Another busy year in the old rear-view mirror, with fabulous memories of cliffside walks on laid-back Molokai to terrific tours of Wrigley Field and buttery biscuits in Chicago. Not to mention a wonderful Bordeaux wine cruise, crazy beautiful mountains in the south of France, awesome ice cream in North Carolina and one of the most memorable meals of my life on the border between Napa and Sonoma counties in California. Here’s a look at my favourite experiences and photos from the U.S. and the rest of world for 2017. Best Hawaii hike: A short walk along the cliffs of northwest Read more
December 2017
What a fantastic year. Our 150th birthday as a country, and another 12 months of a ridiculously overbooked travel schedule. Here’s a look back at some Canadian highlights of 2017, including great BBQ in B.C., sleeping in a former brothel in the Yukon and a sleek southern Ontario winery run almost entirely by women. The “How Did I Not Know How Beautiful This Place Was” Destination of the Year: Eastern Townships, Quebec. Lovely villages, surprisingly large hills and great places to stay, including Auberge West Brome (https://www.awb.ca/en/), Spa Eastman (http://www.spa-eastman.com/en/) and Ripplecove Lakefront Hotel and Spa. (http://ripplecove.com/en/) Best sporting moment: Read more
Anyone who travels knows that sinking feeling you get when you’re hungry prior to a flight but worried about getting through a long security lineup. You kind of say to yourself, “Hey, this is a big airport. I’ll go through security and then get a meal on the other side.” So you line up, take off your shoes and belt and go through the scanners. Then you get to the other side. And, whammo. Not a restaurant in sight. Instead of dining on a bowl of fresh pasta and that arugula salad with a glass of good Italian wine you Read more
Our 150th birthday party is almost over. But there’s still a lot to celebrate when you live in a country as great as ours. Here’s one traveller’s take on great places to visit in Canada in our 151st year. St. John’s This has always been one of my favourite cities in Canada. It’s gotten even better lately with the addition of great restaurants such as The Merchant Tavern, a hip and happening spot run by the folks behind the very successful Raymonds. A new Alt Hotel recently opened in town, part of the marvellous, Montreal-based Groupe Germain that also operate Read more
Whether you’re looking to book a great trip or want to take better photos on holidays, your Apple iPhone and your iPad have pretty much everything you need for a great “beat the winter blahs” trip. I’ve been an iPhone and sometimes iPad user for years now, and I sometimes can’t remember what it was like when I didn’t have one. From using Apple Maps in France to using my Aeroplan app to look at using my miles to travel to see my Dad, I find it an indispensable tool of the trade, and something that’s valuable even if I’m Read more
