I like to go back and look at my most popular stories from the past year, to reflect, and to get an idea of what you'd like to read more about in the coming year.
Below are the most popular stories from 2018, purely based on the numbers and readership. I did not include my holiday gift guide (always a popular story each year) or my 2018 campsite reservation guide - which will be updated for 2019 shortly.
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Top Ten Family Adventure Stories from 2018! Did you miss any? |
Top Ten Family Adventure Stories from 2018
We have some amazing attractions and sites right on our doorstep that many of us locals pass over because we think "it's too busy, too expensive, too crowded, or just flat out too touristy."
Read about ten of my family's favourite attractions and sites in the mountain parks of Banff and Jasper. Each one is very popular with tourists, but equally enjoyable as a local.
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Local's guide to exploring the best of Banff and Jasper |
We can officially say that we have a favourite bike trail in Alberta, and we believe it is the most beautiful trail for mountain biking in all of Southern Alberta. It's also a lot of fun, and there was a lot of whooping and hollering going on in our party on the flowy descents.
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Biking the High Rockies Trail in Kananaskis with kids |
We've been climbing mountains as a family since my son was too young to walk. We started with hikeable peaks we could carry a baby up, moved on to toddler summits, and then slowly walked our way higher each year.
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First summits for families in the Canadian Rockies |
A larch tree looks like a normal evergreen tree until mid September when the needles turn bright golden yellow and begin to slowly fall off for the winter. New needles come back the following spring, making this a very unusual "evergreen tree" since it's definitely not green year round. In winter, you'd just see a bare trunk and branches (like any deciduous tree.)
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Our favourite autumn hikes for golden larch trees |
My family recently spent a weekend in Golden and I was made aware that Golden is so much more than a "refueling stop," more than a quick overnight stay on the way to the coast, and much more than the highway you see driving through town.
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Family adventure bucket list for Golden, BC |
I think we can all agree that downhill skiing is one of the most expensive sports a family can choose as a winter activity. By the time you've purchased gear for another season (somebody tell these kids to stop growing,) and perhaps invested in seasons passes for a local hill, you're easily spending upwards of $2000.00 (and that's if you were on the ball and bought passes at early season rates!)
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How to become a ski family without breaking the bank |
Did you know that you can still go ice skating on a real mountain lake - in April? How about skiing in prime winter conditions (no slush here,) or even sledding (without a trace of dirt!) Lake Louise still has epic amounts of snow for all winter sports.
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5 Reasons to visit Lake Louise this spring |
Last year I could usually keep up to my child on the ski hill. I was faster on groomed runs, and I think I still might have been the stronger skier. That has changed this year, and my 9 year old is kicking my butt!
Want a good butt-kicking from your own kids on the hill? Follow these steps below and you'll see progress arrive quickly. Maybe too quickly.
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Take your skiing to the next level in 5 simple steps |
It's starting to feel like spring in Calgary, and the warm sun has me dreaming about first hikes, camping trips, and dry bike trails.
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The best of spring in the Canadian Rockies (Gotta do THIS!) |
I've always been a big supporter of regular school attendance and would never have considered pulling my son from classes for the day - to go skiing! That is until this year, when I did it for the first time, and realized how much fun it was to spend a day at a ski hill without the weekend crowds!
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Yes, take the kids out of school for the day - and go skiing! |
Other Adventure Stories You Might Have Missed
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Top ten adventure highlights of 2018 |
And check out some of these stories below that you may have missed (click on the caption below the photo to read the story:)
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