Best Springtime Adventures for Beginners
Spring is one of the most beautiful seasons in Canada.
Take advantage of warmer weather and longer days by getting outside on easy outdoor experiences. You don’t have to be an elite athlete or extreme adventurer to enjoy Canada’s bountiful nature—here are five accessible, low-intensity, inclusive springtime activities for beginners.
Hang a Hammock in Your Backyard
String up a hammock and rock into peaceful bliss in your backyard, at a nearby park or a campground. Keep the hammock 45 centimetres off the ground, and don’t pull your anchor points too tight. Once you’ve found a scenic spot, grab a cold beverage and something to pass the time, and melt into the cocoon. Watch the clouds go by and try to find fun shapes, complete a crossword, write in your journal, read a book or just feel the soft breeze caress your skin as you relax and unwind outside. If you’re looking for some inspirational reading, subscribe to Explore Magazine—we’ve been publishing the best Canadian outdoor adventure stories for 43 years—and bring your new print issue outside with you.
Walk Along a Boardwalk
Sure, you could go for a muddy hike—or you could find an accessible boardwalk for a nature-based experience. You don’t need to invest in fancy hiking boots or gear for a walk along a man-made walkway in a beautiful park. There are plenty of incredible trails on boardwalks throughout the country, like Skyline Trail in Nova Scotia, Brokenhead Wetland Ecological Reserve in Manitoba and Kokanee Trail in the Yukon. You can often find wheelchair-, stroller- and walker-accessible boardwalks. Visit a wetland, bird sanctuary or wildlife reserve near you to watch new life grow in a safe, controlled environment.
Visit a Flower Field
April showers bring May flowers, and the tulips that delight tourists in Holland are also blooming in flower fields across Canada. If you’re located in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland, Lakeland Flowers offers 35 acres of vibrant, multi-coloured tulips in over 100 unique varieties. If you’re obsessed with these spring-blooming perennials, don’t miss the Canadian Tulip Festival, a free annual event in Ottawa, Ontario, that claims to be the world’s largest tulip festival. In May and June, the peonies and lavender start to bloom, so keep your eye on your local flower field for updates.
Go Cycling on a Bike Path
Dust off your bike or rent a bicycle at a local shop. If you’re like me, and get scared riding in heavy traffic, seek out a route that avoids sharing lanes with motorists and, instead, plan a vehicle-free ride on a bike path. Stay in your dedicated lane and learn the appropriate hand signals before starting out—and don’t forget to use that bell! Cruise around a park, pedal alongside a river or listen for birdsong on a forested trail. You can travel much faster on two wheels, so you’ll see more springtime scenery waking up and blossoming outside.
Watch Ice Melt
Much more exciting than watching grass grow, watching ice melt—wild rivers cracking and defrosting; frozen-in-time waterfalls beginning to cascade again; icebergs dripping into the Atlantic—can be a calming and fulfilling outdoor experience. Be aware of rising water levels, calculate the tide times and obey all area closures. If you have a canoe or kayak (or are able to rent one), paddle around a lake or follow the ocean’s shoreline for a refreshing water-based experience. If you’re itching for an energizing swim, try a cold plunge for a healthy way to kickstart the season.
How are you getting outside and adventuring this spring?
Comment below!
Nothing original here ! Waste of time reading this article .
This was a refreshing read full of very good ideas! Thank you!