In Red Bay, Labrador, I found a small beach that made a big impact. I can’t tell you when Labrador first hit my travel radar.
This rugged, remote Canadian region, a part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador but physically connected to north-east Quebec, is not a spot for a wimpy traveller like me. Distances are far, amenities can be sparse, and the mosquitoes will strip you bare in seconds. Yet the place they call The Big Land has been calling for me for years. Labrador has topped my travel wish list since the beginning of the pandemic. When I had the opportunity to visit as part of the annual Travel Media Association of Canada conference, I knew I had to go. I dearly wanted to make Labrador’s acquaintance, but it’s doubtful that the region wanted the likes of me. I have no good reason to be enamoured with small Labrador fishing communities like Red Bay and Battle Harbour. My aversion to boats is both legendary and well-founded. Similarly, I can’t tell you why stories from events such as Cain’s Quest, Labrador’s legendary annual 3,100-kilometre snowmobile endurance race capture my heart. I dislike cold weather, sporty things, and noisy fanfare. Frankly, even the process of getting to Labrador is determinedly very non-Vanessa-ish. I like cold foam on coffee, not ferry decks, thank you very much. So, sure, the villages are cute, and the events are spirited, but this is clearly the kind of place I should appreciate through a documentary and not my own Gravol-addled brain. Thankfully, my heart is immune to common sense. I love frugal travel and the Big Apple has some amazing bargains. These are New York City's Best Free Museums and Galleries. ![]() Photo by Oneisha Lee on Unsplash You know how much I love a bargain but New York City doesn’t exactly come across as the most frugal of destinations, does it? However, New York City is full of bargains if you know where to go. There are no-cost public events, like festivals and fairs. Bargain hunters know which markets have the best deals on certain days, and savvy foodies maintain an ever-growing list of cheap eats. There are expensive museums and art galleries which occasionally open their doors for free programming. But sometimes, it’s best to keep things simple.
These remarkable museums, memorials, monuments, and galleries are always free, all of the time. And they’re all well worth checking out. These innovative wineries in British Columbia are making incredible wines and travel memories. With 929 vineyards and 369 licensed wineries, British Columbia is a wine lover’s dream road trip location. The westernmost province in Canada, British Columbia, is a vast territory, but the majority of its vineyards are located in the south, within easy distance to many principal cities. For those keen on exploring, putting together your own DIY tour is easy.
For wine lovers in Canada and worldwide, British Columbian wines usually mean one thing: The Okanagan Valley. This spectacular wine region is home to some 185 wineries. However, multiple wine regions in the province are well worth checking out, even if a trip to the Okanagan isn’t possible during your visit. In 2019 alone, British Columbia wineries won more than 1,000 medals in national and international competitions. No matter where you visit, you can be sure the products you sample are outstanding. These are some of the Okanagan’s finest, most innovative wineries, plus more destinations further afield. Getting around Rome is easy if you have our detailed guide to the city's trains, taxis, and more. ![]() It's worth the effort to get around Rome so you can see great sites like this big market. Photo by Gabriella Clare Marino on Unsplash Rome is a dream travel destination. Its most essential sights - Vatican City, the Colosseum, the Pantheon - are legendary attractions in their own right, some of the most significant historic spots in the world. As such, a trip to Rome isn’t just a nice vacation. It’s a travel essential! And you’re going to want to soak in every moment of it. To fully enjoy the whole city, you’ll need a primer on how to get around Rome - safely and economically.
Food, nature, art, cider, and museums rank among the best things to do in Pittsburgh for couples. You're going to love this underrated romantic city! ![]() Looking for romantic things to do in Pittsburgh for couples? Start with taking in a gorgeous view like this one! Photo by Jordan Faux on Unsplash In years past, Pittsburgh was known as “the Steel City” – thanks to its 300-plus steel-related business – and the city was associated with industry, building, and growth for decades. However, it’s also known as the “City of Bridges,” thanks to its 446 bridges and today Pittsburgh is just as famous for its food and art scene as its aluminium manufacturing and corporate headquarters. Pittsburgh is laid-back, friendly, down-to-earth, and eager to welcome visitors. Sounds like the perfect formula for a romantic weekend to me! Here are 12 things to do in Pittsburgh for couples.
If you love paintings by Maud Lewis, Nova Scotia's beloved folk artist, as much as I do, you'll want to check out these sites. Maud Lewis was born Maud Dowley in 1903 in the southern Nova Scotia community of Yarmouth. By her death in 1970, she was recognized as a leading Canadian folk artist. Yet the woman who would become Nova Scotia’s treasure spent her life undervalued. If you love paintings by Maud Lewis, you will appreciate her talents even more after learning about her life and visiting the places in Nova Scotia that showcase her gifts.
In the most barren of circumstances, Maud created art – spectacular art. Her adulthood was a story of poverty, crippling and terrifying, and far from the romanticised austerity that sometimes creeps into her present-day narrative. Living with what we now recognize as degenerative juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, Maud bore constant pain. Married life in Digby brought a meagre house and a worse husband. Only a few neighbours offered comfort through hot meals, hot baths, and furtive visits. Defying her circumstances, she generated one of the most impressive yields of any artist. She painted shutters, baking pans, and scallop shells, along with nearly every surface of her diminutive house. She sold thousands of paintings depicting rural life, including oxen teams with gilded yokes and fluffy farm cats with wary eyes, often for just a dollar or two from her perch by the side of the road, a ploy devised by her husband to exploit sympathies and coax sales. Maud is often remembered as childlike with her petite stature and shy smile. But she was a gritty survivor, canny enough to turn her talents into a livelihood, carving a space for herself in an inhospitable world. I grew up in Nova Scotia, and I can’t remember a time when paintings by Maud Lewis weren’t a part of my life. As such, I’ve come to love these tourist attractions dedicated to her. Visiting them should be on any art lover’s travel list. In Calgary, Alberta, a unique city tour combines iconic motorcycles and jaunty sidecars to help visitors see the city in an entirely new way. If there's one activity I long thought I'd never experience thanks to my deep-seated anti-adventurist tendencies, it's a motorcycle tour. However, when I embarked on a tour with Calgary’s Rocky Mountain Sidecar Adventures, I learned that the experience is about much more than the bike. It's a time-traveling adventure that immerses you in the charm of vintage Ural motorcycles.
Rocky Mountain Sidecar Adventures is a family owned and operated business that offers seasonal motorcycle sidecar tours between May and October. The company uses Urals almost exclusively, though there is one Triumph in the fleet. Ural, which was founded in Russia in 1941, originally built sidecar motorcycles to help the military in World War II but they also thrived in the post-war era, as people fell in love with how practical they were. During my tour, I saw for myself just how practical (and fun!) these vehicles really are. Here’s what I loved about them. Rome wasn't built in a day. But with some savvy planning, you can see the city's most important sites in 24 hours. Here's what you can do with one day in Rome. Rome is known as the Eternal City and, once you visit, you’re going to wish you had an eternity to explore its beautiful, romantic, historic streets. But even if you’re short on time you can pack in a lot of sightseeing in just one day.
To be clear, this isn't an ideal situation. Rome in 24 hours isn't easy. You won’t be alone in your efforts to squeeze the absolute most from your short time there. The city and its most popular tourist attractions are busy, crowded places. Thus, no matter where you go or which itinerary you follow, it pays to plan ahead. Purchasing “skip the line” tickets or a guided tour package where possible is a savvy investment to minimize the time you spend waiting around. Of course, you could just spend the whole day doing nothing but visiting gelato shops - frankly, Ryan and I have had glorious days that involve doing little more than that- so don’t be afraid to follow your heart and your stomach! But if you do want to explore as much as you eat, here's how to spend one day in Rome. At Neal Street Espresso, community and coffee go hand in hand. In the heart of London's colourful Neal's Yard neighbourhood, one cute and cozy cafe is serving up delicious coffee but there's something else on the menu: Second chances.
Neal Street Espresso (34 Neal Street) looks in many ways like a typical hip London coffee shop. Indeed, it is one. There is a robust menu of flat whites, mochas, and chai tea. You can grab your beverage with oat, almond, or soy milk and add a plump pastry or toasty hot sandwich on the side. The baristas are briskly efficient, foaming milk and taking orders without skipping a beat. In every way, they're just like any other cafe staff but there's a much deeper story here. Neal Street Espresso supports community members who have been part of the penal system and that starts with their staff. |
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