Top Ten Places to See in Canada, according to Country_Wife

Canada's finest (and first) national park, in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, about an hour's drive from the city of Calgary, Alberta. Enjoy the towering mountains in summer and winter, and beautiful glacial blue mountain lakes in the warm months. The town of Banff is a small but vibrant tourist centre; however, to restrict your visit ot the national park to the townsite would be a horrible mistake. Lake Louise is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In 2008, Quebec City will celebrate its four hundredth anniversary. Old Quebec is filled with history, from the Notre Dame des Victoires church in the lower town, built on the site of Champlain's original "Habitation de Quebec", to the 19th-century Citadel and fortifications which surround the Upper Town of Old Quebec. Although Vieux Quebec has a number of excellent museums, its cobblestone streets are full of life, with excellent restaurants and varied shopping. A UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This beautiful park stretches along the eastern shores of Prince Edward Island. Ocean beaches with warm water, red sand dunes, and stunning views are among the natural charms of this park. Inland, the home which was to become a setting for L. M. Montgomery's wonderful Anne of Green Gables books is also a part of this park.

In the 18th century, Louisbourg was a bustling French outpost on the eastern edge of North America. Today, after painstaking research from colonial records and archeological work, a large part of the town has been rebuilt and restored to the way it looked in the days of the French regime. Costumed interpreters play the roles of soldiers, merchants, innkeepers, and other townsfolk, and vividly bring the history of Louisbourg to life.

The Canadian Rockies have an incredible diversity of scenes. At Waterton Lakes National Park, the mountains rise abruptly and majestically above the flat prairie. Startlingly beautiful.

On the northern end of Newfoundland's Great Northern Peninsula, St. Anthony is a good base for exploring the NW tip of Newfoundland. L'Anse Aux Meadows National Historic Park is the site of the only confirmed Viking settlement in the New World, c. 1000 A.D. A Viking longhouse similar to the ones originally on the site has been reconstructed, and costumed interpreters explain what life was like for these early visitors. In the visitor centre, you can see the artifacts which were excavated from the site, along with a museum-style explanation of the history of the Vikings and their settlement.

Across the road from L'anse Aux Meadows is Norstead, a recreation of a Viking settlement of the type seen in Iceland and Scandinavia at the time of the voyages of Erik the Red and Leif Ericsson. It is also staffed by knowledgeable interpreters in historic costume. Norstead is also home to the Snorri, a reproduction of a Viking knarr (merchant ship) in which author/adventurer Hodding Carter and his crew crossed the Atlantic. Whales and icebergs may be spotted in the waters near L'Anse aux Meadows.

Also nearby is the very picturesque hamlet of St. Lunaire-Griquet, and the Dark Tickle wild berry Economuseum.

For those who find Banff too built-up, and Jasper and Waterton to be too far away, Kananaskis Country is the hidden gem of the Canadian Rockies. The mountains are beautiful, yet distinct from the mountains in the area around Banff. There are many amenities: four major hotels, a few lodges, a 36-hole golf course, tent and RV campgrounds, picnic areas, and of course a host of walks, hiking trails, and backpacking trails with backcountry campgrounds. For a scenic drive, try taking the Trans-Canada highway to Hwy 40, driving over the Little Highwood Pass, and then connecting to the Hwy 22 at Longview, Alberta and driving through the foothills back to Calgary.

This mountain highway connects Lake Louise to Jasper. Although it only takes three hours to do the entire trip (one way), it would be a crime to just drive it without stopping. Not only are the views totally breathtaking, but there are also many chances to stop, walk, and explore. Mountain caribou and grizzly bears can be seen by the roadside. The views on the south journey are strikingly different from those on the northbound trip, but both routes are equally dazzling; don't make the mistake of only travelling the road one way, or of thinking that you'll drive slowly and enjoy the view one way, and then return without stopping.

Make sure to fill your vehicle with gas before your departure from Banff or Jasper; the sole service station, at Saskatchewan River Crossing, has very high gas prices.