Let's dream a little....

Have you noticed that I hardly every write on the weekends? It's because I own a restaurant and am completely consumed by it Thursday thru Sunday. Monday is my catch-up day and if I get an evening off it's typically a Tuesday. So since I have a little free time to pursue my travel hobby tonight, I thought we might dream a little.

I always write about bargain travel. It's "my thing."( I can go when the price low.... meaning I am very budget conscious and just want to get the best value I can for my money. If I can find 5 star travel experiences and pay 2 star price, just by being flexible with dates and/or using points then I feel like a winner.) But, just for the sake of a little amusement on my night off, let's pretend money is no object.

I've spun the calendar and landed on Sunday, December 6th. It's not a holiday or anything, so the prices should be pretty average.  Let's see what it would cost to stay a Sunday night in a variety of fancy hotels around the world.

1. Plaza Hotel (Fairmont Chain) New York City.

2. The Langham Hotel in Chicago, Illinois  

(Only USA Hotel on Trip Advisor's Top 25 Luxury Hotel List) 

3. Trump Hotel, Toronto Canada

4. Four Seasons Hotel, Paris France

5. Bellagio Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas Nevada

Shown in US dollars

6. Park Hyatt, Sydney Harbour Australia

Blue Jays vs Yankees?

If your idea of an epic sports trip is watching the Blue Jays vs the Boston Red Sox, you're in luck.

If your idea of an epic sports trip is watching the Blue Jays vs the NY Yankees, you're in luck.

If you're idea of EPIC is seeing all this in one weekend, you better sit down, take a deep breath and then find your credit card.

Will there be another year when the rivalries are this heated? Will the Jays be contenders next year?

Check out this schedule:

Now, since you're going to need some money for tickets and souvenirs, you might want to save $300 on flights, and instead of paying retail, cash in your Air Miles for the flight. (If you pay retail for the flights it's $420 if you book asap) 

Cashing in your Air Miles will be at a very affordable rate of 1600 Air Miles and just $123 in taxes. You can put the savings towards tickets or the hotel. 

A quick glance at Stub Hub says you can have game tickets for about $30 each. They won't be great seats, but you're in the building. (Also check Ticketmaster.ca for seats)  So 3 games for about $100, plus flight tax, and hotel (split with a buddy) $300. Plus hot dogs ($11 each) and a few beers ($12 each) I'll estimate $650 for your epic weekend per person. 

Worthy of the EPIC WEEKEND title, if you're a baseball fan.  

Don't wait on any of this. as the pennant race heats up, so will ticket prices, hotels etc. 

I've actually done this Blue Jays trip before and watched them play the Boston Red Sox, so if you have any questions, I have the personal experience to answer them. (We stayed at the Doubletree Hotel, a place we picked up off of Hotwire.)   We had a great time, of course, there's something special about an MLB game that you just have to experience for yourself. 

Fast Five Travel Notes: The memorable meals of 2014

When I travel, I love trying regional cuisine. I stay away from chain restaurants and look for the gems. I look for recommendations from hotel staff, other guests and on-line blogs too.

Here are a few of the great treats I enjoyed on the road this year:

1. Fish Chowder from the Fairmont Southampton, in Bermuda. It was a thin, spicy fish soup, topped with a float of sherry. It had lots of flavour and with a cocktail and a slice of crusty bread, it was perfect.

2.  Lobster roll, a spicy lobster caesar and chilled lobster tails were fabulous at Rock Lobster restaurant on Queen Street West in Toronto, Ontario. They had several locations and have been featured on the TV show "You Gotta Eat Here"

3. Absolutely everything at Giada's at the Cromwell in Las Vegas, was fabulous. I can't wait to go back!










4.  Hemingways Restaurant in Orlando Florida delivered a memorable and gorgeous meal.  It was fresh, flavourful and easy on the calorie count. I loved every bite.

5. Cheeseburger from Tastee's. They are just so damn good. I probably ate 50 this year!












Honourable Mention:  Best $12 hot dog ever, was at the Toronto Blue Jay's game. We were having fun and geez, when you're at the ball park, you NEED to have ball park food. And seriously, where else are you getting a $12 hot dog?

Short Stay in Toronto?

Here's a bargain on a direct Westjet flight. There are morning and evening flight times to choose from. I've always said if that you can go anywhere in Canada under $400 per person return, it's a good deal.

To pair it with a hotel, I've turned to Hotwire.com to see what they have. 

Here's a great deal for a 4 star Downtown hotel. If you're willing to "gamble" on a brand of hotel, in a specific location, Hotwire is an excellent choice. Especially when 90% of the Hotwire customers who stayed at this hotel give it the thumbs up. 

So, for about $700 per person, you have a great 4 night Canadian vacation get away.