Bring the bare essentials (1973)

You say you’re from North Platte, Nebraska, and you’re going to vacation in Cypress Hills Park, Saskatchewan, and you want to know whether to pack thermal underwear? Don’t.

Saskatchewan’s daytime summer temperatures range from 75 to 90 degrees.

A vacation in Canada can ruin some time-honoured legends about our weather. The Atlantic Ocean at Cavendish Beach in Prince Edward Island is warmer than Virginia Beach.

Prince Edward Island has 1100 miles of sandy, pink coastline. Eminently swimmable. Water temperatures average 70 degrees.

Besides swimming and sunbathing? Tour Charlottetown in a London double-decker bus, see the Woodleigh Replicas at Kensington — miniature reproductions of Britain’s famous castles. Or the International House of Dolls at De Sable. Or a real 16th century Micmac Indian Village.

Fond of golfing, harness racing? You’re in the right place. How about deep-sea fishing? A half-day’s outing is only about $5 per person — tackle and bait supplied, no licence required.

The sunny scene above is English Bay Beach, Vancouver, British Columbia.

Besides Atlantic and Pacific beaches, Canada also has some of the finest fresh-water beaches in the world. Read all about them.