Canadians are increasingly worried about inflation impacting their travel budget. But you don’t need to fly halfway around the world to find great places to explore. Here are 11 great spots to check out in Canada for Canada Day, or later this summer. I haven’t been to the Northwest Territories or Nunavut, but I’ve managed to see a great deal of Canada. Here are some great places to go this summer. SASKATCHEWAN Located on a large, pretty lake north of the city, Regina Beach is one of those quintessential North American beach spots that somehow feels like something out of Read more
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MUSKOKA – We’ve just finished a fabulous picnic lunch at a table set two meters from the shore on Beausoleil Island in Georgian Bay Islands National Park. We’re watching small waves lap against a sloping, deep orange rock under a sky so blue it would make a robin’s egg jealous. We suddenly hear the cries of small children, and see a gentleman and three young boys walking along this massive slab of exposed Canadian Shield. We learn he’s the grandfather and that he and his son are taking the boys, a six-year-old and two four-year-old twins, camping for a couple Read more
Jim Byers Member, Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) (NOTE: This story originally appeared in The Toronto Star) SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA – Walking between fabled Fisherman’s Wharf and the Golden Gate Bridge I found quiet beaches I never knew existed. In suburban San Leandro I admired pretty, yellow wildflowers on a warm January day that put a bounce in the step of a winter-weary Canadian. And in Marin County I stumbled on an old Chinese shrimping village filled with historic artefacts. The San Francisco Bay Trail is a series of pathways that skirt one of the world’s greatest natural Read more
By Jim Byers Member, Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) After nearly two years of closed borders and virtually no tourism, Australia is flinging open the doors to visitors on Monday, Feb. 21. It’s a momentous occasion for a country that has always placed a high value on attracting tourists. “There is no doubt that a full recovery will take time, but we are confident that the demand for Australia is strong,” Phillipa Harrison, the managing director of Tourism Australia, the country’s tourism board, told The New York Times. The Times said tourism was one of the fastest growing sectors Read more
This is an excerpt from my new book, “Ontario Escapes: 19 Great Places to Visit Right Now.” It’s available from Apple Books (and only for Apple devices) for just $4.99 Canadian. What a deal! Here’s the link for the book: https://books.apple.com/ca/book/ontario-escapes/id1523750857 Chapter 11: Gravenhurst and Muskoka WHAT: There’s a reason some folks call Muskoka Toronto’s playground. Located just two hours (maybe less given COVID-19 traffic, or lack of same) north of the city, you’ll find amazing lakes strewn with rocky islets and towering, deep green trees. It’s as pretty as a postcard, and easy to reach. WHERE: Gravenhurst, the Read more
