Travel in city Vancouver, county Island

I don’t remember when my love of Canada began — it’s something that’s always been there, this connection to a country that feels like a second home even though I haven’t spent longer than a month there in one go. I grew up by the sea in Cornwall and planned to study marine biology and live out on the water, researching whales and sharks. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, my lack of scientific aptitude quickly put paid to that idea, but the love of nature remained and has been an anchor in my life and in my writing.

Heli-hiking on a remote slice of Vancouver Island in Canada. Concocting your own perfume in southern France. Planning a shoot with a New York fashion photographer.

A cruise ship employee was arrested after he allegedly used scissors to stab three people aboard a ship that was traveling to Alaska.

Once dismissed as a sleepy retirement home for aging Anglophiles, Vancouver Island has acquired a racier profile in recent years, courtesy of its free-spirited surfing towns, pastoral wineries, community-built biking networks and extravagantly eccentric accommodations.

The mind boggles at the sheer scope of Canada.

Green is the overwhelming color on Washington's Olympic Peninsula.

These cruises are going to be rare ones, Holland America fans. So get ready to book before they fill up.

While North America is home to its fair share of fascinating animals—the grizzly bear, American bison and American alligator, to name a few—this sprawling nation is no slouch when it comes to plantlife, either. Across the colder reaches of the continent, the icy grip of winter is beginning to thaw, ushering in a new round of colorful flowers for tourists to admire. From native superblooms to carefully-manicured lavender gardens, the following regions offer a spectacular array of flora that are perfect for a memorable spring vacation.

In Canada, a visit to the beach doesn't just mean ice cream, basking in the sun and a bracing dip in the ocean.

The Mount Hood stratovolcano, around two hour’s drive east of Portland, Oregon, is the most transfixing ski destination you’re ever likely to lay eyes on. It’s a perfect snow-topped pyramid, pushing high through the clouds, with a belt of fir trees and pistes that crisscross the forest like strands of a spider’s web. Get closer and you’ll see the pattern is the result of several exciting ski areas: Timberline, Mount Hood Skibowl, Mount Hood Meadows, Summit Ski Area and Cooper Spur. For those who love winter sports, this region always offers another reason to stay longer. 

With just under 40 million inhabitants across more than nine million square kilometers of land, it’s no secret that Canada is one of the least-densely populated nations on the planet—yet it’s not just humans that call this vast expanse home. From the shores of Vancouver Island to the coast of Newfoundland, this sprawling country is absolutely brimming with birds, with no shortage of dazzling passerines, waterfowl, and raptors thriving across its borders. And for any seasoned birders hoping to add another species to their life list, the following Canadian birding festivals offer a truly unforgettable experience in the heart of one of North America’s most charming countries.

Canada, our friendly northern neighbor, boasts extraordinarily diverse geography, from tall Rocky Mountain peaks to expansive flat prairie land and seaside communities on both coasts. With a smaller national population than that of California, it's perhaps unsurprising that Canada is also full of charming small towns and welcoming rural communities worth planning a trip around. You’ll find salty little enclaves, graced by orcas and world-class surfers in British Columbia; tiny mountain towns with Gold Rush history in the Yukon’s Grizzly country; and, of course, flannel-filled hubs for outdoors lovers who want to bike and hike in the country’s dramatic national parks. What links them together, though, is that small town spirit, and undeniable charm. (Don’t be surprised if your small town trip warrants big time vacation days—please like these are never easy to leave.)

There’s something so beautiful, so meaningful, about distilling an adventure down to everything that you need and nothing that you don’t, keeping the focus on manageable ways to get outside and get outside often. If it’s easy, if you have the trappings at your fingertips, you’re more likely to take advantage of the real prize: spending quality time in nature.

Tucked between Vancouver Island’s pristine waterways, lush forests, and rugged wilderness is some downright delicious coastal cuisine. Chefs, distillers, and purveyors here rely on locally grown ingredients to infuse their creations with the flavors of the destination itself.

Tired of the usual bed-in-a-box hotel rooms? As Airbnb takes over the world we had a rummage for some unusual places to stay listed on the site.

Debra Dolan was 21 and on her first solo trip when she first sent a postcard to herself.