Inspired by Nomadland and the RV Lifestyle: Seven Great Driving Trips in Canada

April 26, 2021 Jim Byers

There’s something about the lure of the open road that has inspired authors and film makers for decades. The latest in the genre is the film Nomadland, which won Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture on Sunday night. With the summer approaching quickly and Canadians eager to hit the road and explore, here are some of our fave places to try the nomadic lifestyle in Canada.

Alberta

The Icefields Parkway. This is one of the world’s most majestic roads, a thin ribbon of highway that weaves its way among some of the tallest, most rugged peaks in the Canadian Rockies between Jasper and Banff. Truly awe-inspiring. For something different, try the relaxing Cowboy Trail, which skirts the foothills of the Rockies south of Calgary.

Ontario

The Lake Superior shoreline doesn’t get as much credit as it should, but it’s remarkable. The Trans-Canada Highway between Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay could use a few more turnoffs for photo-taking purposes, but you’ll pass gorgeous stretches of one of the largest lakes in the world, complete with beautiful, nearby islands. It’s not as dramatic, but a quiet drive along the north coast of Lake Erie between Kingsville and Port Dover is a low-key, beautiful drive that offers fine views of pretty farms and sandy beaches.

Quebec

The Gaspe Peninsula is one of the most breathtaking regions of Canada, with towering cliffs and colourful homes and famous Perce Rock. You’ll have to haul your RV over on a ferry, but the Magdalene Islands of Quebec are one of the most wondrous areas of Canada, with beaches that go on just shy of forever and towering, green hills fronted by towering, red-orange cliffs. Great people, too.

Newfoundland and Labrador

There are great drives all over the province. One of my faves is from Norris Point to Rocky Harbour and then on up the west coast to the village of Gulls Marsh, which is close to the parking lot you use to hike in and get a boat ride on Western Brook Pond, a fjord-like body of water surrounded by breathtaking mountains in Grose Morne National Park. Pretty much any road around Twillingate will also put a smile on your face.

Saskatchewan

The Qu’Appelle Valley is a lovely drive north of Regina, with pretty farms nestled into a wide valley and nice towns to stop in at, including Lumsden, where you’ll find a welcoming, tasty spot called Jane Dough’s Bakehouse and Coffee Company. A little further north, don’t miss the fun town of Regina Beach, which is on a pretty lake.

British Columbia

The Sea-to-Sky Highway between Vancouver and Whistler is the showiest drive, but I also love driving (or taking a train) along the Fraser and Thompson Rivers in inland British Columbia. There are amazing views at Hell’s Gate, and you’ll find plenty of wide-open sky up and hills laced with sweet-smelling pines around Lytton and Spences Bridge.

Nova Scotia

The Cabot Trail is rightfully praised as one of the world’s best drives; a fabulous stretch of highway that hugs the coast and rises and falls like a Nasdaq stock. There’s great hiking along the way, so be sure to get out of your car or RV now and then and stretch your legs while you fill your lungs with fresh air right off the Atlantic. I also love the drive along the quiet Eastern Shore, just outside Halifax.

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