Friday evening, let’s celebrate the end of the week at the Broadway Microbrewery! Their wooden terrace, which the owners built themselves, is magnificent. In the evening, the beautiful lights hung in the trees give a festive and rural atmosphere, it’s beautiful! Taste their beers brewed on site: if the Katana beer is on the menu, you have to try it.

Saturday morning, I suggest you take your time and go settle comfortably at the Grille-Pain du Coin, a pretty bakery in the Shawinigan-Sud sector where the atmosphere is soft and the decor welcoming. The smell of freshly roasted coffee mixed to that of croissants coming out of the oven will make you want to stay there all day! Then, head to the Ste-Flore sector and spend the rest of the day in Vallée du parc.

The Festival des Couleurs organized at Vallée du Parc ski station is THE perfect spot to spend a fall day. For a few dollars you can take the chairlift and reach the top of the mountain without getting tired – like us – but the more athletic can hike up the mountain! Then you can enjoy the panorama, the trails, etc… the Festival is scheduled each year on the two weekends of the end of September and the beginning of October.

At the end of the day, there’s nothing better than enjoying a good dish with amazing flavors at the Zélé restaurant, in the Ste-Flore sector. Le Zélé truly has the ‘wow’ factor… you will get hooked and love it forever! The menu is not on the table but written in chalk on the wall because it changes with the seasons, local products and the inspirations of its chef-owner, Justin.

Sunday morning, go for a walk in the forest! There are many options in Shawi. But first, stop at the bakery Tous les Jours Dimanche to buy some homemade sandwiches! The “chicken-pecan on multigrain bread” is delicious, and you can top it off with the chef’s salad – a nod to my daughter who adores it – for a perfect picnic!

To end the day, we suggest you drive a little further to the lovely Saint-Jean-des-Piles sector. It’s worth the detour! Stop at 2800 du Parc: the view on the river is sensational! You can relax with a beer on tap, or a delicious local gin, while enjoying the landscape. Have a good stay in Shawi!