Just got back today from a vacation in Niagara Falls (Ontario).
My wife had already been there once and didn't want to suffer the dullness of pure interstate driving, so for something different we decided to go there through Quebec and Ontario and come back through New York, Vermont and New Hampshire.
We broke each direction into two parts and stayed in a hotel overnight. We shared driving, with my wife taking the first half of each leg since she finds it more comfortable driving than being a passenger.
We weren't hypermiling except:
- My boring descriptions on the gas-saving benefits paid off and my wife did some DWLing! On some of the steeper hills in Maine she allowed the car to slow down up to 5mph instead of maintaining speed. It stops the Prius from screaming and bleeding on steep hills.
- We drove at the speed limit through Canada (or occasionally a few kmh above). I'm sure Canadians on this site will understand when I write that driving at the speed limit in Canada is an advanced hypermiling technique.
- I did some DWLing on the final leg, Lancaster NH to home.
A few brief notes on our drive through Canada:
- On our drive from the Canadian border with Maine to Niagara Falls I spotted a grand total of
six other Priuses and at least one was from the USA. Toyota, do something about your pricing.
- We liked Quebec's solid lines to indicate no lane changes to the right while passing an entrance or exit.
- On the drive through Canada we were flashed by two cars. A Sienna and a (2nd gen) Prius. Maybe it's because we were going so slowly (the speed limit) but I hope it was excitement at the rare sight of a Prius.
- Dear Canada: stop adding and removing lanes without warning. Thanks.
- We are very glad we drove through Toronto on a Sunday.
- We are not very glad we drove on the QEW to Niagara on a Sunday.
- When approaching Toronto and I saw the sign saying Express and Collectors my first thought it was referring to tolls and I'd need to be on the right. Duh. Fortunately I stayed in the Express and worked out what they meant by "Collector". I guess I didn't read the sign properly.
- To anybody driving on 401 bypassing Toronto you can use the following rule: stay in the 3rd lane from left on the Express. Don't be fooled by the appearance of one or more lanes to your right: they're a trap. Forget about time, just slow down to allow cars to merge (and you'll sometimes stop completely if, unlike us, you're not driving on a Sunday). But that lane will take you past the city. At some point you'll have to move to the your left but that's just a signal you've made it out safely.
- If anybody thinks $4 US gas will slow Americans down, Canada shows that it won't once they're used to the price.
I'll post more another time.
)
Those pictures just don't even look real!
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