Fall Impressions from the Maritimes

For many, fall is the most photogenic season of the year in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and PEI. The Maritimes usually enjoy a long and colorful autumn season - often until Christmas.

The photos here have been taken mostly on the South Shore of Nova Scotia - in early December!

Usually, during the third week of October, the reds will be at their peak in the Maritimes, and this is probably the most glorious time for visitors. Earlier than this, there will still be a delightful mixture of greens among the reds, oranges, and yellows.

Gathering twigs of winterberries, seagrasses, bearberries, black huckleberries, hawthorne, and elderberries, together with some pine twigs make for lovely winter decoration.

Create a lovely centerpiece for the dining table or place them in pots or window boxes and let the birds nosh on the berries during wintertime.

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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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Fishermans Village at Eastern Passage, Halifax

Charming Day Trip just 30 Minutes from Halifax:

Crossing over to the Dartmouth side of Halifax you can enjoy seafood and other goodies in a restored fishing village, the "Fishermans Cove" in Eastern Passage, having seagulls sitting next to you, waiting for leftovers.

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It is not only an awesome photo opportunity right at the roadside, but a boardwalk takes you out for a lovely stroll to the shore.  There is even a ferry over to McNabs Island where one can spent a few hours hiking the island.


Each of these restored fishing huts is painted in a different color and you can watch fisherman landing their catch.  A great little nautical museum explains the creatures that live in the adjacent Atlantic ocean and on the shores around Halifax.  Lots of quaint, colorful little shops, cafes and unique restaurants.  A really nice day trip to get a taste of Maritime life if you happen to be in Halifax!

White Point Resort Burned Down

This lovely, old-fashioned and very popular resort on Nova Scotia's South Shore is gone.
Hope, they re-built it soon - but it will never be same.


Fire Live on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dthEciIQ3uA
 

Food Film Festival, Wolfville, Nova Scotia

Melange of great Chefs and great films If Robert Redford can turn Park City, Utah, into a film festival destination, Michael Howell believes he can do the same for Wolfville, drawing parallels between the home of the famed Sundance Film Festival and Wolfville, which has the Al Whittle Theatre on Main Street. Howell, chef-owner of Tempest Restaurant in Wolfville, is organizing the second Slow Motion Food Film Fest November 10 - 13. At the first festival in 2009, 1,000 people came out for a retrospective of classic food films like Babette’s Feast and Ratatouille. Other films are: Land Awakening, set in Greece, France, Italy, Spain and Canada, the 89-minute feature is lovingly photographed and "an unbelievably beautiful view of the world." Blood into Wine, a documentary about the singer for the rock band Tool moving to Arizona and opening a winery, gets its Canadian premiere at 6 p.m. Saturday. Another Canadian premiere is El Camino del Vino, an Argentinian film about a sommelier who loses his sense of taste and his journey to recover it. The movie, which has been written up in Wine Spectator magazine, screens at 9:30 p.m. Saturday. At 8 p.m. at the Harvest Gallery, learn from an expert How to Really Taste Wine. Jason Priestley will take part in the festival’s opening "Barn Dinner" on Thursday at the Wolfville Farmers Market, joining these celebrity chefs in cooking a four-course meal. - Craig Flinn (Chives), - Dennis Johnston (FID Resto), - Peter Dewar (NSCC), - Jason Lynch (Le Caveau), - Luis Clavel (Atlantica Hotel), - Peter Jackson (formerly of Jacks Grill in Edmonton), - Renee Lavallee (The Feisty Chef), - Chris Velden (Flying Apron), - Brad Bowden (Glen Arbour) and - Jesse Vergen (Saint John Alehouse) There will be awards for best documentary feature, best documentary short, best feature and best feature short. Winners will be given papier mache snails, the symbol of the worldwide slow-food movement. Information on the festival can be found at http://www.slowmotionfilmfest.ca

DOERS AND DREAMERS: An Awesome and Free Travel Guide

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Recently I received the latest version of “Doers and Dreamers” one of the best travel... no not brochure – it is in fact a book. On 384 pages travellers find EVERYTHING one can think of on exploring the Atlantic Province Nova Scotia, Canada.

- Hotel and Dining Guides
- Sightseeing
- Festivals and Events
- Arts and Culture
- Sports from Biking to Sea Kayaking
- A Travel Map
- Contact information

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FESTIVALS and EVENTS
An additional brochure lays out hundreds of big and small events, such as:

May and June
- Lobster Palooza on Cape Breton
- Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival
- Privateer Days in Liverpool
- Stan Rogers Folk Festival in Canso
- Antigonish Highland Games

July and August
- Pictou Lobster Carnival
- Yarmouth Sea Fest
- Halifax Pride Week
- Mahone Bay Classic Boat Festival
- Digby Scallop Days

September and October- Nova Scotia Fall Wine Festival
- Nova Scotia Air Show Halifax
- Annapolis Valley Pumpkin Fest
- Celtic Colours Festival Cape Breton

Not to mention the all-year-round events in 400+ year-old, lovely town of Annapolis Royal.
Enjoy Nova Scotia – this or next year!!!

Don't forget to order your free travel book and a tour map.

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