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Welcome to Travel Writers' Tales, an independent travel article syndicate that offers affordable and professionally written travel articles to newspaper editors and publishers. Over the course of a 52 week term, we will meet your need for travel copy, whether it is one story a week, bi-weekly or monthly. We provide two CD ROMs, each covering your six month supply. The lively and up-to-date travel stories are written by accredited travel writers. As well as diversified destinations, the compilation of articles is thematically selected to suit the calendar year. The pre-packaged CD ROMs not only simplify publishing deadlines, but also promote increased advertising sales on a monthly basis. Travel Writers' Tales offers the discerning armchair traveler, as well as the active adventure seeker, glimpses into the excitement and mystery of worlds that lie beyond our horizons.
If we are always arriving and departing, it is also true that we are eternally anchored. One’s destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.
....Henry Miller (1891–1980)
May 2013
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SITES AND SUMMITS IN BC AND BANFF (PART 3 OF 5)
Yohoho, Great Hikes, Hikes, Hikes
by Jane Cassie
It's 10 am and I'm chilling out in a camp chair. Although my eyes are at half mast, I hear the roar of nearby rapids and smell bacon that sizzles on someone else's grill.
We've just driven Roger's Pass, the jaw-dropping 2 hour route, hemmed in by snow-cloaked mountains, that links Glacier National to Golden. And from our Kicking Horse campsite in Yoho National Park, while lap-loved by Kalli, my pup, I haven't a care in the world.... read more » |
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BAJA IS BEST FOR FOODIES
by Colleen Friesen
It's an easy mistake to make.
Judging by the typical Tex-Mex fare delivered by most restaurants, you might believe that Mexican food is comprised of tortillas, tomatoes and cilantro. Perhaps you'd go so far as to include guacamole, blobs of melty cheese and some lime-tarted margaritas on that list.
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THE HARRISON RIVER: UNSPOILED AND UNKOWN
by Julie H. Ferguson
The Mighty Fraser and the Thompson Rivers are among the natural wonders that define British Columbians. They weave through our memories of geography lessons and vacations. But I yearned to explore another river-a shorter, less-storied river, with none of the drama of discovery that singles out the others, but which carries more than its share of BC history between its banks. I had my chance in May 2012 and toured the Harrison River by water with a private guide.
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OXFORD: CITY OF SPIRES
by Chris Millikan
An esteemed university town since the mid-13th century, Oxford recently 'educates' us with some remarkable sights, starting with renowned Oxford University itself.
At first visitors like us are surprised to find no single campus and we soon realize that its 38 distinguished colleges are scattered throughout this walkable historic town. Too daunting a task to see them all, we concentrate on locating the earliest.
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April 2013
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BANGKOK'S TOP EXPERIENCES
by Lauren Kramer
The city of Bangkok teems with relentless activity, from traffic jams that make the Lower Mainland's rush-hour roads look like a breeze, to street vendors making dentures and repairing clothing. Feel like having a fried pomfret fish or a plate of pad thai? The street is the place to find it, for next to nothing in price. On every corner Thai culture is palpable - you see it, inhale it and feel its frenetic activity all around you. It can get overwhelming - so here's our list of top activities in the city.
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PIER 21, HALIFAX-THE MEMORIES LIVE ON
Story and photos by Margaret Deefholts
The faces stare back at me-old black and white photographs of men, women and children. A young man wears his cap set at a jaunty angle, but his eyes are apprehensive. A family huddles together as if for protection, the mother wearing a scarf, her overcoat neat, if shabby. A child clings to her skirts. In another shot, a teenager looks directly at the camera, her smile both tremulous and eager.
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March 2013
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SITES AND SUMMITS IN BC AND BANFF (PART 1 OF 5)
Reveling in Mount Revelstoke
by Jane Cassie
Spring is almost here and my hiking boots are getting antsy. It's time to re-stock the RV, check out a few campsites and climb a few summits. During the next five stories (one/month) you can follow our tire and boot treads as we scoot along one highway that links together two provinces, four national parks and tons of trails. Mammoth mountains, unspoiled beauty, epic terrain -it's a trip that's steeped with splendor, adventure and awe. And from the comfort of your armchair you'll be able to sit back and enjoy it all, while barely moving a muscle ... read more » |
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FEELS LIKE WE'RE AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD
by Karoline Cullen
"Why do you want to go there?" The ranger asks. "It looks like a bigger town, where we might find a place to stay tonight." I reply. She glances at my map and with a shake of her head, says "No, you don't want to go there." ... read more » |
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THE SWISS ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES
by James Ross
I stand atop Reichenbach Falls and watch the raging waters tumble 120 metres into the black-rock chasm below. I listen to the booming roar of the water and feel the fresh spay on my face. My wife and I were touring Switzerland, passing by car from Interlaken to Lucerne, when I had insisted on a little detour near Meiringen to the site of the spectacular falls, the place where Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had tried to kill off his fictitious super-sleuth in the story "The Adventure of the Final Problem." ... read more » |
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LE P'TIT TRAIN DU NORD - A CYCLIST'S NIRVANA
by Cherie Thiessen
The cycle trail, fringed with wildflowers, licked by lakes and crossed by languid rivers, dawdles in Quebec's Laurentians under sun-speckled sylvan canopies and lakes. Although there's one stretch that climbs 221 metres, we hardly notice. Once a humming railway line, the route, fondly named after its moniker, Le P'tit Train du Nord, is the longest linear park in Canada at just over 200 km. ... read more » |
February 2013
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PENANG: BETEL NUT, BUTTERFLIES AND BIRD'S-EYE VIEWS
by Margaret Deefholts
"Do you know how Pinang got its name? Our tour guide Tan asks. He is a bespectacled young man with a flair for the dramatic. The group are silent. "Look at this!" he says, pointing with a flourish to cluster of brown nuts hanging from an areca palm tree. "These are betel nuts. Very important in Malaysian culture and tradition. Just like in the western world you offer drinks to your visitors, we offer our guests betel nuts wrapped in betel leaves. It is also served on ceremonial occasions like weddings." He pauses. "We have many areca palms here on this island, so can you guess what the word for betel nut is in Malay?" "Pinang?" I venture. He beams. "Yessss!" ... read more » |
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LITERARY-SOAKED EDINBURGH
by Hans Tammemagi
Sipping a latté in Elephant House, the coffee shop where a destitute J.K. Rowling penned her first Harry Potter novel, I realized I had gone astray. Scotch whisky had lured me to Edinburgh, but instead I found myself immersed in literature. I was moved by Rowling's perseverance, and while wiping away a moustache of cream, silently vowed to tackle my secret goal of writing a book....read more » |
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STEPPING OUT ONTO THE MONGOLIAN STEPPES
by Irene Butler
Chinggis Khaan sits astride his powerful stead clutching a golden whip in his right hand. This behemoth statue of the legendary 13th century Golden Horde leader (who we know as Genghis Khan) rises 40m from on top of the 10m visitors centre and is fashioned from 250 tonne of stainless steel....read more » |
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ST. JOHN, NEW BRUNSWICK
CANADA'S PORT EXTRAORDINAIRE
by Rick Millikan
When a hurricane forced a cruise liner to seek refuge at the mouth of the St. John River, halfway up the Bay of Fundy, St. John first appeared on tourists' radar. While stranded there, passengers and cruise line operators discovered this New Brunswick port's extraordinary history, nature and warm hospitality. To thoroughly investigate this intriguing port-of-call, we board hop-on, hop-off buses offering three narrated routes. Painted pink, these double-deckers raise funds for cancer research. ...read more » |
January 2013
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BIG FAMILY, BIG WHITE, BIG SAVINGS
by Jane Cassie
When our five children were young, choosing the perfect holiday was a challenge and, with an age span of eleven years, reaching consensus was not an easy task. But because they had grown up close to ski lifts and had all made the successful transition from baby booties to ski boots, whenever a mountain getaway was suggested, we'd inevitably get a ten-thumbs up approval ...read more » |
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DETOUR TO COLMAR
by Chris McBeath
A tiny gem in the heart of the Alsace region, Colmar is too easily bypassed but with its unique medieval charm, cobblestone streets, and vibrant culinary scene, the rewards of what you'll discover make the detour worthwhile.
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LAKE BAIKAL, SIBERIA - LIKE NO PLACE ELSE ON EARTH
by Irene Butler
Our boat jostles against strong biting winds. We leave Listvyanka, the small shoreline town wrapped in taiga (boreal forest). A backdrop of mountains appears phantom-like on the horizon. Snuggled in wool blankets, my husband Rick and I look out at the seemingly endless steel blue waters of Lake Baikal. We are awed knowing we are on the oldest and deepest freshwater lake in the world, formed as an ancient rift valley 25 million years ago. Its crescent shape is about the size of Belgium or Holland BUT Baikal's claim to fame is its astounding depth -1642 metres! It contains 20% of the world's fresh water. This computes into more volume than the five Great Lakes of North America combined!
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BECOMING A SUPERHERO IN PUERTO RICO
by Donna Yuen
"You are going to fly." the park guide says with a grin.
I enthusiastically raise one arm high in the air. "Yes! Like Superman!"
"No. More like Ironman-arms by your side, head first like a human missile at 120 kilometers per hour!"
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December 2012
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A VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS
by Margaret Deefholts
I am standing at the entrance to a splendid castle, its fireplace decorated with boughs of mistletoe and ivy, its hallway aglow with lights, and its grand staircase banisters wreathed in garlands of holly.
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BLITZING HAWAII ISLAND IN 7 DAYS
by Jane Cassie
Mother Nature threw everything into the mix when creating Hawaii Island -fiery craters, snowy summits, buff beaches. Measuring 4,000 square miles, (nearly ten times L.A.) she gave it the tallest mountain, largest volcano, and all but two climate zones. Seafaring Captain Cook, and volcano goddess, Pele were mesmerized by her makings. And during this 402 km (250 mile) circumventing seven day drive, you will be too. ...read more » |
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LIONS, ELEPHANTS AND ZEBRAS
Namibia, a storybook of exotic wildlife
by Hans Tammemagi
Glued to the airplane window, I gaze down at a complex maze of animal trails covering the dusty, sparsely treed landscape below. I spot a giraffe ambling along. Then we pass over a herd of zebras, heads down, grazing. As we bump down, two ostriches with long necks watch us curiously. We've just landed at a small airfield near Etosha National Park, in northern Namibia, and already I'm excited and impressed by the abundance of exotic big game.
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November 2012
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GALLANTRY AT GALLIPOLI
by Margaret Deefholts
Our small group of Canadians are on a boat crossing the Dardanelles from the town of Canakkale to the Gallipoli peninsula. We putter past massive grey walls of the fort guarding the old town and at dockside we board our private bus. The dawn sky is washed flamingo pink as we drive past green hillsides and groves of pine and olive trees.
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WALKING ON THE ORIGINS OF EARTH
by Chris McBeath
Lying some 50km off New Zealand's north-eastern coast, White Island is an intimate volcanic experience. Not the X-rated genre, but the kind where you get up close and personal with steaming schisms, vents, and gaseous fumaroles that make up one of the most accessible, active marine volcanoes in the world. Coming here is to feel the rumbling origins of earth beneath your feet.
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THE CHARM OF OAHU
by Lauren Kramer
Get off the plane in Honolulu and it's easy to forget about everything else in the world. The ocean is that dreamy turquoise color, the weather is sublime and the opportunities to have fun are seemingly endless. Whether your idea of paradise is swimming with the dolphins, paddleboarding among the turtles, sipping cocktails on the beach or hiking up Diamond Head, Oahu's combination of climate, warm water and lush, tropical beauty make the living feel easy.
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October 2012
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BERMUDA SHORTS AND PINK SAND
by James Ross
Mark Twain once wrote, "You go to heaven if you want, I'll stay here in Bermuda". I concur, I've had a long standing love affair with the beautiful island. I have been under her spell ever since my parents settled there for eight years in the 1980's, my clergyman father tending over the charming congregation of a pastel pink Presbyterian Church on the hillside of Hamilton.
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BOUNTIFUL BOHOL ISLAND
By Irene Butler
Island hopping in the Philippines is a must with the country's many highlights-the difficulty is choosing when you have time only for one. From the country's chaotic capital of Manila on a north island, my husband Rick and I are drawn to Bohol in the central island group by a strange geographical phenomenon known as the Chocolate Hills and the hopes of seeing Tarsiers, the world's tiniest primates.
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DROP-DEAD GORGE-OUS FRASER CANYON
By Jane Cassie
We've driven the Fraser Canyon so many times over the last three years I could do it with my eyes closed. In fact, when my husband's behind the wheel, I sometimes do. This scenic highway is the link between our White Rock residence and Cariboo retreat and though the journey has become a regular routine, it's really worth staying awake for.
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DESERT SAFARI TO THE DEAD SEA
By Chris McBeath
Camels can be mighty disagreeable. But when you're riding one to cross Israel's Negev Desert to the Dead Sea, their tempers dissipate under the sweltering sun, and you both settle into an awkward, rhythmic, sway. For the curious mind, it's not long before you also come to appreciate the finesse of a camel's engineering.
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THE UNDEAD LURK IN VICTORIA
by Margaret Deefholts
Tendrils of fog curl around lampposts as I make my way along Government Street. Hunched against a spiteful wind, the phrase, "It was a dark and stormy night…" is a nagging refrain that keeps time with my hurrying feet.
At the Visitors' Centre in Victoria, John Adams host of Ghostly Walks, and co-host Martin Thomas, are ready to take a group of us through what is widely believed to be "the most haunted city in British Columbia."
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September 2012
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GOA: INDIA'S SPLASHY PLAYGROUND
By Margaret Deefholts
"Goa is famous for three things," says our host Salvador ("Sonny") Carvalho, "Powder-sand beaches, all night parties…and susegadho". I look at him quizzically. "Susegadho?"
He drawls "It means taking life e-e-a-s-y!"
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FROM NEWFOUNDLAND TO FRANCE, BY FERRY
By Story by Karoline Cullen, Photography by Cullen Photos
"After our week in Newfoundland," I tell friends "we'll take the ferry to France." They nod enthusiastically and then confusion clouds their faces. "A ferry to France from Canada?" they ask. Absolutement! The French islands of Saint-Pierre et Miquelon are a short ferry ride away from south-east Newfoundland. How French are they? We are about to find out...read more » |
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A BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF VICTORIA
By Jane Cassie
Swanky yachts and regal schooners skim the sun-glinted waves below. Along with ocean-going kayaks, speedy dragon boats and other pleasure vessels they share the nautical scene. Framed by a rugged coastline and backed by powdered peaks, it's a setting that's picturesque to a fault and truly epitomizes the axiom, Super Natural British Columbia.
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