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| What you need: Read on Photo credit |
You want beauty. You want thrilling adventure. Stick around; I have a little something for you.
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As I travel North America, I've been impressed by the beauty of our homeland. Rock climbing in the deserts of the southwest, chilling toes in the maritime waters of Canada's Atlantic, slapping mosquitoes in the humid swamplands of the south, skiing the blinding white depths of Alaska's Chugach range—it's all part of this girl's story. You've offered suggestions for my next stops: where to climb, ski and mountain bike. With your tips leading me on, my journey has stretched into two years of discovery.
But today I have something for you. I want to bring you to a place I found by accident, mostly because of my inability to stop driving but also spurred by the temptation of crossing a border into the unknown. That fateful turn into Alberta's incredible diversity changed my view of North America forever.
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| Up for a polar plunge? Photo: Travel Alberta |
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| Incredible view are waiting Photo: Travel Alberta |
It is here where the Rockies rise from golden grasslands, creating a border between Alberta and its neighbor, British Columbia. It is here where the national parks that call to adventurers—Banff and Jasper—reside. It is here that the world's largest outdoor rodeo rowdies up the cosmopolitan city of Calgary and where 45 First Nation (Native American) tribes call home. And it is here that I return every year to refresh my mind and spirit.
Traveling to Alberta pushes the reset button; you can't help but be stunned into silence by what earth processes have created. The rocky giants of the west fill rivers with finely ground rock flour, creating an electric blue current that rumble down from knife-edge peaks. Glaciers lap over mountain passes, coming irresistibly close to trails and lookouts and beckoning humans to touch their icy fields. From there eastward, Alberta's green land undulates until it gives way to prairies ripe with wheat and barley. The sky widens and the open road exhales scents of sweet grass and grains. In the north, the sun extends summer days, sticking around until nearly 11 p.m. while winter nights are filled with the dancing lights of the aurora borealis.
If my words don't make it clear what this parcel of North America holds, then I ask you to take 3 minutes to explore through a visual journey, below. This stirring tribute to one of my favorite destinations deserves a full-screen moment with no distractions; it is one of the most beautifully created travel pieces I have seen to date.
Put it on the HD setting, let it load, push play. It's your chance to breathe. Enjoy.
Question: What makes you want to explore?
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