Okay, for us first time visitors to your lovely area...what are some of the most obnoxious/stupid things tourists do there (DON'TS!!!/what not to do!); and some of the DO's that will help make the trip more special?

Well, I guess we can start off by asking which lovely area you're going to be visiting?

And if you're coming from the US, don't complain about our taxes. We know what a great exchange rate you get and we don't want to hear about it! And don't ask, when in a store, "are these prices in US or Cdn dollars?". You are in Canada, the prices are Canadian!

Please don't make jokes about our "monopoly money" or ask where the snow is in July or why we, in Alberta, are not speaking French. Also please do not refer to our individual regional areas as 'states', they are 'provinces'...as for "do's" do what Americans usually do when they are here, act politely, graciously, tell us how much you like our beautiful country and just generally do what I hope we Canadians do when we are in your beautiful land. We both have so much to be thankful for.

Just be polite (as most American tourists are) and show appreciation for our beautiful land. Don't litter (although I am sure you won't) and we will appreciate your visit as much as you appreciate visiting. <BR> <BR>Have a wonderful trip.

I know it sounds silly, but when in Toronto and on an esclator, the rule is: <BR>"Walk left, Stand Right". People get especially annoyed when it's rush hour and someone is standing on the left side. Trite, I know . . .

If in Victoria, don't drive the wrong way down a one way street. But you probably will anyway. We purposely laid out our streets in a non grid pattern to confuse tourists.

I thought this would be a fun question, coming from a tourist destination ourselves...we know what drives us crazy (yes, we have high accommodation taxes too and it is much, much more expensive here than there...a fact that is definitely not lost on us)! Anyway, you're right Robyn, would help if we told you where....Vancouver, Whistler, Tofino and Victoria.

being friendly and gracious goes a long way with canadians. don't be surprised if we figure out your american quite quickly. Being Canadian is a subtle thing. <BR>The surroundings may look familiar and you may express how "American" everything looks. <BR>this would be a mistake. <BR> <BR>Take the time to talk to Canadians and you'll discover a tolerant, forgiving nature. Yes our taxes are higher, but our gov't services are important to Canadians. You'll find Canadians to be liberal, and big on social issues and environmental issues. <BR>When you see the beauty of British Columbia you'll understand why. It's impossible to visit our west coast and not appreciate the value of preserving our forests and oceans. <BR>

It's not obnoxious or stupid but tourists often get Victoria on Vancouver Island and Vancouver mixed up. A sure sign of a tourist is their pronunciation of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. They usually say Nan-ay-mo instead of Nan-eye-mo.

Colleen, <BR> <BR>I think that you'll be just fine while visiting. The fact that you're considerate enough to ask already puts you in the "good books" in my opinion. <BR> <BR>I think the general rule worldwide is, respect the people and the place you plan to visit in, and they'll respect you.

An odd thing about Victoria (I should just say different) is that no one seems to flag cabs in Victoria. We were staying with friends who had dropped us downtown and we planned to take a cab back to their home. We finally got a cab on the street, but found out that it's much more common to get someone to call a cab for you.

Just so you don't get the wrong idea, Brian makes the generalization of Canadians being Liberal. What he means is that Canadians in city centers tend to be Liberal while folk in more rural settings have more conservative leanings - same as in the U.S. At least that's what I discovered after relocating here from the U.S. 2 years ago. <BR>He is right that most Canadians are proud of their natural resources -- Don't litter would be my advice, Canadians can get rather nasty when someone does not respect the land.

Colleen - <BR> <BR>Do try the seafood, do try the B.C. wine (it'll endear you to the waiter, and it's better than you think), do try the local micro beer. <BR> <BR>Do not ask about the government in BC - it's a sensitive issue right now...and my fellow travellers gave you great advice..respect the land..do not talk clear cutting or oil exploration, do not complain about the twistty, little roads...(she's right, it's to confuse the tourists...) <BR> <BR>Do dress casually and do dress warmly - expressing genuine interest will melt those frosty Canucks pretty easily.. <BR> <BR>Inside tips...basketball are Grizzlies ( smile sadly and nod knowingly when they are mentioned...) hockey is the Canucks...(same response is fine) - Toronto is the enemy, Seattlites are considered 1st cousins... <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

Here's a fun web site - "An American's Guide To Canada" <BR> <BR>http://www.icomm.ca/emily/ <BR> <BR>Have a great trip!

People in Montreal stand in line for buses parallel to the street, rather than perpendicular to it the way we do in the U.S. <BR> <BR>When I was a teenager, I vacationed in Montreal with my parents, younger siblings, and grandparents. We were taking a bus somewhere, but there didn't seem to be a line at the bus stop -- just a handful of people standing alongside the curb. The adults in my family were nervous about being in a strange city and anxious about getting to our destination on time, so when the bus arrived, they said, "Okay, kids, here's the bus; let's get on!" and herded us up the steps. <BR> <BR>The two French Canadians standing next to us exchanged an amused "I told you so" look, and at that moment, I realized that we had inadvertantly pushed our way to the front of the queue! Even worse, they had expected us stupid Americans to do so. I have never forgotten that mortifying experience, and since then, whenever I've traveled, I've always tried to observe the locals and follow their lead.