Backpacker Buzz

The sun is high. The streets are bustling. Out on the sidewalk you see jugglers juggling and poets spitting rhymes. Just around the corner the scent of brautwerst mingle with the sound of easy blues. And out on the river, you cheer as colourful dragon boats race by.  

No, this isn’t a dream. It’s just a typical summer day in Edmonton, Canada’s own Festival City. Where every day is another celebration.

Suddenly real life isn’t so boring, hey? Read more »

The annual Salmon BBQ at HI-Vancouver Jericho Beach is firin' up the grills again this Thursday evening. Local members get to chow down for free while enjoying some live music and see what Vancouver's first hostel has been up to over the year. All this with a new eco-friendly twist. Read more »

Banff National Park, Canada's first national park, turns 125 years old this year. If you've ever struggled trying to figure out what to get someone for his or her birthday, try doing it for a 125-year-old.

But we're thinking something a little more personal and since experience is the best gift you can give, here are our top five places to enjoy a piece of birthday cake and some quality time with Banff National Park. So grab a slice, put on some comfortable shoes and celebrate. Read more »

It's no tropical cabana but HI-Vancouver Jericho Beach is one of the best places to stay in Vancouver during the summer. Summer's short and sweet here but the folks over there fill the calendar with activities and events all summer long. Parties, kayaking, a little environmental help and BBQs are all on order. Read more »

Give a nod to the planet this Earth Day with HI and friends at HI-Vancouver Jericho Beach. HI is getting together with the Jericho Stewardship Group and Evergreen to offer some earth-friendly activities and information on a day dedicated to the planet. Read more »

Andrew Renton is an accomplished Travel Writer, Photographer, Adventurer and Storyteller. His lack of ability to speak Chinese gets him into all kinds of hilarious trouble, which he plans to share in his next travel talk, Three Fascinating Faces of China, at the Vancouver Public Library on April 26. Find out how you can win a pair of tickets after the jump. Read more »

The popular K-100 Relay will hit the foothills of the Rockies on June 19, 2010. While you've got until the 30th of April to register, you can save $50 by registering by this Friday. 

The K-100 is a 100-mile relay race in Kananaskis Country, Alberta. Every year, 180 teams of 10 race through the hilly terrain. All money generated from the race goes back into Hostelling International Canada Pacific Mountain Region to improve hostels and services for budget travellers from around the world. Read more »

The United Nations has declared 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity. In honour of this declaration, HI-Vancouver Jericho Beach has partnered with the Jericho Stewardship Group to build the Earth Easy Project. The project is looking for volunteers who can start as soon as this weekend. Read more »

HI's Blog the Games winner, Dan HB, is currently skiing his days away in the French Alps but soon enough he'll be Canada-bound for the Vancouver Olympics as HI's Olympic video-blogger. Have a look at his gracious acceptance speech above.

For the first week of the Olympics, Dan will be in the streets of Vancouver, filming the fan action and all the stuff you won't see on T.V. Do you have ideas about how Dan should spend his time in Vancouver? Particular spots he should hit-up or people he should try to talk to? Have your say in the comments. Read more »