Back of the Envelope Travel Guide: Quebec's Winter Carnival
1/29/2008 at 3:45 PM
Tags: Winter Travel, Festivals, Hotels, Restaurants, Clubs (all tags)
Any festival with a hybrid snowman-elf mascot is bound to get our attention. The creature, named "Bonhomme," shows up every year at Quebec's Winter Carnival, a 17-day celebration of all things cold. Don't let the name fool you, though. This isn't Mardi Gras; most activities are for the 12-and-under set, like a foam sword competition or the circus featuring Ketchup the Clown.
A few events, however, should keep the attention of all age groups, such as the dogsled races, a ski competition and performances by acrobats. So, if an hour spent attending a concert with a group called "Funkyzone" doesn't strike your fancy, we've found the best grown-up places to eat, drink and party--sans Ketchup the Clown--in Quebec City.
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Where to Stay: This is a winter carnival after all, so celebrate ice and snow all through the night at the Ice Hotel Glace, Quebec City's only ice hotel. We'd put up $297 for a night for the Enchanting Discovery package, which includes a queen room, welcome cocktails, dinner and access to the hotel's Nordic spa. They even throw in a complimentary arctic sleeping bag, so you don't have to bring your own gear to snooze on the ice.
Where to Eat: Kick off the evening at the Aviatic Club, a Quebec City pub and restaurant open since 1945. Located in front of the city's train station, the Aviatic Club's strange aviation theme--two planes hang from the ceiling--shouldn't detract from the restaurant's French-inspired food, including salmon and beef tartares and aiguillettes of smoked duck.
Where to Warm Up: After a hard day spent watching children go nuts at the carnival's multiple tug-of-war competitions, drink up and get down at the Boudoir Lounge, one of the city's newest, most popular nightlife spots. Located the city's chic St. Roch district, DJs pump dance music until 3 am, with jazz on Sunday nights and the occasional special event during the week. In the past, Boudoir has hosted a fashion show and various theme parties, too, so check our the website before heading down.
Related Stories:
· Quebec's Winter Carnival [Official site]
· Ice Hotel Glace [Official site]
· Aviatic Club [Official site]
· Boudoir Lounge [Official site]
· Chillin' at The Ice Hotel [HotelChatter]
· Quebec City Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: IvoDivo]
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