Canada's top 10 driving roads and a Sunday drive of our own
Posted Sep 6th 2011 2:00PM
Let's not fool ourselves; the Summer season is quickly winding down since it's past Labour Day and the temperature is rapidly dropping. With the end of summer comes arguably the most visually attractive season of the year, the Fall season. Of course sometimes it feels like Mother Nature skips right over Fall without a second thought and quickly jumps into Winter. Regardless, there is always at least a two week window when all the leaves on the trees are in the midst of changing to vibrant colours and our bountiful Canadian forests turn into a scenic wonderland.
Unlike the news we brought you last week about over $2M worth of cars being pulled from the streets of Vancouver, there is healthy serving of people in the world that actually enjoy driving and respect the rules of the road at the same time. We were lucky enough to be invited in a convoy of those people, where one mature motorist set up (and monitored) the entire drive. At the meeting point he explained the route and handed everyone nifty maps outlining the path and the rest stops we would be taking. The four hour adventure was posted on an exotic car forum, but invited all makes and models without discrimination, as it was more about the people getting out on the road and enjoying the drive.
Click past the jump to read more on the adventure and to find out which 10 routes in Canada AOL Travel considers the best in the country.
Related GalleryExotic Cruise through rural Ontario
The drive was intended to develop a connection with the vehicle, to the road, and take in some of the breathtaking sights that our countryside has to offer. The enthusiastic driving group that made it out to the event consisted of a few Ferraris, some Porsches, a Lancia, a Maserati, an Audi and the lone Japanese vehicle, my Acura Integra Type R. At the initial meet up we had a generous half hour to meet and mingle with everyone, giving us a chance to learn a thing or two about each other and their pride and joy.
The shocker to us was how close some really spectacular sights were that you may never take the time to see. Starting on the outskirts of Toronto our travels took us to the suburb of Mississauga, then through Caledon, finishing the loop in Bolton. In our 250 km adventure we visited the Terra Cotta Inn, the Badlands and drove through the Forks of the Credit area. As our line of vehicles followed one-by-one in file, we were able to enjoy the drive safely, enjoy the sights, and mingle with new found friends at our rest stops, then have a little sit-down bite to eat to wrap up the day. The highlight for us during the drive was the Badlands area as we thought it was truly astonishing to see the weathered clay formation and it was difficult to take it all in with a short 10 minute rest.
You never know what kind of natural gem you may come across and the enjoying drive is a definite body, mind and soul relaxer for car buffs. I urge all driving enthusiasts in Canada to get out there and enjoy what is left of the season. The fall months provide some of the best sights in the year with the leaves all changing colours and the cooler breeze making the drive a comfortable cruise. A memorable drive will surely speed up the winter months and before you know it, it will be spring again and you'll be craving another aimless but memorable scenic drive.
For those who prefer to skip the exploration aspect of driving, AOL Travel Canada has recently published their own list of what they consider to be Canada's best 10 road trips. This may be up for debate with how much road and great routes there are throughout our nation, but have a peep through the maps and images in the gallery of the selections listed below.
Related GalleryAOL Travel Canada's Top 10 Road Trips
Canada's Top 10 best road trips according to AOL Travel Canada:
10. Cabot Trail: Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, 300 km loop
9. Fundy Coastal Drive: New Brunswick 255 km
8. Algoma Superior Route: Ontario
7. Navigator Route: Quebec 190 km
6. Klondike Trail: Alberta 9-10 days
5. Cape North Coastal Drive: Prince Edward Island 300 km
4. Alaska Highway: The Yukon 910 km
3. Discovery Coat Drive: British Columbia 7 – 9 days
2. Regina to Yorktown, Saskatchewan 173 km
1. Cape Spear Drive: Newfoundland 35 km
Do you agree with these roads? Sound off in the comments on your thoughts on these drives if you have driven the routes or other roads that you would consider Canada's greatest for the 2012 list.
Image Credit: Copyright 2011 Daniel Ponzini / AOL
