Travel tips: Where should we explore, near Ontario

FOLLOWING A WEDDING IN SARNIA, ONTARIO, IN AUGUST, MY WIFE AND I HAVE TWO WEEKS TO EXPLORE. WE ARE FLYING OUT OF VANCOUVER, SO THE WEST MAKES SENSE. WHERE SHOULD WE EXPLORE? HAPPY TO HIRE A CAR. D. GETHINGS, ST PETERS

There's is plenty to see in southern Ontario and neighbouring Quebec. What you could do is drive along the northern shore of Lake Ontario to Ottawa followed by Montreal and Quebec City for a taste of the French-speaking part of Canada. This would fit comfortably in one of the two weeks you have available.

From there you could fly into Calgary, pick up a hire car and head for Banff. Spend a couple of days, the scenery is wonderful and there are lots of Aussies who work here so enjoy decent coffee for a change. From there head north to Lake Louise and stop for another night at least, and make sure your camera battery is fully charged. From there it's north again along the Icefield Parkway, one of the supreme drives of North America. It takes only a day to cover the 230 kilometres to Jasper but there is much to enjoy along the way, from mountain lakes to waterfalls, rivers, glaciers, forests and wildlife. Don't feed the bears, and those moose antlers are not just for show.

From Jasper you could drive across the Rocky Mountains and south to Vancouver, or else take the Rocky Mountaineer or the Via Rail train to Vancouver. Of the two, the Via Rail train is a far less expensive option. A week would be ideal for this journey through Alberta and British Colombia.

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