7 WHEELY GOOD ROAD TRIPS TO TRY THIS SUMMER

By NEWS CANADA

Looking to stay more local for your next getaway? Whether you’re an outdoor explorer or big-city cultural maven, there are plenty of exciting destinations across the country to choose from.

With input from Robin Esrock, an internationally recognized bucket list expert, the InterContinental Hotels Group’s Great Canadian Bucket List offers 25 experiences to inspire exploring our national backyard.

Here are a few coast-to-coast highlights that made the list:

1. Gaze across the Ouimet Canyon. A short drive from Thunder Bay in Pass Lake is a canyon with knife-edge cliffs looming over a ravine. It’s the perfect backdrop for one of Canada’s longest and fastest ziplines.

2. Scale the Via Ferrata du Diable. Via Ferrata du Diable soars above Quebec’s largest national park and features epic views and pristine wilderness. Supervised by a guide and hooked up to a secure climbing route, make your way along a sheer cliff above a 650-foot drop.

3. Cycle along a wine route. In British Columbia, the Okanagan Valley’s fragrant countryside is home to over two hundred vineyards. With the sparkling 135-kilometre Lake Okanagan as a backdrop, it’s not surprising just how beautiful this part of the world is.

4. Try to spot Canada’s national animal. The beaver can be very difficult to see unless you are at the wooded Beaver Boardwalk in Hinton, Alberta. There you can stroll around an active beaver dam and hang out on the observation tower over the beaver lodge to get a glimpse of our nickel’s focal point.

5. Arm a cannon. In Halifax the star-shaped Citadel was built by British forces in 1856 and offers fantastic views of the city. You can tour the barracks, watch firing practice, help arm a cannon or sign up to be a soldier for a day.

6. Embrace Indigenous history. One of Canada’s sunniest cities, Saskatoon is the perfect place to discover six thousand years of First Nation history at the fascinating Wanuskewin Heritage Park, a national historic site. Beyond the exhibits and artifacts, the 600-acre grounds have various trails and a medicine wheel as old as Stonehenge.

7. Stand beneath a polar bear. Get up-close and personal with a polar bear at the Polar Bear Conservation Centre inside Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg. Watch the rescued polar bears in a unique 10-foot wide transparent tunnel that places you just inches away from them swimming.

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