BOSTON – We see those silly “duck boats” all over the place these days. At least we do in cities with major waterways. I always resisted the temptation but the folks from Boston tourism had me try one Thursday here in this great city, setting me up with Boston Duck Tours. And I was really glad we went. Not so much because the car suddenly rolled into the river and turned into a boat, because it IS kinda cool, but because the tour itself was so interesting. Things didn’t start out so well, I must say. A bunch of kids Read more
We hear a lot about the Riviera Maya, with glittering Cancun and the ruins of Tulum and the great beaches. It’s a wonderful part of Mexico. Most Canadians also have heard of Acapulco and Cabo San Lucas, the latter on the tip of Baja California. The words Riviera Nayarit probably don’t sound as familiar. But it’s a hugely popular stretch of Pacific coastline north of Puerto Vallarta, and it looks wonderful. The folks from Riviera Nayarit on Tuesday put on a great lunch at Frida restaurant on Eglinton West, thanks in part to a virtuoso job by Mexican chef Betty Read more
NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE – I want the flower contract for this town. Seriously, have you ever seen the flower baskets in NOTL? They’re INSANE; the size of a giant beach ball and colourful enough to cause rainbows to hang their heads in shame. The sidewalk boxes and planters are equally bountiful and just as beautiful. I was in town briefly on Monday for lunch on my way to play golf at The Whirlpool course; one of several nice tracks run by the Niagara Parks Commission. I stopped at the Shaw cafe on the Main St. for a tasty if small and overpriced Read more
This is from a hotel blog a couple years back in a world-class city… MONTREAL – It’s good to get back to this city. I spend a lot of time looking at travel stories from all over the world, and sometimes I get caught up in lovely photos of Tahiti or Africa or Europe. And I forget – I think we ALL forget – just how wonderful Montreal can be. I spent two nights in Old Montreal on Sunday and Monday, checking out the Hotel Nelligan and Hotel Le St.-James. They’re both remarkable properties with tons of charm, and located Read more
This is a compendium (maybe even a gathering) of blog items from a trip I took to Slovenia in the spring of 2009. Four years later it remains one of my favourite trips ever and it’s a country I would LOVE to go back to. Highly recommended with all the thumbs up I can muster. LAKE BLED, SLOVENIA – Arrived after a stunning flight from Zurich that took us directly over Mt. Triglav in Slovenia and the Julian Alps and came into cute, little Ljubljana airport. Nice folks. The woman at the rental desk was great. When I told her it had Read more
HANOI – I arrive in Vietnam and the first sign I notice on the side of the road is a giant, powder-blue sign affixed to an apartment building with giant red letters that scream “English for Future.” Yeah, I guess you could say this country has adapted rather quickly. It was only 40 years ago that the USA, the country where I was born, was bombing the living bejeezus out of this part of this most beautiful of countries for reasons most Americans never quite understood. But a lot has changed. The government here labels itself as a Socialist republic, Read more
MIAMI BEACH – I have a new favourite hotel. I spent Wednesday night at the Soho Beach House in Miami Beach. Even with lousy, Hurricane Sandy-influenced weather I absolutely loved the place. Soho House began as a private club in London in 1995 and now includes restaurants, hotels, cinemas and more in cities across Europe and North America. The latest is in Toronto, adjacent to the new Shangri-La hotel. Soho Beach House is located on Collins, just north of 43rd, in the heart of Miami Beach and on the site of the Sovereign Hotel. And it’s a stunner; without doubt Read more
