A New Kind of Culinary Treasure in Toronto

There are two types of people in the world: those who can walk by a life–like statue of a pirate without taking a goofy picture with it, and those who can't. I decidedly fall in the latter category, whether it's a six–foot tall statue of an Italian pizza–maker with a crazy mustache in New York City's West Village or a life–sized replica statue of Fidel Castro standing in front of a cigar store in Cozumel. In fact, silly tourist photos are one of my favorite parts of the whole trip. And don't get me started on the leaning tower of Pisa. When my family traveled through Italy this summer working our way from Venice to Rome, we knew we had to stop by Pisa and take an iconic silly photo or two (or ten) of us trying to hold up the leaning tower. It was my father's first trip to Europe, let alone Italy, and he said he'd always wanted to do that since he was a kid, so we made time one afternoon as we traveled from the Cinque Terre area to Florence. From the Pisa Centrale train station, it's a leisurely 20 to 30 minute walk through Pisa and over the scenic Ponte Solferino bridge to the Campo dei Miracoli, a beautiful Piazza home to the Pisa Cathedral, Baptistry, and of course, the leaning tower. When we entered the Piazza, it was packed! You would not believe how many people probably just stopped by for a silly photo opportunity—us included. We quickly noticed that the side farthest away from the Tower was the most crowded because it was the best angle if you want to get that perfect shot of holding up the tower or, like we spotted some tourists doing, pushing it over. It was hilarious seeing the lengths some people would go to for the perfect angle—some climbed steps and poles to elevate themselves, others lay on the ground and held it up with their feet. What about you? Has the opportunity for the perfect silly travel photo ever crossed your path, leaving you helpless to resist it? It's not just us, I promise—check out this blog post I wrote last year about an entire website dedicated to those who appreciate and strive to take the world's tackiest tourist photos. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL 25 Most Photographed Places on Earth 4 Tips for Tough Photo Scenarios 33 Most Beautiful Places In America

If you asked me on any given day whether I prefer to stay at a chain hotel or a mom & pop hotel or bed–and–breakfast, I’d probably answer that of course I’d rather support an independent business, especially a hotel that has lots of local flavor or that reflects the personality of the family that operates it. But if you’d asked me this past weekend, when I checked my family into an independent resort on the Jersey shore, I probably would have answered, with a touch of snark, just the opposite. In this case, the catalyst was simple: When we arrived at our room, the bathtub was filled with sand. Presumably, this was the same beautiful white sand that adorned the beach just over the dunes, but borne via bathing suit or bare feet, it had lost most (okay, all) of its appeal on its journey from beach to bathroom. I was torn. A little sand never hurt anybody, right? But what ELSE had the staff failed to clean before our arrival? Overreacting just a touch, I ordered my daughters, “Don’t touch anything!” We asked to switch rooms and were accommodated immediately. Well done, in terms of customer service, or at least damage control. But the minor insult stayed with me. We’ve been visiting this little shore town for about five years now. The beaches are gorgeous, the boardwalk is tidy and super–fun for the kids. The town has no chain hotels and, without exception, every stay has involved some kind of low–level inconvenience or discourtesy at a mom and pop establishment—mix–ups over check–out time, failure to deliver the complimentary breakfast they promised, or just ignoring our requests for extra towels. I found myself tossing aside my buy–local aesthetic and wishing that there was an affordable chain, like DoubleTree or Holiday Inn Express, on the beach. I would have gladly traded the homey décor and friendly staff for a measure of cookie–cutter predictability In Budget Travel’s annual Readers’ Choice survey, our readers consistently tell us they, too, prefer the big chains. We’d love to hear more. What is it about a big chain hotel that attracts you? —Robert Firpo–Cappiello MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL 30 Hotel Chains Every Traveler Should Know 8 Cool New Tools for Finding the Perfect Hotel How to Get a Free Upgrade

Calling all Evita fans, this year marks the 60th anniversary of the death of Eva Peron, the political activist, second wife of Argentinian President Juan Peron, and the most celebrated woman in Argentina. In honor of her death, the Evita Museum in Buenos Aires has brought portions of their exhibit to New York for the first time ever and the 1978 musical, Evita, has returned to Broadway. If you're in New York, check out the musical—it stars Ricky Martin and Elena Roger (who just so happens to be the first Argentinian actress to play the role of Evita on Broadway). Prices start at $67 for rear mezzanine seating and can be purchased in advance via Ticketmaster, but if you're looking to save money, you can also try for same-day discount tickets at one of the TKTS booths—there is one in at 47th street Times Square (it's located under the red steps), but I prefer the one in downtown Brooklyn as there are fewer crowds and you have a greater chance of scoring the tickets you want (get there by taking the A, C, F, or R to Jay Street-MetroTech and then walk to the corner of Jay Street and Myrthe Avenue). You can also see exhibits from the Evita Museum in Argentina, which are on display through September 28 at the Argentinian Consulate in New York (12 W. 56th St. between 5th and 6th Aves, cnyor.mrecic.gov.ar, open 10 A.M.-5 P.M. Mon-Fri). I strongly recommend it for anyone who is even remotely interested in Evita's legacy—it's free and there are at least 50 works on display, including paintings, photographs, and articles of Eva's clothing. Look for the portrait by Tiziano Fabris on the second floor (shown here)—it was painted on parquet flooring from one of the houses that Eva helped to build for the poor of Argentina. Heading to Argentina this year? Michael Luongo wrote a fantastic article in the New York Times this March detailing the best places to follow in Eva's footsteps in Buenos Aires. SEE MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: 13 Vacation Rental Sites Tailored to Your Tastes Amtrak Makes a Comeback 11 Spectacular Vacations You Should Book Right Now

Budget Travelers rejoice! Accor hotels, a major international chain, has just eliminated fees for WiFi at 500 of their hotels, The Telegraph reported last week. That's certainly refreshing news considering that some of the largest hotel chains in the U.S. have been contemplating charging more for Internet lately. According to USA Today, hotels that currently offer WiFi for free—including Wyndham and Ramada—are toying with the idea of giving guests the chance to upgrade to higher bandwidth internet for a fee (lower bandwidth service will still be available for free). Marriott International Hotels already offers a tiered connection service. The hotels claim that more customers are using data, which is driving up their prices—hence the need to pass on the charge. Still, it's always struck me as odd that the more you pay for a hotel room, the more likely you are to be charged for WiFi. W Hotels, for example, has rates that start at $499 per night* and charges $14.95 a day for Internet—and that's not even per room—that's per device! Four Points by Sheraton, on the other hand, has rooms starting at $339 per night* and gives away its internet for free. Interestingly, both of these brands are owned by the same parent company—Starwood. It makes me wonder if the theory is that guests who are willing to pay more for a room are willing to pay more for everything. Before I book a hotel, I always ask if Internet is included and if it's not, it makes me think twice about staying there. I'll bite the bullet if I'm getting a great deal on the nightly rate or it's a hotel I've been crushing on for a while (yes, I do harbor hotel crushes). What about you? Do you think about Internet charges before you book a hotel? And, more importantly, would you be willing pay more for a faster Internet connection when you're traveling for fun? In the meantime, a nod to the chains that still offer complimentary WiFi: La Quinta Inns, Four Points by Sheraton, Peninsula Hotels, and now, of course, Accor. *Prices are based on a weekend in October in a midtown Manhattan property for both brands. SEE MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: Do You Book Last-Minute Travel? Is It Time to Start Using a Travel Agent Again? 8 New Websites That Will Help You Find the Perfect Hotel