Patricia Schultz: Seattle is a great city, and an easy place to set off for awesome nearby destinations in every direction. Ferries from Anacortes connect you to four of the San Juan Islands (there are hundreds of them, some nothing more than large, green-covered outcroppings) on Kenmore air--they have a fleet of both fixed-leg aircraft or seaplanes that service the San Juans regularly and make for awesome flight-seeing on the way. Orcas Island is said to be the most beautiful - rolling farmland, a resident summertime pod of 60-90 orca whales (frequently seen from shore though whale-watching excursions are far more fun; Oracas, Lopez, and San Juan Islands are all great for biking, hiking, sea kayaking, excellent seafood, etc. Kenmore also flies from Seattle to the veddy British city of Victoria on Vancouver Island. Exploring the island can take you a few--or many--days, and it offers a surprisingly sophisticated gastronomic scene(the Sooke Harbour House and Restaurant) as well as hotel scene (The Wickaninnish Inn near Tofino, 200 miles north of Victoria--even popular in the winter months for those who come from all parts to hole up and pray for dramatic winter storms to roll in!)--though all varieties of options are available. And oh, that wild Northwest Pacific scenery! It's majestic.

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San Antonio, TX: What should we not miss while in Quebec City and around there for a week in mid-October?

Patricia Schultz: It is still autumntime in Quebec province in October, so get out of town (but only once you seen the sites/sights--it's an intriguing city--see an earlier question I just answered). Just a 50-mile drive along the shores of the St Lawrence River and northeast of Quebec is Charlevoix--an area rich with forests, farmland and rock-faced cliffs. A number of villages known as Murray Bay or La Malbaie grew up here in the Golded Age of the late 1800s and became known as the Newport of the North. You can take lovely drives to see the foliage, or enjoy many outdoor sports (hiking, canoeing, whale watching), spending the night in any of the small inns and historic hotels (you'll eat well, too!).

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Arvada, CO: We are taking a trip for two weeks driving through Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, then driving to Quebec City for two days and finally two days in Montreal. This will probably be the only time we will be in this part of the world. Can you suggest places and sights we absolutely shouldn't miss on this trip?

Patricia Schultz: Highlights that come to mind are the 185-mile-long Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, one of the most scenic drives in this must-visit area of Eastern Canada called the Maritime Provinces. Nova Scotia has lots of summer-- (and autumn--) time music and arts festivals, particularly inspired from their Scottish (Nova Scotia, after all, means New Scotland) and French Acadian heritage over the centuries (don't forget the Cajuns of Louisiana came from these parts, expelled from here in the 1750s). The Bay of Fundy is a must-see, particularly from the New Brunswick side where it is designated a national park (it can also be visited from Nova Scotia). There is excellent and fresh fresh fresh seafood in this area of North America--enjoy! You may even be in Shediac (New Brunswick) for the Lobster Festival!

Montreal is also chock-a-block with summertime festivals--check the city's web page before you go to see what's going on--but your driving itinerary might bring you to Montreal by way of the beautiful Eastern Townships that are one hour south of Montreal or Lake Massawippi--both areas beloved by Montreal's city folks in search of bucolic respite.

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Long Island, New York: Hello! We wanted to visit the Canadian Rockies and fly into Calgary and home from Vancouver. Can you suggest an itinerary that does just that? We would like to visit Banff, Lake Louise, and Jasper. What are the distances? We have a week to do the trip in. Thanks!

Patricia Schultz: The perfect way to see that stunningly-endowed area of Western Canada is by train--riding through the Rockies in a glass-domed observation car along any number of itineraries from Calgary to Vancouver (and with the chance to get on and off and not deal with summertime RV traffic jams) has long been a favorite for all generations (from kids to grandparents). Rocky Mountaineer runs various routes that include many/most of the magnificent national parks in Texas-sized Alberta (with the population of Philadelphia!) and neighboring British Columbia, as does VIA Rail, the national passenger rail network - both offering overnight accommodations as part of their packages (the Rocky Mountaineer arranges for you to sleep on land so you travel during the daylight hours and don't miss any of the natural drama). Their websites explain the various options and stops along the way, whether east to west or vice versa.

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