Trans Canada Highway, the North part

[Jimmy Higgins]

I'm sketching plans for the next trip. I don't like out and backs and try to loop whenever possible. One possible trip is the North/East shore of Lake Superior (as in Canada). The Trans-Canada Splits at Nipigon , and I was looking at TripAdvisor and AllTrails as to whether that would be worth going up and around 11 to get back to 17. And they had almost no info for this area. It sounds like it isn't quite Labrador isolated, but it is rather isolated. Can't find much on it. Seems like a lot of cabins/hunting things, but no hike-able parks, no lookouts, though the park north of Nipigon might have a view or two. From the mapping, looks like everything drains to the Arctic Ocean, so that'd be cool to tread again in that territory. But that'd be a bit of extra driving for little pay off.

The plan would also include going down Rte 129 in another attempt of seeing Aubrey Falls. 129 is a gorgeous drive. And there are pull off spots to just stop and take a look. So if Trans Canada 11 was like that, cool. The most I could find was maybe a turquois pond, of which I can find no explanation about its color.

 

[Toni]

Let us know if you do this trip and how it goes. As I’ve mentioned before, we were thinking of driving east and north to Main, and then into Canada, heading back west along the Great Lakes. I’d like to see how we do on that trip before venturing further west, particularly because we haven’t driven through western mountains much—and in fact, haven’t even done a lot of the eastern mountains in some time. We have better vehicle now but we are also older and I’m more cautious. Also wanting to know how it goes to cross into Canada and to return to the US. My assumption is that I’d carry what is essentially a burner phone as I don’t want there to be any problems with my political rants on FB. But maybe I’m just paranoid…

I will say that going into Canada along Superior up to Thunder Bay, there is a big difference in land formations along the shores of Superior.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

I've already done the trans Canada (the lower stretch) from Thunder Bay to Wawa. It is a nice, but long drive. Pukaskwa and Lake Superior Parks are good destinations, and there are easily accessible waterfalls as well. There is also where the bear that inspired Winnie the Pooh was purchased by a doctor in the military heading to Europe for WWI. Not a lot of motela however. Marathon and Wawa was about it.

 

[ZiprHead]

When I was a kid, my dad took us as a family to the Canadian Rockies from here in lower Michigan. A whole crapload of us packed into a 72 Buick Estate wagon and pulling a small RV trailer. It turned me off on travel for the rest of my life.

 

[Old Woman in Purple]

Similarly, during my childhood my father was an airline pilot; we flew everywhere, on every school break. A good experience, on the main, re: seeing & experiencing all sorts of different places & all that.... But by the time I reached adulthood, I had developed a raging hatred of airports. Flying itself is fine, but I'd rather drive, or walk, or not go at all than have to set foot in an airport-hive-of-chaos-and-stress.

Jimmy Higgins: Whatever you decide for your trans-Canada trip, I also respectfully request descriptions & updates; would love to read about your adventures!!

 

[Toni]

Our family vacations were always everyone piling into the station wagon. Many summer weekends camping, with an occasional week long camping trip. Our family trips to Miami were all via car, from the Midwest on down —although when we went to Miami, we stayed overnight in a motel as it was too far to drive all in one go. Later, we traveled to Wash. DC and also to see Disney World the first year it was open, each of those trips involved camping in our family tent which is who I always say: Do NOT tent camp in Florida and also why I have an incredibly large bladder on car trips and am indeed a very quiet, go with the flow, no need to stop for me kind of traveling companion.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

That is why I like the Northeast. There is a great deal of stuff within short distances. We don't have the Rocky's, but we've got escarpments, lakes, large cities, lots of history, smaller mountains... all in between our actual destinations. You drive 10 hours of nothing out west. The destinations in the East usually aren't as grand, but there is bulk. And the drive itself can be great. Such as Route 2 in the Berkshires by North Adams or Rte 129 in Ontario. One of the Rte 9s in the NY is good as well.

 

[Toni]

That is why I like the Northeast. There is a great deal of stuff within short distances. We don't have the Rocky's, but we've got escarpments, lakes, large cities, lots of history, smaller mountains... all in between our actual destinations. You drive 10 hours of nothing out west. The destinations in the East usually aren't as grand, but there is bulk. And the drive itself can be great. Such as Route 2 in the Berkshires by North Adams or Rte 129 in Ontario. One of the Rte 9s in the NY is good as well.

It’s been a long time since I’ve lived out east but yes, that impressed me: how relatively close it was to go between NYC-Boston-Washington DC -Philadelphia with lots of mountains and lakes and of course coastline, seafood, etc.

 

[Tharmas]

I've driven the scenic route from Toronto to Montreal, along Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence river. Not recommended if you're in a hurry but highly recommended for the views. I've also taken the trans-Canada railway from Toronto to Vancouver. They took us through the really scenic part at night.