In 2015, after the stunning success of the first edition of The Great Canadian Bucket List, my publisher asked if I could split the book into different regions: Western, Prairie, Central, Atlantic and Northern Canada. Certainly there was more than enough experiences to warrant individual books, and the idea was to appeal to travellers and locals in those specific regions. I got to work adding new destinations and activities for the slim volumes, which hit the audience target. The biggest sellers of the lost were my Western Canada and Atlantic Canada editions, confirming what I’ve learned about Canadians: people who live in the West are fascinated to travel to the East Coast, and vice-versa.
In the years since, much has happened. Loads of new experiences have come on-line, we had a pandemic, and tourism has bounced back stronger than ever before. I jumped at the chance to produce a new edition of The Great Western Canada Bucket List, one that would be completely overhauled, revised, updated and expanded. It would also be beautifully redesigned, breathing new life into a bestseller that celebrates life in general.
The Canadian Bucket List continues in full force this summer. I’ll be renting a Harley Davidson again to do a circular route of Vancouver Island, then swapping out two-wheels for four with roadsurfer, a major European RV rental company that just launched in Canada. We’ll be heading back to the Calgary Stampede, and then roadsurfing onto Waterton National Park, which inexplicably has thus far escaped my travels. Next up will be a visit to the East Coast, a return to New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island in search of new experiences for the third edition of The Great Canadian Bucket List. The Bucket List flows over.
Wherever your summer travels take you, keep an open heat, and open mind, and enjoy.