"This year Fall colours have been simply dashing" Faiza-Ifrah's Profile

Heading out to see fall colours

The main picture shows two members of our entourage observing beautiful fall colours of a forest along Bruce Trail as it meanders over the Niagara Escarpment near Hamilton, Ontario.

Yes, our most recent trips have been on various sections of the famous Bruce Trail, all over southern Ontario.

But wherever we go, it is K2 our Kuvasz boy who steals all the attention of other hikers.

Please enjoy our travel reports and photographs of deserts, forests, lakes, vales and mountains bashing mini-adventures in 10 countries that we have visited to-date.

We love national & other conservation parks

Fall colours

We love national parks, state parks, provincial parks and other conservation parks. Our tips on these pages are mostly about vacationing for or day tripping into conservation areas of all kinds.

The picture on the side is of a forest at peak fall colours on our way to Algonquin Provincial Park.

Recently visited national / state / provincial parks:

1. Bruce Trail in and around Hamilton: covered under Hamilton, Ontario page
2. Blue Ridge Parkway: covered under Boone, North Carolina page
3.Fathom Five National Marine Park: covered under Tobermory, Ontario page
4. Bruce Peninsula National Park: covered under Bruce Peninsula National Park page
5. Niagara Falls State Park: covered under New York State
6. Shenandoah National Park: covered under Virginia page.

Family Edutainment Travel

!75th anniversary celebration at a village

"A tourist visits to confirm what he already believes of the world. A traveler journeys to challenge the unknown. A family traveler takes a mid-route - going off the beaten path."

Our pages cover destinations that are less visited, but offer equal or more fun and learning, especially for women and children. Moreover, you will notice that our travels are done with family and family friends. There is strength in numbers, as Kipling had once written,

"Now this is the law of the jungle, as old and as true as the sky,
And the wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the wolf that shall break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree trunk, the law runneth forward and back;
For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack."

We have found that visiting museums, memorials, and historical places has been a good way to increase our awareness and to educate our children on world cultures, religions and environment. The picture is from a village in my neighbourhood celebrating 175th anniversary. I live at the corner of a scenic residential road that passes by a conservation park, a meadow where one can see deer grazing and coyotes prowling, over a river by a historic village that is 175 years old, by several playgrounds where people and dogs abound, and has many cultural events going on all the time.

Our memorable trips for family education can be found on the following pages:

1. Museums and historical gardens: covered under Boone, North Carolina page
2. Royal Ontario Museum and Ontario Science Centre: covered under Toronto page
3. Shakers Village, Berkshire Museum and Chesterwood: covered under Massachusetts page
4. Many memorials under Washington, DC page

Canoeing, kayaking and now dogsledding

Alaskan huskies pulling our sled.

Whether it is airboating in Florida, canoeing in the lakes and rivers of Canada, kayaking on New river, or pontoon boating in Massacusetts, we like it all.

These activities are replaced by dog sledding in winters, although taste for it is recently acquired. Dog sledding is the best way to get in harmony with nature and humans' best friends.

Canoeing and kayaking are the best ways to enjoy wildlife and are exciting activities on their own. I am afraid this will never be liked by Rafting enthusiasts. All 4 of us have been involved in minor accidents when it comes to canoeing, but none of us would give it up.

Canoeing, kayaking, and boating appear prominently in our vacation trips.

Some memorable boating, canoeing, kayaking, and dog sledding trips have been on:

1. Toronto off the beaten path and sports tips
2. New River: covered under Boone, North Carolina page
3. Pontoosuc Lake and Oneonta Lake: covered under Massachusetts page
4. Diable River, Lac Tremblant and Lac Moore: covered under Mont-Tremblant page

We also like wildlife :-)

Mr. Porcupine up a fall tree

We love aquariums, wildlife conservation parks, zoological and botanical gardens, museums of natural history, and observing fauna and flora in National and other conservation parks.

Yes, we are family travellers and also wildlife lovers. This does not mean that we would go adventure travelling into the rain forests of Brazil to see how Jaguars live, but would certainly take any opportunity that comes our way to enjoy nature.

The picture at the side is of a porcupine up a tree showing fall colours.

VT friends:

Catherine and Gianluca

VT is a good place to make friends and meet them. Here, I am standing with two VT friends Catherine (Drolkar on VT) and Gianluca (janchan on VT) outside a restaurant in Dubai. The two made a brief stay while on their way to Afghanistan. My family loves this dynamic duo on all kinds of social work that they are doing across the globe. My external page will take you to their impressive website.

Dubai itself has blossomed as a tourist destination and is considered hot. But then why hangout in Dubai only. Venture out with us into the deserts and valleys on our UAE pages.

We take road trips seriously

Fall colours near a rest area in Algonquin

Because of our inability to fly to distant destinations, thanks to one in the family afraid to do so, we resort to driving to our destinations. Our road trips are fun. Not only do we explore towns coming our way, we drive on roads through major attractions like Blue Ridge Highway and other picturesque country roads that are less travelled.

Some memorable road trips:

1. From Mississauga, Ontario to Boone, North Carolina in 2009
2. Blue Ridge Parkway near Boone, North Carolina in 2009
3. Blue Ridge Parkway near Harrisonburg, Virginia in 2008
4. Scenic Mohawk Trail, Berskshires, Massachusetts in 2008
5. From Mississauga to Sudbury, Ontario in 2005

Contributors

K2 is a couch potato inside and a devil outside

These page have been created by our mother and daughter team. The pages are maintained by me, pictures are selected and uploaded by my daughter. My husband used to take most of the shots before my son got his digital camera as a Christmas gift. My husband also helps me in writing the tip on word document that I cut and paste ;-), which also explains why my daughter and I take so much time in putting our tips on the VT. Finally, my son reviews critically, whatever that means :-)

The picture on the side shows our Kuvasz boy 'K2' during a hike with my son at a nearby conservation park after first snow on December 31, 2011.

Intro Updated Oct 16, 2012
Report Abuse

Personal Pages (8)

1 - 4 of 8

Comments (344)

Reply
- Report abuse
Donna_in_India Feb 28, 2013 at 5:56 PM

Hi Faiza - how are you?? It's been so long since I've heard from you. I hope all is well. We were up in Mississauga at the end of December. Would have loved to get together again. Drop me a note and let me know how you are.
Reply
- Report abuse
thuyduongvn Dec 23, 2012 at 6:09 PM

i wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year!
Reply
- Report abuse
JessieLang Dec 23, 2012 at 1:33 PM

Seasonal greetings to you and your family. I hope a wonderful new year awaits you.
Reply
- Report abuse
rudysmom626 Dec 14, 2012 at 1:19 PM

Hey Faiza! Congrats on getting a VT Blogger Pass (and happy late bday) !!
Reply
- Report abuse
agha1963khan Nov 29, 2012 at 12:10 AM

Hi Faiza Happy birth day Regards AGHA
Reply
- Report abuse
sazaliy Nov 16, 2012 at 12:20 AM

Happy belated birthday, Faiza
Reply
- Report abuse
Greggor58 Nov 12, 2012 at 11:24 AM

Faiza...long time no talk!!! Belated Birthday greets for you...hope that you're well!! :o)
Reply
- Report abuse
AusPinay Nov 11, 2012 at 12:01 AM

Belated happy birthday!...Sorry for my very late message-been so busy, been overseas 2x this year already, going away again this Nov 27 & best of all- I published my own book, own newspaper, website & now selling our home & moving to Tassie..so you can imagine how hectic it is for us..regards & keep in touch!!
Reply
- Report abuse
betska Nov 10, 2012 at 1:44 PM

Happy birthday, Faiza....sorry I'm a bit late. Hope your day was wonderful. Betts xx
Reply
- Report abuse
lilysuzlini Nov 8, 2012 at 10:44 PM

Happy bday dear. May the God bless u with health, wealth and happiness always