This is part II of my annual Jimmy Awards for best travel experiences of the year, ranging from great pasta at the Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver to an incredible wine cellar in the Bahamas and an amazing (and surprising) guitar player on the Queen Mary 2. Thanks to everyone that helped along the way! BEST SAILING TRIP: A sunset cruise with the folks at the Santa Barbara Sailing Center in California. I love Santa Barbara, but this was my first time on a sailboat in the region. They do a great job, and we had a stunning sunset. If Read more
Europe
This lucky guy has finished up another year of great travel. From classic train journeys in Canada to Atlantic crossings on the Queen Mary 2, and from Florida to Hawaii to London, it’s been another incredible year. In what has become an annual tradition, here’s a look at my some of my favourite spots and photos from the year that was. Without further adieu, I give you Part 1 of the 2018 Jimmy Awards for great/weird/fun/engaging travel. BEST RESTAURANT: I ate in some remarkable places this year, but Don Alfonso 1890 in Toronto takes the proverbial cake. Incredibly creative, remarkably Read more
Dealing with tourism boards is sometimes a funny business for a travel writer. Most of us who’ve been doing this job for years often attend mass meetings where we chat one-on-one with destination marketing organization types, such as Tourism Toronto or Visit Britain. Inevitably, at some point, I ask PR people what’s new. But I’ve discovered – slowly, for the fact is I’m not that bright – that it’s often the wrong question because the person I’m talking to automatically starts focussing on a new hotel or attraction. Which means they ignore the things that people have been visiting their Read more
Almost half of all Canadians (49 per cent) are planning to travel for vacation in the next 12 months. But a CIBC survey finds many aspects of travel are stressful or leave folks wanting more. Nearly all respondents (93 per cent) said they would love to get through security and customs more quickly. And most (74 per cent) would like to have access to airport lounges. But more than half of those surveyed (54 per cent) think their lounge dreams are unattainable. The survey, conducted among 1,525 randomly selected Canadian adults, also found that we worry about having our credit Read more
This story originally appeared under my byline at TravelPulse Canada, where I work as senior editor. AUSTIN, TEXAS – Canadian travel agents have no shortage of great product to sell when it comes to Great Britain. In my TravelPulse Canada capacity, I sat down with a dozen or suppliers at this week’s Destination Britain North America meeting in Texas and came away with a remarkably diverse number of great options for agents to consider when booking their next visit. It would take a small book to include everything I learned, but here are some highlights: MANCHESTER: Governments are spending nearly Read more
