I started going to Dunedin back in 1993 when I covered the Blue Jays for the Toronto Star. And I’ve been in love with the place ever since. The town itself is a delight, with an adorable and tiny main street surrounded by lush landscaping, plus great restaurants and unusual shops and fun places to stay. The cycling is outstanding on the Pinellas Trail, and there are now two breweries in town to go along with the fine restaurants and shops. Honeymoon Island State Park features quiet, lovely beaches, and you also can take a ferry to nearby Caladesi Island, Read more
drinks
A trip along the Sunshine Coast is an outstanding way to enjoy the beauty of British Columbia. This was my first time visiting, and it will certainly not be my last. I fell in love with the people, not to mention the craggy hills and zig-zag harbours. There’s excellent kayaking and boating, as well as hiking and shopping. And the resorts are terrific, too.
California Restaurant Month coming, Farewell to a Canadian tourism legend and New Year’s at the Ritz
Quite the week here in Toronto for tourism/travel types. And I haven’t even attended a Christmas party yet! Things kicked off nicely – very nicely – on Thursday when the folks at California Tourism put on a ridiculously tasty lunch at a cooking showcase spot downtown. Southern California chef Suzanne Goin, who owns four restaurants and also has a chef husband who runs a few of his own, made some of the tastiest treats I’ve tried anywhere. Just amazing. Mind you, California has incredible, year-round produce to work with. And Goin used it; luscious red grapes she pounded with a Read more
SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA – Beautiful views. Fabulous food. Colourful culture. And a great, chic hotel. This has always been one of my favourite towns, with truly iconic sights and just about anything you could ask for in a vacation spot. We started our weekend with a visit to the unbelievable farmers market on Arizona Ave. There were organic vegetable of just about type and size; leeks and limes, Japanese turnips, ripe orange persimmons, giant bush-sized bunches of romaine lettuce, crisp apples and strawberries as red as a shiny fire truck. They put a lot of pride on organic products in Read more
MONTREAL – New finds in one of North America’s oldest – and best – cities. The other day I talked about some new spots in emerging parts of Montreal. But there are equally great places in the old city; some tried and true places and some new and emerging. On the old front, you simply can’t beat a nice afternoon in Place d’Armes. Montreal has plenty of ordinary, modern architecture (probably it’s worse than Toronto, or just as bad) downtown. But this part of town is something else; majestic stone buildings (mostly) and the hugely impressive Notre Dame Cathedral surrounding Read more
