Friday, September 4, 2026

Perce Rock

Perce Rock is located in Quebec, Canada in the Gulf of St Lawrence. I took this photo from my cruise ship as it sailed past the Canadian shores after leaving Prince Edward Island. We were miles away from the arch, hence the grainy photo. But I was thrilled when I got home and realized that I had captured the arch opening in some of the photos. Before leaving on our trip, I did research on arches along our route. I marked Perce Rock on my google maps. Our ship sailed through the Gulf of St. Lawrence, so I went out on the ship deck and started taking hundreds of photos of the shore. I had studied the online photo of Perce Rock, so I knew what it looked like. Once I spotted it far away on the shore, I continued to zoom in and take photos.

Perce Rock is located here: Perce Rock

Our cruise ship was miles away from the arch, but I zoomed in with both my camera and my phone and took as many photos as I could. After I got home and put the photos on my computer I was able to see the arch opening in some of the photos. I would love to go back to Quebec and visit the arch for a much closer look!

Some items that might enhance your visit to Canada

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Lonely Planet Montreal and Quebec City

Montreal and Quebec City Travel Guide

So You Think You Know Canada, Eh?

Quebec City Travel & History Guide 2027

Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick

Atlantic Canada

The St. Lawrence River Route to the Great Lakes

St. Lawrence River and the Thousand Islands

The Lighthouse Handbook New England and Canadian Maritimes

Our New England & Canadian Cruise

When we attended the Montreal Temple, we were on a cruise from Boston, Massachusetts, to Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Here are details about our cruise:

In August of 2026 my husband and I went on a New England and Canadian cruise with his parents and siblings, and his cousins. The cruise began in Boston, Massachusetts and concluded in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

We flew out to Boston a couple days early so that we could spend some time in New England before the cruise began. We flew from the Salt Lake City airport (SLC) into the Boston Logan International airport (BOS). We flew on Delta because we wanted a nonstop flight and we wanted a reliable carrier. We’ve had some less-than-desirable experiences with other airlines.

Upon arriving in Boston we picked up our Turo car in the economy parking lot. When we have visited Boston in the past, we just used Uber or walking to get around, but we would be traveling across the state and into other states, so we needed to have our own car. Getting to the economy lot at Boston airport is a bit of a journey, so I was really grateful when our Turo car owner said they would meet us at the cruise port for the car return, rather than having to take it back to the airport again.

We drove to our hotel, which was the Hampton Inn Boston Logan Airport, located here: Hampton Inn Boston Logan Airport Their official website is here: Hampton Inn Boston Logan Airport Driving in Boston wasn’t too bad. It is similar to driving in Salt Lake City. That evening we ate at Legal Seafoods, which was very good. They have several locations in the Boston area.

The next morning we drove from Boston to the northwestern part of Massachusetts – North Adams, so that we could visit the only white marble arch in North America. It is by an old marble quarry and is housed on Natural Bridge State Park. The arch is known as New England’s Natural Bridge. Unfortunately, it is all fenced off now, so you can’t get on top of it anymore. We were able to admire the bridge through the fence. It has a creek running through it and a man-made waterfall nearby. It is worth the trip to see, even though it is fenced completely. Their official website is here: Natural Bridge State Park and the google maps location of the arch is here: Natural Bridge of New England

We were only 5 minutes from Vermont, and I had never been to Vermont before so we drove into Vermont to get a snack at a convenience store in the small town just across the border. Then we drove back into Massachusetts and traveled across the entire state to the south, to Connecticut. We went to the Hartford Connecticut Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The google maps location of the temple is here: Hartford Connecticut Temple

After the temple we visited Mark Twain’s house, which is only about 20 minutes from the temple. We arrived too late to enter the house, but we walked around the grounds of both the Mark Twain House and the Harriet Beecher Stowe house next door. Mark Twain’s house is located here: Mark Twain House and its official website is here: The Mark Twain House and Museum

We drove back to Boston after that and stayed at our hotel. The next morning we drove to the Boston Massachusetts Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is located here: Boston Massachusetts Temple

Our Turo car owner was kind enough to meet us at the cruise ship dock instead of at the airport where we had picked up the car. It was so much more convenient to meet at the dock! We headed onto our ship, the Volendam by Holland America. Here is their official website: Volendam by Holland America

We stayed in a room with a window, but not a balcony. We were able to go out on the ship deck whenever we wanted to be outside and enjoy the view. We had a large family group and met for dinners each night, and sometimes for breakfast as well. We relaxed that evening and enjoyed family time on the ship, as we started to sail away from Boston. The cruise ship always departs from Boston on a Saturday. The stops are:

* Boston, Massachusetts - Saturday

* Portland, Maine - Sunday

* Halifax, Nova Scotia - Monday

* Sydney, Nova Scotia - Tuesday

* Prince Edward Island - Wednesday

* Day at Sea, cruising St Lawrence River - Thursday

* Quebec City - Friday

* Montreal, Canada - Saturday

Some people had purchased a two-week cruise, going both from Boston to Montreal, and then back from Montreal to Boston again. For me, one week was long enough. I purchased the internet package so that I had internet for the whole cruise, but did not purchase a drink package. There was free water, lemonade, and juices on the ship. Eating in the regular dining room was included in the cruise, as was eating at the buffet. We didn’t try any of the specialty restaurants that cost extra.

There was a mandatory drill on the first day of the cruise. Everyone gathered by their assigned life boat. They waited until every single person on the ship was out at their life boat before letting any of us leave.

DAY ONE: PORTLAND, MAINE, Sunday

We got off the ship when it first docked, and headed across the street to try to find an Uber. We couldn’t find one at first because it was early in the morning on a Sunday. But I really wanted to go to the Portland Head Light, the most photographed lighthouse in the United States. Finally we found an Uber and headed out to the light house. As we neared the light house I realized that we weren’t going to have much service out there. I was pretty worried that we’d get stranded out there without a way back. But I was determined to find the arch out there!

The Portland Head Light is located here: Portland Head Light and the arch is located here: Portland Head Lighthouse Arch We climbed down a side path on the mountain to get to the shore, climb through the rocks, and into the arch. There is a lot of graffiti near the arch. There are also lobster cages sitting nearby. You can stand inside the arch and have a beautiful view of the lighthouse through the arch opening.

There are a lot of other places to explore near the light house, such as Fort Williams. We shopped at the little stands near the light house. We were able to find enough cell service to order another Uber. He picked us up right by the light house and took us to one of the buildings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located at 29 Ocean House Road, Cape Elizabeth. We went to church with several members of our family, and then took an Uber back to the ship. It left at 1 p.m. that day.

DAY TWO: HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA, Monday

We had purchased the Hop On Hop Off Bus tour of Halifax. We went to the Citadel and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, the Public Gardens, and my personal favorite – the Titanic Cemetery, or Fairview Lawn Cemetery. We rode around in double-decker buses for the tour – one red, one pink, and one blue. We stayed out as long as we possibly could, in the last group to return to the ship. We ate lunch at Bluenose II Restaurant, which was very good and is very close to several of the bus stops. The Titanic Cemetery is very sobering. There is one grave that’s marked J Dawson, which is not the Jack Dawson from the Titanic movie, because he is a fictional character. But people from all over the world leave flowers at this particular grave. The website for the Hop On Hop Off Bus is here: Hop On Hop Off Bus Halifax and the Fairview Lawn Cemetery is located here: Fairview Lawn Cemetery

DAY THREE: SYDNEY NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA, Tuesday

We hopped off the ship in Sydney and decided to walk on the boardwalk and explore the town. We actually wandered to the movie theater and watched the new Spider Man movie. We did some shopping and then got back on the ship. It was our most laid-back day besides our day at sea.

DAY FOUR: PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, CANADA, Wednesday

We had purchased the Ultimate Anne of Green Gables Tour through the cruise ship, a 5 ½ hour tour. It was worth the money, and one of the highlights of the trip! We rode in a tour bus and heard about the author Lucy Maud Montgomery as we drove across the island. We first visited Lucy Maud Montgomery’s uncle’s home, where she spent a lot of her childhood. We saw hints of what appeared in her books, such as the Lake of Shining Waters by the house. We toured the house and met one of her posterity, who signed a first-edition Anne of Green Gables book that I had purchased. Her great niece was dressed as Anne and ready to take photos with whoever wanted them. We walked on Lover’s Lane and admired the different buildings on the property. That was my favorite part of the tour. It is called the Anne of Green Gables Museum, and it is located here: Anne of Green Gables Museum and their official website is here: Anne of Green Gables Museum You can see the fireplace where Lucy Maud Montgomery was married as you tour the house, as well as many other artifacts, and countless copies of her original books.

We drove past both Lucy Maud Montgomery’s birth place, as well as her grave. We also went to Cavendish Beach, where she enjoyed visiting and writing. And finally we went to the Green Gables Heritage Place, which is actually not tied to the author or the books, but is a place that Prince Edward Island created for tourists to go. It is a recreation of Anne of Green Gables. It is located here: Green Gables Heritage Place Their official website is here: Green Gables Heritage Place We bought a beaver tail to eat for a snack before returning to our tour bus.

After returning to the ship, most of the guests enjoyed going outside to watch as the ship went underneath the bridge which extends from Prince Edward Island to the mainland. It is called the Confederation Bridge and is 8 miles long. It is the longest bridge in the world over water that freezes in the winter. The official website of the bridge is here: Confederation Bridge The bridge was completed in 1997. The ship passed so close to the bottom of the bridge that everyone gasped and then cheered. It was a pretty exciting time to be on the ship!

DAY FIVE: DAY AT SEA, CRUISING THE ST LAWRENCE RIVER, Thursday

One of my sisters-in-law claimed to have seen several whales from the front of the ship, so I spent a lot of the day watching for the whales but never saw any. I did get to see what I think was Perce Rock as we sailed past it. It’s a sea arch located here: Perce Rock We went under four more bridges during our cruise, as we traveled down the St Lawrence River.

DAY SIX: QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC, CANADA, Friday

I have ancestors from Quebec City that I have been researching, so I was really looking forward to visiting the cemetery where they were buried, and seeing the town that they lived in. We rented a car from Dollar Car Rental, located at 44 Cote du Palais in Quebec City. First we visited a marker honoring the Robitaille Family in L’Ancienne-Lorette, the village that they were from, and then we visited the cemetery at Notre Dame de l’Annonciation in L’Ancienne-Lorette. We spent almost the entire day photographing graves there. We did go catch a peak at Montmorency Falls, although we didn’t have time to actually visit the falls or walk on the bridge or ride the cable car. Some of our family members did, though, and they enjoyed it very much. The streets in Quebec City are very steep. Another of our family members took a walking city tour and got completely worn out.

DAY SEVEN: MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, Saturday

The last day of our tour was docking in Montreal. We ordered an Uber and didn’t have any trouble finding one right away, even though most of the boat was exiting at about the same time. We found an Uber in only minutes and were on our way. We had him take us to our hotel because we didn’t want to pull our suitcases around although we could have paid to store our suitcases at the ship dock. That was Uber #1.

We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Montreal Airport We checked our luggage into the storage room at the hotel, since it was morning and our room was not nearly ready, and asked the hotel clerk where we could get dropped off to explore Montreal. She suggested being dropped off in the arts district. That was Uber #2

Place des Arts is located here: Place des Arts and was not quite what I had in mind. We somehow ended up in the middle of an Anime convention at the Montreal Convention Center, but we eventually wandered around past China Town, past the Notre Dame Basilica of Montreal, past Montreal City Hall, through and finally to the old port, Vieux Port de Montreal. We did a lot of shopping and ate some delicious gelato and blue lemonade with boba. It was a lot of fun to wander the streets with so many other people, enjoying the atmosphere of Montreal. So when you ask an Uber to drop you off in Montreal, ask for Old Montreal, or the old port. And if you are getting off the cruise ship in Montreal, know that you are already at the old port and don’t even need an Uber. From the old port, we ordered an Uber to take us to the Montreal Quebec Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That was Uber #3.

When our Uber driver pulled off the busy highway at the Montreal Quebec Temple, he commented that it was a hidden gem in the city. It is literally right off the busy road. It is a peaceful, beautiful, sacred place. You must be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to go inside, but anyone can walk around on the beautiful grounds and enjoy it. We were there for about 2 hours, and then we ordered another Uber to take us to Little Italy. We had to wait about 15 minutes this time for the Uber to arrive because there were not any closeby. This was Uber #4.

Little Italy was definitely worth the Uber stop in Montreal, especially because it happened to be the ItalFestMTL at the time, a celebration of Italian-Canadian culture that is held for a couple weeks every summer. The streets were packed with people, booths, Italian cars, Vespas, and so much more. We ate dinner in one of the Italian restaurants, which was very good, and walked through Lizzie Italy shopping and enjoying the crowds. It was one of the highlights of Montreal! When we were ready to head back to the hotel, we ordered Uber #5.

Our hotel offered a 24-hour shuttle every half hour on the 15 and the 45. We had an early-morning flight back to Salt Lake City, so we reserved a spot on the 4:15 a.m. shuttle. We were taken to the Montreal airport in plenty of time to find our gate, eat some breakfast, and board our plane without any issues. We had a 4 hour layover in Atlanta and then landed in Salt Lake. It was an amazing trip!

The Volendam

The Volendam Cruise ship was a smaller cruise ship than I have usually cruised on. In fact, I think the only "cruise ship" smaller was the ship that I cruised from Sicily to Sardinia, Italy for just an overnight cruise.

Getting checked in to our cruise was very easy and stress-free. We dropped off our luggage first, and then checked in through a series of check-points. Our rooms weren't ready yet, so we went to the buffet to enjoy some lunch. The buffet was open most of the time and had a very wide variety of food. It was one of the better buffets that I have experienced on cruise ships. There was water and lemonade available for those who hadn't purchased drink packages. The buffet changed slightly between lunch and dinner, and also between each day. I especially enjoyed eating at the buffet for breakfast. It was quick and easy, with lots of options.

Itinerary of the Volendam:

Saturday - sail from Boston, Massachusetts, depart 3 p.m.

Sunday - Portland, Maine, arrive 7 a.m., depart 3 p.m.

Monday - Halifax, Nova Scotia, arrive 10 a.m., depart 6 p.m.

Tuesday - Sydney, Nova Scotia, arrive 9:30 a.m., depart 5 p.m.

Wednesday - Prince Edward Island, arrive 7 a.m., depart 4 p.m.

Thursday - cruising the Gulf of St. Lawrence

Friday - Quebec City, Quebec, arrive 9 a.m., depart 5 p.m.

Saturday - Montreal, Quebec, arrive 7 a.m.

enjoying the buffet

Each day the Volendam changed the rugs in the elevators - it was actually quite helpful for remembering what day of the week it was.

Our room was a window room, not a balcony and not an inside room. When we opened the drapes it looked out onto the 3rd floor deck with lots of people walking past. But when we were out on the deck, you couldn't see through our window into our room.

the Volendam bench on the 3rd deck

departing Boston

this little hitch-hiker decided to leave with us from Boston

Here is a video of the cruise ship departing from Boston: Volendam departing Boston It was really fun to watch the airplanes flying over the cruise ship.

Arriving in Portland, Maine

arriving at the Portland Head Light

The Portland Head Light is the most photographed lighthouse in the United States

our first view of the Portland Light House Arch

The top of the Portland Light House Arch

view back at the light house

The Portland Head Light Arch from behind

the front of the arch, with a discarded lobster cage behind it

view of the light house from underneath the arch

view of the lighthouse from the arch

The Portland Head Light Arch

view from inside the arch

view of the lighthouse from inside the arch

the lighthouse through the arch

the Portland Head Light Arch from behind

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint building where we went to church in Portland

getting ready to leave the dock

"Bug Light" - small lighthouse our ship passed as we left the dock

Bug Light

the Portland Head Light, as viewed from our cruise ship

The Portland Head Light from the water

leaving Portland Maine

goodbye to Portland

Here is a video of our ship departing Portland, Maine: Volendam departing Portland, Maine

Here is a video of our visit to the Portland Head Light Arch: Portland Head Light Arch

Arriving in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Here is a video of our cruise ship arriving in Halifax: Halifax, Nova Scotia

It was so foggy as we approached Halifax, we could barely see past the ship deck!

Maritime Museum of the Atlantic

heading to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic at the first stop for the Hop On Hop Off Bus

shoes of the unknown child, who was later identified as Sidney Leslie Goodwin

some of the outside exhibits at the museum

St Mary's Basilica

the old burying ground across from St. Mary's Basilica

Public Gardens

The Halifax Public Gardens

The Queen's Gate

Halifax Citadel

Town Clock on Citadel Hill

walking around the streets under the Citadel

Blue Nose II was a delicious place for lunch

riding in the Hop On Hop Off Bus

Fairview Lawn Cemetery, the Titanic Grave Site

The grave of J. Dawson, some leave remembrances as if he was Jack Dawson (from the Titanic movie) but he is actually Joseph Dawson, a Titanic crew member

The grave of the Unknown Child, who is actually Sidney Leslie Goodwin

Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada

Here is a video of our ship arriving in Sydney: Volendam arrives in Sydney Nova Scotia

We didn't have any set plans in Sydney, so we walked around town, did some shopping, and watched a movie. It was a relaxing day.

The giant violin that greets you as you arrive in Sydney, Nova Scotia

We walked along the boardwalk

The Volendam

view out the ship window

Prince Edward Island, Canada

We purchased the Ultimate Anne of Green Gables tour through the cruise ship, which was 5 1/2 hours long and well worth the money!

driving across the countryside

our tour guide showed us this photo of a marriage proposal in the fields of Prince Edward Island

arriving at the Anne of Green Gables Museum, the ancestral home of Montgomery's uncle

The Anne of Green Gables Museum

The Anne of Green Gables Museum is the ancestral home of Lucy Maud Montgomery's uncle. Lucy Maud spent a great deal of her childhood here, and many references from her books can be found on the estate. The property is still owned by the Montgomery family. We were greeted by one of Lucy Maud Montgomery's posterity when we arrived. The official website of the Anne of Green Gables Museum is here: Anne of Green Gables Museum The museum is located here: Anne of Green Gables Museum

Google Maps screenshot of Anne of Green Gables Museum

Arriving at the Anne of Green Gables Museum, which was Montgomer's uncle's home and where the author spent a large amount of time growing up

This is the Lake of Shining Waters

Montgomery's uncle's home

inside the home of Lucy Maud Montgomery's uncle, where Lucy spent a great deal of time growing up

The fireplace mantel by where Lucy Maud Montgomery stood to be married

the banisters are all very short - it would be very easy to fall over them

the Lake of Shining Waters out the window

My husband and I posed with "Anne," who actually is a descendant of the author

The Lake of Shining Waters

My husband relaxing on the grass beside the Montgomery house

Matthew's carriage rides

driving away from the Anne of Green Gables Museum

driving across Prince Edward Island

The French River Viewpoint

My husband and I at the French River Viewpoint

The French River viewpoint is located here: French River Viewpoint

continuing the drive across the countryside

Lucy Maud Montgomery's birthplace

Our tour bus didn't stop at Lucy Maud Montgomery's birthplace, but we drove past it and our tour guide pointed it out. The official website of Lucy Maud Montgomery's birthplace is here: Lucy Maud Montgomery's Birthplace

The google maps location of Lucy Maud Montgomery's birthplace is here: Lucy Maud Montgomery's Birthplace

Green Gables Heritage Place

The next step on our tour was the Green Gables Heritage Place. This doesn't have any real connection with Lucy Maud Montgomery or Anne of Green Gables, other than a re-creation of what Anne's life would have been like. We enjoyed walking on Lover's Lane, into the Haunted Woods, and eating Beaver Tails at the cafe. The official website of the Green Gables Heritage Place is here: Green Gables Heritage Park

The google maps location of the Green Gables Heritage Park is here: Green Gables Heritage Park

actors portraying Anne of Green Gables and Diana Barry sat outside the house talking

Lover's Lane

Cavendish Beach

Lucy Maud Montgomery spent a great deal of time at the beach. She received inspiration for her writing as she sat on the shore watching the water. Our Ultimate Anne of Green Gables tour took us to the beach next.

The google maps location of Cavendish Beach is here: Cavendish Beach

My husband and I at Cavendish Beach

back on the road again

driving along the highway towards Cactus Pot, which is a fallen arch

our first glimpse of Cactus Pot

Cactus Pot is an arch that fell after the hurricane of 2022

the line of people getting back on the ship

removing the ramp, getting ready to sail

a look back at Prince Edward Island

The Confederation Bridge

Here is a video of the Volendam departing Prince Edward Island, and sailing underneath the Confederation Bridge: Departing Prince Edward Island

Perce Rock is an arch that we sailed past on the edge of Quebec.

It is located here: Perce Rock

Day at Sea, cruising the St. Lawrence River

sunrise on our Day at Sea

On our Day at Sea, we woke up to a ship full of towel animals!

One of our dressy nights for dinner

This is a video of the crew entertaining us on our day at sea: Volendam's Day at Sea

Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

almost to Quebec City

the shuttle from the cruise ship dropped us off and we walked to our rental car company

My ancestors are from Quebec City, specially from L'Ancienne-Lorette, so we rented a car and went to the cemetery where hundreds of them are buried. We went inside the church where many of them were baptized and married. That is how we spent most of our day.

A Robitaille family memorial, which is located only a block from the cemetery

The corner where the cemetery is located

Notre Dame de l'Annonciation

the cemetery offices

heading back to the cemetery

Notre Dame de l'Annonciation Cemetery

inside the Notre Dame de l'Annonciation

leaving Quebec City

The Notre Dame de l'Annonciation Cemetery

The Volendam departing Quebec City

Montreal, Quebec

Here is a video of our cruise ship arriving at our final stop, Montreal: Volendam arriving in Montreal, Quebec

arriving in Montreal

time to disembark the cruise ship!

We left the cruise ship and walked to where Ubers get picked up. We thought it would take a long time to get an Uber since everyone would be trying to get one, but it only took 5 minutes from the time we ordered it until our driver was there. Uber is a great way to get around Montreal.