Mountain City's Travel Blog

Cool-weather Alaska is one of the hottest cruising destinations. It's in our own backyard, with pristine and inspiring natural wonders, and a sailing season May-September perfectly aligned with family summer vacation time.Oceania Cruises has a twist on discovering America's 'Last Frontier' by sea. Oceania ships are smaller than the mega-ships sailing Alaskan waters. That means they can cruise into small ports...

It's an exclusive stretch of the Greek coast just 20 minutes south of the capital. In the 60's, this exclusive spot on the Athens Riviera was the epi-center of chic, international jet set lifestyle. And now, the Astir Beach resort area is back, an essential eastern Mediterranean destination for stylish travelers in the know.Recapturing 60's Seaside Retro GlamourThe highlight of the...

Can you believe there's been a whole century of commercial airline flight? We all know about the Wright brothers' historic flight in 1903, and in a little more than a century since that shaky flight, look how far air travel has come! After the fabled use of airplanes and the first Air Forces launched during the First World War 1914-1918, countries clamored...

When you're investing half a BILLION dollars in a fleet-wide renovation, you're entitled to call it a 'Revolution'. Celebrity Cruises is undergoing a transformation.You may have already heard about their two new, groundbreaking ships:Celebrity Edge, which, among many firsts, debuted the world's first cantilevered venue at sea, which moves up and down the side of the ship, becoming a different drinks/...

2019 marks the 75th anniversary of DDay. On June 6, 1944, Canada joined British, American and other Allied troops in storming the Nazi-held shore of France along the coast of Normandy.Of the many things that could go wrong, most of them did. Yet the Allies persevered, and at the end of the day, all had gained a foothold onto European soil, the...

Forget about 'surge' pricing on an Uber ride – how about 'submarine' pricing? Hailing a 'ScUber' in Australia's Great Barrier Reef will get you a $3000 AUD charge to your Uber account – and it's worth every penny for the hour-long Uber ride of your life.It's the first underwater ride share in the largest living organism on the planet, a partnership...

Over the past few weeks, our office has had matrimonial excitement. 3 happy and joy-filled weddings. Jennifer witnessed her sister-in-law’s marriage on Holland America’s Volendam at Vancouver’s Waterfront. She and her husband were the official witness’ and honeymoon escorts. Following the sunny harbour-side wedding Jennifer, her husband and wedding goers soaked in warm days, glaciers and had loads of fun cruising...

Alaska had always been on my bucket list, but not of interest to my husband as he'd worked in the Arctic and prefers a warmer climate for vacationing. I felt my chances of experiencing and exploring such a beautiful corner of the world with him was slowly slipping out of reach..... until my sister-in-law chose Alaska as her wedding destination. Hurray!!!!...

2019 marks the 75th anniversary of DDay. On June 6, 1944, Canada joined British, American and other Allied troops in storming the Nazi-held shore of France along the coast of Normandy.Of the many things that could go wrong, most of them did. Yet the Allies persevered, and at the end of the day, all had gained a foothold onto European soil, the...

More than 10 million people every year travel to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park – that's more people than visit the Grand Canyon, Yosemite and Yellowstone parks combined!  And now there's a whole new view on this breathtaking, seven-thousand foot range of mountains and the dramatic, 'smoky', haze that gives them their name. The forests and ridges of this...

It's a wine-lover's dream river cruise! The world famous wine region of Bordeaux is home to some of the most famous wines and chateaux, grands crus, towns and legends. If you've ever heard mention of Medoc, Chateau Margaux, Saint-Emilion, Cadillac, or how US President and Founding Father Thomas Jefferson became America's first wine connoisseur during his time as ambassador to France… it's...

Everyone experiences travel differently, and this may be most true of historic sites. Standing on the spot where history was made is a profound experience that transcends any amount of studying, reading, watching documentaries or films. When you are actually there, the sights, sounds, perspective and your historic imagination all combine for a more meaningful understanding of moments that changed...

Cool-weather Alaska is one of the hottest cruising destinations. It's in our own backyard, with pristine and inspiring natural wonders, and a sailing season May-September perfectly aligned with family summer vacation time.Oceania Cruises has a twist on discovering America's 'Last Frontier' by sea. Oceania ships are smaller than the mega-ships sailing Alaskan waters. That means they can cruise into small ports...

It was a week at the end of May 1969 that became an iconic, unforgettable moment of 60's counter-culture and protests against the Vietnam War. 2019 marks the anniversary of the legendary time when music uber-star and peace activist John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono booked themselves into Montreal's Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth hotel, and held their 'Bed-in for Peace'. The...

The latest Royal news has us all abuzz and reminds us it's time to book a trip to England's capital and home of the British Royal Family. We may not be invited to the latest gathering, but here are 4 places we can immerse ourselves in Royal history and put into context the images we see of the ceremonial events and...

A new river cruise ship has embarked on the Danube, and it's unlike anything else on the rivers of Europe. The word 'revolutionized' gets overused, but AmaWaterways' AmaMagna has overturned how we have come to think of river cruising.It's all about size. If you've ever taken a European river cruise, you've seen your own cruise ship, plus ships from other companies...

Famous for its 'Three Queens' fleet of iconic ships: the Queen Mary 2, the Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth, Cunard's regal, British lifestyle at sea, with gala evenings, afternoon tea, kennels for pets to travel with you, and epic Transatlantic Crossings from London/Southampton to New York allow you to re-live the age of glamorous ocean liners. Cunard has also been...

There's no visit to Argentina's capital without experiencing tango. It is both music and an unmistakable dance, perhaps the most sensual dance in the world.Our Monograms tour of Buenos Aires included an incredible tango dinner show at El Viejo Almacen that took our breath away! A Monograms agenda allows for plenty of free time to explore our own interests (in addition...