Canada

Porteau Cove Provincial Park is another popular stopover between Vancouver and Whistler, mostly for campers and scuba divers. But day trippers, like us, also go there to enjoy the fantastic view of Howe Sound and the mountains beyond. Nestled at the foot of the Brunswick Mountain along a crescent-shaped pebbled beach, there are picnic tables, waterfront campsite grounds, and a facility for divers. It also features a couple of sunken ships and artificial reefs for the divers t

I have lived in Canada for many years now, and even though this country is known for super long and sometimes, harsh winter conditions, somehow, I have not developed an interest in winter sports. I blame that in part to the saying, “ You cannot teach an old dog new tricks.” After all, this old dog grew up in a tropical country and had not seen snow until she moved to North America for good. However, I do not completely agree with this saying. I firmly believe that if one in

I have lived in Canada for many years now, and even though this country is known for super long and sometimes, harsh winter conditions, somehow, I have not developed an interest in winter sports. I blame that in part to the saying, “ You cannot teach an old dog new tricks.” After all, this old dog grew up in a tropical country and had not seen snow until she moved to North America for good. However, I do not completely agree with this saying. I firmly believe that if one in

I have lived in Canada for many years now, and even though this country is known for super long and sometimes, harsh winter conditions, somehow, I have not developed an interest in winter sports. I blame that in part to the saying, “ You cannot teach an old dog new tricks.” After all, this old dog grew up in a tropical country and had not seen snow until she moved to North America for good. However, I do not completely agree with this saying. I firmly believe that if one in

It has been a tradition both for our family, and for most tour companies, to make a stop at Shannon Falls on the way to Whistler. The main reason is the convenience. It is along the route. Located along the Sea-to-Sky Highway two kilometers south of Squamish and only 58 kilometers from Vancouver, it is the perfect stopover. The actual falls is part of the Shannon Falls Provincial Park and is considered the third highest waterfall in British Columbia at a drop of 335 meters ab

After an exhilarating afternoon of rides and water fun, we crossed the street to have a relaxing stroll along the shores of Cultus Lake. Cultus Lake is considered the gem of Fraser Valley, and Cultus Lake Park is a prime recreation destination southwest of Vancouver. It is a popular excursion site for those who enjoy fishing, kayaking, paddle-boarding, hiking, swimming, golfing, horseback-riding, and camping. We were just in time for the “golden hour,” which provides the best

We drove east to Chilliwack from Abbotsford one fine afternoon. Chilliwack is another big city in the Fraser Valley surrounded by mountains and is known for its recreational areas, most notably, Cultus Lake. People go there for hiking, mountain climbing, rock climbing, horseback riding, golf, camping, fishing, paragliding, sailing, and water kayaking. However, we were going there to have some “kiddie fun.” My cousin told me that there is a water park in Cultus Lake. I had not

My husband and I decided we were going to spend three weeks of summer in British Columbia for our then-six-year-old boy to see my family again. Our son met my aunt and uncle when they visited Ottawa when he was two, so he probably did not remember them much. He had seen his two second cousins a couple of times when they visited the East Coast and we met in Montreal, but again, he did not remember much. It was about time we reconnected in person once more. We stayed at my cous

One attraction that we did not want to miss while in the Beaupré area was the forest immersion experience at Canyon Sainte-Anne. Just a 15-minute drive from our hotel is a spectacular steep-sided canyon carved out of a 1.2 billion-year-old bedrock by a majestic waterfall that has a 74-meter drop. The site sits on the edge of the Beaupré Coast and the Charlevoix regions of Quebec, and is part of the Canadian Shield. It was discovered by the McNicoll Brothers who were there in

The beautiful town of Beaupré has been in existence since the beginning of the New France colony. Located along the Saint Lawrence River and Route 138 at the mouth of the Sainte-Anne-du-Nord River, it has captured the attention of Breton sailors in the 17 th  century when they landed on the coastal plains of Québec. They reputedly exclaimed, “Oh, le beau pré (Oh, the beautiful meadow)!”  And that’s how the name came to be, which I think is just perfect. Its most famous landma

Île d’Orléans is but a small island on the Saint-Lawrence River about five kilometers east of downtown Québec City, away from the hustle and bustle of urban life and the tourist mob, but its historical and cultural significance cannot be discounted. In fact, diminutive as it is in the whole province of Québec, it is considered the “Birthplace of New France” and the “Cradle of French civilization in North America.” Île d’Orléans was one of the first parts of the province that

Île d’Orléans is but a small island on the Saint-Lawrence River about five kilometers east of downtown Québec City, away from the hustle and bustle of urban life and the tourist mob, but its historical and cultural significance cannot be discounted. In fact, diminutive as it is in the whole province of Québec, it is considered the “Birthplace of New France” and the “Cradle of French civilization in North America.” Île d’Orléans was one of the first parts of the province that

Île d’Orléans is but a small island on the Saint-Lawrence River about five kilometers east of downtown Québec City, away from the hustle and bustle of urban life and the tourist mob, but its historical and cultural significance cannot be discounted. In fact, diminutive as it is in the whole province of Québec, it is considered the “Birthplace of New France” and the “Cradle of French civilization in North America.” Île d’Orléans was one of the first parts of the province that

Île d’Orléans is but a small island on the Saint-Lawrence River about five kilometers east of downtown Québec City, away from the hustle and bustle of urban life and the tourist mob, but its historical and cultural significance cannot be discounted. In fact, diminutive as it is in the whole province of Québec, it is considered the “Birthplace of New France” and the “Cradle of French civilization in North America.” Île d’Orléans was one of the first parts of the province that

Île d’Orléans is but a small island on the Saint-Lawrence River about five kilometers east of downtown Québec City, away from the hustle and bustle of urban life and the tourist mob, but its historical and cultural significance cannot be discounted. In fact, diminutive as it is in the whole province of Québec, it is considered the “Birthplace of New France” and the “Cradle of French civilization in North America.” Île d’Orléans was one of the first parts of the province that

Île d’Orléans is but a small island on the Saint-Lawrence River about five kilometers east of downtown Québec City, away from the hustle and bustle of urban life and the tourist mob, but its historical and cultural significance cannot be discounted. In fact, diminutive as it is in the whole province of Québec, it is considered the “Birthplace of New France” and the “Cradle of French civilization in North America.” Île d’Orléans was one of the first parts of the province that

Waterfalls always strike me with awe, whether I am viewing it from afar, from above, from below, or from behind. They carry with them an air of might and majesty, and at the same time evoke a whiff of magic and mystery. Behind the curtain of gushing waters, it is not difficult to picture enchanted fairies frolicking in the mist. I have, in fact, taped two fantasy-inspired television show episodes near the waterfalls when I was working in television production in the Philippin

We arrived in Québec City shortly before noon, after making a brief stop at Montmorency Falls. (And by "brief stop," I meant a roundtrip ride on the gondola just to see the falls up close and then take photos. There was no opportunity to do anything else because of the inclement weather that gradually brewed that morning and surprised us with a sudden burst.) Since it was pouring rain, we headed straight to the Notre-Dame du Quebec Basilica. Built in 1647, it prides itself to

After a few hours of driving, we finally reached Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, a small town along the Saint-Lawrence River and around 35 kilometers east of Québec City. We were there to visit another national shrine, the Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, dedicated to Saint Anne, our Blessed Mother’s mother and the grandmother of Jesus. Every year, half a million pilgrims are said to go there, and it has been credited by the Catholic Church with many miracles of curing the sick and

After seeing a bit of Montréal, we took my aunt for a long drive to visit other parts of Quebec, with emphasis, of course, on religious shrines. We stopped at Trois-Rivières to see the Sanctuaire Notre-Dame-du-Cap  (Our Lady of the Cape Shrine). It is Canada’s national shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of the five national shrines in the country, and the third largest Marian shrine in North America. Located in beautiful Trois-Rivières, a city founded by French colonists