DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA – I had no idea. I’ve driven past Delray Beach a few times on my way from Palm Beach or Orlando to Miami. But I had no clue it was this vibrant and fun and interesting. And I didn’t know how sumptuous the Boca Raton Resort really was. I was just down in Florida for a tourism event called Florida Huddle; a chance to meet with hotel and attraction folks and tourism destination reps at the Palm Beach County Convention Centre. But I did a two-day visit to Delray and Boca Raton prior to the meetings that Read more
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BANFF, ALBERTA – It’s one of the great tourist attractions of Canada. And one of the top views in the world. I’ve been up the Sulphur Mountain Gondola in Banff several times. This year was the first time I’d done it in winter. And it was spectacular. I was out in the Rockies on a recent visit and had been hoping to do a helicopter tour near Kananaskis _ a gorgeous part of Alberta – and maybe some snowshoeing high in the mountains. But the winds were fierce and the chopper pilot said it wasn’t safe to fly. I always Read more
Your winter vacation may have just become more expensive. On the other hand, if you work in the hospitality industry in Toronto you might have more money in your pocket for a holiday next year. The Canadian dollar is dropping, in case you hadn’t noticed. After being close to par against the American greenback for some time, the loonie has slipped. Badly. As of Friday afternoon, it was down to 91 cents and change against the mighty U.S. dollar. That’s about as low as we’ve been in four and-a-half years. What that means for many of us is that hotel Read more
It wasn’t as bad as calling out the army to deal with a snowfall, but shutting down Pearson Airport on Tuesday was a very bad signal to send out. I understand that it was NOT business as usual on Tuesday. The cold snap was incredible and conditions were appalling for both operations and people. It’s completely understandable that flights would be cancelled, both arriving and departing. And it’s understandable that luggage would be delayed and other issues would pop up. But that doesn’t mean you have to halt the entire shebang and officially declare that you’ve shuttered Canada’s largest airport. Read more
The other day I gave you some of my top travel bits from 2013. Here’s part two. Thanks again for reading! Most Canadian experience: Helping drive a team of sled dogs across a frozen lake outside Canmore, Alberta. Best Ontario Resort: The Lodge at Pine Cove, north of Parry Sound. Luxurious surroundings on a pristine stretch of the French River. Try a sunrise paddle with the mist rising off the water, or check out nearby waterfalls. Relaxation to the max. Prettiest sunrise: A glorious and clear start to the day in Santa Barbara, California, with the sun popping up over Read more
