Pamela MacNaughtanLast Updated on September 2, 2024 by Pamela MacNaughtan
We’re on a winding rocky dirt road, light filtering through a lush canopy before giving way to a blue sky dotted with clouds. It’s a warm August day in Muskoka, Ontario and I’m driving a new silver Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV SUV with a black and tan leather interior. It’s a media event based out of Deerhurst Resort, and we’re convoying through secluded backroads, learning technical driving tips and testing out the features of the vehicle.
I am not an auto journalist, I’m a travel and food writer who loves to drive. The road is my happy place, it’s where I can let go of life’s stresses, disconnect, and breathe. The journey itself gives me the greatest joy. I want to soak up landscapes, explore random roads, and see how life differs from place to place. I love a small town or village, roadside restaurants, farm stands, mountaintop viewpoints, secluded lakes, and getting a little lost.
Muskoka
Muskoka is a superb place for driving adventures, there are plenty of small country roads to navigate, and at times little to no cell reception as you do so – how delightful! There is also this insanely fabulous pizza place called Pizza On Earth in Dorset that I must go to again in the future.
I spent two days at Deerhurst Resort, a short drive from where my dad was born and raised. When I wasn’t driving, I was enjoying a lake view from a two-bedroom suite at Lakeside Lodge, taking late-night swims, and sipping refreshing cocktails (Lemon Spritz is my current obsession). It’s a lovely resort, and I wish there was time to enjoy some of the activities they offer (axe throwing, SUP, beach volleyball, treetop adventures, and more!). Perhaps I’ll return next year with my teenage nieces for a few days, they’re learning to love road trips as much as I do.
ON-60, also known as King’s Highway, is one of the most scenic roads in Ontario, stretching from Muskoka to the Ontario-Quebec border, travelling through Algonquin Provincial Park and a few small towns along the way. I left Deerhurst Resort mid-morning on a Friday, the Outlander PHEV, destined for a dealership in Quebec City, full of gas and uncharged.
The drive through Algonquin Provincial Park was quieter than I anticipated, and I couldn’t resist putting the vehicle on gravel mode, driving to a couple of quiet lakes, and stopping at the Visitor’s Centre to see exhibits on the park’s natural history. I did curse myself for not leaving earlier in the morning as moose and other wildlife are often seen close to the road (there’s a wildlife sightings board visitors can update at the centre).
In Whitney, on the other side of the park, I dug into a homemade burger at The Mad Musher – and a couple of iced coffees – before continuing to the Quebec border, driving QC-148 to Gatineau.
Gatineau
Château Cartier is a 4-star château-style hotel surrounded by golf courses, a short drive from Gatineau Park. The rooms are spacious and the beds are comfortable, but the true highlights here are the hotel’s restaurants, KaTO and ONŌ Lounge, and Kōena Spa. A lovely place for an overnight stopover on the way home.
I sat at the white marble sushi bar at KaTO a Japanese fusion restaurant, opting to watch the chefs work their magic while sipping a Vesper Martini. It’s a beautiful spacious restaurant, with a delectable menu of Japanese and Korean dishes. Still a little full from lunch, I kept dinner simple, ordering flaming scallops and a KaTO Dynamite roll (spicy salmon, crab, and avocado). Delicious, and reason enough to return the next time I’m in the area.
Grey skies and rain greeted me when checking out the next morning and headed to Maison Oddo for fresh croissants. I fell in love with their croissants during a stay at Le Germain Hotel Ottawa last year. As it turns out, the croissants are just the tip of the pâtisserie goodness at Maison Oddo and I walked out with escargot au citron (insanely good), croissants, ça roule (pistachio, raspberry, and black currants), and a sous-bois, which is gorgeously creative and delicious.
Stocked up on plenty of (but also not enough) goodies from Maison Oddo, I drove through rain and light fog in Gatineau Park, sad to discover the Gatineau Parkway is closed to cars, but enjoying the scenery before driving QC-148 to Grenville, then switching to QC-344 which snakes alongside the Ottawa River. It’s a longer driver, through small towns, past the weed trail (what I call the 5km stretch of road just outside Oka that’s filled with a crazy amount of weed shops), and a couple of interesting Parks Canada National Historic Sites.
Driving into Old Quebec Saturday evening, I parked down the street from my apartment, did some laundry and packed for an overnight adventure to Lac Mégantic the following morning. The Outlander PHEV is due at the dealership sometime on Monday, staying home on Sunday sounds… wasteful.
Lac Mégantic
A 2-hour drive from Quebec City, Lac Mégantic is an ideal day trip or overnight adventure. Located in the Eastern Townships, Lac Mégantic is widely known for an oil tanker train accident and explosion that tore through the centre of town on 6 July 2013, killing 47 people and destroying more than ¾ of the buildings.
Today, the sparseness of the centre of town is striking, with a lovely memorial park and wide open spaces with sculptures. The old train station is a visitor’s centre with exhibits on the town’s past. The Musi-Cafe, which was destroyed in the accident, is rebuilt, and Parc des Vétérans is a great place to relax or enjoy a picnic. La Garnison Microbrasserie was my choice for lunch, sitting near the roll-up doors, sipping a glass of local craft beer and nibbling on a burger.
The cool air was a welcome treat after the humidity in Muskoka, and since Estello Suites & Spa has a thermal spa for guests, I headed over mid-afternoon. A grand house standing on the shore of Lac Mégatnic, a freshwater lake, Estello Suites & Spa is a delightful oasis. My French country-style suite was stunning, with a large balcony overlooking the spa and lake.
When I was ready, Gabriel guided me through the spa where I’m sure a massage chair spoke to us and a couple made their way to the red light therapy room. Outside, I hung up my towel and enjoyed having the spa to myself as I cycled through the hot tubs, eucalyptus steam room and saltwater pool. It was chilly enough outside that a cold plunge felt unnecessary. I’m not sure how I lived without Nordic spa experiences before moving to Quebec.
In the evening, I drove to Mont Mégantic in hopes of driving up to the observation tower, but I arrived too late in the day. ASTROLab, which is a short walk from the visitor’s centre, has a museum and offers stargazing experiences on clear nights.
24 hours in Lac Mégantic is not enough time to see/do/eat everything, but it is enough time to know I want to come back. I charged the Outlander PHEV overnight at Estello Suites & Spa and savoured the breakfast delivered to my room before heading into town to visit Dans le Petrin boulangerie (Merci, Gabriel!) and poke around town before heading to Mitsubishi Quebec to deliver the SUV.
The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how to write this section, mostly because I don’t want to sound like I’m trying to sell a vehicle. The use of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV was comped as part of a media event, and they paid for the gas back to Quebec City (as it saved them from shipping the SUV). Here are my thoughts/insights about it.
I used the ECO mode and set the EV to charge for most of my driving time.
- Deerhurst Resort to Château Cartier – 412km, 3/4 tank of gas. Fill up was 57 CAD.
- Château Cartier to Quebec City – 510km, 1 tank of gas. Fill up was 75 CAD.
- Lac Mégantic (round-trip) – 520km, 1 tank of gas + 87km EV. Fill up was 59 CAD
You can charge the EV while driving. It doesn’t fully charge this way, but it’s enough if you’re in a pinch.
Drive modes and other features:
- I used ECO and gravel modes the most. We tested the tarmac mode, which is meant for dry curvy paved roads, but it feels oddly heavy to me.
- I love love LOVE the size of the sunroofs in Mitsubishi vehicles. Everyone can enjoy the view, no matter where they sit.
- I’m a big girl and bucket seats can be very uncomfortable over time. Thankfully, the contour on the seats of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is not as deep as most.
- Heated steering wheels and seats are delightful, but massage seats are a game-changer. Glorious!
- I’m a girl who loves a gear shift that allows for quick changes (I make a lot of U-turns). Nuding the gear shift back or forward to change from drive, reverse and park feels odd, but I soon adjusted (it’s better than the dial gear shifts).
- Driving speed is displayed on the windshield as well as the dashboard. It’s low and small and feels annoying at first. It also displays the speed limit – which makes lying to the cops about not seeing a sign a tad challenging. I kind of like it.
- There is an inverter plug in the back for small appliances and now I want to go on another road trip to test it out myself. Maybe I want to airfry garlic bread on the side of the road, okay?
- Plugging in the Outlander PHEV is easy – just remember to hit the unlock button inside before trying to unplug. I learned that the hard way. Ha!
Overall, it’s a great vehicle. Truthfully, I fell in love with Mitsubishi during the pandemic when I was renting cars for small day trips. I like that the front passenger seat has the same features as the driver, which is not common. There’s also a good mix of comfort, ease, and functionality.
Here’s hoping my next rental SUV is a Mitsubishi, because if it’s not there is a lot to live up to.
À bientôt!
