Articles

Flying High Over the Canadian Rocky Mountains

September 12, 2014 By Matthew G. Bailey 4 Comments

“Look to your right,” the Pilot said as we passed some mountain sheep resting high up on the cliff. It was amazing to fly so close to the mountain peak and witness these amazing creatures in their natural habitat. They were basically resting on the peak of a mountain! I fell in love with helicopters as we soared up high and over some of the most magical scenery in the world.

It was only a few minutes prior that I was sitting in the office of Alpine Helicopter Tours, listening to a quick safety video and anticipating the adventure ahead. It was a beautiful day with blue skies and sunny weather. It’s incredible how quickly you can go from being at the base to being above the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

Whale and Puffin Watching in St. Johns, Newfoundland

July 3, 2014 By Matthew G. Bailey Leave a Comment

A trip to Newfoundland just isn’t complete without a look at the famous Puffin. Small funny-looking birds with bright-coloured beaks like a parrot can be found in many windy seaside areas of Newfoundland. They are simply awesome to watch and cute of course.

Puffins are also very interesting. They feed by diving into the water (up to 60m I was told) and are better swimmers than they are flyers. They’re nests consist of burrowing a hole into the soil and they even go as far as to have two separate rooms; one for resting and one for pooping. Although they don’t fly extremely well, they can flap their wings up to 400 times per minute and they stay in windier areas where it can assist them in flight. Smart.

We saw thousands of them on a whale-watching tour we took with Mullowney’s Puffin and Whale Tours. Located in Bay Bulls, just 30 minutes from the famous city of St.Johns, Mullowney’s is a small outfit with a lot of charm and a great track record with their customers. We love supporting companies like this and we’re thrilled to hit the seas with them.

Become a Cowboy or Cowgirl Amidst the Beautiful Backdrop of the Canadian Rockies

March 14, 2014 By Matthew G. Bailey 4 Comments

I honestly thought that I knew everything about the Canadian Rockies. Okay, maybe not everything, but after living in Calgary for the last 10 years, I’ve had my fair share of Rocky Mountain experiences. I’ve spent a lot of time camping near beautiful mountain lakes, enjoying world-class skiing, snowshoeing, tubing, hiking, and even riding in a helicopter for a birds eye view of one of the most incredible places on earth. I really did think I had experienced everything the rockies had to offer. That is, until I heard about Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies. This non-profit group, which has been around for more than 90 years, takes customers for six-day journey’s on horseback through the backcountry of the Rockies. [Read more…] about Become a Cowboy or Cowgirl Amidst the Beautiful Backdrop of the Canadian Rockies

Ice Fishing at Whiteswan Lake, British Columbia

February 3, 2014 By Matthew G. Bailey 2 Comments

It was dark outside. A slice of moon glowed above us as we made our way to the Tim Horton’s in Invermere, British Columbia. At 7am sharp, we pulled up in the parking lot to meet up with Rylan and Chris of Reel Axe Adventures who were taking us out to Whiteswan Lake for a day of ice fishing for world-class rainbow trout.

We were told this lake is much more of an adventure than lake Windermere, which would have been much closer. Whiteswan Lake is situated 1.5 hours away from Invermere in the backcountry of interior British Columbia. The road to get there is an active logging route and as the light came out to expose the beautiful mountain scenery surrounding us, we didn’t mind having to wake up at such an early hour.

Fabulous Skiing at Panorama Mountain Village

January 31, 2014 By Matthew G. Bailey 2 Comments

One of my favourite feelings in the world is soaring down a mountain on skis, going as fast as I can and then making sharp turns so I can almost touch the snow like a surfer touching the water in a tube wave.

I had plenty of those moments this past week at Panorama Mountain Village. The ski runs are fantastic. The views are incredible. The amenities are plentiful.

One of my favourite runs was at the top of the champagne chairlift, which is almost the peak of the mountain. From there, it was 6 or 7 minutes of all-out speed as I raced down the mountain with nothing but jaw-dropping scenery in front of me. Even the ride up the chairlift itself is fabulous with tree after tree covered in hoarfrost.

Snowshoeing, Tubing and Magnificent Views at Mount Norquay

January 26, 2014 By Matthew G. Bailey 6 Comments

Situated in one of the most beautiful national parks in the world is Mount Norquay, an amazing mountain for skiing and snowboarding. Known as one of the mountains where olympians train, it’s also the closest and smallest ski area to the town of Banff.

But when most people think of Mount Norquay or with any of the mountains for that matter, thoughts of skiing and snowboarding are the only things that typically come to mind. That’s the only thing I ever thought about when visiting the area during the winter time…

Not anymore.

Walking through Historic Quebec City

January 13, 2014 By Matthew G. Bailey 3 Comments

Quebec City is a magical place in Canada. First, it’s just different than the rest of the country. It feels like you’re in Europe more than North America. Secondly, it’s full of history. Whether your walking around the walled city of Old Quebec, taking a picture of the famous Fairmont Frontenac or strolling through the plains of Abraham, You’re bound to enjoy your time in this wonderful city.

My family and I were visiting Quebec City in late July as we drove across the country. I was excited to see Quebec City and walk the cobblestone streets of Old Quebec. We used Priceline to our advantage and scored the Best Western Plus, which was only a 20-minute walk from the heart of the city. For a room that was normally $170 per night, $80 was a great deal!

We had two days to wander around before we went up north to Tadoussac for some whale watching. Our days were packed full of activities. [Read more…] about Walking through Historic Quebec City

Three Moose and a Mountain | Hiking Gros Morne, Newfoundland

September 24, 2013 By Matthew G. Bailey 1 Comment

It surprises me that after visiting Newfoundland more than a dozen times, I had never hiked their treasured UNESCO World Heritage site. When I look back though, I was never as adventurous as I am now. With a curiosity and passion to visit the most beautiful places on earth, it was without a doubt that I would hike Gros Morne National Park on my latest visit to the rock.

Located on the West coast of Newfoundland, Gros Morne is the provinces second tallest mountain, standing tall at 806 m. Created from eroded remnants of a mountain range formed more than 1.2 billion years ago, Gros Morne is an exquisite and rare example of continental drift, a process where deep ocean crust and the rocks of the earth’s mantle are exposed.

In other words, it’s gorgeous and educational.

We were lucky to arrive on a hot sunny day, something rare in this “neck of the woods”. After purchasing our park ticket and getting some great advice from one of the friendly park rangers, we headed to the base of Gros Morne mountain to prepare for our climb. We packed plenty of water, some protein bars, and fruit and of course, a good camera.

The beginning of the climb was nice and shady with the trail taking us over freshwater streams and plenty of vegetation. We also took the time to read some information signs, where we learned that …

Kayaking Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick

September 10, 2013 By Matthew G. Bailey 5 Comments

Stunning.

The only word I could think of as I glanced out over the Bay of Fundy near Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick. The water was as smooth as glass, with a calming light-coloured background of blue hues.

Stunning.

Although I had gone to simple see the rocks and the rising tide, I was actually more amused by the hundreds of shorebirds silently flying across the bay just inches from touching the water. I really fell in love with these little birds, catching them in their annual migration down south. I couldn’t peel my eyes away from the absolutely majestic scenery. Everything was so silent and so smooth.

Then I looked beside me.

Towering next to me was the equally impressive Hopewell Rocks; a series of wonderful rock formation caused by tidal erosion. The biggest attraction in this neck of the woods is the largest ocean tides in the world. This area in particular rises and falls an average of 35 feet, twice per day. [Read more…] about Kayaking Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick

Little Chicago – Learning About Scarface in the Tunnels of Moose Jaw Saskatchewan

July 23, 2013 By Matthew G. Bailey 2 Comments

It’s not what I expected in the little town of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Who would have thought that a gangster from Chicago, Al Capone, would be bootlegging alcohol in tunnels under Moose Jaw?

It must have been a big change for Mr. Capone, who was raised in New York and then controlled Chicago’s crime scene, to visit a town hundreds of times smaller.

My family and I arrived at 7 PM for the Chicago Connection Tour. We were guided across the street where we met Miss Fanny, otherwise known as the lady of the bar. The tour is an interactive show with a couple of actors who do a great job at entertaining, complete with old Chicago accents and lingo.

We were shown a quick video in the bar that gave us some history of Al Capone and the alcohol bootlegging industry. We were then treated as bootleggers ourselves and brought into the tunnels to meet gangster Gus, who guided us through the rest of the tunnels. The accents were great. The way it’s all organized is great. There was suspense. Some people even got scared (like my mom).

All in all, it was a great show and if you ever find yourself passing through southern Saskatchewan, it’s worth the visit.

You can also enjoy a latte across the street where the tour begins.

Learn more at www.tunnelsofmoosejaw.com.

Have you been to the tunnels of Moose Jaw before?