How to Pick an Energy Bar

July 28, 2010

I maintain an interest in nutrition from my years spent as a Registered Professional Dietitian. Picking an energy bar based on flavour is one thing but I wanted to get a better handle on what else they delivered. I reviewed total calories, % protein, grams of fiber and milligrams of sodium of some of the commonly available brands. Price is obviously a big factor and is listed where possible. You pay for protein!

Broad recommendations for healthy populations are as follows: 

• Total calories for the day should consist of 10-20% protein, 30% fat and 50-60% carbohydrate. (1 g of protein and carbohydrate =4 calories, 1 g of fat = 9 calories)
• 20-30g fiber/day
• 2300 mg/day (maximum) of sodium  (1 tsp of salt contains about 2000 mg of sodium)

Clif Bars 

Canada has a more limited selection of Clif Bar products ( Clif Mojo, Clif Kid, Clif C and Clif Crunch are not available in Canada) and many flavours are only found in the US. 

• Clif bars
  Clif Bars weigh 68 g and deliver between 230 -260 calories.  Look for 9-10 g of protein, 4-5 g fiber but sodium varies from 100mg (Cranberry Apple Cherry flavour) to 230mg (Crunchy Peanut Butter flavour). About $Cdn 1.40.
• Luna Bars
  Luna Bars weigh 48g and deliver 170-190 calories. You’ll find 8-10 g of protein, 3-5 g fiber (chocolate raspberry has the highest fiber) and 95 -210 mg sodium (Chai Tea has the least whereas Vanilla Almond and White Chocolate Macadamia but have the most). About $Cdn1.40
• Clif Builder’s Bar
  Clif Builder’s bars weigh 68g and deliver 270 calories. All bars contain 10 g protein. Fiber varies from 1g (Lemon) to 4g and sodium varies from 230 mg-310 mg (Peanut Butter flavour). About $Cdn1.80.

Lara Bars

Lara bars are gluten, dairy and soy free, vegan, kosher and non GMO. Bar size varies from 45 g to 51 g and each one delivers between 180 -220 calories, 3-6 g of protein, 3-5 g of fiber and from 0-85 mg sodium. Most of the bars have less than 10 mg of sodium. About $Cdn1.80.

PowerBars®

• Powerbar® Sport Bar
  The Powerbar® Sport Bar weighs 63 g and delivers 230-250 calories, 8-10 g protein, 2 – 3.5 g fiber and 190-200 mg sodium.
• Powerbar® Harvest Bar
  The Powerbar® Harvest bar weighs 58g and delivers 216 calories, 10 g protein, 4 g fiber and 80-120 mg sodium. About $Cdn 2.10.
• Powerbar® Proteinplus® Bar
  Each of the Powerbar® Proteinplus® bars weighs 78g, delivers 300 calories, 24 g protein, 1 g fiber and 170-210 mg sodium. About $Cdn 3.40.
• Powerbar® Triple Threat® Bar
  Each Powerbar® Triple Threat® Bar weighs 53g, delivers 225 calories, 10 g protein, 3.5 g fiber and 137-170 mg sodium. About $Cdn 2.10.

Honey Stinger

• Honey Stinger Protein Bar
  Each Honey Stinger 20 Gram Protein bar weighs 86 g, offers 350-390 calories, 20 g protein, 2-3 g fiber and 55 -160 mg sodium. The 10 gram Protein bar weighs 42g, offers 190-200 calories, 10 g protein, 1-2 g fiber and 26-83 mg sodium. About $Cdn 2.90.
• Honey Stinger Energy Bar
  Each Honey Stinger Energy bar weighs 50 g, offers 180-190 calories, 10 g protein, 1-2 g fiber and 140-170 mg sodium.

Probar

• Probars are meant as meal replacements. None are gluten free. They weighs 85g, offers 380 calories, 9-11 g protein, 7 g fiber and 50 mg sodium. About $Cdn 3.75.
• Fruition Bars
  Fruition bars weigh 48g, offer 160 cal, 3 g protein, 4 g fiber and 10-20 mg sodium. About $Cdn 2.40.

Nature’s Path Organic Optimum Energy Bars

Nature’s Path Energy Bars weigh 56g, offer 190-230 calories, 4-10 g protein (banana nut, matcha & flax is the 10g bar), 4-5 g fiber and 100-200 mg sodium. About $Cdn1.60.

In summary:

• If you’re looking for calories choose a Clif Builder bar, a Probar, a Honey Sting Protein bar or a Powerbar® Proteinplus® bar.
• Choose any Lara bar for a gluten free snack.
• If you’re watching sodium avoid the peanut butter flavoured Cliff Builder bar.

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

My Life as a Travel Blogger

June 23, 2010

My life as a travel blogger isn’t how I imagined it would be.  It’s much harder than I expected and the skill set required is extensive. But when you meet a stranger this is how the conversation usually goes when it comes around to jobs.

Stranger: What do you do?

Me: I’m a travel blogger.

Stranger: Cool. So what do you do – just like travel all the time? …You’re so lucky.

Me: Actually I work all the time and even more when I travel.

I agree that I am lucky.  And I’ll never complain about my opportunities for travel or the fact that I travel a great deal. But here’s what my day actually looks like.

A Day in the Life of a Travel Blogger – Non Traveling Day

7:30am At my desk with my second cup of coffee. I quickly check emails before I walk the dog.

9:30 am Dog has her legs crossed and gives me the evil eye. After checking emails checked Tweetdeck (see Glossary) Retweeted interesting stuff I found online. Checked Goggle Feedburner and Google Analytics (see Glossary). Got sucked into sites.

10am Dog is happier now. Time to write today’s blog. Thought about blog topic while walking dog. Note to self. Do blogs the night before. Looked for photos to add to blog – my own or via the Apture Plug-in (see Glossary) Resized photos with Gimp (see Glossary). Try to figure out the proper SEO. (see glossary)

12:01 pm Lunch. Finish reading paper. Check stocks. Head into the garden for an hour on a good day.

1 pm Check emails. Check Tweetdeck. Possibly repost blog on twitter via bit.ly (See glossary)

2 pm Begin work on writing guides. Research. Write. Research. Write.

4pm Break. Can’t stand this sitting on my rear end all day long. Clean house.

5pm Think about checking other travel blogs and making comments. Supposed to be good for back links (See glossary) and other stuff I don’t understand.

6pm Make dinner. Enjoy a much needed glass of wine. Ask myself if I’m okay without wine. The answer is yes – just trying to be like the French.

7:30pm Dog is looking at me again. Barking this time. I’ll just take a quick look at Stumble Upon (See Glossary) and see if I can figure it out. Can’t.

10 pm. Where did those 2 1/2 hours go? Shit. It’s dark. Dog’s gone to bed. Wake up dog and do brief walk.

10:30 pm Plop into bed. Read On Writing Well by William Zinsser. Trying to learn to write like 23 year old Candace - which of course will never happen.

11pm Can’t sleep. Thinking about Keith Jenkin’s Velvet Escape blog. He explained in June’s Global Blogging Newsletter that it was possible to embed Apture and sell Amazon products within a post. Dollar signs dance in my head. Could I actually make money doing this?

Next Day

Repeat all of the above. But add – make a to do list.

• Figure out video. Supposed to be good for SEO.
• Improve photography. Spend more time taking pictures. Don’t know how I’ll find time.
• Digg or Reddit? (See glossary) Have no clue about either. But listened to Gary Arndt’s webinar from Everything Everywhere - the #1 Travel Blogger in the WORLD and he says Digg is too much work so if it’s too much work for him I can now cross Digg off my list. Yahoo.
• Figure out Stumble Upon (SU) for once and for all.
• Set up Facebook fan page. Actually unload job onto daughter but still have to learn how to use it.
• Plan future trips. Research.
• Market. How?
• Write guest posts. When? I’ve done a few for Traveldudes and one for Velvet Escape but need to do more.
• Be everywhere as Gary says. How?

A Day in the Life of a Travel Blogger – Traveling Day

6am Get up and immediately check emails and Tweetdeck.

7:30 am Finish showering and head for breakfast. Review what I need to research for guides.

8:30 am Hit the road – hiking, biking or perhaps even driving. Research. Write. Take pictures. Take video. Think – what am I missing? How can I look at this place from another angle?

4:30 pm Arrive at destination. Collapse for 30 minutes.

5 pm Have a glass of wine with husband. Maybe another. Check out immediate area for an hour if possible.

7pm Dinner. Thank God. After a day on the road I’m starved.

8:30 Check emails. Check Tweetdeck. Write blog.

11:00 Collapse into bed.

 So that’s my life as a travel blogger. I’m working harder than ever, mostly loving it, but also hoping to make a few bucks at it. After you’ve read this article  please be kind enough to leave a comment on my blog or Stumble it. That would definitely make my day!

A Partial Travel Blogger Glossary

• Apture Plug In - A type of software useful for adding pictures, maps, documents, videos and more
• Backlinks – Incoming links to a website or a web page. Looking for quality of those links which help with page rank.
• Bit.ly - A website address shortener useful for twitter when you only have 140 characters to use.
• Digg - The latest news, headlines and videos . Politics, entertainment and technology get the bulk of Digg’s coverage.
• Facebook Fan page - It’s supposed to help drive traffic to your website.
• Gimp – A free download that helps you resize pictures.
• Google Feedburner – It burns feeds. Obvious isn’t it??
• Google Analytics - Allows you to track your daily, weekly, monthly and yearly hits and where they are coming from plus various other quite useful statistics.
• Plug In - Software that you add to your website to increase its functionality.
• Reddit - User generated news links – not that that description helps me.
• SEO - Search Engine Optimization. You try to improve the quantity and quality of hits to your website by using SEO.
• Stumble Upon – Personalized recommendations of websites and an excellent way for your blog to get huge numbers of hits.
• Tweetdeck - A way of experiencing and managing twitter.
• Twitter - A social networking tool that gives you immediate information in 140 character bites.

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

 

 

 

Coke Stop in Zambia

June 8, 2010

A few years ago I joined my daughter for a few sections of the Tour d’Afrique. I cycled a few thousand kilometers through Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia. The average day was 125 kms in length; typically one would do about 70-75 kms before an early lunch stop and the rest in the afternoon. I was definitely not one of the faster riders so often I would be riding in the heat of the afternoon. Something I looked forward to every day was the Coke stop. It was never called the Fanta stop or the Sprite stop – only the Coke stop. I hate Coke and all soft drinks for that matter and never drink them at home. But, when it’s hot and you’re tired and there are no other options (a smoothie stop would have been nice) a cold, sweet Coke sure hits the spot.

And they do one heck of a job advertising!!

Cruising to Alaska

May 28, 2010

The sight of the first cruise ship of the season, from my house in Vancouver, is a sign that summer is just around the corner.  The Alaska cruise ship season is short – early May to late September although there are some smaller boats that extend the season. We have seen as many as four boats go by in a single evening but now we’ll see fewer as several cruise ship companies have moved their base to Seattle.

Alaskan cruises appeal to a wide spectrum of people – from families to older folks, from nature lovers to party goers. They all have different reasons for heading north and so might you. Some of the highlights you’re likely to experience on an Alaskan cruise include:

• The famous  Inside Passage
• Amazing vistas of forests, glaciers, mountains,  ocean and isolated villages
• Wildlife – whales, dolphins and seals, many types of birds including bald eagles and probably even some bears.
• Glaciers and fjords especially in Glacier Bay National Park
• A chance to visit the Klondike gold rush era town of Skagway, Alaska
• The narrow gauge White Pass and Yukon Railway into Canada from Skagway and the train ride from Anchorage to Denali
• Land of the midnight sun and long days especially in June and July
• A visit to the pretty town of Juneau and to Sitka enriched by Russian architecture
• Denali National Park

Picking the right boat for your Alaska cruise is very important. First consider the size of the ship. The biggest ships hold over 2000 passengers and their focus is as much on shipboard activities as it is on the Alaskan – Canadian landscape. There are plenty of ships in the 800-1500 passenger range and a few small ships with only about 200 people which are typically more nature oriented.

Each cruise line also has its own niche so to make the most of your cruising experience it’s important to match your interests with what the cruise ship offers. What are you looking for?

• Pampering and spa experiences
• Ship board cuisine
• Onboard activities; look for courses in cooking, photography, computing, pottery…
• Some ships cater to families. If you’re single that isn’t going to be a good fit.
• A luxurious, high end experience from start to finish or you can find some cruise deals that fit your budget. There are many great discount cruises to Alaska available.
• What sorts of shore excursions are offered? Expensive options include flight seeing and helicopter tours perhaps even combined with dog sled rides on a glacier. Some offer a chance to stretch your body by biking or kayaking.  The bike ride out of Skagway is particularly good for the fit and restless. Intimate whale watching can be an option.
• Are there optional land packages offered? A train trip to Denali is one of the most popular add-ons.
• Do you want a 7 day or a 10 day cruise? What towns do you want to visit? Skagway? Juneau? Ketchikan? Sitka?

There’s more to consider than people realize but whatever cruise you pick it’s bound to make your summer memorable.

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

Traveling Solo Isn’t All That It’s Cracked Up To Be

May 24, 2010

Traveling solo isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. I just finished my 4th solo trip this year and although I’m a fan of my own company I prefer to share the travel experience. I know you don’t always have a choice and there are lots of us who would rather travel than not travel. But for all the websites extolling the virtues of solo travel, the do’s and don’ts, the how to be stay safe and how to get the most out of the solo experience,  I’m not seeing any on the benefits of traveling with others so here is my list.

• You don’t have to schlep all your bags into a small washroom cubicle.
• Outside of a hostel, accommodation options are almost the same price for two as they are for one.
• Dining alone isn’t nearly as much fun as dining with others and you’re given the ‘look’ in many of the nicer restaurants.
• You can’t taste as many foods when you’re on your own. There’s no sharing of dishes. On the other hand there’s no remorse that you didn’t pick the better dish.
• Someone isn’t looking out for you. It may be as simple as having someone point out the spinach or poppy seed stuck in your teeth to helping fend off belligerent strangers.  If you had someone looking out for you then you wouldn’t be the poor sod walking in the airline cabin with the toilet seat protector stuck to his butt.
• Two people can split up the jobs on the road – things like banking, laundry, buying tickets. If there are long line-ups you can take turns.
• Two people can split up the travel gear. You can get away with one camera, one computer, shared books and shared toiletries.
• If you’re properly matched then you can enjoy companionable silence.
• Traveling with others teaches you compromise. You try things you wouldn’t do on your own.
• It’s safer.
• Overall it’s just a lot more fun sharing experiences with a friend or spouse. It builds history and gives you something to talk about for years.

I’m proud of my solo accomplishments – which in the last year include hiking the Kerry Way in Ireland, biking the Eastern Townships, the Gulf Islands and Prince Edward County. But in all instances I’d still rather have shared the experience. You??

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

10 Travel Contests – Are You Feeling Lucky?

May 10, 2010

Here are 10 travel contests to enter – some for Canadian residents, some for US residents and some for both.  I don’t know about you but I love entering contests, especially travel contests. I never win but I love dreaming about the possibilities.

Gold Medal Getaway Contest Canadian athletes, chefs and celebrities share their favourite destination. Vote for your favourite every day until June 20th. Win one of 8 round trip Canadian flights anywhere WestJet flies.

Choose Your Saskatchewan Adventure Contest Win a $5000 vacation package to Saskatchewan. Tourism Saskatchewan will help you put together a custom trip. Enter by August 30th. Open to residents of Canada and the United States.

Saskatchewan, Pure Adventure Contest The winner and three friends receive a trip to Selwyn Lake Lodge. All airfare and accommodation is covered plus three days of fishing. Enter by May 31st or not as I’d love to win this one! Open to all residents of Canada and the US except for those living in Alaska, Hawaii and Quebec.

Visit Europe The Globe and Mail, one of Canada’s national newspapers, is offering through Air Canada vacations a 6 night trip for two to Rome with accommodation and breakfast. Enter by May 19th. If you’re willing to write and share a 500-800 word travel story then you’ll be awarded one extra chance at winning.

Lobster In My Luggage Win a trip to the Îles de la Madeleine, a 5 hour ferry ride away from Prince Edward Island. The winner receives a ferry trip from PEI, 6 nights on the island, 100 pounds of seafood and a $100 gas certificate. There is so much to do on these islands – kite surfing, sea kayaking, hiking, biking, bird watching, caving, golf, scuba diving and fine dining.

Canada. See It Now. Pick one of 5 truly amazing Canadian experiences by May 31st…..but you must be a resident of the United States.

Competitours - Chicago Tribune calls it an “ Amazing Race for regular people.” Organize a team and compete against 16 others as you visit 4 European countries over 9 days. You won’t know  where you’re going until the night before. First prize is $5500 per team.

Win a Trip for 2 to Nova Scotia If you are a resident of Ontario or Quebec then enter by May 27th for a 6 day trip to Nova Scotia with stops at some of the most scenic towns. Nova Scotia tourism will customize the trip for you!

Visit California Southwest Airlines will fly you and three others to either northern or southern California and take you on a 4 day/5 night whirlwind trip…if you live in the continental US.

Discover Ireland Enter by September 30th to win a trip for four to Donegal, Ireland. Stay in 5 star castles. Open to Canadians.

Overwhelmed by Technology

April 30, 2010

Besieged. Inundated. Plagued. Beset. Snowed Under. These words swirl in my head every time I look at my desk and the stack of owner’s manuals sitting there. I know I must get to them to move my blog along. That’s a motivating factor but still I’m paralyzed.

I have never embraced technology the way that others have. All computer skills are learned on an `as needed’ basis only. Perhaps that’s why I enjoy books so much. Open and begin reading.  I’m trying really hard but I think I’m losing ground. I need a tutor. Fast.

My photos on my blog suck. I know it and you the reader knows it too. It’s not so much the composition or the subject but the formatting. That’s my next big challenge. Some of you will laugh. How could she be so stupid with the easy stuff? Hah, I say. I need an English-Technology dictionary just to get going. I now have advice from many sources on the best software and plug-ins to use.  I didn’t start this blog to learn about plug-ins but that seems to come with the territory. Help!

Then there’s video. I must have video I’m told because Google has a love affair with it. They’ll index you faster and your rankings will soar- if you can believe them. So now I have a little video camera. Great. Except I haven’t a bloody clue what to do next. I know. Shoot some video. I have and it’s horrible.  This weekend I’ll shoot some more. Then I’ll try and make a one minute video with software I haven’t the first clue how to use. Help!!

So dear reader – please bear with me. I started this travel blog because of a passion for travel. My feelings for travel haven’t changed – but it’s going to take time to become the writer, photographer, videographer and social marketer that I need to be. You’ll know when I’ve arrived.

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

Life After Twitter

April 26, 2010

I swore you wouldn’t catch me dead using Twitter. That was for people with No Life and No Relationships. It was a tool to communicate with people you would likely never meet. It was a waste of Time. You had to be a Loser to use Twitter.  The whole social marketing was nothing but buzzwords and not something that I as a 50 something woman needed to Squander my time doing or even cared to embrace.

That was how I felt in mid January 2010.

My Life After Twitter began on January17, 2010. Twitter awakened me to the power of social networking. I had no idea what it was capable of delivering. I am a Twitter Convert. But I haven’t embraced Facebook….yet.

I was converted to Twitter by a computer geek’s bored wife – a bored wife who was amazing at setting up Twitter accounts. I was told that if I was serious about a travel blog then I needed to get serious about Twitter. This woman got me going with hundreds of followers in just days. Now I’m hoping to hit 2000 followers by early June.

Here is what Twitter has taught me:

• There are real people behind each twitter address. With time and effort personalities shine.
• Great blog articles and fascinating info is tweeted nonstop.  A twitter platform like Tweetdeck allows you to monitor what’s going on and break down the tweets into your areas of interest – for example travel, wine, adventure or health.  Unfortunately it’s addictive.
• You can find about what is happening in the world faster than through traditional news sources.
• You can, as I did last Saturday, catch a chance remark on Twitter, and end up meeting the real person a few hours later. I met Jeannie Mark of Nomadic Chick fame at Vancouver’s Outdoor Adventure and Travel Show. We had a great discussion, especially since we share a passion for travel and blogging.  But, Jeannie is way ahead of me in using Twitter. She has learned the art of a Twitter conversation and I’m not quite there yet. She was also smart enough to contact a well known travel writer via Twitter for an interview. Not only did she get the interview she got a free media pass to the show. Brilliant!
• It’s a great way to promote one’s blog and an extremely interesting lesson on what people in cyberspace find worthwhile reading. A blog you think should be successful often isn’t and vice versa.
• Participating on Twitter mimics the real world – what goes around comes around. If you’re supportive of people they return the support but it’s not instantaneous.
• You can find out (in my opinion) who has a disproportionably large ego or sense of self importance by checking out how many people they follow in relation to their followers. Bill Gates can get away with it – not so sure about too many others.
• You can pose questions and get timely answers.

There are a few things I don’t like about twitter.

• Some of the tweets are completely inane – just like some conversations in real life.
• It can take up a huge amount of your time if you allow it to happen.
• I have to constantly defend twitter. Non users don’t get it.

Never say never is what I have learned. Maybe Facebook is next.

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

Just How Many Countries Are There??

April 7, 2010

I have been accused by my husband of counting countries incorrectly. I liken it to bird counting when a bird species gets subdivided. The same thing happens to countries. Examples include the former USSR and Yugoslavia, made up of 15 and 6 countries respectively today. I admit to counting the countries I visited that made up Yugoslavia (for the record I included Macedonia, Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia) instead of just Yugoslavia. How many of you do that too??

Then there is the question of how many countries are there? The numbers are all over the map. The people making up the United Nations have a different agenda than those making up the list used by Gary’s travel blog Everything Everywhere. He uses the Travel Centuries Club list with a whopping 320 countries as of March 2010. They admit that some aren’t even countries, but they’ve been included because they are removed ethnologically, politically or physically from the parent. A good example is that the Galapagos Islands are considered distinct from Ecuador (one more I hadn’t counted). They also include Tasmania as its own entity because it’s separate from Australia. (Yet another one I didn’t know I had) Quite frankly I don’t know that I agree with the list though I’m certainly under no obligation to use it.

Another way of country counting is based on the ISO standard ISO 3166-1, a technical term designed by a bunch of bureaucrats. That list includes 223 countries  by population (with the last country included on their list being the Pitcairn Islands with a population of only 50 people) or 239 countries based on population density. Why the difference? It beats me.

I continued researching and found a list of countries that the United States recognizes based on their political agenda and that number is 192. That is also the number of countries used in the 8th edition of the ‘National Geographic Atlas of the World.’ There is a 9th edition coming out in October 2010 but I haven’t been able to determine how many countries they include.

It’s obvious to me that country counting can be a contentious issue and there doesn’t appear to be a definitive right or wrong answer. But do we need a list of 320 countries to make us feel more well traveled than we actually are?

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

9 Surprisingly Great Things to do in the Calgary Area

March 30, 2010

The city of Calgary has never been a destination in my mind. To me it’s been a place to fly in to and get the hell out of as fast as you can. I have however been pleasantly surprised at its offerings. There are the usual sites on Tourism Calgary’s website- museums, heritage streets, heritage parks… but that’s not what I’m looking for. Here is my list of 9 Surprisingly Great Things To Do.

1. Bring, borrow or rent a bike because this city has a truly amazing network of trails. You can head south all the way to Fish Creek Provincial Park, head east past the zoo to the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, head west along the Bow River to Bowness Park or head north and explore the trails of  Nose Hill Park. In total there are 550 kms of pathways and 260 kms of on street bikeways.
2. Go to the zoo – it’s rated the third best in North America.
3. Head for the Canada Olympic Park. Here you can ski, try a bobsleigh or luge ride and mountain bike in the summer. There are half pipes, terrain parks and challenge courses to further thrill you.
4. Try speed skating at the Calgary Olympic Oval. It has two international sized rinks and an oval for long track speed skating where the public is welcome. You can rent the necessary equipment.
5. Fish Creek Provincial Park at the south end of Calgary is one of the largest urban wilderness areas in the world. Enjoy over 85 kms of biking, running and hiking trails.
6. About an hour away is the Canmore Nordic Center Provincial Park, developed for the 1988 Winter Olympics. Now it is a world class destination for athletes but fully accessible to the public. Depending on the season, plan on cross country skiing on more than 65 kms of trails or mountain biking on over 100 kms of  trails.
7. In the heart of the Canadian Badlands, 90 minutes northeast of Calgary, you’ll find the Royal Tyrrell Museum. It boasts the largest display of dinosaur skeletons anywhere in the world. Take a walk through the badlands, experience a dig and marvel at the dinosaur skeletons.
8. If you have extra time than a trip to the World Heritage Site – Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo-Jump, two hours south, should be on your agenda. The interpretative center explains the lifestyle, technology, ecology and mythology of the Blackfoot people based on archaeological evidence. Learn about the 60 million buffalo that once roamed the Great Plains.
9. Of course a visit to Banff National Park , 90 minutes west of Calgary, is a must. Canada’s first national park offers up breathtaking scenery. You could spend weeks here exploring the back country.

Calgary is not just about cowboys and oil companies. It dishes up more culture than expected  with over 60 theater companies calling the city home.  I’m told that over 260 birds have visited the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary and that there is a vibrant horticultural society. Restaurants and shopping are world class. There are public and private art galleries galore …so the city is slowly shaking off its Cowtown only image.

Come and visit. You will be surprised.

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

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  • A Pair of Panties and Boxers - She use to want the corner office. Now she wants the world. Monica blogs about her travels around the world & her travels through life. Either way she travel, it’s food for her soul.
  • A Travel Around the World - Marta ‘n Chris travel the world and share their tips, stories and excitement of the venture.
  • Abandon the Cube - Ever thought of Abandoning your cubical to travel around the world? We are two travelers who did just that. Join us as we travel, mostly by ground transport and sea, across the globe at Abandon the Cube.”
  • About Airport Parking - Covers parking information at every major airport in the US.
  • Alice's Garden Travel Buzz - Look for great articles on gardens around the world, plus spas, foodie havens and cooking schools.
  • Art of Backpacking - Mike and Teresa have a well written, extremely useful website geared to the international backapacker.
  • Australia - Australia travel guide. Find the best of Australia.
  • Beers and Beans - Follow a California couple as they wander the world. Excellent photography.
  • Best Beaches in Asia - This website will lead you to some of the best beaches in Thailand, Taiwan, Cambodia and Hong Kong.
  • Brooke vs The World - Well written blog tracing Brooke’s journey around the world with some interesting longer term stops for work.
  • Brooklyn Nomad - A Noo Yawka with a bad case of wanderlust – great quotes, great photography.
  • Candice does the World - Get a Newfoundler’s point of view about Newfoundland, life and world travel.
  • Carolina Nomad - Spencer is your one stop travel source if you’re travleing to the Carolinas.
  • Currency Converter - Get exchange rates for world currencies.
  • Dave's Travel Corner - The go to website for all things related to travel – blogs, message boards, resoucres, photos, clasiifieds, travel news…
  • Enlighten Travels - A multi year journey around the world is recorded with insight.
  • Ever the Nomad - Anja is a Lonely Planet author who travels and a traveler who writes.
  • Everything Everywhere - Gary is a VERY well traveled guy who writes and takes great HD photos.
  • foXnoMad - Great blog with lots of tips on tech, money,lodging, culture…
  • Gabriola Cycle and Kayak - Guided cycling trips to Mexico, Spain and France for adventuresome travelers at very reasonable prices.
  • Gap Year Escape - Follow Amar’s backpacking travels in the southern hemisphere.
  • Gourmantic - A well written food and travel blog.
  • Guy and Girl Travels - Get both perspectives on travel from this team. Great stories from all the travel angles – food, happenings, haunts.
  • Happy Time Blog - Follow Aaron & Georgie as they have alot of fun traveling/backpacking the world.
  • Health Conscious Travel - A blog on health, travel and green living.
  • Hole in the Donut Travels - Read about Barbara’s travels from the perspective of a 50 something female with a serious case of wanderlust.
  • Hop and Jaunt - Check out the website of this pair of traveling designers.
  • Hoseasons Log Cabins - Luxury log cabins throughout the beautiful UK countryside.
  • How to Travel with Pets - This is your go to website if you’re a pet owner and you love to travel with pets including birds, fish and reptiles.
  • i Backpack Canada - Corbin provides you with lots of advice and tips for hitting the road with a backpack in Canada.
  • Ian and Wendy - Follow this well traveled Canadian couple on their worldwide travel adventures.
  • Inside the Travel Lab - A well written blog on the art and science of unusual travels.
  • Janes Guide to Scotland - Look for travel tips and information from someone who calls Scotland home.
  • Jet Set Citizen - John and his wife are jet set citizens – a group of people living the lifestyle they choose involving travel, technology and social media.
  • Lonely Planet Author: Joshua Samuel Brown - Read the musings of Josh, an expat living in Asia.
  • Monna McD - Follow the writings of this Canadian woman living in Bangkok.
  • My Several Worlds - Carrie writes about photography, lifestyle, travel and teaching ESL in Asia.
  • No Debt World Travel - Learn Brian’s tricks of traveling around the world cheaply.
  • Nomadic Chick - Jeannie is joining a long line of former cubicle dwellers and is about to embark on a RTW trip. Her stories are great as so is her writing style.
  • Otts World - Follow Sherry on her travels and enjoy inspiring photos and video.
  • Paddy in Buenos Asia - A very funny blog on everyday life of an Irish expat now living in Hong Kong. Warning – may contain nudity, bad language and Irish humour.
  • Quiver Tree Family Expeditions - Let this company help you plan a unique trip for your family to some of the world’s great places. Kid and parent tested itineraries.
  • Riverville House B&B, Kenmare, Ireland - If you are walking or touring the Kerry Way in Ireland then add this B&B to your must stay list. You will find lovely rooms and welcoming hosts at reasonable prices.
  • Rome Hotels - Looking for a hotel in Rome??
  • Runaway Jane - A lovely website by this fulltime travel writer and freelance illustrator.
  • Snarky Tofu - Check out the videos.
  • Start Backpacking - Get info on the steps to start backpacking, backpacking medicine, cheap flights and more.
  • Sunmaster Holidays - Find holidays, all inclusive holidays and package holidays with Sunmaster.co.uk
  • Tech Guide for Travel - Reviews of tech products used by travelers and all sorts of useful techie info in easy to understand terms.
  • The 9 to 5 Alternative - Peruse well written articles about travel, lifestyle and entrepreneurship.
  • The Caffeinated Traveller - Insights into world travel with colourful images – perfect with a cup of coffee.
  • The Planet D - Read about and watch videos on the ongoing adventure travels of Canada’s Dave Bouskill and Deb Corbeil.
  • The Professional Hobo - Adventures of a girl with no fixed address.
  • The Travel Expert(a) - Marina blogs about traveling in Central America AND plans and organizes trips in Costa Rica.
  • The World Effect - Excellent photography and writing are the hallmarks of Beau and Meggan’s round the world blog.
  • Trail of Ants - Check out this Brit’s excellent writing. He’s traveled on the Trans-Mongolian railway!
  • Travel Blissful - Follow Erica’s stories, tips, musings, video and photography as they relate to travel.
  • Travel Wonders of the World - Mark blogs about his travels to over 80 countries.
  • Travel Yourself - Follow Cailin as she travels the world one country at a time. Nice photography. Upcoming TV.
  • Traveling Canucks - Nicole and Cameron are a couple and a well traveled one at that with over 47 countries under their belt. Their photography is a treat for the eyes.
  • Traveling Greener - Sonya provides green travel news, trends and information.
  • Traveling Savage - Keith is a wonderful travel writer who tackles a wide range of off the beaten travel path topics.
  • Traveling the World by the Seat of our Pants - Follow the good, the bad and the nasty as this couple travels the world.
  • Travels with Phillip - Phillip writes about sharing his love of travel with his three kids. Lucky kids. Great adventures.
  • Travels with Two - Great website with lots of useful information for trip planning – especially for couples.
  • TravMonkey - Paul gives you detailed info for backpacking around the world.
  • Tuscany Tours - Offers full day and half day tours in Florence and Tuscany, Italy.
  • Uncornered Market - Look for human stories, photography, street food reporting and personal growth stories.
  • Vacation Rentals by Owner, Homes, Beach House, Condo rentals, Cabin rentals, Cottage, Beach rentals and Lake rentals. - Worldwide Leader – vacation property rentals that specializes in connecting property rental owners with travelers.
  • Vagabonding Life - Greg writes thought provoking articles about travel since escaping from the cubicles of corporate America.
  • Velvet Escape - Read about Keith’s escapes and adventure travels to some of the world’s most interesting places.
  • Wild Junket - Follow Nellie’s wild ride around the world. She’ll teach you how to swear in Spanish and get you up to speed on odd Asian habits!
  • World Clock - Find out what time it is anywhere in the world + get international dailing information.
  • World Electric Guide - Provides information on plug types and voltages in every country around the world.
  • Worldwide Airlines - You’ll find both the major and some of the obscure airlines in countries around the world.
  • Worldwide Weather - Get weather forecasts for most countires.