The smiles say it all. Canada’s not all the way back, but U.S. tourism reps at this year’s IPW conference in Los Angeles are pleased with how Canadians are returning to key states south of the border. Visit California statistics show Canada last year eclipsed pre-pandemic visitation levels, rising from 1.732 million visits in 2019 to 1.799 last year. Canadian visits to Florida last year were at 93% of pre-pandemic levels. Orlando says it attracted 1.256 million Canadians last year, a new, single-year record. For New York City, visitors from Canada were achingly close to 2019 numbers (995,000, compared to Read more
entertainment
The world’s most famous city sign is turning 100 years old. The iconic letters for the Hollywood Sign have stood as an American landmark for 100 years, perched atop the Santa Monica Mountains overlooking the City of Los Angeles. The sign is synonymous with the glitz and glamour of Tinseltown and emblematic of a century’s worth of Hollywood history, from the notable to the notorious. Today, the sign is an enduring symbol of Los Angeles, beckoning travelers to come experience a place where magic is possible and dreams come true. “From the Golden Age of Hollywood to the beating heart Read more
Niagara Falls is a destination that could easily rest on its laurels. Instead, its constantly evolving to keep up with the times, with new things to do and fresh twists on old favourites. A group of Canadian travel writers visited for a couple of days this fall, and we found tons of great activities and tours. One of the best additions to the region is the restoration of the old Niagara Parks Power Station, which opened in 1905 and features truly glorious industrial architecture; spacious and airy and crafted with tremendous pride. If you take a tour, they’ll show you how Read more
ORLANDO – A timeless Disney classic. And a wonderful place to stay just minutes away. I recently had a chance to spend a day at Disney Hollywood Studios, where I hadn’t been in at least 12 or 15 years. It’s a delightful spot, with a great mix of scary rides (alas, I didn’t do any this time) and fun, family attractions. Best of all for a guy who fell in love with Princess Leia, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker in 1979 are the Star Wars bits. One of the first things we heard upon entering the park were the ominous Read more
GRAVENHURST, ONTARIO – It’s intermission, and members of the band Pretzel Logic are standing on a patio outside a Gravenhurst concert venue called Peter’s Players. There’s nothing unusual about that, perhaps, but in this case they’re mingling with members of the audience on a perfect late spring night in Muskoka. A couple band members are drinking from bottles water. One is nursing a beer. But they’re all chatting with audience members about their favourite songs or about music in general. One of the singers is trying to rustle up a fishing trip for the next day. A few feet away, Read more
