European Adventures: Lisbon, Portugal.

Lisbon was definitely my favourite stop on my backpacking adventures. We stayed in the Travellers House hostel. This was definitely my favourite hostel to stay in based on the activities that they organized for their guests. They put on events every night whether it is a chorizo and wine tasting or a night walk through the Alfama district.

We were told by the staff at the hostel that we absolutely needed to visit Sintra. We were able to round up enough people from the hostel to go so they provided us with a driver and a van to get around. Our first stop in Sintra was the Palace of Pena, the most magical castle I have ever been to! This place is seriously like something out of a fairy tale. I wish our time was not limited because there is so much to explore here. The forest leading up to the castle is beautiful and the castle itself is stunning. Words cannot describe how this place feels. I will just say that if you go to Portugal, you absolutely must visit the Palace. After spending a few hours at the castle, we all had lunch at a tiny cafe in the town centre.

Forest heading up to the palace in Sintra.

Leanne and I outside of the Palace of Pena.

Inside Palace of Pena.

Our afternoon was spent at Quinta da Regaleira, which is a massive estate that has been made into a park with lakes, wells and tunnels throughout it. Again, this place was like a fairy tale. Basically, Sintra feels like one big fairy tale. It is incredible.

We made one last stop at Cabo da Roca, before heading back to Lisbon. Cabo da Roca is the most western point on the European mainland and has beautiful views of the Atlantic ocean. This was definitely my favourite day in the month I spent backpacking.

Cabo da Roca views.

The next few days in Lisbon were spent making friends with the people at our hostel, visiting Belem Tower, the Contemporary Art Museum, Sao Jorge Castle, walking through the winding streets of the Alfama District and stopping at Pasteis de Belem to try their famous custard tarts.

View from the castle in Lisbon.

Monument in Lisbon.

Portugal is an awesome place filled with beautiful, friendly people, stunning architecture and sunshine. I seriously can’t wait for the day that I get to return to this incredible country. Have you had the joy of visiting Portugal before? What were your favourite memories from your trip there? If you haven’t been, is it somewhere you would like to visit?

European Adventures: Porto, Portugal.

Portugal was definitely my favourite place to visit on my backpacking trip with my friend Leanne. We spent the first few days in Porto and stayed at Tattva Design Hostel. The hostel was in a great location and had incredible staff! The first night we were there, we spent the evening drinking wine and an entire bottle of port with the staff and a few of the guys who we met at the hostel. After drinking so much liquor we needed some food so the guys who worked at the hostel took us out to one of their favourite restaurants. It happened to be closed but they knew the owners so they let us in and made us some of their favourite dishes. My memories of this night are a bit foggy but I definitely remember sausage being a part of what we ate.

While we were in Porto we spent a lot of time walking through the city streets, admiring the beautiful views and architecture. I love how each country in Europe feels to have their own distinct style of architecture.

Church in Porto.

You can’t visit Porto without doing a port tasting. We decided on Calem for our tour. I loved learning about the process of making port. At the end of the tour we tried three ports paired with chocolate. My favourite port that I tried was a 10 year aged tawny. I found it the best because it was the least sweet of the ones we sampled.

Streets of Porto.

On our last day in Porto, we decided to take a day trip to Guimaraes, a beautiful medieval town about an hour train ride from Porto. Guimaraes is lovely, but I would only recommend going during tourist season. Because we went there at the end of November, there was almost nothing open and we had a hard time navigating where to go and even finding somewhere to stop for lunch.

Walking through the streets of Guimaraes.

Guimaraes castle.

I am so glad we spent time in Porto and Guimaraes. These are definitely places I would visit again. Have you been to Portugal to visit? What was your favourite Portuguese dish? Did you get a tour of any of their wineries?

European Adventures: Best of Belgium.

When my friend Leanne and I were planning where we would travel to on our month long backpacking trip, I was adamant that we had to go to Belgium for the sole reason that I love their beer.

I searched online and found an awesome craft beer tour so we immediately booked this. The beer tour was absolutely my favourite thing about Brussels! Leanne and I were the only ones on the tour that day so we got a private tour of some cool pubs and breweries in the city. On the tour we stopped at De Goede Oude Tijd and had a trappist beer, Cantillion Brewery where we tried their traditional sour beer and had a raspberry beer as well and finally we went to Moeder Lambic and had two different beers there. Moeder Lambic was definitely my favourite beer bar to visit.

First stop on our craft beer tour.

After finishing up our beer tour, our guide Alex took us out to some local Brussels bars including one called Zebra Club. Our beer tour started at 2pm and we were out with Alex until at least 3am drinking beer, smoking cigarettes (I don’t even smoke, but when in Europe I guess), eating great food and meeting awesome people! It was a day I will never forget!

La Grand-Place in Brussels.

The next day we got up, stopped at Le Pain Quotidian, an amazing little bakery that has incredible organic options for breakfast and lunch and took a train to Bruges despite our wicked hangovers! Bruges is a beautiful little town to spend a day in, especially if you want to escape the busyness of the city. There are lots of little winding roads to get lost on and great shops to visit. The day we were here, it was absolutely freezing out but it didn’t stop us from enjoying the beauty of Bruges.

Probably the most photographed place in Bruges.

I am sad that Leanne and I only spent a few days in Belgium. The people there are incredible, the food and beer is delightful and the architecture is stunning – definitely a place I will return in the future.

Have you travelled in Belgium at all? What places did you visit and what beer did you drink?

Explore America: Snowshoeing at Mt. Baker.

Mt. Baker has to be my favourite mountain in the Pacific Northwest that I have visited. It is amazing in any season because it is so vast that it never seems to be too crowded.

This past Sunday we woke up early and headed to Baker. We arrived there around 11am and surprisingly, the mountain wasn’t too busy. I am one of those people that wants to get up at the crack of dawn and do things so as we were driving up I was worried it would be busy! We decided to snowshoe up to Huntoon Point which has beautiful views, but we have only seen them in the summer!

All that white.

It was a clear day when we started snowshoeing, but a storm quickly blew in so for the entire trip up the mountain we could only see about 5 feet in front of us. This didn’t stop us from pressing on though! When we got up to Huntoon Point, the clouds started to clear but unfortunately we didn’t get to see those amazing mountain views we were expecting – that’s okay though because it just means we will have to go back!

Huntoon Point.

Making friends with the locals.

This guy landed on Kate’s head but I sadly only got a good shot of him preparing to land.

As we started to come down the mountain, there were a lot of snowshoers making their way up the mountain. If you are going to do this trail, I would suggest going before noon to beat the traffic. Also, it’s important to check for avalanche risk because this is a backcountry trail and it isn’t monitored by the staff at Mt. Baker.

Down the mountain.

Another successful day of snowshoeing:) What outdoor activities do you like to do in the winter?

 

Best of 2015!

I have recently realized that I have been failing in the blogging department. The past month has been a bit of a blur! Things have been incredibly busy at work and of course Christmas is a hectic time of year! I do have many things to blog about including a few snowshoeing adventures which I will definitely do soon, but I wanted to highlight some of my best of 2015 according to Instagram.

1. Nahatlatch Provincial Park: Something I absolutely love to do on weekends is hop in the car and drive as far away from people as possible into the nature. One weekend in February, my partner and I hopped into the car and headed to Nahatlatch. This trip was not short by any means but it was absolutely worth it. We walked probably about 10km’s that day exploring the beautiful foggy mountains! It was a day to remember for sure.
2. Moraine Lake: Normally Moraine Lake is overwhelmed with tourists, but on a special rainy day in August, it was virtually empty. So I made a pitstop there on a drive to Calgary to visit my family. It was so worth stopping there too! The misty mountains were incredible and I had a lot of fun stretching my legs in such a beautiful part of Canada.
3. Icefields Parkway: This photo was taken on one of two adventures through the Alberta Rockies this year. My first trip there was for my birthday over the Easter weekend. It was awesome to experience the mountains covered with snow and have virtually no traffic on the roads. This road trip is one I will remember forever! I can’t wait to go back again this summer.
4. Buntzen Lake: Buntzen Lake is probably one of the most photographed areas outside of Vancouver! I understand this because the mountains and the little boat cabin are just too much! I love going to Bunzten because of the numerous hiking trails in the area.
5. Mystery Lake: Mount Seymour has some pretty great hikes. Mystery Lake is one of the easiest trails but it does not disappoint. I hike up there in the summer so I can take a dip in the lake and I hike it in the winter to play in the mounds of snow! Great little gem just outside of Vancouver!
6. Lillooet: In May, my partner and I took a trip to Lillooet, a tiny little mountain town that I lived in when I was young. It was a weekend filled with hiking, sturgeon fishing and catching up with old friends. I am sad we only made it to Lillooet once last year but I am sure we will be back again when to roads are a little less snowy! Oh, and the slogan for Lillooet is “Guaranteed Rugged” which I would say sums up this beautiful little place.
7. Alexandra Bridge: Visiting Alexandra Bridge was another one of those ‘jump in the car and get the hell out of the city’ adventures! During certain parts of the year, you will find people panning for gold along the Fraser River here. There is also a hiking trail if you are feeling adventurous that takes you along where the old highway used to be. Along the way you will find a number of abandoned cars. The views of the river and the mountains are pretty spectacular here.
8. Guimaraes, Portugal: Okay, so this actually didn’t happen this past year, but on the day I posted it, I was missing my travelling days. I love that I get to explore my beautiful country, but I can’t help but miss experiencing new places and countries. I can’t wait for the day that I get to live in Europe and be able to experience culture in a way that is not found in Canada.
9. Athabasca Falls: This is another shot from my trip through the Icefields Parkway. If you happen to take that drive, this is definitely a place to stop. It is beautiful in the summer, but it is packed with people! If you are able to go there in the colder months you will virtually have the place to yourself!

And there we have it, the best of 2015! While it wasn’t my favourite year, it did have some extremely awesome times and I am thankful for the experiences I had! Thanks for following along with me on this journey.

What are your favourite moments from 2015?

Explore Canada: Sunshine Coast, BC.

One of my best friends recently made the move from Vancouver to the Sunshine Coast, which means I have an excuse to get out of Vancouver and enjoy the quiet Coast every now and then. Last weekend my friend Tim and I made our way to Gibsons a day of outdoor adventures.

Morning ferry to the Sunshine Coast.

We hopped on an early ferry to the Coast on Saturday morning. It was a beautiful, crisp morning so we tried to enjoy the view from outside until our hands were frozen from taking so many pictures. Once we made it to the Coast, we made a pitstop at my friend Nick’s place and headed to the Gumboot Restaurant in Roberts Creek for an incredible lunch.

Our plan for the day was to head to Skookumchuck Narrows for a day hike, but it was absolutely FREEZING out so our day hike turned into a quick 20 minute walk along a creek! Because we wanted to enjoy the nature on the Coast, we made a number of pitstops on the way back to my friends place.

Coastal roads.

Tim and Nick at Smugglers Cove.

Dusk at Smugglers Cove.

We hit Davis Bay just in time to catch a beautiful west coast sunset. The light was incredible and it was such a peaceful place to watch the sun set. One of the great things about the Sunshine Coast is that it is not a big tourist destination so you are able to enjoy the outdoors without a lot of people around!

Capturing the sunset.

Normally I am the one snapping photos, but I decided to get in front of the lens because the lighting was too good!

On Sunday, we woke up early so we could enjoy breakfast at the Waterfront Restaurant and have a walk along Roberts Creek before we had to hop on the ferry back to Vancouver. It was an awesome weekend and I am already looking forward to my next trip to the Coast in January.

Roberts Creek.

Have you traveled to the Sunshine Coat before? What outdoor activities did you do while you were there? I’m always looking for suggestions of new places to explore!

European Adventures: Two Days in Poland.

Two years ago, we spent my sister-in-law’s birthday in Poland. The main reason we wanted to go to Poland was to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau (I know, a very happy thing to do for a birthday, right??!).

We first visited Auschwitz I and spent hours walking through the grounds. You can never understand the size of this place unless you visit it. I have watched numerous documentaries on the Holocaust but I could not fully comprehend the scale of this until we visited the site. After walking through this site, we went to the museum and walked through there. Again, this helped me realize just how many people came through the doors of this horrible place. I am so glad we visited, but it is a place I never want to go to again.

Auschwitz I.

After experiencing Auschwitz, we drove to Krakow. The car ride there was fairly somber so when we arrived in Krakow we figured it was time to get some food and beer to cheer ourselves up. We found an Italian restaurant called Mamma Mia Trattoria and had great pizza and some beer (sadly I have to say Polish beer just doesn’t compare to Czech beer)!

Wawel Castle.

The next day we got up early and had breakfast then spend the day walking through the beautiful streets of Krakow. We ate pierogis and walked through churches and finally up to the castle. Before heading back to Olomouc where my sister-in-law lives, we took a tour of Oskar Schindler’s Factory that has now been turned into a museum. If you visit Krakow, I would absolutely recommend going there – it was extremely well done!

Old Town in Krakow.

I really loved visiting Poland and I wish we had more time to spend there. Krakow is a beautiful city with incredible architecture and not so many tourists (which made me love it even more I’m sure). I would visit again for sure!

Have you visited Poland before? What cities and villages did you travel to?

 

Explore Canada: Ptarmagin Cirque, Alberta.

At the beginning of September some of my very best friends and I road tripped though Alberta before they headed to their new home in Ontario. Our plan was to spend as much time in the mountains as possible and I think we definitely achieved our goal! For the first three days, we stayed at my parents place in Calgary and did a few day trips.

End of summer hike at Ptarmagin Cirque.

Our first adventure to the mountains took us through Kananaskis Country to Ptarmigan Cirque. This hike is located above the Highwood Pass in Kananaskis and is a 5km loop with about 300 metres elevation gain. It’s hard to believe this was an end of summer hike because it was so snowy and absolutely freezing! We were the only ones on the trail this day which was pretty great.

Rocky Mountain views.

My friend Adriana and I bailed a little early on this hike because we couldn’t feel our fingers or toes, while Adam and Kate continued further up the mountain. After seeing their photos, I wish I had joined them, but my warm fingers and toes probably thanked me for heading down to the car early.

Ptarmagin Cirque.

On the way back to Calgary, we bumped into some mountain goats on the Highway. These guys were not at all afraid of us and I think a few of them enjoyed getting their pictures taken!

Kananaskis mountain goats.

Mountain goat mug shot.

 

I absolutely love travelling these mountain roads. They are rarely busy and anytime I have driven through them I have seen some cool wildlife along the way.

Have you hiked any mountains in the Kananaskis region? Would you recommend any trails?

American Adventures: Valley of Fire State Park.

The thing I was looking forward to most about visiting Nevada, was spending the day in the Valley of Fire State Park. We woke up bright and early so we could have as much sunlight as possible to explore in.

Desert friend.

Our first pit stop in the park was the Beehives. We spent some time walking around the area and then made our way to Atlatl Rock where there are some really neat petroglyphs carved into the red rocks.

Kate admiring the petroglyphs in Valley of Fire.

Desert views.

If you are visiting this State Park, I would suggest bringing lots of food and water so you can spend the day hiking through the various points of interest in the park. We hiked through Mouse’s Tank, Rainbow Vista and the White Domes. If we had more food and water, we would have hiked at every stop we made!

Elephant Rock.

As we were leaving Valley of Fire, we made one last pit stop at Elephant Rock where we saw three big horned sheep! I have seen these many times in Canada, but it was cool to see them in a completely different setting.

Big horned sheep.

What is your favourite desert to visit? Have you been to Valley of Fire before?

Explore Canada: Hometown Tourist.

I spend a lot of my days dreaming about travelling around the world, exploring tiny towns and old cities and hiking to mountain peaks. It’s easy to forget that I live in a beautiful city that other people dream about visiting. Lately I have been trying to feel what tourists experience when they come to Vancouver for the first time.

My favourite part of the city, aside from the awesome neighbourhood I live in, is the Stanley Park Seawall. It is incredible to me that you can be so close to the city yet feel like you are so far away from it. The crisp ocean air and the changing views as you travel the 10km of the Seawall are some of the best things about it for me.

A shot from this morning’s walk around the Vancouver Seawall.

Have you visited Vancouver or the surrounding areas? What activities did you do during your stay?