If you believe that the world is ending this year because the Mayan calendar predicts our imminent demise, then this little piece on the BBC Travel (Lonely Planet) website is for you.

If, on the other hand, you believe this little piece on the BBC Travel website will be here long after Christmas, then you’ve clearly never worn a tinfoil hat.

Oh, and Doug wrote this, by the way. Nicely done!

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Once again Wanderism visits our Top 9 list. This time Canadian great drives. But of course great drives are in abundance everywhere in the world there are roads, and sometimes NO roads at all.

So, what’s missing here? Where have you been that deserves to be on a Top List of terrific road trips? And no need to think only of Canada. Personally, I can remember a handful of amazing road journeys in the American Southwest, and at least one ‘gobsmacking’ asphalt experience in the hills of Tuscany. And you…?

Let us know – comments below.

1. The Icefields Parkway, Alberta
Sure, you can drive one of North America’s most scenic roads (Hwy 93) that bisects 100 glaciers, two national parks (Banff and Jasper) and sweeps past dozens of peacock-blue lakes. But even more impressive is to cycle this wide-shouldered, hostel-studded highway. Be sure to cool down with a tiptoe up to the Athabasca Glacier.

2. The Qu’Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan
If you’re speeding along the Trans-Canada Highway, remember to veer north at the tiny community of Qu’Appelle. The endless swath of golden wheat fields splits open on Hwy 210 into a spectacular valley laced with a series of lakes, coulees and groves of trees – a recreational mecca for Reginans, who live 45 minutes away.

3. The Beginning of Prairie Parkland, Manitoba
If you’re slicing across Canada on the Yellowhead Highway (#16), don’t whiz by the prettiest town on the prairies: Neepawa. Just west of the town, veer north on Hwy 10 through Riding Mountain National Park to Dauphin and west to Inglis, home of five historic grain elevators – a fantastic site at sunset.

4. The Beginning of Clearly Superior, Ontario
Now you’ll know why Canada’s Group of Seven artists lingered around this necklace of wide sandy bays on Lake Superior’s east shore in Ontario. Take Hwy 17 north from Sault Ste. Marie to Wawa, and be soothed by all that freshwater, the Lego-like blocky cliffs and spots like Pancake Bay – where voyageurs stopped to fry up some pancakes before restocking supplies in “the Soo.”

5. The St. Lawrence Route, Quebec
Linking Baie-Saint-Paul to La Malbaie, Hwy 362 meanders through the artsy villages of Charlevoix and over mountains that tumble into the St. Lawrence – the result of a meteorite two km (1.25 mi) in diameter that crashed here 350 million years ago.

6. The Dempster Highway, Yukon
Drive the Dempster, one of this continent’s loneliest strips of loose gravel, and you’ll cross the Continental Divide (three times), two mountain ranges and touch the Arctic Circle. Begin in Dawson City and head northeast for 736 km (457 mi) to Inuvik, NWT – you’ll feel like you’re driving to the ends of the earth. (You kinda are.)

7. The Cabot Trail, Nova Scotia
Drive along the skirts of Cape Breton Island, and you’ll breeze through beech forests and swoop over ocean bluffs. Dotted with fishing ports, craft barns (noted for their hooked rugs), quirky road stops and absurdly stunning ocean views, look for pods of whales in the water and moose along the forest trails.

8. The Fundy Coastal Drive, New Brunswick
We love this maritime journey especially in the fall, when the forests look like they’ve been shellacked with marmalade. Besides the fiery colours, you can marvel at some of the highest tides on earth.

9. The Viking Trail, Newfoundland & Labrador
Inhabited by Aboriginals centuries ago and landed on by the Vikings 1,000 years ago, the land this weeklong road trip slices through was later populated by 16th-century Basque whalers and is now home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: spectacular Gros Morne National Park and L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site.

10. ??? What’s missing? Let us know below. ROAD TRIP!

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Original Article Written By Debra Cummings – Courtesy of the Canadian Tourism Commission. The text has been modified from the original.

Herewith, the latest installment of some travel pages you may have ‘missed’. Enjoy!

• From The Honolulu Star Advertiser (Hawaii)…
    » When The Ukulele Came To Town

• From The San Jose Mercury-News (California)…
    » Napa Valley And All That Jazz

• From The Manila Bulletin (Philippines)…
    » Philippines Means Zip

• From The SUR In English (Spain)…
    » The Mountain Region of Sierra Magina

• From Stuff.co.nz (New Zealand)…
    » A Swedish Treehotel

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In the comment section after the article, let us know what’s been missed. What should be on a list of top culinary trails in Canada? Do you have a favourite? Let us know. We’ll compile our own list based on your comments and publish it here so all that good food doesn’t go to waste.

Now, let’s dig in – in no particular order!

1. Flavours Trail, P.E.I.
Canada’s smallest province is big on culinary experiences. For those who like to eat and do more, this is the place to pick apples, learn to shuck oysters and dig up your own batch of the island’s famous potatoes.

2. Butter Tart Trail, Wellington North, Ontario
Take flaky cups of pastry, top them up with a filling made with butter, raisins, sugar and nuts and you’ve got a quintessential Canadian treat. Along the country roads of the area, you’ll find more than a dozen varieties to sate your appetite.

3. Flavour Trail, Charlevoix, Quebec
Along the shores of the St. Lawrence River, farms and food artisans make the most out of the local agri-bounty, with everything from gourmet ice cream to clay-oven bakeries.

4. Chocolate Trail, Vancouver Island, B.C.
Nibble your way from Victoria (home to Rogers’ Chocolates, a local favourite since 1885) to Tofino for Clayoquot Blackberry Buttercream chocolates from Chocolate Tofino.

5. The Taste Trail, Prince Edward County, Ontario
Looking for the next hot culinary destination? This county, east of Toronto, is impressing serious foodies with its excellent wine, maple syrup and even award-winning hot dogs.

6. The Gourmet Cheese Route, Quebec
Cheese, please! Go ahead and take a bite from delectable creations from over 70 of the province’s cheese artisans, spread over 12 regions.

7. Ontario Craft Beer, Ontario
From southern Ontario to the Ottawa Valley, beer aficionados can sip and sample at 25 microbreweries. Pack up your thirst, pick a designated driver and get exploring!

8. Thompson Okanagan Wine Tour, B.C.
Home to more than 100 wineries, this is the place for wining and dining. It’s a self-guided tour that takes you to large, well-known wineries, as well as small-batch boutique wineries. Just follow the burgundy and white signs, or at a visitor centre, pick up a map or rent a GPS that provides commentary and directions.

9. Icewine Trail, Niagara Region, Ontario
The golden nectar produced by grapes frozen by Mother Nature is as well known around the world as fellow Canadian Celine Dion. More than 20 wineries in close proximity give icewine fans a chance to see the beautiful vineyards responsible for such a sumptuous drink.

10. ??? What’s missing? Let us know below. And bon appetit!

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Original Article Written By Michele Sponagle – Courtesy of the Canadian Tourism Commission. The text has been modified from the original.

After I hastily ripped the wrapping paper off what I hoped would be my new prized possession, my anticipation was rewarded. I’d seen a copy at a friend’s house and knew that you could find cool stuff by simply closing your eyes, flipping the pages, stopping at random and pointing with your finger somewhere on either page. The result was always, “I didn’t know that.” Usually followed by, “Cool!”

That day I closed my eyes, flipped the pages, stopped near the middle of the book and pointed:

The longest straight stretch of railway line in the world is on the Nullarbor Plain in Australia. It runs between the tiny settlement of Ooldea, South Australia and a remote siding in Loongana, Western Australia for 297 miles (478 kilometres) dead straight!”

I didn’t know that. And it’s still ‘cool’!

Grant Willis, who lives in South Australia, thinks so too. But he’s had a unique perspective on this transportation anomaly. HE’S DRIVEN IT! I’m jealous.

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