Polar Bear Express: Trip Overview

Some of the things we will experience include the following.

Sample Itinerary

Read through the itinerary and plan now to join us in this fascinating discovery of the great Canadian country.

Friday (Day 1) (D)
We depart this morning on our deluxe motorcoach and begin our travels northward through Pennsylvania and New York, making appropriate rest stops along the way. Although basically a day of travel, this is a great time for us to get to know the others we are spending the next 9 days with. Passing through Canadian Customs, we stop at the 1000 Islands Observation Tower, which offers us an excellent view of the Thousand Islands area. Our evening meal and tonight's lodging are a short distance away in the town of Gananoque, a popular resort area along the St. Lawrence River.

Saturday (Day 2) (B, D)
Following the river eastward, our mid-morning arrival at Upper Canada Village takes us back to life in the 1860's. This is an active and working community and the townsfolk include a shoemaker, baker and cabinet-maker. Buildings include 2 farms, 2 churches, a steam-powered flour mill and an 1860 general store. Horse-drawn wagon rides and boat rides along the canal are available. Mid-afternoon we depart for Ottawa, the capital of Canada. Our hotel is within walking distance to the Parliament buildings in the heart of this beautiful city.

Sunday (Day3) (B, D)
A tour of Ottawa is planned for this morning and our guide is eager to show us this dignified capital steeped in grace and elegance, Parliament Hill, the mile of history, the Rideau Canal and + Rockcliffe, Park are some of the things included in our tour: Departing after lunch, we follow ,the Ottawa River on one sIde and the massive AlgonquIn Provincial Park (covering almost 2 million acres) on the other as we set our sights on North Bay for our evening meal and overnight accommodations.

Monday (Day 4) (B, D)
Following breakfast we make a visit to the small farmhouse where the Dionne quintuplets were born back in 1934. Inspiring the nation, their story is both fascinating and tragic. Our scenic drive north along Rt. 11 brings us into Northeastern Ontario's rich mining district as we approach Cochrane, our home for thenext 2 nights. Cochrane serves as an outfitting center for excursions leading into the northern wilderness, the home of the Polar Bear Express. On clear nights, the "Northern Lights" can be seen givmg an awesome display of the north sky. We settle m for the night.

Tuesday (Day 5) (B, D)
Arriving at the train station, it's "All Aboard" for our 186 mile trip through untouched wilderness to the village of Moosonee. Called the gateway to the Artic, it still serves as a sending/receiving point for both the Indian and fur trader. Until the arrival of the railroad in 1932, Moosonee was just another isolated town 8-10 days journey from the nearest city. We have an interesting tour of the town before crossing the Moose River for Moose Factory Island. A post was established here in 1673 by the Hudson Bay Company. St. Thomas' Anglican Church has Indian prayer books, handmade pews and moosehide alterclothes. Our tour returns us to the the mainland for a little free time before we must board our train for our evening ride back to Cochrane. Our evening meal is being served in the dining car.

Wednesday (Day 6) (B, D)
Again today we can appreciate the beauty of this untamed area as we turn our direction southward. After lunch we arrive in Sudbury for our tour of the Big Nickel Mine. Descending 65 feet underground the mining operations are described and illustrated. Our dinner and hotel are found here in Sudbury.

Thursday (Day 7) (B, D)
Parry Sound is a resort town situated on the Georgian Bay and where we find our 3 hour, 30,000 Island Boat
Cruise, a triple-decker vessel designed to offer us spectacular views of the islands, lakes and forests as we maneuver through the narrow channels and waterways. The crew describes points of interest along.the way. After some time to explore the town, we travel toward Toronto for our overnight accommodations.

Friday (Day 8) (B, D) Toronto is home of Casa Lorna, an elegantly furnished medieval-style castle built in 1911 (for a cost of $3.5 million). It contains 98 rooms, secret passageways and a beautiful garden surrounding the estate in which we can explore. Close by in Hamilton, the Royal Botanical Gardens covering more than 2,700 acres. The Rock Garden and the Spring Garden offer June displays of iris (250,000), lilies and peonies. The Rose Gardens (2 acres), trial gardens and indoor Mediterranean Garden can be found here. On to Niagara Falls for our dinner and hotel. An evening visit to the Falls is planned.

Saturday, June 28 (Day 9 )
Our guided tour of Niagara Falls this morning acquaints us with this natural wonder, with stops at key points. After going through us Customs, we see the falls from Goat Island on the American side. Turning our thoughts toward home, we drive south through New York and Pennsylvania, excited to share what we have experienced with our family and friends. We return to our original starting point later this evening.