Canadian Rockies

Stay at - Banff Springs Hotel
Chateau Lake Louise
Jasper Park Lodge (all part of the Fairmont Hotel chain, formerly Canadian Pacific Hotels)

Go shopping - in the gift shops of the hotels and in downtown Banff

Eat at - The Waldhaus Restaurant and Pub (Banff Springs Hotel)
The Banffshire Club (Banff Springs Hotel)
Bow Valley Grill (Banff Springs Hotel)
The Fairview Dining Room (Chateau Lake Louise)
Tom Wilson Steakhouse (Chateau Lake Louise)
Walliser Stube (Chateau Lake Louise)
*Edith Cavell Dining Room (Jasper Park Lodge) (if you have only one meal, have it here, and always ask for window tables in the dining rooms that have a view, including this one)

Take side trips to - Calgary (stay at the Fairmont Palliser if you need to overnight)

Be sure to visit - Lake Louise, even if you don't stay there
go rafting on the Bow River

Best time of year to go - mid-June through early September

Best things to buy - geodes, crystals, art work, photography, clothing

Best indulgence - getting a spa treatment at the Banff Springs Hotel overlooking the Bow River

Fly into - Calgary (YYC)

Transportation - Rent a car, or take a guided tour (Maupintour is excellent, and some Canadian Rail tours and Grey Line include the Canadian Rockies)

New Orleans

New Orleans is the gracious lady of the Mississippi, where Cajun, Creole and riverboats collide. With jazz in the French Quarter and stately homes in the Garden District, this is the Crescent City, the eternal home of Mardi Gras, where lassez les bon temps rouler finds poignant meaning in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. She is the ultimate survivor.



Stay at - The Windsor Court Hotel

Go shopping - In the French Quarter and on Canal Street

Eat at - Commander's Palace
The Gumbo Shop
Cafe du Monde

Take side trips to - Algiers
Biloxi

Be sure to visit - the Garden District by streetcar, Bourbon Street, the New Orleans Zoo

Best time of year to go - late April during Jazz Fest, or during Mardi Gras

Best things to buy - Antiques, furniture, beignets, pralines, gourmet

Best indulgence - any meal at Commander's Palace, breakfast at St. Ann-Marie Antoinette

Fly into - New Orleans (MSY)

Transportation - taxis, streetcar, walking

The West of Ireland

Stay at - Dromoland Castle, County Clare
The Old Ground Hotel, Ennis
Ashford Castle, Cong

Go shopping - in any of the villages

Eat at - Dromoland Castle
Any local pub

Take side trips to - The Burren
The Cliffs of Moher
The Ring of Kerry
Adare
Galway

Be sure to visit - Knock

Best time of year to go - May through September

Best things to buy - Belleek pottery, Waterford crystal, antiques

Best indulgence - Being at a local pub until the wee hours listening to local music and drinking Guinness

Fly into - Shannon (SNN)

Transportation - Hire a car and driver for day trips into the countryside

Sanibel and Captiva Islands, Florida

Just off the coast of Fort Myers in southwest Florida, the beaches of Sanibel and Captiva Islands offer the most spectacular seashelling in North America, and a sanctuary to birds and wildlife.


Stay at - Sanibel Harbour Resort and Spa

Go shopping - on Sanibel at Periwinkle Place, and on Captiva
Coconut Point in Estero

Eat at - La Dolce Vita on Sanibel
The Mucky Duck and The Bubble Room on Captiva
Gramma Dot's on Sanibel

Take side trips to - Fort Myers Beach
Fort Myers
Naples

Be sure to visit - the Ding Darling Nature Preserve on Sanibel
Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum
Sanibel Lighthouse
The Edison Estate, Fort Myers

Best time of year to go - November through April (crowds are lighter in November-December, peak season in Christmas-Easter)

Best things to buy - Seashells, local arts and crafts, paintings

Best indulgence - Take the Sanibel Harbour Princess out for a sunset cruise or Sunday brunch

Fly into - Fort Myers/Regional Southwest Airport (RSW)

Transportation - Rent a car (tolls to Sanibel are $6; causeway entrance is just beyond Sanibel Harbour)

Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island, set in the Straits of Mackinac off northern Michigan, is one of the few places in the United States where one can completely step back into another era, with grand sweeping hotel verandas, Carleton Varney splendor, and absolutely no motorized vehicles to break the spell.


Stay at - The Grand Hotel

Go shopping - in town on the main street near the ferry terminal, and at the hotel

Eat at - The Grand Hotel. Since the rooms are offered American Plan, breakfast and dinner are included daily. There are a number of dining options available at the hotel. There are a number of other excellent restaurants on the island (check a local dining guide for current offerings).

Take side trips to - Sault Ste. Marie
The Algoma Central Railway to Agawa Canyon

Be sure to visit - historic Fort Mackinac

Best time of year to go - in June, when for ten days the island holds its annual Lilac Festival

Best things to buy - Fudge, local souvenirs, Grand Hotel memorabilia

Best indulgence - take a horse-drawn carriage ride through the island, or a spa treatment at the hotel

Fly into - Pellston, Michigan (PLN), 12 miles south of the ferry terminal

Transportation - Take a cab to the ferry terminal, take a ferry to the island. No cars or other motorized vehicles are allowed on the island, but other forms of transportation (bicycles, horses, horse-drawn transport) are available.

Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

For sheer opulence, intrigue and romance, there is no better way to wind one's way through the Alps between Paris and Venice than on the undisputed Queen of the Rails, the Orient-Express.


Stay - in your compartment aboard the Venice Simplon Orient-Express

Go shopping - at points on either end, and in the Boutique on board. Indulge in a new hat or accessory before boarding to make a stylish and memorable entrance.

Eat - in one of three Restaurant Cars aboard the train, and in your compartment

Take side trips to - the train runs from Paris to Venice, with optional boarding in London. Optional side trips and hotel stays can be taken on either end, either in Paris or Venice or through the Italian or French countryside.

Be sure to visit - the Bar Car

Best time of year to go - June through September

Best things to buy - Orient-Express souvenirs on board, lamps, crystal, timepieces, leather, scarves, collectibles.

Best indulgence - Watching Switzerland pass by outside the window while being catered to in comfort and luxury inside.

Fly into - Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) or Venice (VCE); alternately, London Heathrow (LGW) or London Gatwick (LGW) for pre-boarding the train in London

Transportation - take a taxi to and from the train, and water taxis in Venice

Optional journeys can be made to Rome, Istanbul, Vienna, Prague, Budapest and Krakow. Check for current itineraries of special journeys offered. The Orient-Express makes occasional day trips between Venice and Rome.

Las Vegas

Stay at - The Mirage

Go shopping - Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace
The Fashion Show
Shops at Bellagio
Encore Shops at Wynn Las Vegas

Eat at - La Cirque, Bellagio
Mon Ami Gabi, Paris (great daytime peoplewatching from the sidewalk cafe outdoors)
Eiffel Tower Restaurant, Paris
The Buffet, Bellagio
Kokomo's and California Pizza Kitchen, The Mirage
Foundation Room, House of Blues (private club, members and guests only)

Take side trips to - Hoover Dam, Lake Mead
Grand Canyon

Be sure to visit - the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
The Bellagio Gardens and Gallery of Fine Art
Get tickets to a headliner show and/or one of the many Cirque d'Soliel shows

Best time of year to go - October-November, February-April

Best things to buy - clothing, art, jewelry, designer goods, gambling/casino souvenirs

Best indulgence - Having dinner or desert and drinks atop the Eiffel Tower late at night overlooking the Bellagio Fountains

Fly into - Las Vegas/McCarran International Airport (LAS)

Transportation - Taxis are plentiful and relatively inexpensive. Don't bother renting a car unless you're planning on doing some self guided excursions out of the city. Much of the Strip is walkable.