First Road Trip - Providence to Toronto!

August 11, 2009 2:55 PM

I am planning a road trip from Providence, RI to Toronto and need the hivemind's help!

In early September, I will be driving from Providence to Toronto, and back. I've driven across country (from the south to north) and done the backpacking in Europe thing before, but always with friends/family - so this is my first trip that I get to plan for myself (!!). I'm 25, female, into history, politics, general quirkiness, and outdoorsy stuff.

My goal is to leave Providence on a Monday, drive/sight-see for two days, and end up in Toronto Wednesday morning. Stay in Toronto until Saturday afternoon, and head back to be back in Providence by Sunday night. I'm flexible on time other than Wednesday-Saturday I need to be in Toronto.

So, hivemind - what should I do along the way? And what should I do in Toronto? I already would like to see Niagara Falls (which side tho, not sure), Oneida Community Mansion House, something to do with the Hill Cumorah in Palmyra, see the Adirondacks...
what else should I add? where should i stay along the way?

posted by quodlibet to Travel & Transportation (6 answers total)

Not sure if it would be too out of the way, but I went to Ithaca back in 2007 and it was a lot nicer than my image of your average upstate New York town. It has a cool downtown and the city has a slogan "Ithaca is Gorges" because there are a bunch of gorges/waterfalls right in the city. Might be worth stopping there for lunch.
posted by fx3000 at 3:55 PM on August 11, 2009

If you find yourself going through Poughkeepsie, you can't throw a rock without hitting one historical site or another. While the Adirondacks are beautiful, but you may not have much time to go that far north on your way to Toronto (unless you stop there for your first night on the road). I would second Ithaca as a stopping place. It's a groovy little town. Don't miss Buttermilk Falls. There's also a great art museum at Cornell to visit, and some good restaurants in the downtown area. Skaneateles Lake is beautiful also. It's near Auburn/Syracuse. A really clean, glacier lake, and a nice little town. There are lots of little inns on the main street right across from the lake. If you have any interest in baseball or delicious belgian style beer, stop in Cooperstown. Ommegang Brewery is there as well as the baseball hall of fame. Make sure to stop in Buffalo, but not for the Falls--go to the Canadian side. Buffalo has some great architecture, a number of Frank Lloyd Wright homes (the newly restored Darwin Martin House is great), and some really good art museums (Burchfield Penny and the Albright Knox). If you stay in Buffalo, the Mansion on Delaware is really lovely. So much to do in Toronto, I can't even begin. I'll let the Toronto folks weigh in, except to say that the Gladstone Hotel on Queen Street West is fantastic. Have a blast.
posted by Cheeto at 4:38 PM on August 11, 2009

If you go to the Canadian side of the falls, you'll be near Niagara-on-the-Lake, where I recommend seeing a play at the Shaw Festival. There's also several wineries in that area, if you're into wine.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 4:47 PM on August 11, 2009

Seconding the recommendations for Ithaca. (Especially around lunchtime or dinnertime. I was there for a couple weeks earlier this summer and didn't have a meal I didn't like.) Find the time to see some of the gorges/waterfalls. Cooperstown is worth a stop for the baseball hall of fame if you're a baseball fan, and perhaps for the brewery although I haven't been to it; the town itself, though, is basically a tourist trap full of baseball memorabilia stores.
posted by madcaptenor at 5:05 PM on August 11, 2009

If you're going along I-90 through Central NY, you could stop by the Women's Rights sites and the National Women's Hall of Fame. There are tons of state and county parks in Western NY for a brief hike, if the weather cooperates.

There was a recent question about Ithaca which may be relevant to your interests.

I've seen both sides of the Falls, and was overwhelmed by the crappy-touristiness of the Canadian side. The US side isn't a lot to look at, but it's not as crowded :)
posted by knile at 7:53 PM on August 11, 2009

The Canadian side has a much better view of the falls themselves, but it is getting to be all hotels and casinos and stuff now. I remember a very nice little park and a lot less commercialism on the American side, though I've only done that bit once or twice (I do the Canadian side at least once a year, cause family is in the neighbourhood). Assuming you can only do one, I think you have to do the Canadian side.

I don't know about recommending Niagara-on-the-Lake.. It is a tourist trap from hell, in a lot of ways. I've heard good things about a couple of recent Shaw plays, but the ones I've been to have invariably been middling at best--admittedly, I haven't been for a few years. On the other hand, I saw a fantastic play at the Port Mansion in Port Dalhousie this past Christmas. I've heard similarly good things about other productions there. In general, Port Dalhousie is kind of sort of comparable to Niagara-on-the-Lake, except a lot more economical, a lot less snooty, and a younger crowd.

You might want to check out the Welland Canal as you go by. Big boats and locks and stuff--cool!
posted by Chuckles at 8:20 PM on August 11, 2009