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Three Days of Play in Rochester New York
“Play is the highest form of research,” – Albert Einstein It had been years since I last set foot in Rochester New York. There was a time Rochester was a destination Canadians visited for the weekend, when they wanted to shop and save money. Shopping bags loaded with clothing, shoes, and the occasional bottle of rum or whiskey, we’d return satisfied and armed with Christmas presents for everyone, but not before that final stop at the Duty Free store. This is how I remember Rochester, New York. We were guests of Visit Rochester while in the city which means we received accommodations, meals and entrance to all attractions in exchange…
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The Flight Before Christmas – Everything You Need To Know Now
Need to travel over the holidays? Need the flight before Christmas? Oh sure we all want to travel during the holiday season and go somewhere warm, or even some place familiar filled with family and friends. But do you need to travel during the holidays? If so, then you need some ground rules and also some guidelines and tips on how to go and when to book the flight before Christmas. There are lots of benefits to holiday air travel and a few big drawbacks too. But, if you want to know the ins and outs and the ways to save your sanity while traveling during this busy time of…
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Best Places to Wine and Dine in Tualatin Valley, Oregon
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 around this event. Many families, grandparents included, sit in a…
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The Best Time to Book Flights for Christmas Travel
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 new adventure or tradition. Chaos and Overspending or Smooth Sailing…
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14 Things to Do in Billings Montana Now
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 venues, museums and businesses thriving in downtown Billings and that…
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Reasons to Stay at a Ski In Ski Out Lodge
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 way to stay and ski. In fact, after doing two…
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Wyoming’s South Gap Lakes Trail Outdoor Adventures
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 the season is bizarrely up-lifting. It somehow warms my heart…
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The Best Dining Options Around Sugarbush
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 interpreted the food. Read on for more about them. Enjoying…
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15 Things to Do in Columbia Missouri Now
We were guests while visiting Columbia Missouri. What is it about university towns like Columbia Missouri that makes them so vibrant and unique? Maybe it’s the youthful influx of students every year. Or perhaps it’s the energy and creativity. Have you ever noticed how university towns just seem connected and alive? Columbia Missouri is just that kind of space. This Central Missouri city is fun, creative, and flavourful with many reasons to visit and explore this destination. The art alone is worth the trip, as is the food. Art, food, youthful culture, outdoor activity and wineries? Do you really need to hear more? Things to Do In Columbia Missouri Columbia…
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Fishing, Flying, Golfing and Food – Fun Things to Do at Lake of the Ozarks
We were guests of Central Missouri while visiting the area. Post contains affiliate links as a service to readers. We are perched on a fishing boat in Lake of the Ozarks, sun beating down relentlessly, when I feel the tug on my line. The first time I reel it in, the worm has disappeared. Deflating slightly, we all chatter about this one, as if it is THE ONE that got away and maybe five minutes pass before I feel that familiar tug again. Stay Where We Did – > Old Kinderhook Fishing Impossible, I think, and yet something is pulling hard on the line, so I follow the instructions of…