Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Fascinating National Parks in Canada

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It’s the quintessential Canadian travel or weekend experience:  visiting one of the many National Parks to be away from civilization and enjoy nature. These parks are also something that is very unique for a G20 country of this size to support so many parks.  Canada's Nation Parks can be found from the "Banana Belt" up to the Arctic.
13.5 million visitors came to Canada’s National Parks and Marine Conservation Areas in 2014-2015.  The Banff National Park alone had 3.6 million, and I was in Spring one of them  : )
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My Favoured Canadian National Parks:

Thousand Islands National Park 
Located is this beautiful area 3 hrs east if Toronto, or 1,5 hrs south of Ottawa:

Even though it is Canada's smallest national park, St. Lawrence Islands is spread over a remarkably wide swath of terrain. The park stretches for 80 kilometres along the shores of the St. Lawrence River.
Many of the islands are barely above the water line and are continually being washed clean of anything that might want to grow there. Most of the larger islands, however, are perfect places to while away a warm, sunny, summer afternoon. 

Hidden away from much of the major traffic of Canada's greatest river, these 21 islands and 90 islets offer the perfect get-away for folks that live in the Kingston-Ottawa-Montreal triangle or anyone else travelling along the Trans-Canada Highway.
Don’t miss the nearby Prince Edward county close to Belleville with its lovely small towns, wineries and farmer markets - and the Sand Dunes Ontario Provincial Park which gives you the feeling to be on an Ocean as you will see only sand and water.

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Fathom Five National Marine Park, 3 hrs north of Toronto
Georgian Bay and the waters surrounding the Bruce Peninsula are crystal-clear and a breath-taking sight. I spent a week there and will return this year for sure.  Diving or chartering one of the boats with glass floors will allow you to see amazing shipwrecks in a fascinating underwater world. Lots of ship traffic during the eighteen hundreds left also lots of shipwrecks. However not only underwater, but also on dozens of island treasures can be found if you like nature: The oldest forests in Eastern Canada with very rare Orchids and Ferns.  Beautiful sand beaches stretch for hundred kilometres around Georgian Bay and invite swimmers, surfers, sailers, hikers and sun-lovers.

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Banff National Park
Coming from Austria in the Alps, I did not expect at all to be impressed by the Rocky Mountains. Boy, was I wrong!  Leaving a rainy Vancouver in early April I headed to the mountains and expected even roads to be closed due to snow. But no, the next day turned out beautifully and I had chosen the best time of the year:  The mountain tops were still snow-covered to about half of the elevation and this made for an outstanding driving experience.  I guess I shot about 500 photos, and stopped every 5 km to soak in the beautiful sights.  Would I have driven in summer through the Rockies, I would have seen water in Lake Louise near Banff, instead of the snow in April, but all the mountains would have been green-brown-grey and wouldn’t have so fantastic sparkled in the sun.  Lucky as I was, I even found a hotel room close to Banff and Lake Louise with a million-dollar-view towards the snow-covered mountains and with a balcony for only US$28 on the internet. Cheers to the nice Australian girls who work there for the winter season. You made my day too. 
I only regret that I did not drive up to the many Hot Springs in the vicinity.  They must be marvellous at this time of the year, hot steaming pools surrounded by snow-covered trees and meadows. 
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How to Get to the Ontario Parks:
From Toronto and Ottawa are express bus rides offered to the Algonquin Park and a dozen other parks, if you don’t want to drive by car. Parkbus also offers all-inclusive packages for camping.
http://www.Parkbus.ca
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Where to Stay Overnight:
Many visitors camp out in the wild, but if you like it a bit more comfortable or don’t have a tent, or don’t want to carry one around, there are often tents provided or Yurts, which are equipped with a wooden floor, windows and beds. Ontario has 74 of these yurts in 10 Provincial Parks. Gatineau Park close to Ottawa features Yurts in some of its campgrounds for overnight stays. 
http://www.parcscanada.gc.ca
http://www.pc.gc.ca

Ontario Parks Canada also has a wildly popular program in weekend overnight sessions were you can learn to camp and cook in the outdoors. 
http://www.Ontarioparks.com/learntocamp
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FREE Entrance for New Canadians:
A Cultural Access Pass allows new Canadians for one year after they received their citizenship to visit four National Parks for free - including up to four of their children.
http://www.icc-icc.ca

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Small Selection of National Parks in Canada and Accommodations


ALL NATIONAL PARKS CAN BE FOUND HERE:
http://www.parcscanada.gc.ca

ALGONQUIN PROVINCIAL PARK
http://www.algonquinpark.on.ca/

ALGONQUIN PARK ACCOMMODATION
http://www.arowhonpines.ca 

BANFF NATIONAL PARK OFFICIAL HOMEPAGE
http://www.worldweb.com/ParksCanada-Banff/index.html

BANFF NATIONAL PARK ACCOMMODATION
http://www.banfflakelouise.com 

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FATHOM FIVE NATIONAL MARINE PARK OFFICIAL HOMEPAGE
http://www.canadianparks.com/ontario/ffivemp/index.htm

BRUCE PENINSULA AND FATHOM FIVE ACCOMMODATION 
http://www.tobermory.org  

CAPE BRETON ISLAND NATIONAL PARK OFFICIAL HOMEPAGE
http://167.33.61.89/parks/nova_scotia/cape_highlands/Cape_highlands_e.htm

CAPE BRETON ISLAND NATIONAL PARK ACCOMMODATION 
http://explore.gov.ns.ca http://www.canadianparks.com/ontario/ffivemp/index.htm

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK OFFICIAL HOMEPAGE
http://parkscan.harbour.com/glacier/index.htm

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK ACCOMMODATION 
http://glacier.canada.allwebhotels.com

JASPER NATIONAL PARK OFFICIAL HOMEPAGE
http://www.worldweb.com/parkscanada-jasper/index.html

KEJIMKUJIK NATIONAL PARK OFFICIAL HOMEPAGE
http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ns/kejimkujik/index.aspxhttp://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ns/kejimkujik/index.aspx

KOOTENAY NATIONAL PARK
http://www.worldweb.com/parkscanada-kootenay/index.html

KOUCHIBOUGUAC NATIONAL PARK OFFICIAL HOMEPAGE
http://www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca/Products/K/KouchibouguacNationalPark.aspx

KOUCHIBOUGUAC NATIONAL PARK ACCOMMODATION 
http://www.tourismnbcanada.com

MOUNT REVELSTOKE NATIONAL PARK OFFICIAL HOMEPAGE
http://parkscan.harbour.com/mtrev/

MOUNT REVELSTOKE NATIONAL PARK ACCOMMODATION 
http://revelstoke.canada.allwebhotels.com

NATIONAL PARKS BRITISH COLUMBIA
http://www.national-parks-kanada.de/british_columbia/index.html#glacier

POINT PELEE NATIONAL PARK OFFICIAL HOMEPAGE
http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/on/pelee/index.aspx

RIDING MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK OFFICIAL HOMEPAGE
http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/mb/riding/index.aspx

RIDING MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK ACCOMMODATION
http://clearlake-wasagaming.com 

ST.LAWRENCE ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK OFFICIAL HOMEPAGE
http://www.canadianparks.com/ontario/stlawrn/index.htm

ST.LAWRENCE ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK ACCOMMODATION 
http://www.1000islandsgananoque.com 

WATERTON LAKES NATIONAL PARC OFFICIAL HOMEPAGE
http://www.parcscanada.gc.ca/parks/alberta/waterton_lakes/waterton_lakes_e.htm 

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WATERTON LAKES NATIONAL PARK ACCOMMODATION 
http://www.watertonchamber.com

WATERTON LAKES NATIONAL PARK ACCOMMODATION 
http://www.discoverwaterton.com

YOHO NATIONAL PARK OFFICIAL HOMEPAGE
http://www.worldweb.com/parkscanada-yoho/index.html 

YOHO AND KOOTENAY NATIONAL PARK ACCOMMODATION
http://www.bcrockies.com  


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Thursday, June 18, 2015

Bicycling in Quebec: La Belle Province

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Nature lovers, whale watchers, gourmets, heritage and art lovers, wine connoisseurs, francophiles - they all enjoy traveling La Belle Province by bicycle, one of the best ways to experience all this and more and have a really relaxing vacation.
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Start Your Vacation in Montreal
Bicycles are almost as iconic to Montreal as gondolas are to Venice.  350 km of bike paths include hilly downtown Mont Royal Park, several islands in the St. Lawrence River and the banks of the Lachine Canal.  In 2007 the locally-developed public bike-share program, BIXI was launched.  The name comes from the first two letters of “bicycle” and the last two letters of “taxi”.  Use your credit card to unlock one of 5,200 bikes and afterwards drop it off at any one of 460 stations across the city.

North of Montréal in the Laurentians, an abandoned railway line called the P’tit Train du Nord (the “little train of the north”) has been converted into a 230 km biking and walking path, travelling through forest, alongside rivers and through lovely villages with cafés, bistros and lovely B&B's along the way.
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La Route Verte - Bienvenue Cyclistes!
Planning a multi-day bike ride in Quebec? There’s a handy guide / organization “Route Verte” welcoming cyclists "Bienvenue Cyclistes".  Members are savvy about local bicycle repair centres, bicycle rental outlets and nearby tourist information offices.  Good to know: Cyclists are guaranteed a space even if they don’t have a reservation.
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Route des vins, Wine Route.
Southeast of Montreal along the Eastern Township’s visit local farmer’s markets, taste artisanal cheeses and wines, dine on local cuisine or visit a grand Benedictine abbey where monks are producing cider and award-winning cheese.  Stop at quaint New England-style towns that have officially been designated as the province’s most beautiful villages.
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South Shore St. Lawrence River
The Eastern Townships and the South Shore are my favored areas in Quebec - and once you discovered them you will know why...  
St.-Antoine-de-Tilly: Located 25 km from Quebec City, a real gem with it`s beautifully restored heritage homes, surrounded by quaint farm country and apple orchards.  A small park dotted with picnic tables on the river shore allows you to watch big ocean freight liners on their way to and from Montreal's port. The Manoir de Tilly, built in 1786, serves fine local cuisine, the Bergeron fromagerie offers tastings and tours.
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Take your time to explore this and many more beautiful villages along the mighty St Lawrence. From Lévis, across Quebec City, via a lovely ferry ride, cycle to the town of Montmagny, about 60 km away while you will experience farmland with river views, and rural villages with tiny churches and cafes.  Don't miss the islands of the Lawrence River: From Berthier-sur-mer, take a ferry to historic Grosse Île National Historic Site. Or from Montmagny, to L'Île-aux-Grues, for a tranquil route past dairy farms.
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Route Verte #6 from Québec City.
An old, abandoned railway route from just outside Québec City to Riviere-a-Pierre has been converted into the leisurely, forested and almost flat 68 km Jacques-Cartier/Portneuf cycling path, part of the Route Verte #6 with villages and scenic viewpoints along the way.  Don't miss to stop at the Wendake Nation Reserve.  Find out about this self-governing territory next to Québec City, with a thriving community of artists and artisans.  Don't miss the yearly famous Pow Wow in late June. The magnificent Kabir Kouba Falls plunges through a canyon right next to the town. 
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North Shore - Charlevoix.
Explore the Charlevoix region northeast of Québec City from the Montmorency Falls, the famous Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre basilica, further on to Baie-Saint-Paul and to La Malbaie, a landscape made famous by Québec painters.  See their work in Baie-Saint-Paul’s many galleries, then stop in at farms, cheesemakers and restaurants serving farm-to-table cuisine with views of the St. Lawrence River. 
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Saguenay Fjord and Whale Watching.
No matter on which shores of spectacular Saguenay Fjord you cycle, you can spot Beluga and Minke whales, hike or kayak the fjord.  One doesn’t need to board an expensive zodiac, whales are easily to observe from the shore at sunrise or after sunset.  Observe St. Lawrence Belugas in Sainte-Marguerite Bay all summer long.  Walk to the lookout to see if you can spot the whales!  From May to October many types of Whales are abundant, especially in the area between Tadoussac and Rimouski.
Experienced cyclists may take on the Cols du Fjord, a three-day, challenging cycling excursion!  Others want to pedal leisurely the Blueberry Route in the Saguenay-Lac Saint-Jean region.  Wild blueberries in late summer and a flat, paved route around Lac Saint-Jean make cycling a delicious and relaxing experience. 
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Where is La Belle Province, Quebec? 
It's Canada's second largest province by area.  Quebec is bordered to the west by the province of Ontario, James Bay, and Hudson Bay; to the north by Hudson Strait and Ungava Bay; to the east by the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the province of Newfoundland and Labrador;  in the south it is bordered by the Canadian province of New Brunswick and the U.S. states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York.
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All photos by Doris-Maria Heilmann.  Read also:

http://www.marvelous-canada.blogspot.ca/2011/12/hull-quebec-or-gatineau-canada.html

http://www.marvelous-canada.blogspot.ca/2010/06/most-beautiful-villages-of-quebec.html

http://www.marvelous-canada.blogspot.ca/2009/11/st-lawrence-river-whales.html