Every Day is a Winding Road…

& Vacations Rejuvenate!

A Collaborative eBook designed & prepared for adults

July 2010

Many people contributed to this eBook and they are referenced insideIt was edited and compiled by Michelle Warren

Vacation Brings Rejuvenation

Canada: yours to discover

Vancouver Police Museum a bloody good time

“Je ne sais quoi”The Exotic Highlands of the Niagara Peninsula?

Back-country camping

Her name is NOLA

Discovering Ontario, Canada Do you mind,

travelling..?

Guadalajara, Mexico

Travel & Commitment

Kids Around the World

India

BermudaMaui: The Polynesian Hero

Every Day is a Winding Road…& Vacations Rejuvenate…

With the Northern Hemisphere experiencing the summer season, thoughts are switching to vacation plans. And what is it about vacations that capture our collective interest?

New experiences, education, energy restoration, rejuvenation, relaxation, a change from the every day, LIVING life (versus working for life) The list goes on.

In this 2nd eBook for adults, 14 adults contributed vacation ideas – thoughts, memories, passions – to share with you. Each contributed one page.

The first eBook can be found here. More will follow.

We hope you find it helpful, useful and entertaining.

Please share your comments & observations & feel free to share it with others.

Canada is a vast and beautiful country that has varying landscapes and vistas one should explore, especially if you are Canadian. I am very lucky to have seen a fair bit of this country. I have been pretty much coast-to-coast seeing every single province except Newfoundland and the territories.

The most thrilling way to see this country is to hop in a car and just drive. My dad and I drove from Vancouver to Regina stopping in communities in BC and Alberta. I also drove around Saskatchewan seeing towns like Avonlea, Nipawin and Love and taking in its different landscapes.

One of my most memorable road trips was to the Maritimes. Seeing Peggy’s Cove in Nova Scotia to the red beaches of Prince Edward Island and seeing the waves

crash along the rocks in both places was breathtaking and gave you time to think, reflect and relax.

So the next time you are thinking of getting away, before booking your ticket to a faraway place, how about seeing what’s in your own backyard and discover not only Canada’s natural beauty but a bit of her history along the way too!

Vanessa Ho is a freelance writer and the online community manager with Partnerpedia She can be reached at vanessawcho@gmail.com

Canada: Yours to discover

The song may have been called “Kokomo,” but the first location The Beach Boys called out in their 1988 No. 1 hit was Bermuda. With good reason.

Living there on and off for about 18 months, I found myself dreaming of going the way of Jimmy Buffett and Kenny Chesney. Basking in an ocean view from my 8,000 square-foot home overlooking this island paradise’s famed pink-sand beaches, I relished the simple life of an island with no poverty, pristine beaches, luxurious resorts and opulent dining. This photo I snapped on my last trip says it all.

Add to that already irresistible picture some of the Western Hemisphere’s richest history, including the oldest continuously settled town in the Americas replete with churches and artifacts, and you have the ultimate island destination.

Leave your laptop and your smart phone behind, and let yourself escape into island life as it was meant to be lived…in Bermuda.

Bermuda

KYLE EINHORN, VICE PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, VIACHEM LTD., WWW.VIACHEMINC.COM

KEINHORN@VIACHEMINC.COM

Maui is the name of a diminutive Polynesian culture hero & trickster. He appears in myths from New Zealand to Hawaii. It is appropriate that the second largest of the Hawaii islands is given its name from this hero and trickster as the characteristics of the island both thrill and deceive those who visit.

Maui the hero, ensures that the natural beauty is amongst the best in the world, the ocean varies in temperature by only 3 degrees all year round and rarely does the island get hurricanes or extended periods of unfavourable climate. The Polynesian culture is fascinating from the music to the dance, the costumes and the ceremonies never grow tiresome. Unlike many tropical islands, in Maui there are no difficulties with internet access, cell phone coverage and even simple things like TV reception, most in English no less. Arm chair quarterbacks have TV access to most pro sports. This area of the south pacific has relatively clean air and water due to the minimal amount of manufacturing in the region. Add to this the fact that high rise construction is shunned and the hero has lulled you into seeing the natural surroundings so as not to detract from the natural beauty of the island.

So the hero gives those looking for a peaceful retreat the island of Maui. It is a place where you can take what you’re used to and overlay it with Polynesian and Asian culture in a lush tropical paradise. The economy, currency, politics, music and entertainment are all familiar and stable, I would suggest reassuring.

Maui: The Polynesian Hero

Ed Borkowski is an independent Public Relations Consultant specializing in corporate social responsibility and a travel enthusiast. http://ca.linkedin.com/in/edborkowski

It’s stress free. Racing to make connections, passports, rugged roads, or getting in shape for arduous treks, are only included to add to your adventure. A simple shot of excitement nudges you on your way. Spice it up with a dash of elaboration, a pinch of embellishment. The pace can float along like a cloud on a warm summer breeze, dance on the winds of time or race to the beat of a jungle drum. Imagine an arduous trek through the hot dessert sun in Egypt. Jostled by the jerky lunge of your camel, painfully groaning, as the sand bakes onto your clothes and crusts your red leathered skin. You’re parched and it’s a long journey to your next resting place, where you’ll pitch your tent to weather out the nightly sand storms. This plight is exhilarating because you’re focused on your destination, the amazing pyramids. You’ve waited a life time to see the site of these ancient monuments, representing a time of royal elegance and lavish lifestyles that has mystified people for centuries.  Your anticipation of the dawning light to travel the last leg of this expedition has kept you from a good nights

rest. The sun rises in front of you, shielding the blazing fireball, you hold tightly to your rein for hours. Suddenly your camel rear its head and stops abruptly.  Looking ahead in fear that something has gone wrong, you gasp in astonishment. There they are, massively blocking out the horizon. You realize that these majestic pyramids are not a wonder but the creation of something higher and more powerful than your can fathom. At this moment you realize, it is here that your journey begins.

Do you mind, travelling…?

Sandy Luke dreams of exotic locales at Phoenix-Toronto Toastmasterswww.phoenix-torontotoastmasters.org

Spending time in the outdoors and returning home from a camping trip feeling like I need a vacation to recover from my vacation is what I consider time well spent. Most of my camping has been spent in provincial parks, but a new world opened up to me when I discovered the joys of back-country camping on federal crown land last year.

Unlike provincial campgrounds, there are no staff members, no facilities, no easily identifiable campsites, and often no trails leading back to the land. It’s also unlikely there will be other campers in the area.

There is, however, plenty of wildlife to explore. For those who crave learning experiences, back-country camping will teach you about the wilderness (sometimes the hard way). Bear lines must be strung. Precautions must be taken because the nearest first aid stations are back in civilization.

We canoed into the crown land we were to use as a campsite, pitched tents and fished for our first meal of the weekend. We explored the area, foraging for

ingredients like wild cranberries and juniper berries for use in meals we would have throughout the rest of the weekend. Learning even the basics of wild edibles and wilderness survival was enough to hook me.

I’ll be returning to that same piece of crown land this year. I’ve been researching foraging techniques and plant identification. Although it’s a very different type of travel destination, I’d take back-country camping in Ontario over rest and relaxation on a resort.

Back-country camping

Chris Talbot is a freelance writer and editor. He blogs at www.christalbot.com and tweets as @ajaxwriter.

The French expression, “je ne sais quoi,” refers to something that is difficult to define. The expression can define a moment, a place, a feeling, impression, a time or a state of mind. It might refer to a sensory experience – instincts, thoughts, and feelings – versus the physically concrete images of buildings or sunsets. Instinctively, we might know the very essence we are trying to describe, but the words just don’t spring to mind. I had that feeling wandering the Montparnasse district in Paris, France. I’ll try to describe it.

The sense that anything can happen, combined with the feeling that everything has happened: the melding of the past with the future. The technologically advanced Georges du Pompidou centre, contrasted with the historic Sacre Coeur Cathedral. Fast-paced energy as people move quickly from place to place, juxtaposed with some leisurely sipping wine or café au laits on café patios. Views of the sprawling city from towers high above the city…balanced with the hustle bustle of city life on the ground level.

Chic women and stylish men. Artistic expression oozing from the very pores of the high finance city. Glorious museums on the shores of a river so storied that ancient Roman soldiers can practically be seen storming the city.

The energy of the city – the opposing forces – the rain, sunshine, clouds – buildings, trees, cemeteries, baby carriages. The historic Metro transportation system running below streets filled with sporty cars and marches for every taste.

The many juxtapositions of Paris compose the certain “je ne sais quoi” that I experienced - and continue to experience - in my memories.

“Je ne sais quoi”

Michelle Warren helps individuals identify their ‘je ne sais quoi’ dreams & aspirations while helping them be productive and use technology efficiently.

www.michellewarren.ca

Are you into the Great Outdoor Adventure? Would you prefer exploring City Life? Perhaps, if you’re anything like me, you might enjoy a combination of experiences.

Is travel in your plans? In case you didn’t know it .. Ontario rocks!

Check it out … www.ontariotravel.net

Having traveled Canada by car from the mountains of the Pacific coast to the shores of the Atlantic, I am always reminded how many diverse and magnificent treasurers Ontario boasts when friends come to visit. I reconnect with my own backyard, which I seem to take for granted, until they arrive. Then, there is simply never enough time to take it in.

Recently, I picked up “Top 100 Unusual Things to See in Ontario” by Ron Brown. While I have traveled to wonderful places in Europe and abroad, I am now once again inspired to re-experience my home turf, Ontario. My plans are to enjoy its splendour by visiting an array of scenic, historic and extraordinary attractions. I can’t wait to get going.

Hope you create wonderful memories in your travels.

Here’s wishing you a safe and happy Journey ... Enjoy!

Discovering Ontario, Canada Something for Everyone for Every Season

My pic is one of my all-time favourite hangout spots in Thornbury, Ontario. Irene Kaye Helping people minimize their personal and

professional stress levels. www.MinimizingStress.com

When we think of travel destinations, we look to the internet, travel shows and brochures.The economy has been tough on so many people in so many places in the last while and travelling for pleasure is one of the agenda items that usually get scratched off of the to do list.

I grew up in one of the most beautiful areas of the world – the Niagara Peninsula.

Stand at the brink of the falls; feel and see the power of the water that generates hydro, jobs, tourism…romance. It is spectacular. Drive along the winding road beside the Niagara River, wander into wine country, see where the battles of the war of 1812 took place. Take a step back in time – nothing moves too quickly in Niagara and with the speed of the world that we’re living in…slowing downisn’t such a bad thing to do.

Look around in your own back yard, where can you go and who can you share the beauty of your surroundings with?

When friends come to visit, I enjoy listening to them say ‘nothing”. They’re simply admiring the beauty that I have exposed them to.

The Exotic Highlands of the Niagara Peninsula?

Rick Mamros is a Director at Learn2Network International Inc. www.learn2network.com

Created by Adults for Adults June 2010 MWarren editor

eBook #2: Traveling the World Template # 1

Edward Gal is the principal and founder of www.MotionsMedia.com, and an avid traveler, photographer, and videographer.

India… that magical, mystical place that we all long to visit

at least once in our lifetime. So what is it about this exciting

land that so entices us?

For starters, let’s talk colors, sights, food, religion,

sounds, and so many people.

It’s that place that appeals to all of our senses.

It would be near impossible to see India in one visit, which means you would

have to cherry pick the right destinations and sights in your

first visit.

My top picks are as follows:

Delhi’s museums – taj at Agra – Jaisalmer

fort – mumbai’s elephanta caves – backwaters

of kerala – himalayan trek – ganges river

rafting – elephant safari – leh ladakh

When to go: September to March are the best travel

months in India.

Nidhi Gupta is a life and business coach, who is passionate about India.

www.globalvisionscoaching.com

Most people think of the coastal regions when they consider a travel destination in Mexico.

You may want to consider Guadalajara, located in the central region. With over 10 million inhabitants and about 2.5 hours east of Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara is a relatively safe jewel.

Its central location, away from mountains and large bodies of water, gives it the luxury of being a temperate climate.

Its size and location away from the more popular tourist destinations provides a unique cultural reference point. And the shopping is out of this world!

Guadalajara has a tremendous variety of restaurants and modern amenities, and a host of historical sites. Beautiful churches, cathedrals and markets abound.

Guadalajara, Mexico

This central region is becoming a popular place with communities being built on the outskirts to meet the needs of snowbirds looking for retirement homes or permanent residency in a warm climate.

Claudia Mamros specializes in performance improvement and has traveled to Guadalajara on business. www.mamros.com

TRAVEL AND COMMITMENT

"What you can do, or dream you can do, begin it! Boldness has genius, power and magic in it." – Goethe A few years ago I happened across a cruise that I really wanted to go on. It was a luxury Caribbean cruise where some prominent Law of Attraction Gurus would be running a workshop – and I just had to get on that boat.  I called the travel agent and though the cruise had been sold out for 6 months she agreed to add me to the already lengthy waiting list.  Three weeks later I called the agent to check the status of the wait list. It hadn’t budged. In fact, the ship was overbooked and the cruise company was paying people not to go on this trip. Things were looking bleak. Then I got a great idea. I would buy my ticket to Fort Lauderdale. Surely someone would get sick or miss their flight or (heaven forbid) die. The agent assured me it would never work. Everyone thought I was crazy. But it made sense to me; I just knew I was going on this trip. The night before the ship was to depart the agent called. There was a woman who had booked a penthouse suite and was willing to sharing with two roommates.  A luxury suite, a super low price, and two awesome roommates. I couldn’t have even dreamed anything this good. This was the work of mysterious forces.  

My travel recommendation: Boldly commit to the most outrageous idea…and it is simply yours for the taking.  

British Virgin Islands, Holland America Westerdam, March 2008

Rebecca Ormond creates corporate identities, websites, and point-of-sale materials for businesses with soul. www.freshspacegroup.com

I’ve been to many places around the world. But, no place has moved me more than New Orleans.

Eager to explore, I reveled in my stroll on the crowded, vibrant, and blaring Bourbon St. And, before I knew it, a car came crashing into a street pole barely missing me, ending up in sputtering smoke. A dog barked and a couple of partying ladies screamed their displeasure with the interruption. This was just another night in New Orleans.

Recalling the devastation from hurricane Katrina, I travelled to the base of the levée which was supposed to protect the city from the sea. I looked up and had to catch my breath at its magnitude. How high must that wave have been to surpass this levée?

The endless rows of isolated homes with smashed windows was haunting. The above-ground cemetery coffins brought back vivid images of floating coffins during the flood.

So much devastation. Yet, as I was having my last breakfast at a local restaurant, I watched as musicians with not a care in the world set themselves up on the street and I realized the spirit of NOLA, the heart of the Big Easy, can never be broken.

Her Name is NOLA

Priti Ramjee is a distributor of online video-on-demand specializing in the indie film market.  http://ca.linkedin.com/in/pritiramjee

Deck: An arresting affair indeed. Housed in Vancouver’s original morgue, the city’s Police Museum is as much about modern forensics as it is about the history of policing in B.C.

Chris Mathieson takes on the glow of an excited child on Christmas Day when he starts talking about blood stains, prohibited weapons, and autopsies.

For instance, while explaining how autopsies are conducted, the executive director of the Vancouver Police Museum (240 East Cordova Street) gleefully holds up a typical kitchen knife -- the tool of choice for coroners, not a scalpel -- and mimics how cadavers are gutted. He’s seen actual autopsies take place; it’s one of the “weird privileges” of his job, he remarked.

“Most autopsies are done using a standard sharp knife, and you’re basically butchering someone,” he explained. “Once the skin has been pulled back, rib cutters are used. You can imagine the snapping, crunching sound as you break through each rib. They used to use custom-made rib cutters, but nowadays they use garden shears. It’s more economical.”

Mathieson is a veritable encyclopedia for how forensic science is used modern day to solve crimes as well as the history of Vancouver’s proud policing heritage. Housed in the original Vancouver City Morgue (built in 1932), the Museum is packed with police artifacts, an array of firearms and weapons confiscated from this city’s streets as far back as early 1900s, and displays documenting some of B.C.’s most puzzling, unsolved murders.

“This morgue could hold a maximum of 18 corpses and that was enough for this city up until 1980,” he said. “People don’t tend

to die in big clumps; the one exception being right after Christmas.”Mathieson also hosts one-hour evening seminars weekly on how forensic science is used to solve various crimes but be forewarned: despite his affable nature, Mathieson’s presentations are not for the faint of heart. “And things get messy, these are very hands-on seminars,” he chimed.

At the Museum there’s also a memorial wall commemorating a number of Vancouver’s fallen officers. Since 1886, 16 Vancouver Police officers have been killed in the line of duty.

A few interesting Canadian policing factoids: the Vancouver Police Department was the first police department in the country to hire women officers (Lurancy Harris and Minnie Millar in 1912) and it was also the first to record fingerprints of arrested individuals beginning in 1908. But the first police force in Canada’s most westerly province was the British Columbia Provincial Police, established at Fort Langley in 1858 to provide law and order after a flood of gold miners and settlers moved to B.C.

If you’re a Vancouverite who’s never been, go! If you’re visiting this fair city, find the time to check it out. An added bonus: regular admission for adults is just $7. At that price, it’s almost a crime.

Vancouver Police Museum a bloody good time

Liam Lahey is a Vancouver-based freelance writer. Follow him on Twitter: @Lahey13

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