Travel Alert--Remember to take passports to any of the Caribbean, Central American, Mexican, and Canadian locations. Even children traveling with their parents need passports.

Quebec, founded in 1534, provides diverse year-round vacation destinations and venues whether lavish, moderate, educational, ecological, or historical. Quebec offers everything any vacationer would want including, relaxing spas, grand resorts, virgin forests, lakes, streams, mountains, sandy beaches, and rocky coastlines for whale, puffin, and seal watching in its various tourist regions. To prepare for a trip to the Province of Quebec, pack a French-English dictionary, camera, binoculars, compass, golf clubs, backpack, skis, kayak, passport, and formal attire for a stop in Montreal. Visitors to Quebec might have to make several trips because its vacation destinations are all so different and inviting.

While touring the Province of Quebec, plan three or four days in Montreal. Montreal is one of the most beautiful cities in North America. Located on the St. Lawrence River, Montreal has an incredible history beginning in the 17th Century. Montreal has elegant hotels as well as reasonable lodging with family tour packages and other economy travel plans. Some visitors to Montreal prefer to stay in the quaint inns and hotels in Old Montreal where there are fabulous restaurants, shops, and galleries. Any visitor to Montreal can take walking tours or horse-drawn carriage tours throughout the city or enjoy the underground city that connects hotels and shopping centers by subways no matter the weather. Montreal has high fashion shopping, fine museums, jazz clubs, casinos, cathedrals, theatres, and festivals. Montreal is a place that no one should miss.

Eastern Quebec, which includes the Iles de la Madelene in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, peninsula from Riviere-du-Loup to Gaspe on the southern mouth of the St. Lawrence River, and Baie-St. Catherine to Labrador along the northern mouth of the St. Lawrence, is sprinkled with sandy beaches, craggy coves, and inlets for hunters, fishermen, and snowmobilers, as well as skiers. The region is a popular area for fin, sperm, and other species of whales to frolic in the salty waters. Because the area is so pristine, much of it is only accessible by boat. White-tail deer, snow geese, puffin, trout, and salmon abound in the eastern region of Quebec. The terrain of the region is incredible with its waterfalls, gardens, canyons, cliffs, salt-water marshes, deep lakes, and rushing rivers. The Mingan Archipelago National Park has unique landscapes and flocks of marine birds for eco-tourists who enjoy watching. The fishing and mining villages that dot the region have a European and Maritime flare. Auto-tourists can follow the scenic highway from Riviere-du-Loup to Gaspe and back to New Brunswick and Maine. There also is a scenic highway from Baie-St. Catherine northeast along the St. Lawrence River to Labrador Newfoundland. For visitors, who prefer watching to hunting and fishing, the views along these scenic highways, are worth capturing on film. A ferry connects Riviere-du-Loup with St. Simeon, south of Baie-St. Catherine. From St. Simeon, auto-tourists can decide to drive straight to Quebec City or north to Lac St. Jean and pass by the Laurentides Provincial Reserve, which is beautiful. This detour adds several miles to the trip, but it is well-worth the time. Visitors, who prefer to stay along the banks of the St. Lawrence, can take cruises to get close looks at the various sea mammals and extra photographic opportunities. Winter activities in the region also include spectacular downhill and cross-country skiing.

Auto-tourists, who are traveling through the Maritime Provinces or on a circle tour of Lake Ontario, should think about visiting the St. Lawrence region of eastern Quebec, which also is an eco-tourist's paradise. Besides the fiords, tiny islands, reefs, and promontories, there are charming villages to explore. This region is perfect for bicycling, backpacking on extended treks, and paddling-canoeing or kayaking. Cross-country skiing and snow shoeing in the winter months also is exciting in this region.

Quebec City, Cap-de-la-Madeline/Trois Rivieres, and Montreal are destination cities along the St. Lawrence River. Quebec City is the only fortified city in North America and is famous for its summer festivals and winter carnival. Visitors can take horse-drawn carriages through the old city. Montreal is known for its French and European culture, fine cuisine, fashionable shopping, museum/galleries, and gardens. It has an efficient subway system for traveling around the city. Fort Trois Rivieres is worth a visit before circling north to Lac St. Jean if it was missed en route to Quebec. The region also is an all-seasons destination with incredible skiing, beaches, and open waters for kayaking. Golfing is popular around the cities. Because this region is near the northern end of the Appalachian Mountain chain, it is a "hot spot" for hikers, rock climbers, backpackers, and trekkers on extended excursions.

The Laurentides Region, which includes Lac St. Jean, is truly a playground north of Montreal. Visitors, who are seeking the best eastern skiing (downhill and cross-country) in North America, top-flight golfing, hiking, and horseback riding. In fact, Mont Tremblant is considered the #1 ski resort in eastern North America. Children enjoy frolicking on the beaches of the approximately 1000 lakes in the region. Rafting on the rapidly moving rivers in the region is exciting in the Laurentides Region. Autumnal foliage and spring maple sugaring brings visitors in the off-seasons. Because so many animals roam freely in the wilds, visiting this region is like exploring and natural zoological park.

Western Quebec has orchards and vineyards along the Ottawa River. It is fun to visit the orchards and wineries during the day, stay at quaint bed and breakfasts in the evening, and sample the regional cuisine for dinner or lunch. For a change of pace, visitors should follow the Ottawa River north from Montreal to Hull and explore the Canadian capital, Ottawa across the river from Hull. The drive is very scenic; however, the auto-tourists need to veer north at Hull rather than continue along the Ottawa River because the highway system is limited and ends. For the auto-tourists that continue north along Route 117 to Val-d' Or through the La Verendrye Provincial Park where there are lots of wayside parks. At Val-d' Or, auto-tourists can meander west to Ontario and either go to North Bay and Sudbury, Ontario (See Lake Huron and Lake Superior Circle Tours) to Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario and Michigan) or to Iroquois Falls, Ontario and points west on Route 11.

Northern Quebec, where access is limited to small planes and boats, touches James and Hudson Bays. This region is for the eco-tourists, who like challenges, but its beauty is astounding. Because there are many fast moving streams, there are hydroelectric facilities that power the cities and villages throughout Quebec. Mining provides an economic base in this territory. Hunting and fishing devotees find northern Quebec to be a good destination for either hunting or watching caribou. Snowmobilers find endless trails to follow from November to April. Others enjoy watching the "dazzling" northern lights. The Cree are the indigenous people of the region. Throughout northern Quebec, there are outfitters who can assist the hunters, fishermen, paddlers, and explorers.

Extreme canoeists and kayakers can start at the headwaters of the Albany River in Ontario, paddle to Fort Albany on the James Bay in about seven weeks, and follow the coastline of James Bay to Waskagenish, Quebec. Because the fishing is so abundant along the route, the adventurers can pack light and get re-outfitted in Fort Albany.

For additional travel suggestions see the Maritime Provinces, Ontario, and Circle Tours of the Great Lakes.