Exploring the Great Lakes with Viking Cruises

Named after the south star, Octantis is Viking’s first expedition ship, which incorporates visits to Indigenous communities, supports environmental protection and more

By Marina Jimenez

Unlike many of my Toronto friends, my immigrant parents had no cottage in the Muskokas or cabin in the woods. My European father was allergic to rocky lakeshores and creaky docks, and despite my mother’s enthusiasm for cottages, we often ended up going back to the Spanish homeland for holidays as children.

So, it is a revelation to sail along Georgian Bay’s grayish-pink granite shoreline into the heart of Ontario cottage country aboard Viking Octantis. This 665-foot, Polar Class 6 luxury expedition vessel was built by Viking to explore the world’s most remote regions, redefining ocean cruising.

The scenery is like a Tom Thomson painting come to life: sandy beaches, white pines seemingly embodying the wind as they bend and sway atop towering slabs of granite and luminescent sunsets, the sky pink with glory.

We launched a travel podcast! 

Subscribe to Here & There, our new travel podcast hosted and produced by award-winning feature writer, broadcaster and podcaster, Liz Beatty. You can find these episodes wherever you get your podcasts for more deep-dive documentaries that will change the way you see places in Canada and around the world.
 

Tide and joy: New Brunswick’s culinary delights 

From learning the secret of hand-dipping chocolate to dining on lobster aboard a cruise, New Brunswick’s growing food scene boasts plenty of new culinary experiences 

By Gabby Peyton

New Brunswick has long enticed seafood lovers with its roadside clam shacks and bountiful lobster platters, which have buttered up the palates of many. But in recent years, culinary tourism in this easterly province has grown drastically (and deliciously), offering up myriad new adventures for the epicurean traveller that range from riverside coffee roasting to Indigenous medicine walks. Here’s a sampling of what’s on the menu.
 

The Essential Itinerary: Southern California

From sea caves to deserts, this three-day guide offers the perfect itinerary to make the most of this corner of California

By Michela Rosano 

If the Eagles’ “Take it easy” were a place, this corner of southern California would be it. Tucked away from the hum of Los Angeles, Ventura’s laidback surf-town vibe makes it the perfect gateway to the region’s storied landscapes, from the sea caves of Channel Islands National Park to the pine forests of the San Bernardino National Forest to the sparkling desert skies in Joshua Tree National Park. While you can blaze through this itinerary as is, it’s more fun to explore along the way. And remember, lighten up while you still can.