Six autumn travel adventures in Canada

1. Be a cowboy in Saskatchewan

Break out your Stetson and get back in the saddle at Reesor Ranch in Cypress Hills, Sask. You’ll help real-life ranchers move and sort cattle and be rewarded for your hard work on the range with a ranch-raised-beef dinner. 

2. Live off the land in Manitoba

There’s eating locally and then there’s eating locally: Moon Gate Bed & Breakfast near Whitemouth in eastern Manitoba offers food lovers a weekend of picking your own food (followed by feasting on it!). Guests of the Foraging and Fast Water culinary experience dine on locally sourced food throughout their stay, but the real adventure is a three-hour trip via canoe on the Whitemouth River. 

3. Swing a sword in Niagara

Legend has it that Napoleon’s soldiers tried to impress the widowed Madame Clicquot by slicing the heads off champagne bottles with their swords. Now (in addition to a wine tour) you too can learn l’art du sabrage at Trius Winery at Hillebrand in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. (It’s an impressive way to get the party started!) 

4. Stomp wine grapes in Quebec

During September and October, Domaine du Ridge in Quebec’s Eastern Townships invites female wine lovers to roll up their pant legs for some good old-fashioned grape stomping. A task traditionally performed by women, this crushing method releases the juice without mashing in the bitter stalks and seeds.

5. Go fishing in New Brunswick

Set sail from Escuminac Wharf  in New Brunswick for a lesson in catching rock crab, lobster or herring. You’ll get first-hand experience in the art of making a catch of the day and learn about the local fishing traditions and the history of the wharf, including the Escuminac disaster, a 1959 storm that led to 35 casualties.

6. Take a lobster cruise in P.E.I.

The Fall Flavours Festival runs through September with food events to whet the most diverse of appetites. Embarking on a lobster dinner cruise is a must. Watch a lobster-haul demonstration right on board before feasting on these succulent crustaceans – and mussels too!