Alberta- Buzzard’s Calgary

Alberta- Buzzard’s Calgary
February 25, 2010

If you visit Calgary, there’s a very unique experience at Buzzard’s Restaurant. Besides the really good food, you can try well-prepared Prairie Oysters, known by some as Rocky Mountain Oysters. It was once a delicacy in Alberta. You might be able to guess where they come from. (They are bull testicles.) If you are one for not letting things go to waste, then prairie oysters might be something you’d like to try.

Chef Aaron sautés them and then makes a sauce with rum, butter, brown sugar walnuts and serves them atop corn bread with strawberry sauce and strawberries. It’s sort of a dessert style prairie oyster. These were a little too pure for my liking, but the prarie oyster meatballs were pretty ok. I had a good time at Buzzards just hanging out with Chef Aaron, who seeing that I wasn't eating mass amounts of the prarie oysters, cooked me up BBQ ribs, garlic mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables. I filled up on that after the Stampede, and it was tasty!

Darley Newman is the host of the Emmy Award-winning Public Television series Equitrekking®, which takes viewers on horseback riding vacations around the world. Equitrekking is broadcast on PBS stations and on international networks in over 30 countries.

Alberta- Anchor D’s Sheep River

Alberta- Anchor D’s Sheep River
February 25, 2010

We are in the car driving to Banff, after taking the day to ride over 20 miles with Dewey and Jan Matthews of Anchor D Outfitting, an equestrian outfitter booked through Equitrekking Travel. 20 miles may not seem like a lot to you, but when you’re doing it through varied elevations, rain, wind, hail and sun, while filming in high definition with a film crew on horseback, it’s quite a feat. It was certainly worth it, as the scenery was spectacular.

We left this morning well fueled for the trip. Beverly, at Idle Spurs B & B cooked us homemade Eggs Benedict, berry muffins, fresh fruit and piping hot coffee. We packed layers, which are vital for a ride into the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. Over the course of the day, we had sun and then once we got up high, a storm rolled in with fierce winds and cold rain. You know those long waxed duster coats you see in Western movies. They come in handy up here.

Dewey’s been guiding riders for over 25 years. He has over 100 horses and takes riders on one day to seven-day rides. He does something unique on his longer rides. Instead of just pack horses, he uses horse drawn wagons to carry supplies, so if you get tired no worries, you can ride.

We rode into the Sheep River Gorge area in southwestern Alberta. The trails were beautiful. We passed through meadows filled with wild flowers including the fragrant wild rose, Alberta’s flower, forests of aspen and pine, steep mountain passes leading to vast expanses of rugged mountains covered in pockets of snow. When I say steep, I mean it. You need a good mountain horse to ride through this area, and you yourself can’t be afraid of heights.

We didn’t encounter any grizzlies, which I thought was good. Just some harmless ground squirrels, who popped in and out of the earth amid the colorful flowers—so cute.

Darley Newman is the host of the Emmy Award-winning Public Television series Equitrekking®, which takes viewers on horseback riding vacations around the world. Equitrekking is broadcast on PBS stations and on international networks in over 30 countries.

Alberta Impressions- Day One

Alberta Impressions- Day One
February 25, 2010

I am sitting on the porch of Idle Spurs B and B in Black Diamond, Alberta. The sun is shining. It's probably 65 degrees Fahrenheit and the clouds are rolling by in the sky as I sip fresh lemonade. I hope that it's this beautiful tomorrow when we film a ride into the high country.

The Calgary Airport screamed cowboy flavor today. It's Calgary Stampede week, so the city and airport are buzzing with people. There was a western band playing as we exited the gate and someone tried to lasso me, literally! It was funny.

We drove the start of the Cowboy Trail on the way to our first destination. It's really pretty outside of Calgary. The farms that we passed on the Cowboy Trail seemed well kept. There's a lot of open grass with cows and horses grazing. I had heard about cute towns and antique shops, and we passed a really cute antique store in Turner Valley.

We arrived to meet Beverly, the owner of Idle Spurs. She offered us her homemade oatmeal cookies and made us feel really welcome. I've been spending time just looking around at all of the Western art and antiques that she has collected. Beverly and her husband are having a BBQ tonight and invited us. I can't wait to try their grilled steaks!

Darley Newman is the host of the Emmy Award-winning Public Television series Equitrekking®, which takes viewers on horseback riding vacations around the world. Equitrekking is broadcast on PBS stations and on international networks in over 30 countries.

Backcountry Riding in Alberta

Backcountry Riding in Alberta
February 25, 2010

I always like to talk to fellow riders when I am beginning to research a new area to go horseback riding in order to get personal recommendations on great places to ride. During my research on riding in Alberta in preparation for an upcoming Equitrekking film shoot, I was fortunate to be able to speak with Pam Asheton, author of “Alberta Backcountry Equestrian One-Day Trail Guide” and a former British Horse Society certified teacher and rider with over 30 years experience.

Pam knows riding in Alberta, and I thought that her extensive knowledge of the backcountry would be interesting for Equitrekking readers.

Here are excerpts from my interview with Pam Asheton. I’ll let you know what I suggest after my travels there in July.

Darley Newman: What are your three favorite Alberta trails and why?
Pam Asheton: Alberta riders are truly blessed - you can opt for a one-day number just up the road or for more serious backcountry riding take pack horses in and go high, high, high. The whole of the eastern slopes of what the native people called 'the shining mountains' are rideable right from the Montana border to way up northwards to the Wilmore Wilderness areas. And, each of them has a very distinct personality.

For me, as I live westwards of Calgary, my own up-the-road numbers would, first choice, be the Deer Ridge Trail looped up with the Eagle Hill ride. I park by the open ancient meadows of Sibbald Flats and straightaway access the clearly marked trail up Deer Ridge where's there's a fabulous viewpoint down the valley that was inhabited 11,000 years ago just after the last ice age covered Calgary. You need mountain fit horses. There's climb here and if it's summer I time it outside of the hot afternoon hours. The trail then winds down, joins onto the Eagle Hill trail, then through amazing wildflowers and poplars before you climb, climb, climb again to Eagle Hill, where the view is a knockout, the best, right down the whole of the Bow Valley. Hikers like the viewpoint too, so I tend to go mid-week.

Next would be up in the Ghost, where ATV and OHV traffic has been moved out of critical watershed access areas. In the spring and fall this area is bang on the golden eagle migration highway route, and the wildlife and wild horses (be mindful if you're riding a mare as stallions like to add to their harems!) in its remote areas are second to none. The Side-Hill trail has stunning July wildflowers, with the creek heard far below, while further along towards Devil's Head are the remains of a succession of beaver dams that once stood higher than your tallest basketball players.

Southwards by around 50 or so miles and west of Turner Valley is what ranchers call 'God's Country'. It is. I've often parked at a small trailhead just west of the Sandy McNabb Equestrian Campground, and ridden up along the Foran Ridge, sliding down Windy Point and then onto a loop through Death Valley. Parts north of Windy Point have a few serious springs that can bog up so I go when the weather's been hot and the wind drying late summer. I've watched a cougar threading through grazing cattle, two lynx playing on a windless afternoon. The latter part of the loop back clockwise is actually an old native trading route, ancient, and sometimes I've felt as if the spirits of their horses have accompanied alongside.

Darley: For riders who are bringing their own horses and want an easier trail with scenic views, what do you suggest?
Pam: Personally, yes, I'm a view freak so I can empathize with great scenery! A nice cruisy number is to take the Sheep River Trail westwards of Sandy McNabb Equestrian Campground. It's good footing, not many rocks and easy on horses' legs. You're riding straight towards Blue Rock and Gibraltor, real monuments. The trail slides down to the river and falls, and a great place to picnic. Be mindful, though, that the Sheep can really swell with run-off during the late spring melt, and the white noise crossing the bridges unnerves some horses.

Darley: What’s a more challenging scenic riding option that you might recommend?
Pam: For this number you need fit horses, and to carry water. This one's a two-trailer option, so that you start at the Mount McDougall Memorial on the graveled Powderface Road, and then climb, climb, climb (and climb!) the Jumping Pound Ridge Trail, head towards the cairns of Cox Hill and finish up at the Dawson Equestrian Campground. There's NO water for horses on this excursion, so I time it with heat/temperatures in mind. Cox Hill, in whiteout fog, has no markers and the downhill northerly zig-zag trail downward back into the tree line can be murderous if there's frost in the ground. On a fit horse and carrying liter bottles in my sandbags that I tip into the sides of their mouths at puff stops, it's a significant-- I'm at the top-of-the-world experience-- and a day to remember. On the high meadows at dawn and dusk you can often see elk. It's along a wildlife corridor so if you're windy about encountering cougar or bear, this may not be your ideal outing, but special indeed if you and your horses are OK with that deal.

Darley: What are some safety tips to keep in mind when exploring the backcountry of Alberta or the backcountry in general on horseback?
Pam: Safety to me is a big, big deal. I carry knives-- one on my belt, one on a back cinch, one in the saddlebag, two in the trailer. Waterproof matches on your person (not much point if your horse has just galloped off into the distance with those in the saddlebags!). I always tell someone the route we're going and expected time back, and the emergency numbers for them to ring if there's no action by the appointed time. Cell phones are pretty useless in most areas, and rentable satellite phones that weigh about a pound can be life-savers, literally. It's why, when I'm teaching, I advise people to learn how to read map coordinates, so you can relay those to the rescue teams; it can save them valuable locating time.

Darley: Have you ever had to deal with a dangerous situation on the trails? What happened and what did you do?
Pam: If you ride enough hours, there's inevitably going to be a situation sometime.... The worst for me was in the height of rutting season when a huge, very handsome moose decided my white mare was the answer to his dreams. She wasn't quite that enamored, pirouetted in a rear that Roy Rogers would have been proud of, and then we cannoned at serious speed down a scree slope with a Douglas-fir of venerable years bang in our approach route. It wasn't very pretty to watch but we hauled, just, around that tree's trunk.... the seat of my saddle still has the spur rowel marks from how low I had to hang over the side to avoid being decapitated. Bears she doesn't give a stuff about but even four years later, if she spots a moose a mile away, I know we might as well just go back home for the day as her memory cells kick in. Because we've done a lot of training together, she'll listen and not panic but it's a tense horse I'm riding by then - and you have to recognize and honor that a horse's memory is second only to an elephant's in the animal kingdom.

Darley: What research resources do you recommend to equestrians who would like to ride Alberta’s backcountry?
Pam: When I researched the book, I plagued the life out of naturalists, botanists, ranchers, wardens and outfitters who'd been there and done it… then read every related book available. To me the fascination is knowing why a creek's got a certain name, how poplars can give you sunscreen dust from their bark, the geology alone in the mountains, where you can be 5000 feet up and see seashells imprinted from 80 million years ago....amazing! Trail Training by Judi Daly is good practical advice, so too is Blue Creek Outfitting Trail Riding, Packing and Training Manual by Stan Walchuk.

Darley: What should people keep in mind when choosing trails?
Pam: Think heat, cold, weather forecasts. If there's snow or frost on the ground, aim for south-west facing slopes. If it's hot, does the trail you're aiming for have water for your horse? Sunstroke and heatstroke, for humans AND horses, can be life-threatening. I look at the maps and all those little lines jammed close together and work out if my horse is that fit to cope with the climb ratios… those kind of details.

Darley: What are some must have items that riders should pack for a day in Alberta’s backcountry?
Pam: Layers! This province can go from sweating in a T-shirt to a snowstorm in 20 minutes, any time, so I always carry layers in the saddlebags. And, a pair of dry socks. A spare pair of glasses (or contacts), a first aid kit that you actually keep stocked up, and a really good horse pick or horseman's tool capable of taking out the most stubborn rocks, or heaving off a shoe.

Darley: What’s your favorite part of riding in Alberta?
Pam: When I wrote the book, I used to finish a day and think, nope, it can't get better than today. And, the next time I'd go out, it would be. Better, different, always something significant that connected with your mind and your horse, the magic of really using five senses so well you developed the sixth. The infinite variety of landscapes, the history behind a trail even being there, watching five grey wolves watching you when snow is sparkling in a million diamonds... each area has its own definite personality and they all end up seducing you.

Alberta- Homeplace Ranch

Alberta- Homeplace Ranch
February 26, 2010

by Darley Newman. Originally published in True West magazine.

The Canadian Pacific Railway’s entrance in 1883 and the government’s offer of free land to homestead enticed people to settle in the prairie province of Alberta, Canada, with the largest influx of agricultural settlement taking place during 1896-1914. In 1912 one such family homesteaded the ranch that would later be known as Homeplace. Today it is a working guest ranch in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, near the hamlet of Priddis, population 1,594, about 27 miles southwest of Calgary.

The family of seven’s one-room wooden home, though slanted, still stands. It was originally a Chinese laundry in Calgary, before the family broke the building into five pieces and moved it on sleigh bobsleds from Calgary to Homeplace. Hanging on a wall is the street sign from its original location on Calgary’s 14th Avenue West. That the cabin still stands is a testament to the ranch’s affinity for preserving history.

At each turn of a corner, Mac MaKenny, who purchased Homeplace from the original owners in 1978, has got a story to tell, one rich with imagery from a time long past. He paints word pictures of the hardy people who settled the rolling green hills outside of Calgary.

MaKenny gained the trust of the previous owners when they visited his home. Seeing the care MaKenny had taken with his family photos and heirlooms, they were convinced he was the right person to purchase the ranch.

Rearing horses is in MaKenny’s blood. His great-grandfather and grandfather trailed to Alberta from Nebraska to sell horses to settlers in 1903. His mother Ruby grew up in a sod house, ranching west of Ponoka (155 miles north of Priddis). He grew up in Jasper, helping out with the family ranching and outfitting business and its 80 head of horses. At Homeplace, he has more than 40 head of horses all his own.

Once MaKenny takes in a horse, it’s his forever. Even after it’s outlived its usefulness as a trail horse or polo pony, it stays at the ranch as a retiree. One such horse is now 34 years old, and he stands untethered among the other horses, happy in his retirement.

MaKenny, his partner Susan Lea and I explored the nearby aspen forest on horseback. I rode Rolling Thunder by a pasture where more of MaKenny’s horses were grazing among wildflowers such as Alberta’s pink wild rose and bright red Indian paintbrush.

We rode out of the forest toward a wetland area that is part of the Harvey Conservation project. Here the birds have really taken over the area. Just before us, MaKenny pointed at the undulating, forested hills, where a historic migratory route for the Stoney Indians runs from Eden Valley up to Morley Flats. Before the homesteaders moved in, it was the Stoney (Assiniboine, which means “Stone Sioux,” relatives of the Lakota and Dakota tribes), Blackfoot (related to the South Piegan band in Montana) and Sarcee (related to the Apache and Navajo in the American Southwest) who inhabited this area. In the wintertime, the Stoney made the hard, five-day ride up to Morley Flats, where the tribe had a good grazing area for the horses. In the summer, when it was hot, they traveled through the tough terrain back down to the more lush Eden Valley.

“I could never understand why they used that route rather than go a mile farther east and then go over,” MaKenny says. “But the elders explained to me that if you went a mile east, you were on Blackfoot territory, and you just didn’t tread on their land ... the Blackfoot were very ferocious. They’re big people. They’re six foot tall, when most people were five foot, so when you fooled with them you better be ready for a fight.”

Back at the ranch, I toured the homey ranch house, where up to 14 guests may bunk. The warm kitchen smelled of homemade cookies, muffins and biscuits. One of the guests, who had taken a break from riding, was getting a lesson in baking.

The walls in the kitchen are papered with photographs that visitors have sent to MaKenny after staying at the ranch. It’s a memory wall. As I looked at all the recent travelers who stayed here before me, I saw that a great many had made good memories here in this rough and hardy enclave of Alberta.

Alberta- Banff Pack Trip

Alberta- Banff Pack Trip
February 26, 2010

by Equitrekking host Darley Newman

The first day of our pack trip into Banff National Park had been an eventful one. The three-hour ride to Mystic Camp was a mix of sun, rain and hail- yes hail in July! We were in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, exploring Banff National Park and filming a pack trip for a new episode of Equitrekking. In Banff, as in any mountainous area, layers are essential, because the weather changes quickly.

We passed through deep forests, teeming with moss, both on the ground and hanging from the branches of tall spruce trees. My horse Tumbleweed drank from cool mountain streams and trotted and walked along the sometimes rocky trails. We passed through forested trails that opened up to reveal dramatic, tall mountain peaks, piercing the sky. I felt like I was looking at an Ansel Adams photograph, except that I was there, seeing it in color, smelling the forest and rain and hearing the birds.

On the ride to camp, we passed only one other soul, a packer with a string of mules. He was making a supply run for the camp where we were headed. For the most part, we rode in silence-- in a zen like state. We stopped a few times in picturesque areas to film. Tumbleweed, my trusty trail horse, didn’t like being left alone with the mule that Barry, our guide, rode. He’d named her Sharon Stone, because she had attitude and said she was a super smart mule. I don’t think Tumbleweed appreciated her finer qualities. Every time Barry and I tried to ride away from the group, Tumbleweed called out to make sure that the others knew he was nearby. I reassured him with pats and tried to make sure the other horses were in view.
A few times along our ride, Barry pointed out fresh bear scat along the trails, though we don’t see any bears. The bears seemed to be hiding from us, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Warner Guiding & Outfitting, the outfitting company with whom we traveled, runs three camps in Banff National Park. These camps aren’t just a few small tents in the woods. They are quite intricate logistical operations.

Warner’s Mystic Camp has a large tack tent, luggage tent, outhouses, a small slew of sleeping tents (tents built on wooden risers, because it rains quite a lot), and a dining tent complete with a wood burning stove (for warmth and where hot water and coffee rest) and even a propane stove. Imagine the dining tent in the TV series “Mash” and you can maybe imagine these, except they are white canvas.

When we first got to camp, I met Tanya, the cook. She’s got a hard job, living in the woods and cooking for hungry riders. Tanya introduced me to her kitchen, where she cooks up amazing meals like the pancakes, oatmeal, fresh muffins, eggs and sausage that we had for breakfast the next morning. I do admit, clean up is sort of a pain because no electricity means no dishwasher, but the woman’s got a stove! Someone had the tough job of packing that in at some point in the beginning of the summer and someone will pack it out.

Tanya told me about her relationship with the folks she calls the “packers.” These are like the truck drivers of the horse world. Their job is to ride a string of horses and mules packed with supplies into camp and then carry out trash or whatever needs to be taken away from camp. Mystic Camp is the closest camp to civilization and it’s still three hours. Tanya gets her meats and those items that need to stay cold brought in frozen by a packer and she keeps a list for each time he comes to camp. When the frozen foods arrive, she immediately buries them in her insulated ground box to keep them cool for the week.

It’s like we’d stepped back in time, as we walked down to the glacial fed stream to get water to clean the potatoes for dinner. Armed with a silver bucket, I made sure not to fall into the chilly waters as I attempted to help Tanya. (Guests don’t have to help with chores, but I wanted to see how the whole camp worked.) Tanya cooked a beef roast, baked potatoes, salad, corn, fresh baked muffins and cherry cake for dinner. The food was good and hearty. The best part of the meal was the second dessert, when we all sat outside by a fire and roasted s’mores. I hadn’t had s’mores by a fire since I was a kid. They tasted really good.

It’s been a while since I’ve been camping. So long, in fact, that I failed to grasp the new camping technology on the first night of our pack trip. As the rain beat on my tent, I tossed and turned, wondering the point of the small, flat bedroll my sleeping bag rested upon. It was dark when I crawled into my tent and used my tiny flashlight to search for bugs, before changing and zipping myself into my sleeping bag. When the air is crisp outside, it’s good sleeping weather. I was keen to get in my sleeping bag and didn’t take the time to use my flashlight to properly set up my sleeping arrangements. My bedroll could have self-inflated, but I didn’t see that in the dark, so instead of sleeping on cushy air, I was sleeping on a worthless flat bedroll on a hard wooden riser. The next morning, I rose stiffer from the night’s sleep than from the thirty-five miles I had ridden the past two days, so I really enjoyed that morning coffee, which was waiting for me in the kitchen tent.

The second day of our trip was the most beautiful. That’s when we did our ride to Mystic Lake, a beautiful jade green colored glacial fed lake about an hour and a half’s ride from Mystic Camp. The setting was absolutely pristine and again no one else was anywhere around. Sitting on Tumbleweed at Mystic Lake, I took in the chilly breeze coming off of its waters. It sure was special to be able to gaze at its beautiful, glassy waters, and absorb the wilderness within Banff National Park.

Quebec City Old Port Market

Quebec City Old Port Market

I ventured to the old port market, which is a farmers market of regional products from throughout Quebec, located down by the St. Lawrence River. The neat thing about this market is that local people from Quebec City actually do shop here. I basically ate my way through the market, sampling chocolate covered cranberries, maple flavored cranberries, orange cranberries, apples, a local wine, a maple cone and these amazing ground tomatoes. They tasted like cherries, tomatoes, and nuts.

Leaving Quebec, we took a ferry across the St. Lawrence, for some truly great views of the city.

Darley Newman is the host of the Emmy Award-winning Public Television series Equitrekking®, which takes viewers on horseback riding vacations around the world. Equitrekking is broadcast on PBS stations and on international networks in over 30 countries.

Answer Jasper's call of the hill

The snow-covered peaks of Pyramid, Old Man, Whistlers and Edith Cavell surround the small mountain town of Jasper, a popular destination for Albertans, especially skiers and snowboarders looking for a winter weekend getaway.
I can understand the appeal:I have lived and worked in Jasper since May. What started as a summer job has evolved into a year-round occupation. I work at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge in the Emerald Lounge and I look forward to spending my first winter in Jasper and exploring all it has to offer.
It may come as a surprise that a girl from Edmonton would give up the city life -- endless shopping, bars and restaurants to fulfil the dreams of any urban 19-year-old --for a small, touristy town where it is impossible not to see someone you know as you meander aimlessly through the streets, covering the entire town in less than a day.
Getting to know Jasper, however, is like getting to know someone who will undoubtedly become a good friend--once the relationship starts, it just keeps getting better.
Of course, Jasper's main winter attraction is Marmot Basin, about a 25-minute drive from the town. Snowfall since the hill's opening day on Nov. 11 has been excellent. In 24 hours from Sunday to Monday, Marmot got 30 centimetres of snow, and it's still coming down. November's snowfall has been a whopping 225 cm.
In fact, everyone who has been on the hill so far has raved about the incredible conditions and the waist-deep powder. They're also thrilled with the new quad chair.
The early snowfall couldn't have been more welcome to Marmot Basin's owners, as they debuted the new high-speed quad chairlift that takes you from the bottom of the hill to the top in a mere seven and a half minutes.
Richard Cooper, a food and beverage manager at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge who has lived in Jasper for more than six years, says the opening conditions were the best he has ever seen.
What does he love most about Marmot Basin? The hill always appeals, he says, because the skiers and snowboarders it attracts have no ego.
"It's a very unpretentious place, there's none of this 'coolest guy on the hill'...everyone is just there to have fun."
If you aren't as enthusiastic about skiing and snowboarding as everyone else, there are many other ways to enjoy Jasper. Fun experiences range from skating on Pyramid Lake or Jasper Park Lodge's Lac Beauvert to more extreme challenges such as ice climbing in Maligne Canyon.
Andrew Stevens, 23, is excited to spend his first winter in Jasper. Employed at the Wild Mountain clothing store, he regularly urges people he encounters to explore the park, a place full of clear, aquamarine lakes and endless expanses of forest.
"Just strap on a pair of snowshoes and explore," he says. "There's so much to see."
Finding an elk grazing outside your door is a daily occurrence, he notes. You could explore the area for days and never come close to seeing it all.
A few must-see sights, when Highway 93 (the Columbia Icefields Parkway) from Jasper to Banff is open to traffic: the Columbia Icefields and the Athabasca Falls. If driving up to Marmot Basin, stop to experience the Edge of the World, where you stand on a cliff and overlook pretty much all of the park.

Accidental tour of art museum turns into a Garden of Delight

It was a vow I made to myself nearly 35 years ago that took me to explore the reason Edmonton is spending $88 million on a new art gallery.
In 1973, I ended up hippie-broke outside Madrid's Museo Nacional del Prado after travelling rough across North Africa and on my way to living even rougher in the parks of Paris.
I sneaked into a party while entering the world-famous art gallery and suddenly came face to face with The Garden of Delight by Hieronymous Bosch.
I wasn't a big fan of the Flemish painter (1453-1516), but writer Henry Miller had featured his work on the cover of his book, Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch.
The book, published in 1957, motivated me to travel and was a major reason for my initial journey to Edmonton from London.
Miller's book is a personal narrative about his life on the rugged California coast near Carmel, where he lived for more than a decade after returning from his lengthy European expatriation.
The author alludes to Bosch's depiction of fruit as symbolic of a garden of earthly delights, and enjoyed the natural beauty of the isolated coast and his colourful neighbours.
Seeing Bosch's original work was a poignant moment and I decided if Miller was into such art, I should investigate it and his love for it.
The pledge to appreciate art has largely gone unsung. I have picked up a few original pieces on travels. But I'm one of the legion who say: "I don't know much about art, but I know what I like."
I was rather sheepish when I walked into the Art Gallery of Alberta recently to meet with Ruth Burns, a Victoria Composite High School grad who gained her undergraduate degree in art history at McGill before returning to study for her master's.
Burns is now the gallery's interpretive programs manager and works closely with chief curator and deputy director Catherine Crowston.
"Life without art is a sombre prospect for me," she says.
Burns is excited the Randall Stout Art Gallery of Alberta is scheduled to open in January 2010.
"The gallery will add to the reasons why people would be attracted to living here," she said. "It will complement our world-class Citadel Theatre, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and Edmonton Opera Company."
I asked Burns how those who don't know much about art should go about learning and appreciating it.
She said be open to a work and don't let your preconceptions interfere with your experience.
- Question your assumption and emotional response. "If you are upset, perhaps this was the artist's intention."
- Take your time and study the work. Ask yourself what you are looking at. There's often a range of meaning and there isn't a fixed answer or response.
- Ask someone who is knowledgeable lots of questions. Why did the artist make the decision they did? Jackson Pollock upset many by seemingly losing control and allowing paint to fall onto a canvas. "He's today regarded as one of the 20th century's greatest artists."
- Connect ideas that emerge from a work with our larger world. "That's when art can be most powerful."
- Tolerate uncertainty in art. Engaging in a piece is an exercise in discovery. There is no right or wrong answer.
- Chose art for your home that you enjoy and can live with.
"There are people in our community with decades of art experience," says Burns. "We are looking for such people to become volunteers, study the work to be featured in future exhibitions and then communicate with others." Applications: www.artgalleryalberta.com.
It was perhaps with a slightly better understanding I took a peek at an exhibition opening this weekend: The Painter as Printmaker: Impressionist Prints from the National Gallery of Canada.
"It features more than 65 works, including those key Impressionists artists, including Paul Cezanne, Edgar Degas, Edouard Manet, Auguste Renoir and Vincent van Gogh," says Burns.
Opening at the same time is A New Light: Canadian Painting After Impressionsim. "The show explores modern influences within Canadian painting in the late-19th century and early 20th century," says Burns. "In Canada, some thought the Impressionists were despisers of art. But some Canadian painters went to France to study, absorb and interpret the wealth of creative changes that were occurring. They came to conceive of the artist as an innovator, whose role was not to offer an ordered and rational representation of the world, but to capture the artist's sensation of the world."
Here ended my first lesson. Some 16 major shows a year a year will be staged at the new gallery.
It can only be a matter of time before I'm invited to lecture on why Miller featured the work of Hieronymus Bosch

Celebrate Canada's centennial of flight with a museum visit

The Wright brothers are famous for being the inventors of the first powered aircraft, but few Canadians can name this country's first pilot, the name of the plane he flew or even when or where the first flight in Canada took place.
In case you don't know, the place was the frozen surface of Bras d'Or lake near Baddeck, Nova Scotia; the plane was the Silver Dart and the pilot was John McCurdy. His first flight happened on February 23, 1909, nearly one hundred years ago.
To celebrate the centennial of that first flight in Canada, why not visit one of this nations' many fine aviation museums? Here are some for you to consider. Sadly, you won't be able to find the original Silver Dart in any of them as it is long lost, but several museums have fine reproductions of the aircraft for you to see; one is in the Maritimes, two are in Ontario and two are in Alberta.
1. Canadian Aviation Museum - Ottawa, ON
For years thiscollection of important Canadian aircraft sat in a series of dingy, old air force hangars in Rockcliffe, but the museum has since been upgraded to a world-class institution worthy of repeat visits. Their Silver Dart replica is an airworthy example that was built in the 1950s and actually flew at Baddeck on the 50th anniversary of McCurdy's first flight. Unfortunately, it crashed, but has since been repaired and is on display for you to enjoy along with dozens of other aircraft. While there is an emphasis on planes important in Canadian history, the museum displays all sorts of aircraft from around the world.
2. Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum - Mount Hope, ON
Located at the airport that serves Hamilton, the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum is this country's most important collection of Canadian military aircraft. Much of the collection is from World War II, but there are also several post-war jet fighters on display. There is a special emphasis on the many training aircraft used in Canada as part of the Commonwealth Air Training Plan which was instrumental in turning out new pilots and air crew for Commonwealth air forces during World War II. One of the trainers used during that time was the Harvard and, if you've got the money, you can even arrange to take a flight in one at the museum.
3. Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre - Sault Ste. Marie, ON
In a country as large as Canada with so many remote communities it is not an understatement to say that airplanes played a vital role in shaping our nation. Bush planes are the unheralded craft that played that role and this Sault Ste. Marie museum does them justice. It's a hands-on collection that is worth a visit. They also have a Silver Dart replica on display.
4. Reynolds-Alberta Museum - Wetaskiwin, AB
Located south of Edmonton in the town of Wetaskiwin, this museum celebrates all sorts of mechanical milestones and boasts a fascinating collection of cars, trucks, farm equipment, aircraft and vehicles of all sorts. It's also home to Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame. It is also one of the collections in this country that displays a Silver Dart replica.
5. National Air Force Museum of Canada - Trenton, ON
The air force base in Trenton, Ontario has a long history and is the natural location to house a museum dedicated to the history of the Canadian air force. The interior collections are a fascinating display of Canada's long and proud military flying heritage. Outside, the museum has established the RCAF Memorial Air Park, a 16-acre area which has numerous aircraft on display and several memorial cairns paying homage to Canadian military aviators.
6. Canadian Museum of Flight - Langley, BC
Like many of Canada's aviation museums, the Canadian Museum of Flight is a volunteer-run, non-profit organization dedicated to preserving aircraft important in Canadian history. They have many fine aircraft on display, some of which have taken decades to restore. Among their most prized displays is the world's only surviving Handley-Page Hampden, a World-War II bomber of which 1,432 were built and only this one remains. The original craft had crashed in the ocean in Patricia Bay, B.C. during a World War II training flight and was salvaged in the 1980s and ultimately restored by the museum using parts from other wrecks.
7. Aerospace Museum of Calgary - Calgary, AB
This unassuming museum near Calgary's airport was founded by World War II pilots and aviation enthusiasts who wanted to tell the stories of aviation in western Canada. It boasts a collection of 23 aircraft from World War I to present and has a large display of airplane engines that demonstrate the evolution of aircraft powerplants. It also has a full-scale replica of the Silver Dart.
8. Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum - Halifax, NS
If you see a Voodoo jet fighter along the highway while driving to the Halifax airport, you'll know you've made it to the Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum. It bills itself as "Atlantic Canada's Only Aviation Museum that is dedicated to the preservation of both civilian and military aircraft." Among the aircraft on display is a Silver Dart replica that was built in Baddeck, Nova Scotia using McCurdy's original plans.
9. North Atlantic Aviation Museum - Gander, NL
Gander, Newfoundland played an important role in the early history of flight in this country as it was a vital refueling spot for aircraft crossing the Atlantic Ocean. During World War II, Ferry Command flew aircraft through here on the way from North America to the front lines of Europe. The museum is small, but honours an important part of aviation history.
10. Toronto Aerospace Museum - Toronto, ON
The Silver Dart may have been the first aircraft to fly in Canada, but the one that many consider to be the apex of Canadian aircraft design is the Avro Arrow. This 1950s-era jet fighter never saw service and only a few prototypes were built before the federal government cancelled the project. No examples of the Arrow survived, but the Toronto Aerospace Museum has built a full-scale replica that it proudly displays as part of its collection of aircraft of historical significance to the Toronto area.
Even if you can't see any of these museums in person, you can always explore their collections via the Virtual Museum of Canada, a website that can connect you to just about every museum in this country.

Family fun in Alberta

During the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, many families are staying a little closer to home this month, and when they're not watching the Olympic Games on television, there are plenty of great attractions to get out and enjoy. There's probably no better time to get out and spend time with your family than on the holiday weekend dedicated to families. Here are just a few ideas for attractions close to home to enjoy with your kids this Family Day weekend if you live in, or near, Alberta.
Dinosaurs Alive!
The Calgary Zoo's Prehistoric Park will come to life with 20 giant animatronic dinosaurs that move and roar. Some of the eight-metre tall dinosaurs can even be remotely controlled by guests. Dinosaurs Alive! is a $1 million exhibit and will be the first of its kind in North America. While at the zoo, visit the new Enmax Conservatory that opened in November 2009 and the new baby giraffe.

Family Day Weekend at the Royal Tyrrell
The Royal Tyrrell Museum is offering free admission on Feb. 15 and a full slate of family activities from Feb. 13 to 15 including fossil casting sessions and free dinosaur movies. Fossil casting is an activity suitable for guests age four years and up and costs an additional $7 per person or $24 per family. Preregistration is recommended for fossil casting. (
Telus World of Science Calgary
"Explore the Sky" family course takes place on the evening of Feb. 12 at Telus World of Science Calgary. The course teaches you how to find your way around the night sky using the Discovery Dome
"Digistars" and the rooftop telescopes, weather permitting. The course is suitable for children ages eight years and older. Two adults and four children can enjoy the course for $40. Pre-registration is essential. (
Family Special: From Feb. 12 to 15, if you visit the Royal Tyrrell
Museum, Telus World of Science Calgary, or the Calgary Zoo, you will receive a two-for-one admission coupon for the other two attractions.
Art Gallery of Alberta
The Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA) celebrated its grand opening on Jan. 31 in Edmonton. The 85,000-square-foot gallery also features a new children's gallery, named BMO World of Creativity and a number of events, classes and programs planned for 2010. The second
Sunday of every month is called the HSBC All Day Sunday and has special free activities, hands-on workshops, and "wacky exhibition tours."

Remington Carriage Centre
The Remington Carriage Centre Museum is offering free admission on Family Day for its annual Carriage County Fair, which takes place from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. There will also be carnival games and midway-style food for the event. Located in Cardston, the Remington Carriage Centre is a museum dedicated to horse-drawn transportation in North America. More than 240 vehicles are on display and there is a tack room, workshop, stable, coach house and corrals to explore. Visit the website and print off a coupon for 50 per cent off admission to the museum throughout 2010.

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is offering free admission on Feb. 15. A UNESCO World Heritage site located outside Fort Macleod, this museum and interpretive centre explores the ecology, mythology, lifestyle and technology of Blackfoot peoples. Special activities include drumming and dancing, puppet shows, crafts and special interpretive programs.

Frank Slide Interpretive Centre
The Frank Slide Interpretive Centre is offering free admission to all guests on Family Day. The centre will also have a special exhibit from the Bellevue Underground Mine and miners will be on hand telling stories.

Free Fishing Family Day Weekend
Alberta has two free fishing weekends each year: the Family Day weekend and one in the summer that coincides with National Fishing Week. From Feb. 13 to 15, Albertans can fish in any public water body that has an open fishing season (not including national parks) without buying a licence. You can pick up a free copy of the 2009 Alberta Guide to Sportfishing Regulations wherever licences are sold or at

Calgary Outdoor Centre
The Calgary Outdoor Centre is celebrating Family Day weekend by offering 10 per cent off all gear rentals from Feb. 12 to 15. Equipment picked up on a Friday and returned Monday counts as a two-day rental. Call to reserve or walk in.

The flavour of Edmonton has Ukrainian zest

If you find yourself in Edmonton with a craving for perogies, there a few places in town sure to satisfy tastebuds.

When you are a food writer, many people believe you eat special things on a daily basis. Perhaps panko-crusted infusions of beet foam, sprinkled with eggplant dust. Always with the raw fish.

Truth be told, I often get a hankering for the far-less-fussy. A piece of toast with a slice of processed cheese and a slick of mayo. A can of Campbell's Cream of Tomato Soup lumped up with soda crackers. A glass of milk.

Recently, I have had a yen for the very ordinary likes of perogy, also known by purists as pyrohy or varenyky.

So I went in search of a satisfying Ukrainian dumpling, something to comfort me when I am blue, and fill me up when I have nothing but a handful of toonies in my pocket.

One of the happiest discoveries I made in my hungry travels was Wendy's Gourmet Perogies. Located in an oddly industrial setting on 99th Street at 45th Avenue, Wendy's makes 10 delicious flavours of perogies priced at $9 a dozen. Varieties include bacon and old cheddar, sauerkraut and bacon, and Tex Mex (in case you have a hankering for refried beans in your buttery pouches of potato).

My favourite among Wendy's perogies are the spinach and feta cheese, although dill and Swiss cheese run a close second. Her potato perogies taste like potato, unlike some perogies, which appear to be filled with something white and pasty but not immediately identifiable.

Owner Wendy Schultz (who spent five years selling her wares at farmers markets before opening a shop nearly six years ago) does a roaring eat-in business at lunch, but also is well equipped for takeout, with a frozen food case up front so you can nip in and pick up dinner on the way home from work. (Wendy's is closed in the evenings.)

All of Schultz's perogies are boiled and then buttered, and require only minimal re-heating.

No story about perogies would be complete without a visit to Uncle Ed's, the perogy palace located on 118th Avenue at 48th Street. (You may know it as the Mundare Sausage House, because the outlet for Stawnichy's sausages in Edmonton is attached to Uncle Ed's.)

Uncle Ed's is geared toward eat-in, although servers will happily put your choice in a take-away container. Important note: don't assume, as I did, that the boiled variety of perogy is all that's available.

You can also get pan-fried or deep-fried, lending the pillowy creatures a crisper finish.

Sour cream, fried onions and real bacon bits come with each order. Four flavours of potato-based perogy are available: cheddar, cottage cheese, onion or sauerkraut. You can buy a plate of eight perogies for $6.50, or five for $4.50. Such a deal.

The lovely thing about Uncle Ed's is that you can also get Stawnichy's famous Mundare ham and garlic sausage on your plate, as well as fragrant cheese buns or crepes with dill cream sauce, and sour or sweet cabbage rolls. Everything comes from Stawnichy's factory in Mundare.

My final recommendation is Taste of Ukraine, downtown at Jasper Avenue and 122nd Street. Don't be put off by the restaurant's reputation as a fine-dining establishment, although it's true you must employ proper terminology here. (Don't, whatever you do, use the term "perogy" around owners Orysia and George Wozniak, who say it is a slang, Canadianized version of the word "pyrohy.") Traditional flavours are available, but also cherry and blueberry, as well as a mini-pyrohy stuffed with minced mushroom.

Paget Lookout defines Yoho's 'wow'

"Views! Views! Views!"

"Location! Location! Location!" The real estate industry appropriated these phrases long ago, but as a guidebook writer, I am also in the business of advertising real estate. I think it's time to wrest these descriptions from the usurpers.

Specifically, let's put them back to useful, honest work on behalf of their rightful owners: national parks.

National parks afford truly grand views because their locations are indisputably the most spectacular in the country. In particular, the Canadian Rocky Mountain national parks offer a lifetime of sublime sightseeing to anyone willing to step off the pavement and follow a trail.

For example, just 90 minutes is all it takes for reasonably fit hikers to reach Paget Lookout and witness a panorama encompassing much of Yoho National Park, which is located just west of the B.C.-Alberta border, near Golden, B.C.

The park's name is a Cree exclamation of astonishment, roughly equivalent to "wow." The lookout site reveals how apt the name is.

Below it is the Kicking Horse Valley. Beyond are numerous 3,000-plus-metre peaks, including those ringing famous Lake O'Hara.

The lookout shelter--decommissioned but remarkably intact--is world-class real estate. A five-star property. As a Canadian citizen, you own it. You really should visit it at least once.

While you're there, check out the backyard. An athletic sortie on a rough-but-discernible route will earn you a superior vista from the summit of Paget Peak.

What to bring

Wear hiking boots. Use trekking poles if possible. Even if you start in shorts and a T-shirt, bring long pants, a long-sleeve shirt, a fleece pullover and a light rain shell in your day pack. You'll want sunglasses, hat and sunscreen. Gloves and a tuque will be useful if it turns cool. In addition to a hearty lunch, pack several high-energy snacks. A headlamp and first-aid kit are essential in case of emergency. Start hydrated and carry two litres per person.

Getting there

From Calgary, drive Highway 1 west, past Canmore and Banff. Immediately north of Lake Louise, where the Icefields Parkway(Highway 93) continues north, travel west on Highway 1. Ascend to the Alberta-B.C. boundary. Reset your trip odometer here, on the Great Divide. Slow down just past West Louise Lodge, near the west end of Wapta Lake. At 5.5 kilometres, turn right (north) into the Wapta Lake picnic area parking lot. Elevation: 1,615 metres.

The hike

From the parking lot, walk east toward the picnic shelter. The trail departs left, near the outhouse. Follow it north.

Within two minutes, reach a signed junction at 1,629 metres. Right (east) descends to West Louise Lodge. Go left (west).

About 20 minutes along, reach a signed junction at 1.4 kilometres, 1,771 metres. Left(northwest)leads 1.3 kilometres to Sherbrooke Lake and continues to Niles Meadow. Go right (north-northeast) for Paget Lookout.

From the trailhead, it's a 50-minute ascent through forest to the first unobstructed view(at the end of a short, right spur) of the Kicking Horse Valley(east/west). Just eight minutes farther, reach Paget Lookout at 3.5 kilometres, 2,135 metres.

The lookout view extends south-southeast up Cataract Brook Valley toward Lake O'Hara.

The prominent glacier-mantled peaks south-southeast are Collier Peak and (behind it) Mount Huber. Farther left (southeast) is Popes Peak. Directly south is Vanguard Peak. Farther right (south-southwest) is Cathedral Crags. Southwest is Mount Stephen, which rises above the hamlet of Field.

Immediately left (north) of the lookout, a route begins left of a large, flat boulder. Follow it north-northeast to resume ascending Paget Peak. The summit is 45 minutes to one hour distant.

Note landmarks while romping up the talus to prevent straying off course coming down. The route remains distinct on the peak's lower reaches. Cairns offer guidance.

Above are numerous paths boot-beaten into the scree. Take your pick; all will suffice.

Paget Peak's 2,565-metre summit grants a surpassing view of everything you saw from the lookout, plus the entire valley below Mount Niles.

Calgary offers plenty to explore on two feet

1. Start your walking tour of Calgary by orienting yourself at the Calgary Tower. Take the elevator 160 metres up to the observation deck, where you can step out onto the glass floor--if you dare. But don't just look down: the tower offers outstanding panoramic views of the prairies, the city and the Rocky Mountains.
2. Stop by the Tourism Calgary information centre at the base of the tower for plenty of ideas and maps. Then step out onto the pedestrian-only Stephen Avenue Walk for a stroll.
3. On a sunny afternoon, take a fresh-air break and wander around Prince's Island Park, in the Eau Claire area.
4. While you're on Stephen Avenue, stop in at the Glenbow Museum for outstanding exhibits, including Mavericks: An Incorrigible History of Alberta. You'll find tales of derring-do and even disaster, told through the voices of those who shaped the province.
5. Just one block north of Stephen Avenue on Centre Street is Art Central, an entire city block's worth of historic building devoted to studio and gallery space, with local art, jewelry, fashion, crafts and more. (There's an award-winning coffee shop, too.)
6. Still in the downtown core within walking distance is Cantos Music Foundation, where you'll find more than 200 exhibits of musical instruments through the centuries, including the piano that Elton John and Bernie Taupin used to write songs such as Tiny Dancer. Call first to book a tour, 403-543-5115 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              403-543-5115      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              403-543-5115      end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
7. Kids will love the "accidentally educational" fun at the Telus World of Science and the Creative Kids Museum, handily located on 11th St. S.W., just a few minutes' walk from the 10th St. S.W. C-Train stop.
8. You can easily explore beyond downtown, too, by hopping the C-Train to the Calgary Zoo, just five minutes down the McKnight-Westwinds (Whitehorn) line. This family-friendly venue offers at least half a day's worth of wandering among the animals, from elephants, gorillas, hippos and giraffes to Canadian species such as moose and wolves.
9. It's best to take a vehicle out to Canada Olympic Park, on the western edge of the city, but it's well worth the trip if you're an adrenalin junkie. Slide down the Skyline zip line at speeds between 120 and 140 km/h for a seriously water cooler-worthy tale.
(There's a museum devoted to the Olympics and plenty of other activities here, too.)
10. Finally, back at the Calgary International Airport, check out Spaceport with the kids. The main area is free, with a viewing gallery of the planes outside and lots of kid-friendly exhibits, but it's worth purchasing tickets for the simulators (from a Formula 1 race car to an F-18 fighter jet) for the full experience.

WestJet begins rewards program

CALGARY - WestJet Airlines Ltd. appears to have finally launched its long-awaited rewards program, but the initiative is already getting mixed reviews from frequent flyers.
Canada's second-largest airline has been planning its own credit-card loyalty program after dropping its previous agreement with BMO/ Air Miles. But the launch suffered setbacks since its original timeline of last June, most recently by problems with the implementation of the Calgary-based airline's new reservation system.
Details of the new program -- called Frequent Guest -- were posted on WestJet's website this week. A WestJet spokesman said the program will be officially launched next week.
Unlike other programs under which travellers collect points for miles flown, WestJet flyers receive credits after accumulating $1,500 in WestJet travel annually. Those credits can be used toward any future WestJet flights, with no blackouts or travel restrictions.
Frequent flyer groups called the program "average," noting it will probably attract travellers not loyal to any one airline.
But it has fewer perks than rival programs, such as Aeroplan, which cater to the business crowd, said Patrick Sojka, head of RewardsCanada.ca,a Calgary-based website.
"You're losing out on business class upgrades, you don't have business class lounge access," he said.
"Those people who get that with Aeroplan won't be making the move."
WestJet has previously announced a partnership with RBC for a branded MasterCard credit card as part of the program.
Loyalty programs are seen as key to attracting corporate travellers, a sector WestJet has aggressively targeted in recent years.
One analyst said WestJet has definitely lost out on traffic to its main competitor, Air Canada, because of the lack of loyalty perks.
"These programs are wildly popular," said Rick Erickson, a Calgarybased independent airline analyst.
"I think WestJet has left a fair amount of incremental revenue on the table at a time when both Canadian carriers are so aggressive fare wise, price wise, in what is still a distressed sector."
But he also noted the airline does appear to be setting a new course by tying the rewards to dollars spent and setting a higher level before credits start to accumulate.
"It's more clever in that sense," Erickson said.
"They're allowing their system to start up without having to pay any rewards right away."

Biking British Columbia's Okanagan valley leaves you breathless

Ed "Trailhead" Kruger stops his bike, pumps the air with his fists and exclaims: Mon-aahhh-sheeee!"
I pull up behind him, grinning like an idiot. I have no idea why he's bellowing, but I'm pathetically grateful for the chance to stop to catch my breath.
I'd wanted to go on this cycle ever since I'd heard about it: historic rail trestles, stops at wineries and a 2% downhill grade. But that morning, our first, caught me off guard. One minute, we were milling around the parking lot, chatting and being assigned our bikes and the next--bam! --the group of 12 was off.
And I was last.
And the entrance to the trail was down a narrow, rocky chute. How do you ride down rocks? I hadn't encountered this on Ottawa's paved paths.
And the trail itself was soft sand, studded with stones.
My tire wobbled, my bike bounced and I soon discovered I was uncomfortably tethered to my bike seat. In my haste to be off, I'd left the pocket on the back of my jacket open. The belt that was supposed to be tucked inside was caught under my seat. I unhitched myself, feeling foolish, but was quickly distracted by my water bottle jiggling out of the cords on my pannier and flying out behind my bike.
Ten minutes later: Boom!
My first thought was that hunters were nearby. But it was my rear tire, now flat, flaccid and flapping.
What indignity next?
"You don't know how to change a bike tire?" asked Mario Toffolo, a cycling enthusiast from St. Catharines, not unkindly.
I'm embarrassed to say I could do nothing but stand by idly--I admit it, actually applying lip balm--while Toffolo and his buddies, veterans of many bike trips, changed the tube and fashioned a patch for my punctured tire
Which is why I was so relieved to be caught up to the group, I didn't care what Kruger was bellowing. And to find out that the flat, at least, was not my fault, but due to a tire that had been punctured and patched the day before and somehow missed getting changed overnight. (Kruger was not pleased about that slip-up on the part of his support crew, the only one I detected over four days.)
I got to trade the offending Bike No. 11 for an identical silvery green Giant Sedona, Bike No. 14.
I came to love Bike No. 14 during the next 135 kilometres. I wanted to take it home with me -- it and the stunning, adobe-style wineries set into desert hills, the views down over the sparkling lakes and the paths that took us under towering Douglas firs, through cool tunnels and gliding along the edge of a beach.
After our party regrouped that first morning, we came to the most famous part of our route: the Myra Canyon, which some regard as the jewel of the Trans Canada Trail. It's just southeast of Kelowna, the area that made news in 2003 when a dozen of its historic rail trestles were destroyed by a fire that roared through the valley. Now the trestles have been rebuilt. No trains use them any longer -- they're purely for pleasure and recreation, like the Rideau Canal.
It's a spectacular ride. The canyon is almost horseshoe-shaped and the path once travelled by a train forms a big curve partway up several small mountains. In the space of about 10 kilometres, you travel over 18 trestles and through two tunnels.
Through his Monashee Adventure Tours, Kruger offers just about every kind of two-wheeled trip you can imagine in the Okanagan Valley, from self-guided ones where he rents you the bikes and you stay in rustic accommodations, to deluxe guided tours with high-end lodgings and lots of wine and fine dining. His most popular by far is a day trip over this section that he calls "Trestles, Tunnels and Tasting." He shuttles you to the start of the trail and provides the bikes. You cycle for 20 kilometres, through the tunnels and over the trestles, then end up at a Kelowna-area winery (such as Summerhill Pyramid) for a gourmet lunch and tasting.
"We earn our wine and food" is one of Kruger's mantras.
Day 2 was my favourite -- and not only because it was all downhill. We began by being shuttled by van to our starting point: Chute Lake Resort, a rustic, rambling old lodge set high in the hills. The couple who run the place are seniors and she is famous for her fruit pies.
And then we were off -- and this time I made sure I was practically bumping into Kruger's back tire.
The trail takes you from about 1,200 metres elevation all the way down, in a series of switchbacks, to Penticton, which sits at the south end of Okanagan Lake, at about 350 metres. Also once part of the Kettle Valley Railway, it's the longest 2% grade (as steep as most trains can manage) in Canadian rail history. If it weren't for the fact ATVs had churned up the path, making the sand a bit difficult to navigate, the ride would have been beyond phenomenal. As it was, it was merely the best 46 km of my life (so far, anyway).
We sailed by towering, fresh-smelling fir trees, stopped to examine rock ovens where rail workers got their loaf of bread a day, and saw irises and other remnants of gardens, planted by wives or loose women who stayed at the stations.
We looked way down over cliffs that fall perilously toward Okanagan Lake, then switched back again, passed some bear droppings, switched back and cycled through a tunnel, and soon found ourselves down by the lake, on the Naramata Bench. The area is famous for its wines and is just so unbelievably beautiful, with lush vineyards sloping down to the sparkling lake.
We stopped for another delicious lunch and wine tasting at Hillside Estate Winery, then we voluntarily cycled down a steep hill, knowing we'd only have to go up again, to visit another winery, Poplar Grove, that also has a boutique cheese-making facility.
Then it was all downhill again -- an exhilarating final half-hour that took us zooming alongside roads to the paved path in Penticton that traces the south end of Okanagan Lake and took us right to our hotel.
Day 3 is what Kruger calls the South Okanagan Wine Country Tour. You leave Penticton beside a canal that connects Okanagan Lake to Skaha Lake. At the end of the day, lush vineyards on all sides are cradled by golden and soft brown hills beyond. By now, we're leaving green terrain for drier land in the south.
We start Day 4 in the desert, having been shuttled from Burrowing Owl to Spirit Ridge Vineyard Resort in Osoyoos. You can see the United States from here. You also might spot a rattlesnake in the dry hills.
I wake up early and stroll around the resort, sampling some Cabernet Sauvignon before breakfast -- not the wine, but a couple of the grapes, which I snitch from the tidy (and labelled) vines all around the hotel.
Our last day of cycling is a crowd-pleaser: We're shuttled to See Ya Later Ranch winery, then get on our bikes for a mostly downhill (partly screamingly downhill) ride on quiet back-roads. Because we're all curious about what grows in the area besides grapes, Kruger adds an unscheduled detour to Covert Farms and Pancho's Country Market, where my friend Deb buys a jar of honey and a huge bunch of fresh basil to take home to Calgary. Customers are sitting in the sun, munching pork tostadas that are laden with field-fresh tomatoes.
We cruise all the way into Oliver for lunch. After, we stop by a fruit depot and buy big bags of just-picked apples for ridiculously low prices. This really is the land of plenty.
It has been overcast all morning, threatening rain but, unexpectedly, the sun breaks through. We all exclaim "Mon-aaahhh-shhee!" in unison.
Kruger has been trying to explain the origin of "Monashee!" to me all week. A Scottish prospector is said to have given the B.C. mountain range its name by exclaiming "Monashee" when the sun came out after several hard days trekking in snow. It means "mountains of peace" in Gaelic.
It's also the name of Kruger's company, which he started in the Monashee mountains, on the east side of the Okanagan.
But it obviously means something else to him, something about why he's here, doing what he does. I think what he's really saying is: "It's so great to be alive and enjoying this beautiful land."
Monashee, indeed.
-Laura Robin is the Ottawa Citizen's travel editor. She did the Kettle Valley cycle in late September.
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IF YOU GO
For more on Monashee Adventure Tours, From $80 per person for a self-guided Myra Canyon Trestles & Tunnels tour (minimum two people; Kruger provides the bikes and shuttle) to $150 per person for the guided Trestles, Tunnels and Tasting tour, which includes lunch at a winery or pub. Multi-day trips range from $300 per person per day for self-guided tours in rustic accommodations to $600 per person per day for deluxe, guided tours with high-end lodgings and lots of wine and fine dining.

20 dumb questions Banff tour operators hear on the job

It could be all that fresh mountain air. Or maybe it's the altitude, a different time zone or even jet lag.
Otherwise there's no excuse for what makes tourists ask the dumbest questions.
There are some real gems, and it happens all the time. Just ask the patient and good-natured folks who make a living showing tourists around Banff National Park.
Some of them will tell you that summer is the silliest season for tour operators. That's when travellers from around the globe descend on Banff National Park for their trip of a lifetime. They're ecstatic about being amid mountains and glaciers, and stoked about spotting a bear, elk or moose. And they wonder just how we live up here in the Great White North.
"We get a broader range of people (in summer)," says Daymon Miller, general manager of Discover Banff Tours. "They're coming from a broad range of urban centres with generally no concept of the wilderness."
It's not much different at Banff Adventures Unlimited, where Tanya Semos is general manager.
"People are ridiculous . . . but it makes our job fun. We're starting a book," she says, guffawing at the tales her colleagues bring back to the office.
When the speak-before-thinking zinger is uttered, tour operators try to have a little fun, Miller says, without embarrassing them.
Stu Back, director of in-resort services for Banff-Lake Louise Tourism sent a list of "unusual" questions compiled over the past few years. He underscored, that like anyone who deals with the public, it can be trying:
"The answers our professional counselling staff provided to these unusual questions are testament to the depth of knowledge and patience required to assist visitors who are often tired and confused on arrival to our destination."
From an unofficial survey of Banff tour operators, here are the top 20 outrageous questions, some with answers in case you've wondered the same thing. As for the rest, well, they stand on their own.
1. Are the animals with collars tame? (These animals have been fitted with tagged collars because they have had incidents with people. It is important to stay a safe distance away from wildlife.)
2. We are going into British Columbia. Do we need to change our money into Euros?
3. Can we drive our car onto a glacier anywhere? (Not to our knowledge, but you might enjoy a trip on the Ice Explorer across the Columbia Icefields.)
4. Do we need snow tires or chains to drive to Lake Louise in July?
5. Where are the igloos and the Eskimos?
6. If the Columbia Icefield melts before we get there, can we do a different excursion?
7. Can you see polar bears at the Columbia Icefield?
8. Can I walk around P.E.I. in a day?
9. Can I get from Vancouver to Toronto by driving in a day?
10. At what elevation do the deer turn to elk?
11. How much does that mountain weigh?
12. Is this all natural?
13. While working at the (Banff) Gondola on a rainy day I was asked to turn the fog off at the top so they could see."
14. While working at the Gondola, I got asked when we release the animals so they can start feeding them. I had to remind them that this wasn't a petting zoo, the animals are wild and come out when they please -- and please don't feed them."
15. Where's that place where I can see the bear in the cage? Can I get a photo with him?
16. If I see a bear when I'm hiking, can I just keep walking past it?
17. Can you guarantee wildlife sightings?
18. Where is the rocky mountain?
19. What's the best trail to take a bike on to see a cougar?
20. Where are the animals kept at night?
Bonus Question: Where can I find a wife?

Quebec Travel Guide

Quebec City is the rather European-flavoured capital of Quebec province. The city is divided between an Old Town bristling with historic ramparts, churches, narrow lanes and former battlefields, and districts revamped with museums, cafes, bars, restaurants and all the other mod-cons of international tourism.

Province of eastern Canada; the largest province, second only in area among the nation's administrative subdivisions to the Northwest Territories. Quebec is bordered on the northeast by Labrador, on the east by Newfoundland, on the southeast by New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and on the west and southwest by Ontario.

On its southern border lie (west–east) the US states of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine; area 1,540,700 sq km/594,900 sq mi; population (1991) 6,811,800. The capital is Quebec. Industries include mining (iron, copper, gold, zinc), fishing, and the production of paper, textiles, and maple syrup (70% of world output). Cereals and potatoes are grown.

Quebec's Old Town (Le Vieux-Québec), the only North American fortified city north of Mexico whose walls still exist, was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985. The city, following the 2002 merger with several former surrounding municipalities, has a population of 528,595, while the metropolitan area has a population of 682,757 (2004).

Although some districts have been painstakingly restored to give tourists as seductive an introduction to Quebec as possible, this is an authentically and profoundly French city: 95 percent of its 600,000 population are French-speaking, and it is often difficult to remember which continent you are in as you tuck into a croissant and a steaming bowl of coffee in a Parisian-style café. Moreover, despite the fact that the city's symbol is a hotel, the Château Frontenac , the government remains the main employee, not tourism, and some of the more impressive buildings are government-run and off-limits.

Vancouver Travel Guide

Vancouver is the largest city on Canada's Pacific coast, the center of the third largest metropolitan area in Canada, and the nation's chief Pacific port, with an excellent year-round harbor. It is the major western terminus of trans-Canadian railroads, highways, and airways, as well as the terminus of a pipeline bringing oil to the west coast from Edmonton. The city's industries include lumbering, shipbuilding, fish processing, and sugar and oil refining. It has textile and knitting mills and plants making metal, wood, paper, and mineral products.
Cradled between the ocean and snow-capped mountains, Vancouver's dazzling downtown district fills a narrow peninsula bounded by Burrard Inlet to the north, English Bay to the west and False Creek to the south, with greater Vancouver sprawling south to the Fraser River. Edged around its idyllic waterfront are fine beaches, a dynamic port and a magnificent swath of parkland, not to mention the mirror-fronted ranks of skyscrapers that look across Burrard Inlet and its bustling harbour to the residential districts of North and West Vancouver. Beyond these comfortable suburbs, the Coast Mountains rise in steep, forested slopes to form a dramatic counterpoint to the downtown skyline and the most stunning of the city's many outdoor playgrounds. Small wonder, given Vancouver's surroundings, that Greenpeace was founded in the city.

These days Vancouver is more dynamic than ever, its growth and energy almost palpable as you walk the streets. In just five years, between 1987 and 1992, the city's population increased by an extraordinary seventeen percent. The downtown population, currently just over half a million, is the fastest-growing on the continent. In response the downtown area is spreading - visibly - to the older and previously run-down districts to the southeast of the old city core.

Vancouver History

The Indians that settled around Vancouver come from the Coast Salish peoples, (not as commonly thought, the Haida, whose society centred around the 150 islands in the Queen Charlotte group). The three main local Nations within Vancouver are Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh. The sea and forests provided an abundance of both food and building materials, and enabled them to develop a sophisticated culture including a system of trade. There are currently over 90,000 Natives in BC with 11 distinct linguistic groups. There are 197 bands living on 350 reservations, represented by 33 tribal councils.

Europeans appeared on the scene in notable numbers during the eighteenth century, when Spanish explorers charted the waters along what is now southwestern British Columbia. In 1778 Captain James Cook reached nearby Nootka Sound while searching for the Northwest Passage, sparking off immediate British interest in the area. In 1791 José Maria Narvaez, a Spanish pilot and surveyor, glimpsed the mouth of the Fraser from his ship, the Santa Saturnia .

Major colonization of the area only came after the Fraser River and Cariboo gold rushes in 1858, when New Westminster bustled with the arrival of as many as 25,000 hopefuls, many of whom were refugees from the 1849 Californian rush.

In 1885 Granville was selected by the Canadian Pacific Railway to be the western terminus of the transcontinental railway commissioned by the government of Canada under the leadership of Prime Minister Sir John A. MacDonald. (The CPR terminus led to the one-time nickname Terminal City.) The CPR selected the new name "Vancouver", in part because the existence of Vancouver Island nearby would help identify the location to easterners. On April 6, 1886, the city was incorporated under that name; the first regular transcontinental train from Montreal arrived at a temporary terminus at Port Moody in July 1886, and service to Vancouver itself began in May 1887.

A fire devastated much of the city on June 13, 1886, but with the arrival of the railway, Vancouver soon recovered and began to grow rapidly due to access to Canadian markets. Additionally, as part of the agreement to join the Confederation, British Columbia's debt of approximately $1,000,000 was paid in full by the Canadian government, creating additional business opportunities.

Within 5 years of the arrival of the CPR, Vancouver's population reached 15,000 and by 1911 Vancouver and its neighbouring municipalities included 120,000 people. Over the years, Vancouver and its region saw it population increase and much of this increase in population was due to streetcars, interurban railways, buses and automobiles. Remote areas began to be linked to Vancouver and this allowed people to live in one area and work in another.

Getting Vancouver

Ferries

The city also has a variety of small ferries - glorified bathtubs - run over similar routes by two rival companies: Aquabus (tel 689-5858) and False Creek Ferries (tel 684-7781, www.granvilleislandferries.bc.ca ). These provide a useful, very frequent and fun service. Aquabus run boats in a continuous circular shuttle from the foot of Hornby Street to the Fish Docks on the seawalk to Vanier Park and the museums, to Granville Island (both $2), and to the Yaletown dock by the road loop at the east foot of Davie Street ($3). False Creek Ferries also run to Granville Island ($2), and also to Vanier Park ($3 from Granville Island, $2 from the Aquatic Centre) just below the Maritime Museum - a good way of getting to the park and its museums .

Bus

The useful Transit Route Map & Guide ($1.50) is available from the infocentre and FareDealer shops, while free bus timetables can be found at the infocentre, 7-Eleven stores and the central library. The free Discover Vancouver on the Transit pamphlet from the infocentre is also extremely useful, though there is talk of discontinuing production of this guide.

SeaBuses

The downtown terminal is Waterfront Station in the old Canadian Pacific station buildings at the foot of Granville Street. There is no ticket office, only a ticket machine, but you can get a ticket from the small newsagent immediately on your left as you face the long gallery that takes you to the boats. Two 400-seat catamarans make the thirteen-minute crossing every fifteen to thirty minutes (6.30am-12.30am).