FREDERICKSBURG, TEXAS – I stroll into what I think is a home décor shop on Main Street called 78624 and instead find a luscious bar with deep dark wood, craft cocktails and a huge sitting area with comfortable sofas and a cool courtyard out back. A few minutes later I’m touring the National Museum of the Pacific War and find a striking exhibit on the art of Hawaiian shirts. Later in the day I sip lovely local wine at a building that was an oil and gas distributorship only a few years ago. I’m not quite sure what I expected Read more

Just as autumn’s chill arrives, Hawaii is bringing plenty of sunshine and warmth to Canada. The Aloha Canada program touched down in Toronto on Wednesday (Oct. 23), with around 200 travel agents and travel lovers mingling and dining at the Toronto Congress Centre to hear updates on one of the world’s great destinations – and my personal favourite vacation spot on the planet. I’m all for that. I’ve been 25 times in this lucky life of mine, and some of my best memories are from trips to Lanai and Molokai, as well as to lesser-known areas on Maui, Oahu, Big 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

VANCOUVER – The Parq Vancouver complex has only been open a year, but it’s already left an indelible mark on this city. Parq Vancouver is a major development in downtown Vancouver, just a few steps from False Creek and adjacent to BC Place Stadium; home of the Vancouver Canucks hockey team and terrific concerts. It’s a game-changing complex that consists of the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver and The DOUGLAS, a Marriott Autograph Collection property. There’s also a glittering (and thankfully subdued) casino, the only one in downtown Vancouver, a massive convention centre with the city’s largest hotel ballroom, a terrific Read more

TORONTO – Really good food. Really great seats for a ballgame. The new Sportsnet Grill at the Rogers Centre (just off the lobby of the Marriott City Centre hotel) looks like a big hit so far. The Blue Jays aren’t having their best season, but the restaurant was busy Wednesday and all the window tables overlooking the field at Rogers Centre were taken. The table behind us was packed with young folks celebrating a friend’s 22nd birthday. The Sportsnet Grill opened earlier this month as a new , 220-seat endeavour for Rogers and replaced a restaurant called Arriba. Not every Read more