Porter Airlines is a short-haul carrier serving eight destinations in central / eastern Canada and the U.S. Porter is extraordinary for its "old school" approach to customer service. Imagine free WiFi and cappuccino while you wait for your flight. How about complimentary snacks and your choice of beer or wine - in an actual glass - on your flight. Unheard of these days you say? Not with Porter. Read more about the Porter experience.

Having recently returned from Whistler, I can tell you not only is Whistler open for business, right now is one of the best times to visit this premier ski resort. Why now? In the lead up to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Whistler is all polished up in preparation for its February guests; it's like arriving early to a party and getting the first crack at the best hors d'œuvres and cocktails. Book a stay and ski package now and enjoy skiing Whistler Mountain, venue of the alpine events of the Vancouver Games. Ski and stay packages are cheap (starting from about $100 CDN per person per day in November, December and January) and the snow is falling in record amounts.

Related reading:

• Vancouver Olympics 2010 - Skiing
• Whistler Visitors Guide
• Getting from Vancouver to Whistler

^{Photo of Whistler Mountain on November 19, 2009, courtesy Steve Rogers via Flickr}

It's not the sexiest aspect of the Olympics. It won't bring a tear to your eye like the underdog getting Gold, but it will move you. Transportation at the Olympic Games is something you'll want to learn about if you're going to be in Vancouver or Whistler during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games. The two best bits of advice: plan ahead and don't rely on your car to get around. With no parking at any of the Olympic venues and restrictions on vehicles going to Whistler, public transportation is the way to go.

Related reading:

• Transportation During the Vancouver Olympics
• How To Get From Vancouver to Whistler
• Getting to and from the Vancouver International Airport

This Sunday, about half a million people will hit the streets of Toronto to see the Santa Claus Parade, one of the overall largest parades in the world. Few hotels actually offer rooms from which guests can easily view the parade; however, many hotels have special rates this weekend with late check-out times available.

Related reading:

• Hotels along or Convenient to the Santa Claus Parade Route
• Metropolitan Hotel at CAD$105 per night with free parking
• 2009 Toronto Santa Claus Parade Visitors Guide
• Pictures of the Toronto Santa Claus Parade