Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for canada
Gem of the Salish Sea
By Linda Tancs
Adjacent to British Columbia and Washington State, the Salish Sea is an inland sea named after the Coast Salish people, the first inhabitants of the region. Touted as a gem of the Salish Sea, Galiano Island is closest to Vancouver, which makes it easily accessible via ferry. Bluffs Point Lookout is a popular attraction, along with Bodega Ridge Trail, which rewards hikers with spectacular vistas of Trincomali Channel, Vancouver Island and the Strait of Georgia. Steps from the ferry dock, Sturdies Bay is home to most of the amenities on this island, including a resort hotel, art galleries and dining options.
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Calgary’s Peace Bridge
By Linda Tancs
Peace Bridge is a pedestrian bridge across the Bow River in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Named as a tribute to the military, it was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. A downtown icon, it features a tube-like design with red accents and a dedicated bike lane. Enjoy the skyline views.
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Alberta’s Mountain Playground
By Linda Tancs
Away from the masses that visit Banff National Park, Canada’s Kananaskis Country is a mountain retreat beloved by locals. It includes five provincial parks, four wildland provincial parks, one ecological reserve and several provincial recreation areas. Not just for outdoorsy types, the vast expanse offers a luxury spa experience, cozy lodges and inspiring views requiring no more than a casual walk. The drive from Calgary’s western city limit takes about one hour via the Trans-Canada Highway #1.
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The Kick-Off to Summer in Halifax
By Linda Tancs
Viewed as the kick-off to summer, Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo is a global entertainment event in Halifax. The word “tattoo” is derived from “doe den tap toe,” a drumbeat played in the 17th century to call British soldiers back to the barracks in their Dutch villages. Over time, the phrase was shortened to “tap toe,” then anglicized to “tattoo” and adopted as a term for a military musical show. The Halifax event features marching bands, acrobats, dancers, military displays and pipes and drums. This year’s event runs from June 27 to July 1.
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Whaling History at Red Bay
By Linda Tancs
The oil that lit the lamps of Europe in the 16th century came from Canada’s Strait of Belle Isle, a waterway that separates Labrador from the island of Newfoundland. It was there that whalers from the Basque region of Spain and France established a major whaling port at Red Bay. Both a national historic site and UNESCO World Heritage Site, Red Bay National Historic Site preserves the history of Basque whaling in Canada. Located along the Labrador Coastal Drive, the experience includes 16th-century Basque whaling traditions brought to life through costumed interpreters, original artifacts, scale models of work buildings, photographs and a 30-minute film. You can also take a short ferry ride to Saddle Island to see the archaeological remains of buildings where the Basques worked and lived.
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Living History and the Fur Trade
By Linda Tancs
One of the largest living history sites in North America, Fort William Historical Park in Ontario, Canada, brings to life the excitement and drama of the 19th-century fur trade. Historical characters use first-person interpretation to present their life and experiences at and around Fort William circa 1815. The fort is an accurate re-creation of the North West Company’s impressive inland headquarters, the world’s largest fur trading enterprise. Explore over 40 buildings including the artisans’ area, the working farm and the Anishnaabe encampment and encounter a cultural mosaic of Scottish fur traders, Ojibwa and Metis peoples, and French-Canadian voyageurs. Guided tours are approximately 1.5 hours in length and are offered September through June. During July and August you can explore the site at your own pace.
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Canada’s Limestone Barrens
By Linda Tancs
Canada’s Port au Choix National Historic Site is a rugged coastline of unique limestone barrens, forests and bays in a scenic fishing village. Limestone bedrock is formed by the compaction of coral plant and animal remains on the bottom of the ocean. In this unique environment, some 114 rare plants thrive, including the elegant yellow lady slipper orchid. You might also spot three rare plants, endemic only to Newfoundland: barrens willow (a woody shrub with reddish-brown stems), the Fernald’s braya (small white flower clusters with fleshy basal leaves) and the taller Long’s braya. Take a guided walk.
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Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail
By Linda Tancs
The Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail is an all-season trail featuring some of the valley’s best farmlands and historic places. The longest cycling path in Ontario, the multi-use corridor stretches from Smith Falls to Mattawa. A permit is required for ATV and snowmobile use.
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Switzerland of the Arctic
By Linda Tancs
Just 31 miles south of the Arctic Circle lies the Inuit hamlet of Pangnirtung on Baffin Island in Canada. Known commonly as Pang, its towering peaks (the highest in the Canadian Shield) and glaciers give it the nickname “Switzerland of the Arctic.” It’s conveniently located near Auyuittuq National Park, which offers hiking, camping and climbing in the summer and cross-country skiing in the winter. In Pang, visitors enjoy a range of activities like igloo camping, dog sledding and snow mobile riding. In August the average temperature is 37 F. Warm up at the Uqqurmiut Centre for Arts & Crafts, where traditional Inuit arts and crafts are displayed, particularly woven tapestries, lithographic prints and the popular, crocheted winter hat called the “Pang Hat.”
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The Great North American Eclipse
By Linda Tancs
Billed as the Great North American Eclipse, a total solar eclipse will cross North America on April 8, 2024, passing over Mexico, the United States and Canada. The path of the eclipse begins in Mexico, entering the United States in Texas, and traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The eclipse will enter Canada in Southern Ontario, and continue through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton. This will be the last time any solar eclipse will be visible within the United States until 2045.
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