On board Via Rail Train through British Columbia

GeorgieJet, Via Rail,British Columbia, 2012-1

Onboard Via Rail’s “The Canadian”  from Vancouver to Jasper, Alberta is a journey steeped in service, comfort, and relaxation.  The classic train was built in the ’50s and reminds one of the hit TV series – “Mad Men.” The dome car is reached via a set of stairs straight up into heaven! Sitting up high [...]

The Canadian Rockies—Much More than America’s Hat

The Canadian Rockies dominate the region and your imagination

How does a country become another country’s hat? Canada wants to know, and after his recent trek up to the Canadian Rockies in Alberta, so does contributor Ian Livingston.

Banff to Jasper on the Icefields Parkway

Travelers on the Icefields Parkway stop for a view of the Rockies

The natural world just doesn’t get any more beautiful than what you’ll find in Alberta’s Banff and Jasper National Parks. The sharp peaks of the Canadian Rockies dominate everything, and when you throw in icy turquoise lakes, roaming wildlife and everything in between, the combined 6,700 square miles of Parks Canada-protected land deserve all the [...]

Introducing Canmore and Kananaskis Country

The Canmore Mountain Market is open every Thursday of the summer

Canmore and Kananaskis Country may be outside the boundaries of Banff and Jasper, but they’re definitely in my book on places to visit. The book is metaphorical, yes, but the reasons to visit Canmore and Kananaskis Country—which share the Rockies with their National Park neighbors—are very real. Canmore Located just outside the southeastern boundary of [...]

7 Must-Play Golf Courses in the Canadian Rockies

The 10th green at Canmore Golf and Curling Club

Of the more than 300 golf courses in Alberta, Scoregolf.ca counts 37 in the Canadian Rockies. All are great plays, I’m sure, but seven of them, including two each from Robert Trent Jones, Sr. and Canadian hero Stanley Thompson, have reached an even higher plateau. Characterized by epic mountain vistas, roaming wildlife (including bears!), first-class [...]

A day in Vancouver en route to Jasper

At the Vancouver Harbor

After a six hour direct flight from Newark, NJ on Air Canada, I arrived relatively fresh in Vancouver, BC. The flight went by quickly due to the large jet, spacious room in economy, and friendly Canadian flight attendants. Since the flight left at 7am and because of the three extra hours gained in time difference, [...]

Festival International de Jazz de Montréal

"Escort" performs at the 2012 Montreal Jazz Festival. CREDIT: Jean-Francois Leblanc

ALL THAT JAZZ Calling all music lovers to the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal By Kelly Merritt: Every year for more than three decades, people from all over the world have come to soak up energy of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal. The massive main stage is surrounded by several other stages [...]

Family-friendly fun in Richmond, BC

Richmond Bound

There’s something to be said about a simple, low-key, family friendly summer vacation. That’s what my son Gavin and I experienced together in Richmond, British Columbia. Our adventure almost came to a halt however, when going through customs at the Vancouver International Airport. Because I was traveling with Gavin alone, the customs agent told me [...]