L’Anse Aux Meadows National Historic Site – review

Is it worth the drive?  That is the decisive question when contemplating a visit to L’Anse Aux Meadows National Historic Site. At first blush, L’Anse Aux Meadows sounds like the most awesome historical place in North America.  I mean, come on, Vikings!  From one thousand years ago!  Muscular fighting men dressed in furs and metal, … Read more

Coffee Cove Seaside Retreat Part 2 – What To Do

Mention a road trip to Green Bay and your friends will envision cheeseheads, Packers jerseys, and shotgunning Schlitz faster than a spirit-crushing Favre interception.  Understandable.  But in this case, completely wrong.  Let them have a couple more Schlitz and then tell them you were thinking more along the lines of sou’westers, kissing cod fish, and … Read more

Coffee Cove Seaside Retreat Part 1 – Where To Stay

Family can make you do the most unexpected things, in no small part because they themselves do the most unexpected things.  Like moving to Newfoundland.  Nobody does this unless they’re moving back home.  Certainly not born and bred mainlanders, or so the legends (and more often than not, the facts) say.  But I have an … Read more

Barkerville Historic Town & Park – review

The ubiquitous pioneer village has been a staple of elementary school field trips ever since they stopped being, well, villages.  As history marched forward we collectively decided the late nineteenth century was the quaintest of times and worthy of both preservation and perpetual reminiscing.  Children, we seem to think, are incapable of appreciating the modern … Read more

Jasper National Park – review & things to do

I sometimes wonder if born and raised Western Canadians truly understand the uniqueness of their situation with regards to the national parks system.  This is especially true of Albertans and British Columbians living on the door step of the glorious mountain parks known throughout the world.  Having grown up in Southern Ontario, national parks were … Read more