Along the way we got to do more fun activities, see more fantastic sights and meet more amazing people (and animals!) then most people get to see and do in a lifetime. And, the best part of all was that we got to share it all with you and the rest of the world through the numerous short videos that we produced and posted !

The Great Canadian Adventure Tour was a trip of a lifetime across the best country in the world! You could spend your entire life exploring Canada and still not have enough time to see and do all the magnificent things it has to offer! We hope you join us in exploring this marvelous country. What are you waiting for, spring, summer, fall or winter Canada has so much to offer.

Enjoy! Bon Voyage! Vive le Canada!

P.S.
The road Crew would just like to thank all the dedicated behind the scenes GCAT people who made this web experience possible.

A big thanks to Ronald Molina the Columbian editing wizard,
Randy an oldie but beauty,  a Couple of (gorgeous) Chicks, the talented and beautiful Kristi de Bonville and the rock of our web and social media efforts Bo Woloshyn!
 

The GCAT crew had the great privilege of spending three nights at the fabulous Inn perched on the very edge of Vancouver Island on the Pacific Ocean. The tagline of the Wickaninnish Inn is ‘Rustic elegance on nature’s edge!‘ and no better phrase could describe what the Inn offers it’s guests.

There is no such thing as ‘roughing it’ when you stay at the Wickan Inn. It provides 5 star service and comfort in the bosom of Mother Nature. The front desk clerks know your name, there is a turn down service complete with chocolates, your private jacuzzi bath offers views of the ocean, and the local indigenous art collection scattered throughout the hotel would give any public museum a run for it’s money!

Charles McDiarmid, the managing director at the inn is proud of what they offer their Canadian and international visitors. The inn is isolated but it’s part of the allure. Located on the outskirts of the fabled community of Tofino it’s almost like a pilgrimage spot for many people. Visiting the inn is ‘getting away from it all’ — ‘all’ meaning the hubbub of daily life. At the Wickanninish Inn they pipe the sound of the ocean outside into the hotel so that guests are always lulled into a sense of serenity by the sound of the Pacific ocean right outside.

Step through the backdoor of the resort and you step onto a two and half-mile beach, empty of infrastructure, crowds and noise. Their neighbor is an old carving hut that the inn owns and lends to local carvers (like the talented ‘Feather George’) who you can stop to talk with and watch carve. The sun sets into the Pacific Ocean right in front of the hotel as the sand pipers dart along the beach and local surfers catch the final few remaining beams of sunlight each evening. It all blends together to create a Canadian Eden of pristine nature and tranquility.

The hotel is itself is gorgeous and the restaurant prepares superb food to go with it’s extensive wine, and to top all of that off there is a liquor list so your needs are always catered to in 5-star luxury.
 
 

Carnivores and people have co-existed on the west coast for many years with little conflict. Wolves are valued and connected to the people of the west coast through spiritual and cultural identity. They also play an essential ecological role in checking the growth of herbivore populations and as a result, entire ecosystems can be altered by an increase or decrease in carnivore numbers.

Wolves have become more abundant in Clayoquot Sound and are an astounding animal to witness in the wild. But they can be difficult to see as they are still rare and keep moving in their quest for food. The good news is that they live along the shoreline all year long.

The GCAT crew just had to encounter this!

So we decided to take the safest type of viewing opportunity – a wildlife viewing tour by boat with the Browning Pass Charters. It took some great planning from our guide and skipper, Mike White, but we managed to catch some wolves feeding. We even got to see some bald eagles. It was awesome.

This is one tour you have just got to experience.

And don’t forget your camera.

Tla-ook Cultural Adventures

Gisele Martin and her husband run Tla-ook Cultural Adventures.  It’s an award winning tourism business but it runs far deeper than just tourism.  They do interpretive cultural walks through old growth cedar forests in several places including Meares Island, and in the process they pass onto you a wealth of fantastic information about their indigenous cultural and heritage.  You can tell through their passion and knowledge that they are proud of who they are and where they come from.  And as an added bonus to their tours they have you paddle to the island in traditional dug-out canoes, hand carved by Nuu-chah-nulth master carvers Joe, Bill and Carl Martin, all family relatives of Gisele.  From start to finish it is a moving experience that helps remind you of the incredible beauty and power of Mother Nature, the importance of the Canadian First Nations cultures and how liberating it is to forget about modern technology for an afternoon!

The tours that Gisele and her family offer are magical.  In their own words, Tla-ook Cultural Adventures mission is simple: “to share with our guests the beauty of Nuu-chah-nulth Culture and the environment in which it flourished.”  Simple though it sounds there are thousands of years of history, culture and knowledge implied in that mission statement!

The GCAT crew’s afternoon with Gisele on Meares Island was enchanting.  We followed a wooden boardwalk through the ancient cedar forest craning our heads back to look up hundreds of feet towards the tops of towering old growth cedars (largest cedar trees in Canada!).  Some are as old as 2000 years and feel as if they have spirits of their own breathing out from behind their thick bark.  The sun filtered through the forest canopy leaving beams of sunlight streaming through the air.  Moss hung down from branches and huge elephant firms, mushrooms and all sorts of other plants filled the forest floor like an exotic botanical garden.  We took all of this beauty in as Gisele regaled us with stories of her culture and ancestry.

Canada is blessed with a diversity of traditional cultures.  From the French to the Inuit to the First Nations the cultural landscape of our country is vibrant and wide ranging.  It is a privilege to enjoy and learn about.  When you travel to Tofino on Vancouver Island be sure to book a tour with Gisele at Tla-ook Cultural Adventures.  It will be a highlight of your trip.

Have fun!

After surfing earlier in the trip on St Lawrence River in downtown Montreal, the GCAT crew couldn’t wait to get into the salt water for a surf in the real waves of the Pacific Ocean (the St. Lawrence had a very unique and rare stationary river wave that never broke!).  The GCAT crew teamed up with the pretty and talented Hannah from the Pacific Surf School who took us to Chesterman’s Beach for the afternoon.

The Pacific Surf School is a friendly, affordable and safe place to take lessons, rent boards or get information on the local surf scene.  Being in the surf business in Tofino since 1998 the Pacific Surf School offers the most comprehensive and fun surf lessons on the coast for all ages from beginner to advanced.  They have a large staff of friendly, experienced surf instructors who can walk you through the whole process of catching a wave; right from how to put on your ‘wettie’ to the proper way to look cool holding your board!

After getting suited up and hitting the beach Chris and I spent several hours ‘out back’ catching some perfect little waves.  Chris and I got right into it having surfed many times before, but Stephanie needed a bit more time on the ‘little waves’ near shore.  Being her first time ever on a board she showed great enthusiasm as she repeatedly got ‘dumped’ but kept climbing back up on her board to give it another try!  … That’s our girl!

By the end of the day we were all exhausted but stoked.  With the intense natural beauty of Tofino, the great quality of waves and the friendly atmosphere we understood why Tofino is such legendary surf spot.  But surfer or not there are a ton of other things to do in Tofino as well including cultural adventures, bear and wolf watching tours, heli-tours, camping, great dining, pampering spas, etc so if your friends surf and you don’t make sure you make the trip too!  It’s a legendary place for more than just surfing.  But, the surfing is damn good!

Hang loose gang!

Along with nature the park also offers awe inspiring feats of engineering that allow visitors to enjoy the beauty of the west coast rain forest from hundreds of feet up in the air. The highlight of the park, besides the rain forest, is the Capilano Suspension Bridge itself. Built in 1889 the bridge stretches 450 feet across and a dizzying 230 feet above the Capilano River. You can follow in the footsteps of many excited visitors from around the world who have crossed the bride and dared to look over the railing to the river far below.

Another attraction is the Treetops Adventure. It’s the first venue of it’s kind in North America and it allows visitors to venture from one magnificent Douglas Fir tree to another on a series of elevated suspension bridges some reaching as high as 100 feet above the forest floor! If you’ve ever wondered what it might be like to be a squirrel than here’s your chance!

A recent addition to the park that is very popular with visitors for it’s bold engineering and the adrenaline rush it provides is the CLIFFWALK. It’s a steel walkway that is suspended from the granite cliff face high above the Capilano Canyon! Not for the faint of heart it’s very high and narrow, and in some sections all that’s there is a piece of thick class that separates you from the canyon far below. It’s a white knuckle walk that will prove to have you holding your breath several times on your way across!

Also not to be missed is the totem pole park with its stunning collection of hand carved and painted First Nations totem poles. These original works all tell a tale carved in wood of a legends and stories from the First Nations history. It’s a collection of incredible wood carving and story telling from one of Canada’s vibrant First Nations tribes.

Vancouver is a city blessed with an abundance of nature all around it. The Capilano Suspension Bridge Park is just one fine example of why Vancouver is a ‘must see’ city and always ranks high on lists of the ‘most live-able’ and ‘most beautiful’ cities in the world. Vancouver is fabulous city to visit and no visit to the city is complete without a stop at the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park.

Its Vancouver at it’s best!

Summerhill Pyramid Winery is located in Kelowna, in the Okanagan Valley, in British Columbia. The Okanagan Valley is the northernmost semi-arid desert viticulture region in the world. It’s a unique climate that offers exquisite conditions for growing world-class wines. But it’s not just the location that makes the wine so special.  It runs far deeper than that.  Stephen Cipes, the owner, has won the prestigious Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, but the man at “Canada’s most visited winery” seems more a spiritual visionary than Wall Street hard-nose.  He is a devout admirer of Mother Earth and the power of the universe, and has used both of these to produce some of the finest wines and sparkling wines in the world.

Summerhill follows organic growing practices. “No herbicides or pesticides – keeps the lake clean and our grapes don’t taste from the chemicals,” says Stephen. “These grapes are happy guys, they’re flourishing. Our wines are allowing nature to speak for herself.” And the proof is in the results; “We won the gold medal in Champagne France,” he beams, “against French Champagne.”  He believes producing wine organically has a very meaningful benefit to protecting the environment, and protecting our health too.”

But Stephen takes it a step further than just organic grapes and healthy body.  He has built a pyramid on site, which strengthens the soul!  It’s based on the principles of the Great Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt, which he went over and studied.  The Summerhill Pyramid is second only to the Great Pyramid of Egypt for alignment and precision. Stephen believes we are receivers, and this pyramid chamber enhances our receptiveness, opening the left and right sides of our brains, much like the dolphins, whales, and elephants who are in touch with Essence, the all-one ‘soul of the world’.  Stephen’s message to everyone is, “I welcome you with my heart, to open your heart to this unique experience.”  Summerhill Pyramid Winery is a memorable experience for tongue, tummy, mind and soul.

It’s a visit for the ages!

Ed Kruger, better known as Trail Head Ed, has turned his passion into his profession; and lucky for us!  He started an outdoor tour company called Monashee Adventure Tours and this year the company turns 20!  You can contact Ed anytime, winter or summer, to book a biking, hiking or snowshoeing tour through some of the world’s most pristine wilderness around Kelowna and Vernon, British Columbia.  But his tours offer more than just scenery.  They also offer history, culture and culinary delights that will have you wishing that you had Ed’s job!

Monashee Adventure Tours offers a wide variety of trips that mix wineries or breweries into a tour where at the end of the day you indulge in world-class wines or beers and delicious meals cooked by world-class chefs.  They food is delectable and the various wines have won awards all around the world.  If wine is not your thing than Monashee Adventure Tours also offer biking and hiking tours along the famous Kettle Valley Railway that was built way back in 1915 (the trail is now part of the Trans Canada Trail).

Many of the Monashee tours go along the Myra Canyon Trestles portion of the trail, which is one of the most popular sections through the Okanagan Mountain. This section has 18 wooden trestles and two tunnels which are needed to traverse deep canyons.  The views along the trail are stunning!  Because of its unique history and stupendous views this section of the railway was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2002.

Whether it’s a hiking tour, a biking tour or a snowshoeing trip Trail Head Ed guarantees you’ll have a fabulous time.  He can provide everything you need so all you need to do is show up!  It’s an experience that will be the highlight of your holiday or is in itself reason alone to take a holiday!

Our day out with Ed was sensational and we were sad when it came to an end.  Trail Head Ed is an encyclopedia of knowledge on the history and flora and fauna of the area, which he gladly shares with his guests.  He puts a high priority on safety and fun, and though he’s done every trail 1000 times his excitement at doing what he loves best is contagious.  Call Ed for a tour.  You’ have a fantastic day!

P.S.  Be sure to ask Ed to bring along his toy train whistle –
it’s hilarious 

Kevin is the co-founder of Kalavida Surf Shop right across the street from the picturesque Kalamalka Lake in Vernon, British Columbia.  It’s the provinces number 1 stand-up paddlesurf shop and is one of the best-located shops in Canada.  You can rent your board and then in your bare feet and board shorts literally run 2 minutes across the street to Kalamalka beach!  Kevin’s not bragging when he not so discreetly tells the world in a whisper “It’s one of the country’s best kept secrets!”

Kevin’s shop is BC’s first Stand Up Paddlesurf shop and is right there in Vernon in the sunny Okanagan! Modeled after those quaint n’ quirky surf shop’s you’d find tucked-away in locale’s around the Hawaiian Islands, the shop’s theme pays tribute to the sport’s roots in Hawaii (note the hula girl statue beside the register!) The shop is located right on Kalamalka Lake which is widely regarded as BC’s most scenic flatwater SUP destination and with plenty of rivers including the mighty Shuswap, the region serves up all kinds of exciting places to paddle.

Paddle boarding is great for male or female, old or young, tough or timid, man or beast!  And, you don’t even need your own board, you can rent one from Kevin!

What are you waiting for?  Enjoy.

Coming Soon
The Kalavida Paddle Dog Surf Contest!

The GCAT team had the pleasure of flying with Air North from Vancouver to Whitehorse and were impressed by the comfort and service that they encountered on their flight.  Later we spoke to Joseph Sparling one of the founding shareholders and president of Air North and learned a bit of the history of this airline.  On February 1st, 1977 Joseph Sparling and Thomas Wood founded Air North.  Originally they provided services of bush flying into remote mining camps; however in 2002 they launched a commercial jet service and began providing a regular link between the Yukon and British Columbia / Alberta.  Today Air North employs over 200 people in the Yukon, operate a base in Vancouver staffing over 60 employees, and contributes over 20 million dollars into the Yukon’s economy annually.

Like Joe told us, the Yukon is now a much more affordable and accessible place than it was a decade  ago.  It is also now even cheaper (30% !) to fly to the Yukon than it was in 2002 when they started their commercial service.

Many people don’t realise that Whitehorse is less than 2.5 hrs flying time from Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton.  The Yukon is no longer the frontier land that it once was, and this is immediately evident as you explore Whitehorse.  Surprisingly multicultural you will find boutique coffee shops, a range of wilderness outfitting stores, and an impressive selection of restaurants, pubs, and shops.  The Yukon also has its own brewery and impressive range of beer: the Yukon Brewing Company.

Simply put, the GCAT team suggests that you book a flight with Air North and get yourself up to the Yukon to see firsthand just how fantastic Canada’s north really is.

More information on Air North