Canada

       It seems like every hotel worthy of the name is pitching a Valentine’s Day deal in this year of the recession. But the fact is that the best romantic getaways are romantic year round, not just on February 14. So forget about the legions of mediocre hotels

 It's the end of the harvest season in North America, and thus an opportune moment to speak with Canadian writer Anita Stewart. For decades, Stewart has been writing and speaking about the bounty of Canada. She's been dubbed the “patron saint of Canadian cuisine" by the National Post. Call her

  In the competitive world of adventure travel, the small adventure travel companies can sometimes get lost in the shuffle. Which is a shame, because they can provide the ultimate in personalized service — you’re often dealing with owner of the company as you plan your trip. These small companies

-Richard West An automobile is just a mobile box, airliners isolating metal tubes whizzing through space. But a train is its own world with great character: mysterious, romantic, and, yes, also ordinary but where commonplace actions can gain a new perspective. When we travel by rail the train itself, unlike

(Banff Springs Hotel) By Ed Wetschler Go to Banff and Lake Louise next week. This isn’t some out-of-left-field imperative; this is good advice. And not just for skiers. March may be the most beautiful month of all in the Canadian Rockies, and given the region’s grandeur from late spring through

The old cliche is that Montreal is like a quick trip to Paris. So much for old cliches. No one in Montreal will correct your French. The architecture, apart from the cobblestone theatrics of Old Montreal, is a tag sale of skyscraper, student and serious design. And while it may

THE BACKSTORY: There are two words to ponder when speaking about the Hotel Gault: minimalist and boutique. I’m partial to minimalist design, but these days, "minimal" in many hotels is another way of saying that "there was nothing left over in the budget for furniture." As for "boutique," I’ve seen

THE BACKSTORY: The fact that you can look out of your window in the stately Empress hotel and watch sea planes take off and ferries come and go is high praise in my book. This dowager overlooking Victoria’s busy harbor offers old fashioned comfort. It feels like one of those

THE BACKSTORY: When Oscar Wilde arrived in Halifax in 1882 to begin his tour of North America, he famously stated that "I have nothing to declare but my genius." This quip apparently satisfied the customs officials, and Wilde went on to spend a night or two at the Waverley Inn,

THE BACKSTORY: The Hotel Le St-James give new meaning to the term "luxury". Located in a former bank, a monumental building that dates to 1870, the hotel seems to have an Old World pedigree, even though it’s really just a few years old. You can credit marble floors, ancestor portraits