The best little K-Country Lodge you may not know about, three mountain lodges made for escapism, Icelandic dreams
The best little K-Country Lodge you may not know about Mount Engadine Lodge has the warm feeling of walking into an old friend’s cabin: knitted slippers in a basket for guests and a roaring fire in the main entryway are the backdrop for the beautiful mountain views from the dining room. The lodge is located…
Interpretive programs can improve visitors' attitudes about nature-friendly behaviour, but longer-term effects less certain: U of A researchers
By Glen Hvenegaard and Elizabeth Halpenny University of Alberta After weeks of pandemic lockdown and closures, families keen on camping holidays and getting outdoors are relieved that many of our parks are reopening. Canada’s national parks partially opened on June 1 for day use; camping will be closed until at least June 21 while authorities assess safety.…
As we approached the island, our anticipation rose and ebbed as we watched the weather. We weren’t sure if, after travelling so far, we could even land
As a guide, I often get to travel to exciting destinations. For example, I recently participated in an adventure to the Canadian Maritime provinces that took me to Sable Island. I’ve felt the urge, almost the need, to visit this magical place for most of my adult life. I’m not sure really why since it’s…
All was ice, white curving fingers spilling from mountain valleys. Dark lines of ground rock defined each icy highway
[smartslider3 slider=10] KLUANE NATIONAL PARK AND RESERVE, Yukon – I’ve been a geography nut since I was a kid. My noggin is full of useless facts. In pre-metric days, I memorized details of the world’s highest and lowest: Mount Everest, 29,028 feet; Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, 35,814 feet. As a proud Canadian, I…
Discovering Virginia Falls, a remarkable UNESCO World Heritage Site – and learning a little German
[smartslider3 slider=3] ON THE ALASKA HIGHWAY – In German, weichei means soft egg. It defines a person’s character. In Canada, we call them wimps. Charly Kudlacek is from Frankfurt in the German state of Hesse and, as eggs go, is hard-boiled. We met Charly and his wife Marion in a remote campground at Summit Lake…
Comfy beds and incredible food await after a long, fulfilling day
As we gaped in awe at Talc Lake, a deep blue expanse hanging above Egypt Lake in the distance, a passing hiker said to us, “It only gets better.” Better than this? we wondered. How is that possible? In the vista before us, a waterfall ribbon from Talc seemed to put the cherry on top…
Jasper's spectacular ski resort may offer slopes less travelled but it certainly deserves wider attention
[smartslider3 slider=63] Cue the theme from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Duct tape a sombrero onto your helmet. Find a half-burned cigarillo (good luck!) to chomp on. The bad boys have arrived at Marmot Basin, Alberta’s quieter, family-friendly Rocky Mountain ski resort in Jasper National Park. These new rascals are Tres Hombres –…
Forty years ago, it was a deserted ground, tinged in sadness. Today, the region is enriched with spirit and purpose
[smartslider3 slider=36] Forty years ago, in 1978, my wife and I agreed to cap our first year of marriage with an adventure. We decided to follow in the paddle-strokes of good friends who had just kayaked to what was then called the South Moresby archipelago of the Queen Charlotte Islands. We chose the first two…
The popularity of Canada's parks and protected areas is creating problems that will require more than simply banning people to solve
Canada’s national parks are having a big year. It’s both a blessing and a curse. In July, the parks and historic sites saw nine per cent more visits than they did in 2016, which experienced 24.6 million visits for the year. And that was a big jump from the 23.2 million in 2015. In one…