Diverse Cultural Experiences and Canadian Travel.
The definition of astrotourism, according to dictionary.com is, paying to travel into space as a form of recreation. This isn’t what I mean when I say astrotourism.
Instead, astrotourism is travelling to a place with the intent to stargaze – with or without camera in hand.
While people have been stargazing for a really long time, the difference here is the intention to deliberately seek out dark sky spots in order to more fully see the night sky.
One of my favourite things to do when I travel is to check out the local museums and art galleries. When I’m unable to travel, I have a feeling like I’m missing out on something. Spending time on weekends or evenings to attend virtual museum exhibits makes me feel like I’m exploring a new place, I’m back in university studying art history (with no exams!) and like I’ve gotten a new outlook on the world and different cultures.
I, for one, hope the trend of having virtual collections and exhibits available for the public will continue. Even when it is easier to be able to visit institutions in person, there will be many reasons why people may choose to view exhibits online:
Virtual exhibits or digitized collections aren’t something new. VirtualMuseum.ca, founded in 2001, is The largest digital source of stories and experiences shared by Canada’s museums and heritage organizations. You can find exhibits here from both large and small museums across the country. What I like even more than virtually touring the museums, through a 360 degree virtual tour or otherwise, is attending seminars or lectures that allow me to learn and get more from the experience as a whole.
As one might take a guided tour through a museum or gallery in person, so too can you take a virtual tour. Many institutions offer seminars/lectures, guided virtual tours, and art history lessons online for free or for a small fee.
I’ve taken a few free (with donation option) virtual tours/lectures offered by the Washington D.C. History and Culture non-profit. Typically, they used to offer in-person tours to bring people together to experience the history and culture of Washington D.C. Since the beginning of the pandemic and into the future, they provide virtual versions of these tours. The added bonus is that they cover major museums and galleries in other cities, too.
You can take a look at Eventbrite for free or paid events. Use the filters to select a date, price, category, format, language. . .
[Read more…]Sure, when most people think of Whistler, British Columbia, they think about winter sports, like skiing and snowboarding. And it’s true that Whistler Blackcomb Resort (and the entire town) was originally set up to be a winter destination, but things have changed in recent years. Whistler is the place to visit both in winter and summer.
There is no shoulder season in Whistler – people flock here year-round, which means that many of the hotels don’t offer a discount for off-peak times and that the town is pretty much always busy.
In addition to the many conventions and conferences that happen here year-round, people from nearby Vancouver drive up for weekend getaways and day trips. There are so many different outdoor activities to partake in, lots of high-end shopping/hotels/restaurants, plenty of casual dining options, and also a lot of free things to check out, so there is really something for everyone here. There really are so many things to do in Whistler in Summer.
Follow these Indigenous travel bloggers to celebrate diversity in the travel community. At the end of this article, I share a few suggestions for ways to be a supportive ally to Indigenous communities.
[Read more…]While it may seem fun to recreate people’s experiences from their Instagram photos – piggybacking to try to see what seems to be the best places to visit. But, you don’t want your Instagram feed and your memories to be coloured by the same-old-same-same-old stuff, do you?
Off-the-beaten path, hidden gems, whatever you call them – there are way more interesting ways to fill your travel itinerary than by copying whatever everyone else is doing.
Diverse cultural experiences include learning how a variety of different cultures made and continue to make their place in any given area. This might look like:
