Popular Sights

Saturday, August 01, 2009

Situated within Banff National Park lies one of the most scenic vistas in the Canadian Rockies, Lake Louise. Sitting at an elevation of 5,690 ft (1731 m), the icy blue green waters of Lake Louise reflect the surrounding mountain peaks and the Victoria glacier. It is the silt and rock flour that is carried by the glacier’s melt waters that give the lake its incredible colour.

Friday, July 24, 2009

The region which is now Jasper National Park was once the floor of a sea that covered North America. Internal pressure pushed the rock above the water and erosion carved its current peaks and valleys.

Established as a national park in 1907, Jasper National Park was named after Jasper Hawes, former manager of the Hudson Bay Trading outpost located in the area. The variety and beauty of its numerous lakes are the area’s chief attractions, with Maligne Lake being the largest. One of the park’s other features is the great Columbia Icefield, the largest mass of ice in the Rocky Mountains, covering 120 sq. miles (311 sq. km) and ranging in thickness from 1,970 to 2,950 ft (600 to 900 m). Its meltwater empties into the Arctic, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Victoria is the capitol city of British Colombia, and is a popular port of call on Alaska cruises. It is a short bus ride from the cruise terminal into the city center. Buses go back and forth every 15 to 20 minutes, and cost approximately $15 pp round trip.

The Fairmont Empress Hotel is off of the Victoria Harbour, and is beautiful!
This luxury chateau style resort offers boutique shopping, golf and spa facilities.

There is also lots of shopping available walking distance from the Harbour, including the latest trends, as well as imported items from Britian. Restaurants and cafes serve delicious cuisine.

The Royal BC Museum is rated one of the best in North America.

World-famous Butchart Gardens lures visitors from around the world. Butchart Gardens is 55 acres of floral display, offering spectacular views.

The video below is over 7 minutes in length, but if you have the time, gives a wonderful tour of the gardens.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

For those that are new to travel, you may be wondering when reading through an itinerary what is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site that holds a list of outstanding cultural or natural universal value such as, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It could be a monument, building, mountain, forest, lake, desert, complex or city.

So how is a site selected?

Only countries that have signed the World Heritage Convention, pledging to protect their natural & cultural heritage can submit nominations for properties on their territory to be considered for inclusion in UNESCO’s World Heritage list.

A nominated property is independently evaluated by several Advisory Boards. Once a site has been nominated & evaluated, the intergovernmental World Heritage Committee makes the final decision. One per year, the Committee meets to decide which sites will be inscribed on the World Heritage list.

The program aims to catalogue & preserve sites of outstanding importance, either cultural or natural, to the common heritage of humankind.

There are currently 878 World Heritage Sites in 145 countries. These include 679 cultural, 174 natural and 25 mixed properties.

You may have visited a place in the U.S. already, not realizing it was a UNESCO site such as the Statue of Liberty, Grand Canyon, Yosemite Yellowstone or Olympic National Park.

Click here for a full list of site.

I have seen 20 sites in 9 countries, so only 858 to go, but I have to say that certain countries do not interest me AT ALL, so my goal would be to see at least half of the UNESCO sites while traveling the world.

How many UNESCO sites have you visited?

Friday, April 17, 2009

Halifax, Nova Scotia is a modern port city teeming with culture and heritage and the perfect place for your next holiday vacation. The entire Halifax region delights visitors and citizens alike with its impressive array of entertainment, museums, galleries, historic sites, fine restaurants, colorful gardens and lively nightlife. Explore charming seaside towns, sun-drenched beaches, sparkling coves and miles of rugged shoreline guarded by graceful lighthouses. Imagine the vivacity of city living, the charms of small town life and the pristine beauty of nature - all in one place!

If you are only stopping for the day on a Canada/New England cruise, consider a city tour that includes a visit to St. Paul's Church, the Titanic Burial site, the Citadel National Historic Park and the Victorian Public Gardens. This tour takes 3 to 4 hours.  If you are looking for a full-day tour, many visit Green Gables, the fabled farmhouse made famous by L.M. Montgomery in her stories about Anne Shirley, stops also include Prince Edward National Park, Kensington Towers and Water Gardens or the Lucy Maud Montgomery Birthplace in New-London. Whale watching is also popular in this port.