Hawaii | Maui
November & December 2019 – 10 days
Maui is the second largest of the Hawaiian Islands and is often referred to as the Valley Isle. This refers to the flat bridge of land between the two volcanoes that make up the island: Haleakala to the east and the West Maui mountains to the west. With miles of sandy beaches, lush green jungles, and rugged volcanic landscapes, Maui offers a wide range of activities on land and in the water.
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Hawaii | Haleakalā National Park
November 2019 – 2 days
Haleakalā National Park was named after Haleakalā, a dormant shield volcano that forms more than three quarters of Maui. The park consists of two distinct areas: the summit district high up in the mountains (or rather, volcano), and the Kīpahulu district located along the coast. The landscape (and temperature) difference between the two areas is also very extreme, making for a unique hiking experience in both areas of the park.
Ontario | Algonquin Provincial Park
August 2019 – 2 days
We somehow managed to convince my younger sister and her boyfriend how much fun it is to canoe to your campsite and rough it in the wild. Given that C & E aren’t avid campers (or canoers), we planned a route that wasn’t particularly ambitious. We were secretly hoping they’d have such a great time that they’d want to come backcountry camping with us again in Algonquin.
Ontario | Algonquin Provincial Park
August 2019 – 3 days
Algonquin has become an annual tradition for us. For some reason we are quick to forget the (literal and figurative) blood, sweat and tears from our past trips, and are eager for more. More paddling and more portages. This year was no exception. The forecast was calling for nice weather over the August long weekend, which was great because we planned quite an ambitious route to Misty Lake.
New York | New York City
July 2019 – 3 days
There is always something to see and do in New York City, no matter how many times you’ve visited. In our case, we’ve been here twice before. And this time we were visiting to attend a wedding in Brooklyn. The great part about returning to any place is that you have the opportunity to see things you missed the first (or second) time and repeat things you enjoyed the first time. Since we’ve been here twice before, this time around, our visit was much more relaxing.
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Alberta | Calgary
July 2019 – 1 day
I flew down to Calgary with my good friend A and spent the last four days in Banff National Park. We initially booked a campsite at the Two Jack Main Campground, but the forecast was calling for rain overnight and we didn’t want to pack up a wet tent in the morning. Plus it was cold. Instead, we headed back to Calgary to spend our final day of our trip out west.
Alberta | Banff National Park
July 2019 – 4 days
Banff National Park is the birthplace of national parks in Canada. It is nestled in the Rocky Mountains and features mountainous terrain, alpine landscapes, glaciers, ice fields, turquoise glacial lakes and an abundance of wildlife. Basically all the great things you’d want while camping and hiking.
Ontario | Presqu’ile Provincial Park
July 2019 – 2 days
Presqu’ile is the French word for peninsula. It is situated along the north shore of Lake Ontario near Brighton and features one of the larger wetlands along the lake. It contains forests, marshes and sand dunes, leading to diverse vegetation, ecosystems and habitats for the flora and fauna in the park. It also features a long sandy beach making this an ideal spot to swim, hike, and camp.
Ontario | Charleston Lake Provincial Park
July 2019 – 3 days
Charleston Lake is located in South Eastern Ontario, just north of the St. Lawrence River. The rocky lake and surrounding forest area are an extension of the Canadian Shield, one of the largest and oldest geologic continental shields in the world. The shores as well as the islands of this lake are a mix between private property and the provincial park. Nevertheless, it is one of the best provincial parks in Ontario that is relatively close to Toronto for fishing, swimming, boating and camping.
Maine | Acadia National Park
May 2019 – 3 days
Located along the east coast in Maine, Acadia National Park offers a variety of hikes that weave their way up and around mountains, through wooded areas and along a rocky coastline, all the while providing sweeping views overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Acadia is one of our favourite parks in North America. This trip marked our third visit in the past three years. The hiking (and views) never get old.
Austria | Vienna
May 2019 – 3 days
Vienna is often referred to as the City of Music and was once home to many famous composers, including Mozart and Beethoven. It is also referred to as the City of Dreams and is regarded for its high quality of life, which may have something to do with its famous Viennese coffee houses and cake, and has been ranked the most liveable city in the world for the past decade. The city centre is free from skyscrapers, dotted with historic buildings, and is great for walking around.
Austria | Salzburg
April 2019 – 3 days
Nestled within the Alps, this charming Austrian city offers breathtaking views of the mountains. Salzburg is also well known for its charming architecture (the historic centre of Salzburg is included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site), being the birthplace of the classical composer Mozart, and for the filming of (one of my favourite movies of all time) The Sound of Music. The hills really are alive with the sound of music.
Czech Republic | Prague
April 2019 – 3 days
Prague has been a political, cultural, educational and economic centre of central Europe for many centuries. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia, the Holy Roman Empire, Czechoslovakia and now the Czech Republic. For that reason it is home to a number of historic sites and monuments. The historical centre in Prague with all its charm, beauty, and cobblestoned streets has been included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Czech Republic | Brno
April 2019 – 2 days
Brno is the second largest city in the Czech Republic and is the capital of the state of Moravia. It contains a number of historic sites, monuments, and attractions. As an added bonus, located a bit north of the city lies the Moravian Karst, which encompasses just over a thousand caverns and gorges. There are five caves located in the karst that are open to the public and are easily accessible by car from the city centre of Brno. Given that the train from Budapest to Prague passes through here, it seemed quite fitting to make a detour to Brno for a couple of days.
Hungary | Budapest
April 2019 – 3 days
Budapest: the tale of three cities named Buda, Pest, and Óbuda. Buda is quite hilly, lies on the western bank of the Danube, and features many of Budapest’s medieval structures and monuments, including Castle Hill and Buda Castle. Pest is predominantly flat, consists of the eastern part of the city across the river, and features attractions such as the Hungarian Parliament Building and Heroes’ Square. Óbuda lies north of Buda and isn’t really home to any of the popular tourist attractions, so it’s often forgotten about. Together these three cities united in 1873 to form Budapest, which is now the capital of Hungary.
Slovakia | Bratislava
April 2019 – 1 day
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia. It is considered one of the smaller capitals in Europe, so it is therefore quite easy to explore the historic town by foot. And in a single day. With its close approximation to Vienna, it makes for a perfect day trip. And the perfect way to start our 2 week adventure in Europe.
Ontario | Point Pelee National Park
March 2019 – 2 days
Point Pelee National Park is the southernmost point of the mainland in Canada. Despite being the second smallest national park (after Georgian Bay Islands, also located in Ontario), it boasts of being the most ecologically diverse national parks in the country. Point Pelee mainly consists of beaches, marshes, and woodlands. It is home to over 390 species of birds and is part of a bird and butterfly migration corridor over Lake Erie.
Ontario | Arrowhead and Algonquin Provincial Park
February 2019 – 3 days
In light of a recent snow storm (or rather storms), we decided to take advantage of the abundance of fresh snow and head up north to spend our Family Day long weekend here in Ontario. We visited Arrowhead Provincial Park and the neighbouring Algonquin Provincial Park, which both boast of hosting a variety of winter activities, including: skating, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.
New Hampshire | White Mountains
February 2019 – 2 days
The White Mountains is one of our favourite places in New England. There is always something to do regardless of the season. And let’s be real, the views of the mountains never gets old. With mild temperatures on the forecast for the weekend, we decided to head north and enjoy some winter hiking and cross-country skiing in the Whites (“whites” indeed as there certainly was no shortage of snow).
