One of the best parts of decorating the Christmas tree is rediscovering all the Christmas ornaments that have been hidden away all year. I always admire the trees I see in designer home magazines. You know the ones I’m talking about. Those perfect trees where everything is colour coordinated and matching. Well, our Christmas tree doesn’t look anything like that. Instead, it’s a collection of mismatched ornaments. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything because each one brings back treasured travel memories.
In addition to the homemade decorations my kids have made over the years, some of my favourites are ornaments we bought on our family vacations. On our first big family vacation, we started a tradition. We always buy a Christmas ornament when we travel. Every year when we put up the Christmas tree, we have a chance to relive memories of our trips.
Today, I’ll introduce you to some of these ornaments, along with some highlights of the trips they came from. In this post, I’ll share some treasured travel memories of our Canadian vacations. Next week, we’ll look at some of our other favourite vacations.
Canadian vacation memories
Prince Edward Island
We bought this lighthouse ornament on our trip to Prince Edward Island in 2009. Prince Edward Island, or P.E.I. as we call it, is Canada’s tiniest province. With a population under 200,000, it’s smaller than the city we live in.
If you’ve ever watched the Anne of Green Gables TV series, you’ll be familiar with P.E.I. The Anne books were set in the Cavendish area and author Lucy Maud Montgomery was born in nearby Clifton. If you ever visit P.E.I., a stop at Green Gables is a must.
I love the rich red colour of the soil and beautiful ocean views. This iron-rich soil is great for growing potatoes, something P.E.I. is known for.
One of my favourite memories of my first trip to the Island is the magnificent night sky. I never knew there were so many stars in the universe. It really was spectacular.
Oh…and P.E.I. is the birthplace of Cows Creamery – where they make some of the most delicious ice cream in the world. Cows also sells a selection of whimsical t-shirts.
Whistler, British Columbia
From the picturesque East Coast, to the stunning mountain and ocean views of the west coast and everything in between, Canada is such an amazing country.
In 2015, we toured British Columbia and Alberta.
After landing in Vancouver and spending a couple of days on Vancouver Island, we drove up the Sea-to-Sky Highway to Whistler. Whistler was the host mountain resort of the 2010 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games. In winter, this picturesque village is a world-class ski resort. In summer, Whistler is a popular mountain-biking destination.
A trip on the Peak2Peak gondola is a must-do when in Whistler. I’m afraid of heights but even I wouldn’t miss this experience. Spanning the peaks of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, this 4.4 kilometre journey takes about 10 minutes. It’s the world’s longest unsupported span for a lift of its kind. The views are breathtaking.
Banff, Alberta
After leaving Whistler in 2015, we travelled east through the mountains to Jasper National Park and Banff National Park in Alberta. The Canadian Rocky mountains provide spectacular views. You have to see them to believe them. Before I visited for the first time, I thought pictures of glacial lakes that I had seen had to be touched up because there was no way the water was really that brilliant turquoise colour. Then I saw them with my own eyes and realized the lakes really are that gorgeous colour.
We drove south from Jasper to Lake Louise on the Icefields Parkway. This 232 kilometre stretch of highway is one of the most magnificent drives in the world. Along the way, we visited the Columbia Icefield and went for a ride on a snow coach. We walked on the Athabasca Glacier and drank some delicious glacial water. Sadly, when we visited the Columbia Icefield, we saw the effects of climate change. The glacier had receded a fair bit from the previous time we visited 20 years earlier.
We also made a short stop at Moraine Lake, my favourite place in the Rockies, before arriving in the village of Banff.
Banff is a small village inside Banff National Park, Canada’s first national park. Named by the President of the Canadian Pacific Railway after his hometown of Banff, Scotland, the town was built to be a tourist destination and attracts visitors from around the world. The town site is nestled in the mountains. It’s not uncommon to see deer and elk roaming the streets or grazing on the lawn in front of the iconic Banff Springs Hotel.
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Favourite Canadian travel destinations
I’ve travelled Canada from coast to coast and these ornaments bring back great memories of three of the most beautiful spots I have visited. If this was a list of must-see travel destinations in Canada, I would also put Niagara Falls on the list. Since it’s within easy driving distance of our house and we go there often, I don’t have a Christmas ornament from Niagara Falls!
What are your treasured travel memories? Tell us below.
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This was our evening today, not travel memories though just kids creations from the last few years. I love a tree of memories rather than magazine perfect.
Me too. I wouldn’t trade our mis-matched tree for anything!
So many beautiful places visited! I love that you are able to decorate each year with memories. 🙂
Thanks. Yes, it’s one of my favourite parts about decorating for Christmas. It’s such fun to relive the trips.
what an lovely tradition to have. I enjoyed reading about your Canadian holidays. 😀
Thanks. Yes, it is a tradition we started without really thinking about it but I’m so glad we did it.
Gorgeous pics, Michelle! I think it’s a wonderful idea to get Christmas ornaments from your travels and remember all of that wonderful moments! Very cool indeed!
Thanks Cher. Yes, it’s a fun way to relive vacation memories.
So funny story, I graduated from the Canadian International School in Tokyo with a certificate from PEI! And guess what year that was… 2009!
Okay well that just proves we are kindred spirits! Very cool.
We decorate our tree the same way! Thanks for sharing some of your beautiful travel memories!
My husband and I like to travel too. Together we have been multiple places on the East coast of the United States. My all-time favorite travel experience though was in 1996 when I was a kid with my parents and sister. We went on trip for three weeks out West and camped in a tent. We visited a whole bunch of National Parks and other cool places. It was a trip I will never forget and I learned so much. When my girls get a little bit older I hope that my husband and I can give them a similar experience!
Sounds like a fabulous trip…except the tent part…I’m not a camper. 🙁
It’s so great to travel with our kids. We have so many great memories of our trips. Now that they are older, between college and jobs we don’t travel as much as we used to.
Haha!