Getting away for a relaxing vacation with the one you love can be easier than booking an expensive cruise or a lengthy international flight. Staying local and spending time with each other can be just as romantic as booking a vacation abroad while allowing you to save money and travel time. A change of scenery is often all it takes to make your getaway seem like an exotic adventure. When your day to day life is the hustle and bustle of the city you probably don’t want to check yourself into a hotel room that offers a similar view. And […]

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This morning started off with a scramble and ended up with more lovely discoveries of Edmonton‘s glorious river valley. Because we were running late this morning, I ended up driving my daughter to school which had the potential to throw off my morning river valley walk. However, after I dropped her off at school, I parked the vehicle and headed with my dog down into the river valley. I took the trail down from Concordia College and alongside the golf course to the base of the Capilano Bridge. Wait, make that the Gretzky Bridge. (If you’re from Edmonton, you’ll know […]

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On the weekend I revisited my old stomping grounds with my new pooch. There is a beautiful large off leash area in the same valley as the Valley Zoo. At the bottom of the hill leading to the zoo, you have the option to turn right (towards the zoo and Laurier Park) or left towards the rowing club and the off-leash area. There is parking along the road, a parking lot a little further around the bend, and overflow parking at the end of the road where the rowing club is. The hours to park in the rowing club lot […]

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I have recently moved home to Edmonton and am rediscovering this city through the fresh eyes of a newcomer. As a recent new dog momma, I have spent the last several months exploring great places to walk my pooch.  I had originally planned to do a list of my favorites, but as I started to write I realized that I had a lot more to say about the individual walks than I thought!  So here is the first of what I hope to be a series of articles about my favorite places to walk my dog.  Of course, you can […]

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1.  Fort Edmonton Park It’s a really cool trek through history that will keep adults and kids alike entertained for hours.  You travel back through four time periods between 1846 and 1929 and end up at the old Fort — the earliest European settlement in the area and a key part of the fur trade.  Ride or walk through the pioneer times and enjoy activities ranging from riding the steam train or a streetcar, going for a pony ride, trying out the shooting gallery, miniature golf or riding the midway.  From fast food to an old-fashioned candy store to high […]

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The editors of this website asked local businesses for the essential recommendations for Rocky Mountain House. We asked them: “If you imagine that someone has come to you and they are on a totally tight time line, and asked you these questions, what would you tell them?” 1. Where should I eat that I should not miss in Rocky Mountain House? Answer:Pappa’s Cook House, Hwy 11 2. If I only have time for one outdoor activity, what should I see or do in Rocky Mountain House? Answer:The Historical Site: Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site of Canada 3. Is there […]

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The editors of this website asked local businesses for the essential recommendations for Waterton. We asked them: “If you imagine that someone has come to you and they are on a totally tight time line, and asked you these questions, what would you tell them?” 1. Where should I eat that I should not miss in Waterton? Answer:Bel Lago Ristorante, 110 Waterton Ave., Waterton Park, AB 2. If I only have time for one outdoor activity, what should I see or do in Waterton? Answer:Go hiking! 3. Is there a museum or cultural site that is a must-see to represent […]

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Although it is generally eclipsed in popularity by nearby Lake Louise, Moraine Lake is a must-see stop for visitors to the Rockies.  Lake Louise is picturesque, but gazing at Moraine Lake is simply a jaw-dropping experience.  It is quite literally a perfect mountain postcard come to life – and you are standing in the middle of it.  Now, just try to get there early before the noise from the other tourists tarnishes the perfection of the moment. The lake and the surrounding “valley of the ten peaks” have their Canadian claim to fame in that this is the area pictured […]

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Tucked exactly half-way between Edmonton and Calgary, lies the energized city of Red Deer. Although no red deer have ever so much as galloped near central Alberta, the parkland itself still reigns with beauty. Despite garnering international attention for celebrating the turn of the millennium a week early in case Y2K decimated all existence, Red Deer is amongst Canada’s most prosperous centres, and is one of the fastest developing cities in the country. Because of its size, just under 100,000, Red Deer provides an amiable blend of big city convenience with the more personal approach of a smaller community — […]

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In a word “W-O-W!!”.  It is huge and so packed with stuff, the best way to describe it would be to think of combining a huge mall with a sports/community centre, throw in parts of a wild animal park with an amusement park and then some. If you can’t find it, you just haven’t looked far enough and long enough.  I was able to spend parts of three days exploring and I never really got a chance to see the second level.  There is a full sized ice rink, a swimming pool and water slide complex, a mock up of […]

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