Marvelous-Canada

Trans-Canada-Highway - From Coast to Coast

2026-09-30T09:33:47.259-07:00

All photos by the Author

Vancouver Island - View from Sooke on the southern tip

7,000 kilometers criss-crossing the Canadian provinces from Nova-Scotia to British Columbia.

Travelers don’t need to prepare for this trip, and they don’t need maps or navigation help: The Trans-Canada Highway leads them from coast to coast. You can't get lost!

From St. John's in Newfoundland to Victoria on Vancouver Island. Hotels, motels, and restaurants/fast food stores are galore along this route.

The Trans-Canada Highway is Canada's longest national road. My tip: Don’t drive it in July or August, as it can be very hot in central Canada. I traveled it several times, either in April-May or in September-early October.

Here are some photo impressions:

16-kilometer-long bridge from Prince Edward Island to Nova Scotia

Light Tower near Antigonish, Nova Scotia

Lobster Traps on a Wharf in New Brunswick

Old Montreal, Quebec

Patisserie in Bromont

Governor General's Rideau Hall Guard, Ottawa

Parliament in Ottawa

Manitoulin Island, Lake Huron Ontario

Niagara-on-the-Lake in Spring

CNN Tower Toronto

Algonquin Park Cottage

You Are in Bear Country!

Human Rights Museum Winnipeg

Heritage Buildings in Winnipeg

First Nations Casinos

Floatplanes

Endless Wheat Fields

Old Grain Elevators

Prairie Grass

Hockey Mascot and Grain Elevator

Barely any Canadians have seen their home country in its full length and traveled through several time zones. Let alone visiting the Northern Territories. What a pity that they fly to Europe or the Caribbean, but haven’t seen their own country.

Bentley, my large dog, traveled with me, lying comfortably in our van, and I stopped every hour, not driving more than 3 to 400 kilometers (250 miles on average) per day.

Big Skies in Alberta

Oil Towers

Native Reservations in Southern Alberta

Bog at the Waterton Ntl Park

Glacier Ntl. Park

Canadian Pacific Train

If you want to see more of the country, check out these side-routes:

Nova Scotia's South Shore, the route #132 along the St. Lawrence River, Quebec City and Montreal, the 1000 Islands where the river flows into the Lake Ontario, Winnipeg in Manitoba and Saskatoon in Sasketchawan, the Badlands around Drumheller and it’s Dinosaur Museum.

Visit Jasper and drive the Icefield Glacier Parkway along the border of Alberta and British Columbia, Kelowna, the city of wine and roses, and then Vancouver, one of the most beautiful Canadian cities, maybe with a short trip to Whistler. Don’t miss the western islands including Ucluelet and Tofino on the Pacific coast.

Lots of Vegetables and Fruit in BC

Kootenay Lake British Columbia

Small Town Feel in Greenwood, BC

Osoyoos Desert, BC

Native Winery in Osoyoos, BC

Rainbow over Vineyards

Roses of the Okanagan Valley

Okanagan Lake towards Vernon

Monument Kelowna Harbor

Kelowna Bear

Okanagan Wine

View over Kelowna and Lake Okanagan

Mount Robson, BC

Vancouver Island, View from Nanaimo

Vancouver City, English Bay in Spring

Vancouver Heritage Museum

Olympia city Whistler-Blackcomb

Take at least a couple of weeks to enjoy a wonderful trip, exploring marvelous Canada.

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Explore Canada This Summer: Royal Botanical Gardens Burlington

2026-08-04T10:03:09.083-07:00

More ways to explore Canada this summer: An outing to the Royal Botanical Gardens,

680 Plains Rd W, Burlington - Hamilton

It is the largest botanical garden in Canada, a National Historic Site.

I visited several times in late May and early June, and arrived by car, public transit, and once by bike from Burlington. There are two entrances:

RBG Centre and Hendrie Park: 680 Plains Road West, Burlington Ontario
Rock Garden: 1185 York Boulevard, Hamilton, Ontario

Royal Botanical Gardens is located at the western tip of Lake Ontario. Two distinct formal gardens are contained with 2,007 acres of nature reserve, nestled into the slopes of Niagara Escarpment World Biosphere Region. Explore and enjoy the many historical outdoor plant collections, the indoor Mediterranean Garden, and 27 km of nature trails.

My favored garden part is the Rock Garden

Opened to visitors in 1932, the historic Rock Garden is considered the birthplace of Royal Botanical Gardens. Following a significant rejuvenation, the David Braley and Nancy Gordon Rock Garden reopened in 2016 to embrace sustainable trends in garden design and management while respecting the integrity of its heritage setting. Bold swaths of brilliant perennials provide sweeps of inspiring colour and texture throughout all seasons.

Garden Admission applies for daytime access to RBG’s formal garden areas (Hendrie Park, RBG Centre & Rock Garden).

RBG Members have access to daytime garden visits year round! It is worth to get the membership if you live in the area or in the GTA of Toronto.

Besides the gardens there are lots of other nature trails nearby:

The Waterdown Trail is a scenic in-and-out hike around 11 kilometres long. It’s considered moderately challenging and includes stairs and sometimes muddy conditions.
Some side trails and loops along the trail provide some shorter, faster hike options.
Waterfalls are located in environmentally sensitive areas – please stay on marked designated trails and obey closure signs; there are many rare plants that can be easily damaged or destroyed.

Rock Chapel Golf Centre, a couple of kilometres west of highway 6 on highway 5, features an 18-hole mini-putt course.
Waterdown Village Farmers’ Market, open Saturday mornings May through October, features a long list of local vendors.
The historic community of Waterdown has plenty of delicious treats to indulge in.
Copper Kettle Cafe is known for its mouth-watering apple fritters
Pick up meat, cheese and baked goods for a picnic at Harrington Lane Farms
Not far, in neighbouring Freelton, West Avenue Cidery serves up small batch ciders in a stunning farm setting.

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Fabulous Spring Blooms in Westmount & Montreal, Quebec

2026-05-20T22:16:42.324-07:00

Arriving from Vancouver Island, where spring starts as early as the end of February and ends in mid-April, I had to wait weeks for the first blooms to show up in the Montreal area.

Westmount is a city that has more trees (11.000 plus) than inhabitants and lies on the western slopes of Mount Royal. Plentiful Magnolia trees can be found on every corner, many of them with huge canopies.

Westmount (population 20.350) is a gem in the greater Montreal metropolitan setting. It encompasses an urban forest, numerous parks and playgrounds,

as well as cultural, religious, and educational institutions.

Its green is not restricted to public green spaces, but a myriad of carefully tended private lawns and gardens.

Unofficially, Montreal is “divided” into the eastern, French part, and the western part, in which Westmount is located. It means, walking the streets, you hear only English, and barely ever a word of French.

Westmount is an affluent, historically anglophone enclave known for its multi-million-dollar historic mansions and tree-lined streets. Such a pleasure to walk

this large area of heritage homes, many in Art Deco style. For sure, it is the largest in Canada. No high-rises, no contemporary buildings, just pure beauty for miles!

Westmount's park-like area can be reached in just a short bus or Metro ride from downtown Montreal.

There are at least two bus lines to this lovely part of metropolitan Montreal.

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Montreal, La Belle Ville

2025-05-31T18:06:00.000-07:00

It was a pleasure to live in Montreal years ago. Every time I visit, I feel homesick. So I am coming here often and always discover new sides in this old-world, charming city. Here are just a couple of ideas for your visit. Come and discover more treasures, and maybe fall in love with the city - like I did. Montreal is the most “European-style” city in Canada, with worldwide neighbourhoods - from China to Italy to Argentina or Vietnam.

Take a plane, a train, a bus, or one of the many ride shares to reach Montreal. The city has a fantastic subway and bus system that will transport you everywhere. Best you purchase a day or weekly ticket that gives you access to all means of city transportation.

You can also buy a Montreal Passport, which provides free entrance, for example, to the Biodome, the Botanical Garden, the History Museum, or a boat tour. You will also get discounts to visit up to 28 of Montreal's must-see attractions, plus free public transit all over Montreal.

Cobblestone streets, old cathedrals, amazing food markets and restaurants, lots of fantastic museums and galleries, a beautiful botanical garden, lots of neighborhood parks, and the large and leafy Mont-Royal mountain that offers stunning views of the city. Mount Royal is a 200-hectare municipal park where you can go for cross-country skiing, walking, a picnic, jogging, and ice skating. The huge park was designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, the same architect who created Central Park in New York.

On the Northside of the park, on Mont Royal Blvd, is a cemetery where the famous singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen is buried - surprisingly in an unassuming grave next to his family's tomb.

Montreal has too many highlights; it will take many visits to discover them all.

Most of the festivals happen at Place des Arts, while the Old Port hosts the festivities of Canada Day or the popular Montreal International Fireworks Competition. You also have the science fair Eureka, and the foodie fest, Taste of the Caribbean, or YUL EAT.

All seasons are worth a visit, every month of the year, not only during the summer. Skip November or March, but for example, in December when Christmas markets are inviting visitors, go to the lovely Atwater Market or the Jean-Talon Market.

The Atwater Market, but also the Jean-Talon are the perfect places to buy local products, or eat in one of the many restaurant stands, have a picnic on the nearby Canal, or get some groceries to bring back to your hotel. From here, start a long walk along the Lachine Canal.

On the Canal, you cannot only walk, but also bike, skate, SUP, and kayak. Cross over to the south side and enjoy one of the best coffees in an old factory that now houses dozens of coffee roasters who get their beans from all over the world.

Use rainy or snowy times to explore Montreal’s Underground City (known as the RÉSO). It lets you walk a network of tunnels and passageways that stretches over 20 miles (32 kilometers) beneath the city. Step into a secret world where commuters, shoppers, and locals glide between inner-city skyscrapers without ever going outside. There are even underground tours you can book (and never get lost this way).

Montreal was founded by French settlers in 1642 and is one of the oldest urban areas in North America. Montreal's first settlement is shown in interactive displays in the Pointe-à-Callière Museum, showing key moments in the city’s history.

The Cité Mémoire is one of the largest outdoor video-projection installations in the world!

The circuit has 24 tableaux that tell the stories of famous as well as little-known Montrealers who have shaped the city and the world. The tableaux have images, dialogue, and music projected on walls, in alleys, on the ground, and on trees in historic Old Montréal and downtown. The outdoor projections run from Tuesday to Sunday, from dusk until 11 p.m.

The main landmarks are Montreal City Hall with its beautiful fountain, the Bonsecours Market, Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, and finally, the Notre-Dame Basilica, a must-visit, even if you are not into religious sites. The Place Jacques Cartier is always full of life, with street performers and plenty of tourist action.

Two blocks North (down the hill), enjoy the architecture of the heyday as Canada's financial centre. The main buildings are the former Bank of Montreal Head Office and the 1888 Art Deco New York Life Building, the oldest skyscraper in Canada. Stop at the Crew Cafe. This unique coffee shop is located on the ground floor of what used to be the grand headquarters of the Royal Bank of Canada, built back in 1928. The place is grandiose and beautiful!

From McGill University, it is just a short walk to the “Plateau Mont-Royal”. This quarter has photogenic twirling iron staircases and cute houses full of colours. Along Mont-Royal Avenue, you will see quirky shops and third-wave coffee shops. Stroll around the iconic Boulevard Saint-Laurent for interesting murals. The neighbourhood has become Little Paris with all the new French expatriots.

West of the Plateau, roughly between Rue Saint Urbain and Park Avenue, is one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the city: The Mile End, a microcosm of artists. It has the highest artist's concentration of musicians and visual artists in Montreal. Plenty of vintage shops and boutiques offer clothes, designed and made in Montreal.

Between the Mile End and Jean-Talon Market (a must-visit during the Christmas Market time), you will find Little Italy, a charming residential neighborhood full of old-school cafes, pizzerias, Italian grocery stores, gelaterias, and traditional bakeries. Nearby, locals play bocce in Parc Dante.

Spending time at the outstanding Botanical Garden or the many kilometres of parks at the Mont Royal let me forget that I am in a mega-city. There is no shortage of parks besides those two:

Spanning several city blocks between downtown and the Plateau’s eastern edge, the La Fontaine Park is a leafy oasis and social gathering spot in summer, while in winter, the park’s pond transforms into a popular skating rink.

Located between the Parc-Ex and Villeray neighbourhoods, and not far from Little Italy, Jarry Park teems with people all summer, whether they're there to play soccer, watch the National tennis tournament, go swimming, or host an open-air birthday party. Plenty of picnic tables and green space – plus the nearby Jean-Talon Market – make the park a perfect picnic destination

Parc Maisonneuve: With 63 hectares of green space, including a public golf course, official bike paths, and a skating rink, there’s still plenty of space to stretch out and relax. It's also next door to the must-see Botanical Garden and fascinating (and recently renovated) Insectarium and just up the hill from the Olympic Stadium, Planetarium and the Biodome.

Dozens and dozens of parks, green lungs, are scattered around the city, not to forget the many lakes and large waterways that cross through Montreal and invite you to leisure activities and relaxation.

Some of my Favored Eateries

‘Beautys Luncheonette’ is a Montreal breakfast institution. Open since 1942, the establishment is located at the corner of Mont-Royal and St-Urbain. Since it opened over 70 years ago, the menu at Beautys hasn’t really changed; it serves generous breakfasts and brunches, bagels, smoked salmon, and milkshakes of all kinds. 93 Ave du Mont-Royal Quest.

Tommy Cafe is the kind of place that feels more like a stylish Parisian corner spot than a downtown Montreal café—think marble counters, hanging greenery, and lattes served in minimalist ceramic cups. Come early, best just when they open.

8 am to 6 pm. 200 Notre-Dame St W.

For lunch or dinner, head to Terrasse William Gray on sunny days, just a short walk from the Old Port. Perched on the rooftop of Hôtel William Gray, you will find a bistro with stunning panoramic views of Old Montreal and the St. Lawrence River. Or come for the brunch on Saturday or Sunday. 421 rue Saint-Vincent, 8e étage.

The Southwest borough is one of the foodie hotspots of the city. Notre Dame Street is often called the restaurant alley for its numerous restaurants. Here is another great place for Sunday brunch: Arthur's Nosh Bar. I like their Latkes with smoked Salmon and other Jewish classics, as well as the warm and welcoming staff. Come early, the place is packed soon.

4621 Notre-Dame West Street.

Every first weekend of the month, from June to September, celebrate world cuisine at Canada's largest annual street food gathering. Don’t miss this event at the Olympic Park, and the cultural and gastronomic diversity of the communities with First Friday’s Cultural Street.

Don't worry if you don't speak French, almost everyone in the city is bilingual. The western part of the city is traditionally English-speaking (e.g., in Westmount). From the city center to the east, you will hear a lot of French, but folks there often switch to English. Only signs have to be in French everywhere. Use your phone to easily translate it.

If you love history, the arts, festivals, good food, and Joie de vivre,

then Montreal is for you!

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Granville, the Island in the Midst of Vancouver

2025-04-03T21:34:00.000-07:00

A sunny day was all I wished for a Granville Island visit. After two rain-soaked trips to the Island, I finally saw this amazing part of Vancouver in bright afternoon sun.

Don't miss Granville Island when visiting Vancouver!

The Best Time to Visit

To avoid crowds at this popular place, visit Granville Island during weekdays or on early mornings. The Granville Public Market is a haven for culinary artists, rookie chefs, and everyone in between. Early birds may enjoy coffee at Blue Parrot & JJ Bean after 7:30 am, and Petit Ami after 8:30 am.

Winter Hours (October 1st – April 31st): 9 am – 6 pm daily
Summer Hours (May 1st – September 30th) 9 am – 7 pm daily

The Public Market is open on all statutory holidays except December 25th, 26th, and

January 1st. The Public Market is closed MONDAYS IN JANUARY ONLY.

How to Get To Granville Island

False Creek ferries leave every five minutes for Granville Island from a dock behind the Vancouver Aquatic Centre, on Beach Avenue, near Burrard Street Bridge, and get off between the Bridges pub and the Public Market. You can also take a 20-minute ride on Bus #50 to the edge of the island. Buses #4 UBC and #7 Dunbar will also take you within a few minutes' walk of the island. The market is a short walk from the bus, ferry, or tram stop.

What to See on Granville Island:

Granville Public Market
Waterside boardwalk behind the Arts Club Theatre
Charles H. Scott Gallery
Sea Village
Granville Island Brewing Company
Granville Island Museum, with fishing, train, and model-boat displays
Railspur Alley is home to a mix of crafts galleries, studios, and workshops
The Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, the province's leading art college
Watch glassblowers at work at New Small Sterling Glass Studio
Net Loft shopping arcade
Take the ferry back to downtown Vancouver or stay for dinner and catch a play
at the Arts Club or the Waterfront Theatre

My favored tour, however, is by one of the small ferry boats along the island and its amazing floating homes, then towards the Science Museum, over to the Yaletown marina, and back to Granville Island.

The skipper told me that despite the beautiful sunshine on this day, an evening sail is even more exciting when the sun sets, and all the high-rises glow in the last sun rays. Sailing later (the ferry runs until 9 pm) becomes even romantic when the city is lit up with thousands of lights from the buildings and streets.

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Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, Canada

2025-04-03T18:15:00.000-07:00

I finally made it to visit this wonderful, not to miss, gem in Vancouver. Not many artists can compete with the fantastic native art that is displayed at the MOA on 6393 NW Marine Drive. MOA resides on the traditional and unceded territory of the Musqueam people, and works by Musqueam artists welcome visitors to the site.

Arts in Canada lists more than 100 contemporary native artists in British Columbia. Most of them are from the Haida tribes of the West Coast. Their masks, sculptures, and original paintings can be found in Vancouver, on Vancouver Island, and scattered around the whole province.

The MOA, on the University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver, is the premier place to view Northwest Coast art and artifact collections. MOA initiated native carving programs in the 1950s, restoring old poles and creating new ones. Don't miss the stunning yellow cedar carving "The Raven and the First Men" by the Haida artist Bill Reid, depicting the Haida creation story.

One of the largest collections of historical and modern art is showcased in the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver’s west end, close to the USB (University of British Columbia). The picturesque setting of this artful architectural gem has breathtaking views of mountains, water, and sky. It is important for its role in preserving and showcasing Indigenous art and culture, besides the Squamish Lil’Wat Cultural Center in Whistler, BC.

More than 3,000 years ago, Indigenous peoples of the coast of British Columbia developed artistic traditions that are heralded throughout the world for their imaginative and stylistic qualities. The masks and totem poles of the Northwest Coast Aboriginal art powerfully impacted the work of major American abstract artists. It gave rise to a revival of craftsmanship on the NW Coast over the past fifty years and shaped the work of contemporary native artists.

However, not only Canadian native artifacts are displayed here, but numerous ones from all over of the world, such as significant collections from Asia, including Chinese ceramics, calligraphy, and paintings, as well as Japanese prints, Buddhist and Hindu art, textiles, and clothing from various regions such Tibet, Sri Lanka, and Korea.

The African collection includes masks, Yoruba thorn carvings, Makonde figures from Tanzania, Asante gold weights, weaponry from South Africa, and mortuary objects from Egypt. The museum houses a large collection of Northwest Coast First Nations art and artifacts, including works by the famous native artist Bill Reid. MOA has objects from the South Pacific, such as Micronesia, including textiles and other cultural artifacts. There is also a collection of European ceramics, which is one of the finest in Canada.

If you want to delve into the exhibition, a good idea would be to go at least twice to the museum: One day for the Canadian exhibits and another day to see the native artifacts from other parts of the world. Due to the favorable price for a yearly ticket, a second visit is already cheaper than purchasing two tickets.

The 75 year-old museum has permanent exhibitions of almost 50,000 works and hosts 3-4 temporary exhibitions a year. The current, larger MOA building was designed by renowned Canadian architect Arthur Erickson and was opened to the public in 1976.

Scientists and nature lovers alike will adore the MOA UBC’s Botany and National Herbarium. Walk amongst stunning flowers and lush greenery, and check out the plant specimens within the facility – there are over half a million, from all around the globe. It continues to expand as researchers discover new plants. The herbarium is significant as a research facility for local and international scientists dedicated to studying plant life.

Opening Hours and Admission

Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am - 5 pm in Winter. From May 15 to October 15 open on Mondays too. The daily admission is $22, and the yearly is only $35. UBC students and staff, Indigenous people, and children under 5 years old enter for free. I took bus #48 from downtown, and then 2 stops via bus # 68, which brings visitors right to the museum.

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Photo Impressions of Winter in Vancouver, BC

2024-12-27T18:56:00.000-08:00

It never rains in Southern California - true. But in Vancouver, it is a different story.

Between November and February, I never had a chance to take photos in the

sunshine. It rains at least once a day - but it is mild and nature is green all

year round, even roses bloom here in mid-winter.

Baer Illumination

Downtown Highrises

Gastown-Area

Metro from the Airport and Richmond into Downtown

Winter Berries in Stanley Park

The mild winters and abundant rainfall have made Greater Vancouver a gardener

paradise and the lawns of even the most humble homes are enlivened by

shrubbery, often a rhododendron or hydrangea bush.

Seaplanes depart to Victoria, Nanaimo, or the Gulf Islands

Stanley Park Restaurant

Native Art - Totempol

Natural Forest in Stanley Park

Berrie Shrubs in Stanley Park

Art Deco Highrise Downtown Vancouver

Entrance Door Highrise

Perhaps the forgiving climate, coupled with the early immigrants' British disdain

for showing off, fastened the development of landscape architecture in these

parts. Whatever the reason, landscaping evolved in Vancouver.

VanDusen Botanical Garden

Vancouver's leafy and upscale Shaughnessy district, established around 1912
by the Canadian Pacific Railway for the city's well-off families. It was planned
by Frederick Law Olmsted, the American landscaper who designed Central

Park in New York City and major civic parks in Philadelphia, Chicago,

Boston, and Montreal.

Downtown Highrise

Mural in Downtown

Sailplanes and Floating Homes in the harbor

Planting trees and shrubs and creating pocket parks in Vancouver are now
viewed as ways to humanize the urban jungle, make streets safer, encourage
more pedestrians, and enhance neighborhood pride. In many residential
neighborhoods, I saw small roundabouts on street crossings that were lovingly
planted with perennials and low shrubs. Nice to look at even in winter!

Mountain & Ski Slopes View from the City

View over to North Vancouver

Steady rain gave me the idea of going somewhere indoors. A gallery? A day
spa? I saw an aquarium sign within Stanley Park and hopped on a bus that
drove directly into the park, just 200 meters from the aquarium. The aquarium is
home to 65,000 animals, from sea otters to turtles, sea lions, and fishes from all
over the world. The admission was hefty, almost 50 dollars,
but it was well worth it.

The aquarium tops regular lists of the best ones in the world.
The cafe, bar, and restaurant looked appealing, but I had just lunch.

On another occasion, driving into town from the east, I got lost and found myself
suddenly on Granville Island. It is a peninsula, built in the 1960s after it had been a
sandbar, used for industrial purposes. The 38-acre Granville peninsula is a hub
for art, culture, and food.

The public market sells fresh produce and baked goods, but there are also
artist studios, and even a waterfront theater.

More Attractive Parts of Vancouver:

Yaletown which is northeast of the Granville Bridge.

From afar, there are lots of residential highrises, but it also has numerous old

warehouses, now home to hip restaurants and shops, cocktail lounges, often

with buzzing outdoor terraces, as well as indie fashion and decor boutiques.

On the waterfront, David Lam Park has an expansive lawn and a

playground, while the Seawall is popular for cycling and walking.

Commercial Drive Area

I was lucky that my friends lived close by, in a beautiful neighborhood, so I got to
enjoy this lovely strip. It is home to Vancouver’s officially designated Little Italy,

eight blocks representing over 60 years of Italian heritage as well as a tapestry of
other cultures.

Cozy homes in the Commercial Dr area

The Drive

To celebrate, The Drive hosts Italian Day every June, one of the city’s
largest annual cultural festivals. It is a multicultural and bohemian street in leafy

surroundings which has hundreds of local gems and several parks to explore.

Oregon Grapes blooming in December

British Columbia License Plate

Davie Street

It stretches from Yaletown to Stanley Park and is most interesting in its western part:

the LGBTQ+ community has found a welcoming home in this district, especially

around Jervis St. A stroll through the area reveals a collection of well-preserved

heritage mansions and apartments in the Queen Ann and Georgian Revival styles.

Gastown

This area is Vancouver’s oldest neighborhood, where the Gastown Steam Clock

(still working!), the area’s most recognized landmark, is located. By night,

this fashion-forward retail and commercial district serves as the city’s party

hub with bar-crammed streets.

South of Gastown lies Canada’s largest Chinatown.

Queen Elizabeth Park Area

Five blocks east of the Van Dusen Botanical Garden is Vancouver’s highest hill

with a beautiful rose garden and the Quarry Garden. East of the park is a hipster

haven with indie coffee shops, vegetarian restaurants, vintage fashion, and vinyl

record stores.

Shaughnessy

Shaughnessy is one of Vancouver’s oldest and most prestigious neighborhoods.

Plainly said: all around the VanDusen Botanical Garden, but more precisely, it is bordered

by 16th Avenue to the north, 41st Avenue to the south, Oak Street to the east, and

East Boulevard to the west. Shaughnessy homes tend to be on large, manicured lots

and the homes tend to have British and early American estate-like design elements.

Stunning landscaping, indeed! Very walkable and flat. It also tends to be quiet with

minimal vehicle or foot traffic. A perfect area for relaxing walks

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How to Deal With Bears on Vancouver Island, BC

2024-12-03T15:33:00.001-08:00

Staying at a friend’s house in November on Vancouver Island, Canada, I experienced not only a bomb cyclone with extreme winds and 23 hours of power outage but also three bear break-ins! Not into the house but the garage where two huge fridges are placed.

A sign I saw in another Sooke neighborhood explicitly discouraged having fridges outside the house. The garage door was not safely secured and a wooden pallet leaning against one of the fridges was not an obstacle for the bear. The bear ripped it open and took out all the fruit yogurt, cream cups, and cakes, and indulged in it, making a terrible mess everywhere.

My friends secured the garage door somewhat, but not enough that the bear could not break in a second time two days later.

This time he completely ripped out the freezer door but left the meat untouched. The remaining food in the fridge was secured with several heavy garden tools. As if this would not be enough, at the bear's third visit he managed to break the secured door

of the fridge.

Once a bear finds a food source in a neighborhood, they will revisit that same location over and over again.

Talking with quite a few people besides my friends, I learned that fall and early spring are the times when bears start eating and drinking almost nonstop. They can gain up to four pounds in a day. They need to put on weight to prepare for winter and hibernation. I also found out that it is unfair to the bears not to secure food sources - even illegal in some areas.

Potential bear food sources such as bird feeders, pet food, dirty BBQ grills, and open compost: trash and REMOVE those food sources IMMEDIATELY.

Why? The bears do not hunt anymore, for example, catching salmon fish in the rivers and sea bays. Or eat berries and insects. Easily finding food around human developments makes them lazy and they forget all their hunting skills. This is not the only danger for the animals: If they are attracted to human-associated food sources, they may be more vulnerable to being hit by a car and may lose their fear of people. In the worst case, if a bear behaves in a way that is a threat to public safety it might be even euthanized.

Bears on Vancouver Island, Canada

There are an estimated 7,000–12,000 black bears on Vancouver Island, making it one of the densest populations in the world. In British Columbia, black bears inhabit all areas of the province except cities. They are relatively numerous and tolerant of human activities and as a result, are the most commonly encountered large carnivores in the province.

Cubs are born in January or February, during hibernation. Black bears usually have two cubs, but litter sizes vary from one to five. Cubs stay with their mother their entire first year and sometimes longer. During that time, she protects them and teaches them how to survive.

Hibernation is an important survival strategy for bears in regions such as British Columbia where their main foods – green vegetation, berries, salmon, and insects – are not available in winter. Black bears typically hibernate for three to five months on the south coast and for longer periods (probably five to seven months) in the interior and the north. Females, particularly the pregnant ones, hibernate longer than males.

While a bear is unlikely to attack, there are tons on Vancouver Island, and it is quite likely you will encounter one during your time, whether it’s crossing the street, cruising a yard, or wandering on a trail. If you are bear-smart (by following the tips below and similar others), you won’t have an issue with these beautiful beasts. If you do run into one though, here’s what to do:

Prepare your bear spray
If in a group – stick together to seem larger
Determine three things:
The kind of bear, if it has cubs!!! and if it protects a food source
Speak slowly in a calm tone
Back away slowly and keep an eye on the bear
Do not run!

https://thewalrus.ca/how-we-treat-bears-in-cities-is-trash/

https://biganimalencounters.com/5-facts-about-black-bears-on-vi

https://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/documents/blackbear.pdf

https://www.discovervancouverisland.com/blog/bear-wolf-cougar-safety

https://www.hellobc.com/stories/top-places-to-spot-bears-in-bc

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Best Spots for Whale-Watching in Canada From Coast to Coast

2024-06-05T16:57:00.000-07:00

Summer is the best time for whale-watching on Canada's coasts from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island. Even though I had the pleasure of watching whales in the St. Lawrence stream at sunrise and the next evening at sunset, just walking along the shore.

The best whale-watching tours are more than a boat trip with a photo op — they can provide a meaningful learning experience, especially when led by an experienced local guide. Many expert guides in the whale-watching community also consider themselves citizen scientists, conducting ongoing research on the animals that frequent their coastal villages. Here are some of the best places:

Maritimes
St. Lawrence River in Quebec
Hudson´s Bay in Manitoba
Salish Sea in British Columbia

Maritimes

Around Trinity, New Foundland, explore the waters around the Bonavista Peninsula between May and October. Whales feast on capelin (a small, silver fish) and squid. In May or June icebergs add to the jaw-dropping experience.

Around Saint Andrews, New Brunswick: As the warm weather arrives, so do the migratory whales who summer off the coast, gathering to feast in the nutrient-rich waters in the Bay of Fundy until September. Brier Island in Nova Scotia is another spot near the Bay of Fundy where you can book whale-watching tours.

St. Lawrence River

More than 2,200 species inhabit the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park. Belugas and blue whales mingle in the St. Lawrence Estuary in Quebec making it a particularly special whale-watching locale, especially around Tadoussac or nearby Les Bergeronnes.

Pacific Coast

The Salish Sea may be British Columbia's best under-the-radar whale-watching destination. Sandwiched between the mainland and Vancouver Island and stretching from Campbell River down to Washington state. Northern resident orcas tend to live year-round in the Salish Sea while orcas, humpbacks, and grey whales are spotted seasonally. Nanaimo, Parksville or Campbell River are the best bases for whale-watching tours. Book Indigenous-owned and operated tours from May to September.

Hudson’s Bay

During the summer months, thousands of the almost 50,000 Beluga whales travel to the warmer waters of the Churchill River to feed and give birth. The beluga capital of the world, Churchill, Manitoba, is the go-to destination for encounters with the "canaries of the sea”. Whale-watching tours start in July once the ice has fully melted off the bay, and the colors of the subarctic are at their most stunning in late July and early August as wildflowers begin to bloom. Some of the tour boats have even underwater picture windows designed for marine life viewing.

Read more and get whale-watching tour operators:

https://www.cbc.ca/life/travel/whale-watching-in-canada-where-to-spot-them-1.6866274

Spring in Sidney, Vancouver Island, Canada

2024-04-10T15:49:00.000-07:00

Rhododendrons bloom already in February

Spring arrives early on Vancouver Island, typically in February with blooming Cherry trees,
Daffodils, and Rhododendron bushes in full bloom due to the winter´s moderate climate. Visit the botanical gardens or make a road trip to see the beauty of the island's nature in spring.
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Sailing is a popular sport around Vancouver Island

Cherry Blooms in February

There is something magical about wandering around town soaking in the vibe of the city. Especially in Spring. The beginnings of cherry blossom buds, the green leaves of hellebores, and vibrant tulips.

Aviation Museum
For aviation enthusiasts, the British Columbia Aviation Museum is open seven days a week. It features several aircraft and artifacts related to the history of aviation in Canada, with an emphasis on BC aviation history. The museum displays restored aircraft, engines, and pictures, photos, and videos in addition to memorials of key figures of aviation history.

Town of Bookstores

Sidney residents must share a love of the written word as evidenced by the town’s numerous bookstores, all located within a few blocks of one another. Each bookstore offers something different, from new titles to children’s classics and rare and antique works.

Sidney Museum and Archives

The Sidney Museum features 8,000 artifacts and regularly updated permanent displays on local First Nations, industry, transportation, agriculture, and social history. Displays include a vintage kitchen, a vintage storefront, a rustic barn. and a schoolhouse. In addition to its permanent exhibits, the Sidney Museum also features temporary exhibits.

2423 Beacon Ave

Wine and Ciders

In and around Sidney, there are numerous vineyards and distillers around to help quench your thirst, including Victoria Distillers’ new waterfront distillery in Sidney, the Sea Cider Far & Cider House in Saanichton, the Roost Vineyard Bistro in North Saanichton, and Deep Cove Winery, also in North Saanichton.

Sidney Whale Watching

The calm waters near Sidney make the region an excellent place for whale watching. Watch from the privacy of your own boat, or book through Sidney Whale Watching.

Ferry to Sidney Spit
From downtown Sidney, visitors can enjoy a short ferry trip to Sidney Spit, an idyllic island perfect for camping, hiking, bird watching or simply hanging out on stunning beaches. Accessible only by water, Sidney Spit is part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve.

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Stunning Beauty in the Salish Sea Center on Vancouver Island

2024-03-05T07:27:00.000-08:00

I had no idea that there was this much color in the ocean. Wandering from one Aquarium tank to the next I stared in disbelief at the beautiful tropical colors and forms of the maritime animals and plants. How can such a color explosion live underneath the grey-blue waters of the Salish Sea? It was like being in a colorful art exhibition.

The outside of the building is unassuming as it’s the ground level of a hotel/condo. I thought the aquarium was on the ground level… but discovered that after entering the submarine elevator hatch visitors descend to the ocean floor a few leagues under the sea.

The Salish Ocean Centre does a fantastic job of bringing the sea and all the fascinating and diverse sea creatures right to visitors. The aquarium is Canada’s only one that is dedicated to the marine life-rich Salish Sea. Visitors will find over 3,500 animals at the aquarium of over 150 species from the Salish Sea.

The area of the Salish Sea is 110,000 square kilometers from mountaintop to ocean. The Salish Sea covers the Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, and the waters off of Vancouver, BC. The area spans from Olympia, Washington in the south to the Campbell River, British Columbia in the north, and west to Neah Bay. It also includes the large cities of Seattle and Vancouver.

The marine ecosystem is home to many charismatic species. These include endangered southern resident killer whales. Their population has dropped to just 75 individuals, as well as the Chinook salmon they depend on for survival.

Underwater Beauty

Explore the underwater beauty of the Salish Sea - one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world! The exhibit shows many species of jellyfish, plankton, and algae (ocean drifters) to help visitors understand the foundations of the ocean food web in the Salish Sea.

Species in this exhibit include Sea nettles and Moon Jellys. There’s a good diversity of tank sizes, but my favorite was the floor-to-ceiling tanks.

Gallery of the Salish Sea

This exhibit is home to hundreds of species of fish, invertebrates, and marine plants from the Salish Sea, including Giant Pacific Octopus, Wolf Eel, Rock greenling, Painted greenling, Pacific Herring, Chinook Salmon, King Crab.

The Salish Sea Center is located in the Sidney Pier Building on the waterfront in the Vancouver Island town of Sidney, Canada, in the Greater Victoria region

9811 Seaport Pl, Sidney, BC

Open daily from 10 am to 4:00 pm - closed on Wednesdays

Travel Times by car:

25 minutes north of Victoria on Highway 17
10 minutes from the BC Ferry Terminal at Swartz Bay
5 minutes from the Victoria International Airport
25 minutes from the Washington State Ferry Terminal in Sidney

Parking: Sidney has many free public parking lots in addition to free on-street parking. Sidney is surrounded by the ocean, but it’s rare to see what lives deep within it. Thanks to the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea we can look at the incredible creatures that live below the surface.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIh4b29UVMU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDI1QmvN3j8&t=34s

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Winter Pleasures Near the Arctic Circle

2024-03-01T13:41:00.000-08:00

Photo Doris Daily

Cold Weather Pleasures in Yellowknife

Number One of the reasons to come to Yellowknife from September to March is most likely the Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights. There are several offers in town from an ATV tour, bus tours, and even Wigwam (teepee) stays. Search for the breathtaking Aurora Borealis with a local guide to lead you to the best viewing spots in the Northwest Territories.

Depart Yellowknife each evening for the hunt at a different location, including a heated tee-pee where you can relax after a 3-course dinner at Aurora Village, including transport plus three nights. Appreciate the Northern Lights around the lake and see the reflection on the lake when the magnificent Aurora appears.

Photo Doris Daily

For example at the Aurora Ninja Photo Tour: A tour guide will also take pictures for all guests and teach them how to use their own cameras to shoot the Northern Lights. During the trip, they will also provide guests with hot drinks and biscuits, as well as expertise and knowledge on the Northern Lights and Yellowknife.

Photo Doris Daily

You certainly can also drive out of town at night (more comfortable in September when it is not too cold) and wait until the dancing lights appear in the northern sky. In Winter, the Dettah Ice Road offers spectacular viewing opportunities. However, anywhere along the shoreline in Old Town is dark enough to offer great viewing options. The same for the hill up to the Bush Pilots Monument.

Photo Tawna Brown

Get masterful photographs from a local photo and video artist who captured more than ten thousand images of both, the aurora and Yellowknife’s and Northwest Territories’ beauty in general. https://www.tawnabrown.com/

The prerequisite for the outdoors is, of course, that you are warmly dressed - three layers at least - and that all extremities - head, hands, feet - are well bundled up. In Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories, temperatures of around minus 30 degrees Celsius for months on end are completely normal. Nevertheless, the daily life of the 21,000 inhabitants goes on. They know, in three months it will be warm and the sun shines almost around the clock. Lots of flowers and veggies will then grow in gardens.

Photo Doris Daily

Ice Fishing on Great Slave Lake: Yellowknife Sport Fishing Adventures is a professional fishing guide company looking to help you catch trophy fish. They offer not only winter ice fishing, but also Summer fishing trips. Ski, snowshoe, and ice skating equipment can be rented if you don’t bring your own - for example at Overland Sports in town.

Photo Doris Daily

March is Festival Month!
The famous Snow King Festival starts in early March: A month of dance, community, theatre, music, magic, ice slides, art, friends, fun, snow, and certainly the amazing Aurora Borealis on the night sky. The Snow Castle is located on the ice of Yellowknife Bay, nestled into the shores of Great Slave Lake next to Old Town's Woodyard neighborhood. http://www.snowking.ca/

Photo Tawna Brown

An ice-carving contest brings in people from around the world. Hugh ice blocks are cut out from Great Slave Lake, some more than eight feet large. The carving artists then create fantastic ice creatures and monuments that stay for weeks on display.

Long John Jamboree: Towards the end of March, the Long John Jamboree also hits the ice nearby for a wild weekend for all. On the same weekend, the three-day-long Canadian Championship Dog Derby, a 150-mile sled dog race with a 60-year history, runs on the ice that surrounds Old Town.

Photo Tawna Brown

Dog sledding is also part of Yellowknife. A day with a team through the deep snow-covered wilderness outside the gates of the city is not only fun but also gave an impression of the hard everyday life before there were roads here.

Photo Tawna Brown

Snow and ice kiting are kite sports that really belong in the winter. As soon as there is ice, there is a group of kite surfers who immediately start kiting on the lakes around Yellowknife. Kiting gives a wonderful sense of freedom. You get close to untouched nature when you whiz over powder snow. It is something very special to feel the force of the wind on the kite. Green power can transport you several kilometers. From late November to the end of April, the conditions around Yellowknife are ideal to kite for miles. Nowhere else in the world, you can find better conditions.

Photo Doris Daily

Winter Roads aka Ice Roads: They are the most important transportation method in the Northwest Territories. Large truck conveys supply to the camps and communities in the outback. Truckers are driving heavily loaded vehicles across frozen lakes to deliver supplies to remote locations If you ever saw the TV documentary series ‘Ice Road Truckers’.

Photo Tawna Brown

Winter Pleasures

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFde6Y501Ik

Ice Road

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO0uWWCtqJI

Ice Fishing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e_PhDiWGnQ

Photo Doris Daily

Winter in Downtown Yellowknife

Sure, you can spend considerable hours in restaurants and coffee shops, but there is a lot more to see in town, for example

Yellowknife Historical Museum: Visit the giant gold mine to find ore cars, train tracks, loading machinery, boilers, drills, winches, and more. The nearby mine is closed and major … is done to get rid of the arsine condemnations deep in the soil from times when these gold mining practices were still going on. Bring your picnic and enjoy it at the nearby tables.

Indigenous Experiences: A typical guided community tour might include stops to meet with local artists, a demonstration of traditional practices like fish preparation or the medicinal use of plants, and perhaps a chance to sample tea, bannock, and dried meat. Visitors are welcome, too, at community feasts, share some good-natured fun, and enjoy traditional drumming, dancing, and other entertainment.

Photo Tawna Brown

NWT Diamond and Jewellery Centre: See (and maybe buy) loose diamonds — mined, cut, and polished in the Northwest Territories — and jewelry pieces too! Enjoy an interactive tour every weekday at 1:30pm that takes you on a journey through the vast history of diamond mining in the Canadian North. 5105 49th St in Yellowknife.

Old Town Glass Works: Enjoy Studio Time in the Old Town to make your own art piece or purchase them from the large selection of studio artwork.

The Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre: Across from the Government of NWT assembly building is a museum that is operated by the Culture and Heritage Division, NWT Government. Although the center is widely known as the territorial museum, it is also home to the NWT Archives. Open Weekly from Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 5 pm. Also open on Statutory Holidays, except Christmas and New Year.

Former Exhibitions

This Land is Our Home: Wıìlıìdeh, Yellowknives Dene, showcase their history, language, and culture through artifacts, clothing, oral history, and photographs.

Mooseskin Boat: From the late 1800s to the 1950s, moose skin boats were built by the Shutagot’ine (Mountain Dene) to carry large amounts of cargo along dangerous mountain rivers.

Dioramas: 10 landscape dioramas that showcase the strong connection northerners have with animals and the land. To create these dioramas, we worked closely with wildlife experts, elders, and community advisors from across the NWT.

Caribou Skin Clothing: Two caribou skin outfits representing Inuvialuit and Gwich’in traditions are currently on display in the South Gallery. They were created during two separate clothing reproduction projects led by the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in partnership with NWT community organizations and southern museums to help revive knowledge and excitement about making traditional clothing.

Interwoven: Baskets and non-traditional woven creations use both natural and commercial materials, and are often interwoven with a tale or two as well.

Photo Doris Daily

Ice Age Bison Discovery: Our frozen past and thawing future. On exhibit for the first time — a 13,650-year-old bison skull found in Tsiigehtchic, NWT in 2007. This exhibit highlights ice age fossils and the changing landscape of the North.

RCMP Special Constables in the NWT: Come to hear stories about Special Constables, told by community members for this exhibit.

Treaty 11 – 100 years: A Tłı̨chǫ community exhibit tells the story of their 100-year relationship with Canada. Treaty 11 was the foundation for the modern nation-to-nation treaty-making process, which led to the signing of the Tłı̨chǫ Agreement.

Music at the Museum: Free musical concerts at the Museum, hosted by Classics on Stage Yellowknife. Check out the website for upcoming events. https://www.cosyyellowknife.com

Next to the museum is Yellowknife’s architectural highlight: the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly Building in a rounded wood-glass building. I was lucky to attend a free performance of the Aklavik Delta Drummers & Dancers in the Assembly building. They are representing both Inuvialuit and Gwich’in cultures.

Guided tours of the Assembly Building are available in English on weekdays at 10:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. French tours are offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2:30 p.m. The duration of the tour is 30 minutes. Or take a self-guided audio tour anytime the building is open from 7 am to 6 pm, weekends from 10 am to 6 pm.

Being a winter wonderland, there are many opportunities to go skating, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing in Yellowknife. Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing tours are available and the tour company provides the gear that you need. For those who like to do it yourself, it is possible to rent gear in town so there is no need to bring your own.

Snowmobile Tour: Experience a ride on a double snowmobile on a safe but thrilling excursion out of Yellowknife. A snowmobile instructor guides you through a winter wonderland of fresh snow while you explore backcountry trails. You will get detailed instructions about how to use the snowmobile. Put on the provided winter gear - a Canada Goose jacket, trousers, helmets, gloves, and boots - to keep warm. Set off for an hour-long tour - photo stops included.

Cross Country Skiing in Yellowknife: The “Wax and Wine” day will be in November! Get your skis waxed for $25/pair, relax, and enjoy a complimentary drink and snacks while you wait. The Yellowknife Ski Club offers 14 kilometers of trails for beginner to advanced skiers. All trails are designed for one-way skiing with enough width for both classic and skate techniques. Trails are groomed twice a week by a volunteer team of groomers.

http://skiyellowknife.com/

1,5 Hour Kick-Sled Tours with Huskies on Great Slave Lake: Get a demo of how the sleds work, meet the dogs, and learn the commands. All of the dogs are friendly and happy, and the sleds are easy to manage. Sped out across the bay, then take a break for a little walk to a small frozen waterfall “Ice Cave”.

Yellowknife is internationally known for being the best place in the world to view the amazing Aurora Borealis. With over 20 tour companies dedicated to helping you view the unique Northern Lights display, the opportunity to experience something truly remarkable is made very easy. If you go on your own - out of town: the Aurora Forecast shows the nights you can expect most likely to see this amazing show in the night sky:

https://astronomynorth.com/aurora-forecast/

Snow-Shoe to the Ice Caves: They aren’t true caves, but rather curtains of ice created by an outcrop of rock overhangs and flowing water frozen in time. Grab walking poles and a pair of snowshoes. As you travel the mysterious Great Slave Lake be on the lookout for local foxes and ptarmigans that frequently roam the Yellowknife Back Bay area. Going on a weekday means you mostly have the space to yourselves - even if you are so close to downtown.

The ice caves are accessible by snowmobile or a rough footpath through the woods, coming from downtown, Niven Drive area, walking down towards Great Slave Lake or the Yellowknife ski hill. In order to reach the caves, you will walk through the Heritage Site of Back Bay Cemetery, Yellowknife’s first settlers' cemetery.

Photo Tawna Brown

Sales Tax rates are low in the Northwest Territories with only 5% sales tax. If you can find brands that have set prices, it might be worth buying the item in Yellowknife.

Read more about the North and Northern culture

https://uphere.ca/

AIRLINES AND AIR SERVICES

These companies fly from Yellowknife not only to Edmonton, Calgary, Kelowna, or Vancouver, they deliver passengers and goods to remote places in the North such as Iqaluit, Hay River, Inuvik, Old Crow, Dawson City, Whitehorse, Clyde River, Arctic Bay, Fort Simpson, Cambridge Bay, Goa Haven, Cape Dorset, Igloolik, Kugluktuk, Kimmirut, Gamèti, Kugaruk, Lutselk'e, Wekweètì, or Whatì. As you can see from the names, some are remote indigenous places that rely on these passenger and freight services for survival. Other destinations are mining camps, especially the three diamond mines northeast of Yellowknife.

Flight-Seeing and private charters are perfect options for visitors to see the beauty of the area comfortably from above. AHMIC Air takes passengers to fly-in fishing and remote canoeing and camping trips, or fly-in picnics. Their Beaver airplanes are equipped with floats from June to October so they can land on any lake. From February to May the airplanes are equipped with skis - also to land on frozen lakes. In Yellowknife, you are only minutes away from lakes, waterfalls, and wilderness trails.

Local Airlines in Yellowknife, NWT:

Buffalo Airways -

Fly Summit Air - https://flysummitair.com/

Canadian North - https://canadiannorth.com/

Air Tindi - https://www.airtindi.com/

Great Slave Helicopter - https://www.gsheli.com/

https://buffaloairways.com/

Airlines That Fly Out of Yellowknife Airport

Air Canada Express
Air North
Air Tindi
Canadian North
Buffalo Airways
Kenn Borek Air
First Air
North-Wright Airways
Nolinor Aviation
Northwestern Air
WestJet
WestJet Encore
Summit Air

Year-Round Destination Yellowknife

With the exception of maybe April or November, it’s always “season” in Yellowknife: May, June, and July with its outdoor activities under the midnight sun and Winters with all kinds of snow and ice sports activities - plus the unforgettable Aurora Borealis, the amazing spectacle on the northern sky from September to late March. Enjoy your time in Yellowknife.

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Traveling the Quilt Trail in SW Ontario

2023-09-27T10:18:00.001-07:00

Avoiding the traffic on Hwy 401 and 402 between Toronto and Windsor you will not only find quieter roads and a bucolic landscape but also discover the art and history of rural SW Ontario, and the so-called "Barn Quilts". These graphic-art pieces are prominently displayed on barns and housewalls.

What Are Barn Quilts?
The concept of barn quilts began with Donna Sue Groves, an American, and her wish to honor her mother, Maxine, and her Appalachian heritage by having a painted quilt hung on her barn in Adams County, Ohio. As is often the case, good ideas fall by the wayside when work and other obligations intervene... but are picked up somewhere else.

There are myths that quilts were used to communicate safe houses and other information about the Underground Railroad, which was a network through the United States and into Canada of "conductors", meeting places, and safe houses for the passage of African Americans out of slavery. More with reality are the barn quilts that commemorate the "War of 1812" and the "Native Women Trail of Tears".

Thirteen quilters representing the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Lenape Nations of the southwest region of Ontario quilted beautiful images reflecting traditional knowledge and historical events from the perspective of Anishinaabe Kwewag (in Ojibwe, meaning women). Thirty-one quilt blocks were designed and sewn using traditional quilt block design techniques and appliqué to tell the stories of First Nation women and their children as they might have experienced life during the beginning of the 19th century.

For example, the quilt block entitled ‘Cedar Tree’ made by Leona Hendrick, Chippewas of the Thames citizen depicts one of the four sacred medicines of the Anishinaabe. Cedar protected families from disease and resembles the traditional indigenous knowledge grandmothers handed down to their daughters to protect their families. The forest was their shelter and protector and women knew the gifts of medicine the forest afforded them during this time of great need.

During the war, the women tended to the injured and recovered the dead. Villages were being plummeted and burned and families were in jeopardy of overexposure to the elements. The women had to work quickly in times of great strife to provide care and comfort to those in need. The cedar tree represents this story on the Native Women’s Trail of Tears Barn Quilt Trail starting on Longwoods Rd. near Muncey, Ontario (25 minutes southwest of London).
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The Chippewa Barn Quilt Project

In conjunction with the Longwoods Barn Quilt Trail project has been carried out in a spirit of reflection, renewal, and relationship building between many rural communities and the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation.

Native Women’s Trail of Tears Quilt

They named the quilt the Native Women’s Trail of Tears Quilt because of the many tears that must have been shed by First Nation families during this time. It will travel along with the Longwoods Honouring Women of 1812 Quilt created by quilters from neighboring counties which tells the stories from a settler woman’s point of view.

(Located SW of London, ON, on HWY 9 - Jubilee Rd - Southerland Rd - 11)
Caught in conflict, pushed from homelands, prevailing among a growing immigrant population, attacking in defense of territories, negotiating with the Crown for peace and friendship, resulting in “lands set aside as reserves” - a way of life dramatically changed… This is the backdrop of the stories behind the Native Women’s Trail of Tears Quilt.

Caught in conflict, pushed from homelands, prevailing among a growing immigrant population, attacking in defense of territories, negotiating with the Crown for peace and friendship, resulting in “lands set aside as reserves” - a way of life dramatically changed… This is the backdrop of the stories behind the Native Women’s Trail of Tears Quilt

The partnership serves to address the need for all Canadians to better understand the contributions of Indigenous peoples to the story, present, and future, of this country.

Longwood Barn Quilt Trail on HWY 2

The Longwoods Barn Quilt Trail (between SW London, ON, and Chatham) is a combined map of 30 barn quilts from Wardsville as well as 31 Barn Quilts from the Native Women's Trail of Tears Barn Quilt Trail. Plus thirty barn quilts from Longwood Road. And don't forget the South Caradoc spur line. Have fun and drive carefully.

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Visit to Canada's First Capital: Kingston

2023-09-24T13:01:00.006-07:00

One would need more than two or three weeks to only visit the 20+ Museums that are dotting the former Canadian capital on Lake Ontario. So it's worth traveling several times a year to see all the gems that Kingston has to offer in each season: Art Galleries, Historic Buildings and Sites, Dining and Sightseeing cruises, Trolley Tours, the many parks along the waterfront, Fort Henry, and the Haunted Tours, the Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Public Market (8:30 am - 6 pm).

So Much to See and Do

Don't miss to see the almost 200-year-old cathedrals and churches in town. UNESCO World Heritage sites include Fort Henry, the Martello towers, and other fortifications located at the foot of the Rideau Canal that connects Kingston through waterways with the new capital Ottawa. Paddle, kayak, or use a standup paddle to see the city shores from the water.

Go scuba diving on the west side of downtown, on Lake Ontario, next to the Kingston Penitentiary Museum, or play golf on one of the several courses that dot the Kingston area. Or take a 2 1/2 hour-long guided tour that starts at 11 a.m. from the Visitor Welcome Center (209 Ontario St).

The "Classic Kingston" tour offers a local's perspective into Kingston's culture through its delicious food, history, and unique architecture. It includes exclusive tastings at some of the very best local restaurants and specialty food shops in downtown Kingston. Or take a tour of Kingston's world-class craft beer microbreweries.

The Outdoors in Kingston

Waterfront Rentals include paddle boats, SUPs, kayaks, and sailing charters. Or you can rent a bike or e-bike from i-cycle on Fort Henry Drive or from AhoyRentals on Ontario St. and cycle Kingston's historic neighborhoods, the waterfront bikeway, or explore Wolf Island on two wheels.

Boat Tours take you from the Ferry Dock to Wolfe Island or into the world of 1000 Islands. Half a dozen marinas and boat launches invite those who come to Kingston via the waterways. And just last week I saw a large cruise ship anchoring close to the city harbour site.

Wolfe Island Ferries

The Wolfe Islander III Ferry operates all year hourly between Kingston and Wolfe Island, Ontario, holding approximately 55 cars and 330 passengers per trip. Twenty-minute crossing time, at no cost!

Birders love to stop at the island's Big Sandy Bay Beach, a popular spot for walking and beach combing. A quick 3-kilometer return trail takes you to the secluded shores through a protected ecological area. Want to travel from here to America? A 10-minute seasonal ferry, which operates from the spring to mid-October (call before! 1-315-783-0638 or 1-613-385-2402), sails from Port Alexandria on the island’s southern side to Cape Vincent in New York State, U.S.

1000 Islands

In 1900, George C. Boldt, millionaire proprietor of the world-famous Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New Your City, built a full-size Rhineland Castle in Alexandria Bay, on picturesque Heart Island – for his wife Louise. But she died before it was finished, so he abandoned the project completely and left it to ruin.

Recently restored, Boldt Castle represents an example of the elegance of a bygone era as seen from the best vantage point – the air. At the airport you can board a small plane to see Kingston from the air: Fly over the small cottage islands of the Admiralty group featuring Napoleon’s Hat, Wanderer’s Channel, the Bateau Channel, and the Nokomis Lodge.

The Kingston Flight Club offers Private Pilot Flight training - you can even get your pilot license here. If you aim for higher altitudes and want to become an airline pilot: CygnetAviation partnered with world-famous airline training CAE and offers an Integrated Airline Transport Pilot License in a 20-month course in Kingston.

Open Doors at the Airport in September
Should you be in Kingston on a Saturday in mid/end of September, check for the airport event: The city of Kingston and the Canadian Force Base Kingston and Trenton combined forces to present the "Wheels on the Runway" event. The public got an opportunity to an up-close look at several aircraft on the tarmac, including a massive CC-130 H Hercules aircraft from CFB Trenton and other military and emergency vehicles.

Sweet Snacks Between Sightseeing

Stop at the Pan Pancho Bakery & Cafe, 44 Princess St., or Coffee Way Donuts, 427 Division St. (open 24 hrs!), or the Bread & Butter Bakery, 1530 Bath Rd. Enjoy coffee or brunch at the Northside Espresso & Kitchen, 281 Princess St.

The Secret Garden Inn, 73 Sydenham St, is your best bet for a classic afternoon tea. My absolute favorites however are the sensational ice creams from Mio Gelato, 178 Ontario St., or Churn Small Batch Ice Creams on 320A King St East.

Restaurants & Accommodation

Kingston is known for having the highest number of restaurants per capita of any city in Canada. Here are some that are located in downtown:

Enjoy some quiet time and Austrian-German dishes on the backyard patio of the Amadeus Cafe. Enjoy some quiet time on the backyard patio of the Amadeus Cafe, 170 Princess St.
Mesa Fresca - Fine Mexican & South American dining with local ingredients, 1347 Gardiners Rd.
Toast & Jam brunch restaurant, 1530 Bath Rd., open til 3 pm
Sima Sushi, 66 Princess St., freshest Sushi in Eastern Ontario!
Chez Piggy restaurant and bar, 68 Princess St., delicious lunch, dinner, and brunch
Tango Nuevo, 331 King St. East, stellar restaurant with a huge selection of meat, seafood, and veggie tapas

From family-friendly hotels and dog-friendly motels to charming historic Inns, there is a variety of options to make your stay comfortable:

The Secret Garden Inn - a lovely boutique urban retreat on Argyle Place/73 Sydenham St.
Hochelaga Inn, 24 Sydenham St., elegant rooms in a Victorian B&B
Two-bedroom apartment with living room, kitchen, and backyard, downtown, www.booking.com
Best Western Fireside Inn, 1217 Princess St., Senior Rates

Kingston's History

The area was settled by Europeans in the 17th century and became the First Capital of a United Canada in 1841. It is referred to as the “Limestone City” and a place where “history and innovation thrive”. Kingston is home to Queen's University, the Royal Military College of Canada, and St. Lawrence College - which means the most Ph.D. graduates per capita and the "smartest" workforce in Canada.

The Kingston region has been home to Indigenous People since time immemorial. Many different Nations and people have existed or co-existed in this area over time. Today, it is home to a growing urban population of over 7,000 residents who identify as First Nations, Inuit, or Metis. It is the traditional homeland of the St. Lawrence Iroquois, Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat tribes.

Haunted Fort

Kingston's Fort Henry is Not Only Haunted in Halloween Season ...

Nils Von Schultz was the leader of a group that attempted to "liberate" Canada from what he viewed as British oppression in the 1830s. After losing the Battle of the Windmill near Prescott, Von Schultz was hanged at Fort Henry -- and, they say, continues to haunt the Fort to this day. At Fort Fright, Fort Henry's haunted walk in Kingston, you can listen to his story. You follow your guide into the depths of the fort and listen to the stories, each is verified by at least two sources - by lantern light.

Each year, part of the Fort is taken over by ghosts, skeletons, and zombie soldiers -- sort of an outdoor haunted house. Visitors can follow a set route through the Fort if they dare. There's also a guided ghost tour available, on which visitors can hear ghost stories from Fort Henry's history, in the actual rooms where the supernatural occurrences took place.

On the haunted walk through Fort Fright, you never know what might pop out at you, or when. It's loud fun and suspenseful. For the haunted walk, each visitor can go at their own pace. The ghost tour, on the other hand, creates a different kind of tension. The guided ghost tour takes about 45 minutes.

Fort Fright is open from 6 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday until Nov. 15. Last entry is at 9:30 p.m. The guided tours run on the half-hour and can be signed up for at the Fort entrance. Entry to Fort Fright costs $7.35, or $14.70 if you'd like to try the guided tour as well.

Fort Henry is located beside the Royal Military College, just east of downtown Kingston. It's well-signed. From Ottawa, take the 416 to the 401, then head westbound until you reach Exit 623, Highway 15. Turn left on 15, and then take a right on Highway 2, and a nearly-immediate left onto Fort Henry Drive.

If you're arriving in time for the sunset, don't forget your camera. The views from Fort Henry over Kingston and Lake Ontario are wonderful. Also, be sure to bring warm clothes. Much of the tour takes place outdoors, and there's a cold breeze up there on the cliffs above the lake. Or maybe that's just a chill in the air from all those unfriendly spirits ...

How to Get There

Sure, you can reach Kingston via the highways 401 from the east or west, or the 416 from the north. If you come from the west, instead of driving the highway you can choose the "Loyalists Parkway" #62 and #33 from Belleville/Prince Edward Island to Kingston. If you have more than one or two days and you are driving from Ottawa, take the slower journey along the Rideau Canal. I drove it a dozen times on small winding roads and visited each of the many locks along the way to the delight of my dock, with whom I walked almost more than I drove. A delightful way to travel, especially in spring and early fall. You can even cruise with your boat or paddle from Ottawa all the way down to Kingston. Sometimes it is more about the journey than the destination ...

About The Rideau Canal

Between 1826 and 1832, an old Indian canoe route along the Rideau and Cataraqui Rivers was transformed at the command of the British government from untamed wilderness rivers and lakes into the 202 km long Rideau Canal Waterway. The purpose of this remarkable engineering achievement was to provide the British army with a safe route for supplying its inland garrisons, avoiding the direct but exposed and dangerous route along the St. Lawrence River.

The canal was designed by Lt. Colonel John By of the British Royal Engineers. It was built, for the most part, by independent contractors under the supervision of Colonel By and his staff. Hundreds of Irish and French Canadian laborers, Scottish stonemasons, and British sappers and miners battled the Canadian wilderness, nineteenth-century working conditions, and malaria to complete this wonder of a canal system in less than six years.

Resources for Your Visit:

https://www.visitkingston.ca/see-do/

https://www.KingstonFoodTours.ca

https://www.tourismkingston.com

https://www.KingstonMuseums.ca

https://www.forthenry.com/

https://hauntedwalk.com/experience/ghosts-of-fort-henry/

https://hauntedwalk.com/

https://altitude36000ft.blogspot.com/2023/04/ygk-airport-in-kingston-on-canada.html

https://www.cityofkingston.ca/explore/culture-history/history/indigenous-people

https://www.destinationontario.com/en-ca/attractions/wolfe-island

https://kingstonflyingclub.com/sightseeing-tours/

https://southeasternontario.ca/listicles/southeastern-ontario-foodie-kingston/

https://www.amadeuscafe.ca/menus

https://www.mesafresca.ca/

https://thesecretgardeninn.com/rooms/

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A Hidden Gem in Ontario: Prescott

2023-07-21T10:09:00.000-07:00

Prescott, ON: History, Beaches & Shakespeare in the Park

Prescott is home to the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival, a professional summer theatre festival on a pretty outdoor stage overlooking the river. The Festival runs annually in Prescott, Ontario in July and August, attracting thousands of audience members each season. Read more about Shakespeare's Gardens in Prescott, ON, Canada

https://garden-dream.blogspot.com/2023/07/shakespeares-gardens-in-prescott-on.html

A beautiful Lighthouse next to the Shakespeare Gardens invite visitors -

and even sells delicious ice cream.

British settlement in the area began with a group of United Empire Loyalists led by Edward Jessup.
In 1810, Jessup and his son laid out a townsite which they named Prescott in honour of General Robert Prescott.

Prescott's harbour developed considerably in the early 19th century, supporting the growing Great Lakes shipping industry. It became notable for its freight forwarding businesses, as local forwarders shuttled Great Lakes freight between Prescott and Montreal.

Soon, Upper Canada experienced a railway boom, which provided competition for the maritime shipping industry. The Bytown and Prescott Railway began operating in 1854, connecting Prescott to Bytown (now Ottawa). Prescott now has a population of over 4,000 with over 90% English-speaking. Leo Boivin and Ben Hutton are famous ice hockey players that are coming from Prescott.

Katarina's Coffee Shop is a little gem located at the west end of King St in Prescott is well worth the visit. Fabulous selection of baked goods and beverages. Soups and sandwiches as well. Made in-house, and absolutely delicious! Indoor and patio seating.

The “Ships Anchor Inn” is nestled on the shore of the majestic St. Lawrence River seaway, directly beside the Canada Coast Guard docks and centrally located along Main Street. The old stone house built in 1832 has been restored to its original beauty, yet offers the modern comforts of today’s lifestyles, with new queen-sized beds, in-room baths, Fireplaces, AC & Canadiana antique furnishings. Complete with waterfront views and all at affordable family rates.

http://www.shipsanchorinn.com/

Be sure to visit the Prescott Farmers' 7 Crafters' Market every Saturday from 9AM - 2PM at the RiverWalk, located on Edward St between King St and Water St.

Prescott is just 5 km from the US-Canada border on Ontario Country Road #2. I arrived after
dark and was smitten by the fabulous Main Street evening lighting in the form of lighthouses.

You can dine on authentic Spanish dishes and shop for high-quality imported Spanish foods for your home kitchen in a most unexpected place. You’ll find El Rebost de les Mil Illes (991 Industrial Road, in the middle of an industrial park just off Highway 401, but do not let the location fool you.

Before the arrival of Europeans to the now Prescott area, it was inhabited by the St. Lawrence Iroquois. The French began occupation of the area in the late 17th century. The area became a battleground during the 1754−1763 war between Britain and France. Both parties wanted to control what was a strategic stretch of the Saint Lawrence River.

If you’ve brought your bike, you can hop onto the Prescott section of the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail, a 3,600-kilometre-long, province-spanning route.

About a kilometer west of downtown, scuba divers can check out a sunken 1860s wooden twin sidewheeler at the bottom of the St. Lawrence River at the Rothesay Dive Site (1671 County Road 2 at Merwin Lane, Augusta).

More to check out before you go:

July 8th-August 5th; William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

July 12-August 5th; Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest"

August 8th-12th; Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland"

August 16th; William Shakespeare's "Hamlet"

Shakespeare Festival https://www.stlawrenceshakespeare.ca/

History Museum

https://www.prescott.ca/recreation-culture/history-heritage/

https://www.prescott.ca/recreation-culture/museum-visitor-centre/

Zens Inn Bed & Breakfast 232 King St. https://www.ZensInn.com

Independent Coffeeshop: Katarina's Coffee Shop, 513 King St,

https://katarina-s-coffee-shop.myshopify.com/

Restaurants:

Little Barcelona https://www.littlebarcelona.ca/menu/menu

Beach, Boat Launch, Pool & Childrens Play

https://www.prescott.ca/recreation-culture/beach-boat-launch/

Bus to Brockville. https://riverroute.ca/riding-the-riverroute/

the bus stops are located at most street intersections along the bus route. The transit service does not operate on statutory holidays. Don’t live near a listed bus stop location? Riders can flag the bus to stop in areas with speeds of 50km/h or less along the route in Maitland, Prescott, Johnstown, and Cardinal.

The Sunday Night Concert Series is BACK! Experience live entertainment at the Kinsmen Amphitheatre every Sunday from June 25-August 27th!

Pickleball:

Tuesdays & Thursdays: 6-8PM

Location: Leo Boivin Community Centre

Cost: $5 drop-in rate, or buy a $30 monthly membership. (Active for one month from the date of purchase).

*Please bring your own indoor shoes, paddle & pickleball. Limited equipment will be available for use.

Calendar of all events in town:

7https://calendar.prescott.ca/default

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Impressions from a Road Trip Along the St Lawrence River

2023-05-24T07:03:00.002-07:00

I never get tired of driving along the St. Lawrence River in Quebec - not even after taking this route more than a dozen times. Route #138 on the Northside or route #132 on the Southside of the river - both lead through the most beautiful villages in Quebec and even Canada. The country had been populated from East to West, so these towns are also the oldest in the country.

Most of the first settlers came four hundred years ago, built villages, and over the centuries stayed close to French architecture: Stone buildings with tin roofs, and beautiful churches in every town. If you would drive on the highway you would never see these precious historic places, nor could you marvel at the mighty St. Lawrence River. Take your time, at least a week to discover these beautiful spots.

You could possibly start in Montreal and drive to Taddoussac, watch the whales in summer, and take the ferry to sail to Riviere-de-Loup or Rimouski.

Go west along the Southside of the St Lawrence River back to Montreal. Along the way visit each of the villages and certainly Quebec City's old town, founded in 1608.

Your trip might combine popular Quebec City attractions with the Montmorency Falls (higher than Niagara Falls), the Ile d'Orleans, and the amazing Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré.

Discover wineries and micro-breweries, cheese producers, cozy restaurants, coffee shops and chocolate makers, farmers' markets, local producers, old mills, and seafood vendors.

Visit small museums, the Casino de Charlevoix, as well as indigenous traditional places near Quebec City. Or rent sea kayaks or bicycles and explore lighthouses or art galleries by yourself.

My favored villages are Kamouraska, Saint-Antoine-siur-Richelieu, Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, Berthier-sur-Mer, Saint-Antoine-de-Tilly, Yamachiche, and, and, and... I can't name them all.
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Many of these villages have '' Circuit Patrimonial '' which are maps, sometimes with pictures, available on the web or at tourist offices, town halls, or public libraries that indicate the history of the village, the major points of interest, and the description of the buildings.

Quebec is known for its breathtaking natural geography and maritime views. Explore it on a marvelous trip and discover the beauty of its villages and towns.

And don't forget: You can tour the St. Lawrence River by train or bus too!

Stop at each of these towns. Or even better: Cycle it all the way!

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Yellowknife NWT - a Northern City Near the Arctic Circle

2023-02-06T13:15:00.004-08:00

Photo Tawna Brown

For a long time, there was no road into Yellowknife. Bush Pilots would make the trip into a vast land, searching for adventure. Once Yellowknife did start to grow, bush planes became a vital source for the transportation of people, food, supplies, and vehicles.

Photo Doris Daily

The Bush Pilot monument on a hill around the corner gives visitors a great 360-degree outlook over parts of the Great Slave Lake and its many floating homes and float planes and towards the city. It also offers views of the various buildings of historical significance such as log cabins from the days of the gold rush. This monument is honoring the bush pilots of today and yesterday, who helped open up the north to the rest of Canada.

Photo Doris Daily

Not far from this monument, a small Dene community is located on the edge of Yellowknife on the tip of Latham Island. In 1959, the first ten permanent houses for Dene families were built. They were colorful homes and so people began referring to the community as 'Rainbow Valley'. In the 1970s there were 200 residents living in 20 houses, now there are almost double the amount of houses.

Photo Doris Daily

The name was officially changed to Ndilǫ in 1991, which means "end of the island" in the local Dene dialect. Some of the stop signs in Yellowknife are bi-lingual in their dialect and in English.
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Photo Tawna Brown

Great Adventures

Yellowknife is a gateway for the great adventure tourism activities of the nearby region, including the spectacular nature and the stunning views of the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) from September to March. One of the best ways to experience nature around Yellowknife is through a dog sled tour, on snow shoes, cross-country skiing, or in summer by floatplane or boat.

Photo Tawna Brown

An estimated 20,000 moose live throughout the NWT within and beyond the tree line. They can be found in the Yellowknife area during the late winter months. The Northwest Territories are a sport hunter's Shangri La, served by a network of seasoned outfitters and blessed with robust, sustainable populations of some of the most prized species on Earth. A whole range of hunting experiences is available.

Photo Tawna Brown

In the Mackenzie mountains, Dall's sheep, alpine caribou, and huge moose wander the highlands. In the boreal forests and Barrenlands, hunters pursue bison, grizzlies, black bears, wolves, wolverines, and more. The Mackenzie Mountains may be the greatest virgin hunting ground left on Earth.

Each summer and fall, lucky sports hunters get to experience it. Some even hunt with pack horses. Hunts start from a scenic alpine base camp, accessible only by floatplane.

Photo Doris Daily

https://www.tawnabrown.com/yellowknife-winter-adventures/

Photo Doris Daily

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Yellowknife: The Amazing ‘Diamond Capital of North America’

2022-12-25T11:16:00.010-08:00

photo Tawna Brown

Seeing photos of the ugly federal government buildings in the city center of Yellowknife, I was not really convinced that it will be an enjoyable and interesting stay. But as soon as I landed at the airport and saw the large number of eclectic airplanes parked there, my adventurousness kicked in, and I made plans for what to see and do in Yellowknife.

Yellowknife is the ‘Diamond Capital of North America’ and the largest city of Canada's Northwest Territories. Mainly it is a popular gateway for those who want to explore Canada's vast Arctic region. It sits on the Canadian Shield, on the north shore of Great Slave Lake, at 62°45’ North and about 400 km South of the Arctic Circle.

photo Doris Daily

When the first gold mine began operations in 1938, the sleepy area around Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories was transformed overnight into a bustling center for fortune seekers. Meanwhile, diamonds are mined in addition to gold mining. The airport makes a large part of its revenue by providing logistics for several enterprises. In addition, there are a large number of cargo flights to remote settlements in the Arctic, but also amazingly a lot of tourism. Anglers, hunters, nature lovers, and most of all, Aurora Borealis spectators from all over the world.

photo Tawna Brown

These visitors almost all come to Yellowknife by air. The traffic mix at the Capital Airport, therefore, is unique. Yellowknife is not a customs airport, flights from abroad and overseas are handled via flights from Calgary, Vancouver, or Toronto. Canadian Pacific Airlines built the first airport in Yellowknife in 1944. ICAO abbreviation is CYZF, IATA calls it YZF. In addition to the existing runway, the airport received two more runways in 1946. In 1963 the airport received a new terminal, and in 1972 a tower. The drive from the airport to the city center takes only five minutes.

photo Doris Daily

I booked a (free) 'Hangar Tour’ at Buffalo Airways, the largest air freight company in the Northwest Territories, and its amazing variety of heritage and modern airplanes. See the article about Buffalo Airways which delivers all the necessary goods to towns, settlements, and diamond mines in the Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut in almost all weather conditions.

photo Doris Daily

The Northwest Territories in Canada are famous for their diamonds, the gold rush, and for being very, very, cold - which I can attest to when I was there once in November. But, Yellowknife is also famous for its local food such as freshly caught fish or reindeer meat, outdoor celebrations, and of course, being one of the best places in the world to see the magnificent Northern Lights! There are also a number of Aurora lodges set up outside of the city. These Aurora hotels are organized specifically for treating yourself to some of the best northern lights viewing that the world has to offer.

photo Tawna Brown

If the cold weather persists, the ice becomes sufficiently thick that even huge 18-wheelers that truck materials to the remote mines can drive on it! The Ice Roads in the Northwest Territories are crucial to the operation of many of these remote regions. Yellowknife became famous for its Ice Roads with the popularity of television shows such as Ice Road Truckers. The ice road across the Great Slave Lake is 25 meters wide, seven kilometers long, and over ice, at least 40 centimeters thick, it leads from Yellowknife to Dettah on the other side of the bay. I learned that the lowest point in the whole of Canada is the Great Slave Lake bottom, Northwest Territories 61°40′N 114°00′W — the lowest freshwater point of North America at −458 m (−1,503 feet).

photo Doris Daily

Busy Airport

Visitors almost all come to Yellowknife by air. The traffic mix at the Capital Airport, therefore, is unique. Yellowknife is not a customs airport, flights from abroad and overseas are handled via flights from Calgary, Vancouver, or Toronto. Canadian Pacific Airlines built the first airport in Yellowknife in 1944. ICAO abbreviation is CYZF, IATA calls it YZF. In addition to the existing runway, the airport received two more runways in 1946. In 1963 the airport received a new terminal, and in 1972 a tower. The drive from the airport to the city center takes only five minutes. Seaplane bases are spread around town.

photo Doris Daily

Getting Around

Quite a few visitors from other Canadian provinces and even from the U.S. are driving to Yellowknife in summer. Others visitors rent a car from Budget, Hertz, National, etc. when arriving at the airport. For all of them, the city of Yellowknife offers a FREE 3-day parking pass. It can be picked up at the City Hall or the Visitor Center. Last but not least, there are three taxi companies in town who will bring you to places in and out of town. There is also a city bus offering three routes: From downtown to Borden, from Frame Lake to Northlands, and from Old Town to Niven.

Hotels of all sizes, cozy bed & breakfasts, cabins with full kitchens, camping sites, and private rooms offer accommodation to visitors. Cafes, pubs, restaurants, and fine dining are not only offering northern fare, including catch-fresh fish, but also international dishes.

The Yellowknife Visitor Centre is being temporarily housed at Yellowknife City Hall. The second-floor wildlife exhibit room also has stamps that you can use to stamp your passport. Make it your first stop when arriving in Yellowknife to receive lots of information - and even a free parking pass for three days - here.

photo Tawna Brown

Indigenous Tourism

With nearly 24% of the population belonging to either First Nations, Metis, or Inuit populations, Yellowknife is a hotbed of Indigenous tourism. Within Yellowknife’s boundary is the aboriginal town of D’Nilo. D’Nilo is located on the edge of Yellowknife just past Old Town on Latham Island. Indigenous peoples such as Inuit, Dene, or Metis share the city with long-time pioneers, southern transplants, and immigrants from all over the world.

photo Tawna Brown

Denendeh is the Land of the People

The Dene have existed in the area for over 30,000 years, with one language and many dialects: Gwich’in; Sahtu; Deh Cho; Tlicho; and, Akaitcho. The Dene have always been sustained by the land. Also known as the Athapaskan peoples, the Dene Nation is a political organization in Denendeh, meaning “The Land of the People”, located in Northwest Territories, Canada. The Dene Nation covers a large geographical area — from present-day Alaska to the southernmost tip of North America.

photo Doris Daily

What to See and Do

Yellowknife's Old Town is beautifully located on Yellowknife’s Great Slave Lake waterfront. Yellowknife started its life as a gold mining town and while there are still some reminders of its early pioneering days, today it is largely a modern city with several administrative offices downtown. Old Town, Woodyard, and Ragged Ass Rd Walking Tour are way more interesting. Download the self-guided Old Town Heritage Walking tour brochure on the City of Yellowknife website.

photo Tawna Brown

This first neighborhood started in the city of Yellowknife in 1934. By the late ‘40s, about 2,500 souls were living in Old Town. Prospectors, miners, teachers, housewives, trappers, and storekeepers mixed together in a unique cocktail. Dog teams are tied between tents and log cabins, canoes next to float planes. There were no lot lines and few services.

Muddy little streets with names like “Privy Row” or “Glamour Alley” wound their way between shacks, outhouses, and tents. Cafes, inns, and pubs were busy spots. One of the hotels operated a 24-hour bar, providing travelers with accommodation. In the early ’50s, General Stores, lumber yards, hardware stores, a laundry service, a bank, a bakery, barber shops, a movie theater - all were striving in the now bustling town.

photo Tawna Brown

Houseboats / Floating Homes

In the late 1970s, a few Old Town owners, tired of being labeled squatters and wanting to have their own homes, came up with a unique solution: houseboats. These were floating homes that could be moored and lived on year-round, canoeing to the mainland in summer and walking over the ice once it is safe, starting around the end of November at the latest. The same safe moorages that attracted early pilots and mariners to Yellowknife Bay now seemed very attractive to the few hardy souls who considered building their own houseboats.

photo Doris Daily

More to follow… stay tuned.

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Impressions of the Mont-Royal Park in Montreal

2022-12-09T08:15:00.008-08:00

View down to the City of Montreal

Mont-Royal Park

Not sure who loved this park more: Me or my dog. We enjoyed wonderful walks at all times of the year. He knew all the roads that lead to the park and jumped up and down in the car when I drove towards the Mont-Royal - the royal mountain.

There are activities for all ages, no matter the season or the weather. Parking is not cheap, but if you are fit, you can walk up from downtown via Peel St or Pine Ave. One of the best ways to explore as much of the park as possible is through a walking tour.

Lots of visitors in July/August

Whether you decide to wander on your own or join a discovery walk, it’s a great way to spot wildlife and admire the abundant flora during the warm season. Come winter, join an organized snowshoe excursion and enjoy the fresh air while keeping yourself warm with a cup of hot chocolate.

Winter sports galore: As soon as the snow covers the once lush greenery of the park, Mount Royal becomes a winter sports paradise. People come for ice skating under the starry sky, snow tubing on the hills overlooking Beaver Lake, and even cross-country skiing. There are lots of organized events available for all ages.

View in late November

Activities for the warmer days: Trade the heated city streets with the shaded forest paths in Mount Royal Park. In summer, the park welcomes visitors to go paddling on Beaver Lake, rent a remote-controlled sailboat, or stay on dry land and explore the trails. There are lots of outdoor cafes to cool off, as well as other events to take part in.

Belvedere Hall

While exploring the park you will find several of its landmarks, including Smith House, a former private residence, and Beaver Lake Pavillion. Check out Camillien-Houde and Kondiaronk Belvedere spots for breathtaking panoramic views of the city from high above. The Belvedere has an impressive hall with comfortable chairs, clean washrooms downstairs, and a self-serve cantina that they call Cafe. It’s not cozy, but the small selection of cakes and pastries are tasting delicious. Sit in the impressive hall on comfy chairs with a view of the city and enjoy your coffee.

Leonard Cohen Grave

Leonard Cohen’s Grave

By chance, I found it on a Google map: If you love Leonard Cohen’s poesy and songs, don’t miss visiting his grave at the Mont-Royal cemetery. A rather small grave - compared to the huge Cohen grave next to it. Visitors place small stone pebbles on it and lots of red roses. The Hebrew word for pebble is tz'ror which also means 'bond''. The bond, between the deceased and the mourner... Leonard Cohen died in November 2016. One can see that many people are coming here, as the grass around the grave has totally gone. Drive or walk to 1250 Foret Rd Cemetery, it's just steps from one of the entrance doors.

Hallelujah

See also a wonderful large Cohen mural on Crescent St, and one on the corner of St. Dominique and Napoleon St, in the Plateau area. A larger-than-life work of art, for a larger-than-life artist.

On the one-year anniversary of Leonard Cohen’s death, a massive mural of the famed artist was inaugurated on Crescent Street. The mural took two artists, 13 assistant artists, 240 cans of paint, and thousands of hours of work. The 22-story portrait measures a whopping 1100 sq. ft.

Mural of Leonhard Cohen

Leonard Cohen's last modest home can be seen on 28 Rue Vallières, next to the Parc Portugal, and his favored Deli (Schwartz). Listen to some of Cohen’s most famous songs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRjVdu_cLwI&t=4853s

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Flying Freight to NWT and Nunavut: Buffalo Airways

2022-12-03T07:22:00.007-08:00

Curtiss C-46

Yellowknife in Canada’s Northwest Territories is an aviation enthusiast's paradise. Not only the airport with its passenger and freight airplanes but also the floatplane bases within the city’s limits invite visitors to sightseeing flights and airplane spotting.

Buffalo Hangar

BUFFALO AIRWAYS

Jade-green aircraft paint and thick letters on the fuselage: that's how Buffalo Airways aircraft are known. Buffalo Airways is the largest cargo line in the Northwest Territories that delivers year-round freight to remote Arctic places like Cambridge Bay, Deline, Ft Good Hope, Hay River, Kuflukruk, Norman Wells, and Tulita.

Curtiss C-46

The Curtiss C-46, one of the cargo planes once belonged to the German Lufthansa. Buffalo’s Douglas DC-3 flew one of the 1944 Allied landings in Normandy, France (D-Day). The L-188 Electra aircraft - which carries 33.000 lbs of freight - is another rarity, still in service.

Elektra & KingAir

But Buffalo Airways also operates Canadair CL-215 firefighting planes. However, the Naval N3N floatplane, a Noorduyn Norseman, a Cessna A185E, and a Fleet-80 Canuck you might discover in the hangar - they all belong to the founder Buffalo Joe's private collection. A hangar tour is a delight for all vintage aircraft enthusiasts. Best of all: it's free!

Naval N3N

Oldest Fleet

The cargo airline has the oldest fleet of aircraft of any commercial airline in the world. It's not uncommon for a Buffalo Airways pilot to fly three different aircraft types. To keep the vintage cargo planes airworthy, they work day and night in the hangar.

BuffaloAir-DC-3/C-47

The military version - with large cargo doors - of the DC-3, a Douglas C-47 was the first airplane to reach and land at the Northpole in 1952.

The spare parts supply is not easy, because there are usually no parts for the old machines available. Buffalo Airways does, however, have a large fleet of old, sorted-out aircraft, mainly at its Hay River location, which serves as spare parts shop for its cargo fleet.

Elektra & KingAir100

Today, it is mainly the diamond mines in the Canadian Arctic expanse that account for a large share of the cargo volume. Importantly, the aircraft can also land on a gravel runway in the far north - even if there are no mechanics, fuel station, or ground power unit there. For fuel transport, Buffalo has converted some aircraft to tankers.

KingAir90

Passengers to the far north are flown in Beech King Air 90 and King Air 100 aircraft by Buffalo Air. The Northwest Territories government-owned Air Tractors are also maintained here and flown at firefighter missions.

Fleet80Canuck

Buffalo Airways doesn't only restore historic planes but has also successfully shipped all cargo in all sizes and weights throughout its more than fifty years of service, using these planes.
See also the video:

Snowed-In DC-3

Video

DC-3 Restoration by Buffalo Airways

Plane Savers E1 "First Episode!"

https://youtu.be/GXKR822cfzI

Ice Pilots Freight Flights Over the Arctic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P3SCH5yWoA&list=PLgAfZdKiJiYEJvHGjjlJ0s4GKEJYHTs4A

Local Airlines in Yellowknife:

Canadian North

https://canadiannorth.com/

Fly Summit Air

https://flysummitair.com/

Buffalo Airways
https://buffaloairways.com/

Air Tindi

https://www.airtindi.com/

Great Slave Helicopter

https://www.gsheli.com/

Airlines That Fly To and Out of Yellowknife Airport

Air North

Air Tindi

Canadian North

Buffalo Airways

Kenn Borek Air

First Air

WestJet

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In the USA, Canada, Europe, South Africa,

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Apple Books, B&N, Kobo, Amazon, etc.

Also available at Thalia in Europe.

https://books2read.com/u/47glDa

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BG12NSRX/

Photos of Beautiful Elora, ON, North of Guelph

2022-07-12T13:09:00.004-07:00

A. J. Casson, one of the Group of Seven painters, called Elora once “Ontario’s Most Beautiful Village.” It is a charming destination for a weekend trip or a longer stop between Niagara and Georgian Bay, just north of Guelph and Kitchener-Waterloo. Elora’s population is only just around 3,000 people, giving this small village a quaint and quiet atmosphere and a small-town feel.

The first visitors to the area were Roman Catholic missionaries who arrived in the 1600s. They attempted to turn the Indigenous People into Christians. The first British early settlers came in 1817. The Elora Mill – a five-story grist mill was built in 1832.

In the 1970s, it became the Elora Mill Inn. After a 27 million renovation, the Elora Mill Hotel and Spa opened in July 2018 and featured 30 rooms and a restaurant, and was voted the #1 spa and wellness destination. Besides this luxury gateway and spa with its scenic views are several cozy Bed & Breakfast places and Inns, inviting you to stay longer in Elora.

Stunning clifftop views and smooth hills, 19th–century architecture homes, beautiful gardens, and lots of charming little coffee and ice cream shops and restaurants, most with additional outdoor seating and local galleries and stores are inviting visitors.

For me, the most exciting natural wonder is the Grand River Gorge. To get to these wonderful overviews down to the very steep gorge, take a leisurely walk from downtown via James St and Henderson St. Walk from Victoria Park towards the "Lover Leap" and overhead the Irvine Creek all the way to the David St bridge.

Several picnic tables and benches invite for a stop under shade trees or to play on the lawns of Victoria Park. The best time for a quiet and peaceful visit to the Elora Gorge Lookout is early during weekday mornings - at least in the summer.

Riverside trails with safety barriers and scenic overlooks provide hikers with stunning views of the water far below where kayakers and tubers make their way through the rapids. The Elora Gorge Conservation Area (including a campground) surrounds the Grand River gorge with its 22-meter high cliffs, riverside trails and camping, and kayaking and tubing on the rapids. The gorge is pretty steep and makes for stunning views with the Grand River cutting through it.

Tour the 100-acre conservation area and nearby trails and a 20-meter waterfall. Local outfitters provide all you need for tubing, paddle-boarding, camping, hiking, swimming, and canoeing adventures on the Grand River — you can even zip-line through the abundant foliage. The Elora Paddle Company on Mill Street rents out canoes and kayaks.

The Cataract Trailway is the route of a former 47-kilometer railway and links two rivers, following the old Canadian Pacific railroad bed. It runs through rolling countryside east of Elora, through the historic community of Fergus, and past Belwood Lake to the Forks of Credit Provincial Park at Cataract.

Don't miss to visit the Saturday Farmers Market in Bissell Park and on Sundays the Flea Market on Geddes St, right downtown. A one-minute drive or a ten-minute walk brings visitors from downtown to the Grand River Casino if gaming is your thing.

The Elora Center for the Arts is located in a restored, three-story limestone school house, just steps from downtown and across from the Grand River and Bissell Park. It has a main gallery space where artist exhibitions are featured ongoing throughout the year. A second gallery and artisan shop features unique and affordable handmade and artist-designed pieces.

Elora Quarry Conservation Area: This two-acre limestone quarry (Elora's former building material) is encircled by magnificent cliffs up to 12 meters high. There is a myriad of bicycle paths along the Grand River. Equally relaxing is a tour through the downtown heritage core with its tree-lined quiet roads and beautiful residential homes.

A train runs in one hour from Toronto to Guelph, but you would have to wait for the bus to Elora. Coming from Toronto, there is a bus - also a slow connection - to Guelph and then another bus or a taxi to Elora. Parking is free on all city streets.

https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/644891557788296430

I spent several weeks in this area and in the lovely town of Elora and was smitten by the friendly folks, the stunning heritage architecture, and the well-designed and cared-for lush gardens around every building. Glad I discovered this gem of a town in Ontario. Elora is one of the best places to see fall colors in Ontario due to the abundance of leafy trees, especially Mape trees. A visit in fall is on my bucket list! I'll be back.

Find out more:

https://eloramill.ca/2021/01/11/voted-1-spa-and-wellness-destination/

https://www.inspirock.com/canada/things-to-do-in-elora

https://roadtripontario.ca/things-to-do-in-elora-ontario/

https://mywanderingvoyage.com/2019/02/24/ultimate-list-things-to-do-in-elora/

https://www.destinationontario.com/en-ca/elora-gorge-conservation-area

https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/644891557788296430

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Au revoir Air Canada...

2021-07-28T10:56:00.001-07:00

OPEN LETTER to Michael Rousseau Air Canada CEO

Bonjour M. Rousseau,

I am a former commercial pilot, now turned travel writer, and also have been flying on hundreds of airliners for more than 50 years and I am now in my seventies. I can't imagine that you train your pursers to behave to your passengers this way, touching them inappropriately during a flight. At least I have never watched or experienced this by a female purser.

Flight AC832 19:30 (YUL) to Brussels, arriving at 08:10 Tuesday 20 Jul 2021 - Seat 29D (28C on my boarding pass).

A male purser touched me inappropriately on my butt, in a humiliating, sexist, and chauvinistic way to tell me to buckle up. He could not know if or not I was buckled up as I had a blanket over me. I was sleeping after a very long day (about 19 hrs on my feet) and was glad to have a 3-seat row to stretch out. At around 11 pm (EST) I awoke when I felt hands on my body.

Both his colleague and the customer service purser (head purser?) declined to tell me his name, but it was the older one of the two male pursers on this flight.

However, this was not the first incident of this kind, I experienced the same on an Air Canada flight (which was on October 13, 2020). So, to me, it seems like it is either the same person or this behavior is "company policy".

If a male passenger would do this to Air Canada female pursers, he would be arrested and charged, or the flight would be diverted and the person kicked out of the plane.

Why does the inappropriate behavior of your pursers have not consequences? His male colleague whom I asked for the name found it quite ok... And why is it that you know the names of your passengers, but the passengers may not know the names of your employees?

Why I won't fly in the future with Air Canada anymore?

This was not a single incident, last month I wrote already to you when one of your call center's employee screamed and yelled at me on the phone. You never bothered to answer... And this after I waited for two hours until "Amalia" or "Amelie" answered my call. She also made an error in my booking that caused a disruption/confusion on my flight on July 19th from Montreal to Brussels. Only because I had my laptop with me and could prove that I had a flight confirmation and even an email that same day to check-in online, plus my Visa card receipt, could I catch that flight at the last moment. Sure enough, your Air Canada ground staff blamed me for the error until she saw the proof!

Another female purser humiliated me on a March-18th, 2020, flight home from Frankfurt to Montreal. I had booked this flight long before the Covid lockdown. By chance, it was the second-last flight before Canada closed air traffic due to Covid, and it was fully packed. I sat on an aisle seat and a mask-less passenger across me was coughing the whole time. I asked a purser if they can't do anything, like handing a mask to her as I do not want to be infected with Covid. The purser looked at me in a derogatory way and said: "That's your own risk, why do you fly at all?" It sounded to me like "Why do you fly at all with Air Canada?" Shortly after that, the passenger had suddenly a mask over her face...

Instead of slighting me, the purser could have said: "I understand your concern, let's see if we have a spare mask for this passenger" or something like that. Why are Air Canada employees so mean, impolite, and vulgar to their passengers???

Money and Time Lost

Due to untrained/less knowledgeable Air Canada employees, I lost a lot of money and time. For example: Last September a flight from Halifax, NS, to Frankfurt, Germany (with a stop in Montreal) in the evening was canceled and bounced to an early morning flight, taking off at 6 am in Halifax. At that time I was living 200 km from Halifax (in Antigonish) and no bus or train, or even a friend/relative would have been able to drive me at 2 am to Halifax to check in at 4 am.

I called as I had booked for an evening flight and Air Canada had canceled it (NOT me!) - to offer to board in Montreal as I was there two days earlier. This way, Air Canada could have sold the morning flight to someone else and I could have boarded in Montreal. I talked with three different agents, and they all declined and said that I need to get a new ticket for a flight Montreal-Frankfurt and charged me an additional $160. Only later in Frankfurt, I learned at a German Air Canada service counter that it was not true and the evening flight cancelation was done by Air Canada and I should be reimbursed.

On another transatlantic flight, arriving late morning in Montreal in March 2020, I was booked on a connecting flight to Halifax at 5 pm! I hang around at the airport and found out that there was a flight three hours earlier to Halifax, which was not even half booked. But it was too late! When I boarded and placed my small handbag into the overhead bin of this Montreal-Halifax flight, my fingers almost stuck: The handle was so filthy, it felt like it had not been cleaned for months. And this in times of Covid! It was just disgusting...

I Have Had Enough!

These are only a few examples of how I have been treated as a customer by Air Canada. My decision to avoid your airline in the future might not come as a surprise... During the last two years, I had only one single positive experience when I met a very nice person from your company on the phone. The rest was only frustration, anger, and lost time/money.

Please retire this chauvinistic purser from flight AC832 and spend some (or better a lot of ) money on customer service and training - instead of fat bonuses to CEOs. After all, we are the customers who pay for this all - and want to be treated with respect and politeness. I will warn everyone and tell my experiences with your companies' employees. Word of mouth - or word of the mouse - is often mightier!

Photo Impressions from the Rockies in AB & BC

2020-07-13T14:45:00.003-07:00

Spending the Winter on Vancouver Island one year, I had to wait until the
end of April to cross the Rockies and drive back to Eastern Canada.

Impressive Resort in Revelstoke, BC

Huge clouds over the mountains, but the weather held

Not necessary on this day - thank goodness!

The famous Lake Louise hotel still snowed in

The marvelous building style of this Banff restaurant...

Downtown Canmore, surrounded by impressive mountains

Mural, reminding that the West was developed with the help of trains

Writing Your Way While Traveling Canada

2020-07-09T16:24:00.001-07:00

Ottawa Parliament

Once we can travel again...
Being a freelance travel writer and seeing Canada and other parts of the world requires a lot of hard work and creativity, but it certainly can be done. Many writers have chosen to become digital nomads. They are pros at making a full-time living while traveling permanently.

Writing about your travel experiences is obvious, and probably the most attractive way to earn an income as a location independent freelance writer. Travel journalism has experienced rapid growth as a result of booming worldwide travel, and the growth of online travel media. However, travel writing is highly competitive and requires patience and dedication to make a living out of it. Here are the most important tips before going location-independent:
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Your Future Lifestyle
The lifestyle will not suit everyone. If you are not willing to leave your comfort zone or the safety (and some would say benefits) of your friends, family, or full-time job, then it’s probably not for you. But if you want to challenge yourself, experience different parts of Canada or the world, and live an extraordinary life, then why not take the leap?

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Where to Find Writing Opportunities Online
Earning money online is not that easy, and a location independent freelance writer must actively find and create work opportunities. Working as a freelancer is like owning a small business and it’s up to you to market yourself to clients. The good news is that there is plenty of writing work available on the internet – some well paying and others not so much. Find magazines and websites that relate to those subjects (not only travel media outlets). If the content of the site is supplied by a range of contributors, email them and suggest an article you would like to write.

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Read the Recommendations of Travel Editors
For a good overview of what editors recommend how to sell travel related articles and posts, check out the list of the "Lost Girls World".

BootsnAll editor, Katie Hammel
http://www.lostgirlsworld.com/2011/02/write-for-bootsnall/

New York Times’ deputy travel editor, Monica Drake
http://www.lostgirlsworld.com/2011/03/pitching-101-how-to-write-for-the-new-york-times-intransit-blog/

The Expeditioner’s founder and editor-in-chief, Matt Stabile
http://www.lostgirlsworld.com/2011/03/pitching-101-how-to-write-for-the-expeditioner/

Galavanting‘s managing editor, Joseph Hernandez
http://www.lostgirlsworld.com/2011/03/pitching-101-how-to-write-for-the-expeditioner/

Travel Belles’ publisher and editor, Margo Millure
http://www.lostgirlsworld.com/2011/04/pitching-101-how-to-write-for-the-travel-belles/

Go NOMAD‘s general edit Max Hartshorne
http://www.lostgirlsworld.com/2011/05/pitching-101-how-to-write-for-gonomad/

Travel Agent senior editor Joe Pike
http://www.lostgirlsworld.com/2012/02/pitch-travel-agent-magazine/

Recommend‘s managing editor Paloma Villaverde de Rico
http://www.lostgirlsworld.com/2012/03/how-to-pitch-recommend/

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Learn the Techniques to Write for Newspapers/Magazines
Write newspaper-style: the inverted pyramid. This means writing the conclusion first, details later. GoodDocuments.com gives these tips: “Write with the “punch line” first, starting with the conclusion, rather than building up. One way to learn to write this way is to write the section first with all the details, and then go back and start it with a lead sentence or two.”

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Edit, Edit, and Edit Even More!
Use free editing tools such as EditMinion or PaperRater, besides using Grammarly for US English pieces. Read your article the next day again, get the help of a beta-reader if possible to have another opinion on your article before you send it off to the editor.

Carefully read the last ten (or more) issues of these freelance writing travel websites and magazines before you pitch. If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can read lots of magazines and newspapers for free. Study their submission guidelines carefully. Find out who is the current editor and send your pitch directly to him or her. Use their name in your salutation. No one wants to be titled "Hey"...

Don't forget:
English language media outlets are covering not only America but half of the world: Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Canada, etc. Make sure you also pitch to the English-speaking media outside of North America!
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Freelancing Platforms
Elance, Freelancer, and oDesk: tick some boxes for "freelance writing looking for work". Setting yourself up requires minimal investment, clients are already on the site looking for writers, and the platforms handle the financial transactions. However, these are ultra-competitive platforms, and it’s often a race to the bottom in terms of pay as they are chock full of (mainly ESL) writers who are willing to work for peanuts. Consider them only a plan B or C to supplement the income that you derive from other sources. The ProBlogger Job Board is also a popular place to pick up freelance writing gigs (and also lousy paid).
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Well-Paying Magazines and Newspapers
Most periodicals have a travel section. Consider writing for these magazines with enormous readership numbers (Resource: Alliance for Audited Media), such as:

Huffington Post (43 Million/month)
Salon.com (7,7 Million / month)
Travel & Leisure 950,000 magazine readers/month
Delta Sky Magazine over 5 Million Readers/month
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Wikipedia provides a list of American and International magazines and their paid yearly circulation:
AARP The Magazine 21,931,184
Better Homes & Gardens 7,624,505
Reader’s Digest 5,241,484
Good Housekeeping 4,396,795
National Geographic 4,001,937
People 3,690,031
Southern Living 2,824,751
O, The Oprah Magazine 2,417,589
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The National Trust Magazine, UK 2,043,876
Mathrubhoomi, India 1,600,000
India Today 1,100,000
Australian Women’s Weekly, 470,331

Best Paying: In-Flight Magazines
Airline magazines represent a real opportunity for freelance writers. Despite the current contractions in the airline industry, in-flight magazines still attract many readers, and they are mostly written by freelancers. The best thing about writing for in-flight magazines is that each one is different. Some of them – such as Sky for Delta Airlines – feature restaurant reviews, fiction stories, regular columns, and technology articles - in addition to a cornucopia of other topics. Other in-flight magazines are focused primarily on travel, with in-depth articles on interesting destinations.

Travel pieces are a staple of in-flight magazines, but only when showing the culture and feel of the place. Airline publications also contain articles on technology, business, sports, and food, as well as lifestyle trends. Some in-flight magazines feature celebrity profiles, fiction, humor and many have regular columns.

Air Canada
http://enroute.aircanada.com/en/magazine

British Airways
http://www.bahighlife.com/

Cathay Pacific
http://www.bauermedia.com.hk/

United
http://www.Hemispheres.com

WestJet
http://www.upmagazine.com/write-us

SkyWest (SkyWest Airlines)
http://www.skywestmagazine.com

Hana Hou! (Hawaiian Airlines)
http://www.hanahou.com

A comprehensive list of 101 in-flight magazines from Air Arabia to Wizz Air can be found here (many with links directly to the magazine’s website):
http://www.itravelnet.com/travel-directory/inflight-magazines/
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Write eBooks and Paperbacks
Another way to earn money from writing while being location independent is publishing e-books. Become an authority in something and write a resource guide or ‘how-to’ book. People respect authorities and will buy books from them if it contains valuable information on a relevant topic.

The benefits of e-books are that each of them generates a small passive income for years to come. Once a book is published it requires little input - other than being on social media and post snippets of your book and the sales link to it. Another great option is to post short, enticing blog articles, also with a link to your ebook or paperback.

Or you buy Google ads: You might have heard that Google processes over 40,000 search queries every second on average! There is barely a better place to invest in advertisements. I am talking about pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. Her is how it works:

If the keywords you have chosen match what people search for, your paid ad appears next to or above organic Google search results. When people click on the ad, they will reach your website to learn more or they will order products or services. You can test the keywords and phrases using WordTracker, Overture Keyword Selector, or Google AdWords Keyword. Google AdWords allows you also to target specific geographic locations.
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Use Your Blog as Portfolio
A personal blog is a popular pursuit for location-independent freelance writers. In a world where there are more freelance writers than writing assignments, an online profile adds important credibility to you as a writer. Blogs are simple to create. WordPress.org and Blogger are two popular platforms. Choose a title, layout, and start writing entries.

Finding topics to write about shouldn’t be a problem for a professional writer. A blog is a great way to showcase your stories, articles, and examples of your writing. If you are emailing newspapers, websites, and magazines with story ideas, or contacting potential clients for writing assignments, it is important to show them examples of your work.

Don’t forget to edit your blog articles as carefully as the pieces you write for sale!
Blogs can be monetized, such as through Google’s Adsense, Amazon, BlueHost, and other affiliate links, or selling a product, although don’t expect large earnings soon. Monetizing a blog requires lots of time and steady work.
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Location Independent
If you are a location independent freelance writer then you can work from anywhere with a decent WiFi connection, but pick an inexpensive place to start. “Find your best place to live, work, and play” The Nomad List of Cities - including many Canadian cities - is a great resource as it breaks down costs and quality of life in a simple table. This will help you budget for your first few months.

Although one of the biggest fears of becoming location independent is money, it is often cheaper than staying at home. In many nomad hot spots, you can live a great life for less than $900 per month. By choosing an affordable place to base yourself initially, you don’t need much money to start a nomadic lifestyle – just a plane ticket, a reliable laptop, and enough savings for three months or so for living expenses. After all, part of the journey involves making money.

Apply for Free Writer Residencies
Most writer's residencies are located in Western Canada. Think Alberta, British Columbia, and even the Yukon. Some of these free residencies are even offering fellowships or even travel grants. Duration is between two weeks and three months and is granted every year. So, if you missed this year's deadline, apply later for the following year. Here are some examples of residencies you might consider for application:

http://www.kalwriters.com/residency/
https://www.stegnerhouse.ca/grantinfo.html
https://www.kogawahouse.com/wp/about-the-house/

https://www.writerstrust.com/programs/berton-house-writers-retreat/

https://www.fogoislandarts.ca/news/news/call-for-applications-fia-residencies-2021-22/

House Sitting
Don't overlook "House Sitting" for free stays (including internet) at private homes. This can be one week, one month, and even longer. Your chores might be taking in the mail, watering the house plants, or walking the dog while the owners are on vacation or away for business.

Networking and meeting people are crucial in making it as a location independent freelance writer. If you make the effort to meet people, you’ll come across many potential friends and mentors from all walks of life who might give advice and direct you toward work. Try working at least some of the time in co-working spaces, and attend e-business meetings (most Nomad cities have both). You get to know the area, meet with locals, and cook your own meals.

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Whether you are a writer, IT specialist, graphic designer, or an editor, it’s possible to remove yourself from fixed-location work and become location independent, without reducing your income. Many writers enjoy a better quality of life than had they chained themselves to one location.
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More Resources:
http://boostblogtraffic.com/write-for-magazines/
http://money.howstuffworks.com/magazine-writing.htm
http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Magazine-Writer-from-Scratch
http://www.dailywritingtips.com/writing-for-magazines/
https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2013/06/06/5844/
http://goinswriter.com/how-to-get-published-in-a-magazine/
https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2012/06/23/writing-freelance-for-magazines/
https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2013/08/13/smart-authors-get-paid-for-marketing-their-books/

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Okanagan Valley - The Warmest Place in Canada

2020-01-05T08:04:00.005-08:00

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A hidden gem that even many Canadians have never visited: the Okanagan Valley with it's dry, semi-arid climate, reminding me of Northern Italy. The hills and mountains around the 135 kilometers long Okanagan Lake are dotted with vineyards, rose gardens, and apple orchards. Winter temperatures go rarely into the minus degrees, yet there are skiing areas within an hour driving distance. The Southern Okanagan Valley is the only desert-like place in the whole of Canada.
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The Okanagan is for Wine Lovers
Hundreds of wineries invite visitors for tastings, many have even cozy outdoor restaurants or patios and nothing is more relaxing than to sip a glass, overlooking the surrounding wine fields, orchards and golf courses and watching the sailboats on Lake Okanagan.
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Even a Native Tribe owns an award-winning viticulture company, including tasting rooms, and last week I found a winery in West-Kelowna that offers delicious organic wines.

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Sailing is the Preferred Outdoor Sport
Marinas in the Okanagan are full of boats, many have long waiting lists and sailing the lake is a popular past time. Non-sailors can book a boat with skipper for sightseeing or a romantic Sunset Tour. The Okanagan Lake cruising region offers some of the best inland sailings in BC with excellent winds and clear blue skies.

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Floatplane Tours from Kelowna Harbour
At Hart Aviation you can experience the excitement of a floatplane or seaplane sightseeing tour over the breathtaking beauty of the Okanagan and its surrounding mountains, glaciers and alpine lakes. I chatted with the pilots about their Floatplane training classes and they mentioned an offer of a Fly n' Dine Tour to the Lake Okanagan Resort where you will enjoy the three-course "Wine Country Escape Meal". After your wonderful meal, you can relax while traveling from the Lake Okanagan Resort to Kelowna in a stretch " Black Tie Limousine". A special evening for sure!
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Golfers Paradise
I am getting the impression there is a golf course on every hill around the huge lake. Next to sailing, the best outdoor fun in the Okanagan seems to be golfing. Amazing how many new golf courses are still built. Each of them seems to compete not only with their greens but also with their clubhouses and restaurants with other golf clubs in the area. Kelowna alone has over 20 golf courses, and many more are located around the whole Okanagan Valley.
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Now, that it is almost November, the Roses and other Summer flowers are still in full bloom, even so, the tree leaves are slowly changing colors. But I can hike in a short-sleeve blouse in the warm sun. Yes, the Okanagan is a hiker's paradise too, among many other sports- and countless event offers. A perfect holiday destination for year-round pleasure - also I would not come here in Summer: it's just too hot then!

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