My home continent. I have been to most Canadian provinces and over a dozen states.
When you think luxurious, indulgent night on the town in St. John’s, two things should come to mind: dinner at Raymonds Restaurant and a stay at the Luxus. The prices aren’t for the faint of heart but both experiences are memorable and remarkable. I was recently lucky enough to experience both and I’m still pinching myself.
Up until this past fall, every time I’d been to New York, I’d stayed in Manhattan. Leading up to my mini-cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas though I decided I wanted to check out the Brooklyn side of things.
Earlier this year brightly coloured bagels started blowing up on the internet. A video by Business Insider showing the labour intensive process of creating these multi-coloured treats went viral. I started seeing them all over Facebook and Instagram. What unicorn magic was this? I must have.
Last fall I developed a habit. I would pack up my laptop, hop in my car, and drive 20 minutes from downtown to The Watershed in pretty Petty Harbour. It’s a coffee shop/cafe right on the harbour and I seem to have found my writing muse there. It’s open again for another season and I’m happy to have my Sunday ritual back.
“Are you in Paris?” a family member asked me on Facebook after seeing me post a photo from the Hotel Elysée. I wasn’t. I was in New York. Outside my window, beyond my 14th floor patio, traffic crawled by on East 54th St., but inside my room I could’ve been in the City of Lights.
Before you even get to the reception desk you have an inkling of the great service you’re going to experience during a stay at the Library Hotel in midtown Manhattan. Before you even get to the hotel, in fact.
My first two trips to New York City this year each had their own mishaps. From needing medical attention to the disappointment of a rained out ballgame. I’m hoping that the third time’s the charm and that my visit this week and next will go smoothly. I’m going to be spending a lot more time in Brooklyn and I’m excited to check out this new-to-me neighbourhood.
Though I’d been to New York three times before I’d never yet made it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I knew I was missing out but the place is so big and daunting, I just didn’t know where to start. Thankfully, Walks of New York stepped in to help me out.
I love the idea of cat cafes. A hot beverage and a furry companion. What could be better? They are everywhere in Asia and I knew I had to get myself to one when I was in South Korea, because I couldn’t see how one would ever open in North America. What insurance company would allow it? What health board? But lo and behold… Montreal now has three.
Armed with Foursquare and a squad of hip friends, we navigated the late night drink options in SoHo. He didn’t trust the unwashed masses over at Yelp to make suggestions, instead relying on places where his friends had checked-in before. It was past midnight and we were on the hunt for cool places to have a drink in SoHo.
When my friend told me that we’d be staying in East Harlem I wasn’t too sure what to expect. It turns out, we were in for some really good eats. Find out what joints made our list.
If you find yourself wandering around Williamsburg on a Saturday afternoon wondering what to do be at, have I got a suggestion for you! Walk yourself down to the East River State Park and bring your appetite. Smorgasburg is a food fair featuring a few dozen vendors that you don’t want to miss.
I felt like I was slowly spinning and tumbling through space, but I knew that I wasn’t actually moving. I had lost track of where my hands and feet were. Was I high? Nope. I was floating.
So there I was, crouched on the sidewalk outside a Rite Aid on West 12th St in New York City with a handful of tourists huddled around me. I was trying to simultaneously dress a wound and keep my shit together. I was only moderately successful on both fronts. So what happened?
Just this past week the first good size iceberg was spotted near St. John’s. 10,000 year old glacial giants are on their way from way up North and this is their vanguard. A sure sign of spring in Newfoundland…iceberg season has started.
I was recently in Boston to speak at the Women in Travel Summit. I initially had thoughts of going carry-on only but a mix of day and evening events, chilly weather and the fact that I extended my stay to 6 days put the kibosh to that. Want to know what I packed for springtime in Boston?
I was in Boston recently, speaking at the Women in Travel Summit and, of course, while I was in Beantown I had to check out the food scene. Food is often one of those things that I remember best about the places I visit. Over the past decade Boston has been experiencing an emerging foodie scene focused on local ingredients. There’s a lot more going on than just clam chowder.
It’s no secret that Valentine’s Day and I don’t get along. We started off ok, then hit some major bumpy spots. We mostly just exist separately these days. But this year I thought I would make the world my Valentine and write some love letters to all the places I’ve loved before.
I’d never flown on Christmas Eve before but if all went well I’d be home in Saint John, New Brunswick in time for some visiting, Midnight Mass, and a drink or two while wrapping gifts. If there were no delays that is…
There’s a town in Southern Alberta, Canada where each summer the 1800-odd residents put on pointy rubber ears and welcome hundreds of Trekkies to celebrate the home planet of one, fictional, Mr. Spock. Where you can have your photo taken while dressed as a Klingon or an unlucky Red Shirt and sit in the Captain’s chair, commanding Number One to ‘make it so’. Where you can buy a bag of tea emblazoned with the face of Sir Patrick Stewart. Tea. Earl grey. Hot.
Pride may be over for this year – capped off by an actual rainbow if you can believe it – but that doesn’t mean I can’t help get you ready for next year. Pride Toronto is a massive annual event filled with music and parties celebrating LGBTTIQQ2SA* communities, combining history, activism, and education into the mix. It ends with a huge parade down Yonge St. If you decide to go, check out these tips first.
