PALM SPRINGS – A fabulous swimming pool complex. Some of the lushest landscaping in the valley. And an unbeatable location. The Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa in Rancho Mirage is hands-down the best family-friendly hotel I’ve stayed at in my half-dozen-or-so visits to the Palm Spring area; a truly wonderful spot I was able to enjoy with my wife, my Dad and his lady-friend. We were able to get a pair of units next to each other, so it was easy to corral folks for trips or to get together on the patio for our 5 o’clock glass Read more
PALM SPRINGS – We’re humming along a quiet suburban road outside this popular tourist destination on a clear, cool March morning. It’s only around 8 a.m., but already the dun-coloured mountains off to the northeast look like they’re already baked to a crisp. Our Desert Adventures Red Jeep Tours guide, Mike Groves, tells members of our tour group (my wife, Barbara, plus my Dad and his ladyfriend, Lucy) to look more closely at some of the small valleys and impressions on the side of the hills. Sure enough, we fix our gazes and begin to make out a series of Read more
What do a leopard statue in Kenya made from re-cycled scrap metal, Finland’s crazy version of Dragons’ Den, a DC-3 airplane in Hong Kong, a giant moose statue in Canada and a street-skating event in Paris have in common? They’re just some of the more unusual participants in Tourism Ireland’s Global Greening initiative for St Patrick’s Day 2019. Tourism Ireland’s annual Global Greening initiative has gone from strength to strength – from its beginning back in 2010, when just the Sydney Opera House and the Sky Tower in Auckland went green, to this year, which will be the biggest Global Read more
SCOTTSDALE – The crack of a bat. The sun on your face. And hardly a Zamboni in sight. It’s spring training time in Arizona, where roughly half of major league ballplayers gather to hone their skills in time for the regular season. All big league teams have their spring headquarters in the Scottsdale-Phoenix area, which makes Scottsdale the ideal base. Scottsdale proper is home to three major league teams for spring training: the San Francisco Giants, Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks. You’re also within a few minutes drive of all the other teams in Arizona, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, Read more
OTTAWA – Excellent changes to one of Canada’s top hotels. And a new wine and food experience across the river. I’ve been in Ottawa several times in the past few years, and it keeps surprising me. I’ve written a good deal about how Edmonton and Saskatoon are Canadian cities on the rise, but I think the same thing can be said for our nation’s capital, where it seems the food scene has been growing stronger by the day. It almost goes without saying that the Fairmont Chateau Laurier is one of the top places to lay your head in Canada, Read more
If you’re a fan of good books, great atmosphere and a perfect New York City location, The Library Hotel is just what you’ve been looking for. Located at a super-convenient spot at 41st and Madison, you’re a block from the city’s main library at Bryant Park, a leafy oasis in Midtown with a stunning interior, a stellar rooftop bar and tons of great amenities. Forty first street in this area is known as Library Way, and you’ll find wonderful quotes about books and literature in golden plaques embedded in the sidewalks along the street. Grand Central Terminal is two short Read more
NEW YORK CITY – I recently had a few days in New York City for the International Media Marketplace, the New York Times Travel Show and some other treats (more to come on that soon). Here’s a look at a few things you should know about what’s happening in the city that never sleeps. LAGUARDIA: A WHOLE NEW WORLD My wife and I flew into New York’s LaGuardia Airport in late January with Air Canada. We got off the plane and walked into the terminal. I looked up and saw a huge, bright space in front of me. There were Read more
