Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 23,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 9 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

A big part of traveling, for anyone, are the memories, experiences, and unforgettable moments you have while traveling. So it’s important to ensure you hold onto those memories for as long as possible. Traveling is something you can’t always put a price tag on; you’ll learn so much about not only the world or other cultures, but about yourself, and that is invaluable.

What I am getting at is, upon returning from your epic adventure through the jungles of Thailand or your road trip to the west coast, how will you hold onto those memories the longest? How will you immortalize the experiences, place, and people you met? Well, I have a few fun ideas that you might want to try!

1) Ticket-Stub Collage

When we traveled across Europe last fall, Mike and I made sure to keep all of our ticket stubs, whether it be the ticket to go up the Eiffel Tower or the bus ticket I took to get to Monaco, or even the receipt from the pizzeria in Naples where pizza was actually invented. We each brought a plastic bag and slipped all tickets, passes, receipts, and other souvenirs into it while we traveled and by the time we got home, we had a bountiful amount of little souvenirs that instantly brought back memories of most all of the experiences we had.

We immortalized these experiences by creating a collage of all the tickets and passes we brought home. I, personally, went out to a school supplies store and purchases a fair-sized foam board and some good glue. I took it home and began to place the souvenirs onto the board, ensuring the different colours and styles of the tickets and receipts were varied and dispersed in order to allow the viewer to want to see the entire board. Once I was content with a layout, I began to glue everything onto the board. It looks absolutely awesome, and I framed it with a really nice dark wood frame and plan to hang it in my room above my desk so that I can reminisce whenever I like. It was a lot of fun to make, and a great way to share all your experiences with others in a simple, creative way!

2) Photo Slideshow

As you probably know, I love photography, so I ended up taking almost 2000 pictures during our European adventure. Mind you, some of the pictures were blurry or crooked, while others sported someone walking into the frame at the wrong time. Nonetheless, after getting rid of all the undesirable photos, I still had nearly 1500 that I was content with. Now I don’t know about you, but my friends and family would never be able to sit through me explaining 1500 photos to them. Hell, I don’t think I could even talk for that long myself! In a case like this, sometimes the phrase “quality over quantity” truly applies. So, I decided to make a slideshow, and limit it to 10 minutes in length. That meant narrowing down the pictures to a quarter of the amount I originally had. Don’t get me wrong, it was tough to decide what ones to keep and ones to not display, but after finally creating the simple slideshow of only the best photos from the trip, the ones that truly captured our trip best, I was quite happy with it.

Make a slideshow for your pictures, and limit it to a reasonable length. You don’t need anything fancy, just a simple, fun way that people can watch and learn a bit about your experience without them having to bring a sleeping bag over to your house when you invite them to see all your pictures. Set it to an appropriate song, and use Facebook, YouTube, or any other social media tool to share it with your friends, and you’re all set. I made one for the trip, so if you’re interested, check it out here.

3) Blog It!

Yep. You might’ve guessed it considering the amount of fun I had keeping this blog for not only my trip to Europe but my road trip across Canada. Blogging is a fun way to not only keep your friends and family informed of your whereabouts but a great way for you to record events and experiences as they happen. Instead of getting back home and trying to remember what you did in Florence on the second day, or what restaurant you ate in Paris that you really enjoyed, just find a half hour here and there during the course of your trip and blog about it. Whether you treat it like a personal journal or diary, or something more formal, it is an excellent way to immortalize those memories as they happen and ensures you don’t forget anything. I’ve had so much fun looking back on some of my posts and remembering certain restaurants, people, events, and experiences that I might have either not remembered entirely or even forgotten completely. When you take a trip like ours, where you see so much and do so much, it’s almost inevitable that you will forget parts of it. So a blog helps you keep all those experiences with you wherever you go and, at the same time, lets your family and friends know what you’re up to while you’re traveling so you don’t have to start from scratch when you begin to tell them about your trip back home.

Hopefully that sparked a couple ideas for your next trip. Even something as simple as using your pictures as a screensaver on your computer is a great idea. I have all my pictures and Carson’s pictures combined into one folder and showcased whenever my screensaver comes on. Things like that will help you never forget a trip of a lifetime!

Happy traveling!

Dan..

From the bustling, conservative streets of Edmonton and Alberta to one of the most northern communities in North America, this most recent part of the trip has been nothing short of surreal. I find myself at a cozy, rustic cafe on one of the main streets in downtown Whitehorse, Yukon Territory bursting with things I want to write about that I’ve seen over the past few days. The north is truly something that one will never be fully able to understand or appreciate until they visit it. And Whitehorse is by no means “north” in the sense of what I’m talking about. I mean north. I mean communities that are only accessible by plane. I mean places where spring means -21 degrees. I mean a whole different world.

We took off from the Edmonton International Airport and landed at night in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Though we didn’t see much that night, as it was dark and late, the next morning opened our eyes to the community. I can’t explain exactly what it was like except for the fact that the city itself wasn’t too different from towns in the southern parts of Canada. The difference, however, was the architecture, the much more prominent first-nations population, the types of vehicles most commonly found there, the food options, and, of course, the weather. It was anywhere between -10 and -20 during our three day stay in Yellowknife, and after talking to some locals, this temperature wasn’t too out of the ordinary for late April. In fact, the famed Ice Roads were still functioning, and were incredible to see. Trucks would, instead of driving around Great Slave Lake which Yellowknife is nestled beside, they would simply cross the large lake on these ice roads. Flying out of Yellowknife towards the Arctic, you look out the window and see more lakes than you will likely ever see at one point, and you can spot the endless amount of unpaved, often unkept ice roads that, instead of snaking around the endless amount of lakes, simply just cut right across whatever frozen bodies of water are in their way. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. I think I’m going to start watching that Ice Road Truckers show after I get home!

Due to a mix up in flight times, we missed our flight to Inuvik and had to stay an extra night in Yellowknife before flying out the following day, meaning we couldn’t stay overnight there. Instead, we would land there, transfer flights, and head to Whitehorse. However, our transfer allowed us a good amount of time to go outside and take some pictures. On our way to Inuvik, the small plane landed in Norman Wells, a small town which I can say, beyond any place I have ever been, was entirely and utterly out in the middle of nowhere. I’m pretty sure their airport was the size of a Starbucks and there was no security about checking bags or anything. I watched from the window of the plane as the main road into Norman Wells, the only paved road, ran out of the city and only a few kilometres later vanished into the woods. There was no way of accessing this town other than by flying in. Incredible. And to think there are countless other communities like Norman Wells in the north that are very similar, like Old Crow, Rankin Inlet, or Sachs Harbour (the most northern populated and functioning town in North America). It really made me realize just how remote so many parts of Canada truly are. Incredible.

We finally landed in Inuvik, the largest town in the Arctic, situated about 100 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Upon stepping out of the plane, the dry, bone-chilling -21 weather made you gasp and was a different type of cold than back home. Everything was frozen and the ground was crunchy and the air was a strange, heavy cold air. It’s a bit hard to explain, but was really something else. I talked to someone who had lived just south of Inuvik, and he said for several days in the heart of winter it was -49 degrees Celsius. I couldn’t even fathom how cold that would feel like. And that wasn’t even the record low for the region either!

We transferred planes and took the smallest and, frankly, scariest looking plane I’d ever been on back to Whitehorse. It was chipped and old and cramped. The pilots fuelled their own plane and the flight attendants, all male, looked like students working a summer job. It was a propeller plane and the nerve-racking sound of the propellers starting up were a bit unsettling. Nonetheless, the weather was clear and allowed for incredible views of the northern mountain ranges and the unbelievable amount of rivers and lakes that cover the area, all of them entirely frozen. It reminded me of what the most difficult golf course in the world might look like.

We stopped in Dawson, Yukon Territory for a brief moment, and stepped into the smallest airport I’ve ever seen! It was almost funny, and I had to take a picture of it. Stepping out of the plane, the weather was an incredible difference in temperature from Inuvik, despite being only a 100 miles south of the Arctic Circle. It was almost warm, and quite sunny.

Arriving in Whitehorse, the weather was beautiful, and likely similar to what I imagine London, ON to feel like this time of year. However, two airport security personnel approached Jannet and I and told us that our bags were not transferred from the flight to Inuvik to our flight to Whitehorse and were currently sitting in the Inuvik airport, way back in the Arctic. Oops. That means I currently have no clothes but the jeans and shirt I am wearing, no toiletries, no shoes (only boots), no books to read, no hard drive, and no tripod. Yep. But, we fly to Edmonton tomorrow and they said our luggage will be at the Edmonton airport (somehow) by tomorrow evening. It sets our drive back home back a bit, but I will be happy to change out of these socks and not have to wear these clunky boots in this beautiful weather. What an adventure.

Anyways, I am going to explore Whitehorse a bit more; it’s truly a very interesting city and, again, not that different from towns in southern Canada. There’s many fast-food restaurants, banks, grocery stores, even a Starbucks. But the difference is the western-style architecture and the beautiful old mountains that surround the city. Truly a very cool place that I would love to spend more time visiting.

Until next time, either when I arrive home, or from an unknown destination on our long drive back to Ontario!

Happy travels!

Dan..

The last blog I wrote, I was west of the Rockies. Now I am east, and our trail from now on will take us further and further away from them. Kind of sad; I’ve never seen mountains like the Rockies. You know, real mountains. We were supposed to visit Switzerland last fall during our backpacking trip, but due to the infamous train strikes in France, we were unable to get there, unfortunately. So driving along highway 1, through Revelstoke and Golden and Lake Louise and Banff was beyond incredible, to say the least.

We stayed one night at the beautiful Chateau Lake Louise in a big room on the fourth floor, facing the lake. Incredible. It was a great rest day, where I got to watch a bit of the NHL playoffs and have a beer at the “Glacier Saloon” downstairs, relax in the enormous jacuzzi and steam room by the pool, and window shop at some very interesting shops that sold things far outside my buying capabilities, such as a $75,000 Mammoth tusk. Yep. It is most definitely on the pricey side, but you will be treated like royalty while you are there. The buffet breakfast was absolutely delicious as well, and the beds were some of the comfiest beds I can remember! If you want to treat yourself to something special in a place that is absolutely breathtaking at every turn, I highly recommend it.

We stopped in Banff to visit some of Jannet’s relatives, and after strolling the streets a bit and eating dinner at a really hip, fresh restaurant called Nourish Bistro, I knew I had to be back here again. It is definitely a young town, with lots of youth and young adults vacationing here or working here with the sole purpose to ski on some of the best mountains in the country. It makes me want to pick up my skis again and hit the slopes. What a cool city!

I’m currently in Edmonton, staying with a friend who I actually met on a Contiki trip to England, Scotland, and Wales in 2008. We’ve kept in contact and he was kind enough to let me stay at his home here in Edmonton. It’s been great to see him again. I also got to stay with one of my best friends in Calgary; he moved away several months ago from London, ON for work, and before this trip, I wasn’t sure the next time I would see him. So to stay at his place for a couple nights was a great treat; it’s been really great seeing some familiar faces on the road!

This could likely be my last blog post for a week or so, as we fly north to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories tomorrow, Inuvik, Northwest Territories in a few days, and Whitehorse, Yukon Territory about 5 nights from now. Inuvik is actually above the Arctic Circle, and bot the other two cities are fairly secluded (and most definitely very cold). I am not sure what the internet situation will be like up in these places, so there is a chance there might be a lack of Twitter updates and blog posts for the next week. So not to worry. Yes, that means you, Mom!!

Anyways, we are filming a short interview with Elizabeth May, the leader of the Green Party this evening at a rally going on here in Edmonton at Avenue Theatre. It should be a very interesting interview to say the least. I’m going to finish this post, finish my latte, and figure out the transit system to get me from this coffee shop downtown to the Theatre. Wish me luck!

Happy travels!

Dan..

I figured tonight would be a good time to write another blog entry, as we, as of today, officially turned back east, meaning, in some ways, we are on our way home. But we still have a long way to go and lots to see. Since my last post, we’ve traveled through the winding roads of the Rockies, taken a ferry across to Victoria, BC, driven down to Seattle, WA for the day, and toured the dynamic and vibrant city of Vancouver. It’s been an incredible past few days, but, alas, we have gone as far west as we could and are now turning back east…and north.

I find myself here in Kamloops, BC. A quaint, quiet town, despite having nearly 90,000 people. To be honest, there is not much to do here, though the surrounding rolling hills and cliffs are quite beautiful. Let me take a few steps back, however, to another city of about the same population, that really made me want to go back one day; Kelowna.

If you’ve traveled before, you might be able to relate to that feeling you get when you arrive in a place that just feels right. It’s hard to explain, but everything about the atmosphere, the look, the beauty, just works for you. Well, Kelowna gave me that feeling. Just driving into the city, cruising down the hill into the city centre, rolling hills and old snow-topped mountains surrounding the city in every direction, it was picturesque. The downtown was vibrant, filled with unique shops, cafes, bookstores, and interesting architecture. We had a meeting with the mayor of Kelowna, but afterwards, we walked the streets for a short while, and after grabbing a bite to eat at a delicious sushi shop, I felt as if this place could be my home. I don’t really know how else to describe it, but it just felt right.

Vancouver is an obvious must-see if you’re out west. It’s such a vibrant, culture-filled city, with seemingly everything you would need in a city; countless beautiful waterfront condos, great bar-scene, a huge city park filled with paths, beaches, and walking/cycling paths (Stanley Park), and some incredible architecture. An incredible city I was sad to say goodbye to this morning.

As for the documentary, it is going very well. We’re had some incredible interviews. Whether it be a Nobel-prize nominee, a Blackfoot native teaching us about his sacred traditions and way of life, the mayor of Kelowna, or Vancouver city councillors, some great discussion has happened and the footage is looking great! We, or should I say Jannet and her mysterious, brilliant ways, even landed a meeting with Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party of Canada in Edmonton next week. Unbelievable! I am quite excited to put all the interviews, footage, and events together for a final product that I think you will really enjoy!

Anyways, we are off to Banff, Alberta tomorrow. We are staying at the famous Fairmont Lake Louise in a beautiful deluxe suite facing the water of Lake Louise. Incredible. Jannet says she’s even going to get a massage! Not a bad idea, if you ask me; the last massage I had was in Berlin last September!

Check back soon, I’ll be posting again when I get the chance!

Happy travels!

Dan..

After a few days in Winnipeg, shooting some interviews, including an excellent interview with former foreign minister of Canada, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and curren president of the University of Winnipeg, Lloyd Axworthy, we headed west again, along the infamous Trans-Canada Highway. What a beautiful drive, and how flat it was between Winnipeg and Regina. Incredible.

Continuing on after spending a night in Regina, we made our way to Medicine Hat, Alberta, which is a surprisingly beautiful little town. If you get the chance, go visit; the people are extremely friendly, the town is built around some beautiful hills, and there are some great little cafe’s there too, including one called the Inspire Cafe, where local artwork is hung and displayed and even created right in the cafe itself. Very indie, very cool. After leaving Medicine Hat, we continued southwest along the Crowsnest Highway into Lethbridge, Alberta, where we currently are. What a trip.

There’s so much culture in the mid-west of Canada. From the grain elevators that dot the countryside here and there to the small towns still sporting the western-style, cowboy vintage architecture, to the rolling hills of pastures and flat plains of grain, it’s been a gorgeous drive. There’s something compelling about the open road that makes you feel inspired, like you can do anything. You’d never be able to see Canada this way by flying.

As for the the filming, it’s been going well thus far; we have a lot of footage, some great interviews, landscape shots, and other personal footage of the journey itself. I’ve been having to upload footage from the P2 cards almost daily to my external hard drive. It’ll be quite a task to put this all together at the end, but I am excited to see how it comes together.

We are continuing west along the Crowsnest Highway today, stopping in at the Peace Park, a national park that actually spans into Montana and Alberta, making the border seem to not exist. A really cool symbolism for peace if you ask me. We should be in Vancouver by tomorrow evening or Saturday morning. Wow.

That’s all for now, I’ll update again soon!

Happy travels!

Dan

Well, I’m traveling again. Only this time, it’s a bit different. This time, I am not just traveling, I’m not just enjoying the sights, I’m not just meeting new people or seeing new places or doing new things. Nope. This time, I’m shooting a film. A documentary, to be more specific. Let me enlighten you.

I’ve been asked to direct a feature-ength documentary following the Canadian representative for the Charter for Compassion, Jannet-Ann Nordemann, and her journey across Canada as she hopes to make Canada the second “compassionate country” in the entire world (the first being Australia). It is a movement that will eventually implement the Charter for Compassion into Canadian politics and help shed light upon, improve, and sustain equality for all minorities, whether it be race, religion, creed, sexuality, etc. For more information on the movement itself, check out the website: Canadians for Compassion.

I figure I’d try and blog about my journey. I’ve never been to most of Canada, in fact, every single stop on Jannet’s tour I’ve never been to; from Winnipeg to Calgary, Vancouver to Seattle, Yellowknife to the remote city of Inuvik (which is actually above the Arctic Circle) and more, this trip will be eye opening in many ways. So, I figured I’d share my adventure with you all…again.

I must admit, I am a bit nervous. I know, I know, I’ve traveled all across Europe with my friends, I’ve even traveled overseas entirely on my own, but this is different. We’re in a car, we’re couch surfing for most of the trip, and I have a movie to make along the way. This documentary is so important to me and to Jannet and I want to make sure I do as good a job as possible. It scares me because we’ll be out on the road, far from home, and if anything happens to the equipment or if anything isn’t working right, it will be a difficult situation to fix. I am hoping, however, that once we start to really get into the swing of things, I’ll be able to relax a bit more. I have to remember to enjoy the journey itself, right? I’m going to be seeing some amazing things on the way!

Currently, I am in Belle River, a small town on the coast of Lake St. Clair, near Windsor. I stayed here at Jannet’s home for the night, and we plan on leaving and heading out around noon today. It’s a beautiful old lake house, right on the lake. But as much as I like it here, I am excited to get on the road. We’ll be heading into the USA, cutting through Michigan and Minnesota, sneaking between Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, and eventually making our way through Minnesota into Manitoba and arriving in Winnipeg a couple days from now. As for where we’ll be by the end of the day, I have no idea other than it being somewhere in northern Michigan. But I guess that’s part of the adventure, right?

Well, check back now and then to find updates from me on the road. And of course, you can always follow me on Twitter here. I am not sure what the wireless internet situation will be like from place to place, but I’ll do my best to keep in touch.

Happy Travels!

Dan

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 7,400 times in 2010. That’s about 18 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 29 new posts, not bad for the first year! There were 332 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 283mb. That’s about 6 pictures per week.

The busiest day of the year was October 17th with 190 views. The most popular post that day was Gladiator Day: Oct. 16th.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were facebook.com, youtube.com, twitter.com, stumbleupon.com, and bigextracash.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for red light district, red light district amsterdam, karlovy lazne, amsterdam red light district, and nice france.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

Gladiator Day: Oct. 16th October 2010
1 comment

The Team – Page 1 September 2010
4 comments

City Profile: Amsterdam September 2010
1 comment

Photo Gallery August 2010
2 comments

The Route August 2010
1 comment

If you’ve been following this blog while we’ve been traveling, thank you. I would’ve never imagined getting as many hits on this blog as we did. It’s been a great experience for me keeping up a travel blog like this and sharing one of the best experiences of my life with all of you, so I appreciate it greatly for checking it out and commenting and following us along our epic adventure.

Thank you again, and I hope you all get a chance to see the parts of the world you’ve always wanted to see. Remember; the hardest part is the first step. From planning where you want to go, who you want to go with, how long, what to see and do, and not to mention figuring out costs, accommodations, transportation, insurance and everything in between, it is a lot of work. But the end result is a trip that will be priceless in the end. It will be an experience that you can never replace, for you’ll learn so much about not only your world, but yourself. So give it a go; if we can do it, you can too

Happy travels!

Dan..

We got a perfect taste of Scotland when we went, thanks to the weather being rainy and fairly cold. That’s quite typical for Scotland in both the spring and fall, so despite the wet weather, it was a bit more of an authentic experience of the country!

Edinburgh is a very medieval city, from the Edinburgh Castle to the rolling green hills and rocky cliffs to the buildings along the Royal Mile. It is a truly beautiful city, built on rolling hills and surrounding the castle which is built into the Castle Rock at the centre of the city. When you first arrive in the city, it’s hard to miss the castle, and, therefore, that is where your city experience should begin!

The Castle is one of the most important Scottish fortresses and has been involved in many conflicts, including the War of Scottish Independence during the 14th century. It is Scotland’s most visited attraction, and for good reason. As you climb the Royal Mile, the main road that leads through the city to the main gates of the castle, you are not only met wit beautiful views on the city below but are taken aback by the prominence and strength of the castle before you. Inside the fortress, there are many different small museums, buildings, and attractions to view, including the Argyle Battery which overlooks Princes Street below, the Governor’s house which is now home to the headquarters of the 52nd Infantry Brigade, the museum of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, national war museum of Scotland, the Royal Palace, St. Margaret’s Chapel, the oldest building in the castle, and much more. It is almost a separate city, with churches, shops, halls, jails, and walkways. There is so much to see and do there, so plan to spend at least a few hours exploring.

Arthur’s Seat, the largest peak in Holyrood Park, which pays right alongside the city of Edinburgh, is another attraction that is hard to miss upon entering the city. The sharp cliffs and odd-shape was created by an extinct volcano. If you are one for hiking, Holyrood Park is a must. You are met with breathtaking views of not only Edinburgh but the vast countryside surrounding the city. It is a difficult climb to say the least, and there are points where climbing over boulders and up uneven, steep stairs are inevitable. But, it is a great adventure and your camera will love the view from the top!

After climbing Arthur’s Seat, why not eat at one of the many Scottish pubs in Edinburgh? There are many to choose from, as the Scots love their beer and whiskey. Deacon Brodie’s is one of my personal favourites, located right along the Royal Mile, in the heart of the city. It is about as Scottish as you can get, and is home to some really tasty, dark, local beers, along with dozens of kinds of Scotch to choose from. There is a restaurant above the pub that offers great food. The haggis is a must when you’re in Scotland, and I promise you, once you get your head around what it actually is, you will really love it!

If you’re into Harry Potter, you’ll love eating at The Elephant House, a small restaurant/cafe in the heart of the city. This restaurant is where J. K. Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter book. Apparently she would be there almost daily, enjoying a coffee by the window which had a great view of Edinburgh Castle. If you visit the cafe, you’re bound to notice the similarity between the look of Edinburgh Castle and Hogwarts from the particular view Rowling had while writing the book. Oh, and the food was great, and quite cheap too!

Princes Street is home to the best shopping in Edinburgh, with stores from H&M and Tommy Hilfiger to designer names like Louis Vuitton and Prada. Definitely worth a walk-through, as it runs right along the river as well, and offers a great view of Castle Rock. If you’re looking for some great nightlife, then the Grassmarket is the place to be. It is a stretch of road and walking paths that is home to dozens of different pubs, bars, and clubs. You can find places to sit and have a couple pints to a bar with great live music to clubs with all the latest club music to dance the night away to. Don’t miss it!

Happy travels!

Dan..