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Roadkill

It is almost certain that you recently interacted closely with an invisible giant, as the Harvard landscape ecologist Richard T T Forman has described it. Others have called roads ‘the single most destructive element in the process of habitat fragmentation’, declaring that ‘Few forces have been more influential in modifying the Earth than transportation.’  But, the engineering…

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Take your time

There are so many wonderful family-run hotels and inns around the world.  You'll do well to stay there, rather than anonymous hotels. We're featuring The Barachois Inn here for a number of reasons, but one particularly caught our eye:  you know that a place means what it says about its values when it endeavours to…

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I ♥ you!

Having grown up in the USA, your editor has some ancient knowledge of the tenets, legends and rituals of that country by heart. One such standard is Pennsylvania's Poconos resort area.  Once considered a last-ditch effort for a (cheesy) romantic getway, time has now caught up with the legend and the place is back in action. The…

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Where is Ultraman when you need him?

It is so nice to see when something actually means something to the people around it, and that they treasure it and preserve it. Especially when it is larger than life. Sendai Daikannon, officially known as the Sendai Tendou Byakue Daikannon, is a large statue of Byakue Kannon bearing a gem in her hand located…

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How many points should you get when there’s an active shooter at your hotel?

This is not something that we thought we would ever have to consider, let alone write about.  To us, there is something peculiar about the whole thing, but maybe it's just modern living. A few months back, at Mexico's Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun, several active shooters landed on the resort’s beach. Two of the shooters…

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Hail. I come from Nirivia

Here is something that you don't see often - a country within a state within a country.  Especially within the USA.  But, it's true.  Dear readers, please behold The Republic of Nirivia, which  resides in the middle of it all on the shores of one of the largest Great Lakes. Not only is Nirivia its own…

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Whatever state you’re in….

Doesn't it sometimes feel like there is some supercomputer that airlines use to change the price of your flight every time you look away from your screen? Well, the always useful Scott's Cheap Flights (affiliate friends of ours) have got the latest tips  ... they crunched the numbers to find out which destinations had the…

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Message in a bottle

Sending out an SOS . .  Some things are just not meant to be. The beautiful island of Montserrat is known for many things - breathtaking - almost otherworldly - scenery, surrounded by glorious seas, world-class architecture and, at one point, one of the top recording studios in the world. George Martin (probably the fifth…

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Miles of tiles

Many specialist skills, those creating and molding incredible pieces over the decades, have long since disappeared into our overall void of mass-manufactured sameness.  But, fortunately, there are those who still carry the torch of the artisan.  Saied Hussain has been hand making tiles out of cement for over 50 years. He says he’s one of the…

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Where blue equals orange

We're uncomplicated, here.  Some of the most simple things make us the happiest.  In this case, we're really excited about a new joint venture that's just been announced. Canada's Air Transat and the UK's Easyjet have created a new cooperative to combine Air Transat and EasyJet flights to open up travel to over 130 additional…

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Aire o’ Mexico

Mexico City is an exciting, sprawling, tangled, vibrant, diverse, crazy, inspiring and unforgettable place.  If you've been, you know.  Maybe you've even been able to cover a lot of ground there.  With almost 10,000,000 inhabitants, there is a lot going on.  You've got to be tough, but, boy, is it worth it. If you haven't…

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A slight Nordic edge

Many of us have learned, over the years, that Christopher Columbus (real name Cristoforo Colombo) discovered North America in 1492 -  way before McDonald's was founded. But,  we now know that half a millennium before Columbus crossed the Atlantic, the Vikings reached the “New World”, as the remains of timber buildings at L’Anse aux Meadows on…

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The reasons four the seasons

As the seasons pass, so does control of them.  In this case, we're talking about The Four Seasons hotel chain. Bill Gates (you, um,  know him from Windows and stuff) will take control of the Four Seasons hotel chain after his investment firm agreed to acquire a stake from Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s Kingdom…

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Steam pumped!

In the 1800s, Niagara Falls was considered the be-all and end-all of North America's pure promise and unending resources. Being able to visit was considered the trip of a lifetime. The William Birch Rankine Power Station was Canada's first major power station on the mighty river. Built in 1905 using horse-and-carriage labor, it pumped out…

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Twin Peaks

David Lynch may have been here, but we can't be sure. Many people visit the rather awesome Glacier National Park, but did you know that  Waterton Lakes is right across from Glacier National Park, and this is why you should visit: two for the price of one. Alberta is utterly stunning and the Canadian Rockies…

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Freedom, eh?

In the pursuit of freedom, mankind has created borders.  Okaay. But, in some places (such as San Marino, Monaco, Vatican City, Liechtenstein and Canada etc) there is a level of trust that the surrounding countries are friendly and non-threatening. Surprisingly / not surprisingly, Canada and the USA have an arm's length agreement about borders.  You…

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I’ve suffered for my art. Now it’s your turn

Art is a most wonderful thing, but it also is very subjective.  Obviously, there are masters of all strains of art, and there are some are that simply strain. Have you ever seen performance art and just wondered, “Why is this art?!” You’re not alone, and deciphering performance art is not as difficult or mysterious…

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Oooh la LA

Near the famed Los Angeles intersection of Hollywood and Vine, the highly anticipated Thompson Hollywood is now welcoming guests, as of August 2021, who enter through a greenery-laden walkway, the first sign that this new hotel is something special. Featuring a bar, terrace and views of city, Thompson Hollywood is located 701 m from Capitol Records…

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