[Studlock]

Oh, I totally agree, if you're coming to Canada come to see the nature beauty. Cities, outside of a very few worldwide, are essentially cities but something like the Niagara Falls in a one-of-a-kind thing. It's to bad we don't as many First Nation historical (or rather pre-historical sites) sites as say even the States do because I feel like that that'd be a pretty unique experience for Europeans.

[cerveza_fiesta]

Shhh d'rek, don't ruin this for us. Somebody from away actually gives a shit about canada. It's a big deal.

let us have our virtual tourguide fun

This post has been edited by cerveza_fiesta: 07 January 2015 - 11:53 PM

[Mezla PigDog]

I'm kinda thinking exactly what D'rek says. I live a 30min train ride from London and a <£200 flight away from most of the major cities in Europe. Niagara Falls however....... Although Vancouver stays in my memory as a cool city I do mostly reminisce about the mountains and the lakes. I have 3 nights booked in Ottawa for my training course and exam and then I'm leaning heavily towards spending the weekend in Toronto and either rent a car or get a tourist bus trip to the falls. Montreal and Toronto aren't quite inspiring enough to justify the flights for Mr PigDog to come out and join me. Flights aren't booked yet, still time to decide though! Have to say I'm feeling hugely lucky to get a free trip to Canada, exam notwithstanding (it's supposed to be a really difficult one too!). And cheers for all the input. I love these travel threads

This post has been edited by Mezla PigDog: 08 January 2015 - 02:20 PM

[D'rek]

Mez, if you are indeed going from Ottawa to Toronto, here's my ideas for unique Canada things


In Ottawa:

1. Instead of staying in a regular hotel in Ottawa, stay in the Nicholas Street jail hotel (or is it a hostel?). It's an old-timey jail converted into a hotel/hostel! They lock you up in a cell for the night!

2. Go to the Diefenbunker (outskirts of Ottawa) - it was originally built in the cold war as a bunker and long-term fallout shelter for the heads of government. Now it's a museum of itself that you can tour around. (Even better would be the NORAD bunker in North Bay, but that's a 4-hour drive.) (And actually, I've heard this place isn't quite as good as it used to be. Anyone been there in the last couple years and know?)

3. Skate on the Rideau Canal. Eat a Beavertail while you're there. (technically you can get Beavertails without skating but it's just not the same)

4. Visit any national institutions that interest you. Parliament Hill is not going to be *that* much different than the UK parliament, but it has some neat bits (I really like the organ bells and the view of the river out back). Of the museums, the Aviation museum was my favourite (but that's partly because there's a runway out back and they were doing a vintage plane show on the day I went)


On the way from Ottawa to Toronto:

1. Fort Henry is the fort I was thinking of in Kingston. I'm not sure how common old-timey 19th century forts are in the UK... if a quick glance at the Wikipedia page interests you, it is worth checking out (and you'll be passing through Kingston on the way to Toronto even if you don't stop, it is not a detour). I think it is open all year-round, but the historical reenactments and special demonstrations are only in the summer so it'll be empty-ish in March.



In Toronto and environs:

1. Somehow, no one has mentioned the CN Tower, yet.

2. Niagara Falls!



In either city:

1. Try curling? (No idea how available that is in the UK, but there's rinks all over here so it's pretty easy to rent a sheet/find a short intro session.)

2. Try Screech! (though the experience isn't quite the same outside of Newfoundland)

[Blend]

D, on 08 January 2015 - 03:27 PM, said:

1. Instead of staying in a regular hotel in Ottawa, stay in the Nicholas Street jail hotel (or is it a hostel?). It's an old-timey jail converted into a hotel/hostel! They lock you up in a cell for the night!

It's a hostel, but only stay there if you're not afraid of ghosts, cause that place is haunted as fucking hell. I went on the tour of the place, and my friend was the one giving the tour, so she went out of her way to tell some of the creepier stories, and there is no way in hell you'd catch me spending a night in that place. NO. FUCKING. WAY.

[D'rek]

And if this thread were to get re-used by someone else down the line, here's some ideas of unique things to see/do in Canada that aren't anywhere near where Mez is going:



Tons of wild polar bears (Churchill, Manitoba)

Glacier walks (mostly in British Columbia, especially Jasper Park)

Screeching - proper Newfoundland Screeching, with cod (only in Newfoundland!)

Ice rafting - exactly what it sounds like. Lots of places to do it, but Quebec City's Carnivale festival is probably the best

Salmon snorkeling - literally snorkeling with Salmon. More impressive than it sounds (British Columbia)

Sparkling Hills Cryo Sauna - it's a spa in British Columbia where they freeze you to death or something like that

Narcisse Snake Dens - the most snakes you'll ever see in one place. Only in the spring, I think. (Manitoba)

Moses Run - People race on the seabed against the incoming tide of the Atlantic Ocean (Nova Scotia)

Little Manitou Lake - an extremely salty lake, like the Dead Sea, where you are so buoyant you can read a book (Saskatchewan)

Pool of the Black Star - a weirdly esoteric but architecturally cool building you tour (Winnipeg, Manitoba)

Sleeping Giant (Thunder Bay, Ontario)

Percé Rock (Quebec)

Gros Morne national park - particularly the tablelands (Newfoundland)





And, depending on where you're coming from, sometimes the best part of Canada is just going out into the wild and seeing huge expanses of mother nature that you may not have at home. No matter where you are in Canada, there's a well-preserved provincial or national park within a few hours' drive where you can camp/canoe/yurt/igloo/etc surrounded by serene nature.

[Abyss]

Some brilliant advice and lists upthread... (bloody hell D'rek, we need to make you an honorary citizen) ... a few follow-on comments...


I've seen Niagara Falls in Winter and Summer, and yes, Winter is very nice, but not nearly as impressive and also fucking cold and damp and Niagara/Niagara-on-the-Lake really suck in the Winter. The wineries are closed, the scenery is meh and unless you want to tourist shop and eat mediocre food, i say pass.

Vancouver is FAR. Lovely. But FAR.

Btw Quebec City has frozen falls. They're much smaller than Niagara, sure, but if you need to see frozen water falling off a cliff they'll do and then you go have awesome wine and fondue and stuff instead of Olive Garden.

D'rek's points about the great outdoors are all true, just keep in mind it's winter and potentially frikkin cold to the point of risk to life and limb. If you're interested in snowshoeing or dogsledding there are some excellent places near Ottawa I can reco. If you want skiing, go to Tremblant, or south of Montreal to Orford. Nothing else West of Ottawa is worthwhile til you hit the Rockies.

The Jail Hostel is cute, but just to be clear, it's very much a Hostel. If you're not paying for lodgings, aim for, in order... The Chateau Laurier, The Westin, The Lord Elgin, The Arc, Marriot, Sheraton, Delta, Novotel and check Tripadvisor for anywhere else unless it's a budget or location thing.


If Mrs and Mr Pigdog want to have a romantic, fun, interesting trip to Canada in the winter, i reco Ottawa/Montreal and work in Tremblant and/or Quebec City if convenient. No dis to Toronto, it's a great city, but it doesn't have much you cannot get in London.

[Blend]

Abyss, on 08 January 2015 - 08:36 PM, said:

The Jail Hostel is cute, but just to be clear, it's very much a Hostel. If you're not paying for lodgings, aim for, in order... The Chateau Laurier, The Westin, The Lord Elgin, The Arc, Marriot, Sheraton, Delta, Novotel and check Tripadvisor for anywhere else unless it's a budget or location thing.

The Lord Elgin is great if you like really old shit, but the rooms are small and not very comfortable, so I wouldn't ever recommend it.

Albert at Bay is pretty nice too, though.

[D'rek]

Abyss, on 08 January 2015 - 08:36 PM, said:

Some brilliant advice and lists upthread... (bloody hell D'rek, we need to make you an honorary citizen) ... a few follow-on comments...

Someday... someday...

Abyss, on 08 January 2015 - 08:36 PM, said:

I've seen Niagara Falls in Winter and Summer, and yes, Winter is very nice, but not nearly as impressive and also fucking cold and damp and Niagara/Niagara-on-the-Lake really suck in the Winter. The wineries are closed, the scenery is meh and unless you want to tourist shop and eat mediocre food, i say pass.

Maybe worth just noting here that if you have a choice of when you're going to visit central/eastern Canada, the time to do it is either February (when all the winter festivals like Winterlude and Carnivale are happening) or the summer (when everything else is happening). Only go in the spring if you want to see the bugs/snakes/grolar bears and only go in the autumn if you want to see the colourful foliage.

Obviously Mez doesn't have much choice when she goes, but someone else using this thread later might.

Abyss, on 08 January 2015 - 08:36 PM, said:

Btw Quebec City has frozen falls. They're much smaller than Niagara, sure, but if you need to see frozen water falling off a cliff they'll do and then you go have awesome wine and fondue and stuff instead of Olive Garden.

I think there's even one Quebec waterfall that's taller than Niagara... Monterey-something?

Not that the height of any waterfall in Canada is very impressive to other continents.

Abyss, on 08 January 2015 - 08:36 PM, said:

D'rek's points about the great outdoors are all true, just keep in mind it's winter and potentially frikkin cold to the point of risk to life and limb. If you're interested in snowshoeing or dogsledding there are some excellent places near Ottawa I can reco. If you want skiing, go to Tremblant, or south of Montreal to Orford. Nothing else West of Ottawa is worthwhile til you hit the Rockies.

Some provincial/national parks even have ready-made yurts with woodstoves (even free wood!) that are super comfy (and warm, just don't let the fire go out) and enable you to go snowshoeing/cross-country-skiing/winter hiking deep in said great outdoors.

But yeah, if you don't want to drive a couple hours and spend a night in a yurt, there's ample places that seem like endless wilderness quite close to the cities, like Gatineau Park.

[D'rek]

It's March!

What did you decide Mez?

Hetan, got your April west-end plans sorted? Anything that you're really excited about?

Studlock, still planning that eastern trip later in the spring?

[Blend]

It should be noted that it has been a very cold February, so the Canal is still going strong, be sure to take a skate while you're here!

[HiddenOne]

I don't need to go to Canada, those guys are so considerate, they sent us a little piece of home by way of the Arctic Jet Stream of Doom. Now the pesky critter is making sweet love to the Gulf of Mexico and we get to watch half of our country float away!

[Abyss]

Blend, on 04 March 2015 - 06:26 PM, said:

It should be noted that it has been a very cold February, so the Canal is still going strong, be sure to take a skate while you're here!

Fortunately the Canal-side pubs are ALSO going strong.

[Maark Abbott]

If you're into drums, don't forget the Sabian cymbal factory is in one of those really hard to pronounce plEhces.