MUSKOKA – I love a hotel where a general manager pitches in and gets his hands dirty. In the case of the Sherwood Inn up in Muskoka, it’s true in both a figurative and literal sense. I arrived with my Dad and a friend last week, only to see GM (he calls himself the ‘general manipulator”) Esa Paltanen in shorts and a t-shirt in the lobby. He’d been planting annuals that day and was planning to do so again the next day with a member of his family. Maybe it’s just me, but I’d prefer a GM in shorts Read more
Jim Byers photo Cabot Links is the best golf course in Canada in my view. CAPE BRETON, NOVA SCOTIA – Two fabulous properties with vastly different styles. Two wonderful golf courses. And what looks like a killer third one on its way. I had a chance to check out both Cabot Links in Inverness and Highlands Links in Ingonish last week. And got to stay at both properties, as well. I also got a chance to scout out the new Cabot Cliffs course, which is being built just up the road from Cabot Links. It looks like it could be Read more
Jim Byers The pretty village of Chester, Nova Scotia. NOVA SCOTIA – Drives in Cape Breton get most of the international attention. And deservedly so, with those plummeting cliffs and the ocean views and pretty villages. The drive from Halifax to the South Shore of Nova Scotia isn’t as dramatic as Cape Breton. But it’s drop dead gorgeous, and so easy. Whereas Cape Breton is several hours from Halifax and the Cabot Trail another hour beyond, the scenic route from Halifax to Lunenburg takes only an hour or two, depending on how much time you take gawking and snapping Read more
HALIFAX – Great food. A beautiful harbour. Super-friendly people. And, just for good measure, a tour of the city in a motorcycle sidecar. There’s something very cool about Halifax. The weather is unpredictable. But the city’s other attributes make up for what might be lacking in the meteorological department. I’ve written in the past about the city’s great food scene, and I had a chance to try a couple new spots this time around. We had dinner again at Press Gang , which is an old building that dates back to 1759. There are exposed stone and brick walls and Read more
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND – Sometimes in this job it’s easy to over-research a story. I don’t want to invest my working time on a hotel or a destination I won’t like, so it’s important for me to check things out in advance before I take a trip on behalf of the Star. But the tourist or “normal” traveller in me doesn’t want to over-do it and analyze a million photos, many of them doubtless professional pics that make a place look better than it really is. Because if I do that I won’t be surprised or have the feeling I did Read more
CALGARY – World-class food. Sleek and sexy hotels. And sophisticated bars with cutting edge design and local flavours. This is a town that has come a long, long way in the past few years. Lucky for me, I got to sample some of the best Calgary has to offer on a recent, two-day visit. The food might be biggest change a visitor would notice if they’ve haven’t been here in a while. Local restaurants are putting interesting twists on local favourites, with influences ranging from Vietnam to Italy to Thailand and beyond. Bonterra is a lively, fun spot in the emerging area Read more
JASPER to CANMORE, ALBERTA – A gorgeous lodge that manages the perfect balance of rustic and luxury. One of the world’s top drives. A brand new, thrilling tourist attraction just down the road from an old favourite. And a killer, Southeast Asian style meal waiting at the end in my favourite little city. I’ve had some marvellous days in this job. But I don’t think I can top my trip from Jasper to Canmore. I’d spent the better part of the previous afternoon working out kinks in my laptop, but managed to make the drive from Edmonton to Jasper (about four Read more
