Jim Byers photo Stunning George Lake is an easily accessible lake in Killarney Provincial Park, with campgrounds and nice beaches just off the main road. KILLARNEY PROVINCIAL PARK – Some of the best hiking in Canada. Incredible kayaking and canoeing in pristine lakes surrounded by white quartz mountains and pale red rock. And brilliant sunsets over glorious Georgian Bay. There’s no place like this in Ontario. There’s probably no place like it anywhere in the world, for that matter. I had the good fortune to spend a few summer days in the town of Killarney and in the park, about Read more
hiking
BANFF NATIONAL PARK, ALBERTA – I’m standing in a pretty mountain bowl at Sunshine Meadows with small hills all around dotted with white and yellow flowers. The sky is that famous shade of Alberta blue and the deep grey hills are patchy with winter’s leftover snow. Our guide, Thalia Christou with White Mountain Adventures, points out the yellow Alpine Butter Cups and the western anemones, which look like yellow and white crocuses but grow interesting, fuzzy bits to stay warm. They look like they’ve grown hair in summer, causing Christou to refer to them as “hippie hair flowers.” We spot Read more
WATERTON LAKES NATIONAL PARK – This might be the most under-appreciated national park in Canada. Ask Canadians about Waterton Lakes , and probably half the time you’ll get a blank stare. Other times, you’ll get a small nod and the response, “I’ve heard it’s beautiful.” Most of the time, the latter phrase is followed by “But I haven’t made it yet.” Me? I don’t remember when the place first entered my mind. But I get reminded it of every time I go home to my Dad’s house in California. For years, he’s had a black and white drawing of Waterton Read more
Jim Byers Photo India is one of the destinations you can book with BikeHike Adventures. Here’s another cool-sounding Canadian travel company to keep an eye on. BikeHike Adventures , a company based in Vancouver and run for 20 years by former Torontonian (and still Toronto lover, just fyi) Trish Sare, offers tremendous looking packages that promise interaction with locals in some awesome parts of the world. In a recent visit to the city, Sare explained some of the company’s background and philosophy. “We offer multisport holidays to some 30 destinations around the world,” she told me. “It’s mostly central and Read more
Jim Byers photo Moraine Lake might be the most beautiful body of water on the planet. A couple weeks ago I wrote about the sumptuous Post Hotel and Spa in Lake Louise; a fabulous hotel with all the amenities you could want. This time I’ll fill you in on a couple other options: one quite highly priced but with perhaps the greatest mountain view on the planet, and the other quite reasonable and family friendly and with one of the top breakfast dishes I’ve ever had. The Moraine Lake Lodge Sits at one end of what might be the Read more
