Feb 2009

L.A. Vie en Rose

28/02/09 14:44 Filed in: USA

Travel writer Reb Stevenson rides in the sidecar of a 1970s era replica vespa in Los Angeles, California.

Thanks to reports of smog, routine muggings and ghastly urban sprawl, I’ve always harboured a sub-rosy impression of Los Angeles.
But last week, two hours after landing at LAX, I was sporting one helluva goofy grin as I was shuttled around Marina Del Rey, Santa Monica and Venice in the sidecar of a 1970s-era replica Vespa.

What an introduction to a (surprisingly) awesome city! The salt air refreshed my ocean-starved lungs as we passed beaches, canals and funky little cabins ($1895/month rent=eek!).
A cool new offering from Route 66 Modern Classics in Marina Del Rey, owner Glenn Bartels says you won’t see another sidecar on the streets of Angeltown. And the oddity factor is palpable: how strange to be the tourist but have locals snapping photos, waving and yelling things like “lookin’ good!”

Speaking of strange, it was that kind of coincidence to spot a Sidecar cocktail on the menu of Simon LA, where my small posse of Toronto journalistas dined that night. But we were sippin’ something else: the milkshake in the tooth-rotting extravaganza known as the Junk Food Platter. The brainchild of “Rock n’ Roll” Iron Chef Kerry Simon (playing the “father role” in the photo below), this $25 dessert contains homemade versions of all those things you gorged on at sleepovers: cotton candy, caramel corn,

Rice Krispie squares, cookies, ice cream, doughnut holes and faux Hostess cakes.
So, what can I say? So far L.A. has been pretty saweeeeet!

Hobnobbing with Guidebook Gods

22/02/09 18:24 Filed in: Personal | USA

Reb Stevenson at the New York Times Travel Show

Last weekend, I was in New York for the New York Times Travel Show. The largest of its kind in America, the show consisted mainly of 100 + countries and travel operators throwing brochures at you and tantalizing would-be travellers with morsels of baklava and sips of Jamaican rum. That was good and all (burp) but for me, the highlight was attending a few informative seminars by the who’s who in travel. I’m talkin’ bona fide, guidebook-writing superstars.
Who gives a darn about Brangelina when you’ve got Rick Steves and the Frommers in the house?
Here is a brief summary of what I jotted down in my notepad.

RICK STEVES

As host of the PBS show Rick Steves’ Europe, guidebook mogul Rick comes off as the kind of clean-cut, inoffensive guy who’d be right at home manning the scones station at a church bake sale. But when I interviewed him a few years ago for The Vancouver Sun (“An American ‘Everyman’ on the Road to Discovery”), I got a taste of Rick’s razor-sharp edge. This ain’t no daydreaming, backpack-toting imbecile: his experiences as an American abroad have gradually politicized his work, and he stands by his sometimes controversial opinions (ie: he is all for the decriminalization of marijuana) even if it turns some conservative old codgers off his brand.
Steves is honest, refreshing and blunt in a trade that’s full of false advertising and sneaky cash-grabs by tour guides. How can you learn more about Rick?
- subscribe to his blog
- download his podcast
- watch his new documentary on travelling in Iran
- buy his book “Travel as a Political Act,” which comes out next month
www.ricksteves.com

THE FROMMERS

Well, I’m not quite as smitten with this father/daughter guidebook writing team as I am with Rick Steves, but their seminar on “Best Bets for 2009” was full of great ideas. “The economic crisis” is a hot excuse in travel, but The Frommers insist that now is the time to capitalize on “some of the lowest fares we’ve seen in a while.”
Their picks for 2009:
-Mexico * Canada * Panama * The Dominican Republic * Argentina * Las Vegas * Hawaii * Iceland * India * Nicaragua * Australia * China * South Africa * Thailand * Vietnam* Sicily -

Tags: Rick Steves, New York , Times, Travel , Show, Frommer, Pauline, Arthur, Reb, Reb Stevenson, Rebecca , Stevenson, Deals, 2009, Europe Through the Back Door

A New York Minute

21/02/09 19:09 Filed in: Video | USA

Like this video? Subscribe at my YouTube Channel!

Tags: New York, Reb, Reb Stevenson, Rebecca , Denise Pinnock, Jaime Dzikowski, Dance, Radio City Music Hall, Tom's Restaurant, Central Park, Letterman, Times Square

Heating Up in Old San Juan

20/02/09 12:30 Filed in: USA | Caribbean

Want more Puerto Rico?
See my other videos:
HANGIN’ TWO
TASTING TERMITES

Read the stories:
A SPICY SALSA OF CULTURE
GLO - KAYAKING
THE GALLERY INN

Tags: Puerto Rico, Sleeping Around, Reb Stevenson, Travel Tips, Canadian

Today's Porters of Call

06/02/09 12:31 Filed in: USA | Airlines

I woke up in my own bed in Toronto this morning. Not three hours later, I was in New York. Ahh. Porter Airlines, how I love your hassle-free flights from Toronto City Centre Airport (YTZ), not to mention the free cappuccino and tamari almonds.

I am also a big fan of the stylish retro outfits worn by Porter’s flight crew. I’m not quite sure why this Porter poster girl is standing by CANDLES of all things (fire plus airplanes...uhhh?). Although I suppose her garb does date back to the good ole days of air travel when passengers could puff away on cigarettes.
Speaking of pill box hats, I was greeted by another one when I checked into The Jane Hotel in New York’s West Village.

I do love a thematic hotel, and The Jane - which unveiled the first batch of its renovated rooms last summer - is a delightful combination of novelty and practicality. Built in 1908 by architect William A. Boring (go on, laugh), The Jane is taking inspiration from its own origins as a hotel for sailors. The rooms are tiny, like cabins on a ship, and have a pretty creepy vibe to them. Is that “My Heart Will Go On” playing in my mental jukebox? Travel writer Reb Stevenson at The Jane Hotel in New York City. The only way I could even photograph the coffin-sized room was via the mirror.

You might think I’m just making a cheap link between an Edwardian nautical hotel and that famous sinking...and trust me, I would make a cheap link...but in this case there a real connection: the survivors of The Titanic stayed here in 1912 until the American inquiry into the sinking was wrapped up.

At just $75US per night, this is a steal for private accommodation in Manhattan. Sure, I can touch opposite walls at the same time (room is 50 square feet), but that doesn’t bother me because I’m not a scarecrow.

Tags: Porter , Airline, Toronto Island, TYZ, The Jane, Hotel , New York, West Village, Titanic, William A. Boring, Reb, Stevenson, Rebecca

Pack This! But if you don't, Bring This!

06/02/09 09:29 Filed in: Gear

There’s nothing quite like that sudden loss of altitude in the pit of your stomach when you get to the airport, reach into your pocket for your passport, and extract only a wad of lint and an old penny. Since pre-trip checklists are a necessary evil, go with a professional version: Knock Knock’s Pack This! Notepad. It’s got all the bases covered, from casual (nail file, chewing gum) to compulsory (tickets, underwear). That way, you can forget only one thing: your worries.
$7.00 US at www.knockknockstuff.com

You’ve finally flown across the country to see your long-distance snookums. The only sightseeing you care to do is from his bed. But you’re jolted out of your reverie when the baggage carousel grinds to a halt, and you are still empty handed. Bag loss = no personal hygiene for you! In the event of such a crisis, it’s good to have something like the Arrival Survival Kit on hand. This ingenious little trousseau includes a t-shirt, underwear, cotton swabs, cotton balls, an emery board, a razor, deodorant, a toothbrush and toothpaste, and a packet of pain reliever (because you know that bitching at the airline going to be a headache).
$39 US at www.urbanaid.com
From my weekly travel gear column in

Tags: Pack This!, Notepad, Knock Knock, Travel Gear, Urban Aid, Arrival Survival, Reb, Rebecca , Stevenson

Winterlude in London

05/02/09 11:24 Filed in: England

The freakish snowstorm in England this week saw all of my UK friends feverishly posting monochromatic pictures on Facebook. Having bitterly trudged through several months of the white stuff here in Toronto (and having exclaimed “humans shouldn’t live here!”

Sara Bynoe and friend make a Canadian snow woman during a freak snowstorm in London, England in February 2009.

on those occasions when my facial area was thawed enough to enable speech), these photos are a refreshing reminder of how fun a fleeting flurry can be.

My favourite pics came from actress/writer friend Sara Bynoe (on the right, in uber cool jacket), a Canadian who is currently living in London. Bynoe and accomplice sculpted this awesome tree-hugging snowperson in the middle of a park. Upon closer inspection, you may note that she is clasping a bottle of maple syrup in her right mitt.
Sadly, soon after this photo session Bynoe reported the following:
“Mabel was victim of a random knifing/ beating in Clapham Common last night.
We awoke to only the remains of her bottom ball, the rest of her was destroyed. Now as the temperature rises to +2 and +4 tomorrow she will return to mother earth.”
Now that is one cold-hearted vandal!

Tags: Sara Bynoe, London, Snow , Maple, Canadian, Ex Pats

A Saintly Souvenir

03/02/09 12:46 Filed in: Souvenirs | Caribbean | USA

Wooden santos are a favourite Puerto Rican souvenir. Photo by Reb Stevenson

What is it? Wooden Santos (or Saints)
Where is it? Puerto Rico
Describe it? An old Catholic tradition in Puerto Rico, these handmade, painted wooden saints came back into vogue in the 1960’s as a secular collectible. Due to the importance of Three Kings’ Day (Jan. 6), the smart choice for an authentic souvenir is the three wise men.
How much? It varies depending on craftsmanship, but we got this one for $28US at a shop in Old San Juan.
FROM MY BIWEEKLY FOOD AND SOUVENIR COLUMN IN

Tags: Puerto Rico, San Juan, Santos, Saint, Three Kings, Carving, Souvenirs, Reb, Rebecca , Stevenson, Catholic

This airport ROCKS!

01/02/09 20:23 Filed in: Airports | USA

Rocking Chairs in the Portland, Maine aiport.

Amenities at the Portland, Maine airport include soda machines, phones and rocking chairs. Seats on the planes are still uncomfortable, though.

Tags: Portland, Maine, Airport, PWR, Rocking Chair, Funny, Quirky, New England, Reb, Rebecca , Stevenson