Who To Travel With?

I like to travel by myself. It allows me more freedom than having a travel partner. That said, I have traveled with my Mom (and will again), and with my counsin (that did not go so well).  As a solo traveler, and a female traveler, I feel it is sometimes better to travel with a tour company. This is not always the case-- I have traveled to England, California, and parts of New Zealand by myself. But when I do travel as part of a tour, I tend to like the companies that cater to small groups.

Here are a list of companies that I have traveled with or had help with booking my trip:

Canada
Moose Network www.moosenetwork.com

This backpacker company has two types of tours. In the West, travelers can hop-on or hop-off wherever they please and then book the next bus that has room available. In the East, tours are scheduled with specific stops and hostels. There are two options for the Moose East tours: Inclusive and non-inclusive. Inclusive is a bit more and all hostels and attractions are booked in advance; non-inclusive has a lower tour price and an extra fee to be paid for any attractions. Plus, hotels have to be paid when the traveler arrives at the hostel.

Travel Cuts/The Adventure Travel Company www.atcadventure.com

This company provides loads of information about adventure travel worldwide. I booked my trip to the South Pacific through them. They booked my flights, submitted my Visa applications for Australia and New Zealand, helped me with my YHA membership, and booked/helped me register for my Oz Experience tour.

gAdventures www.gadventures.com

This company used to be called Gap Adventures. That is what they were called when I traveled to Thailand. They have changed their name, but not the type or quality of thier product. This is a great company. They offer different types of adventure tours all over the world. You can choose the style of travel accommodations and transportation you want (gradings are classic, standard, yolo etc.) And how much physical activity you want (rated one to five, with five being most active). This is a great company due to the variety of tour options available. Check them out!

Australia
Oz Experience www.ozexperience.com

This is a hop-on, hop-off style of backpacker tour. It provides a login link where you can book your buses for your trip across Australia. There are options for hostels where the bus picks up and drops off passengers, so you can book your trip based on that. I booked all my hostels and buses in advance of leaving Canada because I only had a specific number of days there. However, travelers can choose to book only one leg of the journey at a time, if they want.

New Zealand
Stray Travel www.straytravel.com

I traveled in New Zealand both by myself and on a tour. The tour company I chose was Stray Travel because it offered more adventure, an authentic Maori experience, and a smaller group. Group sizes are 25 passenger maximum. Travelers can hop-on, hop-off wherever they choose. This company also provides a login link where the passenger can book available buses as they choose. It is a great way to see New Zealand, as lots of highlights are offered on various lengths of tours. You can choose to tour all of New Zealand, only one island at a time, or small tours of only specific parts of New Zealand. It was a great way to see the country!

 Kiwi Experience www.kiwiexperience.co.nz

This backpacker tour company offers tours similar to those offered by Oz Experience in Australia. The clientele tends to be the younger, party crowd. Passengers can hop-on, hop-off where they please and book their buses online. Tour sizes tend to be a bit larger.

~Angie

The 'Art Deco' Weekend

The 'Art Deco' architectural style in Napier, New Zealand makes it a unique place to visit. It did not always look like it does today. On February 3, 1931 a 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit the Hawkes Bay region along the east coast of New Zealand. This was, and still is, New Zealand's most devastating earthquake. Due to the fires and subsequent damage caused by the tremors, downtown Napier was especially hard hit and had to be rebuilt. City planners decided to rebuild the city in the new 'Art Deco' style that was gaining popularity in Spanish countries.

The Tom Baker Fountain

This 'Art Deco' style gives Napier a unique style in New Zealand, making it a tourist attraction. As Napier is a major port, cruise ships stop there so that people can see the amazing architectural styled buildings in downtown. One major attraction along the waterfront is the Tom Baker Fountain, an 'Art Deco' style fountain that is lit up at night for a light show.

'Art Deco' style of architecture

'Art Deco' style of architecture

Every February, to remember this event and celebrate the architectural style that Napier is famous for, the town hosts the 'Art Deco Weekend'. This weekend reminds me a lot of the Calgary Stampede because everyone in town dresses up and it is a lot of fun. For the 'Art Deco Weekend', everyone brings out their best 1930's dress up clothes, jewellery, cars. There is a Vintage Car Parade to start the weekend, along with lots of '30's inspired gatherings - tea parties on the grass, jazz music, and art and market displays showing everything from '30's era books and artefacts to grammophones. It's really cool!

Vintage Car Parade

Bystanders dressed in their best, watching the parade

Tea Party

 So if you ever have the opportunity to visit Napier, New Zealand, try to visit on the 'Art Deco Weekend'. You'll have a blast!

~Angie

La Belle Ville

Québec City is beautiful! La belle ville! Especially Vieux-Québec, the Old City. This is inside a fortress wall that the British built to defend against the Americans and Indians during the Seven Year's War.  Québec City is the only fortified city in North America, outside of México City. The city was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. It has a very European feel to it.

Inside the wall, one of the gatehouses

Outside the wall

Québec City was founded by French explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1608. During the Seven Year's War, in 1759, Québec City was captured by the British. In 1763, the French handed the city over to the British, thus starting the long history of resentment between the French and English in Québec that continues to today.

The name "Québec" is derived from the Algonquin Indian word Kébec, meaning "where the river narrows". This is because the St. Lawrence River narrows where Québec City sits across the river from Lévis.

After Canada was founded in 1867, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was created to take people West. The CPR built luxury hotels beside the railway stations in various cities across Canada. These hotels include: the Empress Hotel in Victoria, BC; the Banff Springs Hotel in Banff National Park, Alberta; the Château Laurier in Ottawa, ON; and the Château Frontenac in Québec City. These hotels were merged with the Fairmont Hotel chain in 2006, so now carry the name Fairmont instead of CP.

The Fairmont Château Frontenac

Vieux-Québec is as beautiful city to walk around. There is a lot of history there. Bon voyage!

~Angie

A Day Trip to Niagara Falls

Canadian Falls

A great day trip from Toronto is to Niagara Falls, Ontario. Niagara Falls are shared by the United States and Canada, with the falls split by Goat Island in the middle.

One company that offers a trip to Niagara Falls picks up from hostels and hotels in downtown Toronto. The day trip costs $55 CAD and can be bought from various hostels in downtown, including Canadiana Backpackers and Global Village Backpackers. It is also available through Moose Network (www.moosenetwork.com)

Pick ups take place between 9:15 and 9:45 am. It is approximately an hour drive to Niagara Falls, passing cities including Mississauga, Hamilton, and St. Catherines. Once there, the tour driver takes you to a great view of the Falls at a lookout. After about an hour you have the option of going on the Maid of the Mist. This costs $19 if you were to go alone, but there is a group rate of $16 too, that is offered on the tour at an additional cost. The Maid of the Mist gets you up close and personal with the Canadian Falls, by far the more impressive of the two. Prepare to get wet!

On the Maid of the Mist

Then, after all that, the tour takes you 45 minutes away to Niagara on the Lake. This is a quaint town in the heart of Niagara wine country. It is a really pretty town where you can buy ice cream and souvenirs. Go for a stroll along Main Street and be sure to check out the Court House - it's the original building from the 1800's!

Outside the Prince of Whales Hotel, Niagara on the Lake

~Angie

Not Anne's Version

“Life is worth living as long as there's a laugh in it.” 
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

I have been traveling in Eastern Canada. One place I have always wanted to see is the home of Anne of Green Gables - Prince Edward Island. I stopped in Charlottetown, the capital and birthplace of Confederation. PEI is known for a several things including: Red beaches, Confederation, and Anne of Green Gables.

I went to the Anne of Green Gables store in Charlottetown. It has everything you could want relating to Anne: books, magnets, dolls, calendars, and Raspberry Cordial. 

A bit of background to my story is a chapter from Montgomery's book. For those who are not familiar with Anne Shirley, she has a knack for getting into trouble. So here is what happened when Anne's best friend, Diana Barry, came over for afternoon tea.

Anne invited Diana over for tea one afternoon, and it was very special because Marilla Cuthbert had given her permission to serve Diana Raspberry Cordial, an extra special drink. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to Anne, the Raspberry Cordial was not in the pantry. After searching for a bit, Anne found a bottle of something that she thought was Raspberry Cordial. It turned out to be Currant Wine, a specialty of Marilla's. Diana got drunk and they were not allowed to see each other.

So, back to my story...I was at the Anne of Green Gables shop in downtown Charlottetown buying my souvenirs, including Raspberry Cordial. A lady came up behind me at the counter and noticed my bottle. She asked where I got it, so I told her. I was still paying for my purchases when she returned to the counter with her own bottle of Raspberry Cordial. She asked the teller if it contained alcohol. The teller and I looked at each other and laughed. The teller said to her: "No, it's not Anne's version!"

Raspberry Cordial

~Angie