With recreational cannabis consumption set to become legal in exactly three weeks, this Mostly Amazing series explores 11 places across the land that are best experienced with a buzz.

As a dad, I rely on magic over the winter holidays.

"How does Santa get down the chimney?" my daughters ask.

"Magic," I reply.

"How does he deliver presents to all the kids around the world?"

"To all the good kids? Magic."

While it has proved indispensable as an explanation (and disciplinary tool), "magic" was starting to feel like a bit of a cop-out before I experienced Lumina Borealis in Kingston.

That's when everything changed. If you want to restore your faith in magic, while proving to your offspring that it is real, visit the dazzling multimedia installation that's slated to return to the Fort Henry National Historic Site this December for its third winter. 

I jumped at the chance to check out Lumina Borealis at the tail end of my family's circuitous holiday road trip around Ontario and Quebec. I was drawn to the stirring outdoor setting I had only experienced in summer – never before has the 181-year-old fort offered anything on this scale in winter – and was intrigued by a comment from the daughter of St. Lawrence Parks Commission CEO Darren Dalgleish, which is said to have inspired the project: "You need to do Frozen meets It's a Wonderful Life."

My inner audiovisual aficionado, meanwhile, wondered what $3-million worth of projection, light and sound equipment looks like.

In short, it looks out of this world. Our walking tour of the lower fort took about 90 minutes, and I could spend at least that long describing the interactive, immersive wonders that unfolded as my family strolled, awestruck, around the yawning dry moat. After wandering through a glowing assembly of stylized icebergs and an evergreen forest clad in iridescent icicles, we reached a towering stone wall blazing with projected colours. Our shadows appeared on the wall as we passed, but not in their usual form. Instead, they somehow morphed into the swirling display, enticing us to twirl, jump and dance.

As one silver-haired visitor giddily remarked, "This takes me back to the sixties."

READ THE REST OF THE STORY IN THE GLOBE AND MAIL

'Tis the season to be jolly, no doubt, but 'tis also the season for 2018 lookaheads: Bands to watch, TV to binge-watch, teams to wager on, presidents to impeach, you know the drill.

For my part, I've already contributed an MSN travel lookahead based on big-name events, globetrotter buzz, recent recognition and so on. But based on personal experience, here are my Top 18 recommendations for 2018: 

FONTEVRAUD L’HÔTEL, LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE: I can think of no better place to savour the pungent aromas of a ridiculous cheese tray than this re-purposed abbey building. Read more here.

PARK CITY, UTAH: The ski area runs right into its historic namesake town, with a ski run and chairlift carrying schussers straight to Main Street. Down a side street there's some Plexiglas-covered Banksy graffiti, one of three works that appeared alongside the 2010 Sundance Film Fest premiere of the British street artist's compelling Exit Through the Gift Shop documentary. Read more here.

SEA TO SKY GONDOLA, B.C.: From the enormous sunset-facing patio, one of three panoramic viewing platforms, I gaze up at Sky Pilot Mountain’s horn-shaped peak as it tears clouds to shreds, while Howe Sound glitters in the forested fjord nearly a kilometre below. Read more here.

PALAFITOS AT EL DORADO MAROMA, PLAYA DEL CARMEN, MEXICO: Exhausted from celebrating a huge lottery win? These over-ocean glass-floored bungalows should do the trick. Read more here.

POWDER HIGHWAY, B.C.: Some of the best skiing on Earth meets jaw-dropping scenery, innovative food an drink, and welcoming mountain towns where the apres-ski scene eschews noisy Nickelback and Coors Light. Read more here and here.

LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: Standing on the balcony of the guesthouse, we watch as a line of Buddhist monks, dressed in orange robes, walk from house to house, collecting their sustenance for the day. With the sun rising above the hills and bird calls piercing the chilly air, it's an indelible image that clears our minds and fortifies our spirits. Read more here.

KINGSTON, ONT.: The dazzling Lumina Borealis multimedia installation in the Fort Henry National Historic Site celebrates the magic of winter, while tours of Kingston Penitentiary reveal beauty amid brutality. Read more here and here.

WICKER PARK AND BUCKTOWN, CHICAGO: These adjacent neighbourhoods already offered just about every urban amenity one could want – from vintage fashion boutiques and record shops to taco stands, cocktail bars and even a landscaped rail path – years before the Robey and Hollander hotels opened in late 2016. Read more here.

MOUNT NORQUAY VIA FERRATA, BANFF: From where I'm hanging, on a sheer cliff face some 700 metres above the Bow Valley floor, it's clear that my scaling skills are about to be tested like never before. Read more here.

NICOYA PENINSULA, COSTA RICA: Watch sea turtles lay hundreds of glistening eggs, high five Bruce Willis, it's all good. Read more here and here.

OLD MONTREAL: I grab a Moscow Mule from the buzzing bar and make my way out onto the enormous glass-walled outdoor patio to conclude the evening with head-spinning views of the glittering Montreal skyline. Then, in my mind’s ear, I hear it... Read more here.

NIMMO BAY, B.C.: Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” reverberates through my headset as our soundtrack-equipped helicopter soars over the bluest lake I've ever seen. At that moment, the lips in question belong to the awestruck passenger next to me. But it’s easy to see what she’s saying: “Wow!”​ Read more here.

COL DE LA JOUX VERTE, FRANCE: So this is what a 14-per-cent gradient feels like on a bike. Oh dear. If I can just focus on that pretty waterfall up ahead I’ll make it up this climb and…WHAT!?! That was the first of what I fear will be several switchbacks. And they’re getting steeper. Do they have Uber up here? Read more here.

SPORTFISHING IN LAKE ONTARIO: Lulls in the action are few and far between — we throw back more than we keep — and just as the sun is setting spectacularly behind the distant CN Tower we reach our 15-fish limit. Read more here.

THOMPSON-SHUSWAP WINERIES, B.C.: Having just arrived from winter-weary Toronto, I pull an abrupt double-take when three sleeveless Kamloopsians stroll into view in early April. They too seem surprised, but not by my woolly sweater. It’s my ride – Tastefull Excursions’ new wine-touring van – that turns their heads. Read more here.

VAGABOND HOTEL, MIAMI: I must have set some kind of land-speed record for hotel tours while researching my Globe Travel story on Miami Beach. Thing is, my personal favourite of the lot isn't actually in Miami Beach. Read more here.

PROVIDENTIALES, TURKS & CAICOS: There are few places on Earth where the "beach gravity" - the allure of sand and sea - is as inexorable as it is on Grace Bay. Read more here.

BIG WHITE SKI RESORT, B.C.: A decade after embarking on the first of umpteen family ski trips, arranging the "Door-to-Ski Shuttle Service" represents the pinnacle of my vacation-planning powers. Read more here.

Travel elicits many emotions, from awe to anger and from upgrade ecstasy to gift-shop remorse. But over the course of my Canadian wanderings there’s something more: Pride.
That's what this daily series is all about: Sharing my proud perspective on the places and experiences that make my country the greatest on Earth.
​Some of my selections are world-famous, others are little-known, a few are acquired tastes, and this one has been extremely unpopular with most of its guests...

If walls could talk, would I want to hear what Kingston Penitentiary’s have to say?

Between its opening in 1835 and closure 178 years later, the maximum security prison held many of Canada's most dangerous and notorious criminals: Russell Williams, Paul Bernardo, Clifford Olson, Michael Rafferty, the list of evildoers goes on. Riots broke out in 1954 and 1971, with the latter lasting four days and claiming the lives of two inmates. In the 19th century, children as young as eight were confined in KP and lashed for breaking rules that forbade “staring, laughing, whistling, giggling and idling.”

Given the nasty backstory, I figured my recent tour of Kingston Pen would be mildly traumatic. But the experience shattered my grim expectations. After our friendly young guide welcomed us and warned us not to dawdle — “You don’t want to get locked in, right?” — we were led through the north courtyard, past the resort-like conjugal-visit apartments, and into the towering tiered central cellblock.

It was bleak, to be sure, but also quite beautiful. This unforeseen contrast became a running theme as we explored the enormous glass-topped workshop, mural-covered gym, and tepee-equipped First Nations grounds. Our guide, meanwhile, did a superb job of illuminating the history of the limestone prison. Did you know that Grace Marks, who was among the hundreds of women incarcerated in KP until 1934, was the inspiration for Margaret Atwood’s bestselling 1996 novel Alias Grace? Prison scenes in the book's recent (and excellent) TV adaptation were shot on location at Kingston Pen, with other scenes filmed at the fascinating Correctional Service of Canada Museum across the street. Other fun facts: Charles Dickens visited in 1842 and Earnest Hemingway did likewise in 1923. Also, the whole place smells faintly of almonds. 

The most satisfying surprise of all was the involvement of several retired guards. They explained the day-to-day operations and culture of the facility in fascinating no-nonsense detail, from the incredibly rigid schedule to the jargon that appended “up” to every command and made “goof” the ultimate insult.

Most of the guards’ recollections had some kind of thoughtful anecdote attached. The story of a 1987 hostage-taking, for instance, revealed the captured guard’s powerful reason for coming back to work the very next day: “I’ve had a lot of rest. When I was a child in Poland, the Nazis came into my village and took my family. My mother hid me in a small cupboard and told me to take care of myself. I lived in that cupboard for three years. I would come out at night to look for food, and then go back to my cupboard. That was all the rest I’ll ever need.”

There were plenty of sombre moments like this one, but others of surprising levity. In 1847, we learned, a former inmate broke into KP in hopes of making off with the prison’s petty cash. After using a ladder to climb over the wall he grabbed the loot and tried to climb back up using a rope. But the rope snapped and, at roll call the next morning, there was one more inmate than there should have been. In the end, the reverse jail-break earned the hapless thief another 18 months.

About the only thing that didn’t surprise me about the tour was its popularity. Since launching in 2013 it has consistently sold out, prompting organizers to more than double capacity this year.

For anyone seeking insight into Canada’s sometimes-checkered past — it’s not all Musical Rides and Marathons of Hope, after all — the KP tour should not be missed.

WHERE TO STAY
The Residence Inn by Marriott Kingston Water's Edge overlooks more of Kingston's compelling historic sites, including the city's pretty harbour, the Royal Military College of Canada, and the Fort Henry National Historic Site. Perks such as free Wi-Fi are included for Marriott Rewards members.

Travel elicits many emotions, from awe to anger and from upgrade ecstasy to gift-shop remorse. But over the course of my Canadian wanderings there’s something more: Pride. That's what this daily series is all about: Sharing my proud perspective on the dozens of places and experiences that make my country the greatest on Earth. Some of my selections are famous, others are little-known, and a few are acquired tastes. This post, meanwhile, highlights world-class heckling, and courageous daiquiri-blending, on the banks of Colonel By’s masterpiece.

I have never climbed Kilimanjaro. I have yet to hike the Inca Trail. But one travel experience may end up topping them all: In the summer of 2006, I successfully navigated the Narrows Lock at the helm of a houseboat.

It was no mean feat. On board the 40-foot-long SMR Cataraqui were six of my closest relatives: my wife, parents, sister, brother and sister-in-law. Meanwhile, along the shores of Eastern Ontario's Rideau Canal, several dozen locals were seated on lawn chairs and coolers, intent on admiring the waterway's many fine vessels, and teasing neophytes on rented houseboats. And it didn't help that beyond the fundamentals of thrust and steering, I had no idea what I was doing. Needless to say, the pressure was on.

My run-in with the Narrows took place during a three-day, 40-kilometre houseboat jaunt between the towns of Smiths Falls and Westport. The family reunion was intended to celebrate my father's birthday — after all, a canal that turned 175 in 2007 seemed a fitting destination for a man who was about to hit 60. Other selling points: None of us had been houseboating before, my dad loves anything that floats, and Smiths Falls was a convenient base for all of us. Last but not least, I wanted to see for myself why this 202-kilometre-long waterway was vying for World Heritage Site status, which UNESCO would go on to grant a year later...
 
Read the rest of the story in The Globe and Mail.
 
WHERE TO STAY
Smiths Falls is about halfway between Kingston and Ottawa, and is therefore less than an hour’s drive from the Delta Hotels Kingston Waterfront and the Ottawa Marriott Hotel, both of which overlook the Rideau Canal. Plus, you can down free daiquiris at both properties by exchanging Marriott Rewards for a dining gift card.   

​The unlimited waffles and climate-controlled pool decks of airport hotels — the subject of March Break Hacks, Part 1 — can only sustain a family getaway for so long. Sooner or later, the brood will want a change of scenery. That’s where a road trip comes in.

Not a long road trip, mind you. Glance out a window in Toronto today, and a lengthy drive seems about as appealing as watching all four Highlander sequels. If we’re going to continue our theme of frugal, fun and stress-free March Breaks, I suggest hitting the highway for no longer than 2.5 hours. (This, by the way, is exactly how long it takes to play “I Spy” a dozen times, debate the relative merits of seven different superpowers — invisibility all the way, right? — and solve 14 riddles, including my new fave: “One night, a king and a queen went into a castle. There was nobody in the castle, and no one else went in or out. But in the morning, three people came out of the castle. Who were they?” NB: The correct answer has nothing to do with childbirth or an unusually short gestation period.)

Two-and-a-half hours also happens to be the exact duration of the drive between the Hilton Garden Inn Toronto Airport West Mississauga and our second March Break stop: The Residence Inn by Marriott Kingston Water's Edge.

If the brood wanted a change of scenery, they got it. While the Hilton Garden Inn is conveniently close to Pearson International Airport — and is therefore bereft of any geographical charm — our seventh-floor corner suite at the K-Town Marriott scenically overlooked Battery Park (pictured above), Kingston Harbour, the Royal Military College of Canada, the Fort Henry National Historic Site and, in the distance, the strikingly surreal turbines of the Wolfe Island Wind Farm.

As I reported in the Globe and Mail, Fort Henry is now home to the enchanting “Lumina Borealis” sound and light show (see video below), which has been deservedly extended by nearly a month to March 18. Indeed, the only thing preventing a second visit to the fort was the ridiculous subzero weather. Thankfully, as in Mississauga, that’s where the hotel’s saltwater pool, hot tub and saunas came in. Then, when we started to resemble raisins, my folks rolled into town to provide a kid-free night out: Some refreshing shopping along Princess Street, a leisurely dinner at Chez Piggy, and cocktails and tunes at Tango Nuevo.

Now that’s what I call a family getaway...