Canada Day 2020 Goes Virtual

The 153rd anniversary of Canada, July 1st, will be quite different than other celebrations.  Due to the pandemic, virtual celebrations will be held across the country.  Some public celebrations are still scheduled at this time - please visit the official websites for any specific venue.  See websites below for some of the virtual activities taking place from coast to coast.

Canada Day, frequently referred to as "Canada's birthday", commemorates the joining of the British North American colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada into a federation of four provinces (the Province of Canada being divided, in the process, into Ontario and Quebec) on July 1, 1867.

Canada Day is very similar to the  July 4th holiday in the United States.  Most communities across the country normally host organized celebrations for Canada Day, usually outdoor public events, such as parades, carnivals, festivals, barbecues, air and maritime shows, fireworks, and free musical concerts.

Canada Day Websites

• Official Website for Canada Day
• Canada Day at Home Calgary
• Canada Day City of Charlottetown
• Canada Day in Halifax Region
• Canada Day in Downtown Kingston
• Canada Day Celebration | Niagara Falls
• Canada Day | Ottawa Tourism
• Canada Day City of Pelham
• Canada Day Quebec
• Canada Day Vaughan
• Canada Day Victoria
• Canada Day Whiterock
• Canada Day at the Forks (Winnipeg)

We have had the pleasure of visiting several Canadian cities during our cruise vacations.  These included ports of call on multiple Alaskan cruises,  Canada and New England cruises, and even Transatlantic cruises.  One of the highlights was when we extended our Alaskan cruise with a pre-cruise exploration of the Canadian Rockies.

Have you ever ridden on a glacier?  You can while visiting the Columbia Icefield Glacier in the Canadian Rockies. Specially designed vehicles, Massive Brewster Ice Explorers, take passengers on a remarkable excursion onto the surface of the Athabasca Glacier.

Have you smelled flowers or gotten up close to thousands of unique flowers in bloom?  You can at one of Canada's botanical gardens such as the fifty acre Butchart Gardens located near Victoria, British Columbia. You'll see stunning floral show gardens and a National Historic Site of Canada.

British Columbia is known for floral gardens.  Minter Gardens, which has since closed, thrilled us with thousands of flowers and gardens.

Would you like to visit a fishing village, have some fresh lobster, or visit a lighthouse?  Nova Scotia has much to offer including the Bay of Fundy and many beaches where you can build sandcastles, fly kites, take a surf lesson, or just walk barefoot in the sand.

For the maritime lover, visit the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, where you can visit the Titanic ~ The Unsinkable Ship and Halifax, Nova Scotia exhibit and learn about the role the people of Halifax played that fateful day.

Would you like to walk where birds fly and squirrels hang out?  You can in Vancouver, Canada, at Capilano Suspension Bridge and Treetops Adventure.  I'm afraid of bridges, but I had a great time crossing a series of elevated suspension bridges, some reaching as high as 100 feet (30m) above the forest floor.

Capilano Suspension Bridge is one of Vancouver, British Columbia's most popular tourist attractions.  Odds are that unless you extended your cruise vacation in Vancouver, you probably didn't visit this attraction during your cruise vacation.

There is so much to see and do in Canada, I hope that you'll plan a visit in the near future and get to know more about this North American country.   We have only scratched the surface in this article.   There are other Canadian destinations featured in past blog posts and also on our Facebook Fan Page.

To help you plan your day, we are posting this early.  

To all our Canadian friends .... Happy Canada Day 2020.

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Happy Canada Day 2019

Canada Day, frequently referred to as "Canada's birthday", commemorates the joining of the British North American colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada into a federation of four provinces (the Province of Canada being divided, in the process, into Ontario and Quebec) on July 1, 1867.

Canada Day is very similar to the  July 4th holiday in the United States.  Most communities across the country will host organized celebrations for Canada Day, usually outdoor public events, such as parades, carnivals, festivals, barbecues, air and maritime shows, fireworks, and free musical concerts.

Learn more:  Official Website for Canada Day

We have had the pleasure of visiting several Canadian cities during our cruise vacations.  These included ports of call on multiple Alaskan cruises,  Canada and New England cruises, and even Transatlantic cruises.  One of the highlights was when we extended our Alaskan cruise with a pre-cruise exploration of the Canadian Rockies.

Have you ever ridden on a glacier?  You can while visiting the Columbia Icefield Glacier in the Canadian Rockies. Specially designed vehicles, Massive Brewster Ice Explorers, take passengers on a remarkable excursion onto the surface of the Athabasca Glacier.

Have you smelled flowers or gotten up close to thousands of unique flowers in bloom?  You can at one of Canada's botanical gardens such as the fifty acre Butchart Gardens located near Victoria, British Columbia. You'll see stunning floral show gardens and a National Historic Site of Canada.

British Columbia is known for floral gardens.  Minter Gardens, which has since closed, thrilled us with thousands of flowers and gardens.

Would you like to visit a fishing village, have some fresh lobster, or visit a lighthouse?  Nova Scotia has much to offer including the Bay of Fundy and many beaches where you can build sandcastles, fly kites, take a surf lesson, or just walk barefoot in the sand.

For the maritime lover, visit the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, where you can visit the Titanic ~ The Unsinkable Ship and Halifax, Nova Scotia exhibit and learn about the role the people of Halifax played that fateful day.

Would you like to walk where birds fly and squirrels hang out?  You can in Vancouver, Canada, at Capilano Suspension Bridge and Treetops Adventure.  I'm afraid of bridges, but I had a great time crossing a series of elevated suspension bridges, some reaching as high as 100 feet (30m) above the forest floor.

Capilano Suspension Bridge is one of Vancouver, British Columbia's most popular tourist attractions.  Odds are that unless you extended your cruise vacation in Vancouver, you probably didn't visit this attraction during your cruise vacation.

There is so much to see and do in Canada, I hope that you'll plan a visit in the near future and get to know more about this North American country.   We have only scratched the surface in this article.   There are other Canadian destinations featured in past blog posts and also on our Facebook Fan Page.

To all our Canadian friends .... Happy Canada Day 2019.

Special Canada Day 2017

The 150th anniversary of Canada, also known as the 150th anniversary of Confederation and promoted by the Canadian government as Canada 150, occurs in 2017 as Canada marks the sesquicentennial anniversary of Canadian Confederation.  This would be a perfect time to plan a cruise or land tour of Canada.

Canada Day, frequently referred to as "Canada's birthday", commemorates the joining of the British North American colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada into a federation of four provinces (the Province of Canada being divided, in the process, into Ontario and Quebec) on July 1, 1867.

Canada Day is very similar to the  July 4th holiday in the United States.  Most communities across the country will host organized celebrations for Canada Day, usually outdoor public events, such as parades, carnivals, festivals, barbecues, air and maritime shows, fireworks, and free musical concerts.

Learn more:  Official Website for Canada Day

We have had the pleasure of visiting several Canadian cities during our cruise vacations.  These included ports of call on multiple Alaskan cruises,  Canada and New England cruises, and even Transatlantic cruises.  One of the highlights was when we extended our Alaskan cruise with a pre-cruise exploration of the Canadian Rockies.

Have you ever ridden on a glacier?  You can while visiting the Columbia Icefield Glacier in the Canadian Rockies. Specially designed vehicles, Massive Brewster Ice Explorers, take passengers on a remarkable excursion onto the surface of the Athabasca Glacier.

Have you smelled flowers or gotten up close to thousands of unique flowers in bloom?  You can at one of Canada's botanical gardens such as the fifty acre Butchart Gardens located near Victoria, British Columbia. You'll see stunning floral show gardens and a National Historic Site of Canada.

British Columbia is known for floral gardens.  Minter Gardens, which has since closed, thrilled us with thousands of flowers and gardens.

Would you like to visit a fishing village, have some fresh lobster, or visit a lighthouse?  Nova Scotia has much to offer including the Bay of Fundy and many beaches where you can build sandcastles, fly kites, take a surf lesson, or just walk barefoot in the sand.

For the maritime lover, visit the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, where you can visit the Titanic ~ The Unsinkable Ship and Halifax, Nova Scotia exhibit and learn about the role the people of Halifax played that fateful day.

Would you like to walk where birds fly and squirrels hang out?  You can in Vancouver, Canada, at Capilano Suspension Bridge and Treetops Adventure.  I'm afraid of bridges, but I had a great time crossing a series of elevated suspension bridges, some reaching as high as 100 feet (30m) above the forest floor.

Capilano Suspension Bridge is one of Vancouver, British Columbia's most popular tourist attractions.  Odds are that unless you extended your cruise vacation in Vancouver, you probably didn't visit this attraction during your cruise vacation.

There is so much to see and do in Canada, I hope that you'll plan a visit in the near future and get to know more about this North American country.   We have only scratched the surface in this article.   There are other Canadian destinations featured in past blog posts and also on our Facebook Fan Page.

To all our Canadian friends .... Happy Canada Day 2017.

Celebrity 2012 Canadian Rockies Cruisetours

Break away from the expected with an exhilarating
Canadian Rockies Cruisetour this year.

Welcome to the land of unspoiled scenery, fresh air and abundant wildlife. Available before or after your 7-night Inside Passage cruise aboard Celebrity Century®, this land tour takes you high into the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

Explore the breathtaking views of Banff National Park as you travel past Mt. Robson, the highest and most prominent mountain in the Canadian Rockies.

Travel in luxury as you enjoy Sleeper Touring Class aboard the VIA Rail®. Marvel at stunning views through picture windows in your private sleeping cabin and glass domed railcars. Nostalgic dining cars provide gourmet made-to-order meals. Sink into luxury as you relax in deluxe Fairmont hotels and lodges nestled against the rugged mountain wilderness.

 

DESCRIPTION	CRUISETOUR DATES 2012	ITINERARY
Cruisetour #1CB 12-Night Canadian Rockies Pre-Cruise	May 8, 15, 22, 29; Jun 5, 12, 19, 26; Jul 3, 10, 17, 24, 31; Aug 7, 14, 21, 28; Sep 4	7-NIGHT ALASKA HUBBARD GLACIER CRUISE Included Activities – Calgary Tower, Banff Highlights Tour, Columbia Icefield Tour, Vancouver City Tour. 1 night Calgary, 1 night Banff, 1 night Jasper, 1 night VIA Rail & 1 night Vancouver
Cruisetour #1CB 14-Night Canadian Rockies Pre-Cruise	Sep 11	9-NIGHT ULTIMATE ALASKA CRUISE Included Activities – Calgary Tower, Banff Highlights Tour, Columbia Icefield Tour, Vancouver City Tour. 1 night Calgary, 1 night Banff, 1 night Jasper, 1 night VIA Rail & 1 night Vancouver
Cruisetour #1CB 15-Night Canadian Rockies Pre-Cruise	Sep 20	10-NIGHT WINE CRUISE Included Activities – Calgary Tower, Banff Highlights Tour, Columbia Icefield Tour, Vancouver City Tour. 1 night Calgary, 1 night Banff, 1 night Jasper, 1 night VIA Rail & 1 night Vancouver
Cruisetour #2CA 12-Night Canadian Rockies Post-Cruise	May 13, 20, 27; Jun 3, 10, 17, 24; Jul 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; Aug 5, 12, 19, 26; Sep 2, 9, 16	7-NIGHT ALASKA HUBBARD GLACIER CRUISE Included Activities – Calgary Tower, Banff Highlights Tour, Columbia Icefield Tour, Vancouver City Tour. 1 night VIA Rail, 1 night Jasper, 1 night Lake Louise & 1 night Calgary
Cruisetour #2CA 13-Night Canadian Rockies Post-Cruise	May 5	8-NIGHT WINE CRUISE Included Activities – Calgary Tower, Banff Highlights Tour, Columbia Icefield Tour, Vancouver City Tour. 1 night VIA Rail, 1 night Jasper, 1 night Lake Louise & 1 night Calgary
Cruisetour #5CB 13-Night Canadian Rockies Pre-Cruise	May 26; Jun 9, 23; Jul 7, 21; Aug 14, 18; Sep 1, 8	7 NIGHT NORTHBOUND ALASKA CRUISE Included Activities – Calgary Tower, Banff Highlights Tour, Columbia Icefield Tour, Vancouver City Tour, Victoria and Buchart Gardens tour. 1 night Calgary, 1 night Banff, 1 night Jasper, 1 night VIA Rail, 1 night Vancouver & 1 night Victoria

Itinerary subject to change without notice. ©2011 Celebrity Cruises Inc. Ships’ registry: Malta and Ecuador.

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Cruising Alaska

If you have only cruised in tropical destinations, I'd like to suggest widing your horizons to the Last Frontier, Alaska. What images come to mind when you think of Alaska? You probably think of Eskimos, cold days, glaciers, snow and ice. Quite a contrast to the palm trees and sandy beaches of the Caribben you are probalby thinking.

Yes, depending on when you go to Alaska you may experience some chilly temperatures. You'll definitely be able to see glaciers, since they've been around for thousands of years. Even with global warming, they won't completely melt for some time, I'm sure.

If I told you that you could also experience 70-80 degree days, would you be surprised? Cruising season goes from May to September. During the summer months, it wouldn't be surprising to have warm days like that.

The Inside Passage is Alaska's biggest cruise destination, but popular cruises also visit Prince William Sound, the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea. Many passengers choose to extend their time in Alaska before or after the cruise. I highly suggest that because the cruise ships can only go to certain destinations. You want to go to Fairbanks to experience the all night twilight or if you are extremely lucky, the Northern Lights.

Denali and Mount McKinley are probably the second biggest Alaskan destination, but those can only be reached by land - usually by train. While in Denali on our first visit to Alaska, we experienced a light snow shower, saw a mama bear with her baby cub, saw several sheep and other wildlife. We stayed overnight in Denali and had a marvelous time.

While cruising the inside passage, we saw Hubbard Glacier calving, ice floating in the water, eagles feeding just off the ships port side, whales, seals and other wildlife. The great thing about Alaska is no two days will be exactly the same. You never know what Mother Nature has in store for you to see.

There are many options when doing a cruise / cruisetour in Alaska. Because of the complexity of these options, I strongly encourage you to work with a professional cruise specialist. Because of the short cruising season, you will want to plan early. For best cabins and options, I'd suggest booking a year in advance. If your budget of vacation and money will allow it, I'd suggest getting a balcony cabin and extending your stay so that you can really experience Alaska.

In a future article, I'll tell you more about our first trip to Alaska. We did a pre-cruise tour of the Canadian Rockies, a 7 night Inside Passage cruise, and a post-cruise tour that included Fairbanks, Denali, and Anchorage. We are going back to Alaska this year for our National Conference, so I'll be writing you about that trip also. If you have questions in the meantime, please contact me.

Definitely put Alaska on your list of cruises to do beyond the Caribbean. Write me when you get back to tell me if you are glad that you did. My husband didn't want to go, but after we went, he can't stop talking about it, even years after the cruise.