I have never been to Québec, even though she has been my neighbour for the past 30+ years! An award for my husband took us to Québec City and from there we decided to explore the parc national du Fjord-du-Saguenay by recommendation from our good friend Jen (thanks, Jen!).

It took us 3 hours to drive from Québec City to Tadoussac. The drive was amazing as we followed the St. Lawrence River. There were many quaint little towns along the way and mountains to climb.

We had to board a ferry to cross the channel that took about 10 minutes.

Once we were in Tadoussac, it was another 25 minutes to Baie Sainte-Marguerite where we reserved a walk-in campsite.

No dogs allowed in this park, so we had to leave Banjo at home. Our friend Shanna took great care of her, and looking at the photos, Banjo had a vacation of her own!

Once we arrived at the campground and checked in, we packed up our camping gear and started hiking 2.4 kilometres to our site.

When we arrived, our site was beside the beach overlooking the fjords! We had a short 10-foot drop to climb down until we were standing on the beach.

We got our tent all set up and made dinner. In Québec City, I stopped at the Place due Marché due-Vieux-Port to pick up some fresh veggies. We had rice and peas for dinner with arugula and baby cucumbers. B decided to add some cheese curds at the last minute. So delicious!

We woke up to the sound of pitter-patter on our tent, so B set up the shelter and made us instant oatmeal and coffee for breakfast. I needed to take in the incredible views as much as possible, so I suggested we drink our coffee on the beach. When we got down there, B said he could see white things out in the water. They were beluga whales!

Baie Sainte-Marguerite is a popular destination to observe beluga whales. They are frequently seen in summer months, and the small white whale is regularly seen at the mouth of the Rivière Saguenay.

I ran up to grab my camera and took a couple of shots. We counted at least 10 adults, and couldn’t keep track of the calves (they were smaller and darker than the adults). We could hear them blowing out air and making vocalizations frequently throughout the day. What an amazing gift to be able to watch these animals. They hung around all day.

We hiked 0.5 kilometers to La Halte du Béluga lookout for a better view. I was able to record a little video of the belugas.

It was another 2 kilometers to I’lle Sainte-Louis lookout. This was straight up, but worth the climb for the views!

 

We spent the rest of the day exploring the shoreline as the tide rolled out and back in, and relaxed in the beautiful landscape. Québec is so beautiful!

I was really happy to see wild rose bushes, fireweed (my favourite wildflower) and wild iris growing near the shoreline. The moss, flora and fauna reminded me a lot of the boreal forest in northern Canada.

I also fell in love with these beauties. Can anyone tell me what kind of wildflower they are?

Back at the campsite for dinner, we make vegetarian quesadillas over the fire. Sometimes it’s nice to treat yourself to fresh food when most of your camping meals are dehydrated. Having the arugula was a great addition to all our meals.

B had us up at 3:10AM on Sunday to pack up camp, hike out and drive the long 15 hours home.

It was all worth it. I can’t wait to explore more of Québec. She’s wild and beautiful.