Scenic drives in Ontario and Quebec
Apr 9th, 2004, 03:07 PM
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Scenic drives in Ontario and Quebec
I'm going to visit Canada on april 30 - may 19. A friend and I arrive in Toronto, then continue (in this order) to Gananoque-Montreal-Quebec-Ottawa-Huntsville-Niagara Falls and back to Toronto. We are renting a car and want to know the best scenic route between each city. It does not have to be the shortest route just the most beautiful to see.
Apr 9th, 2004, 04:28 PM
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Assuming you are starting in downtown Toronto.
You have two choices to get out of town.
Ypour goal is to get to highway 401 from downtown. OOne scenic choice is to go east from downtown on any of several rpoads, and turn north on the Don Valley Parkway. This takes you through a deep valley with parkland on either side, and if the timing is right, you'll see vast fields of wildflowers, including daffodils, along thehiollsides. Or maybe dandelions, but what the heck, they're pretty too.
Or get on Queen Street East, and just drive east as far as you can go. Along the way, on a narrow urban strreet, you'll see old Toronto, new housing developments, hundreds of interesting shops, and you'll go through a neighborhood called The Beaches, which has great restaurants, speciality stores, some nice parks, and houses in the million dollar range (although most are less.OParralle to Queen Street East in the Beaches are genuine beaches and a boardwalk, and you might want to pause for a few minutes there.
At the end of Queen Street,you'll see an art deco masterpiece of a water treatment plant.
Then just follow the curve of the road, which will take you north a few blocks to Kingston Road. Turn right (east) on Kingston Road, and continue to Highway 401, and get on that for a while.
When you see signs for Port Hope, get off Highway 401 and go south toward the lake, and then head east on Highway 2 through Port Hope and continue along Highway 2 until you get to Cobourg.
Through Cobourg, and then back to Highway 401 until you see signs for Trenton.
There's a Royal Candian Air Force museum there that's informal and intersting, ifyou like this kind of thing. Get to downtown Trenton and find the road to Carrying Place and Prince Edward County. Look for highway 33.
Prince Edward County is an island (different from Prince Edward island, which is 1000 miles away)that also has beautiful beaches, at Sandbanks Provinccial Park. Looks juxst like the beaches on PEIsland, except the water is not salty and there are no jellyfish.
Follow Highway 33 through Picton, and on to Glenora, where a ferry takes you back to the mainland. Follow the road right into Kingston.
Get yourself to Gananoque.
When you leave Gananoque, look for signs for Thousand Islands PArkway, and folllow this as far east as it goes. It curves up and joins highway 401, and that gets you to Montreal.
Around Cormnwall you'll see some signs about lookouts and viewpoints for the St. Lawrence Seaway, and if you like locks and big boats, this is worth a visit.
When you get near Montreal, you'll see a choice between going towards Dorion or curving north and continuing on the Trans-Canada highway.
Take the Dorion turnoff (which is really more like just driving straight ahead)
There's a McDonald's with clean washrooms and staff that speaks good English in downtown Dorion, by the way.
Continue toward Montreal, but once you cross Ile Perrot, look for signs indicating the Lakeshore.
Drive down and follow the Lakseshore into more central Montreal. You'll see interesing homes, nice neighborhoods, and signs saying "drive slowly and if you want to go faster, go back to the highway." It's worth the slow drive.
BAK
Port Hope, Cobourg and Picton are all featured in my book about interesting architecture in Ontario towns.
BAK
You have two choices to get out of town.
Ypour goal is to get to highway 401 from downtown. OOne scenic choice is to go east from downtown on any of several rpoads, and turn north on the Don Valley Parkway. This takes you through a deep valley with parkland on either side, and if the timing is right, you'll see vast fields of wildflowers, including daffodils, along thehiollsides. Or maybe dandelions, but what the heck, they're pretty too.
Or get on Queen Street East, and just drive east as far as you can go. Along the way, on a narrow urban strreet, you'll see old Toronto, new housing developments, hundreds of interesting shops, and you'll go through a neighborhood called The Beaches, which has great restaurants, speciality stores, some nice parks, and houses in the million dollar range (although most are less.OParralle to Queen Street East in the Beaches are genuine beaches and a boardwalk, and you might want to pause for a few minutes there.
At the end of Queen Street,you'll see an art deco masterpiece of a water treatment plant.
Then just follow the curve of the road, which will take you north a few blocks to Kingston Road. Turn right (east) on Kingston Road, and continue to Highway 401, and get on that for a while.
When you see signs for Port Hope, get off Highway 401 and go south toward the lake, and then head east on Highway 2 through Port Hope and continue along Highway 2 until you get to Cobourg.
Through Cobourg, and then back to Highway 401 until you see signs for Trenton.
There's a Royal Candian Air Force museum there that's informal and intersting, ifyou like this kind of thing. Get to downtown Trenton and find the road to Carrying Place and Prince Edward County. Look for highway 33.
Prince Edward County is an island (different from Prince Edward island, which is 1000 miles away)that also has beautiful beaches, at Sandbanks Provinccial Park. Looks juxst like the beaches on PEIsland, except the water is not salty and there are no jellyfish.
Follow Highway 33 through Picton, and on to Glenora, where a ferry takes you back to the mainland. Follow the road right into Kingston.
Get yourself to Gananoque.
When you leave Gananoque, look for signs for Thousand Islands PArkway, and folllow this as far east as it goes. It curves up and joins highway 401, and that gets you to Montreal.
Around Cormnwall you'll see some signs about lookouts and viewpoints for the St. Lawrence Seaway, and if you like locks and big boats, this is worth a visit.
When you get near Montreal, you'll see a choice between going towards Dorion or curving north and continuing on the Trans-Canada highway.
Take the Dorion turnoff (which is really more like just driving straight ahead)
There's a McDonald's with clean washrooms and staff that speaks good English in downtown Dorion, by the way.
Continue toward Montreal, but once you cross Ile Perrot, look for signs indicating the Lakeshore.
Drive down and follow the Lakseshore into more central Montreal. You'll see interesing homes, nice neighborhoods, and signs saying "drive slowly and if you want to go faster, go back to the highway." It's worth the slow drive.
BAK
Port Hope, Cobourg and Picton are all featured in my book about interesting architecture in Ontario towns.
BAK
Apr 13th, 2004, 01:35 PM
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From Ottawa to Huntsville you can, in fact, travel through Algonquin Provincial Park.
Obtain a road map upon your arrival in Toronto and you will see that Highway 60 traverses the south end of the Park and is easily reached from Ottawa and Huntsville.
This is a scenic drive with plenty of lakes, rocky outcroppings, and a variety of forest types. Try to spend some time viewing the interpretive displays in the park and walk a trail or two to enjoy this beautiful area.
Spring wildflowers will be blooming and a myriad of birds should be in full song.
You will be in the park during a good time of year to see moose along the roadsides.
Have a great trip.
Jerry
Obtain a road map upon your arrival in Toronto and you will see that Highway 60 traverses the south end of the Park and is easily reached from Ottawa and Huntsville.
This is a scenic drive with plenty of lakes, rocky outcroppings, and a variety of forest types. Try to spend some time viewing the interpretive displays in the park and walk a trail or two to enjoy this beautiful area.
Spring wildflowers will be blooming and a myriad of birds should be in full song.
You will be in the park during a good time of year to see moose along the roadsides.
Have a great trip.
Jerry
