I’ve eaten at some fine restaurants and I know what I like. But this week, I was blown away by my dining experiences at Old Vines Restaurant at the Quail’s Gate winery near Kelowna, BC.

I don’t want to say anything bad about the other restaurants and dining establishments in this areas, but without a doubt this one is one of, if not THE, best! Here’s why:

1. The building is beautiful. Warm wood beam construction and open air views of the vineyard, lake and mountains make this a special summer spot. But I can imagine it feeling warm and cozy in the winter as well.

2. The patio is divine. On a warm August afternoon or evening (we experienced both), the comfortable chairs and large tables make for the best kind of food and wine experience: outdoors.

3. The food is so good, it’s hard to describe. I found the food fresh and flavourful, yet not overly rich. Some restaurants substitute rich, strong tasting ingredients in place of skillful flavour-making in the kitchen. I often return from dinners at these other restaurants feeling bloated and uncomfortable. Not here. Old Vines uses old-fashioned culinary skill to create excellent tasting food without side effects. There was almost a kind of incredible lightness to everything I ate.

4. The wine is top-notch. Known for their Pinot Noir among other Quail’s Gate products, Old Vines serves a variety of other local Okanagan winery products. Our favourite was the Blue Mountain Sparkling Brut - a fresh and crisp bubbly that goes well with everything.

5. The service is superior. The serving staff are friendly and knowledgeable about the food and the wine. But it’s the little things that make such a huge difference. We dined as a party of four and a party of six and each time our plates arrived and were served simultaneously – by two servers for four of us and by three servers for six of us. How many times have I eaten at a pretentious downtown restaurant and received nothing approaching this kind of service? If you lament the disappearance of quality culinary service – not formal stuffiness – this is your place.

6. The kids menu is simple and fairly priced. My smaller kids both had pasta and even they remarked how good it was. Their bowls were all but licked clean.

7. The pricing is very reasonable – for the quality and service and setting and the whole package. You can pay the same – and more these days – and come up so far short compared to Old Vines. I’m a value person – which means I want to get good value for what I pay. It bugs me to no end when I’m asked to pay the same amount and I get so much less.

8. The setting is spectacular. The verdant green of  the vines sloping down to the lake and mountains opens your senses and puts you in the mood for an extraordinary dining experience.

9. Casual is cool. Don’t get me wrong, I like to get dressed up. But vineyard dining is decidedly casual, especially on the west coast. And I like the combination of great service, yet done in a casual and relaxed setting. The other dining establishments where you get good service tend to be more formal – which I find less enjoyable.

All in all, Old Vines is the premiere dining establishment in the Okanagan region. There’s no reason to not LOVE it.

It’s been almost two years since we moved in Edmonton from Toronto. Since arriving, we’ve visited Jasper and Banff, summered in Kelowna and wintered in California – all within reach from our new western home base. But the one thing I hadn’t done was spend any real time in Calgary.

Now, this isn’t entirely by accident. Our move to Edmonton was preceded by considerable discussion about Edmonton vs. Calgary. Once we had moved to Edmonton, I was committed to integrating our lives into the community there. And that’s exactly what has happened. We are part of a great community, we have met many new and dear friends and I’ve come to see and value in Edmonton something that is often missed by external observers who visit: it’s a city with a huge heart.

As a visitor to Calgary myself, it only takes a few days to see and feel the differences with Edmonton. Calgary is an urban city in a way that Edmonton isn’t – and may never be. There is urban density: a combination of corporate towers, commercial and retail development, rising condominiums, bars and restaurants creating vibrant streetscapes teeming with life. Mind you, it was Stampede and there were lots of extra cowfolk around, but Calgary feels more like Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal. Edmonton is more like Ottawa or Winnipeg.

Now, I am NOT saying anything bad about Edmonton. And that’s my point. Edmonton and Calgary are so different as to make their comparison as meaningful as, say, comparing apples to oranges. In many ways, they are the antithesis of each other – a dichotomy of urban models that makes Alberta stronger.

I find the simple-minded rivalries that exist between cities like Calgary and Edmonton miss the point. Each city has a unique contribution to make. Edmonton should not be trying to be more urban like Calgary – but striving instead to be differently urban in a way that is complementary to itself and to Calgary.

Forget the concrete downtown core that has been the model for urban development for the past 50 years. Instead, let’s create an urban oasis in Edmonton’s river valley. Let’s stop worrying about attracting corporate head offices and their gleaming towers. Instead, we can build on the community, warmth and heart that exists in Edmonton and create a 21st century city that cares – about families, about good education, about medical care, about tolerance, about physical fitness, about the ecosystem that sustains us.

I’m not an urban planner or visionary – I’m just a guy who tries to see and appreciate the forest for the trees. And both Calgary and Edmonton have lots of complementary qualities to build on.

Last summer was my first real summer living in Edmonton. In anticipation, I wrote a post about a number of Edmonton summer activities that looked like they’d be fun to do.

The summer, which always seems so long in coming, disappears in the blink of an eye. I always get depressed by the fact that just as the summer is really getting started – as in, this week – the days have already begun their descent into December darkness. But, I digress.

So, here’s my 2011 list of things I must do in Edmonton this summer:

1. Canoe the North Saskatchewan River – Still a top priority, but it takes the better part of a day to do it. Plus, I can’t help but feel that the water seems browner this year than last year and it’s not quite as inviting. Is it because we’ve had so much rain?

2. Cycle the river valley and beyond – I completed this summer must-do activity last year and want more. This summer, I’d like to venture outside the central river valley – to places like St. Albert, the north-east quadrant of the city, perhaps to rural locales on the edges of the city. Any route suggestions are welcome.

3. Attend Edmonton Folk Music Festival (Aug 4-7, 2011) - Got my all-day passes this year on the website 5 minutes after the opening of sales. Planning to take the family, but I’m not so big on the tarp run in the morning. Anybody want to tag team with us? The Edmonton Jazz Festival just passed and I missed most of it – despite being a jazz lover. Late June is just too busy already. The Works Art and Design Festival was nice – took in a few venues. I think we’ll miss most of the Fringe again, unfortunately.

4. Visit Devonian Botanic Gardens – This is still high atop the list. With any luck, some family visitors from Ontario will give us the excuse we need to get out to Devon.

5. Downtown Farmer’s Market – We were already out a few times including the launch of the market in May. Still a favourite Saturday activity.

6. The Art Gallery of Alberta – We’ve joined as members and this spot has become a mainstay of our downtown life not only in the summer, but spring, fall and winter too.

And here are some new additions to the list for 2011:

7. Heritage Festival (July 31 – Aug 2, 2011) – We’ll be getting our share of inter-cultural sharing this year as our kids participate in the annual Heritage Day festival at Hawrelak Park.

8. FreeWill Shakespeare in Hawrelak Park – Until July 24th, the FreeWill Shakespeare Festival performs Othello and Twelfth Night on alternate nights (except Monday). That’s definitely on the list.

9. Visit BC – I know. It sounds strange, but one of the nicest things about being in Edmonton is being able to visit British Columbia in the summer. The drive is spectacular and Kelowna is a lovely place to visit.

10. Visit Calgary – We’ve been here almost two years and I haven’t done a recreational trip to Calgary – and by “recreational” I mean dining out, walking around, finding good cappuccino cafes and generally enjoying the place.

11. Symphony under the Sky – Another great outdoor festival, this one comes at the very end of the summer. There really is nothing finer than a warm sunny day and classical music on the grass.

12. Visit Drumheller – Not sure it’s in the cards this summer. It was going to be – until Kelowna made an offer we couldn’t refuse. Maybe next year.

13. Elk Island – I was going to head out to Elk Island for that winter festival with the star gazing program – but it was canceled due to inclement weather, as I recall. Another time.

14. Visit Pigeon Lake – I keep meeting people in Edmonton who have a place by the lake, but I can’t seem to get an invitation. One of these days – nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more – one of them might invite me and the family to visit. Until then…

Enjoy your summer while it lasts. And if all else fails, just get on your bike and ride.

I’ve just returned from a month-long relocation of life to the Californian desert. I know, it sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? And it was.

Since we were away so long, I opted to drive so that we could have the vehicle and not have to rent one. And also so we could load it up with stuff – mostly bicycles – that contributed enormously to our wonderful time (well, mine anyway).

Driving was a 6500 km adventure – including the driving we did while down there. There’s a lot of time to think while driving, but writing while driving is generally frowned upon. So here are some observations from the road.

• Why is the road from Calgary to Edmonton called Deerfoot Trail, but the road from Edmonton to Calgary is called Calgary Trail. They both go through Red Deer. If Edmontonians need another reason to fuel the conspiracy theory, this one is staring them in the face. Let’s change Calgary Trail to Airdrie Trail.
• There’s something about driving into Canada that just feels like home. The Customs agents smile. The roads seems nicer – in better condition and better signage. It’s almost as if you can feel the better social safety net that exists here. It’s weird, but real. That’s why I’ll always live here and only visit the US.
• The US is a lovely place to visit. The people can be friendly. The physical geography is stunningly beautiful. And they sure know hoe to do luxury down there. But everywhere I look, outside of these positive factors, I see disintegration, decrepitude, and deterioration. I see exploitation, I see garbage, I see rampant industrialization – but rust-belt industrialization. America looks and feels like it’s in decline. Still a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.
• California is seriously hurting economically. Even in the heart of Palm Springs luxury, we encountered homeless people, panhandlers, and garbage pickers. Entire retail malls were shuttered and storefronts were out of business everywhere. Many houses for sale and rent.
• Be it March or April, you’re going to encounter weather somewhere if you’re driving 2800 km over 2 or three days. For instance, when crossing the continental divide (elevation 6700 feet) at the border of Montana and Idaho, I drove through white-out conditions going down and a much lighter sleet storm returning.
• There is virtually no mobile coverage in rural Montana and Idaho, so don’t count on it. Even if you’re driving on the interstate.
• Utah is a lovely state, very diverse in its geography from the snowy peaks of the north to canyonlands of the south.
• Vegas is un-effing-believable. It really is the epitome of the 21st century America – and that’s not really a compliment.
• Driving big rigs for a living must be very difficult on the body. Spending hours on end in seated position causes all kinds of aches and pains and stresses on the body. And speaking of stresses, I cannot imagine how stressful it much be to drive those big rigs through the treacherous mountain passes in less than ideal road conditions. Whatever freedom comes with that kind of lifestyle – there’s a physical cost, for sure.

Here are some shots from the driver’s seat of the drive back from Palm Springs to Edmonton, started on Sunday April 24 and completed on Monday April 25, 2011.

After 30 days living in the Californian desert, we’re heading home. Me by van – the family by plane. As we leave and move on to the next chapter of our charmed life, there are a few things I will be missing as soon as I drive away from Palm Springs.

1. The warmth of the air in the morning and the relaxed feeling that comes from not having to tighten up your body to resist the cold.
2. The clear blue sky.
3. The rugged and scenic San Jacinto mountains that are always to your immediate west.
4. The breakfasts at Cheekys.
5. The Australian grass fed beef burgers at Grind Burger Bar.
6. Happy hour in a tourist town without enough tourists.
7. Bottomless all day champagne at Pinochio’s.
8. Strolling down Palm Canyon Drive during the Thursday night open air markets and getting henna tattoos for the kids.
9. Riding my bike through the hot, flat desert along beautifully landscaped paths.
10. Dinner at La Spiga in Palm Desert.
11. Floating in a big salt water pool warmed to 86F in 100F heat.
12. Doing yoga and working out poolside.
13. Reading Jonathan Franzen’s The Corrections.
14. Discovering the joy and usability of my new MacBook Pro.
15. Paying $16 for 1.75 Litres of Smirnoff vodka.
16. Rule number 4.
17. The palm trees and the Bougainvillea.
18. The sleek, mid-century modern architecture and style throughout this city.
19. Having our own grapefruit tree in the backyard.
20. Having a Passover seder outside next to the pool.
21. Drinking Dead Guy Ale.
22. Cappuccino at Cielo.

There are also some learnings/observations that we take away from this 30 day family vacation in the desert. And these are, in no order of relevance:

• The north end of Palm Springs (basically, anything north of Vista Chino) is a wind tunnel – hence the hundreds of wind turbines - and should be avoided at all costs if you are a wind-phobe like me.
• The city of Palm Springs, in fact much of the state of California, is in economic distress, as evidenced by the abundance of vacant retail space and glut of vacation rental stock on the market.
• And, finally, thirty days, though lovely, may be too many days to be away from home – even in this spring paradise of consumerism and good weather – leading to two possible options: either we need to visit more frequently for shorter stays or make the desert home one day.

Lots to ponder over the 28 hours of driving that lie ahead.

When you pack up your lives for a month and go anywhere, it’s a chore – even if you are escaping to somewhere warm and sunny from somewhere cold and wet and muddy and snowy and brown and…well, you get the picture.

There are so many things to arrange and finish and temporarily stop and fix before you leave. It can be quite stressful in the days and weeks leading up to departure.

And inevitably, much as you try, there are things forgotten.

One of the main reasons/rationalizations for me driving to California was the bikes. That and the car rental. We wanted to ride while we were here and renting bikes AND a car while we had perfectly good ones at home made no sense. So we packed our bikes – and the trail-a-bike that attaches so the kids could ride too – into the van and I drove.

There was lots to remember for bike riding. There were the helmets, my bike shoes that connect to the pedals and without which I wouldn’t be doing too much riding. There were the bike pants and shirts. The tools, in case of a problem. The speedometer. All was going pretty well until I went to connect the my bike to the trail-a-bike and noticed I was missing that little pin thing-a-ma-jig that holds the two pieces of steel together.

Aside from being more than a little annoyed at the predicament I found myself in, it was also an opportunity to reflect on my inadequacy as a writer, of all things. You see, writers are writers because they are good at naming things – they care about what things are called and they draw on this knowledge in order to write descriptive and engaging prose. I don’t know the names for many things compared to, say Jonathan Franzen, whose novel The Corrections I have started reading (and enjoying thoroughly). Much as I sometimes pretend to be a writer, in reality I am just a guy who writes. And these are very different things. (See, there I am using “things” instead of a more descriptive authorly expression.)

Back to the thing-a-ma-jig for the bike. With all this remembering and potential forgetting, I realized that, worst-case scenario, I could just buy what I forgot (but I hate doing that, especially when I have a perfectly good item at home). So I headed to the Palm Springs Cyclery. There an earnest young bicycle dude headed to the back of the shop in search of one of these pin thingies only to return empty-handed, but for the suggestion that I head over to the nearby hardware store and buy a “hitch pin”. (So that’s what it’s called.)

Ten minutes and 70 cents later (plus California sales tax) I had a hitch pin that fit perfectly. Rushing back to the house, I announced triumphantly that I had found the missing piece for less than a dollar – which, truth be told, feels almost better than remembering the hitch pin in the first place.

We’ve just completed our first cruise as a family and generally it went pretty well. I spent much of the cruise feeling like an outsider trying to understand the culture of cruising. By no means am I an expert after one cruise, but having been through the process I have learned a few things that are helpful if you are a first-timer trying to decide whether to choose (or not) a cruise vacation.

1. Book your cruise through an agent. The business seems complicated – numerous companies, various vessels, different specialities – so there is value in getting some help choosing the right one for you. If you happen to live in Edmonton, you must call Lissa Antflick at Expedia Cruise Ship Centres. She is wonderful and will make the experience as good as it can be.

2. Cruising is designed to be easy. Your hotel room, your restaurants, your clubs, your casino, your recreational activities, your entertainment and your friends – everything you could possibly need in order to have a good vacation is on board and moving with you from port to port. Everything is scheduled for you – all you need to do is show up. Easy-peasy.

3. Food is very important on a cruise. If it’s not to your liking, your vacation won’t be either. We were cruising with Princess and the food was actually quite good. There was always a buffet open serving breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks. On board restaurants serve dinner based on reservations (anytime dining) or at a set time of your choosing. Dining and the social interactions surrounding it is a huge part of the cruise experience, so if you love eating and can afford to gain 10 pounds, you’ll be in heaven. If not, it may be worth considering another type of holiday. And while cruise attire is generally causal, people get dressed up for dinner. Well, some do. Others lack some sort of appropriate attire gene – there’s no other way to make sense of what some people choose to wear to a formal dining room.

4. For some people, the whole boat thing rules out cruising. Turns out I fear large boats and water more than I do flying, so I spent the first couple of days seeing visions of the Poseiden Adventure and Titanic flash before my eyes. I was worried about the ship’s movement and how it would affect me – and the kids. Turns out the kids were fine most of the time. We used far less than anticipated of the motion sickness medications that we brought along. Most surprising though was post-cruise: I had (what I consider to be) a bad case of sea legs that lasted almost 2 days. I guess you can’t really know how you’ll respond until you try it.

5. On board entertainment and activities are often cited as the reason people like cruising. I’m not really into variety shows at the best of times. Though we did attend the stand-up comedy show and it was good for a few laughs. There are all kinds of other musicians and performers on board and generally I was not impressed. You don’t cruise for the entertainment. Activities were numerous, but not that attractive. Maybe I’m too young – or too snobby. These things are always a matter of taste and mine seemed a bit out of sync with the majority of other cruise vacationers on board.

6. New ships versus old ships. For whatever reason, I wanted an newer ship. (Maybe the irrational fear of water acting up again.) Regardless of the reason, the new Sapphire Princess was launched in 2005 and was lovely and clean and in great shape throughout. Though it is strange how interior design on boats seems stuck somewhere in the 80s. I wanted a boat that felt like a W Hotel, but I don’t even know if something like that exists.

7. Kids programming is important if you have some with you. There were over 600 kids (aged 0-17) on board our cruise and there was custom programming for all of them. Unlike some kid programs in resorts we’ve been to, the cruise programs for kids were run by teachers, some retired and others on working vacations, which made for some benefits. Most importantly, our kids loved the programs and the socializing with other kids and made themselves scarce most of the day and even some evenings. This meant we could dine as adults, drink a bottle of wine and not worry about kid care.  Brilliant!

8. When you compare an all-inclusive vacation (food, drink and airfare) to a cruise (with food) and add airfare and drinks, the cruise is costlier. Plus, on the cruise there are all sorts of add-on costs that just rub me the wrong way. For instance, if I want soft drinks I can pay for them one at a time or buy an unlimited quantity for $9/day per person. Do the math: that’s over $250 for unlimited Coke for a week for a family of four – and that’s just stupid. But that’s the cruise business model – you’re a captive market for a week and they’re trying every possible scheme to separate you and your money, every day, all week. Art auctions. Shopping excursions. Port day trips. Champagne breakfasts. Wine tastings. Ka-ching. Actually, the more I think of this aspect, the more I resent it.

9. Technology and connectivity on board the ship was terrible. I haven’t seen a bigger collection of CRT televisions in a decade. And internet access was stupid expensive – they wanted $0.35/minute and were selling their biggest package for $175 for 500 minutes. The internet lounge was large – and mostly a ghost town. I understand that satellite connectivity at sea is expensive, but why weren’t there free wifi connections in port. That would be way cheaper for them to provide. Seemed to me that the cruise company was missing a big opportunity with onboard communications. There were almost 3000 passengers on board and a wifi LAN that allowed people to connect with each other would have been fun. Each day, they were printing and distributing a flyer to each room with the next day’s activities. A local web page would have been great. Looking around at most of the passengers on board, it was clear why they don’t offer this kind of service.

10. The details that go into running a floating hotel complex for 3000 people for a week is impressive and I was constantly impressed by Princess. However, they really dropped the ball on the check out process. There was no automatic, hassle-free way to see your bill (again, wifi could be helpful here). Once you got your print-out of charges, you had to stand in line to get corrections made while only ONE staff member served 20 passengers. And even then, we had to wait the better part of an hour for the tour people to come upstairs and reverse a clearly duplicate charge for the port-to-airport transfer fee. Left a bad impression and almost appeared to be by design – which means someone was counting on most people not paying much attention to what charges would be hitting their credit card on the last day of the cruise. Not impressed.

Cruising has some definite upsides, but also a number of downsides depending on who you are. At it’s heart, cruising seems to offer some traditionalist appeal – there is something fun about moving from port to port at 20 knots, about seeing blue sea and sky in all directions while sitting by the pool. But I’m not sure we’re going to be rushing to book our next one.

We just completed our first cruise vacation as a family and, while the verdict is still out on whether we will repeat it again in the future, the pictures are great. (If I don’t say so myself.)

I’m working on a longer piece on the ups and downs of cruising (hey, there’s a nice title for the upcoming post), so enjoy the pictures for now.

Hollywood and Mexico Cruise 2010 from Jay Palter on Vimeo.

There’s no way we could have known in September when we booked this trip that we’d be in LA for three days and not see the Hollywood Hills, nor the Hollywood sign, nor the sun. No way to know that we’d be clamouring to get out of this town built on sunshine and money – to be anywhere but here.

There were moments yesterday when it really felt like this might have been the worst vacation ever. The rain pouring down on us. The stuffy, humid taxi cab in which Benny almost tossed his cookies (actually, they were waffles). The failure to find sandals in the right size at the only enclosed shopping area in LA. (Oh, woe is me

But it hasn’t been all bad. Dinner at Kate Mantilini’s in Beverly Hills the other night was a hit. The kids were treated nicely and ate well. Ben even drew a picture for the hostess lady and she hung it on the wall near the door. And breakfast yesterday at Kitchen 24 was a fun and tasty start to the day.

The W Hollywood is our refuge  from the rain and continues to be the best part of our stay here. Afternoons spent in the W’s common space, dubbed the living room, sitting on sumptuous black leather couches, enjoying martinis and sprite, playing cards and sending emails – pure vacation relaxation. I even managed to get in a nice sweaty workout.

We’ve been very well-served at the W  by a lovely young concierge named Jonathan. He took a shine to Ben and Ella and even found a board game for them to play one afternoon. He was instrumental in pointing us in the right direction for meals and even helped secure reasonable consideration for a mistaken late-night knock on our door by an errant staff member on the first night. Nothing but praise for W’s service and style.

And so, today is the day we board the ark and sail for dryer and hotter climes. We saw a small patch of blue sky this morning and the forecast is predicting sunshine starting tomorrow. But we’ve had our share of rain in LA and are heading for the port. A rather long drive awaits us – though this seems to be what LA is all about.

We’ll come back to California, but LA will not be high on the list of places to visit.

We left Edmonton bleary-eyed and heads slightly aching. Our days ahead were full of promise and hope. As the snow fell, we imagined how nice the warm sun would feel on our backs.

I remember a song from the 70s – something about it never raining in California. Well, that myth has been shattered. It’s been raining here for days and will continue for several more.

And the fact is – there isn’t much to do in LA in the rain. Shopping is outdoors. The fun street life is outdoors. Venice Beach is (obviously) outdoors. The Griffith Observatory is very close by but is closed the two days we are here.

If we weren’t getting on a ship and heading to sunny Mexico in a couple of days, we’d be way more depressed. Those poor families we saw on the plane who came to go to Disneyland – so sad.

On the good side, we all love the W Hollywood. A relatively new development at the corner of Hollywood and Vine, the W is always a pleasure. The funniest part is that Ben and Ella just love the place – the cool design, the open space, the room details. Ella didn’t even want to go out today – she wanted to stay in the hotel and curl up with a good book.

It was clear this morning that we may be among the only people to ever visit Hollywood for three days and NOT see the sign on the hills. The rooftop pool at the W supposedly has a great view of it when the clouds are not practically touching the ground. We were up on the roof for a dip in the pool this morning – damned if this rain was going to ruin a great rooftop pool. It did, but the kids had fun.

Oh, and Mann’s Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Blvd is very cool. But Yogi Bear is a terrible movie.

There’s more to come about LA, but my LA wants to go out tonight. Kate Mantilini’s in Beverly Hills seems to be the ticket. Details to follow.