Back Roads and Getaway Places of Canada

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Big is the adjective that leaps to mind. A look at a big country calls
for a big book, and Byers met the challenge with this mammoth, detailed
work. For those who want to explore Canada outside the big cities, it
introduces 340 sites, 26 national parks, and 56 drives. To accomplish
this, Byers uses 400 photos, 76 maps, and hundreds of snippets of text
and sidebars. A comprehensive index makes even this huge mass of
information accessible.

Starting with the natural division by provinces, the work further
divides Canada into 22 regions. For each region, there are 10 to 12
places to go and things to do. These include beaches, gardens, museums,
historic homes, parks, scenic drives, boat cruises, forts, campsites,
ghost towns, and more. For each, 21 symbols are used as shorthand to
flag characteristics such as the availability of fishing, hiking trails,
swimming, canoeing, bird watching, antiques, picnic sites, golf,
horseback riding, photo opportunities, and so on. For each destination,
the text gives a bit of history and/or geography and/or ecology, unusual
features or special attractions, travel directions, and at least one
photo.

The emphasis is on destinations and drives that are predominantly
rural, quiet, and unhurried. Those close to home are ideal for day trips
or weekend getaways. Linked together, the destinations become a vacation
planner for longer excursions reaching further from home base.

As well as being useful for anyone who likes to vacation in Canada, the
book is a handy quick reference when getting away from the city seems
like the sane thing to do.