InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) sponsored my participation in this campaign. All opinions are my own. SOOKE, B.C. – The Grand Canyon sounds pretty darn grand. The Rocky Mountains conjure up images of stark, rugged peaks and picture-perfect alpine lakes in shades the Crayola crayon people never imagined. And just about everyone knows about Niagara Falls. But even a veteran travel writer like myself was baffled and left with a blank stare on his face when someone on a trip I took to B.C. last year with Tourism Vancouver Island said we would be visiting the Sooke Potholes. Being a polite Read more
cycling
THIS STORY ORIGINALLY APPEARED JAN. 18 ON POSTMEDIA AND SUN MEDIA WEBSITES ACROSS CANADA LOS ANGELES – I’ve been given a tough assignment by the tourism folks in Los Angeles; tour the city and eat at places that even A-list celebs have trouble getting into. Sip a glass of wine or two with your meal. Stay at a couple of glam hotels. Tour the Grammy Museum in advance of next month’s Grammy Music Awards and the Academy Awards. Take the Warner Bros. Studio VIP Tour. Eat and drink some more. I can drink from $200 bottles of wine and nibble Read more
WHISTLER, B.C. – I’m approaching my sixth decade on this planet. I haven’t been on skis in 10 years. And I’ve never skied in the west, let alone on a mountain that was part of the Olympics. But, I’m determined to get out there, so I find myself in a lesson with Leanne Bartlett, a young Scottish woman who tells me she learned to ski on the driveway of her home in Glasgow when she was three. An unusual resume, for sure. “Keep your hands in front of you and keep your knees bent,” she tells us. “You want to Read more
ALONG THE LAKE ERIE SHORELINE – The luscious scent of lavender. A zippy Chardonnay. A tranquil boardwalk. And a ridiculously good hamburger served on a perfect patio. I’ve been to Windsor many times, but my recent summer trip along part of the Lake Erie shore through the Windsor-Essex-Point Pelee area was my first exposure to the region’s natural wonders and to some of its towns. And I came away hugely impressed. The folks at Oxley Estate Winery in Harrow make an outstanding unoaked Chardonnay that’s crisp and not too sweet. It paired nicely with a quesadilla tucked with cheddar, jack Read more
Jim Byers Photo India is one of the destinations you can book with BikeHike Adventures. Here’s another cool-sounding Canadian travel company to keep an eye on. BikeHike Adventures , a company based in Vancouver and run for 20 years by former Torontonian (and still Toronto lover, just fyi) Trish Sare, offers tremendous looking packages that promise interaction with locals in some awesome parts of the world. In a recent visit to the city, Sare explained some of the company’s background and philosophy. “We offer multisport holidays to some 30 destinations around the world,” she told me. “It’s mostly central and Read more
