I was recently pampered with a two-night stay at luxurious Hastings House Country House Hotel on Salt Spring Island. While I've been to Salt Spring several times, I had yet to enjoy this corner of the island, close enough to downtown Ganges yet far enough away to appreciate the solitude and nature that helps define this Relais & Chateaux property. The welcoming hotel grounds are filled with fragrant flowers and colourful birds, all with a … [Read more...]
Traveller Information For Visiting Kauai, Hawaii
Kauai is an idyllic and fascinating Hawaiian island which looks remarkably untouched, despite being a favourite with US tourists and also home to over 62,000 people. Part of the island's natural looking charm can be attributed to the rule that no buildings can be erected on Kauai that are taller than a coconut tree, so the luxury hotels, shops, homes and other buildings are never tall enough to spoil the view, with tourist accommodation taking … [Read more...]
Visit British Columbia’s Gulf Islands
Explore BC's Beautiful Gulf Islands Be sure to visit at least one of the beautiful Gulf Islands if you and your family are thinking about a vacation to British Columbia, Canada. A magnificent string of around one hundred small, large and mostly inhabited islands situated between the mainland of British Columbia and beautiful Vancouver Island. Located in the Strait of Georgia, the islands are easy to gain access to from either the mainland … [Read more...]
A Sea to Sky Journey, Vancouver to Banff with Rocky Mountaineer
In 30+ years the Rocky Mountaineer has created a memorable experience incorporating some of the Rocky Mountain's finest scenery. A trip on the rails is one to enjoy, savor and spend quality time with loved ones - a chance to truly escape from the hectic fast paced life of the "real world". Few train rides on the planet can deliver such inspiring and jaw dropping vistas as the Rocky Mountaineer. The train follows historical railways to and from a … [Read more...]
From Sea to Clouds, Vancouver to Whistler
With two days in Vancouver before jumping on the Rocky Mountaineer train on the way to Banff, we decided to visit the mountain town of Whistler. Greyhound offers a relatively affordable option by combining a round trip bus journey with unlimited tram/gondola rides on Whistler/Blackcomb Mountains. This makes it quite doable to see Whistler in a day with an early start from Vancouver. As soon as we arrived in Whistler Village (partly home to … [Read more...]
Dining on Vancouver Island
John M. Edwards, the only smoker ever allowed onto the premises of snooty “Sooke Harbour House,” visits Vancouver Island in the Pacific Northwest on his own terms. As a paying contributor to “The United Negroe College Fund,” for sage reasons of philanthropy as well as tax evasion, I was a little surprised to find in the maritime city of Vancouver, British Columbia, absolutely no black people—only Commonwealthy Europeans and Asians, plus a few … [Read more...]
Stop in Quito Ecuador
I've been to South America quite a few times (focusing on Peru) but it has been too long since I was last here - so it was quite nice to finally touch down again on the continent very late this evening. It often feels like you are imposing and or are under acute suspicion when you enter some countries - stopping in front of grim faced immigration officials who give you suspicious glances. Not so here - the officials were laughing and joking … [Read more...]
Quick trip up to Vancouver
I had last visited Vancouver about 20 years ago - needless to say, I was long overdue for a visit to this cosmopolitan city. I remember all the cranes dotting the skyline last time I was here. While there are still plenty of cranes the skyline is now filled by many modern looking residential buildings. Like other Pacific Northwest cities, Vancouver does a good job of incorporating urban and rural. It is hard not to when you are surrounded by … [Read more...]
Exploring the outskirts of Seattle
July and August are great months to visit Seattle. The weather is generally mild to warm and there usually isn't much rain (as one knows, Seattle has a reputation for rain much of the year). We took my friends car which he kindly let us use for a few days and headed out of town. Our goal was the Snoquamish Falls - a massive drop off of water that one can view from several viewpoints. Lovely. Except we were so tired from jet lag we ended up … [Read more...]
Canada wildlife experiences
Where can you find Canada's best wildlife? If you're a wildlife lover looking for a holiday full of incredible creatures, why not try Canada for your next adventure? Canada's vast and largely unspoilt wilderness is home to a diverse ecosystem, including seals, bison, moose and many other animals, which it is incredibly rare to see outside of a zoo and in their natural habitat. However, the real star of the show as far as wildlife is concerned … [Read more...]