Canadian Cuisine – Good Eats

What makes Canadian cuisine unique are its regional specialties: Alberta beef, goldeye fish in Manitoba, salmon from BC, Nova Scotia lobster, and Quebec French pies and pastries.

Game, including rabbit, caribou, and bison, which have been served in aboriginal homes for centuries, are now considered gourmet dishes at cosmopolitan restaurants. A tradition of French haute cuisine is evident in most of the country’s major cities, particularly in top hotels. However, as Canada is a nation of immigrants, ethnic restaurants are common everywhere.

German, Greek, Chinese, Thai, Indian, Ukrainian, African, and Italian cuisines, along with other international favorites, provide a wide range of choice at a price to suit every budget.

Regional specialties can be sampled in their place of origin, but most of the larger towns will also offer a choice of the country’s best local produce, and in some areas this includes Canadian wines and beers.

Types of Restaurants

Eating out in Canada is surprisingly easy on the pocket, particularly compared to European and American prices. This makes a trip to a top restaurant to sample international cuisine (often made with local produce) very worthwhile. Eating places are extremely varied, with the tearoom, bistro, brasserie, and theater café competing with the more usual café, restaurant, and fast food outlet. Many pubs also serve excellent bar food, at reasonable prices.

More unusual, but no less worthwhile, is the uniquely Canadian dining experience of the delicious lobster supper.

Held throughout the summer on Prince Edward Island, these lively gatherings usually take place in church grounds on wooden tables surrounded by local fishermen. Equally unique, though by no means public, are Inuit dinners.

Traveling through the Arctic north may result in an invitation to join an Inuit family for the evening meal. Traditional dishes might include sun dried caribou sweetened with berry sauces or smoked and dried local fish. These family dinners are usually alcohol free and very lively.

Canadian Accomodation Tips

As one might expect in a country of its size, Canada has a wide range of places in which to stay: from stately, world-famous hotels such as the Château Frontenac in Quebec City, to family-run bed-and-breakfasts in the countryside, the variety is immense. Canada offers excellent middle-range accommodations, and you will find rural inns, cottages to rent in scenic spots, elegant town apartments, hostels, houseboats, and the most popular choice of all, the convenient motel. Whether you need a mid-journey bed for the night or a seasonal rental, you can always find the right place and may not even need to book in advance.

Grading and Facilities

There is no government sponsored hotel grading system in Canada, but the voluntary program “Canada Select” is usually very accurate.

Each establishment is rated by numbers of stars. It is worth bearing in mind, however, that a 4-star hotel in a large city such as Toronto, for example, might not have the same level of facilities as one with the same rating in a small upscale resort with a château hotel. Read more

Canadian Travel Tips

Choosing Canada as a vacation destination is a wonderful idea. With its varied landscapes, mountains, big cities and tourist locations, you will find a Canadian vacation has something to offer every member of your family. We’ve compiled a few tips if you plan on vacationing in Canada any time soon. If you are one of the lucky people that travel to Canada on a regular basis, you will still find something new in this list of tips for the Canadian traveler.

If you are visiting any new location, especially one in a foreign country, a travel guide is an invaluable tool for planning your travel itinerary before the trip. A travel guide is also helpful once you’ve made it to your destination, which is Canada in our case. A good travel guide will contain information on local attractions such as museums. A Canadian travel guide will also let you know what the good restaurants are, where you can lay your head at night as well as the hot spots for shopping. Invest in a quality travel guide on Canada, and your planning will go a lot smoother. Another good tip is to make sure you know the weather at the location you will spending time in. Try to get a good idea of what the high and low temperatures will be so you can pack clothing accordingly. Some spots in Canada will be more humid while your mountain ranges are going to be cool, if not downright cold, most of year.

To make your trip go smoothly from the beginning, be sure to investigate what paperwork you are going to need to cross the border in to Canada and be sure that you bring it. With the new, stricter laws on crossing borders you will have to have some sort of proof of identity in order to enter the Country. It isn’t a big deal, unless you try to get in without the proper paperwork. Because these laws are changing constantly, be sure to check the Canadian government website to know what you are going to need.

Do a little research and be sure that you understand the money that you will be using in Canada. They use the Canadian dollar, though some of your cities that border the USA will accept American money. It would be a good idea to carry money in the form of traveler’s checks in Canadian dollars. These will be accepted anywhere and will carry the same security as traveler’s checks in American dollars. To avoid offending your servers when you are in a Canadian restaurant, be sure you know the unspoken gratuity expectation.  If you are in a restaurant, you should tip 12% to 15% if the service was good. Tour guides as well as the bus drivers, are going to expect some tipping as well. $1 or $2 dollars will be fine. Follow these simple tips and your Canadian vacation will be one to remember.

Canada – Quick Travel Tips

Canada is one of the best travel destinations for the tourists and travelers coming from across the world.  Beautiful vistas, exotic wild animals, and exotic journey on the winding roads, and above all, the cosmopolitan cities make it the favored destination for millions of visitors coming from all around the world. While the first time visitors find the Canadian travels an exotic experience, regular visitors used to return time and again to various locations they have grown a liking for.

First time travelers however will require a good Canadian travel guide that would perfectly guide them through their journey in Canada.  It will give you the rare insight into your places of staying, shopping, eating, as well as driving. In addition Canada offers you great night life and also activities that are interesting and memorable experience for not only you but the whole family.

One of the major considerations in your travel to Canada should be the weather.  Maritime province have humid climate.  Western region on the other hand is somewhat drier in comparison.  And in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the climate could be real freezing in winter though it is temperate in summer. Quite a good deal of variations can be experienced in the mountain areas of Canada.

You may not overlook the new restrictions imposed on border crossing.  Documents require constant changes in Canada.  Hence please check these requirements before taking up Canadian travels. The information is available on the Canadian and US official websites.

Canada uses the Canadian dollar and also accepts the American dollar. The best exchange rates can be obtained in the Canadian Chartered Banks – whereas not every place of business will give you the most current exchage rate. It is also a bit of a learning curve when considering Provincial sales tax systems in Canada.  While there is no such tax in Alberta, Northwest Areas, Yukon, and Nunavut, 5% tax in Saskatchewan and 13% at New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland. On top of the Provincial sales tax, there is also GST tax on goods and services.

Best Travel Deals and Social Media

Social media for travel fanatics! I came across a community site for travel enthusiasts – yep yet another social media site. You join up and share best travel deals with other users and, like Digg, they vote the deal up or down.

It’s an interesting concept actually. If you are a frequent traveller, or just come across a fabulous travel package you want to share, you post about it on the site like you would any social media site. Other site users decide if the deal is hot or not. The site claims it is ok to shamelessly plug your own travel deal site on it by offering your own travel deals – as long as you stay on topic and don’t spam the site. The posts appear to be monitored regularly, I couldn’t find any spammy looking posts so far.

I also couldn’t find many Canadian travel deals listed – the site seems to be too new for many to have been posted yet.  Searching by category, I found no listings. But by using the search feature on the site, I typed “Canada” and found some relevant listings.  I’d like to see an RSS feed per country or travel type in the future! Easier to keep track of potential offers I’d be interested in.

This offer by Air Canada caught my eye – Worldwide Fare Sale Starting at $95 one way from Air Canada. It expires tomorrow, May 21, 2009. But you can book for any time until December 2009. Hurry on over to the Air Canada site for that!

All in all, I think the site is very useful for finding the best travel deals. Don’t let the current economy get you down, you really can find a fabulous deal for this year’s family vacation!

Some Great Star Gazing Tips

Cost can be a prohibitive factor in many interests but not star gazing, because in the beginning it doesn’t have to cost you a cent – so if you are interested, read on. Now that the thought of a free hobby has peaked your interest further, just what do you need to start it? Luckily there is nothing much but it could really help if you got yourself a Star Chart, available in books or any thing which talks about the Zodiac.

Initially you will need to obtain a star chart from a book or try the internet although some people just use a book that contains images of the astrological zodiac. Try to find a simple one to begin with as some can be very complex and may contain too much information when you are just starting. These are readily available from planetarium or any observatory and you need to get hold of the cheapest one if possible, as the only need you have of it is to locate the brightest star and the rest can be done by yourself.

If you intend to spend any money on a telescope, do not buy a cheap one – it really will be waste of money and won’t help you enjoy your new interest at all. Even if you buy one, the revolving earth would make the star disappear in such a split second that you would continue your search from the beginning all over again. This will frustrate you and before the night is over the telescope will be back in its box.

My second tip is a far cheaper option but one that will bring many nights of star gazing and all you need to do here is lend, borrow or buy a normal 10×50 set of binoculars. This could your viewing the complete constellation including star groups, the moon and other planets as well a reality. Luck is also on your side as almost every school, but certainly each town has a library and this is your best resource for free literature on the stars, star gazing, the Universe and the Solar System.

Look for books that contain star charts, preferably pull-out versions and don’t worry if the book is quite old because the stars won’t have changed. Before you go into too much depth, locate the Southern Cross or Scorpio in the book and then see if you can find it in the night sky. As it’s name suggests, the Southern Cross is situated in the south while Orion can be found moving from East to West as the night progresses. Remember that it may not always be noticeable because it may appear early or later in the morning.

Do you need to read a lot I hear you ask? Not really, but the moment you start to explore the stars, you will want to know more about them, where they come from and probably where they are going. Strangely, some of the best books to study with in the beginning are those written especially for children as they do not overcomplicate the subject. So in reality all you need to start start gazing is a star chart in the early days which should present you with enough to peak your interest. Do not buy a decent telescope until you are sure about your interest but once you do it will open up a whole new world for you.

Stunning Honeymoon Destinations Do Not Have To Cost Much

Stunning honeymoon destinations do not have to cost an arm and a leg, and as a matter of fact, if you are able to wisely budget and plan ahead, you may be able to still pay the gradually increased costs related to a memorable wedding and afford a wonderful honeymoon! The current trend is a sad one: many a couple must choose between having a fun filled receptions with all of their friends and family present, or instead skimp on the reception and perhaps not invite as many people, but therefore be able to afford at least a weekend getaway for their first few days as a married couple.

Even as stunning weddings are an important aspect of a couple’s new life together, it is the importance of honeymoon destinations as memory builders which cannot be stressed sufficiently! While a nice party with all the trappings is fun and would be nice to have, the fact that the memories you make together during the honeymoon will help to bond you together is of vital importance cannot be denied. Once life returns to being business as usual, you will need these joint memories to help you make it through the rough spots.

Any honeymoon trip begins with a budget. It is advisable to set your budget for the wedding, reception and honeymoon, and not pilfer any of them in favor of the other two. Some couples promise themselves to take a honeymoon later, when there is enough money. Remember that later never comes, since it gets swallowed up by the need to buy a car, replace a television set, or simply buy the little odds and ends that make life so much more comfortable. Do not allow your quest for the perfect wedding dress or cake to drain your honeymoon budget!

If you are working with tight budget, you will most likely want to consider staying local and not have your honeymoon budget drained by just the airfare. Investigate the cost of car rentals or train rides to get to your destination. Make the way to the location part of the experience by plotting the itinerary to allow for plenty of little side trips to other locales for sightseeing, eating at a highly recommended restaurant, or simply visiting a local point of interest.

If you have friends who own vacation homes or time shares, this might be a great way to spend money on the accommodations as well – assuming they are willing to lend you the keys! If you must pay for your hotel room, remember that five stars might shine bright in the night, but a lovely bed and breakfast without them will do just as nicely! Many times the service at the latter is much better than at a big hotel anyways!

Johnathan Bakers is writing first and foremost for http://www.engagement-rings-tips.com , a web page on the topic of tips about rings and different types of engagement rings. His publications on wedding ring tips are published on http://www.engagement-rings-tips.com .

Tips To Save On Fuel

Once again, gas and oil prices are increasing. All the newspapers report home oil prices will be exorbitant this winter. Homeowners are at their wits end trying to figure out how to save on fuel, while having to keep their families warm. Not only that, they have to pay more at the gas pumps, in order to commute to work each day. People have no control on hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico that shut down oil operations, or how much crude oil OPEC will be producing, but there are a few strategies families can utilize to cut down their gasoline consumption.

Keeping the windows closed in the car actually saves energy. The wind drag produced by open windows causes your vehicle to burn more gas than having the air conditioner running. When using the air conditioner, keep in at a low setting to be comfortable. It doesn’t need to be blowing cold air constantly to be effective. During the heating season, the same techniques apply. Use only enough heat to be comfortable. This applies to your home as well. Close and weatherproof the windows in your home, decreasing draughts. Drapes over the windows also help in conserving heat.

Accelerating slowly uses less fuel than speeding up and then having to slow down. It also has less wear and tear on the tires and brakes. Try to stay a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you, avoiding sudden stops. It takes a lot more gas to get the car accelerating again than if you gradually slowed.

Schedule regular maintenance for you vehicle, about every 3,000 miles is standard. A well maintained car uses less gas than a vehicle that is using old oil and sparkplugs. This is also true of your home heating furnace. It should be cleaned and tuned up yearly for the most energy efficiency.

Properly inflated tires are also necessary for fuel economy. Underinflated tires cause drag on the road surface, forcing your vehicle to use more energy to accelerate. Use a pressure gauge to accurately inflate your tires. You could also consider the new low-rolling resistance tires for your vehicle. They are a bit more expensive than standard tires, but you will earn your money back on fuel savings.

Vehicles will also consume more fuel if they are heavily loaded. When using a truck or car for moving heavy objects or tools, remove them when you are not using them. The extra weight actually causes your vehicle to burn more fuel than usual.

Remember to shut your engine off if you are parked. Even a few minutes of waiting in a running vehicle will use up gas. It is better to turn off the car, and restart when necessary. When caught in a traffic jam, turn off the car also. This not only saves on gas, but keeps the engine from overheating and becoming damaged.

Use regular gasoline to fill your car. Most cars operate perfectly well with regular gas. It is not necessary to buy the super or special. If you are not sure, ask your car dealership or refer to the owner’s manual for the gasoline recommendation. When heating your home, contact different oil companies. Prices can vary depending upon the company you are dealing with.

It is always a good idea to carpool if you know anyone else traveling in the same direction as you. It will save on gas, wear on the vehicle, and you even get to use the commuter carpooling fast lane on the highway. All of these suggestions will keep extra pennies in your pocket.

Then, of course, walking is always an option. Instead of going on errands in the car, take a walk to the store, appointment, or library. Not only will you save gas, but you will use up some extra calories along the way.

Roman Robinson is a freelancer for buying-tires. Be sure to read his articles on topics like Snow Tires and Off Road Tires when purchasing yours.

How To Travel Light?

Why travelling light? Travel simplicity. Everything is smoother when you travel fine. With only carry-on luggage.

Easy Travel Matters
There are a couple limited problems when you travel light. First, look an supplemental query or two from the customs duty functionaries at the airport (Six weeks with only this?). Second, a small bag won’t work if you plan to bring back many souvenirs. In this instance, you can still go fine. Just program to buy a second bag at some point during the travel, to take your acquirements. As for the seemingly evident matter of not having enough clothes and other things all in one or two small bags. Here You will get why that isn’t as big a trouble as you may suppose.

How To Travel Light
Silk shirts weigh 3 ounces, and travel well if rolled up. Nylon clothe socks weigh less than an ounce, and they are up-to-date and comfortable. Poly-cotton combine t-shirts weigh 5 ounces. Supplex or other light travel slacks weigh 9 ounces, and are decent for a fine restaurant or a pass in the forest. All of these weigh fewer than half of the typical travel picks, and take less space, yet procedure the same. There is no dedicate concerned here. For this exercise in travel simplicity, you even get to go shopping for new clothes.

You don’t have to buy new clothes, however. You don’t have to purchase a scale and count ounces to travel light. Just pick out the lighter choice whenever you can. Set apart your lightest jacket, socks and pants for your next trip. Travel easiness is the destination, not more complex preparation.

More Directions To Travel Light
Money exchanges weight, especially in the form of a debit entry or credit card. Why carry two pounds of your favorite shampoo when you can only buy small bottlefuls as you travel. It really won’t cost much more to buy things wherever you go, instead of holding your bathroom and wardrobe with you. Also, you really don’t know exactly what you’ll need, particularly on an overseas trip. Buy what you need as you need it, and you won’t have a pile of unusable matters in your baggage. Don’t we all on a regular basis unpack things at home that we never once used during the trip up?

Take a lesson from long-trail hikers (backpackers who travel a trail for months). They send things, such as new shoes, to a post office on their road, upward of time, so they’ll be looking for them. They also send home things they no longer need, such as a wintertime coat. The last mentioned may be a useful practice for other travelers. If you buy bulky gifts for family or friends, why have them around for weeks? Put them in the mail.

A Light Travel Instance

* 8 pairs of thin nylon socks (less than an ounce per pair)
* 2 silk shirts for eating places and discos (3 ounces each)
* 4 poly/cotton combine t-shirts (5-6 ounces each)
* 5 pair of light underclothes (2-3 ounces each)
* 1 extra pair of lightweight slacks (9 ounces)
* Single layer nylon shorts for hiking or swimming (2 ounces)
* Thin gloves (1 ounce)
* Thin hat (1 ounce – honestly)
* Fine wool sweater (11 ounces)
* Waterproof/breathable rainsuit (14 ounces for the set)
* Light flexible camera (3 ounces)
* Sunglasses (1 ounce)
* Small chess set (3 ounces)
* Lavatory kit (5 ounces)
* Maps, notebook and various small things (3 or 4 pounds)

Without spending money or considering about it too much, you can just start setting apart your lightest shirts, socks, etc., so you can trip light on your following holiday.

Learn travel secrets from Travel Guru. Check travel insurance for pensioners.

Bottled Water Impacts The Environment

Do you want to live in a way that protects the future of our children? Do you wish to live in the greenest world possible with a conscience, respect and appreciation for the environment?

Most Americans have a strong sense of social and environmental responsibility. We attempt to make environmentally wise choices in all aspects of our daily living, yet we ignore one of the major contributors to the plight of the planet.

Worldwide in excess of one billion people do not have a pure source of clean drinking water, this is in excess of 1/6 of the world citizens, yet we, as Americans, waste billions of dollars yearly for the convenience of drinking from a plastic bottle instead of a water tap.

1.5 million tons of plastic are used to manufacture bottled water every year. It also takes in excess of 25 times the amount of water to make each plastic bottle than the bottle contains. 300 million gallons of bottled water are imported to the United States yearly.

In America bottled water is often simply an indulgence. Despite our justifications, it is not a harmless indulgence. Bottled water is an environmental catastrophe. Thirty years ago bottled water barely survived as a business in the United States. Today Americans spent more on “designer” bottled water than we spent on iPods or entertainment tickets – $15 billion in 2007. The expected United States expenditure for bottled water will be $16 billion a year before the end of the decade.

As a country we consume in excess of 30 billion single-serving bottles of water per year. Bottled water is the fastest growing beverage industry in the world, worth up to $22 billion a year. Less than 15 per cent of plastic water bottles are recycled, the remainder end up in the garabage system and cost America’s cities in excess of 70 million per year to handle clean up and landfill expenditures. America yearly produces in excess of 800,000 tons of plastic bottle pollution that substantially magnifies global warming.

Last year, Americans threw away 38 billion plastic water bottles, about $1 billion worth of plastic. That’s an overwhelming waste, especially considering 1.5 million barrels of oil – enough to power 100,000 cars for a year – were consumed to manufacture these bottles. And that’s not even including the oil and gas required for shipping and delivering this massive volume of liquid.

If you are spending money on bottled water, you are basically purchasing plastic, which is manufactured from petroleum. When we purchase a bottle of water, what we’re often purchasing is the bottle its self. One of the essential problems with bottled water production is the reliance on fossil fuels. From packaging to transportation, bottled water relies on oil, using 17 million barrels of oil and producing massive amounts of carbon dioxide every year.

In America alone, we are moving 1 billion bottles of water around a week in ships trains and trucks. That amounts to a weekly giant convoy equivalent to 37,800 18 wheelers. Water weighs 8 1/3 pounds a gallon. Water is so heavy you can not safely fill an 18 wheeler with bottled water, you must allow empty space.

There is an simple eco friendly solution. Tap water is much less expensive. As a reporter for the NY Times pointed out, almost all municipal water in America is so good that nobody needs to import a single bottle from Italy or France or the Fiji Islands.

Clean and safe drinking water should be public and affordable. The more the wealthy opt out of drinking tap water, the less political support there will be for investing in developing and maintaining America’s public water supply. That would be a serious loss.

Access to inexpensive, pure water is basic to a nation’s health. In Fiji, a state-of-the-art factory spins out more than a million bottles a day of the hippest bottled water on the U.S. market, while more than half the people in Fiji do not have a pure or dependable source of drinking water. This means it is easier for the average American in Los Angeles or New York to quench their thirst with refreshing Fiji water than it is for the majority of people in Fiji.

If you decide to get your recommended eight to ten glasses a day from bottled water, you could spend up to $1,500 or more every year. The same amount of tap water would cost pennies a day. Recent studies show that many brands of bottled water fail to meet industry guidelines and the cost of even inferior quality bottled water can grow quite high.

Much of bottled water is only plain tap water. Many bottled water firms repackage tap water into plastic bottles, then sell them back to the consumer at prices higher than gasoline and increasing just as rapidly. Aquafina, as an example, has finally been pressured into amending its labels to advise consumers that Aquafina water comes from tap water. Why not just drink tap water? More than a quarter of bottled water is just processed tap water.

Plastic containers leach toxic chemicals. Have you considered why your plastic bottle of water has a label warning telling you not to reuse it? The longer you have that bottle, the more likely it is to leach toxic chemicals into your water.

There is a solution. If you are not confident in your local water supply or wish to safely filter tap water when on the go, carbon-filtered tap water is safer and costs much less than bottled water. According to the Environmental Working Group, carbon filtration of tap water will dramatically lower levels of toxic by products; it is also 10 to 20 times less expensive than bottled water, and does not produce the waste and pollution associated with the packaging and transport of bottled water.

A portable water filter is a perfect solution for water filtration on the go. A portable water filter allows anyone to filter their own water, no matter where they travel; across town or around the world. A portable water filter allows you to free yourself from any unpleasant taste, additives or contaminates while protecting the environment and your pocketbook. Get the whole family involved. A five member family could save well over $7,500.00 a year.

Stop being unwitting victims of manipulative advertising. When a entire industry is built up by overwhelming us with a product we do not need, when an entire industry is based on packaging and presentation, not the product, it is worth asking how that happened and what the future impact is upon our precious planet.

Carbon Filtered Water Bottles Help Protect The Planet! Earth Friendly Products for your green lifestyle Protect The Planet

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