In the summer of 2013, I made it a personal mission to visit every province in Canada. A few weekends here and there and one final push in August, the mission was finally complete and I could officially call myself a "true" Canadian having visited all 10 provinces.
BC
I may be a tad biased, being born and raised in Vancouver, but I can't imagine a more perfect city. Lush Green, Water & Mountain views (albeit the rain), this colourful city has it all. My top 4 summer recommendations for any guests visiting are (sorry, no hiking recommendations as I am allergic):
1. Rent a bike and stroll along the gorgeous Sea Wall. The total path is 28KM but you may travel at your leisure stopping anywhere along Stanley Park, English Bay, Yaletown, Olympic Village, Granville Island, Spanish Banks. More info click HERE.
2. Stroll along Vancouver's varying neighbourhoods. The great thing is that everything is so close together! From Commercial Drive, Gastown, Yaletown, Main Street. Great food along the way and perfect for people watching.
3. Rent a kayak or paddleboard and enjoy the day in False Creek or Deep Cove.
4. Explore Richmond (mini Hong Kong) and make your way to the Night Market in the evening.
AB
Being the neighbouring province to BC, I've had the chance to visit Alberta several times prior to 2013. Nonetheless, I made a few stops: Banff enroute to Saskatoon, Calgary for the epic Stampede and Edmonton to visit the mall.
My favorite things about Alberta?
No PST
Beef City (Steak fans? Say.. Vintage ChopHouse? yum!)
Mountains within driving distance (Banff!)
Wild Wild West in an Urban City
SK
I have a somewhat love/hate relationship with Saskatoon. Looking back, I loved my time there - simple lifestyle, squash & yoga everyday, good people, new appreciation for country music, etc. At the same time, hated .. to admit all that, the merciless mosquitoes and the gnawing dread that the UFE was coming...
In any case, I'm glad I got to spend 2 summers in the Prairies. Will I be back? Not too sure, but if I do - I'd definitely: Brunch at the Hallows, Visit the Farmer's Market on 19th, Bike along the River, Stroll along Main & Broadway and then finish the night attempting but absolutely failing to line dance at Long Branch.
MB
To be completely fair, I spent a total of maybe 6 hours in Winnipeg so I know I cannot fairly judge the city. While there, I got a chance to stroll along the Forks, check out the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, take an impromptu Legislative Building tour, stumble onto the Fringe Festival in downtown and brunch at a super cute joint (the name of which escapes me). The next time I plan to visit Manitoba? To head up North to check out the Polar Bears. Hope to be able to check it out before global warming completely destroys it all.
ON
BC's rival province. Sure, Ontario is like 10x larger than BC, has a way better job market, better urban infrastructure, geographically located closer to everywhere else in the world aside from Asia but it's still stiff competition between Vancouverites & Torontonians when arguing for the title of best City in Canada. In any case, Toronto is still a super fun although I have yet to fully explore the city. Although I've visited over a dozen times, my visits were largely limited to my extended families' area of residences that is, Scarborough, Richmond Hill and Markham.
Of course, I cannot forget to mention Ottawa (our nation’s capital). The first time I visited Ottawa, I was probably 10 years old and was quite frankly rather bored of the city. Having the opportunity to visit again in 2013 gave me a new fresh perspective of the City and I loved it! In addition to the historical richness, being the home of the Parliament, the city also has a lovely charm. My quick visit in 2013 consisted of a second trip to Parliament Hill and the National War Memorial, strolling Byward Market and Rideau Canal, checking out the Giant Spider, crossing Alexandra Bridge/Pont Alexandra to step into Gatineau, Quebec (just to say I walked to Quebec) and of course, some Beavertail.
QC
Quebec is another lovely charming City that makes Canada so amazing. It is like stepping into a whole new world.. well a French one that is.. and experiencing new culture, new foods, language and beautiful architecture and design. Having been in French Immersion from K-12, I had the chance to visit Montreal/Quebec City in the past. In 2013, I took a couple days to revisit the classics such as Old Montreal, Notre-Dame Basilica, Rue St. Catherine. But my favorite will always be Mont Royal. Got a chance to eat some fantastic meals at les trois petit bouchons and lemeac but no trip is complete to Montreal without visiting the staples: Poutine (try, La Banquise), Bagels (St. Viateur’s) and Smoked Meat (Schwartz). Bon Appétit!
NB
The last home stretch along the cross Canada tour was the Maritimes. I had less than a week to visit the remaining 4 provinces and most definitely did not get to see everything. The Maritimes is amazingly beautiful and such a sharp contrast to the West Coast. I look forward to the chance to visit again and really explore the areas (it’s a shame that a trip over to the East Coast costs more than a trip to Asia…. Ridiculous!)
First stop along the Maritimes tour was to New Brunswick. Flew into Moncton the day after a wedding (do not recommend) & rented a car right away to make my way to the Bay of Fundy. Stayed at a lovely bed & breakfast (Innisfree) just steps away from the Hopewell Rocks Park Entrance. It was very neat watching the low tide & high tide set around the rocks. The main purpose for my visit was to kayak around Hopewell Rocks in the Bay of Fundy but I did not expect to do so at record high 42 feet high tides with 2-3ft waves. Definitely one of my braver moments.
PEI
After a morning kayak splash, I made my way over to PEI (I had a tight schedule to stick to…!). I got a chance to visit Aboiteau Beach to grab a quick bite before crossing the Confederation Bridge. I was initially surprised at how prevalent French was in the area but later caught up with my Canadian History on the French settlement over on the East Coast. My drive across the Confederation Bridge was super cool – it is strange that I was so excited to cross a 12.9km bridge that connected two provinces? Well, I am not embarrassed to admit that I was. Anyways, ten minutes later, as the excitement wore off; I made my way over to Cavendish. The drive was stunning, every few seconds I wanted to just stop the car and just admire the scenery. Picture, Anne of Green Gables: Rolling Hills, Farm Fields and Blue Skies.
Apparently, PEI is also famous for an abundance of lighthouses, many of which have already been decommissioned. But, where there was a lighthouse, there was often a stunning view to be seen. So the majority of my afternoon was spent wandering (likely trespassing) in search of these lighthouses. The views were definitely rewarding but after a few close calls, it was time to call it quits and head towards the city (Charlottetown that is).
I wish I had more time to explore Charlottetown but I only had the night to enjoy a stroll along the Pier, fresh lobster (of course) and a short visit to a few local stores. I spent the night at HI – Charlottetown and made the discovery that hostels in Canada.. suck. Sorry, they do!
NS
The next morning, I woke up at 5AM to drive from PEI back to Moncton Airport to fly to Sydney. It was a rough morning & drive. Nonetheless, I made it to Sydney to check out the infamous Cape Breton. Apart from a few mishaps here and there, I would still highly recommend the Cabot Trail: a 300km route with stunning views. I get to officially brag that I took a swim in the Atlantic Ocean J The route loops around the tip of the island so pack accordingly (not much available so go prepared!)
Flew into Halifax and again rented a car. As a reoccurring theme to this blog post, I definitely did not get to spend enough time in this City. While there, I got a chance to walk along the Boardwalk, relax along the slopes of the Citadel, visited Fisherman’s Cove and of course.. Peggy’s Cove.
NL
The last stop was to Newfoundland (St John’s to be exact). It may be because I had great hosts (my cousin’s husband’s parents… yup!) but I loved the sites such as Signal Hill & Cape Spear (North America’s most easterly point). The vibrant and arts-filled culture with an abundance of craft studios, quidi lake and endless rows of jellybean houses. Of course, I cannot forget George Street and the insanely strange traditions of a “Screech-In” which consisted of me drinking a shot of Screech, kissing a fish & reciting nonsensical jargon to become an unofficial “newfie”. I have the certificate .. somewhere.. to prove it!
So after 4 months, 3 road trips, 9 flights and many road trips later.. I finally got to taste, see, listen and enjoy to our great nation's 10 beautiful provinces across 13 amazing cities.