Take a Little side Trip to Some Great Locations in This Week's Fast Five!

 I've always said to locate the prime tourist destination and take a hard left.  I've found some of my favorite spots in the world that way, and here's a few to take a look at.

1.    Suzhou, China.  This spot is not far from Shanghai, and it's got it's own wonderful flavors to offer.  China has a lot of places to visit, and Shanghai is a very popular stop.  Being at the delta of the Yangtze River and a multi faceted megalopolis makes this a must see for more than one reason.

Suzhou is large.  It is part modern industrial city, but it has a historic and peaceful side to it that gives it the title of Venice of the East.  

Suzhou has Venetian Canals that you can travel with markets and historic neighborhoods all along the way.  They also have many beautiful gardens that you can visit.  You'll want to set aside some serious time in this city to visit gardens, take strolls, navigate canals and shop narrow ancient streets.  There are only so many places in the world that are so modern and busy, yet have such a peaceful, beautiful, historic area in the middle of it all.

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/china/jiangsu/suzhou 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g297442-Activities-Suzhou_Jiangsu.html

https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/813/

https://www.chinadiscovery.com/jiangsu/suzhou.html

https://www.asiaodysseytravel.com/suzhou/things-to-do-in-suzhou.html

2.    Guimaraes, Portugal.   Anyone who's been following along, knows how much I love Portugal.  I already looked at Lisbon and took a hard left to go to Porto, but you can do that again.  Take that hard left from Porto and you will find the birthplace of all Portugal; Guimaraes.

There are castles, palaces, churches and cathedrals, with a lot less crowds.  With all the beauty in this country, there are a few places that just don't get the traffic.  If anybody has been to Lisbon, you know what I'm talking about.  This little hamlet's city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has so much to see.  It sounds like a day trip, but it's at least a few days worth if you slow down and enjoy the views.

https://porto-north-portugal.com/guimaraes-portugal.html#google_vignette

https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1031/

https://goaskalocal.com/blog/travel-guide-to-guimaraes-portugal

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g189174-Activities-Guimaraes_Braga_District_Northern_Portugal.html

https://escales.ponant.com/en/guimaraes-portugal/

3.    Krabi, Province in Thailand and also Krabi City.   South of Bangkok, on the west of the western peninsula of the country heading south toward Singapore is Krabi and the area.  It's not far from Phuket and its peninsula, so it's a great tourist area, but Krabi isn't as crowded as some of the others.

Krabi has amazing beaches.  Awesome food.  Rocky views that stun and enthrall.  It has a bit of a party atmosphere at night if you're into that, and a lot of boat tours to take.  There's snorkeling and scuba diving as well as pristine beaches.  It also has gorgeous temples and a laid back vibe that's not to be missed.  A lot of things are cheaper in this area.  There are less crowds in the area.  It's that slightly off the beaten path location that's worth looking into.

https://thailandstartshere.com/krabi-travel-guide/

https://www.getyourguide.com/krabi-l2174/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLeGOrZ2WJU

https://www.banyantree.com/thailand/krabi

https://www.hotels.com/go/thailand/krabi

4.    Eze, France.  I've known about this one for a long time, and I love it.  Have you ever wanted to feel like you're visiting the top of the world?  Just outside of Monaco and slightly north of the coast of the French Riviera is Eze.  This hilltop medieval village is completely charming and stunning.

This is one of those tiny places that don't have cars within the walls, with narrow pedestrian streets, harboring adorable shops, restaurants and even a hotel or two if you like.  The whole place is like stepping back in time and while there are tourists there, it's nothing like the rest of the French Riviera. 

You can take your time, look out over the Mediterranean Sea and enjoy the laid back vibe.  Everything has a view there, especially the cafes and restaurants.  It's not only a room with a view, but a whole town with a view.

https://allthingsfrench.com/eze-french-riviera/

https://frenchriviera.travel/eze/

https://slh.com/europe/france/eze-village

https://www.fortloc.com/pages/articles/travel/Eze-Village/

https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/french-riviera-beyond-beaches

5.    Ronda, Andalucía, Spain.  This city is in the beautiful southern province of Spain and is famous for its towering gorge bridge.  But, it's also a little out of the way unlike Seville and some other cities in the region.   And, it has far more to see and do than just the gorge and the bridge.

Ronda has all the ancient charm of other cities with city squares and beautiful buildings.  There are also tons of activities besides everything to do with their bridge.  It's steeped in history, including the Spanish contest of bullfighting, which still takes place in the town's historic arena.  

There's a lot  to see and do both in and around the village of Ronda, and it's that little bit off the beaten path where you'll find less crowds, but wonderfully unique sights and activities.

https://www.andalucia.com/ronda/home.htm

https://danae-explore.com/en/o-que-fazer-em-ronda-espanha/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g265784-d4406269-Reviews-Historic_Center_Of_Ronda-Ronda_Costa_del_Sol_Province_of_Malaga_Andalucia.html

https://www.travelandleisure.com/ronda-spain-guide-8419022

https://www.discoverronda.com/history.html

I've been saying for years that visiting the most popular areas isn't always best.  I'm also not saying to never visit the most popular spot, but I've found that there are more surprises in a good way when you get off the norm and see something that you haven't been oversaturated with ahead of your visit.  Most of the lesser visited areas have amazing history, nature, activities, food and on and on.  They also tend to be cheaper overall.  Don't rule out seeing the second or third city or province in a country.  You might just be missing out if all you see is the most famous parts.  So, keep in mind that most popular isn't always best, take a hard left follow me and enjoy!

Baby It's Cold Outside! An Extra Fast Five in the North Where the Temp Doesn't Matter!

 Every year I contemplate what it is about the north.  Every year we hear how happy the Scandinavians are and I wonder how they are so happy when winter is so cold and dark there.  The answer has always been in the mindset; I don't care what anyone says.  So, that being said; here's some places to visit in the winter and embrace the cold, because no snow and ice is slowing them down.

1.    Winterlude, Ottawa, Canada.  Everything freezes in Ottawa.  That's a fact, but it doesn't bother these folks one little bit.  They have the Rideau Canal, which freezes over well and provides one of the world's largest and longest ice skating rinks.  Over 7 kilometers of the canal are open daily in the winter for skating with all kinds of food and activities along the way.  And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

There's ice sculpting, sledding and tobogganing, dog sledding, lots of food everywhere (including maple syrup candy), events, activities, and even ice dragon boating.  If you've never heard of that one, you should really check it out.

The bottom line is that these hearty Canadians aren't letting a deep freeze or long nights ruin their good time, and if you'd like to see what it feels like to bundle up and make the most of winter; this is a great festival for you.  It runs through most of January and February, with some events happening around the holidays before and during the melt after.

https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/winterlude/about.html

https://ottawatourism.ca/en/see-and-do/winterlude

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g155004-d8820420-r388559344-Winterlude-Ottawa_Ontario.html

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QHPuFoaoqgs

https://theplanetd.com/winterlude-in-ottawa/

2.    Winter is for getting out in Greenville, Maine!   I've done this.  I love Maine at any time of year, but there's something special about the winter.  Most of New England hunkers down and waits for spring, but not these guys.

January has skiing, dog sledding, ice fishing, snow shoeing, and that Memorial Snow Machine Ride to the site of the crashed B-52 Bomber on Elephant Mountain.  Every imaginable outdoor winter activity happens in Greenville.

In February, they normally start racing on the lake.  Not boats.  Cars.  Every Saturday, weather permitting, they race cars--on a lake.  They also have a tendency to drag race snow machines there too.  Also in February, if all that cold and frozen outdoor activity isn't enough; they have the chocolate festival.  Sweets for the sweet and some of the best home made chocolate around.

Greenville has been having some troubles in tourism, but winter is waiting and ready for you with a lot to do no matter how cold it gets, and it's one of my favorite places to enjoy winter.

https://destinationmooseheadlake.com/winter-moosehead-lake/

https://www.alltrails.com/us/maine/greenville/snowshoeing

https://visitmaine.com/places-to-go/the-maine-highlands/greenville/

https://www.mooseriverlookout.com/post/indulge-in-sweet-bliss-21st-annual-chocolate-festival-in-moosehead-lake-february-16-2025

https://www.northernoutdoors.com/b52-crash-site-maine-snowmobiling/

https://www.newsflare.com/video/717011/west-cove-association-car-ice-racing-on-moosehead-lake-in-greenville-maine?origin=wind

https://www.onthesnow.com/maine/big-squaw-mountain-ski-resort/ski-resort

3.    The Winter Festival, Quebec City, Quebec.   This festival has happened every winter for decades.  It gets cold in Quebec City, and they just don't worry about it.  The city has always had a bit of a fairy tale vibe with the walled part of the city and the now hotel that looks like a castle.  However, winter just brings a whole lot more fairy tale to this northern wonder of a city.

There's a full festival with this one.  There are sledding, tubing and tobogganing areas for everyone.  They have ice bars, ice hotels, ice sculptures and so much ice.  There's dog sledding, sleigh rides, ice skating and the list goes on and on.  Night comes and the lights come on, making everything seem like magic.  

The festival runs every year from later in January or early February through mid to late February, and it's one of the best places to beat the winter doldrums.

https://www.quebec-cite.com/en/what-to-do-quebec-city/events/quebec-winter-carnival

https://carnaval.qc.ca/en/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g155033-d8820335-Reviews-The_Quebec_Winter_Carnival-Quebec_City_Quebec.html

https://canadiantrainvacations.com/blog/quebec-city-winter-carnival-guide

https://www.jumpstreet.com/blog/5-cool-facts-about-carnaval-de-quebec

4.    The Fairbanks World Ice Art Championships, Fairbanks, Alaska.   Do you like art?  Fairbanks becomes one of the world's largest art shows and competitions in the winter.  February and March celebrates the art and competition that makes winter a great time in this northern city.

People come from around the world to compete in the ice sculpting competition and that means there are amazing sculptures all around the city.  But that's not all.  They also have an ice hotel, ice bars, and ice carved playgrounds for the children.  There's so much ice and it's amazing all that they do with it.

There's a great food scene, activities and so much more, and a lot of it is carved from ice!

https://icealaska.com/

https://www.explorefairbanks.com/event/world-ice-art-championships/9472/

https://aktickets.com/events/world-ice-art-championships-2025-2-14-2025

https://www.travelalaska.com/fairbanks/events/arts/world-ice-art-championships

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60826-d10090490-Reviews-Ice_Alaska_Ice_Park-Fairbanks_Alaska.html

5.    The many winter festivals of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.   It's as though these guys just plain look forward to winter.  It's amazing, considering how close they are to the arctic up there.  Edmonton not only has an indoor super mall with more to do than is possible in a vacation, and skiing all over the place, but a professional hockey team to watch; the Oilers.

If only that was it.  There's something about the spirit of the natives of Edmonton.  They have all kinds of winter festivals, beginning with the holiday festivals in late fall and early winter and going all the way through until the beginning of spring.  They sculpt, play, race, compete and thoroughly seem to enjoy winter, even though it's really cold up there.

They even have a music festival, and if you think it's inside; wrong.  Bundle up buttercup!  That music festival is outside too.

I've been to Edmonton in the winter, and I couldn't believe how much I heard they have to do.  I couldn't even finish all the activities at the mall.  I can say that they're some of the most amazing folks I've ever met, and they really love where they live and winter doesn't bother them at all.

https://www.travelalberta.com/articles/a-guide-to-winter-festivals-in-edmonton

https://www.wintercityedmonton.ca/events/

https://exploreedmonton.com/articles/winter-festivals

https://www.edmontondowntown.com/winterval/

https://www.festivalseekers.com/festival/winterruption-yeg

There you have it.  I only looked into some of the great spots in North America on this one.  There are great places to visit in winter all over the north of the globe, and I've visited several.  I loved Edmonton, was surprised by Greenville, mesmerized by Iceland and the northern lights, and loved every minute of St. Petersburg, Russia.   I'm not new to northern travel in winter.  I can say that I want to visit more of these magical places and I hope you check some of them out too.

All I can say is pack up your warmest clothes, adjust your mindset, look forward to instead of dreading the cold and the dark and enjoy!