Niagara Area Cycling Guide Released

July 30, 2009

For a short and easy cycling holiday consider the Niagara area which can be easily accessed from both Toronto, Ontario and Buffalo, New York.

IMG 0534 Niagara Area Cycling Guide Released

Maid of the Mist at Niagara Falls

Inside the Niagara guide look for two to four day itineraries with suggestions for increasing your stay depending on your interest.

Other activities you might want to consider include:

  • wine tasting at one of the more than seventy wineries in the area
  • a jet boat ride on the Niagara River
  • a wet outing on the ‘Maid of the Mist’ to get close to Niagara Falls
  • a play at the Shaw Festival Theater
  • a spa visit at one of the many high end hotels in Jordan and Niagara-on-the-Lake
  • shopping and dining
  • a cooking class in the area
  • a play at the Shaw Festival Theater
  • a spa visit at one of the many high end hotels in Jordan and Niagara-on-the-Lake
  • shopping and dining
  • a cooking class in the area

Come and visit the Niagara area through the summer and fall. You’ll be surprised at how much there is to do.

Posted by Hike Bike Travel | Filed Under Biking, Restaurants and Food | Leave a Comment 

Armchair travel for hot summer days

July 29, 2009

It’s about 33C today and there is little appeal to be out hiking and biking. Any activity that gets me near, on, or in the water or takes my mind off the temperature has my vote including a great read. Here are some engrossing and often unbelievable stories that will keep you entertained for hours.

  • The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz
Books 003 Armchair travel for hot summer days

An all time favourite book

  • No Picnic on Mount Kenya by Fenice Beluzzi
  • Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival by Dean King
  • Endurance – Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing
  • Rowing to Latitudes by Jill Fredston
  • Touching the Void: The Harrowing First Person Account of One Man’s Miraculous Survival by Joe Simpson
  • Himalayan Passage by Jeremy Schmidt
  • Paddle to the Amazon – The Ultimate 12,000 Mile Canoe Adventure by Don Starkell
  • Catfish and Mandala: A Two-Wheeled Voyage Through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam by Andrew Pham
  • Sand Dance by Camel Across Arabia’s Great Southern Desert by Kirkby Bruce
  • Adrift by Stephen Callahan
  • Arctic Crossing – A Journey Through the Northwest Passage and Inuit Culture by Johnathon Waterman

Many of the books were written long ago but are readily available online.

Happy reading! and if anyone out there has suggestions related to armchair travel please let me know via the comment section.

Posted by Hike Bike Travel | Filed Under Books and Book Reviews | Leave a Comment 

North Vancouver’s Grouse Grind

July 27, 2009

North Vancouvers’ Grouse Grind Trail is one of the most popular attractions in the Vancouver area. The Globe and Mail’s recent article shines even more attention on this giant stair stepper. Read about it and other activities in the Vancouver area in the Vancouver Airport eguide.

Grouse Grind 008 North Vancouvers Grouse Grind

Near the start of the Grouse Grind Trail

The best time to hike this trail is early in the morning when the air is cool and the crowds have yet to materialize. You can park in the dirt parking lot off of Capilano Road ( at the top immediately east of Capilano Road)  free of charge but anywhere on pavement will cost you money. Bring water, a sweater in cooler weather, and $10 or a credit card so you can buy a downloading ticket in the main building at the top. Otherwise you’ll have to walk down which isn’t recommended.

183273592 75ea15f11e North Vancouvers Grouse Grind

Opening hours change according to light conditions. In the summer the trail is usually open from 6:30 am until 7:30pm. This means that you can still start up the hill at 7:30pm but after that, the gates are locked. They have people sweep the hill every night for stragglers and those in difficulty.

Once at the top you can shop, enjoy refreshments, wander over to see a birds of prey demonstration or perhaps take in the lumberjack show. There are also more trails off of the top of the mountain but come prepared if you want to go further.

Grouse Grind 037 North Vancouvers Grouse Grind

Downloading on the Grouse Mountain tram - on a foggy day

There are hikers that become obsessed with this mountain – hiking it everyday to the exclusion of  anything else, probably for the reward at the top of a  fantastic view mixed with a full dose of happy hormones. It’s really not a visually interesting hike until you finish but there is lots to be said for enjoying the mix of cultures and languages evidenced in the cross section of hikers, the testosterone at work as people race by (that rarely  lasts for even a quarter of the way) and the friendliness and camraderie which is much in evidence on the trail.

Posted by Hike Bike Travel | Filed Under British Columbia, Canada, Hiking, backpacking, walking | Leave a Comment 

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Latest Post

Another Free Guide – Cabot Trail Biking Tour Guide

Palm Springs, a desert resort city of 40,000 plus people, is located 100 miles east of Los Angeles and 130 miles northeast of San Diego. It is one of nine cities that make up the Coachella Valley with mountains surrounding it on all sides.

Inside Cabot Trail Biking Tour Guide you will find the following

1. Fantastic scenery, especially along the western coast of Cape Breton Highlands National Park

2. the climb in the afternoon of North Mountain rewards with excellent scenery too

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