Ontario's Lakes & Sunsets: Mini-Van Camping in a Sienna Camper

[@dougmaryhittheroad]

Just why do pigeons like to hang out in spooky places? Abandoned buildings, caves, and tunnels. Are they just bored? Is that their equivalent to a scary movie, or is it a location that they can beam unsuspecting humans back to their home planet? 🚀

[@audreyschneider7251]

Thank you for all your time creating these videos. I retired last May & have been going on cross country forays in my Sienna. My home base is currently southeast Nebraska. I am planning to traverse Canada next fall; any words to the wise or reading links you might share would be appreciated.

[@dougmaryhittheroad]

Hi Audrey, sounds like you’ve got some fun travels ahead. Well, first don’t forget that you need a passport coming from the USA (and back again). iOverlander app for Android or iPhone is essential, although it isn’t free anymore, but we still wouldn’t have found a lot of boondocking spots, showers or water without it. Your mosquito spray of choice. We’ve tried them all, and those containing DEET work the best for us on both mosquitoes and flies. Also, a bug net shirt, hat and pants make going outside tolerable in the worst conditions. They don’t need to be fancy or expensive. Ours were under $20 and work great. We would use one of the e-sim phone apps next time. USA cell plans are expensive for Canadian coverage add-ons and don’t seem to work well anyway. Some have daily or weekly options. You’ll need good phone data for maps and googling what to see in an area or town. If you’re going to Quebec, the ability to understand, speak and read French would be indispensable. We don’t do any, and missed out on a lot. There’s no English signs or translation anywhere, and away from the tourist locations, most people don’t (or won’t) speak English, even at places like Costco or Wal-mart. There’s a Google phone feature that will translate from images, text or sometimes speech, but it is slow and not useful in a conversation, but we did rely on it a lot. The French term for “no camping” can be written in a lot of ways. If you are going to remote locations like Yukon or NW Territories, you might want to get the best AAA coverage you can, just for peace of mind. Read the benefits pages carefully, but it (theoretically) covers you as long as you are on a recognized public road or highway, even if it is gravel and 100 miles from anywhere. But, we’ve never had to use it. The only road travel guide that we’ve ever used was “The Milepost”, which covers every road in Alaska and the various routes and side roads through Canada to get there. So, most of BC, Yukon, some of NW Territories and Alberta are very well covered, mile-by mile. It details attractions, history, good roads, bad roads, where to get gas and food and everything a traveler would want to know. Well worth the cost of just under $50, and a new edition comes out every year. Hope that helps, and happy travels! Doug & Mary

[@audreyschneider7251]

@ wow! Great compilation & very much appreciated. I grew up in Northern New England & DEET is my mosquito/fly/tick deterrent because it is the only thing that works. Thank you again & traveling mercies are wished for you two.