If you’re one of my American friends and are looking for a last-minute option for the Fourth of July, here are some of my fave places in the U.S., including California, New York State, Hawaii, Texas and Florida. VERMONT – Lovely villages with brilliant white church steeples and pretty mountain scenery. Also likely to be cooler than many U.S. destinations in July. Burlington is a great city to check out. DENVER – Not sure being a mile high will keep you cool, but there are always the nearby mountains to explore. Try an electric Tuk Tuk ride of downtown Denver Read more
Denver
I had some wonderful visits in the U.S. and Canada this year, including a monumental train trip from Colorado to Utah, a wonderful six days in Prince Edward Island and great stays in Los Angeles, southwest Ontario, southern Florida and northern California. I also got to visit one of my fave islands, Molokai, and spent four nice but sobering days on Maui to see how they’re recovering from the devastating and still unfathomable wildfires. It wasn’t all pretty, but I had many a remarkable experience and more than a few great meals along the way. Thanks to everyone who helped Read more
A new airline is coming soon that promises low fares from Canada to the Caribbean. Arajet, a discount airline based in the Dominican Republic, says it will launch flights to the D.R. this fall from both Toronto and Montreal. Canadian Press notes that the announcement by the year-old carrier marks the latest entrant to an already crowded field of low-cost airlines, including Lynx and Flair, and comes two weeks after U.S. budget carrier Breeze Airways made a pitch to Quebecers bound for Florida. By the end of next year, Flair Airlines aims to beef up its fleet to 26 planes Read more
A lively downtown with great, old-time architecture. Terrific food. Stylish hotels. And the Rocky Mountains in your back yard. Denver wasn’t exactly high on the list of trendy cities 30 or 40 years ago. But an influx of tech companies and people looking for more wide-open space has made it one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. My wife and I spent a day in the city in late April prior to boarding the Rocky Mountaineer train for their “Rockies to Red Rocks” two-day trip, and we loved it. I was there 30 years to cover a Denver Nuggets-Toronto Read more
A Canadian parliamentary committee is calling for sweeping changes to Canada’s air passenger rights rules, including better compensation regulations for those facing delayed or cancelled flights, and tougher enforcement of the rules. Canadian Press reports that the recommendations, tabled in Ottawa on Tuesday (April 18), comes after chaotic travel seasons over the summer and winter holidays brought on by soaring demand, labour shortages and winter storms. The House of Commons standing committee on transport offered 21 recommendations, including stronger monetary penalties, smoother processing of compensation claims and automatic payout offers after cancellations, significant delays or denial of boarding. The Globe Read more
