Intelligent Travel

Global Eye: Alberta

"My Shadow on the River"

Photographer: Sarah M. Ligon of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Getting the Shot: I took this photo on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River on Leap Year Day 2008 using my Leica C-LUX 1 point-and-shoot camera. Although the scene looks like it could be in one of Alberta's more remote regions, it is actually in the heart of downtown Edmonton, a city of more than a million people. A fluke of geography, the river's steep banks made it impossible for developers to build along the river, and so the whole river valley was turned into an elaborate park system, nearly 16 miles (25 kilometers) long. This particular spot is on a popular off-leash dog park.

The Details:  I'm a Southern girl, originally from Arkansas, and this was my first winter in Canada. Needless to say, after months of dark days and -40-degree temperatures, I came down with a bit of cabin fever. But on this particular day, the sun was radiant, and so I stole the opportunity to head out-of-doors. I shot for hours along the river, taking advantage of the long sunsets we have in the North this time of the year, and it really raised my spirits. In particular, I was tickled to discover the strange split-beam house perched on the bluff. I saw so many houses like this one when I lived in Bavaria last year, but I never expected to find one in Edmonton. It was a pleasant reminder of my happy time in another beautiful corner of the world.

Now that spring has officially sprung here in D.C., we're fully aware our pleasant afternoons of mid-70s and 80s will soon make way for the sticky heat of our infamously sweltering summers. In an act of repression and denial, we offer this quiet scene of winter reflection.

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Free EcoCabs, Eh?

Starting today, a fleet of 28 EcoCabs has descended upon the smoggy streets of downtown Toronto.

What’s an EcoCab, you ask? In addition to being an adorably goofy alternative to the iconic yellow cab, the EcoCab runs mostly on a trained driver’s pedal-power (in other words, a modern-day rickshaw) and is powered by a rechargeable electric battery. The emission-free three-wheelers clip along at a sprightly 7.5 miles an hour in bike lanes and offer residents and tourists short-distance transport between Toronto's shopping, dining, and entertainment destinations as well as office buildings and transit stations. Each cab is equipped to carry two adult passengers. The best part? Rides are free of charge, funded by advertising on the exterior of each vehicle.

According to speculation, EcoCabs will hit Vancouver and Montreal next year.

Photo: Kazuyoshi Ehara/CNW Group

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Introducing the Stay List

Equally as important as answering the question, "Where should I go on my next vacation?" is "Where should I stay on my next vacation?" Where you sleep can make or break any holiday, be it a long weekend away from the office, a family trip with the kids, or a romantic getaway for two. Sure, Motel 6 is cheap, and places like Holiday Inn have frequent-sleeper rewards, but nights spent at these stays tend to be forgettable (not to offend you, Motel 6: I can't count the times I've been on a road trip pleading to the highway gods for the next exit sign to read "Motel 6, next right").

But for those who are looking for a hotel that incorporates the destination's history, culture, and community, Traveler's got the ultimate guide to authentic getaways in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean: The Stay List.

We sent detailed surveys to some 600 properties and, thanks to our hardworking research staff, narrowed down the list to the top 150 hotels. These Stay List-worthy hotels embrace authenticity, location-inspired architecture, eco-stewardship, and giving back to their community. While I can't obviously feature all 150 hotels in this post alone (you'll have to check out the April 2008 issue for that), I'd like to highlight a few of my favorites.

What a Mush!

Associate Editor Amy Alipio teaches us all how to mush...

When I was in Churchill, Manitoba, last October, I went on a dogsledding excursion run by Dave Daley of Wapusk Adventures, which gave us a tiny but thrilling taste of what it’s like to be pulled by a pack of dogs who love to run. As soon as we entered Daley’s yard, the dogs—sensing that they were going to be running soon—started leaping straight up into the air like they had rocket blasters under their paws.

But for the real, blood-sweat-and-tears version of dogsledding, there’s the annual Hudson Bay Quest. The HBQ, founded by Daley and friend Gerald Azure five years ago, is a 400-kilometer (248-mile) dog-sled race between Churchill and Arviat, in Nunavut. Designed as a test of self-sufficiency, racers must carry their own supplies and food for the duration of the race. This year, 20 mushers will set off March 29 with their dog teams across the frozen, often windy, and snowy tundra bordering Hudson Bay, prepared to face temperatures stuck in the minus 20s Fahrenheit. I spoke to Daley to get the lowdown before the race.

How is the Hudson Bay Quest different from other dog-sled races, like the famous Iditarod?

Well one thing is that we let the Inuit racers race with their traditional sleds and fan hitches. In a fan hitch, the dogs are each attached to the sled by their own line, in a fan formation. The more typical hitch system, used in the Iditarod and Yukon Quest races, is the gangline, where dogs are attached to one single line, usually in pairs.

What inspired you to found the race?

Living in a remote community, we do watch the famous dog-sled races, and we wanted to have our own Iditarod or Yukon Quest. I’m a Métis, and I saw it as a chance to get together the aboriginals of the north  and revitalize traditional northern dog sledding. It’s not as long a race as the Iditarod but it’s pretty grueling. Every year so far we’ve had a blizzard at some point during the race. When I started, there were four teams out of Nunavut; this year there are 12. A lot of guys that hadn’t raced in awhile are getting back into it, and young people, a new generation of dogsledders, have sprung up. This is our opportunity to showcase our northern racers, although we do invite teams from the south. We have a lot of repeat racers too. Every year the race has become more and more popular.

2010: Greening Vancouver

Everyone's got their eyes on this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing (and how one of the world's smoggiest cities will cope), but Vancouverites are already strategizing how to green their own Pacific city for the Winter Games in 2010. The city is planning to emphasize local employment, constructing the Richmond Oval's roof entirely out of British Columbia-sourced wood, and redeveloping a former industrial area, among many other sustainable initiatives.

My eyes are on the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Center (VCEC), which is expanding its 133,000-square-foot building to cover a total of 1.2 million square feet (that's four city blocks). The new LEED-certified building will feature a fish habitat, an on-site water treatment and seawater heating and cooling system, gray and black water recycling systems, as well as a six-acre "living roof," which will be home to 400,000 indigenous plants.

The VCEC's earth-savvy efforts [pdf] earned it one of Canada's first "Go Green" certificates, and they also will purchase "Green Power" certifications--electricity generated in British Columbia from sustainable sources. By the time the expansion is completed in 2009, the convention center will be one of the greenest convention centers in the world.

Sometimes bigger really is better. That's a gold medal in my book.

Photo: Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Center

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The Inn at Little Washington Celebrates 30 Years

From time to time Hotel Central editor Susan O'Keefe likes to check in with industry folks—from GMs to chefs and housekeeping staff—for a behind-the-scenes chat. She begins with a talk with Patrick O'Connell, proprietor and chef of the acclaimed Inn at Little Washington, an elegant English country hideaway in Rappahannock County, Virginia, tucked in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains about two hours from Washington, D.C.

At the end of this month (Jan. 28), the Inn will celebrate its 30th anniversary. A gala dinner will be held on April 9 in Washington, D.C. that will benefit YouthAIDS. Foodies can snag one of the 500 tickets at $575 per person (includes wine and gratuity). Guests dining at the Inn's five-star restaurant from now until February 8 (except for Tuesdays and Saturdays) will receive a gratis glass of Dom Perignon champagne and a $30 gift certificate compliments of Patrick and his staff.

Happy Anniversary Patrick. After 30 years and receiving nearly every award ever bestowed on a restaurant and inn, where do you go from here?

We just keep going and continue doing what we're passionate about. We're becoming a self-sufficient farmstead with the recent addition of our own agricultural area that includes an orchard of Montmorency cherries—a small but full-of-flavor cherry that will be used in our jellies and clafouti dessert in the restaurant. We're raising a colony of bees for pollination and for creating our own honey, we'll introduce sheep and llamas that will graze in a meadow. We've developed a network of local farmers who custom-grow vegetables that aren't the size of my leg—small zucchini and eggplant that are flavorful. Pathways to this area will link to the inn and cottages and allow guests to walk to the orchards, see what's growing in the herb and vegetable gardens—all featured in our dishes daily.

You added your kitchen ten years ago and designed it to look like the dairy room of Windsor Castle. Anything new being added to the Inn?

This past summer we added the Claiborne House—named for my good friend Craig Claiborne who was the food editor of the New York Times—a fabulous two-bedroom hideaway with its own dining room, a library filled with Craig's cookbooks, living room, media room, and formal garden created by Dutch landscape designer Guy Williams. Craig celebrated his birthday in this house. We also have added the Gamekeeper's Cottage, a two-story retreat that is a departure from the opulent interiors of the Inn, and features a decor that I call "elegant rusticity." It has limestone floors, a stone fireplace, a large soaking tub, and an outdoor dining pavilion with pastoral views.  Every detail looks as if it's been there forever. It will allow guests to have a closer connection to nature.

What are some of the signature elements of the Inn that a guest can expect during their visit?

The Inn offers a sense of place, but also a sense of personality. We gauge every guest's mood from the moment they set foot in the door, and make it our mission to make them happy and have their experience be life-changing. There are fresh flowers everywhere, our Dalmatian greets guests wearing a strand of pearls (appropriate since 30-year anniversaries are celebrated with pearls), tea is served daily in the library, breakfast can be brought to your room, if you prefer.

Bears + Bulbs = A Bright Idea

We've already got plenty of reasons to like Natural Habitat Adventures, a tour outfitter whose work to offset all of their carbon emissions has made them, according to their claim, the "world's first carbon neutral travel company." But we were struck by the amount of effort they put into their mission, even during the off season.

During October and November, the group runs polar bear expeditions to Churchill, Manitoba, a.k.a. the "Polar Bear Capital of the World." It got its moniker because each year, the bears gather on the ice while the tundra freezes, waiting until they can cross over Hudson Bay. Thousands of travelers visit Manitoba every year, so NHA started looking to extend their green habits to the hotels and other facilities they use in the area. They first decided to donate CFL lightbulbs to the properties to help them cut down on their energy costs. But the idea snowballed, so to speak, and after creating a partnership with Gaiam, a company that produces the bulbs, NHA created a "Bulbs for Bears" program for the entire city. They're now working with the mayor to distribute over 3,000 lightbulbs to homes and businesses throughout Churchill. They're also planning to provide the city with a bulb crusher, to ensure that when the bulbs do run out (they last an average of eight to fifteen times longer than regular bulbs) they won't pollute landfills with harmful chemicals.

"We've always been very involved in different initiatives that concern climate change," said Matt Kareus, spokesperson for NHA. "Since a third of our travelers visit Churchill, we wanted there to be a way to educate [them] and do something that was directly related."

Kareus also informed us that Churchill is one of the best places in the world to see the northern lights each spring. So we can't help but think it's appropriate that they get recognition not only for their natural lighting, but their interior lighting as well.

Read More: Natural Habitat Adventures has cropped up on our Tours of a Lifetime list. Learn about other ways to conserve energy while traveling here.

Photo: © Steve Morello

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Tour Guide: Canada's North

Frontiers North Adventures offers guided tours to the most remote destinations in Canada.

At the Elu Inlet Lodge, located just south of Victoria Island in Nunavut, Canada, a knowledgable guide takes guests in a five-passenger skiff to explore islands in the Elu Inlet, and on nature hikes to see archaeological sites of ancient tent rings, kayak stands, and fire pits. Guests will also have a chance to learn about the cultural arts from local Inuit artists.

What we like about the tour is that the Elu Inlet Lodge is owned and operated by Inuit, which means your money is going to help locals. (Frontiers North Adventures was nominated for Parks Canada Sustainable Tourism Award in 2006 for its efforts to encourage appreciation of Canada's cultural, natural, and aesthetic heritage.) The tour price includes two nights at Cambridge Bay, five nights at Elu Inlet Lodge, most meals, and round-trip airfare.

Frontiers North has many other tours around the far reaches of Canada, including tours to the Hudson Strait, Igloolik (to see walruses), and Cape Churchill (to see polar bears). "We've got the best access in the world to wild  polar bears," John Gunter, Frontiers North general manager, told IT. Because of that, they're able to provide one of their Tundra Buggies, as well as lodging and a wireless transmission to the cameraman for National Geographic.com's live Polar Bear Cam -- check it out!
 

Image: © Frontiers North Adventures

Introducing: Talk to a Traveler

Welcome to Intelligent Travel's newest feature, "Talk to a Traveler," in which we make the most of our location in the nation's capital as a national—and international—tourist hub. With so many people seeking out our city's varied cultural offerings, we decided to turn the tables and ask what sights, attractions, activities, and meals we should check out when we wander into their hometowns.

On a layover in Washington, D.C., 18-year-old Scott Macdonald hopped on the subway and headed downtown to visit some monuments. IT spotted him outside of the White House gates and got the inside scoop on his hometown in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. 

What’s your impression of DC?

It’s great. It’s my first time here and the streets seem really clean, and the people are friendly, but there are a lot of hobos around. Considering it’s the nation’s capital, that’s not exactly impressive.

Agreed. If people came to Antigonish, what would you recommend that they do? 

Definitely take a drive on the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island. It’s this really long, beautiful, scenic route that takes you around the north of the island. Nova Scotia is almost an island minus a small piece of land that connects it to the rest of Canada, so we’ve got a lot of great beaches too.

Isn’t it too cold for the beaches?

Summer is the best time to go. A lot of Europeans have summer homes in Antigonish because it’s a really nice climate, especially compared with the rest of Canada. But don’t go in January or February. It’s  freezing then—like minus fifteen Celsius!

WWOOF-ing ’Round the World

We here at IT know it all too well, but let's face it - traveling is an expensive hobby. From plane tickets and lodging to food and extracurriculars, wanting to see the world can put a big hole in your pocket.  But in 1971, organic farm supporter Sue Coppard got sick of not being able to afford to see the countryside, so she started a work-exchange program that has been going strong - and saving travelers money - ever since.

Originally called "Working Weekends on Organic Farms," WWOOF began as a weekend-long program in the U.K., allowing WWOOF members to work on organic farms for a couple of days in exchange for free room and board. After WWOOFers (as these volunteers are officially called) decided a weekend was not nearly long enough to suit their travel needs, the organization became "Willing Workers on Organic Farms" and eventually, expanding beyond the U.K., "World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms."

Turning On Toronto

As you know, IT loves its lights. So we proudly introduce you to Toronto's CN Tower, which now lights up in many colors and uses LED technology (Light Emitting Diodes), creating these lighting effects that use 10% less energy than the old lighting system. The new display was inaugurated on June 28 and has been treating Toronto residents and visitors to a different light show every night. Each lighting fixture can produce 16.7 million color combinations, all controlled digitally from a single computer console. The best part? The lighting effects are not stationary, but pulse and flow and zoom, as you can see in this YouTube video.  The LED bulbs are expected to last ten years, which means less maintenance and fewer bulbs used. Another plus? The lighting will be dimmed during spring and fall bird migration seasons—the CN Tower has been a longstanding participant in this volunteer-run program that encourages buildings to dim unnecessary exterior lighting to mitigate bird mortality during spring and fall bird migration.

P.S. IT's in love.

*Photo by Photosapience

Beach Bargains

Half of IT is headed to the beach for Memorial Day weekend—lucky for Emily, she's staying with friends in their timeshare. But for those of you paying your own way, we've located an article on Smarter Travel (thanks Gadling) with a list of five hidden, affordable beach destinations. They suggest:

Anna Maria Island, Florida The hidden beach destination Floridians escape to, Anna Maria Island has somehow managed to keep condo towers, all-fast-food chains, amusement parks, and glitzy mega-resorts off its shores. In fact, no construction on this seven-mile [11-kilometer] long barrier island on Florida's Gulf Coast is more than three stories tall, Subway is the only franchise, and 60 percent of its land is open beach. And, it's affordable, especially in the summer. You can rent vacation homes with water views and pools for well under $1,000 per week and get seafood entrees at beachfront restaurants for under $15.

Insiders Vancouver, Blog Edition - The Sequel

National Geographic Traveler's April issue hit the newsstand two days ago, bearing into the world a feature article by IT's very own Jessie Johnston: "Insiders Vancouver." Not all of Jessie's firstborn was delivered in bound form, however, so we decided to share the remaining portions with you here. Without further ado, three more tasty Vancouverite morsels (the first three ran on Tuesday):

Insiders Vancouver, Blog Edition

National Geographic Traveler's April issue hits the newsstand today, and within its august pages you can find a feature article by IT's very own Jessie Johnston: "Insiders Vancouver." As is often the case, not all of Jessie's precious words were lucky enough to make their way from the original manuscript into the final published version. Some of those tasty leftovers will be reheated and served in future issues, but we thought we'd share the rest with you this week, while they're at their freshest. Herewith, three tips from notable Vancouverites (tune in Thursday for the rest):

Feeding the Rich to Feed the Poor

You already know IT likes to eat. You also know that we like to do so on the cheap, if possible. And while we certainly enjoyed saving on delicious meals during Washington's just-passed Restaurant Week, we're fascinated by a new way to feel good about dining out that has taken hold in one of our favorite eating cities: Montreal.

Since the end of July, Montreal's Robin des Bois restaurant (named for Sherwood Forest's most well-known resident) has been doing good deeds by serving good food. The restaurant's goal is to donate all of its proceeds to charity, and in order to keep that amount as high as possible, almost none of their workers receive payment. The chefs (led by former Toqué! denizen Myriam Pelletier) and managers are paid, but all serving, bussing, prepping and cleaning is done by the 1,500 volunteers (some of them celebrities) who have registered and signed up for shifts on the restaurant's website.

What Time Is It When an Elephant Sits on Your Passport?

Regardless of whether a plague of travel-document-perching pachyderms is imminent (and, to be honest, we suspect that it isn't), for many Americans it's time to get a new passport. Unless further lobbying by the travel industry causes yet more changes to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, American citizens will be required to show a passport in order to reenter the U.S. by air from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean as of January 8, 2007. Since new passport applications take six to eight weeks to process, and you'll need to have your document with you when you leave the country in order to present it when you return, this is the ideal week for current non-passport-holding Americans with trans-border holiday season air travel plans to get their applications in. If you'll be driving or cruising out of the country at holiday time, you are still exempt from the passport requirement. Up until three weeks ago, the effective date requiring passports for non-air entry was slated for January 1, 2008, but recent legislation means it may be pushed as late as June 1, 2009. If we're still at IT, we'll post a reminder that March. Save the date.

IT's Reader (Eater) Roundup

Last week, IT posted tips sent in from readers responding to our call for "stuff we missed" in the Insiders Montreal story in National Geographic Traveler's May/June 2006 issue. There were so many good ideas we had to split their suggestions up into two posts. Here's the second (all-food) half:

Montreal resident W.F. Howard highly recommends

Le Piment Rouge (The Red Pepper) restaurant. Their Szechuan cuisine is exquisite and the wine list is formidable (in a good way!), and neither requires a second mortgage. My favorite dish is boeuf à l'orange—offering tremendous contrast between sweet and sharp. The beef is crispy, very spicy, and never soggy. Pair this with an old vine Zinfandel or Petite Sirah. While I was dining there once with a colleague, four large men entered and sat at a nearby table. I chanced to look over, and was startled to see Mark McGwire and three of his Cardinals teammates in town to play the Expos.

IT's Reader Roundup: Insider Edition

What didn't we cover in the Insiders Montreal in our May/June 2006 issue? A lot! Here, our readers (and true insiders) send us their suggestions and tips.

Kevin Spreekmeester says that his city

is known for its haute cuisine, but for many locals it's the 'sous-cuisine,' that makes day-to-day life so fattening and fun! For a delicious sandwich (with a great kosher pickle and fries), try Schwartz's, Bens, Dunn's, or even newbie Moe's for the authentic deal. Also try the famous ribs at Bar-b-Barn. Why these ribs you ask? I can only answer by asking why gouda from Holland, a baguette from France, or beer from Copenhagen? One other must: a late-night stop for fries and a steamy (spelled 'steamé') hot dog at Lafleur (3620 St. Denis; +1 514 848 1804), part of a chain of bare-bones, street-corner, open-all-night eateries. Once done you'll likely need to roll around the floor of your hotel room while your belly digests the grease in which the fries were double-cooked. But, you'll be blissfully happy in your discomfort.

IT Travels with Paul Martin

The hunt for the perfect lobster roll ate up much of executive editor Paul Martin's week on Prince Edward Island this summer. He shares his findings:

Every day I was consumed with the mission of finding just the right blend of chunk lobster meat and condiments. (My ideal: the perfect balance between a plain-lobster lobster roll and one made gloppy by too much mayo.) The winner? Hands down, it was the town of Kensington's Frosty Treat Dairy Bar, a local ice-cream stand where the rolls feature plentiful lobster held together with a touch of mayo and set off with a bit of celery and a slice of lettuce, served in your choice of hot-dog or hamburger bun. After indulging in one (or two) of the scrumptious sandwiches, I found that the bumbleberry milkshakes were a nice way to top off a meal.

Oh, and for the best fries I discovered on this potato-growing island, try Carr's Oyster Bar in Stanley Bridge. The crispy skins-on fries were the best I've ever had anywhere.