While in Saskatoon, making this video, I took some black-and-white photos on my old 35mm camera. It felt as cleansing as a summer rain on a muddy face to do. Here they are. Granite Curling Club is the city’s oldest. Calories was once the Louis Riel Coffeehouse, where Joni Mitchell played one of her first shows.
Ever since reading about Timbuktu in Dr Seuss’ ‘Hop on Pop’ as a kid, I’ve concocted all sorts of wild visions of what places are like based on the sound of their names. The more unusual, the more magical the skyline I envisioned. Of course, it rarely works out that way — Tahlequah isn’t all that different from Fort Smith — but it … Continue reading
A few months ago the Royal Canadian Mounted Police – Depot Division (Regina, Saskatchewan) invited me to spend a couple nights and a (full) day training as a “mountie.” It’s a rare opportunity. Apparently only five civilians before me had had the chance — and I was apparently the only one to get a regulation moustache. This Lonely Planet video sums up the … Continue reading
I’m crossing Canada to create a video series of Canadian cities for Lonely Planet and Canadian Tourism Commission, and focus on a ‘local’ version of the city. A few things that didn’t make the quick two-day shoot include the following: Vancouver’s a sports town that go well beyond last year’s Stanley Cup losers. I saw a Whitecaps soccer game AND a BC Lions … Continue reading
Tomorrow I head on a three-city visit to Canada: Toronto, Montreal and St John’s in Newfoundland. It’s part of a series of seven videos of seven Canadian cities and how one can ‘experience a place like a local.’ It’s far from my first time there (that would be age nine to Alberta; above). But to prep, I’ve been reading books like mad. Canadian … Continue reading
Sometimes we have to ask ourselves, why? Why do we travel? Part of the reason — a big part — is to track down the best bathroom door in the world. So far, this one from Churchill, Manitoba is the winner.
ROBERT REID is a travel writer (Lonely Planet, New York Times), travel expert (Today Show, CNN, GoogleTalks), travel videographer (his 76-Second Travel Show) and "travel artist" (staging the Manhattan Bridge's 100th birthday, training with Mounties). Read more...
