You may not necessarily think of Toronto as a city with a rich sports culture, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth! Toronto has had a sports team of some sort since the 1800s with the Granite Club, Royal Canadian Yacht Club, Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club, the Argonaut Rowing Club, and the Toronto Lawn Tennis Club. The Toronto Argonauts football was established in 1873 and is still around today! Professional sports in Toronto continue to develop and change, depending on the popularity of the particular sport and the success of the franchise. Here’s a quick guide to professional sports in Toronto to bring you up to speed: Hockey – If Toronto is known for one thing, it is the Maple Leafs, the most financially successful sports franchise in the country. Toronto has hosted several international hockey […]
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How to Get Married in Mexico
Destination wedding are on the rise, and brides and grooms (and their familiies) look for ways to combine a special destination with their special event, and often roll their honeymoon into that same destination as well. Mexico, despite going through some troubling times, still remains popular for destination weddings, probably because of its beautiful weather and resort. Regulations may vary between the Mexican states, so be certain to get current information from the place where you would like to have your ceremony. And, as with any large and expensive travel plans, you should strongly consider travel insurance. Here are some general things to know if you’d like to get married in Mexico. First off, decide if you want an official, legal wedding or merely a ceremonial one. A ceremonial one is every bit as lovely as a legal one, just […]
Read MorePre-Columbian Archaeology in Chan Chan, Peru
When it comes to Pre-Columbian artifacts, Peru is awash in them, and probably nowhere more so than Chan Chan, the largest Pre-Columbian city in South America. The archaeological site, locate near Trujillo, dates back to the 9th century when it was built by the Chimu as the imperial capital. At one time over 30,000 people lived in the adobe city of Chan Chan, before being conquered by the Incas. Later, Spanish conquistadors, including Francisco Pizarro, took over. Today the adobe city of Chan Chan is a UNESCO world heritage site, added to the list in 1986. Although much is being done to preserve the area, it is still threatened by the occasional tornadoes, earthquakes, rain and erosion, as well as the odd looter that thinks stealing precious artifacts is a good idea. There are also several other ruin […]
Read MoreCuracao: A Caribbean Island with a European Edge
It’s hard not to fall in love with a tropical island. Even more so when that tropical island has the kind of energy that makes you want to stay on your Caribbean holidays indefinitely. Try Curacao; it’s the perfect Caribbean island (a part of the Netherland Antilles) about 40 miles off the coast of Venezuela and it’s Dutch, still Dutch after all these years. The island is also part of what is commonly referred to as the ABC islands: Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao. Another plus, Curacao is out of the hurricane belt, which means no hurricanes during hurricane season translating into the fact that your vacation won’t be ruined if you visit from June to October. Curacao is not your typical island in the Caribbean either since it feels very European and, for lack of a better word, magical. A […]
Read MoreShould You Travel to Mexico?
Current events can lead us into thinking that the world is not a safe place to travel, and whenever that happens, it makes me very sad. For some time now, travel to Mexico has been on the wane. For awhile it was fear of the swine flu, then fear of rampant drug activity, and now fear of the potential for violence. If you think about all of that superficially, instead of burrowing a little deeper into the information, you may be tempted to stay home. And that would be a big mistake. Let’s look a little deeper into the issue of visiting Mexico: There are problems EVERYWHERE in the world. Of course you’re going to hear about crime in Mexico. You’re also going to hear about it in Manhattan, Los Angeles, Washington DC – some of the most frequently visited cities in the […]
Read MoreFamily Fun at the Royal Ontario Museum
Museum lovers who visit Toronto will want to get their history and culture fix at the Royal Ontario Museum with its engaging galleries of art, archaeology, and natural science from around the world. With over 40 galleries spread out over four floors, the museums is just one more reasons that a visit to Ontario will be both educational, culturally enriching, and fun. The Royal Ontario Museum is a great destination for families, with lots of kid friendly exhibits. Some exhibits that kids might enjoy include: The current exhibit, Water! The Exhibition, has been a big hit with 17 interactive hands-on activities. Where there’s water there’s usually fun, and this exhibit uses real water along with immersive displays, natural artifacts, videos and animals to explain why water is important to Canada and the world. ROM Live! has been a big […]
Read MoreCelebrate Crop Over on Barbados
It might seem like just a summer long party, but the Barbados Crop Over summer festival has serious roots dating back to the 1700’s. The festival was originally a celebration of the end of the sugar cane harvest — at a time when Barbados was the world’s largest producer of sugar. Gradually, as the sugar production declined on the island so, too, did the Crop Over festival, but was then revived in the 1970’s as a summer long festival. Visitors from around the world head off to Bridgeport for a Barbados holiday to celebrate and enjoy the second largest party in the Caribbean. The main festivities occur in July, but are bookended by other activities, making it a festive island to be on all summer long. Here are a few activities that may tempt you: Ceremonial Delivery of the Last […]
Read MoreFlavors of Peru
Food, glorious food — It’s one of the many things that I enjoy about traveling! Visiting a new country or region often means discovering a new food, spice, or other dishes. Sometimes those discoveries are not something I’d want to try again, but fortunately, more often it’s a tasty delight that I long for once I’ve returned home. If you’ve discovered food that you love while on your Peru holidays, take some time to look around your neighborhood – you may be surprised to find a Peruvian restaurant or store located nearby. While you may not be able to re-create the Machu Picchu experience at home, you can rekindle your love affair with the cuisine of this South American country. Fair warning – If you fell in love with the food while visiting Peru, this post may have you drooling […]
Read MoreShopping in Tonalá, Mexico
Tonalá is a city of around 350,000 located near Guadalajara, in central Mexico. The city is well known for its ceramics, glass, and other native arts and crafts, and you can see them all and the city’s open air markets held on Thursday and Sunday. Market days will find the neighborhoods full of goods displayed on the sidewalks, and often spilling out into the streets. Ceramics, pottery, glassware, and papier mâché items are all good buys. Bring cash for your shopping in the market. Bring pesos, as most stalls will not take US currency. If you know a little Spanish it will come in handy. Although many locals do speak a little English, there is some bargaining involved at the market, and it may very well take a combination of Spanish, English, and some gestures, to make yourself understood. If […]
Read MoreAdventure & Luxury in the Galapagos
Adventure travel doesn’t have to mean roughing it, and there’s probably no better example than Galapagos cruises, which mash up education, adventure, and luxury into vacations of a lifetime. The Galapagos Islands are located about 525 miles west of [amazon_textlink asin=’1742207855′ text=’Ecuador’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’travelingwithmj-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’8e8ec20e-3836-11e8-bd8d-395d4538e8e2′] and are a volcanic archipelago hovering around the equator. The islands are home to a national park, a whale sanctuary, and biological marine reserve, and are a part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Galapagos are home to about 23,000 people and far more wildlife species. There are 18 main islands offering a variety of experiences and leisure activity: swimming, snorkeling, hiking, kayaking, and explore. This is also an amazing spot for photographers with postcard-perfect island scenes as well as unique native life. But a visit to the islands also offers far greater […]
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