©Tourisme_Laurentides_parc_national_Mont_Tremblant

It’s now been more than two months that we’ve been in lockdown. I feel fortunate that our only health issue has been the Covid-19 pounds packed on due to our daughter’s new found interest in baking. Even as someone who is passionate about travel, safe at home is where we belonged and where I wanted to be. However, in the past week, I confess I’ve noticed an itchiness in my feet return and restlessness setting in.

Images and sensations of past trips float through my mind more and more frequently.

Our last family road trip before lock down was on Family Day Weekend, when we traveled to Quebec’s beautiful Laurentian region. In the glacially-sculpted, forested landscape, we were exhilarated by a dog sledding excursion with Aventure Plein Air. This memorable family adventure started with us flying through the snow and ended with a French-Canadian holiday feast in a rustic cabin.

At our resort, the all-season Auberge du Lac Morency there was a smorgasbord of activities to choose from. Looking out at the lake was like watching a promotional video for winter sports. Skaters played hockey on the outdoor rink, cross-country skiers glided across the lake and kids squealed, as they slid down mountains on inner tubes. Some groups were preparing for their dogsledding or snowmobiling adventures while others were gathered around a fire, sipping hot chocolate and roasting marshmallows. And if all that was too taxing, there was always the Nordic spa option to steam and soak tired muscles away.

Though we can’t return just yet, it’s comforting to know that places like the Laurentians are waiting for us. By all accounts, road trips and local travel will be the first type of getaways we’ll return to, and nature spots away from big cities will be that much more appealing. Located just north of Montreal, it’s an easy destination to reach, so I’ve already started doing a little research for when road tripping does start up again. It turns out we have a lot of options to choose from in the summer as well:

Cycle the P’tit Train du Nord. This 200-km trail follows the route of an old railway through the Laurentian mountains, past farms, lakes and villages. A popular route is to start at Mont-Laurier and cycle (mostly) downhill to Saint-Jérôme for four days. Multi-day organized trips provide lodging, along with transport of baggage, so you can concentrate on enjoying the scenery and the fabulous food along the way.

Catch a fish or two on an uncommon fishing expedition with Aventure Plein Air outfitters. If it’s anything like their dogsledding excursion, I’m in. Package includes a night’s accommodation at Auberge du Lac Morency.

Hike to your heart’s content. With its rounded mountains, mixed hardwood and evergreen forests and more than 9,000 lakes, the Laurentians are an ideal destination for easy nature jaunts and hard-core treks alike. You can hike in the easily accessible trails around Mont Tremblant Resort, or you can ramble in the national park of the same name. Mont Tremblant National Park, one of the province’s oldest and biggest, has trails, 400+ lakes and facilities that include campgrounds, lodging and even a heart-stopping climbing ropes course (Via ferrata du Diable).