Four Day Toronto to Vancouver Road Trip via the United States

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I’ve always loved a good road trip – something about the open highway, Starbucks in a cupholder, hours of playlists and podcasts queued up, and the freedom to veer off course for a scenic overlook at any time.

Back in 2021, my dad and I drove from Guelph, ON, to Whistler, BC, crossing Canada from east to west in four long driving days. It was a marathon of a trip, about 45 hours behind the wheel, but it quickly became one of my favourite memories with him.

Just a few weeks ago, in early November, we did it again, only this time because I was moving to Vancouver to embark on a new adventure and west coast living. While I had originally planned to set out from Toronto, we actually left from Guelph again, which is an hour west of Toronto. We changed the route this time around, travelling through the United States instead of staying in Canada. This new route shaved off about four hours and 300 kilometres and let us pass through areas neither of us had ever seen.

This trip was about getting to the destination rather than sightseeing, but we still found great stops, memorable moments, and one truly unexpected gem of a town.

Day One: Guelph → Michigan’s Upper Peninsula → Duluth

We pulled out of the driveway at 7:45 am on Monday, November 10, driving straight into heavy snow. Our goal for the day was ambitious: Duluth, Minnesota, a 14-hour haul. We’d chosen a route up through Michigan and into Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, so we knew there was a risk of snow streamers coming southwest off Lake Superior.

We crossed the Blue Water Bridge (Sarnia, ON) into Port Huron, Michigan, then continued west across the state. By pure coincidence, we happened to be driving through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, the tragic shipwreck in Lake Superior immortalized in Canadian folklore and Gordon Lightfoot’s memorable ballad. The timing felt eerie and strangely significant, especially when paired with the dramatic November weather.

Crossing the Mackinac Bridge was a highlight – the long, towering suspension bridge over the straits connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Not long after, we stopped at a windy, deserted beach in Mackinac County to enjoy the Lake Michigan views. The water was so blue, and the waves were significantly large. There was an odd incongruence in being on a beautiful sandy beach, but with roiling and frigid November waters at our feet rather than anything remotely close to a Caribbean warmth.

By 5 pm, the sun was gone. November days are short, and we finished the last stretch in the dark. We dipped briefly into Wisconsin before entering Minnesota and checked in for the night at the Sheraton Duluth, a comfortable and modern premium Marriott property right downtown. Sadly, our schedule didn’t permit a visit to the flagship store of the Duluth Trading Company right across the street from the hotel.

Day Two: Duluth → Bemidji → Glendive

We were back on the road before sunrise because we had an important 10 am appointment in Bemidji, Minnesota, a small northern town with a big personality.

A Bit About Bemidji

Bemidji is known as “the first city on the Mississippi,” because it sits near the river’s headwaters. With a population of just over 15,000, it’s a cozy, artsy place known for its outdoor culture, Indigenous heritage, and quirky landmarks.

It’s especially famous for its giant statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, which have been road-trip icons since 1937. The town is surrounded by sparkling lakes, dense forests, and year-round recreational trails – ideal for anyone who loves fishing, snowmobiling, hiking, or paddling. There’s a friendly, small-town charm to it, the kind where local businesses greet regulars by name and hospitality still feels personal.

Bemidji is also home to KBUN Sports Radio, the spirited radio station that invited us to join their High Noon show hosted by Scott Williams and Joel Hoover to chat about the Canadian ice rink business, RinkMaster. We talked outdoor rinks, sports and other things with the hosts – classic northern Minnesota topics delivered with warmth and humour.

Afterward, we headed to Red Stu Breakfast Bar for brunch. True to its name, it was cozy, cheerful, and served huge portions of eggs, pancakes, hashbrowns and more. Exactly the kind of breakfast you want on a cold northern morning before a long drive.

Back on the Road

As we continued west, the forest slowly thinned out. We stopped briefly in Fargo for some photos, learning only then that Fargo straddles the North Dakota/Minnesota border. After setting out from Fargo, the views began to transform to a more prairie-like landscape, with expansive farms spread out to the horizon, interrupted only by distant grain elevators and very little traffic. It was the kind of driving where you set cruise control and watch the sky change by the hour.

After hours of driving through the prairies, we finally reached Montana. We ended the day in Glendive, a small town just off I-94 with a rugged, frontier feel. It had been a long day, and our heads hit the pillows pretty quickly at the Holiday Inn Express.

Day Three: Glendive → Billings → Wallace

As we made our way across the continent, we chose not to adjust our clocks to the new time zones we encountered, choosing instead to take advantage of the most daylight driving possible. So, it was a reasonably early start as we made our way through Montana, stopping in Billings for lunch. We were fortunate to eat lunch on a patio bathed in sunshine and warmth, a treat for the month of November. Funny how weather can taint your impression of a place, for better or worse. That sunny lunch in Billings left us with a positive sentiment of Montana’s largest city.

For some reason, I had always pictured Montana as wall-to-wall mountains. Instead, we drove through sweeping prairies for hours before the landscape finally rose and folded into dramatic peaks. The change felt cinematic and, in a way, marked the beginning of the final stage of our road trip.

Yellowstone National Park was so close, tempting us both, but with our tight timeline, we reluctantly passed it by. If I ever return to Montana, Yellowstone will be the first thing I do.

By the time we crossed into Idaho, the landscape had fully transformed – dense forested slopes, narrow valleys, and twisting mountain roads. It was beautiful, but the daylight disappeared quickly, and driving in the dark felt risky. There were huge deer standing right along the shoulder, and one wrong move at the elevated speed limit of 80mph would have proven catastrophic.

We decided to stop at the next available town off the interstate.

Wallace, Idaho: A Hidden Gem

And then, there was the village of Wallace, which emerged as one of the best surprises of the entire trip.

Wallace is a historic silver-mining town tucked deep in the mountains, famous for its charming architecture and for serving as the primary filming location of Dante’s Peak. It’s the kind of place that feels frozen in time: old brick buildings, vintage signage, cozy shops, and a main street that looks like a movie set.

This was one night when we stopped our drive early, at about 6:30 pm. We checked into The Brooks Hotel, right in the heart of town. It was beautifully renovated, with enormous rooms and a warm, old-world aesthetic. But what really made it special was the owner, Rachel, who greeted us the moment we walked in. She lit up when she heard we were on a father-daughter cross-country road trip and insisted on giving us her favourite suite.

On Rachel’s recommendation, we walked down the street to the Blackboard Café for dinner. The service was exceptional, and the food was equally impressive. Our server, Tamra, treated us to a tour of their wine cellar that books out in the summer months with bike tour groups exploring the tunnels and mountains of the area. Tamra’s enthusiasm was infectious; she spoke about the restaurant and the town with such pride and made us feel genuinely welcomed.

For the past few years, most of my travel has been for work, usually landing me in luxury or premium hotels in major cities, where dinner often means room service squeezed in between meetings. The small-town hospitality in Wallace felt like a deep exhale in comparison. It was warm, sincere, and refreshingly personal – the kind of care you only find in places that truly mean something to the people who live there.

Everything about Wallace felt thoughtful, personal, and unexpectedly magical. I would recommend a stop there to anyone passing through Idaho. It’s the kind of place that stays with you long after you leave.

Day Four: Wallace → Leavenworth → Vancouver

After three early mornings, we afforded ourselves a sleep-in before resuming our journey. Breakfast at The Brooks Hotel included freshly squeezed orange juice from a machine we watched in action – easily the best orange juice we’ve ever had. Again, the warmth of the hotel shone through, with the décor they had chosen, and the friendliness of the staff matched only by the delightfully scrumptious breakfast the chef prepared for us.

Before continuing our journey, we took some time to stroll through town and read about Wallace’s history. One of the biggest events in its past was the Great Fire of 1910 – also known as the “Big Burn” – a massive wildfire that destroyed much of the surrounding region and shaped fire-management practices across the U.S. Wallace barely survived thanks to a last-minute firefighting trench and hundreds of trapped residents taking shelter in the local railroad tunnel.

After a final stop to browse the Blackboard Café’s gift and clothing shop, we hit the road again. I could have easily stayed in Wallace for the rest of the week; I already look forward to visiting again.

Washington State

The drive through eastern Washington was mountainous, scenic, and quiet. Spokane was our first major city of the day, but we continued straight through toward the Cascades.

Leavenworth, Washington

We made a stop in Leavenworth, a Bavarian-themed mountain town that appears to have been plucked from the mountains of Austria or Switzerland and set down in Washington state. The entire town centre is styled with wonderful alpine architecture – wooden balconies, mural-painted façades, German-style signage, and chalet-inspired roofs. The restaurants serve schnitzel and pretzels, and the shops are filled with European-style bakeries, Christmas stores, and handcrafted goods. It’s one of Washington’s most visited tourist towns, especially known for its Christmas lights and Oktoberfest events.

Final Stretch

From Leavenworth, it was a few more hours to the Canadian border via some treacherous mountain passes that were more than a bit interesting and snowy. We crossed back into BC in mid-evening, and 40 minutes later, we pulled into Vancouver, finally at the end of our four-day, cross-continent adventure.

Summary

If you ever have the chance to drive across North America from east to west, I highly recommend the path from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and across I-94 until merging with I-90 in Billings, Montana. Both my across-Canada trip and this new U.S. route were incredible in their own ways. The landscapes change constantly, every state or province brings something different, and even the unexpected detours, especially in Wallace,  make the journey well worth it!