The Great Outdoors — Canadian-style

Fellow camping Canadians John Candy (Chet) and Dan Aykroyd (Roman) each enjoyed the wilderness in their own way in the 1988 classic “The Great Outdoors.”
It’s time once again to dig out and dust off the camping gear for another soon-to-be season under the stars — the tent, cooler, sleeping bags, blow-up mattress, hot dog/marshmallow sticks and the rest of the necessities for a weekend, long weekend holiday or vacation in the mountains or not too far away from home deep or not-so-deep in the Canadian wilderness.
Many county residents are starting to think about fetching their RVs out of storage or preparing their home away from home for a another highly anticipated and much needed spring/summer break on the road again. Or others might be lucky to have a cabin or cottage nestled someplace with scenic views and a backdoor step into nature.
Camping in Canada is indeed a national pastime for many Canadians when the sun comes out and the bugs fly incessantly. Many Canadians have their coveted toys including ATVs, motorbikes, jet skis, water skis and motorboats, fishing gear and boats, canoes, and the list goes on and on for summer toys fit for kings, queens and kids.
Some hike, others sit in a chair soaking up the rays and relax, a few head to the river or lake to spend the day fishing, families gather for good food around a barbecue or fire pit and don’t forget to bring the bevvies (wobbly pops or otherwise). Camping is either something someone truly enjoys or can’t stand. Campers camp with all the creatures and non-campers stay in hotels with all the amenities and creature comforts — either way, there’s nothing wrong with that. Each to their own.
If camping isn’t your bag or you just don’t have the time to get out and about — there’s always the backyard barbecue. There’s nothing like a meal grilled to perfection, no matter what tempts your palette or slides down your gullet easily. There’s meats, meat alternatives, salads, roasted veggies, drinks and desserts just waiting to be devoured and conquered outside when the sun beats its brightest and into the moonlit night with the stars blinking, as to say, “This is the life, eh?”
Spring and summer in Alberta can be a gauntlet of weather coming from each and every angle. In one day, it could be sunny as heck but then it could rain and the rain might turn into hail or sometimes it might even snow. But, one thing is for sure, here in southern Alberta — expect a little or a lot of wind for many parts of your journey. Spring and summer in Canada (as a whole) are sometimes a crapshoot but that’s part of being Canadian, isn’t it?
Canada offers a plethora of stellar tourist attractions, whether it’s close or far. From Victoria to P.E.I. — Canada has a little something for everyone. This spring and summer have a staycation in Canada — camp, tour, explore and take the ultimate adventure in your own backyard. Or stick around your neighbourhood, there’s always other parts of the province — British Columbia, Montana and even Saskatchewan.
Merry Camp-mas everybody, one and all. ‘Tis the season to be campy, fa la la la la la la la la.