Baseball spring training is officially underway, and that means even more reasons to visit the Tampa Bay/St. Pete region, where you’ll find the spring training homes of the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies, as well as the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Yankees train in Tampa, the Phillies in Clearwater, the Pirates in Bradenton, and the Jays in Dunedin. I’ve been a regular visitor to the area since I began covering the Blue Jays for the Toronto Star in the early 1990s, and have probably been 15 times or more by now. Here’s a list of some of Read more
Clearwater Beach
One of the world’s best beaches is getting bigger. Much bigger. I recently caught up with Brian Lowack, president and CEO of Visit St. Pete/Clearwater; one of the top destinations in Florida. He told me a beach renewal project that stretches from Sand Key on Clearwater Beach to St. Pete Beach will add 2.5 million cubic yards of sand, with roughly 200 feet of width. “It’s already great, but it’s going to be the most beautiful beach in Florida,” he told me in Toronto, where Visit St. Pete/Clearwater hosted media and travel agents at a Blue Jays-Yankees game. The cost Read more
Canadians are looking for trips to Asia for March Break, but Florida also is high on the list. According to data from KAYAK, the world’s leading travel search engine, Asia continues to be the top trending spot for Canadians over spring break, with a 14 per cent increase in flight searches since last year. And with overall airfare costing less (down 12% in cost) in 2024 compared to 2023, now may be the time to take that trip. Their study found that Shanghai is the top trending March Break spot, but that the best deals are for Tampa. Read more
Black Friday and Cyber Monday/Cyber Week travel deals are coming in fast and furious, including deals for Florida, Scotland, Asia and South America. I also have news on Air Canada adding summer service to Stockholm next year. BLACK FRIDAY/CYBER MONDAY DEALS FLORIDA Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach (Clearwater, FL) The Deal: Book between November 20th and November 27th and stay by 10/31/24, receive 30% off 3 or more nights! Rate does not include $35.00 Daily Resort Fee. Stay must be booked between 11/20/23 and 11/27/23, and completed by 10/31/24. Rates are subject to availability. Offer may not be combined with Read more
New research has discovered the most picturesque landscapes in America, with Lake Tahoe taking the top spot. Experts at Storyboards used Instagram data to analyze the number of hashtags for various landscapes in America to discover which of those are the most picturesque. Placing first on the list of the most picturesque landscapes in America is Lake Tahoe, with 2,986,225 Instagram hashtags. Situated on the border of California and Nevada, Lake Tahoe is the clearest lake in the U.S., with a 99.994% purity. There are many outdoor activities to partake in there, from hiking to fishing. There’s also gambling on Read more










