Gracefield, Friendly folks and pristine nature

By Christine Haines

Okay, you probably don’t want to take a Canadian vacation in the winter, but this could be a good time to start planning one for next summer, especially if you need a new passport. Early planning also lets you enjoy the hunt for the perfect vacation cottage.

And if you’re looking for a vacation where you can get away from just about everything, Gracefield, Quebec is possibly one of the best choices you could make. At least my brother thinks so.

“The one place I’d definitely go back to is Gracefield,” Phil told me when I asked about his most memorable vacation. “It’s six hours north of the Thousand Islands area of New York. It’s a beautiful area with friendly French people.”

 

It’s also an area with lots of trees and natural beauty, numerous lakes, great fishing and plenty of privacy and solitude.

“We rented a cabin for a week and it came with a boat and a tank of propane,” my brother recalled. “Life gets real simple up north. Loons wake you up and put you to sleep. I guess there were bears there too, but we didn’t see any while we were there. We had a tree full of raccoons eating apples though.”

Many of the cabins are winterized, for those who do want a winter get-away and a means of getting there when there’s snow on the ground, but my brother’s recommendation is a late summer trip.

“I would definitely go in late August, because the lake is cold even then,” Phil said.

One other thing….if you have an option between a rustic cabin and one with running water, opt for the running water Phil suggests. The lake really is deep and cold!

Here are a few links to get you started in your search for accommodations. The area boasts resort hotels and a variety of campgrounds and camps, including the French language camp listed below:

http://www.magma.ca/~manoussi/index.html

http://www.chaletsjean-paul.com/start_e.htm

Feel free to e-mail your vacation photos and memories to chris@howyouspinit.com. Please check my other pages, as well as the entertainment offerings at www.howyouspinit.com.