Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City, Quebec

Opened in 1893, the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City is one of Canada's grand railway hotels and one of the province of Quebec's most recognizable landmarks. Surrounded by the stunning architecture of Old Quebec and overlooking the St. Lawrence River, the Chateau Frontenac shines as one of Canada's quintessential luxury destinations.

Midnight Madness & Kitschy Thrift Shop Finds

Last night was Midnight Madness in downtown Medicine Hat, Alberta, and over the last couple years, this has become one of my new favourite Christmas traditions. Mostly, it's an excuse to snack and shop, but in addition to a few great visuals (like the balloon glow) we've made a habit of using the event as an excuse to find thrifty treasures around downtown.

If you're wondering where all of your grandparents' kitschy gems ended up - last night I bought 'em all! I am a sucker for vintage books, film, travel souvenirs, photography, etc.

A few of my finds included more VHS, 45s, and 8 tracks. I also found a handful of location-based glassware, your grandma's spoon collection from around North America, and a handful of vintage travel guides - including the official photo book of the torch relay from the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, the guidebook from the Tower of London gift shop, and a 1966 travel guide of Pompeii (100% in Italian). And what did my total come to for all of these incredibly rare historic artifacts? A whopping $18 for the night. It was a lot of fun.

 

Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix 2023 at the Wynn

Leading up to the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix 2023, the influences of Formula 1 around the Las Vegas Strip have been difficult to ignore. With the city essentially bending over backwards to accommodate all of the construction, one of the most prominent promotions of the event we came across was inside of the Wynn Las Vegas.

Featuring several F1 racecars on display and a map of the circuit, the Wynn was one of the few places (pre-event) with something to actually see - a relatively big deal when you consider that much of the F1 controversy in Las Vegas has been about all of the views that the organizers have blocked from every vantage point on the Strip. 

There's a lot riding on the success of the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, so it will be interesting to see the public response as things officially get underway this week. Any inaugural event is sure to have a lot of wrinkles to iron out, but I do want to give credit to the Wynn for their displays and being one of the only properties to actually live up to the hype (in terms of the promotion and exhibition of Formula 1) leading up to the main event.