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Backpacking in Canada
Many Americans forget that Canada is really her sister country. Canadians and Americans, who sometimes don't have the best of relations for reasons that make no sense, are really not that different. They have similar weather systems, though Canadians do not get the tornados or hurricanes of their southern neighbor, similar political outlooks as well as foods, clothing and entertainment tastes. We really aren't that different which should make Canada a great country to vacation in. Language is almost the same though Americans and Canadians do have slightly different terms for the odd word. Once American visitors adjust to the fact that Canadians changed to metric long ago, to be just like Europe, the adventure has begun.
The country is very large, but because its northern part is so cold most of the built up places are fairly close to the border. Backpacking in Canada has so many differences to offer to the American who wants to backpack from one end to the other. In the far eastern side there are the four Maritime Provinces; islands of hospitality. Then comes Quebec, which is a province of business and French culture. Ontario, which sits atop all the five Great Lakes, has always been the business center of Canada. Here you will find the country's capital city (Ottawa) and so the parliament. Major geological items of exploration are the Precambrian Shield and the Niagara Escarpment. Niagara Falls is a major feature caused by the escarpment.
The Prairie Provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta follow. These are the provinces where the major farming is done for the country. The farthest western province is British Columbia. This is where everyone wants to live because it has the best weather of anywhere in the country! There are three territories that are worth exploring if you do not mind the cold. These are called the Yukon, The Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
All of these places are easily accessible by vehicle, bus, plane, or train. You can backpack from one end to the other on the TransCanada Highway, seeing the whole country. There are hiking trails, campsites, tourist attractions, zoos, museums, art galleries and Canada's only castle; Casa Loma. In the west there are the Rockies and guided walks out to real glaciers. Banff isn't to be missed. The hot springs alone will soothe the backpacker from their many hours of walking.
Though English is the common language of Canada, the country is officially bilingual. You will notice this as you travel east, eventually arriving in Quebec. In some places they will speak only French. In some places signs will only be in French. So having a French phrase book would be useful. Make sure it is a Canadian French phase book as Quebec French and the French spoken in France is somewhat different. The nearby Magdalen Islands, located in the Gulf of the St. Lawrence, make for a lovely bicycle tour.
The Canadian dollar, while more colorful then the American dollar is still a very similar currency. The American dollar is usually worth somewhat more. That means you get more for your money when you are backpacking through Canada.
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