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Holiday Cheer in Toronto—Visiting the St. Lawrence Market with Toronto Historian, Bruce Bell

There’s no better way to see a city then with a local, and if that person has to be a passionate historian, then you’ve hit the jackpot. Yesterday morning I had the pleasure of going on a 90-minute tour of the St. Lawrence Market with Bruce Bell, the same Bruce Bell that’s responsible for placing 100 plaques around the city detailing the most historic moments in Toronto. Bell met me at the St. Lawrence Market, where the city of York originated. Walk inside the thriving food market and you can still see the façade of the first city hall, occupying this site since 1854. I’ve always loved a good market and the St. Lawrence has such a rich history that it’s no wonder National Geographic recently called it the number one food market in the world. 

 
Start with a local classic, the peameal bacon sandwich at Carousel Bakery, the same Canadian bacon sandwich Anthony Bourdain raved about on his show. Also ask for a butter tart, an old French Canadian recipe that tastes like pecan pie. Except for the camel, crocodile, and kangaroo meat sold at Whitehouse Meats, much of the produce is local. This includes a large selection of cheeses and wines from nearby Niagara-on-the-Lake. Downstairs in the market, you’ll find more ethnic fare, like the pierogies, latkes, knishes, and blintzes at European Delight. Work off your meal by visiting other Old Town Toronto sites with Bell like St. Lawrence Hall and St. James Cathedral. Making its debut in 1850, St. Lawrence Hall is where P.T. Barnum introduced Canadian audiences to his pint-sized performer, Tom Thumb, and to the great Swedish soprano, Jenny Lind. Also on the wall of fame is a photo of a younger Bruce Bell. He’s a local treasure and well worth the 25 bucks for an engaging trip to the birthplace of Toronto.
 

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The Best of Cape Cod Birding

While the interior of Cape Cod is rich with cardinals, mockingbirds, goldfinches and woodpeckers, it’s the coastal variety that entice many a visitor here.  Shorebirds by the thousands, returning from their Arctic breeding grounds, stop along the Cape coast for much needed respite and food as they fatten up for their journey south. One of their favorite overnights is Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. The Massachusetts Audubon Society, who own and maintain the property, have claimed to have seen over 250 different species like oystercatchers, stilts, avocets, plovers, turnstones, and sandpipers.

The Goose Pond Trail is a leisurely ramble though marsh, forest, ponds, and fields. At low tide, continue on the Try Island Trail to a boardwalk that leads to Cape Cod Bay.  Green herons and large goose-like brants are prevalent in the surrounding salty marsh.  Retrace your steps back to the Goose Pond Trail to reach Goose Pond. A bench overlooking the water is one of the most serene spots on the Cape. Northern hummingbirds fly in and out of the branches overhead forming a choir whose voices will soothe any man’s soul.
 

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My Favorite Spring Drives

There’s something about spring that makes many of us want to grab our car keys. Maybe it’s that the season’s longer days mean there’s more sunlight to get out and enjoy; maybe it’s that the drab winter landscapes are newly ablaze with color. Maybe it’s just good old-fashioned spring fever, pushing us to get outside, to get out on the road for a new adventure. Executive Travel has just published my favorite spring drives in America, including cruising the Mississippi Delta from Clarksdale to Natchez, driving from Portland to Cannon Beach and the Oregon Coast, and hitting the Blue Ridge Parkway between Asheville and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where fragrant mountain laurel and colorful rhododendrons line the drive this time of year. Enjoy, and as always, if you have any questions about any of these trips, feel free to ask! 

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Favorite Fall Outings in New England, A Stop at B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill in Mystic, Connecticut

Off the beaten track, Somewhere in Time might feel like somewhere in the middle of nowhere. But once you arrive and see the slew of people lined up for breakfast, you realize this is a local institution. Grab a mug of coffee and get ready to dig into the large selection of omelets, pancakes, and French toast. Then head nearby to B.F. Clyde’s. Open in 1881, B. F. Clyde’s is home to the oldest steam powered cider mill in America and what a contraption it is. Walk around the machinery, amazed that it still runs. Then hit the store to try the sweet cider, pumpkin bread, apple pies, and maple syrup. A perfect fall outing. 

I’m off to Chicago next week, back Monday, October 17th. Enjoy Columbus Day Weekend and keep active! 

 

 
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DuVine Cycling Expands Chef on Wheels Trips in 2017

Luxury tour operator, Duvine Cycling + Adventure Co, just announced their 2017 line-up and it incudes their expansion of their popular Chefs on Wheels itineraries. Acclaimed New York chef and restaurateur, Seamus Mullen, will lead a trip to Sicily in late May, as well as a challenging weeklong ride through Tuscany from the Adriatic to the Mediterranean October 2017. Talented Boston chef, Jody Adams, will lead a more relaxed vacation to Spain’s Costa Brava in late June. DuVine is also offering trips to three new locales next year: a tantalizing Greek Island yacht and bike trip with stops in Rhodes and Kos, a loop around Corsica with layovers at Relais & Chateaux properties, and the rare chance to pedal through traditional Peruvian villages on the way to Machu Picchu. There’s also a women’s only trip to Sonoma in May with Skratch Labs resident chef Lentine Alexis. Bikers will be treated to delicious meals and experience some of Lentine’s favorite Sonoma spots along the way.

 
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Catch Trentemøller on His North American Tour

I have a good friend in Boston who’s a music critic and he often invites me out to catch bands I’ve never heard of. Last night, he invited me to see the Danish king of electronic music, Trentemøller, playing with a full band. As soon as we walked into this small danceclub, we knew we were in for one of those special and rare musical moments. Man, it was rocking with a funky bass, fast-playing electric guitar and drums, and Trentemøller’s hypnotic and very unique grooves on the synthesizer. Every now and then, a woman would sing high above the music to produce an ethereal quality. People were dancing their asses off as the music blared through the venue. You couldn’t help but shake in your shoes the groove was that good. I agreed with the guy behind me who was screaming, "Sign Me Up!" Boston was the start of their tour in North America and if you live any where near any of these cities, I would definitely check it out. It was that much fun!
 

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Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis to Headline Festival International de Jazz

Called the world’s largest jazz festival by the Guinness Book of World Records, the 37th annual Festival International de Jazz returns to Montreal June 29th to July 9th. Concerts are scheduled from noon to midnight for 10 days and nights at 15 concert halls and eight outdoor stages. This year’s line-up, just announced, will certainly keep the crowds happy. The Chick Corea Trio, Wynton Marsalis and his Lincoln Center Orchestra, Rufus Wainwright, Lauryn Hill, the Avishai Cohen Trio, Melody Gardot, Gregory Porter, and Noel Gallagher are just a few of the many impressive performers that will appear. Participating hotels like Square Phillips Hotel and the Hyatt Regency Montreal are offering packages that include lodging, breakfast, and tickets to the venue. 

 
 

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