Canada and the United States are separate countries, but along the world’s longest international land boundary, the cultural transition can sometimes feel surprisingly subtle. Canadians regularly point to northern American communities where the weather, landscapes, hockey obsession, cross-border families, and general atmosphere feel oddly familiar. From Washington enclaves practically attached to British Columbia to Maine towns with deep Acadian roots, these American destinations can make Canadian visitors briefly wonder whether they actually crossed the border at all.

Tell your family you’re going on vacation with friends and you’ll probably hear, “Have fun!”. Tell them you’re going alone and suddenly everyone wants to know whether you’re okay. Solo travel still makes some people uneasy because vacations have traditionally been imagined as shared experiences. Yet traveling alone is increasingly common, and research suggests choosing solitude is very different from actually being lonely.

Explore spiritual destinations around the world where sacred rituals, ancient temples, pilgrimage traditions, and breathtaking landscapes create powerful experiences that photographs simply cannot capture. Discover why travelers must visit firsthand.

Canada’s best known destinations get plenty of attention, but smaller communities can deliver just as much scenery, history, food, and character. Condé Nast Traveler has highlighted places including Waterton, Canmore, Gimli, Elora, Saint Andrews, and Lunenburg among Canada’s most charming small towns. Many of the places that follow pair walkable centers with easy access to lakes, mountains, coastlines, or historic sites. For travelers willing to build a road trip around smaller dots on the map, the payoff can be substantial.