The Great Western Canada Bucket List
One-of-a-Kind Travel Experiences
- Publisher
- Dundurn Press
- Initial publish date
- May 2024
- Category
- Western Provinces, Family, Adventure
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9781459753938
- Publish Date
- May 2024
- List Price
- $24.99
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9781459729674
- Publish Date
- Feb 2015
- List Price
- $9.99
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9781459729650
- Publish Date
- Feb 2015
- List Price
- $19.99
Classroom Resources
Where to buy it
Description
NEW EDITION OF THE NATIONAL BESTSELLER
Travel personality Robin Esrock explores the most unique experiences in British Columbia and Alberta in this inspiring, expanded guide from the bestselling Bucket List series.
Having reported from over 115 countries on seven continents, Robin Esrock has spent decades chasing the extraordinary. Travelling across British Columbia and Alberta, he’s discovered a wild variety of experiences that you simply cannot find anywhere else on the planet. With his renowned storytelling, trademark wit, curiosity, and eye-popping photos, Robin takes us on a personal journey to exceptional destinations and activities that are instantly memorable, absolutely fascinating, and waiting to be discovered.
Get ready to:
- sail among whales in the Galápagos of the North
- backcountry horse ride in the Rockies
- heli-fish in streams roiling with salmon
- drive the world’s most beautiful stretch of road
- houseboat under the stars
- go medieval glamping in the Prairies
- alpine ski by torchlight on New Year’s Eve
- and much more …
About the author
Robin Esrock is an internationally recognized travel personality on TV, on stage, online, and in print. A former columnist for the Globe and Mail, MSN, Outpost, and Vancouver Sun, Robin's stories and photograph have also appeared in dozens of major publications including the Chicago Tribune, Guardian, Sydney Morning Herald, Toronto Star, South China Morning Post, and National Geographic Traveler. Robin is the creator and co-host of Word Travels, a 40-part TV series syndicated on National Geographic and Travel Channel International worldwide in over 20 languages. He is the author of the smash bestselling book series, The Great Canadian Bucket List, as well as international bestsellers The Great Global Bucket List, The Great Australian Bucket List, and 75 Places to Take the Kids (before they don't want to go).
Having visited over 115 countries on 7 continents, Robin has delivered dozens of inspiring keynotes for companies and organizations events around the world. his TEDx talk about what travel can teach us has over one million views. Robin has been featured as a bucket list travel expert by 60 Minutes, Wall Street Journal, CBC, CTV, ABC, CNN, MSNBC, Men's Health, Travel + Leisure, Yahoo, and many others. A Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, Robin is a columnist for Canadian Geographic as well as a Canadian Geographic Travel Ambassador. He is also a member of the Society of American Travel Writers, and the Travel Media Association of Canada.
Born and raised in South Africa, Robin lives in Vancouver with his wife and two young children. Through blogs and social media channels, he continues to inspire his audience with his acclaimed storytelling, quirky wit, unique curiosity, and eye for the unforgettable.
Excerpt: The Great Western Canada Bucket List: One-of-a-Kind Travel Experiences (by (author) Robin Esrock)
Hit the Surf
Canada may be a cold northern country, but Canadians can still live for the surf, philosophize about the rhythm of the ocean, and call each other “dude.” Tofino is not Malibu or Haleiwa, but then, Vancouver Island is not California or Hawaii. This laid-back yet booming surf town demands a commitment to the waves, not sun-bleached hair and bikinis. When you surf in a full-body wetsuit, all hipness dissipates.
Tofino sits on the wild west coast of Vancouver Island, battered by volatile weather that washes up debris along its long sandy beaches, shredding trees in the surrounding Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Storm-watching is a popular pastime in the spring and fall, best enjoyed from the large picture windows of the Wickaninnish Inn, one of the finest hotels in the country. Tofino offers whale watching, hot springs, fantastic restaurants, and contemplative hikes in old-growth forest. For Canadians embracing surf culture, there’s no better place to be. Although the climate can be extreme, the surf community is unusually friendly. Visitors from southern surf towns enjoy the fact that territorial testosterone is kept to a minimum.
Guided by instructors from Surf Sister, one of the most popular surf schools in town, I enter the 10ºC water insulated from head to toe. Although waves can reach up to ten metres, today they're providing a gentle introduction to the art of riding them. Just several metres into the waters of Cox Bay, I sit on board and admire the unkempt beach cradled by a wind-battered forest. There are no bars, clothing stores, or hard bodies glistening in the sun. Instead of birds in bikinis, bald eagles soar overhead. It’s my first time on a surfboard, and while the waves may be timid, I still spend the afternoon wiping out, falling off my long board with the grace of a flying ostrich. When I do stand up, for just a moment, the heavens sing hallelujah and an eagle swoops by to give me a congratulatory wink. Maybe I’ve swallowed too much of the Pacific and I’m not thinking straight. What does it matter? Without the attitude or pushiness, ego or tan lines, surfing the wilderness of Vancouver Island keeps your soul warm just as surely as a wetsuit. Even if you don’t manage to get up.
Editorial Reviews
One of Canada’s top travel writers, and definitely one of our biggest personalities.
Globe and Mail