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The Best Place for Vancouver Whale Watching

By Matthew G. Bailey 7 Comments


killer whales vancouver

Last updated: March 13th, 2020

It wasn’t long before a black dorsal fin broke through the water. Like a sharp blade, it sparkled as the sunlight hit the beads of water falling from the fin and back into the Pacific Ocean. It’s an incredible experience to see these beautiful whales off the coast of Vancouver and there’s really no better place to see them in the wild.

It was an incredibly lucky day for everyone on the water. It wasn’t more than 20-minutes from the time we left the pier before the first killer whale graced us with its presence. It was a quick start to what turned out to be an unforgettable day. Over the next three hours, we must have seen various orca whales breach the surface more than 100 times. [Read more…] about The Best Place for Vancouver Whale Watching

Exploring Nahanni National Park, The Worlds First UNESCO World Heritage Site

By Matthew G. Bailey 2 Comments

Nahanni National Park

Words cannot describe the first moment we approached Nahanni National Park. Sitting aboard a floatplane, Ted Simpson, owner of Simpson Air, flew us up and over the massive, untouched park on one of his popular five-hour tours. We flew by jagged mountain peaks, numerous canyons, massive rivers, hot springs, and waterfalls. It was truly magical and had the weather been more cooperative, we could have gone even deeper.

We did land though, right next to Virginia Falls, which is twice the height of Niagara Falls. Here we met Parks Canada staff who brought us on a short hike to see the falls from different angles and to capture them with our drone. For those with more time, the trail also leads down towards the bottom portion of the river where you can witness the falls from below.

Nahanni National Park is absolutely massive. The park encompasses 30,000 square kilometres and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In fact, it’s the first UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is pretty incredible, considering there are now over 1,000 of them, all across the world. [Read more…] about Exploring Nahanni National Park, The Worlds First UNESCO World Heritage Site

Ha Ling Peak – One of the Best Kananaskis Hikes

By Matthew G. Bailey

hiking trails near me

For a couple that lives just over an hour from the Canadian Rockies, we haven’t done as much hiking as we should be.  It’s almost ironic that my first big hike was actually in New Zealand when I went overseas for my first six-month solo adventure. When I told people where I was from, they were surprised to hear that I had not done many hikes. After all, Banff hiking trails are some of the best in the world. It’s the Rockies! At the same time, New Zealand is just as beautiful and lacks bears, cougars, wolves, and other dangerous animals. That’s mostly what kept me off of the trails. As I thought about it though, I realized that if I can love scuba diving with sharks, I should be okay doing some hiking near Banff National Park. So, that’s what we did. We made it a mission to do at least one or two hikes each summer. [Read more…] about Ha Ling Peak – One of the Best Kananaskis Hikes

Three Ways to Experience Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, Alberta, Canada

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Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump Alberta

For anyone interested in First Nations culture, I can hardly think of a better place to visit than Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump. In fact, it’s so special that it’s one of Canada’s 19 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, helping to preserve more than 6,000 years of Blackfoot cultures and traditions that happened here in the North American plains.

Upon arriving at the site, it doesn’t look like much, which is actually a good thing. The amazing architect who designed the building did so by building it right into the Earth, allowing it to provide visitors with an incredible interpretative centre without taking away from the natural area around it. It’s such a great design that it won the Governor General’s award for Architecture back in 1990.

Upon entering the interpretive centre, we knew we were in good hands. Everyone was so friendly. They joked around and took pride in their heritage. The museum has a variety of artifacts and displays, as well as a wonderful movie that re-enacts the buffalo hunt, a must-see for anyone visiting the site. This will help make the jump come alive for you. Without watching the movie or taking a tour, it would just look like a cliff. You’d lose the magic that comes from knowing the history that made this into one of the world’s 1,000+ World Heritage Sites.
[Read more…] about Three Ways to Experience Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, Alberta, Canada

Exploring Alberta’s History at the Turner Valley Gas Plant

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Turner Valley gas plant

If there’s anything that surprises me about tourism, it’s that there always seems to be something just around the corner. Such is the case of the Turner Valley Gas Plant. Located in Turner Valley, this place is only 25-minutes from where I live and I had never heard of it until recently.

While a gas plant wouldn’t be high on my list of places to visit, this one is special due to its history. The Turner Valley Gas Plant was the start of the oil and gas industry in Alberta, which has been one of the driving forces of the economy over the last few decades. This makes it both a national historical site and a great place to learn about the humble beginnings of the province of Alberta. In fact, without this gas plant, Calgary might not be what it is today. It’s due to the location of this plant that drove Calgary to be the place for all the head offices. [Read more…] about Exploring Alberta’s History at the Turner Valley Gas Plant

Four Ways to Enjoy the Natural Side of Lethbridge Canada

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lethbridge train bridge

It was pretty cool to go back to Lethbridge, Alberta and take the time to see what their nature is like. After all, I lived there for four months when I went to the University of Lethbridge and never took the time to explore the natural side of Lethbridge.

I had always admired the coulee’s, a beautiful landscape formation that looks like a series of small hills. They create a canyon-like valley, which is stunning to explore. Since the coulee area is the most scenic area in the city of Lethbridge, we focused our time there, checking out the various things to do. [Read more…] about Four Ways to Enjoy the Natural Side of Lethbridge Canada

History, Culture, and the RCMP Musical Ride – Experience Fort Macleod

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RCMP Musical Ride

I can’t even remember how many times I’ve driven through the town of Fort Macleod, Alberta. Having gone to Lethbridge for school, and to visit friends, I’ve driven from Calgary to Lethbridge dozens of times and never took the time to stop and see what Fort Macleod had to offer. It’s a very small town and there’s this old fort I always drove by, which made me curious as to what lay behind the wooden posts. Well, I finally had the chance to check it out, and it’s really quite impressive.

The Fort, which is home to the Museum of the Northwest Mountain Police and First Nations Interpretive Centre, is situated just 30-minutes west of Lethbridge and 1.5 hours south of Calgary. For those driving from Calgary to Lethbridge, you’ll literally pass right by the main doors if you drive through Fort Macleod. For those of you interested in Alberta history, the RCMP, vintage artifacts, and/or horses, this is one place to add to your bucket list. [Read more…] about History, Culture, and the RCMP Musical Ride – Experience Fort Macleod

Experiencing the Old West at Fort Whoop-Up in Lethbridge, Alberta

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Fort Whoop Up Lethbridge Alberta

For many visitors to Alberta, they want to experience a little taste of the old west. Popular places to get that western vibe are usually the Bar-U-Ranch, the Cowboy Trail, and small towns scattered throughout the prairies. But old west culture is also in Lethbridge, Alberta, and we recently had the chance to experience a slice of it at Fort Whoop-Up.

Located right down in the beautiful Lethbridge Coulees, the fort is surrounded by canyon-like scenery, mixed with dry desert-like conditions, cactus, and the odd rattlesnake. As we made our way towards the fort, we imagined what it would have been like hundreds of years ago when there would have been horses instead of cars, and much less civility.

Fort Whoop-Up is a replica of an original fur trading fort built in the late 1800s, not too far away from here. It was originally called Fort Hamilton and during the late 19th century, served as a centre for a variety of trading activities, one of which was the illegal whiskey trade. Whiskey traders flourished here due to the lack of police force prior to 1874, and the high prices they could command for their goods. [Read more…] about Experiencing the Old West at Fort Whoop-Up in Lethbridge, Alberta

Things To Do in Cardston, Alberta | The Remington Carriage Museum

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Remington Carriage Museum

I’m always amazed by big attractions that lay hidden away in small towns just beyond the beaten path. I find travel is like an onion. As you peel away one layer, another emerges. Such is the case for the Remington Carriage Museum, which is located in Cardston, Alberta. Despite living in Alberta and traveling extensively within the province, I had never heard of this museum until I was on a writing assignment with Zenseekers to showcase Southern Alberta.

The Remington Carriage Museum is home to more than 270 carriages and is the largest of its kind in the world. Upon entering the museum, we were essentially transported back to the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, getting a glimpse of carriages that carried pioneers and some that carried the rich and famous. As someone who grew up watching Western movies, I really loved seeing the overnight carriages, decked out in white canvas, used by pioneers traveling across the country. We learned all about Don Remington (1914 – 1987) and why he created this place. We also learned of their newest exhibit featuring Robert McLaughlin, the entrepreneur behind the largest carriage manufacturing company in the British Empire. Considering how big of an impact this family had on Canada, I was surprised I had never heard of them before. They even created Canada Dry Ginger Ale. [Read more…] about Things To Do in Cardston, Alberta | The Remington Carriage Museum

A Day in Castle Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada

By Matthew G. Bailey 2 Comments

things to do in alberta

2017 was an exciting year for Alberta. We got a new provincial park! Castle Provincial Park, located just 45-minutes South of Pincher Creek, is a 105,000-hectare treasure chest of rocky mountain scenery, lakes, and rivers. It’s also much less crowded than heavily established parks like Banff, Jasper, and Waterton national park.

We recently had the opportunity to spend a day there, and although we wish we had more time to explore the park a bit deeper, we were on a busy road trip throughout Southern Alberta and had already made plans to visit places such as Frank Slide. [Read more…] about A Day in Castle Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada