Cross Canada

[Impreza]

hey everyone...I live in Vancouver and my friends and I are planning a cross canada road trip for this june-july.

I'm just wondering if anyone knows of any hidden gems, fishing or golfing spots or anything else making worth going off the path for.

thanks!

-Clayton

[josee]

Clayton,

Not sure about fishing spots, however depending what type of fishing you are looking for, I know Ontario is great for bass fishing and Alberta is more for Trout fishing.

As for Golf, I would recommend a stop in http://www.kananaskisgolf.com/,
might be pricy, but not as much if go for Twilight golf. About 65.00 CAD including cart.

Have Fun,

Josee

[mikeman]

I'd say that going via the Yellowhead rather than the main Trans Canada is worth the diversion . Quieter, calmer, and more of a holiday. Fewer McD's along the way though. Forces you into local diners and other "real" places.

[Impreza]

thanks for the help!

What can i expect to find in Yellowhead?

-Clayton

PS i manage an McD's so i want 2 stay as far away from them as possible on my vacation

[mikeman]

impreza,

The Yellowhead is a 3,500km long highway, not a particular place. It offers an alternative to the main Trans Canada Highway between the West Coast and Winnipeg.

The main Trans Canada is faster and shorter, so it carries most of the truck traffic and cars that are in a hurry. The Yellowhead is more laid back and has fewer services.

Have a look here for some of the attractions along the way:
http://www.yellowheadit.com/content/tourism/

From Vancouver you would head north to Jasper. There are a few choices for that section. The obvious route would be via Kamloops where you pick up the Yellowhead route north. I prefer to go up Hwy 97 and turn east at Hwy 24 to Little Fort.

If the Yellowhead option does appeal to you, I would add that the northern route across Ontario is similarly preferable to the main TransCanada. It may look like a longer distance but if you measure it on a map you will see that they are about the same distance to North Bay where they meet anyway.

[wheretonext]

how long should you take to cross canada? i thought it was so wide that four weeks would not do justice to your travelling. i am interested because i hope to visit this november, start in vancouver, or prince george, do jasper then cross to toronto. but with time constrictions i was considering plane.

now i find someone planning a similar trip in their annual holidays, which is how long? four weeks?

cant wait to hear. the Yellowhead highway sounds great. have to laugh about the McD's
last year i was in Jasper, just before the McD's closed, through lack of local patronage i am told.

regards
_________________
Leonie

travel is the essence of growing as a person.

[mikeman]

[wheretonext]

thanks for the information Mike. yes i did know that toronto is not near the east coast, so i should have been more specific. we are not used to driving in the snow, or for that matter on the " wrong" side of the road. but my husband is game. we chose november for the cost of the airfares, and time to save. we are visiting my daughter who is over there based in toronto for a year. prince george is where i have very good friends, so that explains that diversion.

i actually am looking forward to snow. i hope we get some and not just cold weather. at least i know now we can fit it in. ta
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Leonie

travel is the essence of growing as a person.

[mikeman]

If you do really want to do that trip in November, in the snow, then let me make two more suggestions.

I assume that you will be using a rental car. Very few rental cars come equipped with proper snow tires. When you are shopping for a rental car I urge you to demand that it have snow tires. You can confirm this on a Canadian car's tire by a symbol embedded in the rubber. It is a little peaked mountain with a snowflake. See it here: http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/tires/wintertires/menu.htm

The rental company will try to tell you that an "all season" tire is sufficient. It is not! Vancouver based car rental outlets are notorious for not providing "winterised" vehicles. Vancouver hardly gets any winter at all. The people there generally have no concept of what a car might need. I saw this all the time with people who rented in Vancouver for a trip up to Whistler.

Make up a survival kit to take in the car. Put enough in it to keep you warm and fed for 24 hours parked in a sub-zero blizzard, with no car heater. Just in case...

[wheretonext]

hey thanks so much mike. if we use a car, i will definitely make sure that i use your tips. perhaps after all we will fly. i really appreciate your input and care.
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Leonie

travel is the essence of growing as a person.

[Alice from TO]

Hmmm...has anyone suggesting taking the train from Vancouver to Toronto?
I am just getting ready to do it again and I cannot wait! Check it out:

Canadian Rockies vacations
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Alice from TO
http://travelcanadabytrain.blog.expedia.fr/

[kylemp]

You have to go thru banff or japser.. like, HAVE to
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