This August I spent a few days in Toronto as part of a trip that also took me to upstate New York and Niagara Falls. Canada's largest city is often overlooked in favor of its neighbors to the south, but it deserves a spot on your list. It's clean, diverse, walkable, and full of great food. My first impression: what a lovely city. It has a great vibe, and the people were genuinely friendly everywhere we went. Dinner at the top: the CN Tower The CN Tower is the city's signature

This September I spent eight days aboard Virgin Voyages' Brilliant Lady, sailing the Pacific coast from Vancouver to Los Angeles. I wasn't on vacation. I was there to walk every deck, eat in every restaurant I could, and answer one question for my clients: who is this ship for? Virgin gets a lot of buzz, and buzz isn't advice. So here is my honest take, including the parts that won't suit everyone. From the moment I stepped aboard in Vancouver, the crew's welcome set the tone