Category Archives: Pleasure

Skiing at Le Massif

26 Sunday Jan 2014

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Last weekend we headed out east to Quebec City (more on that in another post) and wanted to get a day of skiing in. Le Massif was recommended over Mont Ste. Ann by several people and even some locals we met in a pub the night before.

I have to say that it was an amazing hill with great snow, stunning views and just top notch!

Enjoying the views and the powder!

Enjoying the views and the powder!

When you arrive you are actually at the top of the hill – a first for me. You don’t get the usual lift ticket you attach to your jacket but a card that is scanned by the electronic gates – how cool is that!?

 

Now there are only a few green runs, most are blue and black, even triple black diamonds but if you are there for just a day or two it there is definitely enough acreage for an average skier like me. The time skiing vs the time on the lift is just perfect. There were no lines so it was right on the gondola that was practically brand new!

I can’t say enough good things about this place and I can’t wait to return. Only downside is how far it is from Toronto!

Skiing at Peek’n Peak

12 Sunday Jan 2014

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As a skier I was pretty happy to have winter start as early as it did. We were booked to head to Gore Mountain for 3 nights. Sadly when I checked the conditions at Gore, the day before we were about to leave, I learned that they weren’t even half open! Since the drive is 7 hours we looked for a closer spot with some great snow. Now if you follow my blog you know I love Holiday Valley but we like to try new spots and HV would be crammed for the holidays. So we settled on Peek’n Peak close to Erie.

Quaint lodge

Quaint lodge

We booked ourselves in to the Holiday Inn Findley Lake – closest accommodations to the mountain outside of the resort that was full. We drove down on the scenic trail along the lake and would have stopped at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Graycliff if it had been opened.

Enough for 3

Enough for 3

We stopped for lunch at Aunt Millie’s Kitchen and Bakery thanks to my Foodspotting app. We had a delicious lunch and took one of these gigantic cream puffs to have on new years eve.

And while we drove down it rain it snowed over night and all the next day we skied. It was a great little spot. Not a super high hill but very scenic and lots of spots for enjoying a snack and a bite to eat. Wood burning fireplaces in the lodges too.

And Findley Lake is a quaint little town that is very scenic. Don’t expect any fine dining if you do go down for ski weekend.

Glamping on the Sunshine Coast

05 Saturday Oct 2013

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Glamping might be a new term for many of you. Every time I told someone I was going glamping I got an inquisitive stare.  I would tell them it was a tent on the ocean and they would answer me with “I don’t like camping”.  Well glamping is NOT camping I would explain.  You will see what I mean from the pictures below. We spent two nights at Rockwater Secret Cove on the Sunshine Coast of BC.

On the path to tent 60.

On the path to tent 60.

You must go and stay in one of the tents. Once our tent was ready we headed down the staircase to tent 60 which was right on the ocean. I thought I knew what to expect but was shocked when we opened the door. Take a look at the pictures.

Tent 60

Tent 60

Our tent had heated floors, a two person jacuzzi tub, a rain shower head with a view and a king size bed. It was heaven.  We sat out on our deck looking at the ocean. We saw seals, birds, loon.  The orca still eludes me in the wild but now I have an excuse to go back!

Our view

Our view

We kayaked to Smuggler’s Cove – stunning! We had massages in a tent by the ocean – bliss! I had two soaks in that jacuzzi tub. It was an amazing 48 hours.  I can’t wait to go back and enjoy the tents again. This is the best place on earth for rest, relaxation and romance.

(oh and this post was not sponsored by anyone, no payment free-bees or any of that good stuff were given to me)

View from our deck

View from our deck

Our shower

Our shower

Where to stay in Boston

14 Sunday Jul 2013

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One thing I loved about Boston is how close the airport is to the downtown. We arrived shortly after 8am on a Saturday and were at our hotel in the lobby by 9am! We stayed at the fancy-shmancy Langham Boston located in the financial district.  We were able to walk everywhere – the Freedom Trail, Italian area where Paul Revere’s home is, the waterfront and Boston Common. And the subway to Cambridge was just a couple minute walk away too.

I used Priceline to book the room and got a great deal of $160 a night. (of course I had to pay a little extra after booking having forgot that Priceline only guarantees a double or queen bed and I was travelling with my dad)!  Having walked around I can say that the Marriott at the Wharf is in a great location but you might have to pay a bit more to be right on the water. There are a whole lot of hotel options in Boston that will allow you to explore Boston on foot.

The fancy Langham had a great concierge, a big comfy room and a turn down service with slippers and dark chocolates! I’d stay there again if I could get myself the same deal!

Chocolates & weather report

Chocolates & weather report

Eating my way through Boston

01 Monday Jul 2013

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Last weekend I enjoyed 4 days and 3 nights in Boston. I didn’t do much pre-planning but was able to find some of the yummiest places in Beantown thanks to TripAdvisor & some Twitter friends.

Line up behind me - out the door!

Line up behind me – out the door!

First day while wandering around I checked on TripAdvisor for somewhere to eat in the Little Italy area of Boston and found Galleria Umberto (#6 in Boston) The menu is simple but delicious and so cheap. We had some pizza and rice balls – the line up behind me was out the door! I even ordered extra slices to have in the hotel while watching Italy play Brazil.

Too many choices!

Too many choices!

Sunday morning we woke up early and headed back to Little Italy to find the pastry shop friends had recommended – Mike’s Pastry.  We hear they have line ups out the door also. We were one of their first customers that day and took away three cannoli. They have dozens of flavours and had to be the best thing I ever tasted.

YUM!

YUM!

And on Monday I couldn’t wait to try Sam LaGrassa’s, number 4 in Boston on TripAdvisor.  They too get line-ups out the door and according to the poster from Drive-ins, Diners and Dives they sell over 2,000 sandwichs a day! They too did not disappoint, piling my sandwich with coleslaw and cheese and turkey.

 

And I know this is going to sound boring but we frequented the Faneuil Hall Marketplace for dinners. It was so close to the hotel and had such a great energy! I had an amazing clam chowder there the first night and then a shrimp cocktail another night.

Can't resist a bread bowl!

Can’t resist a bread bowl!

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Biggest shrimp I ever ate

 

 

 

 

If it hadn’t been for all the walking and biking I would have gained 10 pounds on this trip! Stay tuned for more posts about where to stay and what to do in Boston.

Take the gun... Leave the cannoli

Take the gun… Leave the cannoli

Ski Review – Bristol Mountain

08 Friday Feb 2013

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Last weekend (don’t I wish I was somewhere skiing today!) we made the trek down to Bristol Mountain in NY state. It is almost a 4 hour drive from Toronto – depending on how fast you drive.

Now the trip wasn’t very scenic and we worried about the lack of snow on the ground but when we got to the hill we could see that it was high and in some cases quite steep!

Bristol Mountain

View from the parking lot

Skiing was good, lots of hills, lots of variety but the mountain sadly lacked any type of character.  While I love to ski I do enjoy the apres and there wasn’t really a spot to sit and enjoy a drink.  We compare everything to Holiday Valley and most places just can’t compete!

One thing that Bristol has over Holiday Valley is the accommodation options within a 20 minute drive.  We enjoyed our time at the new Holiday Inn Express in Canandaigua.  It was opened in December and has great rooms and free DVDs.

While I still love Ellicottville it is nice to try new places – I am open to any recommendations you might have – Kilington? Peak n Peek? Where should I ski next?

Airbnb.com: One of my favourite travel sites

13 Sunday Jan 2013

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I wanted to share with everyone one of my favourite travel sites and applications on my iphone.  Airbnb!  I have used the site twice for bookings – Istanbul and Mont Tremblant and thoroughly enjoy the ap on my iphone.  It now suggest some of the most unique places to stay in across the globe – I could waste hours navigating the site and marking off my favourites. Check it out!

Who wouldn't want to stay in a treehouse!

Who wouldn’t want to stay in a treehouse!