No one hits the beach in December. So why am I checking into a ski resort for three days in the midst of the August heat? Welcome to Mont Tremblant, the final stop on my jaunt across eastern Canada alongside my wife and two daughters.
The green peaks, despite the absence of snow, beckon to the summer traveller. A scenic gondola ride to the summit reveals an impressive view of the valley below and the complex network of hiking trails that criss-cross the mountain. Instead of hiking, we decide on a more docile morning activity, settling into a small amphitheatre to watch the Birds of Preyfilm. Owls, vultures and hawks seem to be so close that we can feel the buffeting wind from their wingtips.
Next, we take an exhilarating route down the mountain, opting for a few runs on the Skyline Luge. Seated on a perilously thin plastic sheet, I glance over at my wife who has a white-knuckle grip on the combined steering-brake column. I can’t offer much support because our youngest daughter, unfazed by the prospect of barrelling down a concrete mountain path, is already streaking down the track. I ignore the impulse to brake and desperately try to gain ground on the plucky eight year old. When I find her along one of the padded barricades, she’s head-over-heels, laughing maniacally. Fortunately, we get upright and rolling again before my panic-stricken wife can see how close her baby came to becoming “road pizza” and all ends well with a group photo after we cross the finish line.
Back at the base of the mountain we stroll the undulating streets of the village sampling from a dizzying array of culinary options: pizzerias, Japanese fusion and French poutine. Hotels are interspersed throughout and we always felt only steps away from our spacious fire-place-equipped family suite at Le Lodge de la Montagne.The only real complaint I can level at village life is the constant need to scan the omnipresent pay-per-use “Activity Card.” Taking a ride up the gondola to enjoy a trail? Swipe the card. Want the kids to scream gleefully for three minutes on the love-child of a trampoline and a bungee cord? Swipe the card. Luge. Birds of Prey. Splash pool. Swipe, swipe, swipe. Costs can add up quickly for a family without a good dose of budgetary self-control.
While the bulk of activities are housed within the four corners of the village proper, those with a real appetite for adventure are encouraged to sign up for one of the many off-site attractions. Thus I found myself caked in mud behind the wheel of an ATV, bouncing through a rock-strewn dirt track in nearby Mont Tremblant National Park. As my wife tried to keep her dental fillings from jarring loose, the kids in the back were content to rattle along the back seats barely restrained by their seatbelts.
All told, a successful family road-trip comes down to planning — and making a relatively modest contribution with your wallet. Five provinces over 21 days with 70 hours behind the wheel — when all goes as planned — yields a family that not only still talks to each other, but regularly relives fond adventures from a summer well-spent.
But the real pay-off has come in the months that followed our trip. I’ve watched my children apply the first-hand knowledge they gained during their travels in formal school studies. Their studies in biology, geology, history and culture have been enriched because of their personal experiences thousands of kilometers away from a desk or SmartBoard. If you really want to see your children learn as opposed to memorize, feel as opposed to study, experiential travel is life’s greatest classroom.
Ditch the schoolhouse and hit the road.
Edward Prutschi is a Toronto-based criminal defence lawyer. Follow Ed’s criminal law commentary (@prutschi) and The Crime Traveller’s adventures (@crimetraveller) on Twitter, read his Crime Traveller blog, or email ed@thecrimetraveller.com.
Travel support and assistance provided by Tourism Quebec.