DAY 5: CHARLEVOIX Driving farther north into the Charlevoix region, you’ll pass lots of farms, their red barns and well-tended fields giving way to forested mountains behind them. Kids will

enjoy a visit to the Ferme Marie-Noëlle Beaulieu near Baie-Saint Paul to pet some of their menagerie of farm animals and learn about typical Quebecois farm life. You can explore more farms

and food producers at dozens of stops along Charlevoix’s Route des Saveurs (“Trail of Flavors”). Get a feel for small-town life in Baie-Saint-Paul in the Charlevoix region, about 60 miles

from Quebec City. Its central Saint-Jean-Baptiste Street offers a walkable, tourist-friendly stroll among curio shops, restaurants and art galleries.   Just outside of Baie-Saint-Paul, you

old fishing vessels to watch a film on the region. FOOD & LODGING Auberge et Bistro La Muse, located in the middle of Baie-Saint-Paul’s shopping district, has a quaint and quirky old

boarding house feel to it, with a pleasant sunroom for breakfast. Make a point of dining at Le Diapason Bistro — a few blocks from the hotel — for entrées featuring boar flank, portobellos

stuffed with ratatouille, and salmon.  Town of La Baie Jerry and Marcy Monkman / Alamy Stock Photo DAY 6: LA BAIE The 80-mile drive north from Baie-Saint-Paul to La Baie brings you into

Quebec’s wilder countryside, passing through Grand-Jardins National Park en route to the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean district. The rolling hills turn into towering mountains, with the highway

winding through inspiring scenery of remote lakes and tiny hamlets. It’s a route that becomes an ongoing tapestry of color in fall.  The small city of La Baie, on the scenic shores of the

Saguenay Fjord near the mouth of the St. Lawrence, is a nice base for further exploring natural Quebec. Hike, bike and kayak in the two national parks (Monts-Valin and Fjord-du-Saguenay)

that flank the fjord. In winter, the frozen bay is transformed into an ice fishing village when what seems like the entire local population decamps to portable cabins out on the ice.   For a

fun and educational look into the natural world, visit the Musée du Fjord on the banks of the bay. Its aquarium shows off the underwater life of the fjord, and exhibits explore both animal

and human ecosystems, with an entertaining space-age film experience to tie it all together. You can even join the staff on a sloshy tidepool walk to spot marine life (high season only). 

For a curated immersion in Quebec’s combination of native culture, dramatic scenery and plentiful wildlife, visit nearby Okwari Le Fjord with a tour by Contact Nature. Watch bears from

protected viewpoints, canoe on a peaceful lake, stand in awe of the power of nature on cliffside overlooks above waterfalls, and learn about the region’s First Nations history at a cultural

demonstration. FOOD & LODGING Make an obligatory Quebec road trip food stop (besides Tim Horton’s for coffee and doughnuts) at one of La Baie’s Fromagerie Boivin canteens and dairy

counters for fast-food poutine, served with a wide choice of cheese, gravy and meat toppings. It’s a popular lunch location for troops from the local military base.   For lodging and a

great dinner with a view, go to La Baie’s hilltop Auberge des Battures and dine at its restaurant, O’Batillage. The chef uses local ingredients to complement fresh fish (and tasty mussels)

from the bay as well as game meats from the province.  Saguenay-Lac Saint-Jean region Hemis / Alamy Stock Photo DAY 7: LAC-SAINT-JEAN The scenic hour-long drive from La Baie to the shores of

Lac-Saint-Jean takes you past farms, fishing outfitters and summer vacation outposts. Hammer some crystals and buy souvenirs at the Cristal du Lac geology activity center, then explore the

caves, bridges and ziplines at Parc le Trou de la Fée. Stock up on picnic goods at Lac-Saint-Jean’s many roadside fruit sellers and shops. The crops are so plentiful that the local folks

are referred to as bluets (blueberries). As you approach the wilderness of Quebec, go to where the wild things are at the Zoo Sauvage de St-Félicien, at the lake’s northwest edge. Take a

safari-like drive through the zoo’s outdoor areas to see Canada’s biggest animals, including black bears (with cute cubs climbing trees), wolves, musk ox, caribou, moose and more. Then

visit the indoor zoo for more critters and exhibits. ​FOOD & LODGING Both an atmospheric lodging choice and a tourist destination, the historic village of Val-Jalbert, near Lac-

Saint-Jean, attracts visitors to see its living history museum and spectacular 236-foot Ouiatchouan Falls​.