CONTEST CLOSED: Amazon.ca and Real Man Travels Celebrate Canadian Literature

Hello all you loyal readers and those out there in gigabyte land who have been following our 150 Favourite Canadian Things!

Recently our friends at Amazon reached out to us about giving the gift of reading this Father's Day, and as a bunch of men, some of who are fathers, and all of whom have fathers, we were excited to join in.

Armed with our new Kindle Paperwhite we've been diving back into our favourite works from north of the 49th parallel. 

Over the next five days we will be highlighting some of our favourite Canadian authors and books as part of our 150 Favourite Canadian Things, while updating you on our experience with the Kindle Paperwhite. 

Thanks to its high resolution, glare-free screen and the long lasting battery life we have been cruising through some stories near and dear to our maple-glazed hearts.

Amazon wants to go even further, and is partnering with us to give away a $150 Amazon.ca gift card, that's enough for a Kindle Paperwhite of your own!

Do one or more of the following to be entered in for a chance to win:

1. On Instagram, share one of your favourite Canadian things tagging @realmantravels and #RMT150.
2. On Twitter, share this story, tag @realmantravels and #RMT150 and share one of you favourite Canadian things. 
3. On Facebook, share this story, tag @Real Man Travels and #RMT150 and share one of your favourite Canadian things. 

Contest Closes at 11:59 pm EST on Sunday June 18th, 2017.

The winner will be announced Canada Day (what were the odds of that)!

In the meantime, if you are looking for a last minute Father's Day gift, head on over to Amazon and give dad the gift of reading with the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite.

Read More

The Outer Banks, North Carolina: In Pictures

Last year, my girlfriend, her sisters, brother and I all packed into a Ford Explorer and drove for 15 hours from Toronto, Ontario to The Outer Banks of North Carolina. It was probably the most relaxing vacation I've had in quite a while. Probably because instead of partying I made this trip all about unwinding from the day to day grind.

We would spend all day on the beach reading, cooling off in the water on our tubes or hunt down some of the best sea shells I've ever seen. We'd spend the evening watching sunsets, having some hearty meals and partaking in a few adult beverages by the pool or in the hot tub. We'd cap everything off with a few competitive games on the billiard table and then hit the hay to repeat it all over again the next day. The Outer Banks is a hell of a good escape if you just want to keep things quiet and relaxing.

Here are a select few photos of the hundreds I took on that trip:

The beach has a mix of small grassy dunes and flat spots to set up camp for the day.

I love the way the homes were painted to be bright and give off that beach town feel.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. It's pretty crazy that they actually moved this lighthouse due to land erosion. 

Just one of the many different sunsets we experienced over the sound. The colours change so frequently and so quickly it is best to grab a seat and enjoy the entire process wherever you are.

One of the best reasons to visit The Outer Banks; the beach!

There is very little light pollution once you're off the main land, so all the stars come out to play!

Day or night, this is the spot to catch some fish!

Another sunset over the sound. 

With a proper permit you can drive and camp on certain sections of the beach. This has been added to my bucket list!

Stunning beach homes everywhere!

I spent the majority of my time lounging on the beach, sipping on some cold ones and enjoying my time off work and let me tell you, I cannot wait to head back next year!

If you've ever been, or are lucky enough to live there be sure to let me know in the comments below.

Read More