Edmonton is a surprisingly smart starting point for Jasper and the Icefields Parkway. This festival capital of Alberta offers the West Edmonton Mall with its indoor amusement park, the hipster Old Strathcona district, bison in Elk Island, and northern lights just outside the city in winter.

Waterton Lakes is just a short drive from Calgary, yet most people only make it to Banff. Here are 10 things to see and do in Waterton Lakes National Park.

The famous national parks quickly wore us out with their endless crowds, so we escaped to the mountains right on our doorstep. Here you'll experience raw, untouched wilderness where you won't see a soul.

Expecting deep forests and bears? The capital of British Columbia will throw you off completely. You'll feel more like you're in old England, somehow transplanted to the Pacific coast.

Ancient rainforests tumble straight into the wild ocean here, and the air is thick with salt mingled with the scent of thousand-year-old cedars. This little surf town got under our skin from the very first breath.

Pacific Rim National Park is the only national park on Canada's west coast — 16 km Long Beach, Wild Pacific Trail, storm watching in November, hot springs accessible only by boat. A guide with 10 tips: surfing in Tofino, whale watching, rainforest boardwalks, and the famous 75 km West Coast Trail.