I was invited to travel with Austin Adventures recently while in Montana and Cody Wyoming on a media trip. My opinion is truthful. A raven-haired young woman dressed in an emerald green ball gown sits beside a woman in white and brown fashionable dress at a table inside a saloon. Two men talk loudly about rustling up horses, as a stranger saunters in, wearing a black cowboy shirt and pants, with elaborate leather boots, the kind that make a noisy clattering every time the heel makes contact with the floor. Someone’s spurs jingle. The two women whisper, and all eyes…
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Hundreds of families push strollers through downtown Beaverton, Oregon while middle aged couples line up at each food station waiting their turn to buy everything, from organic fruit popsicles to Falafel burgers, and gourmet grilled cheese. Nearby, in a green space, families spread out impromptu picnics on the lawn. Some stroll hand in hand browsing bright coloured Indian scarves, Korean jewelry, crafty bookmarks and holiday decorations made from old tattered, repurposed, maps. Across the tracks, a cable car periodically splits the crowd in two, while police stand by watching and guarding barricades. The streets are cordoned off in a radius…
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There are museums that move you and spark imagination. And there are others that are simply awe inspiring and powerful. Occasionally there are some that are simply in need of an overhaul. New museums at this point in time when technology, digital, social and virtual reality are exploding need to reach forward at the same time as they harken back to capture history. Epic Museum Dublin, currently the world’s only fully digital museum, bridges past and present and bursts forth in a dynamic multi-sensory experience that is entirely unique and inspiring. In Dublin’s Docklands Epic Museum Dublin is without a…
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I was a guest of Tualatin Valley and the Washington County Visitors Association this year and I received accommodations, food, and all activities in exchange for consideration here. You’ve never stayed anywhere quite like this. McMenamins Grand Lodge Hotel is pure Oregon, mystical, quirky and a bit out there, a getaway brimming with magic, served up with a side of mysticism, rooted in rich history. This former Masonic & Eastern Star property is located in Oregon’s wine country, and is a charming spot to launch your exploration of Tualatin Valley. In fact, this would be a good place for me…
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Christmas travel sounds like the plot of a slapstick comedy movie, right? Picture Kevin McAllister waking too late and missing the shuttle to the airport, or his Mom realizing he’s not on the plane. Chaos and crowds and family and all the expectations!! Well, holiday travel need not be a complete disaster, and frankly it should never cost you a year of mortgage payments just to take a bit of R and R. Plan ahead, sit back, relax and enjoy. Here’s why Christmas travel need not be the punchline to a joke. Instead make it the start of a wonderful…
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I received complimentary admissions and food while on a tour of Billings Montana. Billings Montana, or Montana’s Trailhead, is poised at an interesting crossroads. The biggest city by population in the vast state of Montana, Billings is being reimagined. While this area has historically identified with cowboy culture, the great outdoors and the wild west, it is also embracing and investing in arts and culture, leading to a downtown core revitalization. More of a slow burn than an overnight transformation, the arts and history district, as well as museums and cultural venues in Billings are evolving. There are numerous cultural…
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No big surprise for many of you that we love to ski. We have done at least one epic ski trip every single year since learning how to ski at Tremblant in 2015. We have stayed: on the mountain, at the resort, right at the base of the lodge, ten minutes away, half an hour away, in condos and most recently in a ski in ski out lodge. So, we have formed some opinions of the benefits and even the slight inconveniences associated with each type of family ski trip accommodations. Ski in ski out lodges are our new favourite…
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Jagged rocks of South Gap Lakes Trail are slick with Wyoming’s first snow of the winter. This morning this Ontario Canada girl left Vee Bar Guest Ranch near Laramie where the scenery was all golden light, faint autumn breezes and babbling brooks only to find winter here. Wintery Welcome I came to explore Wyoming and had zero intentions of finding snow. My city in southern Ontario nets more than enough snow from December through end of March that I need not hunt more down. And yet here in the mountains of Medicine Bow National Forest finding the first snow of…
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Outstanding dining options are always on my radar when I travel, whether it be alone or with the family. For me, travel is often also about the food and local, fresh, options always add to any travel experience. One of my favourite parts of any trip is finding the best eats in the area or simply discovering something new. For instance, in 2017 we ended up at MINT just outside Waitsfield Vermont and we were collectively as a family blown away by the flavourful fresh vegetarian options. We are not vegetarians but we were keen to see how Mint had…
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Missouri Facts kind of captured my imagination when I was in the state with my daughter Ainsley. This midwestern state, ranked 21st largest state in the United States is also nicknamed the “Show Me” state. I didn’t know a lot about Missouri before we arrived in St. Louis and drove to Columbia. But, while there we picked up a lot of Missouri facts and trivia too. Of course, we stayed in Lake of the Ozarks and Fulton Missouri and had a great time too. A Few Famous People From Missouri Missouri boasts a large number of celebrity and famous names who…