Great Lakes Cities

[10023]

Originally Posted by Sun Belt

It's the same as traveling with golf clubs, I don't see what the problem is. I would rather ride my board than an unknown rental.

Eh. I can always rent last year's Burton Custom, which is a board that I would consider buying if I did leave near a mountain. I literally rent the same board (or at least the latest model of that board) every time I go snowboarding.

[Sun Belt]

Originally Posted by 10023

Eh. I can always rent last year's Burton Custom, which is a board that I would consider buying if I did leave near a mountain. I literally rent the same board (or at least the latest model of that board) every time I go snowboarding.

I bought a used K2 board to own. Rental aren't reliable though. If I had a good board I would travel with it. I wouldn't want to buy tickets to an exotic location and be frustrated with a rental board if the cost difference was $50 for a checked hard case.

[TownGuy]

Originally Posted by 10023

I cannot imagine for the life of me why any Torontonian would drive 5-8 hours to Quebec, rather than fly to Alberta or BC. The only possible answer is that it must be much, much cheaper.

Cheaper but also a heck of a lot easier. Le Massif and Tremblant have vertical drops of 2500 ft, they aren't bunny hills by any stretch. Obviously don't compare to the Whistlers of the world but still...

[Sun Belt]

Originally Posted by 10023

Eh. I can always rent last year's Burton Custom, which is a board that I would consider buying if I did leave near a mountain. I literally rent the same board (or at least the latest model of that board) every time I go snowboarding.

It's probably 50/50. It would be nice to not travel with all the gear, but also nice to ride with confidence. You might even find a rental that is better than your current gear.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

i've never made it up to the minnesota superior shore either (duluth is as far as i've gone), but it looks pretty wild up there from pics:



source: http://www.charismaticplanet.com/pal...lake-superior/


source: http://www.travelandleisure.com/slid...lake-vacations


source: http://www.charismaticplanet.com/pal...lake-superior/


source: https://explorationvacation.net/2015...ch-sliver-bay/


source: http://www.charismaticplanet.com/pal...lake-superior/

Never been to Lake Superior, but these photos remind me of Croatia (where I have been).

[lio45]

Originally Posted by 10023

I cannot imagine for the life of me why any Torontonian would drive 5-8 hours to Quebec, rather than fly to Alberta or BC. The only possible answer is that it must be much, much cheaper.

In my experience, "flying to somewhere" is never as quick as it looks.

Do you think you can go from your Toronto home to being on a slope in Whistler in less than five hours?

I went to Whistler -- when I was visiting my sis in Vancouver. When I'm home I will ski at local places like Orford and Bromont and Jay Peak (VT). Occasionally we've been to bigger mountains in Maine. It would NEVER be worth it to do a trip to the West merely for skiing, IMO.

My day at Whistler/Blackcomb felt wasted, in fact -- it was already over and we had only used a ridiculously tiny fraction of the mountain we paid for.

[JManc]

New Hampshire is more rugged than Vermont but Vermont seems to be the bigger destination in the northeast for skiing. Breton Woods for example is at the base of Mt. Washington.

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by 10023

I cannot imagine for the life of me why any Torontonian would drive 5-8 hours to Quebec, rather than fly to Alberta or BC. The only possible answer is that it must be much, much cheaper.

Quebec possesses a certain je ne sais quoi that can't be found out west.

[Omaharocks]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

Quebec possesses a certain je ne sais quoi that can't be found out west.

Yeah, and as others have alluded, the skiing in Tremblant etc is better than almost anywhere in the eastern U.S., and about on par with the average slopes out west. The best spots out west are not only considerably more expensive, but also often considerably more crowded.

New Mexico is the exception - highest quality skiing relative to cost and crowds in the lower 48.

[10023]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

Quebec possesses a certain je ne sais quoi that can't be found out west.

It's also freezing fucking cold.

[mrnyc]

Originally Posted by pj3000

I don't remember this at all.

Maybe this was around the time that I started smoking weed.

i think whoever thought of that idea was smoking weed too.


btw erie tv carries cleveland tv stations:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medi...,_Pennsylvania


also, conneaut and ashtabula county, the far ne corner of ohio and right next door to erie, are in cleveland’s tv media market.

[TownGuy]

Originally Posted by 10023

It's also freezing fucking cold.

I usually go in March when you're just as likely to get a sunburn as it being cold. Besides that this is where the benefit of driving shines through. A lot easier to plan and cancel trips on short notice if the weather isn't going to be great. Someone flying to Whistler likely planned their trip well ahead and are just going to go regardless. The threat with Whistler is overcast and rainy for days on end.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by JManc

New Hampshire is more rugged than Vermont but Vermont seems to be the bigger destination in the northeast for skiing. Breton Woods for example is at the base of Mt. Washington.

The Adirondacks are more rugged than Vermont too. Don't know if it's apocryphal or not, but the usual-stated reason Vermont is the center of East Coast skiing is supposedly the better powder. Upstate NY and NH are considered somewhat icier.

It probably also doesn't hurt that VT is a bit easier to get to from the NYC area than the Adirondacks or NH, and the non-sking infrastructure a bit more developed (again, I think a high proportion of resort visitors come for non-skiing reasons, so things like hotels, restaurants, activities and atmosphere really matter).

That said, Ski magazine usually ranks Whiteface as best in the East, there are more ski resorts in NY State than any other state, and NH has a ton of well-known, decent quality resorts too (Maine too, but Maine is really out-of-the-way and even colder).

[lio45]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

Quebec possesses a certain je ne sais quoi that can't be found out west.

For skiing?!? Not really, no.

We've got bigger mountains than Southern Ontario, that's all. And so does Vermont.

When people shop for a place to ski at, they're basically looking at the size of the mountain, the cost of the ticket, and the number of hours to go there from their home. That's pretty much it. If you want to do touristy stuff you're much better off coming back in the summer; winter isn't ideal, lots of things are closed for the season even*. I doubt many people mix serious skiing and spending serious time as a tourist in the same trip.

* In the Quebec City area the best example of this would be Orleans Island. Really vibrant and interesting in summer, all but dead in winter. The place basically hibernates.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by lio45

For skiing?!? Not really, no.

We've got bigger mountains than Southern Ontario, that's all. And so does Vermont.

When people shop for a place to ski at, they're basically looking at the size of the mountain, the cost of the ticket, and the number of hours to go there from their home. That's pretty much it. If you want to do touristy stuff you're much better off coming back in the summer; winter isn't ideal, lots of things are closed for the season even*. I doubt many people mix serious skiing and spending serious time as a tourist in the same trip.

* In the Quebec City area the best example of this would be Orleans Island. Really vibrant and interesting in summer, all but dead in winter. The place basically hibernates.

You really think it's that much of a non-factor?

I've been to Tremblant of course and without going overboard it does have more of a "jet-set" feel than other resorts in NE North America. Part of that is the après-ski for sure which feels somewhat different just like any nightlife scene in Quebec will feel somewhat different to someone from Ontario or the U.S.

Quebec City it seems is also filled with lots of people from outside Quebec during the winter who are skiing at Ste-Anne, but also taking in the city sights and partying too.

And not just during Carnaval, but also when Ontario's education system has their winter-spring breaks.

I mean, "Ontariens" is a real code word in Quebec City is it not during the winter for young people looking for ski-suds-sex. And maybe the occasional fistfight.

[The North One]

I would think casual skiers would definitely want to pick the better ski towns to visit so they can do other things on their trip, I know I would.

[Razor]

mmm Maybe this post is more for the Urban Analogue thread, but in my mind's eye I always envisioned Chicago and Toronto being similar...Both being Great Lakes power houses..Maybe having a Great Lakes harbour front is where the similiarities end though...Don't know..I read somewhere that Toronto is like a smaller blend of both NYC and Chicago.

[JManc]

Toronto is Chicago with Tim Horton's and Don Cherry.

[Razor]

Originally Posted by JManc

Toronto is Chicago with Tim Horton's and Don Cherry.

Or on a more serious note, a more ethnic Chicago with a British/Common wealthy spin perhaps?

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I've been to Tremblant of course and without going overboard it does have more of a "jet-set" feel than other resorts in NE North America.

I've never skied Canada, but you see ads for Tremblant on the subway and in public places. I assume Tremblant draws a decent number of Americans (or at least Northeasterners). I believe there are direct winter flights from Newark.