These days when we’re still discouraged from travelling very far, taking our photography to the sky is a great way to gain a new perspective on places close to home. Drone photography is soaring in popularity and it’s easy to see why. We’re no longer restricted to seeing things from ground level, or finding a […] Read more
Stories by Robin And Arlene Karpan

Photographing the night sky an ideal pandemic pastime
Night photography can open up a whole new world. With travel advisories still affecting how far afield we should go, visiting familiar locales close to home at night is almost like discovering new places. Something simple like a tree in the pasture might seem unremarkable during the day, but photograph it against the core of […] Read more

Travel restrictions revive interest in nearby attractions
Some of the biggest travel trends emerging recently have included outdoor activities, staying reasonably close to home and taking road trips in our own vehicles. The pandemic has been the main driver of this. While hope for greater travel freedom is on the horizon with continued vaccine rollouts, it seems unlikely that significant change will […] Read more

This is a great year to discover joys of winter camping
Want to take an exotic winter holiday while still observing pandemic protocols and travel advisories? Winter camping fits the bill. It’s a completely different experience from camping at other times of the year, with a lot of advantages. For starters, you don’t need ice for your cooler. Many parks are almost deserted, making social distancing […] Read more

Light displays make Christmas holidays merry and bright
The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly affected many of our plans this Christmas. One bright spot is drive-through light displays where we can safely experience the magic of the holiday season from our vehicles. Here are a few options from across the Prairies, keeping in mind that anything could be altered or cancelled on short notice […] Read more

International travel promises to be extra challenging this winter
The official Canadian government travel advisory is clear: “Avoid non-essential travel outside Canada until further notice.” Yet many Canadians are either making plans or thinking about a winter vacation in warmer climes. Most face a mind-boggling array of constantly changing regulations as to where they are allowed to go, where it might be safe to […] Read more

Complete overhaul coming this fall for Aeroplan program
November will bring so many changes to Aeroplan, Air Canada’s points program, that it essentially becomes a new program with new rules. It is difficult to say if the new Aeroplan is better or worse than the old one. It will depend on how you use it. A major difference is that the number of […] Read more

Waterton Lakes’ major attractions have now reopened
While all national parks went through tough times due to COVID-19, Waterton Lakes National Park in southwestern Alberta had to contend with a double whammy. The pandemic struck while it was still rebuilding after the massive Kenow Fire of 2017 that burned more than one-third of the park. The townsite was spared, barely, but the […] Read more

Try taking the road less travelled between Sask. cities
With most long-distance travel on hold, many of us are staying closer to home this summer and doing driving trips. Leaving the major highways where we can slow down to enjoy the scenery provides the most rewarding type of road trip. In Saskatchewan, we’re fortunate to have some great off-the-beaten-path routes linking our major cities. […] Read more

Will your travel reward points survive the pandemic?
With COVID-19 stopping most travel in its tracks, few of us these days think about wonderful places that our travel rewards programs promise to take us. So what about all those points we’ve been collecting? What will they be worth when we start travelling again? How well will airlines, hotel chains, and other businesses tied […] Read more