Urban Insight

Taming the dragon in Edmonton's River Valley

2011-06-07T14:07:00.001-06:00

On any given evening if you amble by Dawson Bridge in Edmonton you will see numerous folk donning lifejackets and holding paddles, alongside others who are performing various warm up exercises.

These brightly coloured patrons are about to board a dragon boat, a kind of long boat, that will seat up to 20 people plus a steersperson (a person who stands at the back and steers the boat) and a drummer (sits at the front and coaches the crew).

Originating from southern China, dragon boating is the world’s fastest growing international team water sport; the beauty of the activity being that you can start as a coach potato and with time, practise and passion can work your way up to a competitive team level fairly quickly.

Dragon boating is also an entertaining sport to watch and family-friendly festivals are held on a frequent basis. These events are fun for everyone whether you prefer to volunteer, watch or participate.

Of course Edmonton’s River Valley is the perfect environment for dragon boating and the Edmonton Dragon Boat Racing Club (EDBRC) holds practices on most weekday evening for the novice to the competitive.

If you are interested in joining an activity that encompasses team work, physical exercise and endurance; together with the benefits of being outdoors and meeting new people, go to the EDBRC website for further information.

Edmonton Dragon Boat Racing Club qualified last year to send teams to both the World Club Crew Championships (in China) and the Commonwealth Games (in Malaysia) in 2010.

For more information go to:

Edmonton Dragon Boat Racing Club

Edmonton Dragon Boat Festival

A little dose of (horse) sense!

2011-04-13T19:58:00.000-06:00

It was with much trepidation that I drove out to visit Gary Millar and his farm yesterday to discuss his company and passion Equus Alive.

Equus Alive is a company that has developed a series of personal development experiences built around working with horses, in a picturesque setting just a few minutes from Elk Island National Park, Alberta. Yet, the stunning scenery provided only a small amount of distraction from my nervousness!

Let me explain. I am not a horse person! In my opinion, they are too high and have too many legs!

The two attempts I had at horse riding (aged 13 and then again at 34) were both tainted with fear, frustration and a feeling of being out of control.

So, when I met with Gary yesterday and he took me to the barn where two large horses enthusiastically greeted us, I had to admit my fear and blurted “Okay ... so I am not a horse person. They make me nervous.”

Okay. Fear admitted. All is good. Gary can show me around and then I can get out of here! Phew!

Hmm... Seemed like Gary had a different idea!

He introduced me to Sensor, a good looking grey Arabian gelding who initially seemed quite keen to check me out. As Gary continued to explain about Equus Alive and about ‘horse sense’ I found my attention was distracted a couple of times by the horse next to Sensor; Sox. This animal, a chestnut Arabian gelding, was not just large, he was gigantic! Sox proceeded to stick out his neck, over Gary’s shoulder and turn his head from side to side, grinning at me almost crazily.

I backed up a little. Sox seemed to have the amazing ability to stretch his neck out even further and continued to turn his head from one side to the other. “He’s the comedian of the bunch!” said Gary, noticing my attention. Huh.... and I thought he was trying to eat me!

As Gary explained further, I couldn’t help be fascinated by the concept of Equus Alive. “Horses never lie.” Gary explained. “They respond honestly to the way you interact with them. You cannot BS a horse.”

Gary led Sensor and I to the ‘arena’ and then proceeded to explain more about the programs that he offers.

Sensor and Gary Millar

From a half day up to 5 day advanced workshops, Gary and his team focus on communication with the horses in a safe, secure environment.

Working with a horse in this way allows people to relax the defences that they operate with on a daily basis. Growing in confidence and trust with each other enables the individual to gain self-esteem and confidence and create a bond of trust between horse and human.

This was somewhat hard to believe when Gary handed the rope to me and I was instructed to start walking with Sensor and to trust that he would do what he was asked. Thoughts of this 1000lb animal eating or crushing me were running rampant through my head. “Breathe!” reminded Gary.

“Okay, I can do this.” I told myself. I held my head high, breathed and walked alongside Sensor, trying to match his pace and trust in the process.

Next I had to have Sensor run alongside me, an altogether daunting experience, yet as he ran, obediently, I felt a growing sense of exhilaration.

When we reach a small jump in the arena, I hesitated and panicked a little, but Gary was right there beside us, soothing both Sensor and I.

From my perspective, Sensor initially was curious about me and wanted to know more, yet his behaviour seemed to change as he reacted to my demeanour. He became gentle, thoughtful and almost cajoling as he waited patiently alongside us. He seemed to be expressing that he was okay and that I could trust him. He wanted me to like him, in the same way that I wanted him to like me.

Sensor and the brave author

This was just a taste of the programs that Gary offers and the course continues and includes interacting with the horses without a harness, working with other horses to gain further relationships and grooming the horses in their stalls.

When we took Sensor back to the barn, I had graduated from standing back against the opposite wall to being able to stroke, pat and feed him treats and then even give a treat to Sox, the gigantic, crazy neighbour!

When I left the farm, I felt intrigued by my own emotions and reactions. After all, I had opened up and shown my vulnerability to a 1000lb animal; he didn’t eat me and he didn’t berate me for my fear! I was still a little nervous by the end of the two hours, but my captivation in the process and my newly gained trust in Gary and his concept will take me back for more!

Urban Insight has travel packages available that include the Equus Alive programs, please contact us for more information.

Gary Millar also runs school programs that help motivate kids to want to read. These programs teach children of all ages to read to horses and to be able to communicate with them. For more information go to http://www.arabianhorsereading.com/

Kayaking in winter, Alberta style!

2011-03-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

When I tell folks that I am currently enjoying kayaking lessons, the first question that they normally ask is ‘Are they inside?’

Bearing in mind that I live in Edmonton, Alberta and my lessons began in early February; this seems like a ridiculous question considering that the average February temperature here is -12 degrees Celsius!

But then again, this IS Alberta that we are talking about and there is no doubt that Albertans are resilient and also quite ingenious when it comes to finding ways to have fun in the winter!

Yes, the kayaking lessons are inside! Together with a group of nine other keen people, we are halfway through enjoying four weekly sessions, aimed at teaching basic white-water kayaking skills.

The United Albertan Paddling Society is a white-water kayaking organization focused on introducing both youth and adults to kayaking as an active lifestyle choice.

So far, two weeks into the course and the emphasis is to have fun. Yet the lessons are challenging and also a pretty good workout. (Just ask my oblique’s today!)

During our first lesson our instructor Rob had us practise a wet-water exit; a manoeuvre that requires the paddler to turn the kayak upside down and safely exiting the boat. Whilst seemingly a little daunting, even the most fearful amongst us (namely me) managed to execute this exercise without swallowing all of the pool water!

We then practised a few basic paddling strokes; forward and reverse strokes and forward and reverse sweeps, and then it was time to play. Water polo and relay races made the lesson even more fun, yet also had us practising our new skills!

My inner child escaped within minutes into the first lesson. I (along with others) had this incessant need to just have fun, paddle as hard and as fast as I could, race with others and just kid around!

Week two consisted of further paddling strokes followed by basic edging, and straight draws; skills that are needed for when we learn how to T-rescue (flip upright assisted by another boat). These actions seem fairly manageable in the safety of the Scona swimming pool, but they are necessary skills for kayaking on the river.

With two more lessons to come, the plan is to learn how to complete the T-rescue, edging, bow draws and also how to ‘roll’ the kayak (the roll is optional although by week two, this is already something the whole group wants to accomplish!).

Yes, I am very glad that the lessons are inside ... but spring is just around the corner ;-)

Learning to fly ... winter style!

2011-02-09T20:05:00.002-07:00

For most Canadians, surviving the winter means embracing the season wholeheartedly; after all, in many provinces the snow arrives in November and sticks around until April!

Luckily, as a nation, we figured out numerous ways to not only take advantage of this season, but also to enjoy it!

Cross Country skiing is just one popular winter activity, so it was with some enthusiasm therefore that I recently joined an introduction to cross-country skiing group lesson at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre.

The Strathcona Wilderness Centre is located just 30 minutes east of Edmonton and is a four-season outdoor adventure centre that offers a variety of recreational programs for groups and individuals.

After a cold spell, the morning dawned cold but sunny; with a stunning cornflower blue sky ... ah February finally arrived! Many others felt the same way it seemed, as we arrived into a very busy parking lot, at only 10.30 on a Sunday morning.

The Wilderness Centre has a cozy lodge and we were greeted by an efficient team that helped us with obtaining our rental equipment. A short time later, we were really to roll... or to ski ....

The two hour Adult Introduction to X-C Skiing group lesson is only $36.75 per person and is designed to introduce participants to Classical Cross-Country Skiing. The lesson focuses on gaining comfort on skis, weight shift and flat terrain techniques.

Our excellent instructors Sean and Alex began the lesson with fun warm up exercises, such as jumping in a circle, ‘jogging’ along the tracks and learning to ‘fly’ before progressing to diagonal stride and basic hill manoeuvres.

The whole experience was a lot of fun, especially being amid a group of beginners. Tumbling over was a frequent occurrence for most, but with it came lots of laugher, smiles and the odd triumphant yell!
The two hour lesson (which was actually more like two and a half hours) ended with a short ski around a section of the park, by which time most of us felt fairly confident that we could attempt to ski again with some skill and knowledge.

There is something to be said for watching hundreds of brightly-dressed people darting around the tracks on a dazzling sunny, winters day ... there’s even more to be said for being one of them!

Cold Edmonton weather = climbing the walls ... literally!

2011-01-16T21:42:00.000-07:00

Top Rope climbing at Climb Edmonton

Edmonton is blessed with crisp, dry, sunny winters that are sometimes, to be fair, a little cold!

Whilst some of us thrive in this weather and take advantage of the snowshoeing, cross country skiing, downhill skiing and skating on offer, some of us ... do not!

The point is if you don’t like winter, but do want to remain active, then indoor wall climbing is an excellent alternative activity. And it’s warm!

I, together with a group of 11 others, recently descended on Climb Edmonton, the newest climbing gym to the city. Climb Edmonton opened in February 2010 and claims to differ from some other gyms by their dedication to the customer’s needs and their warm welcome. They certainly made our group feel welcome as we arrived with much enthusiasm and little knowledge!

Our Intro to Indoor Climbing group lesson was conducted by Taiger, the Climb Edmonton General Manager and he immediately had us learning the basics of bouldering; grab hold of anything and try and climb, with a ‘spotter’ in tow! A spotter is the person that stands behind you, arms held out (thumbs tucked in); ready for when you fall off or disembark the wall, to stop you either a) banging your head or b) toppling off the crash mat.

Bouldering is fairly easy for most people, doable even for vertically-challenged people like me. After all, we’ve all had some climbing experience as kids.

Bouldering efficiently though is a different matter. Taiger soon had us effectively practising the ‘pyramid’ and ‘triangle’ stance (feet together one on hold, or hands together on one hold) and ‘crimping’ (a type of hold that relies only on the fingertips for support). Sounds painful? It is a little, but gets easier with practise apparently!

Once we had the bouldering techniques down pat, or at least the idea of them, Taiger then set us two different challenges which involved climbing ladder-like rocks and crimping up a narrow rock face. At least two of our group managed to successfully complete the challenges ... I guess that’s why it’s called a challenge!

All too soon our bouldering fun came to an end. Then the real stuff began!

Learning how to tie a figure 8 knot, attaching a belay device (a mechanical piece of climbing equipment used to control a rope during climbing) and the basic belay techniques needed to top-rope (climb a gym wall using a rope) were our next priorities.

The figure 8 was mastered (some even with their eyes closed!) and the top-rope climbing began.

Relying totally on your ‘belayer’ (a designated partner who remains on the ground controlling the rope with a belay device) we each climbed sections of the wall according to our ability and comfort level, overseen diligently by Taiger.

This was three very quick hours of fun! An exhilarating and challenging experience, climbing is without doubt, enjoyable for all the family. It’s an activity for all ages and fitness levels and is also a great all-over body workout.

Our group left happy and a lot wiser. Even those with some experience agreed that this was an excellent refresher with many new tips and excellent instruction.

And for the vertically-challenged? I am pleased to report that I did reach the top of the wall, despite my shaking knees!

Cooking up a storm ... loft style!

2010-12-15T16:36:00.002-07:00

For the average person cooking is a necessity and sometime a chore. We are not all, unfortunately, blessed with the ability to throw ingredients into a pot and produce a masterpiece. Nor are we all necessarily capable of following a recipe and producing the required results. “Hmm...Is preheating the oven important?”

It’s fascinating therefore to combine a group of ten people, many of which fit into the ‘average-in-the-kitchen’ skill set and then proceed to teach them to cook! This is precisely what Gail Hall bravely attempts to do with her cooking classes.

Let’s get clear here ... this is not a basic ‘learn to boil an egg’ cooking class!

Gail Hall is the owner of Seasons Solutions, an Edmonton based company, and spends her time educating folk on local and regional produce, leading hands-on cooking classes and developing and hosting international culinary tours. Just to ensure Gail does not get bored in her downtime, she also has a weekly food column on CBC radio and regularly appears on breakfast TV.

Gail’s enthusiasm is contagious as she soon organises the group into chopping, peeling, coring, seasoning, whisking and just about every other kitchen activity possible. Yet the emphasis on this experience is fun!

Gail hosts her classes in her home, in a kitchen setting to die for. Class members sit around a large island, on tall stools and the atmosphere is engaging and relaxing. As an individual you can be as hands-on as you wish, but soon find yourself clamouring to be involved as the enthusiasm spreads. Or maybe it’s the wine, which Gail pours liberally!

It’s not just physical work either. Gail’s husband Jon often partakes in entertaining the class members. He is a local historian and enjoys regaling the group with snippets of Edmonton’s history. He’s also very knowledgeable about the wine, which he also liberally pours!

After the hard work is complete it’s time to reap the rewards and the whole group sits down to enjoy a 4 course meal over a glass or two of wine.

Together we managed to create a very respectable and enjoyable meal consisting of a market salad with honey dressing, a fresh maple sausage frittata with roasted vegetables and yummy mini ‘tatin’ apple tarts. Most importantly, as Gail is so proud of reminding us; the meal is created with local and regional ingredients, most of which are organic!

When you enter The Loft, it is as a group of colleagues or friends or as individuals or couples. When you leave the experience, you feel warm, tingly, and well-fed; with a smug feeling that perhaps your kitchen prowess was indeed hiding, under a very large bushel!

Seasoned Solutions Loft Cooking School hosts regular classes with a maximum of 10 participants and is a great introduction to Alberta regional cuisine.

Contact Urban Insight Travel to book one of our culinary travel packages.

Crypt Lake hike, Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta

2010-09-05T17:00:00.001-06:00

Hurrying to make the 9am water taxi with 11 other people on a chilly August morning was almost enough to make anyone want to crawl back into their warm sleeping bag!

In fact, only the thought of the reward ahead was enough to keep away the craving for a second cup of coffee!

I had hiked Crypt Lake in Waterton Lakes National Park two years prior and remembered being awed and amazed, despite hiking it at breakneck speed (my fellow hiker was very adamant about hiking fast!).

This time around, I was accompanied by 11 other hiking enthusiasts, many of whom were seeing the National Park and this exceptional hike for the first time.

Crypt Lake Trail is considered one of Canada’s top rated hiking trails and has numerous exciting surprises for the outdoors fanatic.

Perhaps the most rewarding is the constant change of scenery. After a 15 minute water taxi across Upper Waterton Lake, you are greeted with a series of switchbacks, numerous beautiful waterfalls, expansive open valleys and a delightful array of wildflowers, berries and plant life.

The trail gains a respectable elevation (675m) and culminates in a narrow trail adjacent to a sheer drop, ending at a steep wall with an iron ladder. Climbing the ladder is an easy feet for two legs, but if you are carrying a dog (as did one of our group) it’s a lot more challenging!

Upon reaching the top of the ladder, there is a 20m tunnel that cuts through the mountain and leads out to a trail that runs across an exposed precipice. Whilst not really for the fainthearted, the ledge does have a cable to help in some of the narrowest parts.

Luckily once past this hair-raising part of the hike, the trail ends at Crypt Lake, which is well worth the obstacle course it took to get there.

Surrounded by 600m cliffs, the lake is glacial carved, has stunningly deep green water and is ice-cold!

Sitting precisely on the Canada-US border (the east shore is in the US!), the lake is the perfect spot to lunch, cool down the toes or even cast out a line and fish.

Hiking back down the 8.7km trail only highlights the beautiful scenery even further and it’s with aching feet and a full camera that you arrive back into the town of Waterton. My second experience of hiking this trail only surpassed the first and is still definitely one of my top 5 hikes to date!

An experience down under ... in the Rats Nest Cave that is!

2010-08-03T17:52:00.002-06:00

Rat’s Nest Cave lies under Grotto Mountain near Canmore, was designated a Provincial Historic Site in 1987 and has over 4kms of explored passage.

Squeezing through holes that barely look large enough to get your head through can be an interesting experience. Fortunately the adrenalin rush far outweighs the anxious ‘what if I get stuck permanently’ thoughts ... most of the time!

During my first caving experience with Canmore Cave Tours recently, I found myself humming the theme tune to Mission Impossible throughout most of the tour!

There is a lot to be said for dragging your body inch by inch through cave chambers and tunnels. The ‘First Challenge’ tunnel lives up to its name and lays a good foundation for the ‘Second Challenge’ tunnel which is much more daunting! How can you not feel a sense of achievement after that!

Our excellent guides kept us entertained throughout with the geology and geography of the caves, as well as showing us some cool stalactites and ‘alien’ like rock formations!

When we exited the cave our group was very dirty, a little tired and smiling from ear to ear! Well worth a try!

Canoe Trip Devon to Edmonton

2010-07-12T10:55:00.000-06:00

On a beautiful Sunday morning our group took a leisurely day paddle down the North Saskatchewan River from Devon to Edmonton with Edmonton Canoe. 5 hours in perfect +20C weather with fun people made this trip a success! Scenery is varied and interesting with hawks, sea birds, bank swallows, beavers, deer, as well as trees, and hoodoo like banks, etc.

We stopped at Big Island, about 2 hours downstream for a bit of a break and light lunch; dodged sand bars, bridges, little rapids and gained skill as steer! You pass many markers along the route as well. Rabbit Hill Ski Hill, Terwillegar Dog Park, Fort Edmonton Park, Hawerlak Park to name a few.

Spotlight on Grande Cache

2010-06-30T19:13:00.000-06:00

Tucked away at the north end of the Canadian Rockies Mountains, 214kms northwest of Jasper, lies a little known destination that is bountiful with stunning, natural landscape, lots of hidden treasures and abundant small-town charm.

The town of Grande Cache located within the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, is the gateway to the stunning Willmore Wilderness Park and is actually built on the side of a mountain, overlooked by 20 other mountains!

Sometimes referred to as a “hidden gem” Grande Cache is a town that does everything but try to be a secret! In fact, local residents go all out and roll out the carpet to visitors from far and wide, indeed encouraging us to stay and “Get Lost in Grande Cache”!

Currently most visitors to Grande Cache and area are not accidental tourists by any means and most are in fact on a mission! A mission to either get to Alaska (via the scenic route); visit the untamed wilderness of the area firsthand or to participate in the Death Race! The Death Race (an aptly named killer 125km long mountain trail run!) almost doubles the town’s population overnight!

With a huge variety of first class outdoor activities available including white-water rafting, hiking, horseback riding, fishing, biking and more, it’s a guarantee that visitors to Grande Cache will return for more!

10 Hands-on culinary and agricultural experiences in Alberta

2010-05-26T15:40:00.005-06:00

See just a few of our suggestions below (in no particular order):

Alberta is not necessarily known as the culinary capital of Canada, but during the last few years, the province is focussing more on its natural landscape and habitat and recognising our potential in the culinary world. Take a look at some of our hands-on culinary experiences that are available and include some of them in your clients itineraries.

1. Visit a winery!
Whilst Alberta is not usually known for its vineyards, there are two wineries that are starting to make a name for themselves: Field Stone Fruit Winery in Strathmore was Alberta’s first cottage winery and en Sante Winery in Brosseau is Alberta's first and only organic-fruit cottage winery.

2. Visit a Honey Producer!
Did you know that Canada is the world’s sixth largest producer of honey and that Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta produce 80% of Canada’s honey crop? And it’s not just honey. Visit one of our honey operations such as Lola Canola in Bon Accord to find out about beeswax, bee pollen and even honey wine.

3. Drop by one of our microbreweries!
Alberta is now home to a good number of microbreweries and brewpubs including Alley Kat in Edmonton, Wild Rose in Calgary and Grizzly Paw Brewing Company in Canmore to name just a few!

4. Experience chocolate tasting!
The perfect experience for chocophiles! At Kerstin’s Chocolates in Edmonton you will learn about the history of chocolate, and how it is made from beans into bars. Then enjoy tasting a series of dark and milk chocolates from around the world!

5. Enjoy a coffee tasting!
Spend 2-3 hours at Transcend Coffee in Edmonton and you will be introduced to the world of speciality coffee, find out about different brewing methods and taste coffees from around the world!

6. Get lost in a corn maze!
Don’t underestimate the fun involved in finding your way through a 15 acre, 9 foot high corn maze! Alberta has over ten corn mazes and even a sunflower maze in Bowden!

7. Attend a culinary festival!
Alberta benefits from hosting numerous food and drink related festivals throughout the year. A few honourable mentions include: Sorrentino’s Garlic Festival (which happens at 7 venues and is Canada’s largest), International Beer Fest (Edmonton, Calgary and Red Deer), A Taste of Edmonton, Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival and the Calgary Greek Festival.

8. Pick some fruit!
It goes without saying that Alberta has endless opportunities to pick fruit. Choose from Saskatoon berries, rhubarb, raspberries, apples, chokeberries, currants, sour cherries, gooseberries and strawberries to name just a few!

9. Visit a ranch!
Ranching families first settled in Alberta in the 1880s, attracted by its moderate climate, wide variety of wildlife species and broad ecological diversity. The families soon transformed much of the rolling grasslands into cattle country. During your visit why not stay at a guest or working ranch and experience the cowboy life for yourself!

10. Go to a Farmers’ Market!
Without doubt, farmers’ markets are becoming big business in Alberta! We are lucky enough to have over 100 approved farmers’ markets and close the 3000 vendors across the province! To find a market near you take a look at the Alberta Farmers’ Market profile.

Need a reason to visit Alberta? Look no further ...

2010-05-14T09:31:00.002-06:00

See below for just a few reasons why you should vacation in Alberta (in no particular order):

1. Banff National Park! Canada's first National Park. The park now consists of 6,641 square kilometres of unparalleled mountain scenery nestled in the heart of the magnificent Canadian Rockies!

2. Jasper National Park! The largest national park in the Canadian Rockies with 10,878 square kilometres of mountain wilderness. Jasper is the wildest of the mountain parks, and contains a superb backcountry trail system as well as the world famous Columbia Icefields.

3. Columbia Icefields! Located on the boundary of Banff and Jasper National Parks, the Columbia Icefields is one of the largest accumulations of ice and snow south of the Arctic Circle. Covering an area of nearly 325 square kilometres, the icefields sometimes reaches a depth of 300-360 metres.

4. West Edmonton Mall - This mall is currently ranked as the fifth largest in the world, covers over 6 million square feet and features well over 800 stores. With an indoor waterpark, amusement park and ice rink, the West Edmonton Mall is a must see on everyone's visit to Alberta!

5. The Calgary Stampede! Billed as the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, the Calgary Stampede is one of the most popular tourist attractions in all of Canada. Visitors will enjoy a festival, exhibition, and rodeo, with countless different exhibits taking place all over the city.

6. Dinosaurs! A haven for dinosaur enthusiasts, palaeontologists and kids of all ages. Alberta is home to one of the largest dinosaur finds in the world! Be sure to add the Dinosaur Provincial Park and Drumheller to your itineraries!

7. Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump! An UNESCO World Heritage Site this place is a must see for anyone wanting to explore Native American culture. The museum is built into the side of a cliff that was used by the plains Indians for thousands of years as a Buffalo trap. Large herds of Buffalo were lured and stampeded to jump over the side of the cliff every season.

8. Waterton Lakes National Park! Perhaps one of the lesser known National Parks be assured that you will NOT be disappointed with a visit to this one. The scenery is a stunning contrast of rugged, windswept mountains rising out of gentle prairie grassland. Visit Waterton Lakes National Park for more info.

9. Our two big cities! Edmonton the capital of Alberta is fast becoming known as a vibrant, fun and attractive urban centre. Calgary is an energetic, corporate city located just three hours by car from Edmonton and less than an hour away from the Rocky Mountains. See for yourself the delights of Edmonton's blue and gold and Calgary's red mile and see which side of our friendly rivalry you fall on!

10. The people! Albertans, like all Canadians are really very nice! Any visitor travelling in Alberta loves meeting the friendly, enthusiastic and positive locals. What a great bonus to vacationing in Alberta!

10 quirky places to visit in Alberta!

2010-04-30T08:51:00.001-06:00

The following are 10 of our favourite quirky places to visit in Alberta (in no particular order):

1. The Town of Vulcan
The town of Vulcan is located one hour south of Calgary and an hour north of Lethbridge on Highway 23. A surveyor named the town Vulcan in 1920, after the roman God of Fire and Forge because it was to rest on the highest elevation point. The town has since taken advantage of its unforgettable name by creating a fun and unique Star Trek related identity.

2. The Torrington Gopher Hole Museum
Located 160km north east of Calgary, the museum contains about 40 dioramas set in neatly constructed wooden boxes, each to represent a gopher hole. Inside the holes are taxidermied gophers, dressed in costumes and carrying on anthropomorphic (human) activities. You can see such scenes as a gopher yard sale, a gopher hairdresser, a gopher Mountie etc. An entertaining spot to visit!

3. The Lacombe Corn Maze
Located 3km west of Lacombe, the 15-acre maze is made up of 9 feet high corn divided into 3 phases.

4. Em-Te Town
Em-Te Town is a privately built authentic western frontier ghost town complete with Hogs Breath Saloon, jail house, harness shop, log buildings, livery stable, bank, church, emporium, and restaurant. Visitors can enjoy numerous activities at the facility, and visit for the day or stay overnight in the motel, in a cabin or in a tepee.

5. Zombie Walk
Takes place in Edmonton, on the second Friday in October, hundreds of otherwise geeky, normal people don zombie clothing and makeup and drag themselves through the city streets. The site is amazing, creepy yet fun and the group collect for the food bank too!

6. Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
Worth a mention in no small part because of the name! Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is known around the world as a remarkable testimony of prehistoric life. This UNESCO World Heritage Site bears witness to a custom practiced by native people of the North American plains for nearly 6000 years. Thanks to their excellent understanding of topography and of bison behaviour, they killed bison by chasing them over a precipice and subsequently carving up the carcasses in the camp below.

7. Lloydminster
Lloydminster is located in the Central Parkland Region on both the Saskatchewan and Alberta side. It is Canada's only "border city", with the provincial border running through the centre of the city, creating a
truly unique municipality! As a resident of Lloydminster, you either live in Alberta or Saskatchewan, depending on your address!

8. Saumer Time Alpaca Ranch
Visit this farm in Onoway, for a warm and fuzzy Alpaca hands on experience! The farm tour includes unique, relaxing and informative experience as you learn about these charming camelids of South America. You can even purchase an Alpaca of your very own!

9. Evansburg – Home of the Grouch
Originally a coal mining town, Evansburg has a population of 603 people, 29 dogs, 41 cats, and one Town Grouch. The first "Grouch" contest was held by the Royal Canadian Legion in 1979, conjunction with the Village's 25th anniversary. It's now an annual event, a part of the Pembina Valley Family Daze festival. The winner is licensed to pester, harass, antagonize, criticize, complain and grumble without fear of reprisal for the whole next year.

10. Oversized roadside attractions are a plenty in the province of Alberta and there are way too many to mention here. These attractions include: A bull and bull rider (Brownvale), a beaver (Castor), a T-Rex (Drumheller), a corn stalk (Taber), a starship (Vulcan) and a piggy bank (Coleman).

Jasper Yoga Escape tour - deemed a success!

2010-04-28T18:59:00.001-06:00

The weather was fantastic in Jasper during the first Urban Insight Yoga SoleWalk Tour.
13 participants boarded a 24 seater minibus and travelled from Edmonton out to Jasper on Friday afternoon, arriving in good time to check in and then head downtown for supper.

During the next two days the group enjoyed early morning yoga with instructor Angie Ackerman, followed by a guided hike of Maligne Canyon on Saturday and Beaver Lake on Sunday.

With good food, great company and amazing weather this tour proved to be a great success!

The next SoleWalk yoga tour will be held in the fall. Join our Facebook page to stay updated.

Spring hiking at Cooking Lake-Blackfoot

2010-04-01T19:47:00.000-06:00

The day dawned with a chilly breeze and light grey sky, but the temperature was warm for late March. Hiking is an activity you can do in almost any weather and today was a great day to start the season!

A friend and I decided to hike in Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area, a spot I had visited previously in the height of summer and snowshoed in during the winter.

Covering an area of 97 square kilometres, Cooking Lake-Blackfoot is located adjacent to Elk Island National Park, approximately 40 minutes east of Edmonton.

The area supports a variety of activities including agriculture, wildlife management, natural gas extraction and outdoor recreation.

During the summer, there are numerous activities available including hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. Cross country skiing is the main activity during the winter and the area is host to the annual Canadian Birkebeiner Ski Festival.

With over 85kms of hiking trails originating from 4 staging areas, there is plenty of choice for hikers of most abilities and there are even some shelters and privies en route!

This day, boots with grip were needed as some of the trails were still icy. Those that escaped the ice were fairly sloppy, but not deep enough to lose your footwear!

There are also 85kms of equestrian trails in the area, so it can become a busy spot during the summer. We started our hike early at 10am, and were leaving when most of the horse trailers arrived nearly 3 hours later.

Cooking Lake-Blackfoot is known for its active wildlife, with management programs in effect that have created a wide range of habitats supporting numerous wildlife species. This time round we saw plenty of squirrels, a few birds and one fairly amicable young moose!

This was spring hiking at its best!

Upcoming Beauty & the Beast – sure to be a family favourite!

2010-03-01T14:57:00.000-07:00

Two years ago Beauty & the Beast was an almost sold out show in both Calgary and Edmonton! Delighting an audience aged 5 to 8 years, the show was an astounding success.

This year, the Beauty and the Beast returns to Alberta, and will run in Edmonton only at the Citadel Theatre during the month of May.

Check out the Citadel Theatre for more information or check out the Urban Insight Beauty and the Beast package.

Silver Skate Festival - A great way to spend a winter weekend!

2010-02-22T20:30:00.005-07:00

On Sunday afternoon, I experienced the Edmonton Silver Skate Festival and have to say it was great fun!

With blues skies and plenty of sunshine, the abundance of free events and hundreds of smiling faces made it a fantastic way to spend the day.

The Silver Skate Festival is the longest running winter festival in Edmonton is rooted in the Dutch tradition of a love of the outdoors and an appreciation for culture. In recent years the festival has expanded to suit Edmonton’s multicultural population.

In addition to watching ice dances and theatre performances there are plenty of activities for all the family to join in. We had hours of fun whilst ice skating, practising sledge hockey and sculpting a family ice house!

For those that are new to Canada or to the snow, this is a fantastic place to be introduced to some of our winter sports, with opportunities to snowshoe, cross country ski, ice skate and even enjoy a horse drawn sleigh ride. For the kids there is an ice slide, family snow-sculpting, clowns and face painting!

And here’s the fun part ... it is all free! (Donations are accepted).

If you missed out, it’s a little too late to experience the Silver Skate Festival this year; but look out for this fabulous family weekend in 2011!

For more information go to Silver Skate Festival

Take the strain out of group travel ...

2010-02-03T14:45:00.001-07:00

Organising a vacation for a group of friends or family is a great idea; you get to travel with people you know and like and you get to go to where you want to visit and include things that you want to do!

Unfortunately, choosing the destination quite often is the only easy part! Organising family and friends often brings more headaches that you originally anticipated; who knew that Aunty Bertha was allergic to feathers, dust, cats and peanut butter and that Uncle Bob snored incessantly?

An ideal way to take away the stress is to let Urban Insight Travel organise your Alberta group travel for you.

We recently organised a ‘girl’s weekend’ to Jasper. Not only did we arrange the accommodation and transportation, we also organised activities and made reservations for dinner.

Accommodation arrangements alone can be a difficult subject. We booked this group into three housekeeping rooms, each with three or four guests in a room. The rooms had a full kitchen, two queen beds and a sofa bed, which allowed those early risers to be able to get up and put the coffee on, before the others woke up!

Our group of ten females consisted of two skiers and eight snowshoers; five of which required snowshoe rental. Later four of the group enjoyed spa treatments, while the rest spent free time at the hotel hot tub.

The result? Ten happy travellers that still remained friends when they returned home!

Contact Urban Insight Travel for assistance with your group vacation at 1-888-756-2035 or go to Urban Insight Travel for more information.

Snowshoeing - a fun activity for everyone!

2009-12-29T12:54:00.003-07:00

I am frequently amazed when I hear people state that ‘there is nothing to do in the winter!’

Here in Canada we live in one of the most beautiful countries in the world, and are blessed with an abundance of land, trees, lakes and forests. We are also lucky enough to experience 4 (or at least 3) distinct seasons during the year.

Being originally from the UK, I often still experience that ‘novelty factor’ feeling, even after living here for over 10 years!

A snowy day often reminds me of my childhood, when I literally dreamt of snow and was incredibly grateful for even the tiniest flakes.

Of course living in Edmonton brings more than just tiny flakes and with it, an abundance of winter activities!

Snowshoeing is one of the most overlooked fun and easy activities available.

Even living in a city, it’s relatively easy to find decent places to snowshoe. Check out the River Valley trails, parks, golf courses and even fields. Or drive further afield and go to Elk Island National Park and view wildlife by snowshoe.

So, let’s look at the facts:

1. It is fun for people of all ages. In fact, I was discussing the attributes of snowshoeing recently with client who is 78 years old and still snowshoes on a regular basis!

2. It is cheap! You can pick up a decent pair of adult snowshoes for around $130 that will last you for years! Alternatively you can rent snowshoes for as little as $12 per day/ $56 per week! (See Mountain Equipment Co-op @ http://www.mec.ca/ ).

3. Snowshoeing is great exercise! You can burn approximately 400 calories per hour and the low impact sport is easy on your knees and is a relatively safe sport.

4. It is easy! Put one foot in front of the other. Move as fast or as slow as you wish and just get going!

5. It is a sociable activity! You can take friends, children or even your dog.

So what are you waiting for?

Don't let the cold get to you ... get out to the Edmonton Winter Light Festival and enjoy fun for all of the family!

2009-11-23T10:07:00.000-07:00

Winter Light is a public festival (6 Jan-13 Mar) focused on the theme of light and bringing together fire, spectacle and spirit. The goal is to develop a bright and varied winter festival season for Edmontonians and visitors from near and far!

See below for just a few things to do at the 2010 Winter Light Festival:

1. Marvel at the spectacular ice sculptures on display at the Ice On Whyte event. Local and international carvers compete for the top prize.

2. Silver Skate Festival is held in the picturesque Hawrelak Park and is a unique blend of art, recreation and sport. Enjoy skate marathons, the Winter Triathlon and Night Works in the Park!

3. Take part in the remarkable Aboriginal Winter Camp. In tipis, tents and tupiqs, artists and heritage interpreters share their unique culture through fire-tending, storytelling, dance and music!

4. Take the kids to the Deep Freeze Festival – a celebration that includes the enchanted ice & snow garden, outdoor curling, skating, hayrides, and the Melt the Deep Freeze dance party!

5. Sit around a campfire, drink hot chocolate and join a night time walk through a magically lit forest at the Snow Daze winter camp!

6. Enjoy storytelling and music with the kids at the Hearts of Fire mid-winter feast!

7. Skating, sledding and magical lights on the lake are all part of free family fun during Big Winter. Enjoy the Big Whoop, Little Winter, Snowboot Soccer and Adventure Island!

8. Winter Light’s closing event at the Edmonton Ski Club brings together dazzling fire performances, spectacular freestyle, skiing, Zipfys on Kid Mountain and the ride of your life on the world’s largest Dragon Luge!

To book a Winter Light package contact Urban Insight Travel

For more information about Winter Light go to Winter Light 2010

Jasper - the ideal place for an all-girl (or all-guy) getaway

2009-08-24T09:15:00.019-06:00

It's no secret that Jasper is one of my favourite places in Alberta and it was with great excitement that I, together with 2 girlfriends headed out to the mountains again during the August long weekend.

A weekend of fun, adventure and relaxation was the order of the day and being graced with one of the warmest weekend's of 2009 only added to our pleasure.

Renting a canoe or kayak was top of our list. Of course, well made plans quite often don't work out as expected! When a small row boat was offered as an alternative, 2 out of the 3 of us accepted with glee!

Saturday found us therefore, struggling vainly to steer the boat in the right direction for a good 45 minutes and whilst we were very proud once we accomplished this, we decided to overlook the fact that the boat was facing the wrong way! Fun! Fun!

This small detail aside, our trip across Maligne Lake was just as expected. Amazing! The lake was absolutely beautiful and changed from a lush green to grey as the occasional cloud drifted overhead. The mountain scenery was breathtaking, as one can only find in the Rocky Mountains and the company was top-notch!

Sunday found us hiking along a delightful forested trail to Dorothy, Christine and Virl Lakes. The view of the lakes were well worth the walk in 29 degree heat and a picnic lunch alongside Christine Lake was a great reward.

Jasper offers so many hidden delights that it would be difficult to tire of this destination. With numerous walking and adventure options, abundant wildlife (bear, snake and coyote were spotted during this trip), a relaxing townsite and of course, truly spectacular scenery ... why would you need to leave the country?!

Lake, trees, mountains, wildlife and a little hair-raising adventure thrown in for good measure!

2009-07-13T13:50:00.025-06:00

It was with excited anticipation that I returned to Nordegg recently, a destination I frequently visit in all seasons, but with my last trip being back in February. This time I took with me a 'newbie' to both the area and my favourite accommodation, HI-Shunda Creek Hostel.

As with every other visit to the area, we undertook a decent length hike on the Saturday armed with all of the essentials; sunscreen, chocolate and cameras! The sun broke the clouds just in time for our departure and as I predicted; my companion Christina was wowed and charmed by the mountains, rivers and waterfalls that we came across.

Unfortunately, not paying attention to the trails and without compass or map, we proceeded to get a little lost after 3 hours of steady hiking and rather than turn back, we decided instead to continue on and bushwhack our way through.

It was some time later after a hair raising rapid river crossing (over a delicately balanced tree trunk), scaling a rugged mountain wall, collecting numerous scrapes and scratches and wondering around in haphazard circles that we decided (rather reluctantly) to call it quits!

Again we crossed the rapid river (much faster this time now we were experienced!) and headed back along the path we came!

The hike was great fun, the bushwhacking exhilarating and sinking into the hostel hot tub, with a cold beer at the end of the day was deeply gratifying!

Once again, this little-known area gained a new fan and continued to resume its place at the top of my list!

Miquelon Lake Provincial Park - a successful kids getaway!

2009-06-15T16:31:00.007-06:00

Our trip this week, was closer to home. A quick 45 minute drive to the Miquelon Lake Provincial Park, south east of Edmonton.

With the Alberta summer finally setting in, the campsite was full by Friday morning! Luckily we had friends drive out and grab us a site first thing. Note to oneself: the campgrounds that are closer to the city fill up very quickly when the weather is forecast to be good. Make sure you book in advance!

Miquelon Lake Provincial Park campsite offers large gravel, tree-lined sites, a new washroom facility and a couple of 'outhouse' buildings. There is a general store and liquor store within walking distance.

Nearby there is an excellent area for the kids, with play park and beach and picnic tables. The water is typical Alberta lake water, but the kids don't seem to notice and happily splash around and make mud pies!

This is a good choice for a quick get away destination for city dwellers, that don't want to travel to far.

A few facts about Miquelon Lake Provincial Park:

The park is 1299 hectares in size
Is part of the Cookin Lake Moraine or 'Beaver Hills"
Is dominated by trembling aspen, balsam poplar and white spruce forests
More than 200 bird species visit the area annually
Has a 10-kilometre interconnecting trail system (with more trails planned for the near future)

For further information go to http://www.albertaparks.ca/

Family time in Jasper

2009-06-01T10:10:00.018-06:00

This weekend we decided to take the kids on their first trip to one of our favourite places in Alberta, Jasper.

Our previous family trips have usually been camping or staying at hostels, so staying in a hotel was an experience in itself! Our 7 year old was so impressed that there was a TV in the room (!) and our 4 year old was delighted to be able to sit on the balcony and watch the elk that appeared in the grounds late afternoon.

We had a great family room at the Best Western Jasper Inn & Suites, with a loft bedroom, separate bedroom and kitchenette; definately a good family option.

Saturday brought sunny, windy weather and a great day for a river raft tour on the Athabasca River. This trip, aboard a 25 foot raft is fantastic for families! It's more than safe enough to take young children along, as the rapids that you encounter are relatively small and harmless; yet are still large enough to throw some water into the raft! (Ponchos are provided if required). Our 7 year old son was in fits of laughter through most of the trip!

On Sunday morning we took the Jasper Tramway 'flight' up Whistler's Mountain (named after the whistling marmots that roam the traverse).

The flight is fast and extremely safe and the views from the top of Whistler's Mountain are completely out of this world!

As an added plus, there is a restaurant on top of the mountain offering a reasonably priced menu with a fairly good selection. We opted for the 2 egg breakfast and it was prompt and tasty.

Our weekend ended with strolls around the Jasper townsite and ice cream! This family trip to Jasper was a definate success, with the raft trip being voted as the favourite!

To book a family package to Jasper contact Urban Insight at 1-888 756-2035 or customize your own trip at http://www.urbaninsight.ca/

Many thanks to Best Western Jasper Inn & Suites, Jasper Raft Tours and Jasper Tramway for their assistance.

Le Tour de l'Alberta

2009-05-22T12:44:00.002-06:00

Departing from Morinville on 26 July, 700+ riders are expected to participate in one of four rides. Urban Insight will be assisting riders, family and guests with booking their travel arrangements.

Le Tour de l’Alberta was created in 1994 by the Edmonton Bicycle & Touring Club as a club ride for members to celebrate the Tour de France, the cycling and our strong French Heritage.
Now, open to anyone, this year’s tour proves to be bigger and better with the addition of a new 3km kids ride to promote family activity and the sport of cycling to young Canadians.

Departing from Morinville on 26 July, 700+ riders are expected to participate in one of the rides (choose from 20km, 50km, 100km, and 160km), which will be supported by friends and family from Alberta and neighbouring provinces.

Le Tour de l’Alberta is also delighted to appoint Urban Insight as their official Travel Partner for the 2009 ride. Urban Insight will be assisting riders, family and guests with booking their travel arrangements.

To join the ride or find out more information, check out http://www.tourdalberta.ca/
To book travel arrangements for the ride, contact Urban Insight http://www.urbaninsight.ca/ / 1-888 756-2035

Discovering Drumheller

2009-05-21T11:52:00.018-06:00

I just spent a wonderful May long weekend discovering the delights and sights of Drumheller and was pleasantly surprised with the destination.

Having only driven through the area before, I was aware of the stunning scenery nearby and the charming townsite tucked away in the Badlands. I was not though, aware of how much fun this place is!

We took the traditional May long option of camping and stayed at the busy River Grove campground which had a great location close to downtown and made the most of our 2 days and great weather in town.

With 5 children aged between 4-14 and 4 active adults, we didn't run out of things to keep us amused and our sightseeing included:

Atlas Coal Mine Museum (great tour for adults and kids)

The Hoodoos (see image)

The Rosedale Suspension Bridge

The World's Largest Dinosaur

The Royal Tyrrell Museum

There were plenty more sites that we wanted to take in, but unfortunately time got the better of us! (The Passion Play, Reptile World, Badlands Go-Kart Park, Last Chance Saloon in Wayne to name but a few!)

All in all, a great family destination for kids of all ages!

Contact Urban Insight for packages to Drumheller this summer!

sales@urbaninsight.ca / 1-888-756-2035 http://www.urbaninsight.ca/

Welcome!

2009-05-20T15:15:00.004-06:00

Welcome to the official blog page for Urban Insight Travel!

We are an Alberta specialist inbound travel company and plan to spread the word about how truly spectacular this province really is.

Please check back on a regular basis and see more about our HOT DEALS and further information about Albertan activities, events, attractions and more!