It's about an hour drive (one way) from Ottawa and while our GPS advised we travel via highway 50 we much preferred our return route along 148. It was slower, but more scenic as we passed through the small villages of Papineauville, Plaisance and Thurso. Also, for the most part of the drive, we had some great views of the Ottawa River.
Our first stop once we reached Montebello was the tourist information centre located at the old railway station.
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| Le Gare de Montebello |
It's a small, compact village, begun in 1855 when Louis-Joseph Papineau named his property Monte-Bello. Since then the hyphen has been dropped and the name became one word. His home (pictured below) is currently undergoing major renovations so we were unable to get a glimpse, but when Parks Canada completes the restoration we'll definitely return.
Strolling the main street, we soaked in the minute details of the various buildings.
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B&B
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Gallery
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| Just a lovely side deck on someone's home! |
This next boutique, inside a century, red brick house, was filled with accents to make every home picture perfect.
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| Same building from opposite side with dog and owner enjoying a quiet moment |
This window box planter adorns the boutique's customer parking lot.
Not to be missed is the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours parish.
Meanwhile, this poor old building desperately needs a great deal of TLC, but it's still easy to spot its great bones.
Last, but not least we stumbled across "the largest log cabin in the world" - the Chateau Montebello - a luxury resort on the Ottawa River.
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Chateau Montebello
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The building goes on and on!
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Yet another section of the same building
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Hedge enclosed pool
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Outdoor dining
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Wedding venue - with men in kilts!
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| Our view from a riverside bench |
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| Note the hedge surround pool behind us |
All in all, a great day out and about in Montebello Quebec.
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| Crossing the bridge back into Ontario from Quebec |
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