Canadians want to hit the road: taking a day road trip ranks highest of outdoor activities

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TORONTO, Aug. 23, 2018 /CNW/ - With Labour Day around the corner, Canadian Tire turned to its Customer Panel – a group of 101,000 real voices and opinions that bring Canadian values to the forefront – to uncover the greatest and little-known places in Canada to spend their last long weekend of summer.

38% of Canadians say they want to explore the sights and sounds of Canada with a day road trip, over visiting the best camping spot, going for a dip in the best swimming hole or lake, or seeing the best sunset.*

Based on real Canadian experiences, Canadian Tire captured real Canadian stories. Suggested destinations varied by region and activity and included everything from hiking in Canada's oldest National Parks to museum hopping in the Capital.

Check out some day trip highlights below, as suggested by locals from coast-to-coast:

• Vancouver Island, BC – "I would go to Botanical Beach and do the southern Vancouver Island circle route with my wife. We would explore the marine life in the coastal potholes or go to Avatar Grove to see the ancient forests and giant trees."
• Whistler, BC – "Up the Sea to Sky Highway, walk around Whistler Village, go for lunch at a bistro, drive up to Pemberton for afternoon coffee and a walk around One Mile Lake. Then we would finish off with a splash at the water park and head back to Alice Lake for a BBQ dinner."
• Prince Rupert, BC – "A day drive to Prince Rupert to see the Docks and enjoy fresh seafood at our favourite restaurant Smiles."
• Banff, AB – "Travel to Banff with my husband, go to the hot springs for a soak, then wander down the main street, find a restaurant for brunch, then slowly make our way home."
• Drumheller, AB – "My family and I go to Drumheller for the day to explore all the dinosaur themed attractions that they have available. We climb the T-Rex, play in the water park, walk around and discover all the dinosaur statues that they have on display. After that we get lunch and ice cream and head to Horseshoe Canyon just outside the city for some hiking through the badlands."
• Wabamun, AB – "Go to the provincial campground at the lake and go for a BBQ picnic with the family. Maybe drive north across the highway and check out how the fishing is at Pit Lake."
• Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON – "A day in the Niagara Region along Fort Erie doing some wine tasting, and buying fresh fruit roadside, along with some shopping is a good day spent."
• Ottawa, ON – "Drive to Ottawa with the whole family or just myself and my wife. Take a walk along the canal and down to ByWard Market and then out for dinner."
• Bayfield, ON – "Head to Bayfield and hit the beach or shop downtown and end the day with a great meal in one of the many top rate restaurants.
• Lunenburg, NS – "My family and I love to head to Lunenburg to browse the stores and feast on some delicious local seafood!"
• Cape Breton Island, NS – "Stop at several spots along the trail to enjoy the scenery and local treats."
• Wolfville, NS – "It is the most wonderful small town with a wildlife zoo nearby. The streets are straight out of a 50s childhood, with local shops and friendly people everywhere!"

*Out of the four categories surveyed, 38% of respondents said they would take the best day road trip in Canada, 28% said they would go to the best camping spot in Canada, 19% said they would go for a swim at the best beach or lake in Canada, and 17% said they would see the best sunset in Canada.

Survey Methodology:
Canadian Tire surveyed over 6,055 Canadians aged 18-65, as part of the Canadian Tire Customer Panel which includes 101,000 members. Surveys were fielded in June and July 2018. Participants were asked both open-ended and closed-ended questions and encouraged to share ideas for their ideal one-day road trip based on their location in Canada.

SOURCE CANADIAN TIRE CORPORATION, LIMITED