As a junior reporter at City News Service in Los Angeles in the late 1970s, I was once assigned to cover a meeting of the group planning the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. I had grown up watching the Games on TV, and it was pretty cool to be at an Olympics organizing committee press conference. I had no way of knowing it, but that assignment was, to paraphrase “Casablanca,” the beginning of a great relationship. Ten years later I was reporter at the City Hall Bureau for the Toronto Star, covering Toronto’s bid for the 1996 Summer Games, which Read more
Europe
Bloomberg recently came out with nice recommendations on great places to travel in 2026. Among their suggestions were Taipei, Corsica, Lake Louise, San Francisco and Scotland. I’m a big fan of Corsica, a French island in the Mediterranean I visited back in 2009. The food (especially the wine, cheese and seafood) is quite good, the coastline magical, and the surprisingly rugged mountains great for hiking. Bloomberg noted a growth in new boutique hotels and called the island “the perfect blend between private luxury and uncrowded, European summer bliss.” Notwithstanding those comments, I’d aim for a visit in late April or Read more
According to travel app Skyscanner’s latest research, while 66% of Canadians are planning to head abroad in 2026, only 48% have taken the plunge and booked their flights. Destination indecision and concerns over cost are reported as the biggest booking barriers, as nearly half (45%) share they are still deciding on destination, and 43% are still trying to find the best deals. Canadian travellers’ perception of flight pricing in 2026 is not the reality of the great value deals on offer. While 69% of Canadians think their round-trip flights are going to cost more than $500 this year, Read more
The U.S. will host nearly 80 World Cup contests this year, including the semifinals and finals. It’s also the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. and the 100th anniversary of America’s most iconic road, Route 66. By all rights, U.S. travel and tourism officials should be booking rooms left, right and centre (sorry, center). But ongoing political issues, rising prices for visas for some visitors, and a general reluctance to visit the States by residents of many countries (including Canada) has some questioning whether a golden opportunity will slip out of their fingers this year. Travel Weekly recently Read more
I’ve been lucky enough to be a full-time travel writer since 2008. I’ve managed to see more than 60 countries around the world, and to visit some of the most exotic places on earth. As well as some tried-and-very-true destinations that are well worth your trouble. Here’s one travel lovers list of great places to explore in 2026. Some of them have specific reasons, such as the Winter Olympics, while others are simply personal faves or places that could use your business right now. AZORES These Atlantic Ocean islands to me are like a combination of Hawaii, Scotland and Portugal Read more
