In Fredericton, New Brunswick you can check out the 42 lb Coleman Frog

Fredericton, New Brunswick - As the story goes... In 1885 Fred Coleman found the the frog in Killarney Lake north of the city, and fed him June Bugs, Cormeal and Whiskey. The frog grew to a huge size and Fred treated him like his pet. It's said he would even follow him and come when called it was a dog.

Fred was the owner of the Barker House Hotel. When eventually he found the frog dead in the lake he sent it off to Maine to a taxidermist. And when giant frog returned it became a tourist attraction at the hotel.

People have their doubts about it's authenticity. Today the poor creature looks pretty shellacked. But, it's more than a century old and it's said that some patrons treated the critter badly when it's protective case broke at the hotel, and used him as an ashtray. In 1998 he was shipped to the Canadian Conservation Institute and it was determined the taxidermy methods used on the frog were consistent with late 19th-century techniques.

People have their doubts about it's authenticity. Today the poor creature looks pretty shellacked. But, it's more than a century old and it's said that some patrons treated the critter badly when it's protective case broke at the hotel, and used him as an ashtray.

In 1998 he was shipped to the Canadian Conservation Institute and it was determined the taxidermy methods used on the frog were consistent with late 19th-century techniques.

Where: Today the Coleman Frog is on display in the heart of the city at the Fredericton Region Museum. At the museum you can see his press clippings on the wall, complete with a photo of him sitting at Fred Coleman's feet.

Fredericton, the capital of New Brunswick, offers residents, businesses and visitors free wireless internet. Fredericton has created Fred-eZone, a not-for-profit, community-wide free Wi-Fi network that allows users with Wi-Fi enabled laptops or PDA’s free internet access throughout much of the city.

What else you can do: During July and August there are more than 130 edVentures available. They are one, two and five-day workshops. Subjects range from pottery and silversmithing to fashion design and performing arts. Twitter

Where: The city of Fredericton (City Webcam/ pop 85,000) offers outdoor-lovers 85 km of trails, and it straddles the St. John River, making canoeing and kayaking easily accessible activitie. The city is just 37 km from Kings Landing Historical Settlement, and is the gateway for world-famous fly fishing for salmon on the Miramichi River.

Lucy Izon

Canada Cool is produced by award-winning Canadian travel writer & speaker Lucy Izon. Her travel stories & reports have appeared in numerous leading North American publications including the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, and Chicken Soup for the Traveler's Soul. Bio page

Canada’s Coolest:

Welcome to a new feature on Canada Cool. I'll be presenting different 'Coolest' lists with my favorites and I encourage you to nominate suggestions from your own experiences. You can Twitter @CanadaCool or email [email protected]. Let me know what makes your suggestion exceptionally cool. Remember, by contributing your comments you are giving Canada Cool permission to quote you. Only a selection of submissions will be included, but all comments and submissions are greatly appreciated!

The first feature is: Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives

Here are some of my favorites...

Icefields Parkway - the world's most accessible glacier

The Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta - This 229 km (142 mi) Rocky Mountain route from Banff/Lake Louise to Jasper passes 100 frozen rivers and nudges the base of the Athabasca Glacier - the most accessible glacier in the world. You can stop and explore it. It spills down from the Columbia Icefield, an area of ice so massive that you could fit the entire population of North America on it with each person getting at least a square metre of space.

The Corridor, Algonquin Park, Ontario – this 56-km stretch of Hwy 60 cuts through the southwest section of Algonquin Park. Less than three hours north of Toronto the park is a nature-lover's paradise with 7,725 km of lakes, rivers, forest, trails, camping, comfortable lodges and 2000 km of canoe routes. Offers hiking trails to stop and enjoy, but what makes it really cool is that it’s one of the best places in North America to spot moose (especially in May and June). And, on Thursday nights in August up to 600 cars will gather to listen to wolves howl.

The Cabot Trail, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia – Driving this 303 km (187 mile) route is like riding a roller-coaster: the road snakes around hairpin turns, rises to heights over 365 metres (1200 ft), weaves around headlands revealing spectacular coastal scenery, and plunges down to sea level taking you into the heart of small fishing communities. The most dramatic scenery is between the Cape Breton Highlands National Park entrance near Cheticamp and Pleasant Bay, so go slow. And, plan some flexibility into your schedule, so you can drive it on a clear day.

And here are some of your nominations for 'Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives'...

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In Fredericton, New Brunswick you can check out the 42 lb Coleman Frog

Lucy Izon

Canada’s Coolest:

The first feature is: Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives

Here are some of my favorites...

More from Canada’s Coolest