4 free Tickets, 8 days. What would you do?
 

My family (two children under 10 and a husband) and I have 4 free tickets on Delta to fly to Canada this summer. The landing choices are Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa or Fredericton. We'd like to land, maybe spend a day in whatever city, and then head out for eight days hiking, outdoor pursuits, and lots of open space. We don't want to camp but to stay in lodges or cabins...and we mostly just want to get out in the wide outdoors....but have good meals too...I know this is like saying "should I go to Atlanta, Chicago, or Philadelphia?' but, really, what city would you plan to land in?

If it was me (I live in western Canada), and I had 8 days, I would fly to Ottawa, spend a few days in the Ottawa area (including Gatineau Park across the river in Quebec), and then I wuld drive to Algonquin Provincial Park for the rest of my stay.
And I would post a question on this forum asking BAK where the best and most scenic places to stay are :-) !!

I am from Toronto, and based on the criteria you have noted, would choose Fredericton, New Brunswick.

New Brunswick, in my opinion, is one of our country's most under rated tourist destinations.

Fredericton is a pretty little city in the valley of the St. John River. It has an excellent art gallery and nearby is the King's Landing historical village which is my favourite of it's type in Canada.

The greatest appeal however is Fredericton's proximity to the Bay of Fundy and the Atlantic.

Nearby is Fundy National Park with very good hiking trails and great opportunities to experience the enormous ebb and flow of the Fundy tides.

Another possibility is one of my favourite places in Canada - Grand Manan Island. The ferry ride is fun and Grand Manan is a beautiful island with cliffs, boreal forests, beaches for exploring, several good hiking trails and a relaxed pace. The Island still has an active fishery and perfect little harbours with fishing boats and herring curing houses that are great subjects for photography. The Fundy tides can also be enjoyed here - some of the harbours empty and one can walk to some of the smaller adjacent islands at low tide. The lower Bay of Fundy, where Grand Manan is located is very rich and whale watching, especially after early August can be superb with excellent chances to see Northern Right Whales, Humpbacks, Minkes, Fin Whales and more.

If you are interested in birds, Grand Manan is on the Atlantic Flyway and has a large number of species including Bald Eagles and multitudes of seabirds.

Advance reservations are a must on Grand Manan.

Well known Hopewell Rocks are also in New Brunswick and could easily be included in one of several possible tour routes.

Northern coastal New Brunswick has an Acadian [French Canadian] culture with a chance to explore the local history, crafts and food. Kouchibouguac National Park in this area has more good hiking - this time in a landscape of low lying coastal forest and spectacular sand dunes. The beaches here are superb.
There also some mini golf courses and such in this area that your kids might enjoy.

Just a few thoughts. Please advise if this interests you and I can go into detail and add more possibilities.

cheers
Jerry

I live in Toronto and usually take my Canadian vacations in BC (where my family live). But a couple of years ago, we drove through Quebec and into New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. It was a wonderful trip. Given your interests, I'd recommend flying into Fredericton. I agree with Gannetmusic - it's a pretty little city, and there's loads to do in that area. We stayed there a night or 2, then drove to another town (Riverside Albert), which is closer to Fundy National Park. Beautiful area!

With my then teenage son I flew into Montreal, spent few days there, then train to Toronto, few days there, then a flight home out of Toronto. Do you have this possibility of an open jaw?