Toronto put on U.S. govt. warning list - thanks, Harper. Losing my Porter virginity

Thanks, Steve.

When Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that the G20 meetings would be held weekend after next in Toronto, some of us likely were stupid enough to thank the guy. Hey, great publicity; little cost.

Well, ain't we dumb Toronto hicks.

This mini-summit (which likely will accomplish nothing but serve as an appetizer for a main course someplace else down the road) is costing us a small fortune, thanks to fake lakes and the Tony Clement riding improvement. But worse than that is it actually might COST US badly needed tourist dollars.

Today came word that the U.S. government, far from thanking us for hosting their president, has issued a travel warning for Americans who might want to come north for a few days.

"The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Toronto, Canada to the potential for large-scale demonstrations in downtown Toronto before and during the G-20 Summit scheduled for June 26-27, 2010.  This Travel Alert expires on June 28, 2010."

The alert noted that "previous G20 summits have drawn large numbers of protesters and activists, and a number of groups have announced plans to demonstrate throughout downtown Toronto.  Protesters are expected to gather in Toronto in the days leading up to the Summit and access to parts of the downtown area will be restricted due to security requirements.  Even demonstrations that are meant to be peaceful can become violent and unpredictable.  You should avoid them if at all possible.  Be alert and aware of your surroundings and pay attention to what the local news media has to say."

Ain't that grand?

This isn't like holding the Olympics, which had a security budget similar to the $1 billion-plus we're spending to keep bedbugs - yes, I know, and much worse - away from Obama and Sarkozy. The Olympics gave us feel-good moments like Jon Montgomery and Maelle Ricker and a certain couple hockey teams. The world formed a great impression of us, or furthered their already fuzzy thoughts about Canada. We looked great on TV all over the world.

But that won't be the case at the G20 or G34 or whatever it's turned into. At best we'll get mentioned on a couple of nightly newscasts - mostly on the weekend, and thanks for that. At worst we'll be the centre of violence that's beamed across North America.

That's not what we need. Of course, hosting the summit a few years back amidst violence didn't put Seattle on anyone's no-fly list. Last time I checked, Washington State was still doing okay in the tourism trade. But this whole G20 fiasco still begins to look like Harper's revenge on the city that's always snubbed him in the past.

Maybe our wonderful PM didn't mean it this way. But maybe the guy resembles Machiavelli more than we thought.

FLYING THE PORTER SKIES

Not bad, guys.

I've been meaning to fly Porter Airlines for some time, but a needed quick trip to Montreal made it a no-brainer today. I thought it might be a pain to get downtown from my home in North Toronto; the 401 to Pearson usually being pretty smooth at 6:15 a.m. But it was 20 minutes door to door to the little terminal that could at the foot of Bathurst, so no issues there.

Seamless check-in after the world's fastest ferry ride to the island, with great views of the city and the harbour; albeit for about 47.35 seconds. Easy time with the machines and friendly folks at security (hello, Pearson) made it easy. Of course, I left my laptop momentarily. Sigh.

Anyway, it was on the lounge, with great panes of glass looking out at the city skyline and a great setup with lots of comfy chairs. I'd heard about the cappuccino, which is free, but there's also regular coffee and tea and juice and water and pop, plus small packages of almonds, chocolate chip cookies, ginger cookies and shortbreads. I'm currently nibbling on a nice biscotti and sipping my second (small) coffee latte of the morning and enjoying the free wi-fi, and it's 90 per cent as good as most of the Pearson lounges I've used, which are open only to certain elite types.

Mind you, it's not so cheap. Even with the 20 per cent school discount on offer, the total with taxes and using the flights I wanted was a solid $467. I don't know for sure, but I don't think that's any cheaper than the big boys.

But the convenience is great, especially if you're downtown.

The service was great; lots of smiles. And we actually, wait for it folks, got a small breakfast; juice or coffee or tea, a slice of banana bread and a small fruit cup. Not quite bacon and eggs, but pretty extensive compared to most airlines we don't need to mention.

The plane was only maybe 40 per cent full, which can't help their bottom line. But the lounge alone is enough to make me want to try it again sometime.

It was interesting to see that WestJet chief Gregg Saretsky was talking about Porter in the papers today. Saretsky, and full points for honesty, said his company has work to in Canada's biggest city.

``We do suffer in Eastern Canada from a low top-of-mind awareness,'' he told a transportation conference in New York. ``I'm almost embarrassed to say that in the Toronto market we have a lower brand awareness than does Porter.''

Wow. That's honesty you don't often see from a big-time executive. I can't help thinking it might help Porter in its attempt to launch its recently delayed initial public offering.

Interesting.

WON"T YOU LET ME TAKE YOU ON A (LONG) SEA CRUISE?

Gene Sloan in USA Today explains that Princess Cruises today announced plans for "an ambitious world cruise to take place in 2012 that will include stops in a number of new-for-the-line ports."

The 107-day voyage on the Pacific Princess, which will feature calls in 38 destinations in 28 countries, will kick off in Ft. Lauderdale on Jan. 13, 2012 and include a near-full circumnavigation of the globe. It'll end in Venice.

The sailing will include port calls in Santa Marta, Colombia; Puerto Quepos, Costa Rica; and Manama, Bahrain -- all new ports for the line -- as well as such unusual (for Princess) ports as Tokyo and Koper, Slovenia. I didn't see much of Koper last year, but nearby Piran, Slovenia (see photo at left) is a great little town on the Adriatic.

Odd Canadian travel trends...John Lennon monument revealed..Jim's Deals/Day

Albertans love their weekend breaks. Atlantic Canadians? Not so much.

Quebecers think great food is the biggest luxury when they travel. Other Canadians? Not really.

We all like to save money. But we don't want to stay in a dump, especially folks from Quebec.

An Angus Reid travel survey commissioned by American Express found some intriguing regional differences between Canadians.

Fifty three per cent of Canadians say they collect travel points. But less than 30 per cent of us have actually booked travel on rewards, which is pretty telling.

Twenty eight per cent of those surveyed said they'd rather not travel at all than stay in a budget hotel, which I find pretty surprising. There are a lot of nice budget hotels all over the U.S. and Canada, many with free wi-fi and even free movies. Most are quite clean and modern, if lacking in decor. But so what?

Anyway, it's an interesting stat. What was really notable to me, however is that 37 per cent of folks in Quebec felt they'd rather not travel than stay in a budget hotel, far more than the national average and almost double the number for Alberta, where only 20 per cent felt that way. Funny.

Some 21 per cent of Canadians said they felt no price was too high for luxury. But 32 per cent of Quebec residents said they feel that way.

Thirty nine per cent of Canadians felt service was the number one most luxurious aspect of a trip, followed by the quality of food at 30 per cent. In Quebec, a full 56 per cent of folks felt food quality was the biggest indicator of luxury, which probably isn't surprising. Certainly the food in Quebec can be exquisite. I've had wonderful meals at Chateau Bonne Entente and Auberge Saint-Antoine..

Only 25 per cent of Canadians say they take weekend getaways a few times a year. The response was 39 per cent in Alberta, but just 23 per cent in Atlantic Canada. Surprising, but maybe Atlantic Canadians save their travel money for longer journeys?

Lastly, 49 per cent of Canadians say they'd choose a breathtaking hotel in an exotic destination as their ideal vacation. A cruise was a distant second, at only 24 per cent.

Good opportunity, perhaps, for cruise folks to make some inroads...

JOHN LENNON MONUMENT

A hand-painted model of the 18-foot peace monument to John Lennon has been unveiled at the Liverpool Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo in China. The finished monument will stand 18 feet tall and 11 feet wide, weighing 4.5 tonnes.

It will be unveiled by John's son, Julian, in Liverpool in October as part of the city's two-months season of events to commemorate Lennon's 70th birthday and the 30th anniversary of his untimely death; a horrible night I'll never forget.The monument includes a white feather, as well as doves and music notes. I thought it sounded pretty bizarre, then I saw a BBC video this morning and thought it looked pretty decent. Then, on Wednesday afternoon, I got a photograph of the model, which you can see at left. I'm thinking, uh, I dunno....I adore the Beatles and think the world of John's message of peace and love, but this looks awfully busy to me.

CANADIAN HOTEL UPDATES

The wonderful Opus Hotel in Vancouver is redoing some of its suites. They've also renovated the bar area, they tell me.

It's a great property in Yaletown, which is one of the best spots in the city.

Also, I see that Starwood Hotels & Resorts across Canada are once again offering special rates at 53 Westin, Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, W, Aloft and Le Méridien properties. This is a very limited time offer allowing travellers to enjoy great savings for summer stays.  The custom website for information and bookings is www.starwoodpromos.com/canadadaysale.

New to Starwood’s Canada Day celebrations this year are the recently opened Four Points by Sheraton Calgary Airport, Four Points by Sheraton Niagara Falls Fallsview, Four Points by Sheraton Winnipeg South, Four Points by Sheraton Cambridge Kitchener, The Westin Wall Centre, Vancouver Airport and the Sheraton Toronto Airport Hotel & Conference Centre.

The Canada Day sale is available for stays through September 6th, 2010 and must be booked by 11:59 P.M. daylight savings time on July 1^st. Rates and arrival dates vary by property and are based on two adults per room or a family of four, with children under 18 staying free, using existing guest room bedding. A limited number of rooms are available at each property, blackout dates may apply and a maximum stay per property is seven nights.  Rates require full advance pre-payment, they are non-refundable and are commissionable to travel agents.  These rates are not applicable to groups. For more information on this offer or to make a booking please visit www.starwoodpromos.com/canadadaysale or call 888-625-4950 and mention SET number 380841.

Also, three distinct Fairmont resorts are offering special golf deals at Fairmont Le Château Montebello’s Stanley Thompson designed course, the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu (I played there a couple years and loved it) and the Fairmont Algonquin in New Brunswick.

From July 1 through September 30, 2010, all three are sporting a package that features Fairmont’s Everyone’s an Original summer rates plus two-for-one green fees, complimentary range balls and a 15 per cent discount on all golf merchandise.For reservations or more information, please call 1 888 270 7677,
contact your travel professional or visit www.fairmont.com.

JIM'S DEALS OF THE DAY

$349 - Toronto to London, UK, September round-trip flight ($755 w/tax

http://www.travelalerts.ca/cheap-flights/toronto-to-london-yyz-to-lgw.html

$367 - Toronto to Riviera Nayarit, 1 week 4* all-inclusive vacation ($650 w/tax)

http://www.travelalerts.ca/vacations/toronto-to-riviera-nayarit-yyz-to-pvr.html

US$547 - 6-night 4* Northern Europe Cruise (US$654 w/tax)

http://www.travelalerts.ca/cruises/northern-europe-cruise-2.html

HARLEY DAVIDSON DEAL

Harley-Davidson has a Fly and Buy deal with up to $1,000 in perks for folks who buy one of their motorcycles. You get a one-way fair to Harley-Davidson HQ in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (an underrated town), accommodations at a motorcycle-themed hotel, a visit to the Harley-Davidson museum, a tour and a guided ride through some of the prettiest parts of Wisconsin.

Summerlicious returns...Can't get no (airline) Satisfaction...

Ladies and gentlement, start your reservations. Well, pretty soon.

Summerlicious presented by American Express returns to Toronto for its eighth year, from July 9 to 25 this summer. A list of restaurants and their menus can be found at http://www.toronto.ca/summerlicious.

Summerlicious features three-course "prix fixe" menus ($15, $20 or $25 for lunch and $25, $35 or $45 for dinner) at 150 of the finest dining establishments across Toronto.

Restaurants will begin taking Summerlicious reservations on June 24. American Express Card members can go to the "Front of the Line" to book early reservations on June 22 and 23. New restaurants in this year’s lineup are Ame, Banu, Il Fornello, King St. Social, KiWe Kitchen, Lisbon by Night, Local Company, Nyood, Sagano and Stonegrill.

North 44 has a $45 prix fixe deal that should prove popular. Also on the list is Pure Spirits Oyster House in the Distillery District, where I ate last week and had a fine ahi steak.

It doesn't appear to be part of the deal, but I had a great prix fixe dinner Sunday night at Fare Bistro in Leslieville. The steak frites wasn't the largest portion I've ever had (only a seven-ounce steak, but my doctor would say that's plenty), but the frites were great and they made a really tasty carrot soup with a touch of cinnamon, plus a very nice creme brulee for dessert.

The service gets mixed reviews but our server was lovely and it's a great little spot. She said they're looking to expand, perhaps with a restaurant on the popular Bayview Ave. strip south of Eglinton.

THEY CAN'T GET NO....

A new study from the American Customer Satisfaction Index finds folks down south are happier this year with airlines than they were a year ago. But airlines still score pretty low overall.

The survey found that airlines this year got a 66 rating out of 100, up three per centage points from 2009. But they say that's not good compared to hotels, which received a 75 rating. And they say the ratings are likely to get worse for airlines given increased fares and potential delays.

Southwest Airlines dropped two per cent to a 79 rating, but that was still tops in the ACSI study. American rose 5 per cent but was still slumped at a 63 rating.

Hilton and Marriott topped the hotel charts with ratings of 80, followed by Hyatt at 79.

Papa John's pizza topped the fast food category with an 80 mark, followed by Pizza Hut and Little Caesar at 78. KFC and Burger King were 75 and 74, while McDonald's fell four per cent to a rather dismal rating of 67.

Topping the restaurant category was Olive Garden at a very solid 84, followed by Red Lobster at 83, Outback at 80 and Chili's at 78. I don't know about you, but that seems pretty high for Red Lobster. Olive Garden is fine, if unexciting. But it's reliable. Personally, I'd take Outback or Chili's over Red Lobster any day of the week...

101 WORST PLACES TO VISIT - slight change

In my blog yesterday I linked to an item about Catherine Price's wonderful book about the 101 worst places to visit. It wasn't quite the best website to link to. So if you want to have a peek, go to www.101worstplaces.com and see what you think. Her book comes out June 22.

101 places NOT to visit before you die...Vacation Deprivation...Jim's Deals/Day

Thanks to the Star's Serena Willoughby for pointing this out to me...an upcoming book that turns the travel biz on its head a bit.

We've all seen the books about 101 places to see before you die, or some such. But American author Catherine Price has reversed field by writing a book entitled "101 Places Not to See Before You Die."

It's a brilliant idea; like going to Italy and writing about beer festivals instead of wine, as a reporter did a year or so back in the New York Times. I really like it.

Price has a few obvious spots on her list: Euro Disneyland being one. Also the museum of tap water in Beijing, which likely is fascinating only to civil engineers or to members of the Communist Party who are taken on field trips and forced to nod their heads and tremble with excitement if they hope to get promoted.

She also singles out Mt. Rushmore (I disagree, but what's the point of a list if it isn't a little bit controversial), the "testicle festival" in Montana, which I think has been over-covered and then some, and the island of Ibiza, which she says is basically an excuse for horny kids to get together and not that there's anything wrong with that.

Also on her list: "Any Hotel That Used to be a Prison," and amen to that (a cute idea but it's been done, folks) and "Any Place Whose Primary Claim to Fame is a Large Fiberglass Thing." That would include Toronto's lame street-side moose, I would think.

She also names the Sam Kee building in Vancouver, which is engaged in a bit of a public relations war with a building in Pittsburgh, as well as perhaps Philadelphia, as to which is the skinniest building in the world.

I'd add a couple of my own:

1. The Canadian walk of fame in Toronto, which is boring and so derivative as to be embarrassing,

2. Any city other than Sacramento in the central valley of California, and,

3. Any port on a Caribbean cruise where you're only given two hours to walk around. It's almost pointless as all you're gonna see is duty-free shops and jewelry stores and cheap bars and they all start to look alike.

Price wrote in an email that she's not trying to be mean with her book.

"One thing I'm trying to emphasize with this project is that sometimes the worst places in the moment make the best stories afterwards -- in other words, it's not all about putting places down; it's about finding the absurdity (and memories) in places and experiences that are unpleasant in the moment but funny when you look back on them."

I haven't met Catherine Price, but I'm beginning to like her.

BORDER CROSSINGS ON TWITTER

Canadian Press reports that motorists planning to cross the Canada-U.S. border can receive estimated wait times via Twitter as part of a pilot project launched by the Canada Border Services Agency.

"The CBSA is committed to applying low-cost technologies like Twitter to keep service delivery standards high without increasing costs to the taxpayer," agency president Stephen Rigby said in a release announcing the three-month project.

Travellers can choose specific port of entries to follow on Twitter. For details, go to www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/new-neuf/twitter-eng.html.

FEELING VACATION DEPRIVED? WHO ISN'T?

The eighth annual Expedia.ca Vacation Deprivation survey by Harris/Decima reveals that 47 per cent of Canadians identify themselves as very or somewhat vacation deprived - the highest level in four years.

The survey found Canadians receive an average of 19.68 vacation days from their employers but that one-quarter of us (24 per cent to be precise) aren't taking all of our vacation time; giving back an average of 2.17 unused days. That translates into nearly 36.5 million unused days in Canada overall.

"Investing in our jobs is important, but so investing in our physical and mental health," said Beverly Beuermann-King, a stress and wellness expert. "The vacation time is there; we just need to use it."

A full 50 per cent of Ontarians identify themselves as vacation deprived, which kind of cements our status as work-too-hard-fail-to-play types. But before folks in B.C. get too smug, they weren't far behind, with 46 per cent of British Columbians saying they've vacation deprived. The same number was found in Quebec and Manitoba/Saskatchewan, Atlantic Canada (45 per cent) and Alberta (44 per cent).

JIM'S DEALS OF THE DAY

$2 - Toronto to Fort Lauderdale, cheap last-minute return flight ($235 w/taxes)

http://www.travelalerts.ca/cheap-flights/yyz-to-fll-toronto-fort-lauderdale.html

 

$285 - Toronto to Las Vegas, 4 day vacation ($530 w/tax)

http://www.travelalerts.ca/top-travel-deals/yyz-to-las-toronto-to-las-vegas.html

 

US$499 - Save 72% on this 1-week 4.5* Bermuda cruise from New York (US$689 w/tax)

http://www.travelalerts.ca/top-travel-deals/bermuda-cruise-3.html

 

Motorcycle Festival Niagara Falls, Airshow in Waterloo...Father's Day weekend!

I try to mention things happening all over the place, but it's good to focus a bit on local travel as well. So here are a couple things you can keep an eye on for Father's Day weekend.

It's not my thing, but the Niagara Falls Motorcycle Weekend is June 18-20, with more than 50,000 Harley's, Yamaha's, Kawasaki's, etc.... expected to descend on the Canadian side of the falls in support of Women's Place of South Niagara.

“Although this will be the first time Niagara Falls will host a Motorcycle Rally of this size, we’re confident bikers from across North America will make the trek here to take part in this weekend event in support of a great cause,” said Sue McDowell, Executive Director of the Fallsview BIA.“We’re home to one of the most beautiful and picturesque Parkways in the world, and with Niagara Falls as our backdrop, we think we have the perfect mix for bikers and motorcycle enthusiasts alike to take part in an event that will create memories for many years to come,” she added.

The three-day extravaganza will end June 20 with what organizers hope to be the largest motorcycle parade in North America.

For information, go to www.niagarafallsbikers.com.

Meanwhile, in Waterloo, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds will headline this year's Waterlook Aviation Expo and Air Show, which combines ground and flying displays. Also on tap at Waterloo International Airport are the B-17 "Memphis Belle: Flying Fortress from WWII, a Navy corsair and a Russian MiG, as well as Harvards and Tiger Moths.

The show runs June 19-20 and costs $18 for adults and $10 for kids six and over. They also have family packages and discounts for tickets purchased in advance versus a walk-up ticket. Tickets can be purchased online at www.waterlooairshow.ca. They also have a Facebook Fan Page: Waterloo Aviation Expo & Air Show 2010, and have a Twitter account under WaterlooAirShow.

JEKYLL ISLAND GEORGIA IMPROVEMENTS?

I had the good fortune to spend a couple days on Jekyll Island a couple years ago for the Star's golf magazine. There was talk at the time of some major changes, as some of the hotels along the Atlantic side of the island had gone under and things were in need of some changes.

It's a controversial plan, of course, as most of these things are, but I see that the island's governing board the other day approved $75 million in private development for two hotels and a 1.6-hectare beach. Many are happy, but Mindy Egan of the Initiative to Protect Jekyll Island said the proposals is too upscale for a state park that is supposed to be accessible to average Georgia folks. Apparently an earlier plan called for an economy hotel, but the new one does not.

The state is spending $50 million for a new convention centre.

I witnessed one of the prettiest sunsets of my life when I was there, as you can see by my photo here. I also had the good luck to stay at the wonderful, old-time Jekyll Island Club Hotel. A real gem, it is.

(Did I see, by the way, that Councillor George Mammoliti, who's running for mayor of Toronto, wants to build a hotel and convention centre on Toronto Island? Is he nuts? We have tons of hotels and a convention centre or six already on the mainland. The LAST THING we need is commercial enterprises ruining the island, which is possibly our best tourist attraction.)

WESTJET/CANADIAN TOURISM DEAL

Interesting program launched by WestJet and the Canadian Tourism Commission the other day. As part of the CTC's Locals Know campaign to promote Canadian travel, folks can save 10 per cent off WestJet's fares by booking and flying together. There are savings of 15 per cent for three people and 20 per cent, quite sizable, for four people.

The savings are valid on all fares, including trips already on sale. Travel must be booked by June 15 (11:59 p.m. MDT) for travel until Dec. 15, and blackout dates apply Oct. 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12. But it's still a great deal.

For information, go to www.westjet.com or call 1-877-WESTJET.

McCARTNEY MEATLESS MENU in HAWAII

I see where the CanoeHouse restaurant at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows on the lovely island of Hawaii is supporting Sir Paul McCartney's call for "Meat Free Monday."

McCartney, along with daughters Stella and Mary, are pushing the campaign as part of their concern about the fair treatment of animals. The CanoeHouse will offer alternative vegan and vegetarian menus each Monday to show thier support.

There's no indication they'll drop teriyaki steaks of fresh mahi mahi from the menu, but it's a start that Sir Paul would likely approve of.

Chez Piggy rocks Kingston restaurant scene...Rain great news for Australia

KINGSTON - I'm always leery of restaurants that offer too many styles of food or types of cuisine.

My general rule of thumb is that if you want Thai food, go to a Thai restaurant. If you want Mexican, go to a Mexican place, etc....

I'd heard great things about Chez Piggy in Kingston, Ontario - where I was Wednesday for a family graduation. But I must admit I arrived and looked at the menu and thought, "Hmmm....that's a lot to bite off,"if you'll pardon the pun. There were sea scallops in a spicy Thai sauce, poached Halibut, confit of Muscovy duck, Vietnamese spring rolls and a couple Spanish-Mexican looking dishes.

I was a tad skeptical, but the duck confit was almost as good as what I had in southern France last month, complete with creamy mashed potatoes and tasty red cabbage. The halibut was about as perfect and moist as I've ever tasted, and the scallops were nearly as perfectly cooked and perfectly spiced. Actually, one of the folks in my party found them a bit TOO spicy until the waiter suggested she turn them over and let some of the sauce soak up the hot spices.

The waiter we had was terrific; attentive but not overly sappy or anything. The prices were reasonable, although the wild mushroom soup at, I believe, $6, was about the smallest cup of soup I've ever had. They made up for it with a nice plate of thinly sliced octopus with arugula, although at $12 that wasn't cheap, either.

I liked the decor; rough, exposed stone walls and some funky paintings and a couple Navajo-looking blankets on the wall. A nice wine list, although a few more choices by the glass would've been good.

Overall, a very pleasant spot. The courtyard looks very nice but it was rainy on Wednesday so we were indoors. Apparently the restaurant was an abandoned limestone stable at one point, and there are lots of nooks and crannies and alleyways to lead you to the place, between Princess and Brock Streets in the heart of downtown.

I spotted a nice cookbook on the way out and wish now that I'd bought one. But there's only so much time for cooking at home, so maybe it's just as well not to overload the bookshelves with one more cooking manual....

Anyway, it's a spot I'd highly recommend. I'd forgotten until today that it was co-founded by one of the members of the Lovin' Spoonful, Zal Yanovsky. A very underrated band, they were. I remember being 12 years and buying the single "Summer in the City" and looking it on my bunk beds at home, only to suddenly stand up and forget it was underfoot. It didn't sound so good cracked in half....

ROCKY MOUNTAINEER SALE

I got a press release today from the Rocky Mountaineer folks. They've got a deal where guests can enjoy a free hotel night in Vancouver as a part of their award-winning, Western Canadian rail vacation. Guests who book a Rocky Mountaineer tour in GoldLeaf Service of three nights or more or a RedLeaf service tour of five nights or more, from now until August 31, 2010, will be treated to an additional free night at a Fairmont hotel in Vancouver either at the beginning, or end of their trip.

To qualify for the additional free night’s stay at a Fairmont hotel in Vancouver, visitors must book a Rocky Mountaineer vacation package in GoldLeaf Service of three nights or more or a RedLeaf service tour of five nights or more, for at least two adults. Offer is based on double occupancy by August 31 for travel between June and October 2010 and only valid on new bookings. Further restrictions may apply.

I did the Rocky Mountaineer train from Vancouver to Whistler during the Winter Olympics and loved the views and the service.

For more information, call (800) 665-7245 or visit www.rockymountaineer.com.

VEGAS DEAL

Vegas.com promises to take away the pain of those add-on baggage fees by giving visitors a rebate up to $50.

To get the deal, you must book your travel to Las Vegas on vegas.com, which claims to be "the world's largest destination travel web site."

The rebate is good for bookings made from June 3 to June 21, for stay dates until Aug. 21, reports my Vegas spy/reporter, Kathleen Kenna.

More details: www.vegas.com/baggagefree.

The site suggests visitors pack extra for their trip, including "an Elvis jumpsuit, lava lamp ... briefcase full of one-dollar bills (and) a collapsible massage chair."

For a chance to win Vegas "swag", visit www.facebook.com/vegas

If you haven't seen it, check Kathleen's story today on the "Big Elvis" impersonator in Vegas. It's a touching story, with great photos. And don't forget the Collingwood, Ontario Elvis impersonator festival is coming up at the end of July. For info, go to www.collingwoodelvisfestival.com.

THINGS LOOKING UP DOWN UNDER

There's been an "unprecedented: flow of rain into Australia's outback "inland sea" for two years in a row, they say. Typically, Lake Eyre fills up every 50 years. But now it's been two years in a row, and the normally inhospitable region is blooming with life; pelicans, gulls, terns and fish, as well as camels drawn to the scent of water.

Intrepid Travel is celebrating with a new, four-day adventure, with river cruises, visits to aboriginal sites and more.

No post today, folks....

It's my daughter's graduation from university. Awwww...

Somehow I feel this takes precedence over a travel blog, so I'm taking a day off. I'll be back at it on Thursday.

Have a great day

Toronto unfriendly to tourists...Sauble Beach fights back...Thompson Hotel T.0.

My cousin came driving into Toronto from Milwaukee a few weeks ago and, after being treated horribly by the folks at Canadian customs, got mixed up on the route to downtown from HIghway 401.

He says he didn't see any signs on the 401 pointing to downtown Toronto as he was dring east through the Mississauga area. I gotta admit part of me thought maybe he just missed it. Surely there are signs on the 401 for tourists heading to the CN Tower or the ballpark or the ROM?

Maybe not. I drove from my home in the north end to pick up my Dad at Pearson late Monday night. No problem on the 401 or the 409. But he was going downtown, not to my place. So instead of going back to the 409/401 route I wanted to go south on the 427. I pulled out of Pearson and drove south towards the 427 southbound and found it closed.

I'm 99 per cent sure there was no sign at the airport telling me the major route to downtown was closed. So I had to go west on the 401 to Derry Rd. and then get off and clamber back onto the 401 eastbound to make my way to downtown Toronto. And I don't know that the 427 sign said "downtown Toronto this way." It didn't matter, as it was closed. And there was certainly no sign suggesting an alternate route.

I made a mistake while on the 401 and ended up on the Renforth/427 ramp, which forced me to go NORTH on 427 back towards the airport. There was no sign on the 427 northbound for the 409 that I could see, so I ended up getting off on Airport Rd. and looking for the 409 connection. The only way I could find that was to go all the way back to the terminal, and then look for the 409/401 eastbound lanes. Sigh.

Some of this was my fault, but a hapless visitor from another city would've had NO IDEA where anything was. Hey, these jokers in government can spend $1 billion to protect President Obama's butt but they can't spend $2,000 on a road sign pointing thousands of tourists to that same downtown Toronto area where Obama will sleep? Disgraceful.

SON OF A BEACH

I got a bit of grief for writing out a list of top beaches in southern Ontario last weekend and not including Sauble. I like Sauble a lot, but I already had put Wasaga on the list and so skipped a little further south and singled out Port Elgin, instead.

I got an email from a Sauble Beach person and a call from the chamber of commerce. I actually kinda liked having someone get mad at me; it shows they were reading and it shows they're committed.

"Unfortunately the timing of your article was a day ahead of Sauble Beach being awarded another Blue Flag designation (for clean beaches), a  great announcement honouring Sauble for the 5th time," I was told in the email.

We need more of that kind of caring and commitment in our tourism industry, so go ahead and rant folks. Maybe sometime I'll come up and write a travel story on the joys of Sauble Beach. Lord knows a few days lying on the sand wouldn't kill my mood these days.

THOMPSON TORONTO OPEN FOR BUSINESS

The Thompson Hotel in Toronto, the first Canadian hotel for the Thompson group (www.thompsonhotel.com), has already opened for guests.

I got a note the other day saying I was invited to a reception at the hotel next week. I asked if there was a chance to spend the night and check out the rooms, and they said they'd probably arrange something later in June. But they also said the hotel already was open for paying guests, and I had no idea. They certainly didn't make it very well known, which I find pretty strange in a competitive hotel market.

You can book a king superior room for $199 for this coming Saturday and Sunday nights, according to the website. The Thompson Toronto is at 550 Wellington St. W.

The restaurant and bar apparently won't open for another couple weeks, so maybe they wanted to keep the rooms-only bit kinda low key. Still, I find it weird that they wouldn't alert the Travel department of a major, new hotel opening up ,especially when I got a call just a few minutes ago from a guy who works for a new hotel called the Zanzibar Beach Hotel in Tanzania!! He had sent an email to travel@thestar.ca a week before and wanted to know if I'd received it. Yes I did. It's a nine-room boutique hotel. Sounds fine but not quite on my radar screen.

WANT TO UNDERSTAND SOCIAL MEDIA? TAKE A HOLIDAY TO MEXICO

I spotted this on travelmole this morning and it's pretty cool: the Casa Velas Hotel Boutique in Puerto Vallarta is giving folks a social media workshop as part of their all-inclusive rate.

“We’re delighted to be probably the first resort in Mexico to offer this, and at no charge to our guests,” announced Pierre Bonin, Managing Director of Casa Velas.

The hotel found more than two-thirds of respondents in a poll wanted to learn more about sharing vacation photos, videos and trip experiences with friends and family. The workshop includes Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social media.

(I should suggest it for my uncle. He's 94, living out in Sacramento, California, and just got his first laptop and is learning to send emails to friends and family and to surf the web)

The Casa Velas offers rates starting at $240 U.S. per person per night, based on double occupancy, from now through December 23 of this year.

If anyone cares, travelmole's headline says the resort is in Puerto Rico. But it's actually in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

GREAT JOB SKEWERING PRESS RELEASES

A website called ragan.com has a story posted on it about how public relations types can do a better job dealing with the media. It's written by a chap named Jim Ylisela and has a great passage in which he talks about retooling press releases.

"The world has changed," he said, "and yet so many companies still insist on issuing press releases that look like they were lost in the mail—in the ’70s. They start with long, ponderous leads:  
 
Corporation X, the world’s leading provider of incomprehensible and extremely hard-to-fathom solutions, is pleased to announce a rollout of an implementation that will facilitate something we’d love to tell you about it if we understood it ourselves.

I LOVE THAT.

 

Toronto no ghost town yet...but it's beginning to look like it will be with G20 here

I had to snicker when I saw a story in the Globe and Mail on Saturday that suggested downtown Toronto was already beginning to resemble a ghost town. What a load of nonsense.

To my eyes, nothing has changed. But it's clear that it's about to. And to a degree that tourism folks may not have anticipated - or wanted.

Instead of being something to boost tourism, I'm wondering just what the point of this exercise is. It was one thing to have a few roads close. And the CN Tower for a couple days. But then the Blue Jays had to move a series against former star Roy Halladay and the Philadelphia Phillies to Pennsylvania. Then Mirvish said it would close down some of its shows up on King St. And now, today, Star reporter Raju Mudhar reports the Art Gallery of Ontario - a definite tourist hot-spot - will shutter its doors at 4 p.m. on Friday, June 25 and remain closed all day Saturday and Sunday.

It's getting completely out of hand, people, and you have to wonder whether it's worth it. And that's not even counting the $1 billion security bill.

I honestly don't think Toronto will get much benefit from the weekend. If there's any publicity of a major kind in the major U.S. markets, it will likely be only if there are riots.

Other than that, we'll probably just get a few headlines. The summit doesn't appear to be as big as others, and it's not like the television folks will be beaming back wonderful pictures of the city. Maybe some nice barbed wire photos, but likely not people having beers out on a Queen St. patio.

The Olympics in Vancouver had a billion dollar security budget, but they got a huge benefit in terms of television exposure. Not so Toronto for the G20, methinks.

It's a tall order, and forgive me the terrible pun, but some folks are hoping the visit of the Tall Ships during the Redpath Toronto Waterfront Festival June 30-July 4 will help. For more information, go to TOwaterfrontfest.com.

iPAD REPLACES MENUS

Here's a cool item. A restaurant in North Sydney, Australia, has dumped its printed menus in exchange for iPads.

According to a story in the Australian, Global Mundo Tapas in the North Sydney Rydges Hotel "introduced a custom-made iPad application which allows customers to browse the virtual pages of the menu with a sweep of their finger."

Diners can check out dishes and see a picture of what the meal looks like, plus get tasting notes. Once they make their decision they send it wirelessly to the kitchen, which certainly beats trying to wave down the wait staff. Not sure what wine to order? The iPad has recommendations on what will go best with your shrimp crustini or what have you.

The iPad also will let you tell the kitchen how you want your meat cooked and what sauce you might prefer. Sounds like fun to me, although I'd worry about theft and breakage if I was the restaurant.

VIRGIN COSTS FROM TORONTO

I got a note from a friend at the Star on the weekend, asking if I knew much about Virgin's coming service from Toronto to San Francisco. I said I didn't but that my sister has flown Virgin from SF to Washington D.C. and raves about it.

Then, today, I spotted something on LFPress saying that Virgin America chief executive David Cush was talking recently about how his fares on the Toronto-SF flight are higher than he'd like because of the high costs associated with flying out of Pearson.

Virgin America will start flights from Toronto to San Francisco and Los Angeles later this month; its first foray outside the U.S.

"Pearson in 2005 was named the most expensive airport in the world because of the high landing fees and other costs charged to airlines. Since then the airport has worked to bring down expenses, cutting costs for the past three years running," the LFPress report read.

"Since 2007, landing fees have come down by 13.1% and terminal charges by 15%, according to the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, which manages Pearson. This has meant savings of about $108 million to airlines, it says. Still, the cost of a ticket to San Francisco will cost about $210 each way, compared with roughly $140 from New York¹s JFK airport to the same destination, Cush said."

That's a huge difference; about $140 on a return flight.

Sigh.

AIRLINE REBOUND

Air and Business Travel News is reporting good news today. The website said airlines "are expected to return to profit sooner than thought, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), but European carriers are still lagging a long way behind."

"In a stark turnaround, IATA has changed its forecast for airline performance in 2010 from a global loss of $2.8 billion to a profit of $2.5 billion. If delivered, it will be the industry's first profit since 2007.

Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's CEO, said: "The global economy is recovering from the depths of the financial crisis much more quickly than could have been anticipated.

"We thought it would take at least three years to recover the $81 billion (14.3%) drop in revenues in 2009. But the %62 billion top line improvement this year puts us about 75% on the way to pre-crisis levels."

Airlines in Asia are predicted to perform the best this year, predicted IATA, with a profit of $2.2 billion. North American carriers are also expected to post a profit, of $1.9 billion, a major turnaround on the $2.7 billion lost in 2009."

Baseball umps, UCLA's John Wooden & Cougar Cruise: a travel blog in disguise

I'm feeling rather blue this morning. One of my heroes, former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, is in grave condition out in Los Angeles.

He's 99 and he's been joking for years about wanting to see triple digits on his drivers license. But the situation doesn't look good.

It has nothing to do with travel, so I 'm sorry about that, but I can't help reminiscing about my limited relationship with the man who arguably is the greatest coach of any sport at any time. It wasn't as crazily competitive as it is now, but to win 10 NCAA basketball championships in 12 years, seven of them in a row, is a feat that's simply impossible to imagine. His teams also won 88 straight regular season games and 38 NCAA contests in a row.

Take that, Duke.

I was lucky enough to be in the front row for every UCLA game in Wooden's last year, which was my first year as a political science student at the University of California, Los Angeles. We'd often camp out overnight to get what was called a priority number, which would be handed out early in the morning on game day. That would allow us to lineup an hour or so before game time and get a place at the front of the line without having to sit all day long and miss classes. It was a good system.

I was first or second in line for every home game in 1975, Coach Wooden's last year. And I was in the front row, usually in the centre seat, for every game. They'd open the gates an hour or so before the game and all of us who had lined up would sprint down five long flights of stairs to get to the court, which sits below ground level at the famous Pauley Pavilion. It was a hoot, although it's a miracle I never sprained an ankle. I'm not fast, but I'm pretty nimble and I was pretty brave about hopping four stairs at a time at age 18.

There were some setbacks that year, and it wasn't like UCLA had the biggest stars in the game. Bill Walton, now a way too chatty/borderline obnoxious TV commentator, had left. So had Keith Wilkes. But we still had Marques Johnson, who my girlfriend was in love with, and Richard Washington and a couple of spunky role players.

As luck would have it, the NCAA finals were in San Diego that year; just two hours from campus. So we all got tickets and drove down. UCLA got to the semis and just squeaked past Louisville, coached by former UCLA assistant Denny Crum, then toppled Kentucky in a fairly close final. Wooden announced prior to the Final Four that he was retiring, so we know this was it to see him in action. It was glorious.

But it isn't the game I really want to talk about. Instead, I wanted to talk about Wooden the man. He was competitive as can be on the floor, for sure. And he wasn't a saint as a coach. But as a man? Gentle and kind and unassuming as all get out.

Wooden had a book out in the 1970s, titled "They Call Me Coach." In it, he outlined his so-called pyramid of success; an old-fashioned building block of moral principles that he strongly believed led to his success. it's filled with ideas about loyalty, enthusiasm, cooperation and other issues that apply strongly to business as well as basketball.

It doesn't sound like an LA guy to many folks. But Wooden was a product of the Midwest; Indiana to be precise. They don't tolerate a lot of ego in smalltown Indianda - Bobby Knight notwithstanding.

He'd often take time before games to sign the books that people, including me, would bring to him. I don't have it with me right now, but I'm pretty sure if I go home and look on my bookshelf I'll find a copy and it'll say on the inside jacket, "Thanks, Jim, for your interest in this coach."

It's pretty much what he wrote for everyone. But he was patient and understanding and kind as all get out, and I'll never forget the class and dignity he has shown - and hopefully will continue to show - over an inspiring life.

Good luck to you, coach, and God Bless you and your family.

SELIG - AN OLD NATIVE AMERICAN WORD FOR "LEADERSHIP VACUUM"????

On another sports note, I gotta say that I'm once again hugely disappointed in Bud Selig, the Hazel McCallion of sports. The commissioner of baseball had a great chance yesterday to overturn an obvious injustice by granting Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga his perfect game.

For those who missed it, Galarraga was one out from the third perfect game of this remarkable baseball season the other night when umpire Jim Joyce mistakenly called a runner safe on what should've been the last play of the game. Joyce, to his credit, admitted he screwed up. Royally.

The Tigers have been unbelievably gracious, which is wonderful to see And GM gave Galaragga a Corvette on Thursday.

But Selig sits in his New York office and, as usual, cowers instead of showing courage. Everyone knows Joyce blew the call. Joyce admits it. TV confirms it. So what if there's no instant replay in baseball? Start it. Now. Please, Bud. For once, take an issue by the horns and do something.

Anyway, my point on this isn't so much to rake Selig over the charcoal (not that that isn't fun) but to point out that a young baseball reporter was charged with interviewing an umpire at the SkyDome back in 1993. He knocked on the umpires door before a game in August in Toronto, and the crew shoved a fairly inexperienced major league ump in front of the reporter.

That reporter was me, in my second year covering the Jays. That umpire was Jim Joyce, in his fourth year as a big league ump.

He was helpful and cooperative and funny, to boot. It's also interesting to go back and look at comments he made about blowing calls.

"The best games I've ever worked are the games that people didn't notice me," Joyce said. "I just did my job."

Another comment jumped out at me.

"People pay their money to come out and second-guess the umpire," Joyce said in the interview. "I think I'm right most of the time but if I'm not doing my job people have a right to yell at me. They really do."

I started my story with a short tale of how Joyce was once at home in Oregon, taking one of the three, one-week vacations that major league umps get each baseball season, when he got called in to help coach his son's Little League team.

He was in the coach's box at first base when a ball came down foul but then spun into fair territory. Instinctively, Joyce pointed at the ground and yelled, "Fair."

The home plate ump had called it foul, but knew Joyce was a pro and went with the fair call.

Not so the opposing coach.

"He said, 'It's foul.' So I said, 'No, it's fair.' So the guy said, 'I'll show you the rule book.' And I said, 'I'd love to see that.'

"So he gets the rule book and I show him where it says that where a ball settles - and that's the operative word, settles - in foul territory it's foul. But it hadn't settled in foul territory, it had settled fair, so it was a fair ball.

          "So he turned to me and said, 'Well, who do you think you are, a major league umpire?"

"I said, 'As a matter of fact, I am, ' and he said, 'Yeah, right, ' and turned around and walked away."

AND FINALLY....A TRAVEL ANGLE!

Great story in today's USA Today about cougar cruises. Not that I'm interested in one. I'm WAY too old to be a "cub," that's for sure. But I do find the whole concept bizarrely interesting, and it would be fun to check one out from a distance, just to watch the dance take place.

I'd love to try another cruise sometime. I've done the Caribbean but that was it. I"m thinking Europe would be fun, provided there's time to stop at ports and actually see something rather than simply dash on and off and do a 20-minute duty-free shopping trip....