Lots of people tell us that we are ‘living their dream’ with our riverbank cabins and river paddling activity business. Like any business, the roll out in 2013 was indeed creative and exciting. We were taking a beautiful piece of basically raw land and making it into an escape where people could experience the awe and love we felt for the stunning Peace River Valley. Full disclosure, we used the ‘build it and they will come’ business plan. That's not necessarily recommended i

You know you want to - how will you pull off a getaway without screen time? Experts say that having screen downtime is an antidote for many mental and emotional ills including: Lack of mindfulness, social disconnection, sleeplessness, reduced productivity and worst-neglect of close relationships. It's possible that alleviating all of these problems in one getaway is unrealistic. However Northern Alberta offers a few obvious opportunities to make it happen! 1) Low or no servic

Birdwatching is one of those hobbies that you can deep dive into, or play in the sidelines. A 2016 US national survey cites that there are 45 million birders in the world, that they bring $80 billion to the US economy, and spend $41 million on travel and gear. Why is it so appealing to look to the skies? It can be FREE, CHEAP, OR....! : Birding can be as cheap as looking out your kitchen window, or local park, and observing who is out there. Add another layer by putting out b

When a wave of settlers headed north into the Peace River country in the early 1900's, they were of the most intrepid sort. Battling a geographic barrier of swamp, muskeg and forest between the Peace river prairies and the rest of Alberta, they left with a promise of untapped opportunities, leaving the relative civility of the earlier settled prairies, behind. The barrier still remains today, separating the productive Peace region from central and southern Alberta both geogra

Full disclosure, I am one of the dummies. However we always get questions about fishing at Peace River Cabins and Outdoors so I am going to wade into the topic, and let you nibble on some of the basic facts about fishing in this great river. This is a collection of half- truths, gained from impolite grilling of successful fishermen, anecdotes and general references. Anyone with consistent success catching fish on the Peace is going to lie or avoid your questions to preserve t

The massive landscape that the river valley presents attracts many photographers. Here are some factors to keep in mind in your quest for engaging photos! 1) Lighting: Every photographer knows that light effects make or break a photo. In outdoor landscapes the most reliable times for cool light effects are at dawn and dusk. In the long summer days of the north, that can mean 4:30 am or 10:30 pm! Other great light effects can occur on cloudy or stormy days. 2) Seasons: Every

Alberta is world renowned for it's mountain parks. And rightly so, they are spectacular and scenic. And this summer, they will be CROWDED. Two reasons: 1) the federal government has decided to waive fees to Canada's National Parks in 2017 for the country's 150th anniversary, and 2) our devalued Canadian dollar has already stimulated unprecedented visits by Americans and others. Heading for real, natural wilderness experiences in Alberta's north means you will leave annoying t

I don't really qualify as a birder. No high magnification binoculars, or pile of bird ID books on my car front seat. No notebook to keep careful record of each species. But I will be the first to admit the thrill of a Kingfisher sighting, a flock of pelicans landing on the river, or checking our telescope every day to observe a nesting pair of bald eagles incubate their eggs. According to the IBA (Important Bird Area) guide for Alberta, all four of the major North American fl

If you're thinking of trying a river expedition on the Peace River, here are some good reasons to try it

1) Live large – The Peace is a big, wide, peaceful river with a WOW factor. The MacKenzie- Slave- Peace- Findlay river system is the longest river system in Canada and second only to the Mississippi in North America. The Peace River is also unique in that it passes through a world class farming region as well as miles and miles of wilderness. photo by Dan Wheeler 2) The Unique Microclimate- Contrary to many people’s idea of the north, the Peace river valley on most days is 3-

For many, traveling and learning go hand in hand. Here are some uniquely northern Alberta short courses to make your holiday more fulfilling