Topic:->
Congratulations! You and your family have won a camping trip across Canada. You will
travel from St. John's, Newfoundland to Vancouver, British Columbia. This is your chance
to observe and appreciate the geographical, historical, cultural, and linguistic diversity of
Canada. At the end of the trip, we will fly you and your family back home to St. John's,
Newfoundland.
Newfoundland & Labrador
DAY 1:->
Our trip originates in Newfoundland & Labrador which lies on the East coast of Canada. St. Johns, the oldest city in Canada, and the capitol of Newfoundland, is our first stop. For our first historic site visit we stopped at Signal Hill. Signal Hill was named because of its role. People would send messages down to the town via a series of flags to let townspeople know what ship was coming in. Signal Hill is the second largest National Historic Site in Canada. At the top of this hill, is the Cabot Tower built in 1897 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of Newfoundland. This is the Tower from which the first transatlantic wireless signal was received by Gugliemo Marconi. Our view of the Narrows leading into St. Johns was limited because of the fog. St. John's is famous for its foggy weather. Due to poor weather, we then left St. John's and started our trip across the province.
As we drove, the weather improved, so we
decided to stop for lunch at Hotel Gander.
After lunch we proceeded on to Gros Morne
National Park, a World Heritage Site, which
has a rich variety of scenery, including the
magnificent Table Lands, and the Western
Brook Gorge.
The park covers 1805 square
km in the Long Range Mountains on
Newfoundland's Western coast. It is one of the World's most valued
natural landscapes because of its diverse land formations. Out past the Tablelands is a
small community called Trout River. In Trout River there is a provincial campsite, where
we stayed for the night. After pitching our tent, we went down to the waterfront in Trout
River to the Seaside Restaurant for Supper. We then drove back the Trout River Road, to
view the Table Lands, and to read the information posted on the lookout sites. This
information pertains to the origin and nature of the area. Because the evening was getting
short, we headed back to the campsite. On the way back the road we saw three moose,
which kept us captivated for several minutes. The weather in the Park today has been
exceptional. We have covered about 700 km today.
Day 2:->
We got up at 5:30 am, ate our breakfast in the chilly morning air, and got underway. We
arrived at the trail head of Green Gardens Trail at 6:15 and parked our van. Green
Gardens is an amazing array of geological structures including things like sea stacks, sea
caves, volcanic features, secluded coves, and sparkling waterfalls. It is an impressive trail
which is fairly long with steep sections. It takes about 3-4 hours to hike the trail. When we
got back out to the van we had a little snack. We then went back to the campsite to pack up
our tent and
belongings.
After
checking out
at the
Visitors
Center, we
headed for
Port aux
Basques to
catch the ferry to North Sydney,
Nova Scotia. When we got to
Corner Brook it was lunchtime, so we stopped at my Grandmother's house to eat and visit
for a while. Around 1:00 pm
we left Corner Brook to drive to Port aux Basques, to catch the ferry at 4:00 pm. The
Joseph and Clara Smallwood is a car/person ferry that runs from North Sydney to Port aux
Basques or Argentina. The Ferry was named after a former Premier and his wife. Once in
Port aux Basques we went straight to the terminal to purchase a ticket for the van and
Family. We were then directed to line up and to wait to board the vessel. Then at 3:30 pm
sharp the traffic started to move, and the boat was loaded by 3:53 pm. We set sail for Nova
Scotia at 4:01 pm. Once we left the province behind, we got all settled in for the six hour
journey. To keep the kids entertained we went for a walk on the deck because it was a
beautiful sunny afternoon. At 6:00 pm went for supper in the cafeteria. After supper we
went up on deck to watch the sun set, and then settled in the lounge to watch a movie. The
kids started to get sleepy, so we just let them sleep in the lounge chairs. In one hour we
would be docking.
NOVA SCOTIA
We got off of the boat in North Sydney at about 10:33 pm, and headed for Ingonish. Nova Scotia is a peninsula, surrounded by the Northumberland Strait and the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the south and east, and the Bay of Fundy to the west. It's connected to New Brunswick and the rest of Canada by a little piece of land called the Isthmus of Chignnecto. We arrived in Ingonish at about midnight. We went to Ingonish Chalets and booked a two bedroom log cabin, with wood stove for the night. Today we traveled 482 kilometers.
DAY 3:-> After a good nights rest,
we were eager to be on the move. We
treated ourselves to breakfast at a cozy
restaurant, and then headed to
Cheticamp at 8:00 am to do some
whalewatching. The family enjoyed the
splendor of several humpbacks out
playing and having lots of fun.
Following the tour we then went down
to Point Cross to the beach at 10:00 am
so that the kids could play in the sand. We left the beach at 10:45 am and drove to
Antigonish where we stopped for lunch at about 12:45 pm. After lunch we headed towards
Parrsboro. At about 3:30 we arrived in Parrsboro, the kids were excited about viewing
fossils for the rest of the afternoon. It was then suppertime and the kids were hungry, so
we went back into town and grabbed a bite to eat. After supper we headed for Upper
Nappam 40 km up the road. We stayed at a campground in Upper Nappan for the night.
After setting up the tent, the kids enjoyed roasting marshmallows over an open fire; The
kids were getting tired so we called it an early night. The weather for the day had been
very pleasurable, with a mixture of sun and cloud, and warm temperatures. We traveled a
total of 550 km today.
DAY 4:-> We got up at about 7:00 am this morning, and had breakfast . We then
packed up our belongings and headed for P.E.I.. To get to P.E.I. we first had to go through
New Brunswick.
NEW BRUNSWICK
New Brunswick is the largest of the Maritime
Provinces. It is nestled under Quebec's Gaspé
Peninsula. Its Northern Border includes the
Restigouche River and the Baie des Chaleurs.
The Eastern boundary is made up entirely of
Gulf of St. Lawrence coastline, and
Northumberland Strait. The Southern border is made up of the
Isthmus of Chignecto , which connects the province to Nova Scotia,
and the Bay of Fundy which has the highest tides in the world. To
cross over into P.E.I. We first had to travel through 50 km of New Brunswick. We first turned
off the main drag onto route 16 just before we got to Aulac. We then traveled straight up to
Cape Tormentine, and drove across the Confederation Bridge to P.E.I.
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
Prince
Edward
Island is
one of
the four Atlantic Provinces.
The Provence is crescent
shaped, and is located in the
Gulf of St. Lawrence. P.E.I. is
separated from New Brunswick
and Nova Scotia by the Northumberland Strait. Our first stop was in Charlottetown's
Ardgowan National Historic Site at about 10:45 am. Ardgowan was the home of William
Henry Pope, one of the Fathers of Confederation. Following the tour we went to Peakes
Quay Restaurant and Bar at noon. It is located on the waterfront overlooking the
Confederation Landing Park. The Restaurant has P.E.I.'s largest outdoor deck. After
Lunch we went to the Precious Memories Museum and Figurine Outlet. This is P.E.I.'s
largest and most prestigious gift and collectable center. After leaving the museum we headed
for Cavendish, arriving at about 2:15 pm. Cavendish is located on the northern shore of
P.E.I. in the Prince Edward Island National Park. After registering at the park, we went to
the campgrounds and set up our tent. We then headed for the beach for the rest of the
afternoon. Before we headed out for supper, we went back to the campgrounds to get dried off
and to get changed. We stopped at Fiddles & Vittles for supper. After leaving the restaurant
we headed south to Brackley Beach to see a move at a drive in theatre. This theatre is one of
the most distinctive drive-in theatres in North America. After the movie we drove back up to
Cavendish and took a stroll along the beach because it was such a beautiful day, before
turning in for the night. Today we traveled about 230 km.
DAY 5:->
In the morning we got up at about 8:00 am. and went back to Fiddles
& Vittles for breakfast, and headed for East Point, which is the furthest
point east in P.E.I. We went right out to the lighthouse, which is one of
the Islands "first generation" light houses. We then headed back East
on the Southern shore highway to West Saint Peters. The children were
anxious to go horse back riding along the beach. The family had a
great time on the Sheldon Gunn Trails. After the ride in the fresh air,
the children were hungry. We went to the Trail side Cafe and Pizzeria,
located in Mount Stewart, for lunch. The restaurant has a
rusticsetting, and is next
to the Confederation Trail and the Hillsborough River. We were ready
to leave for Borden at about 1:00 pm. We arrived at Borden, and
crossed the bridge. We were back in New Brunswick at 2:00 pm. Our
arrival time in Saint John was about 4:30 pm. We headed downtown to
the Delta Brunswick Hotel for supper. We left the hotel at about 6:30
pm and decided to do some sight seeing. We decided to go and see a
natural wonder called the Reversing Falls where the planets highest tides and the province's
longest river join forces, causing the river to flow upstream. After leaving the falls we went up
North to Oak Point Provincial Park. We checked in, set up the tent, and went to straight to
bed because everyone was tired from such a busy and beautiful day. Today we traveled about
620 km.
DAY 6:->
We got up at 7:00 am, packed up all of our gear into the van and went up the road to
Gagetown for breakfast. We stopped at Steamers Stop Inn for a hearty meal before hitting the
road. Our destination was Woodstock. We arrived at 11:30 am and decided to have a swim
before lunch at the Panorama Motel. After our fun in the pool and hot-tub it was time for
lunch at the motel's restaurant. After lunch the children amused themselves on the swings
while my wife attended to the laundry. At about 2:30 we headed for St. Léonard Provincial
Park where we had a game of frisbee. After our half hour game we started for Edmundston to
have supper at Hotel République City Hotels. After supper we went to The Madawaska
Historical Museum and the Gallerie Colline before heading to St. Jacques Provincial Park.
We arrived here at approximately 7:30 pm, checked in and proceeded to our campsite. Once
we had the tent setup we were anxious to get a fire going so that the children could roast
marshmallows. Since it had been such a dirty day, and was now such a beautiful evening we
decided to go for a walk around the park before turning in for the
night. Today we traveled 375 km.
DAY 7:->
Since it was a beautiful sunny morning we thought it would be nice to cook breakfast on our Coleman stove, and eat outdoors. After we had the dishes cleaned up, we packed up the tent, checked out of the park, and headed for Quebec. Our destination is Quebec City.
Québec
Québec is Canada's largest province It is
bordered by the U.S.A. , the Arctic Waters,
Ontario, and New Brunswick. The St. Lawrence
River which ranks among the greatest rivers in
the world, runs through the Southern part of the
province. We arrived in Québec City at noon. Since the old quarter of the City is a world
heritage site we thought that it would be an interesting place to eat lunch. Inside the old walls
we made our way down to the lower town to Place-Royale. We chose a restaurant in the
adjacent Petit-Champlain quarter. After lunch we moved on to Montreal, arriving at 4:00 pm.
We checked into Novotel Hotel. For supper we went to the dining room of the hotel. The meal
was superb. After supper, due to heavy traffic and not knowing our way around, we decided to
take a cab to the Biodome. It has flora and fauna from four different ecosystems: tropical
rain forest, a Laurentian forest, the Saint Lawrence marine environment, and the polar world.
Then we went across to Montreal's Botanical Garden, the second largest in the world, with its
picturesque Chinese and Japanese gardens and the intriguing Insectarium. We then headed
back to the hotel, put the children to bed and spent a few hours watching T.V. The weather
today was slightly overcast, with sunny breaks. Today we traveled 561 km.
Day 8:->
This morning we got up at 7:30 am,
showered, got dressed, and went to the
dining room for the buffet breakfast.
After breakfast we went back to our
room to get our luggage, and checked
out. Leaving Montreal at 9:00 am, we
headed to Hull. We arrived at 11:00
am and went straight to the Canadian
Museum of Civilization. We were at
the museum for most of the day, where
we had lunch. After the museum we
drove across the bridge to Ottawa for
supper.
ONTARIO
Our choice of dining was the Talisman Hotel. Following the meal, we went to my Aunt Jean's house in Gloucester to visit and spend the night. We spent a relaxing evening chatting and watching Television. Today we traveled 232 km. The weather was beautiful in the morning, clouding over in the afternoon.
Day 9:->
We awoke at 6:30 am to the loud clap of thunder. By the time we had showered, dressed and
eaten breakfast the storm had ended, and the sun was peaking through the clouds. We then
packed the van and said good-bye. This morning we will visit the Aviation Museum and the
Museum of Science and Technology. By the time we finished exploring the museums, it was
lunch time, so we located the cafeteria in the Science and Technology Museum and ate. After
lunch we headed for Parliament Hill where we toured the parliament buildings, strolled
through the Sparks Street Mall and went for a boat tour of the Rideau Canal. And when we
got back to the dock we went to the Town House Motor Hotel for Supper. After supper we
headed for the campgrounds at Camp Hither Hills, where we checked in and set up our tent.
The kids then wanted to go the playground and also for a swim. They were tired when they
got out of the pool so we went on to bed at 9:30 pm. After the early thunderstorm the weather
was fabulous. Today we traveled about 70 km.
Day 10:->
We awoke this morning to the sound of birds chirping, and the chipmunks chattering. We had breakfast, packed up our gear and checked out of the park at 9:00 am. Our destination today is Toronto. We will make several stops along the way. Our first stop will be Kingston where we will stretch our legs and have an ice-cream each. Our next stop along the way is Cobourg for lunch. We arrived at about 12:30 pm and went to the Best Western Cobourg Inn for lunch. After lunch we took a walk on the wharf, and watched the sea gulls flying around. By 1:30 pm it was time to head to Toronto so that we could get ahead of the rush hour traffic. We arrived in Toronto at 2:45 pm. While in T.O we decided to stay at the Indian Line tourist camp ground on the corner of Islington and Finch. After we checked in we headed east on Finch to the Pioneer Village, and then went to my Aunt Jean's in Weston. After an evening of reminiscing, we headed back to the park for the night. Today was a lovely day, with mild precipitation. Today we traveled 425 km.
Day 11:->
The children were very excited about going to the zoo, so they
were awake early, and ready to go. So we got up, showered,
ate breakfast, and headed for the Zoo! After a couple of
hours at the Metro Zoo, we left and went to the Ontario
Science Centre. After exploring the many Science and
technology exhibits we went to the OMNIMAX theatre. After
which we went to the cafeteria for lunch. After Lunch we
went to the McLaughlin Planetarium & the Royal Ontario
Museum. The museum is Canada's largest museum with
more than Six Million objects in its collection. After a tour
around the museum we head to Brad and Carla's on
Hounslow Ave. North York for a feed of Spaghetti. After we
spent the evening chatting we left and headed back to the
campgrounds so that the children could roast marshmallows.
The weather today was extremely beautiful, with beautiful
sunshine. Today we traveled 65 km.
DAY 12:->
This morning we got up at 8:30 am. By the time we showered, and made breakfast. This way we would miss rush hour traffic. We left the park at 9:30 am. And headed for the C.N. Tower and Sky Dome. We had lunch at Don Cherry's between the Dome and Tower. After Lunch we headed to Ontario Place. We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening here. We had supper at the outdoor restaurant. We left Ontario Place at 8:00 pm. And went back to the campgrounds and settled in for the night. The weather today was beautiful and sunny with a high of 25*c. Today we traveled 45 km.
Day 13:->
We got up at 7:00 am, prepared breakfast, ate, packed up our gear and
started towards Canada's Wonderland at 8:00 am. We arrived at about
8:45 am. We decided that we would only stay here for half of the day,
and then head north to Brechin where we would camp at my Aunt's
cabin. At Canada's Wonderland we got on some of the rides, went to
the marine park section were we saw a great show. After the marine show, we played some of
the games. After carrying on for a while we decided that it was time for lunch so we went into
the village at the entrance to the park and had lunch in front of the falls. At 1:00 pm. we
headed up north to my Aunt's cabin. We arrived at about 2:30 pm. When we arrived we went
down in the backyard to set up our tent. My Aunt Phyllis who lives next door to Aunt June's
cabin invited us over for a barbecue for supper. After supper the kids got out the old rowboat
and had fun on the pond for the rest of the evening. After that we went for a walk around the
pond where we visited my Aunt Jean. She also has a cabin in this area. We then went back to
the tent and settled in for the night. Today was a beautiful sunny day with a few scattered
clouds. Today we traveled 152 km.
Day 14:->
This morning we packed up our gear, went to Aunt June's
for breakfast and headed off for Parry Sound. We arrived
at 10:20 am. We gassed up the van, got an ice-cream each
and walked down to the wharf to see if we could see the
cruise ship leaving for its daily tour. Around 10:45 am we
were ready to leave Parry Sound and head off to Sudbury.
We stopped to take a picture of the children by the Big
Nickel, Sudbury's signature landmark, which is at the
entrance to Sudbury. At 12:30 pm. we then went on to
Brockdan Motor Hotel on Pioneer Road for lunch. After
lunch we drove to Science North which is 5 km west of
Sudbury. We spent a fair bit of time looking at the
Northern Ecosystem exhibit. The children especially liked
the easy to use laboratories and hands on exhibits. Around
3:00 pm we left Sudbury for Sault Ste. Marie on highway 17. We arrived at about 6:00 pm
and went to The Holiday Inn for supper. We left Sault Ste. Marie at about 7:00 pm for the
Lake Superior Provincial Park, Agawa Bay Campground. We arrive here at 8:20 pm,
checked in, and set up the tent. We then settled in for the night. Today was slightly overcast.
Today we traveled 770 km.
Day 15:->
This morning we woke up at 8:00 am, packed up our gear, had breakfast, and headed off to Thunder Bay. We got as far as Marathon, about half way to Thunder Bay. We stoped here for lunch at noon. We then went to Mink Creek Falls, where we took a stroll on the beach in Neys Provincial Park. We left at 2:00 pm for Thunder Bay. On the way we stopped at Nipigon to view the Terry Fox Statue, and to get an ice-cream. We arrived in Thunder Bay at 5:00 pm and went to the Valhalla Inn for supper and a swim. After the swim, we went to Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park where we stayed for the night. We checked in, set up the tent, and sat around the fire and relaxed while the kids had fun playing around. Today we traveled 590 km. The weather today, was excellent, with a high of 22*c.
Day 16:->
We got up at 7:00 am this morning, packed up our gear, had breakfast, checked out of the park, and were on our way to Dryden at 8:00 am. We arrived in Dryden at about 11:12 am. We went to a laundromat to do our laundry. We then went to the Dryden Museum, where the children had their picture taken along side the towns mascot, Maximillian Moose.
We then had lunch at the Chalet Inn Motel & Restaurant. At 1:30 pm we left Dryden for
Winnipeg Manitoba, where we arrived at 5:00 pm.
Manitoba
We decided to have
supper at the Kirkfield
Motor Inn. After supper
we went to the
Assiniboine Park to see
the Winnie The Pooh
Statue. We then headed
for the Beaudry
Provincial Park where we settled in for the
night. Today we traveled 668 km. The weather
today was overcast with mild drizzle.
Day 17:->
This morning we arose at 8:00 am, showered, ate
breakfast, and headed back to Winnipeg. We
attended church at the Westminster United Church
which is a heritage site. After which we went to
the Forks Market where we looked around and
had lunch. We left at 12:30 pm and went to the
Darkzone, a real life video game of laser tag. We
then went back to Beaudry Provincial Park to pack
up and check out of the park. After leaving the
park we started for Brandon. We arrived at 5:30
pm and had supper at the Colonial Inn. After
supper we went to the Oak Lake D & G campground where we checked in, set up our tent and
settled in for the night. Today we traveled 290 km. The weather today was exceptional with
blue skies and warm temperatures.
Day 18:->
This morning we got up at 7:30 am, had our showers, got breakfast,
packed up, and checked out of the park. Our destination today is Regina.
Saskatchewan
We arrived in Regina
at 11:45. We went to
the nearest
McDonald's for lunch. After lunch
we went to the RCMP museum until
2:00 pm, and proceeded to the Legislative building at the Wascana Center until 3:30 pm.
From there we went on to the Buffalo Found Provincial Park where we checked in and set up
the tents. Instead of going out, we decided that it would be nice to barbecue for a change.
After supper we went to Moose Jay to look at the outdoor murals, and later attended the
Saskatchewan Air Show to see the Snowbirds perform. After the air show we headed back to
the park and settled in for the night. Today we traveled 460 km. The weather was beautiful
with a scattered cloud.
Day 19:->
We got up at an early 7:00 am this morning, showered, ate breakfast, packed up and headed
off to Calgary.
Alberta
On our way to
Calgary we
stopped for lunch
at Cypress Hills
Provincial Park.
After lunch we
had a quick game
of frisbee, and then hit
the road for a long
drive. On the drive to
Calgary the kids
amused themselves
with coloring books and toys. We arrived
in Calgary at 5:45 pm after a four hour
and fifteen minute drive. We had supper
at my Aunt and Uncle's house. After supper we went downtown to see the Calgary Tower.
While we were there we saw a spectacular lightening display. After the exciting storm we
retired for the evening. The weather today was again exceptional with clear blue skies, except
for the thunder and lightening storm in the evening. We traveled a total of 770 km today.