Randall Shirley

Award-winning travel writer Randall Shirley handles the Canada and Performing Arts beats for Travel Squire. Randall took his first airplane flight when he was four days old, and he’s been hooked on travel ever since. Since leaving his dad’s Idaho potato farm at age 19, Randall has been proving that you actually can take the farm out of the boy. He has lived in Taiwan, Chicago, and Salt Lake City, and now lives in Vancouver, Canada. In addition to being a busy freelance travel writer and Travel Editor of a national Canadian magazine, Randall is a freelance copywriter and creative director with expertise in travel (of course), human resources, and employee motivation. Having traveled much of the world, Randall is often asked, “what’s your favorite _______?” He answers at 5faves.com.

Get Your Euro-Groove On!

If you’ve ever felt like getting away to Paris but only had a weekend to do it, consider a trip to her North American cousin in Quebec, Canada … Montreal. If the city is only on your radar and not on your checklist, it’s time to take action. Montreal defines … Read more

Québec City, Québec

“J’taime, Bonnehomme Carnival!” Every kid who visit’s Québec City’s magnificent two week celebration of winter comes away knowing that phrase. By the end of a five day visit, I came away saying it myself. I’m not sure if the guy in the Bonnehomme Carnival mascot costume expected an adult man … Read more

Vancouver’s Split Personality

  If you watched the 2010 Winter Olympics, you have an idea of Vancouver’s magnificent beauty. TV footage frequently showed sweeping vistas of mountain peaks, icy glaciers, a sparkling ocean, and dazzling skyscrapers set in the middle of it. Perhaps you wondered, “Who’s the lucky dude that gets to go … Read more

Stratford, Ontario

Where Theatre Royalty Hangs Out Three very important people were rumored to be having dinner together while I was in Stratford: 1.     Captain Kirk 2.     Captain Von Trapp 3.     The Queen I kid you not. Stratford is the kind of town that attracts the likes of William Shatner, Christopher Plummer, … Read more

Musical Experiences Prague

Musical Experiences to Melt You Settling into an orchestra seat in a concert hall built in the 1800s is not something we do often in North America. So when the opportunity arose I took it—especially since the hall bore the name of Antonin Dvořák one of the most sublimely talented … Read more