Canada – A Neighbor With a Warm Welcome
Perhaps when you hear someone talk about taking an international vacation, you think about hours of travel, foreign languages and exorbitant costs. Well, if you set your sites to our northern boarder, you may find international travel to be easier and more attractive than you first thought. Canada is the northern neighbor of the United Statesand offers great opportunity for an international getaway and if you decide to travel by car, you don’t even need a passport. A passport card which is much less expensive than a passport is all that is necessary as long as you do not travel by air. It is easy to get a passport card application online so you can get the process going quickly and easily.
If you chose to vacation in Canada, you will not have to worry about understanding the people as most Canadians speak fluent English. Also, the Canadian way of life is also very similar to that of Americans so while you will have the opportunity see many spectacular sights, you will feel right at home with the people. Occupying the same continent also keeps you with like time zones so when it’s time to go home, you won’t have to deal with jet lag. If you decide to fly, you will need a passport so remember that a rapid passport renewal service is available from any of the passport agencies you will find online.
UNESCO has identified places around the world with significant historical or natural importance and they have identified these sites by labeling them World Heritage Sites. There are fifteen such sites in Canada providing a vast opportunity for the enrichment of you and your entire family.
One such site is the Nahanni National Park Reserve which draws visitors from all over the world. The South Nahanni River flows through this park and commences in the Virginia Fall which is a waterfall that is twice the height of Niagara Falls. Sulfur hot springs populate this reserve and are surrounded by 10,000 year old hufa mounds which claim a height of 100 feet. Forests and caverns provide a great opportunity for exploration.
One of the most unusual National Parks you will ever visit is the Dinosaur Provincial Park and is laden with dinosaur fossils. The visitor can view a selection from over five hundred excavated fossils some of which have been sent for display in museums all over the world. As we look back to the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth, this national park has made a huge contribution to the world’s education and enlightenment on this subject.
A site in Canada that provides a glimpse into the history of the earliest North American inhabitants is L’Anse aux Meadows. The Norse people visited this land before Christopher Columbus and their visit to Newfoundland can be chronicled in relics found in this historic area. This discovery provides deep connection concerning not only Canadian history but also the history of the entire Northern American Continent.