I’ve taken a bit of a vacation from this activity, but I’m going to continue populating this site with articles I’ve published in print or on other sites. Consider it (because it is) an archive to my writing career beyond the blogs http://www.dogtrotting.net and http://www.horsetrotting.net, I’m dedicated to maintaining. Hot off the (online) press, check…
Dingle, in Kerry County Ireland, isn’t the first place that leaps to mind after the phrase, ‘gourmet dining’ – nor does the word Ireland. Known as the country of coastline, carbs and (for a time) political chaos, Ireland has entered the 21st century with renewed tranquility, a ramped-up travel industry, and refined culinary tastes. The…
Riding across the snow-covered golf course streaked with cross-country ski tracks astride Static, a Belgian horse apparently crossed with a comfortable couch, is one of the most relaxing things a person can do outside in negative 12 degree Celsius weather. I’ve ridden here at Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville before through the hilly Muskoka landscape that’s…
Sometimes the best way to experience a country is to take advice from someone who lives there. Preferably someone who grew up there and has all the insider knowledge of a tour agent, but steers you away from run-of-the-mill tourist traps. Sometimes you have to listen to that person and trust that the bus they…
I loved the opportunity to interview Arlene Dickinson for Fifty-Five Plus magazine! Checkout my cover story here: Arlene Dickinson Interview Fifty-Five Plus
On Florida’s Sanibel Island, shelling is the popular leisure past-time activity. It’s almost impossible not to participate because layers of seashells blanket the shoreline each time the tides wash out. Families wander along the beach, small bags in hand, eyes scouring the mounds of shells, picking out the perfect non-living specimens. If your idea of…
[This article was originally printed in West of the City, November/December 2014] John Koletic of Koletic Designs in Campbellville doesn’t necessarily live on the edge, but his furniture is all about it. Koletic specializes in ‘Live Edge’ furniture, notably dining room tables, coffee tables, desks and cabinets. This edge, though no longer living, is the unfinished strip of bark…
Pittsburgh, PA, the city of reinvention, torn down its unused steel mills (except for one being turned into a museum), recreated its waterfront as a walking, running and cycling trail, and poured not-for-profit Foundation money into arts, culture and museums. The latter is thanks primarily to steel tycoon Andrew Carnegies’ legacy: he developed a public library…
We aren’t supposed to pet the giraffe because they don’t like it, but it’s hard to remember that when the five-month-old Safari reaches its curious head into the open-air truck looking for the carrots and lettuce we’ve been given to feed them. The older giraffes, like Calgary, are more reluctant to approach and only one…
I’ve also written about San Antonio, Texas for Getaways for GrownUps. Check it out here: http://getawaysforgrownups.com/romance-texas-style/
With a SeaWorld, Six Flags, wax museum and waterpark called Schlitterbahn, within the boundaries of San Antonio, Texas, the city is a draw for families in the state looking for a variety of summer activities. But travelers from Canada can find all these things closer to home, so it’s the sights and festivals unique to…
The Outer Banks (OBX), North Carolina is the beach resort region for families who can’t always afford beach resorts. This unique geographic area – 320 km of barrier islands linked by Highway 12 – is an outdoor lovers destination, whether you are looking for touristy activities such as beach fun, mini-golf and family-friendly restaurants found…
February might not be everyone’s favourite travel month (although almost everything is cheaper everywhere), but it’s the time think about it especially ‘just-for-two’ getaways sometimes necessary for maintaining harmonious family life. While many dream of Paris in the spring as the ultimate romantic excursion, others thinking outside the cliché might thoroughly love Amsterdam, land of…
Amelia Island is the Florida of days gone by – summer homes along the shore, beaches lined with boardwalks and independent restaurants grilling up locally caught fresh shrimp, seafood chowder and fish tacos you take outside and eat at picnic tables under a canopy. Either Boomer or Jazz lead two horse-drawn carriages, owned by island…
The Dominican Republic and the Niagara Region don’t have a lot in common, especially when considering local business expansion. Niagara Falls, Hamilton or even Toronto maybe, but crossing international time zones seems unnecessarily ambitious -unless your business is horses. To the owners of HorsePlay Niagara, an established trail riding company in Wainfleet, expanding their brand…
