All posts filed under: Features

F1X2, © 2013 TravelBloggers.ca, Gail Shankland

Formula One Two-Seater – F1X2 … Thrill of a Lifetime!

(Including Exclusive Interviews with Kevin Kalkhoven, Paul Stoddart, Zsolt Baumgartner, Patrick Friesacher and Claire Bourdais) By Gail Shankland  Ride of a lifetime … we’ve heard that expression used before with previous generations of Formula 1, Champ Car and IndyCar two-seaters, and to me it always sounded so cliché – so when I was asked to help promote the F1X2 (Formula 1 times 2) two-seater program (for the ChampCar World Series) I promised myself that I would find a more apt description for the experience. Unfortunately I have to admit that there really is no better way to sum it up … it is a thrill of a lifetime … every race junkie’s dream … something you’ll never forget. The Formula One Minardi team is the worlds’ only regularly running two-seater program being operated on a commercial basis. Before the Champ Car World Series (CCWS) and IndyCar merged, Team Minardi brought several of these machines to North American tracks in order to give fans an opportunity that they would never otherwise have had. CCWS didn’t hide …

Watkins Glen , 2- Seater Indy Racing Experience Gail Shankland, Iain Shankland © 2013 TravelBloggers.ca

A Two-Seater IndyCar Ride – The Most Fun You Can Have With Your Clothes On!

As a race fan going back to when I could barely walk – just being able to say I’ve “been there” is a thrill and an honour. To have been driven around the track in an IndyCar 2-seater is without a doubt a dream-come-true and something I’ll never forget. Although this article isn’t ‘brand-new’ it is new to this site and it’s something I thought would be of interest to our readers because the IndyCar Series will be offering 2-seater rides at all 2013 events. On the Thursday prior to race weekend (Friday-Sunday) a select few of us from the media had the privilege to  experience the thrill of two laps of the Glen. I had the honour of doing my laps with Davey Hamilton in the 2-seater IndyCar and it was a very big day for me … because, I got to cross two things off my list of “things I’ve always wanted to do, but never dreamed I’d have the chance” AKA: my Bucket List. 1) Going to a race weekend at the …

Self-Catering/DIY - Explore, TravelBloggers.ca

What’s Your Holiday Style? ❀ All-Inclusive ❀ Hotels & Restaurants ❀ Self-Catered ❀

Iain is always quick to tell people that his Polish-Ukrainian wife is far more Scottish than he is … and yes, I’ll admit it … I’m frugal! With that, I can tell you that only ONCE in our 21 married years have we ever gone on an all-inclusive vacation … and it was probably our least favorite (for more reasons than one, but we won’t get into that). I’m not sure if that really tells you anything, other than maybe I’d rather not sit still and be waited on?  Though I’m sure Iain would disagree with that statement, but let’s not argue the details, let’s just talk about the options!Though we don’t have a gaggle of kids in tow when we travel we still tend to vacation on a budget, or even a shoe string where possible. For some reason we can’t get our heads wrapped around spending more money to stay ONE week in a hotel than we would for our monthly housing expenses at home. Call us crazy (we’re okay with that), but …

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Get Travel Discounts Wherever You Go In 3 Easy Steps

If you’re travelling in the U.S. or Canada especially – but also world-wide, here’s an easy way to research a travel destination and get multiple discounts at the same time… # 1. Go to Groupon.com/learn  (just typing without the “/learn” will take you to your local area and also limit your search outside that area). Click the down arrow beside your city and you’ll get the option of other areas and countries.        What is Groupon? “Groupon negotiates huge discounts—usually 50-90% off—with popular businesses. We send the deals to thousands of subscribers in our free daily email, and we send the businesses a ton of new customers.”  # 2. Find the city that you’re travelling to or a nearby city if you’re planning on a side-trip (or passing through). Click on the name of the city to go to its daily deal page. # 3. Either sign up for the newsletter and receive a new deal each day in your in-box, or click on “Today’s Deal” to see the daily discount. You’ll find …

© Cuvee 2013 / Robert Nowell, Cuvée, Niagara, Ontario, Canada, Craft Beer, keg, en Route, European pastries, Black Lager, wineries, icewine, Fallsview Casino Resort

Cuvée 2013 Crushed It! (Niagara Wine Country’s Version Of The Academy Awards)

Celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2013, Cuvée is the annual celebration of outstanding Ontario VQA wines and culinary delights over an entire weekend (usually the end of February/beginning of March). The weekend long event started in the Fallsview Casino Resort on Friday night with the Grand Tasting Gala that featured the winemakers’ favourite wines, along with a select group of Niagara’s most renowned chefs treating everyone to sampling plates of their signature dishes – created at live cooking stations. With more than 40 of Ontario’s wineries taking part along with a number of local restaurants it was an evening of intoxicating aromas and delights to the taste buds.

Oktoberfest Comes Alive At Night – Wunderbar!

Stuttgart, Germany – Last year we sampled Oktoberfest during the day [here] and it was a family-friendly atmosphere with beer, dancing on the benches  and singing thrown in for good measure, but what about at night when the adults come out to play? We made a special trip to Stuttgart in the evening to sample the bright lights and the full beer halls in all their glory and I can honestly tell you….. it ain’t nothin’ like the daytime!!! We arrived just in time to have some dinner – around 5:30pm and the halls were filled already. Which one do you choose? We tried a couple during the day, but settled on spending our entire evening in the Dinkelacker beer hall. You have to book months in advance to get in the front section by the band, but we were quite happy to go the back of the hall to watch as the party unfolded before us. The tables seat 30-40 people, but sitting isn’t what you’re there for – standing on the long benches …