TAKING A POWDER

A friendly p.r. person sends me a press release, and it seems there's a web site out there where folks can rate public washrooms all across Canada.

Sometimes, of course, it's all about proximity and timing, especially for those of us of a certain age. But if you've got time to walk that extra block, why not indulge in something a little more exotic?

The website, www.powderroom.ca, has reader reviews on washrooms around the country, from Bonavista to the Queen Charlotte Islands and from everything from McDonald's to Holt Renfrew.

Here's one person's description of the Restoration Hardware store on Yonge Street, north of Eglinton from a couple months back:

"Best publicly accessible washroom in Toronto. Always pristine and stocked with their own high-end products."

The ten top-rated places are singled out and given the "Powder Room Seal of Approval," along with a silver plaque. Yorkdale Shopping Centre copped the top award for Ontario last year, in case you want to check it out.

TWIN TOWERS

Okay, today is the 175th anniversary of Toronto, the city with the (formerly) tallest freestanding symbol of malehood on the planet, that being the CN Tower of course.  But did you know this year marks the 10th anniversary of Viagra in Canada?

Coincidence? I don't think so.

GO NOW. I SAID "NOW!"

Interesting but depressing item a couple weeks back from cnn.com/travel talked about five places people shouldn't miss before they're ruined by global warming. Cnn spoke with Bob Henson, author of "The Rough Guide to Climate Change," and came up with a list based on changes that already are taking place around the globe and others that are expected soon. Here's the list and some comments:

1. The Great Barrier Reef, Australia. "Many of the world's reefs already are experiencing 'bleaching,' in which algae living in the coral die and leave behind whitened skeletons."

2. New Orleans, Louisiana. Henson says rising sea levels "could spell trouble for tourists and residents alike."

3. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Pine beetles are "destroying large patches of trees."

4. Alpine Glaciers, Switzerland. "The European Alps sit at a lower altitude than the Rocky Mountains, and their glaciers and ski resorts are therefore more susceptible to melting."

5. Amazon Rain Forest, Brazil. "Deforestation continues to be the major environmental issue in the Amazon, the world's largest tropical rain forest. But as locals and corporations chop down the Amazon's rich forests to create farmland to harvest biofuels, climate change may make things worse."

PROTESTS IN PARADISE

HONOLULU, Hawaii - Big protest here on Saturday, featuring thousands of Hawaiians worried about native Hawaiian rights.

January 17 was the anniversary of the overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom in 1893, and protestors took to the streets of Waikiki to protect self-determination for native Hawaiians. It seems the state government wants to sell some former monarchy lands for affordable housing.

But native Hawaiians are resisting, and the state Supreme Court has said the sales can't go ahead until native Hawaiian land claims are settled. The state wants the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the state court ruling.

One protestor said it's rare to see so many different Hawaiian groups come together for something like Saturday's march, which probably bewildered tourists looking for a tan on a sunny, beautiful day following a stormy Friday.

"We need to take this abroad," Kaliko Baker told the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. "Together with all the keiki (children) out here. It's awesome. We're perpetuating our culture."

UKELELE MAGIC

Many thanks to Gordon Mark, Alvin Oshima and Brian Benevente for giving me a tour of the KoAloha ukelele factory in Honolulu on Saturday. They even put on an impromptu concert to show off the instrument's versatility, and it was something special.

More on that later in the print version of the Star's Travel section. And maybe some video if the good people at the Star can put with my video-making abilities, or lack of same.

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Got back to my room after the ukelele tour and a brief drive around the western corner of Oahu (including a quick snap of American President-to-be Barack Obama's favourite playground/bodysurfing spot, Sandy Beach), and the maid was just coming in to clean up. I told her to go ahead while I admired the view of Waikiki and got some stuff put away.

She noticed a small, three dollar tip on the edge of the bed (my wife pointed out to me recently that if you leave money on the desk the cleaning staff might think you left it by mistake but if you put it on the bed it's clear it's for them, and it's only one of the reasons she's so smart) and thanked me profusely.

I didn't think it was so much for a large room but she was so appreciative.

"You're welcome," I said, "Thank you for a good job."

"No," she said, "thank you."

"It's okay," I replied.

"No," she answered. "We appreciate having visitors like you come to Hawaii. It's why I have a job."

COOL RUNNINGS

Anyone see where the canals have frozen over in Holland? Also in the Netherlands, we're told. Anyway, it hasn't happened for more than a decade, and the Dutch (there's a good Seinfeld episode that goes over all this, by the way) have taken to it like ducks to a (frozen) pond.

The cold spell that has Europeans shivering probably isn't so welcome in Rome or Paris, where a cousin of mine almost shivered to death in January. But it's great news for the ski industry and for skate sales in Holland.

F-F-F-FREEZING

Would SOMEONE TURN DOWN THE AIR CONDITIONING in this state? I didn't come to Hawaii to freeze. I want to wear shorts in the airport and a golf shirt and not freeze my butt off. But I'm trying to type here and my fingers actually are cold and stiff.

I mention this out loud and an older guy nods his head.

"I"m from Minnesota," he said, "and I've never been this cold."

It's the tropics, folks, let in some fresh air and turn down the AC. You'll help your
tourist industry and save some bucks; not to mention help the climate change problem. Honestly. Do this right away.

SEA TO SKY

Wow. A day in Whistler on a picture-perfect fall afternoon is something very, very special.

Folks who gathered in Vancouver to hear about plans for the 2010 Winter Olympics were sent on a bus ride from the city to the Whistler Olympic venues on Wednesday. It was a drop-dead gorgeous day, with temperatures around two or three degrees, plenty of sun and only a bit of wind. And no snow on the ground (sorry, Toronto).

The Sea-to-Sky Highway that links Vancouver, Squamish and Whistler is about 80 per cent finished, and the road's come a long way since a visit by this corner back in June. It was two hours door to door and the highway, we must say, looks terrific.

The views of the mountains out here are enough to make an Ontario resident green with envy.

As for the Olympic preparations, things look in terrific shape for the big show in 2010. No less an authority than Don Mills' own Steve Podborski says the downhill run for the Winter Games will be the best ever, and we never doubt the Pod.

After a morning that was spent checking out the ski jump, biathlon and cross-country facilities in the Callaghan Valley, officially dubbed Whistler  Olympic Park, reporters were bused up to Whistler for a tour of Olympic accomodations and, in some cases, the bobsleigh/skeleton/luge run. It looks outstanding, and folks can hardly wait for the show to begin.

When the day was done, the good folks at Tourism Whistler treated the assembled media to a fine array of appetizers and B.C. wines at the Fairmont Whistler. Hey, it's a tough job, folks.

OUCH

Jeff Lee of the Vancouver Sun reports that a few anti-Olympic types were outside the Pan Pacific Hotel the other day, telling some media folks about their opposition to the Winter Olympics.

International Olympic Committee member Kevan Gosper of Australia apparently wandered by and, in perfect deadpan style, asked if the assembled protestors were for or against having the 2010 Games in Vancouver-Whistler.

When told they were firmly in the opposition, Gosper looked at one protestor and said, "Well, aren't you a                                                                                  bit late?"

YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING

It's been talked about for some time. And now it appears the apocalypse is upon us.

Yep; Malaysian Airlines is beginning to allow people to use cell phones on some of their flights.

According to Associated Press, the airline has teamed up with a British mobile company to allow blackberries and other pda's and cell phones to be used. It's only on one plane right now (thank God), a single Boeing 777-200 that should carry a giant warning on its side so that unsuspecting folks looking for peace and quiet on a long ride can cancel their ticket before they get on board.

Nothing wrong with using your laptop or your crackberry on a flight. That's not intrusive. But can you imagine a bunch of yahoos, or even normal people like you and me, chattering with friends about their work and their grocery lists and, heaven forbid, their private lives during a long ride to Europe?

I can't imagine anything worse. But it appears I'm in the minority.

NO MORE FREEWAY BLUES?

Here's a good idea, and I'm not simply speaking as a guy who used to trudge regularly from college in Los Angeles to home in suburban San Francisco. At the same time they were approving a measure to ban same-sex marriage in the Golden State (why I don't know, except to say that there are tons of ordinary Republican-types in California), voters were approving a $10 billion bond to build bullet trains to link southern California with the north.

The first phase apparently calls for links between Anaheim-Los Angeles, Fresno and San Francisco. Later, they might add San Diego, Oakland and Sacramento (a town that doesn't get enough credit as a nice place to visit for a couple days).

High-speed rail lines are hugely popular in many parts of the world, of course, including Japan, China and Europe. The Boston-New York-Washington corridor has one but it's pretty pokey compared to the TGV in France or the Japanese trains. Still, at least they're trying.

And hasn't there been a lot of talk of similar lines in Canada? Where, exactly, has the Canadian government been on this issue?

BUMMER OF A SKI LIST

Spotted a list of top-ten North American ski resorts the other day. It was done up by the Houston Chronicle, so it's pretty heavy on Uh-muhr-uh-cun destinations. topping the list was Snowmass in Utah, followed by Breckenridge, Colorado, Beaver Creek, Colorado, Aspen, Colorado (sensing a pattern here?), Vail (yeah, Colorado; was this written by John Denver or something?), Park City, Utah, Steamboat Springs, Colorado (sigh), Deer Valley, Utah and Telluride (Colorado). Whistler-Blackcomb snuck in at the number ten spot, according to a web site called ski.com

On the other hand, Skiing magazine gave Whistler the nod for best apres-ski for 2008-2009.

Following are the rest of the top-ten apres-ski spots:

2. Telluride

3. Breckenridge

4. Vail

5. Park City (even with light beer)

6. Killington, Vermont (score one for eastern North America)

7. Heavenly, California

8. Aspen

9. Steamboat

10. Deer Valley, Utah.

Stunning that Tremblant wouldn't make it to the apres-ski list, isn't it? Then again, this appears to be an American-based list so let's not take it too hard, folks.

ONTARIO DEALS

With the cold weather suddenly arriving (gee, wasn't that nice to wake up and see snow on the rooftops?), it's time to think about southern Ontario skiing.

Time's running out, but Blue Mountain has a deal on for early bird passes. Passes purchased on or before November 1 qualify for special discounts.

Go to www.bluemountain.ca for details or call 877-445-0231

LOCAL SPA

The Spa at the InterContinental Toronto Centre is an 8,000 square-foot facility that offers a range of massage, therapy, skincare and aesthetic services. There are ten treatment rooms, a saline pool and a Himalayan salt hot tub.

Yours truly isn't sure what the deal is with Himalayan salt as opposed to, say, the stuff from Manitoba. But it sounds exotic, doesn't it?

The InterContinental recently underwent a $30 million renovation.

CALLING RODNEY DANGERFIELD

We mentioned in this space the other day how Toronto was ranked ninth in a list of favourite cities in the Americas, as published by Conde Nast. Now we take a closer look at the rankings and find British Columbia is taking all the glory for top Canadian resorts.

The magazine's November issue lists the top resorts in the country as the King Pacific Lodge on Princess Royal Island, Wickannish Inn on Vancouver Island, Long Beach Lodge Resort on Vancouver Island, Emerald Lake Lodge in Yoho National Park and the Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre. Score zero for eastern Canada in the top five, although the lovely Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu east of Quebec City weighed in at number eight.

Ontario was shut out of the top 20. It might seem surprising to those of us who've been to places like Taboo in Muskoka. But most Conde Nast readers are likely Americans, and it's already been established that U.S. visitors to Canada seem to like British Columbia's scenery and Quebec's French culture more than they admire the charms of Muskoka or even the thundering waters of Niagara.

No respect at all.

MORE TROUBLE FOR AIRLINES

Icelandic-owned Sterling Airways has cancelled all flights, a move that left thousands of travellers stranded across Europe.

According to a story on the Travel Mole web site, the low-cost airline, which flies from Gatwick to Copenhagen, Stockholm and other Scandinavian cities, said it was filling for bankruptcy and blamed the Icelandic financial crisis for its decline.

So, just who was the wise guy who first said, ''May you live in interesting times?"

WHAT'S THAT WHITE STUFF ON THE GROUND

Weren't we just wearing shorts on the weekend? Wow. 27 years in Ontario and I still can't get used to it.

Anyway, it's time to put away the Titleists and get out the Rossignols. With the impending ski season in mind, the folks from British Columbia, where they apparently have a ski hill or three, were in Toronto the other day to chat about what’s new.

 

The biggest change, coming in December, is a mammoth gondola that will stretch a ridiculous 4.4 kilometres between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. Not surprisingly, it’s the longest unsupported span of its kind in the world, folks say.

 

Tabetha Boot of Whistler-Blackcomb tells the Star’s travel section that gondola passengers traversing the passage between the two mountains will be 436 meters above the ground; higher than the CN Tower. Two of the 28 gondolas will have a glass panel in the floor for photo-taking, and won't that be a popular shot for, oh, I don't know, the next 14 years.

 

As well as providing a thrill ride, the gondola will allow skiers to use both mountains in the same day. They can do that now, but it’s a pain to get from one hill to another and you more or less have to choose which mountain you want. Now, it’ll only take 11 minutes to make the journey, and you won’t have to drive or change into your shoes.

 

There’s plenty new in other parts of the province, where resorts like Red Mountain Resort and Fernie Alpine Resort in the Kootenay Rockies are garnering more and more attention.

 

Lest they get forgotten in the Vancouver-Whistler Olympic focus, the people over at Mt. Washington on Vancouver Island told reporters that they get more snow than any resort in the province (although they were quick to say it depends on how you measure it, which is a strange concept when you think of it, there being only one way to count snow depth that we’re aware of).

 

The night after the B.C. snow people treated the ski media, there was another event sponsored by the folks down in Vermont, home to noted resorts such as Stowe, Killington, Sugarbush and Jay Peak, which is the major resort closest to Toronto and one that is undergoing a major renovation. Stowe is getting a $400 million development with a new luxury hotel and spa, while Smugglers’ Notch has new lodgings to offer.

 

The p.r. battle between resorts is always fun to watch. It’s gentle enough, but each has its own way of suggesting it’s the one where Torontonians should be driving come winter. Jay Peak says it has the “most abundant natural snowfall in the East,” while Killington boasts that it’s “the largest ski and snowboard resort in the eastern United States.” Stowe talks about its new developments and also slyly mentions that such families as the Vanderbilts and Roosevelts have graced their resort over the years.

 

Then again, New York officials who met with the Star the other night say they have more ski resorts than any state in the U.S. I guess what it all means is there’s lots of hills out there. And judging by the sudden flurries in the air, it’s about that time again.

 

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SEPARATED AT BIRTH

 

If you’re ever in Vermont for breakfast, ask if they have any maple syrup from New Hampshire and say it's because you’ve heard it’s just a little bit better than the Vermont variety. Then stand back. When your travel guy went for breakfast in Lincoln, New Hampshire last year and asked for Vermont maple syrup, he was told that the door to leave the restaurant was in close proximity to the table where he was sitting. The guy smiled when he said it, but there’s a definite rivalry between the two states.

 

Vermont seems fine enough, and I quite liked Burlington the last time I was there, but you can’t beat New Hampshire for license plate slogans. I mean, only in America would you have a saying like “Live Free or Die.”

 

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DON’T STOP NOW

 

We’re still getting comments about your favourite places to see in Canada and Ontario. Only a few of them involve Tim Hortons outlets.

 

It’s good stuff, and some of it's pretty surprising. So check thestar.com/travel and send in more comments. We’ll soon publish some of your thoughts.

 

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TORONTO DOINGS

 

The Holiday Inn on King Street near the entertainment district is moving into the Hyatt family and being re-branded as a Hyatt Regency. It’s slated to open in January after a “top-to-bottom” renovation that includes 42-inch televisions, iHome clock radios, updated bathrooms and a new lobby.

 

“We are pleased to be expanding our presence in this important North American city, and expect to continue to seek opportunities to expand our select-service and full-service brands in the Toronto metropolitan area,” said David Tarr, senior vice president development, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts.

 

Word is the new hotel also will feature new “Hyatt Grand Beds,” and when did every hotel chain get its own line of beds, anyway? I don’t remember a Motel 6 mattress and frame set when I was a kid. We had the magic fingers massage for a quarter, but that was it. What a ripoff.