TravelGuides

(TGA) - Hi everyone,
I'm planning to drive my car out from New Jersey to Minneapolis in early May and am looking for the most scenic route, not necessarily the quickest. I was thinking of making 2 stops - one in Toronto and then one more along the way in Ontario. From what I've gathered from Google Maps, there's really only one road that does this route through Ontario, 17. What city along that route is the most practicle (in terms of finding somewhere roughly halfway between Toronto and Minneapolis), but that also offers some touristic appeal. Is 17 a route that's really in the middle of nowhere that potentially wouldn't be safe for someone driving alone in a sedan? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciate! Thank you.
-Alex
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Hi Alex;
It would be helpful if you mentioned where you are entering Canada, and what route you are planning to take to get to Toronto. Hwy 17 runs through northern Ontario, about 4-5 hours north of Toronto.
Best Regards
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Valid request! I was going to drive up through NY state through Scranton, Binghamton, Rochester, Buffalo, Niagra Falls, stop in Toronto, and then continue to head north on what looks like Hwy 400 and then to 17, up and around Lake Superior into Minnesota. Blind River, Thessalon, Marathon, Terrace Bay, and Thunder Bay look like the towns on that route in Ontario.
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Hi Alex;
After Toronto, I would suggest stopping in Sault Ste. Marie, which will be about a 9 hour drive.
After SSM, I would suggest stopping in Thunder Bay, which is about another 9 hour drive.
Hwy 17, aka The Trans-Canada Highway, is the main east / west route through northern Ontario. It is a safe route to travel, but I would not suggest driving it at night, due to the hazzard of wild animals ( moose, deer, etc) that may wander onto the road.
http://transcanadahighway.com
Best Regards
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As RescueTeam has indicated, this is a long drive & not recommended for only a single stop. Google maps puts it at about 1200 miles.
If you wanted to shave 250 miles off the trip, you could consider re-entering the US at Sault Ste. Marie & traversing the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, then angling southwest through Wisconsin to Eau Claire, then straight into St Paul. The drawback to this, in our opinion, is that you would be cutting out the most scenic part of the Canadian route- those areas where the highway hugs the shore of Lake Superior. Wisconsin is very pretty, though, so if you opt for the shorter route you'll still be getting nice scenery.
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