Many destinations are just beginning to get back to pre-pandemic visitor levels. The Palm Beaches left its 2019 numbers in the dust some time ago. Tourism representatives from The Palm Beaches touched down in Toronto this week for a cocktail meet and greet with advisors, industry officials and the media. Some 2.8 million visitors came to The Palm Beaches during Q1 of 2023, up 8.5% from last year, said Erick Garnica, Associate Vice President Global Leisure Sales. Canadian numbers were even more dramatic, with 153,000 first quarter visits; up 28% from last year and up 16% from 2019 levels. Canada Read more
U.S.A.
When it comes to fun, California takes the cake. Mississsippi? Not so much. A new study by Wallet Hub compared the 50 states across 26 key indicators of a jolly good time that won’t break the bank. They range from movie costs to accessibility of national parks to nightlife options per capita. Here’s the top 10: California (beaches, nature, cities, food, theme parks and wine) Florida (beaches, nature, cities, food, theme parks and not so great wine) Nevada (can’t argue with Vegas for fun) New York (I’d rank it higher, but there you go) Illinois (Chicago is one of the Read more
I recently started a regular feature called “Canada Shorts” for people who want travel tips but don’t have a lot of time. I also posted a “Europe Shorts” item on the weekend that was focused on Lisbon, Portugal. Today I’ll start my “Florida Shorts” item with a look at the top things to see and do near Crystal River, a lovely, natural part of The Sunshine State. CRYSTAL RIVER, FLORIDA – The main attraction in this area a couple hours north of Tampa is the fresh spring water that bubbles up from the Florida limestone, creating crystal-clear creeks and rivers. Read more
It’s always great to get away to the wonderful J.W. Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka Resort and Spa. It’s doubly great when you get a fabulous meal from one of Canada’s top chefs, and assisted by one of the top names in French cuisine, with wine pairings to boot! My wife and I were invited to take part in a six-course tasting menu at the resort on the weekend. It was a perfect June day, with sunny skies, temperatures around 21 C, and no visible smoke in the sky. We were treated to appetizers (including parmesan fritters) on the sun-splashed patio, Read more
What a great idea, albeit a long time coming. A new 4.5-hour guided Shawshank Bus Tours is now offered now throughout filming sites for what IMDB ranks as the No. 1 Movie of all time, The Shawshank Redemption, which was shot almost entirely in Richland County, Ohio. It’s an easy to reach area that’s roughly midway between Cleveland and Columbus. Offered at 10 a.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m., with some added at noon on Sundays, the tours are available now through Sept. 3 and take place on a gorgeous new wheelchair accessible tour bus wrapped with bold images Read more
