ready so we have to stick with a regular tour, preferably late afternoon. We also want to do hiking, beach play (yes it will be cold), eat seafood, maybe some kayaking, and I'd love to go into Gaspesie National Park to look for Caribou.

If we do this, we may try to make our way back down through Maine with at least 1 overnight (in Maine), maybe 2.

My sis did a similar camping road trip with her kids so I'll def check with her too but if anyone has done something like this, I'd love suggestions. I also considered just going to National Park du Bic for 2 nights and turning around but at that point...you might as well keep going and see some other spectacular sites lol.

Can you please share links for what you read that made you determine that the zodiac isn't ideal for this age group? It'll help in my decision-making as we figure out if we should try it with our 7 and 10 year old boys.

Your kids are slightly older and may be able to handle it. My youngest JUST turned 6 and is TINY (37 lbs). Everyone is wearing the waterproof gear and icy cold water splashes on you frequently. I don't think my kids are ready. https://www.croisieresaml.com/en/our-cruises/tadoussac/zodiac-whale-watching-2-hour-tour

Hi, pp - have you been yet? I can't recall when you were traveling to the area. We head up to QC and then Baie-St-Paul and Tadoussac a week later in August. I wanted to share with you a local zodiac company that leaves out of Tadoussac that has a covered boat. It looks like it might be just what we both are looking for. I went ahead and booked it for our family: https://www.tadoussacautrement.com/

It was around $300 or so for the 4 of us. Now my kidd are a bit older than your kids (7 and 10) but I thought this might be worth you looking into before you dismiss the zodiac experience all together.

OP here- no, we haven’t gone yet.

I had planned an itinerary:

-Dc-lake George 1 night
-Lake George-QC 3 nights
-Baie-st-Paul 2 nights with stop at the montmorency falls+Ile d’Orleans on the way
-Tadoussac 2 nights
-Rimouski 1 night
-2 nights Forillon national park
-1 night Perce (and take boat tour to bonaventure island)

BUT the ferry from Les Escoumins-Trois Pistoles has NO availability the the day we plan to go from tadoussac or the following 2 days. The only availability is the day before at 6:30pm which means only 1 night Tadoussac and a late arrival to Rimouski :/ I’ve also heard it’s not super reliable.

Debating on switching it up again. My kids really want QC, charlevoix region with visiting isle-aux-Coudres and also want beachy vibes (maine or probably gaspe) or just modifying that one part of my trip and spend longer in Rimouski, Perce, or possibly breaking up the trip more on the way home (2 nights in Maine from Perce vs 1 night). I’m soo indecisive and I want it all lol but this is really a solid 2-2.5 week trip, not 13 nights

Wait, you have to reserve the ferry in advance, including the one to Tadoussac? I haven't looked in to that all yet. In my naivete I thought you'd just got in line and rolled on up. Now I have some homework to do today!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here- I've gone down a rabbit hole lol. I could EASILY plan a 3 week trip with a mix of camping and other lodging but alas, my husband only has about 12 days but could *possibly* add 2 days onto the beginning of the trip for a full 2 weeks. I have 6 straight weeks off this summer and starting next summer will have 8 but we don't have unlimited funds.

My 9-year-old is interested in a mix of city life and the outdoors (30/70 mix) and my 6-year-old will be super happy to be on a boat, play on beaches, short, hikes, biking, and food. (I think about 4-5 flat miles in cooler weather is all he can do right now until he learns how to not stop-go and conserve energy).

Here's one rough itinerary I've got.
1 night Lake George or Burlington, VT
3 nights QC
2 nights baie-st-paul
2 night Tadoussac
1 night Rimouski or National Park du Bic
2 nights gaspespie
2 night Perce
1 nights somewhere return

I'm not sure about the Gaspe region part....

After reading more about the Zodiak tours, my kids are not ready so we have to stick with a regular tour, preferably late afternoon. We also want to do hiking, beach play (yes it will be cold), eat seafood, maybe some kayaking, and I'd love to go into Gaspesie National Park to look for Caribou.

If we do this, we may try to make our way back down through Maine with at least 1 overnight (in Maine), maybe 2.

My sis did a similar camping road trip with her kids so I'll def check with her too but if anyone has done something like this, I'd love suggestions. I also considered just going to National Park du Bic for 2 nights and turning around but at that point...you might as well keep going and see some other spectacular sites lol.

Can you please share links for what you read that made you determine that the zodiac isn't ideal for this age group? It'll help in my decision-making as we figure out if we should try it with our 7 and 10 year old boys.

Your kids are slightly older and may be able to handle it. My youngest JUST turned 6 and is TINY (37 lbs). Everyone is wearing the waterproof gear and icy cold water splashes on you frequently. I don't think my kids are ready. https://www.croisieresaml.com/en/our-cruises/tadoussac/zodiac-whale-watching-2-hour-tour

Hi, pp - have you been yet? I can't recall when you were traveling to the area. We head up to QC and then Baie-St-Paul and Tadoussac a week later in August. I wanted to share with you a local zodiac company that leaves out of Tadoussac that has a covered boat. It looks like it might be just what we both are looking for. I went ahead and booked it for our family: https://www.tadoussacautrement.com/

It was around $300 or so for the 4 of us. Now my kidd are a bit older than your kids (7 and 10) but I thought this might be worth you looking into before you dismiss the zodiac experience all together.

OP here- no, we haven’t gone yet.

I had planned an itinerary:

-Dc-lake George 1 night
-Lake George-QC 3 nights
-Baie-st-Paul 2 nights with stop at the montmorency falls+Ile d’Orleans on the way
-Tadoussac 2 nights
-Rimouski 1 night
-2 nights Forillon national park
-1 night Perce (and take boat tour to bonaventure island)

BUT the ferry from Les Escoumins-Trois Pistoles has NO availability the the day we plan to go from tadoussac or the following 2 days. The only availability is the day before at 6:30pm which means only 1 night Tadoussac and a late arrival to Rimouski :/ I’ve also heard it’s not super reliable.

Debating on switching it up again. My kids really want QC, charlevoix region with visiting isle-aux-Coudres and also want beachy vibes (maine or probably gaspe) or just modifying that one part of my trip and spend longer in Rimouski, Perce, or possibly breaking up the trip more on the way home (2 nights in Maine from Perce vs 1 night). I’m soo indecisive and I want it all lol but this is really a solid 2-2.5 week trip, not 13 nights

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here- I've gone down a rabbit hole lol. I could EASILY plan a 3 week trip with a mix of camping and other lodging but alas, my husband only has about 12 days but could *possibly* add 2 days onto the beginning of the trip for a full 2 weeks. I have 6 straight weeks off this summer and starting next summer will have 8 but we don't have unlimited funds.

My 9-year-old is interested in a mix of city life and the outdoors (30/70 mix) and my 6-year-old will be super happy to be on a boat, play on beaches, short, hikes, biking, and food. (I think about 4-5 flat miles in cooler weather is all he can do right now until he learns how to not stop-go and conserve energy).

Here's one rough itinerary I've got.
1 night Lake George or Burlington, VT
3 nights QC
2 nights baie-st-paul
2 night Tadoussac
1 night Rimouski or National Park du Bic
2 nights gaspespie
2 night Perce
1 nights somewhere return

I'm not sure about the Gaspe region part....

After reading more about the Zodiak tours, my kids are not ready so we have to stick with a regular tour, preferably late afternoon. We also want to do hiking, beach play (yes it will be cold), eat seafood, maybe some kayaking, and I'd love to go into Gaspesie National Park to look for Caribou.

If we do this, we may try to make our way back down through Maine with at least 1 overnight (in Maine), maybe 2.

My sis did a similar camping road trip with her kids so I'll def check with her too but if anyone has done something like this, I'd love suggestions. I also considered just going to National Park du Bic for 2 nights and turning around but at that point...you might as well keep going and see some other spectacular sites lol.

Can you please share links for what you read that made you determine that the zodiac isn't ideal for this age group? It'll help in my decision-making as we figure out if we should try it with our 7 and 10 year old boys.

Your kids are slightly older and may be able to handle it. My youngest JUST turned 6 and is TINY (37 lbs). Everyone is wearing the waterproof gear and icy cold water splashes on you frequently. I don't think my kids are ready. https://www.croisieresaml.com/en/our-cruises/tadoussac/zodiac-whale-watching-2-hour-tour

Hi, pp - have you been yet? I can't recall when you were traveling to the area. We head up to QC and then Baie-St-Paul and Tadoussac a week later in August. I wanted to share with you a local zodiac company that leaves out of Tadoussac that has a covered boat. It looks like it might be just what we both are looking for. I went ahead and booked it for our family: https://www.tadoussacautrement.com/

It was around $300 or so for the 4 of us. Now my kidd are a bit older than your kids (7 and 10) but I thought this might be worth you looking into before you dismiss the zodiac experience all together.

Anonymous wrote:We go to Vermont and Montreal a lot since our daughter goes to college in Montreal. We love Montreal which has a European feel and great food and an opportunity to practice your French if you have it. The Bio Dome is a great destination for kids, there's also a great botanical garden nearby. It's an easy drive between Burlington and Montreal.

Stowe has a bunch of summer activities like an elevated ropes course, and The Von Trapp Family Lodge (the "Sound of Music" family) is near by which is fun for a night or two.

We went to Quebec City on one trip, it was interesting, but felt a combination of artificial/glitzy and run down, like we had to walk through a homeless encampment to get to the touristy main strip. We won't go back.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here- I've gone down a rabbit hole lol. I could EASILY plan a 3 week trip with a mix of camping and other lodging but alas, my husband only has about 12 days but could *possibly* add 2 days onto the beginning of the trip for a full 2 weeks. I have 6 straight weeks off this summer and starting next summer will have 8 but we don't have unlimited funds.

My 9-year-old is interested in a mix of city life and the outdoors (30/70 mix) and my 6-year-old will be super happy to be on a boat, play on beaches, short, hikes, biking, and food. (I think about 4-5 flat miles in cooler weather is all he can do right now until he learns how to not stop-go and conserve energy).

Here's one rough itinerary I've got.
1 night Lake George or Burlington, VT
3 nights QC
2 nights baie-st-paul
2 night Tadoussac
1 night Rimouski or National Park du Bic
2 nights gaspespie
2 night Perce
1 nights somewhere return

I'm not sure about the Gaspe region part....

After reading more about the Zodiak tours, my kids are not ready so we have to stick with a regular tour, preferably late afternoon. We also want to do hiking, beach play (yes it will be cold), eat seafood, maybe some kayaking, and I'd love to go into Gaspesie National Park to look for Caribou.

If we do this, we may try to make our way back down through Maine with at least 1 overnight (in Maine), maybe 2.

My sis did a similar camping road trip with her kids so I'll def check with her too but if anyone has done something like this, I'd love suggestions. I also considered just going to National Park du Bic for 2 nights and turning around but at that point...you might as well keep going and see some other spectacular sites lol.

Can you please share links for what you read that made you determine that the zodiac isn't ideal for this age group? It'll help in my decision-making as we figure out if we should try it with our 7 and 10 year old boys.

Your kids are slightly older and may be able to handle it. My youngest JUST turned 6 and is TINY (37 lbs). Everyone is wearing the waterproof gear and icy cold water splashes on you frequently. I don't think my kids are ready. https://www.croisieresaml.com/en/our-cruises/tadoussac/zodiac-whale-watching-2-hour-tour

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here- I've gone down a rabbit hole lol. I could EASILY plan a 3 week trip with a mix of camping and other lodging but alas, my husband only has about 12 days but could *possibly* add 2 days onto the beginning of the trip for a full 2 weeks. I have 6 straight weeks off this summer and starting next summer will have 8 but we don't have unlimited funds.

My 9-year-old is interested in a mix of city life and the outdoors (30/70 mix) and my 6-year-old will be super happy to be on a boat, play on beaches, short, hikes, biking, and food. (I think about 4-5 flat miles in cooler weather is all he can do right now until he learns how to not stop-go and conserve energy).

Here's one rough itinerary I've got.
1 night Lake George or Burlington, VT
3 nights QC
2 nights baie-st-paul
2 night Tadoussac
1 night Rimouski or National Park du Bic
2 nights gaspespie
2 night Perce
1 nights somewhere return

I'm not sure about the Gaspe region part....

After reading more about the Zodiak tours, my kids are not ready so we have to stick with a regular tour, preferably late afternoon. We also want to do hiking, beach play (yes it will be cold), eat seafood, maybe some kayaking, and I'd love to go into Gaspesie National Park to look for Caribou.

If we do this, we may try to make our way back down through Maine with at least 1 overnight (in Maine), maybe 2.

My sis did a similar camping road trip with her kids so I'll def check with her too but if anyone has done something like this, I'd love suggestions. I also considered just going to National Park du Bic for 2 nights and turning around but at that point...you might as well keep going and see some other spectacular sites lol.

Can you please share links for what you read that made you determine that the zodiac isn't ideal for this age group? It'll help in my decision-making as we figure out if we should try it with our 7 and 10 year old boys.

Anonymous wrote:Are you all driving from DC area to QC? flying looks so much easier/faster but I suppose you want a car for exploring Charlevoix?

Anonymous wrote:Are you all driving from DC area to QC? flying looks so much easier/faster but I suppose you want a car for exploring Charlevoix?

Anonymous wrote:OP here- I've gone down a rabbit hole lol. I could EASILY plan a 3 week trip with a mix of camping and other lodging but alas, my husband only has about 12 days but could *possibly* add 2 days onto the beginning of the trip for a full 2 weeks. I have 6 straight weeks off this summer and starting next summer will have 8 but we don't have unlimited funds.

My 9-year-old is interested in a mix of city life and the outdoors (30/70 mix) and my 6-year-old will be super happy to be on a boat, play on beaches, short, hikes, biking, and food. (I think about 4-5 flat miles in cooler weather is all he can do right now until he learns how to not stop-go and conserve energy).

Here's one rough itinerary I've got.
1 night Lake George or Burlington, VT
3 nights QC
2 nights baie-st-paul
2 night Tadoussac
1 night Rimouski or National Park du Bic
2 nights gaspespie
2 night Perce
1 nights somewhere return

I'm not sure about the Gaspe region part....

After reading more about the Zodiak tours, my kids are not ready so we have to stick with a regular tour, preferably late afternoon. We also want to do hiking, beach play (yes it will be cold), eat seafood, maybe some kayaking, and I'd love to go into Gaspesie National Park to look for Caribou.

If we do this, we may try to make our way back down through Maine with at least 1 overnight (in Maine), maybe 2.

My sis did a similar camping road trip with her kids so I'll def check with her too but if anyone has done something like this, I'd love suggestions. I also considered just going to National Park du Bic for 2 nights and turning around but at that point...you might as well keep going and see some other spectacular sites lol.