Baltimore is one of the great historic metropolitan cities on the Eastern Seaboard. Once an industrial powerhouse, Baltimore went through a period of decline in …
Charlotte Travel Souvenirs – We Love the Queen City
Charlotte, North Carolina, is one of the most dynamic cities in the southeastern United States. In recent years it has become one of the fastest …
San Antonio, Texas: Famous for its Spanish, Mexican and American Heritage
After spending some time in Austin and New Braunfels, we continued our explorations of Texas with a two-day stay in San Antonio, the state’s most …
Memphis Tennesse: Much more than Graceland
To escape the cold and long Canadian winter, we had spent about a week in Texas, and after enjoying pleasantly warm and sunny weather in …
Downtown Memphis: Beale Street – America’s Most Iconic Street
Downtown Memphis is rather compact and easy to explore on foot. Main Street is home to a number of eateries as well as the Main …
Presenting: Jason Pizzicarola – Architect, Creative Entrepreneur and Community Builder in Fort Erie – Part 2
In part 1 of this interview, Jason talked about his background, his international travels as well as his restoration of the Sherk’s Hardware Building and …
Presenting: Jason Pizzicarola – Architect, Creative Entrepreneur and Community Builder in Fort Erie – Part 1
Travel is not just about beautiful landscapes and interesting sights and monuments; it’s also about the people that one meets along the way. Since I …
Austin, Texas: The 6th Street Entertainment District, Saint Mary Cathedral and the Texas Capitol
The double-decker sightseeing tour was perfect for getting an overview of Austin. As this was the last tour of the day, everyone disembarked on Sabine …
Austin, Texas: First Explorations from a Double-Decker Bus
Anybody who lives in Canada or has visited this country during the winter knows that the cold season can be very long and harsh. As …
Merano: South Tyrol’s Sunny Spa and Health Resort Town
With about 35,000 residents, Merano is the second largest town in the Italian region of South Tyrol . Today, slight more than 50% of the …
New York City Explorations: the 2015 Us Open and A Walk on 8th Street
New York City is of course home to the US Open, one of the tennis world’s four Grand Slams. As huge tennis fans, we took …
New York City Explorations: Central Park and 96th Street
New York City Explorations: Central Park and 96th Street On our second day in New York City we took the subway a couple of stops …
New York City – Long Island City, Central Park and Washington Square Park
New York City is one of my favourite city destinations. I have travelled to the Big Apple quite a number of times in recent years, …
The Italian Dolomites – Driving from Cortina d’Ampezzo to Bolzano
On our trip from Austria to Italy, our destination was Bolzano where we were going to spend the next four days. Leaving Cortina d’Ampezzo behind …
New York City – More than just Manhattan
New York City is the epitome of the North American metropolis and has fascinated people around the world for many decades. The City That Never …
Bolzano – The Capital of South Tyrol
Bolzano, also called Bozen in German, is the capital of the German-speaking South Tyrol region of Italy. With a population of over 100,000 people, it …
Montenegro – A Country of Wild Beauty and Diversity
For many people, Montenegro is still a relatively unknown entity and they have very little idea of what this small country on the Adriatic coast …
Warsaw – The Phoenix City
Warsaw first became the capital city of Poland in 1596, and after centuries of turbulent history, Warsaw today is a thriving city and Poland’s cultural, …
Haines Falls and the Kaaterskill Clove – Two Tourism Centres in the Northern Catskills
Before we got ready to leave for New York City on the morning of August 30, 2015, I embarked on a quick walk through Haines …
Tannersville, New York – The Painted Village in the Sky
Among the unique aspects of Tannersville are the bright and colourful facades on Main Street. As part of the vision of a local artist by …
Exploring the Catskills: Mountain Golf and An Evening in Pretty Tannersville
New York State offers some of the most picturesque landscapes in Eastern North America and we usually make a stop there on our way to …
The Italian Dolomites – Driving from San Candido to Cortina d’Ampezzo
I travel to Europe at least once a year, and this year, after my visit in Austria, I joined my brother and sister-in-law on a …
Niagara Falls Attractions: A Winter Walk around the Fallsview Area
Having left the tropical refuge of the Niagara Falls Butterfly Conservatory behind, winter had fully engulfed me again. In the late afternoon of a freezing …
Niagara Falls Attractions: A Winter Visit to the Butterfly Conservatory
It did not take me long to drive from the Niagara Falls History Museum I drove to the Niagara Parkway where I made a stop …
Niagara Falls Attractions: Family Day at the Niagara Falls History Museum
My visit to the Heartland Forest on a cold day in February of 2015 had been lots of fun. After a short drive I arrived …
Niagara Falls Attractions: Winterfest at Heartland Forest
As part of my Niagara Travel Guide project I drove into the Niagara Region again. on February 16, 2015. It was Family Day, a public …
Santa Monica: Home of the Famous Pier and the End of Route 66
From Marina del Rey and Venice Beach we kept driving north until we reached Santa Monica, one of the most popular beach towns in the …
A Driving Tour along the Pacific Ocean and a Stop in Marina del Rey
On our second and last day in the Los Angeles area we embarked on a driving tour from Hermosa Beach and drove north near the …
The Palos Verdes Peninsula – Scenic Beauty and Gorgeous Coastal Lookouts
After my first walk along the Strand in Hermosa Beach, I hopped in the car to drive about 20 minutes south to the Palos Verdes …
Hermosa Beach – Southern California Vibe At Its Best
In March of 2015 we had spent a fabulous week in California’s Coachella Valley, exploring the Palm Springs area and watching the renowned PNB Parisbas …
A Visit to the PNB Parisbas Open and the Desert Hills Premium Outlet
March 13 was our third day at the BNP Parisbas Open in Indian Wells, and it was a great day for some outstanding tennis. We …
A Visit to La Quinta & a Ride on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
On a sunny March 11, 2015 I continued my discoveries of the Coachella Valley and drove from Palm Desert to La Quinta, a popular resort …
Coachella Valley Travel: Shopping at River at Rancho Mirage and El Paseo
Some of the mysteries of the desert had revealed themselves to me during my visit to the desert at the Coachella Valley Preserve. Inside this …
Coachella Valley Travel: An Excursion to the Thousand Palms Oasis
California’s Coachella Valley is extremely popular with winter travellers and snowbirds who enjoy the pleasant climate during the cold months. Our getaway in March of …
Puerto Vallarta Travel: Exploring the Malecon, Isla Cuale and an Evening Walk in the Zona Romantica
By about mid-afternoon of January 6, 2015, the Puerto Vallarta Food Tour had come to an end and all the participants went off in different …
Discovering the Sights of Downtown Palm Springs
To get a bit of exercise after lunch and to get to know downtown Palm Springs we continued our walk a walk westwards on Tahquitz …
A Spring Getaway to California featuring Palm Springs and Indian Wells
Spectator sports-related travel is a huge part of tourism across the world, whether it’s the Olympics, soccer championships, Formula 1 races or other big sports …
Hamilton, Ontario – Steel Town & City of 100 Waterfalls
With a metropolitan population of over 700,000 people, Hamilton is one of the largest cities in Ontario. Since 1910 and 1912 respectively, Hamilton has been …
Puerto Vallarta Food Tour: Tuba Water, Mole and Mexican Candy
Our Puerto Vallarta Food Tour continued. After an interesting culinary walk through the city’s Zona Romantica we crossed the Cuale River on a swaying wooden …
Favourite Snowbird Destinations in Mexico
In the previous two articles of this series we explored snowbird destination in the Eastern United States as well as those in the Western US. …
Popular Snowbird Destinations in the Western United States
In part 1 of this article series we explored popular snowbird destinations on the East coast of the United States. Let’s now have a look …
Great Snowbird Destinations in the Eastern United States
When you are a Canadian of a certain age, or a resident of the US Northeast, Midwest or Pacific Northwest, you have probably experienced record-setting …
Puerto Vallarta Food Tour: More Tacos, the Pier, Coconuts, Ceviche & Tortillas
As we continued our Puerto Vallarta Food Tour towards the city’s waterfront we stopped at Tacos El Cuñado (which literally means “brother-in-law”), another family owned …
The Puerto Vallarta Food Tour: Tacos, Restaurant Row and Chocolate
It was slightly overcast on January 6, 2015 when I took the bus into downtown Puerto Vallarta. On this day I had planned expand my …
Ziplining in Puerto Vallarta: Adventure, Action and Adrenaline
In the late morning of January 5, 2015 I made my way from the Canto del Sol Resort to the office of Vallarta Adventures, just …
The Fort Erie Historical Museums: Fenian Raids, Railroads, Native History & Archeology
Recently I had a chance to get to know Fort Erie, a city that many Canadians and Americans know mostly as a border crossing town. …
Hacienda El Divisadero: A Culinary Tour of Mexico
Our horseback riding adventure and our visit to the Petroglyphs had been a great way to get a feel for a truly Mexican landscape. When …
Fall for History at the Niagara Falls History Museum
Niagara Falls, Ontario, is an immensely popular popular destination, with its majestic waterfalls, its casinos and entertainment areas. But off the main tourist path there …
Hacienda El Divisadero: Ancient Petroglyphs & a Horseback Riding Adventure
Breakfast at the Hacienda El Divisadero, a cheese sampling and a Raicilla (or Mexican moonshine) tasting had already sensitized me to an authentic Mexican experience. …
The Real Mexico at Hacienda El Divisadero: Mexican Breakfast, an Introduction to Mexican Cheese & a Raicilla Tasting
My visit to the historic country town of El Tuito had given me a taste of the real Mexico during my excursion from Puerto Vallarta. …
A Country Excursion to Mismaloya and El Tuito
On my second day in Puerto Vallarta I had a full day planned – an excursion into the countryside south of the city. In the …
First Explorations of Puerto Vallarta
January 3, 2015 was my first day in Puerto Vallarta. On a freezing winter day in Toronto I got up at 2:30 am, arrived at …
Puerto Vallarta – More Than a Beach Paradise
Our regular readers know that Mexico is one of my favourite travel destinations and I have reported from Mexico frequently over the last 10 years. …
Fort Erie: A Border Town Worth To Discover
Most Ontario residents only know Fort Erie as the western terminus of the Peace Bridge which takes them across to Buffalo, New York, on the …
Barbados Beautiful: Prettiest Places to Visit on the Island Country
It might be relatively small, but Barbados holidays pack quite the rum punch as far as paradise is concerned. Where is Barbados? This island country …
Niagara-on-the-Lake – One of Ontario’s Historic Jewels
Located about 22 km from Niagara Falls, it takes less than a half hour to drive to the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake on the scenic Niagara …
Former Rust Belt Cities Are Making a Comeback, Even as Tourism Destinations
I admit it – I am a travel junkie. But by travel I am not referring to all-inclusive beach vacations, gambling trips or shopping expeditions. …
Exploring the Niagara Region: Grimsby, Beamsville and Thorold
The Niagara Region, Ontario’s wine country, is most well known for its two eminent and internationally well-known destinations: Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake. In one of …
Tourism in Kapfenberg, Austria and the Mountain Paradise of Northeastern Styria
In Part 3 of this article series about Kapfenberg, Markus Kamper, marketing expert for the city, already provided a touristic portrait of the city and …
Kapfenberg, Austria: A Hidden Gem that is embedded in the Alps
One reason why the Austrian city of Kapfenberg actually created the „world’s longest lipdub“ was to draw attention to the beauty of the city and …
Kapfenberg, Austria: The Making of the Record-setting Kapfenberg Lipdub
In Part 1 of this interview we got know Kapfenberg, its ancient and recent history and how the idea for the world record-setting lipdub came …
Kapfenberg, Austria – A City Celebrates Its Rebirth with the World’s Longest Lipdub
PART 1: THE BACKGROUND Over the last 20 to 30 years, de-industrialization has hit many places in developed nations very hard. Cities that were once …
The New Pittsburgh: Clean Air, Parks, Sports, Museums and Culture
In our last article we provided with some background on the history of Pittsburgh and its transformation from polluted steel city to one of the …
Pittsburgh: From Polluted Steel Town to America’s Most Livable City
Over time, some cities undergo amazing transformations, and Pittsburgh, a city with a population of about 350,000 people, is one of these. Pennsylvania’s second largest …
St. Catharines – A Hidden Gem in the Niagara Region
The Niagara Region has many pleasant travel destinations and the big stars in the region are, of course, Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake. But there are …
Exploring the Scottish Highlands: A Boat Tour of Loch Ness and a Stroll in Pitlochry
After spending about half an hour at Urquhart Castle, our group was now ready to embark on a short boat tour on Loch Ness. We …
A Visit to the Scottish Highlands: The Imposing Three Sisters, Ben Nevis and Urquhart Castle
During our day trip across the Scottish Highlands we stopped at the Three Sisters, three spectacular peaks that are located in Glen Coe, a long …
A Doubledecker Sightseeing Tour of Glasgow and the Riverside Museum
On my second day in Scotland, May 29, 2014, the weather was again cloudy, drizzly and cool, but that did not stop me from going …
Edinburgh Explored: The Royal Mile and New Town
After my visit to Edinburgh Castle I strolled along the top portion of the Royal Mile, a long thoroughfare actually composed of four ancient streets …
An Introduction to Edinburgh: St. Mary’s Cathedral, Castle Rock and Edinburgh Castle
My first full day in Edinburgh, May 28, 2014, was a bit of a grey and drizzly affair. Determined to get the most out of …
Retiring and Vacationing in San Miguel de Allende: A Visit to Los Senderos
San Miguel de Allende has long been a city that has attracted the attention of North American travellers and expats who strive for a full …
San Miguel de Allende: The Panteón de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Cemetary and Cubafest
Brilliant sunshine greeted me again on March 8, 2014 when I set off on another mission to explore more of San Miguel de Allende. I …
Landmarks in San Miguel de Allende: La Biblioteca
After my excursion to Rancho Los Labradores I went back into the historic centre of San Miguel de Allende to explore another well-known landmark. “La …
Retiring in San Miguel de Allende: A Tour of Rancho Los Labradores
After an enjoyable lunch at Café Contento it was time to explore another entirely different aspect of San Miguel. Many people from Canada and the …
San Miguel Festivals: The Fiesta del Senor de la Reqonquista and Lunch at Café Contento
It’s incredible, but every day in San Miguel de Allende was more beautiful than the last. March 7, 2014 was no exception as the sun …
Learning about Mexican Culture at the Toy Museum of San Miguel de Allende
The sun was beaming down again on March 6, 2014 when I took the local bus into downtown San Miguel de Allende. In the morning …
Exploring Queretaro: The Plaza de Armas, Temple of the Congregation, de Museo de Arte and More
On March 5, 2014, Luis Casareal from Transportes Turisticos la Luz and I continued from Mineral de Pozos to the city of Santiago de Querétaro, …
Mineral de Pozos: A Former Mining Village turned into a Centre of Arts and Tourism
It was another gorgeous sunny day when local expert Luis Casareal and I embarked on an out-of-town excursion on March 5, 2014 from San Miguel …
The Botanical Garden of San Miguel de Allende and the Tianguis del Martes Tuesday Market
The sun was already beaming down from a blue sky on March 4, 2014 when I set out to explore another interesting destination in San …
San Miguel Travel: Art at La Fabrica Aurora and Dinner at Los Milagros
On the way back to San Miguel from my visit to La Gruta and Atotonilco, local expert Pablo and I stopped at La Fabrica Aurora, …
The Mask Museum of San Miguel de Allende, La Gruta and Atotonilco
March 3, 2014, another gorgeous day, started with a visit to the Mask Museum of San Miguel de Allende. Former advertising executive Bill LeVasseur, who …
Upstate New York – A Diverse Destination with Unique Travel Opportunities
Given that my home base is in Toronto, I am always on the lookout for destinations that are within easy reach for a getaway. Obviously, …
The Niagara Parkway: From Niagara Falls to Niagara-on-the-Lake
In our previous article we have already covered the southern portion of the Niagara Parkway from Fort Erie to Niagara Falls. A little more than …
Niagara Falls, Ontario: The Niagara Parkway, from Fort Erie to Niagara Falls
Connecting Fort George in Niagara-on-the-Lake and Old Fort Erie in Fort Erie, the Niagara Parkway is unquestionably one of Canada’s most scenic drives. Along its …
Niagara Falls, Ontario: Interesting Destinations Off The Main Tourist Path
Naturally, Niagara Falls, Ontario, is known for its big tourist areas, the Horeshoe Falls and the adjacent Table Rock Centre, Queen Victoria Park right next …
Niagara Falls – Accommodation Options and Attractions
In addition to the popular areas right next to the Horseshoe Falls and Clifton Hill, the Fallsview area has become an important tourist destination in Niagara …
Dinner in Collingwood and a Visit to the Scandinave Spa Blue Mountain
Now that we had explored the facilities of the Pretty River Valley Country Inn it was early evening and time for dinner. I asked inn …
Lunch at the Bruce Wine Bar in Thornbury and a Visit of the Pretty River Valley Country Inn
After our visit to the Georgian Trail in Grey County it was early afternoon and definitely time for lunch. The drive from Collingwood to Thornbury …
A Perfect Pairings Wine Tasting at Georgian Hills Vineyards
On our second day in Grey County, we enjoyed breakfast at the Guesthouse at Lake Eugenia. Our hostess Rosanne Caruso had made delicious crepes for …
A Bus Tour of the Scottish Highlands: Wool and Highland Cattle in the Trossachs
Finally, I saw my first day of sunshine in Scotland on May 30, 2014. Almost my entire trip to Europe had been blessed with warm …
Discoveries of Glasgow: The Necropolis and the People’s Palace
A mishap with my camera forced me to cut my visit at Glasgow’s Riverside Museum short. A travel writer and photographer is obviously no good …
A Pleasant Evening and Interesting Family Stories at the Dam Pub in Thornbury
From the Beaver Valley we drove a short distance to the pretty country town of Thornbury, which is located where the Beaver River flows into …
Paddling in the Scenic Beaver Valley
After our visit to Flesherton we continued our explorations of Grey County and drove past the quaint hamlet of Eugenia Falls which is famous for …
Niagara Falls, Ontario –Wedding Capital, 7th Wonder of the World, the Horseshoe Falls and Clifton Hill
Since the early 1900s, Niagara Falls, Ontario, has been referred to as the “Wedding Capital of the World”; couples actually started honeymooning here in the …
Walking through Flesherton, a Nice Country Village
We had really enjoyed our bike ride around Eugenia Lake, but now we were definitely getting hungry. As part of our explorations of Grey County …
Eugenia Falls – A Great Getaway Destination
Living in a vibrant metropolis like Toronto with all its summer festivals and street parties is exciting, but every once in a while it’s just …
My Last Day in Weiz and Saying Goodbye to Austria (Until Next Year)
My last full day in Austria had arrived and started, like all my other days before during this Europe trip, with brilliant sunshine. In the …
Styria – One of Austria’s Hidden Gems and a Great Place for Hiking
So far I had been absolutely fortunate on my European trip – the weather had been gorgeous with no clouds in the sky for 10 …
Culture, Farmers’ Markets, Churches and a High School Reunion in My Home Town of Weiz
On May 23, 2014 our time in Vienna came to an end and we boarded a train back to Graz, Austria’s second largest city. From …
A Visit to the Quirky Hundertwasserhaus, a Bike Ride on the Donauinsel and Other Explorations around Vienna
Vienna is not short on iconic destinations, and we continued our May 22, 2014 sightseeing adventure with a visit to the Hundertwasserhaus, a whimsical multi-coloured …