Coming to Canada!

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williams473

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Hey all,

So I'm going to take one of my two precious weeks I get a year for vacation go up to Canada for a solo road trip to clear my head and do some shooting along the way. I'm so tired of this old USA, and pending the results of our upcoming Presidential election I may have just had enough to start looking at emmigrating. Unless Obama wins, in which case I might give it another 4 years. I love Americans but our government just doesn't give much of a crap for us anymore - and the feeling is mutual. Don't need to bitch here about it though -- I need travel advice.

I've been to Toronto and loved it, and also to Montreal and had the week of my life on Rue St. Denis, in addition to attending the Blues festival and just generally enjoying the beauty of the city. However, I'd like to see a lot more of the surrounding rural Canadian landscape, and meet a lot of people along the way. Since I'm American I can't just enjoy myself - I have to work even while vacationing - so I'm also thinking of this as a scouting trip to see what life for my wife and four kids might be like. I'm already researching immigration law and how a yank goes about getting a job prior to living North of the border.

Do we have any Canadians on this site who might want to make some suggestions for out of the way places to visit in Ontario, with maybe only a day or so in Toronto? I am driving up from Pittsburgh, PA, so it's only about a 6 hour drive to Toronto, but I'd like to go North from there - maybe make the northernmost stop up in Algonquin Park for a night in the woods. Any good suggestions to wander to? I'm not neccesarily looking for "photo ops" or tourist locations. I don't want to shop - just get a week-long impression of life in Ontario, if that's possible, and shoot along the way. Thanks!
 
Well, you can't go wrong with Algonquin in the fall -- it looks spectacular. Arrowhead Park, just north of Huntsville, if you don't make it all the way to Algonquin.

Otherwise, so much to recommend...the entire Ottawa Valley area, particularly the towns scattered between Arnprior and Perth...Prince Edward County (near Belleville) is very interesting...

Just stay off the 401 and take the secondary roads and you'll see a bit of the province.
 
Sounds good Dave - I let you all know when I firm up my plans. And thanks to everyone for the advice on roads and regions. I'll definately have a ball planning this out. My wife is cool with it so it looks like a go. I'm actually putting together a way to fit some ideas together (in my head anyway) tying it into what I've been doing in the States in the last year, which has been sporadic and hard to move along, but I think that has been for a reason. At the moment this work (that doesn't exist yet) is about disallusionment with my Country, feelings of betrayal, feelings of isolation, and a need to escpae to an ideal (enter Canada,) which pragmatically I understand is not perfect, but since the 60's has symbolized a place Americans go when we've had it up to "here" with our country (or we don't feel like serving in immoral military actions,) so it works. Plus, Canada gave us ice hockey and Neil Young - I mean - that alone puts Canada at the top of the list for me.

At the moment I'm on B & H agonizing as to whether I should buy a pile of medium format or 35mm film - this isn't one of THOSE threads though. I'm not looking for advice in that regard - it's all part of the agony/fun of photography and I'll live with my decision. I am just trying to figure what this trip could mean for me, my work, and which medium will be the best vehicle for what I want to express. If I go 35, I'll shoot more and probably the work will feel looser and more tactile - maybe be more of a journal, wheras when I shoot medium format I work square and tend to get a little more technical with composition, and the work seems to me to be a little more direct and contemplative. I'm pretty sure I don't want to bring both, because I am hoping this is going to not only be a trip for shooting, but for a lot of introspection and refreshment, and I don't want to be thinking about anything technical as I go along - I want the pictures to come as easily as the bathroom stops - just part of the trip. Don't know if any of that blather makes sense - drinking a few beers tonight - anyway - thanks fellas.
 
It's been done to death by us in Ontario, but the Cheltenham Badlands along the Niagara Escarpment are about 40 minutes outside of Toronto and make a great stop to get some unique landscape.

2035866601_b322c62fdb_o.jpg


I live further North than you'd want to go in a day, but the Lake Superior coastline is just gorgeous in the fall and the drive from Toronto (starting at about Perry Sound) to Sault Ste Marie (where I am) is quite stunning this time of year. I am driving to and from Toronto in October and have scheduled an early start to have time for frequent roadside stops.
 
williams473 said:
with maybe only a day or so in Toronto? I am driving up from Pittsburgh, PA, so it's only about a 6 hour drive to Toronto, but I'd like to go North from there - maybe make the northernmost stop up in Algonquin Park for a night in the woods. Any good suggestions to wander to? I'm not neccesarily looking for "photo ops" or tourist locations. I don't want to shop - just get a week-long impression of life in Ontario, if that's possible, and shoot along the way. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Canada? the artic circle is pretty neat. Hunt for some moose.
 
"pending the results of our upcoming Presidential election I may have just had enough to start looking at emmigrating."

The Canadians have a Prime Minister called Stephen Harper. It seem apparent that he is only one of Bush's toadys.....you cannot escape if you emmigrate to Canada.

Canada is one beautiful country!
 
If you want tranquility, Killarney Provincial Park is the place for you. Portions of it is on the Georgian Bay coast (which is a part of Lake Huron). But there are many inland lakes in this park. You can take a canoe trip into the wilderness. Or if you are not a canoeist, you can take some hikes. When you are on top of Silver
Peak, you could see any trace of civilization around you. You can also take some shorter hikes starting from George Lake (ie., the main camping area) or hikes to the shores of Georgian Bay.

The park is about 4 hours drive north of Toronto (3 hours north on the main highway (Hwy 400, then Hwy 69), then 1/2 hour plus on a secondary road.

Tin
 
There is a Ferry from the Bruce Peninsula to Manitoulin Is. which is an interesting voyage. From Manitoulin you can go to Sudbury, North Bay, Algonquin, Ottawa, etc.

Each destination has its high points and there are many tourist information centres. I would be happy to show you around if you make it this far. 🙂
 
I highly recommend The County (as it's known) ... Prince Edward County, as someone else mentioned. It's very bucolic, the food, wine and artisans are wonderful ... just a very relaxing mood.

However, I can also recommend the following:

Bruce Peninsula -- depending on when you go, there might not be much going on and weather can get more "interesting" sooner than southern Ontario. But it is a spectacular area from the standpoint of just being increasingly rugged and gives you access to both Lake Huron proper & Georgian Bay. Lots to photograph, IMO, including along the way to The Bruce.

Stratford & environs. My home town. The town is pretty Victorian (though not in a tarted-up way like Niagara-on-the-Lake,) and of course the Stratford Shakespearean Festival is the main attraction. The surrounding area is farmland and peaceful and the southern part of Perth County and into Oxford County you get rolling hills and can get lost on some nice side roads.

Goderich -- you can't get a much prettier lakeside (Huron) small town without getting into schtick.

Kingston & Ganonoque -- small and accessible, and the are just north, the Kawartha Lakes area, is quite lovely.

Agreed to all the other recommendations, and if I am in T.O. when you are there, I may be able to come up as well.
 
Trius said:
I highly recommend The County (as it's known) ... Prince Edward County, as someone else mentioned. It's very bucolic, the food, wine and artisans are wonderful ... just a very relaxing mood.
Click to expand...

I will third that.

The drive btwn Sault Ste Marie and Thunder Bay is very beautiful with lots of interesting little spots.

If you can get your hands on it, try to look for a book called "Backroads of Ontario". You can get it for sure in any Chapters once you're in Ontario.
 
Soo to TB is my absolute favourite area in Ontario, bar none. I wasn't going to mention it because I'm not sure when Matt is making the trip. If soon, then yes, weather should be OK. But then, it's a LONG, long trip.

As for Harper ... shudder. Gawd help us if he gets a majority. [micro rant off]
 
I am pleasantly surprised that a couple of southern people mentioned the Soo to TBay run. I am very partial to it as I live here. As Trius mentioned it is a long drive from TO, 2 days at 8hrs a day. Maybe you could bookmark it for later reference when you have more time and make part of the Lake Superior Circle Tour. Harper and a majority makes me shudder.

Bob
 
Nikon Bob said:
I am pleasantly surprised that a couple of southern people mentioned the Soo to TBay run. I am very partial to it as I live here. As Trius mentioned it is a long drive from TO, 2 days at 8hrs a day. Maybe you could bookmark it for later reference when you have more time and make part of the Lake Superior Circle Tour. Harper and a majority makes me shudder.

Bob
Click to expand...

Are you in TB or the Soo or in-between? I've been in the Soo for 2 years but still haven't driven further than Pancake bay. I was supposed to go on a trip to Wawa this summer with another RFF member but we never got our schedules straightened out. I might have to do it on my own.
 
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