MONTREAL ,QUEBEC – To me, a great lobby is a huge part of the hotel experience. If I go away for a few days, or even a night, I want to walk into a place that makes me feel special. Of course, you don’t get that at a chain hotel with Belgian waffle makers at the free breakfast buffet. Often, you don’t even get it a lot of fancy, four-star properties. But, in my experience as a full-time travel writer for nearly 20 years, great hotel always seems to have something different and out of the ordinary that makes you Read more
restaurants.
Travelling by rail is one of the great pleasures of life. The pace is lovely, you don’t have to hassle with big security lines, you can gaze out the window at wonderful scenery, and you usually get on and off the train in the middle of great cities; not out in the boondocks miles from town. I had a fabulous train trip all around Europe in 1979, including a journey between Rome and Florence when I met my wife, but also trips within England and Scotland, across France, and also Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden and The Netherlands. I’ve taken the train Read more
One of the great things about summer in southern Ontario is you can have two wildly different types of lake holiday. I’ve spent many a summer’s day in Muskoka, as well as the Kawarthas and other areas with freshwater lakes and rocky islands and deep, thick forests of maple, birch and pine. But I’ve also spent a considerable time on fine, powdery beaches that go on for miles and offer a completely different experience, including beach bonfires and glorious sunsets. My wife and I recently rented the Sandpiper Cottage at Inverhuron Beach on Lake Huron, just north of Kincardine. As Read more
There’s still nearly two months left of summer (fall doesn’t arrive until Sept. 21), which means there’s plenty of time to get out on a road trip and enjoy great places in the U.S. and Canada. Here are a few personal faves. COOL SPOTS IN THE U.S.A. PITTSBURGH I grew up near Oakland, California and our family had season tickets for the Oakland Raiders football team. I hated the Pittsburgh Steelers with a passion. Years later I was working in the sports department for the Toronto Star, and talked my editor into having me drive to Pittsburgh to Read more
BUFFALO – One of North America’s most beautiful art museums. Texas BBQ with a South Asian twist. Former grain silos that now house poetry readings. And some of the nicest people on the planet. I recently spent a weekend in this western New York city and, not for the first time, drove home with a smile on my face. I hadn’t been in Buffalo for eight years, but I found the same entrepreneurial spirit and pride I’ve seen in previous visits. Not unlike Newfoundlanders, they’re quick to lend a hand, and don’t seem to take themselves seriously.I get the feeling Read more
