ALGONQUIN PROVINCIAL PARK
Algonquin Provincial Park is located about 210 K north of Toronto, Ontario. It can be accessed from both Highway 11 and Highway 17. It has 7,630 square kilometres of forests, lakes and rivers. It provides a true wilderness experience.
If you decide to visit in the spring you will be there in time for some of the best trout fishing imaginable. If fishing is not your thing just take an early morning drive to see the most wonderful moose viewing in Ontario and to see the forest at it’s spring best. It may not be as famous as the Autumn colours but in spring you will see pastel green Trembling Aspen leaves, pink Red Maples, white Cherry blossom and silvery Largetooth Aspen.
Summer in Algonquin is the most popular time for visitors. You can enjoy camping and canoeing, fishing and hiking, photography and nature walks, raspberry picking and toasting marshmallows on your camp fire. This is a fabulous time of year for the whole family from tots to Gran. There is something for everyone to do and plenty of activities and facilities to keep everyone happy on their summer vacation.
Although summer may be the best time to visit Algonquin, Fall, comes a very close second. The fall colours alone make a trip worthwhile, especially if you catch the maples at their peak in the last week of September or, in the first few days of October. The spectacle of hundreds of square miles of red and golden orange forest, blue lakes, and evergreen shores is one that no one should miss. As it is cooler you can enjoy camping and hiking with no biting insects!
Canisbay Lake, Mew Lake, Lake of Two Rivers, and Rock Lake campgrounds remain open until Thanksgiving (second Monday in October), as do the three lodges in the Parkway Corridor. After Thanksgiving, Mew Lake Campground (at km 30.6 along the Highway 60 Corridor) continues to remain open year-round offering a limited number of campsites (some with electricity) and a fully-winterized comfort station (flush toilets, showers, and laundry facilities).
For anyone wishing to take part there is a group education program offered through the Friends of Algonquin Park. The topics range from plants to wolves and from early logging history to modern Park management.
Algonquin is equally fascinating in Winter. Ski through winter woods, over ridges and down the long hills. You will find tracks of deer, moose, otter, fox, wolves and martens. You are also quite likely to see the animals themselves. There is still plenty of bird life too. For the most hardy among you there are also a limited number of campsites available. The Mew Lake Campground also has seven Yurts available in winter for an unusual winter adventure holiday. There are more than 100 kilometres of cross country ski trails and unlimited snow shoeing possibilities. There is also dogsledding available at two locations in the park.
Whatever time of year you visit Algonquin you are sure to have a wonderful time especially if you follow a few of their simple guidlines:
Wear appropriate clothes and foot wear for the time of year, be prepared for cold weather emergencies, during the winter - time your hikes for daylight hours, avoid ice travel, winter camping requires special care and equipment, make sure someone knows where you are and when you are due back, choose a trail suitable for your abilities. Generally just use your common sense and remember you are in a wilderness area and go prepared.
Algonquin Provincial Park is a marvelous wilderness area. It has provided millions of visitors with wonderful holidays and wonderful memories and we are sure it will be doing so for many years to come.
WEST EDMONTON MALL - FOR A HOLIDAY WITH A DIFFERENCE
Today I am going to suggest that you consider taking a weekend break or a holiday at a shopping mall. Not just any shopping mall but the West Edmonton Mall in Alberta, Canada.
It is the world’s largest entertainment and shopping centre. There are over 800 stores and services, over 100 eating establishments and 9 world class attractions.
Now you can please everyone in the family. There really is something to appeal to every taste in this complex. Young or old you are sure to find something to suit you here. For a start if shopping is your thing you can truly shop till you drop in this Mall which spans the equivalent of 48 city blocks!
If you are taking the kids or your teenagers there is going to be plenty to keep them amused. The Galaxyland Amusement Park is the world’s largest indoor amusement park . You will find everything from a triple loop roller coaster to a Kids Playpark. If they like music and dancing there is plenty here in the evenings, with some special entertainment nights too.
World Waterpark will be great fun for everyone, it is an amazing 5 acre indoor waterpark. There are more than 20 different water activities, miles of waterslides, the world’s largest indoor wave pool, bungee jumping, hot tubs and there is even a play area for toddlers.
Just these two activities would keep you busy but there is more: an indoor lake with bumper boats, daily sea lion shows, Sea Life caverns with over 200 species of fish, sharks, reptiles, penguins and sting rays, a sensational Ice Palace where you can skate or watch a skating event or ice hockey game, an 18 hole miniature golf course, 10 pin bowling,billiards and arcade games.
Of course the grown ups can enjoy all of these activities too but there is some grown up entertainment at the Las Vegas - style Palace Casino and at Caesar’s Bingo. For a great night out try Jubilation’s Live Dinner Theatre or the Edmonton Centre for a concert or special event.
Also in the complex are 21 movie theatres, a skateboard park, Planet golf, Space Racer, Laser Extreme, Haunted Castle, Fun Park, Wild West Shooting Centre and Rock Climbing.
Added to all of this are excellent Hotels and a camping ground.
Now you can see why I am suggesting you take a break or a holiday at a shopping mall. This is one very special Mall. The West Edmonton Mall, Alberta, Canada for a truly different vacation and shopping experience.
THE EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK
Within its territory the USA has some of the finest National Parks in the world. These eco systems of outstanding scenic beauty and teeming with wildlife make for a fantastic holiday destination. The three largest Parks are Death Valley, Yellowstone and the Everglades.
The smallest of the three, created in 1934, is the Everglades National Park in Florida. This subtropical wilderness covering 1,509,000 acres is a slow moving system of rivers fed by the Kissimmee River and Lake Okeechobee. Its importance is such that it has been declared a World Heritage Site, an International Biosphere Reserve and a Wetland of International Importance.
It contains the largest mangrove ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere which acts as a nursery for the many marine and bird species. The Everglades is inhabited by 350 species of birds, 300 species of fresh and sea water fish, 40 species of mammals and some 50 types of reptiles. Apart from mango swamps, their habitats include Pineland, Sawgrass and Sloughs (Low lying areas covered in water flowing at an almost imperceptible rate)
Reptiles and amphibians find homes in the Hardwood Hammocks which are tiny tear-shaped islands rising a few inches above water. Protected or endangered species include the Florida Panther, Turtles, the American Crocodile, - which shares a rare co-existence with alligators - the West Indian Manatee, Tree Snails and the Wood Rat. For the bird watchers, exotic birds include the White Pelican, Turkey Vulture and Wood Storks. The Park is the most significant breeding site for tropical wading birds in North America.
There are several visitor centres including the Shark Valley Centre, the Ernest Coe Centre, the Flamingo Centre and the Gulf Coast Visitor’s Centre From the latter canoers can access the Wilderness Waterway, a 160 Km canoe trail. On Pine Island there are self-guided walking trails through hammocks, pinelands and sloughs where on the Anhinga and the Gumbo Limbo Trails visitors can see alligators, turtles and birds, close up! More rugged trails for serious hikers exist in the mangrove swamps which are best for seeing Shore and Wading Birds. Two high boardwalks allow visitors to explore a Cypress forest at Pa-Ha-O-Kee. The Marjory Stonemann Douglas Wilderness Area offers cyclists 45 Km of off-road riding.
Low powered motorboats are allowed in certain areas. Jet skis and air-boats are forbidden. Swimming is not recommended unless you wish to collide with Water Moccasins or Alligators in the low visibility water!!
There are 234, all-year-round campsites with 108 accessible by cars and RV’s. Back-country permits are required for certain of these sites.
The Everglades National Park is without doubt an American treasure and you and the family will surely enjoy a visit to this unique region. It is highly recommended for photographers, campers, hikers, canoeists, birdwatchers,animal lovers and those who love adventure. The Everglades National Park has it all.
YELLOWSTONE FOR A GREAT VACATION
Founded in 1872, Yellowstone is the second largest National Park in the USA and is the flagship of the National Parks Service. Located in Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho, the Park covers an area of 3,427 square miles or a massive 2,221,766 acres. With its scenic lakes, canyons, rivers and mountain ranges, its diverse wildlife and unique geothermal features, this region is a mammoth tourist attraction.
Paved roads provide easy access to all the major lakes, waterfalls and the spectacular geothermal sites. Half of the world’s such phenomena are in Yellowstone because Lake Yellowstone is centred over the Yellowstone Caldera. The Caldera is technically an active volcano having erupted several times in the last two million years. The odds on it happening during your visit are pretty long!! The park has an estimated 10,000 thermal sites. Of these only 300 are actual geysers. The remainder are steaming pools, hissing fumaroles, bubbling mud pots or warm seeps. Most of the geysers are small and barely reach ten feet in height. The best known is probably “Old Faithful” which erupts every 40-90 minutes and “Steamboat Geyser” which is the largest in the world.
Yellowstone is home to over 60 species of mammals. These include the endangered gray wolf, lynx and grizzly bears. Others are bison (buffalo), black bear, elk, moose deer, mountain goat, bighorn sheep and mountain lion. To protect the elk, the US Government virtually eliminated wolves between 1914 and 1935. The policy was reversed in the 1990’s and Mackenzie wolves were introduced from Canada. An estimated 600 Grizzly bears live in the Park together with some 30,000 elk. There are small numbers of mountain lions and wolverines. 18 species of fish live in Yellowstone together with reptiles and amphibians. In the 311 species of birds the Common Loon, Harlequin Duck, Osprey, Peregrine Falcon and Bald Eagles are a special concern in view of their rarity.
The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is the finest feature of the Park. 800-1300 feet deep and 20 miles long, its rim is encircled by walking trails. If you have the stamina the Mount Washburn Trail is the one to take. From its summit you can see the whole Park. In all, the national Parks Service maintains 9 Visitor Centres. Its responsibilities also include historical structures including the Old Faithful Inn (1904) and Fort Yellowstone.
There are over a hundred lakes and thousands of miles of streams in Yellowstone and 7 varieties of game fish live in the waters. There is no best time to fish as each month of the short fishing season offers different styles. The best spots are the Firehole, Gibbon, Madison, Lewis Rivers and the Lakes in June.
For Campers there are 12 Campgrounds with over 2000 campsites. These are operated on a first come basis and tend to fill quickly in Spring and at the height of summer.
For the Inner Man there are numerous eating places in the Park. Dining facilities are available, ranging from fine restaurants to snack bars and cafeteria.
With its unique geothermal sites, diverse scenery and wildlife, Yellowstone is in the top three of US National Parks and well worth a family visit. The other 2,000,000 visitors who come every year cannot be wrong. (Check out the live webcam of Old Faithful on this site. )
THE ALASKA HIGHWAY - A GREAT ROAD TRIP
Posted by Sunny
I have been reading about the Alaska Highway. It is supposed to be one of the most scenic routes in the world.The Alaska Highway begins in Dawson Creek, in northeastern British Columbia, then winds northwesterly through Canada’s Yukon Territory and into Alaska almost to Fairbanks. Allow at least 7 to 10 days for the trip from the Seattle area to Fairbanks. Double the time to allow for fishing, hiking, camping, excursions etc.
Apart from beautiful scenery there are great places to visit along the way, the chance to see some wildlife and if you like you can break your journey for some fishing, hunting, canoeing etc. Every outdoor activity imaginable is available.
There are plenty of museums, trading posts, Indian and Inuit handicrafts, golf courses, interesting towns and villages and historic sites along the route to keep you amused and occupied.
If you want a bird’s eye view, short flights are available over the region. This is a fantastic way to see the areas that are definitely off the beaten track.
There are plenty of motels along the way but you might prefer to use an RV and there are also loads of RV parks and some lodges will allow you to park.
There are gas stations every 50 miles or so but they don’t always open really early in the morning or stay open late at night so keep your vehicle filled up especially when you are thinking of calling it a day and pulling off the road for the night.
An RV is great as you can carry everything with you including a toilet. 50 miles can be a long time unless you don’t mind roughing it in the woods. Also food is expensive along the way so you can stock up on groceries to prepare your early morning breakfast or a quick lunch. Although in saying that you may miss out on some great food, some of the diners along the way have very good reputations for their home cooking.
You need to follow some safety tips on this road. Obviously it is very long, the road is not in perfect condition and it goes through some pretty wild country. This is definitely the travel advice part of our service, you really need to follow these tips:
“SAFETY TIPS: Be sure your vehicle — especially tires — are in top condition. Check tire pressure frequently.
Install plastic headlight covers or a screen to protect headlights from flying gravel. Consider a wire mesh screen across the front to help prevent damage to radiators and paint.
For those who tow trailers, experts recommend a piece of plywood over the front of the trailer to shield against rocks.
If planning to drive on tributary highways — especially those surfaced with gravel — you might want to carry a second spare tire. Don’t depend on those little donut spares to get you through long drives between garages.
Don’t overload your pickup or trailer — hard going on frost heaves which can break axles and springs.
And don’t drive too late and fall asleep at the wheel. The northland’s generous hours of summer daylight can be deceptive.
EMERGENCY KIT: First aid supplies, tire gauge, flares, flashlights with extra batteries, a sturdy tire jack, lug wrench, some traveler’s checks or cash for garages that don’t take credit cards, blankets or sleeping bags for emergencies, rain gear, an extra set of car keys — and plenty of mosquito repellent. Keeping some sort of food with you is also a good idea, if you are in a car some energy bars or similar and in an RV I expect you will have plenty of supplies. Not mentioned in the official safety tips but somethings I think are good to take: matches and a compass just in case you do wander off the beaten track on your wilderness hike!”
After reading all that I suggest you hire a vehicle or borrow your mother in laws after all you don’t want to ruin your own.
If you can get beyond all the safety tips and they don’t put you off have a great journey, a terrific adventure, keep safe and enjoy the fabulous Alaska Highway.
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