Thinking of a trip to Europe next year? You’ll likely need a special waiver form/authorization statement. Americans, Canadians, Australians, Mexico citizens and many others heading to Europe have traditionally not needed special documentation, other than a passport. But the European Union is changing the rules for 2024, and will now require a special authorization for people travelling from visa-exempt countries (1.4 billion people in all) to so-called Schengen Zone countries, which you can apply for in advance through the European Travel Information and Authorization System, or ETIAS. NOTE: This does not apply to the United Kingdom or Ireland, which are Read more
Santa Monica
One of the world’s favourite foods is celebrating it’s 100th anniversary in January, 2024. And a weary, hungry world says thank you. The story goes that Lionel Sternberger, a 16-year-old worker at a restaurant in Pasadena, California, was making up some hamburgers at a place called The Rite Spot in the first month of 1924. Apparently one of the patties started to fall apart. Rather than serve a good customer a fragmented burger, he is said to have found a slice of cheese and placed it on top to cover up his poor patty work. Voila! A star was born. Read more
With the Toronto Blue Jays set to play their first home game next week at the Rogers Centre, the Toronto Marriott City Centre is proud to unveil this season’s unique and amazing amenities from its enviable location; the only hotel in North America located inside a major league stadium. With unparalleled views of the ballpark, the Toronto Marriott City Centre offers an unmatched experience for baseball fans and those looking to enjoy Toronto’s best attractions. The hotel’s unique offerings include in-stadium open-air Skyboxes that can accommodate 25-30 guests, including 18 seated; exceptional “in action” field-view rooms and suites so guests Read more
As someone who’s been going to Maui’s Ka’anapali Beach for 50-something years, I was pretty happy to see Trip Advisor name it as the best beach in the U.S. in this year’s Travelers’ Choice Awards. It’s a fabulous, three-mile stretch of sand with great snorkeling, paddleboarding, boogie boarding and swimming. It’s also fronted by a long foot path lined with towering palm trees, and has some of the island’s best hotels and resorts, as well as the delightful, open-air Whalers Village Shopping Center. Among my fave hotels on Ka’anapali are the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel, the Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa Read more
The man in charge of bringing visitors to Vancouver doesn’t seem terribly happy about the state of tourism in his city. Speaking to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade last week, Royce Chwin, the CEO of Destination Vancouver, said there is a “great dearth” of new tourism experiences and attractions in Vancouver. The Daily Hive reports that “the last major attraction that opened in Vancouver was almost exactly a decade ago in 2013, when FlyOver Canada opened within the former IMAX theatre space at Canada Place.” The website said the city also has a shortage of hotel rooms, and that Read more
