Anick

First stop, Tous les jours dimanche, an artisan bakery located downtown! On a beautiful summer day, enjoy a refreshing lemonade on the terrace. In fact, EVERYTHING the baker does is exquisite so take the opportunity to stock up. On a rainy day, children love their hot chocolate… yummy! It’s the best in town according to my daughter Anaïs. Psst! To be served with some cookies: it’s perfect! Good to know tips: on the other side of the street, at place du Marché, you can enjoy shows on Friday evenings!

As we’re already downtown, we go to Cadeaux Chez Guy! There are toys everywhere and for all tastes, original finds and a lot of gift ideas! Make sure to give your children a small budget before you arrive, because they’ll literally want EVERYTHING (and you too Hehe!). We like to choose a board game for evenings at the campsite. If you feel like it, stop by the Librairie Poirier, the youth section is really great!

Now, let’s talk about sleep options, we love camping! Every member of the family has its favorite. I’ll let you judge, according to your needs, the place that’ll make everyone happy. At the campground, don’t look for me anywhere but on the edge of water! I’m definitely building a sandcastle for all the tadpoles and frogs I’ve caught. I love the wooded side of camping du Parc. Tadpole hunting is good here! I also love the parc de l’Île Melville campground because I can ride my bike alone without any problem.

Camping du Parc is my favorite because I still like to fish for frogs! The lake water is always good for swimming. We like to play hide-and-seek on the ground, it’s so wooded that it is easy to hide. The library in the community room is really awesome! There are lots of different books. I love going for a walk with my dog, early in the morning before the world wakes up. Nature is really beautiful.

The campground at the parc de l’Île Melville is a little treasure in the middle of town! A 10 min walk and you’re downtown! You can also swim in the river and fish! There are many intimate sites with plenty of beautiful mature trees. Great spot for canoeing and paddleboarding!

On a rainy day, in Shawi, my children NEVER get tired of going bowling at place Biermans. Surely because they take the opportunity to ask for a ride in the bumper cars and some popcorn at the movie theater! Then, we spoil ourselves by sharing a good pizza at Mike Pizzéria. A well-kept secret, it costs almost nothing and it’s like going to eat at your aunt’s! The atmosphere is family friendly.

On a nice day, girls who love animals will vote to go horseback riding at the Écuries Équi-AMI or for a visit at the Ranch Dupont! You can also enjoy the road with the Balado-Western podcast if you feel like it. It’s a great way to discover the western side of the Mauricie.

In the afternoon, I love to take advantage of the good weather at the parc Saint-Jean des Piles, where you can swim from the beach in the Saint-Maurice river. Its small charcoal barbecues and grassy areas are perfect for picnics! Don’t forget to bring your charcoal briquettes. We usually stop at Boucherie Nobert on our way there! Éloise loves their marinated steak. Speaking of food, for our vacations, I also like to stock the caravan’s fridge with home-prepared meals from la Boucherie la Bête noire. They make the best spaghetti sauce. It’s a good convenience store when mom wants to take it easy too.

For dinner, after a day in the great outdoors, treat yourself to restaurant Zélé! If it’s on the slate, I recommend their cod fish. I love it! The girl from Sept-Îles in me has found a gastronomic landmark there! Thanks to the chef, Justin! Psst! If the family wants a simple snack, Éloïse loves the high gastronomy of Le Sapin vert! She especially loves their hot dogs.

Visiting Shawi without going to La Mauricie National Park is like pancakes without syrup. So, we go there for a day at the cascades. Hot day? We go for a walk, before putting down our towels and relaxing in the sun on a rock! It’s the ideal spot for a picnic with your feet in the water or for a good massage under the natural jets. Even better than the spa! Anaïs immerses herself in a good book hoping that we’ll go for a paddle board ride later while Éloise plays in the water. 😊