Our Amazing Adventure: Part 6 Le Chateau Frontenac

The morning started with a new formal challenge for Ry. He opened the Amazing Race style envelope to reveal his quest. "Find the most photographed hotel in the world. Then have your own photograph taken with it." A few taps into his iPad would reveal Le Chateau Frontenac as the answer and google maps would point to it just 1.6 kilometres away from us.

As he was grabbing his gear and heading for the door he spied a second envelope on the floor. It was labelled ROADBLOCK.  This envelope said "Stop. Your adventure can't continue until you find a crepe and a cappuccino for you mother. Seriously!" 

He was fiercely determined. "C'mon Mom! Let's go. We have to get you your coffee and stuff! Let's GO!"  Such a competitive kid he is. I knew he would be into this race concept.

An hour or so later, and after a long brisk uphill walk, we found the Chateau Frontenac. It took my breath away. I was standing there with my mouth gaping just staring at it.

A jewel in the Fairmont Hotel Chain. The magnificent Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City

I was not alone. I'm sure there were 400 or so tourists in the immediate area doing exactly the same thing that Tuesday morning. IT IS MAGNIFICENT!  The location, the architecture, the craftsmanship, the presence, the history and the enormity.... magnificent. There is no wonder at all why it is the most photographed hotel in the world! (Below are just a minor sample of the photos I personally took of this hotel. I could probably make my own mini-album just of the Chateau Frontenac.)

For me, there was a second reason for including it in our amazing adventure. My parents had honeymooned at this very hotel. This was a splurge for them in a very modest time. They were on their way to a new home in Ottawa and had stopped there for a couple nights.

The hotel itself is flanked on two sides by public boardwalks. There is also a garden out front which designates it as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Parks Canada also has a heritage tour which is located at, and UNDERGROUND at the boardwalk of the Chateau. Very cool. (Watch for that chapter of this review. Best $6 we spent!) The hotel takes up at least a city block. I can only imagine how many people it employs and how many guests it serves annually.

I haven't even mentioned the icing on the cake yet. It has its own Starbucks! Yes indeed there is a large, extremely busy Starbucks location on-site. Ry treated me to an iced coffee and purchased a smoothie for himself. We sat on a bench with our drinks and lingered a while staring at the hotel. Though he may have been thinking "can we go now" he let me savour the moment. It was perfect. Simply perfect.

I would still rather a purse than a fanny-pack!

Love that gorgeous spire on its corner.