'''Hudson''' is a town in the county of Vaudreuil, province of Quebec, Canada, about 60 kilometres west of Montreal. It sits on the southern shore of the Lake of Two Mountains, near the confluence of the Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers. Although now an easy 45-minute highway drive from Montreal, it was once an isolated village of mainly Scottish and English farmers, and briefly a lakeside cottage town. Much of its past can still be seen today, with large, turn-of-the-century homes, pretty lakeside views, tree-lined streets and the English-inspired architecture of the town centre. These features make it a popular daytrip for Montrealers, particularly in the summer.
Get in
'''By car'''<br>
From the island of '''Montreal''', take Autoroute 40 westbound. The most scenic route is to get off at Exit 35, turn right at St-Charles Avenue, and turn right at Chemin de l'Anse. This will take you along the shore of the Lake of Two Mountains (Lac-des-Deux-Montagnes) until you get to Hudson, at which point the name of the street will change to "Main". Drive another 4 km along Main road to get to the centre of town.[http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=45.488539,-73.752594&daddr=Chemin+De+l%27Anse+to:Main+Road,+Hudson,+QC,+Canada&hl=en&geocode=%3BFaZHtQId_sqV-w%3B&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=11&via=1&sll=45.460131,-73.902969&sspn=0.231176,0.617981&ie=UTF8&z=11 map] The trip from downtown Montreal takes about 45 minutes (except during Montreal's rush hour, when it will often take 90 minutes).
From '''Ottawa''', take Highway 417 eastbound. At the Quebec border, the highway changes its name to Autoroute 40. Get off at exit 22, turn left on Cote-St-Charles. At the end of Cote St-Charles, turn right on Main Road. Drive 1 km to get to the town centre.[http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Ottawa&daddr=Main+Road,+Hudson,+QC,+Canada&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=45.460131,-73.902969&sspn=0.231176,0.617981&ie=UTF8&z=9 map] The trip takes about 90 minutes.
'''By train'''<br>
From Montreal, one commuter train from Gare Lucien-L'Allier to Rigaud stops in Hudson every weekday at 5:20 pm. If you are returning to Montreal, one train from Rigaud to Montreal stops at Hudson on weekdays at 6:58 am. The train does not run on weekends. [http://www.amt.qc.ca/docs/pdf/train/Depliant_RG.pdf printable schedule]
'''By bus'''<br>
From '''Montreal''''s main bus station, a Greyhound bus leaves for Ottawa at 12:01 pm daily and stops on Harwood Boulevard in Hudson on request. This stop is about 3km outside the town centre. To get back to Montreal via this route, the Greyhound bus stops daily at the Hudson stop at 1:40 pm. [http://www.greyhound.ca/ website with schedules]
From '''Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue''', a minibus operated by CIT La Presqu'Ile leaves from John Abbott Campus bus stop (Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue) at 3:30 pm, 4:30 pm and 5:30 pm on weekdays and stops in many locations in Hudson. If you plan to return to Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue by bus, they depart from Hudson at 7:30, 8:30 and 9:30 am on weekdays. These busses do not run on weekends. [http://www.citlapresquile.qc.ca/ Schedule]
From '''Ottawa''', a Greyhound bus leaves the Ottawa bus terminal daily at 12:01 pm toward Montreal and stops on Harwood Boulevard in Hudson upon request, about 3km outside of the town centre. It returns to Ottawa daily at 12:35 from the same stop. [http://www.greyhound.ca/ website with schedules]
'''By ferry'''<br>
A ferry operates during most of the spring, all of summer, and most of autumn taking cars, people and bikes from Oka to Hudson across the Lake of Two Mountains. It leaves from Main Road, just east of Bellevue Street.[http://www.traverseoka.qc.ca/schedule.htm schedule] In the winter, the lake freezes over, and it is sometimes possible to drive over the ice across the lake from the ferry terminal to Oka (depending on weather conditions and ice thickness).
Get around
'''By car'''<br> The town centre is concentrated on Main Road. The centre of town can be traversed by car in two minutes. Driving the whole 20-km length of Main Road and Chemin de l'Anse can be quite scenic, with views of large country houses, farms, trees, and the Lake of Two Mountains.
'''By bicycle'''<br> Although Main Road/Chemin de l'Anse is quite narrow, one can often find groups of cyclists riding along this scenic route on summer weekends. Be aware that the north-south streets off of Main Road (Bellevue, Cameron, and Cote-St-Charles Streets) have very steep inclines at some parts.
'''By foot'''<br> Hudson is a small town; the town centre can be crossed by foot in 20 minutes. Summertime is the best time to do this; in the winter, cold and wind make walking unpleasant.
See
The town's architecture is quite distinct from most towns in the greater Montreal area. Some buildings date back to the beginning of the 1900s, while the new buildings have tried to copy some of the older building's features.
Most people who come to Hudson take a drive down Main Road to see the old houses, foliage and lakeviews. This is popular in the summer but perhaps best done in October, when the leaves turn fall colours.
Do
Visit '''Finnegan's antique market''' on Saturdays in the summer. Located on Main Road, about 4 kilometres west of the town centre, it always has some treasures.
'''Have a lakeside picnic'''. The town has two public accesses to the shore of the Lake of Two Mountains: Sandy Beach (in the centre of town) and Thompson Park (near Finnegan's market). Bring mosquito repellant. The best time to do this is Labour Day weekend, when the lake fills with sailboats for an annual regatta.
'''Have a lakeside drink or meal''' on the terrace of the Auberge Willow Place Inn restaurant. With a fantastic view of the lake and the town of Oka, this is probably the most popular tourist attraction in Hudson.
'''Watch a play''' at Hudson Village Theatre. Located in Hudson's historic train station, just behind the Chateau du Lac, most of its shows run in the summer. It features a variety of travelling companies as well as local productions. [http://www.hudsonvillagetheatre.ca]
Buy
For such a small town, Hudson has a large number of antiques and arts and crafts shops. Almost half of the town's businesses are devoted to this. Aside from Finnegan's market, you can find many of these shops as you stroll down Main Road.
Eat
Restaurant Clementine. 98 Main Road. own centre. 504588181. ttp://www.clementinerestaurant.com/EN/index.html. ue-Sat evenings. $$$. An expensive but excellent restaurant serving Mediterranean food with a French influence.
Restaurant Viviry. 10 Main Road. own centre, corner Yacht Club Road. 504585343. reakfasts, lunch, supper. . If inexpensive pizza, hamburgers, poutine, spaghetti or souvlaki are what you are after, this is an affordable family restaurant.
Willow Place Inn Pub&Restaurant. 08 Main Road. bout 2km east of town centre. 450) 458-7006. ttp://www.willowplaceinn.com/. unch & supper daily from 11am; Sunday brunch. $ (pub & terrace) $$$ (restaurant). This restaurant has good pub food, mediocre French cuisine, and its own ghost story (ask the waiters). But the real reason to go is for the lakeview on the terrace; many Montrealers drive one hour to Hudson just for this.
Mon Village Restaurant & Pub. 760 Cote St-Charles. ear exit 22 of Autoroute 40. 450) 458-5331. ttp://www.restaurantmonvillage.com. 1:30 am-11:30 pm. $. Pretty good pub food and a rustic atmosphere at reasonable prices.
Drink
There are only two bars in town:
'''Chateau du Lac''', perhaps the most striking old building in the town (corner Main Road and Wharf Road). Apart from the architecture, it is simply a small town bar.
'''Willow Place Inn Pub'''. A cozy pub in the English tradition.
Sleep
Beds and breakfasts are probably the best option for spending the night in Hudson. There are many old houses with retired owners who have turned a room or two into B&Bs. A Google search should turn up quite a few.<p>
Auberge Willow Place Inn. 08 Main Road. km east of Hudson town centre. 50 458-7006. ttp://willowplaceinn.com.
Hudson Inn. 0 Route 201. utoroute 40 Exit 17. 450 458-5194 . An affordable hotel off the highway between Hudson and Rigaud (15 minute drive to centre of Hudson)
Get out
The village of Rigaud is two exits west of Hudson on Autoroute 40. There is a scenic mountain there, as well as "sucreries", ie., maple syrup farms where tourists can go for a hayride and try a traditonal Quebec meal.
The village of Oka is across the '''Lake of Two Mountains''' by ferry. This is a quaint town with a cheese-making monastery, a large water park and a Mohawk Indian reserve.
Most residents of Hudson get out of town by spending the day in Montreal or the West Island, with occasional trips to Ottawa.