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Los Angeles

“Temperature checks. Bigger lines. Fewer meals. No alcohol. And ultimately, higher prices.” That’s the way Canadian Press began its latest story on the future of the airline industry. I’ve got a report on that, but also on how WestJet has announced its new summer schedule, with the emphasis on Canada but also five flights to the U.S. and one to Mexico. All in my Future of Travel blog for Monday, June 15. The future of air travel: It ain’t pretty Unless you’re one of those people who regularly fly in the front of the plane, you’ll know that flying hasn’t Read more

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I wrote yesterday about how Air Canada Vacations and Lufthansa both are moving forward with new flights. Now I see Southwest Air in the U.S. is doing the same, and that Disney is looking at how it will re-open Walt Disney World with new social distancing measures. I think we can safely say that we’re moving into the early stages of recovery for the travel and tourism business. The steps are small, but they’re happening across a spectrum of businesses. And that’s great to see. Disney Recovery Plans My friends at TravelPulse in the U.S. have a story in their Read more

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This lucky guy has finished up another year of great travel. From classic train journeys in Canada to Atlantic crossings on the Queen Mary 2, and from Florida to Hawaii to London, it’s been another incredible year. In what has become an annual tradition, here’s a look at my some of my favourite spots and photos from the year that was. Without further adieu, I give you Part 1 of the 2018 Jimmy Awards for great/weird/fun/engaging travel. BEST RESTAURANT: I ate in some remarkable places this year, but Don Alfonso 1890 in Toronto takes the proverbial cake. Incredibly creative, remarkably Read more

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My home state of California has seen its share of issues the past few years; most notably with fires. The recent Camp Fire in northern California was especially devastating. The fire near Thousand Oaks/Malibu also was extremely damaging. But folks in California are a resilient bunch, and the state consistently bounces back from whatever issues pop up. I was in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara (an area hit by fires last year) a few weeks ago and everything was pretty much back to normal. Of course, most areas of the state weren’t affected in any way. And the areas that Read more

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THIS ITEM APPEARED EARLIER THIS WEEK IN SUN MEDIA AND POSTMEDIA PAPERS AND WEBSITES IN CANADA You know about San Francisco and Beverly Hills. Not to mention Palm Springs and San Diego. But there’s a lot more to California than the big names. Here’s one former resident’s look at some of the other great places in the state. CAPITOLA This might be the best California town never mentioned in a Beach Boys’ song. The beach features soft, golden sand with a good-sized wooden wharf with a restaurant and colourful locals out fishing. The west end of the beach has a Read more

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