Cambridge, Ontario CN??

[catwoman]

I'm looking at going to a cat show (best reason for traveling) in late May in Ontario, Canada (Cambridge, I think is the town), between Detroit MI and Toronto.

Any of our Canadian members know anything about this town? It's been 6 years since I've been to Canada and that was to Toronto.

TIA for any suggestions of things to do, places to eat. This is a Saturday-only show, so I'd be flying to Detroit on Friday, which I may take off as a vacation day, and flying home Sunday morning.

 

[netmiff]

if you're flying to Detroit and travelling by bus and/or car to Cmbridge, you practically pass my new house - and we should be moving the first week in May. Stay over a few extra days, we can lend you a paintbrush!

 

[Christina]

Marsha,

I used to live in Cambridge years ago. (1972) and it was a small town then. Not much to do at that time. It is cold country and I hope the snow will be gone by then.

 

[WayneGM]

I live 20 minutes from Cambridge. It's kind of spread out as it is a composition of several smaller towns that grew together. Whereabouts in Cambridge will you be?

 

[Bina]

Don't even think about snow......that rarely happens after April 1st.
End of May will be spectacular.

 

[catwoman]

I live 20 minutes from Cambridge. It's kind of spread out as it is a composition of several smaller towns that grew together. Whereabouts in Cambridge will you be?

Galt Arena Gardens. Does that ring a bell?

 

[WayneGM]

Riding season is in full bloom in May, so snow isn't a concern. It may be still a bit chilly in the morning and at night, but were talking wind breaker weather not snow suit.

I don't know the Galt Arena Gardens itself, but Galt was the largest of the towns that was merged to form Cambridge so I'm pretty sure what part of the city it's in. Cambridge isn't much of a "tourist" attraction if you get my drift, but it's a nice town. I ride through it often, but rarely have stopped. I'm not really sure there's that much to see and do in Cambridge itself, but lots within an hours radius. That said, you've got a fairly long (and boring scenery) drive ahead of you between Detroit and Cambridge, not to mention one of the busiest border crossings in the world to contend with (trust me, I lived in Windsor - on the border with Detroit - for 7 years), so you may not be wanting to drive much once you get there.

PM me with where you plan to stay, and the kind of food/price you'd like to dine at, and I can see what I can find? I've got a friend who works in Cambridge so he might be able to recommend something close to where you'll be.

 

[pamela]

There's some shopping in Brantford and Hamilton. There's an airport in Hamilton but I'm not sure if there's a Canada Customs office, so flying there is likely out of the question. Too bad, it's only about 30 minutes, maybe less, to Cambridge from that one.

 

[WayneGM]

Hamilton airport does handle international flights, but mainly charters like Air Transat. Westjet flies out of there but they only have one to the U.S. - Orlando -, otherwise the flights are domestic but unfortunately not to Windsor. I recall there used to be a regular (but not often) commuter flight from Windsor to Hamilton, as there's lot of auto industry around here, but not anymore since all the airlines cut back. Most traffic is pretty much through Toronto now. As far as shopping in Hamilton or Brantford, I think Fort Worth TX would have us beat....although your dollar would buy more.

 

[WayneGM]

I found one of those local Tourist Guide Books for Cambridge in my "junk" (I keep everyhting), although it's a bit dated (2002-03). Still, it's probably fairly accurate as Cambridge hasn't changed that much. In the "Things to Do" section, most things listed are in the surrounding area, particularly Kitchener-Waterloo, but here's a few specific to Cambridge:

- Wings of Paradise Butterfly Conservatory - stroll amidst 100's of free-flying butterflies in a lush, tropical garden. www.wingsofparadise.com
- Cambridge Centre for the Arts - Community arts centre; www.city.cambridge.ca
- Cambridge Galleries - Public art gallery; www.gallerycambridge.on.ca
- Galt Little Theatre - www.galtlittletheatre.org

There's also one of those large factory outlet malls in Cambridge, with an antiques section if you like to browse through that kind of stuff. There's also a couple of Antique Flea Markets on weekends.

The downtown area is quiet but quite pretty if you just want to walk around. It's on the banks of the historic Grand River and has some nice 19th century architecture. I'm not sure what there is to do there other than walk and take in the scenery, but I'm sure there's a few interesting shops and restaurants.