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March 2010 issue	In this issue Table of Contents Point Pelee National Park La Mauricie National Park Waterton Lakes National Park National Historic Sites Notebook GateWay TenBest

For a good time, and Forillon time
Dan Rubinstein learns from his mistakes on a family road trip along the Gaspé Peninsula

IN 1980, MY FATHER bought a window-lined Ford Econoline van with nothing inside except seats for the driver and a passenger. He spent a few months building a backseat bench and storage compartments, an interior that could be converted into a booth-like table or beds for five whenever it rained hard. We drove and camped from Toronto to Tofino, B.C., and back that summer, and then, with enough time remaining in Dad’s teacher vacation, went to the Maritimes. My wife and I have yet to attempt anything as ambitious with our young daughters, but every summer we take a trip or two. They’re always exhilarating, often exhausting, and we never fail to pick up a few tricks along the way.

Take-out  If you take the scenic route (i.e., bathroom breaks galore!) and drive all day from Ottawa to Québec and crave comfort food but the lineup at the rotisserie restaurant beside your hotel is too long for hungry children, get chicken to go and picnic on the Plains of Abraham. Don’t, hypothetically, spend an hour driving around fruitlessly in search of a less-busy rotisserie only to return to rotisserie number one and order take-out for your hotel room.
www.st-hubert.com

Get lost  The next morning in Montmagny, Que., an hour east of the capital, don’t settle for the ubiquitous highwayside coffee chain. Entwine yourselves in the old town’s confusing warren of narrow lanes, where the aroma of cappuccino and freshly baked croissants beckons from Au Coin Du Mond.
www.aucoindumonde.ca

DIY  You could have lunch at a diner in Trois-Pistoles, just west of Rimouski. A better bet, however, would be to stop at Fromagerie des Basques for a bag of cheese curds, local smoked mackerel and a baguette, and then to head to the municipal beach for lunch beside the St. Lawrence River.
www.fromageriedesbasques.ca

Splurge  Spend a night at the Gîte du Mont-Albert in Parc national de la Gaspésie. Nestled in the Chic-Chocs mountains, the four-star hotel has been welcoming guests for 60 years with its mountain decor. Your kids will be more interested in the heated outdoor pool.
www.sepaq.com/pq/gma

Prepare  Before arriving in Forillon National Park’s Petit-Gaspé campground — before leaving home, in fact — it’d be a good idea to double-check your tent bag to ensure the rain fly is packed. If, hypothetically, you’re setting up the tent and the fly is not there and the closest Canadian Tire is 45 minutes away (and it’s closed for the night anyway), head west along Highway 132 and pull over at the first firewood stand. Ask its proprietor, in broken French, if you might possibly purchase a used tarp from him, and be grateful both that he agrees and that he shakes his head when you ask plaintively “Il pleut ce soir?”
www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/qc/forillon/index.aspx

Watch whales  Even if you only spot one minke whale and a few seals during a two-and-a-half-hour excursion into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, you will get splashed and tossed by the waves, and your children, tucked inside yellow rain slickers and pants, will have salty smiles all day.
www.baleines-forillon.com

Go solo  A little personal time helps us appreciate those we love. Clear your head with a run up the steep, rocky trail to Forillon’s Mont Saint-Alban observation tower for a stunning 360-degree view. After dashing down, cool off with a quick dip in the Baie de Gaspé, then walk barefoot (and full of love) back to your campsite.

Reflect  Listen to frog calls under the stars while sitting under a blanket with your kids at the Petit-Gaspé amphitheatre’s interpretive nature program. Think back to childhood camping trips with your parents. Bask in the moment.

Short hops  Forillon’s one-kilometre La Chute trail, with a 17-metre waterfall and boardwalks and stairs along much of the route, is ideal for short legs. Pick a longer trail if you enjoy carrying children back to the car.

When in Quebec  Speak French as much as possible: to servers in restaurants, to strangers in hot tubs, to your spouse. Even if your pronunciation is atrocious and your grammar worse, people will appreciate the effort. And if your butchery of the language leads to an embarrassing faux pas, just remember: there’s nothing like humour to bring us together.

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