The U.S. has some serious eats, and we’re covering five of the very best cities for chowing down. So why not New York? Frankly, it’s too easy. Everyone knows the Big Apple is a foodie’s paradise, so we wanted to share the spotlight with other culinary highlights across the country. So let’s dig in…

Las Vegas

The “City of Sin” doesn’t disappoint. If anything, it over-delivers… with a crushing blend of hedonism and enough alcohol-infused debauchery to make Sodom and Gomorrah blush. But that’s not all. Sure, Las Vegas (please don’t call it “Vegas” in front of locals) offers surface-level pleasures like strip clubs and gambling, but it also offers world-class cuisine.

Where to eat:

Jo?l Robuchon: Located in the MGM Grand, this 3 Michelin star restaurant is among the best in town. It’s also one of the most expensive (menus start at $120 per person). But you’re in good company: France named Jo?l Robuchon the Chef of the Century. Not bad, huh?

In & Out: On the other end of the spectrum, In & Out is the west coast’s best burger chain, period.

Buffet Bellagio: Arguably the best buffet in Las Vegas. Choose from a wide variety of delicious Italian Japanese, Chinese, seafood and American cuisines.

Photo credit: nattokun

Austin, Texas

Known as the Live Music Capital of the World for its high concentration of musical acts downtown, Austin literally rocks. And as good as the music is, the BBQ is even better. In Texas, it’s not a question of if, but where you can find world-class BBQ.

Where to eat:

The best BBQ is found outside of Austin in Lockhart and Driftwood. Lockhart is home to Kreuz Market, a delicious hometown favorite since the early 1900′s. True BBQ aficionados should visit here or Smitty’s – an equally delicious restaurant from the same family – for their brisket and pork.

The Salt Lick in Driftwood may not be the best BBQ in Central Texas, but with killer live music and BYOB (bring your own booze) it’s certainly a contender. Plan on arriving early, as hour wait times are frequent. If you like, bring your own beer/wine to enjoy out in the picnic center with live music.

Photo credit: vxla

New Orleans

The “city that care forgot” is certainly worth remembering. This charming colonial city – first established by the french, then rebuilt by the Spanish after the great fires 1790 – has been hit by countless tragedies. But take note: New Orleans is the best place in the US to eat. Seriously. Shrimps. Po’boy sandwiches. Oysters. All these (and much, much) await you in the Land Of Good Eating.

Where to eat:

Best restaurants? Tommy’s is tough to beat. An upscale, delicious restaurant you’d be hard pressed not to find something good here.

The Acme Oyster House is a perennial favorite, though oysters are delicious everywhere in the Big Easy. While in New Orleans, you must try a muffaletta, a delicious sandwich consisting of olives, ham and turkey on a Sicilian style roll. It’s about the best thing you’ll ever eat.

Photo credit: Carnaval King 08

Chicago

Sure, blues and BBQ have many hotspots in the US… but none do it better than the Windy City. (Oddly enough, the term “Windy City” cam from a reference to its excessive number of long-winded politicians rather than its weather.) While the BBQ here is great – and don’t let anyone convince you otherwise – what really puts Chicago on the map are its pizza and its hot dogs. Hot dogs are (somewhat) similar around the world. But good pizza? That’s a different story… and no one does pizza better than Chicago.

Where to eat:

Giordanos One of Chicago’s most popular and longstanding deep dish pizza joints. One of the best, too.

Uno’s Pizza: No, it’s not the chain. This is the other pizza place in town. Which is better? Battle lines have been drawn, and supporters refuse to budge… but for me, Giordanos wins by a nose.

Photo credit: Heather Clemons

San Francisco

Say “foodie” and San Francisco springs to mind. It’s a sizzling mixture of Chinese, Italian, French, Jamaican and German cuisines. Plus, with Napa Valley – and all its wine – just an hour away, you could easily spend a week eating like a king and drinking like a fish.

Where to eat:

Molinari’s Deli: This salami company has been a San Francisco staple since 1896. Their deli is right in the heart of North Beach, which makes in an ideal lunch stop.

Pot Sticker (150 Waverly Place) is a fantastic Szechwan restaurant (though their Mandarin style dumplings are my personal favorite). Be sure to check out this list of 100 things to eat in SF before you die.

Photo credit: permanently scatterbrained

So there you have it: Five great cities for food. Which did we miss? Let us know in the comments below!

About the Author: Adam Costa is the Editor in Chief of Trekity.com, a travel recommendation website. He also co-founded Travel Blogger Academy to help others start blogging about traveling. Follow him on twitter.

For many-many years the Paradise Island of Cuba was at the top of my must-see places. All the colorful pictures from travel blogs and magazines just kept teasing my imagination. Needless to say, the degree of my excitement was at an all time high when my tickets were finally booked.

Now that I have had time to reflect, I can attest that this was one of the most vivid and exciting journeys of my life. Cuba lived up to my idealized version of the country. I could tell you about it’s beauty and friendly people, it’s rich culture and thriving nightlife, but instead, I’d like to bust a couple of common myths about Havana, Cuba so that you can visit it with your eyes wide open.

Myth #1:

Cuba is a wallet friendly country.

When you are in Havana the fact that you are a tourist in a foreign land will be constantly chasing you and I have to say that the government does everything to intensify that feeling.  First of all there are two types of currencies on the island. The national peso used by locals and the convertible peso, which is compulsory to use among tourists. Once you pay with convertibles you have a target on your head as a tourist with money and as a result you will have to give tips for every service imaginable. From a person watching for your car at night to an old woman on the street asking money to take her photo while smoking a Cuban cigar.

If you decide to rent a car, you’ll be assigned a special license plate dedicated to tourists, which will basically put a “honey for the bees” marker on you and increase the expected generosity level (measured in tips).

Myth #2:

Cuba Caters to Tourists

While we had the pleasure of meeting some really friendly and genuine people, the rough statistics show that all these people tend to stay out of Havana. The vast majority on the other hand will see you as an instant financial salvation to their needs whether or not they have something to offer. The crime rate is low though and most of these people will not attempt to rob or assault you since the government has very strict penalties. (the police patrols can be seen everywhere along the city). On the other hand be prepared to the fact that there will be plenty of people lining up to part you from your hard earned money.

Myth #3:

Cuba has the best Mojito in the world.

Although this remarkable sparkling drink was one the Hemingway’s favorites, The Cuban mojitos I had were one big disaster since the bartenders didn’t bother to pour anything besides rum and mineral water into my glass. It may be a cool and refreshing drink around the world, but the Mojitos in Cuba are not living up to their reputation.

The main question is…

Is it worth going to Cuba after everything mentioned above? The answer is hell yeah! For all of you “Back to the future” fans: the time machine does exist. In place of the famous Delorean though, it is all the classics you can think of from the golden years of American car manufacturers.

For me as a person who has been born and raised in Russia it was more than exciting to see all these oldies. These cars are rarely seen in Russia but in Cuba they are a part of the daily life.

Now these cars look magnificent in pictures, but there is one little problem. You totally cannot breathe around them. The next picture gives a good impression on the above-mentioned problem.

When it comes to pollution, Havana is the champion of the island. The beaches may be free and clear of the smog and smoke but Havana will make you sick. The only way to avoid the toxic stench is to hang out in the harbor where there’s still some fresh air.

The harbor of Havana is truly magnificent! When you see the beauty of daily life by the water, all the frustrations from the chaos, the scam artists, the bad mojitos and even the smog quickly fade away and disappear. And you remember why you were drawn to this country in the first place.

My name is Max. I am a Russian expat living in Amsterdam. Once my friends and I went to
Cuba I realized that most travel guide books are probably written by people who had actually never seen the place. This has triggered me to start writing my own travel blog.

For many years I’ve been keen on genre photography. I strongly believe that a photo of an average person on the street can give you more information about the culture than a thick ethnographic encyclopedia.

If you have any question about places I’ve been to, using materials of my blog or questions about meaning of life drop me a line at max at saynuclearvessel.com. Don’t hesitate!

Fresh off our appearance at Travel Bloggers Unite in Italy, we’re already planning our next speaking engagement in our home town of Toronto to speak at the Travel Tales Symposium at Centennial College.

The Culture and Heritage Institute (CHI) has been playing host to annual symposia since 2007 and has carved a niche for facilitating discussions with a focus on cultural and heritage tourism topics and issues, featuring leading industry experts, speakers and keynotes, along with attendance and participation from ministerial, community, industry and student fronts. 

The Culture & Heritage Institute is pleased to announce that its

Cultural & Heritage Tourism Symposium will be taking place this June!  This year’s theme is:

“Travel and Tales: inspiring stories and learning from global voyages”

 

Date: June 4 & 5, 2012

Location: Japanese Cultural Centre, 6 Garamond Court, North York, Ontario

Our Session: Travel at your fingertips: social media and electronic evolution

Are paper maps still in vogue… has digital travel become a force to contend with…? We’ll discuss along with Glenn Shannon of Frommer’s Canada on how online access and information have redefined travel experiences.

The 2012 CHI Symposium will focus on the strengths and expertise of each of our program clusters at SHTC:
Festival & Events, Food & Beverage, Hotels & Resorts, and Travel & Tourism

Who will attend?

We had an amazing time talking to the industry and our peers and can honestly say that our presentations at TBU went over quite well. To motivate you all to come out, we’re including a few sound bites of tweets going on throughout the conference. we dont’ want you to think that your time in the audience will be boring, so here’s a bit of what our peers had to say at TBU in Umbria Italy.

And a Few Favourite Tweets! 

So, if you find yourself in Toronto on June 4 or 5th head over to the Japanese Cultural Centre for a fun and informative conference. We’ll see you then!

The Grand Hall has a different view today than it did for new arrivals to the United States at the turn of the century. When taking a tour to he Statue of Liberty, make sure to stop at Ellis Island for a fascinating look at American History. It is here at the grand hall that families awaited their hearings regarding citizenship.

Before immigrants were allowed on US soil, they stayed at Ellis island waiting for their paperwork to clear awaiting access to the United States. They faced many hardships but it was these people that helped to shape the face of the nation.

The Gateway to America, Ellis Island

In a few weeks my parents will be coming home from Florida. They were nice enough to let Dave and I stay at their house in Ontario over the winter and use their place as a home base while we split our time between travel and catching up on work. It was extremely generous of mom and dad and we can never repay them.

We never made it to Florida to visit my parents this year, even though we had planned on it when setting up our winter schedule last summer. Unfortunately we ended up having too many travel obligations throughout the winter that kept us from being able to take a road trip to Florida. We’re bummed that we didn’t get to visit mom and dad so in honour of their coming home, we wanted to share our favourite things to do in Orlando. It really is a playground for adults and we’ve hit all the major amusement parks in our past travels to Florida. When we go back, these are the attractions we want to visit again!

Universal Studios 

Dave and I are huge movie buffs. We love going to the movies, we always make time to see movies during our travels and have experienced the magic of cinema around the world. Having worked in the film business for several years, we love visiting Universal studios to get a glimpse behind the scenes. I can’t wait to go back to Universal to see the new Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey theme park ride. I loved the books and the movie series and I am sure I will love the ride!

Gatorland 

I’ll never forget going to Gatorland when Dave and I first started dating. It seems to be a safe environment for thousands of gators and it has grown considerably since we were there last. With exhibits like Gator Lake, Swamp Lake, Snakes of Florida and shows like gator wrestling and gator jumping, it sounds like a crazy adventure.

Kennedy Space Centre 

The last time we were at the Kennedy Space Centre, we couldn’t stop laughing during the presentation because the guy up on stage sounded like a robot. We were with my mom and dad and all four of us couldn’t get our giggles under control. We’d love to go back to learn more about space travel. We want to go and train like an astronaut, have lunch with an astronaut and see where rocket ships are built. It sounds like an awesome futuristic adventure.

Golf With Mom and Dad

My parents live on a golf course and they gold nearly every day. In Florida and a trip to the state wouldn’t be complete without a round of golf. It seems that everyone does it, there are private and public golf courses everywhere in Florida and like we say “When in Rome….” Dave is a natural as usual. He is freakishly great at everything and it does drive me crazy at times. Mom and dad also have their skills down pat while I end up chasing my ball around the green while having everyone encourage me and tell me, don’t worry, we only count to 6 when it takes me 9 times to get my ball in the hole. I may not be great, but I swing my club with gusto.

DisneyWorld 

I don’t care how well travelled you are or how old you may be, a trip to DisneyWorld is always magical. We used to go every year when I was a teenager and it always brings back great memories. It is so giant now that I wouldn’t even know where to begin. But when we go back, we’ll be getting a hotel right on the resort to take advantage of all 4 theme parks. They have water parks too but we’ll stick with dry land. Do you have a favourite park or attraction in Orlando? Do you go to Florida on a yearly basis to escape the winter blues? What other Orlando attractions would you recommend?

It took one hour to capture this shot free of people. Winterlude in Ottawa is a very busy time of year and it is almost impossible to take a photograph of anything with out  a crowd gathering in front.

Maman is a famous sculpture designed by  Louise Bourgeois. It was first unveiled at the Tate Modern Art Museum in London England. It’s funny to me, I noticed the sculpture in a photograph on the Internet after returning from Winterlude and said to myself, “Hey, what’s that spider doing there?” It was then that I found out  that Ottawa isn’t the only city to be graced with this unique work of art. Other cities displaying this intriguing piece are Missouri, St. Petersburg, Bilboa, Tokyo, Seoul, Doha and Des Moines.

The sun sets over the Art Gallery of Ottawa

It really is a fascinating piece of art. Standing in the snow and cold at sunset proved it. People were drawn to it over and over again and couldn’t stop themselves from running up to take a closer look. Every detail is taken care of right down to eggs in the spider’s sack. It really is a captivating piece.

This is part of our daily series, a travel photo a day, check out more to be inspired to see the world.

Our weekend at Winterlude was the perfect getaway to beat the February blues. After a jam packed day one, we decided to take a relaxing stroll through the charming city of Ottawa, Canada. Ottawa is a walking city and it is easy to navigate. With the temperature being above normal for this time of the year, it was the perfect day to take in the sites.

A lot of the action at Winterlude takes place at the Crystal Garden.

Dave Chillin' Literally on the Ice Couch

There are ice sculptures on display and artists working on their latest masterpiece. They run workshops and kids can take a stab at carving themselves. The display here is interactive and a whole lot of fun.

Food stalls are set up outside and I said to myself “Only in Canada will people sit on a picnic table to enjoy a meal in the middle of winter” I love it! We ordered our staple food of the event, the ever popular Beaver Tail. Yes, Canadians eat Beaver Tails! But it’s not what you think. They may be in the shape of a beaver’s tail, but this is a warm and delicious doughy treat. There’s no meat in this desert, it’s deep fried sweet bread covered in cinnammon and sugar. It’s is soooo delicious.

After indulging in the mega calorie treat and vowing to start our diet on Monday, we walked over to ByWard Market where we did some window shopping and people watching. What I loved were all the fun hats on sale. Our guide in Antarctica had the cutest grover hat and these were on sale here. I love hats!

ByWard Market in Ottawa

It was then coffee time. Nothing better than enjoying coffee on a sunny winter’s day. Ottawa is a happening place this time of year and it is so much fun to walk around and people watch. It is even more fun to sit down and take a break. The Canal may have been closed for skating, but that didn’t stop us from having a great time. We strolled the markets, took in the atmosphere sat at cafés and enjoyed each others company.

Lunch ended up on the shores of the Rideau Canal at Le Café. We definitely need to start our diet next week because for now, we enjoyed a decadent meal of buttery scallops in cream sause with fava beans, mouth watering sushi, grilled steak salad and green tea infused salmon. We loved the Internationally infused dishes and once again, our server was awesome.

There are so many events going on during Winterfest that it is difficult to choose what to do. It is the perfect family event and we saw moms and dads hauling their giddy kids around from attraction to attraction.

If you have little ones, you don’t have to worry about walking too much as the city has supplied a Sno-Bus to shuttle everyone between events spread out all over the city. It’s an amazing perk to the festival.

We stopped by the national gallery where the magnificent screening of “The Clock” was showing. As movie buffs this is right up our alley. The Clock is as a 24-hour film that weaves together snippets of films throughout the history of cinema. I have no idea how he managed to find these movies and sort out their close ups of clocks to run in real time. It is almost impossible to explain so you will just have to watch this snippet we found on youtube

The National Gallery is one of the best art museums in the country, but naturally Dave only wanted to photograph the spider out front. It took us 1 hour to get a shot and Dave got an amazing shot that he isn’t putting up until this afternoon for his Photo of the Day. Come on back at 2:00 to see his work.

We walked around the city taking photographs all afternoon and no trip to Ottawa would be complete without a stop at our parliament buildings. This is where the Canadian government works and I find it as grand and beautiful as any government building or palace in Europe. They really are very impressive.

Dave Taking a Shot of the parliament buildings. Many photos taken this weekend.

And no trip to Winterlude would be complete without the amazing ice sculptures on display for all to see. This is a serious competition and here is the winner everyone.

We’ve put up a photo story of the rest of the art sculptures and you can judge for yourself if this one deserved the top prize. Unfortunately because of the warm weather, all of the sculptures lost a bit of their detail, but they are all very impressive no matter what!

First Place Winner of Ice Sculpture Competition

Winterlude is an annual event that happens every year from around Feb 3 -20. Most activities are free and most are held on the weekends. Most of the action takes place on the Rideau Canal which is normally open for skating on the worlds largest ice rink as well as varios sites around the capital like Confederation Park, The National Gallery and across the river in the city of Gatineau. Snowflake Kingdom in downtown Gatineau is a winter playground for the kids. To find out more about Winterlude, visit the Ottawa tourism website. 

There’s no doubt about it. The star attraction of Winterlude in Ottawa, Canada is the Crystal Garden. Especially when the Rideau Canal is closed due to warm weather.

Once the sun goes down, the lights go up and the artists have the chance for their hard work to shine. The Crystal Garden is located in Confederation Park right in the heart of downtown and there are all sorts of displays for people to look at. The most popular exhibit however is the long hall featuring the winners of the ice sculpture competition.

My favourite exhibit however was the painted wolves hanging out in a field. Beautiful.

For more information on Ottawa and Winterlude, check out Ottawa Tourism for all your needs when visiting Canada’s Capital City.

The entrance to the Winterlude Ice Sculpture display

The runner up for Ice Sculture of Winterlude!

And the winner is......

A sculpture display of Canadian Wolves

A memorial to Canadian soldiers inan Ice Sculpture at Winterlude

Can you believe we’ve never been to Winterlude?

It’s a festival that happens every February in our nation’s capital and Canada’s Adventure Couple has never been! We always wanted to go, but like everytime we seem to travel Canada, we end up going abroad. It is a problem.  lot of Canadians explore the world without exploring what’s right in our own back yard. We’re guilty of it. We think of ourselves as people traveling the world representing Canada. But what about seeing more of our own country?

Well, our way of thinking is changing,  we want to see more of Canada.

So lets start with Winterlude.

We were lucky to meet Jantine of Ottawa tourism in Toronto for the big announcement that Ottawa and Roots Canada were partnering and working together. So when we got back from Antarctica we hopped in our car dressed in our newly sponsored Roots Gear and drove to Ottawa. The Planet D brought Roots and Ottawa together again in our own little way.

Ottawa is a beautiful city. Be it Spring, summer, winter or fall, Ottawa is one of the most picturesque cities in the country and we enjoy visiting it whenever we can.

Winterlude

Before even heading to the city, we stopped at the Gatineau Loppet in the province of Quebec right across the river to watch the largest cross country ski event in Canada. If you are looking for a reason to get in shape, start training for this now and get yourself entered in next year’s event. There are events for all levels and ages and it is a great addition to your weekend at Winterlude. We were itching to get out on the course, but alas, we weren’t participating so we were content to stand at the sidelines and cheer everyone in after their accomplishment.

If cross country skiing isn’t your thing, there is also the Winterman Marathon that happens on the same weekend. So what you waiting for? Stop making excuses and start training today. You have just about 365 days to get in shape!

After the event, we checked into the stylish boutique hotel, Hotel Indigo located right by Confederation Park where the crystal garden exhibit takes place during the festival.

We wanted to relax a little bit after our 5 hour drive through a snow storm, so being in one of Canada’s most European cities, we opened a bottle of wine and enjoyed a glass before heading out for a walk.

The weather was absolutely perfect. Almost too perfect. Even though we drove through a winter storm to get here, the skies opened up in Ottawa and a warm front passed through. One of the biggest attractions of Winterlude is the ice skating on the Rideau Canal. The skateway stretches 7.8 km through the downtown core. We were so looking forward to strapping on a pair of skates and taking a spin on that famous route. However, the weather had turned out to be just too mild and the canal was closed for the weekend.

A Closed Rideau Canal

Never fear though, the balmy weather made for perfect walking conditions and we enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the ice gardens before heading out to dinner at the uber trendy Stella Osteria in the entertainment district of ByWard Market. A bustling neighbourhood filled with bistros and boutiques.

Stella Osteria was packed and as we took our seat in a corner booth, we knew we were in for a treat. It was perfect for people watching as we shared a bottle of fine Argentinian Malbec when our dinner arrived reminding us of our recent trip to Antarctica where we caught a ship out of the Argentinian town of Ushuaia.

The atmosphere at Stella Osteria is the perfect setting for Dave and I. Romantic and quiet yet not too stuffy where your afraid to talk and have a good time. Our server was perky and fun and we found out that she was hoping to head to Nunavut next year to teach. What an amazing experience that would be!

The service was a little slow, but that didn’t bother us, it gave us more time to enjoy another pre dinner cocktail as we waited for the food to arrive. And when it arrived, it was well worth the wait. Tonight was all about the beef. We started off with a mouth carpaccio and antipasto platter followed by a filet minion for me and rib steak for Dave. Both were cooked to perfection.

Our Yummy Antipasto

We couldn’t eat another bite and feeling perfectly content and a little groggy from all that beef and wine we took a long stroll back to the hotel.

The lights were still on in the crystal garden and the ice sculptures looked magical glistening under the colourful beams. We took a quick snapshot and went to bed. The lights will be on again tomorrow, we’ll catch them then.

Winterlude is an annual event that happens every year from around Feb 3 -20. Most activities are free and most are held on the weekends. Most of the action takes place on the Rideau Canal which is normally open for skating on the worlds largest ice rink as well as varios sites around the capital like Confederation Park, The National Gallery and across the river in the city of Gatineau. Snowflake Kingdom in downtown Gatineau is a winter playground for the kids. To find out more about Winterlude, visit the Ottawa tourism website. 

Social media is taking over the world and for one week in February, everyone is taking notice. Toronto is hosting an event along with Hamburg, Hong Kong, London, Miami, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington DC. from Feb 13th to the 17th.

Have you been wondering what all this Twitter and facebook nonsense is all about? This event should help explain it all. Over a course of 5 consecutive days, events will be happening in different venues all over Toronto. Events are selling out fast, but never fear, new venues are being added each day.

Check out more at Toronto’s Social Media Week homepage.

Where Will We Be?

We’ll be sitting on a panel at the Ballroom of the Gladstone Hotel on Thursday, February 16 at 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM where we’ll be talking about Getting Serious About Travel Blogging.

Along with a panel of experts we’ll be talking about what exactly travel blogging is and how it has developed as an industry. Travel Blogging has grown leaps and bounds in the few short years we’ve been involved and we are excited to be a part of it. We’ll be sharing our experiences from ThePlanetD on how we’ve worked with companies, how we’ve grown the blog and how we keep it up to date and interesting while we are on the road and at home.

Come on out and chat about what the opportunities are for Travel Bloggers and how travel companies and pr firms can work with us. That’s our specialty, we love showing companies the way that travel bloggers can benefit them! You’ll be surprised with the reach and influence the online community has. If you’re a company, don’t be left behind, head out to social media week in Toronto. If your a current blogger or someone interested in how you can become a blogger or grow your business online…come out to social media week!

In Cairo: How Travel Bloggers Can Increase your Brand Visibility

Even if you can’t make it to our event, there are plenty of others that will grab your attention. This is a huge worldwide event and it goes to show how powerful the online market is becoming.

As I browse the events, I am excited to see all that is going on. There are discussions powered by LinkedIn, There are discussions on the ROI (Return on Investment) for social media, monetizing digital content, online marketing, building experiences on facebook…the list is huge!

Chet out the Schedule page for the session that is right for you.

We’ll be on a panel with

Meredith Howard account co-ordinator of the top PR firm in Toronto, High Road Communications
Jantine Van Kregten - Director of Communications for Ottawa Tourism
Evelyn Hannon - Editor of leading woman’s online travel magazine JourneyWoman
Andrew Hickey the Social Media manager for G Adventures
Adrian Brijbassi - Editor of Vacay.ca created by award-winning Canadian journalists

Getting Serious About Travel Blogging is brought to you by Toronto Travel Massive. For more information on the event visit Getting Serious About Travel Blogging

Follow Social Media Week Toronto on Twitter at @SMWTO 

As we explore the south pole, we decided to share our experience from the other end of the world. No, we didn’t quite make it to the North Pole, but we did have the chance to explore much of the northernmost state of America, Alaska.

It is a dream to think that we have made it to both Alaska and Antarctica in 2 years time. Both destinations have been places that we had dreamed of visiting for years and now with a little luck and a lot of hard work, we have managed to make our dreams come true.

We are putting together our stories, photographs and videos from Antarctica right now, but as we make you wait for commentary from our greatest adventure yet, we bring you down a trip through memory lane of our favourite moments from Alaska.

1. Ketchikan Zodiac Adventure

If you want a real Alaskan Adventure, the Ketchikan Zodiac tour is amazing. We manned our own zodiacs through open water witnessing whales and bald eagles in their natural habitat. We zipped and whizzed through the choppy waters and felt the thrill of speeding along the rugged Alaskan coastline. During the tour we stopped at a bush camp for hot chocolate and marshmallows as we warmed our chilly fingers by the open fire. On our way back we stopped to see the totem poles on display in the town of Ketchikan and dodged out of the way of a float plane coming in for a landing. I have never had so much fun on water. Find our more information at Ketchikan Outdoors. 

2. Heli, Hike and Rail in Skagway

Being let off at the wilderness trail in Skagway

For a little taste of everything at once when visiting Alaska, we found the Heli Hike and Rail trip to be the perfect sampler. The tour starts off with a helicopter ride flying through the mountains and diving down towards the glaciers for a birds eye view of the Juneau Ice Fields. We were then let off at a wilderness trail where we took a nature hike to learn about the flora and fauna of the Tongas National Forest. It’s a long way back to Skagway, so instead of having the choppers come back out to get us, we hitched a ride on the Historical White Pass Railway that comes all the way in from the Yukon Territories.

3. Flying Over Mount McKinley

I don’t think that I have witnessed as spectacular scenery anywhere as we did from the plane circling Mount McKinley. In a tiny 9 seater 9-seat 1966 De Havilland Beaver bush plane we set off for our tour around North America’s highest mountain. This has to be one of the most scenic flights on earth and the ride will give you a little bit of a thrill as you fly so close to the mountain you feel as if you could reach out and touch it. Although our pilot Jim told us that it is an optical illusion, we were actually much farther away than it looks. For more information visit Fly Denali 

4. Cruising Through Glacier Bay

There is only one way to witness the glaciers of Glacier Bay and that is on a boat. We had the luxury of being on Princess Cruises and we booked a spot at the sanctuary at the back of the ship where we could witness the scenery in comfort and away from the crowds on deck. The ship spends the day circling in the middle of the bay to give you views of all the surrounding glaciers. We heard the sound of glaciers breaking off and falling into the water and we saw a grizzly bear walking along the shore. To witness Mother Nature at her mightiest is an awe inspiring sight.

5. Horseback Riding

On a Trail Ride at Mount McKinley

You can’t go to Alaska and not explore it the good old fashioned way, By horse. I imagined what it must have been like for early settlers to ride their steeds through the untamed landscape. As I day dreamed of being a real cowboy and wondered what it would be like to take part in an early wagon train or trail ride, old ranch songs played in my head. Get Along Little Doggies, Dave and Deb are in Alaska.

6. Whale Watching

The Fluke of a Humpback Whale

You are almost guaranteed 100% to see whales when whale watching in Juneau. You are almost guaranteed 100% to experience rain when visiting Juneau as well, it’s the wettest place in America. So, this is a good place to go and see some whales as the excursion goes no matter what the weather. Juneau is the best place on earth to spot Humpback whales and we saw plenty of them. We also saw Harbour seals and plenty of Bald Eagles, Amazing.

There are so many more things that you can do in Alaska. We visited Denali National Park, we panned for gold, took a river boat cruise and road ATV’s. For a real rip roaring adventure, Alaska is the place to go.

Alaska and Antarctica have been a dream and we couldn’t have done either without the help of Quark Expeditions and Princess Cruises and are forever grateful.

Not all adventures have to take place on a glacier or in the Himalayas. We had our own little adventure downtown Toronto at Roots Canada flagship store on Bloor.

Nothing But a Dream

Bloor Street Roots Canada Staff Helping us Achieve our Dream

We arrived armed with nothing but the clothes on our backs and a dream to look gorgeous. Danielle was waiting patiently for us on the second floor as we charged into the room like a running bull in Pamplona. Oh Yes, we would conquer the racks of clothes and piles of perfectly folded t-shirts.

So Much to Choose From

Shopping with Confidence

We weren’t intimidated by the staff and patrons who were dressed in their fashion forward, trendsetting frocks. We were inspired to look more like them, to model ourselves after their great style and have their expertise rub off on these two traveling slobs stuck in the rutt of wearing micro fiber gear and quick dry garments.

See the World in Style

Feeling Good at Roots

So we embraced our new chapter in ThePlanetD’s Round the World Adventures. We’ll now walk through the airport with our heads held high looking “travel chic” in our new Roots wardrobe. There’s no time like the present to put our new found confidence to the test, we’ll be draped in high quality fabrics from Canada to Antarctica and back again.

Dave and His Swag

With their grand assortment of cozy pullovers and soft hoodies, warm hats and breathable water resistant shells, Roots Canada has prepared us for any situation.

We’re now going to rival Angelina and Brad, George and Stacy and Tom and Katy. Between our Roots clothing and our Rudy Project Sunglasses, we’ll have that “hollywood incognito,” “oh you look so perfect feel” after each and every long haul flight.

Fashion Shoot

We embraced our new found celebrity status (in our heads anyway) and posed for photos all over the store.

We modelled beside the sock display and leaned on the traditional canoe, we postured in front of the classic T’s and strutted along the wall of history.

We worked the room in a way that would make Tyra stand up and take notice.

Celebrity Status

Oh Yes, we’ll be gracing the covers of Travel Vogue and Travel Enquiring Minds Want to Know and we’ll be in the latest, who’s hot?  and Who’s not of travel? We can already predict we’ll be sizzling like a side of Canadian Back Bacon on open fire in the middle of Algonquin Park on a hot summers day. We’ll let you decide if that’s a good thing or not!

• 
• Head over to Roots to join the movement…Look Good With ThePlanetD
• For more on the men’s fashion line, check out Roots Canada’s newest arrivals. 
• Don’t forget about the women’s line, let Roots Canada help you decide What to Wear on Date Night. 
• And of course make sure to follow them on Twitter and Facebook 

Not a lot of people think of Niagara Falls in the Winter, but it is a great getaway during the cold months.

During the month of January the ice wine festival is going on and Niagara Wineries are open for business. Not only are they open for business, they are running special promotions and events.

We were invited to tag along with Pam of Spunky Girl Monologues and had a fun day tasting wines, eating food and learning about the ice wine process.

Deb, Pam and Dave in Niagara's Wine Region

Photos courtesy of SpunkyGirlMonologues

Thirty Bench Wine Makers

Pam trying to keep up to all the wine they fed us!

Our first stop was Thirty Bench Wine Makers where we did some snow shoeing and wine tasting in the great outdoors. We spent an hour walking through the vineyards overlooking Lake Ontario. It was such a special touch to enjoy a glass of wine outdoors while standing among the grape vines of the winery. We had wine before the walk, wine during the walk and wine after the walk along with a delicious mushroom soup as we sat by the fire. We shared our experience in our post Snowshoeing a Niagara Winery, but we wanted to share our video with you as well today!

Inniskillin Wineries

Our next stop was Inniskillin Winery. It was here that we really learned how to taste ice wine properly and enjoy what foods are the proper pairings for ice wine. Did you know that you shouldn’t have sweet desserts with your ice wine? It actually pairs better with savoury foods. Ice wine is harvested in the dead of winter and it was here that we saw the frozen grapes left hanging on their vines for visitors to have a look at.

We shared our experience at Inniskillin in our post The Niagara Ice Wine Festival, but we put a lot of work into our videos and hav a brand new introduction that we’d love to share with you!

Jackson Triggs Estate

Finally we ended at Jackson Triggs where we had a very mellow night cap. We tasted 3 different cocktails; A heated mulled red wine spiced with cinnamon and mixed with Apple Cider, a Niagara Kir Royal where a Cabernet Fran ice wine is blended with Jackson-Triggs sparkling Wine, and and ice wine martini combining premium vodka with Inniskillin Vidal Icewine.

Mulled Wine at Jackson Triggs

Hilton Niagara

Note: We did not take this aerial photo of the Hilton, but we sure love it!

After all that wine, it was a nice touch to be able to stay over in Niagara Falls at the Hilton Niagara. Attached to the Fallsview Casino, this is the perfect location for overnighting in Niagara Falls. Our room overlooked the Horseshoe Falls and you can actually see both the American and Canadian falls from this hotel which is right in the heart of the action.

Jacuzzi Tub Overlooking the room that is overlooking the Falls.

For offseason specials, check out their website. 

Everything is within walking distance of the Hilton.

You can walk indoors to the Casino and shopping concourse, you can walk to world class dining; my favourite is the Brazilian Steakhouse Copacabana and you can catch premium entertainment at the 1500 seat Niagara Casino Theatre. You feel like you are in a resort when staying at the Hilton. They have several restaurants and unlike many hotels, people actually hang out in the lounges and lobby bars so you don’t feel like a loser sitting alone while you enjoy one of the regions award winning wines.

interior two bedroom suite

We’ve stayed here before and will stay there again. Both times we’ve stayed at the Hilton, we’ve been too busy taking advantage of everything Niagara Falls has to offer that we have yet to swim in their 10,000 square foot pool complete with waterfall and waves. What’s wrong with us? We gotta go back and take advantage of this!

Want some inspiration? Check out the Hilton’s Falls View Web Cam showing Niagara Falls in Real time.

Right now there are amazing off season deals. As people who have frequented Niagara Falls over the years, we can attest that it is an amazing getaway no matter what season.

It was nearing the end of our day as we sampled the various ice wines of the Niagara Winery, Jackson-Triggs.

Canada’s largest winery, Jackson Triggs is also one of the most popular brands of wine in the country and we had the chance enjoy a few of their latest cocktail creations.  The ice wine festival is going on right now and it is an amazing opportunity to embrace the cold and enjoy the unique wines that are created during the bone chilling freeze of winter.

The Niagara wineries have come together to attract tourists to the region during the Canadian cold and it is an exciting event. There are ice sculptures, snow shoeing, wine tastings and food pairings all with special deals at the local eateries and hotels in the surrounding area of the picturesque Niagara on the Lake.

It was at Jackson-Triggs that we enjoyed special wine cocktails such as heated mulled red wine spiced with cinnamon and mixed with Apple Cider. We enjoyed a Niagara Kir Royal where a Cabernet Fran ice wine is blended with Jackson-Triggs sparkling Wine, and and ice wine martini combining premium vodka with Inniskillin Vidal Icewine.

I can’t wait to try making these at home!

While we relaxed in the warmth, we looked out over the  vineyard and were treated to this view of the winter sun setting over the rows of vines in the backyard of the Jackson-Triggs estate winery. This was the last stop of the day before heading back to Niagara Falls where we spent the night at the Hilton Niagara overlooking the mighty falls.

The sun sets over the Jackson Triggs winery in Niagara, Ontario

I admit I wasn’t a fan of ice wine, and while Pam of Spunky Girl Monologues tried to sell me on the idea that I was going to love the Ice Wines of Inniskillin, I had my doubts.

We arrived late to our food pairing demonstration due to our snowshoeing experience going long, but the people at Inniskillin were kind enough to slot us into another tasting.

Ice Wine Bottles on Display Outside

While we waited for the previous tour to end, we enjoyed a sampling of the ice wine discovery pass. Accompanied by a delicious warm apple tart the internationally acclaimed 2007 Vidal Icewine was served in the signature Riedel ice wine glass.

Plain Old Glass with Beautiful Riedel Tall Glass

Pam and our server assured us that that glass makes the difference and as skeptical as I was, I gave it a try.

We first tasted the ice wine in a regular old wine glass and it tasted sweet and tangy at the front of my tongue. However, once I learned how to swirl it in the Riedel glass, and take a good sniff of the nose before sipping, I actually enjoyed the taste. The wine was smooth and delicious.

Now that I had found my appreciation for ice wine, it was time to head over to the food pairing. 

Demonstration Kitchen

This is such a great event that we highly recommend adding to your wine tasting. With the discovery pass, it is only an extra $10 and the meal is devine. To book your own demonstration, visit the Inniskillin website.

I thought we were going to be fed some pre-prepared food, but to our surprise, it was all cooked in front of us as the chef explained how to prepare each dish. When we saw the giant scallops sitting on the counter, we knew we were in for a treat.

Our Gourmet Meal Cooked Right Before Our Eyes

Chef, David Penny and wine expert Bruce Jackson put on a great show talking to us about how to prepare the food and what wines complement each dish. Their presentation was informative and entertaining. As a non foodie, (I love to eat it, but I’m not an expert on cooking or fine dining) my interest was kept throughout the entire presentation and I couldn’t wait to dig in.

I learned a lot as well. Chef David made it all look so easy, I almost thought that I could re-create this at home. I knew that my Dave could for sure and I look forward to him whipping up this meal for me in the future.  I am blessed with a husband that is an awesome cook. Not only is he great in the kitchen, he enjoys cooking as well. Yes, I really do have the perfect man.

Executive Chef David Penny and Wine Expert Bruce Jackson

Our sample consisted of scallops atop a heap of pulled pork shoulder sitting on a creamy butter sauce. I don’t think I have ever tasted such a delicious dish. It all simply melted in your mouth and the pairing of the ice wine was perfection. I’d take a bite, enjoy and then have a sip of wine and enjoy that. I couldn’t decide what I was enjoying more, the ice wine or the scallops and pork. Heavenly.

Scallops and Pulled Pork Shoulder on Cream Sauce

After topping it all off with home made French onion soup, I realized that Pam was right. I did love ice wine. Especially when it is paired with savoury foods as opposed to desserts. The ice wine complements the flavours of rich and delicious foods much better than having a sweet, chocolaty dessert. I actually think that I will buy a bottle of this stuff and enjoy a glass every once in a while.

Riedel Ice Wine Glasses with Sizzling Scallops in Back

After we finished our tasting we went for a tour of the cellar where we learned even more about the wines of Inniskillin. This day was so decadent that I had visions of quitting everything and becoming a sommelier. However, I was quickly snapped back into reality when .. sat us down for a nose test.

Inniskillin's Wine Cellar

We each took a sniff of the aromas in a bottle and I realized that I don’t have a nose at all. Dave on the other hand is a rock star. I always knew that he could sniff the nose of a glass of wine like a pro, and today he proved it.

Smelling the natural aromas in wine

While Pam and I sat in our chairs wondering what the smell reminded us of, Dave confidently took one sniff of the extract and knew exactly what he was smelling. He said his answer with confidence and was right!

Could a Vineyard be in our future?

Frozen Grapes for Making Ice Wine

The tour ended with a walk outside to look at the frozen grapes still on the vines. Ice wine is harvested in the middle of the night in the middle of January. Ice wine is literally harvested in ice. Once the grapes are properly froze, they are picked in the middle of the night. It’s a lovely addition to the experience to see the grapes still on the vines. The winery keeps the first four rows of grapes on the vines until the end of the ice wine festival giving visitors a first hand look at the process.

Ice Sculpture of Wine Bar

Another lovely touch was the ice bar outside just waiting for wine lovers pose for a truly memorable photo opportunity.

The Ice Wine Festival definitely made an ice wine lover out of me.

For more information on Inniskillin visit their website
The Ice Wine Festival Runs to the end of January, click here for more information, a Discovery Pass is $30
For event information at Inniskillin check out their calendar here.  

People are always looking for unique ways to enjoy a wine tasting. We’ve heard of horseback riding from winery to winery, cycling between vineyards, hiring a private bus or limo, or running a marathon between wineries like Marathon Du Medoc in France where athletes taste wine during the 42 km event.

However, this is the first time I have heard of sampling wine in the dead of winter while snow shoeing through the picturesque Niagara Winery estate of Thirty Bench Wine Makers in Beamsville.

Snowshoes and the grapevines of Thirty Bench Wine Makers

We arrived early on a picture perfect day. The snow was falling hard the day before and there was just enough snow in the nick of time for Thirty Bench to open it’s snowshoeing excursion for the beginning of the ice wine festival. The first thing we were handed was a glass of wine as we enjoyed perusing the vintages on display indoors.

Looking out over the vineyard in Niagara

After we finished our glass, it was time to brave the crisp air and suit up for our tour.

Janine and Adrienne were our guides for the day and they helped us with our snow shoes. Snowshoes have come a long way since we were kids stomping around the fields after a fresh snowfall. They are now a sleek and modern design with build in crampons to dig into the ice allowing the hiker to keep from slipping.

Adrienne Checking to Make Sure my Snowshoes are a Good Fit

We started with an introduction to the winery and learned that our guide Janine is a local gal and sommelier that has worked at this estate for years. She talked about the wines we’d be sampling today that she chose herself, and what parts of the winery we’d be visiting ruing our leisurely hike.

We were lucky that the snow wasn’t too deep which made for a very easy walk through the vineyards. We’ve been snowshoeing before in deep snow and it can be an amazing workout to say the least. Today however, was about enjoying the view and tasting the wine and having a blast!

Dave Snowshoeing in Niagara's Wine Regions

After a short walk through rows of grapes from the riesling vineyards, we came to our first tasting. A table made out of casks of wine was covered in nature chilled glasses waiting to be filled with delicious white wine. We had heated our bodies from our walk and were ready to relax and enjoy while Janine talked to us about the grapes and wine making process.

Pouring our First Wine Tasting in Niagara

As Janine talked, we snuck away to take some photographs of the gorgeous surrounding landscape and pose for a photo of an old door placed on the edge of the forest. It was a great added touch to the tour. Who doesn’t want to be photographed outside with a glass of wine in hand.

Dave and Deb at the Outdoor Door

We moved on from our first stop and as we lagged behind the rest of the group to take photographs and video, Adrienne hung back to fill us in on everything that we missed.

As wine lovers, but not wine connoisseurs, this was the perfect tour for us.

We enjoyed the hike through the outdoors and taking in the outstanding scenery of the Niagara Region. We didn’t have to focus and try to stay interested in the finer details of the types of wines we were tasting, we were genuinely interested in what Janine had to stay because we were standing right in the middle of the award winning vineyard and we could see and touch the grape vines. This is the type of tour that gets a person excited and actually makes you want to learn more about the process and what makes a good wine. Sitting around a table tasting wine is fun, but this experience is outstanding!

We enjoyed two more tastings out on the trail and learned that dried vines make for the perfect addition to a bar-b-que. Put them in a metal pan and it will add a delicious flavour to your meats. It was at our final stop that we tasted a delicious riesling with a piece of decadent chocolate. Mmm Mmm Good.

Relaxing After the Wine Tour

After thoroughly working up our appetites for about an hour of walking, we were back at the main lodge to sit by the outdoor fire and enjoy even more wine. A Cabernet Franc and an fine ice wine accompanied our outstanding fresh wild mushroom soup.

We were saddened that we had to leave in a hurry for our next tour, but happy that we live close by to return to Thirty Bench in the near future.  We cannot recommend this tour enough. If you are looking for a unique and romantic way to explore a Niagara Winery, head out to Thirty Bench while there is still snow on the ground and book the snowshoeing excursion, buy a couple of bottles of wine and then book a cute little B&B in town to enjoy the lovely Niagara Region.

Thirty Bench Winery

For more information on Thirty Bench, visit their website for details. 

Snowshoeing Through the Vineyards
$30 per guest exclusive of taxes. Includes snowshoe rental, guided trek and wine tasting experience.
Join us January 14, 15, 21, 22, 28 & 29 and February 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25 & 26 at either 12 noon or 3 pm. Book now by emailing info@thirtybench.com or call us at 905-563-1698 to reserve your snowshoes and space in our favourite winter wine country event

For more information on the ice wine festival check out the events page. 

Big thanks to Pam of Spunky Girl Monologues for inviting us along!

Stay tuned for the video coming soon! 

I remember coming into Toronto for baseball games as a kid and looking out from the Gardiner Expressway toward the famous Royal York Hotel.  I imagined what celebrities were staying at the most elegant building in the city. The Queen herself has stayed at the Royal York along with The Dalai Llama, various world leaders, Playboy playmates and rock legends!

Clearly, Everyone whose Anyone Stays at the Royal York

Year’s later, when Dave and I lived at Harbourfront, we walked through it’s lobby many a time as we took a short cut to “The Path,” Toronto’s famous underground city where we’d make our way to the Eaton Centre in the winter months. Eventually we started working in the film business, and every so often we’d shot a movie at the Royal York in one of their grand ballrooms or luxurious suites. The stars of the movies would be staying here during the duration of filming, while we would come and go to set, getting a glimpse of life of the rich and famous.

I always wondered what it would be like to stay there. 

Well, this holiday season, we had the chance to stay at the Royal York, and guess what? Ordinary every day people stay here right alongside the rich and the richer.

Deb Showing off our Travel Pro Luggage

It felt so decadent to be walking to the elevators rather than walking straight through to the subway. We waited for the lift alongside a well to do couple and said to ourselves, “yep we belong here.”  We had our brand new TravelPro Luggage in hand rather than our usual backpacks and instead of jeans or trekking pants we were dressed up, I even had on high heels and Dave wore a smart jacket. We played our part well.

Our Welcome Platter

We entered our suite to a welcoming bottle wine and their signature cheese where we immediately relaxed on the fluffy duvet on our king size bed while being careful to not spill our  red wine on the crisp white sheets.

Can’t we just stay here forever?

It was a nice touch to have our media contact give us a quick call to make sure that everything was ok with our arrival.

Is it Ok? I’m staying in the Royal York Man!

Unfortunately we had a jam packed schedule during our overnight stay in Toronto and had to leave for our CTV appearance first thing in the morning, but if we did have the time to enjoy the Fairmont, we would have taken advantage of everything it had to offer.

The Library Bar, Courtesy of Royal York

Instead, we only had the chance to enjoy our room and a final late night cocktail at the Library Bar. The Royal York is everything that you would expect from a Grand Old Hotel, luxurious and opulent. The suite we stayed in seemed a little bit dated and the bathroom could use an overhaul, but the furniture had been upgraded along with two flat screen TV’s which was a nice contrast to the antique style of floral printed sofas and drapes.

While the rooms may be small due to the hotels age, the lobby, pool, meeting and ballrooms are absolutely posh. It is fit for a Queen and that is exactly what the Royal York is, The Grand Dame of Toronto.

For more information on staying at the Fairmont when visiting Toronto, visit the Fairmont.com

It’s that time again. The time when you’ve already given up on your New Year’s Resolutions…that is if you made them.

Dave and I are the type of people that make resolutions.

We tend to make goals all year long, but we always take our New Year’s goals more seriously. After all it was a New Year’s Resolution in 2007 that made us join the Tour d’Afrique in 2008 where we cycled down Africa and changed our lives.  So keeping with traditions, we have made a lot of goals and plans.

So far we are doing OK.

The only thing is, we haven’t gone to the gym as much as we wanted to. We wanted to do yoga every day, but we haven’t kept that promise. We’re only going a few times a week. Not only is yoga good for the body, it is good for the mind. Our minds have been racing with ideas and lists and goals and we need that hour to completely relax.

This fun infograph from Brighter Life came just at the right time as well because we needed a reminder. This is a crucial time to make sure you follow through with your goals. If you can get over this hump, you can do it!

Do you make New Year’s Resolutions or do you think they are a waste of time? Have you made a resolution that you have followed through with and felt great because of it? Share your stories and inspire others in the comments below.

A Brighter Life is out there to help you stay focused on you goals and have polls and discussions going on their facebook page right now.
What’s your biggest obstacle to sticking with your resolutions? Head over now to take the poll!

It’s our nation’s capital and an iconic Canadian company together at last! 

Founded in Toronto Canada in 1973, Roots has become engrained in the Canadian psyche as a part of our national identity. Sure it dressed the American and British Olympic Teams at one point, but is was our stylish athletes making a splash in 1998 dressed in Roots apparel that made the world stand up and take notice. Canadians couldn’t get enough of the design and we flocked to Roots all over the country to buy our own Olympic dream wear and pay homage to our athletes. I’ll never forget wearing my Canadian Roots beret all over Europe in 2003 when I was traveling in the cooler months. I had never been so proud to be Canadian.

From 1998 to 2004 Canadian athletes were always hailed as the best dressed in the Olympics thanks to the smart designs of Roots Canada.

Elvis Stojco Prince Charles, William and Harry Wearing Roots

So its a natural fit that Roots should be working with the tourism board of our nation’s capital. Ottawa!

We had the opportunity to attend The Let’s Go Outside event at Roots flagship store on Bloor street in Toronto last night and meet the fine people of both Roots Canada and Ottawa Tourism.

Jantine Van Kregten Director of Communications Ottawa Tourism

James Connell, VP of E-Commerce,

With fine wines and cheeses from Prince Edward County being served and trays of Canadian centric foods such as smoked trout tacos and butternut squash soup circling around, we enjoyed a pleasant evening of mingling with tourism heavy weights from both Toronto and Ottawa.

GirlsGetaway, JourneyWoman and Dave

But What are they Doing together you ask?

Roots Clothing in Ottawa

Photo Courtesy Roots Canada and Ottawa Tourism

 Roots Canada and Ottawa Tourism have come together to give away a trip for two to Ottawa for their Let’s Go Outside Campaign.

All you have to do is sign up for more information on Ottawa, and you’ll automatically be entered for a chance to win a ‘Let’s Go Outside’ Getaway in Ottawa.

Prize Includes:

• Round-trip transportation to Ottawa
• 3 nights’ accommodation at Fairmont Chateau Laurier
• An overnight rafting adventure with RiverRun Rafting
• Two $500 Roots gift certificates
• Two sets of Roots hats and scarves
• Dinner at Le Cordon Bleu Bistro @ Signatures
• Admission to the National Gallery of Canada and the Canadian Museum of Civilization
• Two bike rentals at Rent-A-Bike Ottawa
• Two day car rental
  Contest Closes Feb 14th, see Terms and Conditions

Enter Now!

This Canadian Braving Winter in Canada

Ottawa is a fantastic winter destination. Canadians love to brave the cold and as we bundled up in our puffy coats and furry hats, we get outdoors to enjoy what mother nature has to offer. This year Winterlude happens from Feb 3rd to 20th. It’s a great time to get in the Canadian spirit and embrace the cold. Skate on the Rideau Canal, witness masterpieces of giant ice sculptures, celebrate the cuisine of Canada’s Top Chefs and explore Canada’s prettiest city.

This year, Ottawa is hosting the NHL Allstar Game, if that’s not a picture perfect Canadian moment, I don’t know what is.

Hockey, Canada’s Capital + Winter = Truly Canadian. 

A very big thanks to Erin of Never Ending Voyage for sharing these great insights on where to stay for free around the world. We have to work harder at finding free accommodation and these tips are a huge step to helping us make our future travels more affordable while having a great adventure. Enjoy!

We have saved thousands of dollars by seeking out free accommodation on our travels. These opportunities are easier to find than you’d think and have not only saved us money but led us off the beaten track, provided some of our most interesting travel experiences, enabled us to connect with local communities and been a refreshing break from the backpacker trail.

If you want to travel and think you can’t afford it; if you are feeling burnt out and tired of constant sightseeing; or if you are just looking for a unique travel adventure, then we recommend trying these opportunities for free accommodation around the world.

House Sitting

House Sitting in Jacksonville

People all over the world are looking for house sitters to look after their homes while they are away. You can stay in a whole house, often very comfortable or even luxurious, for absolutely nothing. Your role in exchange varies: you’ll need to keep the house in good condition and usually you’ll need to look after pets too.

House sitting has enabled us to visit places like Japan that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford, and has led to us visiting cities we wouldn’t have thought of. We love staying in residential areas rather than the touristy parts of town, and getting to know a place by living like a local. It’s also a great way to enjoy some home comforts while travelling. After months on the road a comfy couch, hot shower and well equipped kitchen is just what we need.

House sitting isn’t just for long term travellers, as opportunities are available for a few days up to many months. Why not plan your vacation around a house sit for an interesting and very affordable trip away?

Our Experience

Simon House sitting in Argentina

We have looked after a puppy and large house in the countryside of northern Argentina; a spacious condo overlooking the river, with a pool and four cats in Florida; and a traditional house and three cats in Kyoto, Japan. Each of these has been for 3-4 weeks and we have saved about $5000 in accommodation costs and had some wonderful experiences.

How to Find a House Sit

Register with a house sitting organisation such as HouseCarers, Mind My House, or Trusted Housesitters, pay a small annual fee, create a profile, and keep an eye on listings that come up. When you find one that suits you apply to the owner via the site.

Tips

• Be flexible ñ you might have to go where the opportunities are.
• Create a detailed profile and include any relevant experience and a link to your blog if you have one.
• Sign up to daily emails from the house sitting website and apply quickly. House sits are competitive.
• Provide references. If you are starting out maybe house sit for a friend.
• Keep trying if you have no luck at first. You will be more successful choosing less popular destinations.
• The most opportunities are in North America, Europe and Australia.

House Sitting Pros: Saves money, you have a whole house to yourself, privacy.
House Sitting Cons: Have to look after pets (may be a pro!), commitment to a certain period of time.

Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is an organisation that connects people around the world. A huge network of hosts offer their couches or spare rooms to travellers for absolutely free. It’s about more than just free accommodation though, it’s a way to meet interesting people and tap into their local knowledge. It’s a much more sociable experience than house sitting and is best for short term stays. Couchsurfing isn’t just for young travellers ñ we know families who regularly couchsurf.

Our Experience

Couchsurfing in Canada

We have stayed in spare rooms in Argentina, Paraguay, Colombia and Canada. All our experiences have been excellent, we’ve made some great friends and seen a different side to places that we wouldn’t have seen staying in hostels.

How to Find A Couchsurfing Host

Sign up to the couchsurfing website, create a detailed profile, search for a host using certain criteria (location, number of people etc.), and send the host a couch request with your dates.

Tips

• Host couchsurfers before you travel to get a feel for how it works and build up some references.
• If you are worried about staying with strangers choose hosts who are vouched for and have lots of references.
• Send a personalised couch request, saying why you think you’ll get on with the host.
• Start with two nights and see how it goes. We usually extend our stay if it suits the host.
• Help out around the house and cook meals for your host.
• You don’t have to stay with someone. You could just meet for a coffee or attend a meetup that many couchsurfing groups organise (search for groups for the city you are in).

Couchsurfing Pros: Meet local people, no time commitment, saves money, access to local knowledge.

Couchsurfing Cons: Less privacy, may not be a comfortable sleeping area, might not get on with host.

Work in Exchange For Food And Accommodation

By working in exchange for your room and board you can save a lot of money on the road and have some really interesting experiences. Many opportunities are on farms but you can also work in hostels and even private homes. Usually you’ll work for four hours a day so you’ll have time to explore the area too, but make sure you agree the terms before you sign up.

Our Experience

Simon Wwoofing in Australia

In Australia we used the WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms) programme to find an opportunity in the Northern Territory. We stayed with a family and helped in their large garden in exchange for meals and our own private room, bathroom and wonderful outdoor lounge. We got on really well with the family and loved our experience.

Work Exchange at Stables in Costa Rica

In Costa Rica we use the HelpX website to find a placement at a riding stables in a remote, untouristy part of the countryside. We had to pay $20 a day but we only worked two hours a day and got to ride horses twice a day. It was tiring but an amazing experience getting to know the horses and family, and I even got to ride with local cowboys in a traditional cabalgata (group ride).

How To Find A Work Exchange

Erin Horse Jumping in Work Exchange, Costa Rica

There are a number of websites where you can find placements. WWOOF is the most well known, focusing on organic farms and you have to join the programme for each country you’ll be visiting. HelpX and Workaway have a range of different opportunities all over the world. After paying a small membership fee you’ll have access to listings that you can apply for.

You can also find opportunities informally, maybe by asking at hostels. We arranged to stay at a lodge in the Peruvian Andes for three weeks in exchange for creating their NGO’s website.

Tips

• There are more opportunities in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. In developing countries they sometimes charge a fee and accommodation standards are lower as they can get cheap labour locally so your services aren’t as needed.
• Agree your working hours, days off, included meals and type of accommodation in advance.

Work Exchange Pros: Interesting experiences, spend very little money in rural areas, could add it to your CV, provides a sense of purpose, meet people.
Work Exchange Cons: Living conditions could be basic or shared, you have to work!

These opportunities for free accommodation are a great way to travel inexpensively but they are much more than that. They have taken us off the beaten track, introduced us to new friends, taught us about local cultures, and left us with some of our best travel memories.

For more advice on travelling cheaply don’t miss Dave and Deb’s helpful post on how to travel on a budget. <awe, thanks guys

Erin McNeaney and her partner Simon sold everything they owned and left the UK in March 2010 to travel the world forever. They run a WordPress web design business on the road and have travelled to Latin America, North America and are currently in Asia. You can follow their adventures at Never Ending Voyage, on Twitter and on Facebook.