We left for Mont Tremblant on the Saturday after Thanksgiving 2016. New Jersey didn’t have much snow yet, and we decided to look for snow as far north as possible. Friends of ours visited Mont Tremblant in February and told us it can be extremely cold (like, you’ll definitely get frostbite if you’re not completely covered). We didn’t want to be miserable….
I have to tell you: Google maps told us it would only take 6 hours to drive there… The trip was closer to 9 even though we only stopped for short breaks and were going at least the speed limit the whole drive. However, we did have four people in a Passat with snow tires and a bunch of skis on the roof rack. Not exactly aerodynamic.
Where we stayed
We stayed at a great Airbnb next to the mountain! I didn’t think there would be enough snow for a true ski in/ski out condo, so we picked one close to the base. It was really perfect, and even though we didn’t use the kitchen, it’s always nice to have the extra space.
The resort has several hotels located right inside the village. We definitely want to go back and stay in one of these adorable places next time. Click here for a list of resort lodging.
Mont Tremblant Resort
The mountain is really beautiful, and the conditions were great. I think they have higher standards for their conditions, though: Only 5 trails were open, but there was about a foot of natural snow covering the mountain. In Jersey, we’ll ski over grass if that’s all there is.
But seriously…these trees are REAL. I’ve never seen such picture-perfect snow covered trees. Stefanie is pretty obsessed with mountains so she snapped this photo while on the chair lift and it’s currently the background on her iPad. 🙂
At one point, the wind changed, and we were on the summit above the clouds… It was so beautiful! And that picture made it onto my Christmas card!
Despite the few trails open, we adventured around town and the beautiful village. Since it was still before the main season started, we could eat at all the restaurants without reservations. Of course, without more guests, we felt a little awkward as the only people walking around.
We also found out that some of the extra things Tremblant offers were not available, such as ice skating… so we did drive up with skates – which took some space in our car – but weren’t able to use them.
The City (?) of Mont Tremblant contains five districts, and we stayed in the resort area. However, there’s lots of other shopping and dining throughout the area. Many people prefer to eat outside of the main resort, since the restaurants can be expensive… click here to see the tourism site for the Tremblant region.
Mont Tremblant Dining
First of all, we found the staff at every restaurant and throughout the park to be super kind and helpful! Maybe because we were the only people in the resort?
Casey’s Resto-Bar: We went here the very first night we arrived, and found casual, comfortable sports-bar dining (we had to be able to watch the football game that was playing!). This is the cheesecake sampler for dessert
La Forge: We ate here a few times. Love the Bread Bowl Chili and the Poutine options… Pretty standard bar/ apres-ski food.
La Maison de la Crepe: Yummy crepes! I’m sure this place is packed for breakfast during the real open season! This little cabin has B&W vintage ski photos on the walls and Starbucks coffee.
Bistro Au Grain de Café: The best hot chocolate EVER! And they play videos of skiers throughout the day in the cafe, so a great place to hang out!
Pizzateria: This was definitely the best restaurant of the few that we visited. Delicious pizzas and good gluten free options.
Le Grand Manitou: This lodge/cafeteria is at the top of the mountain, and the view is AMAZING. As with all ski resorts, the food here can be pricey, but they do have cups of soup, chili, and lots of other delicious options. And if you get to the top of the mountain and realize you definitely did not wear enough layers, they have a supply shop with hats, scarves, mittens, and everything else.
Tim Horton’s: Maybe this shouldn’t be on the list, but Eric just loved it… I guess he hadn’t been to Canada for a while, because he had never heard of this place. In case you haven’t, they’re kind of a cross between Dunkin Donuts and Panera? I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s delicious!
Click here for a full list of the Mont Tremblant Village dining options.
Tremblant Gallery!
Here’s a few more pics of our time in Tremblant! Click on an image to make it larger
Enjoy!
