The TravelRight Dispatch

POSTCARD FROM THE COVE
​You will, of course, notice the bag of red Twizzlers on the helm dashboard—a family weakness. A tourist hotspot since the early 1900s, Rock Lake is in a valley carved out by meltwaters from glacial Lake Souris, which cut into shale bedrock. This would explain the “ooch-ouch” shale-sand beach. The area bears traces of ancient human presence, including burial mounds along the north shore. We used to find arrowheads in the sand as kids at camp. Recent quality time here also included bushels of salty snacks and a shit-ton of wine. Happily, my family is both cool and not stupid: the two requisite qualities for everyone in my life.

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EXCERPT​
For those of you who have completed domestic jaunts and want to start the autumn off with a bang, consider a microtrip. This vacation trend can reset your brain and make time away feel much longer—I’m talking a dash to Reykjavik, Bermuda or Dublin. This story appeared recently in IN Magazine.

Jet-Set Scene​
Sometimes, an extra-extra-long weekend micro-trip is just the ticket to a macro experience. Say there’s a long weekend coming up and you may just be able to pad it with an extra day or two. What’s the plan? While travel within Canada is understandably great in the summer, there’s no rule you have to stick close to home. Consider the now-trending micro-trip: a mini-vacation abroad – under six hours away by plane – where you pack a full holiday into just a few days. Micro-trips let you escape life, decompress, check a bucket list, visit a friend and feel like a jetsetter. You spend travel points and bundle the costs, then save and splurge as you go – fancy dinner one night, pizza the next.

You know those TV commercials where couples throw swimsuits and sunglasses into a duffel bag, then stand in front of the departures board at the airport, close their eyes and point? That could be you. Like they say, life is short – and you can sleep on the plane.

GO-TO GALLERY
The MONA, Hobart, Tasmania
​Hopping around Hobart, Tasmania, earlier this year with our French chauffeur, Aurelien (no guff!), we jumped on a ferry to The Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). Truly, this is one of the most unique art museums in the world, the private collection of David Walsh. It is beyond eclectic and primarily underground—like an art bunker—pushing the boundaries of contemporary art thanks to the deep pockets of the quirky owners. Giant-sized contemporary-art installations are around every corner: a full-sized, coral-coloured leather, blow-up army tank that is deflated; a giant eroding sand sculpture; an optical illusion water pit; a room full of computers displaying particle-accelerator data; a “library” of books made of lead, glass and charcoal; the list goes on. Performance art at lunch, too. Highly subversive and amusing.

​Hobart has a storied maritime and convict history, a cosmopolitan edge and great waterfront restaurants, and the surrounding countryside is full of wine. Find the three days and “come down for air” as the slogan goes.

INTEL
​What’s In Your Travel Box?
​A fellow travel writer once said she never goes anywhere without her portable clothesline. I promptly bought one and used it for the first time to dry the soggy American one dollar bills that were left in the pocket of my swimtrunks. So handy! My MOGICS bagel is a universal travel power strip that has been all over the world with me, as has my bamboo IKEA BERGENES phone and tablet stand. It’s only $3!

You, too, can have a travel drawer or shelf or a shoebox for fun things like:
• electronics cords and luggage tags
• a suitcase weight scale
• binoculars for birding and mammaling and ogling at the beach
• a quick-drying microfibre towel for impromptu swimming
• a selfie stick, even though I wouldn’t be caught dead with one now
• a large battery that I barely need to use anymore since my iPhone lasts forever on Low Power Mode
• a cash accordian fat with foreign currencies and metro cards, with coins in separate little baggies (forget giving those to needy children)
• don’t forget the mini toothpastes!

Burying the Big News!
​I've written an ebook on How to Plan a Vacation to be released in a week or so. If you're the type to bookmark things and plan ahead, go ahead. I will scream and shout about it anon.

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