LONDON – I was attending a tourism conference in this southwest Ontario city in mid-spring and walked into a large, industrial space in the Old East Village Area of town. There was a gleaming coffee shop off to one side; the sort of place that looks like one you’d find in Toronto’s West Queen West area or Vancouver’s Gastown. Past that was a lovely, bright grocery store selling lots of local foods and organic products. Behind that was a series of small businesses that it turns out are part of something called the London Food Incubator; a building that charges Read more
craft beer
ON THE ROAD IN OXFORD COUNTY – One of Canada’s top cheesemakers. A stunning B and B in a romantic old home. A fine art gallery. Oh, and great craft beer and handmade chocolates. Oxford County has a growing reputation for fresh, local food that will satisfy the most demanding of Top Chef viewers. I had the chance to sample several fabulous spots during a short visit last week, as well as a night at what might just be my dream house, a Woodstock beauty on what could be Ontario’s handsomest street. Not to mention checking out a lovely art Read more
Yesterday I highlighted my favourite travel spots in the U.S. Today it’s my home country of Canada, with awesome places from Nova Scotia to southern Ontario and up to the Yukon. Best Coastal Drive: The eastern shore (okay, northeastern shore) of Nova Scotia has only a smattering of villages and hardly any commerce. The food was fine, but I absolutely loved the restful surroundings and kayaking at Liscombe Lodge near Sherbrooke. I found cool art galleries and hardly any tourists between there and Lawrencetown, just east of Halifax. Most Surprising Town: Meaford is a cool spot on Georgian Bay in Read more
VANCOUVER – This is one of the world’s favourite cities, a perennial list-topper with gorgeous scenery, fantastic food and a wealth of great things to do. Here are a few favourites. STANLEY PARK This is Canada’s top urban park, and one of the best in the world. Nestled at the northwest tip of downtown, the park bulges out into the Burrard Inlet like a giant green thumb. You’ll find centuries-old, sweet-smelling cedars, towering firs and deep, dark forests. There’s an 8.8 km long walking and cycling path around the perimeter, but you’ll miss the essence of the park if you Read more
I was one very lucky guy in 2015, checking out magical places all around the world from Easter Island to the beaches of Lake Huron and tea plantations in The Azores. It takes a lot of work to travel this much, and there are a lot of people in the business who make it all happen for me; tourism boards and airlines and hotels and tour guides and more. So thank you to those folks. I’ve been compiling some of my favourite travel moments for year, and here’s another version of the annual Jimmys; awards for just about anything from Read more
