Why Canada?

[WDWFWfan]

Hi all, my family is considering our first trip to Canada next summer for vacation. I have never been to Canada before (with the exception of about 15 minutes in Niagara). I would love to hear everyone's advice as to what areas to visit and what to see and do.

We are interested in seeing the natural beauty of Canada and visiting the best that Canada has to offer (historic areas, traditional architecture, gardens, culture, etc.) We are not really all that interested in amusement parks, but might consider one for a short diversion.

Thanks for all your information.

 

[declansdad]

Canada is a huge country. Have you given any thought as to what part of the country or for how long you will be here?

 

[WDWFWfan]

Yea, I know that it is a huge prospect. However, I was hoping that some fellow Dis'rs might be able to help point me in a direction that would be the most interesting.

If it helps, we will have about two weeks and will probably limit our trip to the eastern part of Canada, just due to budgeting. If the budget allows, I would love to travel west instead and see the Canadian Rockies and perhaps the Vancouver area.

Still looking for advice to help narrow down the field. Thanks for responding.

 

[runner26.2]

if you want to see Canada's beauty head to the east coast. Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia & Cape Breton Island, and Newfounland are wonderful. You'll get to see Halifax, Charlottetown & St. John's as well as some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. the Cabot Trail, Gros Morne National Park & the Bay of Fundy (if you can fit that in) are places you'll never forget.

 

[Babyjustrun]

I am not very well traveled in this country, but I'd say go out West.
It looks beautiful out there from what I've seen, and there seems to be lots to do.
Living in an Atlantic province, I do find it beautiful, however, I find it quite dull and find myself trying to figure out why people would visit my province. Maybe it's just because I live here.

 

[aGoofyMom]

Well, living in Ontario, my choice is to go East (ok I have already been West a couple of times.)
In the next few years, my family plans to head to Nova Scotia, around Cape Breton, the Bay of Fundy, PEI (gotta try that bridge!) and hopefully someday, Newfoundland. I have been checking on these lately myself.

Quebec City has an old section which is abundant in history & archetecture - they do a lot of tourism so don't be too intimidated by the French thing...otherwise I don't know much about Quebec.

If you make it to Ontario, there are things you can find in the southern portion of the province, the "Golden Horsehoe" are takes you from Niagara around to Toronto and includes places like Casa Loma, the Royal Botanical Gardens, Niagara Wine Country, depending on when you are coming and your tastes, the Stratford Festival is renowned for Shakesperan plays...
Windsor has a beautiful waterfront and has Uncle Tom's Cabin - if you are interested in the Underground Railroad history as well.
The shores of Lake Huron & Georgian Bay are gorgeous - if you are hoping for a summer trip Wasaga Beach!!!!

But I love heading a little North too - Huntsville, and the Muskokas are beautiful - that is "cottage country" for lots of folks around here. I haven't been farther north than that.

It is not uncommon for my to do weekend vacations in the summer - this year we visited Kingston - it is in Eastern Ontario, at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. We loved our boat tour of the 1000 Islands area. Kingston is "fairly" close to Ottawa - our nation's capital. They have wonderful museums and history there.

If you google the tourism boards for the provinces, you will find a lot of information - they will mail maps as well.

Can we hear from our friends to the west please? I would love some ideas of what is available in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta - I have made it there yet either!

 

[allissimmo]

If you are coming in the summer, there is plenty to do in Edmonton! We are known as Festival City (info below taken from edmonton.ca) and of course there is always West Edmonton Mall, the largest mall in the world, which has great shopping, nightlife, restaurants, an indoor amusement park, and an indoor water park. Edmonton is about 3.5 hrs away from Jasper/the Rocky Mountains.

The info below forgot to mention the Street Performers Festival which takes place in early July and is also one of my favorites http://www.edmontonstreetfest.com/2007/ - performances are free but most people make a donation of at least $1 to each performer.

2007
July

River City Shakespeare Festival
June 26 - July 22
Heritage Amphetheatre, Hawrelak Park

Capital EX Parade
July 19

Edmonton's Capital EX
July 19 - 28
Have your kind of fun at one of Canada's largest fairs. Enjoy 10 days of exciting midway rides, wonderful international entertainment, thrilling chuckwagon races, daredevil feature attractions, a colourful parade and much more.

Safeway Pancake Breakfasts
July 19-21 & 23-28
The first breakfast takes place July 20 in Sir Winston Churchill Square with remaining events held at Safeway stores throughout the city.

Taste of Edmonton
July 19 - 28
Sir Winston Churchill Square
Ten days of delectable food sampling presented by some of Edmonton’s finest restaurants. Stroll around the city's central core anytime between 11 am and 11 pm, and you’ll be pleasantly engulfed in aromas from some of the most delicious food available.

Grand Prix of Edmonton
July 20 - 22

Mascot Follies
July 22
Immediately following the Capital EX parade, families and children can enjoy this free event of crafts and entertainment in Sir Winston Churchill Square.

Sunday In The City
July 22
Held in conjunction with A Taste of Edmonton, Sunday in the City is a celebration of many of Edmonton’s favourite activities. Downtown streets surrounding Sir Winston Churchill Square are closed to traffic and come alive with street activities, music, mascots, street performers and entertainment for all ages.

Sunday In the City Tea Party
July 22
This dress Klondike event, hosted by Klondike Kate, is open to the general public at City Hall.

August

Big Valley Jamboree (Camrose) (this isn't in Edmonton but if you like country music at all, I hear it's the place to be)
August 2 - 5

Blueberry Bluegrass & Country Music Festival (Stony Plain)
August 3 - 5

Edmonton Heritage Festival - this is one of my personal favorites, it's so neat to see other cultures' tradition and sample the food.
August 4 - 6
The 30th annual festival is one of the largest of its kind in the world and features 50 outdoor ethnic pavilions and an array of performances, displays, demonstrations and cuisine.

CN Canadian Women's Open
August 13 - 19
Royal Mayfair Golf Club
Edmonton plays host to Canada's only LPGA Tour event in 2007.

Edmonton Folk Music Festival
August 9 - 12

Weekend to End Breast Cancer
August 10 - 12

Cariwest Festival
August 10 - 12

ING Marathon
August 11 - 12

Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival
August 16 - 26
One of the largest festivals of alternative theatre in North America. The Fringe includes plays, music, mime, street entertainment and more. The action starts with the Fringe Parade on August 16.

Edmonton Dragon Boat Festival
August 17 - 19

Edmonton's Labatt Blues Festival
August 24 - 26
This annual event features three days of national and international blues at Hawrelak Park Amphitheatre.

Symphony Under the Sky
August 31 - September 3
Hawrelak Park


Some nice places to visit are:
Alberta Legislature - the legislature building itself is beautiful, but during the summer it is a nice place to visit due to the fountain/pools and the grounds, you can have a picnic on the ground as well
Hawrelak Park - home to the Heritage Days festival, beautiful park.
Devonian Botanic Garden
Muttart Conservatory
Fort Edmonton is a nice "blast from the past" - a historical park (set in 1880s to 1920s)

We also have about 6 museums...

Sorry if I sound pushy or anything but I love living in Edmonton!

 

[Crazoo]

Stay in the US

Few years ago, $1US was worth $1.50 CDN, now it's only worth $1.05 CDN.

Do you plan on driving or taking a flight? I would suggest maybe going to Toronto for the majority of your trip and spending a few days in Toronto. Driving distance from Toronto to Montreal is about 4-5 hours.

 

[declansdad]

I think if you only have two weeks (driving) and want to see truly beautiful scenery, come to the east coast; New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. There is plenty of history in the area and unspolied views, especially along the coast.

I would suggest Fundy National Park and the Hopewell Rocks in NB; Peggy's Cove and the Halifax area in NS; and the Cavendish Beach area and Charlottetown in PEI.

 

[damo]

Gosh. That is like asking us if you should like country music or rock 'n roll. You need to decide what kind of scenery you want to see. We've got it all!!!

A coast to coast trip really needs more than 2 weeks. Choose east or west and then start planning from there.

Even though I live in the Toronto area, I would say that it isn't where you should focus your attention.

 

[DisneyFreak06]

I agree with most of the posters, that it depends on what you are looking for. Canada IS huge, and most Canadians have not been everywhere in Canada.

I am from PEI and I love it here. I love to travel and see other places, but there are days when I am driving along and just say "Wow, I can't believe how blessed we are to live here, it's so incredibly beautiful!". I couldn't even begin to describe the views here!

I've been to New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Ontario. I'd love to see the rest of Canada too, but I know that it will not be in one trip.

Good luck with your planning. I'd suggest looking at some tourist sites to give you some help too. www.gentleisland.com is the PEI tourist information site.
Hope this helps!

 

[WDWFWfan]

Hi and thanks to everyone for all the great ideas and yes I know that 2 weeks is not enough time to see all of Canada (my world's slightly larger than that)

I am interested in experiencing what I consider the traditional side of Canada. Rugged landscapes, interesting architecture, pristine environments. I know that I may be living in the fantasy world, , but you will envision the Canadian Pavilion at EPCOT, that's the Canada that I want to visit.

Anyway, I appreciate your input so far. I will be goggling all the destinations that you have mentioned so far. Keep the information coming and thanks!

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

I like Canada for a lot of reasons. American and Canadian cultures are quite similar so there isn't a drastic change at the border however there are enough differences that an American does feel the difference. Examples:

*different money
*road signs in kilometers
*temperatures in Celcius
*The Weather Network instead of the Weather Channel; TSN instead of ESPN.
*Esso instead of Exxon. The Bay instead of Macy's. Different stores in your shopping malls. Roots!
*Allegra off the shelf rather than by doctor prescription only.
*Lay's Potato Chips in Ketchup flavor. Yuck!
*you pronounce the letter 'Z' as 'zed' instead of 'zee' like we do!

Those are the ones that came quickly to mind. There are alot more.

BobK/Orlando

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

I've actually spent time all over Canada...grew up in Ontario, spent summers visiting family on the east coast, and now live in the west and frequently travel to the north.

As much as I love the east coast and the scenery there, IMHO nothing beats the west. In a very short period of time, you go from open prairie where the sky is immense to the mountains which are absolutely breathtaking. Edmonton, as suggested by a previous poster, is a fantastic city with a lot to do. A few hours west you get to the mountains which are fantastic. the drive along the Icefields Parkway from Jasper to Banff is IMHO the most scenic drive in Canada.

What I'd really suggest is do your homework and then decide what region you'd prefer. We can all offer our own opinions but it's so subjective. As a starting point, from what you've mentioned your preferences are I would focus my attention on either the east or west coasts.

Hope this helps;

Lee

 

[Babyjustrun]

Hi and thanks to everyone for all the great ideas and yes I know that 2 weeks is not enough time to see all of Canada (my world's slightly larger than that)

I am interested in experiencing what I consider the traditional side of Canada. Rugged landscapes, interesting architecture, pristine environments. I know that I may be living in the fantasy world, , but you will envision the Canadian Pavilion at EPCOT, that's the Canada that I want to visit.

Anyway, I appreciate your input so far. I will be goggling all the destinations that you have mentioned so far. Keep the information coming and thanks!

I suggest Quebec City. There is so many beautiful buildings there, a wonderful waterfall, a beautiful basilica (I'm not religious but the place was just mindblowingly pretty).

 

[WDWFWfan]

To whoever said that a picture is worth a thousand words, here's a few pic's to describe the side of Canada that I would like to visit.

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

This is Whistler, BC

This is Banff, AB

Not exactly sure where the other 2 are - could be a couple of places.

 

[WDWFWfan]

Thanks! It sounds like I might be considering west coast after all.

 

[Babyjustrun]

This is Whistler, BC


This is Banff, AB

Not exactly sure where the other 2 are - could be a couple of places.

I think the one of the garden is Butchart Gardens.

 

[carrie s]

The one is the garden in Victoria.Victoria is a very beatiful place.

The other pictures look like the rocky mountains.The rocky mountans is a very beautiful place to visit,I really recomend it.they have hot springs,you could go to banff or Jasper and gondila to the top of a mountainhttp://www.banffgondola.com/
You can go to drumheller http://www.dinosaurvalley.com/

The okanagon is also a nice place to visit with lots of mountains and lakes.