Celebrities and travel, it seems, go together like popcorn and butter. Travelocity.ca has released the results of a new national survey which showcased the top 12 celebrity travel moments of 2013. Interestingly, Canadians appear to be evenly split on pop prince Justin Bieber, whose much publicized brawl in Britain earlier this year, tied for both the most and least memorable moment of 2013. “Bieber’s antics while travelling the world have been highly publicized and this was really the moment that started it all,” said Travelocity.ca resident travel expert, Brian Simpson. “So, it’s no surprise it’s the moment that resonates most Read more
December 2013
ANTIGUA – I can’t verify that there are 365 beaches on this island, one for every day of the year. The tourist board says it’s true, and tourist boards never inflate their numbers. Right? All I know is I took a five-hour drive around the south part of the island the other day and spotted a dozen or so of the spiffiest, most alluring stretches of sand I’ve seen in a long time. I had plans to see a good half or two-thirds of the island. But a worker at the lovely Sugar Ridge resort I’m staying at convinced me Read more
WANDERING THE NAPA VALLEY IN CALIFORNIA – I often tell folks in Canada that I vastly prefer Sonoma Valley to Napa Valley when it comes to wine tasting and generally tooling around. But I think I have to them back on pretty even ground. I spent a lovely day in Sonoma a week or so ago. We then drove over to Napa for a night at the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel and Spa, which doesn’t look like a chain hotel. There are lovely flowers and a really nice-looking, free-form pool in a courtyard surrounded by large trees. They had an Read more
California Restaurant Month coming, Farewell to a Canadian tourism legend and New Year’s at the Ritz
Quite the week here in Toronto for tourism/travel types. And I haven’t even attended a Christmas party yet! Things kicked off nicely – very nicely – on Thursday when the folks at California Tourism put on a ridiculously tasty lunch at a cooking showcase spot downtown. Southern California chef Suzanne Goin, who owns four restaurants and also has a chef husband who runs a few of his own, made some of the tastiest treats I’ve tried anywhere. Just amazing. Mind you, California has incredible, year-round produce to work with. And Goin used it; luscious red grapes she pounded with a Read more
On Tuesday we had WestJet unveiling its new Disney-branded plane with Mickey Mouse. Today, Air Canada did them one better (and probably more) by announcing its new Boeing 787 Dreamliners will fly the Toronto-Tel Aviv route starting next July with a cool, new interior. Among the improvements on the Dreamliner will be higher humidity, special lights to help ease jet lag, bigger windows and more overhead storage. Of course, a lot of the benefits will go to folks paying the bigger bills. Folks at the front of the plane will get bigger TV screens, fancier seats (some that lie flat), Read more
