B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell (left) stands with the first two runners of the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, both former Olympic medalists: triathlete Simon Whitfield (middle) and speed skater Catriona Le May Doan. Photo: Kari Bodnarchuk

The Olympic torch began its epic journey today in Victoria, British Columbia, the start of a relay that will cover nearly 28,000 miles between now and February 12, 2010, when the Olympics begin. One of the best things about a city the size (pop. 80,000) and vibe (very laid back) as Victoria is that you actually get a shot of seeing and being a part of a major event like this one. Even though we showed up in downtown Victoria—in front of the legislative building overlooking the wharf—just 20 minutes before the flame arrived here by dugout canoe, we were still able to get front-row spots along the fence. Thousands of people joined us on this 60-degree, overcast day to watch a ceremonial party of first Nations chiefs bring the flame into the harbor on a 40-foot canoe (it arrived by plane from Athens, Greece, this morning and this is the first Olympics in history being co-hosted by an aboriginal group).

People with Canadian maple leaves painted on their faces and red and white souvenir mittens and shirts waved flags and cheered as the flame was carried along the wharf in a miner’s lantern and then up to a stage in front of the Parliament Buildings. After speeches by various chiefs, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell, who mentioned that the flame will also travel by logging truck and skateboard, the first torchbearers were finally released—this had been a well-kept secret until today. The initial two runners to carry the flame are former Canadian Olympians Simon Whitfield, a triathlete, and Catriona Le May Doan, a speed skater, who handed off to three-time world champ and Olympic diver Alexandre Despatie and rower Silken Laumann, one of the most decorated Canadian athletes ever. All, except Alexandre, have lived, worked or trained around Victoria and are the most “down-to-earth, regular people,” according to the concierge at the Hotel Grand Pacific in downtown Victoria.

While we sit here eating shrimp and avocado sandwiches at Sam’s Deli, adjacent to the Tourism Victoria Visitor Centre and right next door to the Royal BC Museum (check out the amazing First Nations exhibits here) and the very grand and regal Empress Hotel (known for its high tea), the flame is running around town. Exactly 147 torchbearers will carry the flame around the city today, each running about 900 feet for a total of 56 miles. Meanwhile, the city is buzzing with visitors -- people taking float plane tours, visiting the renowned Butchart Gardens and wandering around the shops along Government Street.

Tonight, we’ll all gather back at the stage overlooking the waterfront to see the Olympic cauldron lit and join in a city-wide celebration. The big event includes fireworks, dancing, First Nations drumming, and performances by dozens of jazz, world, folk and classical musicians. It's a must if you're anywhere near Victoria.

It was quiet, peaceful, and sleepy in B.C.’s capital city last night, the day before the launch of the longest Olympic torch relay in history. The facts of this event speak for themselves: The Olympic flame, which arrives in Victoria from Athens, Greece today, will travel nearly 28,000 miles over the next three and a half months, passing within an hour’s drive of 90 percent of Canada’s population – maybe not a difficult task (most of the population is clustered along the U.S. border), but still impressive! It covers the most ground of any torch relay route in Olympic history. About 12,000 torchbearers will carry the flame from Vancouver Island across Canada and back to the city of Vancouver using every mode of transportation found in the country: by foot, dogsled, canoe, horseback, snowmobile, skateboarder, float plane, and so on.

It’s still a top secret who the first torchbearer is going to be (stay tuned), but the last one today, number 147, who will light the cauldron in front of the city’s legislative building, is Jeneece Edroff, a 15-year-old who has suffered with neurofibromatosis type 1 since she was 3 years old and has since raised $1.5 million dollars for children’s charities through her penny drive. According to her dad, Denis Edroff, she raised $166 dollars her first year (seven years ago, no less!), $27,000 her second year, and more and more ever since. What an inspiration. This sweet, soft-spoken little girl, who just had back surgery in September, said that she raises this money for children’s charities because, “I like to and I feel like I have to. It’s kind of like people who are addicted to playing video games. It’s like an addiction to me and I don’t ever want to stop that… It’s definitely a big honor.”

The flame will arrive in Victoria around 12:30 EST and will then travel around the city, arriving back at the legislative grounds around 10:30 p.m. EST, when Edroff will light the cauldron on the celebration stage. If you’re in town, don’t miss the high-energy hoopla, which starts a little earlier (at 9 p.m.), featuring First Nations drummers, pyrotechnics, and dance, theater, visual and performance arts. This town will be peaceful and sleepy no more.

Call it the Broken Guitar Blues. And it's become something of an Internet hit.

Canadian musician Dave Carroll says he had his $3,500 Taylor guitar smashed by United Airlines workers during a spring 2008 trip from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Omaha, Neb.

After the carrier refused to pay $1,200 in repair costs, Carroll channeled his ire into a song, "United Breaks Guitars,'' which he performed with his Halifax-based band Sons of Maxwell, filmed, and put on YouTube. The video has reportedly been viewed nearly 400,000 times since being posted Monday.

The Chicago Tribune reported that United has since had a change of heart and is talking to Carroll about compensation. But Carroll told the LA Times travel blog that he's no longer interested in the money and harbors the company no ill feelings.

He does, however, plan to make good on a promise to write a trilogy of tunes about the incident, the second part of which is due out in August and focuses on his relationship with Ms. Irlweg, a customer service representative.

It is, he tells the Times, the first song he’s ever written with a tuba in it.

Because, baby you can drive your car aboard the CAT high-speed ferry, then on to Halifax, where McCartney is headlining an outdoor concert on July 11.

The CAT is offering a three-day package including:

• round-trip vehicle and passenger transportation from Portland to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

• two nights with daily breakfast at the Oak Island Resort and Spa (45 minutes from Halifax).

• open admission tickets to the outdoor concert at The Commons, in Halifax, on July 11. (Bring chairs or a blanket.)

Price is $541 per person, based on double occupancy. Fuel surcharges and Port and Security fees are extra.

Note: It's about a three- to four-hour drive from Yarmouth, where the Cat docks, to Halifax, but you'll probably want to take longer to see some of the sights en route.

Toronto-based upstart Porter Airlines, which launched in 2006, plans to announce tomorrow that it will begin daily service between Boston and Toronto City Centre Airport, according to an aviation official with knowledge of the airline's plans. The airline is planning to launch three daily flights between Logan Airport and the Toronto airport that is located at the western end of the Toronto islands, the official said.

Porter Airlines could not immediately be reached for comment.

Porter Airlines serves Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Halifax, Newark, and Chicago Midway airports, with seasonal flights to Mt. Tremblant, Quebec. The company has said that it plans to fly to at least 16 short-haul Canadian and US destinations.
(By Globe staff)

Starting June 1, the federal government is tightening ID rules for US citizens re-entering the country from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.
Till now, if you were coming back into the country from those places by land or sea you only needed to show proof of identity and US citizenship so a driver's license and birth certificate would do it. If you were flying in you basically needed a passport.
After June 1, all will need a passport, passport card, or other approved ID (here's where you can find a list).
Right now, the government says it takes about four to six weeks to process a full passport application or two to three weeks if you're willing to pay for expedited service. Applications for passport cards, which are cheaper but can only be used for land or sea travel to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean region, and Bermuda but not for international air travel (If you're interested, I wrote about the difference last year), take about four to six weeks.
If you still have a little time before your trip and are a Patriots fan, the team is sponsoring a special night on June 4 from 4-8 p.m. at which travelers can apply for a passport at Gillette Stadium’s Fidelity Investments Clubhouse. The event is free. The team is sponsoring the event to promote its Oct. 25 exhibition game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Wembley Stadium in London. If fact, everyone who shows up to apply for a passport will become eligible to win two free tickets to the game.

AP file photo

From May 21 to Sept. 27, 2009, Kimpton is offering a special PRIDE rate code to members of the LGBT community to receive a complimentary weekend night when they book two nights at the best available rate. Plus, Kimpton is including a $50 dining credit for use at participating restaurants adjacent to Kimpton hotels.
“Kimpton is proud to be supportive of the LGBT community,” said Alan Baer, senior vice president of human resources and co-chair of the Kimpton Gay & Lesbian Employee Network. “As a company we are very involved in the communities we live in and contribute to dozens of LGBT organizations.”
The Summer of Pride offer is available in 20 cities including: Alexandria, Arlington, Boston, Cambridge, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Portland, San Diego, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Seattle, Scottsdale, Vancouver, Vero Beach, and Washington, D.C.
Use the rate code PRIDE when booking. Some restrictions apply, based on availability. To book visit here or call 1-800-KIMPTON.

Vancouver, British Columbia, launched its one-year countdown to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games last week with a concert headlined by Grammy award-winner Sarah McLachlan, and it plans to hold many more special events throughout the year. (The Olympic Winter Games officially begin on February 12, 2010, with the Paraolympic Winter Games starting on March 12.)
From now through March 21, the city’s Cultural Olympiad 2009 celebration offers hundreds of free and ticketed events, including photo exhibits, dance and circus performances, concerts featuring artists from across Canada and beyond (any fans of Australian cult band The Necks?), and stage productions like the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s creative rendition of Peter Pan.
If you happen to be in the city this weekend (Feb. 19-22), head to the Winterruption festival on Granville Island, where you can forget about your below-freezing blues and enjoy free music, theater, film, visual arts, and culinary events. As of this week, you can also tour the new Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre, which will be the venue for Canada’s other most popular ice sport: curling.
Go to Vancouver2010.com for more info on all things Olympic-related.

It’s SO worth splurging on Whistler’s Fresh Tracks program. For $17.25 adult, $12.60 ages 6 to 12, you get to board the Whistler gondola between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m., have a full hot breakfast at the Roundhouse at the gondola summit, then hit the slopes when patrol rings the bell. That gives you about 45 minutes to make first tracks on the Upper Mountain, before the hordes from below arrive.
While breakfast is nothing to rave about, it’s hearty and good: scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage, breads and pastries, cereals, fresh fruit, juice, coffee, tea. It’s all served cafeteria style.
You can take your chances, or make reservations online. It’s limited to 650, and it does sell out, especially on powder days.
Posted By Hilary Nangle, Globe Correspondent

Photo of Whistler Blackcomb by Paul Morrison

Next year, when I watch Olympic racers careen down the Dave Murray Downhill trail on Whistler, I can boast: "Hey, I skied that!" OK, so I moseyed down the Olympic downhill race trail, but if you're bound for Whistler this winter, consider testing your mettle on this steep, expert run. It's deceptive in places, seemingly gentle, then you round a bend and the slope drops out from under your skis. Now add 90-degree angles and a double fall line in places. No, it's not for everyone, but for ultimate bragging rights in February 2010, it's worth the effort to boast, "Yeah, I caught air there, too." No one has to know how little.
My reward for braving the run was sliding off the Dave Murray and into Dusty's Bar and BBQ, a legendary apres-ski spot at the Creekside base, for a bucket of equally legendary ribs.
Posted by Hilary Nangle, Globe Correspondent

Photo of Dusty's Bar at Creekside by Leanna Rathkelly

I swore I would never ride the new Peak 2 Peak gondola bridging Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, in Whistler, B.C. Two of its trio of superlatives scared me:

• It's the world's longest unsupported span for a lift of its kind (it spans 2.73 miles between supporting pillars on either side -- that's longer than the Golden Gate Bridge)
• It's the world's highest lift of its kind (suspended from cables 1,427 feet above the creek on the valley floor -- that's almost as high as the Empire State Building.
Uhm, no thank you, I thought. And then, faced with the opportunity and a wee bit of peer pressure, I swallowed my fears, stepped aboard, and floated above the clouds. Wow! I was too busy taking in the views to think about being scared. As my friend Claudia put it, the sensation is similar to riding in a hot air balloon. It's extremely quiet and very stable, and the cars are large enough to move around (if not at capacity). It can run in winds up to 50 miles per hour (not that I'd be in any hurry to try it on a gusty day).
The views alone are worth braving the heights. Two of the 28 gondola cars have glass floors, which would make it even more spectacular. I didn't ride in one of those--it's just the luck of the line to snag one, but I imagine that's a pretty heady experience.
And that third superlative: It's the world's longest continuous lift system. Even nonskiers can experience it by taking the Whistler gondola from the Whistler base, then strolling over to the Peak 2 Peak, then descending to Blackcomb's base via chairlifts.

Posted by Hilary Nangle, Globe Correspondent

JetBlue, which has just cut a deal multiyear deal to become the official charter airline of the Red Sox, is throwing a 9-hour online sale of fares from Boston to the American League cities the carrier flies to, with one-way fares as low as $9 to Buffalo (as close as JetBlue gets to Toronto), $29 to New York, $49 to Chicago or Tampa, and $99 to Oakland or Long Beach, Calif. (which is outside LA).
The sale began at 9 a.m. Friday and ends at 6 p.m. There are some restrictions: Travel dates are Jan. 6-Feb. 10 with blackouts Jan. 15-19. Friday and Sunday travel is also excluded.
But few sales work for everyone -- or even most people, these days.
By the way, the significance of the number 9 (as in hours) is that it was Ted William's number.

Daytime temps have already dipped to 20 degrees F on British Columbia’s great ski mountains of Whistler and Blackcomb, and the ski area north of Vancouver is already making snow in anticipation of opening for American Thanksgiving. When my wife and I were there in January, though, the talk of the ski village was the new gondola system under construction. Traditionally, most skiers have spent a day on Whistler Mountain, then the next day across the valley on Blackcomb. But when the Peak2Peak gondola goes into public operation on December 12, skiers will be able to speed 2.73 miles across the valley in 11 minutes so they can ski both mountains the same day. It’s a little mind-boggling, but the new gondola, which can carry 2,050 people per hour each way, will link 8,171 acres of ski terrain in a single continuous lift system. The downhill events of the 2010 Winter Olympics, of course, will put the system to good use, but recreational skiers get a whole year to play before the Olympians arrive.

Posted by David Lyon, Globe Correspondent

If you’re planning to go on a long plane ride but have a painfully short attention span, have I got a book for you. ‘‘747 Things to Do on a Plane’’ by Justin Cord Hayes gives you, yes, 747 things to do to make a long flight feel less tedious. Hayes’s ideas range from no-brainers (read the newspaper) to morbid (write your own obituary) to bizarre (draw tattoos on your arms). His section on making lists is thought-provoking and a possibly eye-opening use of time (list the top 10 happiest moments of your life or the top 10 vacations you’ve ever taken). He gets desperately snarky in the section on pranks. Sneaking into first class (then what?) is one thing, but belching the alphabet and kicking the back of someone’s seat? Not that anyone who knows how to spell air marshal would actually act like such a jerk on a crowded plane, but still. The book is better than a magazine, makes a great gag gift, the word puzzles included are clever, and you won’t mind if you leave it behind when you finally arrive at your destination.

The logistics aren't easy, but the rewards are rich for the second annual Two Countries, One Bay, Art Studio Tour, Sept. 20-21. More than 50 artists and artisans, along with regional cultural organizations and museums in waaaayyy Down East Maine (Lubec through Calais) and New Brunswick, Canada (St. Stephen, St. Andrews, Campobello and Deer Islands, St. George), are participating in this two-day arts extravanganza.
This region, surrounding the tidal wonder of Passamaquoddy Bay provides plenty of fodder for artists. Islands, cliffs, crashing surf and churning waters, whales and sea birds, lighthouses and buoys, small towns, undeveloped wilderness: it's all here, magical, mystical, inspiring, and in many ways and places, accented by a simplicity reminiscent of a gentler era. Whenever I travel here, I feel lighter, less burdened by day-to-day worries and more keen on noticing the little things.
On this side of the border, primary organizer is the Tides Institute and Museum of Art, located in a renovate bank in Eastport. Owner/director Hugh French, an Eastport native, is the driving force behind the Tides and its goals to build significant cultural collections and to produce new culturally important works. The focus is on works by artists and photographers associated with Maine and Maritime Canada, so this project is a good fit.

Francophiles need head northwest this weekend to find a festival celebrating French Canadian heritage. Festival LaMoelle will give its visitors the opportunities to explore French Canadian music, art, craft, literature, genealogy, cooking demos and tastings, history lessons, storytelling and more. The name comes from the French explorer, Samuel de Champlain, who named the center most river in Vermont, the Lamoille River.

The festival takes place in downtown Morrisville on Saturday, Sept. 13 from 10 a.m. to dusk. This celebration is centered on family-friendly fun, as well as, free and open to all. Check the schedule of events to make sure you don't miss a thing.

Continental joined American, United, US Airways, and Northwest in charging some coach customers $15 for the first checked bag.
The fee won't apply to elite frequent-flier members, passengers in first- or business-class seats, those paying full-fare coach, or military personnel and their families traveling on official orders. It takes effect immediately for travel in the United States and Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and Canada for travel starting Oct. 7 or later.
That leaves the Big Three of the Free First Bag: Delta, Southwest, and JetBlue.

Carriers are raising air fares, charging us for bad food and movies, and hiding the pillows and blankets. There's talk of skimping on fuel and charging passengers by their weight. What's next, ditch the life vests?
That's exactly what Air Canada's regional carrier Jazz is doing to save weight and fuel. Apparently Canadian regulations say it's OK to use flotation devices (that's the cushion of your seat, remember?) instead of inflatable life vests when planes remain within 50 miles of shore. Jazz planes fly over the Great Lakes and along the Eastern Seaboard from Halifax to Boston to New York. Jazz says the number of flights over water are minimal and that the carrier is adjusting routes slightly to keep within the regulations.
Like every other air carrier, Jazz is having problems. This month it reported its second-quarter net income fell 32 percent from a year ago.
On a positive note, life vests for infants will remain. Let's just hope they don't start charging for them.

This trip certainly qualifies as “adventure travel,” in the most exciting sense of the word: a quest to fly the first floatplanes ever to reach the Magnetic North Pole.
On Aug. 2, pilots Mark Schoening and Doug DeVries of Seattle departed for a 10,000-mile circumnavigation of Canada via the famed Northwest Passage. The team is flying venerable de Havilland Beaver seaplanes. Midway through the passage, they planned to turn north in an attempt to reach the Magnetic North Pole... you can see how they are faring at the duo’s website. To quote their site: “The High Arctic, the Northwest Passage, de Havilland Beavers, and polar bears, does it get any better than this?”
Equipped with “straight floats,” the Beavers provide access to thousands of remote Arctic lakes only reachable by floatplane or foot. As romantic as this may sound, from a practical standpoint, all of the fuel and supplies must be procured at villages and ports with water access. Except for occasional supply stops in more civilized areas, the team is experiencing the natural Arctic first-hand as they land and camp at remote lakes and ocean inlets. Follow their daily blog, see photos, and track their course on the website. You can also get updates delivered via e-mail.
A film crew which includes Oscar-nominated director of photography, Eric Thierman, is filming the venture in high-definition. The team intends to make a documentary film about the journey though a rugged and fascinating part of our planet.

Sounds unbelievable but it's true. CityFlitz, a auto-sharing start-up, will make vehicles available for use in Greater Toronto for $1 per day starting Sept. 1
How are they managing to do this? CityFlitz wraps their Mini Coopers and Clubmans and Smart cars in advertising -- charging companies about $400/day. So basically CityFlitz partners pick up the tab.
How does it work? You must be older than 23 and a licensed driver, pay a $30 one-time administrative fee to join, a $350 fully-refundable security deposit, and a $7 monthly usage fee -- remember this is an auto-sharing deal. Users must agree to drive at least 19 miles a day and can get cars for as long as a week at a time. All autos come with a full tank and must be refueled.
CityFlitz is launching its service in Toronto with 10 cars and plans to expand to Vancouver and eventually throughout Canada.
Admittedly this program is set up primarily for Canadians but it's not hard to imagine that some American travelers could also benefit.
Wonder what it would take to get these guys to Boston?

Hertz, which had been testing rentals by the hour, says that it is planning to launch a major push into the car-sharing market later this year. What does this mean to you, dear travelers? The prospect of a multinational concern like Hertz getting into the business is potentially huge.
Rich Broome, senior vice president for corporate affairs and communications, wouldn’t offer much in the way of details, but said that the company would initially roll out the program in a handful of major US cities. Boston, he said, would "probably be part of a second wave."
Broome said, “Many people think of Hertz being primarily at airports but we also have 1,600 off-airport locations in the United States, and when we roll this thing out we will have leading-edge technology in place to be able to get customers what they want where they want it.’’
For travelers the potential upside is clear. Hertz has 8,100 locations in 147 countries, so it’s not hard to imagine that eventually customers will be able to sign up in Boston, but use car-sharing services around the nation and the world. Sweet, yes?
It's also a safe bet that this will juice up competition, a good thing for consumers. Right now, the leader in the field is Cambridge-based Zipcar, which has seen a tremendous amount of growth and currently has more than 200,000 members in 50 cities in North America as well as a presence in London.
But others will also be interested.
As my pal Scott Kirsner wrote a story detailing this a few months ago, UHaul and Enterprise, noting Zipcar’s success, have been testing the car-sharing waters.

[AP Photo/Graeme Roy/The Canadian Press]

I love taking the bus from Boston to New York -- it's so relaxing to let someone else do the driving and saves me the hassle of trying to figure out what I should do with my car in the city. But it seems there may be a downside to travel by bus.

Warning: This is sort of disturbing.

I just read this article about a Greyhound bus passenger in Canada who was stabbed, beheaded, and eaten (!?) allegedly by another passenger. Yikes. Since the incident, Greyhound has pulled their Canadian ad campaign which claims "There's a reason you've never heard of 'bus rage."

This is pretty horrible and I certainly hope the incident can initiate tighter security so this sort of thing will never happen again. And if that means waiting in line for an extra 30 minutes at the bus depot while everyone goes through a metal detector, then I'm happy to do it.

Here's another story about the attack from abcnews.com, about how this incident has raised bus safety concerns.

What do you think -- do you think security should be beefed up for bus transport?

I know it seems like a long time off but starting next June you'll need to present documents proving citizenship and identity when entering the country through a land or sea border.
You can get a passport, but if you drive to Canada or Mexico or regularly head to the Caribbean, you also have another cheaper option that will also allow for a speedier border crossing: a passport card.
Passport cards are the size of a credit card and are imprinted with a photo and ID info. They also also contain a chip that lets border officials instantly retrieve your data, which speeds processing a ton. The cards are good for 10 years and cost $45 ($35 for children under 16); passport books run $100 for adults and $85 for children. If you already have a passport but want the card because of the convenient size or quick scanning, it's only $20 and can be ordered by mail.
The State Department says the cards are proving popular with more than 350,000 Americans having preordered them.
One caveat: The card is not valid for any type of air travel. It can only be used for crossings between into Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean.
For more info, here's the government site.

Southwest plans to start offering international flights for the first time through a partnership deal with Canada's WestJet.
Southwest said it is working on a so-called code-sharing agreement with WestJet, a low-fare, Canadian regional airline, which flies around Canada as well as to Hawaii, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Code-sharing deals typically allow carriers to sell tickets on each other's flights.
The airlines hope to detail schedules, fares, and other features of the pact by late next year. I think it's pretty safe to say, though, that New England customers of Southwest, which services Providence, Hartford, and Manchester, will likely be among the recipients of more lower-fare options to Canadian destinations. The agreement is subject to review by regulators.

We apologize to Sally Field, who actually said in her 1985 Academy Award acceptance speech: “I can't deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me!” Today, we’re talking about travel – Americans abroad, and how they are viewed.
A recent Pew Global Attitudes survey asks where we, as Americans, are most likely to be welcomed. It turns out that the countries Americans most like to visit are, for the most part, countries that like Americans. The survey polled residents of 24 countries – including the United States – between March 27 and April 21. In 14 foreign countries, a majority of respondents have a favorable view of Americans. (The United States itself, on the other hand, is well-regarded, on balance, in only nine foreign countries.)