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Montrealers in Laval: plenty to do in winter

Maude Goyer
Journalist, author and blogger

Is it possible to take a 24-hour family break close to home? That's what we tried out over a weekend in Laval. On the program: activities for fun, escape and relaxation, including laughter and thrills! Follow the guide.

 

At 13 and 11, my two tornadoes love to be surprised, amazed and entertained. They're interested in lots of things, especially culture, art and food. And of course, they love to move, run, jump, climb and crawl. My hidden goal: to be together, away from screens, chatting, playing and discovering, all weekend long.

We start by filling up on energy. Direction: La Bête à pain restaurant. We covet the menu and the displays of breads, pastries, viennoiseries and desserts before making our choices. It's grilled cheese for the kids, avocado tartine and salmon gravlax for the Man and me. We can't resist and buy a loaf of sourdough bread before leaving.

The afternoon's activity is at Élévation Trampoline. This new trampoline center, opening in 2021, offers a host of activities, all of which we try out, one after the other: we go from trampoline basketball, to the zip-line, to the swing, to the trapeze and then play a game of dodgeball with the other children and adults present.

What's up? 4pm already? Time to go home and get some rest - and why not take a dip? That's the first thing the kids ask for when they get to our room at the Sheraton Laval. Located in the heart of the city's most dynamic district, surrounded by stores, restaurants and theaters, the hotel is a stone's throw from Carrefour Laval and Centropolis. The indoor pool is heated and the kids, who still have some energy left, are having the time of their lives.

They then take a rest in the little teepee placed in the room, especially for them (in fact, I'm told it's a special treat for families visiting the hotel!).

But the day's not over yet! We're off again! Night has fallen and we're off to the site of lllumi - Féerie de Lumières by Cavalia. The children are overexcited; they've heard a lot about this nocturnal outdoor trail. Comprising several distinct universes, Illumi immerses visitors in the magic of winter and the holiday season. Mouths agape, we walk along the trails, illuminated by ten million twinkling lights. The grandiose music adds to the experience. A gentle breeze picks up and flakes fly around, adding to the already fabulous spectacle.

We head back to the hotel quite early: tomorrow, a second day of activities awaits us!

After enjoying an early-morning breakfast buffet at the Sheraton, we head off to Escaparium, an immersive escape game. Beyond the typical puzzle-adventure game, here actors guide the players. Since they follow our pitfalls, successes and failures via a camera system, they intervene at the right moment, so we don't get stuck in one stage of the game. This makes all the difference to morale: no discouragement! Just fun!

For almost two hours, we become detectives investigating the Queen of England's ruby tiara. Who are the suspects? What's the secret code? And all that money? We make slow but steady progress in our investigation - without quite getting the hang of it. The children are not disappointed, on the contrary! "That's what I want to do with my friends at my party," says my daughter, delighted.

Police raids can work up an appetite! We lunch at Café Ricardo in Laval, beautifully decorated for the holiday season. After discouraging the kids from eating anything but dessert (!), we settle on onion soup au gratin with pulled pork, vegetarian chili and caramelized cauliflower gnocchi, followed by carrot cake and giant chocolate chip cookies. A real treat! A detour to the boutique is a must to complete some Christmas shopping.

 

Our final stop is a veritable institution: the Cosmodome. We're here to fulfill one mission (three are on offer), that of sending a probe to a planet in our solar system. In the Frontiers of the Cosmos mission, each visitor chooses his or her planet and tasks. Through interactive games, virtual animations and multimedia projections, we progress through a maze of futuristic corridors reminiscent of Star Wars settings. Our conquest comes to an end over an hour later, and my two mini astronauts are won over: this is their favorite activity of the whole weekend.

And it doesn't end there: we take a look at the well-designed exhibition on the solar system and its ecosystem, then try out the 4D cinema. Both films last 5 minutes each, yet we have time to experience a panoply of sensations during the projection. Hello special effects! Fiston is the only one to volunteer to climb aboard the training simulators. He goes through a series of tests in different modules: the 1/6 Chair (which changes gravity), the Multiaxis (to risk spatial disorientation) and the O-Gravity Wall (to experience weightlessness). "I'm not even sick to my stomach!" he laughs as he finishes his tour.

We return home with our best memories of the weekend. To sum up, here's what my clan had to say about their Laval getaway:

" I loved the escape game! I thought I was pretty good. I'm proud of myself! " - Romy, age 10

" I would have stayed all day at Cosmodome. I loved doing the space mission and riding the simulators. " - Sacha, age 12

" The hotel was perfect for our stay, with its large heated pool, included breakfast and ideal location. " - Le Fiancé

" Illumi's glittering worlds are truly not to be missed. It's magical and unique! " - Me