I’ve been to Australia a half-dozen times, and have been able to enjoy a wide variety of tremendous experiences. Of course, there are lots of things I’ve yet to do, and places I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing. So, here’s one Down Under lover’s list of nine great places I’ve enjoyed in Australia, and also at some fab places to stay. Okay, and a brief look at a few spots I haven’t been that might spark your interest in a future trip. LORD HOWE ISLAND This is a teensy, weensy between Australia and New Zealand. It belongs to the Read more
Australia/New Zealand/PAC
We might be seeing some of the first data that shows Canadians are, indeed, avoiding travel to the United States. Global News reports that numbers provided by a company called Cascade Gateway, which also provides border wait times, shows that in February this year so far, there have been on average 3,500 cars heading to the U.S. through the Peace Arch border crossing between British Columbia and Washington State. That compares to nearly 5,000 a day last February, and represent a significant 30% drop. Weather could be an issue, but officials in Washington State say the threatened, on again/off again tariff Read more
Canadian Pride is at its strongest point in years, thanks to unwelcome advances and proposed tariffs that U.S. President Donald Trump has been making and suggesting. With that in mind, here’s a piece I wrote earlier about great, easy getaways and day trips from five major Canadian cities. HALIFAX Lunenburg is one of my fave small towns in Canada; achingly beautiful and so colourful. Don’t miss a detour to the small, picturesque fishing village of Blue Rocks. The Eastern Shore is an easy drive from Halifax and features wonderful Lawrencetown Beach, as well as beautiful bays for kayaking or canoeing. Read more
Los Angeles area residents who lost their homes to the wildfires can apply for a hotel voucher to stay free at Hilton properties for up to seven nights, officials announced this week. According to MSN, Hilton, American Express and 211 LA announced plans to provide the vouchers, making 20,000 hotel room nights available. Residents can apply to 211 LA for housing assistance at bit.ly/211-Emergency-Services-Request. “We are deeply grateful to Hilton and American Express for their emergency support during this heartbreaking time,” Maribel Marin, executive director of 211 LA, said in a statement. “Their generosity in providing shelter to those who have Read more
For many years, The New York Times has been delivering a solid, -thought-out list of the 52 best places to go in the world for any given year. For 2025, their list includes a few of my fave places in the world, including Western Australia, Sydney, New York City and the Trent-Severn Waterway in Ontario, Canada, where my wife and I piloted a 42-foot craft from Le Boat on our own last June (and survived). Also making the list was Detroit, which the Times noted has undergone a remarkable renaissance, something I witnessed on a visit in July of last Read more
