The Elite8 take Cabo.

This post is by Sue Tindell. All photos are mine unless otherwise credited. 

    Travel is starting to open up in spite of the ongoing pandemic, and as our trip to Cancun in September showed, Mexico is leading the way in welcoming back visitors and making them feel comfortable indeed. So it was with great anticipation that eight of us booked a long weekend on the other side of the country. We would be staying at Le Blanc outside of Cabo San Lucas. On November 5, we flew different airlines--Delta, American and United--and all of us had a fine experience. 

The San Jose del Cabo Airport is modern, efficient
and spotlessly clean.

 Upon arrival, we were required to undergo a temperature screening and complete a health questionnaire. Unlike many destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico does not require inbound travelers to have a negative COVID-19 test recorded in the previous few days. All of us were fine and we passed through customs without a problem. We'd timed our arrival for later in the day, when the airport was not quite as busy. 

Outside the airport, our transportation would be provided

by LeBlanc, a Cadillac Escalade; right away, the resort

was making a good impression on us.

The driver of our shuttle was masked, and we kept ours on all the way to resort for the 15-minute drive. When I'd left our home in northwest Wisconsin that morning, the temperature was a cool 40 degrees; in Cabo, it was sunny and 85. It's a dry climate in that part of Mexico, so the humidity you sometimes get in Cancun is not going to bother you here. 

   We arrived at the resort and walked into the lobby across a disinfectant mat, which automatically sanitized the bottoms of our shoes. After another round of temperature checks, we were allowed to formally check in and were shown to our rooms. Le Blanc also provides guests with an app for checking in, along with ordering drinks, room service and lots more. Right away, we could see that the "Purely Palace" protocols put in place by Le Blanc's parent company, Palace Resorts, are on the leading edge. 

    When I got to my room, I got another example of the company's attention to detail:

     After checking into our rooms, the group was given a tour of the resort, giving us an immediate and very favorable impression of where we'd spend the next few days.

As dusk approaches, we saw the reception area. 
A private party was already underway. 

The resort's pizzeria was always busy.

The night-time view of the pool area was 
spectacular indeed. 

   We dined that night at one of the resort's several restaurants, Blanc Asia, with an extensive Oriental menu that had something for everyone. Since we'd all been up early for our drives to the airport and our flights, we turned in early, anticipating a great day on Friday.

Friday, November 6

We began our first morning with "Glitter Girl Yoga," taught
by yours truly. L-R: Denise, Cindy, Laurie, me, Debbie, 
Sara, Kim and Bonnie. (Sara photo)

    Energized by the yoga and the beautiful morning, we proceeded to breakfast and then the first of a string of great days at Le Blanc. 

We all had garden-view rooms...

...but loved the ocean-view rooms we were 
shown in the morning. 

    The beach is beautiful, but swimming is not allowed due to the strong undertow. It's great to walk along, though.

   We spent the rest of the day around the pool, visiting the shops, and enjoying the first "normal" day we'd had in what seemed like years. Mask-wearing is mandatory for staff, but optional for guests. Since we stayed in our own group, we chose to go mask-free. 

Travel Leaders mugs awaited
us, courtesy of Debbie
and her daughter Candace. 

It didn't take long for us to put our
new mugs to good use. (Laurie photos)

    It was pizza night for our gang, as we all ordered room service with our apps to see how it worked. The answer: very well. Rooms also had butlers assigned, and several of us used the app to have our butlers prepare our baths, complete with aromatherapy scents throughout the room. 

    I was pretty sure I could get used to this. 

Saturday, November 7

    Another gorgeous morning greeted us today, simply splendid for walks along the beach and, of course, more yoga. Then it was pool, a few drinks, some shopping, lots of conversation, more pool....you get the idea. By mid-afternoon, we were all convinced that we could do this for the next few months. 

A morning walk along the
beach, with the sun rising over
the Gulf of California.

A visit to the spa really hit the spot in the afternoon.

With Jonathan, our sommelier, we enjoyed a wine-tasting
before our dinner at Lumiere, the resort's French restaurant.

    Another day in paradise came to a close. The best part? We had another one scheduled for tomorrow!

Sunday, November 8

    Sundays are supposed to be a day of rest. Well, every day at Le Blanc is a day of rest, or of a lot of activity, depending on your mood. We began this day with another Glitter Girl Yoga session, and after breakfast we headed to the pool again. The toughest decision would be what to eat, because the choices were plentiful. No buffets, though. 

(Sara photo)

    Our day would be capped with a sunset cruise. We contracted with Cabo Adventures, which picked us up at the resort and a 20-mile ride later dropped us off at the marina in Cabo San Lucas. Our cruise took us out to sea and around the point of the Baja California peninsula, with Lovers Arch marking the coast, and we had a spectacular view of the sun setting into the Pacific Ocean. 

Masked up and ready to rock! (Laurie photo)

Cabo Adventures, two to a towel.
(Sara photo)

    It was fully dark when we returned to the marina, and pretty soon it was time to retire for the evening. Our final full day in Cabo was over; the next day, most of us would begin our long journey home. 

Monday, November 9

    Another morning, another Glitter Girl Yoga session, another breakfast, and one last relaxing dip in the pool. Most of us were heading home, although one lucky gal was able to stay a few more days. (Not me.) The transfer to the airport went smoothly, and our flights home were almost routine. And also full. 

    LeBlanc also has a resort in Jamaica, which is next on our bucket list. It was great to get away for a few days and enjoy the sun, sand and luxurious amenities of this wonderful resort. I'd love to send you there next!

Falling leaves, rising hopes.

 Our travel newsletters for October. 

Madi Effertz, a young musician from
Owatonna, Minn., came up with the perfect
image for these times. 

If you’re like us, you’re way past tired of hearing the “Q” word—quarantine. You’d like to get away to a place that won’t require to spend a week or two stuck in your hotel room before you can get out and see what you came to see, assuming you have any vacation time left for enjoying yourself.

            But where can you go? TravelPulse magazine, along with us here at Travel Designers Travel Leaders, have found some places that don’t require quarantining upon arrival. Many of them do require proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within a few days of arrival, but here are some places in the Caribbean with sand, sun and no 10-letter words that begin with Q:

·       Aruba. The Dutch island averages daily high temps around 80, dry weather and some of the best scuba diving and windsurfing in the Caribbean.

·       Anguilla. If you like beaches, this British Overseas Territory has 33 of them, plus a notable culinary culture that is sure to satisfy every palate.

·       Belize. This former British colony on the Central American coast boasts lazy beach ambience along with great diving and adventurous jungles and caves for those inclined to explore.                   

               

·       Barbados. The British influence is still strong here, giving the island a distinct Euro/Carib vibe.

 

·       Dominican Republic. This exciting country on the island of Hispaniola offers a vibrant Latin culture, terrific beaches and, for the very adventurous, the Caribbean’s highest mountain.

 

·       Jamaica. The reggae music captures you right away, and the beaches, lush rainforests, rugged highlands and distinctive cuisine will keep you coming back.

 

·       Puerto Rico. You can stay in the U.S. and still enjoy the island’s Latin culture and historic Spanish landmarks, not to mention its beaches.

 

·       Saint Lucia. This volcanic island has more mountains than any other in the Caribbean, making it a mecca for adventurers, not to mention those who want to enjoy its first-rate resorts and beaches.

 

·       Saint Maarten. This Dutch colony shares the island with French Ste. Martin, which is still closed to visitors, but on the open side you can still enjoy an eclectic mix of beaches, resorts, restaurants and casinos.

 

·       Turks and Caicos Islands. Another British Overseas Territory, T&C has beaches that are quite likely the best in the Caribbean, if not the world.

 

That’s quite a lineup! These lovely Caribbean islands are ready to greet you right now and as you can see, there’s something for every vacationer. Wisconsin’s winter is just around the corner, so now’s the time to plan your getaway. Call us today, so we can start working for you and you can start shopping for beachwear!

* * *

Cruise ships aren’t cruising right now, but they will be soon, of that you can be sure. Another thing you can be sure of is that whatever ship you sail on next, eventually, that ship will be withdrawn from service and sail off to…where? Reader’s Digest recently decided to find out.

            A cruise liner is a collection of machines. A very large collection, of course, but no machine lasts forever. Like your car and Grandpa’s pocket watch, a cruise liner eventually wears out. Perhaps new technology has made many of its workings obsolete, or maybe trends in the cruise industry have passed it by. For the average cruise liner, it takes about 30 years for a new ship to reach the point where it goes on its final voyage.

            Some liners are sold to other companies, which then refit them for more years of use. Others are stripped for scrap, their parts sold piecemeal, right down to the waterline. The lines use different yards around the world, but the biggest is in India, where the Alang shipyard handles half of all cruise liners. Usually a ship makes it there under its own power, but occasionally it’s towed. And the Alang facility is not really a “shipyard,” it’s just a ten-mile stretch of beach with a 25-foot tidal variance, allowing ships to be beached at high tide. Workers scramble aboard and start removing everything. The hulk is gradually winched further onto the beach until there’s literally nothing left.

            A very lucky few cruise ships live on well past their final voyage. The RMS Queen Mary (pictured above) is perhaps the most famous. Built by the UK-based Cunard-White Star Line, Queen Mary sailed on her maiden voyage in 1936, and for 15 of the next 16 years it held the title of fastest liner on the North Atlantic crossing. The ship held 2,139 passengers with a crew of 1,101. At 1,019 feet in length it was 168 feet shorter than the largest of today’s liners, Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas, but it was otherwise much smaller, with less than a third of Symphony’s passenger capacity. Queen Mary and its class of ocean liners were rendered obsolete by the jet age, and the ship was retired from service in 1967. Its last voyage was to the California port of Long Beach, where she remains today as a tourist attraction, featuring a hotel, restaurants and a museum. Taking a tour of her today is the closest anyone will ever get to going aboard the most famous cruise liner of all, the Titanic, which was lost on its famous maiden voyage in 1912.

            The coronavirus pandemic has hit the cruise industry particularly hard, and has caused the early withdrawal from service of many ships, 18 by Carnival Corp. and three by Royal Caribbean. Most of those ships would have sailed for several more years, but with no cruising going on, the companies couldn’t afford the overhead of keeping them in service, even as they remained in port.

            But those that remain will sail again, hopefully soon. Whether you want to take the kids and avail yourselves of the big ships with their climbing walls and skating rinks, or go smaller and more intimate for just the two of you, we’ll be here at Travel Designers Travel Leaders to get you aboard!

* * *

Autumn leaves are falling and we’ve had our first snowfall of the season, so that means the holidays aren’t far away. Normally one of the heaviest travel periods of the year, what will the holidays of 2020-21 hold? Will the pandemic keep most travelers from flying to Grandma’s house or celebrating in the Caribbean or Mexican sun?

            Not according to a recent survey, says Afar magazine. More than half of Americans (55%) say they plan to travel for the holidays, most of them for the first time since the virus began locking things down last March. If you’re planning to be one of them, expect to see airports a lot less busy than they would’ve been a year ago. Travel by air is steadily rising; according to the TSA, nearly a million travelers passed through US airports on October 11, the highest number since the start of the pandemic, but it’s still less than half of the total from a year earlier.

            Expect to see many changes at TSA security checkpoints and throughout airports when you begin your holiday journey. There will be masking, plexiglass security shields and social distancing rules strictly enforced. Equipment and surfaces will be sanitized frequently. Passengers will be required to wear masks inside the airport, removing them only briefly to allow for identification. On the plus side, wait times will be shorter. TSA used to recommend arriving at the airport at least two hours before departing on a domestic flight, and three hours for international travel. Now, you can cut those times back by about an hour.

            Five US air carriers, including Delta, which is the most popular carrier for our clients, are still keeping middle seats vacant. Delta will keep them empty until at least January 6, while other airlines might open the seats up sooner. All major airlines have mandatory mask policies in place for passengers, and they’re being strictly enforced.

            We can expect to see some cheaper fares this season. Domestic fares have dropped 41% for the Thanksgiving season, compared to last year, with Christmas prices down almost as much. To get those seats and those prices, though, we advise not waiting any longer. Use Halloween as a good deadline date, which gives you just under two weeks from now to finalize your plans and call us to book your trip, in order to get the best possible dates and prices. If you’re concerned that booking that early might backfire if you have to change your plans, you should know that most airlines have ditched their notorious change fees.

            With the kind of year we’ve all had, traveling someplace for the holidays, whether to see family or just get out of the winter, sounds pretty good. We’re here to help you make those wishes happen. Call us today, and start dreaming of how good Grandma’s pumpkin pie will taste, or how nice it’ll be to lay on the beach while everyone back home is shoveling!

* * *

The hotel business has taken a big hit this year thanks to the coronavirus, but they’re on the way back. Everyone is cautiously optimistic that 2021 will see a vaccine, the virus will become a nasty couple of pages in the history books, and travelers will be checking into hotels all over the world again. Their choices will be many, regardless of destination. But which ones are the best? Well, some of them are right here in Wisconsin.

            Lots of our clients enjoy road-tripping through our beautiful state, just to see the sights or to visit family, or both. If you can’t get the spare bedroom at Grandma’s house anymore, you might want to check on these great hotels. Six Wisconsin hotels and resorts have won 2020 Reader’s Choice Awards from Condé Nast Traveler magazine.

            The two highest-ranked Wisconsin hotels are in Milwaukee. Ranked 6^th overall is the Saint Kate-The Arts Hotel, followed in 8^th by the Pfister. The hotels offer a wild contrast in décor but both sport great amenities. The Saint Kate is an “art-centric” hotel where you can sleep surrounded by leopard-print or elegant flowers. Each of its 219 rooms has a different décor, many of them designed by local artists, and the themes range from the merely stylish to the wild and colorful. The Pfister has been a downtown Milwaukee icon since 1893 and brings the best in style and service to the traveler. It’s no wonder that the Pfister has for decades hosted Milwaukee’s most distinguished visitors, but there’s plenty of room for small-town travelers who want to experience Gilded Age elegance.   

            Also on the best-in-the-country list are the Delafield Hotel in suburban Delafield (17^th) and the Edgewater in Madison (20^th). One of the state’s best boutique hotels, the Delafield is a popular site for weddings. The Edgewater, right in the heart of the capital’s vibrant downtown, offers a beautiful location on the shores of Lake Mendota and within a few blocks of the UW campus, making it a prime destination for Badger fans coming to the city for a game.

            The American Club in Kohler is one of only two Midwestern resorts to make the magazine’s list of top 20 destination resorts. Ranked 11^th, the American offers a five-star hotel and access to some of the country’s best golf courses. Finally, the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva ranks 20^th on the list of the best resorts in the Midwest and West. Nestled in one of southern Wisconsin’s most picturesque areas, the Grand Geneva has over 1300 acres for you to enjoy with golf, hiking, skiing and more.

            Northwest Wisconsin doesn’t have any properties on the list, but some should be, like the Old Rittenhouse Inn in Bayfield (pictured above), the Inn on Lake Wissota in Chippewa Falls, the Phipps Inn in Hudson and, right nearby, the Cobblestone in Birchwood. Wherever you might be thinking of going on your next Wisconsin road trip, give us a ring and we’ll help you find the place that will be just right for you and your family. Happy exploring!

Sue Tindell