A New Great Western Canada Bucket List

In 2015, after the stunning success of the first edition of The Great Canadian Bucket List, my publisher asked if I could split the book into different regions:  Western, Prairie, Central, Atlantic and Northern Canada.  Certainly there was more than enough experiences to warrant individual books, and the idea was to appeal to travellers and locals in those specific regions.  I got to work adding new destinations and activities for the slim volumes, which hit the audience target.   The biggest sellers of the lost were my Western Canada and Atlantic Canada editions, confirming what I’ve learned about Canadians:   people who live in the West are fascinated to travel to the East Coast, and vice-versa.

In the years since, much has happened.   Loads of new experiences have come on-line, we had a pandemic, and tourism has bounced back stronger than ever before.  I jumped at the chance to produce a new edition of The Great Western Canada Bucket List, one that would be completely overhauled, revised, updated and expanded.  It would also be beautifully redesigned, breathing new life into a bestseller that celebrates life in general.

Riding the Kettle Valley Heritage Trail:  one of the highlights in the new edition of The Great Western Canada Bucket ListYou can read new highlights from The Great Western Canada Bucket List in this column I wrote for Canadian Geographic.  The entire  Bucket List series kicked off because of a column I was writing for the Vancouver Sun, one that ironically focused on international travel.   These days, I write a bi-weekly column for Canadian Geographic, which is the perfect fit for my on-going search of the most unique experiences, both in Canada, and abroad.

In other related news, I’m delighted that one of my columns recently won the Ann Britton Campbell Family Travel Award at the Travel Media Association of Canada Annual Gala in St John’s Newfoundland.  It’s a fine day when you learn you’ve won a Canadian travel media award while travelling in Botswana, one that recounts an incredible experience in northern Manitoba!  You can read that story – and watch a fun video here:  A Hands-On Education in Churchill, Manitoba.   Earlier this year, I was nominated as Travel Media Professional of the Year by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada.  It’s humbling and appreciated to be recognized by both peers and industry for the work you do.

The Canadian Bucket List continues in full force this summer.  I’ll be renting a Harley Davidson again to do a circular route of Vancouver Island, then swapping out two-wheels for four with roadsurfer, a major European RV rental company that just launched in Canada.  We’ll be heading back to the Calgary Stampede, and then roadsurfing onto Waterton National Park, which inexplicably has thus far escaped my travels.   Next up will be a visit to the East Coast, a return to New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island in search of new experiences for the third edition of The Great Canadian Bucket List.  The Bucket List flows over.

Wherever your summer travels take you, keep an open heat, and open mind, and enjoy.