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Duffing in the Dominican Republic

PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic — You could call it a one course town. This smallish city on the north coast of the Caribbean island nation isn’t known as a golf destination. It offers only one 18-hole golf course. But it’s no ham-fisted mutt’s layout. The Playa Dorada is a Robert Trent Jones Sr. design, one of the two he has built in the DR. Completed in 1979 it has hosted three PGA LatinoAmerica Tour events, most recently in 2020. It plays to 7,000 yards from the tips, is usually very green and recently has been well maintained after a period of some neglect. It has a driving range, short-game area, pro shop and clubhouse. Most notably it is affordable, about 50-60 per cent less expensive than resort courses further east down the coast in Punta Cana, which for now is a much more popular tourist/golf destination. Here’s a quick overview of this part of the world.

The Area

Puerto Plata, population approximately 470,000 is a colonial burg with a past. Founded by Nicolás de Ovando in 1502, the city was named for its iridescent silver coastline at sunset and made official by a personal decree signed by Christopher Columbus. To protect against potential pirate attacks, the Fort of San Felipe was constructed in the mid-sixteenth century. With beaches and ocean on one side and lush mountains with the requisite waterfalls and trekking trails on the other, there is more to enjoy outside the city than in.

Playa Dorada (Golden Beach)

WestJet connects Winnipeg to Atlanta

Winnipeg travellers are about to be connected the busiest airport hub in the world — Atlanta — via direct, five-times-per-week WestJet flights, starting in September.

Aided by up to $5 million worth of incentives from the provincial government, it it the second major new route out of Winnipeg Richardson International Airport initiated by Calgary-based WestJet in the past seven months.

The airline started its daily Winnipeg-to-Los Angeles service in November.

Establishment of both routes was assisted by a new funding subsidy provided by the province, which kicks in if certain thresholds of passenger counts are not met.

European beaches increase accessibility with adaptive chairs

This summer in Europe, beachgoers with mobility issues will have more opportunities to swim in the Mediterranean without having to worry about traversing the sand. Starting this month, more than 200 Seatrac chairs will be installed at beaches to help vacationers access the sea in Greece and a few neighbouring countries, including Italy and Cyprus.

At each site, a wooden walkway leads to a solar-powered chair set on a single track. Users transfer themselves into the recliner and “drive” into the water via a remote-control device that is available at the beach or delivered to their hotel with advance notice.

Once in the sea, they can lift themselves out of the chair for a swim and then return to the chair for the trip back to the docking station.

The contraption lets them bypass the sand, which can be a hazard for people who use wheelchairs, canes or walkers, or are wobbly on their feet. It also allows them to enjoy the sea on their own volition — no extra hands required.

Former German coal-and-steel powerhouse city becomes an eco-destination

ESSEN, Germany — We step onto the cliff top outcropping of rock and let the blue sky and lake vista envelope us.

“This viewpoint doesn’t even have a name,” says guide Diana Blinkert of Visit Essen.

“I just call it The Rock. We’re so lucky to have found it off this little side path off the BaldeneySteig.”

This type of epiphany comes early — and often – on the BaldeneySteig.

Toronto the good

“The elevator goes up so fast, your pants come down,” Margie warned as we approached Toronto’s CN Tower — or more accurately, “The Seein’ Tower.” She explained, “That’s what I heard when our class visited in the 1970’s. I held onto th

Oceanside a quentessential California coastal escape

OCEANSIDE, Calif — As I’m signing what seems to be an endless stack of waiver forms, the young woman looking after my check-in asks me: “You’ve been on a jet-ski before, right?”

Hecla Island a fun and frosty escape

‘We could use an ice auger,” I confessed.

Tasting the Boreal

FLIN FLON— The first bite is bison tartare topped with pickled wild blueberry, resting in a tiny Tostitos Scoop, the kind that usually accompanies a big bowl of salsa.

Pilots treat passengers to ‘breathtaking’ views of northern lights

Passengers on two Nordic flights earlier this week got a special surprise viewing of the aurora borealis right outside their windows — and then so did the passengers on the other side.

Riding into retirement

I had always thought that when I retired, I’d make up for missing out and go backpacking around the world.

Craving Cabo

‘Vamonos, amigos,” quips Karina Rios Radilla with a wave of her hand and a snap of her head.

History and charm dominate the Lone Star State

On a road trip to the rural areas around Houston this past fall, my impressions of Texans being of one personality and lifestyle got blown away by my experiences, which over a week of travels through three fascinatingly different close communities, I came to define as a tale of three cities.

Punta Mita knows how to deliver a gated Mexican getaway

Every traveller looks for something a little different when it comes to spending time off the clock. For some, it’s a backpack and bicycle. For others, luxury is a must with exquisite dining, fine thread-count linens and perhaps a butler to help plan your day. If it’s the latter you seek, Punta Mita, Mexico will undoubtedly deliver.

People are abandoning pets at airports

In the past few weeks, three dogs and a tortoise arrived with their travel companions at various airports across the United States. By all appearances, the pets were going to fly off with their humans. But at some point between check-in and boarding, their owners decided to leave the animals behind.

Reach mountaintop in snow groomer for otherworldly dining experience

We climb aboard the candy-apple-red PistenBully 400 snow groomer not to actually smooth out any of the white stuff, but to take an epic ride to the mountaintop for a gourmet wine-paired dinner.

Victoria’s abundant parkland a favourite for travellers

The views are regularly spectacular. Ocean waters framed by majestic mountains—punctuated by glimpses of some of the other islands which are a part of what is known simply as The Island to many BC residents! It is a region where you can hike under the umbrella of overhanging rainforest trees, visit lush gardens, and experience fishing where whales and seals capture your attention while waiting for the next bite.

Alligators and airboats in the Everglades

n his South Florida drawl, Jimmy Koeppel nonchalantly tells us people “don’t get bit” by alligators unless you try to “mess with ‘em”.

Closer to the HEART

Technically, Morden and Winkler rest 12 kilometres apart on Provincial Highway 3. But as the two communities that make up Manitoba’s Twin Cities grow, that distance shrinks to barely a five-minute drive. And that means visitors get two for the price of one when it comes to family fun, fabulous food and superb shopping in southwestern Manitoba.

Travel amping up but ride will be bumpy

Every year at this time I try to give readers an overview of what the next 12 months in travel might look like with an overview of what I predict, as well as what many experts suggest are coming trends and changes in the travel industry.

Get out there and enjoy the GREAT OUTDOORS

As we head into 2023, it’s hard not to think about all the changes that have gone on in the outdoor industry recently.

We’ve lost our luggage, and our minds

No flights, no rental cars, no Christmas, but luggage everywhere. Everywhere! Everywhere but where we need it. Luggage lined up in Dallas terminals like dwarf soldiers in a nightmare reveille. Rings of luggage encircling empty carousels in Chicago, in a kind of artistic commentary on capitalism and modern itinerancy. (Medium: thermoplastic polymer on wheels.)

A puppy was abandoned at an airport, then a pilot adopted him

At San Francisco International Airport, United’s customer service department handles the usual passenger woes, such as missed flights, lost luggage and personal items left in the seat-back pocket. But in late August, the team had to tackle an issue of even greater magnitude: An international passenger had arrived from China at SFO without the proper paperwork and his travel companion had abandoned him at customs, travelling onward to New York.

Thailand exotic in many ways, and more accessible than ever

Norpeo happily allows me to slather her with handful after handful of silky-smooth river mud.

Don’t overlook winter festivals in plans for travel — or for staying home

Winter is a time when most Manitobans are planning trips to sunspot destinations — or, if to a winter destination, for activities such as skiing and snowboarding.