Early winter is the prime time to see eagles up close and in great numbers in British Columbia’s Squamish river Valley as they gather to feast on salmon.  |  Robin & Arlene Karpan photo

Squamish home to a world-famous gathering of eagles

If you’re impressed with bald eagles as much as we are, British Columbia’s Squamish River Valley, about an hour’s drive north of Vancouver, is the place to be. It ranks among the top spots in the world to see eagles up close and in great numbers, with the best viewing sites just steps away from […] Read more

The hills of Colombia’s Cocora Valley are an almost unreal emerald green, a hint that it rains a lot.  |  Robin and Arlene Karpan photo

Colombia’s Cocora Valley offers breathtaking scenery

If you like palm trees, the imposing Andean wax palms are in a class by themselves — close to 70 metres or 200 feet high — the tallest in the world. But unlike most palms lining tropical coastlines, these grow high in the mountains. It was seeing photos of these impressive though peculiar trees that […] Read more

Highway 378 is one of the main roads that can be taken to explore the Thickwood Hills in northwestern Saskatchewan. It runs from just north of the Battlefords to Spiritwood.  |  Robin and Arlene Karpan photo

Take a scenic drive through the Thickwood Hills

If you like country drives big on scenery but light on traffic, it’s hard to beat the Thickwood Hills in northwestern Saskatchewan. A bonus at this time of year is that you can include a visit to one of the spookiest places around to get in the mood for Halloween. The hills are roughly northeast […] Read more


Potatoes are one of Prince Edward Island’s most significant claim to fame.  |  Robin and Arlene Karpan photo

Trip to Prince Edward Island melds rural and seaside life

Prince Edward Island has several claims to fame: long sandy beaches, blazing red cliffs, picture-perfect fishing villages, fresh-off-the-boat seafood, Anne of Green Gables, and rich history. And of course, it also has potatoes, lots of potatoes. What struck us most about travelling around P.E.I. was the melding of rural and seaside life. While other parts […] Read more

Percé Rock lies next to the town of Percé on the eastern edge of Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.  |  Robin and Arlene Karpan photo

Percé offers iconic coastline scenery, outstanding wildlife

Percé Rock is among the most recognizable landmarks along Canada’s East Coast. The imposing limestone island reaches 85 metres high and close to a half-kilometre long. The name Percé (French for “pierced”) comes from its 30-metre-wide hole, considered the largest stone arch over water in the world. The monolith lies next to the town of […] Read more


New Brunswick’s Bay of Fundy is known not only for its high tides but also its dramatic landscape.  |  Robin & Arlene Karpan photo

Explore the world’s highest tides in New Brunswick

In many places along New Brunswick’s Bay of Fundy coastline, we could visit two dramatically different landscapes in the same place on the same day. This huge body of water between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia is famous for having the highest tides in the world, so what you see now will look entirely different […] Read more

Devin Imrie takes Arlene Karpan on his Falcon Beach Ranch’s UFO Ride.  |  Robin and Arlene Karpan photo

Ranch provides out-of-this-world experience

Long, narrow Falcon Lake stretches along the Trans-Canada Highway in southeastern Manitoba. It’s part of Whiteshell Provincial Park, a popular wilderness playground in the forested Canadian Shield, with lakes and rivers galore. We spent a few days at Falcon Beach Ranch, five minutes from the resort community of Falcon Beach on the west end of […] Read more

The history of the Sturgeon-Weir River, of which Amisk Lake is a part, goes back to the fur trade when it was a crucial connector between the Saskatchewan and Churchill river systems.  |  Robin & Arlene Karpan photo

Northeast Sask. lake rich in history and unusual scenery

Amisk Lake in northeastern Saskatchewan stands out for its varied landscapes and storied history, much of which we can experience on a drive along its eastern shore. Highway 167 starts at the twin communities of Creighton and Flin Flon on the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border and then winds southwest to the resort village of Denare Beach. A […] Read more


Pukaskwa National Park in Ontario preserves 135 kilometres of rugged coastline on Lake Superior with a combination of ancient granite bedrock, mixed forest, golden sand beaches and stunning views. | Robin and Arlene Karpan photo

Pukaskwa National Park top choice for superior scenery

The north shore of Lake Superior ranks among Canada’s great road trips. The 700-kilometre stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway between Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie passes through splendid Canadian Shield landscapes lining the world’s largest fresh-water lake. A scenic gem about halfway along this route is Pukaskwa National Park, preserving 135 kilometres of rugged […] Read more

Smaller crowds are one of the big reasons for visiting Banff during the winter. | Robin and Arlene Karpan photo

Plenty of advantages to visiting Banff in the wintertime

Banff is famous for its magnificent landscapes, no less so in winter when a blanket of snow brings an added dimension. Besides striking scenery, winter has other advantages. Canada’s most famous national park can get so busy in summer and fall that just finding a parking spot at many top sights is challenging. Fewer people […] Read more