20 Activities to Do in Canada This Summer, Just to Say You Did

Whether it's by canoe or kayak, you can take in a relaxing short stretch of it or if you're up for it, tackle the 202-kilometre-long route from Kingston to Ottawa.

This six-kilometre-long maze in Wakefield, near Ottawa, sports a beaver habitat and other scenic delights.

If chopping wood doesn't exactly strike your fancy, why not leave the axe in more capable hands. The Lumberjack Heritage Festival in Kapuskasing, Ont., provides awesome entertainment and fun for the entire family.

If you love a little beauty with a touch of mystery thrown in, Foresta Lumina near Coaticook, Que., is a two-kilometre-long illuminated forest filled with fairies and other creatures.

If you aren't afraid of heights, try crossing a suspension bridge. Whether you're near Vancouver and want to take on the Capilano Suspension Bridge or are around Thunder Bay, Ont., to check out Canada's longest bridge in Eagle Canyon, it'll give you a rush like nothing else.

The Ridge Runner in Ontario's Blue Mountain area has you in control of your speed. Think of it as a go-kart on speed!

The Montréal Cirque Festival transforms the city into a giant circus complete with performances, street art, concerts, animation and other interactive activities. If you're scared of clowns, however, you might want to avoid the city between July 6 and 16.

The largest standing dinosaur in the world is in Drumheller, Alta., which stands at an impressive 86 feet tall.

You don't have to head south to catch an incredible sandcastle competition. The Magdalen Islands in Quebec have hosted the event since 1987. What are you waiting for?

Forget the province's golf scene. Since PEI is known for its spuds, why not visit The Canadian Potato Museum in O'Leary which sports the largest potato statue in the world and shows you how to make potato fudge?

Iceland and Norway aren't the only places to spot the Northern Lights. If you find yourself in Yellowknife and it's a clear night, you can watch the magnificent Aurora Borealis light up the starry night.

Toronto's Eaton Centre has nothing on West Edmonton Mall, which houses over 800 stores, an amusement park, a water park and freakin' sea lions. SEA LIONS.

Vulcan, Alta., wasn't named after Spock's planet but the teeny town hosts a Star Trek Festival every summer. Why not?

Soar through the forest at VéloVolant (which means "flying bike," of course) at Au Diable Vert, in Glen Sutton, Quebec. Hopefully with no government agents chasing you.

No stones thrown here, please and thanks. The Boswell, B.C., home, which is only open for viewing in the summer, is made of half a million bottles of embalming fluid. Construction on the house began in 1952, when David H. Brown saved the bottles from a landfill.

The Beach Boys sing about it in the U.S.A. but Canada offers it as well. Head over to stunning Tofino, B.C., on the coast of Vancouver Island, and ride those waves.

Mini golf courses are a dime a dozen but if you want a real challenge, head to Timber Creek in Stouffville, Ont., where you can choose from two 37-hole courses that each have obstacles unique to each outdoor green.

For the oddballs out there who fancy taxidermied rodents, then the Gopher Hole Museum in Torrington, Alta., might be your dream destination.

Forget the Caribbean or the Great Barrier Reef. Snorkel or scuba through the crystal clear waters of Ontario's Tobermory Bay.

Whether it's biking around the Niagara Escarpment, conquering the Grouse Grind near Vancouver or camping in a national park, by ordering a free Parks Canada Discovery Pass, see the parks like you've never seen them before.