Journey from Canada to the States—first experience

Everything lined up perfectly this year for our spring break: Easter holidays, semester break at the university, work leave, and our personal family celebrations—wedding anniversary and one year since arriving in Canada. We decided to spend our break on wheels, making it our first family trip to the USA!

 

I posted many photos and travel notes on Facebook in real-time, but I was asked many times to tell more details in one post, so today I will write not so much about Canada, but about the trip from Toronto to Orlando and back: 13 states, 5000 km, and a multitude of impressions.

Canada-USA Trip: Preparation

Regarding the details of obtaining an American visa for Ukrainians in Toronto, I think it’s worth writing separately because based on our experience, the process was quite lengthy, and there is much to tell about it.

Briefly, I will say that yes, a visa is required. Actually, it’s needed for Canadians too—in electronic form, called an ETA. At the border on the way there, you’ll need to show your Ukrainian passport, and on the way back—only the PR card, so these documents must be with you.

Mobile phones immediately switch to roaming in the States, so in preparation for the trip, we ordered an additional service from our provider, Virgin Mobile: we pay an extra $CA8 per day and use all the advantages of our Canadian tariff plan, both for calls and data.

Canadian credit and debit cards work in the USA without any problems, but payments are made at the current exchange rate, so there may be some losses due to conversion. No additional calls or visits to the bank were needed to enable card use abroad.

Canadian driver’s licenses work in the States without any restrictions.

So, we needed:

• documents: Ukrainian passport and PR card;
• bank cards—without additional preparation;
• change in mobile tariff to avoid additional expenses in roaming.

Ontario—New York State, Pennsylvania: Beginning of the journey

We set off early in the morning, and in Toronto, the weather was atypical even for Ontario in late April: rain, gusty winds, only +2-3°C… It seemed like it could snow at any moment. Bad weather followed us even after crossing the border near Buffalo, New York State. There, the rain intensified, but it started to get warmer.

Real changes as we moved south became noticeable at the border between New York and Pennsylvania, and for the difference in weather, we should thank the Appalachians: they hold back masses of cold Arctic air and don’t let it go further south.

Here we found ourselves in a real Easter tale!

By the way, right after crossing the border between Canada and the States, you need to switch to the American system of measurements: miles for distances, Fahrenheit for temperature… At gas stations where volumes are measured in gallons, it was also not easy at first, but you quickly get used to it (if you’re interested in questions about getting a driver’s license and buying a car in Canada, you should read the post via the link).

Washington, D.C.

The first destination on our list was Washington—here we planned a two-day stop, sightseeing, and meeting friends. We reached Washington through New York State, Pennsylvania, and Maryland in about 7 hours.

Washington impressed with its monumental, solemn architecture. Somehow, despite numerous documentary and artistic films, I expected to see a city entirely decorated in the style of Pentagon buildings or FBI headquarters. In reality, Washington somewhat resembles Paris and Berlin.

Virginia, North and South Carolina: Fayetteville and Charleston

After two days in Washington, we headed further south, crossing Virginia and both Carolinas. As we moved closer to the Atlantic coast, the nature changed significantly, and the vegetation took on a subtropical hue.

Even in April, compared to Canada, it was very hot-hot-hot here! In Virginia, although we crossed it completely from north to south, we did not stop, but in North Carolina, we took a break in Fayetteville, where we met with colleagues.

Perhaps Fayetteville, because here I first visited a real American suburban house, became the epitome of “one-story America” for me. Neat streets, almost no sidewalks—after all, even to the nearest supermarket, you need to go quite far, everything is drowning in flowers and greenery.

From the veranda in the backyard, there is a view of the forest and the river with a captivating name Cape Fear (the plot of the eponymous film takes place precisely in Fayetteville!). Pelicans hunting on it is a completely familiar sight for the locals.

After eight or nine hours on the road, we stayed overnight in Charleston—the very Charleston that is so often mentioned in Gone with the Wind. And this city is truly magnificent!

Ancient magnificent architecture, lush subtropical vegetation, flowers everywhere, and fountains in every yard without exaggeration. We were recommended a local culinary classic, fried green tomatoes, to get to know the Carolinas better, and this touch perfectly complemented the picture.

Further south! Georgia and Florida

In Georgia on the way to Florida, we stopped only for a couple of hours in Savannah. Although it’s relatively close to Charleston from Savannah, visually, the cities are very different!

Savannah is engulfed in moss and lianas. From the lush vegetation on the streets of the historic district, although shady, it’s very, very stuffy, and you want to get to the ocean as soon as possible.

Yes, to the ocean. Here, for the first time, we met! The Atlantic Ocean, majestic and calm today, in Georgia is already warm enough in April for swimming and beach activities.

Florida: Universal Studio Harry Potter World, Cape Canaveral, Orlando

The ultimate goal of our journey was Florida and Cape Canaveral, where we planned to see the SpaceX launch. We were unlucky, and the launch was postponed for a week, on the day we had already returned to Toronto.

Nevertheless, the trip was successful! In many ways, thanks to the magic of the world of Harry Potter. It is in Florida, in Orlando, that there is a whole scattering of amusement parks that dream of visiting not only children:) There is Disneyland here too, but for me, the most coveted places were Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, two magical locations in the Harry Potter’s Wizarding World at Universal Studios.

 

It was truly a magical day! We walked through Diagon Alley, visited Hogwarts, flew with hippogriffs, and wandered the streets of Hogsmeade.

The next day, we finally went to Cape Canaveral. The road from Orlando took just over an hour, and entry to the natural park area cost us $12. And although we didn’t get to see the space launch, we still had a lot of fun: virgin clean beaches, lush vegetation, hot sun, and endless ocean… The place is very quiet, at least at the end of April, despite the heat, there were no holidaymakers, and we were left to ourselves.

The last place visited in Florida—downtown Orlando, a large southern city, immediately appealing with its leisurely pace and relaxation.

We didn’t delve into the suburbs and business districts, limiting ourselves to the historical center located around the beautiful park on the shores of Lake Eola. And although Orlando is not as beautiful as Charleston, walks around it are actually pleasant.

From Florida to Ontario: Atlanta (Georgia), Tennessee, Kentucky, Cincinnati (Ohio), Detroit (Michigan)

To diversify our impressions, we decided to return a slightly different way. From Florida—again to Georgia, without it, it was impossible, but this time with a stop in Atlanta, and then—through Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, and Michigan.

In Georgia on the approach to Atlanta, we visited a historic mansion, which, although not the prototype or filming location of Gone with the Wind, still very much resembles Tara and is a monument to the times of the Civil War.

Moving north after spending the night in a hotel at the world’s largest airport in Atlanta, we soon found ourselves in the mountains. The Appalachians are beautiful, and they prepared a surprise for us!

Completely unexpectedly, just following the road signs, we ended up at the Appalachian Museum. Here, the history of the region from the time of the first settlers to the 20th century is preserved, carefully guarded by locals and supported by the sale of local honey and other delicacies!

We even had the chance to visit inside a carefully relocated house from another part of the state that belonged to the family of Samuel Clemens, also known as Mark Twain!

In Kentucky, a different kind of entertainment awaited us. Although we aren’t exactly fast food enthusiasts in life, skipping the very first original restaurant opened by Colonel Sanders and now known worldwide as KFC was out of the question!

You might laugh, but the bucket we got there, which seemed from the first original restaurant, opened by Colonel Sanders and known worldwide as KFC, was out of the question! You might laugh, but the bucket we got there, which seemed to be enough for two people, we ate between the three of us for three days. We started at the restaurant itself, had dinner with it in Cincinnati, and carefully packed it—just to see how far it would go!—and brought it to Toronto. Clearly, these portions aren’t meant for mere mortals.

Next stop—and next city! Cincinnati. Since our trip, we’ve been there twice more, and each time the city welcomed us with sporting events. Personally, it’s now the most sports-oriented city in the States for me. Plus, the Cincinnati Zoo is home to the world-famous hippopotamus named Fiona. In any case, the city is worth visiting.

 

On our way back to Canada, we passed through Detroit and the state of Michigan. It’s already May on the calendar, but here in the north, it’s cold and windy again. Only by early June did Ontario and Michigan finally clear up and warm up. Nevertheless, we liked Detroit: a bustling downtown, the headquarters of General Motors, and… a beach right in the center! No, not on the Detroit Riverbank, where it’s windy and damp, but right on a square. The locals miss summer so much they’ve they created a place for a siesta, with open bars, loungers, and a sandy beach.

From here, you can already see Canada—the city of Windsor in Ontario. It’s just a four-hour drive to Toronto from here.

So, the trip happened and, in our opinion, was successful. Nearly five thousand kilometers, thirteen states, and numerous cities in ten days of travel. I believe that the Easter holidays at the end of April and beginning of May are ideal for such a trip; we truly felt the transition from spring to summer and enjoyed the change of seasons in all their splendor. We sincerely wish you the same:)

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