He flew around the world in 58 hours. These are his top travel tips.
After a January work trip to Singapore, Mike Robinson could've spent a relaxing holiday weekend at home in Melbourne, Australia. Instead, he turned around and flew nearly 28,500 miles in four days.
Robinson, a 65-year-old who works for a software company, wasn't chasing miles. He was in hot pursuit of a Guinness World Record.
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Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Kananaskis golf course getting ready for G7, possible Trump visit
KANANASKIS - Darren Robinson had some very important news to tell U.S. president George Bush and José María Aznar, the prime minister of Spain. The pro shop was open. Aznar had told Robinson, general manager of the Kananaskis Country Golf Club in Alberta's Rocky Mountains, that he wanted to visit the shop. True to his word, Robinson walked over to the two world leaders on a patio and interrupted their conversation. 'What was probably only 10 seconds felt like 10 minutes,' Robinson recalled of the G8 leaders' summit in 2002 in Kananaskis. He said the pair paused their discussion, and Bush waved over British prime minister Tony Blair. The four then talked about golf, running, the mountains, as the other leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, chatted ahead of a dinner at the golf club. 'I'm like, somebody pinch me. It's really happening,' Robinson said. Twenty-three years later, Robinson is again teeing up to possibly host some of the world's most powerful people for the G7 leaders' summit in Kananaskis set for June 15-17. The golf club is included in the tightly controlled perimeter that will be closed to public access during the summit and is one of two primary locations the leaders could use. The summit is being hosted by the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge, a short drive from the course. There's speculation U.S. President Donald Trump, with his known affection for golf, could tee off on the scenic course that sits at the foot of Mount Kidd. Trump even owns Kananaskis Country Golf Club merchandise. Prime Minister Mark Carney gifted the president a hat and gear from the club during his first White House visit in early May. Requests for comment to the White House and the Prime Minister's Office about whether Trump or Carney would get in a golf game at the summit were not returned. The summit's itinerary hasn't been shared publicly. And if history informs Robinson's expectations, any activities involving leaders at the course would be spontaneous. Robinson remembers one afternoon in 2002, when he mentioned to Jean Chrétien, touring the club before an upcoming dinner, that it was a shame the prime minister didn't have time to play. '(Chrétien) says, 'Who says I don't have time?' And he starts taking off his tie and jacket,' said Robinson, mimicking Chrétien's French accent. Chrétien hit two clean shots on his way to the putting green, said Robinson. But on the third shot, a short chip to get on the green, the prime minister accidentally nicked a divot out of the grass before making contact with the ball. 'Before the ball even stops rolling, he reaches into his pocket, drops another one, hits that nicely onto the green,' Robinson said. 'And then he looks at me and says, 'I call that a Clinton.'' Chrétien, after dropping the reference to former U.S. president Bill Clinton, played three more holes before getting back to work, said Robinson. He added that several interactions he had with Bush were personal highlights of the summit. It was a year after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. U.S. staffers asked Robinson to draw up a five-kilometre loop the president could run the next morning. When Bush arrived early the next day in his sneakers, he asked if a woman at the club dressed in athletic gear would jog with him, said Robinson. 'Now I'm filming the two of them walking up. And president Bush says to me, 'You set me up with an Olympic runner.'' Months later, Robinson received a manila envelope in the mail from the White House with a letter signed by Bush thanking him for the stay and a photo of the two of them talking on the club patio. This year, Robinson said he'll be on the course waiting to help, but isn't expecting a 2002 repeat. 'You hope that there's any opportunity to have some similar and memorable experiences,' he said while standing at a tee box overlooking the 16th hole on the course. 'If they happen, great. That would be wonderful. And if they don't, they don't.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Kananaskis golf course getting ready for G7, possible Trump visit
KANANASKIS — Darren Robinson had some very important news to tell U.S. president George Bush and José María Aznar, the prime minister of Spain. The pro shop was open. Aznar had told Robinson, general manager of the Kananaskis Country Golf Club in Alberta's Rocky Mountains, that he wanted to visit the shop. True to his word, Robinson walked over to the two world leaders on a patio and interrupted their conversation. "What was probably only 10 seconds felt like 10 minutes," Robinson recalled of the G8 leaders' summit in 2002 in Kananaskis. He said the pair paused their discussion, and Bush waved over British prime minister Tony Blair. The four then talked about golf, running, the mountains, as the other leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, chatted ahead of a dinner at the golf club. "I'm like, somebody pinch me. It's really happening," Robinson said. Twenty-three years later, Robinson is again teeing up to possibly host some of the world's most powerful people for the G7 leaders' summit in Kananaskis set for June 15-17. The golf club is included in the tightly controlled perimeter that will be closed to public access during the summit and is one of two primary locations the leaders could use. The summit is being hosted by the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge, a short drive from the course. There's speculation U.S. President Donald Trump, with his known affection for golf, could tee off on the scenic course that sits at the foot of Mount Kidd. Trump even owns Kananaskis Country Golf Club merchandise. Prime Minister Mark Carney gifted the president a hat and gear from the club during his first White House visit in early May. Requests for comment to the White House and the Prime Minister's Office about whether Trump or Carney would get in a golf game at the summit were not returned. The summit's itinerary hasn't been shared publicly. And if history informs Robinson's expectations, any activities involving leaders at the course would be spontaneous. Robinson remembers one afternoon in 2002, when he mentioned to Jean Chrétien, touring the club before an upcoming dinner, that it was a shame the prime minister didn't have time to play. "(Chrétien) says, 'Who says I don't have time?' And he starts taking off his tie and jacket," said Robinson, mimicking Chrétien's French accent. Chrétien hit two clean shots on his way to the putting green, said Robinson. But on the third shot, a short chip to get on the green, the prime minister accidentally nicked a divot out of the grass before making contact with the ball. "Before the ball even stops rolling, he reaches into his pocket, drops another one, hits that nicely onto the green," Robinson said. "And then he looks at me and says, 'I call that a Clinton.'" Chrétien, after dropping the reference to former U.S. president Bill Clinton, played three more holes before getting back to work, said Robinson. He added that several interactions he had with Bush were personal highlights of the summit. It was a year after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. U.S. staffers asked Robinson to draw up a five-kilometre loop the president could run the next morning. When Bush arrived early the next day in his sneakers, he asked if a woman at the club dressed in athletic gear would jog with him, said Robinson. "Now I'm filming the two of them walking up. And president Bush says to me, 'You set me up with an Olympic runner.'" Months later, Robinson received a manila envelope in the mail from the White House with a letter signed by Bush thanking him for the stay and a photo of the two of them talking on the club patio. This year, Robinson said he'll be on the course waiting to help, but isn't expecting a 2002 repeat. "You hope that there's any opportunity to have some similar and memorable experiences," he said while standing at a tee box overlooking the 16th hole on the course. "If they happen, great. That would be wonderful. And if they don't, they don't." This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025. Matthew Scace, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Mount Etna Eruption in Sicily: What Travelers Should Know
Mount Etna tours have resumed following the Sicilian volcano's eruption on Monday, June 2, that sent hikers fleeing from its large plumes of smoke and ash. The scene, while dramatic, is not an unusual occurrence for the Italian island, and no injuries or fatalities have been reported. The June 2 eruption was the largest in four years, but posed no danger to visitors or the local population, according to officials. 'As every Sicilian knows, since the dawn of time, Mount Etna does erupt few times a year, resulting mainly in ashfall,' Condé Nast Traveler travel specialist Marcello Giancoli, who specializes in planning trips to Italy, says. 'This means that the volcano activity is a regular part of local life, that, with safety measures in place, is a natural hazard as well as a wonderful attraction to experience.' If you have an upcoming trip planned to Sicily, here's everything you need to know about the recent eruption. Monday's eruption lasted several hours and produced lava fountains, bursts of gas, and ash clouds visible across much of eastern Sicily, according to the Italian Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology. This was the volcano's fourteenth eruption since mid-March. Volcanic activity at Mount Etna is 'predominantly effusive, characterized mainly by the emission of lava flows that do not impact surrounding populations,' Ernesto Fucci, a trip designer for Sicily and Puglia at Butterfield&Robinson, tells Condé Nast Traveler. 'Eruptions characterized by lava flows, which are harmless, are frequent and occur at regular periods, and also represent a remarkable attraction." 'There is no major impact on a day-to-day life in the surrounding cities, but when explosive activity happens there could be inconvenience due to ash accumulation,' he adds. An aviation warning was put in place at Catania Airport on Monday, the Associated Press reported, but the airport did not close and flights were not significantly disrupted. In the past, ash from the volcano has occasionally shut down flights to Sicily for several hours or days. 'The alert level has soon dropped to yellow and will drop to normal in the coming days,' Fucci says." There has been a slight impact on flights to and from Catania airport, but it lasted only a few hours, and the situation is completely back to normal now." Scientists have developed automatic alert tools that predict Mount Etna's eruptions 'hours to days in advance by monitoring gas emissions, earthquakes, and ground changes,' Giancoli says. As of Wednesday, June 4, the Italian government has the alert level for Mount Etna listed as 'yellow,' which means signs of volcanic activity are slightly above normal ('orange' means there are significant signs of an imminent eruption, and 'red' indicates an ongoing eruption). 'Etna's volcanic activity is highly monitored by Civil Protection Department and the Italian Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology,' Fucci says. 'The latter is the most important authority on the matter, and it constantly issues information and updates regarding the volcanic activities.' Mount Etna, whose stunning peak rises 11,014 feet tall and slopes toward the Ionian Sea, is a popular attraction for both hikers and tourists. Video footage obtained by CNN shows a tour group running downhill away from the explosion on June 2; Italian officials have confirmed that all hikers were evacuated safely. Hikers have since returned to the volcano's slopes following the eruption, but officials are advising tourists to check for warnings before venturing towards the summit, Reuters reports. Trekkers are required to be accompanied by an authorized guide in order to hike Mount Etna above 2500m (8202 feet). 'There are many activities that can be organized, always in safety, on Mt. Etna, from helicopter tours to guided jeep excursions, from mountain biking to very immersive hiking in the company of experienced volcanologists,' says Fucci, who notes there are also several winery visits and tastings offered in the area. This is a developing news story and will be updated with information as it becomes available. Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler The Latest Travel News and Advice Want to be the first to know? Sign up to our newsletters for travel inspiration and tips Stop Counting the Countries You Visit How Safe Is Flying Today? 5 Things Experts Want Travelers to Know The Best Places to See the Northern Lights Worldwide
