Fantasy Friday: Poland

I’ve wanted to go here since I met a very nice girl when I was in grade 1 that had just moved from there. She was so nice and kind and only had good things to say about her former home (and we were in grade 1….).

Lonely Planet has my dream tours:

• 1 Gdańsk

  A port with great historical significance and many architectural delights

  

• 2 Słowiński National Park

  An unusual national park filled with lakes, bogs, meadows, woods and shifting sand dunes

  

• 3 Toruń

  Gothic architecture at its best, and the birthplace of Copernicus

  

• 4 Poznań

  Lively commercial city with plenty of museums and great entertainment options

  

• 5 Wrocław

  Poland’s fourth largest city, with plenty of cultural and architectural attractions

  

• 6 Auschwitz-Birkenau

  The Nazis’ largest extermination camp is Poland’s most moving sight

  

• 7 Malbork

  In a country strewn with castles, this monumental Teutonic masterpiece tops the list

• 8 The Great Masurian Lakes

  A region of myriad lakes and patchwork forests, loved by sailors and kayak enthusiasts

  

• 9 Białowieża National Park

  Home to wild European bison and Europe‘s largest patch of primeval forest

  

• 10 Warsaw

  The country’s capital, a place of unshakable energy and stamina

  

• 11 Zamość

  A city with an abundance of Renaissance splendour and oodles of charm

  

• 12 Zakopane

  The country’s most beloved mountain resort, with ample opportunities for hiking, mountain biking and winter sports

  

• 13 The Bieszczady

  A forgotten corner dominated by mountains, meadows and pristine forests

  

• 14 Kraków

  A city life no other – a royal seat for 500 years, its beauty will leave you gob-smacked

  

You Voted!

Thank you to those who voted for the subject of my new header. Hope you enjoy the winner: Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba.

It was taken the final evening of my 2 month summer adventure – what a gorgeous sunset to top off an amazing, adventure filled summer.

The runner’s up were:

En route to Revelstoke, B.C.

Waterton, Alberta

Your vote!

Photograph of the Day: Peek-a-boo!

Taken in Grasslands National Park in southern Saskatchewan. A park which you more often than not will have all to yourself. If not, you will be able to see another person from 10 miles away.

Grasslands is a very unique and magical park in my opinion, and I absolutely loved visiting it this summer.

This prairie dog thinks his home is unique and magical too!

Hittin the road again

I am off today on a 9 day journey back to Toronto, via Nelson B.C., Waterton, A.B., Grasslands National Park, Sask., Riding Mountain National Park, Man., Thunder Bay, Ont. and one final stop to break up T. Bay to Toronto.

Phew.

So long Vancouver, I’ll miss you!

Let the driving begin!!

Photo – Wait for meeee!

This bighorn sheep is staring off into the distance at his 12 other companions that picked up shop and left into the rocky hills at Maligne Lake Road in Jasper, Alberta.

Great article for me to read

Ok – I’m basically packed and ready to head out on a summer long road trip from east to west across the US and Canada.

Too excited!!!!

AND I came across this article from Lonely Planet last night, which I felt suited my situation right now (except that I have a car):

How to take a broke-ass road trip

• Stuart Schuffman

There’s a saying that goes, ‘The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco’. It’s credited to Mark Twain, but that’s a lie; nobody really knows who said it. I wish I had.

You know what else I wish I had? A friggin’ car! Don’t get me wrong, San Francisco is one of the true loves of my life, but I could really use some summer sunshine. So what I’m gonna do is sit here and fantasize about taking a road trip and in the meantime give you some pointers on how to do it on the cheap.

1. You don’t actually need a car

(I know I just complained about not having a car, but I’m actually tied to my desk right now, so just look at my car reference before as a metaphor for ‘the freedom to not be at my damn desk’.) Wanna go on a road trip but your only vehicle is your ChevroLEGS? All you gotta do is ride share! That’s right, go to erideshare.com or craigslist.org and find a ride to wherever you’re going.  And if you wanna hit up multiple locations on your trip, just set up rideshares to and from all the different spots on your itinerary.  Then your only costs are sharing gas costs with the other riders.

2. Cheap rental cars

If you don’t have wheels but aren’t too keen on riding with random strangers, you can always rent a car. Start by comparing prices from a few websites like hotwire.com, expedia.com and travelocity.com (to name a few) then find the cheapest rates. Here’s the real tip though: If you have a major credit card and you make a car rental reservation with it, the credit card company covers your rental insurance! Amazing right? I just saved you like $15 a day! Just make sure you check with your credit card company to see what they cover.

3. Car sharing

Still on the car-less theme, if you use Zipcar or one of the countless smaller local versions of car sharing, you can take a vehicle for multiple days at a time. This often amounts to somewhere around $60, but that money also covers gas and insurance. There’s typically a 3 days limit though, so it would have to be a shorter road trip. Peer-to-peer car sharing is starting to take off in some cities, so check out services like getaround.com for local deals on cars that are probably more interesting than the typical Ford Focus rental.

4. Pack your food

Don’t wanna spend too much loot on food while traveling? Pack your grub and take it with you. Pick foods with a decent shelf-life and bring a cooler. Not only will this save you money, it will probably allow you to eat healthier too. Unless all you pack is Lunchables of course. Then you might as well just eat at McDonalds.

5. Camping, hostels and couch surfing

You read Lonely Planet, so you know the drill, but just in case you don’t, I’ll break it down for you. Save money by not staying in hotels. Is the weather warm? Then sleep outside. Don’t like critters crawling in your sleeping bag? Then stay at a hostel. Can’t afford that? Then check out couchsurfing.com and find a nice soul who will let your weird ass sleep on their couch. Just kidding, you’re not that weird…probably.

6. Do free activities

If you wanna save money on a road trip, don’t go to Disneyland, or any other theme park for that matter. Pick things to do that don’t cost money like going to the beach or hiking. If you’re one of those people who just needs a destination, go to a national park. There’s so much beauty out there to be seen.

7. Free food at happy hours

If your road trip is leading you to a city and not the wilderness, do a little research beforehand.  Every American city has bars that give out free food at happy hour, you just need to know where to find them.  Go to yelp.com or chowhound.com and search for terms like ‘free food happy hour’ and see what you find.

8. Free and cheap websites

Same goes for cheap entertainment in the city you’re heading to.  Let’s say you’re going to Chicago, Google something like ‘free and cheap Chicago’ and do a little research.  You’re guaranteed to find websites that cover all the cool free and cheap happenings in that city. And if you’re going to San Francisco or New York you can just check out BrokeAssStuart.com.

Photo of the Day – Me Next!

This was a great series of shots I was able to capture. Big horn sheep jumping back and forth across a small lake in Jasper, Alberta.

It was a bit nerve wracking watching a few weaker guys not make it and awkwardly splash around until they were able to touch the bottom of the lake.

Hike #1 for the summer

It’s almost time for me to pack up and leave for the summer…2.5 months of relaxation and celebrating my time off from teaching.

(I can hear all my friends cursing at me right now by the way).

This year, I am much more excited to explore various US and Canadian national parks, beyond the road.

Last year, I was just in warm up mode. It was the hiking in Yellowstone that really got me pumped up for leaving the paved areas and creating adventures beyond a sea of parked cars.

I really missed being around nature, ever since growing up in a small town, surrounded by greenery and wildlife every day. Since moving to Toronto 7 years ago, I forgot how peaceful and invigorating nature was.

So to help divert my energy from just bouncing up and down in my condo, and actually do something a bit more useful toward my months away, I thought a bit of research involving unique hiking trips would help me both daydream, and plan for adventures this summer.

Welcome to hike #1 that is planned for this summer:

Pacific Creek Hike

For the experienced survivalist and hiker, hiking the Pacific Creek Area trails in the Grand Teton National Park is worth the effort. The hike on one of the three trails requires skill and endurance, providing access to varied lakes and views of incredible mountain peaks.

The first hike is about nine miles (roundtrip), heading towards Emma Matilda Lake. It heads through the forest towards the lake and circles around the lake for good views of the Teton Range.

The second hike is about thirteen miles (roundtrip), heading towards Emma Matilda Lake and Two Ocean Lake. It starts around the Two Ocean, climbing up towards Grand View Point, where the scenery is breathtaking. Then it heads through the forest towards the southern end of Emma Matilda Lake.

The final hike is about seven miles (roundtrip), heading to the northern section of Two Ocean Lake. It covers fairly easy terrain, through forests and meadows.

Should I pick #1, #2, or #3 this summer?

It will be my first hike, so perhaps #1 or #3.

Who am I kidding, I am sure my boyfriend will pick #2.

Practice makes perfect, I hope!

I acquired a new camera a few weeks ago, and made the switch from Canon to Nikon.

It’s true that they are both great brands, but alas, this Nikon has been borrowed, so I can’t be picky and stick with the tried, tested and true Canon.

This summer, I am also embarking on a 2 month long trip (thank you teaching job!) to several national parks in the USA and Canada, then over to Vancouver.

My main mission?

Animal photography!

So to help me learn all about Nikon’s, I turned to an expert in this field – my boyfriend.

He took me out on the weekend to test out this Nikon while using his 70-200mm 2.8 lens, which he is also so graciously is letting me use all summer.

Our subject?

Trains! With a few animals here and there as we encountered them.

Here are three of my favorite practice shots from the weekend:

Craziest animal encounter – my dog Peabody!

The train! Only took 1 hour to get to our spot…