Travelsmartplanet

The Niagara Parks Commission is celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the Journey Behind the Falls attraction with a month-long celebration highlighting the popular tourism site

In 1889, the NPC constructed the first tunnels behind the Falls; It was named “Sheet of Falling Water” and lantern-carrying guides brought visitors up-close and personal with the rushing water. Over time as the brink of the Falls receded, tunnel extensions were required. In 1944 a new tunnel was constructed 18 metres behind the original passageway. These new concrete-lined, lit tunnels are still in use today. In 1951, an observation plaza was added and in 1990, the heavy rubber raincoats and boots were discontinued. These were replaced by light, biodegradable yellow rain ponchos which can now be kept as a souvenir.

During the month of August, Niagara Parks will be sharing 31 stories – one each day – about the attraction at www.niagaraparks.com/125, and through its Facebook page and Twitter account (@NiagaraParks). Visitors are being encouraged to share their stories, thoughts and images about this popular tourism attraction.

On Friday, August 22, a free “birthday cake” event will be held at Table Rock for visitors and invited guests. This will be followed that evening by a special illumination of the Falls in yellow, coinciding with Falls Fireworks taking place at 10 pm, to recognize this significant moment in NPC’s history.

Here’s one touching tale:

“The year was 1941 and WWII was raging. Flo and Irv were getting married, and as was popular in those days, they wanted to go to Niagara Falls for their honeymoon. However their budget wasn’t large enough for the trip and they couldn’t make it. That didn’t dim their love or romance, which lasted 62 years.

Fast forward to 2013. Irv has passed away and it is Flo’s 90th birthday. When asked where in the world she wanted to go for her special day, she answered easily “Niagara Falls”. They never made it there to join those lantern-carrying guides behind the falls, but the allure was still there, and she really wanted to experience those world-famous Falls. She insisted, though, that she wanted Irv along on the journey.

Take a look at these images of her and notice a photo of him pinned to her blouse in a plastic bag (so he doesn’t get wet!). So finally, 72 years after their plans went astray, Flo and Irv Phillips made the Journey to the Falls together.”

At Domaine Summum in Quebec, they believe that your furry best friends should be free, to be able to enjoy life with you. So they can  run, bark, romp and roll throughout their hiking trails, and jump, splash and swim in their private lake.

Besides the pristine  lake. there’s 200 acres of forest, with trails everywhere. Chalets are spotlessly clean and are well-equipped with a complete kitchen, grill, and a fire pit. You can order delicious frozen ready homemade meals prepared by their “Top Chef”.

The chalets are near Mont Tremblant Village and St-Jovite so that adds options for dining, hiking, golf, mountain biking and any number of other activities.

The owners love dogs (they are breeders of Bernese Mountain dogs) and understand what you need to have a great vacation with your pet running and barking, leash-free!

– No size restriction
– No breed restriction
– No extra fee for 2 dogs
– Pets can be left alone in the room ( without having to be in a crate )
– On site SPAWS (B&B for dogs)
– Special A La Bark menu for your pet
– On site Tail Waggin’ Day Camp

www.domainesummum.com

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The Meet and Greet Service are airport experts at Vancouver International Airport. They make the airport experience efficient for both corporate and leisure travelers – whether it’s navigating through the airport formalities, security lines, check-in, handling of baggage, shopping, or restaurant dining – eating in or to go, they offer impeccable attention. This is  the first  official meet and greet service in North America.

Some of their services: check-in including boarding card help, getting through security, departure and connections, assistance including gate to gate escort, chauffeured mobile cart, baggage handling, baggage claim, assistance during flight delays or cancellations, delayed arrival, delayed baggage, claims. You can all access to the Plaza Premium Lounge (applicable fees may apply). Prices start at $95.

http://airportbutler1.reachlocal.net/airport-meet-and-greet

Tags: airport, America, baggage, board, cancellation, cart, chauffeur, check-in, connection, delay, departure, escort, gate, international, lounge, North, Restaurant, security, shop, traveler, Vancouver

Harry Potter fans in Canada or anywhere else who wants to travel there, can see inside the famous wizard’s world,  Harry Potter: The Exhibition opened at TELUS World of Science – Edmonton.

You can see the amazing craftsmanship behind hundreds of authentic costumes and film props from all 8 of the Harry Potter films. The show immerses fans in the experience as they get a firsthand view of authentic artifacts displayed in detailed settings inspired by the film sets, including the Great Hall, Hagrid’s hut, the Gryffindor™ common room, and other settings from the films.

While touring through the exhibit space, discover iconic items such as Harry’s original wand and eyeglasses, the Marauder’s Map, Gryffindor school uniforms as well as costumes worn at the Yule Ball.  Enter the Quidditch™ area and toss a “Quaffle”, pull your own Mandrake, encounter Buckbeak™ the Hippogriff and even a giant Acromantula spider.

Edmonton is the 1oth stop for the exhibition which is concluding its global 5-year tour. Harry Potter: The Exhibition debuted in Chicago in 2009 and has since been touring the world with most recent stops in Tokyo, New York and Singapore. The exhibition has expanded in recent years to include artifacts from all eight Harry Potter films.

Dates: until Mar 9, 2014
www.telusworldofscienceedmonton.com

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In Richmond, BC, Canada,  mounds of swirly hurricane fries, Japanese takoyaki, and sweetly flavoured mini donuts are ready to hit the fryers. Grills are heating up in anticipation of skewered seaweed, squid pancakes, roasted yams and fresh duck wraps. Sweet treats, from mountains of sweet mango and cream to fresh dragon’s beard candy, are being scooped and spun for the hot summer months ahead. Meanwhile, vendors are ready to sell their unique wares to shoppers, as performers line up to entertain you.

Richmond is home to 2 Asian night markets, bringing the Far East to the Canadian West Coast. The Richmond Night Market and the International Summer Night Market combine to bring nearly 150 food stalls and over 400 retail vendors to their sites.

With a population that is 65 per cent Asian, Richmond’s two Asian night markets bring together cuisines from Vietnam, Thailand, Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, China, Taiwan, Japan, Germany, France, Kenya and Canadian First Nations. Snaking through the dining stalls is like being transported around the world, and offers a chance to sample some finger-licking good bites.

And, even with so much diversity, there is one element that unites all foods – the humble skewer. Look for tasty and swirly skewered potatoes dipped in flavoured salts – these night market skewers are just one of the “on-a-stick” options carried around the markets. Other stalls can be found skewering everything from spears of asparagus wrapped with bacon, to fried garlic prawns and juicy Thai chicken satay.

Vendors at both night markets bring together some of the hottest and most unique accessories – including jewelry, clothing, and everything you didn’t know you needed – at street-side prices (cheap). The most popular items visitors head there for are – socks and cell phone covers. For the fanciest of footwear, look out for superheroes, animals galore and, Mr. Gangnam himself, Psy. To keep electronics safe or give them some sparkle Richmond’s night markets have got it covered.

www.richmond.ca

Tags: Asian, asparagus, bacon, Canadian, cell phone, chicken, China, clothing, cover, dragon’s beard candy, duck, First Nations., France, garlic, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, jewelry, Kenya, Korea, market, prawn, Richmond, roasted, satay, seaweed, Singapore, skewe, socks, squid pancakes, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, wrap., yam

If you are heading out to Ottawa to skate on the Rideau Canal and to enjoy Canada’s capitol, leave some time to explore the Canadian Museum of Nature, their first national museum, completed in 1912.

The Beaux Arts building was recently renovated and is now fronted by a towering glass atrium. That’s where we found the arts and crafts action. Perhaps leave that for the end, after you’ve had a chance to watch “Exploding Geology”, the tornado demonstration, walk through the large bird display (and play on the interaction boards),  swoon over the 1200 gorgeous minerals, rocks and meteorites , meet the 10-metre blue whale, enjoy the full size mammal gallery (look for the reindeer), go face to face with a triceratops,  or spy on the tarantula.

Kids of any age and their parents will enjoy their day. If you have time there are two movies, “Nature Unleashed” and “3D Dinosaur” but our gang liked the interactive museum more. Special exhibits coming up will show off Ikebana, Japanese floral design, Flora of the Canadian Arctic and in the summer, the Hidden Lives of Ants.

Trivia buffs should note that this Canadian Museum of Nature  served as home to Canada’s House of Commons and Senate following the fire that destroyed the Centre Block of Parliament in 1916.

Location: 240 McLeod St., Ottawa, Canada
Phone: 613-364-4021
www.nature.ca

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Parc Safari has something for everyone in your family. It is wayyyy beyond a drive around to see exotic animals, though that is an amazing part of the day. The water park, with its three lagoons (one with a waterfall), tube ride, and especially the new sculpturally beautiful splash pad/slide Lagon des dauphins, can be a whole day in itself. This new area offers up 8 water slides and 60 water games.  Here’s a tip: if you go there, keep your eye on the yellow pail of water.

Besides the safari drive, you can walk around three animal areas. We’re talking 500 animals, folks, in about 60 different species: elephant, bison, deer, camel, tiger, lion, water buffalo, yak, zebra, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, wildebeest, eland, black bear, monkeys, etc.  You can find great scrabble words as you come across the oryx, addax, gaur and onager.  Learning about the animals is fascinating:  giraffes only sleep 20 min a day, swan couples mate for life,  zebras are black with white stripes  (finally found that out!) and Shaka the lion is a movie star, having appeared in the film “The Aviator” with Leonardo DiCaprio.

There is no way you cannot be wowed by the lion and tiger clear glass tunnels which you walk through and are separated by a mere 3 cm.  from these beautiful beasts. Have you ever gone eye-to-eye with a giraffe? Well you can do that here too.

A lovely part about Parc Safari is that you hardly have to put your hand in your pocket once you pay to get in ($113.86  for a family of 4, or under $100 with a CAA discount). They allow you to bring your own lunch, and have endless amount of picnic tables in the shade, grass, and even a sandy beach.  The staff in the parc actually give you the food to feed the bears or monkeys, etc.  You can bring your own carrots to feed the safari animals – it’s so much fun to watch as they chew and crunch right in your face.

If you decide to lunch at Parc Safari, besides your burgers, pizza and hot dogs, you can munch chicken burgers, smoked meat, sausages, waffles, fruit smoothies, poutine (mais oui!) and even grab a beer. It costs about $8-$14 for the restaurant meals and $6-$7 in the cafeteria.

For those who like rides, there are still some retro ones that bring huge smiles (and screams) to both young and old. Where else can you spend a day on all the rides you want, as many times as you want for a measly $3 per person? The few extras in the parc are so minimal: a pony ride is only $4, and one on the camel is $6. The tube ride is a mere $2.  If you want to buy a box of animal food, it’s only a tooney.

Especially endearing is the  “custom spray” tilt-a-whirl ride. You do not have to go high tech to make customers happy on a hot day – all you need is a hose. As you get on this ride, a gentleman ask if you would like to get sprayed as you pass him; you can say yes or no, and even ask for a little or a lot. Where else can you select-a-preference-water-factor on a ride?

On a busy day the 45 min safari adventure can take up to 2 hours. This is NOT necessarily a negative. We must learn to slow ourselves down to the pace of nature. If you are inching along, sitting in the comfort of your air-conditioned car, you get to really take the time to watch the animals live and interact.  Babies are being shown what to do by their mommas, bisons are rolling in the dirt to scratch themselves, animals’ chests are rising and falling as they take a siesta, and yes they’re  peeing and pooing too – still a thrill for the kids. You can feed and even touch some of the species as they come up to visit you at your car window.

And we haven’t even gotten to the six stage shows and eight animal feedings or les Filouminous characters who wander around the park giving hugs.  There is so much to do that you can turn this in to a staycation weekend. Look on their site for reasonably priced 1 and 2-day packages, including an overnight in nearby motels or campsites.

Parc Safari is celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year so to celebrate they are having a contest with over $8,000 in prizes. You can win a backyard swing set, a safari package, summer camp at the Cosmodome, and gift certificates and passes. You can go online to fill out the form:  www.clikici.ca/ralleye-safari-2012.php

If you haven’t been to Parc Safari since you were a kid, it’s time to go back. The best deal is that if you add $20 to your admission price, you get a season passport.  Divide that all up into many days of fun and it is really pennies to enjoy this entertaining gem right at our doorstep.

Location: 280 Rang Roxham, St-Bernard-de-Lacolle, QC, J0J 1V0
Tel: 450 247-2727
Summer Hours: 10-5 for the safari, 10-7 for the parc  (less hours in Spring and Fall)
www.parcsafari.com

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If you keep driving North on I-95, cut off onto the  NY Thruway and then straight up I-87 you will arrive right in Montreal. Only 6 1/2 hours from NYC, you will find the Festival City.

The summer starts on the edge with the Fringe Festival (www.montrealfringe.ca), then lights up with the Fireworks Festival (www.internationaldesfeuxloto-quebec.com/en/), jives to the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal  (www.montrealjazzfest.com) , and then giggles into the Comedy Festival (www.hahaha.com), and mov(i)es in to the World Film Festival (www.ffm-montreal.org/en_info_fest.html).

The newest kids on the street are the International Startup Festival (www.startupfestival.com/en/) and Circus Festival (www.montrealcompletementcirque.com/)l .

The International  Startup Festival  (www.startupfestival.com/en/) is a two-day conference (July 14 & 15) on the business of internet startups. It brings together industry veterans and fresh faces, thought leaders and technology giants from around the world, The festival brings a global audience together to cover the entire startup lifecycle: early-stage innovation; scaling the business; and achieving a successful exit.  Here you can mix some learning with the fun city’s other festivals.

In the home of Cirque du Soleil, it is logical that the city would hold a circus festival to highlight about 2 dozen circuses from around the world. From July 7th to August 24th, the entire city becomes a big top showcasing every different kind of circus possible.

Tags: circus, Cirque du Soleil, comedy, festival, film, fireworks, fringe, jazz, Montreal, Quebec, startup