Summer

Unique Canadian Wine – Tantalizing Tastebuds in Three Wine Regions of Canada

If you’re already visiting wine country, you may as well venture off the main tasting routes of icewine, chardonnay, riesling, cabernet, and the pinots and try some truly unique wines from truly unique people. And these aren’t your “we do it differently but they taste weird” wines. These are outstanding examples from proven masters.

Whether you’re in looking for Okanagan wine tours, Niagara wine tours, or Nova Scotia wine tours, these three wineries will introduce you to something different.

Tips for Driving the Icefields Parkway from Lake Louise to Jasper

By Matthew G. Bailey

Few drives match the beauty and majesty of the Icefields Parkway Canada. Ranked as one of the most scenic drives in the entire world by a number of popular publications, the Icefields Parkway takes you from Lake Louise to Jasper, winding through two national parks, jagged mountains, pine forest, turquoise lakes, glaciers, and beautiful rivers. There are dozens of scenic points to stop and admire, as well as dozens of hikes that could take you anywhere from an afternoon to complete or a couple of weeks if you just want to get lost. This is the wilderness after all. Sure, this area attracts a lot of tourists, but for anyone who wants to get off the beaten track, there’s plenty of opportunities for that too – as long as you’re prepared for the wild country and the animals that live there, which includes wolves, cougars, and bears.

The drive takes approximately three hours to get to Jasper, but you’ll want to double that to take full advantage of the beauty surrounding you. If you’re coming from Banff, it will take around four hours to get from Banff to Jasper and only three hours to the Columbia Icefields. [Read more…] about Tips for Driving the Icefields Parkway from Lake Louise to Jasper

Five Great Hiking Trails in Newfoundland

By Leigh McAdam

Newfoundland is blessed with an abundance of excellent hiking trails, usually with a backdrop of rugged, world-class scenery. But there’s a downside – though only if you’re short on time. Many of the trails are some distance from each other. From my experience, the best hiking is along the East Coast Trail – not far from the capital of St. John’s and in Gros Morne National Park. There are a couple of other standout hikes you could access if you’re planning a drive across the province.

These five Newfoundland hikes are some of the best in the province…

Sugarloaf Path

The Sugarloaf Path is but one section of the 265-kilometre East Coast Trail. It’s one of the prettiest sections of the trail that can be done as a one-way day trip from St. John’s. I recommend either a shuttle should you have two cars or a 15-minute taxi ride to the Logy Bay trailhead at the Ocean Science’s Centre.

The East Coast Trail Association rates this hike as a difficult one, largely because the elevation gain is more than 150 metres. In my books, coming from the Rockies I’d give it a moderate rating. Allow four to five hours, more if you’re an avid photographer.

From the trailhead, it’s 8.8 kilometres to the scenic Quidi Vidi village. Along the way, it’s non-stop rugged coastal views with stunning cliffs and a good chance of iceberg sightings if you visit in June. Birders will love all the activity along this hike.

While in theory, the hike finishes in Quidi Vidi, I’d recommend adding another four kilometres and a little more than an hour of hiking time to finish in downtown St. John’s. There is the option of picking up a bus from the village as well. Look for the signs directing you to the Cuckold Cove Trail. Follow it to Signal Hill and from there into the city. [Read more…] about Five Great Hiking Trails in Newfoundland