8 Reasons to Visit Prince Edward County, Ontario

May 19, 2010

You’ll find Prince Edward County halfway between Ottawa and Toronto, and just south of Belleville. The county borders Lake Ontario’s north shore and the Bay of Quinte. If you’re driving on the Highway 401 and blink, you’ll miss the exit.

This is farm country with a difference. Here are 8 good reasons to visit for a weekend.

• As Beppi Crosariol of the Globe and Mail points out – the counry has come of age and by this he is referring to the quality of the wines. With over 20 wineries there is plenty to taste. Buyer beware – some wines are made from grapes grown in the Niagara area. 
• Take a cooking class at The Waring House. They offer classes on Sundays from 10:30am to 1:30 pm. Try Indian Cuisine, the Mexican Taco Stand or Sushi Basics. Check out their online schedule for lots more offerings.
• Birding is excellent and although the spring migration is over you’re sure to find lots of birds, especially at the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory. You’ll see lots of waterfowl, raptors and song birds there.
• Look for the signed Arts Trail which takes you to 27 artists around the county. You’ll find potters, painters, sculptors, glassblowers and jewelers, blacksmiths and photographers as well as many multi artist galleries. Be sure to visit La De Dah Sculpture Studio, the Mad Dog Gallery and the Oeno Gallery.
• Head for Sandbanks Provincial Park with some towels and a picnic basket. Here you’ll find sand dunes, long sandy beaches and sparkling water. Try some windsurfing or sailing too.
• Rent a bike in Picton or Bloomfield and head off with one of their bike maps to explore quiet back roads. Also look for the Waterfront Trail which will keep you close to …the waterfront.
• Check out the TasteTrail. Road signs guide you to 31 locations – from cheese makers to coffee shops and from the Buddha Dog to fine dining. Don’t miss The Carriage House Restaurant in Bloomfield. It’s recommended by Where to Eat in Canada. I picked up lunch goodies – think fine cheeses, fresh breads and fantastic desserts.
• For those of you who love spas head to Claramount Inn & Spa and enjoy the pampering.

If you live in Ontario what better time to go than this coming long weekend!!

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

This Week’s Great Reads

April 15, 2010

I always enjoy searching other blogs and yes, even twitter to see what’s interesting, Here is this weeks great and not to be missed reads from travel blogs around the world.

Shark’s fin soup: should we be outraged? A thought provoking article on eating shark fin soup but also the ethical questions relating to our western food.

The Traveler’s Guide To Locking Down Your Laptop: Part 3- Online and Everything Else Anil’s advice is well worth reading. While you’re on his blog read parts I and II also.

7 Weeks in Kyrgyzstan An interesting account from a female perspective.

How To Get An Empty Seat Next To You On An ( Almost) Full Flight Always a treat if you can get a little more legroom.

Oyster Tasting in Marennes, France You might be persuaded to try oysters after reading this article.

The Mighty Monarch Butterfly Migration You will want to see this miracle of nature once in your lifetime.

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

Travel Tipping Etiquette

March 9, 2010

Travel tipping etiquette is one of the biggest dilemmas every traveler, rich or poor, encounters. Who should you tip? How much? What should you give so you don’t appear cheap? Has it actually been added to the bill anyway?

Every country is different so know before you go. Make a point of loading up on small denominations of the local currency and carry a wad of $US1 bills when you head off to poorer countries.

Alphabetically here is a mixed list of countries and their tipping practices.

AUSTRALIA  
Up until recently no restaurant tipping was necessary but now add up to 10% on a restaurant bill in the larger cities if service is good. If a service charge has been added no extra tipping is needed.
Taxi tipping varies from zero to 10% so you’ll need to be the judge. Use the bigger number in larger centers and change from your fare will probably suffice in smaller towns.

CANADA
Add 15% of your restaurant bill before tax as a tip. Service  charges with large groups are usually added anyway so no additional tipping is required.
Tip taxi drivers 10-12%.

ENGLAND
In restaurants add 10-15% IF it hasn’t been added as a service fee.
Tip taxi drivers 10%.

FRANCE
Service charges are added to restaurant bills already but if service is excellent leave a few extra Euros on the table. Look for the words servis compris (SC), service et taxe compris (STC) or prix nets/toute taxes comprises (TTC) which means that prices include service and value added tax. In a bar where you’re standing you might want to leave some small change.
Tip taxi drivers 10%.

GERMANY
Service and taxes are included in the menu prices in Germany. However adding another 5-10% is still considered by some to be proper etiquette as is rounding up to the closest Euro. The level of service will help you make the decision. Don’t leave the tip on the table; tell the server how much you want to pay BEFORE you pay, including the extra tip.
If you want water ask for bottled water as you will be deemed a rude patron if you ask for tap water only.
Round up to the nearest whole Euro for a taxi tip.

HOLLAND
The service charge is included but tip another 10% for exceptional service.
Add one Euro as a taxi tip.

IRELAND
Check to see if a service charge has been added to your restaurant bills. If it hasn’t then tip 10-15%. 
You don’t need to tip taxis but you can round up a fare or add a Euro or two if desired.

ITALY
Service is normally included in your bill as is a cover charge or coperto. Tip if you have really enjoyed the food and the service – up to 10%.
Cab drivers don’t expect but do appreciate tips – so if they’ve been particularly helpful add a little extra.

JAPAN
Tipping is not expected on any level with respect to restaurants or taxis.  

MEXICO
In restaurants tip 15-20%. Most service people do not get paid well and depend on tips so be generous.
Taxis have a monopoly on the local transportation business and build a tip into their rates – which tend to be on the high side already. Only tip if you’ve received an extra service.

NEW ZEALAND
Tips are not the norm but a tip for exceptional service of 10% is appreciated.
You don’t need to tip your taxi driver but do consider rounding up to the nearest dollar.

SPAIN
There is confusion even among the guidebooks about tipping in Spain. Some say it’s common to tip 5-10%, others say leave only the small change. I’d say keep a few Euros handy and be prepared to discreetly put them on the table.
Taxi tipping is rarely done but if they’ve helped you alot give them 1-2 Euros.

SWEDEN
A service charge is already included in the bill so tipping isn’t necessary. If you’ve had a fine dining experience and exceptional service then add another 5-10%.
Round up your taxi fare and make sure you’ve given the equivalent of a few dollars as a tip.

SWITZERLAND
Service charges are added already in restaurants and bars so extra tipping is not actually required. However, giving a little extra when service is good is still appreciated – a few Swiss francs would suffice.
Don’t tip taxi drivers unless they’ve made a special effort and then a few Swiss francs should do the trick.

UNITED STATES
Servers are not paid well so plan to tip 15% at a minimum and 20% for exceptional service. If you’re part of a large party the tip may have been added, in which case no additional tip is required.
Tip taxis 10-15% depending on how helpful they were to you.

A guide to tipping guides and staff at tour companies will be the focus of another blog.

Leigh McAdam
www.hikebiketravel.com

Vancouver in the Limelight

February 9, 2010

With just 72 hours to go before the Winter Olympics begin it’s time to talk Vancouver.

Here’s my Vancouver insider’s list of tips, recommendations, do’s and don’ts to see you through to the end of the Paralympic games on March 21st.

Tips for Getting Around

• Leave yourself lots of time. Download maps and figure out your route beforehand. Know before you go. Did you know that your Olympic ticket entitiles you to free transit on the day of the event?
• For the days that you don’t have free transit consider purchasing a book of 10 tickets (what is called a faresaver booklet) - but know before you buy how far you want to travel because there are one, two and three zone booklets that are based on distance. You’ll save about 25% and you won’t have to be looking for exact change!! Visit Translink for route information. You can find these booklets at Pharmasaves, grocery stores, convenience stores… 
• Transit tickets in Vancouver are good for the seabus, bus, skytrain and the West Coast Express.
• The new Canada Line operates between the airport and downtown Vancouver. The trip takes about 25 minutes and is putting cabbies out of work because it’s so much cheaper. Standard Translink fares apply if you have a ticket – but there is an extra $5 per ticket charge if you are buying a cash only fare.

Things to do

• For starters you can download my free Vancouver Airport Layover guide. It will give you lots of ideas though some suggestions are more oriented towards summertime activities and suggestions were largely based on proximity to the airport.
• Take advantage of a huge number of cultural events that are occurring between Jan 22 and March 21 as part of the 2010 Cultural Olympiad. The Vancouver Art Gallery has free admission over the Olympics.
• Take advantage of free skating in the heart of downtown Vancouver.
• Ride the False Creek ferries between Granville Island and Vancouver. These are a great way to get around.
• Check out the Commercial Drive area of Vancouver. It’s an edgier part of Vancouver with superb, locally run businesses specializing in fashion, cafes, restaurants and entertainment.
• With extra time on your hands head to either Victoria on Vancouver Island for a day or two, plan a hike on Bowen Island accessed by Horseshoe Bay ferries or head to the Sunshine Coast.

Food and Dining Suggestions

Well you’d think that everyone in Vancouver lived on maple syrup and smoked salmon judging by the food displays I’ve seen in grocery and department stores. There’s a whole lot more to the Vancouver food scene than that. Try some of these.

• Granville Island Market Tour. These tours are happening everyday over the Olympics.
• Walk Denman Street from Georgia Street to English Bay. There are plenty of places to entice you including the reasonably priced Banana Leaf for lunch or dinner, Kintaro Ramen for some of the best ramen noodles in town and Raincity Grill for a more upscale experience.
• Trendy Yaletown has some of the cities best restaurants.
• For excellent Indian food try Vij’s just off south Granville – though be prepared for lineups since he doesn’t take reservations.
• Closer to the downtown area try Chambar (for Belgian) ,CinCin (for Italian), or for a great lounge and fine dining experience try Bacchus at the Wedgewood Hotel & Spa, which enjoys a great location near the Vancouver Art Gallery.
• Any Caffe Artigiano has amazing coffee. You’ll find them dotted around the city.
• In North Vancouver near the automall there are two ‘not to miss’ places for sanwiches. coffee and pastries. Visit Louis Gervais for fabulous take out food and sandwiches and Thomas Haas for melt in your mouth pastries, incredible choclate and beeautifully presented cakes. Thomas has another location in Kitsilano at 2539 West Broadway in Vancouver.

In a city of this size there is alot to do so this is just a smattering of what’s out there. Excitement is rising and the Olympic spirit is finally starting to show. May you have a wonderful experience when you visit this city but don’t forget to pack your umbrella.

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

Palm Springs, CA; a free guide available for download.

February 1, 2010

If you’ve ever thought you’d like to visit Palm Springs in southern California but think it’s only for golfers then think again. Over 140 hikes are available in the surrounding area and 500 miles of mountain bike trails are in nearby Anza Borrego State Park.

Inside the guide look for accommodation ideas, restaurant suggestions and a host of things to do for the non country club set.  This is an easy spot to access and a great wintertime destination.

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

Eastern Townships and the Green Route Bike Guide Published

January 6, 2010

The 20 page guide to biking and touring the Eastern Townships, near Montreal Quebec is now available as a FREE download.

The Eastern Townships lie south of the St. Lawrence River and roughly one hour east of Montreal by car. To the south, is the United States, specifically the State of Vermont. There are lots of small towns including some of Quebec’s Most Beautiful Villages. The largest city in the townships is Sherbrooke with a population of 151,000.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

• Beautiful, rolling farm country
• Some of Quebec’s Most Beautiful Villages
• Scenic wine country and wine tastings
• Fall colours in September and October
• St. Benoit du Lac Abbey – for the setting, architecture, cider and cheeses
• Excellent cuisine
• Francophone culture and friendly people
• Quiet cycling along The Green Route
• Small cafes with excellent coffee and pastries
• Well appointed and friendly B&B’s with the option of 5 star accommodation

This is a particularly lovely trip to do when the fall colours are in their full glory.

Leigh McAdam

founder, www.hikebiketravel.com

California Wine Country biking guide published.

January 4, 2010

The 24 page biking guide to California wine country, including Sonoma and Napa County has been published.

Part of the Castello di Amorosa Winery in Napa

California wine country has been on the map of serious oenophiles since California wines beat out French wines in a blind tasting at the Paris Wine Tasting Competition of 1976. About five million visitors visit the region each year. Wine is the focus but food comes a close second with a huge choice of excellent restaurants, lots of farmers markets and culinary courses available. You will be pleasantly surprised by the interesting pastoral and hilly vistas.

Wine country is located about 1 ½ hours by car north of San Francisco. It encompasses Napa and Sonoma County and includes a number of small cities and towns. Best known is the city of Napa with a population of 75,000. You will also find the towns of Sonoma, St. Helena, Calistoga, Healdsburg and Santa Rosa and the hamlets of Yountville, Glen Ellen, Rutherford and Geyserville.

This is close to perfect cycling country. Rural roads take you by internationally famous wineries, first class restaurants and luxurious accommodation options. The cycling is easy and the distance between towns is very manageable. There are always options for hills and more miles. Drivers are for the most part very considerate. We recommend getting one of the road maps available detailing the safest roads on which to travel. A circular route is laid out herein that loops through wine country and can include a ride to the Armstrong Redwoods Park and over to the coastal highway along Highway 101.

Seven to ten days is about the ideal amount of time to allot for this trip. A longer stay allows you to explore beyond wine country to the wild beaches of the Pacific Ocean and the giant redwoods in Armstrong Woods Park. The weather is best between April and October. Summers are hot and very busy whereas winters are rainy and should be avoided altogether. Early April and late October can be unpredictable but will reward you with green hills in the spring and fall colours later in October.

There are many tour companies offering one day to one week tours but this is an area to contemplate a self supported ride. Bike rentals are available in Santa Rosa, Napa, St. Helena and Healdsburg so any of these spots could be the start of your loop. Bringing your own bike offers you familiar comfort but the airlines are making this a get rich quick scene. The biggest downside to a self supported trip is that you can’t carry much wine and dinner options are fewer, especially in the fall with darkness setting in early. The roads are unsafe to ride any distance at night and taxis are a rarity. However, touring on your own can also be almost half the cost of what a guided tour might cost.

Outside of riding and wine tasting you can look forward to an eclectic mix of activities including cooking classes, mud baths and spa visits, ballooning, bird watching, canoeing and wonderful dining.

Leigh McAdam

founder, www.hikebiketravel.com

Victoria to Cowichan Valley Bike and Wine Tour guide Published

November 19, 2009

The 18 page Victoria to Cowichan Valley bike guide has just been published.

There is much to recommend about this trip that is best done from late spring until early fall. Some of the highlights include the following:

• great food offerings especially in Victoria, Cowichan Bay and at some of the excellent local restaurants
• fun wine tasting at over a dozen wineries
• balsalmic vinegar tasting at Venturi Schulze Vineyards
• pretty back road cycling
• a long car free stretch on the Cowichan section of the Trans Canada Trail
• interesting accommodation choices from lavender farms to cooking schools to B&B’s to 5 star choices
• good mixture of city and country stays
• ability to easily add some of the Gulf Islands seamlessly to the itinerary, especially Salt Spring Island
• diverse activities for the non biking hours including cooking classes, a raptor handling program, whale watching and river or ocean kayaking

The area is easily accessed via ferry service from Vancouver or a flight into Victoria International airport. Allow a  minimum of 3 days and a week or more if you would like to include the Gulf Islands.

For those of you who live close to Vancouver, why not venture a little off the beaten path and discover this gem in our own backyard. Everything you need to know to book your own trip is outlined in this eguide. Happy traveling!

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

Three Perfect Days

November 4, 2009

I haven’t enjoyed my flying experiences on United Airlines at any time in recent memory but I do however enjoy one section of their inflight magazine, Hemispheres.

Every month for years they have researched and written a section called ‘Three Perfect Days.’ They choose cities around the world and provide you with a day by day itinerary on where to stay, what restaurants to try and what activities or sights are worth a visit.

In 2009 they have reported on the following cities:

• New Orleans, USA
• Shanghai, China
• Budapest, Hungary
• Victoria, Canada
• Sydney, Australia
• San Diego, USA
• Moscow, Russia
• Buenos Aires, Arentina
• Washington, DC, USA

Occasionly they have included resort areas including Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and Oahu, Hawaii. The articles are a good first start in planning a trip. If you find yourself with even one layover day in one of the cities they’ve written about, then pick the parts of their itinerary that interest you and build your self guided trip from there. And best of all, they’re free!

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

California Wine Country – Biking & Tasting

October 23, 2009

Our recently completed bike and wine tour of California was a great success, in no small part because of what fun we had at the wineries. The number of wineries in the Napa and Sonoma regions is a tad overwhelming and judging by what we heard there will be alot of grapes left unpicked since wine sales are way down. In the Napa Valley alone there are approximately 400 wineries!! and there are over 250 in the Sonoma region.

The Napa wineries in particular, are on a scale I haven’t witnessed before, especially when you consider the numbers of them that have huge buildings, tasting rooms, picnic areas, gift shops and in some cases, art galleries.  The Sonoma wineries are generally smaller in size and are often family owned.

Here is my list of the ones I think are worth visiting (in no particular order), ones I wish I’d had time for and ones that I would pass on next time round.

Worth a Visit

Del Dotto – for their barrel tasting **reserve ahead** $40 pp

Cakebread – reserve ahead- $10 pp for amazing wines - excellent value!

Rombauer – also has nice views (which means a stiff climb to get there!) and related to ‘Joy of Cooking’ fame author where you can pick up autographed books; also recommended by locals

Castello di Amoroso – if you’ve never seen a castle before

Ferrari Carano – to see the gardens. Do the reserve tasting.

Sbragia Family – friendly, picturesque, great wines and a nice picnic patio

Gary Farrell - extremely strenuous climb to the winery BUT great fun and truly delicious wines- $10-$15 pp

Wish I’d Been

Robert Mondavi – because he was one of the originals and the tour is supposed to be excellent

Far Niente – supposed to be extraordinary wines and gardens though $50pp and definately requires a booking

Grgich Hills – now that I know more about the wine maker

Opus One – just to see the winery which is architecturally very interesting

Cliffe Lede – of Cliff bar fame- would like to see what they do with wine since I’ve existed on their Cliff bars on many of my adventures

Sonoma Cutrer – since I’ve been drinking and enjoying their wine for years

Wish I hadn’t bothered

Beaulieu Vineyards(BV) They were friendly enough but the regular wine tasting was overpriced especially the whites at $10 pp. Perhaps the reserve tasting would have been worthwhile but compared to other wineries the value wasn’t there

Clos Pegase – interesting spot, love the wines but felt depressed by the spot as it had the signs of being unkempt and staff seemed unhappy

Visiting wineries by bike is actually a great way to do it with the only downside being that you can’t carry much with you. You burn off the calories that you’ve drunk, it’s much easier for bikes to zip across the busy Highway 29 that passes through Napa Valley and even better is the fact that you are deemed more approachable and you end up having great conversations  with a huge cross section of people. That happened at almost every winery!

I don’t usually like to revisit a spot but there are more back roads to explore and so many more wineries to visit, that this is one trip I would happily make again. Doing it self-supported also costs less than half of what tour companies charge.

I highly recommend this trip from April to October if you are doing it as a bike tour but obviously with a car, wine tasting can be a year round activity. However, it does rain ALOT from November to January.

And if you are somewhat interested check out these Napa Valley wine facts.

Leigh McAdam

hikebiketravel.com

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  • Vacation Rentals by Owner, Homes, Beach House, Condo rentals, Cabin rentals, Cottage, Beach rentals and Lake rentals. - Worldwide Leader – vacation property rentals that specializes in connecting property rental owners with travelers.
  • Vagabonding Life - Greg writes thought provoking articles about travel since escaping from the cubicles of corporate America.
  • Velvet Escape - Read about Keith’s escapes and adventure travels to some of the world’s most interesting places.
  • Wild Junket - Follow Nellie’s wild ride around the world. She’ll teach you how to swear in Spanish and get you up to speed on odd Asian habits!
  • World Clock - Find out what time it is anywhere in the world + get international dailing information.
  • World Electric Guide - Provides information on plug types and voltages in every country around the world.
  • Worldwide Airlines - You’ll find both the major and some of the obscure airlines in countries around the world.
  • Worldwide Weather - Get weather forecasts for most countires.