Fall Foliage

Fall has arrived.  To many people, this can only mean one thing; the next step is winter!  To most of us, winter is a word that strikes fear into our hearts.  However, with all this dreaded doom hanging over our heads, we rarely take in the benefits of fall itself.  This is the time when nature seems to show off the most.  Acting as the finale to an amazing summer show, the leaves light up like bursts of colourful fireworks.  Luckily for us, Canada has a wide variety of scenic routes that are perfect to take it all in.

A scenic drive out of the city and back to nature, is a perfect way to spend a weekend.  After driving through beautiful country landscapes, stop at one of the many trails and take a hike.  Make sure to be prepared, and bring along a picnic and a warm blanket.  Sipping warm hot chocolate from a thermos, while over looking all that nature has to offer.  Afterwards, maybe stop by a little town and check into a little B&B.  Roots Small Banff Bag is the perfect weekender  bag.  This is a trip with a small cost and big reward. Get back to your ‘Roots’. 

Need some inspiration to plan this adventure?  Quebec has some beautiful routes to enjoy.  For routes and trails in Ontario go here, the site is completely equiped to plan your fall adventure.  Want to see it all? Here are the Top 10 Canadian foliage picks. 

 

Roots Green: the 100 Mile Diet, Could You Do it?

Imagine only buying and eating food from within a 100 mile radius of where you live. Sound easy? Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon will tell you otherwise. They recounted their experiences, including motivations and challenges, on restricting their diet for one year to include only foods grown within 100 miles of their residence in their book "The 100-Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating."

In 2005, Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon began a one-year experiment in local eating. Their 100-Mile Diet struck a deeper chord than anyone could have predicted, inspiring thousands of individuals, and even whole communities, to change the way they eat. Locally raised and produced food has been called “the new organic" — better tasting, better for the environment, better for local economies, and better for your health. From reviving the family farm to reconnecting with the seasons, the local foods movement is turning good eating into a revolution.

 

While the concept of only eating locally grown food is not new, the book coincided with the emerging popularity of the locavore: someone who eats food grown or produced locally or within a certain radius such as 50, 100, or 150 miles. The locavore movement encourages consumers to buy from farmers’ markets or even to produce their own food, with the argument that fresh, local products are more nutritious and taste better.

Locally grown food is an environmentally friendly means of obtaining food, since supermarkets that import their food use more fossil fuels and non-renewable resources.movement and farmer's markets. Media outlets in North America examined the feasibility of only eating food produced locally, local food-themed events, and locavore groups. Some restaurants and caterers offered 100-mile menus. Some farmers, gardeners, or regional food producers began offering subscription services to deliver produce or urban farming or gardening services. The 100-mile diet spawned many variations to allow for various circumstances and motivations. Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon now host the show "100 Mile Challenge" on the Food Network. Do you think you and your family could try the 100 Mile Diet?

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_food

http://100milediet.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_mile_diet

Related Posts

The Tyee - 100 Mile Diet

How to...Start Your Own Organic Garden

100 Mile Meal Planner

An Interview with Alisa and James

Enlighten Up! A Skeptic's Journey Into the World of Yoga

So we definitely wanted to talk about and give you the heads up about a very interesting and funny upcoming movie: Enlighten Up!

Synopsis

Kate Churchill is a filmmaker and a dedicated yoga practitioner who insists that yoga can transform anyone. She decides to prove it. Her plan: select a subject, immerse him in yoga and follow him until he finds a yoga practice that transforms him. Her subject: Nick Rosen a skeptical, 29 year-old journalist living in New York City.

Intrigued by the opportunity to peek behind the curtain of a 5.7 billion dollar 'spiritual' industry, Nick signs on to investigate yoga for 6 months. Before he can say OM, he finds himself twisted up like a pretzel, surrounded by celebrity yogis, true believers, kooks, entrepreneurs and a gentle teacher from Brazil who leads his class with his feet behind his head.

The more Nick investigates yoga the more contradictions he discovers, leading him to question whether yoga is anything more than a workout. As Nick searches for concrete facts and discards the lofty spiritual theories of his yoga teachers, he strays further from Kate's original plan. The two find themselves lost in Northern India, embroiled in a struggle between Kate's expectations and Nick's overt rejection of 'spirituality'.

They circle the globe talking to mystics, gurus, mad men and saints searching for the true meaning of yoga. Ultimately, both Nick and Kate end up in places they never could have imagined. They don't find the answers to their questions, they find much more.

For more information and cool stuff about this inspiring movie, visit the Enlighten Up! Official Website.  Make sure to find a theater near you.

Check out the EU! Trailer for a sneak peak.

Enlighten Up! Official Movie Site

Roots Fan Profile: Lindsay Exploring Israel, Roots Style!

WOW! What a great image! Our adventurous friend Lindsay shared one of her all-time favourite pictures with us. She was wearing her Roots fleece while riding a camel in the Negev Desert in Israel. Wanna know why Roots is her top gear for the adventure? "They have brought me comfort and luck worldwide!"

 

What an awesome adventure! Thank you Lindsay for sharing such a memorable picture. Shine like Lindsay and send us photos of yourself, friends, or family members wearing Roots. And like her, you could be featured here on The Buzz and on our Facebook Fan Page.

Here's how you can be featured:

Send us your photos via email at: tzelko@roots.com, or upload them directly on our Facebook Page. Let us know. We love interacting with our Fans!

Related Posts:

• Roots Fan Profile: It's Your Time to Shine!

• Roots Fan Profile - Meet Our Cool Friend Keri

• Top Ten Things You Love About Roots

Oh Canada! Tunnels of Moose Jaw

We're thrilled to share with you another awesome must-see place in Canada. This time we headed to south-central Canada for a very exciting historical place: The Tunnels of Moose Jaw.

Located just west of the provincial capital of Regina in south-central Saskatchewan, Canada, The Tunnels of Moose Jaw are one of the main tourist attractions in Saskatchewan. The tunnels, once a underground pathway for illicit activities, has become a theatrical tourist attraction featuring live actors and animatronic figures. Let's recap the history behind the tunnels.

Underground History

In the early 1990s, The Tunnels of Moose Jaw were built to allow engineers to move themselves and equipment from building to building without having to deal with the harsh winter.

Not long after the tunnels were built, a wave of Chinese immigrants arrived in Moose Jaw. Anti-Chinese sentiment at the time made it difficult for these immigrants to live and work in public view, yet business owners valued them as a source of cheap labor. So the tunnels were expanded and used as both living quarters and workplaces. Conditions were harsh in the tunnels and pay was poor, but the workers stayed because their options for earning money in the outside world were limited.

During Prohibition (1917–1924 in Saskatchewan and 1920–1933 in the U.S.), Moose Jaw became a hub for liquor distribution both domestically and across the border. Along with speakeasies, gambling and prostitution became big businesses in the town. The tunnels provided a conveniently obscure place for all these activities. According to several reports—though no conclusive evidence exists—Al Capone himself called Moose Jaw home for a short while, overseeing a profitable bootlegging operation in person. Because of the town’s connection to organized crime in the U.S.—and its physical link to Chicago via the Canadian Pacific Railway’s Soo Line, used heavily for transporting illicit alcohol—Moose Jaw became known as “Little Chicago.”

Underground Tourist Attraction

                            

          

Over time, many of the tunnels were blocked, but a portion of the remaining tunnel network has turned into interactive, theatrical tours. There are two tours offered for the ultimate underground experience. One highlights the tunnel's use by early Chinese immigrants and other recaps the infamous illegal enterprises lead by Capone.

This definitely is a cool historical place totally worth checking out. For more information, visit the Tunnels of Moose Jaw Website.

Related posts:

• Oh Canada! Algonquin Park

• Oh Canada! Reversing Falls in New Brunswick

• Oh Canada - Anne of Green Gables House

Sources:

http://itotd.com/articles/423/the-tunnels-of-moose-jaw/

http://www.tunnelsofmoosejaw.com/

Shaw & Stratford Festivals, Bringing You the Best of Theatre

We definitely want to talk about two of the most important arts festivals in Canada: The Shaw and Stratford theatre festivals. We think that you should try to check out these festivals as they include many of the greatest North American actors, the productions are fantastic, and they're the perfect reason to hit the road and explore this summer.

When

Now until October 31st, 2009.

Where

10 Queen's Parade, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada

Some of the Productions

Born Yesterday: Read a review

The Entertainer

In Good King Charles's Golden Days

Albertine in Five Times

 

Tickets

Start at $30

More information

Visit the Shaw Festival Website

When

Now until October 31st, 2009

Where

55 Queen St. Stratford, Ontario, Canada

Some of the Productions

  West Side Story:  Read a Review 

Macbeth

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Julius Caesar

 

Tickets

Starting at $25

More information

Visit the Stratford Festival Website

Another great part of the festivals is that you can do it all. Play, dine, and enjoy art at these major festivals this summer. The events are totally affordable too!

Check out this cool video for ideas on how to plan your visit!

Oh Canada! Algonquin Park

 

Summer is in full swing. And when we think of summer we also think of the great outdoors! Algonquin Park in Ontario is one of our favourite spots for summer adventure.

 

This park is truly magical. It's not hard to see why. Algonquin Park is a great place to connect with nature and the wilderness. From its rocky ridges, maples hills, to its wide diversity of animal and plant species and thousands of lakes, Algonquin Park in Ontario is definitely on our top list for places to visit this summer.

What we love about this park is that it not only offers natural scenery and wilderness but is also a great place to be adventurous and try a variety of outdoor activities like hiking, canoeing, fishing, biking, camping or just exploring the park's miles of trails. No wonder Michael Budman and Don Green (Roots Co-Founders) found it so inspiring!

A Roots Inspiration

Algonquin Park is the inspiration behind the Roots brand. Michael Budman and Don Green were so inspired by Algonquin Park's natural beauty and everything it stands for that they created Roots in 1973 in order to translate their affinity for the Canadian wilderness into a line of genuine leather goods and athletic wear. Algonquin Park is certainly one of those places that you have to see and experience.

For more information, visit the Algonquin Park Website

Related posts:

• Roots Survivor Weekend Kit: All You Need for the Adventure
• Oh Canada! Reversing Falls in New Brunswick
• Oh Canada! Anna of Green Grables House

Sources:

http://www.algonquinpark.on.ca/

http://www.ontarioparks.com/

Top Ten Things to Bring on a Road Trip

If your vacation somewhere exotic this summer has been put on hold consider taking a road trip instead! Whether you're heading to Ottawa for the weekend, or Disney World, our friends on Twitter gave us their essentials for the road.

10. Beef Jerky @Miranda "I always bring beef jerky"

 9. Ipod/CD's/tapes @Yvonne Cunnington "Lots of music for the car."

 8. Favourite book or magazines

 7. Your favourite Roots hoody 

 6. First Aid kit with sunscreen

 5. Favourite Sandals @Kimberly Lyn "Pack comfy sandals, stretch pants & iPod w/ music and podcasts"

 4. Travel Games

 3. Backpack/Duffle Bag

 2. Travel DVD player

And last but definitely not least.......

 
1. Camcorder @Nicole Drummond "You never know when something wacky is going to go down"

Thanks to our Twitter friends for sharing your road trip essentials! Want to join our conversation? Follow us on Twitter

We asked, 'What Makes Canada Priceless?' on Canada Day.

This July, Roots and MasterCard are asking everyone... 'What makes Canada priceless?' The Roots street team met up with people in downtown Toronto on Canada Day to get their candid responses. Take a look below.

If you take a moment and share your response, either in a short video or story on roots.com you could win a $1000 Shopping Spree.

So enter now, or take a few minutes to see what other people are saying: click here

Oh Canada! Reversing Falls in New Brunswick

The Reversing Falls in Saint John, New Brunswick piqued our interest because we couldn't quite wrap our minds around the term "reversing falls" - how is that even possible? 

After looking at Saint John's tourism page, we learned that the Falls is a unique phenomenon caused by the tremendous tide in the Bay of Fundy - the highest tides in the world. The natural opening of the Bay of Fundy receives on-rushing ocean tides directly like a funnel. The further up the bay the tidewater travels, the more it changes. It is essentially squeezed by the ever-narrowing sides and constant shallowing of the bottom, which forces the water higher up the shores. The low tide running out of the bay collides with the new incoming high tide, combining forces to make a higher wave come in. Interesting stuff indeed! It's recommended to view the Falls twice - near low tide and near high tide to get a comprehensive look at this marvelous place.

For Information Contact:
Reversing Falls Visitor Information Centre
Tel:  (506) 658-2937

Sources:

http://www.tourismsaintjohn.com/files/fuse.cfm?section=10&screen=194

http://new-brunswick.net/Saint_John/reversingfalls/reversing.html