Wanderlust World Wanderlust World August falls within whale-watching season in the Bay of Fundy, where the summer arrival of endangered North Atlantic right whales makes Grand Manan Island one of the best places in North America for whale watching, according to "Travel + Leisure." Also on the magazine's list are Vancouver Island in British Columbia, and the town of Tadoussac in Quebec. From March to November, the former is frequented by gray whales and pods of orcas; visit the latter in August for a chance to spot resident beluga whales, and the blue, fin and humpback whales that feed here in the summer. At all three destinations, whale-watching tours take binocular-equipped patrons to sea in search of these massive marine mammals.
On Prince Edward Island in Atlantic Canada, swimmer-friendly red-sand beaches are the marquee attraction. Visit in August, which falls within the brief peak tourist season, the only time of year when all the island's restaurants, shops and attractions are open for service. Prince Edward Island also has white-sand stretches, such as Basin Head Provincial Park. Here, rather than wiggle your toes in the silica-rich sand, you may prefer to rub your foot against the granules, which produces an unexpected squeaking sound that has resulted in the nickname "singing sands." Long Beach on Vancouver Island, a 10-mile Pacific shoreline set against a backdrop of temperate rain forests, is a popular summertime destination for beachcombers and surfers.
Unless you want to ski, you will likely find summer conditions ideal for exploring the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Temperature highs are around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, with low humidity, and daylight lasts until 11 p.m. in Banff National Park. Possible August activities in Banff and Jasper National Parks, two celebrated parks in the mountain range, include horseback riding, boating, hiking and camping. Summer hiking also is superb at Cape Breton Highlands National Park, found on an island of the same name accessible from mainland Nova Scotia. More than 20 hiking trails depart from the Cabot Trail, a third of which is found inside the park. This renowned scenic drive, a 186-mile loop with around 24 lookouts, takes you past valleys, rivers, waterfalls, plateaus and coastlines.
For performing-arts enthusiasts, there are few better places in Canada to be in August than the theater-loving city of Edmonton. The capital of the province of Alberta holds two of its most prestigious festivals in August: the Edmonton Folk Music Festival and the Edmonton Fringe Theater Festival. For the latter, the second-largest alternative event of its kind in the world, Edmonton welcomes theater troupes from around the globe that perform new stage productions. For free entertainment -- not counting tips -- head to Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, where street performers from places near and far enliven the city's sidewalks for 10 days in August as part of the International Busker Festival.