Bucket List | Travel | Vignettes
Train travel is a 19th century answer to a 21st century challenge: Get off the treadmill and out of the rat race, conveniently, relatively cheaply and with little fuss. It lasts for only a few days but it is delicious. By BOB FOULKES Airplanes are frenetic, providing me a few hours of inflight sanctuary after... read more
Took a look down a west bound road, Right away I made my choice; Headed out to my big two wheeler- I was tired of my own voice. Took a bead on the Northern plains And just rolled that power on… Bob Seger, Roll Me Away By JOHN SKINNER The bear was scrawny and probably... read more
By BOB FOULKES I like adventures because they take me out of my comfort zone, and they force me into a challenge that mixes fear with hope. My latest adventure is an eight-day trek called the Tour de Mont Blanc, an iconic 135-km trail through France, Italy and Switzerland around the Mont Blanc massif... read more
By JOHN SKINNER The road to Chenda’s village is barely passable, bringing to mind a ride on a mechanical bull in a cowboy bar. The flood waters receded only days earlier after carving deep ruts that have our high-sprung pickup truck rolling and tumbling. Only the skill and patience of our driver, Vannak, keeps us... read more
Bucket List | Health & Fitness | Sports & Leisure | Travel
By BOB FOULKES I got hooked on adventure during an eight-day Outward Bound trek in the wilds of British Columbia north of Whistler. Since then I have completed a 77-km struggle along the Westcoast Trail on Vancouver Island, the 53-kilometre Chilkoot Trail in B.C., made famous by the Klondike Gold rush, and the 154-kilometre West... read more
By BOB FOULKES In the mid 1970s, when I was 25, I had a dream job: executive assistant to Judd Buchanan, Canada’s Minister of Indian and Northern affairs. He was responsible for Canada’s national parks, the territories north of the 60th parallel and the many duties prescribed by the Indian Affairs Act and other issues relating... read more
Bucket List | Family | Sports & Leisure | Travel | Vignettes | Wheels
By BOB FOULKES There comes a time for every guy to — literally and metaphorically — put his son in the driver’s seat. I love road trips. Men in a car, a full tank of gas, the open road, driving music, roadside diners, no eye contact and no schedule. It is a formula celebrated... read more
Bucket List | Health & Fitness | Sports & Leisure
By CONTRARIAN I remember my response when a friend asked whether I would be running the full marathon, or the half. “Halfs are for girls”, I said. I don’t really believe that, of course. The 21-kilometre half is probably my favourite distance: long enough to be challenging, short enough to run it fast. I mean,... read more
Bucket List | Family | Health & Fitness
By BLAIR WILLIAMS Like most people, when I turned 70 I started thinking about my mortality. Given my family history I reckoned I probably have maybe 15 years to live, so it made sense to think about what I and my wife, Jeannie, might pack in to those years. Of course, we wanted to share... read more
Bucket List | Tackle & Gear | Technology
By JEFF SKINNER Retiring soon? Or maybe you’re already there? After finance, the biggest issue people in face in retirement is what to do with all that new free time. If you’re like most retirees of my Dad’s generation you’ll read the paper, play golf and spend the rest of the day hanging around the... read more