Deutsch |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ontario and New England
a two weeks roundtrip with a rental car
|
|
|
|
Arriving in New York JFK and continuation of the journey
The cheapest flights from Europe to are those to New York, but the rental car is a bit more expensive there. The entry procedur is like the one in the neighboured Cuba, vexatious and stupid. You must abdicate all your rights the US constitution provides for anybody, an adress in the US is required (take any fictious) and you get in trouble, if you don't wright all words in English or if you don't use the US spelling ( 1 and 7 without cross).Manhattan
Don't worry, if you are in the States all is relaxed, even the policemen are friendly (if you don't commit crimes).The airport shuttle train takes you to the rental cars which are at station 4. From station 5 is a subway down to Manhattan for around 2 Dollars only.
At the rental station the try to sell you some expensive insurances and they insist that you pay for the first gas filling, which is disadvantageous, because it is easier to fill the tank just at the gas station before the rental car station, which has normal prices.It is difficult to find the direction from the airport, the signs are not very helpful. So we zig zag through Brocklyn and find the bridge to Manhattan by orientation of the sunset. Driving through Manhattan is quite easy. We went along the Hudson Drive and branch off at the Washington Bridge. The bridge toll was 6 Dollar. After 50 miles the motel rooms were much cheaper, we payed 60 Dollar, as the price in Manhattan is usually 275 Dollar.
If you are ADAC member ask them for maps. Walmarts sold a good road atlas for about 5 Dollars. The welcome center of each state offered their really usful maps for free.
New York State
don't mix up with New York City. The state area reachs from New York City up to the Canadian Border to Ontario. For going to Niagara Falls you pass at first the Catskill Mountains, a middle range mountain area covered with forest. Half the way to Ontario are the
Fingerlakes
which are seven small parallel lying lakes. At its hillsides wine is growing. Before Ithaca is the Buttermilk State Park which has a small waterfall, but it is nothing special there. More spectacular is the Taughannock State Falls Park, with a waterfall, which is 10m higher than the Niagara falls. The entrance fee of 7 Dollar/car included the visit of the public beach at the lake.Cayuga Lake
Taugannock Falls
Mumford
an open air museum of 57 elder houses, which should reconstruct an 19th century American village. Some senior citizen and pupils serve as inhabitants in old clothes. There are some old coaches displayed. Highlight is the Octagon House from 1870, which was constructed that fresh air could circulate around. The style of the houses are often the same as the houses in the villages around, so nothing special. The brewery is a product of fantasy, it never existed anywhere and you couldn't brew beer with it. The quite high entrance fee from more than 20 Dollar/person is in total not justified.Octagon House
old coach
Niagara Falls USA see also: Niagara Falls Canada
the town is a bit shabby. Its main attraction are the Niagara Falls. Some Motels with reasonable prices (from 40 Dollar) are at the Highway No. 62. Parking at the Falls was charged with 12 Dollar, the same price at the Goat Island. Parking for free was possible at Rainbow boulevard one mile west of the falls. A boat trip to the falls with the Maiden of the Mist was 14 Dollar/pp. It is short and wet, but nice. The vies to the falls are better from the Canadian side. A bridge toll of 5 Dollars/car is levied to get there.
more on the route to Niagara Falls or back from Montreal
alternatively also back from Montreal you can choose a more northern route with a side trip to the Adirondack Mountains.Albany pop 100.000
quite unknown capital of New York State with a monumental governantal district in the center (Rockefeller Empire State Plaza).Adirondack Mountains
up to 2000 m high wooded mountains with many lakes. Recommended are the views from the Veterans Highway. The Adirondacks are poular for hiking in summer and skying in winter. In Lake Placid were twice times the Olympic Winter Games.a more southern route is through
New Jersey
an old coal mine and a train museum in Scranton
Canada
( Dollars are Canadian Dollars )
Niagara Falls Canada
The Canadian Horseshoe Falls are 54 m high and 675 m large (American Falls 56 m high, 328 m large), the altitude is exceeded easily by many falls, but the amount of water, which falls down, is spectacular despite the lessening by several hydro power plants. The views to the falls are better from the Canadian side.Horse Show Falls
Parking is a problem. You get free parking places with luck one mile far from the falls. The visit of the Sky Tower (entrance fee more than 12 Dollar) is to a lesser extent worth the money, you see the falls only through windows. The same for a walk behind the falls, you see only a small square outlook, where is a white wand of water and nothing more. A little bit more exciting, but also not extremely extraordinary, is the short trip whith the boat Maiden of the Mist.
Niagara on the Lake
a town in some distance from the falls. It is a nice town with elder villas. Center is the Queen Street, which is frequently visit by tourists.
In the outskirts is the restaurated Fort George.
Kitchener
many German emigrants has settled here, so it's former name was "Berlin". It was renamed to Kitchener, a name of a British General, after World War I. In October is a big "Oktoberfest" in Kitchener. In the surroundings live the religious groups of the the Menonnites and Amish People. Kitchener has no particilur sights. It is is forming with Waterloo (KW= Kay-Double-U) a twin town.Menonnites
Mennonites and Amish People
you recognize them easily at their oldfashioned clothes. Men are wearing black trousers, uni shirts and a straw hat; womena re wearing peasant liveries with bonnets. The live like people in the 19th century, go by horse-drawn carriages and oppose to electricity and other technical achievements. but as everywhere there are hardliners and people who accept electricity and gas stoves. Children normally dont go to public schools and are clothed like their parents. Marriage is only inbetween the religious groups. Both groups are pacifists and don't accept military service.St. Jacobs Market
a market 10 km in the north of Kitchener on Saturdays. Also many mennonites sell their legumes and other goods. In the buildings are livestock and other auctions, the auctioneer is speaking so quickly that only insiders can understand them properly.
Wasaga Beach
a beach resort which has 14 km long sand beaches. The public beach is at the town Wasaga Beach, the access to other beaches is free, but not driving there with a car without having a weekend-home there. The feeling is like a beach at the Sea, there are waves and you see nothing as water up to the horizon, but the water is not salty.Wasaga Beach
Sainte Marie among the Hurons
a reconstructed Jesuite station from the 17th century. At Highway 12 in direction north. Entrance fee around 20 Dollars.
after a beach break at Wasaga Beach you can continue to the Bruce Peninsula. Ferry boat costs about 50 Dollars or more.
Bruce Peninsula NP
the shore of Georgian Bay is with its rocks, caves and lonely bays, which can reached by walk, rather spectular. From the Cyprus lake you can follow the Bruce Trail's last stage to Tobermonies (16 km) view point Lion's Head Point verläuft. The Bruce Trail begins in Queenstown at the Niagara River and is 720 km long.Fathom Five National Marine Park
20 ships wracks (from end of the 19th. and beginning 20th century ) are lying in the Sea. These are boats, which missed the passage between Bruce and Manitoulin. They can be seen by boat with glass bottoms.Killarney Provincal Park
Lonely park with hiking trails. The famous "Group of Seven" painters were inspired here to their landscapes paintings.Killbear Provincal Park
another park with hiking trails. Popular weekend destination and quite full in summer.
Toronto (pop 5 Mio)
biggest town in Canada. The scyscraper skyline can compete with big US-Cities. Top-highlight si the 553 m high CN Tower, which is one of th most highest buildungs in the world. The viewing platform is in 447m, ( 30 Dollar/ person). Next to the CNN tower is stadium, which has a capacity of 60.000 visitors and has an ice hockey stadium with an ice hockey museum. International reputation has the Art Museum.CN Tower
Algonquin Provincial Park
eldest Canadian national park with lakes, woods and a hilly scenery, which is only cut in the South by the Highway 60. Driving through is free, but if you stop and enter the park, you have to buy a permit of 15 Dollars/car at the visitor centers. Without permit the car gets towed away. Theer are 10 short trails described in a leaflet, you get in the visitor center.Algonquin P. Park
It recommends the shorter (< 2 miles) "Lookout", "Beaver Pond" and "Whiskey Rapids" trails, the "Booths Rock" (5 miles) trail or the long distant trails "Upland Backpacking" (20-50 miles ) and "Highland Backpacking" trail (12-20 miles). Canoeing is very popular there, too.
There are some rather expensive lodges (more than 200 dollars) and camping places in the park. The motels around the NP are rather expensive too. In my opinion the scenery can't compete with others for example in the Rocky Mountains area, it is not worth for doing a long journey to go there.
Kingston (pop 115.000)
Kingston was capital of Canada from 1841-1844. The capitol is a reliqct of this time. At the outskirts of Kingston is Fort Henry (entrance 15-20 Dollar), which has a military museum. Not worth the entrance fee.Kapitol
Fort Henry
1000 Islands
At the beginning of the St. Lawrence River Delta are scattered smaller and smallest islands, which are mostly inhabited. Boat trips are offered from the Ganaoque, Ivy Lea and Rockport ( 15 Dollars from Ivy Lea -short tour-). In my opinion a short tour is as well as a longer tour, the scenery of the islands is everywhere pretty the same. The islands have an unique flora and fauna, for example the unpoisonous Black Red Snake live only there. All tours pass Boldt Castle. Mr Bolt was the owner of the Hotel Waldorf-Astoria in Manhattan/NYC. His wife died during the construction of the villa, and Mr Boldt never live there.1000 Islands
Howard Castle
Ottawa (pop. 1,2 Mio)
Museum
Rideau canal
Parlament
capital of Canada, because Queen Victoria can't decide between Toronto and Quebec and took the small town in the middle, which had good tranport connections situated at the Ottawa and Rideau river and the Rideau Canal. Main attraction is the Parlament with the Peace Tower, which you can go up. (free). More highlights are the National Galerie and the Musée Canadien des Civilsations, which is about Indian culture (Entrance each 15 Dollars), the Rideau canal and the old quarter Bytown with it's markets and bistros. A speciality are the "Beavertails", some sweet doughnuts. All is quite close together. Every mornig is the changing of the guards, very british but it is done only for tourist reasons. The red uniformed soldiers are mostly students, who earn some extra money.
Quebec
Canadas French speaking province, but you won't have any problems with English, particulary as a foreignour. Most people in Quebec are pround today being Canadians, the movement to independece has weaken.Montréal (pop. 4 Mio)
Montréal has an European flair. It is the biggest French speaking town in the world after Paris. Shopping mall is the Rue Ste. Catherine, which cross the bistro and restaurat quarter framed by the Rue St.Denis and Boulevard St.Laurant. Behind the highway Ville Marie is the old quarter with the Montréal Basilika at the Place d'Armes. The place "Place Jaque-Cartier" is meeting point of the Quebecois. It is surrounded by restaurants and bistros. Out of the center is the Olympic stadium and Olympic park of the Olympic Games in 1976.Rue St Denis
Olympia Park
Link: tourisme-montreal.org,Québec (pop 700.000)
is French in the center and American in the outskirts. The old quarter Vieux Québec is divided into the upper and lower quarter "Haut Ville et Bas Ville". It is protected as an UNESO-Heritage site. Both quarters are connected with the cable car (Funiculaire). From the "Terasse Dufferin" you have a gorgious view to the lower quarter. There is the first adress for staying overnight in the nostalgic Hotel "Chateau Frontenac" with green roof and a maze of towers, jutties and crenellations.
Link: quebecregion.com,
Continuation of the journey to New England (Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine) via Massachusses (Boston), Rhode Island and Conneticut to New York City
look: New England,
Links
general:
Ontario: ontariotravel.net,
Quebec:
Contact:Feedback, corrections, news, critics, links and suggestions are welcome !!
mail me:Excuse my English, thanks!
Because English is not my native language, there are mistakes in writing and grammar. It would be kind to mail me 1-5 mistakes you found, if you think this side is helpful for your trip. Thanks!
