But Ontario really is the southern province of Canada, and the weather was pleasant by our standards the week we visited, although a little hot to the locals. In the South, From Toronto down to to the U.S. border at Detroit, we were struck by how diverse, and seemingly integrated, the area is. This was apparent during musical celebrations downtown for Canada Day (July 1st) and also in the myriad of dining options. In my two visits to the Toronto area I've had pretty authentic pub food, ethiopian, dim sum, lebanese, and even some Portuguese custard tarts. That's barely the tip of the iceberg. No other city comes to mind as having quite such a diverse populace.
Heading farther north, we visited the popular Georgia Bay Peninsula, Manitoulin Island, and Provincial parks across the rest of southern northern Ontario, before visiting Algonquin on our return to Toronto. We will have to return another time to see Ottawa, and other spots farther east. The northern areas are much more rural, fluctuating between the rolling farmland in the eastern half of the U.S. and the granite, pine, and moose terrain found in parts of the western US.
We spent most of our time camping in provincial parks, hiking, kayaking and swimming, combined with a fair amount of driving. It's a beautiful area, dominated by cottage lined lakes and more Canadian flags than people. The provincial parks only provide limited access to what is still a largely wild place. To explore farther, we would need more time and a boat. The provincial parks are geared towards stay in place vacations, the summer camping experience, rather than the Great American Roadtrip. Still, we found plenty to do, and were able to check off
a list of iconic wildlife, from geese, loons, and cranes, to beavers, porcupines, bear and moose.
