Sudbury

The mining town of Sudbury used to bear the brunt of frequent unkind jokes. After all, didn't the U.S. astronauts go there to train in the type of terrain they were likely to encounter on the moon? Today, the greening of Sudbury, an ongoing reclamation project, has revived much of the landscape that suffered from years of logging, smelter emissions, and soil erosion. The town has earned numerous international environmental awards for its reclamation efforts—to date more than 8 million trees have been planted. What you see now is typical Canadian Shield country, with more than 330 beautiful lakes, rocky outcroppings, and sprawling provincial forests all within 100 km (60 mi) of Sudbury. The town has outdoor concerts, art centers, museums, and cruises on Ramsey Lake, the largest freshwater lake inside city limits in North America.