A local review!  Stayed at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler on the Gold Level floor and it was absolutely fantastic.  The concierge there went above and beyond to make recommendations for us, and organized a canoe trip down the "River of Golden Dreams" as well as a beautiful hike starting at Seventh Heaven. I have been visiting Whistler for decades and had never done the canoe trip - I loved it. Recent renovations were needed and well done.  Gold level amenities well worth it; amazing food.          

This trip would be a 5/5 if not for the Sunwing flight.   Lift: Book your seats in advance, pack snacks, and have low expectations and you will be fine.  It is a way to get you from A to B and not much more. TV's were broken on the flight back, my 10 year old son and I were separated and no passengers were willing to move or even give up their extra vacant seat to help us out (ewww).  Good news is flight was $199 plus tax; you get what you pay for here.   Destination: Ixtapa/Zihuat has grown over the last decade, and many industrial shops have opened to accommodate the construction.  Looked slightly more impoverished then before due to population growth.   Zihuatanejo is still arguably my favorite destination on the West Coast fishing village.  With it's quaint cobblestone streets and friendly laid back locals, plus some Zagat rated restaurants, flanked by a beautiful bay, what's not to love. My favorite thing is catch the ferry to Playa Las Gatas and snorkel all day while eating fresh seafood and swilling cold Corona.  Paradise.  Sleep: Club Med Ixtapa is fantastic.  It is a perfectly designed resort, with the excellent staff, fabulous food, and the best kid's programs on the planet, this resort is hard to beat on any level.  Rooms: The rooms are all designed for families with separate sleeping areas and pricing is by age, thus you don't pay more for the extra space. One of the best values in Mexico for larger families. Beach: Amazing, private, hot sand, turtle releases, best sunsets ever. Lots of shady spots and waiter service on the beach, plus a beachside café. Grounds: 30 year old mature manicured gardens with everything centrally located, this Mexican Village is picture perfect and suitable for wheelchair access. Sport: Best in the biz from tennis to trapeze, sailing to kayak, soccer to archery, and more. Entertainment: Still fun and guest participatory, French influenced, fun. Food: Fantastic French trained chefs still make the food at Club Med a step above.      

  Tulum (puebla) is still one of my favorite destinations on the planet. Tulum is  small bohemian hippy-chick village past all the monster all-inclusives, located just down the road from the ruins of Tulum, ending in the Sian Khan Biosphere. This ever-growing village gets busier every year. with a strong European influence; I often call Tulum the Tofino of Mexico. Many Europeans settled here and opened small eco-friendly hotels and/or Mediterranean "farm-to-table" style restaurants which are now getting compared to top New York eateries. Beach: The long stretch of beach in Tulum is 5*, on the quieter side, where you will catch many yoga enthusiasts on retreat, or like-minded travelers who appreciate sustainable travel.  You can tuck into a beachfront restaurant or a yoga class or even get a spontaneous massage (try the Mayan clay treatment).  Sign up for a full moon Shaman Cleansing ceremony or if you can handle the heat a Temezcal sweat lodge. Eats: My favorite is the Gazpacho at El Tabano, anything at Heartwood, Posada Margherita, and of course, Hemingway.  There are so many wonderful eatieries...  Music: find it Corazon, Zamas, and Mateos just to name a few. Sleep: There is finally an all-inclusive in Tulum: Kore Tulum at under 100 rooms is closest to the ruins and has very little beach, but can be good value for those looking for a package.  Don't let the all-inclusive stop you from getting out and injecting some cash into the local economy :) Hemingway Romantic Cabanas is well managed and on one of the best stretched of beach in the area, these rustic comfortable cabanas offer both beachfront and jungle cabanas across the road.  Take the seafront if budget allows, still one of the best bangs for your buck in Tulum.  Also try Posada Margherita or Zashita for more luxury. Still also love Ana y Jose, though it's grown substantially. Area: from Tulum you can easily access the ruins of Coba, and if you venture a little father the beautiful colonial city of Valladolid.  Both are worth the visit.  In Valladolid if you book ahead don't miss Casa de Los Venados for the largest private collection of folk art in Mexico. There are so many cenotes and ruins to explore in this area, that I am still discovering new things 15 years after my first visit to my beloved Tulum.    

I recently traveled to Los Angeles, Carlsbad, and Anaheim, California. LIFT: I flew Air Canada Rouge and was happy to have checked-in online 24 hours prior and also reserved the preferred seats, which were very comfortable and made all the difference. Like most carriers, Rouge oversell their flights (by up to 20%), and it's becoming increasingly important not to miss this step. Air Canada's in-flight App. was excellent for hand held devices (and the only way to get any entertainment) I would encourage those flying to download this ahead of time. WHEELS: I rented a car from Budget in LAX - what a lineup! As I stood in line, I saw that the "Fast Breaks' counter was empty, which is Budget's loyalty program counter. I signed up while in line on my iPhone, skipped an hour lineup, and got an upgraded vehicle. I was on the road having Siri direct me to the Sheraton Universal inside 15 minutes. No issues with Budget. LA: The Sheraton Universal is tired (set for reno), but has a convenient location to both Universal Studios and the Subway, which can take you anywhere from Hollywood (in 5 minutes) to Santa Monica (in 45 minutes) on one line. Hilton next door is likely a better option. There are some nicer poolside rooms (reserve them in advance) if you don't care about the view. Views are great from higher floors. Pool area adequate with Cabanas for shade. Food not great on sight. Plenty of food options at Downtown Universal, which is open late. Hollywood Blvd. is still sketchy, wacky, fun, and worth the visit. Got the three in one pass to the Wax Museum, Ripley's, and Guinness which was fun cheap laughs. Worth a peak at the Chinese theatre and fun to step on the stars. Eat Pizza at Joe's. Universal Studios - we did the VIP Tour which was a one-in-a-lifetime experience and well worth it in my opinion . Fantastic Private Continental breakfast, private guide for 6 people who timed the rides (no lineups) with the shows seamlessly in order for us to see it all in one day with the best seats. Gourmet lunch included and VIP exclusive access tour of the back lot. Most rides were CGI - all fantastic - great for "brave" kids ages 8 and up. If you go to Universal, it is, in my opinion, essential to at least get the "front-of-the-line" pass if you don't want to spend all day in lineups. On a budget? Go in the "singles" lineup and ride alone to save time (you can do this at most SoCal theme parks). Traffic in California can be daunting - I drove the PCH almost all the way from Santa Monica (well worth a stop for lunch) to lovely Carlsbad. Amazing views, but a long drive. CARLSBAD: Sheraton Carlsbad is 5 min up the hill from the beach town, and by far the best Sheraton I have stayed thus far. Large expansive resort with oversized rooms, great amenities, fantastic pool area with lots of poolside activities. Private access to LEGOLAND. Parking just outside your room. 20 minutes to San Diego. LEGOLAND is great. Healthy food options. Clean, not too crowded or large, great waterpark (open seasonally) and Aquarium on site. Look for second day free. My opinion is kids will max out on this by about age 10. Lots of stuff for the little ones. Bonus shopping within walking distance of Sheraton: http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/directions.asp?id=66 Carlsbad itself is a lovely seaside village with quaint cafes and surf shops. Kitschy seaside motels. Wide long stretch of beach perfect for watching those "Endless Summer" sunsets. Kid friendly. Try the IPA at the Board and Brew http://www.boardandbrew.com/ or Land and Water Company http://www.landandwaterco.com/ ANAHEIM: Sheraton Anaheim not in great shape, and losing its branding anyways. Great location free shuttle to Disney, close to Anaheim Ducks rink if you care to see a game like I did ($20). Disney is Disney: predictable, use your fast passes, plan your day ahead, bring snacks and water with you. They do what they do "well" including finding a gift shop at the end of every ride. Download Charades App on your phone for the lineups for laughs. Space Mountain still impresses: no CGI needed. Go early or at night when crowds/lineups are less, stay at Disneyland Hotel for the biggest rooms and full experience if you can. Anabella or HoJo still best value in my opinion overall. Go for Disney's 60th Anniversary if you can (this year) and enjoy the "blinged out" castle and all the extra sparkle before the water runs out. Toni Bissett, Branch Manager