Maui Two Ways

This island is the stuff of tropical dreams. Whether your Hawaiian fantasies resemble Kodachrome snapshots of hip-swaying hula dancers or HD videos of big-wave surfers, Maui delivers. Vintage Hawaii.  Call it kitschy, Hawaiiana or just plain retro fun, these activities offer a taste of classic Hawaii.  Journey back in time to when pineapple was king during … … Continue reading →

Two Times the Fun: Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast

They share the same (west) coast of Canada and a fervent love for their spectacular natural surroundings. Yet big-city Vancouver and small-town Sunshine Coast offer visitors worlds-apart experiences. In Vancouver, your internal engines will rev high as you navigate an embarrassment of restaurants, bars, shops and attractions. On the Sunshine Coast, you’ll downshift and uncover … Continue reading →

Victoria Two Ways: Nature Nut or Urban Escapist?

Victoria blossoms in March. While most of Canada remains in a deep freeze, colourful flowers mark the arrival of spring on the country’s west-est coast. Whether your idea of fun is cavorting outdoors or cocooning inside, this gorgeous B.C. city has got you covered. For The Nature Nut With an ocean at its doorstep and … Continue reading →

Voyageur Parkour in Manitoba

I’m in the middle of our country (Aikens Lake , in Eastern Manitoba to be exact) landing a boat on a rocky shore channeling my inner Courier de Bois—if I was any more Canadian I’d be the recipient of multiple Heritage grants. From the moment my boat touches the rocky shore, I’m in motion: leaping … Continue reading →

Good apples: Nova Scotia harvest time

The crunch of a crisp apple. The sweet aroma of warm apple pie. The tastebud-tickling goodness of fresh-pressed apple cider.  Ever since French settlers first planted apple trees some 400 years ago in what is now Nova Scotia, the fall harvest has inspired apple lovers to bite into, bake, puree, preserve, ferment and otherwise relish this … Continue reading →

Following the trail of Hemingway in Cuba

That Roly, owner of the casa particular where I’m staying in Old Havana, speaks only three words of English could be problematic. My Spanish is mucho bad and my husband’s no better. And yet, we get along just fine. Perhaps it is because two of the three words Roly knows are daiquiri and mojito—and, really, … Continue reading →

Finding love & butter on the Oregon coast

The Chetco Seafood Market and Restaurant in Brookings Harbor is empty except for one other couple. We settle into a corner table and turn our attention to the blackboard where today’s catch is offered—all with chips and all guaranteed to be fresher than fresh. The other couple—a grown son and his mother, we’re guessing–is already … Continue reading →

Cruising Havana, Cuba in a classic American car

Havana is an intoxicating city, a crumbling, culturally rich, historically captivating and sensuous place. It’s only 150 kilometers from Cuba’s popular resort town of Varadero to the country’s fascinating capital—an easy two-hour drive. Make a day trip in a classic American car and you’ll feel like you’ve been transported much, much further. Like, back to … Continue reading →

Short escape to Whitehorse opens up Yukon’s great outdoors

It’s not so much the fact that Jell-O shooters are being served at a makeshift bar in Whitehorse that has me flabbergasted. It’s who’s doing the serving. The Honourable Scott Kent, then Yukon’s minister of education and–it must be noted–the politician responsible for the Yukon Liquor Corporation, is a celebrity server on a team supplying … Continue reading →

An Anti-Anne Vacation on Canada’s Prince Edward Island

It’s all Anne, all the time on Canada’s Prince Edward Island. For fans of the redheaded heroine of the children’s novel Anne of Green Gables, the province is hallowed ground. Anne references are everywhere, from the Anne Shirley Motel to the Green Gables Golf Course to umpteen shops carrying Anne dolls, Anne preserves, Anne plates … Continue reading →