On The Road Again

Yep I’ve been pretty quiet on the travel blog here, mostly because I’ve been busy with school not because I’ve suddenly stopped traveling. Well actually I had stopped traveling (on the account of school) but by the time you read this I’ll be on the road driving across Canada (or a fair part of it) to Toronto.

This road trip is the most ambitious one I’ve taken. I’m driving a vehicle by myself from Calgary to Toronto with a vehicle delivery company called Hit The Road. I’d heard about this company a couple years before, and I had wanted to take a trip earlier but this was the first time a trip came up that worked for the dates and places I needed to be. My drive will take me across Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and part of Ontario to my final destination of Toronto.

Travel Blogging, and Self Doubt

Toronto is where the 2013 Travel Blog Exchange Conference is being held in June (the same conference I went to last year in Colorado and the year before in Vancouver). My ticket was purchase back in February, or maybe in September. In any case I figured I’d be going to Toronto, but it wasn’t until I got accepted in the Blog House that I knew I’d be making this trip for sure. The Blog House is a very awesome looking blogging workshop/learning opportunity extravaganza set up last year at the TBEX in Girona, Spain. When I applied for the Blog House in Toronto I half expected they’d look at my application and think, “well if she hasn’t figured it out now she never will.” Self doubt is a cruel…. and definitely something I need to learn to live without.

On Not Planning A Trip

A trip to Toronto was now definitely going to happen. I debated flying, taking the train (something I would still love to do), taking the bus, hitchhiking (just kidding grandma), but this road trip came up and I knew I had to go for it. It actually came up very last minute – I just finalized the fact I’m going a few days ago. For the girl who loves to plan and research and calculate her travels this trip is very much a mystery ans open ended. I don’t have accommodations booked for many of the places I’m going, and after the conference I don’t even have a return ticket home. When my parents asked when I was coming home I actually said, “I don’t know, because well I honestly don’t.” It’s not that I’m going to stay away forever, but I don’t know what kinds of opportunities could come up while I’m at this conference, or while I’m traveling in general. My goal is to stop restricting myself, and stop putting limitiations on what I can do, and to just see what happens.

On Being Rich and Famous…. Or Something Like That

My other goal is also to not deplete my entire bank account while I’m gone. Trust me I’m not living it up on my parent’s dollar. I’m a broke-ass student, and I still have to come back to another year of University and all of the debt that this entitles. My plan is to try to work (and get paid mind you) in my chosen career path as a writer while I’m on the road. This means I’ll not only be traveling, blogging, networking at conferences, taking photos, jotting down notes, researching, exploring, and more but I’ll be pitching different publications with stories to publish. Somehow I missed out that I’m 3 credits short of moving onto my final year of University, and because of this I’ll also be taking an online course while on this trip. Essentially I’m going to be busy, but I had been feeling so sluggish from not traveling that I’m looking forward (really) to all of this chaos. Go big or go home.

The General Idea

My plans aren’t set in stone, but I do know of a few places I’ll be visiting on my trip.

• 1 night in Calgary.
• 1 night in Moose Jaw or Regina.
• 1 night in Winnipeg (I’ll finally get to spend more than 40 minutes in Manitoba).
• Possibly a night in Thunder Bay, but that depends on the drive from Winnipeg (I might stop somewhere else).
• A night in Sault Ste. Marie
• I might take a ferry across Owen Sound (Lake Huron). The water level has been very low, so it might not being running. If that’s the case I’ll be spending a night in Sudbury for sure.
• I’ll head for a night or two in Toronto, then I plan to travel to Niagara Falls for a few days before The Blog House and TBEX.
• I might walk across the border to Nigara Falls in New York, because why not? Does anyone else think it’s exciting you can walk into another country, or am I just a travel noob?
• About a week in Toronto for Blog House and TBEX.
• After TBEX I’ll be going to Chattham-Kent, Ontario fora night. I’ll be on a press trip (my first one ever thanks to TBEX) where I’ll learn about the history of the underground railroad in Canada, and more.
• A blogging group on Facebook pointed out that Via Rail was having a sale until mid-June, so I’ll be taking a train ($30 score) to Ottawa for a few days.
• After Ottawa I’ll be going to Montreal. Finally I’ll get to visit the province of Quebec. Let’s see if I can’t try to remember some of the French I learned in High School.

Montreal. I’ll be here soon.

I Don’t Know When I’ll Be Back Again

That’s it. I haven’t booked a trip home, or even a return ticket back from Montreal to Ottawa. I still have a week car rental that I can use, so I could use it to drive home. There’s a part of me though that wants to keep going, at least at this moment (I might be feeling different 3 weeks from now). I’m taking my passport with me so I can head into the United States, or over to Europe or Asia or anywhere if I wanted (I try not to limit myself – think big people). I could also head further east into Canada. I barely spent any time in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island when I was there in 2009, and I’ve never been to Newfoundland (and it’s one of the places I really want to visit in the next five years). The world is out there and I so want to see it all.

Scared ….less

It’s a little stressful. It’s a bit overwhelming. It’s very scary, but it’s the good scary. This is what I’m learning – there are different types of being scared. I think there’s the “oh my god I’m in real danger” type of scared, like when you get that funny feeling that something is off, and you don’t know why but you know you have to go with your instincts. Or when there’s a bear/ninja/murderous madman chasing after you.

Then there’s the other type of scared. That scared that’s also nervous energy and excitement. The one that says to you, either in your own voice or someone else’s, “yeah but…” That’s the good scared. It’s the one when you feel it you know your doing something right and worthwhile. When I’ve tried to ignore this feeling it only ends badly, so my plan is to push through and use that fear and see where it takes me.

I’ll be blogging about this trip, as well as posting updates on social media. Make sure to follow along with my Canadian Road trip on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. I’ll be using the Hashtag #epiccanadianroadtrip

So what do you think? Does this trip sound epic? Any travel advice or tips for driving across Canada? Any scary traveling your planning to do? Comment away…

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It’s been almost 2 years since I went to Cancun for my cousin’s wedding. Looking through this site I’ve come to realize that I haven’t really talked about that trip. I posted some photos, and I might have mentioned something how it’s not fun to do homework on vacation (I was taking an online class during that trip and had assignments to work on), but other than that I haven’t said much about Mexico.

A few weeks ago I won a few DK Eyewitness Travel Guides from The Traveling Canucks and one guide was for Cancun & The Yucatan, which got me feeling all nostalgic. In between writing, and planning for a trip to Toronto I’m finding myself online looking up travel deals for Mexico. I’m not planning to go to Mexico right now, but why not see what’s out there? Anything is possible, but meanwhile here are some reasons why I liked Mexico, and of course why I’d like to go back.

1. The Ocean. Speaking as a prairie girl who didn’t see the ocean until she was 8 (and then didn’t see the ocean again until she was almost 13) the ocean is fascinating to me. Unlike previous trips to the ocean (Vancouver, Nova Scotia) the ocean in Mexico was actually nice…a.k.a it was nice enough to go swimming in – at least the part by the beach. It was pretty cool to hear the waves lapping from my room’s balcony.

The ocean in Mexico. So blue. So pretty.

2. The Beach. This might seem like the same thing as the first point, and it is similar, but my trip to Mexico was really the first beach/resort vacation I’d ever taken. Sure my family went to California when I was 12, and we spent some time at Newport Beach, but we also went in December. The Pacific Ocean + December = Cold water (yeah I figured the ocean in California was warm all year round). In Mexico I got spend time in warm water, and lounge on the beach chair reading trashy gossips magazines. Aside from the whole homework thing I got to take a break on this vacation. The closest I’d come to a relaxing beach vacation before Mexico was spending a day at the World Waterpark in West Edmonton Mall. No offense to West Ed but an indoor waterpark does not a beach vacation make (a.k.a it’s not the same).

3. The Food. You might be able to tell that my vacation in Cancun was on a resort. I’m not going to try to lay claim to trying the most authentic Mexican food ever, but I will say that the food was really good. Personally I tried to go for the food that seemed a bit more local, foregoing the daily pasta dish for tacos or ceviche. Being in Cancun, and close to the ocean I also went on a seafood quest. I can get beef or pork or chicken at home, but good seafood is a a lot harder for me to find. The seafood I had in Cancun was fresh and delicious.

4. The drinks. I’m not much of a drinker. It’s not that I don’t like alcohol, but I’m usually too busy and/or too poor to go out and drink. The nice thing about my vacation in Mexico: we were at an all inclusive resort. Now I didn’t go out and get drunk every night (although that might have made the essay I had to write about Oedipus Rex more fun), but I liked being able to order an Amaretto Sour at the bar, and enjoy it at the beach, or open up a Corona and sit on the balcony listening to the ocean. It’s not a life I’m used to, but it’s one I can definitely enjoy every now and then.

5. The History and Culture. I won’t attempt to touch the history and culture of Mexico, or even just Cancun and The Yucatan, in this short post. I know it’s long, and varied, and there’s a lot I’d miss if I even tried to give you an overview. What I will say though is that did enjoy the day trip we took out to Chichen Itza. I was kind of just expecting to see the Great Pyramid and nothing else. I had no idea the site was as large as it was, and the different artifacts, and temples. Even The Great Ball Court (where the Mayans played a game kind of similar to football/soccer, yet different) was huge. In retrospect it makes sense that Chichen Itza was so big (and just goes to confirm that I still have travel ignorances). This was an ancient city and all, but it just didn’t click until I got there and saw that Chichen Itza wasn’t just the Great Pyramid. Yes Chichen Itza was busy. It was hot, and there was a vendors selling souvenirs, but I just chalk that up to part of the experience. You can’t expect to visit one of the busiest tourist sites in Mexico, and one of the new 7 Wonders of The World, and have the place to to yourself.

Self Portrait at The Great Ball Court.

The Great Pyramid at Chichen Itza.

6. The Wedding. The whole point of our trip down to Mexico was for my cousin’s wedding, which was really nice, and a lot of fun.

7. The people. The people I met during my short trip to Cancun were friendly, and helpful. Usually it’s the people we’re around who make or break a trip, and luckily for me the people I was with were pretty great, which made the trip great too.

Why do I want to go back? Well like every trip I’ve ever taken there’s a lot I didn’t get to see, and I know one week in Cancun isn’t enough time to give a fair assessment to a country as large and diverse as Mexico. I’d gladly go back to Mexico again.

This post was written by me and has been brought to you by Air Canada Vacations. Enjoy their all inclusive travel vacations and tours through worldwide destinations!

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For people who don’t, or haven’t traveled much I think there can be a misconception about travelers. It goes a bit like this. We travelers are brazen, and fearless. We go wherever the wind takes us. We strike up conversations with anyone we meet. Our trips are filled with wonderful, wild, glamorous, dangerous, and sexy adventures.

That might be someone, but that’s certainly not me. I am not brazen and fearless. I debate my choices. I am not a daredevil. Did I go paragliding over the Austrian Alps? Sure, but I came really, really, really close to chickening out at the last minute. There was a big chance I could have added that to my I wish I would have done that list, instead of my I can’t believe I did that list.

Striking up conversations with strangers? That’s not me either. I’m quiet and observant. Many times I’ve gone to big social events and only said a few words. At TBEX in Vancouver I spoke to a total of seven people all weekend. Truly I’m not a social butterfly. Yet when I went to New Orleans and Denver in June last year I did something I never thought I’d do. I went Couchsurfing. I went to a stranger’s home and stayed there for several nights. Am I crazy? Do I have a death wish? Why would I do such a thing?

Everyone and their dog probably knows about Couchsurfing, but in case you don’t the basic premise of couchsurfing is to connect with people when you travel, and at home. You can choose to couchsurf – where you stay at someone’s home while you travel. You can choose to host a couchsurfer at your home. You can also choose to meet fellow Couchsurfers, either when you’re traveling or when you’re at home, at CS meetups and events. Couchsurfing wasn’t something I just did on a whim – that’s not my style. It took a bit light research (a.k.a me checking out the website and learning what to do and what to look for when couchsurfing) in order for me to take the plunge.

Going to a local meetup in Edmonton was how I dipped my toe into the big world of couchsurfing. There I met some interesting people, who gave me some insights on their couchsurfing, traveling, and even with my hometown of Edmonton. There were locals, and travelers, and it was a really positive experience. Eventually this meetup made me realize that I too wanted to try couchsurfing. So after learning what to do, and what not to do when it comes to CS etiquette I decided to put in some couchsurfing requests for my trip to New Orleans.

Before continuing I want to say that it’s important to make the distinction that couchsurfing isn’t just about scoring a free place to stay. Couchsurfing is about a cultural exchange between people. It about meeting others, learning something, and getting a local experience. Even before my first couchsurfing experience this was something I became aware of and began to understand early on in my “research” phase.

I did couchsurfing in New Orleans in June and stayed in a local neighbourhood, about a 10 minute walk from The French Quarter. When I won the trip to New Orleans in October I stayed at a chain hotel in the CBD. To me any travel is good travel, and I’m not going to argue with the trip accommodations I’d won (they were great). This isn’t me being ungrateful at all, but I noticed that the entire feel for my second trip to New Orleans was completely different than the first, and I think a big reason why was because of Couchsurfing. Couchsurfing during my first trip allowed me to see a local neighbourhood, see a side of the city way from the busy tourist zones. I discovered a few things I probably would have never come across if I’d been staying in a busier tourist area. And I met people I would have never met, and heard stories that I wouldn’t have heard if I’d stayed at a hotel.

My plan was actually only to couchsurf for my first four nights in New Orleans, to use the Roomorama voucher I’d won for my last two nights in New Orleans, and then and to stay at a hostel in Denver. I didn’t want to over commit incase I didn’t like couchsurfing. I’d booked two nights at a hostel in Denver then I was going to be going to TBEX in Keystone for the next two nights before coming back to Denver for another two nights. So out of the four nights I’d be in Denver I only booked two at the hostel. My thought was I’d just book another two nights at a hostel or hotel when I came back. Couchsurfing had started to open up my mind to be a little less rigid with my travel plans.

Now it’s not like the Denver hostel I stayed in was the worst hostel in the entire history of the universe, but it wasn’t great. I’ve stayed in hostels before, so I know what hostels are like. I wasn’t expecting the ritz, and it wasn’t as if anything bad happened, but my whole experience there was just meh. Since I’d had such a great experience couchsurfing in New Orleans a few days prior I figured why not see if I could couchsurf for my last two nights in Denver. I put out a few last minute requests hoping something would come through, and finally got a response from a lady saying she could host me.

Highlands neighbourhood in Denver. I probably wouldn’t have spent any time in this nifty little area if I hadn’t been couchsurfing.

Couchsurfing in Denver was, once again to sound like a broken record, an awesome experience. I stayed in a great neighbourhood I’m sure I would have never visited if I’d been at a hostel or hotel. My host was so nice. We talked travel, she showed me around Denver, recommended some places to visit, went out for dinner the one night. Honestly I liked Denver when I was there before, but Couchsurfing took what could have just been an okay travel experience and made it that much better.

Despite this I don’t think Couchsurfing is the only way to travel. I believe hostels, hotels, motels, inns, guesthouses, apartment/room rentals, housesitting (which I haven’t tried yet), and home exchanges (which I can’t do because I don’t own a home) all have their places in travel. There are pros and cons to all types of accommodations, and it’s up to each of us to make the decision that is best for us. I’d never tell anyone they should only couchsurf. Even I won’t be couchsurfing every time I travel (sometimes a girl wants a hotel room and room service), but couchsurfing is certainly a great, and unique way to travel, especially if you’ve never tried it before.

I’m still not brazen and fearless. I overthink a lot of decisions, and I can be a bit of a scaredy cat, but yet I tried couchsurfing, and if I can do it then I think you could too. It’s something I encourage everyone to try. Even if you don’t think you could go surfing or do any hosting (something I’m not able to do at the moment unfortunately) then join, and see about going to a meetup. After going to a another local meetup this week I’m very glad I made the decision to join couchsurfing. It has been a interesting, rewarding and worthwhile experience, and my journey couchsurfing has just begun.

Interested in Couchsurfing? Wondering how to go about things? Wondering about safety? In my research I came across these posts offering some great couchsurfing tips.

Couchsurfing Safety Tips from Couchsurfing.org
Art of Couchsurfing Awesomely Series from Roy Marvelous.
Overcome Fear Practice Safe Couchsurfing from Solo Travel.
How to Pimp Your Couchsurfing Profile and Find a Place to Stay from Matador Network.
10 Ways to Improve Your Couchsurfing Odds from Matador Network.
For hosts How to Be The Perfect Couchsurfing Host from Matador Network.

Have you tried couchsurfing before? Would you?

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Around Edmonton is a series of posts featuring things to see and do in my hometown of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

It’s been a little while since I’ve featured an Around Edmonton post here on Traveler Ahoy. The Devonian Botanic Garden isn’t technically in Edmonton, but is actually located just outside of Edmonton by the small town of Devon. The Devonian Botanic Garden is run by the University of Alberta and has been open since 1959. I remember coming here a couple times as kid for school field trips, and learning about the different plants and animals that are at the gardens here. The Devonian Botanic Garden has different gardens for research purposes, as well as some really beautiful display gardens including the Kurimoto Japanese Garden. Since this is an outdoor attraction The Devonian Botanic Garden is open from May to October, although special events and courses are held throughout the year.

It had been several years since I’d visited the Devonian Botanic, and so when there was a deal last year for a 2 for 1 admission my friend and I decided to go. The Devonian Botanic Garden was really busy when we got there. It was so busy we had to park in the overflow lot. When my friend and I arrived we spotted maybe 8 or 9 different wedding parties – the location is pretty popular for wedding photos. We probably didn’t pick the best time to visit. That day the weather was hot (I got a touch of heat stroke), and since it was the middle of the afternoon it was not the best time for photographs. I’m not a huge botanist, but I did enjoy my vist to the gardens. Here are a few photos I took.

Flowers at the Devonian Botanic Garden.

Bell at the Bell Tower in the Kurimoto Japanese Garden.

Pond at the Devonian Botanic Garden. I probably caught a couple tadpoles here when I was a kid.

Close up of a flower. I’ll be honest – I have no idea what type of flower this is. Does anyone have any idea? If you do you – then 10 points for you.

An HDR photo of a sunflower.

Black Eyed Susans – I think – at the Devonian Botanic Garden.

A decorative (non-working) pumpjack at the Devonian Botanic Garden. This might seem like an odd thing to see in a garden, but Alberta is oil country. Also just outside of Devon is where the first bit of oil was found in the province.

Admission for the Devonian Botanic Garden is $7 for adults, $5 for youth 13-17, $3 for kids 7-12, and free for kids 6 and under. For more information about the Devonian Botanic Garden including hours of operation, and the location please visit the Devonian Botanic Garden website.

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A few years ago I crossed Canada’s most famous bridge – The Confederation Bridge. I had gone to visit my friend in Nova Scotia, and since Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick were so close to Nova Scotia I decided to visit there as well.

Prince Edward Island (PEI) is the smallest province in Canada. Being an island you could fly there, or take a ferry, or you could drive across on the Confederation Bridge. The Confederation Bridge links Prince Edward Island to New Brunswick, and it’s the longest bridge in the world that goes over iced covered water. There’s no toll to pay going into Prince Edward Island, but if you want to leave it will cost about $45 for a car. While that might seem pricey for a toll taking a ferry or flying to PEI would be even more expensive, and I wasn’t going to pass up the chance to visit this province.

I also wanted to drive across the Confederation Bridge, because it seemed pretty cool. Surprisingly one thing I remember about going across the Confederation Bridge was not realizing I was on the bridge right away. The drive from Moncton, New Brunswick to the Confederation Bridge takes about 90 minutes. I could see the Northumberland Strait (the body of water between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island). I don’t know if I was expect some giant sign with flashing lights saying You’re On The Confederation Bridge Right Now or what, but I was driving and it was only after a couple of minutes before I realized that, hey I was on the Confederation Bridge.

Ok so there might have been a sign, but I don’t remember seeing it.

Surprisingly the crossing didn’t take as long as I’d thought it would. I had imagined just driving across a straight bridge, but The Confederation Bridge is curved to keep drivers alert for the 13km crossing – it also slopes up a bit too, but that’s so gradual you almost don’t notice it. It was however a little distracting to look on my GPS screen and see that I was technically in the ocean (well according to the GPS).

I enjoyed my visit to Prince Edward Island, but I was only there for one night. Next time I cross the Confederation Bridge I’ll spend some more time in PEI – to get my toll’s worth. Crossing the Confederation Bridge was certainly a unique experience, and an easy way to visit Prince Edward Island.

For more information on the Confederation Bridge include traffic and weather conditions please visit the Confederation Bridge Website. This was not a sponsored post – I’m just a travel nerd who liked writing about driving across a giant bridge.

Have you driven across the Confederation Bridge?

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About a week ago I was tagged by Maria from Blue Snail Travels to participate in #MyCanada. Started by Pamela from Savoir Faire Abroad #MyCanada is a chance for bloggers to write about what they love about Canada. You can go to Twitter and follow the #MyCanada hashtag for more posts, and Canadian awesomeness.

Please excuse me while I gush about My Canada. It’s fantastic.

My Canada Likes Big Stuff

 

World’s biggest Easter Egg…check.

 

World’s biggest oil lamp…check.

 

World’s biggest bunnock (horse ankle bone)…. uh check?

 

My Canada has colourful skies

 

A prairie sky over a canola field in Saskatchewan

 

Storm clouds over a field. Thunder storms on the prairies are always pretty spectacular.

 

Photo of a pink sunrise I took from my house.

 

Photo of an Alberta sunset.

 

It’s not the best picture ever, but this is a photo I snapped from my backyard of the Northern Lights. I feel pretty lucky whenever I get to see them.

 

My Canada Has Diverse Landscapes

 

Photo of the Rocky Mountains I took on the Icefield Parkway in Alberta last summer.

 

A beach in Prince Edward Island. The soil there is crazy red.

 

Looking out over the prairies outside of Kamsack, Saskatchewan.

 

Hoodoos in the badlands outside of Drumheller, Alberta.

 

My Canada is Multicultural

 

A Greek Orthodox Church at the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village outside of Edmonton.

 

Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Gardens in Vancouver.

 

Close up of a Native American Totem Pole in Victoria, British Columbia

 

My Canada Has A Lot To Do

 

You can check out a festival, like The Edmonton Fringe Festival. It’s the largest Fringe in North America, and one of my favourite Edmonton festivals.

 

You can watch a hockey game. This photo is of a crowd of Vancouver Canuck fans watching a hockey game during the 2011 NHL playoffs.

 

You can visit big cities like Toronto.

 

Or you can visit small towns like Biggar, Saskatchewan. Isn’t their motto great.

 

My Canada Has Lots of Other Stuff That I Can’t Even Begin To Mention

Wildlife, good beer, great food, culture, history, community, awesome people…. the list for how fantastic My Canada is goes on, and unfortunately I don’t have the time to include everything I love about Canada. Canada is a huge diverse country, and I’ve barely scratched the surface of My Canada. Now I’m tagging bloggers Marti from Down The Wrabbit Hole and Jessie from Jesssrich to share some of what they love about their Canada. If you’re a Canadian blogger and haven’t been tagged yet feel free to tag yourself and write your own post about your Canada. Remember to share your post on Twitter with the #MyCanada hashtag.

Gave you been to Canada? What do you love about Canada?

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There are a lot of places in the world I want to visit. If someone starts talking about some place in a fairly positive way I’ll want to go there. It doesn’t matter if it’s a popular tourist spot like Bangkok, Thailand, or somewhere that isn’t really thought of as a travel destination. It should seem what with the entire world basically on my bucket list (although I think experience or life list sounds better) that as soon as I go somewhere I’d cross that place off and consider it done. That hasn’t been the case. I’ve done repeat visits to many places Calgary, Vancouver, Victoria, Saskatoon, Regina, New York City, and of course New Orleans.

After my first trip to New Orleans I had many regrets. This was the first. My second regret was that I didn’t get to see and do everything I wanted to do. Six days in any city won’t be enough to see and do it all, but I particularly regretted not getting down to Frenchman Street, and not visiting the Backstreet Cultural Museum.

If anyone has watched the television show Treme, or knows a bit about New Orleans history and culture then you’ll probably know about the Mardi Gras Indians. Here’s a little bit of about The Mardi Gras Indians from Mardi Gras New Orleans. “Mardi Gras is full of secrets, and the Mardi Gras Indians are as much a part of that secret society as any other carnival organization. The Mardi Gras Indians are comprised, in large part, of the African-American communities of New Orleans’ inner city. They have paraded for well over a century, yet their parade is perhaps the least recognized Mardi Gras tradition.” I didn’t know anything about the history Mardi Gras Indians until a few years ago.

The Backstreet Cultural Museum is run by local resident Francis Sylvester, and details some unique pieces from the African American community in New Orleans. I learned about this museum in strange way. I was watching the Spike Lee When The Levees Broke, and in one scene there was a hanging sign in the background that said, “Backstreet Cultural Museum.” Of course I googled the name, and after reading a bit about the museum, and its mission to preserve a unique part of New Orleans culture I decided one day I would see it for myself.

I went to New Orleans in June. I had a wonderful time, but I proceeded to do something I’ve become an unfortunate expert in: I procrastinated. It wasn’t like I just stayed inside all day. I went out. I saw quite a bit of New Orleans, just not The Backstreet Cultural Museum. Finally on my last morning I decided I’d visit the museum before my left early that afternoon.

The Backstreet Cultural Museum is run by Francis Sylvester, from his home, and unbeknownst to me at the time it isn’t always open at the exact times that are listed on the website. I knocked, and rang the door bell and there was no answer. A few guys hanging outside a couple houses down told me it was best to call ahead before visiting, but suggested I waited a few minutes. I’d gotten there just before the museum was scheduled to open. I waited for a bit, but after several minutes of no sign I had to leave. I didn’t want to take any chances of not getting a cab back to my Roomorama stay to collect my things, and head to the airport for my flight. I left, disappointed in myself for putting off something I wanted to do until the last possible minute.

A few months later when I read the email saying I’d won a trip back to New Orleans a race of thoughts rushed through my mind. Aside from the whole “is this real?” “aaah I get to go back to New Orleans” and “wow my friend will be psyched when I invite her to come with me” the other thought that ran through my mind was, “I get a second chance.” I got a chance to visit this museum that I missed on my first trip. I knew that my second trip to New Orleans would be short, and I told my friend I was generally good with doing anything else she wanted, but I said that I had to visit The Backstreet Cultural Museum.

I learned from my past mistakes, and phoned to confirm the museum was open. The weekend we were visiting was really busy, and we didn’t get there until about an hour before the museum close. While I would have liked a little more time the fact I got to visit the museum at all was amazing. After I left in June I figured I’d get to go back to New Orleans one day, but I didn’t think that one day would be four months later. The museum is small, but the amount of items on display is pretty incredible. Here are just a few photos.

Outside The Backstreet Cultural Museum in New Orleans

Talking briefly to museum owner Frances Sylvester we learned the chiefs of the Mardi Gras Indians come up with the design for their costumes in their head. Nothing is ever drawn out.

Each Mardi Gras Indian costume is hand sewn using only new materials and beads. A new costume has to be created every years for Mardi Gras.

The level of detail that goes into making these costumes was pretty amazing. No wonder it takes a year to create them.

The Backstreet Museum has information about jazz funerals. There are tributes to several New Orleans residents, like this tribute for Treme Brass Band drummer Lionel Batiste.

The Backstreet Cultural Museum has displays on other important aspects of African American traditions in New Orleans like the Social Aid and Pleasure Club.

If you think New Orleans is only partying, Mardi Gras, jazz music, spicy food, and cemeteries then there’s a lot to learn. This museum is one of many examples that shows the unique culture and history of New Orleans. Museum owner France Sylvester was there, and told my friend and I some information about some of the displays. He also let us know that the next afternoon there was going to be a local parade. Of course the parade was happening right after our flight was scheduled to take off to Houston. It would have been great to have gone to the parade, but it wasn’t meant to be. I had my second chance in New Orleans, and one day I’ll be back for a third.

The Backstreet Culture Museum is located at 1116 Henriette Delile Street in New Orleans Treme neighbourhood. Admission is $8 per person. Information about the museum can be found online here. If you are planning to visit the museum make sure to give the museum a call ahead of time to make sure they’re open.

This post not sponsored or endorsed in any way by the Backstreet Cultural Museum. I just thought it was a pretty amazing place, and would highly encourage anyone in New Orleans to visit there.

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Please note the original contest listed in this post has close, and a winner has been announced

A couple years ago (wow time flies) I wrote a post about souvenirs, and how pointless I think they can be. I used to stress about getting souvenirs for friends and family, but eventually I decided not to waste my time searching for a shot glass or t-shirt that no one really wanted anyway. Unless I wandered across something local and outside the tacky souvenir that someone I know will personally love my souvenirs have become mostly non-existent (aside from photos, and journal entries).

Taking photos is great, but this is what I notice happens to my photos after a trip. I share some photos on Facebook, and maybe put a few here on Traveler Ahoy. After that they stay on my computer (and on a backup drive, just in case) and figuratively collect dust. It’s great to have these photos, but sometimes I wish I had something to do with them.

Another Kind of Souvenir

Enter Printcopia a website that offers canvas photo prints, in addition to other photo printing services. Printcopia contacted me and offered me an 8×10 inch Canvas Print. The photo I chose was one I took in New Orleans back in June. I like having a souvenir from a place I’ve been to with a photo I took. I can look at the photo and remember where I was, what I was doing/feeling/thinking when I was there, instead of just seeing some generic travel photo that, while is pretty, has no meaning to me.

Printcopia was easy to use. I found the photo I wanted for my Canvas print, and did a little editing in Picasa (although Printcopia offers professional retouching/editing for photos at an extra charge). I uploaded the photo onto Printcopia, chose the options I wanted, and entered my shipping/billing information. The whole process was easy, and quick. To make things even simpler you can also opt to upload a photo directly from your Facebook or Instragram, which I think is smart. Spending a couple minutes online getting an authentic souvenir certainly beats wandering around looking for souvenirs while traveling. I know I do a lot of solo travel, but for couples, friends, family, or any type of group travel this would be a nice souvenir to get, or a nice gift to give as well.

The print came within a few weeks, and looked nice. 8×10 isn’t a very big size, but I found a nice spot for this print in my bedroom. I would suggest picking a photo you love, and will be proud to display after all this is a souvenir you should be happy to show others when they visit. I did like the easiness, and convenience of the whole process. Printing a canvas photo is going to cost more than buying an “I ♥…” keychain, but this is a souvenir that is meant to last.

Win Your Own Custom Canvas Print from Printcopia

Seeing how I’ve won a few contests over the last few years I thought it was time to help someone else win a prize. Printcopia is offering an 8×10 custom canvas print to a reader of Traveler Ahoy. Entering can be done through the rafflecopter widget below.

We Have A Winner

Congratulations to entry #106 Stacey G.

Disclosure: I received an 8×10 custom canvas print from Printcopia to review, but all opinions stated are my own.

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A few days after I got back from my US trip in June I got a phone call from my grandparents. They were planning to drive out to Kelowna, British Columbia to visit family with my great-aunt and wanted to know if I would come, and do some of the driving. My grandmother doesn’t drive in the mountains, and my great-aunt doesn’t drive at all. It didn’t seem fair to have my grandfather do all the driving on this trip. I love road trips. I love driving. I had done some crazy long road trips before… so driving for 6 hours a day didn’t seem that bad. I didn’t have a job, aside from some freelance writing to come back to, so I had time for a trip. Also I wanted to spend some time with my family.

The majority of my trip to Kelowna was going to visit family, but one afternoon I got to do some exploring on my own. I’d been to Kelowna once before, on a family road trip when I was 8. We just stopped for a night. This time I wandered down toward lake Okanagan, which stretches 135km long from Vernon in the north down to Penticton in the south. Lake Okanagan reportedly has a sea monster living in it, which the First Nations People called Naitaka. It eventually became known as the Ogopogo.

The Ogopogo in Kelowna, British Columbia.

Okay so I didn’t come face to face with an actual sea monster, just this statue. Funny enough though as soon as I saw this statue a bunch of memories from my first Kelowna trip came back to me. Sure enough I could remember sitting on this same statue with my little brother while our parents snapped our photos. That was over 20 years ago, and the Ogopogo was just as elusive this time as it was the last.

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20,435

That is, approximately, how many kilometres I traveled in 2012. That’s about 12, 698 miles.

I’ve done more traveling this year than any other. Perhaps my trip to Europe in 2008 might be a close rival, but still I think I can call “2012 a travel year” – at least for me.

I’m not usually about numbers. I don’t care to brag about who has gone the furthest from home, or who has the most travel miles. Some of you might be studying abroad, on a RTW, or maybe you travel a lot for work. My travel tally this year might not seem like much travel to you at at all. Other people might be the opposite. Maybe you didn’t get to travel a lot this year, or at all. Maybe my travel tally might seem impossible to get to in one year.

I’m bringing up this number not to brag but to express how genuinely shocked I am at how much travel I was able to do in 2012. Even though I’m in University, and even though I have a pretty limited travel fund, that’s pretty much depleted at the moment (I have about $150 in my travel account at the moment) I still was able to travel.

For this tally I counted the little road trips I did for travel: to Red Deer with my friends, to Calgary, and out to some small towns in Alberta. This tally includes the family trip I took to British Columbia, and my annual drive to Saskatchewan to visit more family. It includes all my flights for my US trips, plus the estimated driving, walking, and public transiting I did in each city. After all it’s not like I just stayed around in the Houston Airport for 2 days. I explored… about 100km worth in Houston (it’s a big city). Of course winning a trip to New Orleans also helped to bump up my travel kilometers (or miles). I used good old Google Maps to estimate ground distances, and Travel Math to estimate the flight distances. I tried to err on the conservative side though, so it’s likely I probably traveled more than 20,435km this year.

Downtown Houston. The city is pretty large.

Last year I wasn’t sure where I’d go in 2012. I had bought a ticket to TBEX in Colorado, but I had no way of knowing how and if I’d get there. I had dreams of going to New Orleans, but no idea how to make them happen. And this year I got to go… twice. I got to go to Colorado, and to Houston. I got to take a trip to BC that was impromptu, and showed me family I had never met (yes I still haven’t gotten to that trip yet). I got to go to Saskatchewan and visit new small towns, and more family.

Lake Okanagan in Kelowna, British Columbia. I didn’t expect to go here in 2012.

2012 is close to ending, and I haven’t even made a drop in the bucket with all the travel stories I can tell. There are photos to show, stories to share, wisdom to impart. So what’s next?

Honestly I have no idea. I don’t know where I’ll travel to in 2013, or when I will be able to go. A large part of my traveling next year depends on my schooling. I’ll be able to apply for a practicum, hopefully starting in May. What exactly that will be, and where that will be is open-ended at the moment. Again I have a limited travel fund. I have a ticket to TBEX in Toronto, but no clue on if/how I’ll get there. I have travel dreams, but no idea how I’ll make them happen.

Yet somehow I know that I will travel. I’ll find a way to go somewhere; maybe I won’t travel as far as this year, and maybe I’ll travel further. It’s hard to tell right now, but I can look back and say that 2012 was a great year of travel for me, and I am hoping somehow 2013 will top it.

What about you? Excited for 2013? Any great travel plans coming up?

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