It was our first morning at Elmhirst’s Resort with two of our kids, their spouses, and six of our grandkids. I was down near the dock in front of our cottage around 7 a.m. and spotted my daughter in law. She said she and her oldest child were down by the water to watch the sunrise. “She looked at me and said, ‘Mummy, I like this place more than Toronto.’” This was the third time my wife and I had stayed at Elmihirst’s, a delightful, family-run spot on Rice Lake, a little south of Peterborough. But it was the first Read more
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If you’ve ever seen the tremendous video of the poor “Zone One” boarding pass guy waiting to get on a plane, you might understand where I’m coming from with this piece. For those who don’t know it or don’t have time right now to watch it via this link, the skit involves a fellow who eagerly bounds to the front of a gate lineup as he’s holding a precious “Zone One” boarding pass. Of course, he waits for First Class, and then Business, and then elite rewards members and kids and folks in wheelchairs and is still standing in line. Read more
Elise Parker from Walk Into Luxury tours is guiding my wife and I along the coast of Western Australia near Injidup Beach. The ocean is an achingly bright shade of blue the Benjamin Moore people haven’t created yet, and is crashing against spiky, orange-brown rocks on a pale golden beach. As we walk, she points out native plants that can be quite useful if one knows the secrets. The nectar from a Melaleuca can be licked, or collected and made into a sweet drink. Some grasses that don’t look like much can be eaten raw, or roasted. Being more of 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
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
