Halloween History The World’s Unique Destinations

Rod LaRocque

Halloween History The World’s Unique Destinations  Author/Editor: Jennifer J. Lacelle  Date : October 19, 2021 The word Halloween actually stems from the phrase all hallows eve, which is actually the night before Samhain — an ancient Celtic festival where the tradition of Halloween stems from. People would light up big bonfires and dress in costumes, activities still common today.   If you’re seeking a last-minute reprieve from your daily life and want to explore the mysteries of the world, then check out some of the best places to celebrate Halloween. Samhain It is pronounced ‘sow-in’ or ‘SAH-win’ and approximately 2,000 years...

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Autumn Around the World Colours and Traditions

Rod LaRocque

Autumn Around the World Colours and Traditions  Author/Editor: Jennifer J. Lacelle  Date : October 14, 2021 The autumn leaves have begun to shine! Vibrant hues of yellow, orange and fiery red are filling the forests along road and pathways, creating a stunning array of magical sights.  The sweet scent of renewal is beginning to shimmer as the cold and warm air shifts here and there as the sun peeks out from blankets of clouds. If you’re looking to finally get away on that vacation, there are some stunning spots around the world where you’ll find festivals, history and the beauty...

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Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada: Dawson

Rod LaRocque

Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada Dawson City, Yukon Territories   Author/Editor : Jennifer J. Lacelle  Date : August 4, 2021 Bright, glittering streams of gold and flowing waters. Hidden behind mountain “gates” and protected from the bustling cities like Vancouver or Ottawa.   The beautiful terrain, albeit far up north and therefore a touch cold, will leave you wide-eyed like a child opening a gift or hearing an adventurous story.   The Yukon Territories sits next to the Alaskan, Northwest Territories and British Columbia borders. History The Bering Strait land bridge was used to cross over from Asia, and the Yukon...

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Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada: British Columbia

Rod LaRocque

Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada Haida Gwaii & Capilano Suspension Bridge, British Columbia  Author/Editor : Jennifer J. Lacelle  Date : August 3, 2021 Sitting along the North Pacific Ocean is Canada’s Westernmost province, British Columbia. Where the trees are the tallest in the country, you’ll find yourself winding up and down roads and through thickets of trees in this province. Whether a new visitor, recurring visitor or permanent resident you’ll always find something to drop your jaw at. History A little after the Ice Age is when the Indigenous tribes began settling along the western coast; carbon dating shows...

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Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada:Alberta

Rod LaRocque

Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada Alberta, Canmore  Author/Editor: Jennifer J. Lacelle  Date : August 1, 2021   Named after the fourth princess of Queen Victoria, Louise Caroline Alberta, the province of Alberta is the most western prairie territory in Canada.   The economy in Alberta is predominately oil and natural gas. The terrain is divided into three distinct regions: Cordillera, Interior Plains and the Canadian Shield. History The southern area of the province was originally occupied by the Blackfoot, Blood, Peigan, and Gros Ventre tribes. The Kootenay took the westernmost area while another southern group, Crow, moved toward their territory...

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Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada: Northwest Territories

Rod LaRocque

Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories  Author/Editor : Jennifer J. Lacelle  Date : July 9, 2021 The Northwest Territories are part of the northernmost region in Canada. It borders Nunavut, Yukon, Alberta, Saskatchewan and part of British Columbia. In 1880, Great Britain transferred ownership to Canada, which was a major point for the government at that time as they believed owning the land would help prevent the United States settlers from trying to move there. History There are 11 official languages for this province, and at least half of the population are Indigenous. Here...

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Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada: Saskatchewan

Rod LaRocque

Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada Saskatchewan, Regina  Author/Editor : Jennifer J. Lacelle  Date : July 9, 2021   How might one describe Saskatchewan, Canada? Kisiskâciwanisîpiy… or swiftly flowing river in Cree. The province’s name is an anglicized version of this word. The province, which has no coastal border, was officially created in 1905.   History This province has four main ecozones with 11 other zones within these. They’re fairly distinct from one another as well: Taiga Shield Boreal Shield Boreal Plain Prairie The Indigenous tribes were nomadic and the earliest evidence indicated their arrival around 10,000 years ago.  There are a number...

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Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada: Nunavut

Rod LaRocque

Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada Baffin Island & Iqaluit, Nunavut  Author/Editor : Jennifer J. Lacelle  Date : June 25, 2021   Nunavut is 21 per cent of Canada’s land mass. Despite the freezing cold temperatures, limited access and 24-hour daylight in the northernmost islands during the summer (no vampires here), it has a population of just under 36K, approximately 85 per cent of whom are Inuit. History The next explorers were seeking the Northwest Passage to reach Asia. Naturally, they went above the main land and tried to find their way through the waters to the other side. Many ships...

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Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada: Manitoba

Rod LaRocque

Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada Gimli, Manitoba  Author/Editor : Jennifer J. Lacelle  Date : August 2, 2021  To the east is Ontario, to the West is Saskatchewan, in the middle, Manitoba. Stretching into the Arctic Tundra all the way down the Hudson’s Bay and further until it reaches United States of America borders for North Dakota and Minnesota. Manitoba is glittered with lakes (+100,000) and rivers, 80 provincial parks, and homes 1.369-million people. HISTORY The God Who Speaks is the Indigenous term for the name Manitoba.  The province was the fifth to become part of the country of Canada...

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Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada: Ontario

Rod LaRocque

Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada: Ontario The Blue Mountains & Grey County, Ontario  Author/Editor : Jennifer J. Lacelle  Date : July 14, 2021  Ontario, Canada: 1.076 million square kilometers of beauty, business, luxury, history, arts and travel. Over 14.57 million people live in Ontario but that wasn’t always the case. The former residents were woolly mammoths and mastodons… about 10,000 years ago anyway. HISTORY Before settlers, namely Étienne Brûlé or Henry Hudson, began filling lands with forts, settlements and communities, the primary population were the Algonquin (migrant hunters) and Iroquois (farmers of squash, corn and beans).  Furthermore, are the Oji-Cree,...

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Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada: Quebec

Rod LaRocque

Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada Chambly, Quebec  Author/Editor : Jennifer J. Lacelle  Date : July 2, 2021  Parlé vous Francais? Oui? Non. Regardless, the culture in Quebec, a land of rich history in fur trade, wars, and exploration has maintained much of its unique heritage. The province is a must for anyone who admires old architecture, languages, history, shopping and food. HISTORY Jacques Cartier claimed the land for France in 1534 when he put up a cross on the cliffs of Gaspé. However, it wouldn’t all be fun and games for the explorer and settlers who would search for...

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Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada: New Brunswick

Rod LaRocque

Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada Moncton, New Brunswick  Author/Editor : Jennifer J. Lacelle  Date : June 18, 2021 River, upon river, upon more glistening rivers! That’s what hails those who enter New Brunswick. Though the most famous of these rivers happens to be the Bay of Fundy. In fact, the waves are so high that they not only splash into upper river, but tankers are able to sail inland.   Another fun fact about the bay is that it retreats and returns twice a day, in six-hour increments, where it takes in and releases 3,680,000,000 cubic feet of water....

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Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada: Charlottetown

Rod LaRocque

Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island  Author/Editor : Jennifer J. Lacelle  Date : June 17, 2021   Just because it’s small, doesn’t mean it can’t pack a real punch! Ever heard ofAnne of Green Gables? Yeah, the little red-headed orphan who loves to jibber jabber and get into trouble on adventures. The story spawned multiple retellings via television shows and movies — it also put Canada’s tiniest province, Prince Edward Island, on the map.   The small province’s most narrow point is a mere four miles wide, while the overall length is only 140 miles — North...

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Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada

Rod LaRocque

Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada Halifax, Nova Scotia  Author/Editor : Jennifer J. Lacelle  Date : June 15, 2021  Crackling, banging and scraping of battles and wars echo the streets. On December 6, 1917 the great French ship carrying explosives, Mont Blanc, exploded in the Bedford Basin when Imo — a Belgian relief ship — impacted the first ship, causing an explosion that killed over 1,600 people and left thousands more homeless and injured. The explosion leveled the northern portion of Halifax, Nova Scotia. HISTORY The First Nations people were the Mi’kmaq, members of the Wabanaki Confederacy, whose habitation...

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Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada: Newfoundland

Rod LaRocque

Top 13 Places to Visit in Canada Twillingate, Newfoundland Author/Editor : Jennifer J. Lacelle  Date : June 14, 2021   Vikings. Scottish. French. English. Portuguese. It sounds like the beginnings of a strange song, as if trying to memorize the countries like one does the alphabet. But Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, was the precipice of what many explorers believed were what they sought.  Take legendary explorer, John Cabot. He believed it was the far reaches of Tartary, while trying to find a route to the Orient. However, it was Vikings who would be the first to occupy the land. Remnants of...

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Miami: The Gateway to Paradise

Rod LaRocque

Miami: The Gateway to Paradise Author : Douglas Landsborough  Editor : Jennifer J. Lacelle  Date : March 31, 2021 If you’re looking for a warm, luxurious getaway, look no further than Miami, Florida. This melting pot of cultures is unlike any other city in the world and is an international destination for both business and pleasure. Your adventure starts as soon as you arrive, at Miami International Airport.  One of the busiest airports in the world, Miami international has all the amenities you’d expect and then some.  True to the Latin American influence on the city, there are a variety...

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Royalty and the Modern Era

Rod LaRocque

Royalty and the Modern Era Author/Editor : Jennifer J. Lacelle Date : March 28, 2021 Nijmegen, the eldest city of the Netherlands (formerly Holland), has much to offer tourists interested in shopping, history and living like royalty. On the outskirts of the city resides the age-old castle of Wijchen. While it’s unknown when the castle was actually built, the first mentions of it are in 1392. The castle was used as a fortress and defensive position in the 14th through 17th centuries.   The most prominent mention in its history is the purchase by Emilia of Nassau in 1609. She sold a pearl necklace...

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Resurrecting Grounded Jets Repurposing Jets into Meaningful Space

Resurrecting Grounded Jets Repurposing Jets into Meaningful Space Author : Kelly Louiseize  Editor : Jennifer J. Lacelle  Date : March 9, 2021 Johnny Palmer recently bought the relic of a Boeing 727-100 VP-CMN for less than the cost of an average car to repurpose it as an event centre for Pytch, his broadcast, creative and technical business out of Brislington, Bristol, England.   The jet, which is said to have a mysterious history, had been stored in the yard of Cotswold Airport for a decade before Palmer laid eyes on it and wanted it for his own. Conscientious about air emissions and...

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SWFL: Sweet, Whimsical, Fun, Lovely — or — Southwest Florida

Rod LaRocque

Sweet, Whimsical, Fun, Lovely: Southwest Florida Editor : Jennifer J. Lacelle Date : February 14, 2021 What’s the first thought that springs to mind when someone mentions Southwest Florida? Sunshine and rainbows, perhaps?  Or maybe beaches? Well, it’s much more andiinta has the scoop you need! The environment of SWFL is like a tropical vacation — Caribbean cruise, anyone? Except, you don’t need to take a cruise to visit this destination location.   Rather, you can fly to Florida’s southwest coast and check out some of their tops cities such as Fort Myers, Cape Coral and Naples.  The latter two have been...

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Killarney: Gem of the North

Rod LaRocque

Killarney: Gem of the North Editor : Jennifer J. Lacelle Date : February 10, 2021 Pristine glowing waters and sparkling mountain peaks combined with lush forestry. Ah! Killarney: four hours north of Toronto and less than two hours southwest of Sudbury. In fact, The Group of Seven were often inspired by the landscape in this area. If you don’t feel like driving, you can always charter a plane to Killarney’s airport. The facility, which features a 3,500-foot runway, is licensed by the Canadian Federal Ministry of Transport.  If you’re a guest at The Killarney Mountain Lodge you can obtain free shuttle service...

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The Canadian Heaven: Tobermory

Rod LaRocque

The Canadian Heaven: Tobermory Author/Editor: Jennifer J. Lacelle  Date : February 10, 2011 What’s more magical than a glowing cave on a cloudless summer day? Not much. If you’re looking for one such experience, The Grotto (Tobermory, Ontario) is the place to go.   This sea cave has an underwater tunnel that leads from the opening all the way to Georgian Bay. Due to this, the cave often has a spectacular luminescence from sunlight that streams through the underground water tunnel. The cave is an extremely busy location as thousands of tourists visit the site every year. In fact, it’s recommended to reserve...

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Soak Up the Sun in St. Maarten

Rod LaRocque

Soak Up the Sun in St. Maarten Author : Doug Landsborough Editor : Jennifer J. Lacelle | Kelly Louiseize Date : March 15, 2021 It’s safe to say that the last year has a lot of us dreaming about warmer weather, beautiful sand beaches and even more stunning sparkling ocean views.  The next time you go to book a beach getaway, look no further than St. Maarten. As history goes, the island changed hands between the Dutch and Spanish many times through the years. In 1648, the Dutch returned to find it occupied by the French.  Both countries agreed to...

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Iceland: The Land of Giants

Rod LaRocque

Iceland: The Land of Giants Mountain waterfall Photo credit: Douglas Landsborough Author : Doug Landsborough Editor : Jennifer J. Lacelle Date : March 15, 2021 When Norse explorers first landed on the shores of Iceland, they believed that the island was home to mythical giants. From the soaring mountains to glaciers that can span the horizon, Iceland is nothing short of awe-inspiring.  On this island nation, natural beauty is combined with a culture that values time spent with loved ones and appreciating everything life has to offer. No matter what you are into, Iceland likely has an experience for you....

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Colours of South Korea

Rod LaRocque

Colours of South Korea Editor : Jennifer J. Lacelle Date : March 23, 2021 When it comes to preserving history and culture the citizens of South Korea are highly adept. Their monuments to history have not only been preserved over time, but they highlight their way of life and the natural beauty of their country. Take, for example, the largest outdoor market in Busan. The Gukje Market was originally considered a flea market — Dottaegi Market — until 1948 when it’s first building was erected.  Today, the long string of roads can be easy to get lost in as it runs...

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City of the Magnetic Mountain

Rod LaRocque

Magnitogorsk: City of the Magnetic Mountain Author : Doug Landsborough Editor : Jennifer J. Lacelle  Date : March 21, 2021 Spanning the divide between Europe and Asia lies the city of Magnitogorsk. One of the largest cities in Russia, Magnitogorsk was constructed on the southern end of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River flowing majestically through it like a sparkling blue ribbon.  This city, once known solely for its metallurgy, is becoming a popular destination for those looking for a truly unique experience. Magnitogorsk, more simply called Magnitka like the ironworks that drove its growth, was established in 1743 next...

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Mythical Landscapes of Norway

Rod LaRocque

Mythical Landscapes of Norway Editor : Jennifer J. Lacelle Date : March 25, 2021 The Vikings considered the northern lights a gleam of armour from the Valkyrie, mythical female warriors who brought the souls of deceased soldiers to Valhalla. These days, the locals refer to the lights as “the green lady” instead of the Valkrie.   Norway’s first monarch was a Viking by the name of Harald Fairhair. He succeeded his father by the age of 10, and ended up becoming one the best warriors in his era. Fairhair claimed all of Norway under his domain. If you’re someone who has an...

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