WESTERN AUSTRALIA – I’m driving north along the lonely, quiet coast of Western Australia. I’m supposed to check into my hotel in the town of Kalbarri at 5 p.m. and it’s already dangerouly close to that. My schedule says I should motor on, but there’s a particular quality of light in the sky. I see a sign that points the way to a coastal section of Kalbarri National Park, and decide the schedule can go to hell. I drive down a winding road towards the setting sun and pull into looks like the closest parking lot. I quickly make my Read more
road trips
A new study finds that one of Canada’s most attractive destinations still faces a bit of an uphill struggle when it comes to tourism. And, quite frankly, I don’t get it. A survey of Canadian travel habits and desires by Tourism Nova Scotia found that 37% of Canadian travellers who aim to take a holiday in the next 12 months will be heading to Ontario. The next choices were Quebec (24%), British Columbia (23%), the U.S.A. (18), International (17) and Alberta (15, which is a lower percentage than I would’ve expected given the grandeur of the Rockies). Atlantic Canada, which Read more
Stunning architecture. Fresh, local food and drinks. And the former home of one of Canada’s best-known writers. Not to mention trendy artists, family-friendly golf, a cool cabin in the woods, friendly alpacas, and a sunflower farm guaranteed to light up your social media accounts. I recently spent two days and a night in surprising North Durham Region. I was blown away by the creativity and cooperative spirit of local business people, as well as by their artistry and passion. Several times I found myself wondering if this region, which is less than an hour from Toronto, could become as popular Read more
The recent decline in gas prices is a positive indicator for travel for the rest of the summer and into the fall, according to the latest Longwoods International tracking study of American travellers. While 31% of travellers said gas prices would greatly impact their decision to travel in the next six months, that is down dramatically from the 43% of travellers who expressed the same sentiment just a month ago. “Falling gas prices is an automatic plus for the travel industry,” said Amir Eylon, President and CEO of Longwoods International. “And if fuel costs continue to decline as expected, more Read more
A driving trip in Calgary, Banff and Lake Louise is a beautiful thing; an iconic Canadian trip like no other. When you take it in a new Mazda CX-50 it’s that much more special. The folks at Mazda Canada were kind enough to let me use one of their new CX-50 SUV’s for a week earlier this month. As a guy who normally drives a 2010 model SUV, I jumped at the chance. The Mazda folks met me at the Calgary Airport after I got off my plane with a lovely, steely blue model. Unfortunately, my flight was more than Read more
