Episode 49 – Website Info
Special Guest
Pauline Frommer – Co-President of FrommerMedia, Editorial Director of Frommer’s Guidebooks, author of the best-selling “Frommer’s EasyGuide to New York City” and “Frommer’s New York City Day by Day”, co-host of “The Travel Show” on WABC
www.frommers.com @Frommers
Colleen & Catie’s Picks for Canada
Colleen
Destination: Saguenay Lac St.-Jean – Located in Eastern Canada – Quebec Province
Accommodations: Val-Jalbert – Built in the 1920s, historic. You can stay in period houses, mini cottages, or campground. Great for families!
Restaurant: Restaurant du Moulin (at Val-Jalbert) – Features phenomenally fresh local ingredients and is family-friendly.
Activities:
Zoo Sauvage de Saint-Felicien – Drive-through zoo
Boat tour where the St Lawrence River and the Saguenay Fjord meet (you may even see whales)
Historic Village de Val-Jalbert – Where presenters in period costumes explain what life was like in the area during the 1920’s
When to visit: June – September
Airport to fly into: Saguenay-Bagotville Airport
How to get around: Rent a car or even a bike
Any other tips? Consider a passport card if you plan on traveling to Canada often. Cheaper than a passport, easier to carry around – plus you may need one to travel domestically soon.
Catie
Destination: Calgary – City in the Western Canadian province of Alberta
Accommodations: Le Germain Hotel Calgary – Across the street from Calgary Tower, a 4-minute walk from Arts Commons and near Calgary Zoo.
Restaurant: Charcut in Le Germain Hotel Calgary – Great food and great vibes with cuisine from Top Chef Canada contestant Connie Dsouza.
Summer Activities:
Tour the Heritage Park Historical Village – Canada’s largest living history museum, it is one of the city’s most visited tourist attractions
Staff dress in historic costume, and antique automobiles and horse-drawn vehicles service the site.
Calgary Transit provides regular shuttle service from Heritage C-Train station.
Go tubing or rafting on Bow River – Lazy Day Raft Rentals
Winter Activities
Tour the Studio Bell National Music Centre – Exhibits on Canadian music history, hands-on instrument areas & concerts in a contemporary setting.
Visit the Gasoline Alley Museum – Site in Heritage Park Historical Village with pre-1950s cars, old-timey gas pumps & vintage signage.
Visit WinSport Winter Sport Institute at Canada Olympic Park – Discover, Develop, Excel in skiing, snowboarding, hockey, skating, bobsleigh, mountain biking, etc.
When to visit:
The best times to visit Calgary are June through August, when most of the city’s special events take place
November through March are perfect for skiing
Any other tips? If you’re looking to save money without arctic temperatures, plan a visit for April or October when the city is free of tourists and cold weather. Springtime temperatures average in the 50s and 60s.
“What’s” with the “Trip Sisters”
What’s in Your Suitcase?
Grand Trunk Blackout Hooded Neck Pillows
$39.95 on www.grandtrunk.com
Hooded Travel Pillow made of micro-fleece and memory foam that provides comfort for your neck while the storable hood covers your eyes when you want to rest.
What’s on your phone?
PackPoint travel packing list – Free on Android or iOS
PackPoint is a free travel packing list organizer and packing planner for serious travel pros.
Punch in the city you’re going to travel to, the departure date, and the number of nights you’ll be staying there. PackPoint will organize a packing list and luggage checklist for your luggage that takes into account the type of trip, the location, the weather, and much more!
What’s the tip?
How to Prep Your Fridge Before a Trip (Tips from Ronna Welsh, author of new cookbook “The Nimble Cook.”)
Identify the foods that often go to waste –
Yogurt or cottage cheese, partially used vegetables, salad greens, and leftovers.
Recognizing these items can help us be more mindful of how we shop and cook, and proactive in how we use ingredients
Try to use up what you can before a trip and don’t buy more than you need to for the days leading up to it
Devise a system to keep tabs on what’s in your fridge –
Try two things to keep your kitchen tidy and reduce food waste: The Label and the Line Up.
Keep a sleeve of peel-off file folder labels in the kitchen –
When you buy new groceries, label them with the date you bought them, and make sure you rotate the old items to the front and put the new ones in back.
Find ways to repurpose excess ingredients or those past their prime –
Look for recipes where you can use soft veggies and herbs, dried up fruits, and soon-to-expire perishables.
Get creative with your cuisine before leaving for your trip
Take advantage of your freezer –
Learn what foods you can cook and freeze, which will keep them fresh while you’re away. Plus, you’ll have easy meals to come home and heat up when you return.
Be thoughtful about how you store things for later or take them with you –
The easiest way to make sure something doesn’t go bad during a vacation? Pack it and eat it during your trip.
Freeze your eggs (after they’re cooked) –
Since eggs don’t freeze well in their original form, cook them up in an omelette, quiche, or frittata, and freeze them that way.
Make sure your kitchen is in ship shape before you head off –
Empty the trash, wipe down appliances and counters, wipe down your fridge inside and out, and make sure none of the vents in your freezer are blocked.
For more tips, check out “The Nimble Cook” at barnesandnoble.com, $21
