The Root Glacier Trail is a fantastic trail on the outskirts of Kennecott. As close, and easy, as it is to access the trail, it’s an adventure in of itself to actually get to Kennecott, Alaska!

Cut-off from the outside world for part of the year, Kennecott is one of those places where you can risk taking a wild ride by road to get to it, or take the quicker route and go by bush plane.

We took the plane route, as it was the end of the season for Kennecott, being the last visitors in town for the year (we timed our trip with the infamous Last Man Standing party).

Flying over the Root Glacier on our arrival, and seeing the amazing beauty of staring down at the Wrangell Mountains and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park was worth the trip on its own.

Hiking the Root Glacier Trail was tons of fun.

Starting off with a walk through town, there are numerous trails in the area, some exploring deep into the wilderness, others heading off towards the nearby glacier.

With our super spikey crampons packed and great guides from St. Elias Alpine Guiding, we set out for a day of exploring. It wasn’t long before we were actually standing on top of a glacier. How cool is that? (ha, literally!)

Putting on our crampons, we ambled along the icy surface with ease. There were some deep crevices, crazy coloured ice, waterfalls, and even a swimming spot that we encountered. Yes, some of people did choose to go swimming on a glacier in Alaska!

It was a beautiful blue sky day, so the brightness of the sun reflecting off the white ice was intense. Everyone was careful to make sure we put on enough sunscreen to keep ourselves from burning in the cold, but bright landscape.

Those contrasting bright colours provided for some great photography. I’d been to glaciers in other parts of the world like New Zealand, Greenland and Antarctica, but this was the most exciting glacier experience of them all. The hike was exciting, but not overly challenging. Being right on top of this enormous glacier helped put things into perspective, after seeing it from high above in a plane.

Nature is pretty awesome, and this was a big highlight from my travels in Alaska. Maybe even better than the wildlife spotting and hiking in Denali National Park!

Have you been to Kennecott, or glacier hiking anywhere?

The best options from Canada, the US, UK and beyond!

Before I knew about Sober October, Dry January, Dry February and all the other no-alcohol challenges out there, I embarked on my own taste test of curiosity to find the best non-alcoholic beers.

I figured I would be lucky to get my hands on 50 different options. I’ve tried more than 200 now.

For your convenience, here is a ranking of 100 of the best near-beers.

Between grocery stores, The Beer Store, bottle shops, our trusty LCBO, cocktail shops, local bars, and online specialty shops, and breweries selling direct, it has become quite easy now to find some decent , NA beers, or AF beers.

So, now after spending a lot of time (and money) on these beers (and receiving a handful of complimentary brews from kind breweries and online shops) I will soon reach 300 different beers all brewed with 0.5% of less alcohol.

It’s been a lot of fun so far, and not nearly as taxing as doing some of my other crazy beer challenges, like a 12-year vertical of Fuller’s Vintage Ale!

Here are the current rankings of the 100 best non-alcoholic beers.

Pretty much anything listed from #1 to #60 is worth a try, but depending on your preferences, you may enjoy some other lower-ranked beers too.

There has been a great increase in options recently, with a number of local Ontario breweries stepping into the NA beer game. Great to see Bellwoods, Collective Arts and Blood Brothers (among others) finally joining the party. I’m sure more will be joining soon. I even saw a post not long ago about a brewery planning 20 new non-alcoholic beers!

Am I missing your favourite? Let me know in the comments if you have any questions.

Note: I have realized a lot of the non-alcoholic beers differ in quality from batch to batch. Ones that may be terrible the first time, are great the second time. Whether it is recipe tweaks, quality control issues, stale product, or a mix of all of those reasons, even some of the lower-ranked options may deserve a second chance.

The best example I have of this is Bazaar Alyss. The first time I had it, it was off, and terrible. The second time I had it, is was extremely delicious, and exactly as expected. I’ve had it enough to put it near the top, but just be warned – sometimes beers from Bazaar turn bad, and they’re also make the only NA beer that I had explode on me, so drink at your own risk! No risk, no reward, right?

The 100 Best Non-Alcoholic Beers available in Canada

Here are my current rankings. This list will evolve and change as I try and rate new non-alcoholic beers. There are a lot of new non-alcoholic beers out there, so come back soon!

If you have a favourite brew not listed here, let me know in the comments and I’ll try to find it.

Tip: Skip over beers #61-100. The decent stuff doesn’t really start until you get to #50.

#61-100 – The Bad Non-Alcoholic Beers

• #100 – Selection Blonde Lager by Metro Brands
• #99 – Blonde Ale by Brasserie Vrooden
• #98 – O’Douls Amber by Labatt Brewing Company
• #97 – Sagres 0.0% Puro Malte by SCC Portugal
• #96 – Grolsch Lemon Radler by Grolsch
• #95 – Exel by Molson Coors Canada
• #94 – Hoegaarden 0.0 by Inbev Belgium SPRL
• #93 – So-Beer Light Lager by The Naked Collective
• #92 – La Vie de Chateau Amber Rum by Microbrasserie le Grimoire
• #91 – Coors Edge by Molson Coors Canada
• #90 – Sagres 0.0% Radler Limão by SCC Portugal
• #89 – Lemonade Radler by President’s Choice / Loblaws Inc.
• #88 – Red Racer Street Legal Pilsner by Central City Brewers + Distillers
• #87 – Brown Ale Non-Alcoholic Organic by Svaneke Bryghus
• #86 – Paulaner Weissbier 0.0 by Paulaner Brauerei
• #85 – 1664 Blanc Sans Alcool by Kronenbourg Brewery
• #84 – O’Douls Premium by Labatt Brewing Company
• #83 – Gerstel Alkoholfrei Klassisch Mild by Privatbrauerei Eichbaum
• #82 – Heineken 0.0 by Heineken
• #81 – Pale Ale Non-Alcoholic Organic by Svaneke Bryghus
• #80 – Wow DDH Amarillo NEIPA by Le Bazaar
• #79 – DDH IPA by C.O.A.S.T. (Now “Lust For Life DDH IPA” by BRULO)
• #78 – Blue 0.5% by Labatt Brewing Company
• #77 – Verne by Bazaar
• #76 – Ace of Tart Sharp Blueberry Full House AF by Brewdog
• #75 – IPA Zero by Drink Zero
• #74 – Erdinger Weissbrau Alkoholfrei by Erdinger
• #73 – Neal Bros Grapefruit Lager by Neal Brothers
• #72 – Krombacher Weizen Alkoholfrei by Krombacher Gruppe
• #71 – Going Places by Wellbeing Brewing
• #70 – Bitburger Drive 0.0% by Bitburger Brauerei
• #69 – Découverte (IPA) by Le BockAle
• #68 – Equilibrium by Katalyst Brewing Company
• #67 – Stout by Partake
• #66 – Ghost Ship 0.5 by Adnams
• #65 – Hazy AF by Brewdog
• #64 – Lunchbox Lagered Ale by Harmon’s Craft Brewing
• #63 – Red Racer Street Legal IPA by Central City Brewers + Distillers
• #62 – Peroni Libera 0.0 by Birra Peroni
• #61 – Punk IPA Alcohol Free by Brewdog

I was very disappointed in the non-alcoholic Hoegaarden offering, as I truly enjoy their regular wit. But there are a lot of better wheat/wit beers out there when it comes to AF (alcohol-free) beers.

The La Vie de Chateau was a weird one, a beer with rum flavouring. It was basically a non-alcoholic rum drink.

Red Racer I had high hopes for, but their non-alcoholic Pilsner just didn’t hit the mark. Wellbeing Brewing similarly didn’t live up to expectations.

Le Bazaar Brasserie Artisanale does some really interesting stuff. If you can try their NA beers, don’t be shy. Verne may not be my favourite, but their creativity with odd flavours is impressive.

#46-60 – The Average Non-Alcoholic Beers

• #60 – Milkshake IPA Sans Alcool by Brasserie Les 2 Frères
• #59 – Irresistibles Non Alcoholic IPA by Metro Brands
• #58 – Hefeweissbier Alkoholfrei by Weihenstephan
• #57 – Nirvana Traditional Pale Ale by Nirvana Brewery
• #56 – Emerald Stout (Non-Alcoholic) by Collective Arts Brewing
• #55 – Sure Tropicale / Tropical Sour by Bière Sans Alcool (BSA)
• #54 – Adventure India Pale Ale by Free Spirit Brewing Co
• #53 – Matinée Extra Light by Ras L’Bock
• #52 – New England IPA Sans Alcool by Brasserie Les 2 Frères
• #51 – Lady Cori-Ange by Brasserie Vrooden Brewery
• #50 – Nord Star Douceur Tropicale IPA by Microbrasserie Grande Allée
• #49 – Blanche Non-Alcoholic by Oshlag Brasserie & Distillerie
• #48 – Hazy IPA by Rival House
• #47 – White by Sober Carpenter
• #46 – Dry Hopped Cascade by Clausthaler

If you like Weihenstephan, you may just like the non-alcoholic version too. It’s better than pretty much all other German weissbier options I’ve tried. Adventure IPA from Free Spirit / Rorschach is actually one of my regular NA beer choices, a great option after softball games in summer.

#31-45 – The Good Non-Alcoholic Beers

• #45 – Upside Dawn by Athletic Brewing Co
• #44 – Grainwave by Ceria Brewing Co
• #43 – Libra Stout by Upstreet Craft Brewing
• #42 – Classic IPA by Nirvana Brewery
• #41 – Nord Star Juicy by Microbrasserie Grande Allée
• #40 – Sagesse by Microbrasserie Le Trèfle Noir
• #39 – A Non-Alc IPA V3 w/ Citra, Mosaic & Simcoe by Bellwoods
• #38 – Stripped Craft Lime Infused Ale by Nøgne Ø
• $37 – Bonfire Stout by Drop Bear Beer Co.
• #36 – Nord Star Black IPA Sans Alcool by Microbrasserie Grande Allée
• #35 – Bavarian Helles Lager by Nirvana Brewery
• #34 – New World Lager by Drop Bear Beer Co.
• #33 – Pale Ale by Nonny Beer
• #32 – Hoppy Pale Ale by Nirvana Brewery
• #31 – Red by Partake Brewing

Quite a mix of styles on this part of the list. For IPAs that are ranking lower like these, it is partly because many non-alcoholic IPAs have a noticeably similar lemon-y taste or generic recipe. Producing one with a unique aroma, hop profile, and taste seems to be a challenge to some breweries.

#16-30 – The Very Good Non-Alcoholic Beers

• #30 – Fun House Non Alcoholic NEIPA by Vandestreek Bier BV
• #29 – Saskaberry Blonde Ale by One for the Road Brewing Co.
• #28 – Sleight of Hand by Tempest Brewing Co
• #27 – Pine Trail Pale by Big Drop Brewing Co
• #26 – Nanny State by Brewdog
• #25 – Fahr Alkoholfrei by Fahr Brewery
• #24 – Limbo Riesling by Mikkeller
• #23 – iota Hazy IPA by Phillips Brewing and Malting Co.
• #22 – Amber Lager by Rival House
• #21 – Libra Pilsner by Upstreet Craft Brewing
• #20 – Lamb of God Ghost Walker by Brewdog
• #19 – Sure Lime Citron / Lime Lemon Sour by Bière Sans Alcool (BSA)
• #18 – Personal Best by Mikkeller
• #17 – Organic Session IPA by Sober Carpenter
• #16 – Svart/Hvit by Nøgne Ø

That Saskaberry beer was nicely different, while the pilsner from Upstreet was really solid. I was actually surprised to enjoy quite a few non-alcoholic pilsners so much during this taste test, as some of the first ones I had were very bad. I thought the offerings from Mikkeller would be better overall, only Personal Best lived up to expectations.

#1-15 – The Best Non-Alcoholic Beers

• #15 – Indiewave by CERIA Brewing Co

This was a very pleasing IPA, big aromatics, solidly citrusy, and made me thing of west coast IPAs.

• #14 – Stay Classy by Bellwoods Brewery

Melon and tropical vibes, soft pleasing aroma with a nicely bright, hoppy taste. Finishes with a good bitterness.

• #13 – Yuzu Pale Ale by Drop Bear Beer Co.

This was floral and fruity. The Yuzu added a nice “woohoo!” to this alcohol-free pale ale!

• #12 – Grüvi Golden Lager by Grüvi

Quite a nice surprise here. The Grüvi beers were a bit hit and miss for me, but this one over delivered big time. Great hop/malt balance, bold aromas, and plenty of body. Hard to say if I like this or PLAY Lager from Perth more.

• #11 – Funambule NEIPA by La Brasserie Grande Allée

Light colour to this one, but it drank very smooth. Almost velvety and quite tropical.

• #10 – Himla Humla by Nøgne Ø

Unique flavour to this one made me really appreciate it. Its an IPA but drinks like a flavourful pale ale.

• #9 – PLAY Lager by Perth Brewery

Crisp, clean, believable. A non-alcoholic lager that puts many regular lagers to shame. Perhaps my favourite NA lager.

• #8 – Libra Hazy IPA by Upstreet Craft Brewing

Bit of a hop bite on the finish, but an overall very smooth and creamy body overall. Not as “watery” as you may think. May have enjoyed this even more, since I was camping at the time?

• #7 – Playground by Vandestreek Bier BV

All around enjoyable IPA, with some grapefruit hints. This one really hit the spot, and made me forget I wasn’t drinking a real IPA!

• #6 – Sure Framboise / Raspberry Sour by Bière Sans Alcool (BSA)

Nicely tart, this packed a full wallop of raspberries and tons of flavour. A nicer balance between tart/sweet than some other alcohol-free raspberry sours I’ve tried.

• #5 – Jack Pine Pale Ale by Harmon’s Craft Brewing

Rough and piney, old school IPA vibes to this Pale Pale. This was big aromas and big flavours, a real winner for a non-alcoholic brew.

• #4 – Alyss by La Bazaar

A Berliner Weisse with passionfruit that delivers a crazy, delicious, tangy, and aromatic flavour wallop. If you get this fresh, it’s an absolute winner.

• #3 – Trou Noir by Le BockAle

Dry, roasty, some coffee aromas and flavours happening with this stout. I have found that a lot of non-alcoholic stouts have trouble finding enough body to contain the potentially big flavours. This one was was nicely bold all around.

• #2 – Tropical IPA by Drop Bear Beer Co

Piney, grapefruit, bitterness. This is not a light, fluffy hazy ipa, its a bold tropical ipa that delivers on aroma and flavour. Stands out from the crowd nicely!

• #1 – All the Fruit Fruited Sour by Athletic Brewing Co

Extremely delicious. Checks all the right boxes. Beautiful light red colour, with strong berry aromas, and it drinks tart! Tons of raspberry and blueberry, great from start to finish. better than many full strength sours and fruited beers.

That’s the list…for now. I have a lot of great non-alcoholic beers left to sample still, so who knows what the final “best” brews will be. I can give you one hint though: give Guinness 0.0 a try if you can find it!

For those wondering, I am still enjoying plenty of full strength beers as well, I’m just reaching for a good NA beer more often these days, now that I’ve discovered some good ones.

I’ve always found it worthwhile to head to remote locations, whether in Canada or beyond our borders. When it comes to Ontario Parks, some of my best hiking and wildlife experiences have been in the most northern parks I’ve visited.

Ivanhoe Lake Provincial Park

A little off the radar for many campers, Ivanhoe Lake Provincial Park is up near Foleyet, Ontario. That’s over an hour east of Chapleau or an hour west of Timmins. Still not sure? How about 8-9 hours of riving north from Toronto!

It’s a beautiful lake, with spacious campsites and plenty of privacy. The nosiest neighbour we had was a mamma duck who kept waddling around our campsite with her babies in tow.

There are actually quite a few decent hiking trails at Ivanhoe Lake. The first one we did was the Teck Lake trail.

Hiking the Teck Lake Trail

At only about 1km long, this is a short trail. Even so, this trail offers a nice range of scenery, as it meanders through mature forests and takes you to a pretty kettle lake (Teck Lake).

While the trailhead for Teck Lake isn’t very far from the campgrounds, we didn’t see, or hear, any other hikers our entire time on this trail!

The only sounds were our own steps, and the birds and squirrels chirping and chattering away at us.

It was a pretty hot mid-summer day when we hiked this trail, so upon reaching the little lake, it definitely looked refreshing to swim in! No beaches or anything here though, so we headed back to our waterfront campsite, where we had lots of space on Ivanhoe Lake to enjoy the water.

The trail itself is quite easy overall. It does have some decent inclines and declines to get your heart pumping a bit, but there are no real challenging areas.

Most people should be able to do this trail in decent running/hiking shoes. I still tend to hike in my hiking boots on such trails to avoid possible ankle injuries, but they weren’t really needed on this hike.

Expect to see some forest dwelling creatures along the way too, mostly red squirrels. Maybe chipmunks too.

In terms of vegetation, it was a lot of big pine trees, as well as some smaller berry bushes, and mixed forest in areas. A good variety! Some decent sized, colourful mushrooms were spotted too.

The pathway was narrow in many places, and slightly overgrown at times, as can be expected at the lesser-visited parks further north.

Overall a fun trek in the woods that only takes about half an hour of hiking.

Walking around town in Stanley, the capital of the Falkland Islands it doesn’t take long to understand how the people who live here often take pride in being “more British than Britain”.

It only takes about 30 minutes to walk the town in this proud British outpost, and if you have a keen eye you may spot one house with a Falkland Beerworks sign emblazoned on the front of it.

Chances are nobody will be home, as the vast majority of visitors to the Falklands come here on expeditions ships bound for Antarctica. The stop in Stanley occurs during the day, and lasts for 3-6 hours. But, Falkland Beerworks is really just a hobby brewery, as the founder Jeff Halliday has a full-time job during the day.

As such, you’ll have to do some digging around town to come up with your beer swag and find bottles of the mostly English-inspired (and mostly 1982 Falkalnds War inspired names) beers.

At any one time you may be able to find up to six different beers around town from Falkland Beerworks. The local supermarket (The West Store) has a decent selection of craft beer, but nothing from Falkland Beerworks, so the beers are not as easy to track down as you might think.

To help you optimize your beer travel time in the Falkland Islands, here is a good plan of attack to find as many local beers as possible. Sadly, I was not able to sample the Cape Pembroke Pale Ale yet, so perhaps I’ll have to return to the Falklands?

Stop 1: Falkland Beerworks. Walk up Philomel from the waterfront, turn right on John.

A home that is set back from the road slightly. They don’t really post hours or anything, but if you catch Jeff home or working in the brewery then consider yourself lucky, and take advantage of getting beer straight from the source. Consider sending him a message ahead of time via Facebook or his website to let him know you’re planning to stop by.

Stop 2: Studio 52. On Ross Road along the Waterfront.

Since the actual brewery will likely be closed, this is one place to start your beer hunting adventure. From the outside it may appear similar to many other souvenir shops around town in Stanley, but this one sometimes has a beer advantage. They (usually) have a stock of Falkland Beerworks pint glasses, coasters and possible other Falkland Beerworks souvenirs for sale.

I was told that it is Jeff’s wife who runs this shop, which helps to explain why they seem to be the only shop in town with these specific souvenirs.

Make this one of your first stops, and be sure to ask the shop owner about any current information on best spots to grab a bottle or pint of the actual Beerworks brews, as they may have the most up to date information.

Other fine Falkland Islands souvenirs can be found here as well, so the shop really is worth checking out. Plus, they accept most major credit cards too, if you don’t happen to have any US dollars, British pounds, Falkland pounds or Euros handy. 

The Falkland Islands does not accept any Argentine currency, as both the UK and Argentina lay claim to the islands. The Falklands war between these two nations in 1982 didn’t really resolve anything and there remains a large British military presence in the Falkland Islands, because if they leave it is expected Argentina will invade again.

Continuing your beer day in Stanley, the next best spots to visit for a pint or bottle of local brew are below.

Stop 3: Bittersweet Café. At the corner of Philomel and John.

This café is just a minute away from the brewery. It is a small café, which can fill up quite fast if there are some cruise or expedition ships in town, so try to get here ahead of the lunch-seeking crowd.

While the food is good, they also have a wide selection of beer, including a solid lineup of bottles of Falkland Beerworks brews. On my visit they had five options in stock at a price of £ 3.90 (Falkland pounds). Yes, they will sell them for you to take away and bring home.

However, this shop does not accept debit or credit. So if you do not have cash you’ll need to hit the bank on Ross Road, or make a purchase at the West Store supermarket and get cash back. Unless you need a large sum of money, it is cheaper to get cash through the supermarket as their service charge may be lower.

Stop 4: Victory Pub. Located at Philomel and Fitzroy.

Just up the street from Bittersweet is the Victory Pub. This is the watering hole of choice for many visitors and locals alike. You’re bound to encounter some friendly people and have some fun conversation here. It is decked out wonderfully in kitschy memorabilia, Falkland history, pub games and flags.

If you didn’t grab food at Bittersweet Café and are hungry, the fish and chips is good here as well, but again – try and get in before the lunch rush as service can get slow as the place gets crowded.

If Bittersweet didn’t have all the bottles you wanted, you may find them here. There is always some selection of Falkland Beerworks beer here. One thing you will most certainly want to do is grab a pint of Falkland Beerworks here. Jeff is a real fan of real ale, and finding his beer on cask really showcases how he intended it to be enjoyed. On my visit they were serving the Rockhopper blonde ale on cask, in true British fashion.

It is quite possible you’ll have accomplished your Falkland Islands beer travels by the time you finish up here. After all, there really is only one decent town and one brewery! So sit back and enjoy another pint if you have time.

If you want to wander around town further and see what else is available, then the following pub may also be worth a stop as well.

Stop 5: The Globe Tavern. Located at Philomel and Crozier.

A minute walk from Victory Pub, this is another local watering hole worth visiting if you have the time. They also serve Falkland Beerworks on tap so it is possible you may score more than one local type of beer on tap in Stanley. I didn’t have enough time to stop in for a pint here, as I got busy chatting with people at Victory Pub and had to get going sooner than planned.

Bonus: Hotel stops, if you have more time in Stanley.

Stop 6: The Malvina House Hotel, located on Ross Road, across from the Falkland Islands Museum

The Malvina Hotel’s restaurant and lounge bar opening hours don’t always line up perfectly with the arrivals of ships, so it may be a hit or miss chance of stopping in for food or drink here, unless you’ve got a room booked and will be spending more than a few hours in town.

Stop 7: The Waterfront Boutique Hotel, located on Ross Road, at the base of Philomel

This is as close as you can get to the the start of town. Just a hop across the road from the Falkland islands Tourist Board, and where you’ll likely begin your journey of exploration in Stanley.

The Kitchen Cafe serves up delicious baked goods, steaks, seafood and much more, plus Falkland Beerworks brews. For £4.95, grab yourself a pint right on the waterfront!

After this, any beer stops are going to be a bonus. Falkland Beerworks is considered to be the world’s most remote commercial brewery. While their beers range from average to very good, it is the people who call the Falkland Islands home that will add a bit of extra flavour to the drinking experience on a craft beer day in Stanley.

How to get to Stanley, Falkland Islands

Most visitors arrive by expedition ship on tours continuing to Antarctica, such as those run by Polar Latitudes. It is also possible to fly to Stanley. There are flights from Oxfordshire, UK and from Punta Arenas, Chile.

I never get bored of kayaking, it is my favourite water-based activity.

Even when you’re smack in the middle of a city, when I’m gliding along the surface of the water it is a peaceful, calming experience. plus, you’d be surprised how much urban wildlife lurks around the edges of rivers that snake their way through cities like Milwaukee!

I was able to explore the Milwaukee River with the good people at MKC (Milwaukee Kayak Company). We got a different perspective of some of the buildings along the waterfront of the Historic Third Ward and had a fun time exploring this cool city. I did spot a good amount of wildlife too! Mostly birds, like ducks and herons.

Paddling along, we went along the Milwaukee River to the confluence with the Menomonee River. There are quite a few rivers in Milwaukee, which I didn’t know before. Going in the other direction, the Milwaukee River joins the Kinnickinnic River, which outlets into Milwaukee Bay in Lake Michigan. There are a ton of paddling options around the city, which made me a bit jealous. In Toronto, we can’t paddle some of our downtown rivers.

With some interesting restaurants and even breweries along the river, I kind of wanted to turn the kayaking trip into a bit of a bar-hopping adventure. How fun would that be to pull up to a brewery in your kayak and order a pint at the Milwaukee Ale House? Dockside delivery, anyone? I’ve seen more than my fair share of kayaks with cup / beer holders on them!

As fun as that may sound, being responsible, we paddled up and down the river and waited to enjoy our drinks after the kayaking adventure. Even without any crazy white water rapids, or jungle scenery, this was a great way to spend part of an afternoon discovering Milwaukee.

On the walk back to my hotel after this fun adventure in the midst of Milwaukee, I strolled along the walkway beside the river. There is an impressive riverfront area here for walking too. Our kayaking actually went along what is part of the Milwaukee Urban Water trail.

Of course I stumbled upon a famous Milwaukee landmark too – the Fonz statue! A classic cool character from the 80s show Happy Days. Love finding random things like this while travelling!

Gliding along the surface of the water, dodging tiny bits of brash ice, I aim our kayak at the large iceberg in the distance. There are some black specks on it. Could it be penguins?

The water is only a degree or two above freezing here in Cierva Cove, Antarctica; but the air is warm, with temperatures actually warmer than back home in Canada. No, that isn’t a global warming thing, it is typical weather along the Antarctic Peninsula during the November – March tourism window, when temperatures are often above freezing.

It makes the kayaking more enjoyable, as we don’t have to deal with fear of frostbite. With hand pogies on our paddles it is actually quite warm paddling, and I find myself occasionally dipping my hands in the water to cool down. 

The preparation process for kayaking in Antarctica is somewhat arduous. We’re all bundled up with many layers, and are prone to overheating on the ship before we get to actually go out on the water. A base layer, a fleece layer, a winter jacket shell, two pairs of socks, a toque, a buff, some kayak gloves, booties and a dry suit make up the Antarctic kayaking outfit. Once assembled, we pretty much walk the same as the penguins around here.

We’ve had a couple of false starts to our kayaking adventure, which is very common down in the southern ocean. It takes time to pile on all this gear, unload the kayaks and get our small group of a dozen paddlers out on the water. With vast open spaces and soaring mountains, weather in Antarctica is constantly changing, without any reliable forecasting. Katabatic winds coming down off the surrounding mountains and glaciers can whip up at any time, turning a scene of serenity into one of white water and misery. 

A bonus is that sometimes us kayakers get to be the first to leave the ship and start exploring, while everyone else who is going direct to land, to hike or see penguins, has to wait. We still get to join up with them after and tend to have more than enough time to commune with the penguins, seals and enjoy the land activities too.

Today, Cierva Cove remains calm and puts on a wonderful display of nature. In an overcast sky, with the sun struggling to pierce through the mist, the cove is slow to reveal itself to us. We paddle quietly along, scraping past small icebergs called bergy bits, always on the lookout for seals, penguins or whales. Some of the tiny icebergs here appear black, as they’re clear in the water. My paddling partner spots one she wants to keep, it’s shaped like heart.

In the distance we spot two tiny black specks on one of the larger icebergs. Anything that isn’t white here stands out, so we paddle over to investigate this anomaly and discover two Gentoo penguins perched atop this large chunk of ice. We can’t help but wonder how these small flightless, awkward birds managed to get atop such a big iceberg?

The water is flat, like glass, enabling me to pull out the DSLR camera and snap a few photos without fear of getting wet. Cierva Cove isn’t done with us, as we soon come upon a sleepy fur seal who pokes his head up, wondering who dares approach his piece of ice.

Out here on the water, dotted with icebergs and bits of ice of all sizes, we’re all alone. The rest of the travellers from our ship have gone off on zodiac cruises further away. Aside from the sounds of our paddles in the water, it is pure silence. We take a moment to soak it all in.

Indeed we have been the lucky ones on this day, with our close encounters with the fur seal and penguins as our non-kayaking counterparts only had fleeting glimpses of wildlife on this afternoon.

We’ve kayaked at spots on South Georgia Island, and now along the coast of Antarctica. penguins have porpoised out of the water around us, we’ve pulled up onto mini icebergs for a rest, and we’ve even had some snowball fights. It’s truly a weird and wonderful setting.

At Neko Harbour, the next kayaking experience is a bit more boisterous, and a bit more icy. The ice here is slushy, with some new ice creating a thin layer on the surface. Larger pieces have a bit of snow on them, as fluffy flakes have been falling. It is truly a winter wonderland scene out on the water. The thin layer of ice is easily broken by the bow of the kayak or our paddles, creating an otherworldly-like paddling experience. There is a calming satisfaction to “crashing” through the ice with our kayaks. 

We’re enjoying a spontaneous kayak snowball fight when our fun is interrupted by what sounds like a rolling thunderstorm approaching. It turns out to be a large chunk of glacier calving into the ocean off in the distance. Minutes later a small wave bobs our kayaks up and down about 15cm; had we been kayaking at the foot of the glacier we would have all been swallowed up and capsized by 6m surge.

Icebergs are generally only 10% above the water, meaning you miss out on seeing most of these majestically carved ice creations. We steer clear of anything of decent size (anything taller than the bow of the kayak must be given a wide berth according to our kayaking guides Ewan and Sophie). For low-lying bergs and smaller bits, we have fun maneuvering our kayaks beside, through, and onto them. Peering down into the depths of the Antarctic Ocean you can see the entire immensity of these white and blue-hued bits of ice. 

Antarctica toys with your imagination, making it difficult to portray to others. Kayaking past oddly shaped icebergs and glaciers, with funny animals swimming around you gives everything a bit of a Dr. Seuss-esque vibe in Antarctica, just without any crazy bright colours. Despite the mostly monochromatic scenes, you still experience sensory overload, as everything is on a grander scale here. 

Nowhere is that more apparent than when you’re gliding along in a tiny kayak.

Side notes:

• Not all expeditions to Antarctica offer kayaking
• Kayaking groups are small, typically 10-15 in size, and tend to sell out early
• While some experience is preferred, kayaking is only done in favourable conditions
• I travelled with Polar Latitudes, one of the most respected travel operators to Antarctica
• Depending on the length of your trip (and number of changes to go kayaking) it should cost between $600-1,000. Whatever the cost, it is worth it!

Arguably the most elegant penguins of all, King Penguins, are found in incredible numbers in South Georgia.

Oddly enough, you don’t really see them on the continent of Antarctica, so most people who take a “quick” or “classic” expedition ship trip to Antarctica won’t see these penguins.

When I did a Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica trip with Polar Latitudes it was South Georgia that excited me most. I knew what to expect, and I wasn’t disappointed.

From close-up encounters with these colourful penguins, to seeing their colony at Salisbury Plain, numbering more than 100,000 breeding pairs!

The first good sightings I had of King Penguins was actually on the Falkland Islands. It provided a fun contrast to what was to come on South Georgia

At Saunders Island in the Falklands, it was sandy beach and green field landscapes instead of snow and ice. This gave things an extra pop of colour which was pretty cool, even the non-penguin birds and animals.

As exciting as those first encounters were, it was the noise, smell and sheer scale of things on South Georgia that created one of those travel experiences that words can not adequately capture.

Penguins, penguins, penguins…as far as the eye can see. One of the top wildlife experiences for me anywhere in the world. Perhaps even the top wildlife experience I’ve had anywhere.

On my first trip to Antarctica I was able to get some photos of Chinstrap Penguins, Gentoo Penguins and Adelie Penguins. But that was years ago, in the days of film cameras, so it was more about the memories than the photos for me on that trip.

I’ve since gotten into photography more, and this time around I wasn’t as conservative with my photography. I must have taken well over 10,000 photos on this epic trip, managing to snap a few keepers along the way.

From cute to creepy, here are some Elephant Seal photos I took while exploring South Georgia (on the way to Antarctica) with the great company, Polar Latitudes.

these pictures are from visiting Salisbury Plain, Fortuna Bay and Stromness, three equally amazing wildlife destinations for anyone who is a fan of crazy landscapes, and impressive wildlife.

I probably have about 1000 of the “cute” photos of little Elephant Seal pups, as there were quite a few of them on the beaches we landed on. I’ve seen Elephant Seals before, in California. These are of course a different species. The ones in California are Northern Elephant Seals, and these ones down near Antarctica are Southern Elephant Seals.

For the big males, with their elongated upper lips, they are quite funny looking. But don’t tell them that! They seemed to have a bad temper as I saw many of them fighting and being quite aggressive. Probably just because some of them thought it was still mating season. Take a look at the last picture, would you want to come across that guy on a beach? Nope!

Definitely some of the coolest seals I’ve come across on my travels. Now if I could just find a way to see a ribbon seal in the wild…

A bit off-the-beaten-path, El Rey National Park, Argentina doesn’t get huge visitor numbers, but if you can manage the time, and the bumpy roads, it is well worth the effort to visit.

A small group of us hit El Rey for a day of hiking with Federico from Norte Trekking Expeditions based in Salta.

Upon arrival, we quickly came across an abundance of wildlife, with wading birds and butterflies seemingly around every corner as we hiked along a river and through some marshlands. While there are some larger animals in the park, such as the tapir on their park logo, you’re more likely to come across a plethora of birds as there are numerous streams and marshlands in the park.

There were colourful birds I had never seen before, and some larger birds like herons, which gracefully flew by. Years ago I used to ignore birds, but the more I travel, the more I have started to appreciate the differences in birds around the world. Argentina definitely had a few surprises for me.

It was pretty much a full day of hiking in El Rey National Park, with a stop for a lunch break. During that entire time, our little group only crossed paths with one other group of a few people, so we were free to listen to the sounds of the forest.

El Rey National Park was quite interesting because it had such a range of landscapes, even a rainforest! Who would expect to come across a rainforest in Argentina? I didn’t expect that. Federico was a great guide, providing enough historic background about things like old buildings, and the variety of landscapes, flora and fauna that we were seeing along the way.

While more elusive animals such as tapir and jaguar did indeed elude us, we did watch a troupe of monkeys swinging between trees across a stream. The Popayán River which is a central part of the park was packed with schools fairly large fish too. Walking along the trails there were plenty of tiny critters to keep us entertained. The weather was bright, hot and sunny, so wading through the water was nice and refreshing.

I’d return to the area again for sure, and do some camping or more in-depth hiking adventures further into the park.

I seem to be drawn to remote islands, and the Faroes definitely fit into that categorization.

Until recently, most people that I have met on my travels, even avid travellers, hadn’t heard of the Faroe Islands. I visited a five years ago, and it seems that the secret has slowly been starting to get out. Even so…people I meet that do know it’s a little European nation still can’t point to it on a map! The only people who ever seem to have some passion about the Faroes are ones that heard something about some dolphins or whales being killed there.

Dolphins, no. But whales, yes. They call it the “Grind”, and it is a hot topic among the Faroese and anybody who visits these islands that are off in the North Atlantic ocean. But there is a lot more to these amazing islands than that. (For the record, yes I did eat whale in the Faroes, when a couple of different people offered me some from their private supply.)

By definition the Faroe Islands are an autonomous territory of Denmark. despite strong ties to the mainland, the Faroes are fiercely independent, with their own money and plenty of pride – so don’t make the mistake of calling the Danish!

My purpose for travelling around the Faroes was to soak up the lush green scenery, enjoy plenty of Faroese music, take some photographs of strange landscapes and curious creatures. I saw plenty of whales and sheep, puffins and other seabirds. When in the towns, I found the old-style green-roofed houses particularly interesting. Today, they’re mostly historic buildings and special areas, not so practical by modern standards.

I hiked around admiring many waterfalls and had fun seeing how nervous my guide got when driving towards oncoming traffic going through the lengthy, one-lane tunnels that connected some of the islands. Really, those tunnels were quite cool – a cross between playing chicken and frogger – it was a fine line between too aggressive and too cautious. Don’t drive fast enough and you’ll get stuck in a tunnel pullout, causing a logjam behind you (only space for 1-3 cars in each pull out). But if you’re too aggressive, you might race to the next pullout when it isn’t your turn, causing oncoming traffic to screech to a halt or backup. I’m sure it would make for an entertaining TV channel to watch, except for the fact that traffic jams and traffic in general is pretty rare in the Faroe Islands.

Outside of Torshavn, even Klaksvik, the next “big” city seems sleepy quiet. It’s peaceful, the weather is generally pleasant during the short summer – not too hot, maybe a bit rainy. People smile when you walk past them on the street. Most of them speak English and seem very well educated and welcoming.

It’s a small nation of islands, at about the same latitude as Iceland, but that is about the only thing similar between them. The Faroes don’t have dramatic volcanoes and geysers. It’s lush, green mountains and waterfalls here. Much more like Scotland. Fishing, farming, music and arts are all big in the Faroe Islands. Farming though, not so much for food, but sheep. There are plenty of sheep in the Faroes, so knitwear and wool clothes are very popular. Sadly, the harsh climate, despite being lush and green here, doesn’t allow for growing much produce. Rhubarb is a big crop, potatoes can be grown. But with a sparse, small population of ~50,000 total, there aren’t any huge farming operations aside from fish farms.

They do get a steady supply of food from Denmark and Europe. Grocery stores are mostly well-stocked, but the variety of fresh fruit, vegetables and meats were all a bit lacking in the stores I went to. Sure, lots of apples, root vegetables and frozen meats, but in general seafood is the name of the game in the Faroes. No shortage of candy bars, sodas and snacks though!

Oddly, each island in the Faroes really has it’s own personality too. Some are only accessible by boat or helicopter, others have numerous historic buildings on them, and some seem to be straight out of a fairytale book.

I was happy that there were some craft breweries in the Faroe Islands, which made more than adequate beers. I enjoyed more than my fair share of local beers at the G! Festival, a fantastic music festival that was the finishing highlight of my Faroe islands adventure. I’m intrigued to return and visit in winter next time, although I’d also like to explore and hike around some of the further, remote areas of the islands too. Hard to choose! I did enjoy their fun “remote tourism” tours on Facebook this past spring, where you could interact with, and “control” a local Faroese guide as they walked around the islands!

It was a quirky, cool concept, something that seemed quite fitting for the Faroe Islands. If you’re like me and prefer different travel destinations, consider the Faroes when it comes time to travel again.

A few final photos of Faroes! If you do visit, know that it’s so green because rain is pretty common – it rains more than 200 days a year in the Faroes! Don’t expect a ton of heat either, as even in mid-summer it rarely reaches 13C /55F. It’s often cloudy during summer too, but when the sun comes out, the islands light up with tons of vibrancy…it’s a great place for photography.

I’ve only been walking for 10 minutes, but all I’m saying to myself is “Death Valley, what the hell!?”

Badwater Basin. The lowest point in North America at -282ft below sea level is turning up the heat this late afternoon. It’s not even summer yet, as I visited in early June, but the temperature is at 120F, or 49C. I parked the car in the parking lot and went for a walk out onto the open salt flats – because why not wander out into the searing heat without a single tree or source of shade nearby?

I feel like I am being burned from all directions.

The sun is pounding down from a nearly cloudless sky. It seems to be mocking the hat I have on, as if it will really do me any good in this crazy heat.

The ground is caked dry. Save for a few weird holes dug into the salty surface that exude a gooey liquid. Likely some salty brine. Some brown, some white, the ground itself also mocks you in Badwater Basin. Protect yourself from the sun as much as you want, don’t forget about some searing heat and reflections from the ground too.

I have been outside for almost 15 minutes now, and I recall the guy on the radio saying you burn in 5 minutes in these conditions. Being cooked from above and below, I feel like I am good to keep going further to a spot that looks like it will make for a scenic photo.

There is only one other person out this far in Badwater Basin, everyone else took a short 5 minute or less jaunt before scurrying back to their cool cars. Part of why I think I am good to keep going is because of the strong wind blowing.

Sure, the wind is hot. Like standing in front of a furnace. So it is stupidly dry too. I think it was 3% humidity out. Basically pure dryness. So I’m not sweating. My lips want to crack and throat is dry, but at least it isn’t humid and I “feel strong” so keep on walking.

A few minutes later I turn around to take some photos. Now, not facing the sun and wind, I can feel that I am indeed starting to burn already. Also, yep, I’m a bit tired. Not exhausted or anything, but I can definitely tell this climate is doing its best to destroy me.

I am about half as far as I wanted to go. But I swallow my pride, tell Death Valley to screw itself one more time, and begin the walk back to my car. I’m out on the flat lands of Badwater Basin for maybe 30 minutes in late afternoon in early June.

But when I do get back into my car, my body seems to want to overheat. Weird. I felt great, if not a bit tired, when hiking out there. But the actual surface of my skin is crazy hot. I start to sweat in the car. I don’t have heat stroke or anything, it is just kind of weird that I was so dry outside and now I’m sweating.

I guzzle a litre of water like it’s a shot glass and realize how crazy quick you can get dehydrated in Death Valley National Park. I start to wonder if my decision to camp in Death Valley overnight might not be the smartest move.

Then it dawns on me that people actually lived and worked here. Some people still do! Who would ever want to live here? The thought of working in the old mining operations, or living in the area out of choice seems ridiculous. There are places on earth where we are not meant to be, and despite its beauty, I think Death Valley is one of them.

With that said, I’d love to return and visit again, ha! Maybe with an extra thick layer of sunscreen next time.

Earlier this year Moose Travel Network out of Toronto ceased operations and left a number of travellers “out in the cold” so to say.

I wasn’t surprised, but at the same time felt a bit guilty I hadn’t posted a warning about them years ago. You see they still owe me $2,000 from when I worked for them many years ago.

It was sad to see they hadn’t cleaned up their act, but knowing that the “Moose East” operations are now out of business and no more travellers will be harmed by sketchy business operations, brings a bit of closure. Doubly sad is that there is a big void for the service that Moose Travel tried to provide – affordable backpacking trips in Eastern Canada. They could have done it so much better and been a very successful company.

For anyone curious to know more on my background working with Moose Travel, here is a blog post from 2016 that I never got around to publishing when they were still in operation. At the time I didn’t want to give them any publicity, as small as this little blog may be.

The life of freelancers…

The travel industry is not known as one of the highest paying industries, but it sure can be a ton of fun if you work with the right businesses.

Making money as a travel writer and travel marketing consultant can be challenging. You may be offered amazing trips around the world, in lieu of pay, for creating an entire marketing plan. Or perhaps an online outlet wants to pay you $25 for a travel article that will take you 4 hours to write. Depending on your current situation, sometimes you have to accept those opportunities.

Thankfully, if you stick with it, you can find permanent contracts, or clients that happily pay your reasonable professional fee of $90/hour because they know you produce results.

Working for Moose Travel, back in 2012 and 2013…

Not too many years ago, I was a tour guide and tour driver with Moose Travel Network in Canada. For an entire season I enjoyed showing visitors to Canada the best of Ontario and Quebec. I had intended to continue working with them the next season even though it was a job that paid next to nothing. How come? Because it was an active, fun outdoor job and the only way I was able to afford to pay my bills each month was because they also hired to do some marketing and social media work for them.

Things went smoothly for a number of months, then they decided to reduce the monthly pay on the marketing and social media side of things. Alright, no worries. You get what you pay for, so I reduced the marketing content appropriately.

Problems with Moose Travel

Then, as the summer went on and I was enjoying being a tour guide, Moose Travel started to skip payments on the social media and marketing efforts. I had to chase them to get late payments. Very annoying, I still had plenty of bills to pay and was now on the road for weeks at a time, making it difficult to secure other paying freelance gigs.

By the end of the season, once tours were finished and there were no more travellers to drive around, they still owed me a chunk of money for that consulting side of things. I chased them every week or so, and they had a long list of excuses for not paying. It became a source of stress since the tour guiding season was over.

Here I am, a solo freelancer, trying to survive, and another small business doesn’t care if they pay me.

I thought only big corporations did that kind of crap. But I wasn’t going to cause a huge issue about it, as they were saying they would pay me, and I was still doing my monthly marketing and social media efforts for them as I sought out new job opportunities.

Moose Travel Didn’t Like Paying Others Either

I remember having a good chat with Ben Teskey, the then-owner of the Wolf Den Hostel in Algonquin Park. I had brought a Moose Travel group there towards the end of the season and everyone was having a great time playing cards or sitting around the campfire. It had become practice for Moose Travel to give their guides a pre-paid credit card before each tour, to pay for certain hotels, fuel and food.

Ben was always strict in making sure everything was fully paid up right away – before we could go to our rooms and before giving the groups a run down of the hostel facilities, he lined everyone up to pay. He told me he had previously invoiced Moose Travel for their groups, but it had become a huge pain and he didn’t get paid for months and months. It got to the point where he had to call them up and tell them if they didn’t pay upfront they couldn’t stay any more.

Smart guy! He wasn’t the only person I talked to that had the same story about issues collecting payments. I’ve learned to adopt similar practices now when I have new clients, since you never know which company might screw you over!

At least I knew that it wasn’t just me who Moose Travel was treating with a complete lack of respect when it came to paying their clients and suppliers. I didn’t make me feel any better, but I learned not to take it personally, it had just become a poor business practice that they seemed to think was acceptable.

Week by week, month by month, the stress grew as Moose Travel Network continued to miss their own self-imposed payment deadlines. “We’ll get the money to you next week” was the kind of thing I would frequently hear. Heading in to the new year, I was still chasing them for payment, with their overdue amount creeping up to $3000.

For someone like me who didn’t have a “real” job at the time, but still had a mortgage to pay, that is a big chunk of money.

Partial Payments, Cancelled Payments, More Excuses

So, the next season I had changed my mind and had no intention of returning as a driver and guide. But I had every intention of collecting that money I was owed. I continued to send overdue payment emails and spoke to Moose Travel owner Megan Lalancette on the phone multiple times. Every time I got a verbal or email promise that payment would be made soon.

Realizing that these marketing services were seen as disposable by Moose, but that their tour guides were an integral part of their business, I figured the only way I may get the marketing/consulting side of things paid was to return as a guide for the next season. By being a guide, I had something of value again – the ability to actually run their tours! So I signed on, and sure enough after all those many months of no payments, I received a partial payment of the overdue marketing funds from the year before.

Shortly after this, better paying, less-stressful work opportunities came along, so I had to resign from being a Driver and Guide for Moose Travel. It was such a relief! I had collected about 1/2 of the marketing services money they owed me up to that point.

Moose Travel Goes Silent

After resigning from the driving and guiding duties, Moose Travel kept me on to continue to do some social media work for them each month. I was optimistic that the payments would continue to come through as they had while I was guiding the previous month, but I was wrong.

Payments stopped coming through again, so I knew it was time to cut things loose. They had hired a new marketing person, but had kept me on doing social postings. I knew that person would eventually take things over, so I advised Moose Travel that I’d be terminating my consulting services that June, and their final amount owing was $2000. I was even so kind as to keep some scheduled content running for them into July and August, free of charge.

Over the next couple of months many emails were exchanged. I tried to elevate things by saying I may have to go to a collection agency or let other people know about this situation. But payment was never received. Here are a few direct quotes from emails I received from the owner of Moose Travel, Megan Lalancette:

“I will send partial payment today to clear the outstanding balance.”

“Sorry, I have been away. I will get a payment out to you tomorrow.”

“Happy New Year to you as well. The season is just starting to pick up so we should be able to send something shortly. Again, thanks for your patience.”

“I will send you $500 today to start to pay this balance down.”

Notice one of those said “Happy New Year”? Ya, it dragged on into the next year. So, needless to say the amount still owing was $2000.

Now, in support of Moose Travel, they did send a wire-transfer payment of $500 as the last quote above mentions. But I was travelling and didn’t see the email right away. When I did see it (3 days after receiving it), there was also a “cancelled payment” message. The accountant at Moose Travel apparently got worried they sent payment to the wrong email, and cancelled it just 48 hours after sending.

They didn’t bother to contact me to verify it was the right email, they simply cancelled it. I haven’t received a payment since then, despite confirming that it was the correct email. Who cancels a wire transfer after 48 hours, especially when you’ve sent transfers to that exact same email in the past?

As for those promised payment emails and phone calls, well my emails to info@moosetravel.com and megan@moosetravel.com never get replied to, and I left phone messages on their answering machine to no avail. After assuming I was put on some kind of blacklist by Moose Travel, I finally got in touch with Megan from Moose Travel one last time, almost three years later (January 2016) and it seemed payment was on the way! I even agreed to accept $1700 instead of the $2000 they owe me – if they paid it right away. Even that effort to get things settled didn’t work, as Megan went silent again.

Moose Travel’s Stall Tactics Worked…

From 2012 to 2016. Weeks became months, months became years, and now I had the paperwork ready to file off a lawsuit against Moose Travel. Sadly, I didn’t know what the typical statue of limitations was on such issues and of course had waited too long. I suspect now that was part of the plan on the Moose Travel end with their constant delay tactics. On the bright side, I did become more familiar with the process to take next time, in case someone else tries to skip out on payments to Red Hunt Travel.

I had a fun time going everywhere from Ottawa and Montreal to Halifax and Charlottetown with Moose Travel, thanks to the cool people who took the trips. It really was a shame I could never promote their trips in good conscience as there was always this lingering lack of trust behind the scenes.

I’m sure almost everyone else I know would have spammed them on social media and reported them to the BBB and posted plenty of negative reviews about them. That really isn’t my approach, but should Moose Travel ever be reincarnated and start up again, I’d be very wary of giving them any money. Unfortunately there aren’t really any other great alternatives out there that I can recommend.

Have you dealt with any clients or companies who refused to pay? Have you had a poor experience with Moose Travel in recent years too? If so, let us all know so other people won’t make the same mistake trying to work with them!

One small side note, The owners of Moose Travel in western Canada were different, with the two company’s being totally different behind the scenes. While I haven’t worked with them, it may still be alright to travel with Moose in BC and Alberta.

Have you ever gone camping for Thanksgiving? We did the other year and had an absolute blast!

Autumn colours, cool nights and a cozy rustic cabin made for an ideal Thanksgiving getaway at Bonnechere Provincial Park. Enjoying some of the last warm days before fall took full effect, our group had a fantastic time exploring the park and taking advantage of the somewhat quiet conditions that fall camping allows for.

While the rustic cabins seemed booked up, the campground itself looked to only be 1/2 or 2/3rd full. Considering the weather was better than most of the summer, we felt lucky being able to go hiking on the trails, and canoeing down the river in relative peace and quiet, save for the sounds of busy birds, beavers, squirrels and chipmunks running around.

One fun highlight at Bonnechere that cracked us up was the McNaugton Trail with its “Footprints in Time”, which we dubbed “infologs” instead, as we thought it was a catchier name! it was actually a lot of fun reading and learning about the traditional local First Nations history and culture in a traditional way.

By the light of the moon, we even did a midnight paddle down the river all the way to the lake. So peaceful, except for the occasional “splash” from an animal slipping into the water as we paddled by.

We even had time to take in a few games of horseshoes! How about that? Bonnechere was a surprising park for all of us. It had been on our radar before, but we were impressed by the range of trails, the nice beach area and the overall features of the park. While we are not camping for thanksgiving this year, it is quite possibly the start of a new tradition for years going forward.

What is a Rustic Cabin?

First off, it isn’t too rustic!

By rustic they mean it doesn’t have a washroom on-site, so you have to use the communal bathrooms and showers just as if you were car camping. But the rustic cabin does come with a screened in porch area, a spacious living room area and kitchen, plus two bedrooms.

Outside you get firewood included, a BBQ area with propane BBQ included and a canoe for your use as well! Pretty sweet, if you consider that the cost of those extras can add up pretty quickly.

In fact, we had so much space around our cabin at Bonnechere that we were able to take advantage of the nice weather and play some lawn games like bocce ball and spikeball when we weren’t enjoying a campfire.

The cabin kitchen had a kettle and mini-fridge and microwave that were handy. We did bring a couple of coolers along to keep extra food cold on the screened in patio, since it was Thanksgiving after all and we BBQ’d a turkey breast, along with all the extras for a special dinner.

We spent our days exploring the park, and sitting by the campfire, or lounging in a hammock we put up near the river. It was a hard camping experience to beat. With more and more Ontario Parks adding some rustic cabins, yurts or other accommodation options, this is the way to go for those early season and late season weekends where weather might not always cooperate – or where you simply want some extra comforts compared to sleeping in a tent.

We did have a short time of rain on our camping weekend, but a high-stakes game of Yahtzee in the cabin quickly turned that into a fun time too. A visit from one of the park wardens was fun too, giving us some insights into what it is like working at Ontario Parks, seemed like quite an interesting gig!

We can imagine this park to be a popular, busy place during peak summer months. It has a lot to offer for families with kids and the beach was impressive too. While we didn’t go swimming on Thanksgiving weekend, we were tempted! maybe we’ll have to return to go for a dip next time?

On a recent roadtrip in California I stopped to see some elephant seals.

But, I also got a lot of close encounters with some California ground squirrels. Apparently these cheeky little guys are very common along a good portion of the California coast, as well as up towards Oregon and even Washington state now.

Despite numerous “do not feed” signs at the elephant seal viewing area I was at, it seems these little critters are quite familiar with humans, and likely, foodstuffs provided by us.

A little darker brown in colour than some other ground squirrels I have seen in the US, in places like Wyoming, these California ground squirrels are not endangered at all, and to some they are considered pests.

I was actually surprised at how thick their coats of fur seemed to be. I mean, it was really windy there, but it was warm and sunny. You’d think California squirrels would be happier in a more slimming outfit, but I guess not.

The pumpkin beer “season” seems to expand every year. This is a troubling trend.

Like a weed, or a virus, it seems otherwise normal beer drinkers are being infected at alarmingly larger and larger numbers, helping to expedite the availability of this most vile type of flavoured beer.

This is the time of year that I most love and most dread when it comes to craft beer. Weather is getting cooler and it is harvest time, so beers like harvest ales or fresh hop brews begin to pop up. They signal a change, where darker, maltier, heavier beers become more prominent. Soon it will be stouts and porters taking the main stage in the beer fridge. I really look forward to this change.

But then there is the pumpkin beer phase. To me, it is akin to having an asparagus beer season in May, or a broccoli beer season in July or August. Why don’t those exist? I actually enjoy those vegetables more than pumpkin. So why does pumpkin beer even exist?

I know I am not alone in my hatred towards pumpkin beers. It is the most divisive style of beer around, I believe. Sure, some beer nerds can stand behind the pumpkin beer wagon, citing how it has been a style of beer for nearly 250 years, but I’d argue it should have died off long ago.

Over the years I have tried many, many pumpkin beers in an effort to try to appreciate them. But no. It does not happen. Each year I am left wondering why I wasted money and taste buds on these horrendous concoctions.

For those who are also tricked into drinking these beers each year, I give you the following Pumpkin beer reviews, so you know just how bad they are. Read them as a reminder next time you feel tempted.

On a good note, the dreaded pumpkin beer season is also a time of year I tend to take a month off of drinking beer. Sometime between September and November I’ll take a health break and when the market is saturated by pumpkins, it makes it a lot easier to stop drinking!

Even if you sugar coat the pumpkin beer with a massive dose of cinnamon, nutmeg, chocolate, brown sugar, allspice, anise or pretty much any other flavour agent, it is still going to be gross. That whole lipstick on pigs thing, you know?

Because of my lack of desire in drinking pumpkin beers, I must say that I “accidentally” aged some for more than a year, simply because I didn’t want to drink them. These beers are not meant to be aged, but I will say they tasted less-gross over time as the pumpkin taste died off, making them more tolerable than some fresh pumpkin beers.

5 Terrible Pumpkin Beers to Avoid

Southern Tier Pumking

I hate the smell of this beer. It’s pure pumpkin. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin mash…spiced pumpkin. Ok, so ya I hate pumpkin, which makes drinking pumpkin beers kind of odd. Usually there is some brown sugar or malts or flavour mix on the aroma that masks the pumpkin enough for me to find it drinkable. Not so with this beer. Pumpkin overload!

For some people that is a good thing – a pumpkin beer that smells like pumpkin pie. It pours with little head and is a deep golden orange colour. After a few minutes it appears totally still, no head remaining at all.

Moving past the aroma, it’s a strong beer this one (8.6%) but the alcohol is mostly hidden by a strong spice profile. Nutmeg, butter, cinnamon and of course pumpkin mix together for a strong flavoured brew. Overall it’s strong on pumpkin, a bit too much for me.

Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin Ale

Expectedly deep orange in colour, it gives off a waft of pumpkin aroma when pouring. Making me cringe before taking a sip.

With a clingy, one-finger head it is lightly spiced, allowing the pumpkin flavour to be prominent. Quite mild overall, and smooth. Tolerable.

Finishes dry and slightly tart, but not acidic. Not good, but this pumpkin beer could have been a lot worse, feel like I dodged a bullet on this one.

McAuslan Citrouelle Pumpkin Beer

I have to admit to drinking this beer on multiple occasions. It was years ago, during a beer phase where I felt ashamed if I didn’t like certain beers that other people said were great. If at first you don’t like it, try and try again! NO…not with pumpkin beers I finally learned.

Caramely and spicey. It screams pumpkin beer and will make you wish for something else, anything else.

Bandido Brewing La Gran Calabaza

I have no idea if the fine folks at Bandido Brewing are going to make this beer again for 2018, but I suspect they will.

When you spend months in the Galapagos Islands, where almost every beer is a watery lager, you begin to crave any kind of new beer taste you can find. So, I enjoyed this pumpkin beer more than I would under normal circumstances, as my beer palate had been suffering prior to this.

If you find yourself in Quito, Ecuador and see this beer, give it a go as it may be the only pumpkin beer in Ecuador, so even if you hate the taste, hooray for the novelty factor!

Great Lakes Saison Dupump

A saison! But with pumpkin. Damnit.

It is a strange combination that works for some beer drinkers. For me, it does not. It may be a step above the usual pumpkin-laced beverage, but even with some Belgian yeasty-spicey flavours to counteract the pumpkin and related spicey flavours, it sucks in the overall grand scheme of beers. Despite the marketing BS on the label, I was once told this beer was simply No Chance with Miranda with pumpkin and spices added. It sounds about right.

Points added for being different, but multiple points deducted for still being a pumpkin beer.

5 More Atrocious Pumpkin Ales Not Worth Drinking

Lake of Bays Pumpkin Ale

Pumpkin beer-loving freaks will enjoy this one, but it wasn’t for me. I only had a sample on my most recent tasting, and that is about the proper serving size for any pumpkin beer.

Some vanilla actually cut through a lot of the pumpkin junk, without making the beer sweet, so that is a good thing. I like Lake of Bays, but their dedication to pumpkin style beers over the years creates a conundrum. If I avoid them from August-October I guess I am safe from the pumpkin invasion?

Burnt Hickory Die Kreuzen

Likely the first, and only, time I will ever visit a brewery and try two pumpkin beers.

That is what I will remember most about Burnt Hickory. I enjoyed their special “Man in the Trees” version of this beer better, but this one kind of left me thinking pumpkin beers were not terrible, simply because all the flavours were so mild and muted.

Dubbed an imperial pumpkin porter, the beer somehow achieved a more sweet malty profile with a hint of liquorice. Unlike how I hate pumpkin flavours, even in beers, I do enjoy liquorice flavour in beer, despite hating black liquorice candy.

Mill St. Nightmare Pumpkin Ale

I had this some time ago, and didn’t take much in the way of notes except to clearly state it was “chewy”.

So, if you like thick pumpkin pie that requires chewing, I guess you’d like this abomination of a beer? Since pumpkin pie is beyond gross as well, saying this tastes like pumpkin pie should turn just about anyone off of it.

Overall I would call this more of a spiced beer than a pumpkin beer though. It clearly falls into the generic pumpkin ale flavour profile – nothing new to see here folks.

Rogue Ales Pumpkin Patch Ale

I do hope to find a pumpkin beer I really enjoy one day, although I fear it will never happen. This one was tolerable, partly because I sat on it for over a year and the flavours all just melded together into a slightly-spiced, minimal-pumpkin flavoured ale.

That’s the way I like my pumpkin beers, with minimal pumpkin flavour! This one was a tad sweet overall, and bit flat. I can’t imagine any pumpkin beer ever tasting better fresh, but hey…

Grand River Highballer Pumpkin Ale

Kind of doesn’t do anything fun.

I mean some pumpkin beers add odd spices, or have a different base beer instead of your typical ale. This is just an ale, with pumpkin and related spices added.

It has a pretty strong pumpkin aroma that wafts out at ya when you open it up, so that pretty much sets it up for disaster in my books. While sweet, its from the malts more than anything. Needs more spice, more body and less pumpkin!

5 Final Crappy Craft Beers Made with Pumpkin

Great Lakes Pumpkin Ale

Sweet and spicey or bland and boring? That is for you to decide, if you dare drink this pumpkin beer.

You can’t go wrong either way. The beer is inoffensive, but if you like nutmeg and cinnamon type spices, you’ll at least like that. Pumpkin flavour is mild in this one, which I obviously prefer. But if you’re craving a bold pumpkin beer, or bold beer at all, it is not this one. It’s kind of lame on flavour, like those cucumber and watermelon beers you see in summer…this is the pumpkin beer version of those.

But hey, lots of people don’t drink beer for the flavour, so go ahead and try this perennial contender for most-consumed pumpkin beer in Toronto.

Renaissance Great Punkin

Smells like pumpkin. Tastes like pumpkin. Seriously, pumpkin is a pretty strong flavour, so why do I torture myself trying so many pumpkin beers that I know I won’t want to ever drink again?

For this beer, I tried it because it was from New Zealand. You know – maybe their pumpkins taste different down there? Nope. They do not. The grossness of pumpkins seems to be global.

One saving grace for this beer was it had a dry, hoppy finish to it which cut out any potential lingering pumpkin flavour. Phew.

Black Creek Pioneer Harvest Pumpkin Ale

What the hell. Uh oh, no head. This beer pours flat and syrupy. Sugary liquid to follow? Yes, indeed.

This pumpkin beer has an overpoweringly sweet, sugary taste of molasses with very little evidence of alcohol or pumpkin flavour.

The finish of the beer does allow some spiced pumpkin taste to linger on the tongue, letting you realize that this is actually a pumpkin brew. Skip this one, unless you like pumpkin syrup.

Shipyard Brewing Smashed Pumpkin

As part of their Pugsley Signature Series, Shipyard releases this seasonal beer each year for any weird people that enjoy drinking liquid pumpkin guts.

It smells like pumpkin pie and nutmeg. It has a deep, dark orange colour to it and at 9% at least you only need to drink one or two to get a buzz, if that is what you’re after. I have no idea what a pumpkin-induced hangover would be like but I can only imagine it would be ugly.

I would say, of the limited beers I’ve had from Shipyard, this is my least favourite. They do make a root beer, which is average as well, so maybe I shouldn’t have had high expectations? (Yes, I often judge a brewery by their root beer).

CAUTION! CONTAINS REAL PUMPKIN!!!

I had this interesting pumpkin beer at a barleywine tasting recently and despite all the efforts, it still came out as a slightly sweet, kinda gross, pumpkin beer.

This one was aged in bourbon barrels with cinnamon and vanilla, and some other spices. If you try hard enough you can pick out the barrel influence and sweetness that rounds out the flavour profile.

Too much effort for lacklustre results in my opinion. Thanks for trying, but even a barrel-aged barleywine pumpkin beer still can’t convince me this style deserves to exist. Kill all pumpkins! Just don’t put them in my beers.

Now can we start talking about pecan pie beers instead of pumpkin pie beers? Because if more breweries released pecan pie beers I would be a happy drinker at this time of year! For those of you who actually do like pumpkin beers, I can say none of these beers would be deemed “bad” by your palate, except maybe the Black Creek beer, but I think I may have just had a bad / too old version of that one.