Mountain City's Travel Blog

We often sing the praises of the inventive, entertaining, and sometimes, celebrity-chef driven specialty restaurants on cruise ships. But some of the best culinary experiences cruising are in the main dining room, where talented chefs craft classic, favorite dishes, presented with a sense of ceremony that make dining at sea a true occasion. Take National Chocolate Cake Day. January 27 highlights...

Bears and whales and other marine mammals are high on everyone’s list for wildlife sightings in Alaska. But we think any trip to America’s Last Frontier is, well, ‘for the birds.’ With more coastline than the rest of the United States combined, as well as parks bigger than some countries, Alaska’s natural treasures include abundant populations of some of the...

Don’t let winter stop you from enjoying a wine harvest season! There are two ways - and many places - to celebrate a wine harvest in the New Year. You could travel to the southern hemisphere, where standard vineyard harvests take place during the northern hemisphere’s spring. Or you can embrace winter – and the one, very special wine it...

 If you love sun and sand… with a side of history, here are seven Caribbean islands whose history lives on today through preserved and protected UNESCO World Heritage historic sites.Which history-rich destinations top your list for an upcoming beach holiday with a twist?ANTIGUA: “Nelson’s Dockyard” Known for its famous inhabitant, British Admiral Lord Nelson, who lived in Antigua’s Royal Navy...

for the first time in 60 years!

Only once or maybe twice a decade, the Camino de Santiago becomes an even more remarkable hiking journey through Spain. Pilgrims and tourists have been hiking the “Way of St. James,” as it translates, since the 9th century. It’s a 500-mile (800 km) route across northern Spain to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, the spiritual home of...

These newly-opened hotels aren't just a home-away-from-home, they're gateways to a city's sites, local urban culture, cuisine, and social scene. Start planning your next city adventure today! New York, New YorkHotel: Park Lane Hotel, Preferred Hotels & ResortsWhat Makes it Special:This classic, 47-story NYC Central Park South hotel has been re-imagined and re-opened as a sophisticated, playful, and inclusive hotel...

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, they say, but can you rank places that practically every traveler finds beautiful? One travel company in the U.K. wanted to answer that question, so they brought in some science and technology to help. They presented volunteers with dozens of images of famous natural destinations Eye-tracking software recorded data about which images the...

Is your New Year’s resolution to get more rest – and travel more? The good news is that there are travel experiences that let you do both. Lynn Elmhirst, Producer and Host of BestTrip TV, runs down a few of her favorites.  Fogo Island Inn, Newfoundland – Sleep RetreatThe breathtaking Fogo Island Inn, perched on stilts like the fishing huts on...

It’s half-way into the first twelfth of 2022. It remains a new beginning. A brand new year.

Can you imagine a better way to greet the New Year than on a tropical beach in the Caribbean? Plan ahead to make this travel dream a reality next year. Several Caribbean island destinations have unique, local traditions that will make the countdown to the New Year even more memorable. Here are 7 places to ring in the New Year and...

Just this fall, since the return to ocean cruising, we’ve also seen a splendid return of cruise ship christenings. Along with new health innovations like ventilation systems and virtual safety musters that help keep cruise travellers safe, these brand new ships offer cutting-edge design and brand-new experiences that make the ships destinations themselves.  Cruise travel expert Lynn Elmhirst, producer and...

Anantara, the luxury hospitality company that connects travellers to the indigenous, grounds guests in authentic luxury, with over 40 hotels and resorts located in Asia, the Middle East and Europe, has had success this year hosting other types of guests – the pachyderm kind. The company’s charitable foundation, the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation (GTAEF) works in partnership with local...

The most famous teen wizard of all time has magicked his way into the hearts and book collections of a generation of kids and their parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents.And it’s been 20 years since the first film - Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – filled theaters and gave us another way to immerse ourselves in the Harry Potter...

The layers and layers of fluffy icing-sugar against bluebird skies can only be described as magic - a masterpiece of winter artwork signed by Mother Nature.The sparkle created by mother nature has infused its way to the turning of a calendar page.Maybe it's wishful thinking. Maybe it's dreams and wishes laced together as prayer?With the shift of moving from one...

Located in the heart of the Caribbean Sea, the twin-island tropical paradise of Antigua (pronounced An-tee'ga) and Barbuda (Bar-byew’da) should be on the radar of any traveler looking for a beach escape away from the masses with a different beach for every day of the year, and two distinctly different island experiences. At just over 100 square miles, Antigua is...

There's a new cruise ship on the block - and she's a stunner! Celebrity Cruises has debuted its second, Edge-class ship. The Celebrity Apex is sister ship to the celebrated Celebrity Edge. The pandemic delayed the Celebrity Apex launch from its originally-scheduled debut in March 2020, but that made her christening ceremony in Fort Lauderdale in November, 2021 maybe even...

With the festive season comes tradition. Gramma’s cookie recipe, a smidge of fruitcake with morning coffee, the tree bauble that’s been handed down over the years.Every family has them – traditions.Whether it’s a chocolate a day for a few weeks, lego or a Tea Advent calendar - there is excitement in the anticipation of what’s behind each little door.Advent, what...

Beer Musings by Jim Maletta from Cranbrook, BC

Orlando’s claim to fame is its extraordinary collection of family-friendly theme parks standing shoulder-to-shoulder in the balmy weather of the Sunshine State. But the warmth of the holiday season in Orlando outshines even the Florida sun.From Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary celebration, to re-imagined Christmas and New Year’s Eve experiences at the theme parks and beyond, it’s a great way to get into the Christmas or Hanukkah spirit...