Tag: travel
Last month, I went glamping for the first time to Norfolk County and thanks to General Motors Canada, I had another chance to drive the Chevrolet Equinox.
As a small personal challenge, I decided I’d do all of the driving for the trip (I usually prefer to share the driving duties). Having just driven the Cadillac Escalade, the Equinox felt positively petite! As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a fan of the Equinox as I feel it’s quite luxe but fits right into my lifestyle, which incorporates pseudo-rugged fun, such as glamping! Although the gorgeous interior I suppose makes it much more swish rather than rugged.
We packed way too much for this glamping trip: sleeping bags, a cooler, marshmallow roasting sticks and so many snacks. All things we didn’t need as Long Point Eco Adventures had bed linens on the beds, a mini fridge and roasting sticks by the campfire. And all of the snacks weren’t necessary as we ate so well in the area that we were never very hungry for snacks. But no biggie, thanks to the spacious Equinox, we had plenty of room to pack all of this gear into the car though.
Being the sole driver, the safety features like the blind spot assist made me feel at ease in the driver’s seat. And there’s nothing that stresses me out more than getting lost, so the GPS was very much appreciated (I find GPS systems can vary in terms of user-friendliness and this one has never done me wrong). And features like the button to close the trunk is something I appreciate (so much easier and less strenuous than pulling down the trunk door manually).
I thought the car was fuel efficient as we did a fair amount of driving (we drove to and from Toronto and did a decent amount of driving in Norfolk County for our meals) and didn’t have to stop at a gas station. I think I must’ve driven much more than I realized my last experience with this SUV in Prince Edward County.
From the drop-dead views of some crops from atop a hill to the prettiest beach sunset, it was almost as though the stars had aligned so that I had just the right vehicle for these beautiful summery memories. Finding new roads in the Equinox makes for some sweet summer seventeen memories.
October 3, 2017
Early this summer (where has summer gone already?!), I went for an overnight getaway to King City, which is just north of Toronto, to experience an equine therapy session with Jennifer Schramm and I got a chance to stay at Kingbridge Hotel and Conference Centre.
I’m almost reluctant to write about this little gem because I want it to be my little secret, but this property is so quiet and pretty, I really felt like I’d escaped city life even though I hadn’t (I was conveniently near a suburban Walmart when I needed a pair of emergency shorts given the warm weather). I know it’s probably funny to some people that I consider King City a getaway (especially as I know people who live in that area!), but when you live right downtown, and escape to the quiet and greenery of the property, it does feel like you’ve taken a road trip to completely different surroundings.
On the property, there are hiking trails, where you’ll find this darling swing from a tree, and a quiet little river. There’s also one of the coolest indoor tracks I’ve seen here; it circles through the woods, so I got to fit in some speed work when it rained briefly.
My entire stay, I had the pools entirely to myself, and the quiet time in the sunshine helped to calm my frazzled brain. I spent most of my time outside by the pool or hiking, but there’s a cozy library you can lounge around in, too.
A short drive away is where I grabbed a couple of meals. Firstly, a good thin crust pizza at Locale. This place was a popular spot and I’ve heard that a lot of the dishes are great (that’s always the downside of traveling solo — not getting to try more dishes when eating out!).
For a casual lunch, I popped into The Roost Cafe for a fresh chicken wrap and a smoothie; it’s a charming coffee shop set inside of a century home, and there are pretty views from its’ patio.
Before driving back to the city, I went for a hike in Happy Valley Forest (one of the largest intact hardwood forests on the Oak Ridges Moraine, which was pretty but I had to cut my hike short as I hadn’t packed insect repellent and got more than 30 mosquito bites in the half hour I trekked there. Douse yourself in repellent if you go!
I often crave getting outside of the city, and I think a weekend at Kingbridge is a great option because it’s so close to the city and yet offers some light hiking, greenery, an indoor and outdoor pool, and a running track (helpful if you’re a runner in training for a race), all on a beautiful property. The only thing missing is perhaps a spa treatment, but I’m sure there’s a day spa nearby you could book a treatment at.
Have you been to King City? I’d love to hear your faves in the area.
August 16, 2017
If there are two things I do a lot of it is travelling and blow-drying my hair. My work calls for me to go out of town a fair bit (even though I am cutting back on it as I know I need more time at home), and as for the blow-drying, since I work out regularly and sweat a lot, I’m frequently showering twice a day (to get ready for the day and then again post-workout), and that often calls for blow drying twice a day.
You’re probably wondering why I’m talking about these two things as going hand in hand, and that’s because I’ve been testing out the brand-new Panasonic Nanoe™ Compact Travel Hair Dryer, and this little addition to my beauty toolkit has helped me out with both my time on the road and at home.
I never used to travel with a hair dryer and never really understood the point of travel hair dryers–after all, don’t all accommodations have a hair dryer in the room? But now having traveled regularly for the past six years and having been forced to use the often terrible ones at hotels (you’d be surprised at how many places still offer the old-fashioned weak ones that are attached to the wall and look like a Flowbee) I’ve paid for it with bad-hair days. This is why I’m now making room in my carry-on for the Panasonic Nanoe Compact Travel Hair Dryer. It’s not a big deal to bring it along, since it’s so compact thanks to being foldable.
So now I can rest assured I have the right tool for the job when I’m away from home. This powerful 1,400-watt hair dryer is lightweight, and its Nanoe™ technology helps minimize damage from brushing (which is helpful since I find my hair can often feel dry and damaged, I think because of all the shampooing and heat I expose it to). The proprietary Nanoe™ technology draws water from the air to fortify hair with moisture-rich particles that reduce the damage caused by everyday brushing, leaving hair smoother and shinier. Since using this dryer, I’ve noticed my hair is a little more brilliant and less parched.
It has so many other great features going for it, I often reach for it first even at home instead of my non-travel/usual hairdryer. It comes with a quick-dry nozzle that puts out both strong and soft airflows so you can get the job done faster–and if you know me at all, you know very well how I’m often rushing last minute to get out of the house, so I can definitely use any tool that helps me get ready quicker. If I’m on time for events or meeting with friends, well, that’s thanks to precious time saved with this impressive little hair dryer.
I can’t quite say I’ve come to love the routine task of blow-drying , but it’s definitely less of a chore, and you always feel more confident when heading out the door on a good-hair day, am I right?
The Panasonic Nanoe™ Compact Hair Dryer has an MSRP of $99.99 and is available at T&T Supermarket locations and at Panasonic.com.
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August 1, 2017
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