6 . I was fortunate to spend every summer camping with my parents when I was a kid. By the age of 18, I’d visited every province in my home country of Canada. Even today I can still recall an impressive tour vividly.

It took us six people a long time to drive to Newfoundland from Ontario. When we arrived on the island, it poured rain every day. We just kept driving north, hoping to outrun it. We jumped on a ferry to Labrador Peninsula, crossing the Strait of Belle Isle, and moved our way up the coast of this northerly and thinly-populated region.

The scenery in Labrador is beautiful. We saw long white sand beaches along the Atlantic coast that looked inviting, but the water was cold year-round. While standing at the top of a lighthouse, my dad said, “This will be the new Caribbean once global warming hits.”

We soon discovered Battle Harbor, a historic fishing village that can only be reached by ferry. In the mid-1800s it had a population of 350 people and was considered the unofficial capital of Labrador. Now it was more like a deserted town, and I distinctly remember feeling the furthest from anything that I’ve ever felt. Multiple ferry rides and 600 miles separated me from the nearest major city of St. John’s.

If you’re curious about Newfoundland & Labrador (NL), I highly recommend a 2013 film called The Grand Seduction. It’s a delightful comedy about a small fishing village called Tickle Head that’s struggling to figure out its future.

Travelling made me get to know my country so well, which has had a tremendous influence on shaping the person I am now. I hold a solid mental picture of Canada, stretching from sea to sea, which I’ve taken with me to other parts of the world because I have great passion for it.

7 . During this tour you will discover the foundations of the modern science of medicine in two French cities: Paris and Montpellier. Besides, you will enjoy the beauty of the architecture and gardens of these two cities.

DAY 1: Welcome to Paris. There’re no planned activities until the evening. In the evening, Linda Geddes will give you a talk about the tour ahead.

DAY 2: This morning you’ll meet our expert local guide for a walking tour on the Left Bank, starting at the Musée Curie, a museum devoted to the history of radiation therapy. After lunch you’ll visit the Musée d’Histoire de la Médecine, which houses a large collection of rare surgical instruments from the 18th century onwards.

DAY 3: This morning you’ll visit the Musée des Arts et Métiers in the Marais district. It now houses a museum devoted to science and technology. You’ll also see the Musée des Moulages in the Hôpital Saint-Louis, where you’ll see a specialist hospital built for dealing with skin disease.

DAY 4: Take a train to Montpellier. You’ll check into a hotel just off the grand Place de la Comedie and the afternoon will be free to explore the city including the wonderful Musée Fabre, one of the best museums of French art in the country.

DAY 5: This morning you’ll visit the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Montpellier, one of the oldest continually-operating medical schools in the world. After that you’ll continue to the Jardin des Plantes, one of the oldest gardens in the world and originally designed to produce herbs for medicinal use.

DAY 6: Return to Paris by train.

8 . Four Wonderful Hotels in India

Vythiri Resort, Lakkidi, Kerala

Vythiri Resort has five tree houses, including the one that’s child-friendly and buried in the jungle. This 150-acre property is built around a stream, and the tree houses have been hand-made by local people using local materials. The resort has an Ayurvedic spa, a game room, a health club, and a big free parking lot.

The regular tree house for one night is CNY 1,300 for two adults and a free stay for your child. Breakfast is included in the fee.

Rainforest Resort, Kerala

If the thought of a bird’s eye view of Athirapally Falls, Kerala’s largest waterfall, appeals to you, then book yourself into the tree house at the Rainforest Resort, which hides in the Sholayar rainforest. The resort is set among seven acres of jungle. It’s not cheap, though. You can use free parking and free Internet.

A standard double room for one night is CNY1,920 with meals included for two adults and a child.

The Tree House Resort, Jaipur, Rajasthan

Situated around an hour’s drive from the city center, The Tree House Resort is the largest resort in the world of its kind. It’s located at Nature Farms in the Syari Valley. The tree houses are divided into many “nests”. Some even have tree trunks running through them. All are air-conditioned and have wireless Internet and satellite TV. Activities include jeep tours and nature walks.

A garden room for one night is CNY 820 for two adults and one child. However, breakfast is not included.

Tranquil Resort, Kolagappara, Kerala

Also located in Kerala’s Wayanad district, the Tranquil Resort is, in fact, a coffee plantation homestay. There are 13 walking trails (小路) there and more than 100 species of birds. The resort has a tree house and a 1,000-square-foot tree villa. The villa is apparently a bit expensive. The two are popular, so do book early online or by phone. Fresh coffee is served.

The prices of a tree house and a tree villa are respectively CNY 1,430 and CNY 2,100 per night. And for more than 2 guests, an additional fee of CNY 200 is required.

9 . “Is this making us old or keeping us young?” my husband asked as he lifted the three heavy backpacks from the canoe.

“I don’t know,” I replied. The heat and mosquitoes were getting to me, and I was wondering whether we were crazy to have started a canoe trip during the hottest week of the summer. But even in fall, our canoe trips—while certainly cooler—are no easier.

I’ve always loved getting away from civilization to enjoy the peace of nature, to be on a news blackout (封锁) and to reflect on the past year and the year to come, which is why we’ve been doing this regularly for most of the 38 years we’ve been together.

Now as we’re getting older, it’s getting harder—aching knees, aching feet and aching backs. So, we’re changing our habits. Instead of extreme white-water trips in the far north, we’re going on lake trips closer by. Instead of pulling on the heavy pack myself and rising from a sitting position, my husband lifts it up while I thread my arms through the belts. Along the way, I might stop to admire the green plants beside the path or feel the soft surfaces of the moss, and my husband is usually waiting at the other end, wondering why it’s taken me so long. During the night, we no longer stay up late to see the stars. Instead, we now get into the tent by 9 p.m.—exhausted after one day’s hard work—and drift into sleep listening to birds’ sorrowful call.

Over the years, my canoe-tripping experience has evolved to focus less on the physical and more on the abstract things. Like a solar battery, I store up the energy I absorb from the forest, rocks and waters to help me through the rest of the year. The rhythm of paddling becomes a process of deep thinking rather than an endurance test.

“How long can we continue doing this?” asked my husband at the end of the last trip.

“I don’t know,” I answered, but inside, I thought, “As long as our bodies and minds hold out, I hope forever.”

10 . In a recent email to an old friend, I mentioned that our family planned on taking our four-week road trip in our motor home. My friend emailed back and said he thought I was very “brave” to set out on such an adventure with two young children (aged two and five). I laughed when I read his email and wondered if he knew how much he was missing out on by giving up the idea of such a fun RV (旅行房车) trip with one5s family.

My husband and I have been “RVing” for over ten years. When we first started traveling, we certainly had some troubles that were not so funny at the time but seem to be funny now. We forgot our pillows and failed to cook dinner on an outdoor grill for lack of a flashlight. Then we decided to make our dinner in the motor home but could not get the oven lit! So we went to bed a little hungrier than we had planned!

However, that’s nothing compared with the amazing natural wonders we experienced during our RV trips. In addition, we have discovered a new world of family fun and family bonding. We saw the Grand Canyon when our son was only six months old. We play games inside and : out, walk together, talk together, read, solve puzzles, and enjoy music and movies. We have got used to doing things with one another. Our kids love to pick out good, old-fashioned postcards to send off via snail mail to different family members on every trip.

As our world gets more and more overloaded with cell phones, texting, emails and video games, our family sticks more and more tightly to the wonderfully simple idea of unplugging electronic devices for a while and jumping into the seat to take a trip in our motor home. Then we come home with fun pictures of our wandering, and we’re able to build special memories for our kids. Now we want to spread the word and tell families of all kinds what enjoyment can be had from packing up for a trip in the RV.