Thursday, July 05, 2012

Plane, Train, Or Automobile - Just Get Me To Canada!

Having our Canadian friends here this past weekend has really made me pine for Great White North. We haven't been there in over three years. It's not by choice; we're not allowed to go up there anymore.

Well, that makes it sound a little sinister, like we've been banned from the country. It's actually nothing like that. The reason we haven't been to Canada is because our new truck is no longer "legal" up there - our wheelbase is too long. You'd think that would be a problem if there were tiny little streets and no parking, but we have 277 million-plus more people than they do in about the same land area. We're the country that's crowded. They're the ones with lots of space and no people. So why can't we drive up there??
We've already been to 11 of the 13 Canadian Provinces and Territories in our old truck, but I still have a whole list of places I want to go. Like Tofino in British Columbia (I want to go to the Wickaninnish Inn), Mont Tremblant and Quebec City in Quebec, my friend Kelly's new house in Ontario, Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia...oh, the list goes on.

But since we can no longer drive over the border (in the truck, that is), I'm just going to have to
look for cheap flights to Toronto, or Montreal, or Vancouver, or Banff. Who needs a truck, right? I'll just pack a bag and hop a quick flight to see our friendly northern neighbors.

Of course I want to go when the weather is icy cold, when the snow is fluttering through the air, and when I have to don a parka with a fur collar to keep warm. I know, I know, most people dream of vacations to a tropical paradise; my dream vacation is to be surrounded by drifts of snow that dwarf my 6' boyfriend.

I miss going to Canada, I really do. It's so beautiful and open and diverse, similar to the layout of our country, but with way more snow. My favorite trip was across the country in the winter. The snow and scenery were magnificent and because it was so cold, many of the scalemasters didn't seem to want to come out of their shacks. Bonus for us!

We have crossed the border in many places, from Blaine, WA to Sweetwater, MT to Champlain, NY to Calais, ME, but the busiest border crossing in the nation, to get into Canada from the United States, is the Ambassador Bridge from Detroit, MI into Windsor, Ontario. We've sat on that bridge in traffic many times. Personally, I don't mind since I know what's on the other side. Hell, if I can sit for four hours in traffic to cross the George Washington Bridge in New York, I can certainly hack an hour waiting to get into Canada.

They're
building a new bridge now, to alleviate some of the traffic on the Ambassador. Hopefully by the time it's done, they'll have also given some thought to the wheelbase restrictions and let us drive up there in the truck. It was such a great adventure traveling in our old truck, but to be able to travel across the country again in the future - we've done the the entire east to west route, all the way up through British Columbia and the Yukon, on the Al-Can Highway to Alaska - in the new truck with all the amenities of home, would be the most rockin' road trip ever. It wouldn't even feel like work.

So let me give you the top ten places in Canada I'm itching to go:

1. Québec City - specifically for the Carnaval de Québec and Le Château Frontenac hotel.

2. Mont Tremblant in Quebec.

3. Vancouver, British Columbia - the home of my friends, and a city we've yet to explore.

4. Tofino, British Columbia to go to the Wickanninish Inn.

5. The Banff Springs Hotel and Lake Louise in Banff, Alberta.

6. The Manoir Richelieu Hotel in La Malbaie, Charlevoix, Quebec.

7. Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.

8. The Château Laurier Hotel in Ottawa, Ontario. I was here over twenty years ago, but would love to go back.

9. Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. A cute little town that I've been to before, and would love to go back and visit with Ed.

10. Montreal, to really explore. We've been here before (there's a restaurant we went to that Ed still raves about) but haven't had a lot of time to explore.

That's the top ten list right now, but I reserve the right to change it up a bit. Our friends have already invited us to the see the Montreal Grand Prix, a Formula One race that takes place at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, for next summer. We almost went with them this year but they sold their extra tickets at the last minute. The event is so popular, you have to book hotels, rental cars and tickets now. But that trip will have to wait until I get a winter trip in because I'm seriously having snow withdrawals.

After spending a week in temperatures over one hundred degrees, I need me a little Canada lovin'.

 See you soon, my Northern Beauty!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2011:
Hello, Kitty. Who’s Your Friend?
2010: If It’s Good Enough For Homeland Security, It’s Good Enough For Me
2009: The Top At Dock
2008: Night Interrupted
2007: Just A Train And A Tree
2006: This Is One Lawn Boy I Have No Desire To See Naked
2005: Not So Cuddly

4 comments:

Gil said...

Also, the people are real nice as are the lobsters!

Evil Pixie said...

If ever you should decide to explore Vancouver, B.C. - let me know. I'm about 20 minutes south of the border crossing. ;)

Anonymous said...

if you want the west coast of Canada go to Langara lodge on the west coast for fishing check them out

Unknown said...

If your coming to Ontario I need to know in advance so I can be here to see you!!!! I really miss you!