Archive for the 'Western Canada' Category
Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics tickets go on sale today
October 3, 2008 11:12am
If China was too far (and too expensive) of a trip to take to see the Olympics, why not consider a jaunt up to Vancouver, Canada, for the 2010 Winter Olympics? Tickets went on sale today and will continue to sell for five weeks through Nov. 7, 2008. Get ready to see events in figure skating, bobsleigh, ice hockey, luge, ski jumping, speed skating, all sorts of varieties of skiing and more.
Deal: The 2010 Vancouver Olympics website reports there will be 100,000 tickets for $25 and half of all tickets will cost less than $100. You can check the price of the tickets by sport or by day.
Toronto explosion: evacuation area, highway & subway closures, no delays at YYZ Pearson International Airport
August 10, 2008 7:47am
Good morning, travelers. I awoke, checked Twitter and found out that there was an explosion at a propane facility in the northwest end of Toronto. Jeremiah Owyang spread the news that @photojunkie had photos and video of the explosion before there were any stories from the press. Here are some Canadian news reports, which include information on evacuation areas, transportation closures and airports.
> Massive evacuation follows blast in Toronto [The Star]
> Explosion rocks west end Toronto [National Post]
> Closures and evacuations: Residents within a mile of the Sunrise Propane Industrial Gases in the Keele and Wilson area have been evacuated. [Canadian Press]
> Transportation: CLOSED: Hwy. 401 between the Don Valley Parkway/ Hwy. 404 and Hwy. 400; Subways Downsview, Wilson and Yorkdale. DIVERTED: Subways on the Spadina line are turning back at the Lawrence West station. According to the TTC, bus routes 107 Keele North, 84 Sheppard, 96 Wilson, 29 Dufferin, 165 Weston and 108 Downsview are “on diversion.” [Inside Toronto: The Mirror]
> Flightstats reports no current delays at Pearson International Airport (YYZ)
– Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel blogger
[Photo credit: photojunkie.ca]
Travel Ticker website from Hotwire focuses on bargains
July 21, 2008 12:01am
The unemployment rate in California is up to a five-year high, and that tells you nothing good about the economy in the Golden State or anywhere else.
So the timing for Travel Ticker (www.travel-ticker.com), a new bargain website from the Hotwire people, probably couldn’t be better. It makes its debut today.
“We love to read about deals so we wanted to have something that was enjoyable to read and peruse and would inspire travel among enthusiasts,” said Barbara Messing, vice president of Travel Ticker.
Unlike some sites that suggest bargains that aren’t bargains for West Coasters, Travel Ticker uses “geo-targeting,” meaning you’ll see bargains appropriate to where you live. Read the rest of this entry »
Sink your teeth into 10 great food festivals
May 31, 2008 1:45pm
Eat stone crab in Florida, sushi in Long Beach, California, oysters in British Columbia. Or imbibe on Dom Pérignon in Pebble Beach, California, and mead wine near Newport, Oregon.
All are available at food festivals taking place during the upcoming year in North America, according to the June issue of Coastal Living Magazine, which names the Top 10 seafood and wine festivals.
The list includes:
1. Sushi and Sake Festival, Long Beach, June 14; www.queenmaryfestivals.com or (310) 320-7867. This daylong event will include sumo wrestling, taiko, music and a tea ceremony.
2. Kapalua Wine and Food Festival, Maui, Hawaii, June 26-29; www.kapaluawineandfood.com or (866) 669-2440.
3. Harvest on the Harbor, Portland, Maine, Oct. 23-25; www.harvestontheharbor.com or (207) 775-2126, Ext. 122.
Canada: Wake up in these 25% off hotels
May 28, 2008 12:06pm
Open up those peepers and check out our neighbors up north.
GreatCanadianHotels.com is offering 25% off the lowest available rates on more than 25 hotels across the grand expanse that is Canada. If the rates even at a discount don’t sit well with your wallet, then try for a trip that’s 100% off: The same website is holding a contest (more info at bottom of post).
Deal: Nearly all of Canada’s provinces are home to hotels included in the “Wake Up to Canada” promotion, though the most represented province is Alberta, with nine hotels. That’s good news if you’re thinking about a trip to Calgary, or perhaps Banff National Park. Read the rest of this entry »
Canada - VIA Rail spring specials for the family
March 30, 2008 3:42pm
Do you want to while away some days gazing out a window, taking in the beauty of our neighbor to the north? Consider riding the rails through Canada, as VIA Rail Canada has some great discounts going on this summer.
Note that on all of the following deals, discounted seats are limited, so act soon. Prices included here are approximate current U.S. dollar conversions (the Canadian dollar is a tad stronger, with 1.02 of them for every one of our poor dollars, at present).
Head west from Toronto: A trip from Toronto to Montreal or Toronto to Ontario in economy class is now just $58 one-way (pre-tax). When: You must complete travel by May 31, 2008.
Kids ride free: If summertime train travel sounds like fun for the family, take note of this offer. Read the rest of this entry »
Spring break - Do U.S. citizens need a passport for Mexico & Canada?
March 11, 2008 8:00am
A reader wrote in and asked us if he would need a passport if he was going to Canada for two weeks? That’s a good question and there is plenty of confusion out there when it comes to what kind of paperwork travelers need just to get across the border. The rules for re-entry to the United States changed in January, so if you are confused, your concerns are valid.
Crossing the Canadian or Mexican border: If you are a U.S. or Canadian citizen and want to take a short trip across the U.S. borders, you will need proof of citizenship when crossing by land or sea. Take a passport, a traveler program card such as NEXUS or SENTRI, or a birth certificate with a driver’s license. If you are 18 or younger, just a birth certificate will get you through. If you are flying across the Canadian or Mexican borders, you will need to bring your passport. These rules also apply to Bermuda and the Caribbean. [U.S. Customs and Border Protection]
Leap Day deals - 29% off, today only!
February 29, 2008 9:31am
Happy Leap Day, everyone! If you missed out on the previous Leap Year hotel deals, don’t worry. Expedia is offering 29% off hotels and vacation packages to Mexico, the Caribbean, Canada and even right here in the good ol’ U.S. of A. But hurry — it’s good only until midnight tonight!
There are so many destinations to choose from in the “Save 29% on the 29th” deal. I tested a three-night flight + hotel vacation package to Las Brisas in Acapulco, which came to $626 per person (double occupancy), including taxes.
Passports - Bracing for new Mexico & Canada border rules
January 30, 2008 5:22pm
Could the rules for crossing borders get more confusing? You need a passport to leave the country. No, wait. To return from Canada and Mexico, you need one only if you fly. If you drive or go by sea, an oral declaration plus a government-issued photo ID are enough. No, wait. Starting Thursday, you will need at least a birth certificate plus the ID. Um … unless you’re 18 or under. Then a birth certificate is enough.
Cross a border. Carry a passport. How hard is that? This being America, it’s way more complicated, thanks to some businesses, foreign governments and travel interests that have lobbied against tightening borders, even as they say they support the goal. Add a compliant Congress and government bungling, such as last year’s passport backlog at the State Department, and you’ve got a snarl of shifting rules that rivals an IRS form.
Riding to the rescue, at last, is U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Department of Homeland Security. Under fire for not adequately publicizing Thursday’s changes, the agency is posting a 30-second public service announcement [Windows Media audio file, opens in a new window] on its website that it will soon ship to broadcast outlets, said spokeswoman Kelly Klundt. Sung by Canadian Shirley Myers, the country-flavored song has lyrics only a bureaucrat could love (rhyming “common sense” and “documents”), but at least it delivers the message.
British Columbia: Whistler early-bird ski deals
October 23, 2007 12:12am
Future home of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, the ski resort of Whistler has just announced details of an ambitious new construction project, the “Peak to Peak” gondola. When it opens in December 2008, the record-breaking ski lift will be the world’s longest free-span lift (nearly 2 miles long), taking only 11 minutes to connect the peaks of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains.
Deal: If you book a Whistler ski vacation package, which includes accommodations and lift tickets, now for a trip this winter, you can save a bundle of money. The Tourism Whistler site is advertising five-night vacation packages from $420.06 per person (double occupancy, excluding taxes and fees). The four-day lift ticket alone is worth $239.35 per adult, which means you’re paying only $72.28 per night for your room. That’s 25–40% off the cheapest stand-alone resort room rates currently available online.
What do you think of Whistler? Is it truly excellent, or overrated? Give us your opinion. Read the rest of this entry »
