https://instagr.am/p/C64mgrZJLOd

The Nordic spa I went to is called Strom, and I think it is a can't-miss, if you are visiting Quebec City.

They have massages and treatments, but the real draw is the thermal circuit: 2 steam rooms, Finnish dry sauna, shower with DIY salt scrub, epsom salt float pool, three Nordic plunge pools (55, 60, and 65 *F), two 102 *F thermal pools with waterfalls that are powerful enough to massage your shoulders/back, 98 *F infinity pool, and an indoor/outdoor thermal lazy river. There are also multiple relaxation areas, some with fireplaces/fire pits. And everything overlooks the St. Lawrence River. I spent several hours there, and it was truly a great spa experience.

Left Quebec City and drove about 2.5 hours to a Relais and Chateaux property called Manoir Hovey near the town of North Hatley. The drive was not as scenic as I hoped, but this property is very charming. It's more like a B&B than a hotel, and the property overlooks a lake. There is a spa (it's raining today, so I may check that out), kayaks for the lake, and (I think) bikes and a bike trail into town. Service is top-notch, and the first of two restaurants where I ate last night was fantastic.

If you are a solo-traveler, this is a fantastic property. I actually think this entire trip is a great itinerary for a solo traveler, or a mother/father-daughter trip.

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Updates

Thanks! Spent the last two nights at Manoir Hovey and have really enjoyed it. The main restaurant is one of only a few in Canada that have achieved the highest rating. I had the three course tasting menu (which is really 5 courses, including the amuse bouche and mignardises), and it was amazing. The chocolate caramel dessert was especially delicious! Breakfast at the hotel is also very good.

The weather was rainy/dreary until around 2, so I spent most of the day at the spa, which is quite lovely and has a number of amenities despite being smaller. I did opt for a treatment here (scalp massage), and I indulged in the thermal circuit. They have a beautiful thermal pool with a waterfall, a Nordic pool, a large sauna with a gorgeous view of the lake, a hammam steam room, and a salt scrub shower. There are also several relaxation areas with fireplaces. The entire spa overlooks the lake, so there isn't a bad view.

I also walked into the town of North Hatley. Honestly, there isn't much to see or do, but it is an easy and relatively short walk. There is a pretty view of the lake and surrounding hills, and there was a pub where I had a couple of pints.

There are multiple other towns that are part of The Eastern Township, and there are hiking/bike trails, a suspension bridge, something called VeloVolant (suspended cycling in the trees), and numerous wineries. A lot of the outdoor activities and wineries are not open for the season, yet, so i chose to stay close to the Manoir. There were a couple of wineries that looked really beautiful, and I think they would definitely be worth a visit.

I'm headed to Montreal today. I may stop at a lavender farm, which is open.

https://instagr.am/p/C6_MPQEgpIv

Wrapping up the trip, as I fly home tomorrow.

Drove to Montreal yesterday, and it was slightly more scenic. Stopped at a lavender farm, but as with many things the farm part wasn't open. The gift store (very nice) was.

Stayed at The Fairmont Queen Elizabeth. Not as nice as Chateau Frontenac, but the service has been good.

Walked to Old Montreal yesterday evening. Notre Dame Basilica is currently covered in scaffolding, so it wasn't very picturesque.

Also, much of the city, including Old Montreal, the area around my hotel, and the roads to the Botanical Gardens, is under massive construction. I'm not talking road work, I'm talking excavation up to 10 ft down into the ground with huge equipment. Quite a few roads are completely closed.

I will also say, just like most large cities in the US, there are a lot of homeless people and camps. Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral is right outside my hotel and there were homeless people camped on the front steps. Couldn't get a picture without them in it.

Also, on the drive to the botanical garden, I was stopped at a light, and a panhandler came right up to my window. I looked at my phone and did not make eye contact, and he stayed there talking, trying to get my attention. I finally gave him a side eye and shook my head no, and he wandered off.

The botanical garden was lovely. However, the Chinese Garden was completely closed, and some of the exhibits were not ready for the season. The aquatic garden had no water, and there was a lot of maintenance and planting going on.

There were a ton of flowering trees - some cherry and a ton of crab apple. They were all very beautiful. The tulips were also in full bloom.

The Chinese garden does appear to be a major attraction, so I was bummed it was closed. I walked all around it, trying to get a sneak peek, but there was a large buffer zone and the perimeter was well-guarded.

I had seen some beautiful pictures of flowering trees (what looked like cherry blossoms), and they were all in the Chinese garden. Must have been from a previous year. There is also a Japanese garden, but I don't think I saw a single cherry tree in there (go figure).

I spent about 3 hours at the garden. Could have spent more, but my phone battery was about dead.

For lunch, I drove to Marche A****er, one of the public markets, because I wanted to eat at Satay Brothers. It did not disappoint. Spicy coconut soup with shrimp, chicken satay with peanut sauce, pork bun, and a beer.

Plan for the afternoon was to walk up Mount Royal. Had I realized there was parking near the top, I probably would have driven. Instead, I walked from the hotel - which wasn't all that far. And the walk takes you on the campus of McGill, which is quite nice.

After dodging the Palestinian protesters, I made it to the location Google Maps sent me to when I searched for "Mount Royal". It was more of a hike to the top, part rustic steps, part trail. Not strenuous or anything, but on the way back down, I realized there is a complete staircase I actually enjoyed going up one way and down another.

The view from the top at the chalet is pretty good, but make sure you walk to the sunset lookout point (on Google Maps) for a beautiful view of St Joseph's Oratory. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to visit it.

If you take the Grand Staircase back down, it drops you at a little street called Redpath Crescent. It's a loop that must be the Montreal version of River Oaks. It's definitely worth it to take the sidewalk through the neighborhood.

The walk back to the hotel took me through a little bit more of the McGill campus, but I know I didn't see everything.

Both Quebec City and Montreal have great architecture, and it's definitely worth the time to just wander around to see what you can see.

Final thoughts - I preferred Quebec City to Montreal. Quebec City is incredibly clean and well-maintained (there was some construction, but not much). I saw a couple of people walking around who looked down on their luck, but there were no homeless people loitering or camped out anywhere. It's also much smaller (obviously).

Montreal grew on me today. Coming in yesterday after two days of peace and quiet in the countryside was a bit jarring. Driving around is a PITA, but the garden and the market were both great, as was my walk up to Mount Royal and back. I am definitely ready to go home, though.

I know Montreal is a "food town", but between the free hotel breakfast buffet and traveling alone, I just wasn't super excited about eating out. I'm also ready to get home and back to my normal eating habits (there was a reason I wanted chicken on a stick).

Global Entry for the win today. Got to customs at 6 am and there were literally hundreds of people waiting in line. I breezed right through, but by the length of the line, I understand why Air Canada advised me to get to the airport 3 hours ahead of my flight.

Looks like all of the flights to the US are clustered around this time. In addition to IAH, there are flights to Austin, Charlotte, Miami, Atlanta, Detroit, and Minneapolis.

My flight was actually delayed because so many people were stuck at customs.

Really enjoyed reading these updates. Thank you for posting!