Summer’s (almost) here, and the time is right for getting your butt out of your chair and setting off to see some of this magical land we call Canada. With that in mind, I’ll be writing regular posts over the next month or two, looking at some of the marvellous places in Canada I’ve had the privilege of visiting in the seven years since I became a full-time travel writer. Hope you enjoy them. I know I sure did. First up: St. John’s, Newfoundland. 1. The people: I remember my first trip here for the Toronto Star’s Golf magazine. I Read more
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LAS VEGAS – She took a tumble on the trapeze. But the tattoo gun was cool. And she picked up a few magic tricks, to boot. Kayla Gregoire of Timmins recently returned from competing in Expedia.ca’s “Sinternship” program in Las Vegas, putting herself in some crazy but unforgettable situations as she and other Canadians explored awesome aspects of the city with Expedia.ca’s Las Vegas experts, on the ground locals who have been brought on board with Canada’s leading online travel provider to help craft customized travel itineraries that feature activities and attractions for every type of Vegas tourist. Gregoire said Read more
Jim Byers photo Italy can be unbearably hot and crowded in August, but by September it’s cooler and far less congested. Try Sorrento, where I shot this cool cafe last November. I love summer. But it’s often the WORST time to visit so much of the world. It’s especially bad in Europe, mostly because it’s full of people like you and me. Especially me. And it’s hot. And the locals are all on holiday. Notwithstanding the fact I met my wife in August in Rome in 1979 (it’s our 33 rd wedding anniversary today, by the way, so HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Read more
ON THE TRAIL OF GREAT WOMEN IN ALBERTA – A couple years ago I visited a wonderul museum in Whitehorse. There were tons of stories about interesting miners from around the world, but I was particularly struck by a woman named Lucille Hunter, who was one of the first black women in the Yukon and used to walk 200 km from Mayo to Dawson City every year. I also found it fun to read about Martha Louise Black, a Yukon resident who was the second woman elected to the Parliament of Canada. The history of Alberta, similarly, is filled with Read more
CHIANG MAI – Bustling but still spiritual. As a fairly seasoned traveler I should’ve known a popular city such as Chiang Mai would be a big place. Somehow I had envisioned a big village or small city, perhaps on a hill, with a series of winding alleys and small food carts. Instead, I found a busy city of some 1.5 million people with large hotels and scattered high-rise towers and wildly coloured tuk tuks and red and white and yellow pickup trucks with covered backs for passengers to ride in and endless shops and markets. Still, there are some quiet Read more
