Canada

You've probably heard of Banff, Canada. But do you know about the other park that flanks its northwestern border? Jasper National Park is known as much for its beauty as it is for how you get there: by way of the Icefields Parkway, a world-class journey that you'll never forget. And the hikes along the way are simply unparalleled. You'll experience some of them if you come along for the ride with Backroads, or you can tap into the park's majesty on your own with a few of our favorite Jasper hikes—we’re sharing our top five!

Ask somebody if they know of the Gulf Islands, and chances are they don't. Nestled in Canada's southwest corner, below the 49th parallel, this exquisite archipelago is the unsung vacation hero of Canada (and maybe even North America!). It is, hands down, my favorite place to spend a summer. And I don't say that lightly: having lived, worked and traveled in 15 countries on 4 continents, this place still takes the cake. Perhaps it's because I came here as a child, spending endless hours building sand castles to the sound of eagle calls and running with wild deer through the islands' untouched coastal forests. You never forget things like that.