Quebec City - Day 2

On day 2, Brian and I headed on a day trip from QC. We first stopped at Montmorency Falls before we headed to Ile d' Olreans.


Montemorency Falls is 27 stories high - twice as tall as Niagra (although not nearly as wide). It is a quite a hike from the top to the bottom. There is also a bridge that allows you to cross over the falls.

You can see the stairs that take you down the cliffside to the bottom of the falls - trust us, there are a lot!

At the bottom of the falls, there is literally a log jam - someone people are able to spell out their names or names of special meaning (such as Jesus above)

This is Brian and I walking along the bridge that takes you over the falls

This is the water right before it heads over the edge - it is surprisingly calm


At the base of the falls you can see the tram that takes you from the top to the bottom (if you don't want to walk)

In the winter, the Falls freeze to form a giant loaf shape cone known as the Pain du Sucre (Sugarloaf). Thankfully it wasn't that cold when we were there, but we saw pictures and it would be amazing to see in the Winter.

This is a nice subdivision right outside the falls - Brian and I had to drive through it once we saw the incredible views these homes have

From Montmorency Falls, it is a short drive to Ile D' Orleans which is full of century old homes and churches and road side stands selling maple syrup and fresh fruit. On our drive around the island, we stopped for fresh bread and jam before we headed back to QC (for a nice nap before dinner).



After dinner (I ate more Italian in Quebec than I have had in a long time!) we continued our tour through QC. We stopped to admire the view the St. Lawrence River and to walk around the fortifications and Le Citadelle. Le Citadelle is the largest British fortress built in North America and is still an active military post.

Our hotel - in the midst of Old Quebec

Le Citadelle

Views of other sights as you walk along the walls of the Citadelle

An incredible view from the Plains of Abraham

Hmm...which way should we go?

Brian wanted me to take this picture specifically so he could say "My guns are bigger than yours...."

Next stop....Montreal.!

Quebec City - Vacation!

Vacation! I had a work meeting in Montreal this summer so Brian and I were able to sneak away for a few days of sightseeing, exploring, and relaxation. It was just the two of us and it was a much needed romantic getaway.

We left late on a Friday night (thanks to a weather delay) and landed late (or should I say early) and crashed at the Marriott at the Montreal Airport. Since it was right in the airport, it was very easy to find our beds for the night.

The next morning we headed to Quebec City (Ville de Québec). Quebec City is one of the oldest cities in North America. The ramparts surrounding Old Quebec (Vieux-Québec) are the only remaining fortified walls that still exist in the Americas north of Mexico. Thanks to Wiki for the brief history lessons:)

We spent the afternoon exploring Old Quebec. The primary language spoken is French, although many people speak English. Because it feels so French, it feels like you are strolling up and down the streets in France. There are cafe's everywhere - trust me, we didn't go hungry. There is also many streets, so we walked quite a bit (ask Brian - he kept track using his pedometer).

This is on our way to QC. We stopped and picked up a few essentials at the grocery store and found these wonderful little donuts. They were AMAZING. They didn't last long.

Brian and I exploring QC - yes, it was quite chilly (from the perspective of Southerners who are used to 90+ degree temps) so we were thankful for the layers.

This is the funiculaire (hillside elevator) that connected different parts of QC. We only used it once - the rest of the time we walked up and down the hillside.

Saint Lawrence River

The wonderful little cafe we had one our first night in QC

Our favorite family store

Stay tuned for more pics!

Random Musings

Summer is already well under way here in the South.

School ended at the end of May. Morgan is now officially a 1st grader. She came a long way this year. It has been wonderful watching her grown, learn, and absorb everything they teach in Kindergarten. Plus, now that she can read, it is less work for us as she can read Matthew the bed time stories (although she still loves for mommy and daddy to read to her).

Below are pictures from her end of the year school party.

Morgan and Abby
Morgan and her buddy George
This Spring, Matthew played baseball with Davis and William. Matthew lost interst during most games and by the end of the season, he really had no desire to play. However, he did look forward to the snack at the end :) These pictures are from the final game (yeah!) of the season.
The cheering section - Morgan and Jax
Matthew receiving his trophy. It lasted about 7 minutes before he dropped it and the baseball broke off.
A few weeks ago my friend Amy brought her kids down for a short visit on her way to see her family. I met Amy before I knew Brian so it was so much fun to have our kids get together to play.

Sarah and Morgan quickly became best friends
We decided to attempt a garden this year - things are coming along slowly. It has been so hot so soon that it has been difficult to keep the vegetables happy but we are doing are best. Our tomatoes seem to be the happiest - which works out great for me!
The flowers that Peppy helped us plant are doing beautifully - it sure warms up our yard

Finaly, Morgan has continued to play tennis with Jackson and her friend Molly. Because my tennis matches usually conflicted with her lessons, I missed watching her for a couple of months. I was impressed how much she learned in the last couple of months. I hope she enjoys tennis as much as I did in high school and continue to now.
Such cuties

Morgan serving - although I am sure this counts as a foot fault!
That's it for now!

Warrior Dash

Last weekend we ran the 5K Warrior Dash. Mimi was in town, so while the Grandparents watched the kids, we drove up to N. Georgia and ran 3 crazy miles full of mud pits, trails, tires, junk cares, rope bridges, and scaled 20' walls. And yes, we willingly signed up for this! We survived and can't wait until next year. Because of an impromptu trip to Walmart - we were able to throw a crazy costume together at the last minute. Next year - we will be far more prepared :)