Going to Canada and America

[Talk2Me]

Originally Posted by fazool

I grew up (literally, not figuratively) with Canada on one side and the USA on the other side. Before tightened borders we would cross the border daily just to go to a bar, restaurant or shop. My radio stations were all half Canadian, etcetera. I grew up about as bi-cultural as you can get (in this example). We all had friends and coworkers that lived or worked across the borders.

I have never once heard of Canadians saying they live in America.

The phrase "America" is understood to mean the "United States of America".

I would let our Canadian members opine but I think Canadians are very proud of their country and would never say they are from "America".

May be anecdotal on both sides then. Go ahead and tell a Canadian they don't live in America. They'll probably correct you rather quickly (albeit politely).

[Lkristians]

Buffalo: The Anchor Bar....best chicken wings on the planet. Also, try to take in a Buffalo Sabres hockey game. Great sports fans/town!

[Gitfiddlemann]

Originally Posted by fazool

I have never once heard of Canadians saying they live in America.

The phrase "America" is understood to mean the "United States of America".

That's the way it is. In Canada, and in Europe, that's how people see it.

Originally Posted by Talk2Me

Go ahead and tell a Canadian they don't live in America. They'll probably correct you rather quickly (albeit politely).

That's just not true. Sorry.
I agree with polite, but not one Canadian I know will tell you they live in America. They'll tell you they live in Canada, and are Canadians.
And in Canada, no one says :"I'm going to America for a visit". They just say: "I'm going to the US or the States...or Florida"

Bottom line, "America" to most people (maybe not you) means the "United States of America". Haven't you heard the Simon & Garfunkel tune? The NJ turnpike? Imagine if he had written the Trans-Canadian highway...

If we're talking about the continent, then we all use the same: North America.
And "North America", to most Canadians and Americans, projects a different meaning than just "America".

[Horsehockey]

Originally Posted by Lkristians

Buffalo: The Anchor Bar....best chicken wings on the planet. Also, try to take in a Buffalo Sabres hockey game. Great sports fans/town!

And if you like barbecue, dinosaur barbecue.👍

[Talk2Me]

Originally Posted by Gitfiddlemann

That's the way it is. In Canada, and in Europe, that's how people see it.

That's just not true. Sorry.
I agree with polite, but not one Canadian I know will tell you they live in America. They'll tell you they live in Canada, and are Canadians.
And in Canada, no one says :"I'm going to America for a visit". They just say: "I'm going to the US or the States...or Florida"

Bottom line, "America" to most people (maybe not you) means the "United States of America". Haven't you heard the Simon & Garfunkel tune? The NJ turnpike? Imagine if he had written the Trans-Canadian highway...

If we're talking about the continent, then we all use the same: North America.
And "North America", to most Canadians and Americans, projects a different meaning than just "America".

Again, depends on who you talk to. Apparently my immigrated friends use the term "America" and that's where I picked it up. And again, ALL the Mexicans I know just love to tell people they're from "The United States" when asked. The USoM.

[Jeff Scott]

Rick Jame's grave is in Buffalo (I haven't seen it, myself, as of yet, maybe next time I'm up there).



If you're into famous old houses and things related to the Arts & Crafts Movement, check out the Darwin Martin House:

https://martinhouse.org

and Graycliff (just south of Buffalo, right on the lake):

https://franklloydwright.org/site/graycliff/.

Another very important place is The Roycroft Campus in East Aurora (about twenty minutes from Buffalo):

https://www.roycroftcampuscorporation.com

Just a bit north of Graycliff/south of Buffalo is a great restaurant called Public House on the Lake:

https://publichousebuffalo.com/index.html

[fumei]

Originally Posted by fazool

I have never once heard of Canadians saying they live in America.

The phrase "America" is understood to mean the "United States of America".

I would let our Canadian members opine but I think Canadians are very proud of their country and would never say they are from "America".

Never. Only people from the U.S.A. refer to themselves as Americans. Culturally, many people (NOT from the Americas) do refer to Canadians as american. And frankly, in many ways from that distance any brief look does make us (Canadians and Americans) seem quite similar. IMO the differences are getting wider.

[TomB'sox]

1) No Canadian says they live in America. Ask them what continent they live in, sure, North America. I don't know how this thread dissolved into this, but seriously get real.

2) Anchor Bar, this place is credited with the invention of the buffalo chicken wing. The story goes, the owner's son came in with a bunch of friends at closing time and the mom was out of almost everything in the kitchen but wings and sauce ingredients, she mixed it up and the rest is history. I may have the details incorrect, but it is close. Great pizza in Buffalo also. Pizza and wings is a classic Buffalo meal.

3) Niagara falls is definitely worth it, even cool in the winter with the ice bridge.

4) You are coming to America for the first time while I am traveling to Scotland for the first time in April. Here is to hoping we both have a great time.

[frankmcr]

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

1) No Canadian says they live in America. Ask them what continent they live in, sure, North America. I don't know how this thread dissolved into this,

I think it started when somebody (ahem) opined that Canadians might not be 100% happy with a visitor to their fine country saying something like "I'm visiting Canada first, and then I'm going to America."

I believe (having family & friends up there) that they would kind of prefer visitors to say "the US" rather than "America" in that context.

Of course Canadians, being notoriously polite and self-effacing, would never say anything critical to such visitor's face. That's why a typical brash loud-mouthed Yank like myself decided to mention it to a potential visitor.

[sayheyjeff]

Haven’t been up that way in about 10 years, but found Niagara Falls a great thing to see. Also recall the art museum and a fantastic tour of a Frank Lloyd Wright house/museum being really good. In addition, the last time I was there I had most of a day to myself and found that there was a Jello Museum about an hour away toward Rochester. Had some fun there. No shortage of good food up there if memory serves.

Jeff

[foxo]

Thanks very much for all the advice so far! Also keen to hear about Toronto - I’m thinking I’ll spend three nights there and two nights in Buffalo. Will need to pack a lot in to my schedule!

[fazool]

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

...Anchor Bar, this place is credited with the invention of the buffalo chicken wing. The story goes, the owner's son came in with a bunch of friends at closing time and the mom was out of almost everything in the kitchen but wings and sauce ingredients, she mixed it up and the rest is history. I may have the details incorrect, but it is close.





Great pizza in Buffalo also. Pizza and wings is a classic Buffalo meal.

Yep you got the story exactly right.

And yep the pizza is the best! Especially Bocce club or Francos

[TomB'sox]

Originally Posted by fazool

Yep you got the story exactly right.

And yep the pizza is the best! Especially Bocce club or Francos

Well good, it helps when you marry a woman from Buffalo I guess. I can not tell you how many times we got snowed in there when we would visit at Christmas time. Lots of pizza and wings waiting for the snow to clear and the airport to open. Eventually we stopped going there for X'mas and waited until summer.

[Rockysdad]

Originally Posted by foxo

Thanks very much for all the advice so far! Also keen to hear about Toronto - I’m thinking I’ll spend three nights there and two nights in Buffalo. Will need to pack a lot in to my schedule!

Having grown up just west of Toronto and spending most of my working life and then residing in Toronto, I've got to say it's a GREAT city, very multicultural, great restaurants of basically the whole world, three days isn't enough.

Spend some time at the harbourfront, at that time of year it's nice.

If you go to Niagara Falls see it from the Canadian side, and it's unfortunately very $$$ because of tourism, the world goes to see Niagara.

Unfortunately, I live in Houston Texas now, otherwise I'd show you some great places.

Just for the record, upon reading some of the above posts, Canadians tend to take great pride in NOT being American.

[Steve-arino]

Originally Posted by Lkristians

Buffalo: The Anchor Bar....best chicken wings on the planet. Also, try to take in a Buffalo Sabres hockey game. Great sports fans/town!

Oh wow, I used to get wings at the Anchor Bar 45 years ago when I went to UB. It was near the University of Buffalo campus, Goodyear Hall :-).