Tara Nolan » Travel

Visit Hamilton guide 2018/2019

admin — Sat, 29 Sep 2018 15:20:01 +0000

As Tourism Hamilton’s “Outdoor Explorer” for their #MyHamilton blog, I was asked to write a couple of articles for the Visit Hamilton 2018/2019 guide.

I wrote a “Choose your own outdoor adventure” article that outlined where to cycle, mountain bike, hike, kayak and enjoy the outdoors in the Hamilton area. I also created a little waterfall guide, showcasing some of the area’s renowned waterfalls.

Here is a link to the guide on Issuu.

Canadian Cycling: MTB in Winter Park Colorado and Miranda Miller profile

admin — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 21:03:10 +0000

For the August/September 2017 issue of Canadian Cycling, I wrote two really fun features. The first was about a mountain biking trip I took to Winter Park, Colorado.

Also called Mountain Bike Capital USA, Winter Park has over 600 miles of cross-country trails and two lift-accessed bike parks.

My second article continues my lucky year of getting to interview female mountain bike and cyclocross racers. I interviewed Miranda Miller at the beginning of the season and was so happy to see her become the downhill world champion at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships.

* You can read You Can Shred for Miles and Miles about Winter Park, Colorado, here.

* You can read Beyond the Broken Bones about Miranda Miller here.

4 articles in Spring 2017 issue of Travel Life

admin — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 15:29:45 +0000

As the senior contributing editor of Travel Life magazine, I generally do lots of assigning and editing, and I write the odd article (and generally ghost write one) each issue. But for Spring 2017, I got to write about four places I’ve travelled to.

Here is a link to the full issue, where you can download a PDF. And here are the articles in order of appearance (click the slugs to view each article individually):

The Foodie Files: Frankfurt
Healthy Versus Hearty
Fresh, homegrown flavours and rich food traditions factor in to spring cuisine in Frankfurt

City Escapes: Denver
High Score
The food, arts and culture scene in Denver—a.k.a. the Mile-High City—is worth a weekend visit

Oh, Canada! (special section to commemorate Canada’s 150th: Vancouver Island
In The Grow
A trip around Vancouver Island reveals a number of public garden jewels amidst old-growth forests

Oh, Canada!: Cape Breton
Creative Class
A road trip around Cape Breton reveals a pervasive, contagious, creative spirit among the island’s residents

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Toronto magazine: Green City

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 17:56:11 +0000

I had the pleasure of interviewing Jennifer Keesmaat, chief planner and executive director of the City of Toronto for Tourism Toronto’s tourist publication Toronto magazine. This three-page feature article was about five ways the city is leading in sustainability, which includes some urban revitalization projects that have become tourism destinations—Evergreen Brick Works, The Distillery Historic District, etc. My bio was featured on the Contributors page.

Here’s a link to the PDF of Green City.

I also contributed to a mini magazine—All Canadian, All in Toronto!—featuring all sorts of Canadiana facts and tidbits to celebrate Canada’s sesquicentennial birthday. You will find my little writeups on page 11 (#46-47 Maple Trees + “The Maple Leaf Forever”), page 14 (#72 The National Ballet of Canada + #73 Toronto Symphony Orchestra), page 18 (#85 Indigenous Art), and page 23 (#110 The Ex, #111 First Nations + #113 Mounted Police).

Here’s a link to the PDF of All Canadian in Toronto

Published: January, 2017

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Travel Life: Volunteering at Maui Nui Botanical Gardens

admin — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 17:42:31 +0000

I’m really proud of the fall and winter issues of Travel Life. I got to edit some interesting articles by talented writers and I got to contribute one of my favourite pieces of 2016 to Pay It Forward, a column that explores voluntourism.

In February 2016, during a mountain biking trip to Maui, I chose a Wednesday morning and joined The Weed And Pot Club at Maui Nui Botanical Gardens. They meet each week and work at weeding and potting (as the name cheekily suggests). Dig In! Volunteer for a short-term opportunity, like gardening, when you visit Maui appeared in the fall issue.

I also wrote a little piece called Avant, Après and in Between about unique après ski destinations around the world. I haven’t been to all of them, but I think I might need to try fat biking in Gstaad next winter.

Published: Fall 2016 and Winter 2016/17 (print)

Canadian Cycling magazine: MTB in Bruce County and The Red Hook Crit

admin — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 21:33:58 +0000

For the August/September issue of Canadian Cycling, I got to write two very interesting articles. The first was about a mountain biking trip I took through Bruce County. I got to ride four different trail networks going all the way up to Tobermory. The second article was about how Brooklyn’s Red Hook Crit can be linked back to the “alley cat” races in Toronto (which was also a cover story).

I don’t have full PDFs from the magazine yet, but you can read the articles in Issuu – Book It On The Trail on page 32 and The Evolution of the Cat on page 60

Published Aug/Sept 2016

The Guardian UK: Cape Breton’s Trump Bump

admin — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 19:24:59 +0000

Towards the end of June (2016), a post about Guardian Canada Week appeared in my Facebook feed. The Cities section featured content about five different cities across Canada. There was also reference to the idea of “Canadexit” after the Brexit results were announced. Having just returned from Cape Breton, I pitched a story about how the “Trump Bump” has affected this Nova Scotia Island.

My article appeared in the July 23 edition of the newspaper, as well as online: Worried Trump might win? Plan Your Escape to Cape Breton, Canada

Here is a screen grab of my article in the Travel section the weekend it appeared:

#MyHamilton: 5 reasons to visit the RBG’s new Rock Garden

admin — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 19:30:56 +0000

The David Braley and Nancy Gordon Rock Garden recently reopened in Hamilton, Ontario, after a 5-year renovation and rejuvenation project. Tourism Hamilton asked me to write a #MyHamilton post about the launch. As a volunteer, I already had a sneak peek of the garden during a couple of events and was eager to share my experience.

Now that the garden is open to the public, hopefully this post will inspire both locals and tourists to visit this fabulous outdoor space.

Here’s a link: 5 reasons to visit the RBG’s new Rock Garden

Spring Canadian Cycling articles

admin — Mon, 02 May 2016 03:20:29 +0000

I wrote two big features for two of Canadian Cycling magazine’s spring issues.

The first article, written for the February/March issue, is called “I Know Just The Place.” It was is a roundup of international places to plan mountain biking or road cycling trips. Destinations include Scotland, Croatia, Hong Kong, Colombia, Italy, Norway, Morocco and Australia.

This piece was divided into two articles for the website: 4 top global destinations for mountain biking and 4 top global destinations for road riding.

The second piece, written for the April/May issue, is a guide to the season’s variety of bike races—gran fondos, gravel grinds, charity rides and mountain biking events—held across Canada in 2016.

I also wrote a web exclusive about where to cycle and mountain bike in North Carolina.

New articles in Canadian Cycling magazine

admin — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 21:44:58 +0000

I’ve written a few articles lately for Canadian Cycling magazine. Two of them appear in the spring issues and another was written for the website.

For February/March 2016, I wrote a piece called “I Know Just the Place,” which featured information about two-wheeled holidays in Scotland, Croatia, Hong Kong, Colombia, Italy, Norway, Morocco and Australia. Some were places with epic road rides and others were all about the mountain biking.

In March, I interviewed a coach and a few cyclists and mountain bikers, including some of my fellow Wild Bettys about where to cycle and mountain bike in North Carolina. This one was a web exclusive article.

For the April/May 2016 issue, I wrote a “Guide to the Season’s Big Rides“—a roundup of gran fondos, gravel and mountain bike races, as well as charity races that will be happening across the country in 2016.

I also have a few more in the works that will appear between now and the winter issue.