In this day and age, everyone I know is busy. Busy with work, busy with family, busy with responsibilities. Mike and I are no different, and have certainly fallen into the busy trap, especially with our home renovation. Every weekend is scheduled with tasks to bring us one step closer to moving in, but it has also brought us closer and closer to burning out. Mike quickly realized that we needed a weekend away to completely recharge, and spend a little time just us two (and Emma, of course). One day he came home, and asked if I had anything planned on a weekend in early November, and I reluctantly said no, and then quickly typed “House Renos” into our shared google calendar for that weekend. I had safely assumed that was what he meant…but I was wrong, and better yet, pleasantly surprised! Mike had contacted this lovely woman, Lucy, who owned a beautiful log cabin in Val-des-Monts, Quebec, only 30 minutes from downtown Ottawa, and had booked us a weekend stay. Once Mike had told me what he actually had planned, I was beyond excited and quickly became obsessed with looking at pictures and reading about the cabin online!

Out of all the outdoor activities one can do, hiking is my absolute favourite. My love for the activity started when I was very young. My dads side of the family would spend Thanksgiving weekend together in the Thousand Islands, and as a huge group we would hike up to the top of Blue Mountain. Enjoying the glorious fall colours all while climbing to the top of the mountain to take in the spectacular view was always a huge treat for me, and truly stemmed my love for hiking. My feelings grew tenfold when I moved out to Vancouver, Canada and was able to take part some of the most spectacular hikes out there. Having since moved back to my home city I am always looking for another great hiking adventure near by, and last weekend a few of us set out to Gatineau Park to do just that.

Though cold, and quite snow covered, the sun was blazing as we set out to the Willson Ruins. Mike and I had been to this particular spot before, but we wanted to show Kayla the truly beautiful treasure since she had never even been to Gatineau Park before. The three of us (and Emma) marched through the snowy trails to the site of the ruins, and since we had only been there once before in the fall it was incredible to see the flowing water surrounded by cascading icicles.

After visiting the ruins we headed back to the parking lot to meet some of Kayla’s friends, and check out another trail. We decided on a quick loop around the Sugar Bush Trail, which is a beautifully treed hike by the river. Since it was still pretty chilly out the trail was very quiet, and we were able to stop and take some photos before the sun started to go down.

Photography by Marguerite Belanger Photography

We all had an amazing time checking out some of the many trails in Gatineau Park, and given the recent change in weather, I can guarantee it won’t be long until we’re hitting the trails again soon!

Until next time,

J xo

My urge to travel only seems to be growing stronger as I get older. The more places I see, the more I want to see. No travel bug is ever cured, in my opinion, it just keeps coming back to bite you, and it’s always stronger than the last time.

As 2015 came to a close,  I found myself daydreaming of the places we could see in 2016, and all the places that have already been checked off the long list of must sees so far! In the last few years I have been incredibly lucky, and was able to travel quite a bit. I decided to share some of my past travel memories on the blog, starting with my all time favourite…

Western Canada is and always will be my favourite place on earth. Two summers ago Mike and I planned an incredible adventure hitting up Vancouver, Squamish, Whistler, Banff, Jasper, and Edmonton…not to mention all the little towns, and villages we passed along the way. In Vancouver, we hiked Cypress and enjoyed a few pints at the top, splurged on a rooftop dinner in Yaletown, strolled along the beach in Kitsilano, and woke up to the glorious mountain view in my amazing friend, Kristina’s, beach front apartment. Kristina is the gorgeous gal I moved out west with a few years back. She is beautiful, smart and driven, and I’ve always been infatuated by her ability to excel in everything she puts her mind to. Kristina is still living the life in Vancouver soaking in that fresh mountain air for me. I miss her everyday, and cannot wait to pay her another visit soon.

After Vancouver, we drove the stunning Sea-to-Sky highway to Squamish, and Whistler where we rode the Gondola and walked the suspension bridge, watched brave kite surfers soar over the open waters, dipped our toes in a few gorgeous rivers and lakes, and picnicked in Whistler Village. We were fortunate enough to stay with my incredible friends, Niki and Dave, their adorable daughter, Callie, and their amazing pup, Audi. Niki is the reason I decided to make the leap and move to Vancouver in the first place. Niki and I met in University where we both worked at The Keg Steakhouse (Kristina worked there too!). After graduating she moved back to BC, and a few years down the road convinced me to make the big move out west. Although I wasn’t in Vancouver long, I will forever be thankful for the way Niki and Dave took me in and treated me like family right away (obviously we coined ourselves the Modern Family because, well, who wouldn’t?!). More importantly, I am beyond grateful for Niki’s enthusiasm and ability to show me British Columbia through her eyes…and on this particular holiday, showing Mike as well. She is an unbelievably inspiring person, and I am so fortunate to be a part of her life. My anxiousness for another Modern Family reunion grows stronger everyday, and it’s only a matter of time before our hikers are packed, and we’re all blazing the trails together again.

Three days in BC, a lot of tears, and too many goodbyes later, Mike and I set out to make the drive to Alberta. This is something we’ve both always wanted to do, and it surpassed our expectations by a landslide. Each passing mountain seemed bigger than the last, and there was not a spare moment during that drive where we weren’t squealing about the view. By the end of our twelve hour car ride, our faces were sore from smiling so much, and we were still beaming with excitement from everything we had witnessed that day. This was also in part due to the fact that on one of our many highway pull overs, along one of the most incredible stretches of mountains and flowing glacier water, Mike got down on one knee and proposed as the sun was setting. It was an incredible day that neither of us will ever forget.

Mike and I camped during our time in Alberta, and it was the most relaxing, nature filled experience. The campsites were surrounded by mountains and wildlife (especially in Jasper!), which completely fulfilled our nature craving nearing the end of the summer. In Banff, we visited Lake Louise and hiked to the Teahouse, strolled along Morraine Lake, ventured to Johnston Canyon, and witnessed the stunning view of Peyto Lake…they were all so beautiful it was hard to believe they were even real.

The same can be said for Jasper. Wild elk came right up to us at the campsite, and the fresh mountain air was truly indescribable. While in Jasper, we toured the Columbia Icefield Glacier and walked about it, hiked through Maligne Gorge, and then slowly made our way to Edmonton where we splurged on a beautiful hotel room for the final night of our vacation. We were lucky enough to close out our vacation swimming in the hotel pool, lounging in the amazing hot tub, and visiting with Mike’s good buddy, Pat, who was working out that way. This holiday was one of the most spectacular I’ve experienced to date, and I can’t wait to visit those mountains again someday soon.

Here are some of our favourite photos from this spectacular holiday!

Thanks for stopping by!

J xo