Were motoring through Canada -- need tips. (page 3)

acsot

Good luck. From what I hear, if you don't speak french while in Quebec (Montreal and Quebec City), you're an outcast. My wife almost got arrested there for causing a disturbance - she was stopped from bringing food to her mother while at the Montreal airport. My wife got pissed off because people were yelling at her in French.
From what I've heard about Quebec, I don't want to go visiting there

Completely disagree. I live in Quebec and though I'm trilingual (English, French, Spanish), when I don't feel like speaking French in stores or restaurants, I don't. Quebec City will be a madhouse of tourists in July and August. I was there a few months ago, with visiting German friends, and we spoke English exclusively. If you visit small towns off the beaten track you'll probably find fewer English-speaking people, but I doubt you'll have time for that if you're planning on getting across the country in two weeks.

Before hitting Quebec City, stop at Tadoussac, (http://www.tadoussac.com/newsite/tourismeeng/accueil.htm) (notice the website is bilingual, English and French). Go whale watching, August is perfect timing.

While in Quebec, visit Montmorency Falls. For the hardy, there's a path up to the top (it's higher than Niagara), for the non-hardy there are cable cars. (http://www.rtsq.qc.ca/quebec/dc012.htm)

Montreal is very English-oriented, and all tours/hotels/b&b establishments, etc. cater to English-speaking tourists. However, I enjoy trying out the language of the country I'm in when I travel (although my Czech is horrendous ), just for the fun of it. People always appreciate it (as you would also, I'm sure) when others make a bit of an effort to speak their language.

You may hit some of Montreal's many festivals at that time, perhaps the Just for Laughs festival (I don't know the dates off hand). Last year many of the acts were in English only.

BTW, on the street where I live, the neighbours to my right, left and directly across the street are all English. Although the breakdown is 33% English in my neighbourhood, most people are bilingual.

If you or others in your party are the religious type, there are cathedrals, basilicas and places of pilgrimmage all over the province.

The Botanical Gardens are one of the largest in the world (I'm a member and have taken several workshops there), and the Insectarium is kind of cool ) (http://www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/jardin/en/menu.htm (again, notice the link is the English one).

Any other info on Montreal, just pm me.

Lady Lee

Aw come on Nos Manitoba is not all that bad. After all YOU are there

Manitoba - take plenty of mosquito repellant. They fly in swarms there

Once you hit the Ontario/Manitoba border look for a sign that says you are at the center of Canada. You have to take a picture. Nothing like being in the center of it all.

Manitoba

The Red River - one of the very few rivers that flow backwards - south to north. It is also BROWN. The river is silt heavy from the US and brings it all along with it to leave in Lake Manitoba north of Winnipeg
After you leave Winnipeg and get back into the country stop along the highway and get out of the car. Stretch your arms out side to side and take a look at the horizon. More sky than I could ever imagine.
The Winnipeg Zoo is right in the city. Cheap and a good place to see some animals that you might not see elsewhere - bison, moose, polar bears, elk, reindeer.
Winnipeg is also home to two bird sanctuaries Oak Hammock Marsh and Fort Whyte You might be a bit early to see all 400,000 birds at one time but it is a must see - well one or the other

Now Ontario.

There are two ways across Ontario - through the north Hwy 17 to Sudbury/North Bay or through Toronto and then north to Sudbury/North Bay

The northern route will take you through Ottawa where you will meet a few of us on JWD but then heads past Algonquin Park - a MUST STOP if you go that way. The scenery is awesome and wild.

If you take the southern path you can go on a short cruise through the 1000 islands in the St. Lawrence. A stop in Toronto is fascinating especially the downtown area. Toronto is full of apostates so they alone can keep you busy for a long long time..

A trip from Toronto to Niagara Falls is a nice days excursion and driving the slower sceneic route will take you throught Canada's wine country. It is down in this area where you can wander over to where Grace/Mouthy is. Getting back to Toronto you would take Hwy 1 north.

Both routes will eventually get you to the same place North Bay and Sudbury. From there you continue on Hwy one towards Manitoulin Island - also a wonderful stop along the way. Continue towards Sioux Ste Marie and through the mountains (which I never knew were there until I went through them in 1999). There are many awesome sites along the wayto Thunder Bay. and on to Manitoba

For some really odd reason I am doing this backwards.

Quebec

Well a stop in historic Old Quebec City is charming but personally I prefer Montreal. As long as you stay in the sightseeing areas you won't have much trouble with the language. Old Montreal and the Old Port can be a sightseers dream. The Bonseceours Market dates back to the first settlers in Canada. (Small note here - My great, great, great etc (dating back to 1600s) grandparents lived within a few cobblestone blocks of the market)

Old Montreal also has spectacular churches that are reminicent of Europe (Notre Dame is where I recall taking a group of JW kids to snicker at John the Baptist carrying a cross!!!)

The Old Port also is the home of Cirque de Soleil - a real treat if they are in town. Montreal is also full of festivals so check out what is going on at the time.

There is always more but that is a start

Nosferatu

Aw come on Nos Manitoba is not all that bad. After all YOU are there

I didn't say it was bad, it's just not much of a touristy province. He could come see the golden boy statue, or go fishing for dead bodies in the Red. Or how about that big penis on the Provencher bridge?

Fatfreek

Thanks, ascot, for your comfort to the English-speakers. Despite Mom's French, I took my two years of foreign language trying to learn Portuguese. That, with the intent that I would certainly attend Gilead and be off to some foreign land after high school. Most of our New Bedford (Mass.) congregation was Portuguese and I used to have fun going through my greetings with several of the elderly. I recently attended a spaghetti supper at our local Catholic Church (you heard me) and one of the servers, I was told, was from Brazil. She almost dropped her dishes when I asked "você fala a senhora nova portuguesa?". She brightened and came back with something which, of course, totally lost me and I quickly owned up to my ignorance.

Thanks, Lee, for your mosquito warning. One Discovery channel documentary seemed to imply that the whole mission of the annual caribou migration is to escape those little pests. That they lose something on the order of a pint of blood per day.

Again, thanks, for all those sites and their features. I am busy trying to place these all in some type of order.

Fats

jgnat

When you hit the prairies, take the Yellowhead (Highway 16).

http://www.yellowheadit.com/content/tourism/travelg.html

Finally-Free

My own experiences in Quebec were fine as long as I was there with my ex who is fluently bilingual. The French Canadians definitely know how to eat. You could easily spend an entire week just checking out restaurants in Quebec. You'll gain weight, but it's well worth it.

In Ontario there is much to see in Ottawa, Toronto, and Niagra Falls. Definitely drive along the Lake Superior route, and consider camping in Pukaskwa National Park for a couple of days. Visit the congregation in Marathon and go to the Sunday meeting. They will take you home and feed you.

You can easily spend a lot of time in Alberta and BC. Definitely check out the Butchart Gardens in Victoria BC. Banff and Lake Louise are beautiful.

I can't say much about the maritimes, as I've never been there. That will be my next trip. I only saw the prairies from about 30000 feet up, but it looked pretty flat to me.

W

jgnat

While motoring through eastern Alberta, have your picture taken beside the world's largest easter egg.

http://www.tabloidcolumn.com/easter-egg.html

mkr32208

A buick? WTH!?

No, no you need one of these my friend.

(This is genevie on mine on our last road trip)

Lady Lee

Something I did a while ago was find the links to each province's web site. They will send you maps and info for each province you will go to - and I think it is all free

The info will include maps, sightseeing, camping or places to stay - more info than you will need but the packets are well worth what you get

Each site should have infos for travel info. You have plenty of time to get each province's package before you leave

sammielee24

oops..I disagree wholeheartedly with Nesferatu...I meant to say you can get around quite easily if you only speak English! To me, the success of a trip usually depends on the attitude of the person taking it - if you are up for adventure and aren't a person who gets bent out of shape when things go awry, then it's all good. sammieswife.

Were motoring through Canada -- need tips.

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