Olivia Jeanette

Excited to share our first Weekend Series of 2018. We originally started this series as a place for you to get away on a long weekend. We’ve previously done weekend trips to the Hamptons and Kennebunkport.  For those up in the Northeast, this post is for you. We snuck away to Quebec City, just me and Matt and it was such a parent/adult/couple detox. Something about sledding in negative degree weather really brings out the best in someone.

We spent the entire holiday season in NYC this year. It was the first time that we weren’t traveling or back home with family. After Christmas, we wanted to go somewhere “close” but it had to have snow. We heard about Quebec City before but it wasn’t until we looked at some pictures that we knew this would be a perfect little getaway.

Destination – Quebec City – Quebec, Canada

Travel Time – 8.5 hrs

Transportation – Genesis

Hotel – Le Saint-Pierre, Auberge Distinctive

Main Attraction(s) – Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac

My Mom flew out the day after Christmas to stay with Sebastian, while Matt and I drove up to Canada. We had our Genesis for a week so we wanted to get back on the road. We use to take these type of quick trips all the time when we lived in San Francisco. The difference here being it was in the negative up in Quebec but we couldn’t wait to get up there and enjoy the scenery. The trip up there is about 8.5 hours. We ended up leaving mid-afternoon so we didn’t get into Quebec City until around Midnight. We settled into the hotel, prepared for the next day and went to sleep.

J.Crew Parka (similar style here ) | Striped Sweater | Jeans | Shearling Boots | Gucci Belt Bag | Pom Hat

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Day 1

We slept in! It felt so nice to casually roll out of bed without truly being on a schedule. Matt brought up breakfast for us and we filled up on coffee as we got ready to explore. We had to mentally prepare for what waited for us beyond the lobby doors, -12 temperature. 🙁 We did and set off to wander the streets of Old Quebec. Fun Fact: Old Quebec is the only walled city north of Mexico.

The place is so beautiful and has such a French feel to it. It truly felt like we were in Europe in the winter time. The charming shops line snowy streets with hints of brick and cobblestone poking through. Quebec City in winter weaves a spectacular spell of sheer magic. The old stone buildings were dressed up for Christmas with snow glistening and crunching underneath our boots. It really is a magical place and the cold doesn’t really kick in till after an hour or so. Then your fingertips and toes start to get a little numb. We just hopped into a cute little spot for a drink to warm up before heading up to the Fairmont to wander.

Winter Wonderland

An interesting fact about Chateau Fairmont is that it is the most photographed hotel in the world! Crazy right?! It is absolutely stunning as you can see in the pictures. The castle-like chateau dominates the landscape, snow-covered and majestic. The biggest attraction is their toboggan ride and it’s only $3. We were kids all over again. This was easily the highlight of our trip. We grabbed our sled and trekked to the top of the hill and zoomed down the track. You really fly down and the view from the top is absolutely stunning with the Fairmont out in the front off to the left. The frozen Saint Lawrence river to the right. One of the neatest views we have ever experienced. It’s truly a winter wonderland.

After the sled ride, we headed back to the hotel to get cleaned up and ready for an early dinner. We ate at the Italian restaurant next door to our hotel called, Il Matto. Matt and I love sitting at the bar so we grabbed a couple spots, drank some wine and had pasta. It was absolutely delicious and a perfect ending to a great day in Quebec City.

Hooded Down Jacket | J.Crew Puffer Vest | Sperry Duck Boots | J.Crew Earmuffs | Jeans

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Day 2

This was our second and last day in Quebec City. We woke up early and went downstairs to eat breakfast before heading back up to the Fairmont. The early mornings are so quiet so we enjoyed strolling through the streets around our hotel to snap a few pics. After jumping inside for some coffee, we headed back up to The Fairmont to ride the sled once more. It was just as fun the second time, if not more.

We took more time to enjoy the views. After we got done, we slipped inside the hotel for some coffee before heading back to the hotel to pack up and head home. We had only been gone 48hrs or so, but we missed our little Sebastian. The ride back was easy. This was the first time either of us had driven across the border of Canada so it was pretty cool to see the signs going each way that we were entering a new country. Customs was painless both ways so that was good to know for the next time we come back.

Down Parka | J.Crew Puffer Vest | Talbots Sweater | Jeans | Pom Hat | Shearling Boots

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If you haven’t had the chance to check out Quebec City, definitely put it on your to-do list. It would be stunning regardless of the time of year. If you do visit in the winter, bring inner-wear with you. The cold is no joke but if you prepare with the right clothes, you will be just fine. We linked all the places below for you to reference when you head up for your own trip up to Canada.

xo, Olivia

ps. don’t forget to check out Day 2 of the 30 Day Workplace Challenge!