Category Archives: Travel

Rocky Mountaineer – Banff to Vancouver

17 Friday Oct 2014

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Continuing my posts in chronological order…

Upper level in the gold leaf

Upper level in the gold leaf

While there was a bit of confusion starting off at the Fairmont, it was smooth sailing or should I say chugging, once we got on the train. Now we were in the Gold Leaf car which I debated and researched before booking and reviews were mixed but I decided to splurge and I have to say it was worth it!

We had assigned seats so there was no jockeying. We found our seats and settled in. We were immediately introduced to the team on our car – Brandi, David, Megan and Alex. The took such great car of us, they definitely made the trip that much worthwhile and I am sure I will rave about them later in this post.

On the lower level was our dining car that sat only half of the group from above so IMG_1701while you waited for breakfast you had fresh scones and coffee and for the lunch wait there was wine and cheese. The food was AMAZING. There are actually chefs on board and they were wonderful with my gluten-free request, even making me a gluten-free cookie for a snack after a delay! Did I mention too that the spirits, wine and beer were unlimited? I enjoyed some west coast wine, Bailey’s on the rocks and even a gin and tonic as we rolled west.

Of course the trip was more about the scenery than the food and it too was superb. The teams servicing the cars have it down to a complete science radioing to each other when animals are spotted. Over the two days we saw a grizzly bear, a black bear, eagles, salmon, and elk. Sadly most of the pictures of the animals are fuzzy blobs so I don’t have any proof!

I have over 700 photos so I can’t share them all but have selected a few of my favourites!

Lake in BC

Gorgeous Lake in BC

This is why the roof is glass!

This is why the roof is glass!

Gorgeous train passing through the tunnel

Gorgeous train passing through the tunnel

Willow Stream Spa at the Fairmont Banff Springs

07 Tuesday Oct 2014

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Many of my posts on this blog are reviews of spas! I love rewarding myself with a trip to the  spa and couldn’t resist booking some time at the Fairmont Banff Springs’ Willow Stream Spa. I went all out for this trip, booking a signature service for the evening of our arrival – the Ultimate Accent!

Willow Stream Spa

Mineral pool at the spa

I arrived an hour early to enjoy the water therapies and they were one of the best I had ever experienced. There are several pools of different temperatures and of course there is an outdoor hot tub right outside next to the mountains. I spent a good 30 minutes relaxing and settling in to the first day of my vacation.

When it was time for my service I went up to the sitting area to meet my therapist. Now while waiting I opened my iPad to read and mistakenly opened my email and started reading some notes. Well there was one from a client about a potential problem that sent my mind off in to thinking mode – bye bye relaxation.

My service started with a warm foot soak and scrub before moving to the table from a dry brushing followed up by a massage. Now I found the brushing a little aggressive but I didn’t say anything so that is my fault. I left the spa all soft and smooth with my new body brush.

One bit of advice, if you are congested or suffer from allergies and it is allergy season don’t sign up for a service where you will be on your stomach for over an hour. Added to my work stress was the worry of my runny nose!

Fairmont Banff Springs – the start to a great vacation!

06 Monday Oct 2014

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Over a week a go I flew west with my dad (well not exactly with my dad. we took separate flights since he has Air Miles and I have Aeroplan) to start our “Go West” adventure that was a gift for his birthday. We had two nights in Banff before boarding the Rocky Mountaineer – watch for a subsequent post on the train portion of the vacation.

Banff Springs Hotel

From just outside the hotel heading in to town

What an amazing and magical place to stay! Banff Springs opened over 125 years ago in 1888 and has obviously been well maintained and renovated over the decades. The hotel is situated in a national park right near the Bow River. It is smack in the middle of nature! We actually saw a pair of elk grazing on a hill right next to the hotel!

Banff Springs lobby

Hotel lobby taken from the cafe.

Every nook and cranny of the hotel has something marvellous to see. I am going to share some of the pictures I took during our stay (over 700 were taken in the 5 days I was away) to give you a glimpse of this stunning hotel.

 

Treats

Chocolates, twitter birds & a tin full of snacks

Everything is perfect at theFairmont Banff Springs. I had a chance to check out the spa (that review is to come) and on the second night the outdoor pool which is heated to make it comfortable in the chilly mountain evening air. I was even left a welcome treat that first night.

I’m already planning a ski trip back to Banff for 2016 with stops in Jasper and Lake Louise. The one regret of this trip was not getting to Lake Louise on the full day we had in Banff so I have no choice but to head back!

View from the top

View from the top of the gondola – Can you spot the hotel?

Liquids and Solids Lake Placid

07 Sunday Sep 2014

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Liquids and Solids

Liquids and Solids

If you are ever near Lake Placid you have to give Liquids and Solids a try – it is amazing! And I have to tell you we are not the easy to please crowd! It was the last night of our girls trip for Outstanding in the Field (check out my earlier post if you missed it) and we were trying to figure out where to go and so glad we picked Liquids and Solids.

Drink Menu!

Drink Menu!

We decided to go with a tapas style and order a bunch of things but first it was the liquids! There are a lot of drinks on this menu. Most of the drinks were delicious while a couple were an acquired taste. We did two rounds over dinner – you have to try more than one.

Drinks!

Drinks!

We tried so many things from the menu: brussels sprouts, meatballs, asparagus bun, clams, sweet potato poutine, cheese platter – it was all amazing. The brussels sprouts were a favourite and we did order a second order before the night

Brussels Sprouts

Brussels Sprouts

 

 

Outstanding in the Field

25 Monday Aug 2014

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This past weekend I had the pleasure of heading south-east to Vermont with three great girlfriends. We planned a long weekend around attending “Outstanding in the Field”. Anyone who check out the website is WOWed by the images shared on their website. Beyond the scenery is the food.

The menu is prepared by a local chef with local food, most from the farm you are eating at and picked that day. Of course why wouldn’t anyone jump at the chance to attend one of the 82 dinners they put on each year.

The field we were supposed to be in

The field of buckwheat we were supposed to be in

I had hoped for a magical August night under the stars in Vermont with a warm breeze, great food and wonderful conversation. What we got was RAIN. Lots of rain. Cats and dogs rain. So the nice outfit I planned stayed in the suitcase and I stayed in my croc sandals and capris, grabbed my waterproof jacket and Ben & Jerry’s umbrella and got ready for some fun.

Pete's Greens

Pete’s Greens

 

Pete of Pete’s Greens was our host for the night and took us on a tour of his farm before we settled in for dinner. Now remember we were supposed to be out in a field under the stars. Where we ended up was in the barn but we still had a view – sort of!

Chef Eric

Chef Eric and the girls

 

Our chef was Eric Warnstedt from Hen of the Wood and you couldn’t find a nicer, humbler and talented guy. We got to tell him how much we loved his food after dinner. Sad we couldn’t check out his restaurant too.

The night was filled with laughs (you can’t imagine the mud!), amazing food and new friends. Even though we didn’t get to be out in the field it was memorable and will become an annual trip.

More posts from the weekend to come including The County Cider Company in Prince Edward County, the great bagel competition in Montreal, the farmers market Burlington Vermont and Liquids and Solids in Lake Placed NY.

Check out some photos below.

Farmer Pete

Farmer Pete

Dirty Feet

Dirty Feet

Best tomato salad ever

Best tomato salad ever

That rain ain't stopping!

That rain ain’t stopping!

Amazing veggies!

Amazing veggies!

Niagara Falls: playing tourist in my home town

30 Wednesday Jul 2014

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A couple weekends ago we headed down the QEW to visit my dad and planned some activities for the day.

We enjoy a good round of mini-golf and can get pretty competitive. Having played a the Super Putt along the highway several

Dino-Adventure Volcano

Dino-Adventure Volcano

times I went looking for a new place to play and decided on Dino-Adventure Golf on Clifton Hill. It was a great course with an actual volcano that spewed fire. So much fire you could feel the heat when it erupted! It has 2 courses to choose from and you can find a dollar off coupon on their website. Another tip: Park a couple blocks away on Desson or North streets for free parking!

As we walked back to the car we passed the Niagara Falls Memorial Arena where the OHL team used to play. Now it houses the exhibit of sand sculptures depicting the war of 1812.

Amazing detail!

Amazing detail!

We decided to pop in since my other half loves history and specifically the different wars and battles. What an amazing feat these sculptures are! We watched a video of how they made them that covered a bit about the war – this year is 200 years of peace since the war ended in 1814. I definitely recommend this as a stop if you are in Niagara.

We then stopped for a quick lunch at one of our favourite spots – Johnny Rocco’s – good Italian food and gluten-free options too!

After lunch we headed further south to Fort Erie to the racetrack to check out a few of the runnings

And their off!

And their off!

before the World Cup finals started. I love the track and was saddened when they announced it was closing – well it had a reprieve for this season and runs races on Sundays and Tuesdays. There is a Tiki bar outside right at track level that serves up great drinks and some days they even have live music. I hope I can make it back for another race this season and that they keep this track open for years to come.

It is amazing just how many things there are to do in Niagara Falls and just a short drive from the  Big City (depending which time you leave of course – damn traffic)

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