Air Canada low-cost airline hiring ... Hong Kong visits climb ... Jaunt deal of day

A bit of good news on the job/aviation front.

Air Canada rouge announced today that it will hire 150 flight attendants from the GTA as it gears up for its scheduled launch of summer service to the Caribbean and Europe.

In case you missed it in December, Air Canada rouge is the company's long-awaited low-cost carrier. A press release sent out today says the new recruitment campaign "is focused on Torontonians and GTA-ers and is targeted to those who ideally have customer service or hospitality experience and are passionate about travel."

"This is an ideal job for recent GTA high school, college or university grads," officials said. "With the ongoing slump in the job market for young people and the increased appeal of taking time off between school and careers, a stint as an Air Canada rouge flight attendant provides the unique opportunity to travel to exciting locations like the Caribbean and Europe while providing warm, welcoming service to vacationers."

Air Canada talked in December about bringing in a company such as Disney to help train rouge workers and give the airline a kind, gentle feel. They didn't like it much when I asked if maybe that suggested the current crop of Air Canada flight attendants aren't quite as friendly as they could be, but I think it's a fair point.

Anyway, it's good news for local workers, although one has to recognize that a low-cost carrier won't be able to pay the same as Air Canada does for flight attendants. Or pilots or other workers, one presumes.

HONG KONG VISITS UP ... BUT NOT FROM CANADA

The Hong Kong Tourism Board has announced that total visitor arrivals in 2012 reached 48,615,113, an increase of 16.0% over the yearly total in 2011. Of the total figure, 48.9%, or 23.77 million, were overnight visitors, 6.5% more than in the previous year. 

Arrivals from many short-haul markets posted positive growth figures, affected by the fact that many vacationers in the region cancelled their trips to Japan following that country’s earthquake and related incidents in 2011, officials said. In the long-haul regions, the sluggish performance of both European and Americans economies caused a slight drop in the number of arrivals. UK visits were up 5.3 per cent, but visits from Canada dropped from 410,591 in 2011 to 392,519 last year; a decrease of 4.4 per cent.

If you've never been, you're missing a great destination with tremendous food and culture and shopping, not to mention a remarkable energy. It's also got great natural beauty, with fabulous hiking trails and beautiful coastlines and a couple very nifty golf courses, to boot.

It's Asian enough to make you feel you're on a different continent, but familiar enough to westerners that it's not a total shock. So it makes an ideal entry point for an Asian trip, or at least a way to dip your toes in the water.

I didn't think I'd like it a lot the first time I went but it has quickly become one of my favourite places...

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on tap for some Caribbean sunshine. They're offering a seven-night stay at the Hilton Curacao, a colourful spot with great winter weather, for 1,613, including $299 in taxes.

 

Jaunt Highlights

• EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS: Save up to $488/couple!
• BONUS: FREE upgrade to an Oceanview Room (March 23rd departure only)
• BONUS: Enjoy welcome cocktails upon arrival, free Casino Matchplay coupons, free shuttle service to downtown area, and more!
• All-inclusive 7-night stay at the 3.5-Star Hilton Curacao in Willemstad, Curacao
• Includes return airfare from Toronto to Curacao, and round-trip hotel/airport transfers in Curacao
• Accommodations in a Islandview Room, featuring 1 king bed or 2 double beds and balcony. Max. occupancy: 4 adults
• Daily breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks

• The Hilton offers special extras like welcome drinks and an exclusive cocktail party
• The hotel has a beautiful beachfront property on pristine Piscadera Bay

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on the following departure dates: March 23 & 30, 2013
• Pricing (Rates are per person, plus tax):
  
  Toronto:
  Double: $1399
  Triple: $1299
  Quad: $1249
  Child (2-12): $499
  Child: (13-17): $1169
  Tax: $214
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is refundable 100% non-refundable at time of booking

Dresden top world city for hotels: London worst, T.O 70th ... Jaunt deal of day

Looking for a great hotel breakfast? Try Dresden, Germany. More a fan of over-priced hotels with small rooms, expensive mini-bars, long lines at check-in and line-ups for breakfast? Check out hotels in London, England.

Yet another hotel rating report has landed on my virtual desk, this one from a German company called Trivago. According to Reuters, Trivago, a "travel metasearch website," compiled hotel reviews from more than 140 accommodation booking sites and found London came last in a list of 100 cities that had at least 135 hotels and 60 reviews. It did not include TripAdvisor postings.

"Dresden came top with its hotels receiving the highest ratings and most positive reviews from guests," Reuters said.

"Users praised Dresden hotels for their value for money, whilst London hotels were criticised for their prices," said a spokeswoman for Trivago. "In particular, reviewers felt the minibars were overpriced and breakfast service was both overpriced and disappointing, whilst hotels in Dresden were praised for their delicious and well-valued breakfasts."

She said London hotels were also criticised for overcrowding at breakfast, long queues at check-in, inability to cope with large groups of people, small rooms and poor views. On the other hand, hotels in Dresden were praised for their exceptional service, efficiency, helpful staff, as well as their spacious rooms with excellent views.

Finishing just behind Dresden in the list of cities with good hotels were Hanoi, Portland (Oregon), Tokyo and then, in the fifth spot, Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The rest of the top ten featured, in order, Gdansk in Poland, Chicago, Seattle, Krakow and Budapest.

The worst ten? From 91st to 100th and dead last, were the following: Los Angeles, Kiev, Frankfurt, Panama City (Panama), Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris, Copenhagen, Rio de Janeiro and London.

Dresden got a "reputation score" of 83.08, while London notched a mark of just 73.42.

It's a rather damning statement for western Europe, with five big name cities in the bottom 10. But fairly decent for the U.S., with three in the top 10; two in the northwest part of the country.

What about Canada, you say? Glad you asked. Montreal finished down in the 58th spot with a 78.67 reputation score. Toronto? Ai-yay-yay: a pretty poor 70th place with a reputation score of just 78.15.

Other notable cities and their placement in the top 100 include Venice (14), Las Vegas (18), Prague (24), Florence (25), New Orleans (32), Barcelona (33), Orlando (40), Madrid (52), Hong Kong (59), San Francisco (62), Dublin (65), New York (67), Sydney (69), Rome (74), Delhi (80) and Glasgow (86).

I have found London to be quite expensive and rooms are small. Rooms tend to be small in most older, urbanized areas of Europe, for sure. But I'm a tad surprised at some of the results. I've been to Hanoi but only stayed in one hotel. It was pretty nice and fairly cheap; maybe $100 for a room with a nice bath and balcony and decent breakfast very close to the city centre. But number two in the world? I don't know about that.

BETTER TEA WITH BRITISH AIRWAYS

Good story in Star Business today by reporter Vanessa Lu, talking about how British Airways worked with Twinings to develop a better-tasting tea for folks at 35,000 feet. Apparently we lose a lot of our taste buds at such high altitudes and in dry airline cabins, so they're worked out a new "formula" to give the best taste.

Personally, I think tea is highly overrated and doesn't even compare to a good cup of coffee. But, then again, I get grief from friends/family about preferring creme in my coffee versus taking it black. And I VASTLY prefer Tim Horton's drip coffee to Starbucks, although I''ll take Starbucks for a good latte.

I tried Aroma coffee bar at Yonge and Eglinton for the first time on Tuesday and had a wonderful latte. Plus the croissants smelled divine!

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, is offering a cruise package to Alaska. The deal, with Celebrity Cruise lines, is priced at $1,468, including $339 in taxes, and includes air fare.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• BONUS 1: Inside Stateroom - $50 Onboard Credit per stateroom
• BONUS 2: Oceanview Stateroom or higher - $50 Onboard Credit per stateroom PLUS one of the following for FREE:
  - Classic Beverage package for 2 per day
  - Prepaid Gratuities for two per day
  - Additional $200 Onboard Credit per stateroom
• 7-Night Alaska cruise aboard the Celebrity Century, starting from and ending in Vancouver
• Includes return airfare from Toronto to Vancouver with Air Transat, and airport/port transfers
• Ports of call include: Vancouver, Inside Passage, Icy Strait, Hubbard Glacier, Juneau & Ketchikan
• Accommodations in an Inside (Category 11) or Oceanview (Category 4, 5 & 7) Stateroom
• Standard onboard dining included

Why We Love It:

• Days at port are full of adventure, days at sea full of amazing sites
• Travel to Juneau, Alaska's capital, as well as the emblematic Hubbard Glacier
• Choose from a wide variety of excursions that pander to active spirits

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on the following sailings: May 5, 12, 19, 26 & June 9, 2013
• Pricing (per person, based on double occupancy):
  May 5:
  Inside: $1259 + $336 tax
  Oceanview: $1659 + $336 tax
  
  May 12:
  Inside: $1149 + $329 tax
  Oceanview: $1599 + $329 tax
  
  May 19:
  Inside: $1199 + $336 tax
  Oceanview: $1799 + $336 tax
  
  May 26:
  Inside: $1129 + $339 tax
  Oceanview: $1849 + $339 tax
  
  June 9:
  Inside: $1149 + $314 tax
  Oceanview: $1749 + $314 tax
• To redeem Bonus 2 for Oceanview bookings, please enter your choice in the Request Box upon booking
• To upgrade to Balcony Stateroom or higher, and receive an additional $50 Onboard Credit, call our travel professionals at: 1-855-GO-JAUNT
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada

 

 

Chicago options expand ... Thailand tourism record ... Jaunt.ca deal of the day

Canadians have cottoned on to Chicago of late, with 27 flights or so a day just from Toronto. I was there last spring and was wowed by the Art Institute, the food, the hotels, the architecture and more.

And now there are even more options. I caught up with Melissa McCarville of Choose Chicago this morning and got an update on the city's burgeoning restaurant and hotel scene and on some special events and emerging neighbourhoods.

The West Loop is booming these days, that being an area west of downtown.

"They're calling it Restaurant Row," said McCarville, outling such spots as Girl and the Goat by top chef Stephanie Izard (see photo at left) and Next. "It's become a real destination spot in what used to be a meatpacking area."

The new SOHO House Hotel is set to open in the region in the next year or two, and if it's anything like the SOHO Beach House in Miami I'm all in favour.

Also taking off lately is the Logan Square area, north of Wrigley Field. Again, there are new restaurants and hotels and cool shops, I was told.

Fairly new in town is the Hotel Lincoln, located in a historic building in Lincoln Park, just north of downtown. There's a rooftop bar with views of the park and the zoo and Lake Michigan, plus a restaurant called Perennial Virant that's said to be getting good reviews. Also new is the IVy Hotel downtown, a 63-room boutique property. Coming soon will be the Langham Chicago downtown and, they hope, Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Hotel Chicago, which has seemingly been delayed but could open in the next 12 months.

The Book of Mormon, Broadway's hottest musical, is in Chicago for a run that started in December of last year and continues until Sept. 8, 2013. Chicago Restaurant Week runs Feb. 1 to Feb. 10 with prix-fixe menus starting at $22. And the utterly fabulous Art Institute of Chicago will stage a Picasso exhibit, with more 250 items, from Feb. 19 to May 12.

Of course, you can't forget St. Patrick's Day in Chicago, where they dye the Chicago River green and party like it's 1999. McCarville told me they've petitioned the government of Ireland to proclaim Chicago as an official celebration city for St. Patrick's Day, and why not?

Oh, and in case you didn't know, I was told that Chicago is the birthplace of the Twinkie, the zipper, the Ferris Wheel, the mail-order business, the first pinball machine, the window envelope and the first all-colour TV station. Plus it's the birthplace of both Cracker Jacks AND the baseball All-Star Game (a perfect combo, doncha think?).

THAILAND ON THE RISE

The past year was an excellent one for tourism around the globe. The latest numbers I saw came from Thailand, which reports going past the 22 million mark in tourist visits for the first time ever.

Thailand officials said the 2012 number was up almost 16 per cent from 2011.

Who's going? Travelmole reports that six countries, five of which are within the Asia-Pacific region, are now producing more than one million annual visitor arrivals; those being Malaysia, China, Japan, Korea, India and Russia.

European visitors showed a good growth rate of 10.1 per cent to 5.6 million. The U.S. market jumped 12.5 per cent to 767,000-plus.

Tourism officials are predicting 24.5 million arrivals for 2013.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on tap for a once-in-a-lifetime visit to the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu. The deal is priced from a very reasonable $2,324, including $325 in taxes.

Jaunt Highlights

• 10-day/9-night tour of Peru, including visits to Lima, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and more
• Includes round-trip flight from Toronto to  Lima, domestic flights as per itinerary, and airport/hotel transfers in Peru
• Transportation throughout the tour via deluxe vehicle, domestic air, train, and bus
• Meals include daily buffet breakfast and two lunches throughout the tour
• Accommodations are double occupancy. Refer to itinerary for hotels (or similar)
• Includes accompaniment of an English-speaking guide and all required entrance fees (as per the itinerary)
• BONUS: June 20th departure date includes VIP access at Inti Raymi festival in Cusco

• You'll travel to Machu Picchu - one of the most famous sites in the world
• Spend some time travelling through amazing landscapes on a scenic train ride
• Tour includes accommodations, breakfasts, all transportation tickets and English speaking guides

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on the following departure dates: June 20, July 17, October 16 & November 20, 2013
• Option to upgrade train travel to Vistadome train service for additional $100. offers glass ceilings for better view of scenery, and meals on board. Call to upgrade: 1-855-GO-JAUNT  
• Pricing (rates are per person, plus tax):
  
  June 20, 2013
  Single: $2675
  Double: $2255
  Tax: $325
  
  July 17, October 16 & November 20 , 2013
  Single: $2419
  Double: $1999
  Tax: $325
• Valid passport and Visa required for travel from Canada. Visa not included, but available HERE
• Flight information to be confirmed at time of booking
• Refunds available until 5PM EST on January 30, 2013. After that time, this offer is 100% non-refundable.

 

Lovely St. Augustine, Florida ... Jaunt.ca has a delicious, escorted tour of Italy

SAINT AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA - It's not the biggest fort you'll ever see. But if you like boat rides and wide, flowing rivers and big skies and walking on the beach, Fort Matanzas and the surrounding area is a great place to spend a couple hours.

And it's free (almost all the time, anyway).

About 20 minutes south of downtown St. Augustine on A1A, you'll reach the Fort via a small but pretty visitors centre that's surrounded by towering trees dripping with Spanish moss, which I was told once upon a time is a member of the pineapple family and is called Spanish moss because the elongated shape resembles the beards of Spaniards who came this way in the 16th and 17th centuries, just so you know. Anyway, you then take a small pontoon boat for a four or five-minute ride across the river to the three-story fort on Rattlesnake Island.

There are several long, sleek, black cannons pointed out towards the sea. They don't look amazingly powerful but I was told a good cannon master could hit his target 90 per cent of the time at distances up to 2 km or even a bit more.

Inside is a fireplace and an eating area and single beds that show what life was like for the six soldiers stationed here at a time, usually for 30 day periods. It looks fairly bleak and had to have been stiflingly hot in the summer.

Upstairs is a decent sized but still dark officers' quarters, and you can climb a short but steep ladder to the roof for excellent views of the river and tidal basin and out towards the Atlantic.

The parks rangers are dressed in old-time costumes with bright socks and vests and tricorn hats, and they're excellent at explaining how things worked. And super-friendly, too. The kids seemed to love it, and most of the adults.

Boats leave about every 20 minutes and the trip is free unless you go to one of the night-time cannon exhibitions, which sound pretty awesome. It's open 9 to 5:30 every day except Christmas.

Back on land, there's a one-km hiking trail that shows off the cool, forested areas of the barrier island ecosystem.

Back across the highway, you can pull into the parking lot and walk out (or drive, although why anyone would drive on a beautiful beach I can't for the life of me understand) to an immense beach that goes on forever. It's a great place to soak up the sun or contemplate nature or watch locals fish.

I also checked out the famous, black-and-white-striped St. Augustine lighthouse, which has 219 steps to the top and offers fine views of the city, the beach and the various islands and rivers and waterways that snake between the town and the ocean.

They also have a team of archaeologists who have helped dig up fascinating relics and can tell stories about the fascinating pirates, soldiers and civilians who have lived in the area since St. Augustine was established in 1565.

They're a little sensitive about that 1565 business down this way. Quite often you'll hear a local historian talk about how Jamestown in Virginia gets so much credit as an old settlement in the U.S. and how everyone talks about the Pilgrims in Plymouth Rock.

"Heck, St. Augustine was already undergoing urban renewal when the Pilgrims got to North America," locals will tell you.

It's a fair point. The settlers in Jamestown were mostly British, and Jamestown is close to Washington D.C. and the big cities on the eastern seaboard. St. Augustine is a good deal older (1565, versus 1607 for Jamestown and 1620 for the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock). But it was settled by Spaniards and Africans, who mixed with local native Americans. And it's way down in St. Augustine, about a half hour south of Jacksonville. 

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, is offering a fabulous-sounding escorted tour of Italy's top food and wine spots. Offered at $3,177, incluidng $479 in taxes, the package includes Rome and the beautiful Tuscany region.

Jaunt Highlights

• BONUS: Extend your flights for up to 30 days at no additional cost, and return from anywhere Transat flies in Europe
• BONUS: $150 Future Travel Voucher
• 10-day/8-night Tuscany & Rome Food & Wine Tour, hosted by celebrity chef Christian Pritchard, known for his presence on the Food Network and in the online foodie community
• Includes return airfare from Toronto to Rome on Air Transat
• Includes all transfers in Italy via deluxe air-conditioned motor coach, services of a professional English speaking tour guide, and all sightseeing and entrance fees as per itinerary
• 8 nights' accommodation in 4-Star hotels (based on double occupancy)
• Includes continental breakfast daily, 2 lunches and 3 dinners throughout the tour

• Learn the ins and outs of Italian eats with the renowned chef Christian Pritchard
• Get the best of both worlds with cooking classes, demonstrations and wine tastings
• You still have time to visit all of the wonderful landmarks that make Italy so entrancing and beautiful

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on May 24, 2013
• Pricing (Rates are per person, and based on double occupancy):
  
  Double: $2698
  Single: $3098
  Tax: $479
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is refundable until 5PM EST on January 31, 2013. After that time, this offer is 100% non-refundable.

 

 

Clearwater to St. Augustine, with beer ... World Golf Hall of Fame ... Jaunt Deal

CLEARWATER to ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA – It started with a glorious sunrise. And ended with a party at the World Golf Hall of Fame. Not a bad way to spend a day in Florida.

If you’ve never had the chance, you should check out the Sheraton Sand Key Resort/Hotel in Clearwater Beach. The rooms are what’d you’d expect from a Sheraton, which means a decent sized room with a good TV and all that and a pretty small but perfectly adequate bathroom (the sink is just outside the room with the bath/shower and toilet). It’s the grounds and the beach that’ll keep you coming back, though.

The pool sits out back, alongside the white sand beach, with a couple hot tubs and a poolside bar and beautiful landscaping. The beach here is enormously wide, but you can get to the water in a couple minutes and do some people-watching along the way.

The Sheraton is on the north end of Sand Key, just over the bridge to Clearwater Beach proper. Which means it’s quiet but close to the shops, restaurants and activities of Clearwater Beach, including the aquarium/marine research center where you’ll find Winter the Dolphin, the dolphin who was found with a damaged tail and had a prosthetic tail built for it and was featured in a recent movie that did pretty well at the box office. They also have sea turtles and manta rays you can feed and touch, and it’s a great, educational spot for kids and adults both.

Dunedin is just over the bridge to the mainland and up the road a couple miles, so we went back for drinks and dinner. I highly recommend the margaritas at Casa Tina, a standby on Main St. in Dunedin with lots of Mexican dolls and photos and crazy stuff on the wall. Splurge and spend an extra buck for the top margarita on the menu, called a Tina Rita. I always find it’s better to spend a bit more on a margarita and get the better juice mix and better tequila.

For dinner it was The Living Room, on the far east end of Main St. It’s got a fun atmosphere, with orangey-red walls and a large room out back with drapes hanging off to one side and bookcases with books and old photos and mementoes. A tad eclectic in both style and menu, but the food was pretty good. We sampled Kobe beef sliders with brie and caramelized onions that were pretty good, and the shrimp on the jambalaya skewers were fat and perfectly cooked with peppers and onions. We also had sautéed green beans just to up the veggie quotient a bit.

The wait staff served us rather too quickly but the waitress was charming, so we didn’t mind. It’s mostly a sharing/large tapas style place, so you get a good variety for reasonable prices, and there’s a very good wine list. It was about 12 degrees Celsius at dinner time outside but one hardy group opted to eat al fresco while the rest of us stayed warm.

We made the drive up to St. Augustine in about four hours, stopping – of course – at the outlet mall in Orlando. Much to my surprise, I spotted a food/drinks cart outside one of the stores that sold not only juice and pop but also bottles of beer. A godsend for overshopped guys, no doubt. And God Bless America for selling beer openly off a food cart.

I’m at a convention called Florida Huddle from Thursday to Saturday, with tourism/travel reps from all over the Sunshine State and some 54 media from around the world. So that should be great. They had an opening reception Thursday night at the World Golf Hall of Fame, next to the Renaissance Hotel/Convention Center. As the Star’s former golf writer and golf magazine editor, I got quite the charge out of seeing things like the Claret Jug, given to the winner of the British Open each year (Sorry, THE OPEN, as they call it) and old photos of Bob Hope and Bobby Jones and crazy, old clubs and gutta percha golf balls and featherie golf balls, old-time balls fashioned from feathers and sewn up together. Light as, well, a feather, those balls were.

I didn’t have a lot of time to browse but I was happy to see the bust/likeness of legendary Canadian golfer Marlene Stewart Streit, inducted a few years back after a stellar amateur career in which she won dozens of titles, often beating women half her age.

Good stuff. Congrats, Marlene, for being the first Canadian inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

CANADIAN HOTELS HONOURED

Congrats to two new members of the Canadian Automobile Association’s prestigious five-diamond hotel group. The CAA on Wednesday announced that four Canadian properties were awarded five-diamond (like five-star) status for 2013; holdovers The Four Seasons Whistler and the Ritz Carlton Toronto and, now, the Shangri-La Vancouver and the new Ritz Carlton Montreal (see photo)

Pretty impressive that the Ritz has two of the four highest-rated properties. I haven’t got a final answer, but the Shangri-La in Toronto wasn’t rated for the 2013 awards, perhaps because it opened too late in the year (pretty much September). Ditto for the Four Seasons new hotel in Yorkville, which opened even later.

So perhaps next year we’ll get more five-diamond properties in Toronto.

I also feel compelled to note that the Trump International Hotel on Bay St. downtown failed to get the five-diamond status it had hoped for. I don’t much like the lobby but the spa looks tremendous and I hear good things from guests who’ve stayed.

I’d like another five-diamond property in Toronto, but I gotta say it doesn’t make me sad to see a blowhard like Trump fall short and have to settle for four diamonds instead of five. Better luck next year, Donald.

Not that I put much stock in it, but the CAA report surely indicates what a crock the recent Trip Advisor ratings were. As readers of this space may recall, I recently raised an eyebrow or two at how British Columbia hotels dominated the top 10 of the Trip Advisor ratings for Canadian hotels.

In the CAA report, they got two of the four five-diamond properties, but at least we got one in Quebec and one in Ontario. Which seems a little more logical to me.

SPEAKING OF RATINGS

Air Canada is the only international network carried in North America to get a four-star ranking from the U.K. research firm Skytrax.

The airline on Thursday said it was immensely chuffed at the award, calling it a “significant industry benchmark” that “reflects the professionalism and skll of Air Canada’s employees in taking care of our customers and delivering an award-winning product that continues to set industry standards.”

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a couple of Avalon river cruises on special. The two for one Tulip Time river cruise goes through the Netherlands and runs for $1,725 plus $133 in taxes.  There's also a two for one river cruise through Burgundy and Provence; both fabulously beautiful areas of France for $2,086 plus $133 in taxes.

Check both out at jaunt.ca or by clicking on the above links....

 

Dunedin Florida; more decidedly different than you'd think ... Jaunt.ca deal of day

DUNEDIN, FLORIDA - There's a sign showing a Scottish bagpiper when you cross into Dunedin from next-door Clearwater. And the guide books still talk about the kilts and tartans and all that Scottish heritage.

But, aside from the name, I gotta say I've never felt this town has any more relationship to Edinburgh than it does to Whitehorse or Tokyo. Yeah, they do a Celtic Festival in November and there's a Highlands Games week in spring, but the pubs on fun and pretty Main St. are called Skip's and O'Flanagan's and Blur. The shops on Main St. tend to sell tropical signs that advertise directions to Aruba and Jamaica or pink flamingo night lights, not shortbreads and tams.

Mardi Gras is a pretty big deal down this way, as is Oktobeerfest (their word for it) and Martin Luther King day and even Cinco de Mayo.

Anyway, the point here is that I started spending tons of time down this way when I covered the Blue Jays from 1992 to 1998, and I've been coming here steadily since for the beauty of the coast and the nearby beaches and the food and the shopping and the laid-back attitude and, yes, diversity.

I'm only here (truth be told, I opted to stay on the beach at the lovely Sheraton Sand Key resort in next-door Clearwater, as I'm a sucker for sunsets and having sand between my toes) for about 36 hours. But the diversity point was driven home pretty quickly. When I got in on Tuesday night, I parked outside the bank on Main St. and walked up to a newish spot (for me, anyway) called Pan Y Vino. As I strolled past the nightclub that's attached to Kelly's restaurant, a long-time fave, I could see a group of cross-dressing guys belting out a tune inside.

I don't know how it started, but there's been a gay-friendly, drag queen-filled place on quiet little Main St. in Dunedin since I started coming here 20 years ago. And it's a hoot. I confess to never having been inside, but I always chuckle about it and think, "Well, good for you to be so open-minded." Just to make the point even more obvious, I noticed a sign outside the club for an upcoming night of Drag Queen Bingo.

A woman at a shop on Main St. told me she's proud of her city's tolerance. She thought I was stretching the point when I said it's kinda like a miniature, more subdued Key West but I think she got the idea.

The town has changed quite a bit over the years, with more and more offerings for tourists. A few months back, a fun shop called Middle Earth Olive Oil Company opened just below Main St. on Broadway. They sell olive oils from Morocco, Italy and Greece and more, and they also have a ton of flavours, including lemon pepper and basil. Ditto for the thick, flavourful balsamic vinegars you can taste, including chocolate, blueberry and lots more.

There are new pubs and shops and cafes opening fairly frequently, so if you haven't been in a while it's worth a peek. And don't forget we're less than a month from the day that Blue Jays pitchers and catchers report for spring training. So don't despair as you shovel and shiver; happier days are at hand.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal for a lovely getaway to Cabo San Lucas in Baja California, Mexico. It's priced at $1,505, including $240 in taxes. Here are the details:

Jaunt Highlights

• All-inclusive 7-night stay at adults-only RELAX at Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Resort & Spa, located in Los Cabos, Mexico
• Includes return air from Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Regina or Saskatoon to Los Cabos, with hotel/airport transfers in Mexico
• Accommodations in a Deluxe Room, featuring 1 king or 2 queen beds and a balcony or patio. Maximum occupancy: 3 adults
• Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner, and unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks

 

Why We Love It:

• Enjoy unlimited a la carte dining at several on-site gourmet restaurants
• The resort features an award-winning spa
• RELAX features include separate check-in, in-room bottle of alcohol and more

• Valid for travel on the following departure dates:
  
  Toronto: March 15, 16, 22 & 23, 2013
  Vancouver: March 7 & 28, 2013
  Edmonton: March 9 & 16, 2013
  Regina: March 14 & 21, 2013
  Saskatoon: March 7 & 21, 2013
• Pricing (rates are per person, plus tax):
  
  Toronto
  Single: $2015
  Double: $1265
  Triple: $1145
  Tax: $257
  
  Vancouver
  Single: $2015
  Double: $1265
  Triple: $1145
  Tax: $240
  
  Edmonton
  Single: $2015
  Double: $1265
  Triple: $1145
  Tax: $250
  
  Regina
  Single: $2015
  Double: $1265
  Triple: $1145
  Tax: $260
  
  Saskatoon
  Single: $2015
  Double: $1265
  Triple: $1145
  Tax: $260
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is 100% non-refundable at time of booking 

 

 

Best Breakfast in Florida: Andy's Flour Power ... Jaunt.ca cruise deal

Somedays you just get lucky in this business.

A public relations person for Panama City Beach, Florida a couple weeks ago asked me where I might want to have breakfast. He gave me a list of five or six spots and, for some reason, (maybe the name and the fact they advertised great breakfast potatoes), I chose Andy's Flour Power.

It was a brilliant call, as it turned out. The minute I walked in and was greeted by bright, colourful paintings and a cheery atmosphere I knew it'd probably work. By the time I met owner/chief chef John Certo the deal was sealed.

Certo was born and raised in Staten Island, New York, with Italian grandmothers who knew a thing or two about cooking. Another grandmother, I think he said, lived part of the time or full-time near Panama City Beach, so he became familiar with the area ... and with grits and southern food.

He fled New York a few years back to raise a family in clean, comfortable Panama City Beach and hasn't looked back. His funky and fabulous restaurant is open only for breakfast and lunch, so he gets home by 3 p.m.

"My son can go out and play with his friends and I tell him, 'I'll whistle for you when it's dinner time.'"

How cool is that?

Certo uses as many local ingredients as he can, including delicious, locally smoked ham, but volunteers that his bacon comes from a smokehouse in Texas. Wherever it comes from, it's absolutely unbelievable. The eggs and omelettes are perfect and he makes fabulous grits with Vermont white cheddar cheese, not to mention a spicy, perfect sausage gravy that's poured onto homemade biscuits. My Dad would be in heaven. The potatoes were quite good. Maybe not quite as wonderful as I'd expected, but everything else more than made up for a very minor disappointment on the tater front.

I also sampled the French toast, which is a fresh baguette (they do great baked goods) topped with strawberries and nuts. Sinfully good. I'm allergic to nuts but my breakfast companions said Certo's large - and very green - pistachio muffins are outstanding.

All in all, a perfectly wonderful and very reasonably priced to start your day. It's worth the visit to Panama City Beach just to talk with Certo and watch him smile in his kitchen and restaurant and, of course, eat his food.

Made a very long drive from Panama City Beach to delightful Dunedin during the day, avoiding Highways 10 and 75 and instead driving along smaller highways parallel to the interstate. A few slowdowns to go through small towns such as Perry and Chiefland, and Highway 19 isn't much fun from Port Richey down to Dunedin with all the stop lights and tile stores and strip clubs and such. But it's a nice drive; very pretty and relaxing and with a lot more to see, including signs for local events and advertisements for "Ed and Bernice's Fish Camp." Beats the heck out of counting Waffle Houses on the Interstate....

I hadn't been before, so I stopped in at Pan Y Vino on Main Street in Dunedin for dinner. Service was quick and the pizza with arugula and proscuitto was quite good. They have a wood-burning oven and serve almost exclusively pizza, although you can get enormous salads for about $6, too. The pizzas range from $11.50 to $14 or so and they have a good list of fun beers and a decent wine list for reasonable prices, so check it out.

More on delightfully different and occasionally decadent Dunedin in tomorrow's report, and then on to St. Augustine....

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on for a free-drinks Caribbean cruise with Celebrity. The cost is $1,344 and includes $220 in taxes and also includes air fare.

Jaunt Highlights

• BONUS: Includes Free Beverages - valued at $88 per day! See offer details for more info.
• 7-night Eastern Caribbean Cruise sailing on the Celebrity Reflection
• Includes return airfare on WestJet from Toronto or Montreal to Miami
• Two itineraries available, both Departing and returning to Miami, Florida. Ports of Call include:
  Option One: Miami, Florida; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Basseterre, St. Kitts
  Option Two: Miami, Florida; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; Philipsburg, St. Maarten
• Accommodations in one of the following staterooms: Oceanview (Category 8 or AY), Balcony Partially Obstruced View (Category 2C) or Balcony (Category X or AX)

• The brand new Celebrity Reflection has the most up-to-date amenities and attractions
• The beautiful grassy knoll of the Lawn Club has private alcove hideaways, a delicious grill and other activities
• Visit some of the best ports the Eastern Caribbean has to offer

 

• Free Beverage Bonus includes the following: beers up to $5 per serving, spirits, cocktails, and wine up to $8 per serving, all soda selections, fresh squeezed and bottled juices, premium coffees, teas and non-premium bottled water. Server gratuities are included.
• Valid for travel on the following departure dates:
  Toronto: March 2, 16, 23, 2013
  Montreal: March 9, 16, 23, 2013
• Pricing (Rates are per person based on double occupancy):
  
  March 2
  Toronto:
  Oceanview (Category 8): $1149 + $220 tax
  Balcony Partially Obstructed View (Category 2C): $1309 + $220 tax
  
  March 9
  Montreal:
  Oceanview (Category AY): $1299 + $219 tax
  Balcony (Category AX): $1449 + $219 tax
  
  March 16
  Toronto:
  Oceanview (Category 8): $1124 + $220 tax
  Balcony (Category X): $1224 + $220 tax
  Montreal:
  Oceanview (Category 8): $1149 + $219 tax
  Balcony (Category X): $1249 + $219 tax
  
  March 23
  Toronto:
  Oceanview (Category 8 & AY): $1349 + $220 tax
  Balcony (Category 2C): $1409 + $220 tax
  Montreal
  Oceanview (Category 8 & AY): $1399 + $219 tax
  Balcony (Category 2C): $1459 + $219 tax
• Airport/port transfers are NOT included
• This offer is 100% non-refundable at time of booking 

 

 

Pensacola to pretty Panama City Beach, Florida ... Jaunt.ca deal for Scotland

 

PANAMA CITY BEACH, FLORIDA - We did pass a few bodies of water. I think I saw a couple egrets. And the towers of downtown Mobile, Alabama, which look like copies of New York’s Chrysler Building, there was damn little to see on a drive from New Orleans to Pensacola, Florida.

But things got a lot nicer in a hurry once I turned off Highway 10. If you skip past downtown Pensacola (not much to see at 8 a.m. on Martin Luther King Jr. day in the U.S.) and head south, you’ll soon pass over to Pensacola Beach and it’s brilliantly tacky, colourful welcome sign. I loved it. 

You pass along a series of motels and shops and a giant Ferris Wheel, but pretty soon it peters out and you’re driving alongside enormous stretches of pure, white sand dunes. To a northerner, they look like drifting snow banks. Thankfully they’re a little nicer to walk on. I pulled over for just a minute at a beach entry spot with stairs and walked out. And immediately fell in love.

I’ve heard about the pure, white sand of this part of Florida but I didn’t know it was quite like this. Pillow-soft. Three-ply Charmin toilet tissue soft. And fine grains with no visible rocks. And dazzlingly white.

I also was taken aback by the pure green colour of the water; like an Asian emerald. I was later told it’s really only this pretty, the water I mean, when it’s cold and that things get more murky and darker in the summer, when you really want to swim here. The water’s pretty chilly, maybe 13 degrees Celsius, but an outside temperature of  20 without much breeze is a perfectly fine day, especially in January when a temporary snowbird checks out the forecast in Toronto.

You can drive for miles along Gulf Blvd. between Pensacola Beach and Navarre Beach Park and mass miles of wide-open beaches, with only a few high-rises to mar the view. Further along, after passing the usual strip of gun shops and car washes and banks and nail salons that litter suburbia all over North America, I drove over the small bridge that separates Okaloosa Island and Destin and immediately spotted a development called Harborwalk Village on the edge of Destin.

It’s a cute development with a ton of restaurants and clothing stores and surf shops that’s right on a lagoon/inlet with white sand dunes in the distance and towering boats tied up at the docks. A great place for a sandwich and a bit of shopping. We stopped at Harry T’s for fish tacos and blackened mahi mahi. The former were good; the latter was tremendous; a thick slice of fish with a perfect amount of blackening spice and seared perfectly.

From there it was on to Panama City Beach. There’s a nice development in the east end of town called Pier Park, which has a slew of nice shops and restaurants, plus a toy train and a small amusement park with a roller coaster, rock-climbing wall and lots of rides. It’s directly across from the beach, so if one person in the family wants to shop and the other wants to build sand castles or dip their toes in the surf it’s a perfect spot.

There’s a huge pier that’ll cost you $3 to walk out on, but it’s enormously long and it’s a great place to chat with locals or visitors about the catch of the day. Yesterday it was mostly pompano, I was told, but in the fall it’s not unusual to get massive mahi-mahi or even sailfish off the end of the pier.

I had a great visit at St. Andrews State Park (see photo) with a local worker who showed me the fine dunes and crystal-clear waters around the mainland and over towards Shell Island, a 10-km stretch of quiet beaches and dunes. It’s said that a Norwegian sailor marooned there in the 1920’s and lived in a seaside shanty for several decades, selling his fish and keeping domesticated chickens and other animals.

It’s a beautiful spot with surfing, sailboarding, paddleboarding, kayaking, sailing and, they say, some of the best diving in Florida. U.S. Navy divers train nearby and it’s said to be great for serious divers or casual snorkelers. There’s also a rock-enclosed “kiddie pool” that’s a great place for kids to swim and there are trails galore and campgrounds and playgrounds and such. The area is home to a large group of white-tailed deer and they’re fairly easy to spot. There’s also a gator pond and a few coyotes these days, we were told.

There are a ton of casual seafood joints in Panama City Beach, but we checked out a posh, delicious restaurant called Firefly. There’s a lit-up tree inside the restaurant that may or may not be your cup of Java, but the rack of lamb was perfect and featured six good-sized pieces of meat. The scallops were outstanding and a new friend raved about his Texas boar shank. Top that off with fabulous crème brulee with white chocolate and you see why I think I could use an hour walk on the beach today.

Off to delightful Dunedin and Clearwater Beach today; about a seven-hour drive from Panama City. Thank goodness for satellite radio and the Bruce Springsteen/E Street Band station. Not to mention, if I choose, the Canadian news or the Catholic station or hip-hop or the 60’s station I love or even the POTUS station (President of the United States news).

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on hand for a great trip to Scotland. It's a 10-day extravaganza priced at $3,481; a $2,898 base plus $583 in taxes and fees.

Jaunt Highlights

• BONUS: Extend your flights for up to 30 days at no additional cost, and return from anywhere Transat flies in Europe
• BONUS: $150 Future Travel Voucher
• 10-day/8-night Scottish Dream Tour & Military Tattoo featuring a Loch Ness cruise, visits to Edinburgh Castle, reserved seating for the Military Tattoo and more!
• Includes return airfare from Toronto to Glasgow on Air Transat
• Includes all transfers in Scotland via luxury coach, services of a professional English speaking tour guide, and all sightseeing and entrance fees as per itinerary
• 8 nights' accommodation in Superior First Class hotels (based on double occupancy)
• Includes full breakfast daily (except day one), and 6 dinners throughout the tour
  
  

Why it's a good deal:

• The incredible amount of inclusions in the trip, from accommodations in Superior First Class Hotels, Military Tattoo, meal inclusions, to cruises, tours and more
• Visits and admissions to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Inveraray Castle, Clan Donald Centre at Armadale Castle, Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre, Balmoral Castle or Crathes Castle, Glamis Castle, St Andrews and Edinburgh Castle
• Cruise on the legendary Loch Ness, and Loch Lomond

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on August 10, 2013
• Pricing (Rates are per person, and based on double occupancy):
  
  Single: $3448 + 583 tax
  Double: $2898 + $583 tax
  
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is refundable until 5PM EST on January 23, 2013. After that time, this offer is 100% non-refundable

 

A lovely Louisiana plantation: Houmas House a gem outside New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS - It's an hour outside this bustling city.  And a world away.

A visit to Houmas House, one of a slew of Southern plantations in Louisiana, is an impressive - and a bit disturbing - way to spend an afternoon. It's only about an hour from the French Quarter to the front door of Houmas House, north and west of New Orleans near the Mississippi River.

The mansion, which dates back to 1828, was once the centre of a 300,000 acre plantation, and there's a ton of interesting history. A lot of the top stories belong to Irishman John Burnside, who bought the property for a million bucks in 1857 and turned it into the largest sugar producer in the country.

During the latter stages of the Civil War, it's said that he waved the Union Jack in front of advancing Union soldiers and claimed he was a British citizen and, therefore, immune to invasion. Apparently the northern troops bought the story as Houmas House wasn't looted.

A great story about Burnside revolves around his penchant for gambling. A man who is said to often consume three mint juleps prior to breakfast, It's said that Burnside once made a bet with the owner of a neighbouring plantation, saying he could take the neighbour in a horse race.

Burnside then proceeded to buy a high-priced race horse, which he kept hid inside the games room of his mansion and trotted out for workouts only at night so nobody would catch on. Sure enough, on race day he cleaned up and won his neighbour's plantation in the bet.

There's some very cool stuff inside, including a clock that we were told once belonged to Marie Antoinette and, later, Napoleon Bonaparte.

The house closed and was in disrepair until 1940 when a doctor bought it. It was renovated and a lot of fine features removed. The movie Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte was filmed here in 1963, although not without incident. Star Bette Davis constantly, it's said, feuded with co-star Joan Crawford; so much so that Crawford was sent packing and Olivia DeHavilland, a star of Gone With the Wind of course, was brought in.

Local businessman Kevin Kelly bought the property 10 years ago and fixed it up in fine fashion. Today there are stunning gardens and a beautiful exterior and fully restored rooms with old-time furniture, a cool, circular staircase, displays of local life and maps. Not so much, of course, any mention of the horrors of slavery. The tour guide will tell you Burnside apparently set his slaves free before the Civil War, reasoning the South had no chance of winning the war and that he'd protect his property by paying his workers a wage (of some kind) and giving them a place to live (of some variety) nearby.

Those issues aside, and that's a big thing to put aside, it's a stunning place to visit. If you do go, go with an appetite. The restaurant on site, Latil's, was named one of the top 20 places in the U.S. a few years ago by Esquire magazine. If you go on a Sunday you'll find it closed, but the more casual Burnside Cafe on site features several items from the Latil's menu on Sundays.

We tried the incredible curried pumpkin bisque with corn and crayfish - rich and delicious - and also a wonderful papaya stuffed lobster on a bed of Creole tomato risotto. The duck was just average but the salad that came with it was nice and the crawfish salad with a cane syrup vinaigrette was out of this world good.

It's $20 for an adult to take a one-hour tour.

TOMORROW: On to Panama City Beach, Florida.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Owing to technical difficulties (mostly getting up at 4:30 a.m. to drive from New Orleans to Panama City, Florida for an afternoon tour), the Jaunt.Ca will be delayed. Check this space tomorrow for my daily deal from Jaunt...

 

Iconic New Orleans food places and flaming dishes: Brennan's and Arnaud's

NEW ORLEANS - Friday nght it was R'evolution, a new, cutting edge twist on Cajun/Creole cooking. Saturday, it was all about tradition. And flames.

We had breakfast at Brennan's on Royal St., an institution in New Orleans for years and years. It's the birthplace of Bananas Foster, with rum and butter that's set ablaze tableside for you, then dished out with vanilla ice cream.

It's said, and I believe I've got this right but please no lawsuits if it's a bit off, that the owner once asked his French chef to come up with something unique. New Orleans being a big port and the entry point for millions of bananas back in the day, the chef one day announced his creation while the owner, Mr. Brennan, was at the table with a friend, Mr. Foster. Brennan is said to have to told his friend he was going to make him famous by naming the dish after him, and so he has.

If you're lucky, you might get a pretty good show from one of the long-time, tuxedoed waiters. Ours was fine, but I couldn't help wishing we had the large, round-shouldered waiter in the corner who was doing countdowns and flirting with the ladies as he prepared the dish. Still, our guy had flames going that seemed to lick the ceiling. Ditto for a speciality strawberry dish soaked in lemon and orange juices and also set aflame. Not bad, but soggy strawberries should be best be left for Comfort Inn's on the highway in Tennessee, methinks.

They start you off at Brennan's with fresh bread, including crispy strips of perfect baguettes topped with cinnamon-sugar, which makes you feel like a kid again and go down far too easy.

They do all sorts of egg and shrimp and oyster dishes for breakfast, including seafood with hollandaise sauces and tons of other creamy bits. I'm not one for hollandaise or anything goopy on my food, so I steered clear and went for a fabulously tasty omelette with cheddar cheese and andouille sausage, that Louisiana delight that's usually found in gumbo in these parts and is way too hard to find in Toronto.

The turtle soup is nice and rich and gently spicy and they make a very tasty French onion soup and a not bad oyster soup, as well.

Following a tour of the French Quarter and an afternoon getting organized for the Krewe du Vieux Mardi Gras parade through town (more on that in a future edition of Star Travel), we had dinner at Arnaud's, another local institution.

It's a beautiful spot on Bienville St. with a real, classic French feel to it; lots of glass and white columns and a tiled foor that feels like a classy spot on the Cote D'Azur. Or something like that.

They bring around  a fun potato souffle that's like a puffy potato chip that you can dip into hollandaise sauce or gobble down on its own. The crab cakes were moist and meaty and delicious and I had a shrimp creole dish that was nicely kicked up on the spice-o-meter at my request. I didn't think a lot of the local Pompano Duarte with tomatoes and garlic on top, to be honest.

We had a nice creme brulee for dessert. But the best part of the evening was another old-fashioned display of tableside pyrotechnics. Instead of flaming a pan of bananas and rum, this was called Coffee Brulot. They warm up an orange that's spiked with cloves and also toss cloves, cinnamon, orange curacao and other treats into a pan and set the fire going, then ladle hot coffee and the spice mix into a glass that's rimmed with sugar. I like my coffee with creme but you don't want to mix citrus and creme, I was told, so I took it black. And quite enjoyed it.

They have a small display area/museum upstairs with old Mardi Gras costumes and photos from back in the day that makes for a nice post-dinner treat, so be sure to ask about it. Or you can try the lively bar next door or, if you wish to get very silly, duck onto Bourbon St. and try a nasty drink like a Hurricane or a Hand Grenade.

Arnaud's, and Brennan's, are both old-time New Orleans. Tuxedoed waiters, impeccable service, a real old-school feel and good food. Not cutting edge or anything, but a wonderful place to connect with the NOLA of old and a great spot to take an elderly aunt or uncle, I'd think.

I didn't have much time in the afternoon but I did manage to find a muffelatta place near my hotel, Soniat House. Muffelatta is a tasty mix of Italian deli meats on a soft bun with a crunchy exterior, topped with olive oil and spices and a mix of, I believe, chopped green olives and carrots. Absolutely stupendous. And $5 for a half sandwich; a real steal!

More tomorrow on Houmas House, a plantation about an hour outside of New Orleans.