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Travel + Leisure
11 hours ago
- Travel + Leisure
Canada's Most Stunning Summer Road Trip Has a Secret Island, Walkable Glaciers, and Dizzying Adventure
Top 5 Can't Miss The drive from Calgary to Jasper passes stunning landscapes, with winter road closures making it a rare and exclusive experience during the summer months. In Calgary, visitors can explore Canada Olympic Park, where the 1988 Winter Olympics were held, and take park in outdoor activities like mountain biking. Banff offers incredible wildlife sightings and breathtaking mountain and lake views. E-biking is ideal for exploring the area's natural beauty; the Banff Gondola also provides sweeping vistas. The road from Banff to Jasper is especially beautiful, especially at Bow Lake and Waterfowl Lakes. In Jasper, the Columbia Icefield and Athabasca Glacier are must-see attractions. For even more gorgeous views, visit the Columbia Icefield Skywalk. The road that runs from Calgary in Alberta, Canada, to Jasper a few hours to the north, is breathtaking. Some stretches are open only during the summer months, and driving the winding roads, you can't help but feel like you've been granted a coveted invitation to one of the most beautiful attractions in the world. I knew this road trip would lead me to outdoor adventure, incredible wildlife, and postcard-perfect views, but I didn't know I'd be so kindly received at a time when Canada-U.S. relations are strained. Canadians live up their gracious, welcoming reputation, and their desire to make your visit special turns this road trip into a lifelong memory. Start your trip in Calgary. Flying into Calgary International Airport is a cinch. Calgary is flat—nothing like the photos you see of Banff. But that's what makes this trip so special—the ever-changing landscape that keeps you guessing at every turn. Calgary was host to the 1988 Winter Olympics, and as you make your way out of town, you'll see Canada Olympic Park, where the Jamaican bobsled team rose to fame. During the summer, you can explore the venue, go mountain biking, or play a round of miniature golf in the same spaces where the world's best athletes competed. Drive to Banff National Park. Lake Minnewanka in Banff National Park. Rebecca Deurlein/Travel + Leisure Give everyone a chance to ogle the views by taking turns driving, and don't miss any opportunity to pull over for the stunning vistas of Banff National Park. The drive is all about the unexpected, from a moose munching on leaves at the side of the road to elk meandering along the tree line to bald eagles soaring overhead. The town of Banff is adorable, an old-school ski village that's less Aspen, more Breckenridge. Mount Royal Hotel, smack dab in the center of town, is a perfect example—its simple and unpretentious rooms are steps away from restaurants, bars, and hiking and biking trails. E-biking is a must here—not just for conquering the inclines, but also for capturing the essence of slow travel. Forget about paying for parking—or finding a parking spot, for that matter—and just hop on a bike. It's a great way to get a lay of the land, and bonus, you can stop as many times as you like to snap photos. Biking to Lake Minnewanka, you'll pass beautiful blue lakes and pedal on paths that weave through dense pine forests, culminating in one of the most impressive panoramas in Banff. Take the Banff Gondola to Sky Bistro on the summit of Sulphur Mountain. Rebecca Deurlein/Travel + Leisure Back in town, quench your thirst at the upstairs atrium of 3 Bears Brewery and Restaurant, then take the Banff Gondola 7,000 feet up Sulphur Mountain, with views of six mountain ranges and the Bow Valley far below. Treat yourself to dinner at Sky Bistro. You'll feel as if you're in the Swiss Alps as you dine on fresh catch among snow-capped mountains. Drive north on Icefields Parkway to Jasper. The Columbia Icefield Skywalk in Alberta, Canada. Rebecca Deurlein/Travel + Leisure This stretch of the road is frequently closed due to weather, so visiting during the summer provides a treat. And believe it or not, the views only become more striking, more majestic, as you drive north from Banff. You'll gasp as you pull up to Bow Lake, and you won't stop taking photos of Waterfowl Lakes, two bodies of emerald-hued water reflecting stark, snowy mountains against an azure sky. If you want a day or two of hiking, pitch a tent at Waterfowl Lakes Campground. Fill up your car when you can because you've entered Jasper National Park, a somewhat remote area that surprises with unique opportunities to take in the beauty. Many who make their way this far north are in search of the road's claim to fame—the 300-foot-deep ice field that's predicted to melt away within the next 40 to 60 years. The Columbia Icefield and Athabasca Glacier are best visited on board an all-terrain Ice Explorer with naturalists who can tell you all about the ice field while you walk across it, marveling at its size and the rivulets of glacier water running through it. If you're not afraid of heights, you can enjoy an entirely different view of the area from the Columbia Icefield Skywalk, where you'll step out onto a glass platform suspended 918 feet above the Sunwapta Valley. For Canadian Rocky Mountain views, check into the Glacier View Lodge, just across from the ice field. Your trip to Jasper won't be complete without honoring the First Nations people who are a significant part of Canada's heritage. A Maligne Lake cruise is the one and only way to see Spirit Island, an Indigenous-only, centuries-old peninsula that stretches off the shore into brilliantly blue water. You won't be able to step onto this land, but you can snap photos from the shoreline where the Stoney Nakoda fished and made their life. Your guide will narrate the ride and give you time to walk along the water, sharing a Nakoda quote that will stick with you long after your trip: 'Wherever the light is hitting you, that is home.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Should you help a turtle cross the road in Kansas?
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Travelers hitting the road this summer in Kansas may come across a turtle or two trying to cross the street. But do they need any help from people? Turtles are on the move in Kansas as they look for mates or places to lay eggs. Drivers may occasionally spot one making slow progress across the road this summer and feel the need to lend a helping hand. Professor Benjamin Reed with Washburn University is a local expert on turtles and their activities in the Sunflower State. He said people can pitch in if they want to speed up a turtle's pace across the street to help them reach the intended destination safely. Reed told 27 News about some of the do's and don'ts associated with helping turtles. One point he wants to make clear is that while it helps a turtle to move them off a busy road, it is also important to put the turtle in roughly the same direction it was heading in previously. 'It is a good idea to put it in the direction it was headed,' Reed said. 'It does seem true that they're stubborn, so if you put them in the wrong direction, they'll turn around and try again.' Kansas game wardens share photo of very rare albino fawn People will also need to make sure they don't cause any harm to the turtle when they touch it. Reed said that, if possible, you should wash your hands before touching a wild turtle or wear gloves. This will prevent potentially harmful bacteria, sunscreen or insect spray from passing on to the animal. People should also wash their hands after touching a wild turtle to reduce the risk of contracting an illness such as salmonella. 'We always think about turtles giving us disease, but we should also keep in mind what we pass onto the turtles,' Reed said. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) reports that 14 different species of turtle call Kansas home, any of which may be encountered by drivers on the road as they search for places to lay eggs or to find mates. From smaller varieties like the northern map turtle to the larger alligator snapping turtle, people may come across one or more struggling to cross a road during the year. 'Most turtles will mate throughout the year so nesting season occurs simultaneously with breeding season,' Reed said. Why are so many strange catfish coming out of this Kansas lake? Reed recommends picking up smaller turtles and moving them across the road but said that people should try to act as a crossing guard for the larger snapping turtles as they are heavier. He also said people need to make sure it is safe to stop and get out of their vehicles before trying to help a nearby turtle. 'If it's safe for the person, I would always recommend helping it across the road,' Reed said. 'I think helping a turtle cross the road is a perfectly acceptable/good thing to do.' Reed said people shouldn't take a wild turtle home as a pet. Reed also reminds people to avoid placing turtles directly in water as some species, like ornate box turtles and three-toed box turtles, aren't aquatic while some may not have wanted to enter the water in the first place. He said people should be direct when helping a turtle cross and make sure they reach the other side but not take them any farther. 'Some people may see it crossing the road and try to put it in a nearby body of water,' Reed said. 'The turtles know what they're doing, they're not stupid creatures. They're on land for a reason.' Reed also gave out some other advice for good turtle care such as planting native plants in your backyard they might feed on and being careful when mowing. He said people should avoid taking wild turtles home as pets as well. Green invasive beetles devour plants across Kansas For more Kansas Outdoors, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Travel + Leisure
a day ago
- Travel + Leisure
7 Proven Ways to Skip the Lines on Your Next Trip
Key Points Long lines can drain precious vacation time, but there are smart ways to skip the wait at popular attractions. Booking tickets online ahead of time and opting for early or late visits are simple and budget-friendly tips that can make a big difference. If you want to splurge, consider booking an exclusive tour or skip-the-line tickets. Patience may be a virtue. But when you're on vacation, every second is sacred, and waiting in lines can be annoying at best and agonizing at worst. I've lived in New York City, Paris, and Rome—three of the world's most visited cities—so I'm very familiar with lines that wrap around the block, twice. One time, I waited so long outside the Louvre, which I needed to visit for a homework assignment, that my classmates almost reported me as a missing person. And in Rome, I once spent so much time waiting in line at St. Peter's Basilica that I nearly got third-degree burns from the sun. With the warmer months being peak travel season pretty much everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere, you, too, can expect to encounter a queue soon. But that doesn't mean you have to suffer. Below are seven ways to avoid long lines at popular tourist attractions this summer. Go with a private guide. If you can afford it, the foolproof way to get in and out without spending time in a line is to go with a private guide on a tour that offers VIP access. For example, last month I visited the Giraffe Centre, Nairobi's second most popular tourist attraction according to TripAdvisor. Most travelers spent more time waiting in the ticket line and giraffe food line than they did interacting with the center's majestic and endangered Rothschild giraffes. But because I was visiting on a day trip with Micato Safaris, a 10-time Travel + Leisure World's Best Award winner, the moment I stepped out of the van, I was whisked inside, and within five minutes, I had a 20-foot-tall giraffe eating out of my hand. Meanwhile in London, if you have around $3,000 and you book at least six weeks in advance, you can spend 90 minutes admiring the crown jewels at the Tower of London without having to spend a single minute waiting in line. At The Edge, one of New York City's newest attractions, you can get escorted to the top in a 'New York minute' if you opt for priority access. At $88, it's about 2.5 times as expensive as general admission ($34). Buy tickets online, in advance. Most of the time I travel, I can't afford to upgrade to a private guide. That said, I can take advantage of online tickets and purchase my admission in advance. This means I don't have to wait in line at the ticket window. Instead, I can go straight to the security line. Note: Some attractions charge more to purchase tickets online (they usually call it a convenience fee). And be wary of copycat websites; make sure you're purchasing tickets from the attraction's official website, not the first one that shows up in the Google results. I've been scammed before, and it's a big bummer, not to mention embarrassing. Splurge for skip-the-line tickets. While skip-the-line tickets don't allow you to skip security (you'll still have to be screened if they have security measures in place), they do allow you to bypass other lines. Most of the time, you have to purchase these online and in advance, and they usually cost more than the standard tickets you can also purchase online. Often, they're add-ons. For example, a one-day Disney California Adventure Park adult general admission ticket, purchased online, starts around $104 and stretches north of $200. Before you get to the checkout page, you'll be asked if you want to add a Lightning Lane Multi Pass for an additional $32. This pass allows you to use the Lightning Lanes inside the park for some attractions. You'll still have to wait in line at rides, but it's usually a shorter line. Opt for a multi-attraction pass. If you plan on seeing more than one attraction in the same city or destination, look for a multi-attraction pass that includes entry to all the sites on your list. Not only do these one-and-done passes often save you money, but they sometimes come with perks like access to a priority lane and discounts at attraction gift shops. Go at odd hours. Did you know they offer nighttime tours of the Colosseum? Not only are after-hours a more pleasant time to visit temperature-wise, but they're often less crowded. And Chadi Lotfi, front office manager at Fauchon L'Hôtel Paris, tells me that early birds have the best time in the City of Light. 'Visit Butte Montmartre at sunrise to enjoy a magnificent spectacle and see the Sacré-Cœur Basilica without the crowds on the steps.' Paris's most visited church after Notre Dame, the Sacré-Cœur, opens at 6:30 a.m. This is long before the pickpockets are out on the prowl. Generally speaking, 'odd hours' are super early, super late, or maybe even at lunch time. That said, keep in mind that some destinations, such as Spain, celebrate their daily siesta, so midday may be a no-go. Find the less-used entrances. You know that analogy about going through a window instead of the front door? It applies here, too. For example, when Lotfi's guests ask about visiting the Louvre Museum, he recommends they avoid the main entrance, the iconic glass pyramid. Instead, try to enter via the Carrousel entrance or Richelieu entrance on Rue de Rivoli. While these entrances are less Insta-worthy, they often have shorter lines. Regardless of the attraction, just make sure to check online in advance to make sure any alternative entrances are open and if they have special restrictions. Some entrances are only for groups, and other entrances only operate during peak hours. See if there's a webcam you can monitor. I'm still waiting for a quality app that will show me how many people are waiting in line, in real time. Until then, I always check to see if the attraction has a live webcam that shows the current line status, so I can see if it's a good time to go. For example, if you're visiting the Grand Canyon's South Rim, you can check out the South Entrance Station webcam which refreshes every five minutes. There's also a webcam at Yellowstone's West Entrance, Glacier National Park's West Entrance, and the entrance to Arches National Park.
