In article <4d67f405-0810-4d91-a824-25afaa4a034c@m34g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>,
Lee wrote:
>I've started to finalise my route as follows, haven't decided on
>places to stay yet because I need to decide on my budget:
>
>Sun - Arrive 17:00
>Sun/Mon - Toronto
>Tue/Wed - Niagara Falls
>Wed - Nr Toronto
>Thu - Nr Algonquin
There are three plausible routes to Algonquin Park from Toronto.
The quickest and most direct route, going up 400 and 11 via Barrie and
Huntsville is also, unfortunately, the least scenic and the most traffic-prone
until you get onto highway 60 in Huntsville.
When I visit Algonquin Park from Toronto, I usually make a loop of the two
alternate routes. They are longer and slower, but much, much more scenic.
The route to the *west* end of Algonquin is to take highway 35 north from
Lindsay, passing through Minden. There are several ways to get to Lindsay
from Toronto.
The route to the *east* end of Algonquin is to take 401/115 to Peterborough,
and then take 28 through Bancroft and 127 north of Maynooth.
From the description of the kinds of places you're considering settling in in
Canada, Lindsay and particularly Peterborough fit the bill. The route to the
east gate then lets you see Peterborough, and it's also pretty straightforward
as the trip to Peterborough is all on freeways.
Doubling back on your route through Algonquin won't be an issue--you get to
see the great scenery twice!
From Algonquin, the obvious route, highway 60 to Renfrew, is also the scenic
route, so no issues there. In early September there will be lots of motels
with vacancies in Barry's Bay, Killaloe, Eganville, etc.
You could also consider camping in Algonquin for a real Canadian summer
experience (minus blackflies and maybe pretty mosquito-free too). You can rent
equipment, for example from Mountan Equipment Co-Op (mec.ca). My favourite
campsites are closed after Labour Day, but quite a few campgrounds are still
open and they shouldn't be particularly crowded Thursday night.
I have often made a day-trip to Algonquin, driving up one of the alternate
routes and down the other, with several hours' hiking in Algonquin. That's
a pretty long day, though. You will want to start early so you see the
countryside; plus deer and wildlife on the roads can be an issue after dark.
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