Rene Cizio's Blog, page 6

Five Highlights to See at Fort Michilimackinac

The past comes to life at Fort Michilimackinac in Mackinaw City, next to the Mackinaw Bridge. Technically known as  Colonial Michilimackinac, this historic gem is an 18th-century French and British fur trading and military outpost on the Straits of Mackinac. Historians have reconstructed the fort using maps and 60+ years of archaeological excavations. Today, it’s a fascinating look into the history of the seldom-traveled Mackinac area. If you’ve reached the top of Michigan, you’ve come a long way, no matter where you started. It’s not the easiest place to get to, which makes its history even more unique. Once you set your eyes on the Straights of Mackinaw, Mackinac Island, the bridge and the great expanse of water surrounding everything, you’ll wonder about the people who first braved this rugged land. Fort Michilimackinac goes a long way toward answering those questions. Here’s what I experienced during my visit: 1. The Landscape Surrounding Fort Michilimackinac My favorite part about visiting Fort Michilimackinac is the views. The fort sits on the shoreline of Lake Superior in the Straights of Mackinaw, just alongside the Mackinaw Bridge. The day I arrived, the sky was bright and looking out on the expanse there was blue […]

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Michigan Coastal Road Trip: A Unique Adventure

If you’re looking for a unique adventure and beautiful drive, a Michigan coastal road trip should top your list. Why? There are 129 lighthouses in Michigan and 3,200 miles of Great Lakes shoreline. Plus, Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state, dozens in the lower portion alone. Though I didn’t plan to see them all, or not even many, this fact spurred me to realize I hadn’t seen enough of the Michigan coastline. So, I set off on a road trip. Michigan’s West Coast Van Buren State Park I began my Michigan coastal road trip by driving three hours from Detroit to Van Buren State Park on the lower west side of the state. Van Buren State Park, just a few miles south of South Haven, encompasses 400 acres along Lake Michigan. The park has a mile-long sandy beach, high dune formations, a big campground, and woodland trails. The big, old-growth trees are perfectly spaced for a hammock, and I set mine up first thing. The campsites are large and wooded, and just through the trees is Lake Michigan. From most spots in the campground, a 20-minute hike will take you through a densely wooded forest and put you […]

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4 Rare Things to Do in Quebec City

There are plenty of things to do in Quebec City as it’s known for its European-style architecture, cobblestone streets, and fortified walls making it the only walled city in North America north of Mexico.  This French-speaking city is the closest you’ll get to a European city in North America and a must-see for any Canadian traveler. This fortified historic city is on a high hill with a brick wall around it, sloping down to the ocean. That means there were a ton of steep stairs, narrow streets and passages and too much charm for one place to hold. It has a rich French heritage and you’ll hear French spoken on the streets, and you’ll find plenty of French restaurants, shops, and cultural events with a French theme. Oui, sil’vous plait! I stopped by for a few days during my solo road trip through the United States, Mexico and Canada. Take a Hop on Hop off Bus One of the best ways to get acclimated in Quebec City is to take a hop-on hop-off bus tour. I do this in many large, busy cities on my first visit. These tours provide context and a sense of direction and give me great ideas […]

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6 Amazing Places to See in Nova Scotia

These six places in Nova Scotia, Canada, are a must-see if you’re considering visiting the country or living in the area and are down for a few day trips. I traveled in Nova Scotia on a 1.5-year solo road trip through the United States, Mexico and Canada. It’s one of the most scenic, spectacular places of the many I’ve visited. 1. Bay of Fundy The Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia is the only place on Earth where the tides rise and fall up to 60 feet every six hours. That, combined with the deep, glacier-carved rock formations, makes it one of the most unique kayaking experiences in the world. Surrounding the bay, Cape Chignecto Provincial Park has the best towering red cliffs, sea stacks, arches and ancient lava flows. The scenic cliffs show evidence of the separation of the continents when Africa and North America drifted apart. Many of the adventures occur in this area, named the Cliffs of Fundy UNESCO Global Geopark. The geopark is n the North shore of the Minas Basin, an inlet in the Bay of Fundy. The area features hills, mountains, valleys, forests, and coastal marshlands. The Geopark features exposures of the Central Atlantic […]

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Sea Kayaking in the Bay of Fundy

The Bay of Fundy is the only place on Earth where the tides rise and fall up to 60 feet every six hours. That, combined with the deep, glacier-carved rock formations, makes it one of the most unique kayaking experiences in the world. I made my way through Nova Scotia on a 1.5-year solo road trip through the United States, Mexico and Canada. Nobody should pass up a chance to see these tides firsthand. I stayed in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia and it was a great location to get out on the water and explore the nearby Joggins Fossil Cliffs. Kayaking in the Bay of Fundy offers many incredible and unique adventure views that constantly changing with the tides. Rock formations that are entirely submerged reveal themselves every six hours. The Bay of Fundy formed about 13,000 years ago; when the last glacier retreated, they carved out the deep valleys that form the bay. The tides occur from the difference in water levels between the Atlantic Ocean and the bay. The tides are highest in the spring and fall when the sun and the moon are aligned. Kayaking in the Bay of Fundy While kayaking in the Bay of Fundy, the […]

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Unique Joggins Fossil Cliffs Reveal Earth’s Past

Truly one of a kind.

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8 Unique Things to Do on Prince Edward Island

There are many things to do on Prince Edward Island, but the best part may be the drives down two-lane highways, seeing flashes of its unusual bright red soil, yellow potato blossom fields, and old-world charm of small villages you pass through. I spent several days on PEI near the end of a 1.5-year solo road trip through the United States, Mexico and Canada and found it different from all the places I’d been. This island is still relatively untouched by modern sensibilities except where it counts. The roads are grand, the amenities top notch and the cleanliness unparalleled. Still, many homes are from another era; farming is still a viable trade, and watching the sunset from the porch is a pastime worth doing. Here are 8 things to do on Prince Edward Island. 1 Cross Confederation Bridge If you’re like me, you’ll likely drive to the island and to do that, you must cross Confederation Bridge. The eight-mile suspension bridge is a feat of engineering and is the longest bridge in the world that spans ice-covered waters. It traverses the Abegweit Passage of the Northumberland Strait, connecting Prince Edward Island to New Brunswick, Canada. It is the only fixed […]

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8 Things to Do at Green Gables on Prince Edward Island

Visiting Green Gables on Prince Edward Island is a must for readers of the beloved book series “Anne of Green Gables.” Now called Green Gables Heritage Place, the house and surrounding grounds are in Prince Edward Island National Park, an expanse of sandy beaches and rolling farmland on the north shore of Prince Edward Island. Anne of Green Gables is a classic novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. It tells the story of Anne Shirley, an 11-year-old orphan girl who is mistakenly sent to live with Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, a middle-aged brother and sister who had intended to adopt a boy to help them on their farm on Prince Edward Island, Canada. I’d never read the books before planning my trip to this area in Canada, but a friend recommended I do so before visiting and I’m so glad I did. As a book lover who frequently travels to locations written about by my favorite authors, Green Gables on Prince Edward Island is among my very favorite book locations. At Green Gables, you can expand your “scope for imagination” by: Green Gables on Prince Edward Island If you’re wondering if Avonlea from Anne of Green Gables is a […]

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Van Gogh Exhibit in Chicago Highlights the Fickle Nature of Success

The opening week of the Van Gogh exhibit “Van Gogh and the Avant-Guard: The Modern Landscape,” an exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago in collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, was filled with eager art lovers. We came from far and wide to see the display featuring 75 paintings and drawings by Vincent van Gogh, Georges Seurat, Paul Signac, Emile Bernard, and Charles Angrand as they each took to subject the Asnieres suburb along the river Seine just a few miles outside of Paris. Curators believe these artists were among the first to depict this aspect of the communities outside of Paris as it morphed from naturalistic to industrial. Their works too charted new directions and changed the trajectory of modern art, now considered the Post-Impressionist movement. Bold colors, light, simplified forms, and expressive brushstrokes characterize the artworks. Several, from private collections, are being exhibited for the first time. About the Exhibit Of the 75 artworks, 25 are from Van Gogh, including two Van Gogh triptychs – a series of three paintings on the same or evolving theme – are being shown together for the first time. A video overview of the work begins in a room […]

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Drive the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton’s Highlands National Park

The drive along Cabot Trail in Cape Breton’s Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia, Canada, is unparalleled. Found on Cape Breton Island, this natural wonder includes mountains, valleys, waterfalls, rocky coastlines, Acadian and Boreal forests, the Cape Breton Highlands and White Hill, the highest point in Nova Scotia. All that is to say: it’s a spectacular drive and a beautiful place to spend a few days. Cape Breton Highlands National Park encompasses 366 square miles in the northernmost part of the province. Established in 1936, it is one of 42 national parks in Canada. Aside from the park and the island, the Cabot Trail is the biggest draw. The Cape Breton Coastline Along Cabot Trail I drove to Cape Breton’s Highlands National Park and Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia during my 1.5-year solo road trip, where I lived in short-term rentals across the United States, Mexico and Canada. I made my way to this part of the woods by way of Maine and the drive was nothing short of fantastic. There’s not much out here except trees that line the pristine highways; sometimes, that’s all you need. I’ve done a lot of driving as I’ve traversed North America, but it […]

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