Amy is an experienced writer, entrepreneur, parent and outdoor explorer. She has spent most of her adult life chronicling her adventures in the wilderness, finding deep connections to nature and the lands she calls home. Kayaking, hiking, skiing and family camping trips are her go-to's. She shares all her adventures with her young son, and offers travel tips for parents wanting to explore nature with their children.
Kootenay Lake from Queens Bay Tucked between the Selkirk and Purcell Mountain ranges, Kootenay Lake in British Columbia is ideal for relaxing and nature-focused family spring break. From natural hot springs to laid-back and historic lakeside towns to rocky beaches, waterfall hikes and world-class downhill skiing, you’ll have no trouble finding activities the whole...
As you turn the corner and the road starts to descend into the valley, the landscape around you completely transforms from rolling rangelands to otherworldly badlands. Dinosaur Provincial Park has the best and most unique landscape and geological features of the Canadian Badlands, crammed into about 26 kilometres of badland glory. It’s great in the summer, but...
Cypress Hills Provincial Park is a unique destination and Canada’s only ‘interprovincial park.’ It’s a collaboration between Alberta Parks, Saskatchewan Parks, and Parks Canada, with the Fort Walsh National Historic Site on the Saskatchewan side. The Alberta side features towering hills, tall lodgepole pine forests, and pretty lakes, and it is located around the cozy...
Storm watching in Ucluelet and Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia allows you to experience the mysterious raw power of the Pacific Ocean and its raging storms. Imagine waves growing to 50 feet or higher as they roll close to shore, crashing into rocky cliffs and beaches with a roar-sending sea spray in every direction. You can feel the...
Kimberley Alpine Resort is one of the best family-friendly ski resorts in the Canadian Rockies. It ticks off all the boxes for a family ski trip, including varied terrain, special kid’s trails, ski and snowboard programs, slope-side accommodation, restaurants and all the amenities you might need in the townsite – just a five-minute drive down the hill. ...
When researching ski resorts in Alberta to visit over the holidays with my 8-year-old beginner/intermediate skier, I debated travelling to Southwestern Alberta to Castle Mountain Resort. It is clichély and incorrectly known as “Canada’s best-kept secret” because it is off the beaten path and slightly smaller than the ski resorts in Banff and Jasper National Park. The...
If you’re a diehard skier or snowboarder, waiting for the ski resorts to open might make you feel like a little kid waiting for Christmas morning. Thanks to snow machines and tireless snow-making crews that work through the night, the resorts can open a few runs in early-mid November. Is it worth making the trip when only a handful of runs are open? This year, Lake...
The diversity of activities and experiences in Prince Albert National Park makes outdoor adventure possible for every kind of explorer. Beautiful, clear lakes, front and backcountry camping, recreational, natural and cultural learning activities and the vibrant summer village of Waskesiu offer a little something for everyone. Our favourite thing about this national...
If you have a warm summer day or weekend (or week) near Yorkton, Saskatchewan, you’ll want to spend it at Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park. Its wide sandy beaches look like they belong on a tropical island, not in the middle of the Canadian prairie. Plus, the park has thought of everything for a fun family vacation at the lake: playgrounds, beach volleyball, mini...
Welcome to Dawson City, Yukon – a town so rich in gold rush history and quirky charm that it feels like you’ve stepped onto an old movie set, but with better coffee. The town is nestled between the Klondike and Yukon Rivers and is legendary for the rush of fortune seekers that swelled the population in the 19th century. Between 1896 and 1899, about $29 million in...