Dine Out Vancouver Festival in January

Excited to head back to Okemo this coming weekend to check out their latest additions, including a second bubble lift. Called Quantum Four, the bright orange retractable, transparent dome will replace the Jackson Gore Express Quad. The four-passenger bubble chairs protect skiers from wind and weather as they ascend Jackson Gore summit. Always included in my round-ups of top 10 ski resorts for families in America, Okemo is known for their snowmaking and impeccable grooming, which allows novice skiers to feel like Olympic downhill champions as you cruise down the long boulevards. Of course, we’ll also take an exhilarating run on the Timber Ripper Mountain Coaster and taste those fresh baked waffles dipped in chocolate. Can’t wait!
Visit Montreal in June and you’ll see the Botanical Garden in full bloom. It’s also the time of year when its laundry list of summer events and festivals begin, starting with the Montreal Grand Prix on June 9th. The Montreal International Jazz Festival comes to town late June 27-July 6, followed by Just for Laughs Comedy Festival July 10-28, the premiere comedy event in North America. Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and other top tennis pros are on hand for the Rogers Cup August 2-11. Stay at the brand new Four Seasons Hotel Montreal, slated to make its debut on June 1st. The hotel will feature 169 rooms and suites, acclaimed Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s first restaurant in Canada, Marcus, a 24-hour fitness center, sky-lit indoor swimming pool, and spa. Please let ActiveTravels know you’re headed to Montreal and we’ll check hotel availability and design our patented Dream Day Itinerary to other regions of Quebec, which we know very well.
Chicagoans take full advantage of the warm weather to hit the shoreline of Lake Michigan and celebrate summer with a slew of festivals. This was certainly true in late June, when my wife and I arrived in city to grab a slice of Lou Malnati’s pizza at the big food festival, Taste of Chicago, and then wandered over to Navy Pier to rent bikes. Instead of heading north to Oak Street Beach, we pedaled south along Lake Michigan, passing Shedd Aquarium and the Soldiers Field. When we turned around, we had a glorious vista of the Chicago skyline, the City of Broad Shoulders gleaming under the cloudless sky. That night we dined at Next, the latest dining option from James Beard-award winning chef, Grant Achatz. Achatz changes the menu every three months and we were fortunate enough to dine on a prix-fixe menu that featured the specialties of Paris, 1906. Even more revolutionary is that the clientele at Next pay for their meal, drinks, tip, and tax in advance, like buying tickets for the theater or a concert. Demand is so great that ticket scalping for a table at Next had already become prevalent by the time we arrived. One taste of Achatz’s innovative fare and you understand the allure.
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has declared June the “Great Outdoors Month,” hoping to inspire people to get away from their screens and experience the majesty of the state. Hit any of the Trustees 110-plus locales and you’ll walk away happy you made the effort. This is certainly true of today’s itinerary, which includes several hidden gems in central Massachusetts that few people outside that region know about.
Once travelers touch down in San Jose, they’re often in a rush to drive to Arenal Volcano or Monteverde and the Cloud Forest. That’s unfortunate, because you’re missing one of my favorite parts of the country, the farmland on the backside of Poas Volcano, only an hour’s drive from the airport. 5,000 feet high, also considered part of the Cloud Forest, this is as green and cool as the country gets. The verdant terrain features some of the best waterfalls in the country, plummeting down to rarely seen lakes. At Peace Lodge and El Silencio, we walked by ourselves to a series of waterfalls, all more dramatic than the next. El Silencio is located in the farming community of Bajos del Toro. One afternoon, we went horseback riding up the hillside, stopped to milk cows and meet the locals, then wandered back through town to our room. The view from our deck was a stunning flank of the volcano, surrounded by the lush foliage. Adding to the allure are the multitude of hummingbirds found in this part of the country.