U.S.A.

The swimming pools are divine, the food excellent. and the sunsets amazing. But as I sit at home writing a story about my two-day visit to the Wailea Beach Resort, I keep thinking about a pair of trees. As you walk along the paved foot path that stretches across the resort (and, indeed, most of Wailea) you’ll pass massive, finely manicured lawns on small, undulating hills, with grass so green it would make the Irish envious. Near one of the buildings at the south end of the resort are two towering Kamani trees that rise gracefully into the Maui sky. Read more

As you drive along the bypass road outside Lahaina, you’ll see several hand-made signs. “Respect the locals.” “Let Lahaina grieve.” And more. The sentiments are important. It’s only been three months and a few days since wildfires ripped through this once tranquil and beautiful seaside town, and many people are still living in hotels. Many others are still grieving lost parents and cherished uncles and aunties. Far too many children died in the fires, an unimaginable horror that a parent can never recover from. When we were on Maui recently, my wife chatted briefly with a hotel worker who said Read more

Canadians have a great, new way to get to Fort Myers, Florida. Porter Airlines has launched its daily, roundtrip service between Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers. The Fort Myers area is home to exceptional resorts and beautiful islands, including Sanibel and Captiva. Captiva and Sanibel are known to have some of the best seashell hunting in the world. Fort Myers is the home of the Edison & Ford Winter Estates, where Thomas Edison and Henry Ford used to go to escape northern winters. The Fort Myers River District features monthly art Read more

I visited Cedar Key several years ago and fell in love with the low-key atmosphere and the friendly locals. It was tough to see how Hurricane Idalia damaged the town so badly in August of last year. Things seemed to be back to some kind of normal, but then the town was hit by a massive fire that destroyed a couple of its charming waterfront buildings, which sit on stilts that rest in the waters of Gulf of Mexico. Published reports say the fire on Dock Street destroyed the Rusty Hook Bait Shop and Duncan’s on the Gulf Restaurant. That’s Read more