Art in a forest near Mont Tremblant

If you intend to be around Mont Tremblant in Québec between now and mid-October, you've got to include a visit to Val-David and its amazing Jardins du Précambrien.

Val-David is less than one-hour drive away from Mont Tremblant. It is one of the cutest places in the vicinity, with the P'tit Train du Nord passing through (a fantastic initiative which turned a train track into a 230-km biking and hiking linear park ), little restaurants, bike and canoe rentals.

As if it weren't enough, it includes the best outdoor art installations I've seen in Quebec and Ontario: Les Jardins du Précambrien. Nested in a vast precambrian forest (from the times when the first forms of life appeared on Earth), the attraction offers a series of marked trails amidst trees and boulders.

You never know what awaits around the corner, which makes it the perfect outing with kids. The whole experience turns into a treasure hunt. They'll walk 4-5 kms without realizing it. It took us 2 hours to tour the whole thing at a leisure pace. You'll need more time if you want to read all the info posted throughout the site.

As a picture is worth a thousand words, see my photos of some of the best installations.
The Foundation Derouin is behind this project. René Derouin is a fabulous (and highly rated) artist whose work you can admire in the adjacent art gallery.

8 TIPS: Toronto Islands with teenagers (also good for girlfriends)

Toronto Islands with teenagers 

Here's the outing I'd recommend if you're visiting Toronto Islands with kids.

My TIPS for a great visit with TEENAGERS

1) Check the Centre Island ferry schedule and arrive at the ferry docks (at the foot of Bay Street) 45 minutes prior to departure, with snacks and water. Note the schedule for your ride back at WARD's DOCK!!!

2) Walk straight to the south shore of the Islands (Centre Island Beach), past the bridge and the fountains to get to the Bike Rental outlet. And treat your teens with the rental of a quadracycle (2-seat or 4-seat) for an hour. (Don't hop on with them, rent yourself a normal bike.) Meet in an hour at the outlet. It was totally worth the $17/hour cost, according to my 15-year old companions. BRING CASH for the rental ($30 deposit).

3) They won't be too keen on the 20-min walk along the boardwalk towards Ward's Island (east of the rental outlet) but they'll appreciate what comes next (and so will you).

4) Have lunch at the Rectory Café just off the boardwalk. Their patio is a real treat. Their $15 burgers are scrumptious. (Their cocktail list is impressive, I had a natural Ginger Ale and vodka cocktail.)

5) Have a swim at Ward's Beach. I prefer Gibraltar Beach, west of Centre Island Beach, but Ward's Beach is the youth's hub.

6) Head north towards Ward's dock and check one of the carless street east of the park. What a feeling!
7) Have an ice-cream at the very funky Island Café (you can see it from Ward's dock).

8) Catch a ride back to Toronto on the Ward's ferry, seriously less busy than Centre Island's.

If your teens are not starving by the time you reach the Rectory Café, go straight to the beach for a swim and eat later at the Island Café, offering less expensive and still yummy options.

Also read 5 TIPS: Toronto Islands with younger kids

Also read 5 TIPS: Toronto islands with older kids

Summer night in Little India, Toronto

Little India by night
Last week was a busy weekend in Little India along Gerrard Street East (between Greenwood and Coxwell), during the Festival of South Asia.

But Little India is always a fun summer night outing. The street is filled with music, lights, colourful windows, street food. And you can always count on the effervescence around Lahore Tikka House, at 1365 Gerrard Street.

The place has been under ambitious construction for ages. It went from the tiniest little shack to a huge  pink building. For whatever reason, they won't or can't use the second floor so tables are spread all aver the street level, under shiny fabrics. Quite exotic!