Like a mighty phoenix rising up from the ashes, the Calgary Zoo soars to new heights to save it’s tails. Okay, this may seem a bit dramatic, but after witnessing the total devastation that the flood of 2013 had on the Calgary Zoo this June, you have to have a serious respect for the people that shed there blood, sweat and tears rebuilding the zoo.
Often times staying in a hotel or resort can be more of a function of necessity than enjoyment. Your average hotel room is usually one small room, with a bed, bathroom, and if your lucky a closet. While it fills a need and gives you a place to stay, it’s not normally very comfortable, especially if you are planning to stay in one place for a long visit. The Hidden Ridge Resort in Banff takes the typical hotel paradigm and flips it around. What if instead of staying in a tiny room, you could vacation in a fully furnished 3-bedroom condo and still be just minutes from downtown Banff, and all the great ski resorts? Oh and of course the property is pet friendly so you can even bring your favorite family friend with you! Lauren and I were invited to review the Hidden Ridge Resort during our last visit to Banff, and we’re here to tell you what it’s all about.
One of the hardest times for me to be an American is Christmas. My family still lives in Trinidad and it is very rare for me to be able to get home for the holidays. This is such a shame because there is nothing in the world like a Trini Christmas. I have tried to recreate it, but holidays island style are not authentic unless you are actually in the islands. Here is a little taste of what Christmas is like in Trinidad.
Tampa Bay is one of those cities that seems to get no love in the travel world and it’s really not Tampa’s fault. Located on Florida’s west coast, the city of Tampa is dwarfed in size by Miami to the south and sits just outside of the large shadow cast over the Orlando area by team Disney and it’s many rivals. With that being said, Tampa Bay (encompassing the Coastal area from Weeki Wachee to Sarasota) has been a favorite for vacationing snow birds and other visitors to Florida looking for something a little different. Take a look at our Tampa Travel Guide, for lots of fun attraction information in addition to practical travel and pet travel info to help you plan your Tampa, Florida travel adventure.
Adjacent to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor is a gem of a place called the American Visionary Art Museum. The building itself is hard to miss and immediately grabs your attention as you make your way around the harbor. The AVAM promotes Visionary Artists. What is visionary art? Well…the museum’s mission statement says that “Visionary art as defined for the purposes of the American Visionary Art Museum refers to art produced by self-taught individuals, usually without formal training, whose works arise from an innate personal vision that revels foremost in the creative act itself.” In other words, “passionate people doing things that create a fire in their soul”. This museum quickly turned out to be my all-time favorite art museum to date. The works were raw and titillated all of my senses. Everything in the building (and it’s outskirts) was so colorful and catching to the eye. The AVAM is a Baltimore staple, a “must-see” attraction. Don’t miss it!
