The Wick has done it again. It has topped Travel + Leisure magazine’s ‘best hotels in Canada’ list for the second year in a row.

It’s called sabline in French, a name far more appealing than sandwort, but the fleshy beach plant proved to be a delicious addition to a salad in any language.

Out here in Québec we like to do things differently. Like sleeping in strange places. Even the provincial parks authority, SEPAQ, is in on the trend, having installed everything from tipis and igloos to prospector tents and yurts into scenic spots within its woodsy reserves.

Think camping is all about digging your mildewy tent and leaky air mattresses out of the back of the shed? Québec, with its hundreds of rated campgrounds, offers a roll call of innovative ready-to-camp options that supply almost everything you need.

Don’t know a geoduck from a haddock? Then try a three-day hands-on seafood culinary workshop at Trout Point Lodge, a luxury Relais & Chateaux retreat tucked into the wilderness near Yarmouth, NS.

The staff at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montréal wanted a dog. That was the initial plan, anyway: a pet and mascot, some cuddly creature that would live in the lobby and greet guests with its wagging tail. But the idea soon morphed into something else entirely.

Or will that be jumping on the bed, while taking in the royal nuptials to be broadcast in the middle of the night in many parts of Canada? Celebrations are planned across the country ranging all the way from private pyjama parties complete with British-themed menus to special-issue coins and stamps.

Even the air smells different, fresher. There are no ozone-depleting compounds in this hotel’s HVAC system. Windows are wide open and the flow-through air conditioning is all natural.

The holidays are over but Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. No matter what you got him or her last month, taking your sweetums to one of these five Canadian romance spots will keep you in the good books for a little while longer.

Come to Canada once the snow flies, and you’ve got two choices: book the first flight to Cancun or make friends with winter. My partner and I opt for door number two, heading for Ontario’s Lake Country.