Time to go to Quebec

Hotel Clarendon, Quebec, Canada

It’s getting to be the perfect time of year to go up to Quebec. I went up just shy of a year ago, and it was amazing. There was a pleasant chill in the air. This year should be even more exciting, as Quebec is celebrating its 400th anniversary.

The place to stay is the Frontenac Hotel, which is a Fairmont property. But, it is priced like a Fairmont, so be ready to invest in your taste of luxury. If you’re on something of a budget (as I was), check out l’Hotel Clarendon. It’s inside the city walls and has large guestrooms that are clean and comfortable.

Something to keep in mind: L’Hotel Clarendon does offer a limited spa service. You can get in-room massages from an absolute professional. But, do note that this is arranged through a partnership with an independent masseuse, so you may have to schedule in advance. Plan ahead; it’s worth the effort.

New Reviews on TripAdvisor

As you know, I’ve been traveling a lot lately. So, I’ve done my duty as an online citizen and posted reviews to TripAdvisor.com. I have three new additions to the party:

• Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples, FL >>
• Hotel St Paul, Montreal, Quebec, Canada >>
• Westin Diplomat, Hollywood, FL >>

Yeah, I’ve been spending a lot of time in Florida lately. I’m not thrilled about that fact. Florida’s not usually at the top of my list at any time of the year, and summer is the worst.

Check out Montreal

My latest TraderDaily.com travel article has been posted. I had an absolute blast when I was up there last month, and I look forward to going again soon.

J’aime la Montreal!

So, take a look at the article on traveling to Montreal, then book a quick trip up there. If you’re in Boston or New York, Montreal isn’t too far up north.

While you’re up there, go grab a hot dog. They have decent dogs at the pool hall (there aren’t any pool tables there any more, just hot dogs) on St Denis. That’s exactly what I’m doing in the picture.

With fall coming, you probably think it will be cold as hell up there. You’d be absolutely wrong. Don’t think; let me do that for you. It’s beautiful up there well into October and probably into November. The air is nice and crisp.

Read about Montreal on TraderDaily.com >>

Old and New

Part of why I love Montreal is that it offers a mix of old and new architecture, side-by-side. I hate cities like Las Vegas because they are synthetic. There is no evolution of the urban landscape. Montreal, like New York, pulls it all together. I absolutely love it.

More fun foreign street signs

Yeah, I love foreign street signs. Canada’s were considerably more sensible than those in Helsinki and Reykjavik, but I found a few that were entertaining.

Youville– population, one!

Saute-Moutons pretty much translates to “jumping sheep.” Strangely, this attraction deals with neither jumping nor sheep, but it is still pretty damned cool. Saute-Moutons takes you on a jet boat through river rapids. Large waves form, and the boat dives into them, getting the passengers drenched. On the way back, we actually saw a few whirlpools forming in the river. This is a must-see in Montreal.

Slow food in a bar? As opposed to what? Healthy mozzarella sticks? C’mon, guys. I just don’t get it.

I love hot dogs

They may be foreign; they may be domestic. Either way, I am a big fan of the food nature could never have produced on its own. You’ve seen me eat a hot dog in Reykjavik, Iceland, and you’ve heard my thoughts on dogs served in Massachusetts and New York. Well, I have finally added a new delight to the list.

I stopped by a dog shop in Montreal, yesterday. I have to say, it wasn’t bad. From what I understand, this was the best Montreal had to offer.

The verdict? Montreal offers a good dog, certainly far above average. But, it does have a way to go before it can compete with Swamscott, MA’s Popo’s or the crazy shop in Reykjavik.

Hitting the road again soon

On Thursday morning, I’m hopping on a plane again. The timing is perfect, as I could really use a chance to recharge. The past few weeks have been pretty tough. The rush is over, but I’m having trouble getting my energy back up. So, a break will be nice. I’m headed up to Montreal to check the city out for my travel column. I’ll be up there for four days, and I haven’t been in about 15 years. On my last trip, I spent more time on the slopes than I did in the city, so this is really my first trip to Montreal. My French is a bit rusty, but I hope it will suffice.

After that, I’m home for a weekend and hope to check out the Salvador Dali exhibit at MoMA. Julio Aguilera says great things about it, and he’s a reliable source. I’m going, and you should, too. After that, the travel heats up again. On August 2/3, I’ll be in Philly at the HotMovies.com party with Pornsaints.org. Julio will be showing paintings from his “Ladies of San Fernando Valley” series for the first time at the accompanying art show. Finally, I’ll be at Internext in Hollywood, FL from August 8 to August 10. Following Internext, I hope to be home for about two months.

So, I should have plenty of new material coming soon. I’ve just been jammed lately.

And no, I won’t be flying JetBlue.

Yeah, it looks like I’ve been busy

I’ve had several new articles come out in the past 24 hours. But, they were written over the last two months. So, it looks like I’m much more productive than I really am. It turns out trader published a good chunk of the articles I submitted. So, I guess they won’t be weekly after all. Check out the following on TraderDaily.com:

Crack in the Continents (Iceland) >>

Push Yourself into Tight Spaces (Bonaire) >>

North Korea >>

Face-to-Face with a Polar Bear (Canada) >>