Staying home to avoid the U.S. dollar this summer? Here’s a look at some fun and funky things to do across Canada, mostly along the Trans-Canada Highway. ST. JOHN’S The eastern end (or beginning) of the TCH starts in St. John’s, where you’ll find colourful houses lining the rocky coast of the harbour. You can take a great walk from there to the top of Signal Hill, where a couple years ago I spotted a military guy firing off a symbolic round of blanks in recognition of the city’s first cruise ship of the year. NOVA SCOTIA Just a few Read more
I was in Budapest recently. It’s a city I had heard a lot about and it was quite nice. That being said, if I never went again it wouldn’t bother me. I also was just in Sydney (Australia, not Nova Scotia). I’ve been a few times now. And I never went again I’d be really pissed. Maybe it’s the water and the sailboats gliding under the Harbour Bridge. Maybe it’s the beaches and the small, rocky coves you pass on the way to Manly Beach. Maybe it’s partly my memories of a four-week stint there covering the Olympics for the Read more
Canadians would rather travel with their mobile phone than with a loved one, says a study from hotels.com. And we’re not averse to booking a hotel room while on the toilet. The company’s Mobile Travel Tracker study found that two-thirds of Canadians (66 per cent) named their mobile phone as their favourite travel accessory, compared to 47 per cent who said their best friend or loved one. (Maybe they use their mobile phone to do live chats with their spouse, but still….) The study also found that 69 per cent of Canadians spend one to two hours a day on Read more
It used to be that weddings were held in the neighborhood church. Driving to another province or state for a wedding was a big deal a few decades ago for Canadians and Americans. But our travel habits have changed. And so have our weddings. What was once unthinkable – flying from Canada to the Caribbean for a wedding, or from the U.S. to Fiji – is now fairly common. Still, there are things to keep in mind, says Taylor Cole, spokesperson for hotels.com and ca.hotels.com in both the U.S. and Canada and a renowned travel expert who got married overseas. Read more
A beautiful reef that’s far closer to shore than the Great Barrier Reef. Tropical islands in the Indian Ocean I didn’t know about. Fantastic wineries, river cruises and luxury lodges. Oh, and a series of gorges with brilliant waterfalls and that famous Australian red rock. I just finished up a visit to Australia for what’s called the Australia Tourism Exchange. They had writers from around the world, including two Canadians, fly to Brisbane for a conference held in Surfer’s Paradise, about an hour south of Brisbane on The Gold Coast. All to talk about tourism and travel opportunities in Australia. Read more
VANCOUVER – This is one of the world’s favourite cities, a perennial list-topper with gorgeous scenery, fantastic food and a wealth of great things to do. Here are a few favourites. STANLEY PARK This is Canada’s top urban park, and one of the best in the world. Nestled at the northwest tip of downtown, the park bulges out into the Burrard Inlet like a giant green thumb. You’ll find centuries-old, sweet-smelling cedars, towering firs and deep, dark forests. There’s an 8.8 km long walking and cycling path around the perimeter, but you’ll miss the essence of the park if you Read more
PRINCEVILLE, KAUAI – It’s dusk at the Princeville Makai golf course on the north shore of Kauai and I’m bouncing around the practice area on a golf board. It’s kind of a Segway meets snowboard affair, a mechanized bit that golfers can use to get around the course in a different, youthful kind of way. It takes some getting used to, but it’s clearly a step above the dowdy golf carts you see puttering around most courses or Florida subdivisions. Also different at Princeville Makai are the short, four-hole lessons you can take and the $10 Saturday clinics and sunset Read more
