Bens Tours Humber Bay Park Ben Bain 2021-07-24 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me a few kilometers west of downtown Toronto, as we explore the paths and trails of Humber Bay Park East and West, as well as the modern condos overlooking Lake Ontario.
Bens Tours The Grounds of St Josephs Oratory, Montreal Ben Bain 2023-09-30 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me for a walk around the spiritual grounds of St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal, Quebec. Not only are the grounds beautiful, the views of Montreal from the Oratory's perch atop Mont Royal add to the experience. This is my first Ben's Tour shot entirely on my iPhone, so let's see how that goes: I was experimenting travelling without the bulk of my DSLR...
Bens Tours St. Thomas Waterworks Park Ben Bain 2023-09-09 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me for a summer's day walk around the creeks and ponds of Waterworks Park in St. Thomas, Ontario. The town's first park, it was laid out around St. Thomas' water treatment plant in the early 1900s. (NOTE: There was a massive summer thunderstorm the day before I visited, and I attribute the brownish colour of the water to stormwater runoff. Unfortunately, I wasn't in town long enough to wait for the water to clear before filming)
Bens Tours St. Thomas Elevated Park Ben Bain 2023-08-19 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me in St. Thomas, Ontario, as we walk 100 feet up along a rail bridge that has been reclaimed into a park. St. Thomas Elevated Park offers views, artworks, lots of seating and connects to a longer trail network.
Bens Tours Distillery District Ben Bain 2023-07-29 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me for a morning's stroll around Toronto's Distillery District. This neighbourhood, just east of downtown, was built in and around buildings used to produce, package and store alcohol by the Gooderham & Worts company in the19th century.
Bens Tours Canary District Ben Bain 2023-07-08 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me as we walk around one of Toronto's newest neighbourhoods, the Canary District and its heart, Corktown Common. The Canary District began as the site of the athletes' housing for the 2015 Pan Am Games, built on former industrial and rail lands. When the games ended, the athletes' buildings were converted into condos, and the area has expanded from the six original buildings to a full neighbourhood with parks, restaurants and retail, and a YMCA.
Bens Tours Guild Park and Gardens Ben Bain 2023-05-09 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me for a stroll through the wooded gardens and salvaged statues and architectural ruins that make up the eclectic Guild Park & Gardens, on the eastern edge of Toronto.
Bens Tours Northern Palace at Masada Ben Bain 2023-04-15 | Each installment to Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me atop the legendary fortress of Masada in Israel, as I focus on the remains of Kind Herod's Northern Palace. You can view my full Masada tour from a previous trip at youtu.be/FW4OIivNxt4
Bens Tours Tel Beer Sheva Ben Bain 2023-03-25 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me under the blazing sun and intense heat as we explore the ruins of the walled, ancient biblical town that was once home to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, before seeing settlement from the Byzantines, Romans and Ottomans as well.
Bens Tours Dizengoff Square Ben Bain 2023-03-04 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me for a summer evening's sit as we take in the sights and sounds of Tel Aviv's Dizengoff Square.
Bens Tours Apollonia National Park Ben Bain 2023-02-11 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me as we explore the ruins of Apollonia National Park in Israel. Just north of Tel Aviv, the site offers easy trails through ancient Persian and Roman ruins, to the spectacular remains of a 13th century Crusader fortress. All with the beautiful blue Mediterranean Sea as a backdrop.
Bens Tours Tel Megiddo Ben Bain 2023-01-21 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me as I explore the grounds of Tel Megiddo National Park in Israel. This fortified biblical town is strategically important given its commanding vantage point overlooking a valley and ancient trade route. Still an active archaeological dig, 26 different layers have been excavated, going back some 5000 years. And of course the site might most famously be known from the Book of Revelations, which declares it the site of the final battle at Armageddon.
Bens Tours Foley Mountain Ben Bain 2022-12-31 | Each installment takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me as we explore the trails of Foley Mountain Conservation Area, and take in the views of the Village of Westport and the Upper Rideau Lake from atop Spy Rock.
Bens Tours Bronte Harbour Ben Bain 2022-12-10 | Each installment takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me dockside, lakeside and street side, as we explore Oakville, Ontario's Bronte Harbour. Music is Stop the Ice Cream Van by TRG Banks, from the Free Music Archive (freemusicarchive.org/music/TRG_Banks)
Bens Tours Ferris Provincial Park Ben Bain 2022-11-19 | Each installment of Ben's tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me on the hiking trails of Ferris Provincial Park, as we walk through the woods, along the Trent river, and across a pedestrian suspension bridge.
Bens Tours Benjamin Islands Ben Bain 2022-10-29 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time, join me as we hop aboard North Channel Tour's Grand Heron for a day trip from Little Current to South Benjamin Island. Sit back, soak up some sun, and enjoy the views across Georgian Bay as you motor past stunning and stark granite islands, before disembarking for some swimming and/or hiking.
Bens Tours Chippewa Falls Ben Bain 2022-10-08 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time, join me for a pit stop at the halfway point of the Trans-Canada Highway, for a quick and easy hike alongside the wide cascade of Chippewa Falls. A visit to the Falls means literally stepping into a Group of Seven painting.
Bens Tours Agawa Rock Pictographs Ben Bain 2022-09-17 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me on the rocky shores of Lake Superior as we explore Lake Superior Provincial Park and make our way down to the sacred, centuries old paintings that are the Agawa Rock Pictographs.
Bens Tours Princes Island Ben Bain 2022-08-27 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me in the urban oasis that is Calgary's Prince's Island. This park in the middle of the Bow River, is only steps from the streets and skyscrapers of downtown, yet offers a quick escape to nature.
Bens Tours Assiniboine Park Pt. 2 Ben Bain 2022-08-06 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me as I continue my wanderings through Winnipeg's wonderful Assiniboine Park. This second part focuses on the English Garden and Leo Mol Sculpture Garden areas of the Park.
Bens Tours Assiniboine Park Pt. 1 Ben Bain 2022-07-24 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join my for the first of two videos exploring Winnipeg's Assiniboine Park. There is just so much to see and do in this fantastic park, I couldn't squeeze it in to one video. So this first part covers the Leaf Gardens to the Park Cafe.
Bens Tours Tache Promenade, Saint-Boniface MB Ben Bain 2022-06-25 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time, join me as we cross Winnipeg's Red River to explore the Tache Promenade, a riverside walk in the heart of Manitoba's French community of Saint-Boniface.
Bens Tours The Forks, Winnipeg MB Ben Bain 2022-06-04 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me for a summer's stroll around The Forks in Winnipeg, Manitoba. An Indigenous meeting place for thousands of years, the site is located at the fork of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, and today is a vibrant park with riverside trails, gardens and retail market buildings.
Bens Tours Lake Louise: Around the Lake Ben Bain 2022-05-14 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me for an early morning hike around the shoreline of Lake Louise, Alberta. This relatively easy hike - around the Lake's northwestern shoreline and then back around to the Fairview Lookout - offers constant views of the stunning turquoise water and mountains, with the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise as a backdrop.
Bens Tours Lake Agnes and the Big Beehive Ben Bain 2022-04-23 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me on a hike high above Lake Louise, Alberta, as we venture to the Lake Agnes Tea Room and then continue on up to the Big Beehive for the epic views back towards the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
Bens Tours Wascana Park, SK Ben Bain 2022-04-02 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me for a walk around Wascana Park, the heart of Regina, Saskatchewan. This massive park - almost three times the size of New York's Central Park - features gardens and forests, a lake and fountains, art and sculpture, and is anchored by the magnificent Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly building.
Bens Tours Crescent Park Ben Bain 2022-03-10 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me for an early Sunday morning's stroll around Crescent Park, a 28-acre jewel in the heart of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.
Bens Tours Murals of Moose Jaw Ben Bain 2022-02-19 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me as we wander through Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan - on a Moose Jaw Trolley Company tour and on foot - trying to capture some of the 47 giant outdoor murals scattered around the town.Music is 'A Box of Delights' by Ketsa, from freemusicarchive.org (freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/light-rising/a-box-of-delights)
Bens Tours Sukanen Ship Museum, Moose Jaw SK Ben Bain 2022-01-29 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me just outside Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, as we walk the sprawling and eclectic grounds of the Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village and Museum. Featuring a huge array of buildings, goods and equipment covering more than a century of Prairie life, Sukanen literally allows you to step back in time. Truly one of my favourite Ben's Tours to film!
Bens Tours Horse Thief Canyon, AB Ben Bain 2022-01-08 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time, join me for the scenic valley views and otherworldly rock formations of the Alberta Badlands as we explore Horse Thief Canyon.
Bens Tours Hoodoos of Drumheller AB Ben Bain 2021-12-18 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me under a beautiful blue Prairie sky as we explore the hoodoos of Drumheller, Alberta. These otherworldly sandstone pillars, formed over millions of years by wind and water erosion, make for a relatively easy family exploration.
Bens Tours Whitefish Island Ben Bain 2021-11-28 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me as we cross the historic Soo Locks to explore Whitefish Island. In the shadow of the Canada - US border and surrounded by the St. Marys River, Whitefish Island might just be the true gem of Sault Ste. Marie ON. The Anishinaabe inhabited this land for centuries, fishing in the shallow rapids alongside the island, and I thank the Batchewana First Nation for hosting my visit on their traditional territory.
Bens Tours Grassi Lakes, AB Ben Bain 2021-11-06 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me for a hike into the mountains above Canmore, Alberta, to visit the stunning green-blue waters and sweeping views of Grassi Lakes.
Bens Tours Harbourfront, Toronto Ben Bain 2021-10-16 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me for a lovely late summer's morning stroll along the lake in Toronto's Harbourfront district.
Bens Tours Perth Ontario Ben Bain 2021-09-23 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me for a summer stroll around the quaint Eastern Ontario town of Perth. Built on, around and over the Tay River, the town is known for its pretty riverside parks and properties, historic buildings, charming little footbridges - and a 22,000 pound cheese!
Bens Tours Riverdale Farm Ben Bain 2021-09-04 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time, join me in the heart of Toronto's historic Cabbagetown neighbourhood for a walk around Riverdale Farm. This working farm in the shadows of downtown, run by the city's Parks Department, appeals to families and the young at heart. Riverdale Farm is across the street from The Necropolis, and the two sites can easily be combined in one visit (a video of the Necropolis was actually my last post).
Bens Tours Toronto Necropolis Ben Bain 2021-08-14 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time, join me for a little bit of Toronto history in the park-like setting that is the Toronto Necropolis. The Necropolis is one of the city's oldest non-denominational cemeteries, and many prominent Canadians are buried amongst the treed, valley setting. The Necropolis is across the street from Riverdale Farm in Toronto's Cabbagetown neighbourhood, and the two sites can easily be combined in one visit (a video of Riverdale Farm will actually be my next post).
Bens Tours Sunnyside Pavilion Ben Bain 2021-07-03 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me for a peak inside Sunnyside Pavilion, the remains of a popular amusement park on Toronto's western beaches. Music is "Early Sun" by Crowander (freemusicarchive.org/music/crowander). See also my Ben's Tour about Humber Bay (youtu.be/Y68Cxin0wI8). Just over a kilometer to the west of Sunnyside, the two can easily be combined.
Bens Tours Manitoulin Hotel and Little Current Ben Bain 2021-06-12 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me as we check-in to the Manitoulin Hotel and Conference Centre, and for a morning stroll along charming Water Street and the neighbouring marina in Little Current.
Bens Tours Cup and Saucer Trail Ben Bain 2021-05-22 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me for a beautiful walk through forested highlands of the Cup and Saucer Trail on Manitoulin island.
Bens Tours Haleakala Sunrise Ben Bain 2021-05-11 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on visit to a special place. This time, join me for a flashback viewing of a sunrise from the summit of 10,023 foot Mt. Haleakala. Haleakala was a sacred place for ancient Hawaiians, with the name translating as 'House of the Sun'. Pretty sure you'll understand why after viewing the experience.The video was originally uploaded way back on November 5th, 2006 - long before I had HD capabilities - but had been blocked worldwide due to a copyright claim. The new background music is "Sun Comes Up, I Come Down" by Silicon Transmitter, from the Free Music Archive freemusicarchive.org/home
Bens Tours Flowerpot Island Ben Bain 2021-05-01 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me for the short ferry ride from Tobermory over Georgian Bay to explore the trails and rock pillar formations of Flowerpot Island. Operated by Parks Canada, the island is only accessible by boat and is a jewel in Fathom Five National Marine Park.
Bens Tours Bridal Veil Falls Ben Bain 2021-04-10 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me for a walk along the Kagawong River to take in the view - and a refreshing dip in - Manitoulin Island's Bridal Veil Falls.
Bens Tours Morland Place Ben Bain 2021-03-20 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me as we walk the manicured European gardens of Morland Place. This 100 year old manor sits amidst large formal gardens and statues, sprawling grounds and a myriad of mysterious paths. Mix in shades of Edith and Edie of Grey Gardens lore, with a chance conversation with Morland's eccentric owner/resident/caretaker - who, if you are lucky, may grant you a peak at the home's grand staircase and pink skylight - and it is a worthwhile side trip to nearby Inglis Falls.
Bens Tours Bruces Caves Conservation Area Ben Bain 2021-02-27 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me for an easy, forested hike along the Niagara Escarpment to explore Bruce's Caves.
Bens Tours Haliburton Sculpture Forest Ben Bain 2021-02-06 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me on the trails of the Haliburton Sculture Forest as we explore the few dozen sculptures of all shapes, sizes and colours dotted throughout the serene wooded landscape in the Haliburton Highlands. There's even an app you can download for a self-guided tour.
Bens Tours Paris, Ontario Ben Bain 2021-01-16 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me for a stroll around the quaint streets, cobblestone houses, and green banks of the Grand River in Paris, Ontario. The "Prettiest Little Town in Canada", Paris was founded in 1850 and is named not after the famous French capital, but for its rich gypsum deposits, which is used to make plaster of Paris.
Bens Tours Westminster Ponds Ben Bain 2020-12-26 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me as we explore the 200 hectares of wetlands and abandoned veteran's village in London, Ontario's Westminster Ponds
Bens Tours Lake Louise Ben Bain 2020-12-06 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time, join me for a walk along the lakeside trails of Alberta's Lake Louise. Set inside Banff National Park, the stunning turquoise water against the mountainous backdrop is an experience that is beyond breathtaking.
Bens Tours Roman Barcino, Barcelona Ben Bain 2020-11-14 | Each installment of Ben's Tours takes you on a visit to a special place. This time join me on and beneath the streets of Barcelona, as we explore the remains of the ancient Roman colony of Julia Augusta Faventia Paterna Barcino. Founded 2100 years ago, Barcino, for short, grew rapidly and today you can visit the archaeological excavation that stretches for several blocks under the Plaça del Rei.
