I had some great visits outside of Canada and the U.S. this year, visiting Sydney, Tasmania, Western Australia, Dominica, Puerto Rico, Martinique, Scotland and England. Here are some highlights. BEST RENTAL CAR EMPLOYEE My reservation was all messed up and the Budget Rental Car counter was closed when I landed at the airport in Esperance, Western Australia. I called the phone number for after hours help and reached a very kind woman named Hope. She was about to head off to a gender reveal party but said she could drive out and get my car set up for me, which Read more
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Detroit is the best city to visit for a National Football League game, a new study says. Michigan’s biggest city won the title thanks to the prestige of its stadium and the city’s wide array of game day activities, according to BonusFinder.com. Motor City took the top spot with a score of 81.7 out of 100, thanks to the high number of bars within walking distance, with 129 bars located within a 1-mile radius from the stadium, and the affordability of the Lions’ home stadium. Sharing first place with three other stadiums, Ford Field was among the most affordable stadiums Read more
The folks at The World’s 50 Best Bars have put out a list of the best 50 places for a drink in North America, and Canada is well-represented. Four bars in Toronto, two in Montreal and one each in Vancouver and Halifax made the list, which is pretty good if you ask me. Canada is quite small in population, so to snag eight out of 50 spots when you’re up against both the U.S. and Mexico is pretty terrific. Civil Liberties, located on Bloor Street West near Ossington Avenue in Toronto, cracked the top 10 by finishing tenth overall on Read more
Restrictions are being eased in two Canadian provinces popular with tourists. Ontario Premier Doug Ford today said his province will end its COVID-19 vaccine passport system beginning on March 1, and that changes for restaurants and other businesses are coming later this week. All capacity limits in restaurants, bars, cinemas and gyms will be lifted as of Thursday, a move that was set to take effect on Feb. 21, the CBC notes. The province of Nova Scotia today entered phase 1 of its’ three-step plan to ease restrictions, upping the limit for informal gatherings and lifting all restrictions for domestic Read more
The head of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) says it’s “positive” that some of its members will be able to re-open with limited capacity later this month. But he says that doesn’t equal recovery. With the Omicron variant seemingly easing in Ontario, Premier Doug Ford on Thursday announced a “phased approach” to reopening. Restrictions will ease starting Jan. 31 and run into March, Ford said. “It is positive news that many of our TIAO members will now be able re-open, albeit at reduced capacity from Jan 31,” TIAO President and CEO Christopher Bloore said in an email to Read more
