I think you can attribute her zeal and general lack of understanding to youth... and maybe lack of really understanding the geography of Canada.
I like to overplan every bit of a cycling route, whether it's a day ride or a multi day one. It's not that I don't stop and smell the roses (I do), but I feel uncomfortable with the unknown when riding, so I try to do a lot of preparation up front. I always end up enjoying most of what I've planned, but there have been a few times on supported tours where I think, "I would not have taken people through this intersection, road," etc. This attitude has bode well for being a group ride leader, as I obsessively think about safety and all of this when planning local routes. I know this is different than a tour, and I would not, ever go off and ride across any country (even a small one) on my own, but generally I think there are people who do stuff like this all of the time, and others who don't.