Stories
Gem Trek Maps
For their detail, accuracy, and unique waterproof characteristics, I've been a long-time fan of Gem Trek Maps. Through Summerthought Publishing, we've kept in contact with the company founders, Donna and Roger Nelson, for many years - and at one point we said "call us...
Lake O’Hara Information Boards
I’m lucky that Lake O’Hara, arguably one of the world’s finest hiking destinations, is just one hour’s drive from my home. I head up to the region at least a couple of times a year, but in the last two years have spent more time there working for a client who...
New Moon Editions, 2017
Two trips out east in 2016 were dedicated to a new edition of Moon Atlantic Canada. I finally had the time to drive the new Trans-Labrador Highway from end to end, but also spent considerable time in all four capital cities and resort areas such as Cavendish and...
Banff Wolf Encounter
I'm not a wildlife photographer. I leave that to experts such as Wayne Lynch and John Marriott. But the amount of time I spend in the Canadian Rockies has allowed me many wildlife experiences. Most of these are memorable for the sheer exhilaration of seeing...
New Moon Editions, 2016
It seemed that there were more changes than usual in the Canadian Rockies since the 2013 edition of Moon Canadian Rockies - new cafes and restaurants, changes to the way campground reservations are made, and more. But the region is also much busier than it's been in...
New Moon Editions, 2015
A spring 2014 trip through Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland kicked off the research for new editions of my Atlantic Canada and Nova Scotia books, followed by a family trip to Prince Edward Island in July. After many years of having a blue band with the...
Packing for Family Travel
For the last few years I've been writing and updating a travel book in the For Dummies series. As the market for books in this series is mostly families, authors are required to write with this demographic in mind. Travelling regularly with a young family myself makes...
New Moon Editions, 2014
With an early September 2013 due date for manuscripts, I travelled extensively throughout last year for new editions of my Moon guidebooks to British Columbia, starting with a trip to Vancouver in March and wrapping up with a mid-summer family camping adventure...
Skyhorse in Banff
One of the joys of travel is the people you meet on the road, but living in Banff affords us the opportunity to meet interesting people who are visiting our town. Which was the case recently when I struck a conversation downtown with a couple from Florida, Hani and...
New Moon Editions, 2013
Sales of all my Moon books have increased over the last few years, including the Canadian Rockies. I'd like to think it has to do with how much work I put in to ensuring they have the very best information available, but it probably also has to do with the demise of...
Canadian Rockies coffeetable book
My Canadian Rockies coffeetable book sells a few thousand copies a year and has been reprinted annually since it first hit bookshelves in 2009. This year, instead of a reprint, we decided to redesign the book, and most importantly include a new selection of photos,...
Moon Alberta Discontinued
The Alberta Handbook, published in 1995, was the first guidebook I authored, and 17 years later my publisher recently advised me that they would not be publishing any further editions. Alberta is booming, it's Canada's wealthiest province, and it welcomes over 30...
New Moon Editions, 2012
Researching new editions of Moon Atlantic Canada and Moon Nova Scotia last summer was a family affair, with two trips to the Atlantic provinces with kids in tow. I doubled up on a solo Newfoundland and Labrador trip last June, researching the Moon guidebook and also...
2013 Canadian Rockies Calendar
As is standard practice in the calendar industry, it may be early 2012, but I'm proud to announce that my 2013 Reflections of the Canadian Rockies calendar is on sale at retailers throughout the Canadian Rockies. With our designer Linda Petras, we chose a selection...
Frommer’s Newfoundland
The 1st edition of Frommer's Newfoundland and Labrador was published in 2004. Frommer's approached me to write an update, but the assignment ended up as a complete rewrite, and the 2nd edition was published in my name for the 2006 summer season. Subsequently, I...
New Moon Editions, 2011
I had a few commissions in 2010, which along with preparing the 40th anniversary edition of the Canadian Rockies Trail Guide, kept me busy work-wise. Updates for Moon British Columbia and Moon Vancouver and Victoria were both fairly straightforward. With two children...
Frmmer’s Projects 2011
I've been writing for the Frommer's series since 2004, mostly about Atlantic Canada. This I contributed to year three very different projects for the company. Frommer's Day by Day Nova Scotia, New Brunswick & Prince Edward Island is part of a new series of...
Banff’s Urban Wildlife
Banff is well known for its resident wildlife. Over the years we've seen grizzly bears, black bears, elk, deer, coyotes, and even a moose, all passing by out home. Cougars and wolves are also present and occasionally come into town, nearly always under the cover of...
New Moon Editions, 2010
My 2009 research trips kept me close to home, with solo and family trips throughout the Canadian Rockies, across the southern Alberta prairies, through the Kootenays/Okanagan Valley and to Vancouver Island. My city time was spent in Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton,...
New Moon Editions, 2009
With two young children at home, rather than one extended trip to Atlantic Canada, I broke my research into two trips in 2008, and managed to cover all cities and major travel destinations through the region. The 5th edition of Moon Atlantic Canada and the 2nd edition...
New Moon Editions, 2008
Our second child was born in late 2007, so travel was somewhat limited through the summer, but we did all make an extended trip to Vancouver and Vancouver Island, travelling from north to south and out to the west coast, where we all enjoyed a three-night stay at the...
Why Heejee.com?
By 2000, my last name as a domain had been registered (and to this day, never used), so I started looking for a short, memorable domain for my personal website. I went to the local Whyte archives and pored over historic maps, looking for unusual place names that...