Family fun

My Top 5 When it comes to Family Outings

Published on Sept 15, 2021

I don’t know about you, but for us, summer is synonymous with the great outdoors and nature. Since the season goes by (too) quickly, we take advantage of almost every weekend to head out with the family on a bicycle, hiking or water outing.

Psst! Autumn is also well recommended for those activities!

By Caroline Fontaine

Sentier du Parc des Deux Rvières in East Angus

Two or three years ago, we discovered this place, somewhat like discovering a treasure. The Park is set alongside the Saint-François River at the confluence of the Eaton River, hence its name, and a true joy for family walks. The site offers more than 5 km of trails and bicycle paths, all accessible and free, year round. Here you’ll find, among several belvederes, one that is part of the panoramic Shed Circuit (an activity, we’ve in fact added to our family’s wish list). The main reason for our many visits involves the game modules and ziplines set right in the middle of the forest. It’s a great way to end our walks, often accompanied by a picnic. We also often take a chance and head home by Cookshire, hoping to pick up some of the 11 Comtés’ delicious beers. The children (and their parents) are totally delighted with this outing, making a welcome return to our calendar.
Parc des Deux Rvières
2

Canoeing on the Saint-François

Sometimes we give our legs a break and work our upper body as we head out on the water. Although we appreciate rowing on calm lakes, we especially like canoeing down a river. We’re fortunate in the Eastern Townships to have such a multitude of beautiful, navigable and accessible rivers. I’m thinking of the Missisquoi, the Eaton River, the Magog River or the easiest to access, Saint-François River. We keep two small itineraries on our to-do outing list, depending on the time we have. In a two-hour excursion, we can complete a section of the river starting in Lennoxville’s Parc Optimiste all the way to the Mena’sen Rock, where the mythical solitary pine stands. Otherwise, we sometimes start out from this last point and dock by the Maison des arts et de la culture de Brompton; Or yet again, we might take on the four-hour route from Lennoxville to Brompton for a total of 16.5 km. We really enjoy the different perspective the river offers us as we look out towards our city.
Discover

Stukely Beach

And there are those times when we just want to relax, so we opt for a day at the beach. The one we find by Lake Stukely, located in the Parc National du Mont-Orford, offers a supervised swimming area, soft sand, many game modules and a magnificent view. When we simply wish to laze about and create a bit of space between other visitors and us, we get on our paddleboards and go around the small island or we head out to swim a bit further off.
Stukely Beach

Étang Burbank and Art Galerie

If there’s one place you must visit, for sure it’s the Burbank Pond in Danville. A flat and very accessible trail takes you along this waterway covering about one square kilometre, and where an amazing number of birds live. The kids have a great time feeding the chickadees and we always bring our binoculars for a little bird-watching. Autumn is truly a special time to come here with thousands of snow geese making a stop on their migratory route. If our walk has made us feel hungry, we stop by La Mante du Carré, a delightful town market where we find a charming restaurant space. A new addition since our last visit, Galerie G de BR will certainly be part of our next Danville outing.
Burbank Pond in Danville

The Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke

Finally, if the rain is too intense and slightly dampens our spirits, we always have the option of going to Sherbrooke’s science museum! The children never tire of walking through all the different museum rooms, trying the earthquake simulator or observing how a tornado form. With our subscription, we prefer shorter visits, the idea being to keep them interested in coming back. Combined with a visit to the Éva Sénécal Municipal Library, this outing delightfully completes a rainy-day outing!
Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke

Caroline Fontaine

A proud Sherbrooke native, Caroline Fontaine teaches literature and communications at the Cégep de Sherbrooke. She is also involved in the development of the film industry in the region by working on different shooting projects. Writing is one of her many interests and she loves to meet people. Outdoor activities help her to maintain a balance in her daily life. Caroline makes it a point to share the beauty of the Eastern Townships with you, whether it’s a kayak trip or a weekend in the woods with her partner and two young children.
MORE IDEAS FOR FAMILY FUN

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