Earlier this summer, we packed up and headed north to visit Quebec City, where our daughter Hannah just finished serving an 18-month church mission. We’ve been to Quebec once before for the Winter Carnival, but after hearing her stories (and dreaming of French fries swimming in gravy), we couldn’t wait to experience it again through her eyes. It did not disappoint.
Quebec City literally feels like stepping into a small French village—stone buildings, winding streets, and French spoken everywhere you go. It’s the only place I’ve been in North America that really feels like Europe. You’ll hear church bells in the distance, pass cafés with flower boxes in the windows, and find yourself slowing down without even meaning to. Quebec is equal parts old-world charm and stunning natural beauty. It’s familiar, but just different enough to feel like you’ve truly gone somewhere. And it’s only a short half day drive north from New England.
Here’s what we loved, what we’d go back for, and a few tips if you’re planning a family trip of your own.
Will I need a Passport to visit Quebec City?
If you’re traveling from the U.S. to Canada, yes—you’ll need a passport to cross the border, both for adults and kids. When we traveled to Vancouver city from Seattle years ago, our kids did not need a passport, but that has since changed. We brought our passports and had no issues driving in and out, just a quick stop and a few questions. If your kids don’t have passports yet, it’s worth getting them; it opens the door to easy adventures like this one.
Do I need to know French to visit Quebec City?
French is the primary language in the province of Quebec, and it adds so much to the charm of the place. Hannah told us that living in Quebec she learned first hand that Quebecois people are deeply proud of their French heritage—it’s a central part of their identity and culture. From the language to the architecture, food, and traditions, there’s a strong sense of preserving and celebrating what makes Quebec distinct from the rest of Canada. Most people in Quebec City speak English as well, but even just learning to say “bonjour” and “merci” goes a long way. We did encounter a few people when we were further outside the city that spoke no English, so it was handy to have Hannah as our translator, and frankly so fun to see her speak French in the wild. And the Quebecois accent? It’s lovely—musical, warm, and quite different than what you might hear in Paris. It makes the whole experience feel very local and special.
Planning for the weather in Quebec City
Quebec City sits right on the St. Lawrence River, and the weather reflects it—breezy, ever-changing, and a little cooler than you might expect in the summer. We packed layers and were glad we did. One minute it’s sunny and warm, the next there’s a breeze off the water that has you reaching for a light jacket. In the 3 days we were there we experienced chilly rain, sunny and breezy, and sunny and warm weather. In other words… be prepared.
Exploring Quebec:
Old Quebec (Vieux-Québec)
Adidas sneakers. (I walked all over in these and my feet felt amazing.) Sling bag. (Perfect for travel)
We started in Old Quebec, the heart and soul of the city. Cobblestone streets, flower boxes in every window, little shops tucked between centuries-old buildings—it’s the kind of place that makes you slow down without even trying. Walk along the Dufferin Terrace boardwalk for sweeping views of the St. Lawrence River and take in the grandeur of Château Frontenac (yes, it really is that picturesque).
Don’t miss Rue du Petit-Champlain, the oldest commercial street in North America, lined with sweet boutiques and cozy cafés. It’s touristy, yes—but delightfully so. Spend the afternoon wandering down the winding streets and stone staircases that lead to the lower part of Old Quebec—every corner feels like it belongs in a painting. And if you’re tired you can grab the funicular back up to the top, which is worth it for the view alone. We had lunch at La Nouvelle France, which had delicious poutine, and a salmon baguette to die for. Make sure to stop in at Mary’s Popcorn Shop for a bag of warm, gourmet popcorn—completely irresistible.
The Citadel
History lovers, this one’s for you. The Citadel (La Citadelle) is an active military installation and home to the Royal 22e Régiment. There are guided tours, but it’s also fun to just wander through the fort especially if you have kids who love castles, cannons, or just the idea of soldiers in tall hats. The views from the top are some of the best in the city.
Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Basilica
About 20 minutes outside the city is the breathtaking Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. Even if you’re not Catholic, it’s worth the visit. The architecture is stunning, the mosaics floor spectacular, and the grounds are lovely and peaceful. It was meaningful to see a place so tied to the spiritual heritage of the area, Hannah loved visiting here on her mission. Ethan bought a beautiful French bible in the gift shop at the end of the visit.
Just across the road from the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is Chemin de la Croix (The Way of the Cross)—a peaceful, wooded hillside path lined with life-size bronze statues that depict the Stations of the Cross. The walk winds gently upward through trees and wildflowers, and each station is thoughtfully placed, creating space for quiet reflection as you climb. At the top, you’re rewarded with a beautiful view of the basilica and the river beyond. It’s a meaningful stop, especially for spiritual reflection.
Parc de la Chute-Montmorency
This was another favorite! Think Niagara Falls, but more low-key and wildly scenic. Just a short drive from Old Quebec, Montmorency Falls is taller than Niagara and a perfect half-day adventure. You can walk the suspension bridge at the top (if you’re brave), ride the gondola, or hike up the many, many stairs (we did—legs were sore, spirits were high). It’s a great way to balance out all the trip treats.
Méga Parc (for Rainy Days or Bribing Children)
Located inside Galeries de la Capitale, Méga Parc is a lifesaver if the weather turns. It’s basically an indoor amusement park with rides, a rollercoaster, an ice skating trail, and games—like if a mall and a theme park had a well-behaved child. We only spent a couple hours but it was a perfect escape to get out of the rain.
Tips for Visiting
- Parking in Old Quebec can be tricky—look for underground garages and wear your walking shoes. Hannah gave us the tip that parking at the Citadel is free and easy to find a spot, so we parked there but it’s a bit of a walk to get down to old Quebec so beware.
- Brush up on your French—even a little goes a long way. Most people speak English, but a “bonjour” and “merci” are always appreciated.
- Plan for all weather. We had sunny days, surprise rain, and everything in between.
- Take your time. Quebec City isn’t meant to be rushed. Wander, linger, and let it charm you.
We left with tired feet, full hearts, and already planning to come back again. Quebec City really is something special—worth a visit!
Love to travel? Check out more of my travel posts:
10 things you must do in Paris.
Straight out of a storybook: our day in Colmar.
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We just got back from the loveliest 3 days in New Hampshire and Lake Winnipesaukee, and I wanted to put together a quick little travel guide for those of you thinking about visiting the lakes region. It’s a great place to travel with a family, and if you haven’t been I highly recommend a trip. It’s the perfect place to travel in the summer, but it would be really beautiful in the fall as well, when the foliage is turning. I’m going to share where we stayed, and what we did, but there’s so much to do in this area, we’ll definitely be going back again!
Where we stayed:
We love to camp and be outside and active as a family. We really wanted to do at least one camping trip this summer, but since I’m also almost 5 months pregnant I wanted to find a way to do it comfortably (you know, with a bed, and such…) so we reserved a Glamping tent at the Strafford/Lake Winnipesaukee KOA. I wasn’t sure what to expect since we’ve never stayed at this campground before, but it was a huge hit. It’s seriously such a great place to stay with a family, and we all had tons of fun. It’s about a 25-30 minute drive to the southern tip of Lake Winnipesaukee, and only 10 minutes from Rochester which has basically everything you need if you need to run into town or just want to grab dinner instead of cooking over an open flame. Ethan ripped his swimsuit open playing Gaga ball the first evening we were there, and we were able to grab him a new one in about 10 minutes the next morning in Rochester.
The campground is beautiful, pristine and has tons of fun stuff to do. They’ve got their own pretty little 6 acre pond you can swim in or rent paddle boards or paddle boats, there’s a really nice pool, a big water slide, a park for kids, a Gaga ball pit, a camp store, and even a fun center with arcade games, air hockey, foosball and other fun things to do. You can rent golf carts to drive around camp while you’re there. They have camp events and activities every day and the kids had a ton of fun playing manhunt with the other camp kids at night (basically hide and seek camp style with flashlights). It’s such a fun campground for families and the staff was super nice and very helpful.
The campground has a variety of options for camping, everything from tent sites, camper site, cabins, and glamping tents. We rented one of their glamping tents while we stayed, and it was so awesome. It came with a full size bed, a set of bunk beds, and a futon that folded out into a bed. It also had a half bath (which was so nice and so convenient), a dresser with a TV, full power including lamps and plugs for charging, a back deck overlooking the pond with a potbelly stove, and a fire pit and BBQ out front. They include all your linens and towels, which made packing for the trip even easier. It fit all six of us with plenty of room to spare, was super charming and is honestly one of our favorite places we’ve ever stayed. We all had so much fun, and will definitely be heading back again. We didn’t bring Max, but dogs are allowed in the campground.
Towns we visited:
Meredith: We explored Meredith on the first day out and about. It’s a totally cute little lake town. We ate lunch and had a treat there (more on that later), we also popped into the Linen mills a perfect place to find a Lake Winn sweatshirt or hat, and explore all the little shops inside. It’s an old converted linen mill and is so cool inside. I popped into Waukewan Antiques, for a bit, it’s an awesome antique shop with tons of great stuff and really reasonable prices. The docks in Meredith are so lovely, tons of pretty flowers around them and a great place to walk around and look at the lake. There are also places to rent paddle boards, kayaks and boats right there from the docks.
Alton: We drove through Alton in the evening and it’s a darling little town right on Alton Bay. They were having an evening concert right in the park downtown, and it looked like a great place to spend an evening. It’s definitely on our list for when we go back.
Wolfeboro: We spent a morning and afternoon in Wolfeboro and it was probably my favorite town we visited while we were there. It was completely darling. There are tons of great little shops, lots of places to eat, it’s right on the edge of the lake with public docks to walk along, or pull a boat up to, and the houses are so lovely. I can’t wait to go back and spend more time there.
Swimming in Lake Winnipesaukee:
We went swimming at Weirs Beach in Lake Winnipesaukee. It’s definitely a touristy beach location, with a boardwalk, drive-inn theater, and lots of places to grab a bite. The beach was nice and fun. It was only semi-crowded the day we were there, but I imagine it’s packed most days in the summer. There are multiple places to park right around the beach, and cost to park is $5-10.
The water at Lake Winn is seriously so beautiful, deep blue, and fairly warm. We all enjoyed swimming and splashing the afternoon around. Ava even got some serious air. I chatted with our server (a local) at lunch that day and asked about the best beaches at Lake Winn, he said a lot of the very best beaches you can only get to by boat, so bringing a kayak or renting a boat for the day would be an awesome idea.
Where we ate:
We cooked breakfast in the mornings and barbecue dinners at camp each evening, then ate out for lunch while we were out and about each day. It was the perfect combination. Our favorite place we ate was Town Docks in Meredith. It’s a fun restaurant right on the edge of the lake, and you can eat right there on the water. The view is gorgeous, the food great and the atmosphere is super fun. The floor is even covered in lake sand (yes even inside the restaurant). We all loved it. The favorites at Town Docks were the Lobster corn chowder, and the pulled pork sandwiches. The fries were super good too. After lunch we grabbed ice cream at their ice cream window and walked along the edge of the docks. The ice cream was super good too.
The day we explored Wolfeboro we stopped in at Yum Yum a great little pastry shop and grabbed some treats. They’ve got tons of donuts, pastries, cookies and other treats. We dried the raspberry and lemon triangles, cheese danishes, tarts and cream puffs. Everything was so good. The shop is decorated really cute and you can sit and eat your treats with the prettiest view of the lake. Hannah and I loved the blueberry wallpaper.
There are tons of great little places to eat in Wolfeboro, and but we were so stuffed from a big breakfast and a bunch of pastries, we ended up skipping lunch. When we go back I’d like to try Wolfe’s tavern which several people recommended, and a couple of the cute little cafe’s.
Things we’d like to do when we go back:
When we go back next we definitely plan to rent a power boat for the day and explore the different lake towns and beaches you can only reach by boat. I’d also like to spend more time in Wolfeboro because it was such a cute town. We had planned to go up to Mount Washington and drive to the summit, but it was rainy the morning we planned to go, and we didn’t think we’d be able to see much so we skipped that. Mount Washington is about 2 hours from where we were.
What I packed for the trip:
Since we spent pretty much the whole trip outside, swimming in the pool or lake, or just exploring, everything I packed was super casual and comfortable. Good walking sandals are a must (I wore my born sandals the whole time), of course a good swimsuit, and a hat for hair ease. I wore this jumpsuit twice while we were gone, and it’s one of my favorites. Super cute, but still casual and so comfy for traveling. You can find my trip MVP’s below:
(me and the kids in an almost empty Hartford airport)
In July we went down to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for our summer family vacation. We thought long and hard about whether or not we were going to do any travel this year due to the state of the country wit the pandemic and concerns about catching COVID-19.
In the end, we decided to do a little vaca down to the South Carolina coast. It wasn’t the trip to Scandinavia that we were originally planning to do this summer, but we still had a ton of fun and felt actually really safe traveling. I thought I would share a little more today about traveling safely during a pandemic.
First of all, I know everyone has different feelings about this right now, and I am not going to argue one way or another or try to convince you to get out and travel if you don’t feel comfortable with that, I’m just sharing what we did/packed, how we kept socially distant and our experience.
Let’s start with how we got there/where we stayed.
We flew down to South Carolina, and it was honestly the thing I was most worried about with the pandemic, but it was actually fine. The airports were virtually empty, we flew in and out of small airports so they were extra empty. Everyone was masked the entire time and social distanced. They spread everyone WAY out on the plane and the planes were the cleanest I have ever seen. We didn’t eat snacks or drink anything on the flight and everyone kept their masks on the entire time at the airport, and on the plane. (This is not super pleasant, but it helped that it was only a 2 hour flight.)
I knew that if we were going travel that I wanted to stay somewhere that had a kitchen. I wanted to avoid eating out as much as possible, so we booked a stay at a local resort and we almost didn’t leave the property at all which made it feel extra safe. We had a suit with a kitchen and family room. So we got breakfast and lunch stuff from the grocery store and then ordered contact free delivery each night for dinner. This was probably the least exposed to germs we’ve ever been while traveling. Everything is so much cleaner and more spread out than normal.
How we packed and what to bring.
Pack light and carry on your clothes. We only checked one bag (my Calpak suitcase that I’ve had for years and love), and the rest was carried on our backs in backpacks that could fit under our seats. This was easy to do since we mostly just packed swimsuits and coverups, and by carrying on we minimize other people touching our bags and keeping clear of germs, and us touching overhead bins, etc. Areas that are high traffic. I also recommend easy to slip on shoes since they’ll have to go through security too, the less laces and buckles you’re dealing with, the better.
And obviously, most important is packing masks/face coverings. This is essential for traveling during a pandemic, not just for your safety and the safety of others, but also, most states have mask requirements right now. We brought enough for each of us to have a new mask each day of our trip, since the place we were staying didn’t have a washer and dryer, you really need a fresh mask each day.
We also brought hand sanitizer with us to use at the airport and while out of resort. Also a great thing to have on hand for traveling during even non-pandemic times. Just make sure the bottle is smaller than 3 oz. if you are traveling by air.
Preparing your kids.
The last thing I would say is talking to your kids about the process, and how traveling during a pandemic will be different before you leave makes a huge difference. It could easily feel scary traveling this way, but we coached the kids beforehand (on the way to the airport, it was a surprise trip) on social distancing, touching as little as possible, frequently washing hands and what they could expect of the process (i.e. wearing masks the entire time we were in transit). Setting expectations beforehand for what it would be like made the whole process so much smoother, and no one even complained. We have a family approach to travel that is every trip is an adventure and sometimes there are obstacles to get through, and problems to solve and we’ll take them one at a time and then move on to the fun. This approached worked really well when we took them all to Europe, and even better traveling during the pandemic. We had a blast, masks and all.
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We woke Hannah up on the morning of her 16th birthday and surprised her (and her siblings) with the news that we were flying down to Myrtle Beach, SC for a little family getaway. This was not the trip we planned to take this summer. Our hope was to be exploring Scandinavia with the kids, visiting places that were part of our family history, but then COVID happened and we discovered like a lot of people, 2020 had different plans for us.
I’m not usually big on “lay on the beach” vacations; I prefer our family trips to be adventures, I like to be going and exploring, moving and learning, and while that kind of trip is so fun it’s not exactly relaxing. After some seriously anxiety and stress ridden months, laying on the beach, swimming and sailing turned out to be just what we all needed, and we throroughly enjoyed our week in Myrtle Beach…
I thought I would share where we stayed, what we did, and what to pack for Myrtle Beach. I’m also planning to write a post about how we traveled safely during COVID. So stay tuned for that.
Where we stayed in Myrtle Beach.
Before booking the trip I knew I wanted to find a resort with some great pools, right on the beach and a room with a kitchen and living space, because I knew that due to COVID we’d want to order in for our meals. After doing some research, we settled on the Coral Beach Resort. It was rated the top family resort in Myrtle Beach and after walking the Strand several times I can see why. It’s got great pools, is literally right on the beach and the rooms, while not fancy, are very spacious and great for families. Our room had a balcony with an ocean view and it was so nice to sit out there every morning and eat breakfast watching the sun come up over the water.
If you are looking to be right on the boardwalk area, this is not the hotel for you, as its about a mile down the beach from those attractions and all the busy nightlife-y stuff. What makes the hotel’s location amazing is that it is right on the nicest beach and it’s very quiet. Since that is what we came for, we LOVED it.
The pools were another huge hit at Coral Beach Resort. They’ve got a large main outdoor pool, a large indoor pool, a lazy river, a little water playground for kids, several small toddler pools and a couple hot tubs (not that we used those, it was very warm while we were there!). My kids loved the lazy river, and the big pool and there are tons of beach chairs and umbrellas to lounge and read on. The resort has so many places to hang out and relax including the beach we almost never left it.
As I said, our room was nice and spacious with a large bedroom, with two queen beds, a full kitchen with stove, microwave and refrigerator, and a living room with a couch, table and full Murphy bed. It was more like a one-bedroom apartment than a hotel room. There was plenty of sleeping room for all six of us and I cannot tell you how nice it was to have a full kitchen. We never cooked, (besides making some eggs on the stove in the morning) but we did get breakfast and lunch groceries, and it was so nice to be able to eat before heading to the pool or beach in the morning, and come back at lunch time, make some sandwiches and get a break from the sun. One of my favorite things about getting AirBNB’s is that we can have a kitchen and this hotel was like the best of both worlds. Great swimming pools and location, nice little home base.
If you have a family, I highly recommend it, and when you book, make sure you get an ocean front room.
What we did in Myrtle Beach.
We knew when planning this trip, given the current situation with COVID-19 that this would be a very laid-back vacation. Our plan was to mostly swim in the pool, and ocean, lay on the beach or by the pool and read, and just have fun as a family.
Food.
As I said, we ate breakfast and lunch everyday in our hotel room (it’s a great way to save time and money with a family on vacation FYI). We had dinner delivered every night of the trip and I actually LOVED it. When travel is back to normal, getting to experience local cuisine is one of my favorite parts of visiting a new place, but since we were vacationing during the pandemic, having food delivered and eating in gave us tons of peace of mind. It was also super relaxing, which is what we were going for with this trip. My favorite apps for delivery are: DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub. We used all three on this trip and had positive experiences all around. On our last day of the trip, after we had checked out before heading to the airport we ate at Moe Moon’s right on the boardwalk. it’s a fun little beachfront grill, the servers were super nice, they give you giant soda cups and I had a super good southern pulled pork sandwich.
Activities:
The Boardwalk.
We visited the boardwalk twice during our trip, once at night and once on the afternoon we left. Its a fun little spot to grab an ice cream, or ride the Ferris wheel. There are a few fun touristy-type attractions, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, Ferris wheel, Bungee rides, etc… in my opinion it’s not what makes Myrtle Beach awesome, but its a good option for getting out in the evening. In truth, I think it would be much more fun not during a pandemic… We did head walk out onto Pier 14 (its a privately owned pier and costs $1 a person to go out), there were people fishing and there was a nice breeze and pretty view and it was really cool.
Beaches and Pools.
In my opinion, one of the best things about visiting Myrtle Beach (especially this time of year) is that you can basically just be swimming all day long. Literally all day long. The air is so warm that even in the evening swimming is fun. And the beaches are amazing; the sand is soft and combed clean every night and the ocean water is SO WARM! Like it’s surprising how warm it is. We swam early in the morning and late in the evening and it was still so warm.
Sailing.
This was our favorite activity of the trip, and we loved it so much we actually did it twice. No Regrets. We rented this hoby-cat from Downwind Sails Myrtle Beach. The guys are super nice and helpful and they do parasailing, and rent wave runners as well. Since Craig knows how to sail (he took classes and learned when we lived in Seattle), we were able to take the boat out on our own, but if you’ve never sailed before they can take you out as well, and it’s so fun to get out on the open water. I highly recommend it if you go to Myrtle Beach.
Helicopter Ride.
I had never been on a helicopter ride before this trip, and it was awesome. So cool to get way up over the water, the take off and landing are super fun too. We went through Oceanfront Helicopters and while its a bit of a pricey activity for a family of 6, it was an experience we’ll never forget. I recommend doing more than the basic $20 ride, I recommend the North beach tour minimum.
Evening beach walks.
Myrtle Beach’s beaches come alive at night. The warm air and water keep people out until even very late and one of our favorite activities was walking down the beach a mile or two every evening. It was the cherry on top of every lovely day.
What to pack for Myrtle Beach.
I pride myself on being a master capsule packer. I almost NEVER overpack and always have exactly what I need on a trip. (Implementing capsule packing was one of the best things I have ever done to make my life easier and our vacations more enjoyable) This trip, however was an exception. I packed way more clothes than I needed. Not that I overpacked, I just didn’t realized that we would literally be in our swimsuits from sun up to sun down every single day and I really could have gotten away with only bringing 2 maybe 3 outfits total for our 6 day trip. What you need for myrtle beach is lots of swimsuits and coverups. Sandals, beach shoes, etc. Go heavy on the swimsuits and light on the regular clothes. A ball cap and sunglasses, lots of sunblock, and I always recommend packing Tylenol, allergy medication, etc. And of course, a good book or two to read. (You can see what I’ve read lately here.)
I also recommend packing beach towels. Most resorts provide pool towels but not beach towels. Most of our one checked bag was taken up by beach towels, but it was worth it. You definitely want them as the sand gets pretty hot.
My Myrtle Beach Capsule:
There you go! Our trip to Myrtle Beach! I hope you find this helpful as a guide and if you have any questions, feel free to ask away in the comments!
More about capsule packing and how I do capsule packing with my kids here.
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