Whistler is the best ski resort in North America offering lots of fun during both summer and winter. It has received several awards as a winter resort, was recently selected as the number one golf resort in Canada and it will be hosting the Winter Olympics in 2010.

There are lots of great places to stay in Whistler. Most popular are the many luxury hotels in the area, but it?s also possible rent town houses and condos in Whistler village. For the more adventurous it?s also possible to camp in the area.

The easiest way to get to Whistler is to fly to Vancouver international airport and then drive north towards Whistler. It takes around two and a half hour to go from Vancouver to Whistler. It?s also possible to take a very scenic train tour to Whistler which takes around three hours.

During the winter Whistler is mostly about skiing and other winter sports. During the summer you can go fishing, hiking, sailing and lots of other things. It?s also possible to go skiing during the summer if you go a bit outside Whistler village.

On top of all that, the people of Whistler are friendly and welcoming. You are welcome both summer and winter.

Touring visitors around Ottawa is one of those pleasures that just gets better and better as you uncover more intricate history, attractions and unique sights. The Capital City of Canada, Ottawa, could also be dubbed ‘The Museum Capital of Canada’. With over 13 major museums, a dozen government attractions, and an extensive Art Gallery, there is something to satisfy every curiosity, every history buff, every art connoisseur and every entertainment taste. You could literally spend months touring this Museum Gem of Canada.

Chatting with the local guides, Members of Parliament (MPs), security persons and even Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has uncovered a few ‘off the beaten path’ attraction anomalies that add to the intrigue and beauty of the Canada’s National Capital Region.

1)The Acoustic Anomaly of the Baldwin-LaFontaine Statue on Parliament Hill. Tucked to the right and behind the main Parliament building, up behind the statue of Queen Elizabeth II sitting on a horse. Robert Baldwin and Louis LaFontaine established responsible government in Canada with the 1841 reunion of Upper and Lower Canada. Stand front and center and face this monument that looks like a mini stage. Speak in a normal voice and listen.. The sound has the natural acoustic amplification qualities like those of a mini Red Rocks Colorado amphitheater. Don’t leave yet! Sit two people opposite each other; one at the extreme right and one at the extreme left edges of the ‘stage’. Have the two whisper a conversation back and forth. WOW!

2)The Cat Sanctuary on Parliament Hill is to the left of the main Parliament building. For over 18 years and counting, volunteers have fed the 26 plus colony of stray cats. Formality and compassion in harmony. You can’t get any more Canadian than that, eh!

3)Drive along Sussex Drive from Rideau Street and continue through the round-about at 24 Sussex and Rideau Hall (across the street) on up to the RCMP Musical Ride Training Facility. You might even get to feed the horses through the fence! On the return drive enjoy the Ottawa River look-off, zip up into Rockcliffe Park to see Embassies, Ambassadors’ Homes and homes of the Ottawa elite. Park near Rideau Hall, walk its beautiful gardens and capture the Changing of the Guard.

4)No trip to Ottawa is complete with out a drive up into Gatineau Park, a short drive to an entrance just over one of the 5 bridges between the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. This park is a mecca for mountain bikers. On one excursion we watched a black bear eating by the side of road just a short distance inside this park. Drive right up to the Champlain Look-off, which overlooks the Ottawa Valley and Ottawa River. Gatineau Park is on the edge of the Canadian Shield. An incredible site any time, but particularly a perfect place in the Autumn. You might be lucky enough to view the excitement of hang gliders or para-gliders against this pristine valley backdrop. Oh! You must exit the park through Chelsea so you can enjoy the homemade ice cream and waffle cones of La Cigale.

5)Bicycle along the miles and miles of pathways throughout the National Capital region. And if that is not enough, every summer Sunday morning, sections of the River Parkway are blocked to regular automobile traffic for your biking, walking and running pleasure. Ottawans are serious cyclists ? even through the cold and snowy winters!

6)Early September (Labour Day Weekend) is the time to catch the fun and color of the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival. Since 1988, this annual festival has been attracting huge crowds and hundreds of balloons. To view these Aerial Art Flotilla drifting over the Ottawa River and the Peace Tower of the Parliament Buildings is a photographers delight. Just listen to that distinctive deep ‘whooshing’ sound as they ignite the burners.

Most of Ottawa can be enjoyed with a walking tour. But treat yourself to one of the river or canal boat tours, bus tours or hop aboard the old Wakefield stream train for a step back in time. Nature. History. Geology. Outdoor Activities. Politics. Animals. Take a little time to enjoy Ottawa’s other amenities.

And what does Ottawa offer during those cold Winter months? That’s another story for another day.

The Niagara Falls Central Reservations has been assisting visitors in Niagara vacation planning and booking for over 10 years. As you travel through our site, you will discover a true and accurate portrayal of the world’s most famous address. Our site gives you the opportunity to book your entire vacation from the comfort of your own home and it will also provide you with information on undiscovered gems throughout the Niagara Region that you were not aware even existed.

Historically, the Niagara Region is one of the richest areas in all of Canada and much of that history has been preserved and is available to the visitor. Explore the Niagara Central Reservations site and see for yourself all there is to see and do in the Niagara Region. Take in the Niagara wine route, visit the resplendent gardens at the Niagara Parks School of Horticulture, witness the passage of ocean going vessels on the world famous Welland Canal, soak up the sunshine on the sandy, white beaches of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario – there is no end to the wonders of Niagara. Quaint little villages are scattered throughout the Niagara Region, offering the visitor culinary delights, antique and artisan treasures all nestled in and around Niagara’s bountiful fruit orchards.

The Niagara Falls are voluminous waterfalls on the Niagara River, straddling the international border between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York. The falls are 17 miles (27 km) north-northwest of Buffalo, New York and 75 miles (120 km) south-southeast of Toronto, Ontario, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York.

Niagara Falls is composed of two major sections separated by Goat Island: Horseshoe Falls, the majority of which lies on the Canadian side of the border, and American Falls on the American side. The smaller Bridal Veil Falls are also located on the American side, separated from the main falls by Luna Island.

Niagara Falls were formed when glaciers receded at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation (the last ice age), and water from the newly-formed Great Lakes carved a path through the Niagara Escarpment en route to the Atlantic Ocean. While not exceptionally high, the Niagara Falls are very wide. More than six million cubic feet (168,000 m³) of water falls over the crest line every minute in high flow, and almost 4 million cubic feet (110,000 m³) on average. It is the most powerful waterfall in North America.

Niagara Falls is divided into the Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls. The Horseshoe Falls drop about 173 feet (53 m), the height of the American Falls varies between 70–100 feet (21 m) because of the presence of giant boulders at its base. The larger Horseshoe Falls are about 2,600 feet (792 m) wide, while the American Falls are 1,060 feet (323 m) wide.

The volume of water approaching the falls during peak flow season may sometimes be as much as 202,000 cubic feet per second (5,720 m³/s). Since the flow is a direct function of the Lake Erie water elevation, it typically peaks in late spring or early summer. During the summer months, 100,000 cubic feet per second (2,832 m3/s) of water actually traverses the Falls, some 90% of which goes over the Horseshoe Falls, while the balance is diverted to hydroelectric facilities. This is accomplished by employing a weir with movable gates upstream from the Horseshoe Falls. The Falls flow is further halved at night, and during the low tourist season in the winter, remains a flat 50,000 cubic feet per second (1,416 m³/s). Water diversion is regulated by the 1950 Niagara Treaty and is administered by the International Niagara Board of Control (IJC). Viewpoints on the American shore generally are astride or behind the falls. The falls face directly toward the Canadian shore.

The enormous energy of Niagara Falls has long been recognized as a potential source of power. The first known effort to harness the waters was in 1759, when Daniel Joncaire built a small canal above the Falls to power his sawmill. Augustus and Peter Porter purchased this area and all of American Falls in 1805 from the New York state government, and enlarged the original canal to provide hydraulic power for their gristmill and tannery. In 1853, the Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power and Mining Company was chartered, which eventually constructed the canals which would be used to generate electricity. In 1881, under the leadership of Jacob Schoellkopf, enough power was produced to send direct current to illuminate both the Falls themselves and nearby Niagara Falls village.

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