Smokyboy

Am exhanging my home in the Smokies with a couple from Bruce Peninsula. What can anyone tell me about this area? My wife and 2 boys (17 & 10) will be going. Any recommendations? How far driving to Niagra Falls? Weather in July? What language is mostly spoken here? Sorry if I sound like a country boy, but I am! Should we do Toronto? We have 5 days. The house we are staying at is on Miller Lake. Merci!

BAK

It's too late to answer in detail, but, English is the language, it's maybe three hours to Niagara Falls, and worth the trip, go on the Maid of the Mist boat to the bottom of the falls.<BR><BR>Yes, Toronto is worth a day, too. You could leave home int he morning, and head back up north afte3r dinner, if you are willing to drive at night.<BR><BR>July (middle to end) probably about 75-85 duringtghe day, 55-65 at night.<BR><BR>BAK

Smokyboy

Thanks BAK, I sincerely hope my ignorance isn't offending. We travel alot and have never been to Canada! When the opportunity came up to go we jumped on it and then realized how little we know about Canada. Thanks again for taking the time to help us, we really appreciate any info.

BAK

As a genral rule, lots of Candians welcome tourists, American or othrwise, who don't know much about us, based on the idea that you are at least curious and willing to learn.<BR><BR>We know a lot about the US because, among other things, we get most US television. Conversley, there's little Canadian news and tv is the USA.<BR><BR>There's a hiking trail along the top of the Bruce Peninsula tat reaches down to Niagara Falls, and my friend John has walked it, but in bits and pieces. Too far for a five day vacation.<BR><BR>BAK<BR><BR><BR><BR>

LJ

The Brtuce Peninsula is one of the (many) beauty spots of Ontario. It is the home of the Bruce Trail which another poster referred to and which while you can't do it all is well worth cheking out for access poiint near to your hhome base. I don't know Miller Lake specifically but this part of cottage country will be gorgeous in July and full of interest for you and your boys.

lolly

Miller Lake is a short distance from Tobermory. A morning there would be fun. This part of Ontario is very pretty in the summer. There are a few touristy things to do along highway 6, but no really large cities. If you plan on cooking, buy your groceries in Kincardine or Wiarton on the way up, so you don't have to pay through the nose when you get there. Also, it is not considered environmentally friendly to bath with soap and shampoo your hair in Miller Lake, and this will most likely anger your neighbours if they see you doing it. Hpoefully the home you are getting will have all of the amenities and you won't need to worry. Lion's Head is a neat spot to visit if you want to hike with your boys. There is a breathtaking view of the bay from a cliff in Lion's Head. Also there is a liquor store and a beer store in Lion's Head. Let us know which route you will be driving and I can make some more suggestions.

JMM

We have a cottage near Tobermory which is quite close to Miller Lake. Tobermory is about 10 - 20 miles north of Miller Lake. The Bruce Peninsula National Park is located near Tobermory. It has some spectacular hiking (Grottos,cliffs, the most beautiful water north of the caribbean (BUT COLD - since you are a southerner I don't think you will be able to swim in Georgian Bay) Tthe best hikes are along the Bay) which is too bad because the snorkeling is excellent (not many fish but incredible underwater rock formations in the clear water). DO NOT miss this park. Another great national park is The Georgian Bay Islands national park. From Tobermory you can get a boat out to Flowerpot island - great hiking and rock formations (hence the name of the island). Most of the boats that go to Flowerpot are glass bottomed and include a tour of some of the shipwrecks that abound in the Tobermory area. Be sure to take one of the boats that will drop you off and pick you up later - so that you can hike around the island. Tobermory also has a tourist office which will be only too happy to supply you with tons of info.Quite frankly with only 5 days I would skip Toronto ( I live here and it is a great city but The Bruce is much more unique and believe me you won't see it all in 5 days.) The weather in July should be warm but the nights can be cool on The Bruce (temp range 70-85).<BR>How are you getting there? If you are driving the route you follow may take you near the Niagara Falls - in which case I would recommend a stop.<BR>The Falls are about 4 hours from Miller Lake. If you are flying in - then chances are you will be arriving at Toronto - the drive from Toronto to Miller Lake is 3.5-4 hours. I can give you a ton of info about this area since we go up there every summer. BTW - by July it should be warm enough to swim in Miller Lake - which is shallow and warms up faster. You can also swim at Cyprus Lake (inside the National Park). The town of Tobermory is defintely worth a visit. It is attractive but can be busy in the summer - particularly on weekends. There are a couple of decent restaurants in Tobermory, 2 grocery stores and a liquor store. Watching the ferry arrive and depart for Manitoulin Island is interesting. (You can take the ferry to Manitoulin (about 1 and 3/4 hours)either with your car or as a foot passenger - the trip is quite pretty since you pass a number of islands on the way. <BR>There is also some lovely scenery near Lion's Head and Dyer's Bay (the road to the Cabot Head Lighthouse is narrow and dusty but worth the trip - the view of Georgian Bay are great.) On the drive up to the Bruce when you reach the outskirts of Owen Sound take the bypass road (clearly marked) and watch for the signs for Inglis Falls(on the right about 2 miles down the road). This is a great place to stop for a picnic or just to stretch your legs. There are washrooms and the falls are quite pretty - look for the viewing platforms on the left hand side of the falls .<BR><BR>Any more questions feel free to ask.<BR>If you like the outdoors, you will love the Bruce.

goldwynn

.......BAK?......what sort of statement was that?. &quot;Conversley, there`s little Canadian news and tv is the USA&quot;.<BR><BR>When one watches American channels that is what you get....American news. Ever heard of the CBC, CTV, TVO.....Global?<BR>Lots of Canadian News if one is willing to watch. <BR><BR>I can`t believe that you mean that.

GaryA

Gopldwynn, dum-dum, it was a typo! He meant conversley there's little Canadian News and TV in, (not 'is'), the US

Smokyboy

Thank you all so much for your suggestions and great info. Its kinda sad how little we know of our &quot;neighbors&quot;. I can't wait to visit and explore this section of Canada. I read alot and try not to get involved with the &quot;rivalry&quot; that sometimes is present on the travel boards between Americans &amp; Canadians, alas little do I know about the conflicts that occur. Just out of curiosty and in no way being confrontational what are some of the things that we as Americans tend to do to &quot;rub people the wrong way&quot;? Hopefully as a visitor to your country I would hope to never say or do anything that would insult or inflame. Again, BAK, LJ, lolly, JMM thank you for the valuable info you have sent! By the way the thought was to fly into Buffalo, rent a car there, visit Niagara Falls, then Toronto and Bruce Peninsula (4 days at the house on Miller Lake)Anybody have a better suggestion or idea? Open to all and do appreciate any ideas that y'all recommend!

Gavin

Most of us do not get our backs up all that easily and the fact that you are thoughtful enough to consider the issue indicates that you will have no problems. It is only those who appear to have a &quot;superiority complex&quot; who leave something of a bad impression. <BR><BR>P.S. Don't wear track pants to nice restaurants. ;-)

GaryA

Don't ask if the price is in US dollars. If it was it would say so. Don't ask what the price is in 'real' money. We tend to take offence at that. And try to use Canadian money, strange as it may look, because most stores and services don't give fair exchange.

GaryA

I should add that Niagara Falls is an exception to the above being that most of the people there at any given time are americans almost everything is priced in both currencies and most establishments keep two tills. On the other hand, last time I was there I did notice that using Canadian money gave me about a 5-10% advantage. Once you leave the tourist part of Niagara Falls the rules mentioned in my previous post apply.

goldwynn

Hey Gary.......this is dum-dum! Guess I got my drawers a shaking and a shivering over what I &quot;thought&quot; BAK stated. Thanks for the correction.....and I`m sorry to jump all over BAK.

LJ

I am a Torontonian and I have to agree that you just don't have enough time. I would save that visit for another trip. You can easily fly into Buffalo, see the Falls (Canadian side is best,IMO) and then up to the beauties of Miller Lake, Flower Pot etc. You will find that is a full itinerary without TO. <BR><BR>It is a very big cosmopolitan city (4MM citizens) and getting into the centre of the city by car, getting oriented enough to enjoy yourself and getting out would be more than a one-day visit is worth. But come back, you sound like the kind of vistors we like!

waltd

Hi Smokyboy: We used to own a 3-season cottage in Ela ( a few miles outside Bryson City) and truly loved the Smokies! Sorry to say we sold it a few years back.<BR>Anyway, I agree with those that going to Toronto may be a bit of a stretch, given your timeframe. Save it for another trip.<BR>Canada is a truly wonderful country and for the most part so are its people, who are gracious and accomodating. We now live in southcentral PA but used to live outside Buffalo for a few years and frequently went into Ontario, where we have good friends still.<BR>As for the excahnge rate, you gotta love it! I recommend using ATM machines to get Canadian cash. No commission and you get the official exchange rate. You will need Canadian cash for small purchases, and will get hammered if you exchange cash at time of purchase in the stores or at private exchange companies.<BR>One place you might consider driving to is Niagara-on-the-Lake, less than 90 minutes from Niagara Falls. The drive is beautiful and the quaint little town sits amongst Ontario's wine country. I don't think it's too much out of the way.<BR><BR>When you talked about driving times to Niagara Falls, you weren't talking about from NC were you? You are going to fly to Buffalo aren't you? For a 5-day vacation, driving to/from NC to Ontario will take too long. So presuming you are flying to Buffalo and renting a car, if you don't have passports for everyone, you will need certificated birth certificates and photo IDs for the adults and older children (around 17 or 18).Also, the Rainbow Bridge port of entry (which is closest to the Falls), or the Whirlpool Bridge which is also close by, tend to be very busy in the summer months and the backups both ways can be maddening! As an alternative, I mostly use the Peace Bridge, which is about 30 minutes to the west, which has many more inspection lanes and the waiting time is much less. Be advised that if you are flying from Buffalo on the return trip to figure in extra time for the reentry back into the States; the extra security almost guarantees this. Have a great time!!

Smokyboy

waltd I am so sorry but I totally missed your post! Thanks for the great information! I was born in Bryson City! Actually we are truly dissapointed as our travel plans to Canada have been &quot;put on hold&quot; so to speak. We were looking so forward to it. Yes we were going to fly to Buffalo. I will keep all your great suggestions in the &quot;archives&quot; for when we do go. And waltd if you ever want to vacation to the Smokies you are more than welcome here! We commute between Atlanta and our place in Smokies. Email me at [email protected]