The second half of our third day in the Outaouais region of Canada began with something sweet! Following lunch at Café 349, our group drove to Coronation Hall Cider Mills to sample some sweet treats and lean about the artisanal ciderie.
When we pulled up to the cider mill, I couldn’t help but think the place would be a tremendous location for a wedding.
Apparently they host a number of weddings on the property and I can see why! It’s so charming!
The family-owned cider mill makes both hard and regular cider, apple crisp, apple pie, apple cookies, apple muffins and more. We were able to try a little bit of everything and after one bite of an apple cookie, my sweet tooth started raging.
They tasted like snickerdoodles with a hint of apple and they were delicious!
In addition to two cookies, I also couldn’t resist the apple pie with ice cream.
I’m pretty sure we all tried to coerce the woman who made the fantastic homemade goodies to come home with us for the holidays. She said she is in charge of dessert at her family parties, which didn’t surprise me at all!
The cider mill is also open to those who wish to bring in their own apples or pears to have pressed into juice.
It was a great place to visit in the middle of apple harvest season!
Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello
After we thanked the Graham family for having us, our group headed on to Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello, the world’s largest log castle.
The giant fire place will be lit for the season next week so we just missed it. Bummer! It was stunning and added to the rustic and regal feel of the gorgeous hotel.
Though the fireplace was the first thing that caught my eye, the second thing I noticed was the giant dog house located in front of the reception desk.
Monte, a gentle and friendly three-year-old golden retriever, is the canine ambassador for the hotel!
At select Fairmont hotels, hotel dogs serve as canine ambassadors and can go on walks or simply sit and hang out with travelers who miss their own furry friend while they’re away from home. How cool is that!? Monte was such a sweetheart and let us pet him and play with him for as long as we wanted before we checked into the hotel. (He goes home with the general manager of the hotel at night.)
After I gave Monte a quick hug goodbye, I headed up to my room to drop off my bags before it was time to explore the hotel grounds.
My room was spacious, comfortable and beautiful.
After I dropped off my suitcase, I ran downstairs to meet up with Anne to walk around outside. I needed an evening walk to wake me up a little bit and a walk on the trail surrounding the hotel did the trick.
It was gorgeous outside and Anne and I commented on the breathtaking scenery every 2.5 seconds.
This view of the lake was incredible at dusk:
Montebello is so beautiful!
After we spent 60 minutes outside, it was time to change before dinner. We met up with our group in the lobby for our final dinner together.
(Anne, Candice, me, Kate and Jenn)
I know I’ve already said this, but this group of women made the trip so much fun. We were able to see some incredible sights in the Outaouais region of Canada together and I had the best time with every single one of them and our wonderful hosts, Anne and Marouan.
For our final evening in Quebec, we dined at the Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello’s restaurant, Aux Chantignoles.
We all enjoyed a four course meal and thought every course was fantastic. I could not stop raving about the lobster appetizer and the scallops I selected for my entrée.
I was in seafood-lover heaven!
For dessert, I ordered a chocolate mousse paired with pistachio and warm apples and it was so, so good. I didn’t think I had enough room in my stomach to finish it, but I somehow managed to polish off every last bite.
It was the perfect way to conclude such a full and fun day in the Outaouais region!
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