Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec – 2013 Research Road Trip Series

Downtown Riviere-du-Loup

Bonjour City of Riviere-du-Loup!

Breathing Quebec air now. Sightseeing Quebec now. Living Quebec now. Yes… Canada eh Travel & Adventure has, again, crossed the New Brunswick / Quebec Canada border. Living life the whole way through.

Time to put on our francophone hats. The highways signs, the exits, washroom doors and even the restaurant menus are all in French. Love the challenge as our French could use some work. You can only listen to French tapes for so long and then you have to jump into the fire.

The highways of Quebec are taking us to Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec, Canada. It is a small francophone community nestled on the southern banks of the Saint Lawrence River.

There is a ferry service in the community which crosses the mighty fleuve St Laurent and connects with Saint-Siméon on the northern side of the river. We, decided to stick to the highways on the south side of the river so to trip pass Quebec City and Montreal.

In Riviere-du-Loup we parked and peaked around corners visiting some of the heritage buildings, walking the streets and exploring some parks.

We ventured into town and passed by buildings in pastel colours and buildings yelling with history and culture. Some showing their age. Some enjoying a renovation face lift.

The two parks we were impressed with in the area of Riviere-du-Loup were the Parc-de-Chutes and the Parc-de-la-Point.

Parc-de-Chutes

The Parc-de-Chutes struck a chord with us because we are partial to waterfalling. We dig crashing, loud and misty water falling really fast from cliffs. Something magical about it!

The Parc-des-Chutes is easy to access as it is practically in the centre of town. We walked the trails and we visited a pump house and the highlight waterfall. Our waterfalling fix satisfied.

The Parc-de-la-Point captured our thoughts because of the fascinating views from the point of the Riviere-du-Loup. The hiking trail, as well as, the barren rocks and gravel/sand shoreline led us on a walking tour seeking more river eye candy.

We walked to the point. Along the way we noticed lookouts, picnic sites, sightseeing benches and a playground for those that can sit still for more than a minute. Hmmm… a quality we lack at various times.