VILLAGE VACANCES VALCARTIER - WINTER FUN EXTRAORDINAIRE

Who says winter can be fun? The folks at Village Vacances Valcartier and thousands of fans who adore the self proclaimed "Fun Capital" where they also promise you'll discover the wild side of winter!

To this non-skier, non-skater, winter brings the blahs to life, but was I in for a big surprise when I decided to visit this year-round amusement park, or 'village' according to the promotional packages. Imagine leaving the comfort of Le Chateau Frontenac one cold and frosty day for a round of outdoor activities.

"Sure, why not?" I respond, completely unaware that there was indeed an Everest at the park.

It's a 20-minute taxi ride from Quebec City where a $20 passport guarantees a day of unlimited snow tubing unless you want to try the other optional activities like horseback riding (minimum height requirement of 4 feet), skating or sleigh rides.

Pick a tube, any tube. It becomes yours for the day or so you are there. Then join the line and wait your turn to hop onto the tube lift and be pulled up the slopes to begin having fun.

The tube runs are posted as facile (easy), difficile (hard) and tres difficile (harder). If you're a newcomer to this sport we highly recommend trying the first run. After a few rides we decided 'facile' was too tame and decided to try 'difficile' which added a few more bumps on a steeper and longer ride.

Before long, we're really into the spirit of things and guess what? It's time for 'tres difficile' - no more timid stuff, we're heading for the hills! On a weekday there are lots of kids and school groups with teenagers, but this was no time to think that our schooldays were way behind us. When in Rome, you do as the Romans do, and that was exactly what we planned to do - become 'big kids' - such a fun thing to do!

There's an art to sitting on that tube and hanging onto the sides - not much of a skill to master but it can be a challenge and there were many tubes that went hurtling down the hills minus their occupants.

I felt complete abandon once my tube and me began the swift descent on those icy slopes. Everything is a blur, but it's so exhilarating, who cares? And every time I zoomed down the hills the momentum grew and I couldn't wait to get up there and start all over again. When we tried it in doubles or groups we traveled faster and longer on the runway.

Ever heard of snow rafting? We didn't, but we parked our snow tubes and boarded the Avalanche for a thrilling ride. Half the fun is getting our vehicle to the starting edge (remember it's fully loaded with 12 passengers), and within seconds we were plunging downwards at breakneck speed across a white expanse of snow. And once is never enough, we had to do it all over again and again.

With all this togetherness going we had to try the Tornado, and just like its disastrous counterpart, it's quite a sensation spinning down the slopes at a furious pace, eight of us tucked in a giant tube! Amazingly youngsters enjoy these thrilling rides as much as the adults.

The optional mini-formula Grand Prix on ice is a great spectator sport, but there's nothing like getting behind the wheel and losing control (or so it seems). Just another opportunity to be a big kid again.

The highlight of a visit to Village Vacances Valcartier has got to be Everest. Getting up to the top is almost like climbing a mountain (okay I'm kidding), but you do have to lug your tube up three flights of stairs (I counted them and they numbered 15).

Fear and trepidation takes a back seat to the awesome panoramic view once you get to the top. I still can't believe I was crazy enough to become the lead tuber for our group of five. They sat one behind the other and wrapped their feet around the other person's waist, at the same time gripping the tube handles securely. Remember those close up shots of the slalom skiers at the Winter Olympics? Well, that's what it felt like when the attendant opened the gate and let us out. Our screams (of delight) echoed for miles as we traveled at the speed of lightning (at least that's what I thought) down the 110-foot vertical drop before zooming onto the slippery runway below.

It's almost beyond description, tearing down Everest. Even the faint-hearted and skeptics succumbed to the lure of the magnificent one, and before you could say "Jack Robinson" we were all lumbering up those stairs anxious to get to the starting gate for the thrill of a lifetime. Taking the plunge never felt so good, honestly. You haven't experienced the 'village' if you haven't conquered Everest!

After conquering the outdoors it's always a welcome break to grab a meal at one of the restaurants. Pub Lily Marlene features a great lunch, but try not to get a table when everyone else is there or the wait might be a long one.

Our menu of the day was a test of our high school French, but we managed to figure it out. The choice was varied - Lyonnaise Omelette, Bolognaise Penne, Filet of Sole with leek cream sauce or Parmesan Chicken Supreme.

Village Vacances Valcartier - a great way to celebrate winter. We can't wait to come back again for more fun and excitement, and this time we will definitely stay longer.