Everyone knows San Francisco and Los Angeles, and with good reason. Both are tremendous destinations, with a huge variety of things to do, as well as great restaurants and beautiful scenery. But there’s far more to CALI than SF and LA. Here’s one native Californian’s list of other great places to check out. I also have news about Air Canada’s annual report for 2023. FIVE GREAT CALIFORNIA CITIES CAPITOLA With its multi-hued cottages tucked into a corner of a fine beach and a lively downtown shopping scene, this might be the best California seaside town never mentioned in Read more
A look at where North Americans are thinking of traveling, the latest stats on foreign visits to Canada, miscellaneous news and a European theme park with something called “Spitting Toilet Man.” Today’s blog post has a little of everything. WHERE NORTH AMERICANS WANT TO TRAVEL Skyscanner has a new study out that shows North American travelers are seeking new destinations and also looking at old faves. Their date for June to August of this year shows a +3% increase in people looking at South America, a +2% increase for North Asia and a +1% increase for Southeast Asia. The shift Read more
Choosing a cruise is a very personal experience. Some of us crave serenity, others want non-stop action. Some people like dinners in tuxedos and ball gowns, others (me, me!) want their most casual Jimmy Buffett attire. Some clients want quirky ports of call in southeast Asia, some want to see the great cities of Europe. I recently finished a one-week cruise around the Mediterranean on the posh MSC World Europa, and found it quite amazing. It’s a ship that’s a little tricky to categorize, as it really does offer something for everyone. When I wanted to enjoy a vibrant Broadway Read more
This is another in a series of shorter travel stories I’ve been writing called Travel Shorts. Today I’m looking at one of the world’s dreamiest destinations, Tahiti, specifically at great places to stay. TAHITI The main island of Tahiti is home to the major airport and also the capital, Papeete. There are several resorts quite close to the airport, including Te Moana Tahiti Resort. If you drive a little further south, and you definitely should, you’ll come to a circular peninsula called Tahiti Iti. Here you’ll find quiet beaches and family-style places to stay, including Vanira Lodge and Bonjouir Teahupoo Read more
I’m still working on my story about the MSC World Europa cruise ship. In the meantime, here are some highlights of our shore excursions. Our cruise started and finished in Rome. Along the way we stopped in Palermo (Sicily), Malta, Barcelona, Marseilles and Genoa. A cruise is a fabulous way to see great sights and cities in Europe, as you unpack your bags once and your “hotel” takes you from city to city. No need to arrive at airports two hours prior to a flight and hope your plane leaves on time, no big security hassles. Here’s a look at Read more
Old man winter doesn’t appear to be finished with Canada just yet. Officials at Toronto Pearson Airport are warning of potential flight delays and cancellations at Canada’s largest airport due to a forecast of heavy snow today (March 22), the third full day of spring. “Toronto Pearson is expecting up to 13 cm of snow to fall at the airport, starting in the early afternoon Friday and continuing through the night,” officials said on the YYZ Twitter/X account. “At the heaviest points of the storm, we could see up to 3 cm of snow per hour at the airport. “Our Read more
Come for the desert. Stay for the museums, fabulous food, great hiking, luxurious hotels, sensational sports, wellness retreats, local wines and more. Arizona Tourism officials made a strategic stop in Toronto last night (March 20) to tout the benefits of Canadian visits to the Grand Canyon State. Arizona had nearly one million Canadian visitors in 2019. The figures for last year aren’t in but they’re not expecting to reach that level for anther year or so. In a one-on-one chat, Joanna Tejeda, Senior Travel Industry Marketing Manager, Arizona Office of Tourism, told me there are a number of great new Read more
