Tailgate with locals in the Midwest

Head in the direction of the Harry S. Truman Sports Complex on a sports game day in Kansas City, Missouri, and a blissful cloud of BBQ smoke is sure to lure you, in a mouthwatering trance, towards the stadium carpark. Here, you’ll find thousands of tailgaters – local sport fans, gathered before a match to grill food, eat, drink and socialise. Sport is ingrained into the local culture, making the tailgate party tradition the perfect way for any traveller to really experience the city’s way of life.

You won’t find the stadium downtown, meaning plenty of space for a big parking lot, full of locals that are dedicated to the grill. Kansas City has a rich and proud BBQ history – according to chef Anthony Bourdain, “the best BBQ in Kansas is the best BBQ in the world”. Expect talented grillers displaying their skills – family recipes accompanied by cold beers and some of the juiciest, tastiest meat you’ll ever sink your teeth into.

But it’s more than chargrilled morsels – tailgating is also about the people, and bathing in a sense of community and togetherness. The Midwest is renowned for its generous, welcoming denizens, who also have a competitive streak that stretches both on and off the field. Come equipped with a six pack under your arm and you’re sure to make fast friends, be offered food and drink and then challenged to one of the many tailgating games, such as ‘Cornhole’ – a bean bag toss match – in the parking lot.

Make plans to visit between September and December for peak football season, and catch one of America’s great pastimes in possibly the tastiest, friendliest way possible. And for an instant ‘in’ with the locals let SportsHosts set you up with a local host.

Encounter belugas, bears and blooms

With their ludicrously curvy contours, ivory white skin and eyes planted on either side of a rather bulbous forehead, the beluga whale is surely one of the ocean’s most cartoon-like creatures. There’s only around 150,000 of these marine mammals in the wild, but some 3,000 of them congregate in the Churchill River come summer in Canada. During July and August the whales migrate into the river to give birth and feed on the abundance of small fish that cruise these waters.

Also known as the ‘canaries of the sea’, these animals are known for the series of chirps, clicks, whistles and squeals that they emit while talking to each other. Have a listen for yourself by going kayaking or on a snorkelling adventure through these cool waters on Rail Plus’ eight-day Birds, Bears and Belugas itinerary. If whales aren’t your bag then fear not, as there is plenty of other wildlife to admire in this Arctic wilderness – think caribou, foxes, wolves, moose and birds galore.

Track down Canada’s Big Five

Turns out the big five isn’t limited to the African plains after all. For an altogether different style of safari turn your attention to the Canadian Prairieland of Manitoba, which boasts five rather large mammals of its own. From the coniferous forests, grasslands and marshes of Riding Mountain National Park, which harbours black bears, moose and bison, to the barren surrounds of the Arctic Hudson Bay town of Churchill, where polar bears prowl and beluga whales feed in the waters.

There are plenty of ways to observe the local fauna too. On Rail Plus’ eight-day safari guests will jump aboard a giant tundra buggy to bowl over the subzero landscapes to spy on local bears with a naturalist on board; they’ll career around northern boreal forest on a dog carting excursion; and they’ll bounce over the white-crested waters of Hudson Bay on a Zodiac to look for the rubbery white bodies of Beluga whales.

Cruise 1000 metres high over Whistler

Australians flock to Whistler to zoom down its slopes, but if you thought the landscape was magnificent from the ground, imagine taking it all in from the sky. In winter the Ziptrek Eagle Tour whisks adventurers across five lines in a setting of frosted pines, with soaring mountains as a backdrop and a marshmallow terrain below. In summer it’s all babbling brooks and green as far as the eye can see. If the old-growth rainforest in Fitzsimmons Valley wasn’t enough to make this trip unforgettable, hurtling 30 storeys down the tour’s new 730-metre line is sure to do it. The three-hour escapade ends right in Whistler Village, so hit the hills once you’re done or head straight to a bar for après.

Explore Canada from Coast to Coast

Watch Canada’s wildly diverse landscape materialise before your eyes from the comfort of a cosy train car, as you journey across the world’s second largest country. You’ll take in Canada’s five most southern provinces – British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario – as you travel from east to west (or vice versa) on board The Canadian. From the buzzing harbourside metropolis of Vancouver through the heart of the rugged Canadian Rockies and onto the multicultural mecca of Toronto, this epic journey encompasses many of the natural, urban, cultural and historical contrasts that make Canada such a beguiling nation to visit.

Those that opt for the full transcontinental shebang will roll a whopping 4,466 kilometres across the country, spending four nights and three days aboard. That leaves plenty of time to sample the local Canadian fare served up in the dining car while admiring the scenery. And should you tire of the landscapes rolling by (unlikely), then there are plenty of wine tastings and musical performances to keep you entertained.

Trace the trail of Klondike stampeders

Ever wondered what it would be like to follow in the footsteps of the Klondike stampeders? Well this is your chance to live like it’s the 1890s and do exactly that. Travelling over 100 kilometres north from Skagway, Alaska, today you will wind up in two countries, crossing from the USA into Canada’s Yukon territory and back again.

Unlike the prospectors of yesteryear you will thankfully not be attempting the treacherous mountain passes ill-equipped and by foot. Instead, my friend, you will watch the glaciers and gorges roll by your cosy train carriage window, before taking a lunch break at the scenic gold rush town of Bennett. You’ll also break from the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad to take a quick detour to the famed Klondike Highway.

 

Take in Alberta’s history and heritage

Head south from Calgary, through the rangelands of Cowboy Country to where the plains meet the foothills, and you’ll find a place steeped in First Nations history. Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that tells the story of the hunting practice of the native people of the North American plains – a technique used for the best part of 6000 years. Local indigenous people had such a great understanding of the region’s topography and bison behaviour that they were able to hunt bison by stampeding them over a cliff, before carving up their carcasses ready to be butchered.

Once you’ve taken in all that the UNESCO site has to offer, there’s still plenty more to see in this neck of the woods. The historic town of Fort Macleod, founded as a Northwest Mounted Police barracks in 1892, is a quaint place to get a feel for the old west. While back in Calgary you can explore Canada’s largest living history museum, Heritage Park, which escorts you from the present day back into the 19th and 20th centuries. Inside there’s Gasoline Alley Museum, where a cornucopia of vintage vehicles are on show; the Conklin Lakeview Amusements Antique Midway, with its old-fashioned Ferris wheels and carousels; and a rather kitsch historical village where you can chat to costumed characters.

Trek in the heart of polar bear country

Exclusive access to one of the most pristine wilderness areas in the world you say? We’re in. The remoteness of Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge means you can witness the beauty and brutality of Mother Nature up close on a Hudson Bay Odyssey tour, for there’s no other human presence within 160 kilometres.

As the name suggests, this lodge is set in the very heart of polar bear country. Your daily excursions around the Cape Tatnam Wildlife Management Area that surrounds the lodge will not only bring you (safely) face to face with polar bears, but also with wolves and black bears. It’s the unique convergence of eco-systems – where boreal forest meets the Subarctic beside the coastal waters of the Hudson Bay – in Manitoba that allows so much local flora and fauna to flourish.

Explore a garden like no other

Lauded as one of the most beautiful of its kind in the world, the Buchart Gardens in Victoria is a must-do on any trip to British Columbia. Established in the early 1900s, the attraction is still owned by the same family – current owner and managing director Robin-Lee Clarke is the great-granddaughter of the founding couple. And the floral show is pretty impressive: each year over a million bedding plants in some 900 varieties offer uninterrupted bloom from March through October.

Upgrade your ride home – and make the most of the coast – by taking a floatplane back from Vancouver Island to the city. The 35-minute ride offers aerial views of Vancouver, the Gulf Islands and Victoria Harbour.

California’s Wild West drinking hole

If you ever find yourself driving through the California desert, keep your eyes peeled for what looks like an old movie set. Here, in the middle of nowhere, you’ll find one of the States’ best music venues. Pappy & Harriet’s was originally established as part of Pioneertown in 1946, when a group of Hollywood hoi polloi decided to create a frontier town that hid motels, restaurants and entertainment venues.

Harriet and Pappy took over one building in 1982, set up a Tex-Mex restaurant and brought in the bands. Park yourself in a booth, down a Bud and a quesadilla and prepare for a night of good music. It’s a popular spot for Coachella sideshows, hosts its own festivals and has seen the likes of Modest Mouse and the Pixies on its stage.