"I don't think it's going to work out," I said, putting the phone down dejectedly.
Such is the plight of the snowbird. It's high season and everyone is dying to escape from the Canadian winter, to remember how it feels to be warm again. Two budget travellers like my boyfriend and me just weren't going to find a deal.
We made a list of the reasons we wanted to go to Cuba: to be warm - give us a fireplace and a whirlpool bath and we were set; to get out of the city - that could be accomplished almost anywhere; and to sit on our bums all day and do nothing - our bums, and our laziness, were conveniently portable.
So we bought two bus tickets, instead, and went off to Ste-Adèle, an hour-and-a-bit away from Montreal.
With darling boutiques, tons of outdoor activities, resorts and a laughably tiny movie theatre, ski bunnies and couch potatoes alike can find what they're looking for in this charming little town in the Laurentians.
We managed to find the Auberge Champêtre, a cozy spot just steps from the bus station. Though from the outside it has a slightly chintzy motel look, the rooms are clean, comfortable and full of amenities. Ours featured a kitchenette, a fireplace, and yes, even a whirlpool bath. The rooms come with breakfast and available activities packages, all at rates that were music to our ears after the ridiculous snowbird options quoted to us by the travel agent. A mountain of vacation options awaited us.
Active: With resorts like St-Sauveur and Mont Gabriel just a five-minute skip down the highway, you're in ski country. Slap on your boots, get a lift ticket, and make with the shooshing. Just watch out for the boarders on the beginner hills, who have taken to lying down for a break in the middle of the run!
Lazy: Skip that whole "earning your relaxation" hogwash. Go straight to the nearest ski chalet, order yourself a hot mulled wine or two, and for entertainment, watch the people out on the slopes fall on their butts.
With darling boutiques, outdoor activities, resorts and a laughably tiny movie theatre, ski bunnies and couch potatoes alike can find what they're looking for in this charming little town.
Active: Who says downhill is the only way to ski? Go down to the old train station, where you can rent cross-country skis and set out along Le P'tit Train du Nord, a beautiful 40-km trail that runs from St-Jérôme to Val-David.
Lazy: Take a little walk out to the Chantecler spa, where you can treat yourself to a massage, body wrap, facial, or the cryptically named "pressotherapy."
Active: Replenish your carbs (and stick it to Dr. Atkins) at Spago. The classy yet casual atmosphere is perfect for a tuckered group of skiers. The pizzas are particularly good, eliciting incoherent grunts of deliciousness from everyone involved.
Lazy: The bakery at (of all places) the IGA on boulevard Sainte Adèle has some unexpectedly exquisite baguettes. Buy one of these along with a bottle of wine, olives and at least two kinds of cheese. Retire to your room to cocoon with a romantic "dinner" in front of the fire.
Active: If you need a break from the monotony of hurling yourself down a mountain at top speed, the friendly folks at Ste-Adèle's tourism centre can help you to find all kinds of fun activities like snowmobiling, snowshoeing, horse-drawn sleigh rides, dog sledding and skating. Get a whole separate group of muscles sore.
Lazy: There's no sport like a leisure sport. Pleasantly divey Bar La Cachette has a pool table and cheap beer. When your turn at the cue is over, relax and watch the local old guys pal around and put your city slicker pool abilities to shame.
Whether looking for a few days of sloth like we were or getting ready for an ambitious ski vacation, Ste-Adèle has it all.
| If You Go |
Pays-d'en-Haut Tourist Office
1490, rue Saint-Joseph
Ste-Adèle, QC
(450) 229-3729
Or for more information about the Laurentians, visit http://www.laurentides.com
For information about Mont Saint Sauveur and its affiliate ski resorts, visit http://www.mssi.ca/
Auberge Champêtre
1435, boul. Sainte Adèle
Ste-Adèle, QC
1-800-363-2466
http://www.aubergechampetre.com/
Centre de Santé Le Chantecler
1474, chemin Chantecler
Ste-Adèle, QC
(450) 229-8289
http://www.spalechantecler.com/en/spa-massage.htm
Gare de Ste-Adèle (Le P'tit Train du Nord)
1000, rue St-Georges,
Ste-Adèle, QC
(450) 229-5886
http://www.espressosports.net/
Spago Resto-Café
21, rue Morin
Ste-Adèle, QC
(450) 229-0229
Bar La Cachette
134, rue Morin
Ste-Adèle, QC
(450) 229-4199 |
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