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2Roadrunners · 12-30-2005, 02:43 AM

We are playing with the idea of a 'nowhere' to western Canada. Roadrunners do not particularly give a rat's patootie how they get there, so a detour of a few hundred clicks in no big deal.

Have been pouring over maps and to give me an idea on a basic route from which we sort of grow or spread out, I am wondering if any of you are familiar with the roads bewteen Winnepeg to Saskatoon to Calgary or Winnepeg to Regina to Swift Current to Medicine Hat. The furthest west I have been is Sault-Ste-Marie and then only once, so everything else is new, so we want to visit and act like dumb tourists. We wouldn't even mind driving to Flin Flon if it would be worth the ride. Any help on this would be appreciated

Thanx much,

Jim ''the marinated easterner''

2Roadrunners · 12-30-2005, 02:43 AM

We are playing with the idea of a 'nowhere' to western Canada. Roadrunners do not particularly give a rat's patootie how they get there, so a detour of a few hundred clicks in no big deal.

Have been pouring over maps and to give me an idea on a basic route from which we sort of grow or spread out, I am wondering if any of you are familiar with the roads bewteen Winnepeg to Saskatoon to Calgary or Winnepeg to Regina to Swift Current to Medicine Hat. The furthest west I have been is Sault-Ste-Marie and then only once, so everything else is new, so we want to visit and act like dumb tourists. We wouldn't even mind driving to Flin Flon if it would be worth the ride. Any help on this would be appreciated

Thanx much,

Jim ''the marinated easterner''

Little Kopit · 12-30-2005, 09:07 AM

Roadruners, my old stomping ground (70s) is from Sudbury to Hornepayne. Where's Hornepayne, you say? Get to White River (original home of Winnie the Pooh) and hang a right for 60 mi.

Before that at Thesalon is an interesting road up towards Chapleau. All kinds of water and lakes and rivers, lots of moose brush and blueberry hill and dale. A chap called 'Timber' over at rv.net knows this territory like the back of his hand. He also knows St. Joseph Island, which is a few clicks before Sault Ste. Marie. He was very helpful to me when I went through and crossed the border there 15 months ago. He also knows from SSM to Wawa, White River and such parts, seeing as how he lives in SSM these days.

I would be interested in knowing your side roads, being a detour sort of person and planning a trip that way in 09.

Are you going to AK as well?

2Roadrunners · 12-30-2005, 11:30 AM

Hey LK.......Am I going to AK? Tell you someting. I left here to go to Boynton Beach, Fla. to visit family....it took me ten days to get there. Last spring I went from here to go to Norfolk, Va. and I took a slight detour and wound up in Branson, Mo...I'm looking at a two month trip and if I make it to the Alberta border, it will be a success. We are terrible travelers, love getting lost, love secondary roads and do not really pinpoint an ultimate destination and avoid crowds and traffic.

I begin early and Google all over the place and take notes. It is part of my fun of making up a trip. For sure I'll find a rodeo (at least one), and I'll sleep out in sandbanks and try as much local fare as I can find.

Will keep you posted on my digs....j

brad03ca · 12-30-2005, 12:50 PM

I'm just the opposite Jim. I'm very regimented, gotta be here then,gotta be there then. I,ve been like that all my life...am trying to be more layed back and relaxed, but old habits die hard. We actually could have more fun if The clock didn't run my life. If been retired only two years and am getting better but time will tell......

Little Kopit · 12-30-2005, 01:28 PM

I can be both, focused and wandering. I've been saying AK in 09 for some time now. It's to be the the first of my long trips, so it's test case too. My thoughts are get there by May 1, then wander. Of course, I also want my garden, so I have to be back June 15. Oh yeah, up ALCAN, down Cassair, some Yukon in there. All things to all things.....

But go search out Timber, I really think he'd give you tips you'd like. I don't know if you're a member at rv.net, but you can search without joining. But what the heck, they only have 145,000 members now, what diference is one more or less going to make?

2Roadrunners · 12-30-2005, 03:28 PM

Hey Brad....

Retired & Travel/Camping/RVing
1. Leave your watch at home
2. No calendars.
3. No reservations (unless really necessary).

This is a true story. I retired at 8:30 AM, May 5, 1995. May 6 I was out in the woods with my pardner and I glanced at my watch. It struck me....I'm retired, I no longer need a watch, so I took it off and threw it away!. Never have owned one since.

As for the calendar. If I go by a church some morning and there are a lot of cars in front, it is Sunday. If it is later in the day and there are a lot of cars, it is a funeral and definitely not Sunday.

Three years ago we left on a trip. At the street light at the corner we asked each other where we were going. That night we slept in the Regent Mall in Fredericton, N.B. We wound up at a music festival at Abram Village PEI! We got home a week later. Now THAT is retirement!

Novi · 12-30-2005, 04:47 PM

right on Roadrunner, after a while you do not even miss the watch, and what does it matter what day it is anyhow (at least most of the time) I'm happy to remember what month it is.

The Big Kid · 12-30-2005, 08:26 PM

In my best effort to try and answer your question in the first 10 replies, I state:

having driven both over the last few years, I submit:

the trans Can(Regina - Speedy Ck - the Hat etc) is almost all 4 lane now, with a bunch of little towns. There are some unique spots to visit. I highly recommend half day at the temple gardens spa in Moose Jaw.

the run up to Saskatoon then over to CAL(the main purpose for that direction is to go to Edmonton), is a myriad of secondary highways with no direct route, small towns and rougher, single lane highways.

Overall the scenery is the same(a lot of fields, then some sagebrush), so it depends on what turns your crank when it comes to the tourist attractions at the various waypoints of the aforementioned journey.

But, if it where down to speed and highway quality, run on the TCH.

If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask.

2Roadrunners · 12-31-2005, 01:47 AM

Thanx......This is stuff that I am looking for, as driving straight through is a bummer.

You're on my tourist guide list........thanx again, Jim

The Big Kid · 01-02-2006, 02:20 PM

I agree, driving straight through can be a bummer.

I am working on our summer plan right now, it is looking like we will have a month to cross Canada.

we will be staying in BC/Alta until 7 Aug then with our last 8 days, sprinting to Halifax for around the 15th. Its definetely a work in progress, but soo far, I have 4 other families interested in hanging out with us for the first couple of weeks in BC.

Maybe I shouldn't tell them my plans, then they can't board my train.

or maybe when I grow up and get a real job thats what I could do. work for CAA planning trips. HHMMMMM

2Roadrunners · 01-03-2006, 02:29 AM

Big Kid., If you want any help getting through Québec, let me know.....

The Big Kid · 01-03-2006, 01:49 PM

why do you have a tow truck?

last time through -

burned out a trailer bearing between Quebec City and Montreal - St Hyancythe(sp). This after having them serviced in Halifax only a couple of weeks before.

Had to put wife/kids into Hotel, then try and get the axle removed, a new spindle welded on, then a hub and brake assembly, and finally put it all back together.

It had been about 10 years since I had used my french sooo much.

some of the issues left a bitter taste with wife, we might be detouring around next time. Also, the traffic is just nuts, bumper to bumper at 120 km/h at 11 pm. I felt like a Kenworth trying to race at Daytona with all the little cars screaming by me.

2Roadrunners · 01-03-2006, 03:08 PM

Yeah Big Kid, you're right about the traffic, especially around Montréal. I myself do not drive there. The best way through Mtl I have found in the 40 east, >>13 >> 440 >> 640 and the 40 again, cross over at Québec to the 20.

The 40 east of Montréal all the way to Q-City are loaded with cops who know how to give out tickets.

Along the 20 from, say, the Richelieu River all the way to the Jct at the 185 for N.B. it is not bad at all.

If you cross at Niagara and pick up the 90 east and then the 95 north, you are looking at one heck of a detour. The boat ride from Portland, Me. is $$$.

Can understand your language thing.When I arrived here I could say 'oui' and 'non', but had trouble with the 'oui'.