Have you spent more time in/travelled more to the US or in other Canadian provinces outside Ontario?

[wild goose chase]

Just wondering, since some people often say that Canadians have greater ties to the part of the US closer to their own cities (eg. Torontonians visiting Buffalo, Vancouverites visiting Seattle etc.) geographically than parts of their own country farther afield (eg. Torontonians visiting Vancouver).

At this point in my life, I would say I've visited many Canadian provinces and American states so it's more even and now I am living in the US, but when I was a kid I think I spent quite a bit if not a lot more time in Canadian cities outside Ontario (such as Montreal) than in US cities (where it was mostly trips to nearby Buffalo, and the occasionally farther sightseeing trip to different states), but as an adult, it's the other way around.

 

[Admiral Beez]

With the dollar's slide against the greenback we're considering vacationing this summer in Canada. Having lived in New Brunswick, we've done the Atlantic Provinces, including Nfld. Last summer we rented a house on Vancouver Island for two weeks. So, I think this summer it's Alberta and western BC to see the rockies.

Once I obtain a longer range, more robust motorcycle I may ride to Alaska. Actually, with my affinity for fortifications, I want to go to Churchill to see Prince of Wales Fort.

 

[Skeezix]

My family didn't travel much when we were kids. My parents saw travel as an opportunity for a get-away for the two of them, and an opportunity for my brother and I to spend time with our grandparents. Our travel, to the extent we did any, was often in Canada - growing up in Ottawa, we often spent time in Quebec.

When I was old enough to start mucking about, the CAD/USD exchange rate was so crappy that it was often cheaper to go to Europe, or to stick to Canada. And, frankly, there is not a lot drawing me to the States - NYC, the Bay area, Vermont, Chicago among the places that did appeal to me. Some of the more popular destinations - Vegas, Florida, LA, the Grand Canyon, New Orleans, etc. - don't appeal to me that much. I'm sure they're lovely, but honestly - yawn. Unless it's on someone else's dime, I'd prefer to spend my money going elsewhere.

Best way to get my eyes to glaze over is to tell me about how much fun you had in Vegas.

There is so much I still would like to see in Canada - particularly the North.

When the CAD/USD exchange rate improved such that it was at par, or close to it, we did venture south a bit more often (I really do love Vermont, and always jump at the chance to go). But, sticking with Canada and the U.S., I can think of a lot more Canadian destinations where I would like to go next than U.S. ones. In terms of the States, the Pacific Northwest is a place where I have never been but want to go.

 

[Admiral Beez]

When I was old enough to start mucking about, the CAD/USD exchange rate was so crappy that it was often cheaper to go to Europe, or to stick to Canada. And, frankly, there is not a lot drawing me to the States - NYC, the Bay area, Vermont, Chicago among the places that did appeal to me. Some of the more popular destinations - Vegas, Florida, LA, the Grand Canyon, New Orleans, etc. - don't appeal to me that much. I'm sure they're lovely, but honestly - yawn. Unless it's on someone else's dime, I'd prefer to spend my money going elsewhere..

This reminded me of a chat I had with an American friend about why many Americans don't have passports. His response was that to many folks, America has everything you'd want to see, from rainforests, mountains, deserts, beaches, reefs, beautiful coastal roads, hiking, historic cities, UNESCO heritage sites, international cuisines and cultures, etc.

 

[wild goose chase]

It also seems like there is a lopsidedness or asymmetry between Americans and Canadians in terms of visiting each others' countries just as you'd expect with the size/population/geographical trends in migration of either country.

I'm pretty sure a way higher proportion of Canadians have crossed the border and visited the US at least once in their lifetime than Americans who've done so and visited Canada.

In fact, it seems like I haven't really heard of any Torontonian who was born and raised in and has never left Canada, since most will at least have gone stateside once in their life (though to be fair I haven't really asked things in that way, just if it comes up), while I commonly hear Americans even in the larger cities who say they've never left the US. The passport requirement to go to Canada from the US or vice versa was something that came up only in the 2000s so it can't be the only thing that explains why Americans leave their country less.