Fast Five Travel Notes: Destinations of 2014

2014 was a good travel year. I took many photos and left nothing but footprints. I enjoyed new foods, new beaches and made new friends.

Over the next few posts I'll detail these adventures in quick little "fast five" blog bites.

I might be feeling reflective, but I don't have a lot of reserve energy after the "un-holiday" that is Christmastime.


Five new destinations I visited in 2014.

1. Bermuda - this was in February. I wrote a lot about Bermuda and would definitely recommend it for a new or nervous traveller, those who want beaches but not scorching sunshine, or those who are celebrating retirement.

2. Devil's Lake, North Dakota. I stayed at the Holiday Inn, bought travel snacks at the new Wal-Mart and used their airport to fly United Airlines. Yes! You can connect to the whole world via DVL and United Airlines. Their twice a day service started in July 2014 and is growing strong. No lines and free parking make this one of North Dakota's best kept secrets.  Did you know you can pick up a round trip to Denver, Colorado for about $270 US? Now you know!

3. Denver, Colorado I had the privilege of experiencing this city with a new friend who already loved and had visited Denver. This gave me the chance to sit back and let someone else lead for once. I greatly benefitted from her knowledge and love of the city. Together we went to cafes, The Union Train Station  stumbled into some weird zombie walk/parade, and cheered as the Denver Broncos beat the 49ers and Peyton Manning threw his record breaking 509th touchdown pass.  What a weekend!

4. Quebec City, Quebec  My son and I took the train to Quebec City and saw this city for the first time together. It was fabulous! I would highly recommend it and can't wait to do it again. I wrote a great deal about it, back in August.

5. Honolulu, Hawaii  This trip wasn't as smooth as most. There were some logistical issues but once we arrived, Honolulu was heavenly. Great reviews (which I still have to write) were largely due to the amazing Sheraton Hotel on Waikiki Beach, and the great travel buddy along for the adventure. I hardly got the chance to see the island, so I think there will be a do-over at some point in my future. But, for 2014 it DOES count, as I did experience Honolulu for the first time.

Fast Five: Reasons Tourism Thrives in Quebec City

1. Rich history, as evidenced through architecture, museums and heritage sites.

2. Interactive tourism website. You can start learning and planning long before you arrive.
(Take the quiz and learn which street suits you! I got Saint Jean. I went and I LOVED it!)

3. The food! From cafes to fresh vegetable stands you will be impressed by the quality.

4. Shopping! Boutiques line the pedestrian only streets. Goods and cafe patios spill out onto the sidewalks and invite you to take a look.

5. Old Quebec/Downtown Quebec City is an easy city to navigate. There are horse drawn carriages, guided walking tours, bus tours and bike rentals, but the most popular way to get around and see it all is your sneakers! Grab a guide map and start walking! Your new favourite restaurant might be around the next corner!

Our Amazing Adventure: Part 7 Quebec City

There is even more to Old Quebec City than just the Chateau Frontenac. I could go on and on about its beauty, its history, its tourism industry or its shopping, but I will simply let the photos speak for themselves. To read more and to plan your own trip, I'd highly recommend starting here with their official tourism site. 

Our Amazing Adventure: Part 6 Le Chateau Frontenac

The morning started with a new formal challenge for Ry. He opened the Amazing Race style envelope to reveal his quest. "Find the most photographed hotel in the world. Then have your own photograph taken with it." A few taps into his iPad would reveal Le Chateau Frontenac as the answer and google maps would point to it just 1.6 kilometres away from us.

As he was grabbing his gear and heading for the door he spied a second envelope on the floor. It was labelled ROADBLOCK.  This envelope said "Stop. Your adventure can't continue until you find a crepe and a cappuccino for you mother. Seriously!" 

He was fiercely determined. "C'mon Mom! Let's go. We have to get you your coffee and stuff! Let's GO!"  Such a competitive kid he is. I knew he would be into this race concept.

An hour or so later, and after a long brisk uphill walk, we found the Chateau Frontenac. It took my breath away. I was standing there with my mouth gaping just staring at it.

A jewel in the Fairmont Hotel Chain. The magnificent Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City

I was not alone. I'm sure there were 400 or so tourists in the immediate area doing exactly the same thing that Tuesday morning. IT IS MAGNIFICENT!  The location, the architecture, the craftsmanship, the presence, the history and the enormity.... magnificent. There is no wonder at all why it is the most photographed hotel in the world! (Below are just a minor sample of the photos I personally took of this hotel. I could probably make my own mini-album just of the Chateau Frontenac.)

For me, there was a second reason for including it in our amazing adventure. My parents had honeymooned at this very hotel. This was a splurge for them in a very modest time. They were on their way to a new home in Ottawa and had stopped there for a couple nights.

The hotel itself is flanked on two sides by public boardwalks. There is also a garden out front which designates it as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Parks Canada also has a heritage tour which is located at, and UNDERGROUND at the boardwalk of the Chateau. Very cool. (Watch for that chapter of this review. Best $6 we spent!) The hotel takes up at least a city block. I can only imagine how many people it employs and how many guests it serves annually.

I haven't even mentioned the icing on the cake yet. It has its own Starbucks! Yes indeed there is a large, extremely busy Starbucks location on-site. Ry treated me to an iced coffee and purchased a smoothie for himself. We sat on a bench with our drinks and lingered a while staring at the hotel. Though he may have been thinking "can we go now" he let me savour the moment. It was perfect. Simply perfect.

I would still rather a purse than a fanny-pack!

Love that gorgeous spire on its corner.

Our Amazing Adventure: Part 5 The Hotwire Hotel

I have used Hotwire/Expedia travel services several times for short hotel stays and I can always say that I am satisfied and receive good value for my dollar.  This time was the same, but with just a few minor hiccups.

Hotels in Old Quebec/Downtown Quebec City in the peak tourist season run between $200 and $425 per night. That, was out of my budget. If you've been following along, you know that this was a whirlwind-backpack and sneakers kind of trip. I cashed in my Air Miles for the flights and found a rock-bottom fare on the train. I was NOT going to be spending $350 per night, no matter how badly I wanted to stay at the Chateau Frontenac. (And yes, I really really really REALLY wanted to stay there. But alas was simply impossible.)

This made Hotwire.ca the perfect solution.  You choose the budget, and general location and Hotwire chooses the hotel. You don't know where you will stay, until it is 100% paid and booked. This works for me (and millions of others) because the rate is approximately 40-50% less.

In this case, I paid $95 per night for a 3star hotel. I got the Best Western City Centre. Reviews were good and the general consensus of previous users was that the hotel was good value, but a less convenient location (but still acceptable) to the main tourist areas.

I agree completely. The Trip Advisor reviews were right on. (I have ALWAYS found this an excellent source for relevant and timely hotel information.)

The hiccups at this hotel occurred with their service. When we checked in, I very cheerfully and politely presented my ID, my confirmation number and my credit card (for incidentals). I then politely asked if we indeed had a room with 2 double beds. The answer was no. The clerk then spoke with his supervisor who went off on an angry tirade in french about "those Hotwire people."

I guess I forgot to mention I might not speak fluently in french, but my comprehension is pretty darn good. "C'est la vie.... that's life." I wasn't going to worry about anyone's attitude as long as I had a clean and safe place to stay with my son. Which I did.

The view from our room. 

We were assigned a room with a king size bed and a view of the back alley. The room, and everything about the hotel was very modern and well kept, as you can see by the photos. The cafe was fabulous. The service there was outstanding. The barista made my coffee with love, smiled at my son's broken french and treated us very nicely. Their coffee selection was excellent and delicious.

The hotel pool was dark and small. The restaurant was not open for lunch. There was no free continental breakfast either. I thought most Best Westerns included some sort of breakfast, but that was not the case here. The maid service was non-existent. And though we asked the bell man twice for a cab, a cab never did come for us. We had to walk about 3/4 of a kilometre before we hit the tourist areas, and it was uphill (Don't laugh, not a joke. It was!) but it was all fine by us.

In summary, I think we did alright in this category. We received half the service, but also paid half the regular rate. The hotel was a good home base for our sneakers and backpack vacation. We were out exploring the city from sun up to sun down anyway. AND, best of all, it was in budget.

Overall I would rate it a 7 out of 10. My son would give it an 8. He liked the free WiFi. He says it would have been better with a bigger pool and/or a waterslide, and a free breakfast. I of course agree with him. Smart kid!

The hotel cafe was open to 11pm and also served light snacks.

Cappuccino, made with love.