Winter Vacations in Canada

Posted by Cathy Smith Sep 8, 2007

I’ve never understood why millions of people dash off to some horrifically hot climate to burn themselves to a crisp in order to get a tan; often to places where it’s usually too steamy to do anything other than sit in a deck chair and occasionally flop into the pool.

Me? I stay home in summer, sitting in my garden reading, sipping mint tea, or going for walks in nearby shady woods, I have had some of the best vacations of my life in winter, and the healthiest. I'm not much of a skier, but I still had a wonderful holiday in the Canadian Rockies without ever once strapping on skis.

Instead, I took dog sled rides across the pristine snow, walked through frozen canyons where waterfalls had turned into ice castles, and shoeshoed through quiet forests with a guide who pointed out small animals, birds, and other creatures of the snow.

I also took a train across Canada in winter, stopping off in Jasper for a couple of days before carrying on to Vancouver - one of the worlds great train journeys and, with the whiteness of winter all around you, one of the most beautiful and dramatic.

Across Canada by Train

Winter Holiday in the Snow