Less Than 12 Hours in Calgary

By Cynthia Dial for JustLuxe.com

Question: Is less than 12 hours enough time to get a taste of any city? Typically, my answer is an unequivocal “no.” 

That said, my recent visit to Alberta’s Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks – home to Banff and Lake Louise – required an overnight in Calgary in order to make an early morning flight. How to make the most of so little time in such a diverse city became my challenge. Yet, this challenge was met by an itinerary that was adventurous, delicious and luxurious. So, yes, it is possible to experience a city in less than 12 hours.

Superlatives describe Calgary. With an average of 2,405 hours of annual sun, it is Canada’s sunniest major city. It’s been named the world’s cleanest city (2013). It is host of the country’s biggest rodeo, the Calgary Stampede (thus the city’s signature white cowboy hats). Fish Creek Park is Western Canada’s longest urban park and its Bow River is one of the world’s top trout fishing streams. 

1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. As site of the first winter Olympics to be held in Canada, the selection of Calgary as the setting of 1988’s XV Winter Olympic Games and its most noted landmark, a soaring ski jump tower, captured both my attention and limited time. At 295 feet above ground, the tower is the Games’ most visible legacy and the starting point of WinSport Canada Olympic Park’s Monster Zipline. Reaching speeds up to 75 mph, it is North America’s fastest zipline.

A bit of background: I’ve ziplined several times, most recently at Utah Olympic Park on its Xtreme Zipline, so the experience is not a new one. However, when informed during pre-zip instructions that my release of a parachute would slow my speed, let’s just say I rethought my choice of adventures. Fast forward to post-zip and to my accompanying assortment of emotions: excitement, exhilaration and accomplishment.

4:00 p.m. Even its name, Hotel Arts, is appealing. As downtown’s designer boutique hotel, it was immediately upon check-in that I was introduced to a place more reminiscent of an art museum than an overnight inn. The lobby focal point, a life-sized painting of a horse, has captured such city-wide attention that it is the frequent backdrop of residents’ wedding photos. Locally-owned, its sister boutique property, the Kensington Riverside Inn, is noted as the city’s first Relais & Chateaux hotel.

Hotel Arts’ two restaurants are award winning – Raw Bar (Top 10 Best Restaurants) and Yellow Door Bistro (Best New Restaurant 2013, Best Brunch 2015). While Yellow Door’s fare has been described as “bistro-inspired cuisine with a reverence for classic ingredients but served up with a contemporary twist,” Raw Bar features Vietnamese cuisine with a modern flair. The Yellow Door has a whimsical, Alice in Wonderland-feel with delightful, typically yellow, surprises incorporated into its décor; whereas Raw Bar projects an atmosphere that is contemporary and cool. 

Such perks as its peppermint-scented Skoah bath amenities (so popular, the products are available for purchase), seasonal poolside yoga and the complimentary use of Brooklyn Cruiser Bikes for downtown exploration simply sweeten the package.

6:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. A girl’s got to eat, right? You’ll walk across a bridge from the bustle of the city to the solitude of Prince’s Island to reach the River Café. 

Photos by Cynthia Dial

A noted pioneer of the Calgary’s farm-to-table food scene, it sits on the shores of the Bow River with a backdrop of the skyline. Complete with a long wooden bar, fly fishing artifact décor and a roaring fieldstone fireplace, its cozy vibe evokes that of a Rocky Mountain fishing lodge. Noted as the only prairie-region restaurant to be named one of the 1001 Restaurants to Experience Before You Die, Chef Andrew Winfield is known for his commitment to seasonal Canadian products, showcased in such menu items as wood grilled Pacific octopus and Mountain Creek bison.

As all good things must come to an end, it seem much too soon that my airplane’s wheels leave the ground and I depart Alberta, but not without having been introduced to its gateway city. Goodbye, Calgary. Glad to have met you.

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Where, oh where, in the world is this?

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Travel Quote of the Day

Quote of the day: “You speak in French, but you sing in Italian.”

Photo by Cynthia Dial

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Wow Deal Destinations of 2016

TravelZoo announced its list of the top five Wow Deal Destinations where they anticipate -- and are already seeing -- amazing deals throughout 2016, in comparison with years past.

Complete with some hints, here is the list of where you should be off to this year:

Photo by Cynthia Dial

~ This neighboring country's currency is at an 11-year low, which means there's a "25% off" sticker on everything when using the U.S. dollar.

Answer: Canada

~ New government rules and regulations open up travel to this island -- visit now while it's still got an authentic vibe.

Answer: Cuba

~ A hotel boom of 30,000 rooms in less than a decade makes them easier to afford in this historically pricey city.

Answer: New York City

~ A low-fare airline propelled others to competitively drop prices (less than $500 roundtrip from the U.S.!), while Disney's "Frozen" helped put this country on the map to a generation of new travelers.

Answer: Norway

~ An increase in flights between the U.S. and this tropical destination plus seven brand-new hotels = the lowest fares in years and 4-star resorts for less than $150.

Answer: Puerto Vallarta

#travel #traveltips #travelpics #travelingcynthia #travelzoo 

Dreaming About Italy?

I love Italy and I've traveled to this country many times. But I've never experienced VIP Italy in the 'Dream Italy' way. From visiting the smallest, but best,  of winemakers and cheesemakers, to starting the day in a Ferrari driving through the Tuscan countryside and ending it in a hot air balloon soaring over the countryside, Dream Italy's Giorgio Dell'artino achieves dreams you never knew you had. Ciao!

#giorgiodresmitaly #dreamitaly #travel #traveltips #travelingcynthia 

There's More Than Meets the Eye at Canada's Wickaninnish Inn on Vancouver Island

by Cynthia Dial for JustLuxe.com

A little backstory. Upon learning that the Wickaninnish Inn is known for storm watching, a visit during inclement weather became a goal. Thus, when my small plane departed from the city of Vancouver to Vancouver Island (setting of Tofino, home to the Wickaninnish Inn), and I learned that poor climate conditions mean landing in Qualicum Beach, followed by a two-and-a-half hour drive to Tofino, reality set in. My dream was coming true.

“Watch your head as you’re deplaning,” cautioned the Orca Airways pilot before humorously adding, “If you don’t watch your head, watch your language.” It is on that upbeat note that my journey began – driving along the Pacific Rim Highway, first through Cathedral Grove, then around Sproat and Kennedy Lakes in rain and eventually over Sutton Pass through snow. My weather-tested arrival to Vancouver Island’s most remote patch on its west coast would be considered challenging by most. To me, it was exhilarating.

Originally a fishing village, today’s Tofino is outgoing, easygoing, enterprising and, in many ways, exclusive. Situated in the environs of the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, it is the setting of an array of activities – from hiking, fishing and surfing (named North America’s best by Outside Magazine) to whale watching, bear watching and bird watching – and from November through February, for storm watching.

At first glance, the town was not impressive. Yet, closer inspection unveils an at-the-end-of-the-road place (it’s the conclusion of Canada’s cross-country east to west Pacific Rim Highway) that is cozy, charming and casual. 

Its array of eateries includes Wolf in the Fog (named Canada’s Best New Restaurant in 2014 by Air Canada’s inflight magazine, enRoute), award-winning SoBo (aka Sophisticated Bohemian) and Tacofino (a food truck renowned for its fish tacos and chocolate diablo cookies). The place to be on Wednesday nights is Jack’s Waterfront Pub for karaoke, a visit to Tofino Brewing Company should be mandatory (among its most popular draughts is Blonde) and Eagle Aerie Gallery is best known for the work of Canadian artist Roy Henry Vickers.

For me, however, Tofino’s primary appeal was found not in its pastimes or at dinnertime, but three miles from the village center at the Wickaninnish Inn. Comprised of two contemporary cedar, stone and glass structures – the Pointe Building and the Beach Building – the Inn is comfortably situated on a rocky point overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Chesterman Beach (at 1.5 miles, it is Tofino’s longest strand).

My arrival was beneath sheets of rain. Running the length of its porte cochere toward the oversized Henry Nolla-carved yellow cedar double doors (treasured creations of the late resident craftsman), my warm lobby welcome was from a blazing fireplace, flanked by floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing the churning sea.

It was this initial introduction to the Inn’s National Geographic-like setting and its meticulous attention to detail that ensured this fact: I might never leave. If “love is in the details,” as Oprah is known for saying, the Wickaninnish is a valentine.

Features of the Inn’s 75 rooms include an ocean or beach view, individual balcony, gas-burning fireplace, giant soaker tub, remote controlled privacy window shade for the bathroom windows, heated stone bathroom flooring, disappearing television screen, binoculars for wildlife viewing (eagles are everywhere), Hudson Bay blankets for the balcony, daily tide timetables for beach walking, plush bathrobes, in-room diary, backpack, umbrella and storm watching gear (including boots, rain pants and a rain jacket next to a clever note reading: “On the West Coast there is no such thing as bad weather, just poor clothing choices.”). Handcrafted wood embellishments, from the room’s carved mantel and driftwood hewn chair to its custom-designed tissue boxes, further highlight the Wick’s commitment to perfection.

 “Rustic elegance on nature’s edge,” describes managing director Charles McDiarmid (eldest son of the Inn’s founding father, the late Howard McDiarmid) of his family’s loving creation. Hands-on from the beginning, McDiarmid recounted the Inn’s construction. “First we had to blast rock, clear the site and build the road, then run the sewer, water and cable lines.” Charles and his brother Bruce physically cleared the site. “I remember September 26, 1995, because it was the first day we were hauling stuff in rather than hauling stuff out. Launching less than a year later, it was August 9, 1996, when I took off the hard hat, put on a clean shirt and opened the doors,” says McDiarmid, a Cornell School of Hotel Administration graduate and Four Seasons Hotel veteran.

The Inn’s reception to the world’s hotel scene was simply one accolade after another. Only one year after opening, it received the Relais & Chateaux designation (typically a three-year pursuit) and in 2002 the Wickaninnish was named Travel + Leisure’s top North American hotel and the world’s third.

A walk about the Inn is akin to visiting a museum or gallery, meandering amongst First Nations artwork, burl wood furniture, locally created metalwork accents and even first editions of Captain Vancouver’s “Voyage of Discovery.” 

You’ll know you’re approaching the Ancient Cedars Spa by its aroma. Among its enticements are the spa’s two couple-treatment rooms (Rainforest Haven and Cedar Sanctuary), whose doors open to the privacy of the sea. The spa’s treatments shout “Pacific Northwest” with such indigenous components as Vancouver Island seaweed body polish and seaweed salts for its hydrotherapy soak amid 144 water jets.  

Additionally adding to the luxurious Inn’s appeal is The Pointe Restaurant, which showcases a 240-degree view and serves up Chef Warren Barr’s specialties that feature locally sourced, West Coast-inspired, fresh-from-the-sea cuisine. Chef’s not-to-be-missed weekly tasting menu – five or six courses, paired with wines – offers such dishes as ginger cured foie gras with local strawberry preserves and almond crusted Tofino lingcod. A copper fireplace occupies the center of the room, with premium seating near the warmth of this centerpiece or at one of the many tables perched window side. To avoid disappointment, however, be sure to make reservations well in advance.

Another dining option is the more casual Driftwood Café. Frequented by locals, “It’s our gateway drug,” says McDiarmid. Though smaller, it too is window-lined and it too frames a premier view. Situated around an impressive bar whose base is carved from a fallen tree, a wood-burning stone fireplace and at the entrance of the Inn’s art gallery, it features a menu that isn’t as broad but from which I experience an all-time favorites meal – West Pacific smoked salmon, paired with a glass of Blue Mountain Brut.

A year-round destination, in truth there is no “best” season for Tofino and the Wickaninnish Inn. Summer serves up Dungeness crab cookouts on the beach, wintertime can mean storm watching and surfing, hiking and wildlife viewing can be enjoyed almost anytime.  

  Photos by Cynthia Dial

At departure in Orca’s eight-seater commuter plane the skies are clear, setting the stage for an all-together different but equally enticing experience. Another day, another Tofino. The Inn’s door signage most simply described my luxuriating visit: “Watching the waves from my window. Please come back later.”  

#travel #traveltips #travelingcynthia #wickininnishinn #vancouverisland #tofino #stormwatching

Hamburg - Elbphilharmonie - Concert Hall - Opening

The following news is particularly exciting to me as I was one of the first to walk the circular staircase of the newly opened Elbphilharmonie Hamburg concert hall, albeit wearing a hard hat and during its lengthy construction. This was in 2011.

Photos by Cynthia Dial

Fast forward to 2016 and my how times have changed. Exactly one year before the scheduled opening of the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the opening act is set: the NDR Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Thomas Hengelbrock will be performing in the great hall on January 11 and 12, 2017. Located in the Hamburg harbor, the Elbphilharmonie was designed by Swiss architects Herzog & De Meuron. 

The building’s curved glass construction is set on top of a historic cocoa warehouse. It perfectly combines traditional and modern design and boldly enhances Hamburg’s cityscape. Now in its final construction phase, the building has already become Hamburg’s new landmark, and is poised to be one of the most acclaimed concert halls in the world.

#Elbphilharmonie #hamburg #concerthall #travel #traveltips #travelingcynthia