BS: Travelling in Canada

Subject: BS: Travelling in Canada
From: Will Bakker
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 04:20 PM

At the end of September my wife and I will fly from Holland to Chicago to attend my brothers wedding. Before that event we want to travel from Chicago to Nova Scotia for the Celtic festival during four weeks. We rented a car and want to sleep in motels/hotels/bed &breakfasts. Are there cheap hotelchains in Canada and what other possibilities are there?

Subject: RE: BS: Travelling in Canada
From: GUEST,pdc
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 04:43 PM

Well, first check your map -- flying from Holland to Chicago normally takes you past Nova Scotia, so you might save some money if you fly from Holland to Halifax, do your festival, then travel on to Chicago for the wedding.

On the other hand, given that the world is round, you might actually have a shorter hop from Holland to Chicago -- but it's worth checking.

Canada has a lot of Bed and Breakfasts everywhere, and there is one cheap hotel chain that I know of called Day's Inn. Should be others as well.

Subject: RE: BS: Travelling in Canada
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 05:34 PM

Travelodge Canada; Motel 8, Canada; Econo Lodge, Canada; Day's Inn, Canada- enter in Google to get rates, locations. All are low-end, but rates vary depending on location.
Most Bed and breakfast places are moderate to high, in my experience.

Subject: RE: BS: Travelling in Canada
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 06:12 PM

Checked halifax- No Days Inn, Travel Lodge rates from $45, no Super 8. Check with the Festival people for accommodations- they probably have some information.

Subject: RE: BS: Travelling in Canada
From: Strupag
Date: 29 Jul 03 - 03:07 AM

I'm sort of planning to go there myself this year (from Scotland).
What's a rough price for car hire?
Cheers
Andy

Subject: RE: BS: Travelling in Canada
From: Willie-O
Date: 29 Jul 03 - 09:19 AM

I think anyone from the UK will find Canadian prices for renting & driving, and hotel/motels, surprisingly low.

My advice is skip the chains. Drive till you're ready to stop. You won't have any trouble finding a motel with vacancy for probably $40 Cdn or less, travelling in September.

For Nova Scotia accommodations, check: http://explore.gov.ns.ca/wheretostay/wheretostay.asp. Look for places on the Ceilidh Trail (the southwestern part of the Island) and the Cabot Trail (going north from there.) Give yourself two free days to drive the Cabot Trail. DO NOT MISS THIS, and don't hurry it. It's awesome.      

Since you are travelling at the time of Celtic Colours, you will want to make reservations in Cape Breton, as soon as possible.
Around Cape Breton especially there are many small family-owned inns and B & B's. Maritime hospitality is famous everywhere. Far as I know there aren't any bad ones, just shades of great.

From recent personal experience I highly recommend the
Mabou River Inn. Among other virtues, (supernice folks, location and food), it's a short walk from the Red Shoe Pub, a great music venue.

Have a great trip. You will love it.

Willie-O

Subject: RE: BS: Travelling in Canada
From: Cluin
Date: 29 Jul 03 - 06:15 PM

If you get up by my neck-of-the-bush, this here little gem of a song by Wendell Ferguson will really hit home to you. Best one I know about travelling in Canada (along with a couple by Tamarack).



Rocks & Trees

Highway 17 runs in a roughly north by northwest direction across the Canadian province of Ontario, linking the remote towns and settlements.The rugged beauty of the land up there has inspired both paintings and poems. As a musician I have traveled this road many times...many, many,many times.    Wendell Ferguson

Rocks & trees, trees & rocks
If you've driven 17 you've seen lots
Though I dearly love this land
I've stood all I can stand
Of rocks & trees, trees & rocks

Rocks & trees, trees & rocks
Reams and reams of endless trees and tons of rocks
The whole north is just proliferous
With metamorphic and coniferous
Rocks & trees, trees & rocks

Rocks & trees, trees & rocks
Motel signs, hydro lines, and a flattened fox
Oh, construction site machinery
Is a welcome change of scenery
From rocks & trees, trees & rocks

"Bert loves Pearl", "John loves Jane"
Must each boy and every girl inscribe their names?
It's so quaint the way he told her
With spray paint upon a boulder
Bert loves John?

Trees & rocks, rocks & trees
A guy can quickly get real sick of seein' these
What's the deal with all the tourists
It's just shield here and some forests
And trees & rocks, rocks & trees

Rocks & trees, trees & rocks
A double line and I'm stuck behind a dozen trucks
By the time you hit Kenora
You don't want to see no more-a
Rocks & trees, trees & rocks

Here's a break, it's a little lake
Cause I've seen all the you-know-whats that I can take
As I gaze down to the bottom
I can see it's filled with rotten
Rotten trees and rotten rocks, for Gods' sake!

Miles & miles & miles & miles & miles of trees
Piles & piles & piles & piles & piles of rocks
When God made this northern land, He
Must've ordered way too many
Rocks & trees, trees & rocks
Rocks & trees, trees & rocks
Rocks & trees, trees & rocks

Subject: RE: BS: Travelling in Canada
From: ToulouseCruise
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 09:28 AM

Wally-o hit it on the head, be sure to visit Cape Breton Island, on the Eastern end of Nova Scotia. I live in New Brunswick, which you would be passing through on the way... I would heartily recommend (if time allows) to cross the Confederation Bridge from Bayfield NB to Borden, Prince Edward Island -- it will take you to one of the most picturesque areas in Canada, and then you can cross over into Nova Scotia from the other end of PEI, taking a 1.5 hour ferry ride across.

Feel free to contact me at [e-mail] for any info on the area, I love helping people discover this part of the country!

Brian.

Subject: RE: BS: Travelling in Canada
From: black walnut
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 09:29 AM

Love that song - especially the way Wendell can still sing it with conviction every time!

I'm partial to B&B's and small inns in Canada, Will. You can do cost-comparisons on the internet, and if you have any specific questions or concerns, an email to a place will usually garner a quick and thorough response from the hosts. I think it's a great way to learn about the region and the people, and so much friendlier than a motel or hotel. You can find out about the best places to hike and eat and shop and hear music, right from the people who live there.

Enjoy!

~b.w.

Subject: RE: BS: Travelling in Canada
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 11:21 AM

Thanks for all your info folks.
It looks like my partner is getting out on official business so we only have to find one fair so that it makes it ever more probable that I'm going.
Never been to that part before but got lots of friends there.
I'll also have to get down to Pictou and see the Hector especially as it sailed from my home town of Ullapool (Loch Broom)

Mor an taing
Andy

Subject: RE: BS: Travelling in Canada
From: ToulouseCruise
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 11:38 AM

well, if you did go by the little advice I gave (travelling through New Brunswick then onto PEI), the ferry that crosses from PEI docks in Nova Scotia about 10 miles from Pictou NS, and is very close to Cape Breton, home of tons of festivals and nightly ceilidhs (although they would be getting sparse by the end of September). The land cools off quickly in this area in the evenings, so pack a warm sweater or two for your music circles around the campfire :)

Brian.

Subject: RE: BS: Travelling in Canada
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 03:30 PM

Hey I was the Cookieless guest (11.20AM)
Great song Cluin. You know I drive all around the Northwest Highlands of Scotland as part of my job and I can identify with it -especially if I'm weary and all those great mountains all look the same. I doesn't happen very often though.
Yesterday I was up in Shieldaig which is particularly beautiful but I was driving in single track road behind about 3 German camper vans. They are very welcome here but a bit of education about the needs of local drivers is required.
Any Brian I think the New Brunswick via PEI sounds good, especially as I have friends in PEI.
Thank again to all for all the really helpfull advice and hospiality.
It's now for some Scots frugality for the next two months!

Subject: RE: BS: Travelling in Canada
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 03:38 PM

I think Rita MacNeil used to run an inn or something in Cape Breton. WHat a great singer...

Do you know John Tuac from Ullapool? mg

Subject: RE: BS: Travelling in Canada
From: Cluin
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 07:05 PM

I never made it that deep into the Highlands myself when I was in Scotland, Guest. but I was impressed at how similar the country looked to my area along the north shore of Lake Superior.

Witness... I had a picture taken of me there and lots of people around here who have seen it think it is Northern Ontario.

Subject: RE: BS: Travelling in Canada
From: Burke
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 07:14 PM

Make sure your visa includes multiple entries. I've heard of people going from US to Canada & having difficulty coming back.

Do you realize how much driving is involved?

Subject: RE: BS: Travelling in Canada
From: Strupag
Date: 31 Jul 03 - 02:05 PM

Thanks Burke, I'll check on that.
Driving not a problem. Last year we drove from Skye to the Basque country and the year before we drove to Croatia - You would think that I'd get tired of it as I do up to 1500 miles a week with my job -no just mad!

And in case my cookie has gone again - I'm Strupag!