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2015 AAA USA and Canada

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98 Quebec - Charlevoix & Quebec City Over the mighty St. Lawrence River stands the cliffside ramparts of North America's only fortress city—Quebec City. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, its 400 years of French history are honored at the Place Royale and its museums, featuring artifact exhibits and historical reenactors in period dress. The costumed fun goes several steps further at the annual French- Canadian Fêtes de la Nouvelle-France festival, a five-day event that transports the entire town back to the 17th and 18th centuries—blacksmiths, fletchers, town criers, musicians, maple syrup beverages, and all. Even longer than the largest historical festival on this continent is the world's largest winter celebration: the Quebec Winter Carnival. For 17 magical days, 360 tons of ice are used to carve amazing sculptures, maple sugar is made into pie, and horse-drawn sleighs become as common as canoe races on the frozen rivers. Reasons to smile aren't limited to the city's passion for history, either; the landmark Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac is known the world over as a shutterbug's darling. Just as photogenic is the Citadelle, a National Historic Site often called "the Gibraltar of the Americas," providing a star-shaped background for daily Changing of the Guard ceremonies each summer. The 83-foot Montmorency Falls and its winter "sugar loaf" frozen spray is a phenomenon worth witnessing as well, and views along the Plains of Abraham and old Chemin du Roy highway make stops to savor the scenery irresistible. Continuing outside of the city, on the way to Charlevoix, rest the Laurentian Mountains and 2,317-square-mile Canadian Shield, the most ancient rock formation in the world. Here, 18 communities lie within easy reach of Parc National des Grands-Jardins, a Biosphere Reserve with trout fishing any angler will appreciate and, like the rest of this region, landscapes that captivate. 0 1/4 miles 0 1/4 km Bd. Charest Est R. St-Jean R. Scott R. Berthelot R. de la Chevrotière R. St- Amable Grande Allée Est Av. Dufferin R. d' Auteuil R. Ste-Ursule R. St-Louis Ste-Geneviève Av. Denis R. Haldimand R. Laporte Av. Carrières R. Ste-Anne R. Ste-Anne R. Dauphine R. St-Jean R. St-Joachim R. McMahon Côte R. Charlevoix R. Collins R. Garneau R. de la Fabrique R. Couillard R. Ste-Famille R. St-Pierre R. Dalhousie R. du Petit- Champlain Champlain Bd. R. Hébert R. St-Paul R. Sous-le-Cap R. St-Vallier Pde. des Gouverneurs Ter. Dufferin Château Frontenac Escalier Casse-Cou Funiculaire Pl. Terrasse- Dufferin Côte de la Citadelle R. du Fort r. des Remparts Porte Kent Porte St-Louis R. d'Artigny Porte St-Jean Place Royal R. de l'Arsenal R . Notr e- Dame Côt e d e l a M ontagne R. des Jardins R. des St- du Palais Citadelle Bd. St-Cyrille Est Av. Laurier Fleuve Sa i nt-Laurent 3 2 4 1 QUEBEC - CHARLEVOIX & QUEBEC CITY

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