Barbara Ramsay Orr is a freelance journalist, author of the Frommer’s Guide to the Niagara Region, third and fourth edition, and Globe Pequot’s Day Trips From Toronto. She is a lifetime resident of Ontario. Her work has appeared in many national and international publications, including Chatelaine, Canadian Living, NUVO, The Globe and Mail, American Express UK and Readers Digest. She is the Local Expert on Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Wine Country, authors a travel app for Niagara Falls and acts as unofficial ambassador for The Falls as she travels the world for work. While she has visited and written about exotic destinations, from Thailand to Norway, her heart belongs to her hometown province. She’s also an accomplished award winning photographer and a multiple-time recipient of the Lowell Thomas Award for Excellence in Travel Journalism, as a well as an embarrassingly inept but enthusiastic artist. Follow her adventures at www.upperendtravel.com.
No one should pass up a chance to see Niagara on ice. Niagara Falls is wrapped in white in winter, and you have to see it! Here are 5 great reasons to head for the Falls to see this world wonder in a whole new way. 1. An Icy Dazzle for your eyes: The Falls are always beautiful to look at,...
It’s time to plan a perfect Niagara Falls Autumn weekend. The Falls are always awesome, but when the autumn colours add their sparkle to the view, there isn’t a more spectacular vista in the world. Add to that fewer crowds, lower prices and the harvest celebrations and you have an irresistible reason to spend an Autumn weekend in the spray....
You may be just passing through Puerto Vallarta — perhaps you are one of the many cruise ship passengers who have port excursions here when your ship docks — but if a day is all you have, here are the iconic things to see and do to get a quick but relatively accurate picture of this lovely city perched at...
For those who can’t sit still too long, there are many active adventures to be had in Puerto Vallarta. There is only so long you can lie on a beach before the urge to do something active strikes. Try out hang gliding, or parasailing or flyboots to liven up a day at the beach. There are also banana boat rides....
It’s easy to find fun family activities in Puerto Vallarta. Mexico is a place that values family highly, and it is common to see Mom and Dad and several children settling in for a day on the beach, and they will be there until sunset. Beach Bingo If a beach day is on your agenda, there are several beaches to...
Puerto Vallarta sits in the centre of the Bay of Banderas, and, while the city is full of interesting things to do, the surrounding area offers fascinating day trips and excursions. How To Get Around Puerto Vallarta Driving in the Old Town of Puerto Vallarta can be a daunting experience, with the cobblestoned streets and busy traffic. But once you...
Historic Niagara will captivate any visitor who loves history or a good story. This Niagara for History Lovers guide exposes the best places to get your history-geek on. Heroines, a dashing general who died valiantly in battle, warring factions – the stories are all here. It is a place steeped in circumstance and colour. Niagara sits at a location on...
Niagara is a beautiful place for a family getaway and it’s right up there with Disneyland for wow factor. The following detailed itinerary information will help you plan a family holiday that is tailored to your family’s interests. There’s plenty to do for kids and grown-ups. Niagara For Kids and Families is an itinerary with something for everyone. Niagara for...
Experience Niagara Falls in 2 days. Day 1: Niagara Falls in One Perfect Day Check out our Niagara Falls in One Perfect Day itinerary which covers Niagara Falls and includes a cruise right up to the spray. Now you are ready to branch out and discover how this place – a tourist draw since the early 1600’s – has become an entertainment...
The one thing that draws visitors from all over the world to this corner of Canada is Niagara Falls. It’s a unique and spectacular geographical wonder that’s on many traveler’s lists of things to see. Last time I had lunch at Elements on the Falls, the couple next to us had just arrived on a train from New York. They...
Niagara Falls requires, and deserves, more than a day for all its charms, but with only one day to spare, it’s still possible to start to appreciate this natural wonder and get some great ideas for a return visit. Whether or not you follow the One Perfect Day itinerary below, be sure to include the following five experiences in any 24-hour...
Barbados is the most easterly of the Caribbean islands, and an island that offers so much more than warm weather and sandy beaches. Barbados has that in abundance — the West Coast may be one of the longest and most perfect stretchs of white sandy beaches you will ever experience — but the Bajan culture is what makes this island...
Puerto Vallarta Mexico is what I like to think of as the connoisseur’s Mexican destination. While there are miles of sandy beach, parasailing action, zip-line courses and pirate ship excursions, there is also a layered culture and a rich history. That could be the reason, combined with its reputation as a safe destination, that the city is enjoying a renaissance....
Jalisco is the very heart of Mexico, the spirit you imagine when you think of this country. Hell, it is the birthplace of Mariachi, tequila, the sombrero, and Ranchera music! (Listen to the great Vicente Fernandez, the gifted Ranchera artist sing his heart out in Volver, Volver . Ranchera music is similar to country and western music, often held in...
No one can stand at the brink of Niagara Falls and not be powerfully affected by the majesty of this natural wonder. That is what brings over 30 million visitors a year to Niagara. It also keeps this famous site high on the list of places in the world that travelers must see. So, if you haven’t been, let’s plan...
A night in a vintage trailer way out in the High Desert in California. The trailers- mine was called Tiki – were designed by Kate Pierson of B-52 fame and I felt as if I was channeling my long buried hippy teenage self.
I slept in the Ice Hotel. I refuse to talk about it.
I’m a walker. Given the time and opportunity, I will explore cities, villages and the countryside on foot. That’s how you get close to the truth about a destination.
To trust people. They are, almost always, good.