Randomblackgirl...: Blame Canada!

Canada. Hmmm. When I hear the word Canada I think of Celine Dion, Alanis Morisette, and the rocker girl who used to wear the neckties. I also think of mounties. (Those are police officers mounted on horses, right?) And I think of super cold weather, explorers from France and that year the Olympics were held in a place called Calgary, which I'm pretty sure is in Canada. Let's see. Umm. Canada. It's big. And isn't Niagara Falls in Canada?

And of course, I always think of the "Blame Canada" episode of South Park. That song was hilarious.

Sigh.

Once again, I'm ashamed of how little I know about the world I live in. I mean, jeez, Canada is on the same continent as my own country!

So, I'm on assignment. General Motors has invited several journalists to test drive a new car called the Buick Lucerne. Now, to make sure we realize just how extra-special the Lucerne is, we're not just motoring around our home cities. We've been flown to Charlottetown, a quaint village on St. Edwards Island, about an hour from Montreal. Over the next three days, I'll be driving the new Lucerne on a road trip throughout Canada, visiting local places of interest along the way.

For this trip, I was even allowed to bring a friend. I enlisted my oldest friend Sanai* (we've been cracking each other up for 29 years and counting), to make the trek with me.

We flew from Newark to Montreal this morning, (it was less than an hour!), and then caught a connecting flight to Charlottetown, (about 90 minutes).

It's a bit surreal to travel such a short distance and then go through a customs line. I equate getting my passport stamped with traveling for hours and hours. And can I just say that the agents at the customs counter were the sweetest people ever? Is that a Canadian stereotype? Are the people overwhelmingly nice?

When we were in the air over Charlottetown, it reminded me a lot of flying over the Midwest, en route to California. There were wide patches of land. At one point, I saw a house, and then counted to five, (remember, I'm on a plane), before I saw another one. Nothing but lush, flat greenery. Beautiful.

Our tour guide picked us up from the airport and brought us to The Great George Inn, a fifteen minute drive from the airport. Along the way, we compared notes on the similarities and differences in fast food culture.

One of the most awesome things about traveling are the little things you learn. Things you may not read in a travel guide or hear about from someone who has been there. Just tiny factoids that make you feel more worldy and cosmopolitan.

Prime example. Have you ever heard of Tim Horton? He was a famous hockey player here in Canada in the seventies. He was killed in a car accident soon after investing in a coffee shop named after him. His business partner carried on the business and Tim Horton's is now the largest coffee and doughnut chain in Canada. Everytime we drove past a Wendy's restaurant, I noticed that the Tim Horton's signage was prominent. Wendy's bought the chain in 1995.

I wonder if Tim Horton's coffee shops could work here. Americans don't know the guy. Not sure how that would work. Although, it's not like I really know who "The Colonel" from KFC is... I just know he represents fried chicken. (Why is this? Is The Colonel a real person? Did he start KFC?)

Oh my. I digress. My apologies.

Back to Canada.

We get to the hotel. And I'm not lying when I say this, the place is TO DIE FOR. I have stayed in some wonderful hotels in my lifetime. I'm especially fond of the W Hotel in the Westwood section of Los Angeles. Love the super squishy bed and the minimilast decor. And I love how Le Meridien, right down the street from the Beverly Center, feels like it's in the middle of nowhere even though it's in the heart of Los Angeles.

But The Inns on Great George is something else entirely. It's got my name written all over it. The Great George is actually a completely refurbished block of houses. Because they have historical value, the hotel was required to maintain the facades. So from the street, the "hotel" looks like a row of gorgeous homes perfectly maintained from the 1800s. Each home has a tiny porch with a few steps leading to the inside. The lobby is set up like a cozy living room. And the guest accomodations? Oh my. My room has a queen size bed, a jacuzzi, a solid wood writing desk, a fireplace, a huge bathroom...

Did I mention that there are fresh baked cookies in the lobby 24 hours a day? And somehow, they always manage to be fresh-out-of-the-oven warm? And the rooms have real wooden shutters that open to the street. And a tiny balcony off of the bedroom. I could live here. Forever.

After we finished up, we had a meet-and-greet where I met the other writers on the trip. Most write for publications that deal specifically with cars. I think I may be the only entertainment writer disguised as a car expert. Hopefully, they won't find out that I know about as much about cars as I do about Canada.

Dinner. I would describe but I can't. I'm so full that if I even write about it, I'll explode.

Tomorrow morning, I must be up early. My travel partner Sanai* has decided we're going for an early morning jog. Grrrrr. I have to check out of this hotel, (only one night here? Oh, the humanity!) And at 9AM sharp, I'm sliding into the Lucern to check it out. I'll be traveling to Wood Islands, where there is an award-winning historic site that reflects life in the 1800s. I'll be driving along the Trans-Canada Highway. Another random fact for you: The Trans-Canada Highway is one of the longest in the world.

(I've noticed that every place I travel always has some kind of superlative attached. Noone ever says, nothing special about this place. It reminds me of the Caribbean, where it's ALWAYS the anniversary of SOMETHING historical. Yeah mon, it's the 272nd anniversary of the day Columbus caught the flu. Yup, right there on that rock is where he threw up.)

I'm off to bed. Check in with me this week and join me on my latest travel adventure. I'll be updating my exploits here in the land of um, well, you know, hockey players and cops on horses and stuff.

-A

Comments

Funny. I cant believe out of all the places you've been, you've never been to Canada.You know Portia and I lived there for awhile. They are nice... unless you go to Quebec and speak to them in English. They will look at you like sun glare is in their eyes and their head is having an epelectic case of the action for "No!". They act like they never even heard of English. But can you blame them? We cocky Americans think we can go anywhere and people should adjust to us. The nerve of us. Anyway, enjoy. Hey, maybe they'll let you keep one of those cars and you wont have to replace your side mirror. ;)

Posted by: Paul | July 12, 2006 at 12:12 AM