FAIRMONT LE CHATEAU MONTEBELLO, QUEBEC – An airy, woodsy lobby like no other. A graceful spot along one of Canada’s loveliest rivers. And impossibly vibrant fall colours. I haven’t heard as much about the Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello as I have other Fairmont properties, but it’s as lovely a property as I’ve seen. The drive in from Montreal was an easy 90 minutes, passing Mirabel Airport and the town of Lachute and then passing through lovely, low hills with views of sleepy towns backed by the broad Ottawa River. The latter part is a lovely drive, particularly if you get Read more
Canada
Cool new hotels and attractions from coast to coast. A big 150th birthday bash for Canada. And a 375th birthday for Montreal. I just wrapped up two days of intense meetings with tourism folks from across Canada at the Go Media 2016 session in Montreal, put on by Destination Canada. I came away with some good ideas for stories and a half-ton of information about this great country of ours. Here are some of the highlights… ANNIVERSARIES Canada’s 150th will be a big deal, naturally, across the country in 2017. Ottawa will be doing a great deal of the partying, Read more
I’ve never counted the threads on the sheets in a hotel room. I don’t know Egyptian cotton from French linen. And I can’t say I know the difference between goose down duvets and a Walmart special. But when I laid my head on the pillow during a recent stay at Millhollow B & B in Meaford I was immediately struck by the sweetest scent. It was pure heaven; fresh and crisp and clean and oh-so-soothing. I had a great night’s sleep and woke up the next morning to have breakfast with my hosts, Milan and Paula Stepan. “What do you Read more
GREY COUNTY, ONTARIO – Meat loaf on a homemade bun and a local salad with microgreens. Wild Ontario mushrooms coated with panko crumbs and crushed salt and vinegar chips. And tasty ciders made with crisp Ontario apples. I recently spent three days hiking and kayaking around Grey County, then making up for the exercise with some of Canada’s tastiest food offerings. I came away hugely impressed with the depth and quality and variety of the offerings. Up and down the county, from casual diners in Flesherton to fine dining establishments in Meaford and Thornbury, this might be the next Ontario Read more
GREY COUNTY – It doesn’t seem possible. I’ve walked maybe five minutes, past an old apple orchard, through a small meadow dotted with tiny white and purple wildflowers, and then into a hardwood forest of maple, birch, ash and beech trees filled with the soft, filtered light of an early autumn day. Suddenly, my guide for the day stops. “Look over there,” he says. I look out and gaze in wonder. I know my car climbed a reasonably steep hill to get to the Old Baldy/Kimberley Lookout. And I know that the Bruce Trail snakes along the Niagara Escarpment, with Read more
