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It's almost picnic season in Toronto (we hope!). Here are 4 delicious make-ahead recipes that hold up from kitchen to park

It's almost picnic season in Toronto (we hope!). Here are 4 delicious make-ahead recipes that hold up from kitchen to park

Toronto Star31-05-2025
Good planning can make or break a picnic. You want easy-to-make meals that can be packed in advance so you're not scrambling the morning of. Ideally, the food won't fall apart after being jostled in a bag or trunk, won't get mushy or dry, and stays delicious whether it's served chilled or has been sitting out for a hot minute. That's why potato salads, wraps, and Nanaimo bars remain picnic classics — they tick all the boxes.
Most home cooks can whip up these dishes without a problem, but I've given each one a twist, adding East Asian-inspired flair to help you stand out at your next gathering. Here are four make-ahead, travel-friendly recipes that are worth breaking out the blanket for.
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Walk the scenes of ‘The Gilded Age' in Newport's preserved mansions
Walk the scenes of ‘The Gilded Age' in Newport's preserved mansions

Vancouver Sun

time11-08-2025

  • Vancouver Sun

Walk the scenes of ‘The Gilded Age' in Newport's preserved mansions

Visiting Newport, Rhode Island, can feel like stepping onto a film set because many scenes from HBO's hit show 'The Gilded Age' were filmed in the town's gigantic 19th-century mansions. Even beyond the shiny veneer of a TV, Newport is remarkably well preserved, a living monument to an era of extreme opulence and ambition. The town swung into social significance in the late 19th century, when America's wealthiest industrial families built extravagant summer homes – which they dubbed 'cottages' – by the sea. Families including the Vanderbilts and Astors transformed the town's landscape, commissioning architects such as Richard Morris Hunt and Stanford White to design sweeping, European-inspired estates replete with marble and crystal. Though the Gilded Age was relatively brief, its legacy endures through architecture in the town of Newport. Plan your next getaway with Travel Time, featuring travel deals, destinations and gear. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Travel Time will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Guided experiences, such as those from Newport Jaguar Tours (US$406 for two on a three-hour tour) and the Preservation Society of Newport County's 'Inside the Gilded Age Tour,' ($250 per nonmember for a nearly four-hour tour; $200 for members) allow fans to explore the show's filming locations, but visitors can also stroll the Cliff Walk and tour the mansions on their own. Here's where to go, what to see and where to stay when you want to go a little deeper into the intriguing and decidedly gilded world of the Russells and the Van Rhijns. These enormous, extravagantly built and decorated homes are as large as they are impractical – and they're basically required viewing. Many of these mansions sit within walking distance (or a short drive) from one another on Bellevue Avenue and the surrounding streets, so you can wander down the water-facing street and stop at one wedding-cake-like estate after another. The majority of Newport's mansions are managed and maintained by the Preservation Society of Newport County and are $25 per person to visit. Fans of 'The Gilded Age' will recognize various rooms and vistas at the Breakers, the Elms, Rosecliff, Marble House and Chateau-sur-Mer, all of which were used in the show. The Breakers: Undoubtedly the grandest of the Newport mansions (and the town's most visited), the Breakers was built for Cornelius Vanderbilt II by Hunt. Styled after an Italian palazzo, the 70-room enormity was outfitted with electricity (still a novelty when the home was completed in 1895), 27 fireplaces, a hall with a 50-foot ceiling, mosaics hand-set by artisans brought over from Europe, and numerous Baccarat crystal pieces. The Breakers commands a higher ticket price at $32 per person, or for a $57 ticket that also allows access to two other mansions. Fans of the HBO show may recognize the mansion's space that stood in for George Russell's billiard room in New York. The Elms: Completed in 1901 for Edward Julius Berwind, a coal magnate, the Elms offers one of the most compelling tours in Newport, the belowstairs Servant Life Tour. The guided tour (roughly 75 minutes, $25) is a deep dive into the round-the-clock labor that kept these mansions and their occupants' busy social calendars functioning. The Elms's sprawling kitchens were used as the set of the Russells' kitchen in the HBO show. Rosecliff: Built in 1902 for Theresa Fair Oelrichs – a silver heiress and Gilded Age society hostess who threw legendary parties including with magician Harry Houdini as the guest of honour – the brick and white terra-cotta-tile-clad mansion was designed by White, one of the era's well-known architects. It was styled after the Grand Trianon of Versailles. The 1974 film version of 'The Great Gatsby' was filmed here. Other mansions: Don't limit yourself to just scene-touring. The Isaac Bell House is a relatively modest home compared to its marble neighbours. However, the 1883 home is one of the country's best surviving examples of shingle-style architecture. Rough Point, built in 1892 for Frederick William Vanderbilt, is best known as one of the residences of Doris Duke and is preserved as if the tobacco heiress just stepped out for a swim in the ocean. Founded in 1912, the Newport Art Museum holds a collection of over 3,000 works, with a hearty 19th-century collection. For the $15 entry fee, you can check out a retrospective of the work of a Gilded Age painter and longtime Newport resident whose family's summer 'cottage,' the Ledges, is not far away. 'Howard Gardiner Cushing: A Harmony of Line and Color,' on display through the end of the year, features many of the artist's works that have not been exhibited in over 50 years or have been in private collections. Cushing's legacy in Newport remains strong, and last year the artist's great-grandson Howard Cushing opened a new waterfront hotel in town, Gardiner House. Constructed on what was a parking lot, Cushing's 21-room boutique hotel draws its inspiration from the Ledges, which remains in the family as a private home. Newport's stunning Cliff Walk is a 3½ mile public path that winds its way between the Atlantic Ocean and the town's Gilded Age mansions. Fans of 'The Gilded Age' will recognize the walk as the location of one of Peggy and Dr. Kirkland's tête-à-tête. A stone staircase leading from the cliffs down to the ocean, known as the 40 Steps, was a popular Gilded Age gathering spot for servants working in the oceanfront mansions. Today the Cliff Walk is an entirely free way to experience Newport's dramatic coast and admire the architectural grandeur of the ocean-facing mansions. About a mile away, at the Newport International Tennis Hall of Fame, visitors can check out the grass courts from Season 2 of the HBO show. A few of Newport's mansions have been turned into hotels, allowing guests the opportunity to sleep within the town's gilded past. Castle Hill Inn, the onetime home of Alexander Agassiz, who made a fortune in copper mining, is now one of Newport's most sought-after hotels. Located about a 20-minute drive from some Bellevue Avenue mansions, the inn is on a sweeping parcel of 40 acres overlooking the sea. The sprawling lawn, dotted with Adirondack chairs, is something of an institution in the town, open for drinks to guests and nonguests alike. Overnight guests will find wood-paneled interiors and antiquities Agassiz collected on his scientific explorations in Asia. Closer to Newport's downtown is the Chanler at Cliff Walk. Built in 1873, the home was originally the summer estate of Rep. John Winthrop Chanler (D-New York) and was among the first of the summer cottages to be built atop Newport's cliffs. Today Chanler's home is a 20-room boutique hotel with a distinctly Gilded Age aesthetic.

Ontario's new beachside motel feels like a mini Miami vacation without the plane ticket
Ontario's new beachside motel feels like a mini Miami vacation without the plane ticket

Vancouver Sun

time08-07-2025

  • Vancouver Sun

Ontario's new beachside motel feels like a mini Miami vacation without the plane ticket

There's a giant sandbox in the middle of the courtyard at the South Beach Motel. Walk about five minutes from this new 12-suite Ontario motel in Southampton to find an even bigger pile of sand — a four-kilometre stretch of coastal bliss that draws scores of sun-worshippers to this part of the province each summer. Southampton's beachfront — on the shores of Lake Huron some three hours northwest of Toronto — is quiet and understated, soothing and scenic, and long recognized as the place to catch some of the most awe-inspiring sunsets around. Many Canadians are choosing to stay north of the border this summer and this Ontario beach town and Miami-inspired beach motel lets them do just that while still getting a taste of a popular beach destination. Plan your next getaway with Travel Time, featuring travel deals, destinations and gear. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Travel Time will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Back at South Beach , the Miami vibes are on full display. Bright yellow umbrellas and twinkling lights are among the nostalgic nods showcased within the retro-playful exterior and interior designs. The property itself is named, in part, to honour the popular Miami Beach hot spot of the same name as well as the nearby South Street Beach in Southampton. It's not Miami, but when you're enjoying Spanish tapas and wine from the nearby rooftop bar or lazing around on a lounge chair as the sun beats down, you might just be fooled into thinking it is. It's the best of both worlds, without the cost of a plane ticket. The getaway can feel rather effortless, too. Anyone who has ever fled to the cottage in the heart of an Ontario summer knows the drill. You start by packing up the necessities, including bug spray, a cooler or three, maybe some bedding, board games, a stockpile of clothing you may or may not need, and six of your favourite dusty books to take along, then not read in an entirely new setting. After crossing your fingers and saying a little prayer for decent traffic and weather, you head out, reach your destination, and then unpack everything. A few days later, you pack it all up again and head home, but not before saying another little prayer for decent traffic and weather. It's a familiar dance that also extends to beach getaways as vacationers put in a bit of sweat equity in pursuit of those undeniable moments of vacation euphoria. While there isn't always an easier way, sometimes there is. South Beach is steps from the sand and blends the best parts of those cottage vibes with hassle-free condo-style living. Opened in May, this motel is built around the premise that vacationing shouldn't feel like so much work. With large, air-conditioned rooms complete with kitchenettes, common areas for BBQs and games, and even an on-site thermal circuit, it's about enjoying a few more pros with less cons. My wife and I typically plan at least a few beach days and overnight getaways each summer. Upon our recent two-night stay at South Beach, we concluded that staying at least two nights is the best way to experience any beach town as it increases the chance of scoring at least some optimal weather, takes away the pressure of having to do it all in a short time frame, and makes hauling chairs, umbrellas and coolers around more worthwhile considering the reward of the extra time. South Beach was designed with longer stays in mind. The fun, bright and spacious design will serve families, friends and couples well, and so will those famous sunsets that are sure to make any visitor gasp in awe. Whether it's in a two-bedroom family suite, two-bedroom king suite, studio single king, or deluxe corner king, no visitor will disapprove of the added space granted in these rooms. Entry to our deluxe corner king room was keyless. We noted that the cell signal in the general area wasn't super strong, so it took a few extra minutes to download the app. Inside, a fitting white, yellow and sea-blue colour palette complemented the simple, fun and minimalist design. We'll give Toronto interior design firm, Twenty-Two Twelve, extra points for the beautiful kitchenette and bathroom tilework, the hidden dishwasher, the wave-shaped media console and the cork flooring throughout. The ample seating areas won't disappoint either, though we wonder if the yellow curtains concealing the closet spaces were anything more than impractical. Having two TVs in one suite is never a bad thing, and the Nespresso machine and retro fridge (much larger than a typical hotel mini fridge) were appreciated additions. The small swing outside each room is uniform with the overall beachy aesthetic and with the waves crashing not far from the property, nothing feels contrived. There might not be a better way to start a day than looking out through a picture window in an oversized outdoor sauna. It's part of the on-site thermal circuit that guests shouldn't overlook — especially busy parents in search of a few easy quiet moments. The circuit also includes cold-plunge baths, outdoor showers and a fireplace area. The large courtyard is inviting, as evidenced by the folks making use of the BBQ area, picnic tables and lounge seating with umbrellas. There's also the requisite cornhole found under the twinkle lights in the games area (perfect for heated battles between husband and wife). Guests of South Beach can also access amenities such as massages at The Spahhh at nearby The Beach Motel , which is also owned by Southampton couple Samantha and Dane Buttenaar. Similarly, those staying at The Beach Motel can make use of South Beach's amenities. The cured meats were oh-so tender, imported directly from Spain, while the sourdough bread was as fresh as can be, made daily at Southampton's nearby popular Offshore Bakery. With tapas imported from near and far, newly opened Mirasol Restaurant celebrates Spanish dining with local flair. Mirasol, boasting a terrific rooftop patio at The Beach Motel, is from the same folks behind Bruce Peninsula establishments such as Heydays Restaurant, The Dunes, Bartiki, The Clubhouse at Saugeen and Gigi's Italian. We recommend the seasoned almonds, any of the cured meats, the tomato bread, and the 'Devils On Horseback,' which are pancetta-wrapped dates with Manchego and a sherry vinegar glaze. Try the Kalimotxo — a drink with equal parts Catalan red wine and cola — and thank us later. There's also seafood on the menu, including fresh oysters, tinned fish and shrimp. Mirasol is currently open Thursday to Saturday, from 4-9 p.m. Gerry's Fast Food , a beachside institution serving all the staples like burgers and fresh-cut fries, is within walking distance of South Beach. The Dizzy Bird is the place for specialty coffee in Southampton. Nature enthusiasts will want to check out the Fairy Lake hiking trail or take a boat tour to Chantry Island to learn about the island's lighthouse and migratory birds. Visitors to Southampton should appreciate the relative quiet of the area. Even on a busier day, there's a subdued feel to the area, making it the perfect place to finish that book or lie out in the sun uninterrupted. For information on the South Beach Motel or The Beach Motel, visit .

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