We believe that the best souvenirs are stories. Read them here.
Butchart Gardens: Jennie Butchart’s Living Legacy
Jennie Butchart, the visionary behind the world famous Butchart Gardens outside of Victoria was the first to admit that she knew ‘next to nothing about gardening” when she started her massive garden project. What Jennie did know, though, was that she valued beauty, and knew her way around colour and design. And she used that knowledge to create something whose sole purpose was to delight the eye…
Easy-ish Hiking on Vancouver Island: Mystic Beach & More
There’s no shortage of beautiful trails if you plan to do some hiking on Vancouver Island (and you definitely should!) Luckily, for those of us who aren’t aggressively outdoorsy, there are many coastal trails that offer plenty of scenic rewards without killing yourself. Here are 3 easy-ish trails including a stellar one to a waterfall on Mystic Beach!
Off the Beaten Path: 3 Quirky Places to Stay in Québec’s Eastern Townships
*Updated May 2022 to include new property* One of the benefits of exploring beyond the tourist hotspots is the opportunity to discover not just places that are authentic and less trafficked, but the chance to find unique or quirky places to stay. Québec’s Eastern Townships region prides itself on being ‘off the beaten path’, and what Henk and I discovered on a recent visit was that they offer accommodations that promise the same. And 3 of the places where we stayed gave us the opportunity to get close to nature, too.
Road Trip Tips: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
What happens when your road trip goes bad? So bad that you find yourself without the critical ingredient – your car? Here are some of our best road trip tips that cover the good, the bad, and the ugly of hitting the open road. (Hopefully you’ll only ever need the ‘good’, but it’s always better to be prepared for the others.)
