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Take your pick from the many great drives waiting to be discovered within a 1,000-km radius of Toronto
TORONTO TO GETTYSBURG
There are many routes that lead to the famed Civil War city Ñ most of them boring. However, since this was a favourite destination of my history-loving son when he was growing up, every few years we made the pilgrimage to the beautiful little town where General Lee's southern forces were stopped on their march to nearby Washington, D.C., by General Grant's Union Army in a fierce battle that virtually ended the U.S. Civil War.
And so, one year, my navigator mother decided she would find us a more interesting route. She succeeded by charting out a course that took us to Pittsburgh via Buffalo Ñ the New York State Thruway to Erie, Penn., where we turned south on Interstate 79 and then headed east along the Pennsylvania Turnpike to a place called Latrobe. It was at Latrobe that we picked up U.S. Highway 30 and began our most memorable trek to Gettysburg.
Now you may never have heard of Latrobe, but you surely have heard of golf great Arnold Palmer and this is his hometown. It was also the start of a drive that took us through pretty historic towns like Ligoner (George Washington slept there) and past adventurous kayakers trying to navigate the rugged waters that flow through Laurel Mountain State Park. More parks, lakes and many other quaint towns bordered the highway and in no time at all, we arrived at historic Gettysburg and the National Military Park, site of Abraham Lincoln's famed Gettysburg Address.
This is one of the most moving places in America Ñ an eerie spot where you look out on peaceful green pastures that were turned red during the bloody battle. Today, kids play on the moss-covered rocks in perches called Little Round Top. Where once Union and Confederate soldiers would do battle during the day and then exchange pleasantries at night while washing in the streams that flow through the park, now only silence and large granite statues Ñ saluting the forces that came from different states to fight here Ñ remain.
TORONTO TO LAKE PLACID, N.Y.
There is no quick way to get to the former Winter Olympic town, one of my favourite holiday destinations. So relax and enjoy the ride Ñ along U.S. Highway 3.
You pick up the scenic route at Watertown, N.Y., located about 150 km south of the border crossing at Gananoque, Ont. After leaving the 401, head south along Interstate 81 to Watertown. That part of the journey is admittedly dull, but things start to get interesting once you leave Watertown.
On our most recent trip to Lake Placid last summer, we thought we had made a wrong turn outside Watertown and ended up in a war zone. Tanks and soldiers lined the highway and it wasn't until we saw the sign "Fort Drum" that we realized Highway 3 takes travellers through part of the massive U.S. military camp. It was an exciting start to an exciting trip along a roller-coaster highway that snakes through thick forest and is bordered by lovely mountain streams and beautiful lakes.
Star Lake, Cranbury Lake, Tupper Lake, Saranac Lake ... at every bend in the road another beautiful body of water appeared. Breathtaking! And all the while, the Adirondack Mountains acted as our beacon in the distance. One bit of advice, pack a lunch. The distances between towns on Highway 3 can be long but there are plenty of pull offs and picnic tables are almost as plentiful as the trees.
Once you reach the town of Saranac Lake, you will leave Highway 3 and take Highway 86 for the short drive into Lake Placid Ñ a vacationer's paradise. Golf courses abound. The town has two large lakes that are dotted with boats and swimmers all summer long. It has one of the prettiest main streets in all of America and the hotels and inns here are top notch. You can visit Olympic park, where the U.S. Winter Olympic teams still train, or head out along one of the many mountain trails that the area is famous for.
TORONTO TO QUEBEC CITY
This is my second favourite city in North America (San Francisco tops the list) but one of my least favourite drives along the super highways that connect it with Toronto. Nothing is more discouraging than the thought of travelling to Montreal along the 401 and then heading to old Quebec via two equally uninteresting multi-lane highways, 40 or 20.
So, when I have the time, I always opt to make at least half the journey memorable by taking either highway 132 or 138 out of Montreal. The highways follow the mighty St. Lawrence River Ñ 132 on the South Shore and 138 on the North.
Both seem to take you back in time, a time when Quebec was a collection of towns that linked the province's capital city and the more industrial Montreal. You pass through wonderful places like Trois-Rivires, Ste-Foy, Donnacona and Cap-de-la-Madeleine and a series of small villages that once depended so heavily on the river, one of the greatest waterways in North America. These are routes once travelled by explorers and fur traders.
TORONTO TO VIRGINIA
Virginia is for lovers Ñ of great beauty. And there is nothing more beautiful than the trip along the state's Skyline Drive. In fact, the drive getting there from Toronto is pretty spectacular, too. That is if you cross at Gananoque, Ont., and head south along U.S. Interstate 81 to Front Royal, Virginia, the place you pick up the Skyline Drive.
Proving getting there is half the fun, Highway 81 takes you past the coal-rich Allegheny Mountains in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Both states offer plenty to see along the way. The Skyline Drive itself, which stretches between Front Royal and Waynesboro and is part of the Appalachian Trail, is one of the most beautiful in North America.
Drive safely!更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
Take your pick from the many great drives waiting to be discovered within a 1,000-km radius of Toronto
TORONTO TO GETTYSBURG
There are many routes that lead to the famed Civil War city Ñ most of them boring. However, since this was a favourite destination of my history-loving son when he was growing up, every few years we made the pilgrimage to the beautiful little town where General Lee's southern forces were stopped on their march to nearby Washington, D.C., by General Grant's Union Army in a fierce battle that virtually ended the U.S. Civil War.
And so, one year, my navigator mother decided she would find us a more interesting route. She succeeded by charting out a course that took us to Pittsburgh via Buffalo Ñ the New York State Thruway to Erie, Penn., where we turned south on Interstate 79 and then headed east along the Pennsylvania Turnpike to a place called Latrobe. It was at Latrobe that we picked up U.S. Highway 30 and began our most memorable trek to Gettysburg.
Now you may never have heard of Latrobe, but you surely have heard of golf great Arnold Palmer and this is his hometown. It was also the start of a drive that took us through pretty historic towns like Ligoner (George Washington slept there) and past adventurous kayakers trying to navigate the rugged waters that flow through Laurel Mountain State Park. More parks, lakes and many other quaint towns bordered the highway and in no time at all, we arrived at historic Gettysburg and the National Military Park, site of Abraham Lincoln's famed Gettysburg Address.
This is one of the most moving places in America Ñ an eerie spot where you look out on peaceful green pastures that were turned red during the bloody battle. Today, kids play on the moss-covered rocks in perches called Little Round Top. Where once Union and Confederate soldiers would do battle during the day and then exchange pleasantries at night while washing in the streams that flow through the park, now only silence and large granite statues Ñ saluting the forces that came from different states to fight here Ñ remain.
TORONTO TO LAKE PLACID, N.Y.
There is no quick way to get to the former Winter Olympic town, one of my favourite holiday destinations. So relax and enjoy the ride Ñ along U.S. Highway 3.
You pick up the scenic route at Watertown, N.Y., located about 150 km south of the border crossing at Gananoque, Ont. After leaving the 401, head south along Interstate 81 to Watertown. That part of the journey is admittedly dull, but things start to get interesting once you leave Watertown.
On our most recent trip to Lake Placid last summer, we thought we had made a wrong turn outside Watertown and ended up in a war zone. Tanks and soldiers lined the highway and it wasn't until we saw the sign "Fort Drum" that we realized Highway 3 takes travellers through part of the massive U.S. military camp. It was an exciting start to an exciting trip along a roller-coaster highway that snakes through thick forest and is bordered by lovely mountain streams and beautiful lakes.
Star Lake, Cranbury Lake, Tupper Lake, Saranac Lake ... at every bend in the road another beautiful body of water appeared. Breathtaking! And all the while, the Adirondack Mountains acted as our beacon in the distance. One bit of advice, pack a lunch. The distances between towns on Highway 3 can be long but there are plenty of pull offs and picnic tables are almost as plentiful as the trees.
Once you reach the town of Saranac Lake, you will leave Highway 3 and take Highway 86 for the short drive into Lake Placid Ñ a vacationer's paradise. Golf courses abound. The town has two large lakes that are dotted with boats and swimmers all summer long. It has one of the prettiest main streets in all of America and the hotels and inns here are top notch. You can visit Olympic park, where the U.S. Winter Olympic teams still train, or head out along one of the many mountain trails that the area is famous for.
TORONTO TO QUEBEC CITY
This is my second favourite city in North America (San Francisco tops the list) but one of my least favourite drives along the super highways that connect it with Toronto. Nothing is more discouraging than the thought of travelling to Montreal along the 401 and then heading to old Quebec via two equally uninteresting multi-lane highways, 40 or 20.
So, when I have the time, I always opt to make at least half the journey memorable by taking either highway 132 or 138 out of Montreal. The highways follow the mighty St. Lawrence River Ñ 132 on the South Shore and 138 on the North.
Both seem to take you back in time, a time when Quebec was a collection of towns that linked the province's capital city and the more industrial Montreal. You pass through wonderful places like Trois-Rivires, Ste-Foy, Donnacona and Cap-de-la-Madeleine and a series of small villages that once depended so heavily on the river, one of the greatest waterways in North America. These are routes once travelled by explorers and fur traders.
TORONTO TO VIRGINIA
Virginia is for lovers Ñ of great beauty. And there is nothing more beautiful than the trip along the state's Skyline Drive. In fact, the drive getting there from Toronto is pretty spectacular, too. That is if you cross at Gananoque, Ont., and head south along U.S. Interstate 81 to Front Royal, Virginia, the place you pick up the Skyline Drive.
Proving getting there is half the fun, Highway 81 takes you past the coal-rich Allegheny Mountains in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Both states offer plenty to see along the way. The Skyline Drive itself, which stretches between Front Royal and Waynesboro and is part of the Appalachian Trail, is one of the most beautiful in North America.
Drive safely!更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net