Enjoy a Candlelit Walk at Luminaria

During Luminaria thousands of candles line the paths of the Kurimoto Japanese Garden, part of the Devonian Botanic Garden southwest of Edmonton. This weekend my boyfriend and I braved the chilly weather for a candle light walk through the snowy gardens.

The candles illuminated the graceful, artistic curves of the paths and the candle light reflected off the snow making it seem to glow. Fire pits along the way helped us to stay warm as we strolled on the many paths.

Although there were many people enjoying the event, the garden still seemed peaceful and serene, due in part I think to the darkness, soft candlelight and blanket of snow.

It was a walk to remember.

Christmas Festivals to Spark Your Christmas Spirit

Tis the season to enjoy all the fun things that are part of an Alberta Christmas like twinkly Christmas lights, sleigh rides and visits with Santa.

Over the next couple of weekends, a number of communities near Edmonton are hosting Christmas festivals that are sure to get you and your little ones in the Christmas mood.

Morinville Lite Up the Nite Christmas Festival (Nov 26-28, 2010)
Breakfast with Santa, family crafts and activities, parade, craft fair, skate with Santa, Lite up the Nite in St. Jean Baptiste Park and fireworks.

Josephburg Christmas in the Heartland (Nov 27, 2010)
Christmas market, sleigh rides, hundreds of nativity scenes on display, skating, visit with Santa, ice carving and lighting up a 60 ft. Christmas tree.

Devon Christmas in the Park (Nov 27, 2010)
Candle luminary, Christmas lights parade, hay rides, Santa and his reindeer, maple syrup taffy and more.

Redwater Kris Kringle Festival (Dec 4, 2010)
Skate with Santa, sleigh rides, hot chocolate, carolers and a live nativity scene.

Bon Accord Winter Wonderland (Dec 4, 2010)
Pancake breakfast, visit with Santa, crafts, Christmas skate, live entertainment and fireworks show.

Supper at the Footloose Caboose

If you’re seeking a unique and unusual dining experience, you have to visit the Footloose Caboose. It’s your chance to dine in a rail car without having to take a train trip.

Meals are actually served in the Mount Lefroy dining car built in 1909 by Canadian Pacific Railways. The cabooses on the property are used as rooms by overnight guests.

The dining car is spacious and simply furnished and the owners are down to earth people who want to make sure your visit is enjoyable. They offer ample portions of a range of main dish selections including beef, pork, chicken and fish. A variety of appetizers and deserts rounds out the menu.

In addition to the cabooses and historic dining car, a Grand Trunk Pacific Type E train station once located in Duffield stands on the property. The station has been restored and serves as the owners’ home.

A trip to the Footloose Caboose is an interesting break from the ho-hum. It’s been more than a year since I heard about the restaurant and I’m so glad I finally had the chance to visit. The Footloose Caboose is approximately half an hour from the eastern city limits of Edmonton just off Highway 14 near Tofield.

Alberta's Ghost Towns

What would Halloween be without a post about frightening things to do in Alberta? I’m taking a different spin on the scary season however and writing about Alberta ghost towns.

The Ghost Towns of Alberta website gives a comprehensive overview of many abandoned or slowly-dying towns.

The ghastly thing about many abandoned towns is that they were once thriving centres. A great many are old coal-mining towns such as Anthracite, Bankhead, Nacmine and Cadomin. Others like Bezanson City were abandoned because the railway never made it to the community or because of drought like Travers or Grantham.

Ghost towns appeal to me because I imagine what life was like when these towns were bustling and busy places. The bigger draw is the chance to photograph the remaining buildings without pesky people getting in the way.

Some ghost towns have restored or maintained many buildings and open their doors to the public. In Rowley, tourists can visit the Railway Museum, Prairie School Museum, Sam’s Saloon, Bank, and Pool Hall and in Wayne, visitors can still have a drink in the hotel’s Last Chance Saloon.

So this year, overcome your fears and explore Alberta’s ghost towns.

Off-field action at Edmonton Eskimos Games

At this weekend’s Edmonton Eskimos game, I was joined by someone who’d never been to a live football game before. As I was describing what kind of atmosphere to expect at the stadium, I was struck by the number of activities that occur at an Eskimos game. Even if the football game isn’t your thing, there is sure to be something for you to watch.

The crazy antics of the Eskimos’ mascots Punter and Nanook are always entertaining, especially when they are body slamming stuffed animals that represent the other teams’ mascots into the turf. There’s nothing like seeing a stuffed gopher or horse get jumped on. Take that!

Speaking of jumps, you’ll be surprised at the gymnastic and acrobatic skill of the Eskimos Cheer Team, considered to be one of the best squads in North America. It’s not unusual to see one of the guys balance one of the girls on one hand or a couple of guys throw a girl so high in the air she can do multiple flips and twists on the way down. I can’t help but watch in amazement.

The mascots and the Cheer Team encourage the crowd to get involved in special cheers and everyone sings the Eskimos fight song between the third and fourth quarters. There’s also wacky competitions hosted by sponsors, the cheesy sounds of the Pep Band and the mini footballs that get launched into the crowd when the Eskimos score.

Add all of these off-field activities to the action of the football game and you have a winning combination.

I'm thankful for...

Since today is Thanksgiving, I started thinking about the Alberta tourism attractions, destinations and events I’m thankful for. Here’s my list:

• Art Gallery of Alberta for exposing me to art I wouldn’t have otherwise sought out
• small town museums for keeping history alive through the hard work and dedication of volunteers
• Alberta’s many choirs for revealing the passion and joy of choral music
• our province’s national parks for preserving some of Alberta’s wondrous wilderness
• Calgary Zoo for reminding me that you’re never to old to enjoy the zoo
• Chinook Arch Meadery for giving me another reason to like honey
• music festivals like the Edmonton Folk Fest and Labatt’s Blues Festival for luring me outdoors to enjoy Alberta summers to the sound of great tunes
• hiking trails throughout the province that show the beauty and diversity of our landscapes
• Slave Lake Sand Castle Competition for reminding me that Alberta does have beaches
• biplane rides at the Reynolds Alberta Museum for giving me something to look forward to

What are you thankful for?

Smashing Pumpkins

No, not the band. Actual smashing pumpkins.
That’s part of the attraction at the Smoky Lake Pumpkin Festival.

The festival’s finale entails dropping pumpkins from a very tall crane. At this year’s festival, three pumpkins were dropped. Two “smaller” pumpkins were dropped first (and by smaller I mean bigger than the wheel on a Hummer). Then a gigantic pumpkin was dropped onto a car. I must admit, the destructive side of my personality was cheering. Oh who am I kidding, you don’t even have to like destruction to enjoy the complete demolition of a car by a giant, falling pumpkin. It’s something you likely won’t see anywhere else in Alberta.

These photos are not of the car being destroyed but show the before and after photos of one of the pumpkin drops.

Before




After


In addition to the smashing finale, an important component of the festival is the competition for the largest pumpkin. This year, the winner weighed in at 987 pounds. Yes, that’s correct. It was enormous.

The festival offers plenty of activities for kids such as a midway and crafts as well as activities for adults like the beer gardens, farmers’ market and classic car show and shine.

The Smoky Lake Pumpkin Festival is a fun day trip out in the country, but…if you go, beware of falling vegetables.

Alberta Road Trips: Millarville, Marv’s and a Really Big Rock

On a fine fall day, my friend Keoma and I headed out of Calgary for a bit of market shopping, soda sipping and rock climbing.

Millarville Farmers’ Market
Our first stop of the day was the well-known farmers’ market in Millarville. The outdoor market has a good combination of artisans and farmers/producers. My purchases included llama sausage (it was so unusual I just had to try it) and some gourmet soup from the Route 40 Soup Company.


Marv’s Classic Soda Shop
Keoma and I were both looking forward to tasting authentic sodas. I expected my soda to be similar to an ice cream float but it was pleasantly different - lighter and less sweet but still oh soooo good.

The restaurant is decorated in classic 50s diner style with lots of chrome, neon and pink vinyl. Each booth has a tabletop jukebox stocked with classic 50s music. We popped 25 cents into our jukebox and bopped as we were eating our burgers and fries. The highlight was when Marv pulled out his guitar and serenaded the customers.



The Okotoks Erratic
For the longest time I’ve wanted to visit the Okotoks Erratic, known as Big Rock. The idea that a gigantic rock is just sitting in the middle of the prairie with no other sizable rocks near it intrigued me. Although the rock wasn’t in the middle of nowhere (it’s right beside a farm), it was bigger and more impressive than I thought it would be.



The Scenery
An important part of any road trip is the scenery. And on this trip, the scenery did not disappoint. This was the perfect time of year to see the beautiful fall colours. Yellows and golds juxtaposed against the dark green of the evergreens and everything back-dropped by the mountains.



Road trips don’t get any better than this!

Chase the Chills Away with Autumn’s Hottest Drink

I can’t think of a better way to enjoy a cool fall day than by sipping the liquid heaven that is the drinking chocolate from Kerstin’s Chocolates in downtown Edmonton.

Kerstin’s sells two flavours of drinking chocolate – a dark chocolate with a hint of vanilla and a chocolate spiced with chili, cinnamon and other spices. Two very different, but delicious, tastes.

We also walked away with the seasonally-appropriate Chocophilia Pumpkin Pie chocolate bar. Imagine a blend of milk chocolate and pumpkin pie (in my opinion a better combination than chocolate and peanut butter).

So next time a chill is in the air, warm up with a concoction that takes hot chocolate to a completely different level.

For a similarly sublime hot chocolate experience in Calgary, check out Choklat in the Inglewood District.

A-MAZE-ing Sunflowers

Corn mazes are a popular fall attraction, but a maze made of cheery sunflowers offers a delightful alternative.

From the moment you step into the Bowden SunMaze, you can’t help but be happy. Getting lost and turned around on the winding paths seems a lot more fun when surrounded by pretty yellow flowers.


The maze has just the right amount of challenge to keep adults interested while the opportunity to run wild and hide around corners keeps kids entertained.We were a little late to see the maze in its prime (although it was still impressive). The staff suggested that mid to late August is the best time to visit.


In addition to the sunflower maze, there are two corn mazes and other mazes suitable for small children. The kids will also like seeing seeing the pot belly pig, rabbits, donkeys and chickens.

The Bowden SunMaze is Alberta’s only sunflower maze. You can find it west of Bowden, about half an hour south of Red Deer.

High Flying Fun at Edmonton's Kite Festival

Sailing ships, bi-planes, geometric shapes, owls, geckos, and Tigger … not to mention a 30 foot dragon…vied for airspace over Edmonton on the weekend. The annual Kites over Callingwood Festival filled the sky with kites of all shapes and sizes.



Kids were encouraged to construct and decorate their own kites at the family-friendly event and add them to the colourful chaos in the sky. The festival also featured sport kites – kites that can be masterfully maneuvered to perform graceful ballet or acrobatic dogfights. See the video below.

Labour Day Food Festivals

Like squirrels storing up food for a long winter, Albertans will be stuffing their faces at many food festivals across the province next weekend. Here’s a lineup of some of the events happening on the Labour Day long weekend.

Fort McMurray's Fish Fry
September 4
Walleye, salads and blueberry pie. How can you beat that?

Calgary’s BBQ on the Bow Festival
September 4 and 5
Southern-style barbecue in southern Alberta. Chicken, pork ribs, pork butt and beef brisket grilling over slow burning wood or charcoal. What more needs to be said?

Glendon’s Annual Pyrogy Festival
September 4
The highlight of the festival has got to be the pyrogy eating contest. How many pyrogies would a pyrogy eater eat if a pyrogy eater could eat pyrogies?

What will you be stuffing your face with?

Act Up at the Edmonton Fringe Festival

Local actor and long time Fringer Joe Garreck gives us an insider’s perspective on why the Fringe is the best place to experience theatre without a three-piece suit.

“There’s no business like show business.” You can almost hear Rosemary Clooney singing those now famous lyrics as you step on to the grounds of the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival. In 1982 when the Fringe first started, who would have guessed that today it would be North America’s largest theatre festival even dwarfing places like New York City?

This year approximately 100,000 people will attend the Fringe. So what brings them to this theatrical Mecca again and again? Could it be the little doughnuts whose scent permeates the air? Or could it be the opportunity to people watch from the beer tent or from any of the outdoor venues? Well for me it’s a chance to watch theatre as it should be done: un-pompous and intimate.

Theatre over time has in the eyes of many developed into a pastime for the upper class, the elite. We dress to go to the theatre and sit in box seats. Part of the experience is paying $120 to see a show that we have heard once played on Broadway. The Fringe strips that overly-cultured pretense away and brings it back to a time when theatre was accessible to the masses and was there to entertain us all. The Edmonton Fringe theatre festival does not censor any of the productions so you never know what you are going to have the opportunity to experience. It could be a classic rock opera or a play about love or a musical about zombies. There is something for everyone.

So how does one break with tradition and enjoy theatre without a three-piece suit?

1. First, dress comfortably. Shorts are OK. No ties or gowns are needed here.
2. Second, do your research. Buy the official program or navigate to the best shows by tweeting, referring to the new Edmonton Fringe Theatre Festival iApp or by my favorite technique - getting referrals in the beer tent.
3. Third, buy a ticket and stand in line. Do not waste this time by keeping to yourself. As you stand there strike up a conversation with others in the line. Find out what they have seen and how they liked it, and of course if you have some of those little doughnuts make some friends.
4. Lastly, once you get inside surrender yourself to the world of the play. These actors will now do their best to entertain you. Enjoy the experience because as the song says “there are no people like show people”.

Many thanks to Joe for being a guest blogger!

Cooking Lessons at Métis Crossing

My friend Kathy and I were jonesing for some bannock so we decided to head out to Métis Crossing near Smoky Lake. For $5, visitors get a guided tour of the site complete with bannock and tea. You can’t beat that!

Our costumed interpreter walked us around the site which includes a nature trail, museum and various types of residences that the Métis people would have lived in over the years, including trappers’ tents and one room houses.

Also on site are replica York boats and Red River carts used by the Métis to ship furs. Speaking of furs, the staff let you touch a variety of animal hides including beaver, otter, buffalo and skunk. The skunk is surprisingly soft and beaver isn’t as soft as I expected!

The ingenuity of the Métis people amazed me. In one of the historical houses, I saw a very unusual item (see below). It turned out to be a handmade berry picker. The Métis were also very aware of the medicinal value of plants. For instance, they knew the white powder that coats the trunk of an Aspen tree can be used as sunscreen (SPF 15)!

Similarly, Métis customs intrigued me. They believed that sage placed above a baby’s crib protected the baby from evil spirits and that when a Métis sash was placed on the table there was no arguing permitted.

The highlight of the visit came at the end of the tour when Kathy and I were taught how to cook bannock over a fire on a stick. You wrap the dough around the stick and cook it until it sounds hollow (I was skeptical that bread can sound hollow but it actually works). Once the bannock is cooked, you squeeze jam into the opening created by the stick and savour the warm, sweet treat. Mmm. An enjoyable cooking lesson… with a little history thrown in for good measure.

Jumpin' Jurassic

OK. The dinosaurs at the Jurassic Forest don’t jump, but they sure move and growl. My friend Terry recently visited the 40 acre site located 15 minutes north of Edmonton and here’s what he had to say.

Family Focus
The park is “very family focused with a huge sand pit play area for kids. The play area comes complete with fiberglass eggs and pieces of interlocking bones the size of small children that are light enough for kids to move them around.” Terry also believes that families will enjoy the wooded picnic area.

The Setting
According to Terry, “Two wood-plank routes wind through an untouched old growth forest. Each loop is one kilometre. Throughout the loops are interpretive stations of each of the dinosaurs, as well as informative plaques regarding local flora and fauna.” Everyone can have a close encounter with the dinosaurs because the walkways are wheelchair, motorized scooter and stroller accessible.


The Dinosaurs
Jurassic Forest is home to 40 animatronic dinosaurs. Terry says, “The dinosaurs are motion activated and the movements are very smooth and lifelike – the sound effects are wonderful, especially when the sounds are coming from somewhere out of sight deep in the forest.”

The Last Word
Jurassic Forest is “well worth a return visit” says Terry.

The Largest Wooden Train Trestle in North America

The largest wooden train trestle in North America is right here in Alberta. Spanning over 700 metres, the Rochfort Bridge Train Trestle is a sight to behold. Not only because of its size, but also because of the fact it is made of wood! What’s also amazing is that it was built in 1914.

The trestle spans Highway 43 so you can admire it as you drive under it or you can stop at the lookout on the hill for a longer look. The Rochfort Bridge Train Trestle is about 1 ½ hours from Edmonton and is an easy drive on divided highway.

The trestle alone is worth the trip but there are also plenty of other attractions along Highway 43 such as:

• the Sangudo Speedway
• George Pegg Botanic Garden near Sangudo
• E.S. Huestis Demonstration Forest near Whitecourt
  

Southern Alberta's Historic Windpower Interpretive Centre

I grew up in central Alberta where windmills aren’t a common sight, so they are a novelty to me. On a recent trip through southern Alberta where hundreds of windmills once dotted the landscape, I visited the Historic Windpower Interpretive Centre in the tiny village of Etzikom. The centre has dozens of windmills all in one place!

A paved walking path guides you through the grounds and past a variety of windmills that were manufactured in Canada and the U.S. from the late 1800s to mid 1900s. There are more types of windmills than I imagined. There’s even a vaneless windmill. I didn’t think such a thing was possible.

On the prairies, windmills were used for many purposes – pumping water to fill steam locomotives or supply farms, grinding grain and powering other types of machinery. Plaques along the path relate the history of the various types of windmills and explain the science behind them.

Whether you want to learn about windmill history in Alberta or just look at pretty windmills, the Historic Windpower Interpretive Centre is worth a visit.

Cool Storage

Storage rooms don’t normally top the list of cool things. But that would change if everyone’s storage rooms were as fascinating as the ones at the Royal Alberta Museum.

Behind the door that says “Staff Only” is a treasure trove of storage rooms that house many of the museum’s artifacts. During Edmonton Historic Week the museum offers behind the scenes tours that allow the public a glimpse at items that aren’t displayed. We toured two of the rooms that store items from the Western Canadian History collection.

In the home entertainment room we saw the progression of musical entertainment from something called an Orchestral Regina (a cross between a jukebox and a music box that played large metal discs), to a 1928 jukebox with only eight songs to choose from, to vintage radios dating from the 1920s to 1950s. Other highlights were the 1948 Philco black and white TV with a nine inch screen and a radio handmade from scrounged parts by a POW in a World War II internment camp near Lethbridge.

The artifacts in the medical room span diverse disciplines such as pharmacy, surgery, dental, and veterinary medicine. We saw x-ray machines and foot-powered drills that looked like something out of an old Hollywood horror movie. The really scary thing was that this equipment was in use from 1900 to the 1950s! No wonder people were so scared to go to the doctor or dentist. The coolest item was one of the first heart-lung machines used for open heart surgery in the late 1960s.

The curator leading our tour promised that next year the tour will offer a sneak peak of the domestic collection which includes household items like children’s toys, prams, sleds and furniture. Sign me up. That’s a storage room I’d like to spend some time in.

Park It

July 17 is Canada Parks Day and that got me thinking about Alberta’s many parks. Alberta has hundreds of parks and wilderness areas representing diverse landscapes and offering a variety of activities for people to enjoy.

The jaw-dropping scenery in Alberta’s wild spaces is a big attraction. Mountains, foothills, forests, grasslands, and strange rock formations – Alberta has it all. Even sand dunes! On the eastern side of the province is the Wainwright Dunes and in the northeast corner is the Athabasca Dunes Ecological Reserve which is part of the largest active sand dune system in Alberta.

Alberta’s lakes, reservoirs and rivers provide prime water sport opportunities. Wabumun Lake, Cold Lake and Waterton Reservoir are known for sailing and the province’s waterways provide a variety of boating, canoeing and kayaking routes. Many of Alberta’s lakes and rivers have outstanding fishing. Bow Valley Provincial Park has world-renowned trout fishing and the Oldman River and Kootenay Plains Provincial Recreation Areas contain over 30 species of fish. Alberta’s many lakes also mean many beaches. Two of the best are the beach at Sylvan Lake and Devonshire Beach on Lesser Slave Lake where they hold the annual Alberta Open Sandsculpture Championships.

Parks all over the province offer an endless variety of hiking trails. From meandering rivers and prairie that seems to go on forever, to forests that blanket much of the province, to mountain views and waterfalls, Alberta’s trails pass through all kinds of terrain and offer activity levels ranging from easy to more challenging.

Alberta’s parks are also home to an abundance of wildlife. Northern Alberta is known for amazing bird watching opportunities. Of the approximately 330 bird species in Alberta, 224 have been seen in Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park, the threatened Trumpeter Swan can be found in Saskatoon Island Provincial Park and tiny songbirds migrate through the area around Lesser Slave Lake. Parks in the mountains, foothills, and prairies offer the chance to spy larger animals like bears, moose and cougars.

History can also be explored in Alberta’s parks. Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park contains hundreds of Aboriginal pictographs (paintings) and petroglyphs (carvings) and Dinosaur Provincial Park allows visitors to hike to world-famous dinosaur bonebeds and even participate in an authentic fossil dig.

When you want to escape to nature, where do you go? What are your favourite Alberta parks and wilderness areas? What is your favourite activity to do in Alberta’s parks? Let me know by making a comment at the bottom of the post.

If Neighborhoods Could Talk

How often have you driven through a neighborhood and wondered what the stories were behind the area’s houses, shops, churches and parks? Edmonton Transit’s Historical Transit Tours give you the chance to learn about many of Edmonton’s historical neighborhoods while riding on a vintage bus dating back to the 1960s.

This summer you have the choice of four different routes. The Rossdale route reveals the neighborhood’s significant historical developments including the site of Edmonton’s first mosque. The Strathcona route highlights the university and many businesses in Old Strathcona, while the Glenora and Highlands routes focus on the beautiful heritage homes.

Knowledgeable tour guide Doug Cowan describes how the neighborhoods have changed over the years, points out the former sites of historic buildings now demolished, explains architectural details and shares stories about some of the original owners.

Four to five tours are scheduled each week from July 11 to August 6 with a variety of afternoon and evening departures. Tickets are only $5 and can be purchased from Tix on the Square. Tours leave from the north side of City Hall – just look for the silver bus with the big windows (the bus’s distinctive appearance gives it the nicknames fishbowl and silverside).

Participate in one tour … or all four and satisfy your curiousity about Edmonton’s historic neighborhoods.

Sights and Sounds of Scotland: Alberta's Highland Games

I’ve heard it said that there are two types of people in the world – those who are Scottish and those who wish they were. Alberta’s many Highland Games offer a chance for Scottish expats and those who wish they had Scottish blood to experience the sights and sounds of Scotland right here in Alberta. A visit to the Red Deer Highland Games this past weekend allowed me to be Scottish for a day.

Pipe and Drum Competitions
The sound of bag pipes stirs the Scottish part of my soul. So imagine my delight at being able to listen to pipe music for an entire day! Most Highland Games host pipe band and individual pipe and drum competitions. Even without understanding the intricacies of the judging, it’s a pleasure to listen to the musicians. One of my favourite things to do is to wander around the grounds and eavesdrop on the musicians warming up for the competition.

Highland Dance
A popular event for many spectators is the Highland Dance competitions where dancers perform the fling, sword dance, reel and other dances. You have to admire the skill and discipline it takes to make such hard work look effortless.

Heavy Events
The heavy events are real crowd pleasers. Events like the caber toss, hammer throw, putting the stone and throwing the weight showcase the competitors’ strength and accuracy.

Spectators watch in amazement as each competitor lifts a caber weighing over 100 pounds and throws it so that it flips end over end. The sheer power required to lift the caber is impressive, but the rules of the caber toss make the feat of strength even more impressive—the athletes are judged according to the accuracy of their throw (the ideal throw is one where the caber lands in a 12 o’clock position to the thrower).

I’m fascinated by the event called throwing the weight for height. Its mild-mannered name belies the danger. Athletes must throw 28, 42 or 56 pound weights (depending on the category) over a bar with one hand. The catch is that the bar is directly above their head and is usually over 10 feet high! Watch the video below.


One-of-a-Kind Events
In addition to traditional events such as dancing and piping, some Highland Games offer events you might not expect.

The Grand Prairie Highland Games opens with a ceremonial Haggis Hurl. Female competitors stand on an upturned metal barrel and throw a haggis to their male partners. An annual tradition at the Calgary Highland Games is a soccer match between “Scotland” and “England. The Red Deer Highland Games is the only Alberta event to have a shortbread competition. After judging, the shortbread is sold to eagerly waiting fans (including me).

Massed Bands
There is no debate about what most people say is the highlight of the Highland Games—the massed bands performance. The sight of all the pipe bands marching down the field in unison combined with the extraordinary sound of that many pipes and drums takes your breath away.

Whether you’re Scottish or just wish you were, enjoy the sights and sounds of Scotland at these Alberta Highland Games:

• Fort McMurray Celtic Day in the Park
• Grand Prairie Highland Games
• Red Deer Highland Games
• Fort Edmonton Park Highland Gathering
• Foothills Highland Games
• Calgary Highland Games
• Canmore Highland Games

Mundare's Other Attraction: The Basilian Fathers Museum

There’s more to Mundare than Stawnichy’s sausage. There’s also the surprisingly interesting Basilian Fathers Museum. The museum, established by Ukrainian Catholic priests of the Basilian order, showcases religious artifacts dating back hundreds of years as well as objects that are representative of the every day life of Ukrainian immigrants to Alberta.

Some of the every day items on display include blacksmith equipment, traditional clothing made of colourful embroidery and hand-woven material, and carpentry tools used to craft the beautiful interiors of many of the Ukrainian Catholic churches in the area. Even though these objects would have been commonplace to early settlers, they are interesting today because most people have no experience with them.

There is nothing commonplace about the museum’s religious collections. Crosses, icons, communion vessels and candlesticks used in services and rituals dazzle with their ornate decoration and intricate details. Maps, bibles and liturgical books that are hundreds of years old show the historical depth of the museum’s collections.

Basilian priests established printing presses in the areas they served and the museum also displays early printing related items such as photo negatives etched onto metal printing plates and hundreds of individually-cast metal letters that would have been typeset to make the words of the printed material.

Some of the quirkiest items were the ones from Father Jean’s private collection – beer steins, a sword and handcuffs allegedly worn by Louis Riel.

Even though there is no sausage tastier than Stawnichy’s, if you want to fill your mind rather than your belly, give the Basilian Fathers Museum a try.

These Routes Were Made for Walkin'

The rain has finally stopped and that’s put me in the mood for walking. If you’re like me, you get bored of following the same old route. Here are some suggestions to spice your walks.

Discover History
Learn about the history of four of Edmonton’s oldest neighborhoods - Strathcona, Downtown, Highlands and Oliver. Historical walking tour brochures provide background on residential and commercial buildings, highlight interesting architectural details and share stories about the people who lived and worked in the area.

Appreciate Art
If you’ve ever wondered about the background of the outdoor art you see around the city, The Places walking tour provides some answers. The walking tour highlights 30 works of public art located primarily in the downtown and university areas.

Explore New Neighborhoods
Six Edmonton neighborhoods have developed walking maps that layout a variety of paths through their communities. The routes lead by parks, restaurants, shops, recreation facilities, schools, community gardens and tourist attractions.

There’s nothing like enjoying Edmonton’s scenery, history and art while getting some exercise at the same time. Enjoy your walks.

Not So Secret Garden

I recently discovered the Olds College Botanic Garden. What a pleasant surprise!

Wide paved paths curve by specialty gardens such as the alpine, herb, water, rose and shade gardens. Flower beds are filled with annuals and perennials suited to Alberta’s climate and some beds are devoted to single flower varieties like lilies, irises, and delphiniums.

Small gravel and stone paths tempt visitors to explore hidden corners of the garden and allow for a closer look at some of the flowers. Most of the plants have labels so you can identify what you’re looking at which is useful if you’re looking for gardening ideas.

You can stroll throughout the garden or sit on one of the many benches and just admire the beauty.

Olds College welcomes the public to visit the Botanic Garden and they’ve created a printable map that shows the various specialty gardens and landmarks.

Nearby Gardens

• The Trochu Arboretum, about a half hour east Olds, is also a garden-lovers oasis.
• The heritage gardens at the Innisfail Historical Village contain cultivars/varieties of plants that Alberta pioneers would have planted, but that are no longer typically available.

The Domes of Lamont County

I’m not a regular church-goer, but I do appreciate ecclesiastical architecture. And there is a lot to appreciate on the Lamont County Church Tour.

Lamont County’s 47 churches add up to more churches per capita than anywhere else in North America. Denominations include Russo-Greek Orthodox, Lutheran, Moravian, Ukrainian Catholic, Ukrainian Orthodox, United, and Roman Catholic.

On the first weekend in June, many of the churches open their doors to allow the public a glimpse of the artistry within. From the architecture to the ornately-decorated interiors, there is much to admire.

The Ukrainian churches with their onion-shaped domes and elaborate interiors are my favourites. The walls and domes are often painted with icons and other religious decorations and a church’s intricate iconostasis is a work of art in itself. If you’ve never seen an iconostasis, you won’t believe the craftsmanship (see photos at the end of the post). Some churches have beautiful stained glass windows and enormous chandeliers that are unexpected elements in a country church. Many of the Ukrainian churches have bell towers separate from their church building. If you ask, you might be able to ring the church bells.

Volunteers are happy to tell you stories about their congregations, their churches and the symbolism and rituals of their religions.

Download a map of the participating churches and a brochure describing all the churches in Lamont County and hit the road on June 5 and 6 to explore the domes of Lamont County.

More photos of Lamont County churches can be found in the sidebar on the right side of the page.

Take Off to Cold Lake for Maple Flag

If you’ve ever imagined yourself as a fighter pilot, you have to go to Cold Lake during Maple Flag.

Maple Flag is an air combat exercise held annually at 4 Wing Cold Lake Canadian Air Force Base. Air forces from around the world converge at the base to participate in simulated air combat training, reconnaissance and air support operations.

Although Maple Flag is a military exercise, for one day the public is given access to get an up close look at some of the fighter jets and transport planes and talk to the pilots, mechanics and support personnel.

My friends and I walked through the cavernous interiors of Hercules transport planes from New Zealand and France and marveled at the complexity of the cockpit controls.

We stood beside a 1000 pound bomb as an armament specialist explained the difference between smart and dumb bombs and I got to see AMRAAM and Sidewinder missiles that I’ve previously only heard about in movies or on the news.

By far the coolest part of the day was sitting in the cockpit of a Royal Netherlands Air Force fighter jet. I’ve never seen so many buttons and switches in such a tiny space. It’s also a very tight squeeze getting in and out.

If you’re interested in planes or just want to do something out of the ordinary, take advantage of the opportunity to get up close to military aircraft you wouldn’t normally be able to get anywhere near.

Off to the Races: Horse Racing in Edmonton

What can you expect when you attend an afternoon of thoroughbred racing at Northlands Park? A little bit of excitement and a lot of atmosphere.

The Races
An afternoon of racing at Northlands Park usually consists of 10 races. You can watch the races from the outdoor grandstand, indoor seating or down by the rails at track level. “Down by the rail you can really appreciate the power and speed of the horses,” says my friend Terry, who enjoys attending the races at Northlands. “You can feel the vibration of the hooves pounding as the horses go past and it adds to the excitement.”

Betting
Betting on the races is an integral part of the action. For people serious about betting, racing forms give background on each horse such as performance record and jockey. Tip sheets prepared by professional handicappers are also available and list their top picks. Alberta’s racing website provides tips on types of bets and how to handicap (pick your horse).

Off Track Action
In between races there’s a lot going on. Spectators can visit the paddock to scope out the horses for the next race, get something to eat from the many restaurants, or watch races broadcast from other racing venues.

Atmosphere
Terry and his wife Megan love the atmosphere. “On a nice day there’s nothing like sitting in the stands, having a beer and hotdog, and enjoying a little excitement,” says Terry.

Whether you like the action or the atmosphere, I bet you’ll have fun checking out the horse races at Edmonton’s Northlands Park.

This weekend was the start of the thoroughbred racing season at Northlands Park in Edmonton. The Rocky Mountain Turf Club in Lethbridge, Evergreen Park in Grand Prairie and Alberta Downs in Lacombe also host thoroughbred events.

Mix it Up in Calgary's Inglewood Shopping District

Just like fusion cuisine pairs ingredients from distinct cultures to create new dishes, Calgary’s Inglewood neighborhood blends very different restaurants, shops and art galleries into an experience with a unique flavour.

In Inglewood, trendy clothing and furniture stores like Adorn Accessory Boutique and Circa mix with Crown Army Surplus and Olivier’s Candies. Restaurants like the Inglewood Drive In and the Harley Diner are at home beside upscale dining establishments like Capo and Rouge.

Even the stores themselves blend functions. DaDe is part art gallery and part furniture store. Jacqueline Suzanne’s Bistro and Antiquities and Serendipity Café and Home Decor bill themselves as dining/decor combos where you can have a bite to eat and scope out house wares to buy.

Located just south of the Calgary Zoo and mere minutes east of downtown, Inglewood also has bookstores, music venues and tattoo parlours among many other businesses.

So next time you want to mix it up, head to Inglewood.

My Inglewood Top Picks
Savour Fine Foods and Kitchenware
Arts on Atlantic Art Gallery
Choklat
Junktiques

Oil City Derby Girls Rock...and Roll

Chicks wearing fishnet stockings, roller skates and elbow pads can mean only one thing… roller derby.

Edmonton’s Oil City Derby Girls deliver mix-em-up action with bad-ass attitude. From the minute you hear the pounding music as you walk through the front door you know you’re in for a raucous good time. And when you see the skaters bumping and grinding their way around the track, you can’t help but get drawn in to the action.

Even if you don’t fully understand roller derby rules you’ll still have a good time watching the teams battle it out. And you have to like a sport where competitors are required to show off their “don’t mess with me attitude” through names like Dizz Aster, Bamm Bamm, and Lethal Lyn Jection.

The following video was taken from the “suicide seating” section of the venue. Enjoy!

Upcoming Oil City Derby Girls home games are June 12, August 14, September 18, October 16, and November 20.

Other Alberta teams that belong to the Canadian Women’s Flat Track Roller Derby Association:

• Edmonton's E-Ville Roller Derby
• Calgary Roller Derby Association
• Red Deer Belladonnas
• Medicine Hat's Gas City Rollers
• Wetaskiwin Rez City Rollerz are just getting established.

Behind the Scenes of Lethbridge's History

History is more than buildings and antiques. It’s also about the people who came before us and the experiences they had. From May 1 to 9, we have the opportunity to learn about our collective past by attending Historic Lethbridge Week.

Hear from a Japanese Canadian who was placed in an internment camp during World War II and learn about Canadian war brides. A screening of a 1945 Oscar-winning movie and a 1940s dance hall party will help you re-live the fun side of the war years.

Demonstrations of Sumi-e (traditional Japanese painting style), Bonseki (art of creating landscapes on black lacquer trays using white sand, pebbles, and small rocks) and Ikebana (flower arrangement) get you in touch with your artistic side.

Other events such as cemetery tours and a peek at the Galt Museum’s collections vault allow a glimpse of often unseen parts of history.

Experience the stories behind the places and things that represent Alberta’s history during Historic Lethbridge Week.

Other locations in the province also offer similar historic festivals:

• Edmonton and Northern Alberta Historic Festival, July 9 - 18, 2010
• Doors Open Edmonton, July 9 - 11, 2010
• Historic Calgary Week, July 23-August 2, 2010

Art vs Architecture at the Art Gallery of Alberta

I admit it. I went to the Art Gallery of Alberta to see the architecture not the art. That might seem like sacrilege to art lovers, but I was very excited to see the building that has transformed downtown Edmonton into a more hip and avant-garde destination.

The building, created by Randall Stout Architects, Inc., incorporates stainless steel, zinc, wood, cement and glass into a very fluid, modern and stylish design. The interior of the art gallery features a 190-metre undulating strip of steel that winds through the building’s three floors of exhibition space. The free flowing nature of the feature pays homage to the North Saskatchewan River and Aurora Borealis. The building itself is a modern art sculpture of metal and glass that blurs the line between art and architecture. Although the initial attraction was the architecture, the art also got my attention. I spent a while admiring the intricacy of Goya’s prints and I was pleasantly surprised by the Degas exhibit. I’m not a fan of Degas’ paintings and drawings but I fell in love with his sculptures.

The Karsh exhibit documented the illustrious career of one of Canada’s most famous portrait photographers. Karsh captured the essence of many of the world’s most influential scientists, artists and political leaders. I learned the famous photos of Churchill and Einstein that I’ve seen many times over the years are Karsh’s work. My love of photography made this exhibit the highlight of my visit.

I even ventured out of my comfort zone and experienced the gallery’s sound exhibits. The Murder of Crows and the Storm Room showcase the art in sound.

The Art Gallery of Alberta does what a good art gallery should – encourages visitors to find a new appreciation for art, learn something new and broaden their horizons. So, although I initially went for the architecture, in the end I stayed for the art.

See more photos of the Art Gallery of Alberta in the sidebar on the right side of the page.

Out of this World, But Close to Home

While most people are yearning for the days to get longer in the spring, I want the long dark nights to hang on for just a little longer. That way I can enjoy the night sky at the Rothney Astrophysical Observatory (RAO).

If you thought world-class observatories were only found in Hawaii or California, think again. The RAO is in our back yard. The observatory, operated by the University of Calgary, is less than 10 minutes from the city limits.

Stimulate Your Mind
The RAO hosts monthly open houses featuring university researchers speaking about astronomy-related topics. Recent topics have highlighted the northern lights, radio astronomy and the southern skies. The agenda for 2010 includes the Hubble telescope and First Nations astronomy.

Interactive displays in the interpretive centre are designed to interest children, but even grown-ups will be fascinated by the transparent globe that shows the movement of the Earth and constellations.

See With Your Own Eyes
At the open houses, volunteers set up portable telescopes on the observation terrace so that visitors can see Saturn’s rings, a nebula or even the International Space Station with their own eyes. The volunteers are very patient with newbies (like me) who don’t even know which end of the telescope to look into!

Experience the Research Telescopes
The interpretive centre and the portable telescopes are interesting, but the absolute highlight for me is the research telescopes. Like most people, my experience with telescopes is limited to portable varieties. Not many people get the chance to see big research-quality telescopes.

The coolest part of the experience is that visitors are allowed to get close to the telescopes. At the Clark-Milone telescope you can stand inside the dome and see the telescope mount swivel as the telescope focuses on new coordinates.

At the Baker-Nunn telescope you can climb up into the dome to see the telescope if you like. The Baker-Nunn telescope was originally used to track spy satellites during the Cold War. Now it the only telescope in Canada and one of only a few telescopes in the world to track asteroids on a collision course with Earth.

The ARCT telescope is Canada’s largest infrared telescope. With a primary mirror diameter of 1.8 metres, it is also one of the two largest optical telescopes in all of Canada. In the darkness of the dome it’s difficult to get an idea of what the ARCT looks like, but if you stand below it as the mounting structure moves, it sure sounds big.

If you can, try to attend an open house when the telescopes are available for public viewing. The next open house is April 24. Alternatively, you can book a private tour during the day to really see what the telescopes look like.

You don’t have to travel far to have an out of this world experience.

An Afternoon at the Calgary Farmers' Market

What a nice way to spend an afternoon. Tasting food samples, talking with enthusiastic vendors and browsing through stalls filled with interesting craft items. I like the idea of supporting local farmers, producers and artists and what better way to do that than visiting a farmers’ market.

The Calgary Farmers’ Market has the most diverse range of ethnic specialties I’ve seen at a market. Greek, Indian, Cuban, Ukrainian, Mexican, Italian, Chinese just to name a few. I walked away with a variety of dishes from around the world.

I was also surprised at the lineup in front of Simple Simon Pies. Customers were waiting 2 people deep and about 10 across just to place orders for Simple Simon’s meat and fruit pies. After tasting a sample I could see why. Another highlight was the kettle corn from the Sugar Creek Kettle Corn Co. The light, fluffy popcorn with subtle hints of sweet and salty made it the best kettle corn I’ve ever tasted.

The market is also filled with passionate and knowledgeable vendors. I was so impressed with the Old Country Sausage Shop’s commitment to keep fillers, binders and MSG out of their products that I purchased some of their Moroccan sausage. After talking with the folks at Patsy Clark Farms I decided to be adventurous and try Ostrich burgers.

In addition to food products, the market also offers a selection of craft items like painted glassware, jewelry and art.

By the time I left the market my bags were filled with goodies. The only thing I would have done differently is leaving time at the end of the afternoon to stop for a beer at the nearby Wild Rose Brewery.

The Hunt is on for Easter Activities

With Easter on the horizon, I’ve been thinking about activities that families can do to have some fun for Easter. Many major attractions in Alberta have kid-friendly events planned during the Easter weekend.

Calgary

• Munch on Easter Brunch at Heritage Park and participate in a scavenger hunt and traditional Easter egg decorating. Sunday, April 4
• Kids can meet Peter Rabbit, enter the colouring contest and enjoy face painting, crafts and games at Fort Calgary’s Spring Fever. Sunday, April 4
• At the Calgary’s Zoo’s Easter Eggstravaganza, families can enjoy treats of many kinds - entertainment, the Cadbury scavenger hunt and personalized cookie treats. Friday, April 2 and Saturday, April 3

Edmonton

• An afternoon of old-fashioned fun awaits at Rutherford House. Taste cookies baked in the wood-burning stove and find historically-coloured Easter eggs. Sunday, April 4
• At Fort Edmonton Park’s Sweet Treat Hide and Seek, kids can exchange eggs found on the Easter egg hunt for treats. There will also be storytelling, a petting zoo, and a rabbit jumping demonstration. Saturday, April 3

Grand Prairie

• Grand Prairie’s Muskoseepi Park is the site of an Easter Eggstravaganza with a bunny display, cookie decorating, games, Easter egg hunt and a visit by the Easter Bunny. Saturday, April 3
  

Lethbridge

• Dye eggs and snap photos with the Easter Bunny at the Galt Museum’s Annual Eggstravaganza. Saturday, April 3

These activities are sure to keep you hopping.

Ice Golf Baby

Golf on a frozen lake in the middle of winter. Can you say f-f-f-f-fore?

My friend Mike does the wackiest things. Last weekend he participated in an ice golf tournament on Pigeon Lake. When I asked him why he did it he replied, "Cuz it's crazy fun."

Golfers make their way around a course marked out by old Christmas trees and putting greens made of indoor/outdoor carpeting. I'm told you don't have to be an especially skilled golfer because you are only allowed to use two irons and a putter. You're not even required to have an eagle eye to spot the little white golf ball on the snow because coloured balls are used.

The tournament draws around 200 people for golf, dinner and a chance to thumb your nose at Old Man Winter. Are you game?

Check out some of the creative costumes and methods of transporting beverages around the course.

A Fruitful Endeavour: Alberta's Cottage Wineries

When people think of wine, they don’t usually think of Alberta. Two local cottage wineries are changing people’s minds using Alberta-grown organic fruit to craft a surprising range of fruit wine.

I think most people assume that wines made from fruit like wild cherries, apples, strawberries, and raspberries are sweet and syrupy dessert wines. Although many are fine examples of dessert wine, the surprise is that many of the wines are medium-dry or off-dry and pair nicely with meals of pasta, Asian food, pork, red meats and salad.

In central Alberta, Brosseau’s en Sante Winery is using some unusual ingredients to make their refreshing fruit wines. In addition to typical fruits like apples and saskatoons, they use rhubarb, honey and even alfalfa hay!

Lovers of port will appreciate the fortified dessert wines made by Strathmore’s Field Stone Fruit Wines. For tastings of their entire selection of wines, drop in to their on-site wine store between May and September or call during the off-season to make an appointment.

You can find these wines at some Alberta farmers’ markets and in select liquor stores. Vendor information is listed on each winery’s website.

Try Alberta’s fruit wines tonight and sample a taste of Alberta in a way you thought you never would.

A Joyful Noise: The Kokopelli Choir Association

I never fail to be moved at a Kokopelli Choir Association concert.

Whether the choristers are singing traditional African songs, gospel, or contemporary compositions, the four Kokopelli choirs deliver a passionate performance. In addition to the namesake Kokopelli choir, Oran, Shumayela, and Kikimasu round out the Edmonton-based youth and young adult choral ensemble.

The choirs hold you spellbound as they integrate movement and occasional use of instruments with their powerful vocal arrangements. At times, the choristers leave the stage and surround the audience in a cocoon of harmony. It is an experience like no other.

Attend Kokopelli’s next concert and experience singing for the pure joy of it.

Go for Gold in Calgary

For those of you watching the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and thinking how cool it would be to try some of the more daring winter sports, I have a tip for you. You can live your Olympic dream at the venues from the 1988 Olympics in Calgary.

Canada Olympic Park, site of the 1988 bobsleigh and luge events, offers the public a chance to experience the course that many Olympic athletes compete and train on.

For an insanely adventurous experience, try the luge. A skilled luge athlete will teach you the finer points of propelling yourself down an icy track and then let you give it a try.

If you prefer someone else to be in the driver’s seat, hop in the bobsleigh. A professional driver will pilot you down the course at speeds of up to 120 km/hr.

Icons of the Prairies

The news that a historic grain elevator in Fleming, Saskatchewan was destroyed by fire this week made me wonder if Alberta has any iconic wooden grain elevators still around.

We do. And here is a list of communities with restored grain elevators that are now museums and/or are open for people to explore:

• Acadia Valley
• Alberta Central Railway Museum (near Wetaskiwin)
• Andrew
• Big Valley
• Heritage Park in Calgary
• Castor
• Heritage Acres Farm Museum (near Pincher Creek)
• Leduc
• Lougheed - Iron Creek Museum
• Mayerthorpe
• Meeting Creek
• Nanton - Canadian Grain Elevator Discovery Center
• Paradise Valley (near Wainwright) Climb Through Time Museum
• Radway
• Rowley
• Scandia
• St. Albert
• Stettler
• Spruce Grove
• Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village (near Edmonton)

Read the CBC news story about the Fleming, SK elevator.

Big Things are Popping up all Over Alberta

Roadside attractions are the giant cocktail swizzlesticks of travel tales. Use them to stir up conversation (“I peeked out of the T-Rex’s jaws just in time to see Bob disappear”) and as pokers to deflate your rival’s one-upmanship stories (“Look my sausage is 12.2-metres tall, yours is a cocktail weenie.”) Throw in having your photo taken with a giant gun-toting Pinto bean and how could you NOT want to check out Alberta’s weirdest roadside attractions? From Weapons of Mass Construction by Mike Ross.

I agree whole-heartedly. What’s not to love about these big and bold statements of a town’s community spirit? Grab your sense of adventure and explore the wacky side of small town Alberta.

Some of my favourites:

• Beaver (Beaverlodge) What’s not to love about a 3000 pound beaver?
• Golf Tee (Trochu) Trochu’s my home town. I’m a tad biased.
• Pysanka (Vegreville) So pretty… and turns in the wind like a weather vane.
• Sundial (Lloydminster) Wonderful simplicity. It reminds me a little of Stonehenge.

Check out the following links for more unique and oversized attractions:
Big Things
Large Canadian Roadside Attractions
Kalyna Country Western Canada’s Roadside Attractions Capital

Tickle the Ivories at Cantos

How many museums do you know of that let you get within an arm’s length of the items on display let alone touch them?

At the Cantos Music Foundation in Calgary you can do more than just visually appreciate the keyboard collection from a distance. You can observe the inner workings of the instruments up close, listen to your talented guide play the keyboards and even play them yourself.

See
The craftsmanship of many of the older pieces in the collection is not found in keyboards made today. Wood inlay, mother of pearl, intricate carving, and real tortoiseshell and ivory keys are examples of old-world artistry. Two of the oldest keyboards, the 1560 Virginal and 1679 Couchet Harpsichord, have painted scenes on the underside of the lids.

Some of the more technological items have clear exterior cases so you can see the inner mechanisms of the instruments. The clear casing of the Robb Wave organ lets you see the six-cylinder car engine that the organ was constructed from.

Sometimes you won’t believe what you’re seeing. On the transposing piano the entire row of keys slides sideways. Who knew pianos could do that?

Hear
Cantos showcases the evolution of keyboards and you can hear the diversity. The difference in sound from the string-like notes of a Baroque harpsichord to the techno beats of 80s dance music synthesizers is amazing.

You’ll recognize the sound of the Mellotron M 400 featured in The Beatles’ song Strawberry Fields Forever and the distinctive sound of the Theremin often used to make sound effects for 1950s sci-fi movies.

Play
The most remarkable thing about Cantos is the opportunity to play many of the instruments on display. Broadway aficionados will appreciate the rich sounds of the Rhapsody in Blue grand piano honouring George Gershwin and lovers of old-school blues will go wild over the Hammond B3 organ. You can’t pass up the chance to touch a piece of history by playing the 1875 Hammer dulcimer or the1876 Steinway grand.

Sensory Explosion

Of all the items in the collection, the Kimball theatre organ best combines all the sensory elements of the Cantos experience into one delightful package. Feel the rush of air from the pipes. Hear the astounding range of sounds that the organ can make including tweeting birds. See the xylophones and cymbals move as the keys are played.

Experience Music
By allowing visitors to explore the collection through sight, sound and touch, Cantos provides a tangible connection to the experience of music.

You can connect with Cantos through drop-in tours, private tours, and customized tours.