Travel
North America
| Trip | Year | Distance | Duration | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| To the West Coast of Canada | 1997 | 12,000 Km 7,500 miles |
6 weeks | In the summer of 1997, we went on a classic driving trip to the west coast and back, an unstructured trip as a celebration of the freedom of retirement, and partially as a personal re-enactment of a similar trip my parents took with their three teenage kids exactly 40 years earlier to celebrate my father's retirement. While the itineraries were different we made the point of including some memorable places from 40 years ago and comparing those places with my remembrances of the same place. |
| and Back Home via the U.S. | 1997 | |||
| To the Maritimes and Back | 2003 | 4,340 Km 2,696 miles |
59.6 hours 11 days |
At the end of July, 2003, we finally completed our coast to coast exploration of Canada by driving out to New Brunswick, PEI and Nova Scotia. |
| New York City | 2004 | 5 days | Just a short pilgrimage to one of our favourite cities. | |
| Los Angeles | 2004 | 7 days | To get away from the cold in Ottawa, we decided on week of touring the sights of Los Angeles, Hollywood and the southern California beaches. |
Scotland
| Trip | Year | Distance | Duration | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 2002 | 2 weeks | In the last half of August 2002, we flew to Glasgow, toured the Highlands, visited Perth and ended up in Edinburgh. |
Inside Mexico
| Trip | Year | Distance | Duration | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| To Cancún and Back. | 2002 | 4,120 Km 2,5700 miles |
2 weeks | In the spring of 2002, we were scheduled to spend a week at a resort in Cancún and decided to drive so we could see some things along the way, such as Veracruz, La Venta, Mérida, Chichén Itzá and Palenque. |
| To Puerto Vallarte and Back | 1999 | In the winter of 1999, we drove to Puerto Vallarte, starting with the back roads to Toluca and then the good toll roads west to Guadalajara and then to the coast and along to Puerto Vallarte. |
To Mexico and Back
| Trip | Year | Distance | Duration | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa To Cuernavaca | 1997 | 5,300 Km 3,300 miles |
59 hours 11 days |
In the fall of 1997, we drove to sunny Cuernavaca, Mexico for a 4 month stay. This was our first drive to Mexico and as we had left late, we headed south first to avoid any snow, headed to Nashville and then across to San Antonio, crossing into Mexico at Laredo. We overnighted in Matehuala and got to Cuernavaca the next day. |
| Cuernavaca to Ottawa | 1998 | 5,000 Km 3,100 miles |
52 hours 7 days |
In the spring of 1998, coming back, we left on April Fool's Day and headed for San Miguel de Allende the first day. We pretty much retraced our steps up through Laredo to San Antonio, then on to Dallas, St. Louis, to reach Hannibal, Missouri, to see where Mark Twain grew up and wrote most of his stories. Then on to Chicago and home to Ottawa. |
| Ottawa To Cuernavaca | 1998 | 4,776 Km 2980 miles |
8 days | In the fall of 1998, we again drove to sunny Cuernavaca. This time we took a westerly route as we wanted to visit Kansas City. Then Oklahoma City and San Antonio. We crossed into Mexico at McAllen/Reynosa, then on to Matehuala and Cuernavaca. |
| Cuernavaca to Ottawa | 1999 | 5,600 Km 3,500 miles |
59 hours 8 days |
In the spring of 1999, we drove north from sunny hot Cuernavaca to Matehuala, on to Houston, then across the South along the Gulf coast to Destin, Florida. Then we headed for Savanna Georgia and Charleston South Carolina, then a mad dash for coolish Ottawa. |
| Ottawa to Cuernavaca | 1999 | 10 days | In the fall of 1999, we rushed south from Ottawa to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to spend three days on some friends' boat. Then we headed for Atlanta, Georgia, Houston, Texas and crossed into Mexico at Brownsville/Matamoros. We then followed the coast to Ciudad Victoria and then the tough mountain route to Mexico City. | |
| Cuernavaca to Ottawa | 2000 | 4830 Km 2995 miles |
51 hours 8 days |
In the spring of 2000, we returned through Matehuala but on to Ciudad Victoria. Then across at Brownsville to Houston. From there we rushed through Arkansas to end up at Memphis Tennessee to check our "Graceland" and Beale Street. Then on through Louisville Kentucky, Toledo Ohio, Detroit, up to Port Huron, across the border to Sarnia and then Toronto, Ottawa. |
| Ottawa to Cuernavaca | 2000 | 8 days | In the fall of 2000, we had left too late, snow was already falling. We headed to Detroit, then south through Ohio, Kentucky, Mississippi, Louisiana and then Houston, Texas, ending up at Brownsville/Matamoros again. This time we went across to Monterrey, then over to Saltillo and then south on 57 to Mexico City and Cuernavaca. | |
| Cuernavaca to Ottawa | 2001 | 4711 Km 2940 miles |
48 hours 6 days |
In the spring of 2001, we returned through Matehuala, then across at Laredo and on to San Antonio. Some time in Dallas, through Arkansas and Memphis to Nashville. Then on through Louisville Kentucky, Toledo Ohio, Detroit, across the border at Windsor and then Toronto, Ottawa. |
| Ottawa to Cuernavaca | 2001 | 5055 Km 3153 miles |
56.14 hours 9 days |
In the fall of 2001, we left the earliest yet. We crossed the border at Ogdensburg to avoid busy crossings, then west under lakes Ontario and Erie to Buffalo. Then south to Columbus and on to Memphis, where we spent some time. Then Dallas, and San Antonio. Then through Laredo to Monterrey, Querétaro and Cuernavaca. |
| Cuernavaca to Ottawa | 2002 | 5078 Km 3168 miles |
50 hours 7 days |
In the spring of 2002, we returned through Monterrey, then across at Laredo and on to Austin. From there to Shreveport, Vicksburg and Memphis, Then through Nashville on to Cincinnati. Cross the border at Detroit/Windsor and on to Kitchener and then Toronto, and Ottawa. |
| Ottawa to Cuernavaca | 2003 | 5223 Km 3245 miles |
56 hours 9 days |
In the fall of 2003, we crossed the border at Ogdensburg again to avoid busy crossings, then west under lakes Ontario and Erie through Buffalo to Erie. Then south to Columbus, Cincinnati. On to Memphis, New Orleans, and Houston. Then through Laredo to Monterrey, Matehuala, Querétaro, Mexico City and Cuernavaca. |
| Cuernavaca to Ottawa | 2004 | 4775 Km 2978 miles |
49 hours 7 days |
In the winter of 2004, February, we headed out on a Saturday to Mexico City, Matehuala, Laredo, San Antonio, Dallas, Little Rock, Memphis, Nashville, Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, Erie, Buffalo, Syracuse, Ogdensburg to Ottawa, encountering some snow in upstate New York. |
| Three weeks in Cuernavaca | 2005 | 22 days | Since we couldn't drive down for 6 months in Cuernavaca this winter, we decided on flying down for a 3 week trip. | |
| Ottawa to Cuernavaca | 2006 | 5,000 Km 3,000 miles |
9 days | In the December of 2006, we crossed the border at Ogdensburg again to avoid busy crossings, then west under lakes Ontario and Erie through Buffalo to Erie. Then south to Columbus, Cincinnati. On to Memphis, New Orleans, and Houston. Then through Laredo to Monterrey, Matehuala, Querétaro, Mexico City and Cuernavaca. |
| Cuernavaca to Ottawa | 2007 | 4,674 Km 2,904 miles |
46:15 hours 6 days |
In the spring of 2007, I headed out alone on a Tuesday morning to Mexico City, Matehuala, Laredo, Austin, Dallas, Little Rock, Memphis, Indianapolis, Columbus, Cleveland, Erie, Buffalo, Syracuse, Ogdensburg to Ottawa, encountering again, some snow in upstate New York. |
| Ottawa to Cuernavaca | 2007 | 4,770 Km 2964 miles |
7 days | In the fall of 2007, I crossed the border at Ogdensburg again, then west under lakes Ontario and Erie through Buffalo to Erie. Then south to Columbus, Cincinnati. On to Memphis, Dallas, and San Antonio. Then through Laredo to Monterrey, Matehuala, Querétaro, Mexico City and Cuernavaca. |
