Nova Scotia
You weren’t exactly sure what to expect. An image of people chatting around a kitchen table, eating chips and dip, was your first thought. When you arrive at the “kitchen party” you see half the guests are holding musical instruments. And they’re not all crammed into the kitchen. They’re on the sofas, the rugs and the windowsills – filling up any available space where they can sit, lean or stand.
Category: Canada
Whistler
You lift your goggles as a brisk wind brushes your face. Jagged, snow-capped peaks surround you, stretching out as far as the eye can see. You could linger here at the top of the world, taking in the wondrous sights, but that’s not why you came. Goggles back in place, you push off.
The speed of your descent surprises you at first. Your heart races as you carve your way down, down and still further down. By the end of your first thousand feet, you’re pushing yourself to go even faster. You are the master of every turn, every jump. By the end of your second thousand, your thighs start to ache. At the end of your third, you can only begin to make out the roof of your hotel below. By now your thighs feel like rocks, but between breaths, you’re already thinking, “Tonight. Hot. Stone. Massage.
Prince Edward Island
You drag your feet slowly across the pink sand and listen. You do it again, a little faster, and listen. Not sure if it’s a squeak or a whine. It’s quite distinctive, though. There is definitely something about this sand.
A loud thud interrupts your pondering. A seagull snatches a mussel in its beak, sails high above the shore and drops it onto the rocks, then dives down to repeat the technique. Just a few more tries and lunch is served. That’s a fair bit of work for a meal, you think to yourself, glad to have seen the corner-store looking seafood shop a little ways back.
Edmonton
The historic streets of Old Strathcona are lined with buskers, vendors and show posters. A silly song about forlorn cows drifts over from the outdoor stage. You hum along and review your options carefully. Absurdist physical theatre. A hip-hop musical comedy. Surreal clowns of horror. They all sound like fun.
Undecided, you head for the concession stand, where you hope to catch the buzz on the must-see shows of the festival. As you take your first sip of draught, a human chain bursts through the entrance. Led by the cast and crew, the entire audience from the venue next door has linked arms and is sidestepping around the tent shouting some incomprehensible mantra. One of the actors hooks his arm through yours and pulls you into the dancing swirl of bodies. Laughing and tripping, you ask, “So, when’s your next show?”
Newfoundland & Labrador
Gargantuan icebergs glint in the summer sun out on the rippling bay. As you snap some photos, a man loading up a dinghy asks if you want to take a closer look at the icy giants. It’s no trouble, he insists, he’s on his way out anyway. The air feels noticeably cooler as you approach the oceanliner-sized floating glacier.
Your new friend scoops up a floating chunk of ice in a fishnet. He opens his cooler, breaks off a piece of the “bergie bit” and offers you a drink chilled with a two-thousand-year-old ice cube.
Regina
Hidden behind the rocks and bushes on a protected island, a family of scruffy little goslings emerges from their shells for the first time. Mom seems quite proud. Cattails bristle in the spring breeze as you blow errant strands of hair from your face, compromising your balance for a moment as you ride along the water. You dismount by a handsome poplar tree and lean your bike against its sturdy trunk. The grass crunches as you plop down for a short rest. On the other side of the lake, ministers in dark suits stream down the steps of the legislature.
Yukon
Breathe in crisp Yukon air. Smell spruce sap and the earthy tundra. Listen for the excited howls of husky sled dogs. Wander the landscape under the midnight sun and aurora borealis. Walk in the footsteps of Northern pioneers, talk to the locals and uncover the Yukon spirit.
Wild rivers, outdoor adventures like no other, caribou migrations, captivating First Nations culture and pioneer character will mesmerize you. You can hike the mountains in Kluane National Park and Reserve, photograph Tombstone Territorial Park, watch the swans on McClintock Bay and fish for arctic grayling. From Whitehorse, Dawson City, and Kluane you can flightsee, cross-country ski, kayak or snowmobile for a few hours.
Churchill
A dozen polar bears roam the vicinity, blotches of creamy softness ambling along the flat white terrain. As fierce as you know they can be, you are more in awe of their relative tranquility. A pair of cubs wrestles playfully in the snow, their protective mother looking on. Two males spar briefly for dominance, then go their separate ways. Others snooze the day away on the open tundra.
A steady crunching of snow grows louder as one hefty bruin approaches. You hold your breath as he leans his front paws against the enormous tires of your tundra buggy, stretching out his long neck for a better view of the parka-clad audience gathered above him. You lean over the railing to meet his gaze. Your eyes lock, each of you searching the other’s face for answers to some unspoken question.
The Prairies Regions travel
The Prairies
When the wind whips up over the open plains, oceans of tall grasses ripple in waves, their feathery tops tickling your thighs. A colourful patchwork of crops stretches out beyond the horizon under a never-ending sky, suggesting boundless possibility. You can’t wait for the sunset to sweep across this idyllic expanse. Somehow you know, the prairie sky is sure to put on quite a show.
Northwest Territories
It’s well after midnight and you’re finishing up another cup of coffee. The sun is still glowing bright and warm over the course and you are still going strong. Your last shot made it miraculously onto the green, leaving you in good position to birdie once again. Your companions can only shake their heads at your fine streak of play.
You’re getting ready for your next great putt when a cheeky raven swoops down and scoops your ball away in its thick beak. Not the kind of birdie you were hoping for. Luckily, they have rules in these parts for “theft of ball by raven”. As for muskoxen wandering onto the fairway, well, it’s generally best to just hit around them.