You may think the whole idea of being an explorer is to be the first to see something never before discovered. This isn't really what we do as urban explorers. Even the rural explorers are following past human settlement, construction and demolition. We explore in old footprints.

It helps to have a guide to where you might start. Then, when you have explored enough and the adventure of being lost is less fun than the idea of a fresh, hot coffee... the map book or guide book will show you which way to go.

My favourite is the Back Roads of Ontario, by MapArt Publishing.

Would you Doodle on Your Map?

A new map (in book form) is published each year. I don't buy a fresh book every year. Mine has notes, doodles, and marks where I found great treasure (a really unique, weathered and detailed old house). Also, the maps don't change so often that you need updated too often. But, it is nice to start again with a fresh map when my old one is getting dog-earred.

The MapArt book is an actual map, roads, rivers and all. But, I love to find a book like the one by Ron Brown pictured here. This is more than just a road map, it's reading someone else's findings, experiences and some forewarning about what you may or may not find when you look for the same places yourself. You also get to see photos someone else took. It's nice to see if you can find a better angle, maybe different light or see more than the than the author of the book noticed.

Ron Brown is one of a few people who write great books for anyone exploring Ontario history. Whether you are on the road with your camera or just want to read the history and see the photographs, the books have a lot to offer. They aren't all available on Amazon however. Some are out of print, some were published by small press and some are just plain old and forgotten.

If you want to explore take a great map book. One which shows you the roads and the back roads. But, take a look for other guide books for local history and backroad traveling.

I live in Ontario so I've shown the books I know (and have on my bookshelves) as a guide to letting you see what is out there when you start having your own adventures on the road with your trusty backpack, camera, boots and a map book!

What Does your Road Trip Map Look Like?

How do you treat your map?

• It's in pristine condition, like new.
• I took a course about map folding in school, my map is almost perfect.
• It's a bit dog-eared with the odd rip or tear.
• I've made a few notes on it and it shows some wear and tear.
• I doodle on it, make notes, circle places I want to see again.
• It's pretty marked up - but I just think of it as personalized.
• My new map or the old one I couldn't really use any more?
• It think it had enough of me and walked away on it's own one day.
• I can't find my map.
• Map..? We were supposed to bring a map?
• It's at that stage where the paper is kind of fluffy now, almost like fabric.
• I was attacked by aliens, they took a few chunks out of my map... they really did!
• I don't own a map. They are too much responsibility and map folding scares me.
• I just don't own a map. A map should be free, unowned.

Canada is the second largest country in the world.

Canada covers five time zones from one coast to the other..

Canada has 10 provinces and 3 territories.

Provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island are the Maritime Provinces. The territories are north of the provinces: the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

The capital of Canada is Ottawa, Ontario.

We celebrate Canada Day on July 1st.

Canadians speak English and/or French.

Bring Your Passport

Previously the border crossing did not require much (if any) paperwork. That changed due to US government restrictions on travel. As of 2009 you do need a passport to cross the border and travel in Canada mainly because the US border will require your passport to let you back in.

Top Ten Things to Know Before Travelling in Canada

There are a lot of differences in culture and traditions and laws between Canada and the US. Most are not so noticeable in everyday life. Things like Canadian spelling won't be an issue unless you want to work in Canada or stay a lot longer than the average vacation. This top ten list are the things a tourist from the US needs to know.

Many things are the same too. We tell time the same way, the clocks in Canada tell time the same as the US. We drive on the same side of the road as you do in the US.

Currency - Canadian money comes in coins and bills but we have coloured money and our one dollars (loonies) are in coin. We also have the two dollar coin (toonie). Our paper money is steadily being replaced by plastic money so you will still see a mix of bills in paper and plastic.

Metric System - You will manage with the old Imperial system but in Canada we use the Metric system: Mainly you will notice Celsius for temperature. (weather) and kilometres measuring distance when driving on the roads and highways.

Language - Canada is bilingual. This means there are two official languages: English and French. However, we do not all speak French. English is spoken across Canada, even in Quebec and the Maritime provinces where you are most likely to hear French. In Quebec, French is the official language of the province.

Politics - The main Canadian political parties are Liberal, Conservative and NDP. There are smaller parties like the Green Party but what you really need to know is Canada is not a communist country.

Smoking/ Cigarettes - You can not smoke in a public area in Canada. This includes indoors at restaurants. No one will ask if you want smoking or non-smoking because it is all non-smoking. Outside you need to stand far enough from public buildings and entrances to avoid having cigarette smoke entering the premises.

Littering - Canadians can get upset about littering. Sure there are some messy areas but, litterbugs are not okay in Canada. Many people will get upset with someone who litters.

Shoes Off - When coming into someone's home Canadians remove their shoes at the door. Even if they say it is okay to leave your shoes on, should you ask, it really is customary to take them off. I wouldn't have known about this difference in customs but for my Mother living in the US half the year. She noticed it.

Climate and Weather - Canada and the US have seasons at the same time of year. You won't need skis in July, no matter how far north you go. Canada is not the land of endless winter. Summer can be humid and hot.

Wild and Natural - Canada is not one big, wilderness. True, most of the population lives in cities along the Canada/ US border. But, it does not become a vast, unpopulated wilderness once you leave the cities.

Canada is Big - By land mass Canada is bigger than the US and you can not fit Canada inside of Texas, or Alaska or any other US state. You can not drive across Canada in a day. You can not even drive across most of Canada in one day, even if you take a shortcut around the Great Lakes.

What keeps you from travelling to Canada?

• They all speak French.
• I'd have to cross the border.
• I don't like a lot of wilderness and camping.
• I don't like winter, snow and ice.
• Canadians drive on the wrong side of the road.
• Canadian money is confusing.
• I don't know how to speak, read or write in Canadian.
• I don't really know where Canada is.
• I don't understand the weather in Canada, it's not in Fahrenheit.
• I'll miss all my favourite TV shows.
• It's a communist country.
• I might not be able to get home again.
• I might see a moose.
• Butter tarts are way too fattening.
• I'd have to wear a parka.
• I'd have to wear a toque.
• I wouldn't be able to plug in my laptop or get cell phone signal.
• I'm allergic to maple syrup.
• They put vinegar, cheese and gravy on French fries. Shudder.
• Canadians drive too fast.
• It's a crime to harm the holy bird of Canada, the Canadian geese.
• A tree might fall on me from all those beavers.
• I don't think a trip to Canada is all that scary.

Enjoy Summer without Going Broke or Getting Burnt

Summer is the time people want to be outdoors, doing things and having adventures. It’s when we recharge our batteries from the winter just past and coming up ahead. So everyone, even those who don’t like the heat, humidity and sweat of summer will still try to get out there and do something.

Enjoying some part of summer becomes a bit of a problem if you have a tight budget, or nothing extra to spend at all. I am on a budget myself and I’m not especially a summer person who wants to be out there for too long. So, I put together a list of summer things to do, on a budget, which won’t leave you feeling over heated.

You can always do the armchair adventure idea. Have a staycation with virtual adventures and real snacks.

Pedal Power!

Take out that bicycle and pedal yourself to new locations. Have a plan or just go in some new direction and see where it takes you. Picture yourself as an explorer, sailing out over the vast ocean, suspecting the world is flat and you may at any moment sail right over the edge… but not yet. How far can you travel before you find your flat edge and decide to go back? Bring your own water.

Foot Power!

See your city or town on foot. Sign up for any walking tour you can find, free tours are often available through the local library for bird watchers and other groups who get together. You can be walking through a forest on a breezy summer day and not spend a thing to get there. Or, your tour of choice may be a haunted walk, having a night time adventure and trying to see the ghost.

Pot Luck Dinners

Invite people over for a pot luck. Everyone brings one thing: salad, burgers, buns, cutlery, water, etc. When it all comes together there is enough for a great feast and yet it won’t cost more than you would have spent on making something for dinner that night anyway.

Check Your Local Listings

Check the newspaper and online websites which list local events. Pick something and attend. There is bound to be something going on every weekend, somewhere, in a city.

In smaller towns the church has a pancake breakfast, bake sale or some kind of event involving people getting together with food and face painting.

Most towns have a farmers market on weekends too. Pick up fresh produce and take your time wandering around the booths.

Libraries, museums and art galleries will be trying to attract people during the summer. Check their websites and see what they have to offer. Most of it will be free – you just have to show up.

Check public parks for soccer games and assorted free things you may take for granted. You don’t have to be a parent to watch the kids play but it can make you feel happy to hear them laugh, cheer them on and just be part of a group doing something.

Pick Up Junk and Treasures

Spring cleaning, people moving to new homes and travel plans are all causes for people to sort through their stuff. You can find better trash to treasure during the summer than you will find tossed out during the winter. Take advantage of your neighbour’s spring cleaning to pick up something you can restore, renovate or repurpose. Summer is a great time to be a scavenger.

Of course, you can always haul out some of your own unfinished projects, books and clothing taking up space and have a garage sale. Whatever doesn’t sell can sit at the curb for someone else to pick up as a great find to treasure.

Hang Out at the Mall

Pick the one which still has air conditioning. Shopping indoors can be a sticky, hot adventure in the days of trying to be green. A fast food restaurant is a good choice too, if they keep it cool. You can buy a coffee or a bottled water and hang out for at least an hour. Bring a book.

Staycation Yourself in the Backyard

Pull out a blanket, the radio and a book. Make yourself at home in your own backyard. You can pretend to be at the beach, in the middle of a forest, at the top of a mountain – even bring your own sound effects if you find something to download online. You don’t need to go far to just be outside in the summer.

Be a Weekend Gardener

You don’t need a lot of space to have a few things growing. If you want to go all out and plot a big garden go ahead and enjoy it. But, if you just want to get your fingers a little dirty and have something to grow for it, that works too. Consider a window box which you can plant with herbs, or annual flowers. Container gardening is one way to keep your plants mobile, move them onto patios, decks or balconies and shift them around as they grow, flower or go to seed.

Pick plants which don’t need a lot of water. At first they will need some water to help them transplant and grow new roots. Most plants will let you know when they need watering, they droop and look sad. Over watering and too much care will kill plants too. If you have no luck at all try a cactus. They don’t mind being dry but they do like sun and won’t be happy to be left in the cold if you start them before summer is actually here. Herbs are pretty tough, plant herbs which are native plants in your area and you will be a weekend gardener in no time.

Get Wet

Find a source of water near you and put yourself into it. Not everyone will have a public pool or local swimming hole. But, you can put the sprinkler on to cool down or lie outside in a kiddie pool (pretend the kids are coming over later if you feel the need to explain yourself to anyone).

Do Kid Stuff

• Fly a kite or paper airplanes
• Blow bubbles
• Build a sandcastle

Find Free Theatre and Music

Check for live events where you don’t need to pay or just bring canned goods for the food bank. Theatres may allow the public to sit in on dress rehearsals. If you investigate you can find live entertainment for free at least once over the summer.

Flower Picking

Find wildflowers like daisies and pick a bouquet. If you don’t have a vase put them in a tall glass or water pitcher.

Watch the Night Sky

It may not be the sunny daytime but the summer sky at night is soothing as the day cools off. Find a spot and relax under the sunset until the stars come out.

Build a Fort

Does your grocery store offer boxes? Bring home as many as you can and build a fort in the backyard. Kids can help but do it yourself just for fun. Why do we think we need to have children to enjoy building a fort?

Have at Least one Picnic

Summer is for picnics, ants and all. My Grandfather would take us to the grocery store and buy a loaf of bread, some cold cuts, maybe pickles and cheese too. Then we all drove to the park with him and played on the swings for awhile. Then he would bring out the supplies and we would eat our picnic, even with slightly dirty hands. I still have fond memories of picnic sandwiches with fingerprints.

Seed Spitting

Is it really summer if you haven’t had watermelon? Eat it outside and see how far you can spit the seeds. You can always do the armchair adventure idea. Have a staycation with virtual adventures and real snacks.

Get started as an urban explorer with a great backpack. Mine is not as cool at this one from National Geographic, but I can dream (or think of it as a goal for the future). What sort of explorer wouldn't be tempted by something called an Earth Explorer Backpack designed by National Geographic (those explorers/ documenters of the world.

You don't need a lot of gear to be an urban explorer. The basics: digital camera, map, decent footwear, flashlight and something sensible, somewhat waterproof and light to carry them in. Some explorers bring a lot of safety gear, extra gadgets and electronic accessories. If you are exploring risky areas like drains, tunnels and industrial areas it is a good idea to come prepared for danger from gases, chemicals and whatever else might be lingering around.

You could bring water, exploring is thirsty work. I prefer to go for coffee somewhere after I've taken all the photos I want. Of course, it does depend on how mucky I end up being. Not many coffee shops are going to be happy with you if you track in a lot of mud and possibly worse smelling stuff (depending on where you explored that day).

Urban exploring (usually wandering around without permission) is taking a risk. You could be charged with trespassing. However, if you don't have a lot of gear and equipment (beyond your camera) you won't look like someone who has planned to cause trouble, steal or damage anything. I've never had any trouble. People ask what I am doing and I explain that I enjoy old buildings and like to have a look and take some photographs.

Another thing for explorers to know is the 'rule' of urban explorers. Take only photographs; leave only footprints. This means you don't take souvenirs, or remove anything from the property (other than your own garbage).

Don't confuse urban exploring with dare devil stunts. Urban explorers love history, old places and things. It isn't about taking risks or breaking laws. Urban exploring is about documenting history and using photography to share what we find with family, friends and others you can trust not to vandalize or break the rule; take only photographs; leave only footsteps.

There is something about carrying your gear, gadgets, camera and assorted stuff in a backpack from National Geographic. You can pick from smaller backpacks and take a look at the camera strap (below) too.

I love my plug in percolator coffee maker because I can take it almost anywhere and I don't need anything extra (other than ground coffee beans, a mug and coffee cream) to have a cup of coffee. As long as I can plug in the electric percolator I can have coffee as I travel around or visit family.

My percolator pot is actually a Melitta JavaPerk pot. I found it at a second hand store, it had never even been used. Likely someone bought it but didn't understand how it worked or was nervous about the way it works, something like that I would guess.

A percolator pot is different from other pots. Each type of coffee maker brews the coffee in their own way. A drip pot runs heated water through the grounds to drip into a pot below. A French press (my other favourite coffee maker) steeps the boiled water in with the grounds and then the press comes down to push the grounds to the bottom and press the freshly brewed coffee to the top. The percolator heats the water and then uses force to shoot the water through the coffee grounds which are in a basket inside the machine. You can see the water shooting to the top of the machine because percolators usually have a see through tip on the lid. It's kind of fun to watch it while you wait for your coffee. The water that shoots up to the top becomes darker and darker as the coffee brews.

My percolator sits on a stand which has the electric pad (and plug) so they call it cordless. This means it does not need to sit on the stove to heat the water. This feature makes is great for travelling. I don't need to boil the water in a second cordless pot or find a stovetop to brew the coffee on. The percolator is the most all in one solution I have found yet. Plus, it's quick! I was surprised at how short the wait was once I set up the coffee maker and let it run.

If you travel and love your coffee, I suggest you pick up an electric percolator coffee maker. They are quite durable and you can keep all the parts inside the machine when you pack it up. Keep it clean though - old coffee never tastes good mixed with fresh brewed coffee.

Using the percolator coffee maker is easy. They generally work the same no matter which brand of pot you use. The main difference is whether your pot is an electric pot or needs to be on the stove to heat the water.