2022 has been a busy year for us and that’s part of why this space has been a bit quieter than usual. We figured we’d put together a quick recap and look back on what we’ve been up to!
2022 Year In Review
Dale Hodges Park
Our second park in our mission to visit all of Calgary’s wonderful city parks brought us to award-winning Dale Hodges Park which is another City of Calgary green space that we had never been to. It’s a beautiful area and proves that function, beauty, and environmental rehabilitation can go hand in hand.
Exploring ALL of the City of Calgary’s Parks
As long-time residents, we have never seen people getting out and enjoying the City of Calgary’s parks and green spaces as much as we have this past year. Calgary has over 10,000 hectares of urban parkland and over 1,000km of multi-use pathways so there are plenty of green spaces to explore. We definitely have our favourite city parks that we visit again and again, but what better time to get out and explore some new spaces than now when we’re all staying close to home?
Time spent in nature is good for both the body and soul and those benefits are more necessary than ever. So read on and get out there!
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Adventures in Self Isolation
These are strange and trying times. In a few months, we have witnessed a virus spread from one city in China to over 183 countries and territories around the world. We’ve seen a handful of cases turn into a global pandemic that has claimed almost 66,000 lives and infected over 1.2 million people and counting. (When I started drafting this post, last week that figure was at 200,000!)
Borders have been closed, grocery store shelves emptied, businesses ordered to shut down, and hospitals overwhelmed. The situation is evolving rapidly but one thing remains clear: now is the time to stay home and avoid travelling.
Tips for Responsible Tourism
Travel is more than a beloved hobby for some people; rather, it’s a veritable lifestyle. Travel is something that enlightens souls, expands horizons, and as the old cliché goes, is one of the few things in the world that makes you richer as you spend money on it. Responsible tourism is important as it unfortunately takes a tremendous amount of resources to make travel possible. In this post we’ll define what responsible tourism is and how to be a responsible tourist.
From all-inclusive resorts razing natural vegetation to make way for manufactured white sand beaches while paying local staff a pittance, to national parks being destroyed by careless visitors, to locals being priced out of their neighbourhoods by entrepreneurs looking to rent whole apartment buildings out on AirBnB, travel is not without its downsides. And none of those examples even touch the problem of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that are required to transport a person from point A to point B.
Why We Love Birds
Whether brightening a dull grey day with a flash of colour as they fly by or signalling the dawn of a spring day with their cheery songs, birds undoubtedly make the world more interesting. The National Geographic Society declared 2018 the “Year of the Bird” and has been celebrating their diversity, providing advice on how to make the world more bird-friendly, as well as highlighting the incredible journeys that they take. Indeed, the incredible distances they cover during their migrations make birds nature’s original world travellers. As 30-something world travellers ourselves, we are not the stereotypical “twitchers” in head to toe khaki and $2000 binoculars around our necks (we use these ones), but we do love us some birds. Bear with us, while we’re aware that some people think this makes us rather uncool, birding is the second fastest growing hobby in America! In fact, it is one thing that millenials are not killing; rather, many millenials are flocking (had to) to birding!
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Skiing at Nozawa Onsen
The skiing at Nozawa Onsen is not as well known as other areas in Japan. For instance, when people think of skiing in Japan, their thoughts often turn to the massive ski fields of Hakuba Valley, where the powder is deep and the vistas of the Japanese Alps are amazing. Or they might consider Niseko on the North Island that is so popular with tourists, it has been said that you could close your eyes and think that you’re in Australia. These resorts are definitely popular for a reason. With exhilarating terrain, panoramic mountain vistas, and world-famous Japanese powder, the skiing will not disappoint. But for those looking to surf japow with a side of local culture, consider visiting the underappreciated gem of Nozawa Onsen for your next Japanese ski adventure.