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    48 Hours In Mont Tremblant

    46.1185° N, 74.5962° W

    "A Mountain Getaway Nestled Outside Of The City"

    Nestled at the base of a mountain is the Mont-Tremblant Resort Village. It is only a short, hour and a half drive from Montreal and to get there you must leave the metropolis and you’ll be heading North. Slowly the busy roads that are surrounded with buildings and congested with cars will disappear. Soon after the roads will wind as you navigate through the boreal forest that makes up the landscape. Mont-Tremblant is a good place for those who want to disconnect and for those who don’t but want a break from the fast pace of the city.

    Time is a precious commodity for some of us and we understand that taking time off doesn’t seem like a it could be a reality. Not because you can’t but sometimes, we find ourselves lost in our work, whether we are passionate about it or not. In our latest travel series, we spend an allotted time in places that we think that you should visit. You can choose to disconnect, or you can share your travels with us and your friends. With that being said, we spent 48 hours in Mont-Tremblant and if that’s all the time you have as well, we encourage you to use this as a guide for yourself! The activities we took part in will raise your heart rate exponentially, but it will also beat like a slow drum as we recognize the importance of relaxing and slowing things down.

    FRIDAY

    Where to stay, 12:00 PM.
    You will be spending two nights at the Hotel Quintessence, an upscale all-suite hotel that is suited a few minutes away from the Tremblant Ski Village. You’ll find that the staff is courteous and attentive. If you let them know what your plans are for the day they will have your car ready at the front when it is time for you to leave. The lobby is rustic and a candle chandelier hangs from the high vaulted ceilings. While you wait for your room to be prepared, take a seat in the oversized leather couches and connect to the free WiFi that is offered throughout the hotel. If you can, request for room 101, which is on the first floor and it is a corner room that ensures privacy. All the suites feature large living areas with fireplaces and private balconies/patios with views that face the lake. We recommend that you spend some time in the room because the bathroom comes with heated marble floors and a deep whirlpool tub. Amenities include a French restaurant, bar, a library, and a fully equipped spa, gym, and a seasonal outdoor infinity pool.

    Where to have lunch, 12:30 PM.
    Head down the spiral staircase in the lobby towards the Restaurant La Quintessence & Winebar, where their kitchen has been recognized with a Four Diamond rating from the CAA and AAA. If weather permits dine on their patio for lunch and once seated you are provide with a Bistro menu. For appetizers, you’ll enjoy their Fried Calamari, and Beef Carpaccio and for the main course, you must try the Q burger with chicken, Île-aux- Grues Cheddar cheese, piglets bacon from Gaspor Farm, and truffle ketchup, along with the flank steak that was accompanied with shallot and drizzled with a red wine sauce.

    Get familiar with your surroundings, 1:30 PM.
    If you’re feeling heavy after lunch, you can walk over to the Mont-Tremblant’s Ski Village. The buildings that stand in between the cobble stone paths are vibrant and are lovely to look at as you venture up and down the hill. There are a number of small clothing boutiques, restaurants, bars, and souvenir stores you can wander in to buy gifts for yourself or for friends and family back home.

    Unwind at the Scandinavian Spa, 2:15 PM.
    When was the last time you were at a spa? If you can’t remember then  you certainly won’t forget your experience at the Scandinavian Spa in Mont-Tremblant. The spa is open seven days a week, no matter the weather, and it is only a ten minute drive from the Quintessence. The baths are enclosed by the surrounding foliage and lies on the shores of the Diable River. We recommend that you block off a minimum of three hours at the spa to really enjoy the Scandinavian hydrotherapy and if you can make an appointment for one of their many massage therapies.

    Take to the skies, 6:00 PM.
    If you truly want a see Mont-Tremblant and its expansive landscape in a totally different way then you should do it by helicopter. Heli-Tremblant is a short drive away from the spa and they offer flight packages that will fit any occasion. One hour is all you need to have your breath taken away as you hover thousands of feet above Mont-Tremblant. For an even better experience, you can ask for the doors to be taken off the helicopter, which also makes for clearer photographs. Needless to say, it is also a landscape photographer’s dream come true.

    Dinner at SEb L’ Artisan Culinaire, 7:00 PM.
    After that exhilarating helicopter ride, wind down the evening at the SEb L’ Artisan Culinaire restaurant in the Old Village in Tremblant. They serve up French inspired cuisine with local ingredients and a seasonal menu. They emphasize that their dishes be enjoyed with the wines that have been specifically chosen for the time of the year. You will enjoy all of this inside a quaint cottage that is just off the main boulevard. One of the highlights for us had to be the Icelandic Cod fish. If it is on the menu when you visit, be sure to taste it with the 2011 Val de Loire Chardonnay.

    Just hold on, we’re going home, 9:00 PM.
    Drive back to the Hotel Quintessence, grab one of the complimentary robes and get that fireplace going! Housekeeping refreshes the wood everyday and if you need more, don’t be shy to ask.

    SATURDAY

    Where to have breakfast, 8:00 AM.
    The Hotel Quintessence offers a breakfast buffet that is accompanied with an omelet and crepe station. It is perfect for a quick bite to eat and with enough goodness that will fuel you up for the day ahead.

    Zip through the Mont-Tremblant mountain, 9:45 AM.
    Start your day off with an adrenaline rush. Ziptrek in Tremblant consists of five ziplines that are each roughly one kilometre long. Once you are strapped in at the activity centre, you are ushered into the gondola with a guide and you will begin your climb to the summit. The first two lines are perhaps the most daunting and you will enjoy a brisk hike in between the third, fourth and fifth line, which also helps you to calm your nerves. Along the way, the guides will fill you in on Tremblant’s environment and ecology. To capture this experience, we recommend that you bring a GoPro with a strap, or you can borrow one from the company and purchase the memory card at the end of the experience.

    Where to have lunch, 2:00 PM.
    After zip-lining down to the base of the mountain, you’ll probably be needing a drink. Head over to La Diable, a micro brasserie that offers worthy pub fare. That is where we chowed down on chicken wings, vegetables with dip and poutine. They craft their own beer in house and we highly recommend the Blizzard, which a non-filtered, Belgian style beer that is very light and refreshing.

    Explore the Tremblant on horseback, 3:30PM.
    You saw Tremblant from the sky, now you’re about to explore the surrounding countryside on horseback at the Mont-Tremblant Ranch.  They offer packages ranging from 1, 2 to 4 hour hikes, to all out expeditions complete with rustic overnight camping experience. You will be enveloped with the silence of nature with only the sound of the horse’s hooves at your feet. You might want to give yourself some time to get to this next activity because it is located forty minutes away from the Hotel Quintessence.

    Head back to the Hotel Quintessence for a massage, 5:00 PM.
    One of the features that the Spa Sans Chabot at the Quintessence offers is a private massage. After a full day of activities, you won’t regret lying down for an hour as a the therapist works out the knots that have been lingering from your days at the office.

    Dinner at Patrick Bermand, 6:00 PM.
    Cap off your trip with a dinner at restaurant Patrick Bermand, which is situated at the edge of Tremblant’s Old Village. Mr. Bermand’s experience spans years as he studied at the École hôtelière de Mazamet. You can trace his experience back to the Château d’Artigny in France, at Charles Barrier’s Michelin 3-star restaurant, and so on. The food is French with an obvious touch of sophistication. Start off with the French onion soup and filet mignon tartare. Then for the main, we recommend the premium rack of lamb old fashion style, and if you’re in the mood for seafood, the lobster poutine. Lastly, wash it all down with a deliciously light 2013 Château Domaine de L’Epsy Merlot Rose.

    Call it a night or continue your evening, 8:00 PM.
    If you’re not exhausted from today, you can head into one of the nightclubs within the ski village. Some of the most popular include Bar Café D’Epoque or you can head up the mountain via shuttle to the Mont-Tremblant Casino.

    SUNDAY

    Take your time, 9:00 AM.
    If you’re in no rush to leave, there is more you can do in Mont-Tremblant. Simply head over to the activity centre to find out what other kinds of activities there are. Or if you just want sleep in until check out. You can do that as well!

    [vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRP0RA0VXj8&list=PLB3GfgxCU4A60g5CoPql-uhKbhWdTZra0″ align=”center”]

    Words & Photography: Jon Carlo Tapia
    Videography: Kevin Alcalde

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