ZR-1 Road Trip to Newfoundland & Labrador Canada

[Cdn ZR1 95]

Jim,
Been quite a while since I posted here but have read your previous adventures. Live in Toronto but also have family in Halifax and Newfoundland. Felt I would mention a few things since I have travelled all the Canadian miles you are doing a couple times.
1) either before or after the Ferry you should consider making time to drive the Cabot Trail. Likely one of the top drives in North America and our Canadian version of the Pacific Coast Highway.
2) keep an eye on Ferry bookings this time of year. Can book up fast. A couple years ago we got stuck on the island when one ferry went out of service and within hours you couldn't book a return trip for 2 weeks. The alternative is to go standby but even that can result in 12-24 hours of sleeping in your car at a ferry dock until you get on.
3) great whale and bird watching options within 30 minutes of St John's
4) I believe there is still a Ferry from Nova Scotia to Maine if you are more interested in seeing the Western part of the Province
5) if you like a little more adventure there is excellent Zip Line at the Corner Brook ski hill.
That's a few ideas and look forward to the pictures.
John
#135

[QB93Z]

Day 2 - We left Erie and drove east to Buffalo and then took I-190 north toward Niagara Falls:




Along the way we found some interesting bridges. This Bascule Bridge is just like the one on my Lionel Train layout:




Then we found this center-pivot rotating bridge that not only crosses a river, but also the traffic lane:




This is the 299th Engineer Combat Battalion Memorial Bridge. It is a very graceful design and a pretty blue color:





to be continued.....

[QB93Z]

Both Lyndi and I have never visited Niagara Falls before so we were very surprised by the visual and audible impact of the falls:





We both agreed that we had to go up close and personal with the falls, so we took a trip on the Maid of the Mist:





We did get a little damp, but it was a lot of fun:



We celebrated with lunch at The Hard Rock Café:




to be continued.....

[QB93Z]

After lunch, we drove across the border to Canada and headed for Toronto. It was a pleasant drive and the traffic was light until we got to Toronto. The late afternoon, downtown gridlock was terrible. We had to abandon plans to visit the St Lawrence Market. In stead we decided to walk to the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO):



This is one of the most striking art museums I have ever visited. We enjoyed the exhibition of works by Lawrence Harris, one of The Group of Seven artists form the first half of the 20th Century:



Jim

[Tripler]

Sorry you guys got stuck in traffic but it is a daily battle for Riviera and myself everyday . There is so much construction every where . We have 2 seasons in Toronto . Winter and Road Works . Also I am sorry you could not stay for a longer visit . You must try and come back again soon and see the other amazing locations and hospitality that Toronto has to offer ... Very happy you were here to see our Wonderful World Class City .
Have a safe journey ahead and look forward to seeing you guys in Carlisle ...

[A26B]

It's exciting to see the sights of your great trips on my monitor. I can only imagine how fantastic it is to actually be there!

Enjoy, enjoy enjoy....... and keep the photos & narratives coming!

[Fully Vetted]

We just got back from NF 2 weeks ago and I saw that Bascule Bridge on 190 north and couldn't figure out what the heck it was.

I will be following your journey closely. The friend we were visiting in NH just mentioned coming back and taking the ferry from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland next year.

[QB93Z]

Originally Posted by Cdn ZR1 95

Jim,
Been quite a while since I posted here but have read your previous adventures. Live in Toronto but also have family in Halifax and Newfoundland. Felt I would mention a few things since I have travelled all the Canadian miles you are doing a couple times.
1) either before or after the Ferry you should consider making time to drive the Cabot Trail. Likely one of the top drives in North America and our Canadian version of the Pacific Coast Highway.
2) keep an eye on Ferry bookings this time of year. Can book up fast. A couple years ago we got stuck on the island when one ferry went out of service and within hours you couldn't book a return trip for 2 weeks. The alternative is to go standby but even that can result in 12-24 hours of sleeping in your car at a ferry dock until you get on.
3) great whale and bird watching options within 30 minutes of St John's
4) I believe there is still a Ferry from Nova Scotia to Maine if you are more interested in seeing the Western part of the Province
5) if you like a little more adventure there is excellent Zip Line at the Corner Brook ski hill.
That's a few ideas and look forward to the pictures.
John
#135

Hi John,

Thank you for the advice. We drove the Cabot Trail in 2011 from east to west. This trip we will drive it from west to east.

I know what you mean about the ferry schedules. I had to revise some plans because I assumed that the schedules were the same every year. But I have reserved and confirmed all my ferry trips.

Jim

[MuRCieLaGo]

Awesome thread there! Looking forward for some pictures once in Canada!

[QB93Z]

On Day 3 of our trip, visited the Toronto Zoo:




The big attractions at the zoo are two baby Panda cubs, the White Lion cubs, and the polar bear cub. The panda cubs are the first ever born in Canada. They are very cute and well cared for by their Mother:



The white lions are not albino lions, but a white species from Southern Africa:




All of the animal exhibits at the Toronto Zoo are very well designed. The animals were easy to observe and seemed to well adjusted to their habitats. I have never been this close to a cheetah before:




It was a real pleasure to watch this adult polar bear swimming under water. He was very playful:




Here is the polar bear cub getting some medicine:




The Toronto Zoo is the best zoo that Lyndi and I have visited. We were very impressed with the collection there and with the quality of the exhibits and habitats.

to be continued...