Friday, March 29, 2024

Blame Canada for being a great destination

Many college kids are packing up for travels this summer - my best friend’s already in Greece and various other friends and classmates will soon be crossing the pond.

I’m also getting out of Dodge soon, but my travel destination will not be west, east or south.

I’m going to Canada.

And no, I’m not planning a two-month retreat to Windsor. Instead I will be continuing my travels deep into the heart of the great white north, focusing this time on Montreal and northern Quebec.

The first thing people say to me when I tell them of my plans is “Canada? Why, eh?”

Canada is an affordable travel destination for those on a budget, despite several obstacles. As you may have realized from drunken trips to the border cities, you often come home realizing you spent way more money than you thought. The reason is two-fold.

The national sales tax is 7.5 percent. This is in addition to the provincial tax. In many provinces this tax is up to 15 percent, thus making total taxes almost 25 percent. These taxes almost eradicate the bonus given to Americans in the exchange rate.

The exchange rate needs to be properly understood. The American dollar is usually about 1.50 Canadian dollars. This does not mean a four-dollar Canadian beer costs two American dollars. Rather, it costs you nearly three. Instead of cutting the price in half, you need to cut it by around 35 percent.

However, Canada makes up for this with affordable accommodations, transportation and prices. Most provinces are filled with budget hostels, cutting your accommodation cost down to about 10 dollars a night.

In addition, the government encourages youth travel by offering 20 percent off Greyhound Canada and 40 percent off Via Rail’s prices for students holding an International Student Identification Card, or ISIC. Most Canadian goods are also reasonably priced.

Canada is a very dynamic destination for travelers. The second largest country in the world offers a breadth of different options in both climate and culture.

To the west lies the second most beautiful North American city I have ever seen. Vancouver is surrounded by water (clean, even) and is framed by breathtaking mountains. It is also the gateway to the Canadian Rockies.

Situated geographically closer to Japan than the Canadian eastern seaboard, Vancouver has a bustling Chinatown and the entire city feels the Asian influence. The city slightly resembles a smaller, Canadian version of Hong Kong. It puts its American neighbor Seattle to shame.

In the provinces of eastern British Columbia and western Alberta lie the Rocky Mountains, along with a plethora of outdoor activities. Bungee jumping was invented in Vancouver Island, and the activity is readily available in amazing surroundings.

Whitewater rafting, canoeing, hiking, climbing, kayaking mountain biking and everything else you can imagine is there too.

Between Alberta and Ontario lies the relatively uninteresting prairie provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. They are marked primarily by flat farms, oil wells and, in the winter, snow.

Ontario may well be the most familiar province for an American traveler. The most industrial of Canada’s 13 provinces and territories, Ontario is easily traveled by both car and train. Four hours from Detroit lies Ontario’s capital and Canada’s largest city, Toronto.

With a feel similar to Chicago, Toronto boasts unlimited tourist possibilities from museums, space needles and sports, to theater and shopping.

Canada’s capital city of Ottawa is also in Ontario, along with other attractions like Niagara Falls by the New York border and the Shakespeare-upon-Canada city of Stratford by the Michigan border.

North of Ontario lies Canada’s largest province Quebec. Although officially bilingual, Quebec is actually a French speaking province, and its desire to secede from Canada is reflected in its society. The Quebec license plate reads “Je me souviens,” which is French for “I remember,” referring back to its days as a French colony.

Quebec’s capital, Quebec City, is the only walled city in North America, and resembles its colonizers more than its own country. Quebec City is shadowed by Quebec’s largest city, Montreal.

A mix of Anglos and Francophones, the city holds all sorts of amusements in addition to being the home of many colleges.

On the Eastern seaboard, north of Maine and Vermont, lie the Maritime provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and the tiny Prince Edward Island.

All the provinces offer seafood, whale watching and maritime pastimes. Halifax, Nova Scotia holds the best nightlife of the region.

The majority of Canadians live close to the American border but their country stretches out forever. The three farthest territories - Yukon, Northwest and Nunavut, offer more ice than a blue raspberry Slurpee, and offer all the attractions of an arctic region.

So for those looking for a nearby retreat, Canada has more than a lower drinking age and a slew of Tim Horton’s donut shops.

All the fun trappings of traveling - accents, different climates and an odd monetary exchange - are waiting just past the border.

Nicole Winton, a political theory and constitutional democracy junior, can be reached at wintonni@msu.edu.

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