Articles
Get inspired with great articles about travel destinations, experiences, hotels and adventures.
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Wilcox Pass – The Hike with Absolutely Amazing Athabasca Glacier Views
The Athabasca Glacier is one of the most incredible sites along the Icefields Parkway. Whenever we make the journey from Banff to Jasper, we stop there. You can’t drive past it without stopping. It’s a rule in our family. No matter how many times I have seen it, this enormous glacier never ceases to amaze me. Last September, my husband and I decided it was time to get a bird’s eye view of the glacier and the surrounding mountains on the Wilcox Pass hike. This phenomenal day hike has the best views of the Athabasca Glacier we’ve ever seen. When we sat in the red chairs, we didn’t want to…
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10 Best Easy Hikes in Kananaskis
Some of the best easy hikes in Kananaskis lead to waterfalls, mountaintops and glistening lakes. Kananaskis is a year-round outdoor paradise that runs along the edge of Banff National Park and includes some of the prettiest scenery in the Canadian Rockies. It is a vast recreation area with many incredible hiking trails, so it was difficult to pick a top ten list. There’s a hike for every level of hiker in Kananaskis County and everyone has his or her own idea of what classifies as an “easy hike.” We’ve included some amazing family-friendly hikes on this list – everything from a stroller-friendly lake loop to a short and steep summit…
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Larch Valley Hike – Have a Magical Autumn
The storied Larch Valley Trail is the signature larch hike of the Canadian Rockies and with good reason. Snow dusted mountain peaks and golden yellow larches make for one of the most beautiful hiking experiences on the planet. It gets crowded during peak season, but it's worth braving the crowds to hike this iconic trail. Here are some tips for how to hike Banff's most popular trail in peak season.
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Jasper Icewalk – Discover Maligne Canyon in Winter
Hiking the deepest canyon in Jasper National Park is an incredible experience in any season, but it’s particularly special in winter. When the canyon freezes, you get the opportunity to see frozen waterfalls and other incredible ice formations. It’s nature’s artistry at its finest. It’s wonderful to walk along the snow-covered trails near the canyon’s edge, but a Jasper icewalk lets you walk on the frozen Maligne River and see the ice formations close up. There are affiliate links in this post. If you make a qualifying purchase through one of these links, Wander Woman Travel Magazine may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your…
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Star Creek Falls Ice Walk
There’s something magical about seeing a deep craggy canyon from the ground up and the Star Creek Falls ice walk lets you do that and much more. It’s a chance to see the power of erosion from an entirely new angle. You technically have to walk on water to get the view – which in summer, spring or fall is impossible. That’s what makes winter so special. When the creek is frozen, you can make your way carefully along the ice taking in the geology and the incredible ice formations that showcase nature’s artistry. There are affiliate links in this post. If you make a qualifying purchase through one of…
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Hiking the Wave in Arizona Just Got Easier!
Hiking the Wave in Arizona is an experience of a lifetime, but you have to win a lottery to get a permit to do it. According to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), 200,589 people applied for 7,300 permits to hike the wave in 2019. The odds of success in 2019 were about 3.5 percent. My husband and I were in that 3.5 percent. The BLM recently announced that as of Feb 1, 2021 they are increasing the number of permits from 20 people per day to 64 people per day. This will make it a little easier to get a permit for one of the world’s most exclusive hikes.…
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Winter Hikes & Snowshoe Trails Near Canmore
Midway between Kananaskis Country and Banff National Park, the charming town of Canmore makes a great base for exploring the Canadian Rockies in winter. It’s a destination that absolutely sparkles when the snow falls. One of the best ways to enjoy the frosty season is to get outside and enjoy Canmore winter hikes and snowshoe trails. There are plenty of wonderful pathways and trails both inside and outside Banff National Park to explore and the scenery can’t be beat. Here are some suggested Canmore winter hikes and snowshoe trails outside the national park. There are affiliate links in this post. If you make a qualifying purchase through one of these…
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Virtual Zoo & Wildlife Tours for Canadians Stuck at Home
With schools closed across the country and parents and children at home, getting out to visit a zoo or another wildlife attraction simply isn’t possible. Fortunately we live in an age where a wealth of information is available online. In this case, “If Mohammed cannot go to the mountain, the mountain must go to Mohammed.” Here are some great virtual tours of zoos, wildlife and other animal attractions for Canadians. Check out these webcams and make plans for an in-person visit later. There are affiliate links in this post. If you make a qualifying purchase through one of these links, Wander Woman Travel Magazine may receive a small commission at…
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Fraser River Sturgeon – How to Catch a 50-Year-Old Virgin Sturgeon
“This one’s a virgin!” our guide Chad pronounced as he scanned the body of the 39-kg (86 pound) white sturgeon we had just pulled out of the mighty Fraser River in British Columbia. Fortunately for the fish, he wasn’t referring to sexual status, but to the fact that it had never been caught and tagged before. When I asked him to estimate the age of the massive fish, Chad said he figured it was about 50 years old. Our guide carefully examined the fish, recorded several measurements and then placed a tiny electronic PIT tag just under the skin using a special needle. Then we gently lowered the fish back…
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Jasper Brunch – Best Food and Coffee Restaurants
Brunch is the perfect meal for those of us who prefer dining a little later in the morning. It is not breakfast and it isn’t lunch either – it’s a little bit of both. The word itself is a portmanteau generated when you put parts of two words together to create a new word. When you splice the “br” from breakfast with the “unch” from lunch, you get the word “brunch.” The word “brunch” first appeared in print in a Pennsylvania newspaper in 1896, so the idea has been around a long time. On a recent visit to Jasper National Park, we spent several days exploring the best spots to…
