Things to Do in North America

Even if you normally give museums a miss, you won’t want to leave Victoria without dropping into the highly acclaimed Royal British Columbia Museum.

From big-screen IMAX movies to the re-created First Peoples village, this imaginative and creatively curated museum will have you thinking and engaging with the past.

The First Peoples Gallery provides insights into life before the arrival of Europeans, while the Modern History Gallery vividly re-creates colonial life. In the Natural History Gallery, seals, grizzly bears and seabirds fill dioramas re-creating the region’s ecosystems.

Big-screen films are screened in the on-site IMAX cinema.

Stretching over nine miles long and one mile across through the center of the city, this 1,754-acre forest park is one of the most distinctive and beloved features of Washington, D.C. Encompassing a leisurely, winding, and sometimes creek-side drive and numerous paths for walking and biking, Rock Creek Park provides a series of relaxing opportunities to sidestep a purely urban experience of the Nation’s Capital.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Rock Creek Park is home to a few of D.C.’s best-preserved historical buildings and smaller parks: the water-powered Pierce Mill, built in the 1820s; the elegant Meridian Hill Park in Columbia Heights, which features a 13-tier manmade waterfall; and Georgetown’s 18th-century Old Stone House, a small museum and the oldest building in the city.

To acquaint yourself with the flora and fauna of the park – especially if you’re traveling with children - visit the Rock Creek Park Nature Center (5200 Glover Road, NW), which includes a wall-mounted beehive under glass and a small planetarium. The Center is free to enter and open Wednesday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; not accessible by Metrorail or bus, the Center offers a free parking lot.

Three Metrorail stations, all serving the Red Line, provide access to sections of Rock Creek Park: Pierce Mill can be accessed via Van Ness or Cleveland Park, and the park’s main walking and bicycle paths are just down the hill from Woodley Park-National Zoo.

At the base of the CN Tower is sports and entertainment venue, The Rogers Centre (formerly known as the Skydome). Since the name change in 2006, the Centre welcomes over 3.5 million visitors a year. 

The Rogers Centre is the home of the Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Club, World Series Champions in 1992 and 1993, and the Toronto Argonauts Football Team, who last won the Grey Cup in 2004. It is known as having the world’s first fully retractable roof. The roof opens and closes in 20 minutes and is a fun feature while being at a game or event.

The Rogers Centre is the ideal venue for a big stadium concert; some of the biggest names in the business have entertained the masses from The Rolling Stones to Bon Jovi.

To learn more about the Rogers Centre, you can experience a one hour fully guided behind-the-scenes tour. Highlights include a visit to different levels, a press box and a luxury suite among other stops.

On the north side of the Guadalajara Cathedral, you’ll find a little park that contains the Rotonda de los Jaliscienses Ilustres, or the Rotunda of the Illustrious Jaliscans. Ringed by bronze statues and flowering trees, the neoclassical rotunda houses the remains of the state’s luminaries. Inside the rotunda, the coffin of Enrique Díaz de León, the first rector of the University of Guadalajara, sits in state. You’ll also see urns containing the ashes of Jalisco’s honored dead; additional empty urns await their occupants. A crypt below the floor contains the mummified remains of General Ramón Corona, who defended Mexico during the French invasion, served as a popular reform governor, and was murdered in 1889.

Statues of Jaliscan movers and shakers encircle the monument. Wander the park to gaze upon the great muralist José Clemente Orozco, the architect Luis Barragán, the governor Ignacio Vallarta (of Puerto Vallarta fame), and the writer, philosopher, avant-garde landscape painter and Nazi sympathizer, Dr. Atl.

Alberta’s stunning Rocky Mountains are one of the biggest attractions in the province. Protected by Banff and Jasper National Parks, the Canadian Rockies run along the border of British Columbia and Alberta through a landscape of glaciers, snow-capped mountain peaks, hot springs, and turquoise lakes.

The Basics

Outdoor adventure is the name of the game in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The menu of activities is extensive; you can take a bus tour along the Icefields Parkway to tour the Columbia Icefield, go whitewater rafting on the Fraser River, embark on a guided hike through the alpine wilderness of Banff National Park, walk above the Athabasca Glacier on the glass-floored Glacier Skywalk, or sit back and enjoy the twists and turns of the roads from the seat of a sidecar.

Things to Know Before You Go

• The Rocky Mountains are a must-visit for nature lovers and outdoor adventurers.
  
• Wear comfortable hiking shoes suitable for traversing uneven surfaces.
  
• Dress in layers; the weather in the Rockies can be unpredictable.
  
• Cellphone reception outside of towns can be unreliable.
  
• Rocky Mountains tours typically include pickup and drop-off in Banff or Jasper.
  

How to Get There

The commercial airport closest to the Canadian Rockies is Edmonton International Airport, about four hours from Jasper. The easiest way to explore the region is by renting a car and driving, but you can also opt for day tours from Banff or Jasper.

When to Get There

While the Canadian Rockies are a four-season destination, winters are long and chilly (perfect for winter adventures), with snow covering the ground well into April and even May. Late June to mid September is the best season for hiking, and crowds begin to thin out in September and October. Expect crowds during the Lake Louise Ice Magic Festival (January) and the Calgary Stampede (July).

Visiting Canadian National Parks

Like their U.S. counterparts, national parks in Canada require an entrance fee paid at the park gate or visitor center. If you’re planning to visit multiple parks in the Rockies, like Banff National Park, Jasper National Park, Waterton Lakes National Park, Kootenay National Park, or Yoho National Park, consider a Parks Canada Discovery Pass, an annual pass that gets you into any of Canada’s national parks, marine conservation areas, and historic sites.