House of travel Canada & Alaska Brochure 2017 | Page 7

Natural
wonders Poutine Canada on
the culinary map A collection of
cultures
You can see the Northern Lights in
both Canada and Alaska. The most
reliable spot in Alaska is Fairbanks
because it sits directly under the
aurora oval, whereas in Canada,
Yellowknife is the winter bolthole for
jaw-dropping aurora viewing. Canada’s famed poutine is found
nationwide. A messy pile of chips,
cheese curds and gravy, it’s a
faultless combination. In Montréal,
La Banquise has more than 30
types to choose from and is open 24
hours a day. While Québec hosts an
annual ‘Poutine Week’ during the
first week of February. Canada has a rich French heritage,
especially in Québec. Although
the vocabulary differs from that
in France, you’ll find plenty of
Francophile culture, which includes
Canadian influenced French cuisine.
Look out for tourquettes - lollies
made by pouring boiling maple syrup
onto snow.
Also in Canada, you’ll find maple
syrup in/on/poured over everything
and the Montréal Smoked Meat
Sandwich is not to be missed. The First Nations are the various
Aboriginal Canadians who are neither
Inuit nor Métis. Across the country
there are various cultural centres and
museums, but Vancouver’s Stanley
Park with its towering totem poles is
particularly impressive.
Canada’s Icefields Parkway carves a
route through 100 ancient glaciers,
waterfalls and turquoise lakes
between Jasper and Lake Louise.
Remember to fill your tank before
you depart, there’s only one service
station en route.
Alaska hosts many impressive fjords,
but Kenai Fjords National Park tops
the lot for startling glaciers, as well
as the largest ice fields in the U.S.
Not to be outdone, Canada delights
visitors with the Rocky Mountains
and plentiful lakes, including
Lake Louise, which is flanked by
picture-perfect mountain peaks
and in winter, becomes a gigantic,
naturally-forming ice rink.
Alaska’s King Crab quite literally
rules the menu. The months
between October and January
provide the best time for tasting.
Devour huge platters of enormous
crab legs - fully cracked open and
dripping with a generous dose of
sauce. Equally sublime is crimson
Alaskan salmon. Naturally delicious,
you’ll need little more than black
pepper and a wedge of lemon.
Alaskan traditions are so deep-rooted,
you’ll enjoy a full agenda of native
dancing, traditional music, crafts,
festivals and history. Of course, dog
sledding is a state obsession. Partake
in an excursion, or visit in March
when the 1850 kilometre Iditarod
Sled Dog Race from Anchorage to
Nome occurs.
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