Story and Photos by Carol Canter.
One day, I was knee-deep in a field of wild strawberries, eating tiny, luscious, sweet berries by the fistful. That same night I danced to the exuberant rhythms of an Acadian band, whose fiddles, accordion, mandolin and guitars filled an entire club with spirited gusto. Kayaking placid waters deep into sea caves, watching lobster boats return with their catch, hiking wildflower-strewn cliffs, and sipping cafes au lait at harborside were part of my introduction to Les Îles de la Madeleine, an archipelago of 12 islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Story by Carol Canter with photos by Jack Heyman.
“As we pass this stick around the group,” Kathryn Gardner intoned, holding aloft a small pine branch, “we’ll introduce ourselves and share our fears. Later in the trip, we’ll burn the stick and watch our fears go up in smoke.” We had just finished dinner at Two Jack Lakeside Campground in Banff, 150 miles north of the Montana border in Alberta, Canada. It was the first evening of a six-day family bike trip through the Canadian Rockies, and already we had been riding since four o’clock that afternoon.
Summer tripping through the Canadian Rockies
Story and Photos by Carol Canter.
With daylight in the Canadian Rockies extending until almost 11 pm at summer’s peak, visitors can pack in long days of wondrous activity. For who wants to sleep when there are lakes to canoe, rivers to raft, trails to hike, wildlife to view and mountains to climb, photograph, paint or simply contemplate. So when we checked into Overlander Mountain Lodge, a member of Charming Inns of Alberta just outside the entrance to Jasper National Park, the setting was so dazzling that we took a 10 pm hike before settling in for the night.
The Rocky Mountaineer from Banff to Vancouver
Story by Carol Canter with photos by C. Canter and Jack Heyman
The train whistle blew, signaling the arrival of the sleek Rocky Mountaineer into Banff’s heritage railway station. It was “All Aboard” by 9 a.m. and, within minutes of departure on the Rocky Mountaineer, we were raising glasses of champagne and peach juice to toast our two-day rail journey through the Canadian Rockies from Banff, elevation 4540 feet, down to Vancouver, at sea level.
Story and Photos by Stephanie Levin
Warning! This is not a quiz. But if you’re not from Canada, or your geographical antenna isn’t pointed toward Quebec, the Lower Laurentians might bypass your radar screen, and that would be too bad, particularly for the traveler who thrives on unassuming pristine landscapes, sporting adventures, family farms and wide-open spaces.
Leave a Reply