Alberta Road Trip
Cathy
Back from Alberta

From hiking up mountains and exploring valleys to feeding cows and riding horses, we've had a whirlwind of adventures on our road trip to Alberta. With Canada's landscape ranging in such beauty, we focused most of our time exploring the outdoors and caught a few glimpses of wildlife. We visited incredibly blue lakes, relaxed in a hot spring and watched cows block the road we were driving on. 

Back from Alberta

adventure

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A Taste of Mars: Cheltenham Badlands In Caledon

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For its reddish hue, rolling hills with streaks of greyish-green and leafy trees surrounding the area, the Cheltenham Badlands offer an incredible view in Ontario. Composed of iron-rich Queenston Shale, the unique red landscape was created due to poor farming practices in the 1930's which caused overgrazing of the land. The exposed bedrock eroded into a series of striking ridges and gullies. Because the rock is so sensitive, it erodes easily, creating those rolling, red dunes that look like you're on Mars. As one of the best examples of "badlands topography" in Ontario, the Cheltenham Badlands are a geological treasure!

Let's get started!

Off Hwy 10, turn onto Old Baseline Road and head down until you reach the badlands. There's a small parking lot off the side of the road.

Notes:

  • The term "badlands" refers to land that is highly eroded, barren and dry. 
  • The area is very fragile, so don't climb on the hills when the ground appears soft. 
  • Be sure to check it out before it's temporarily closed. A protective fence will be placed along Olde Baseline Road at the end of May 2015.
  • Update: Public access to the badlands is only available at the viewing area at the top of the badlands slope. 

Devil's Punch Bowl Falls in Hamilton

Devil's Punch Bowl Falls is a unique waterfall located on the Niagara Escarpment in Stoney Creek, Ontario. Known for its distinctive horseshoe multi-coloured cliff, it offers an absolutely breathtaking view.

Let's get started! 

Before you start the hike, you can explore the area to see the view of the falls from the top. You'll also see a 10-metre high cross that overlooks the community. 

When you're ready, head towards the bench where you'll see a side trail marker. The trail will take you down a zig-zag path down a steep incline until you reach the bottom of the escarpment. Turn left and continue following the trail. Along the way, you'll find wooden stairs that take you down towards the river. 

From here, the goal is to take the main trail upstream until you reach the Lower Falls. There's a bunch of side trails that will take you on more difficult paths that I probably wouldn't try again. Climb up past the Lower Falls and keep following the trail. When you get closer to Devil's Punch Bowl Falls, follow the trails that are closer to the river because I noticed that some trails head uphill and away from the falls. 

You'll reach a point where the trail leads you down to the river. Use the tree roots to climb down onto the riverbed. Now head upstream towards Devil's Punch Bowl Falls and you'll be rewarded with an amazing view of the falls.

NOTES: 

  • The hike takes about 30 min - 1 hour depending how fast you move. 
  • There's a free parking lot at Ridge Road west of Centennial Parkway S. 
  • This hike is ideal during dryer weather because you'll need to hike along the riverbed to make it to the falls. If the water flow is too heavy, you won't be able to reach it. Also, mud makes everything slippery, especially the beginning of the hike. 
  • Be careful on the hike because some parts have a narrow path with a cliff beside it. 
  • Try going in the winter to see a frozen waterfall!

Happy Adventuring! 

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Fall Colours at Bon Echo

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Fall Colours at Bon Echo

It's only during the fall when leaves paint the forest in an array of gorgeous colours. It's one of the most beautiful times to go hiking. 

We wanted to take advantage of that, so we headed out to Bon Echo Provincial Park for the day to enjoy the lovely coloured trees.  Located in Cloyne, Ontario, the park features over 260 pictographs painted on Marzinaw Rock. The only way to access them is either canoe over or take the boat tour.  Unfortunately, the boat tour wasn't running when I went and it was too cold and windy to canoe over. 
 

On The Road to Alberta

On The Road to Alberta

Today marks the beginning of our journey out West to see the mountains. Cee and I are taking a very budget two-week road trip to Alberta. With a rental car packed with camping gear, our adventure will mostly consist of hiking and sightseeing. We're super excited to finally see some dinosaurs and mountains!

Are you ready? Because we are. 

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Petroglyphs and Warsaw Caves

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Petroglyphs and Warsaw Caves

Even though the rain clouds followed us all day, we weren't going to let it stop us from enjoying the outdoors. Our first adventure of the day was Petroglyphs Provincial Park in Woodview, Ontario. This historical park holds the largest collection of ancient First Nation petroglyphs (rock carvings) in Ontario.

From displays, posters and videos, the park's visitor centre offers information about the petroglyphs and their spiritual meaning. After learning about the petroglyphs, you can head over to the protective building to view the cave drawings. From carvings of turtles to bears and thunderbird to boats, every petroglyph tells a different spiritual story. It's quite an interesting experience learn about this spiritual place.

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Exploring Scenic Caves in Collingwood

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A last-minute decision led us to head up North to Collingwood. From treetop canopy walks and ziplining, to caves and caverns, Scenic Caves offers a variety of activities for the adventurous soul. Since we have treetop trekked and ziplined before, we opted for the self-guided tour of the caves, caverns and suspension bridge. 

As Southern Ontario's longest suspension bridge, I thought it was rather underwhelming. When you walk to the other side of the bridge, you reach a dead end with a few picnic tables and boards of information about the suspension bridge. You need to head back if you want to participate in other activities.  However, the view was lovely since it overlooks the Georgian Bay.

Hiking through the caves and caverns was much more exciting. There's an easy trail to follow to visit the caves and caverns. They made it very safe by installing platforms and bars to hold onto for the rocky areas. You get spectacular lookouts from the edge of the limestone cliffs, a shady hike beneath the canopy of sugar maples and red oak as well as a chance to explore a labyrinth of caves and crevices. 

Things to know: 

  • Summer hours: 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.
  • Admission for caves and suspension bridge: $25.50 (total with tax) for adults
  • The hike takes about two hours
  • There are zipline packages and adventure tour packages available (reservations required)
  • It's very family friendly with activities like mini golf, gemstone mining and a children's adventure playground (which I was too old to go into) 
  • Tractor and wagon rides are provided to the suspension bridge area as an alternative to hiking
  • Check out their FAQs and website for more information! 

Happy Adventuring! 

 

Vacation Versus Travelling: Do You Know the Difference?

Vacation Versus Travelling: Do You Know the Difference?

Many people often interchange vacation and travelling. However, they represent two separate ideas. The former represents luxury, comfort and relaxation. Picture an all-inclusive resort in the Bahamas where you sip on strawberry daiquiris and lay on a beach all day. It could be a trip to Las Vegas with your buddies where you have a night you won’t remember. It could even be a weekend getaway to the vineyard to sample different wines. Ultimately, a vacation represents a recreational time to relax and de-stress from your hectic life at home.