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Well-travelled Canadians Share Their Summer Vacation Relaxation Tips
Open this photo in gallery:Illustration by Sarah Farquhar
When I embarked on a one-day trip to Paris with my parents and younger sister last year, I expected for us all to connect with our French roots and return from the City of Light relaxed and rejuvenated.
Instead, we scurried between arrondissements, getting from one must-see spot to another. I expected a stress-free day of wine and croissants, but, owing to our jam-packed itinerary, by the end, I was more twisted out of shape than any pastry I had encountered.
Can a vacation actually cure burnout?
Many of us who go on trips to decompress commit crucial errors, says Andrew Stevenson, a professor and psychologist who wrote The Psychology of Travel.
One of them is being a future-focused traveller who gets too caught up in adhering to a schedule. Then there are the landmark hunters or people who prioritize getting to predetermined spots over making spontaneous discoveries or coming across lesser-known wonders. And there are those who try to fit everything into a short time period, when research shows that it takes at least a week to truly feel relaxed in a new place. We were guilty on all three counts.
We asked seven notable Canadians – including authors, CEOs and Olympians – what they do to ensure their getaways help them recharge.
Open this photo in gallery:Leylah FernandezMinas Panagiotakis/Getty Images
Leylah Fernandez, professional tennis playerSummer vacations are hard to come by for 21-year-old tennis phenom Leylah Fernandez, especially during an Olympic year. Here is how the Montreal-born, Miami-based athlete plans to recharge between two of the biggest tournaments of her life: Wimbledon and the Paris Games.
Where are you taking a break/disconnecting this summer?
I usually vacation in November after the tennis season, but this summer I am going to escape to Marbella, on the southern coast of Spain, for a few days or weeks between Wimbledon and the Olympics to recharge. I spent three days on that coast a few years ago and fell in love with the beach, the oranges and the small cafés around each corner.
Will you play tennis during that time?
The plan is to take two or three days completely off to reset, but then we turn the turbos back on.
What's the most relaxing place you've been to in your life?
I was at a Turks and Caicos resort a few years ago with terrible cell connection, which was awesome. But my favourite childhood memories are from Orlando because roller coasters somehow relax me. The VelociCoaster at Universal Studios is unmatched.
What do you pack that helps you be calm?
My crochet kit. It's therapeutic to focus just on that. So far I've made scarves and a little penguin that I've named Pierre.
What's on your chill playlist?
It changes constantly, but I really like rock. My dad introduced me to Dancing with Myself by Billy Idol when I was a kid and I think the genre is so cool. It calms me down before games.
Will you have your phone on or off on vacation?
I do bring my phone to take photos and videos for the memories, but I try to keep it on silent. Still, I am probably on it too much while on vacation.
Open this photo in gallery:Carley FortuneJenna Marie Wakani/Supplied
Carley Fortune, authorCarley Fortune's recent summers sure have been different. The writer's first novel landed her on The New York Times Best Seller list in 2022, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle bought film rights to her second book. Her third novel, This Summer Will Be Different, has topped the charts since its publication in May. Fortune, who grew up in the cottage town of Barry's Bay, Ont., and has two kids, shares how she disconnects amid the constant media attention.
Where are you taking a break/disconnecting this summer?
Prince Edward Island is the setting of my latest novel, but it will also be the backdrop to a family vacation during the first week of July. Later in the summer, we'll be spending two weeks at the lake near Barry's Bay, where I grew up. The cottage has no TV, no WiFi and impossible cellphone reception: It's glorious.
What's the most relaxing place you've been to in your life?
My husband and I took a child-free trip to Tofino last year. I'm not sure whether it was stunning scenery or being without kids for a few days that made it so relaxing.
What have you learned lately about how you relax best on vacation?
For me, travelling is mostly about filling time between meals. When I visit a city, I research restaurants and make reservations ahead of time, so I don't need to worry about that once we've arrived. The rest I leave open so we can decide what we feel like doing when we're there.
What do you pack that helps you be calm?
I travel a lot for my book tour, and I have bad travel luck: My luggage has been lost three times this year. I just purchased Apple AirTags to help track my suitcase. I also always have noise-cancelling AirPods to drown out the engine roar, and a good paperback – I love reading on planes. I just finished Holly Gramazio's incredible debut, The Husbands, on the flight back from Lyon.
What's on your chill playlist?
I've been listening to Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department on repeat when I fly.
Open this photo in gallery:Morgan Cooper, design director at Arc'teryxFor Morgan Cooper, nothing quite restores her motivation and sparks her creativity like long trail runs on mountainous terrain. Here is what else Cooper, an Oregon native and Squamish, B.C., resident, does to disconnect and come back to work recharged.
Where are you taking a break/disconnecting this summer?
My husband, five-year-old and I are stay-cationing in Squamish. Elton Lake and Wedgemount Lake are some of the most beautiful places in the world.
What's your most peaceful childhood vacation memory?
When I was a kid I went to Lake Chelan, Wash., with my family. We slept outside in a tent by the water and mountains and a thunderstorm rolled through.
What's the most relaxing place you've been to in your life?
We spent last August in Annecy, an alpine town in southeastern France. It was so running-themed: You could start your run in the mountains, finish along Lake Annecy and then jump in the water.
What have you learned lately about how you relax best on vacation?
Vegging out doesn't work for me: Running on trails is what helps me recharge, let go of stress and come up with fresh ideas. I like to plan a vacation during my training block for a race, because then I have extra incentive to go for runs and explore the surroundings.
What's on your chill playlist?
I have an upbeat playlist that helps me chill out, but I cannot reveal what it is because I feel like it's not cool. I will take it to my grave.
Will you have your phone on or off on vacation?
I leave it behind as much as I can while on excursions. The rest of the time, I turn off notifications.
Open this photo in gallery:Robby BentKreg Holt/Supplied
Robbie Bent, CEO of OthershipIf Othership, the modern Toronto spa with steam rooms and cold tubs, has helped thousands of patrons relax since its opening in 2022, it's had the opposite effect on Robbie Bent. Running two Toronto locations and opening a third one in New York, all while raising an 18-month-old, is forcing Bent to be intentional about his relaxation techniques.
Where are you taking a break/disconnecting this summer?
This summer will have mini-breaks: I am currently living in New York City to support our next launch, and plan to do short visits throughout the summer to see friends in nearby cottage countries like Hudson Valley and Rhinebeck: they are the New York versions of Muskoka.
What's the most relaxing place you've been to in your life?
Ocean Beach, San Francisco: We were walking distance from the ocean, the beach and a massive forest with Redwood trees, and all of it with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge.
How active are you on vacation?
I have two non-negotiables. The first thing I do when I land somewhere is do some kind of ice bath and spa. It resets my circadian rhythm and rids me of jetlag. I also go for morning walks every morning with my son.
What have you learned lately about how you relax best on vacation?
In February, I was in Costa Rica and really struggled to disconnect from work. Everyday I had thousands of text messages and e-mails, and seeing them come in made me anxious. I realized I needed to actively get away from my phone, which meant seeking out a sauna, find a body of water to submerge myself in, or go for a hard run; as opposed to just lying on the beach with my phone in my hand.
So now do you turn your phone off while away?
On long vacations, I turn my phone off for three days and stop drinking coffee, because it takes my body almost 72 hours to truly wind down. The first few days are so uncomfortable, but then I remember how to relax.
What's on your chill playlist?
Classical, nature sounds: Slow music that gets you into a dream state.
Open this photo in gallery:Brandie Wilkerson, professional beach volleyball playerBrandie Wilkerson is no stranger to life on the road. The athlete splits her time between Toronto and Los Angeles and fits in occasional trips to Switzerland to visit her family. Now, she is in the final stages of preparation for the Paris Summer Olympics and shares how she plans to relax after concluding her quest for gold.
Where are you taking a break/disconnecting this summer?
I booked my flight back home from Paris a full week after the end of the Olympics, so that I can either go see my family in Switzerland, or friends in Ibiza or Greece. It will be a game-time decision.
What's your most peaceful vacation memory?
Not peaceful, but a great memory. We took a train from Latvia to Marseille to see a Beyoncé concert a few years ago. There was another time when a friend and I tried to figure out Russia's transit system and got lost on our way back from the Kremlin.
That's what came to mind when I said "peaceful"?
I have a better one. I was training in Rio when the pandemic hit and ended up staying there for nine months. I learned the language, the culture and fell in love with the place. I go back to visit friends whenever I can.
How active are you on vacation and in what way?
The first day, I veg out: I will take three hours to have breakfast. Then I like to figure out a place's public transit systems and roam local museums. I don't have the inclination to work out; you wouldn't know I'm an athlete.
What's on your chill playlist?
I put on Lauryn Hill's Unplugged album when I want a good vibe.
Will you have your phone on or off on vacation?
I like to share beautiful moments on social media, but nothing intimate. So, I will post a sunset, and then set Instagram aside and live my life. Still, I do like to carry my phone around for safety reasons, but I'm a horrible texter.
Open this photo in gallery:Tom Abraham, luxury travel expert at Butterfield & RobinsonTom Abraham describes himself as someone who enjoys a journey, and his love for discovering new places has so far spurred him to visit more than 40 countries. A father of two from Nelson, B.C., Abraham admits to being a low-maintenance traveller and shares his secrets for making any trip relaxing.
Where are you taking a break/disconnecting this summer?
We do a wilderness trip every summer: sea kayaking on the coast, a river trip in the Yukon, or something local in the mountains. This year we might visit the central coast of B.C.
What's the most relaxing place you've been to in your life?
I like the mainland of Greece, as opposed to the islands because it has a nice balance between tourism and real life. There is an area in northern Greece near the Albanian border that I love called Zagori, which has dramatic landscapes of canyons and stone villages separated by Ottoman trails.
What do you pack that helps you be calm?
A pair of jeans, a few cotton T-shirts and a good book. The best one I read lately was Children of the Night, which gets into Romanian history and politics.
How active are you on vacation and in what way?
I'm not one to plunk myself down and stay in one place. I explored Turkey in April and did some great cycling around there. I also like canoeing and kayaking. It doesn't have to be high-intensity exercise, just movement.
What's on your chill playlist?
Lately I've been on a massive Afrobeat and reggae kick, so its Burna Boy and Ayra Starr. I've been sharing my music with my daughter, which has been nice.
Will you have your phone on or off on vacation?
When I go kayaking, I put screens away and use paper charts to navigate. I just prefer to not have my phone at all. Helps me get back to books and be more aware of the world around me.
Open this photo in gallery:Amber BrackenJASON FRANSON/Supplied
Amber Bracken, award-winning photographerFor Amber Bracken, photography never stops. The Red Deer, Alta.-born journalist, whose clients include this paper, National Geographic and The New York Times, rarely travels without a camera, and lately, she is discovering how her craft helps her to fully recharge her batteries.
Where are you taking a break/disconnecting this summer?
I have two vacations planned: I am going to a superaesthetic and unplugged cabin in Manitoba with some friends for one week, and then my partner and I have our annual two-week family trip to Sicamous, B.C., where we spend a lot of time in the Shuswap Lake.
What's the most relaxing place you've been to in your life?
It's Shuswap, because every day you can choose to be with family, or be alone and float on the lake. It's an annual reset. A close second is my trip to Portugal's southern coast in 2023, where I ate oranges on the beach.
What do you pack that helps you be calm?
My camera. I feel undressed without it. Often I bring a Pentax K1000: It's an ancient XLR camera that I would never use for work. It prevents me from falling into work mode, chasing the perfect photo and derailing everybody's vacation plans.
How active are you on vacation and in what way?
One active thing that completely chills me out is going into a natural body of water. It makes me feel like I'm letting everything go.
What's on your chill playlist?
Everything: Lately Afrobeats by Kongobara, folk music by Esther Rose, old country by Hank Williams and Kendrick Lamar's new stuff.
Will you have your phone on or off on vacation?
As a freelancer, work is never done. You can always pick away at something. So on vacation I make the point to be unavailable over e-mail, and leave my phone on a shelf somewhere.
These interviews have been condensed and edited.
Climate In Tofino
Tofino is a popular tourist destination whose climate is typically cool and rainy for most of the year. Air temperatures peak in the summer months around 16°C, and dip to 5°C in the winter. It's quite rare for temperatures to fall below 0°C.
Precipitation is a constant in Tofino, although it is far more prevalent during the winter season where November through January can see over 400mm of rain per month. This translates to about 20 rainy days per 30 day period. In the summer, this drops to about 10 days per month.
The Best West Coast Travel Spots, According To Readers
Sometimes 101 is just too small a number.
Many readers, having digested our new list of 101 best West Coast experiences, have stepped up to make the case for destinations we left out, from a country road in Malibu to a remote beach town on a Canadian island. We've gathered a sampling of them here.
Most of these readers are pitching their hometowns or sharing finds from their own western ramblings, but others are more mysterious.
One reader wrote from a beloved corner of coastal Northern California to say, "I would tell you [where], but then it would be CROWDED."
Another reader, insisting on anonymity, said he likes living on a boat in Baja Peninsula, looking out at "the world's biggest aquarium" in the Gulf of California.
Yet another reader described a "magical" spot at Stinson Beach in Marin County, where birders could watch scores of snowy egrets and great blue herons nest. Alas, officials at Audubon Canyon Ranch say, that moment has passed. A campaign of prolonged and increasing harassment by bald eagles has chased the egrets and herons from the Martin Griffith Preserve. As much as we'd sometimes like it to, the West does not stand still.
As the guy who put together the 101 destinations on our list and fretted plenty over which to include, I have to admit that the readers' choices here are solid, if not downright jealousy-provoking. I hope to see some of these places in coming months.
Meanwhile, they're arranged here from south to north.
A road in MalibuIn a passage that sounds like it might be the beginning of a novel, Bryan A'Hearn of Los Angeles writes in praise of driving Malibu Canyon Road on a dewy morning after a long evening with an old friend.
A'Hearn: "Our late night — of lousy cards and sips of cheap vodka and orange juice and industry gossip with too many characters and old and new news — crawled into early morning, and a scenic drive seemed appropriate. It was not quite dawn, and the fog in the valley climbed and coiled the hills ahead of us. Sometimes you were caught in the canyon fog, and the road stretched as long as your low beams. Malibu Canyon Road forks onto tree-hooded backroads; there the fog is mist and veils cul-de-sacs with long, flat houses and fancy mailboxes. My old friend mentioned she once baby sat or dog sat or tutored or nannied — you forget, really — a family up here. The sun yawned over the Pacific and the fog began to lift, and we made the descent to Malibu Colony."
A historic Black town in Tulare County
Students check out the historical information in front of the Hackett House at the Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park.
(Tomas Ovalle / For The Times)
Lisa Fitch of Los Angeles first visited Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park — site of the first California town founded, financed and governed by African Americans — on a neighborhood group field trip. Soon after, she joined the Friends of Allensworth.
The park is a collection of restored and reconstructed wooden buildings, 12 miles west of Delano in the San Joaquin Valley. The 800-acre town was founded in 1908 near a Santa Fe rail route. Its key proponent, Fitch writes, was an educator and Army chaplain named Col. Allen Allensworth, a charismatic leader who had been born into slavery in the 1840s.
After several years of growth, the town faltered and eventually emptied amid a water shortage, the loss of rail service and the death of Col. Allensworth in a traffic accident. The remaining buildings were at risk of demolition in the late 1960s when former resident Cornelius "Ed" Pope launched a campaign to preserve it. Allensworth became a state historic park in 1974.
On June 8 of this year from 10 a.M. To 4 p.M., Fitch writes, "Allensworth will hold a Juneteeth event! Bring a blanket and umbrella and enjoy tours of the refurbished buildings, entertainment and vendors."
The star of Sequoia National Park
By volume, the General Sherman Tree is the largest known living single-stem tree on Earth.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
"I understand that any list is curated," begins Eric Gersh of Agoura Hills. Then his note let me have it for overlooking the General Sherman Tree and its companion sequoias in Sequoia National Park. "Still, astonishing that the largest living things on the planet don't make that list! Too many memories to list, from my own childhood awe to watching my children experience the same wonder at such ancient giants. Yes, you got the redwoods ... Twice, but no General Sherman amidst the splendor of the Sierras???"
Mea culpa, Mr. Gersh. For the record, the National Park Service affirms that the General Sherman Tree is "the largest in the world at 52,508 cubic feet (1,487 cubic meters)," standing 274.9 feet high with a base circumference of 102.6 feet.
A lighthouse hostel in San Mateo County
The sun sets behind the Pigeon Point Lighthouse on the San Mateo County coastline.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Anna Glynne of La Jolla commends the Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel, where she stayed last July. Traveling with her sister and her sister's three children. Glynne booked two nights in a six-person room.
"Our stay was magical," Glynne writes. "We explored redwood trails in Butano State Park. Her kids spotted elephant seals basking at Año Nuevo State Park. We drove 9 miles to Pescadero for fancy coffees and fresh-baked bread."
The group's room had three bunk beds and a private bathroom, with access to a communal kitchen and living area. Other Pigeon Point options include a sunset soak in a hot tub with an ocean view (and often a sea lion soundtrack) or a fort-building session with driftwood on a nearby beach.
Added Glynne: "If you dread camping (like my sister) but still want to explore the California coast on a budget, don't forget the hostels."
A theater festival in southern Oregon
Oregon Shakespeare Festival's Allen Elizabethan Theatre approximates the open-air theaters of Shakespeare's day.
(Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
Reader Trinity Tracy of Ashland now takes center stage to speak in favor of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland.
As Tracy writes, it's not just Shakespeare and not just a summer thing. The theater festival, which dates to the 1930s, runs March through October, featuring new and traditional plays. Like many theater companies, Oregon Shakespeare has faced struggles since the pandemic, but "it's really incredible ... One of the best and biggest Elizabethan theaters in the world and two other theaters." In addition, the town of Ashland (not far from Crater Lake) has more than its fair share of restaurants, pubs and lodgings for theatrically inclined travelers.
This year's Oregon Shakespeare productions include Shakespeare's "Macbeth," "Coriolanus" and "Much Ado About Nothing;" along with "Born With Teeth" by Liz Duffy Adams (an imagined encounter between William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe); "Lizard Boy," an indie-rock musical by Justin Huertas; an adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre" by Elizabeth Williamson; and several one-person shows.
A rugged beach in Olympic National Park
Ruby Beach, known for driftwood and stones, is part of Washington's Olympic National Park.
(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
Joel Kawahara of Quilcene, Wash., suggests Ruby Beach, which is a rugged patch of rocky shoreline, often full of driftwood, in Olympic National Park.
Kawahara: "Ruby Beach is almost completely undeveloped. There is a parking lot, a potty and a trail to the beach. There is no development on the beach; it is simply just as the last wave left it. It is perhaps a little over-visited so crowds are an issue. But if you want to understand the north coast, just stand there and watch the surf and look carefully in the tide pools. Don't think. Be zen. Or as zen as you can."
A park in Washington's Port TownsendJeffrey Crocker of Pittsfield, Mass., suggests Fort Worden Historical State Park in Port Townsend, Wash. Crocker calls it "a beautiful place. Where the movie '[An Officer and a Gentleman' (1982) was filmed. Rustic, scenic area at entrance to Puget Sound. Camping, hiking."
Bellingham, Wash.
Taylor Dock is a popular waterfront playground for adults and children in Bellingham, Wash.
(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
Michael Grass of Bellingham, Wash., suggests his hometown. (And really, you have to love a place that calls itself "the city of subdued excitement.")
For best effect, Grass says, arrive by train around sunset, taking in the scenery near Chuckanut Mountain and focusing on the historic Fairhaven neighborhood.
"I work remotely from Bellingham and commute into Seattle via Amtrak Cascades a few times a month," Grass writes, "and never tire of the waterside train views on the 6 p.M. Departure out of Seattle."
Grass notes that Bellingham's Amtrak station is in the Fairhaven neighborhood. He recommends eating at Fairhaven Poke, drinking at Southside Bar, checking out the watery views from Taylor Dock, hearing music at Skylark's and browsing Village Books, "a three-level bookstore and community crossroads known for its book talks, programming and writing workshops." Or you could head to the cruise terminal and catch a ferry to Ketchikan via the Alaska Marine Highway System.
Among Washington's San Juan Islands
In this photo taken July 31, 2015, an orca whale leaps out of the water near a whale-watching boat in the Salish Sea in the San Juan Islands, Wash.
(Elaine Thompson / Associated Press)
David Tull of Mountain View casts his vote for the San Juan Islands.
"The San Juan Islands are beautiful. Period," he writes. "The archipelago contains numerous islands of different sizes and accessibility. In places there are narrow channels between islands as well as open sea. The region is home to pods of orcas and gray whales and humpbacks. In addition, bald eagles are thriving in the islands. My biggest thrill was being out on the water in a small boat with orcas coming alongside. Tourism is the principal industry now, but the islands' largest town, Friday Harbor, is not garish, schlocky or overrun."
A coastal town on Canada's Vancouver IslandTyler Mark of Los Angeles was disappointed in us for overlooking Tofino, on Vancouver Island in British Columbia.
Writes Mark: "How you make a list without a visit to Tofino is beyond anyone who has been there. This small town perched on the tip of a peninsula on the west coast of Vancouver Island, with the Pacific and its whales on one side and its bay full of otters on the other, is a gem. White-capped mountains cascade down to redwood forests and an archipelago of small timbered islands with beautiful surfable beaches." Mark also lauds Tofino's food scene. Basically, he concludes, "This place has everything except easy access, which makes it more special."
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