With the kids, we head for the Sentier des pins (“pine tree trail”) and a bike ride through the countryside for a few kilometres. Soothed by the scent of the white pines and the birdsong, I experience a sense of inner peace. It’s a good start to the day! The trail leads to the village of Duhamel and continues along the municipality’s bicycle path network. For us, however, the long ride will have to wait for another day—we have too much to do!

The children are eager to get to the sandy beach, which stretches for 2 km. On the way, we pass the campsites, the ready-to-camp tents and the cottages. Advance reservations are recommended: it’s a popular spot! On this beautiful sunny (but very hot!) day, the cool water is a real treat, and the children love the clear, shallow water. After we’ve built a sand castle (which looks more like a sand monster), I persuade the gang to try the family paddle board. What starts out as a concession to Mom becomes the family’s favourite activity! The kids love jumping off the giant board. Even though we’re in the middle of the lake, we can see the bottom, which reassures the youngest.

After dinner, we can’t resist the lure of the dairy bar’s slushies and other chilly delights. The kids then spend a solid hour on the huge multi-coloured trampoline, the slides and the climbing wall. We parents could be playing volleyball, but we choose to lie down in the shade instead. Enjoy it while you can! The day is over all too soon, and we haven’t had time to try all the activities; among other things, we missed out on SOS Bats and Animal Tracking. We’ll save those for our next visit! We’ll definitely have to come back to rent a cottage and go fishing—it seems the lake is teeming with smallmouth bass, brook trout and lake trout. Our one-day getaway really made us want to come back and stay longer!

+ For another great day at the beach, see our list of 10 Outaouais beaches. Cover photo credit ©Mathieu Dupuis