Unsure about when and where
Jun 3rd, 2003, 10:30 AM
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Unsure about when and where
Pardon my ignorance, but my husband and I are going somewhere in Canada this fall, probably end of Sept. or perhaps sometime in October. We've never been there and are curious about where, if anywhere will be somewhat warm. Interested in either coast. We'll be coming from Denver. Thank you very much!
Jun 3rd, 2003, 11:17 AM
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Although I have never been there in the fall, Ontario has a nice Sept. with the trees changing color etc. You may also enjoy the Okanagan area of British Columbia in Sept and early oct. - it may still be warm, the wineries will be harvesting, wine fest happening etc.
Jun 3rd, 2003, 06:04 PM
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We use weird language in Canada.
If you are in the far west, and say "east" you usually mean Ontario and Quebec, but if you're in Ontario and Quebec, "east" means the Atlantic provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland.
And if you're in Ontario or Quebec, "west" means anywhere from Manitoba to British Columbia.
And "warm" depends on where you are, much as it does in the USA. When someone from Denver thinks of, say, North Carolina, they may think warm, but to someone in Atlanta, you'd need to be talking Phoenix or Miami.
So, warm like North Carolina, say, would be only southern British Columbia, either the Okanogan area mentioned already, or Vancouver and Victoria.
But warm like New York, in contrast to the relative cold of Denver, well, that warm would include Toronto and Montreal.
I can't think of a better place to be at the end of September than the lower mainland of British Columbia, and Vancouver Island. The lower mainland is Vancouver, and surroundings.
I live in Toronto, and I'd rather be in Vancouver that time of year.
The east coast (NB, NS, PEI, Nfld) gets pretty cool and pretty grey by the end of September, and it gets pretty quiet. It's sort of like Maine. You might like it, but there are better times of the year to be there.
Depending on how much time you have, a good trip is to fly into Vancouver, spend a few days with no car, then rent a car, see the rest of Vancouver, then drive up the coast to Whistler and compare it to your own ski areas, and then back down the coast, take a ferry to Vancouver Island, go all the way across the island to Long Beach, which will fill you with awe about the power of the ocean, and then head down to Victoria. If you time it right, you take the southern ferry (there's one ferry north of Vancouver and one south of Vancouver over to Vancouver Island)and head straight to the airport, drop the car, and fly home.
Vancouver / Victoria give you a good feel for Canada, plus you have the ocean. Other parts of Canada are very different, but Van-Vic is real Canada, interesting no matter what you like to see and do. Somneone asked the other day about appliances; mostly, things will be very similar to Denver except the money is colored and signs at the airport are in two languages.
BAK
If you are in the far west, and say "east" you usually mean Ontario and Quebec, but if you're in Ontario and Quebec, "east" means the Atlantic provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland.
And if you're in Ontario or Quebec, "west" means anywhere from Manitoba to British Columbia.
And "warm" depends on where you are, much as it does in the USA. When someone from Denver thinks of, say, North Carolina, they may think warm, but to someone in Atlanta, you'd need to be talking Phoenix or Miami.
So, warm like North Carolina, say, would be only southern British Columbia, either the Okanogan area mentioned already, or Vancouver and Victoria.
But warm like New York, in contrast to the relative cold of Denver, well, that warm would include Toronto and Montreal.
I can't think of a better place to be at the end of September than the lower mainland of British Columbia, and Vancouver Island. The lower mainland is Vancouver, and surroundings.
I live in Toronto, and I'd rather be in Vancouver that time of year.
The east coast (NB, NS, PEI, Nfld) gets pretty cool and pretty grey by the end of September, and it gets pretty quiet. It's sort of like Maine. You might like it, but there are better times of the year to be there.
Depending on how much time you have, a good trip is to fly into Vancouver, spend a few days with no car, then rent a car, see the rest of Vancouver, then drive up the coast to Whistler and compare it to your own ski areas, and then back down the coast, take a ferry to Vancouver Island, go all the way across the island to Long Beach, which will fill you with awe about the power of the ocean, and then head down to Victoria. If you time it right, you take the southern ferry (there's one ferry north of Vancouver and one south of Vancouver over to Vancouver Island)and head straight to the airport, drop the car, and fly home.
Vancouver / Victoria give you a good feel for Canada, plus you have the ocean. Other parts of Canada are very different, but Van-Vic is real Canada, interesting no matter what you like to see and do. Somneone asked the other day about appliances; mostly, things will be very similar to Denver except the money is colored and signs at the airport are in two languages.
BAK
Jun 3rd, 2003, 07:50 PM
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Wow! Great info BAK, decision is made, Van/Vic it is, sounds exactly like what we're looking for. If I could be so bold and ask another question; what about trains throughout that region? My husband is curious about that one. Thanks so much BAK!
Romy
Romy
Jun 4th, 2003, 03:49 AM
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you could mix it up a little, fly into Vancouver and out of Calgary, Alberta and take the Rocky Mountaineer in between. This is a train that travels through the Rockies in the Day and has a stop at a nice hotel in the night. Takes two days. The train has a dome with huge picture windows.
Jun 4th, 2003, 10:03 AM
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There's a tourist train called the Royal Hudson that runs north out of Vancouver up the coast. It's an old steam locomotive that once hauled the Queen, which is when it got Royal added to its name.
The Rocky Mountineer mentioned above is interesting. It's a tourist-special train, as contrasted to a regular passenger train that takes tourists. I saw something about it the other day and did research and, if that is the trip you want, it sure sounds wonderful to me. Google search should help you.
VIA Rail is the Canadian passenger rail company for regular passenger travel. You could take it to Edmonton and then turn around and come back, but there are better things to do with your time.
Vancouver has an above-ground subway, so to speak, on rails, that's fun for a couple of dollars, too.
And the Seabus is a passenger ferry that's part of the bus system. This gives you the lowest priced chance to get out on the water, and takes you to an interesting neighborhood in North Vancouver.
BAK
The Rocky Mountineer mentioned above is interesting. It's a tourist-special train, as contrasted to a regular passenger train that takes tourists. I saw something about it the other day and did research and, if that is the trip you want, it sure sounds wonderful to me. Google search should help you.
VIA Rail is the Canadian passenger rail company for regular passenger travel. You could take it to Edmonton and then turn around and come back, but there are better things to do with your time.
Vancouver has an above-ground subway, so to speak, on rails, that's fun for a couple of dollars, too.
And the Seabus is a passenger ferry that's part of the bus system. This gives you the lowest priced chance to get out on the water, and takes you to an interesting neighborhood in North Vancouver.
BAK
Jun 4th, 2003, 01:55 PM
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Sadly the Royal Hudson and the Strlight Express, both tourist trains run by BC Rail were ended last fall along with all BC Rail's passenger service. It's a bloody shame because those two trains actually made money but I guess it became uneconomical to operate them once the rest of the passenger trains were taken out of service. Maybe, like the Rocky Mountaineer some private operater will reincarnate them.
Jun 4th, 2003, 02:56 PM
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If i had a few days off at the beginning of Oct. I would head to the Okanagan Wine Festival. Try doing a search and checking out the homepage for the Okanaga Wine Festival. As I previously mentioned, the Okanagan is very nice at this time of year...and can we quite warm. It is in start contrast to the thick forest of Vancouver Island....another place that I would also recommend. How long do you have to spend? are you renting a car?
