🌟 Women on the Move: Celebrating All-Female Travel Adventures!

During my years in the travel business, I’ve met a lot of people and formed close friendships with many of my female colleagues. In fact, there’s a group of us who regularly meet up at conferences and retreats. Although I certainly enjoy traveling with my husband, being with my friends is very special.

            Women are traveling more and more in groups these days, even into space. On April 14, the first space flight with an all-female crew went up aboard a Blue Origin spacecraft, the New Shephard, The ten-minute flight to the edge of space marked the first time a spacecraft crewed entirely by women had launched since the Soviets sent cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova on a solo orbital mission in 1963. Among the six women on board the Blue Origin flight were singer Katy Perry and journalists Gayle King and Lauren Sanchez.

            Trips to space are beyond the reach of most women—at least for now—but many of them are still venturing out in groups that deliberately exclude men. Well, men go on trips together all the time, after all, to fishing camps and football games, and so an all-female trip is just fine, too. But these trips are much more than just overnight excursions. USA Today writer Kathleen Wong recently wrote about her recent all-women trip, hiking the trails near Moab, Utah.

            Wong contracted with Wildland Trekking to join two other women on the trek through the magnificent “red rocks” of Arches National Park. (Having hiked there myself, I could relate!) It was her first time for several things: camping in a tent, exploring the grandeur of Utah and doing it with three women she’d never met, including the guide.

            How did it go? Wong said being with like-minded women made it feel “comfortable, easy and supportive, even if we hadn’t crossed paths before.” Just as men enjoy the camaraderie of their trips, women do, too, says Viviana McGovern, CEO of Full Vida Therapy, who specializes in women’s mental health. “Women-only travel can create a uniquely safe and affirming space for those who join. Confidence often builds naturally when women are surrounded by others who encourage growth, risk-taking and self-trust. It can be quite a transformative experience.”

            All-women group travel is on the rise. A recent industry survey noted that 40% of women travelers “seek a sense of belonging” on their trips, and 71% aren’t afraid to go about it on their own, without waiting for anyone else. Wong writes that she was a little nervous at the start, having no previous experience with camping—she worried about being without a real bed, or running water—but said she found “an immediate and unspoken understanding among us where we didn’t have to be ‘on.’” Over dinner, the conversation ranged from relationships to families to talk about what being feminine meant to them. Wong considers the Moab trip to be one of her best, right up there with her first all-woman vacation, a surf retreat in Costa Rica two years earlier.

            The cruise industry has taken notice of the trend. Many cruise lines offer special packages for all-women groups, focusing on relaxation, activities and customized tours. Online groups like SheSetsSail and the Mermaid Society on Facebook offer safe and inclusive spaces for sharing tips, stories and planning adventures.

            Ready to get your galpals together for a trip? Give us a call, and we’ll get you out there!

 🌞 Top U.S. Beaches to "Beach It" Summer '25: Dr. Beach's Picks!

Memorial Day Weekend kicked off summertime in the U.S., and many of our clients will be planning to hit the beach somewhere. Whereas Caribbean and Mexican beaches are top the list during our winter months, in summertime folks will generally stay domestic. So, where to “beach it” in the summer of ’25? Let’s check with Dr. Beach!

                Stephen Leatherman is a coastal scientist at Florida International University in Miami, and he’s gained the nickname Dr. Beach for his annual rankings of American beaches. He has a 50-factor checklist, including the presence of algae, prevalence of rip tides and cleanliness of the beach, plus air and water temperatures. As usual, beaches in Hawaii, Florida and New York (New York?) rule his list. Here are Dr. Beach’s top 10 for this year:

·         Cooper’s Beach, Southampton, N.Y. On the eastern end of Long Island, Cooper’s has large sand dunes and a pristine location. The only problem is its popularity, along with the high cost of parking. There’s a free shuttle running from downtown Southampton to help with that. “It’s a big, beautiful beach,” Dr. Beach says.

·         Wailea Beach, Maui, Hawaii. “The white coral sand beach gently slopes offshore and is great for snorkeling when the ocean is calm.”

·         Poipu Beach, Kauai, Hawaii. “Actually, two beaches in one; a tombolo, which is a narrow sand spit that extends from the shore to an island, separates the two pocket beaches.”

·         Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Naples, Fla. “White sand beaches and crystal-clear Gulf waters,” says Dr. Beach, who also cites the park’s abundant wildlife, including manatees.

·         Main Beach, East Hampton, N.Y. Also on Long Island, this beach offers many of the same great qualities as Cooper’s Beach. “The perfect blend of nature and built environment…towering sand dunes and beautiful, clean and clear blue water.”

·         Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, S.C. “A nature-lovers coast, so visitors can bring their canoes and kayaks to paddle through the tidal inlets.”

·         St. Andrews State Park, Panama City, Fla. “A strikingly white sandy beach is great for shelling and bird watching. Swimming and snorkeling are popular in both the Gulf and St. Andrews Bay on the other side.”

·         Kaunaoa, Hawaii. “A quarter mile-long pocket beach that features clear, turquoise water and white coral sand that contrasts with the black lava rock.”

·         Lanikai Beach, Oahu, Hawaii. “Quite small, but arguably the most beautiful beach in Hawaii. The water is perfectly clear and shallow and usually calm with two offshore islands acting as a pictorial backdrop.”

·         Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Mass. “The picturesque old Coast Guard station still sits atop the glacial bluffs, allowing for a spectacular view of the Nauset Spit barrier system and bay.”

Ready to check out Dr. Beach’s beaches—or any other great US location this summer? Give us a call and get that sunscreen ready!

Sue Tindell

 Memorial Day Weekend Travel Tips: Your Guide to Smooth Adventures

Don’t look now, but Memorial Day Weekend is almost here. That’s the traditional start of the summer travel season, and industry experts are predicting it will be the busiest yet. Maybe, says one, the busiest ever.

            Travel writer Christopher Elliott is one of those anticipating heavy travel for the summer of 2025, starting with this weekend: AAA predicts a record 45.1 million Americans will take to the highways, up 3.4% over 2024. The roads, rail terminals and airports will be packed, all the way to autumn. Air travel alone is expected to show a 12.3% increase over the period of 2019-25. How to deal with it? Elliott has some recommendations about taking trips this holiday weekend:

·         Time of day is important. Some will say that you should avoid travel on the day before the holiday and the day after, but Elliott says the time of day you travel is what matters. It’s worth getting up earlier if there’s less traffic in the early morning.

·         Stay within a 50-mile radius. While AAA considers anything longer than 50 miles from home to be a “trip,” you don’t have to drive that far to enjoy the holiday. There are undoubtedly many things to see and do within an hour’s drive of your home.

·         If you do want to go far, go really far. International travel over a U.S. holiday might mean more crowded airports at home, but a better experience abroad. Canada and Mexico get a lot of American visitors over our holidays, but Europe and Asia don’t see much of an increase. There will be deals to be had overseas.

Some of our fondest memories are from the times when Mom and Dad loaded us kids into the family Oldsmobile and headed somewhere for a long weekend or maybe more. The last Olds rolled off the assembly line in 2004, but families now can pack up their SUV with even more stuff and ride in greater safety and comfort. Here are some other tips to have a safe, fun driving vacation:

·         Get your car serviced. You don’t want to be in the middle of Nebraska when that “change oil” light goes on.

·         Stock an emergency kit in the car. Not just medical supplies like bandages and ointment, but things like extra water, blankets, a flashlight, a fully charged cell phone, flares and jumper cables.

·         Maps. We all remember them: the multi-folded state maps Dad always kept in the glove compartment, or even a comprehensive road atlas. Everybody uses GPS today, on their phones or the car’s computer screen, but what if you’re in an area where you can’t get service, and you want to make sure you’re on the right road? At the very least, a paper map or road atlas will provide the kids with some off-the-device entertainment.

·         Emergency phone numbers. Not just for friends and family and your dog’s kennel, but for roadside services like AAA and your insurance carrier.

·         Sunscreen. This is vital for summer travel, but it’s often overlooked, and you wind up searching the shelves at convenience stores. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Also, make sure to wear sunglasses. Proper headgear, especially at the beach, is essential.

·         Medications. It goes without saying that if you or anyone in the family take prescription medications, take along enough to last the trip. Don’t forget the dog’s meds, either! Also, if there are over-the-counter meds that you frequently use, stock up.

·         Watch for ticks and mosquitoes. If you’re visiting a national park, and especially if you’re camping or hiking, bring a good insect repellant. Your medical kit should contain a tweezers; check yourself and the kids for ticks whenever you come in from a wilderness outing.

·         If there’s three, let it be. When hiking in the woods, be on the lookout for poison ivy and poison oak. Avoid leaves that are clustered in sets of three. If you happen to touch them and get their oils on your skin, wash in warm, soapy water as soon as possible. Wash your clothes, too. Rubbing alcohol will also provide relief. If you do get a rash, don’t rub or scratch it; use oral antihistamines and topical ointments to reduce the itch.

·         Beach and pool safety. Kids tend to get a little carried away around the water (and sometimes adults do, too), so be mindful of warning signs, especially at the beach. Even if you’re an Olympic-level swimmer, you don’t want to challenge a riptide.

·         Think ahead. You never know what you’ll encounter on the road. Bad weather could force a detour. An accident could close a road and force you to wait in the car for an hour or more until things get moving again. Be generous with snacks and water, and take more bathroom breaks than you might think necessary. Take advantage of the breaks not only to use the facilities, but to stretch, walk around, and switch drivers.

Ready to get out there? Whether you’re going by car, train, ship, or airplane, or a combination, we can help. Give us a call!

Sue Tindell

 

 ✈️ Packing Tips & Hacks to Make Your Trip a Breeze!

Your trip is all booked, your documents are in order, the dog is set to go to the kennel. Now, all you have to do is pack. For many travelers, that’s the most challenging part of any trip, unless you’re just going somewhere overnight and can cram everything into your carryon. But for more extensive trips, packing can be a lot more of a challenge. Hayley Spencer of The Guardian recently gave us some travel packing “hacks” that will save us time, and maybe money, too.

· Ziplock bags. The reliable old kitchen bags are cheap and flexible, adapting to what you want to put in them. Especially when it comes to toiletries and cosmetics, if you don’t happen to already have a special case for them.

· Waterproof tote. If you’re going to be spending time on a beach, this is a must-have, carrying everything you need for the day and keeping it dry.

· A packable yoga mat. Spending time at the gym on the ship or at the resort is high on a lot of travelers’ lists, and if you like yoga, bringing your own mat can avoid the necessity of using one of theirs. You don’t know who’s been lying on them, you know.

· Thin layers. Even if you’re gone for more than a week, packing only a week’s worth of clothes will usually get you through the trip. Hotels and ships have laundry facilities, of course. If you’re going somewhere cold, taking lightweight “technical” coats and jackets that cut out bulk. The best ones can be stuffed into small built-in bags, or are made from down, which flatten and are very lightweight, taking up minimal space in your suitcase.

· Roll your clothes—and use a backpack. If you’re planning to use local public transport while you’re traveling, a good backpack is essential. As simple as it sounds, rolling and separating clothing into fabric tote bags can save a lot of space. Rolling also helps keep creases away, reducing the need for ironing in your room when you’d much rather be at the beach or seeing the sights.

· Color code your clothes. Pack colors and tones that pair well together, so you can mix and match outfits without having to bring along a lot of clothes. If you’re going to be at your destination for a while, consider leaving your own toiletries at home and buying some at your destination.

· Wear sports gear on the plane. Ski trips can be great fun, but the packing can be troublesome. Just going for a weekend? Take only a carryon and save space by wearing your ski jacket and beanie. You’ll need waterproof shoes at the resort, so wear those on the plane, too. Leave your skis and boots at home; rent some at the resort instead. Clip your helmet to your carryon bag.

· Streamline your toiletries. If you don’t want to leave yours behind, at least streamline them, taking along products that double-up for use. You might want to skip some makeup altogether, especially if you’re going to a warm destination. Bring what you can onboard the plane in your carryon, but make sure your bottles are no larger than 3.4oz.

· One device charger per trip. Even if you’re traveling with kids and everybody’s bringing their own devices, minimize the number of charging cords and plug-ins by doubling or tripling up. You don’t want to take up extra space with unnecessary cords, which also means you won’t have to be the family “cord wrangler” every day when it comes time to charge up.

· Clothes that look good crinkled. Two words: linen separates. A shirt and trousers in the same color are lightweight, pack well and can be styled in multiple ways. Pair them with classic foundational pieces like a tee shirt, jeans, reasonably practical shoes and a cardigan, and you’re good to go.

· The wear-everywhere shoe. Speaking of footwear, don’t overdo it on shoes, as tempting as it might be. Unless you’re planning on a formal outing while on vacation, a single, comfortable, neutral pair should be all you’ll need, and as we know, shoes take up a lot of space in a bag.

· Travel-friendly formal wear. But you have a formal event on the trip, you say—a wedding at the resort, or captain’s night on the ship. Learn how best to pack long dresses (for gals) or suit jackets (for guys). There are a few right ways that get the job done, but a lot of wrong ways that will take up excess space in your bag.

· Small and mighty makeup buys. Even if you use a lot of cosmetics at home, that doesn’t mean you have to when you travel. A lot will depend on where you’re going and what you plan to do, but a durable, well-organized toiletries kit is essential. Try one with a hook that can hang on the door of your hotel room’s bathroom. Guys like them, too!

Well, there you go. Hopefully, these hacks will help you become a more organized, efficient traveler. And, it goes without saying, make sure you look everywhere in your room before you check out of the hotel or disembark the ship. It’s easy to leave something hanging in the closet or lying in a drawer, and we all know how things like to slip onto the floor when you’re packing!

Ready to try out these tips? Give us a call, and we’ll give you an excuse to start packing!

Sue Tindell

 ✈️United's Game-Changer: The Future of Flying Wing Jets!

Last week, we wrote about the Overture, a supersonic airliner scheduled to enter service in 2029. One of the airlines that has already placed advance orders for the jet is United, but it’s not stopping with the Overture. United is investing billions in new aircraft, with revolutionary new designs and technologies. Business Insider recently told us of United’s new “blended-wing” design that “could be the future of commercial aviation.”

The U.S. Air Force has been utilizing the “flying wing” design for its most advanced aircraft, going back to experimental turboprop and jet aircraft after World War II. Today’s B-2 bomber owes its design heritage to those earlier planes. United’s take on the design is even more advanced.

The blended-wing body combines the fuselage and wing into one. The Air Force has found that the design reduces drag by up to 30 percent, which translates to a significant improvement in fuel consumption, so much so that these airlines could wind up burning only half as much fuel as a similar-sized “tube and wing” design that’s been used by commercial airliners for decades.

Last month, United announced plans to buy up to 200 of the 250-passenger aircraft, known as the Z4, from the California-based aerospace startup JetZero. The company intends to compete with Airbus and Boeing, which are also designing blended-wing aircraft. JetZero flew a prototype of the Z4 last year and hopes to have its first commercial flight in 2030. The company plans to fly a full-sized demonstrator model three years before that and says it will meet United’s operational and business requirements on things like cost, fuel burn and safety.

The new design will allow for some significant changes inside the aircraft, too. Andrew Chang, the managing director of United Airlines Ventures, said the design could create a “living room in the sky.” Everything about the customer experience, from boarding to seating to deplaning, could be reinvented.

The design combines the wings and fuselage into a single lifting surface, allowing for a dramatically wider cabin, with a dozen or more seats per row. The aircraft will be shorter than traditional dual-aisle planes, so instead of 20-30 rows of seats, there will be only 10-15. There will be more aisles to navigate the cabin, and up to four entry doors, improving efficiency for boarding and deplaning. Economy and premium seats would have Starlink Wifi and media, creating the living-room-like vibe.

JetZero’s competitor, Natilus, has its own blended-wing aircraft under development. The 200-passenger Horizon could accommodate lounge or playroom areas, offsetting the potential issue of longer rows providing fewer window seats. These new jets will also be quieter, and each individual passenger seat would have its own overhead storage bin. (Imagine, no more searching for space for your carry-on! Sign me up!)

JetZero’s Z4 will have a nonstop range of over 5,700 miles, using conventional jet engines and traditional or sustainable aviation fuel. It will replace the airline’s midsize planes like the Boeing 757 and 767. The Z4, flying the same route from Newark to Palma de Mallorca, Spain, as those current aircraft, would use 45% less fuel. Chang says United believes strongly in JetZero. “We believe it’s a game-changer. This is a different way to reinvent aviation.”

As technology advances, so does innovation in the airline industry as well as everywhere else. We can’t wait to see what’s coming! Give us a call, and we’ll help you get out there, too!

  Sue Tindell

 

Supersonic Flight: The Future of Fast Travel? 

Supersonic commercial aircraft were going to revolutionize the travel industry. The Concorde flew from London to New York in three hours, less than half the time of sub-sonic airliners. As technology improved, the aircraft would get faster and larger, shrinking time in the air so much that a businessman could hop on at breakfast time in New York, have a late-morning meeting in London followed by lunch, and be home in time for dinner.

            It didn’t quite turn out that way. The Concorde, developed jointly by the British and French, went into service in 1969 and flew its final flight on November 26, 2003, victim of high operating costs and safety concerns. Today’s airliners can reach about 85% of Mach 1, the speed of sound, but stay comfortably short of that barrier. That might change in the next few years, according to the Robb Report.

            Boom Supersonic, which started in 2014, has just become the first U.S. independent company to fly a prototype commercial aircraft faster than the speed of sound. Late in January, Boom’s XB-1 experimental jet reached Mach 1.122 (860.67mph) in test flights over the Mojave Desert, the same place where legendary pilot Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier for the first time back in 1947. It was the 11^th manned test flight for the aircraft over a 10-month period.

            Without receiving grants from the U.S. military, which many considered essential to develop a supersonic airliner, Boom got the job done. Its founder, Blake Scholl, said the flight “demonstrates that the technology for passenger supersonic flight has arrived.” The next step is to scale up the technology used in the XB-1 for the company’s airliner, the Overture. “Our ultimate goal is to bring the benefits of supersonic flight to everyone,” says Scholl.

            The Overture will be much larger than the XB-1, designed to carry up to 80 passengers. Boom expects the first commercial flights of the aircraft will be in 2029. A production facility is going up in North Carolina. The airline industry is on board; Boom has received 130 orders and pre-orders from American Airlines, United Airlines and Japan Airlines.

            Plans are to produce up to 66 Overtures per year. Many aviation experts think that’s not feasible, considering that Boom was forced to build its own supersonic engines after major aviation engine manufacturers turned down the project. Boom went ahead anyway, designing its own engines in-house, and it looks like they work. Already, Boom has long outlasted its better-funded competitor, Aerion, which spent 20 years developing its own project only to abruptly shut its doors in 2021, citing little investor appetite in the supersonic concept.

            The XB-1 is doing more than just proving that Boom’s engines work. The aircraft is also testing multiple technologies that will be aboard the Overture, including an augmented-reality vision system and digitally optimized aerodynamics. The aircraft is made almost entirely from carbon composite materials, which allow the designers to shape it more precisely.

What will it cost to fly aboard the Overture? That’s anybody’s guess right now. In 1977, during the Concorde’s heyday, a one-way ticket from New York to London, or vice versa, ran about $3,000 in today’s dollars. The cabin was cramped, with narrow seats, few amenities and the noise level was unacceptably loud by today’s standards. Boom has undoubtedly studied that aircraft and its history, and has the benefit of technology that’s half a century beyond Concorde.  

Another challenge facing Boom, and any other company that will want to get into supersonic passenger travel, will be possible restrictions on flying over populated areas. When an aircraft breaks the sound barrier, a sonic boom is generated, which is why Concorde was restricted to flying across the ocean. After taking off from Heathrow or JFK, the aircraft wouldn’t go supersonic until it was over the water. While transoceanic flights will certainly be the primary market for the airlines who will fly the Overture, they’ll certainly want to eventually move to overland routes like New York to Los Angeles. Today, a JFK-LAX flight takes just over six hours. Aboard the Overture, that could be reduced to just three. It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see that there would surely be a market for that kind of flight.     

For now, though, good old-fashioned subsonic airliners will take you pretty much wherever you want to go, and we’ll help you get on board. Give us a call!

 

🌍 Where Myth Meets Reality: Exploring Ancient Wonders Awaiting Your Visit!

Last week we wrote about our recent trip to New Zealand. People have asked me, “Are there any places left that you haven’t visited?” Well, Antarctica is one, and we plan to go there next January. Russia is another, although that might have to wait awhile. There are some places out of mythology that we never thought could ever be visited, if they really existed, but that’s changing.

            My husband, Dave, is a history buff, and occasionally we’ll watch a movie that takes place in ancient times. Much of the ancient world is still shrouded in myth and legend, but in recent years, archaeologists have started to think that there are certain places from those times that we’ve always considered to be mythical, but may actually have really existed. The Smithsonian magazine recently told about nine of the most mysterious:

·         Troy. Made famous by Homer’s Iliad and Virgil’s Aeneid, the city of Troy actually did exist in what is now western Turkey. But was there really a decade-long war between the Greeks and the Trojans over the Greek princess Helen, who had eloped across the Aegean with a Trojan prince? Legend says that the demi-god Achilles fought on the Greek side until he was killed by an arrow to his heel, the only vulnerable part of his body. This was after the Greeks tricked the Trojans into opening the city gates to bring in the “Trojan horse.” Excavations have been ongoing since the late 19^th century, proving that Troy was indeed a city-state that existed for some 4,000 years on the river now known as the Karamenderes, and whoever controlled the mouth of the river was a force in the Aegean. Researchers now think that hard evidence of the epic conflict will eventually be found under the old riverbed.
·         Medusa’s Cave. Now known as Gorham’s Cave, it’s a natural cavern at the base of the Pillars of Hercules in the Strait of Gibraltar. Ancient mariners considered it to be the edge of the known world. Archaeologists recently retrieved, from deep within the cave, fragments from the head of a large, ceramic Gorgon dating to the 6^th century BC. Legend says the Gorgons were three monstrous sisters who terrorized Greek sailors by turning them to stone with a single glance. The Greek hero Perseus was said to have beheaded the most evil of the sisters, Medusa, while she slept in the cave. The British territory of Gibraltar now offers summer tours of the cavern.
·         Tintagel Castle. The ruins of this 13^th-century castle are on the rocky shores of Cornwall in England. It is said that this site was where King Arthur was conceived, although that would’ve been several hundred years earlier. A recent research project has uncovered evidence that the castle was built on the site of a bustling town that was a center of trade from as far away as the Mediterranean. Richard of Cornwall built the castle in part, records say, to maintain the site’s connection to Arthur, whose existence has never been proven.
·         Vinland. Greenland has been much in the news lately, but its importance goes back a long way. Legend has it that Norse explorers, led by Leif Erickson, sailed west from Greenland to what is now called Newfoundland, on the east coast of Canada. Evidence of the Vikings in Newfoundland was first found back in the 1960s, and research continues today. It’s now part of L’Anse aux Meadows Historical Site and includes reconstructions of the original sod dwellings where the Vikings lived for a few decades around 500 years before Columbus made his first voyage to the New World.
·         El Dorado. The Spanish conquistadors who followed Columbus westward were drawn in large part by reports of massive quantities of gold. There was said to be a kingdom in South America ruled by El Rey Dorado, a 16^th-century chief whose initiation rites included covering himself in gold dust and ceremonially dropping treasure into the center of a sacred lake. Explorers searched throughout the northern regions of the continent but never found such a place. Colombian researchers think there’s good reason to believe that Lake Guatavita was a place of such offerings during the Muisca period, which lasted a thousand years until around 1600. Over the past few centuries, many artifacts have been raised from the lake, including gold alloys, emeralds and evidence of animal sacrifice.
·         Solomon’s Temple. The ongoing civil war in Syria destroyed Ain Dara, a 3,000-year-old temple, in 2018. Some thirty years earlier, many archaeologists had identified the site as the biblical Solomon’s Temple. The site had much in common with the description from the Book of Kings in the Old Testament, including a courtyard paved with flagstones and a monumental staircase guarded by sphinxes. Some of its most important artifacts are on display in the National Museum of Aleppo.
·         Minotaur’s Labyrinth. Workers building a new airport on the Greek island of Crete recently uncovered what could be the site of the Minotaur’s labyrinth. The central circular building surrounded by eight stone rings intersected by walls resembles the style of tomb constructed by the Minoan civilization around 1800 BC. The Minotaur, according to Greek myth, was a ferocious creature with the head of a bull and body of a human male and was trapped in a maze built by the Greek architect Daedalus. Every seven years, Athens sacrificed seven young men and seven young women to the Minotaur, until Theseus, a prince of the city, volunteered to go inside and kill it. He succeeded, using a ball of thread to mark his way inside and find his way out. The site is still being studied, but there is evidence to suggest it was part of the myth’s origins.
·         Steinkjer. The Norse sagas tell of an ancient trading center that was for a time the largest in the Viking world, but nobody really knew where it might’ve been, or if it even existed. But in 2013, in preparation to expand a modern highway near the Norwegian city of Steinkjer, archaeologists discovered intriguing evidence in the form of two separate boat graves associated with a wide variety of high-status trade goods. The find added to previous research in the area that showed it to be a hotbed of Viking activity around a thousand years ago.
·         Pool of Siloam. In the Gospel of John, Jesus is reported to have restored the sight of a blind man at the Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem. The actual site was finally uncovered in 2004 when repair work on a water pipe south of the Temple Mount revealed two ancient stone steps. In the excavation that followed, researchers discovered a 2,700-year-old, 225-foot-long trapezoidal pool, which they identified as the Pool of Siloam. It would’ve been an important part of ancient Jerusalem’s water system, as well as a ritual bath used by visiting pilgrims. It opened to the public last year as part of the City of David National Park.

Whew! That’s quite a list, and I’m sure many of our clients will want to visit some of the sites, as well as other landmarks of the ancient world. We can get you there. Give us a call!

In the Land of the Long White Cloud

It takes a long time to get to New Zealand, but it’s worth it. Some 900 miles east of Australia in the southwest Pacific, New Zealand is an archipelago composed of two main land masses, North Island and South Island, and over 600 smaller islands. With a population of 5.5 million, it has about 400,000 fewer people than Wisconsin and they’re spread out in a total land area of the two main islands that’s about 55% larger than our state.

            The islands are so remote that they were the last large inhabitable land mass to be settled by humans. The Polynesians arrived around 1300 and developed into the Maori culture. Europeans discovered New Zealand in 1642 and settlement began in the early 19^th century. Today, Maori comprise some 17% of the country’s population. Just about every placename sign in the country has its English and Maori names together, and artwork celebrating the original natives’ culture is everywhere.

            How long does it take to get there today? On April 1^st (no fooling), we flew from Minneapolis to Los Angeles, then to Auckland, New Zealand’s capital and largest city. That took a total of 16 hours in the air. Then, after a short layover, it was another hour to Christchurch, the site of the Travel Leaders International Summit. We’d held an earlier summit in the country, back in 2017, and this was the first time we’d make a repeat visit for a Summit. My husband Dave and I actually arrived on April 3^rd, thanks to crossing the International Date Line. New Zealand time is 18 hours ahead of Wisconsin time, which takes some getting used to, but we adapted fairly quickly.

            We spent all our time on the South Island, enjoying the modern city of Christchurch, which was devastated by an earthquake in 2011 and has bounced back nicely. It’s a city full of gardens and parks, celebrating its English tradition, and we visited some of them on a bicycle tour. After my conference on the morning of the 5^th, we journeyed north into wine country and toured three wineries—and yes, they had samples! Wine is rapidly becoming one of New Zealand’s top exports.

            On Sunday, we boarded a small bus for a 90-minute ride south and east of Christchurch to the Akaroa area along the coast, where we explored the charming seaside village and cruised through the 10-mile-long harbor with Black Cat Cruises to see dolphins and seals. The next morning, it was back to the airport for a short Air New Zealand flight across the island to Queenstown, where we stayed two nights at the beautiful Rees Hotel, on the shores of Lake Whakatipu, one of the country’s many majestic lakes, large and deep.

            After dining that evening with friends in our traveling party, we rose early the next morning for the trip to the coast and Fiordlands National Park. This is a stunningly beautiful area of fiords (the Scandinavians spell it with a “j” instead of the “i”) and we were to explore one of its best, Doubtful Sound. First, a bus ride to Lake Manapouri, a boat ride across that lake and then another bus trip through a dense rain forest to the sound itself, where we sailed its length aboard a catamaran. Doubtful Sound is the second-most popular tourist attraction in New Zealand, after nearby Milford Sound, which I’d seen on my 2017 visit. Doubtful is even more majestic: 25 miles long, up to nearly 1400 feet deep, and although it receives a lot of rainfall every year (up to 20 feet, we were told), our visit was graced with clear skies, all the better for us to enjoy the magnificent scenery, all the way out to where the sound empties into the Tasman Sea.

            The next day we were on the road again, this time to the town of Fox Glacier. Along the way we stopped in the lakeside town of Wanaka, where we saw the most photographed tree in the country, the Wanaka Willow. Our final excursion of the trip came on Thursday the 10^th, with a helicopter ride to nearby Franz Josef Glacier, where we were equipped with the necessary gear—boots with crampons and hiking poles—for an unforgettable, if too short, hike on the icy glacier. Its peak is at nearly 10,000 feet above sea level (we didn’t get that high) and its length is 7.5 miles. The glacier is retreating, although it’s still nearly 1000 feet thick. We followed our glacier hike with a little warmer one through a nearby rain forest, returning to the hotel after a long and tiring but wondrous day.

            Our last full day in the country was Friday the 11^th. We started with yet another bus ride—we spent a lot of time on New Zealand roads, but they’re well-designed and have no billboards, which was rather pleasant—through more of the Southern Alps and their stupendous scenery, to the town of Greymouth. There we boarded the TranzAlpine Railway train to Christchurch, a relaxing 5-hour ride that included a delicious meal. Our final night was at a very nice hotel next to the airport.

            The return trip home was again a long one, although we gained back the day we’d lost on the calendar on the arrival trip. When we got up that morning, it was 4:30am New Zealand time on Saturday the 12^th, and when we finally got home, it was just after 6pm and still Saturday. In real time, though, it had been some 30 hours since we’d walked into the airport terminal in Christchurch.

            Was it worth the long travel time? Absolutely! If you’re interested in visiting the Land of the Long White Cloud (the country’s nickname, based on Maori legend), give us a call!

            Sue Tindell

 

Not All That Glitters is Gold: Travelers Share Disappointing Spots  

My husband and I are in New Zealand this week, and we’ll have a writeup about that in our next newsletter. We’ve really been looking forward to this trip, as the island nation in the Southwest Pacific is renowned for being one of the world’s most exotic travel destinations. But, there are some that aren’t held in particularly high acclaim. EuroNews recently reported on a survey ranking travelers’ most disappointing tourist destinations.

            Conducted by the luggage storage company Radical Storage, nearly 100,000 visitor reviews across 200 of the world’s most visited landmarks were analyzed. The top five—or bottom five, if you will—are in Europe:

·         The biggest amusement park in the United Kingdom is Alton Towers, a 910-acre estate that was transformed into a theme park in the 1980s. It has ten distinct themed areas, but it also has one of the highest percentage of negative reviews in the survey. Misleading ticket information, poor value for the money, and expectations that guests will pay for add-ons like food and drink or access to different areas of the park were all cited. Customer service also ranked low.

·         We’ve been to Budapest, the capital of Hungary, but didn’t go to the Széchenyi Baths and Pool. Probably a good thing we didn’t. It’s been a tourist destination since 1913, but over one-third of reviewers reported a negative experience. Over-crowding and accessibility were frequently mentioned.

·         Europe’s biggest waterpark is Siam Park on the Spanish island of Tenerife in the Canarys. The princess of Thailand was there for the opening in 2007. But since then, visitors have given the park low marks for its rude customer service and accessibility issues.

·         In Lisbon, Portugal, Time Out Market Lisboa was opened by the British media and hospitality company Time Out in 2014 as the firm’s first venture into food halls. Intended to be much more upscale than a typical food court in an American mall, Time Out Market Lisboa earned the prestigious Hamburg Foodservice Award in 2018. Things have gone downhill since, though. Excessive crowds and accessibility are once again leading the way on the complaint list.

·         Finally, Rome’s venerable Trevi Fountain has long been a draw for tourists. The Baroque monument has been featured in classic movies, and every year visitors throw an estimated 1.5 million euros’ worth of coins into the fountain. A coin tossed into the water is supposed to guarantee a return to Rome in the future. But in the survey, one in four visitors had something negative to say about their experience, especially the crowds. Authorities in Rome have started restricting access to Trevi Fountain in response. It recently re-opened after renovations.

What happens to all those coins? The ritual was made famous by the 1954 film Three Coins in the Fountain, and if you want to participate, you stand with your back to the fountain and toss the coin over your left shoulder with your right hand. Every day, about 3,000 euros of loose change winds up in the fountain. The city sends a crew to retrieve the coins two or three times a year, under police supervision. Since 2001, the change has been donated to Rome’s catholic charity, Caritas. Needless to say, the donation has been a boon to the charity, providing about 15% of its budget. The group uses the money to help the city’s poor by funding soup kitchens, homeless shelters, free supermarkets and other projects, including a nursing home.

      When you come in to ask us about a certain destination, we’ll do our best to steer you in the right direction and make sure your visitor reviews are full of stars. Give us a call!

     

           

Biking Into Bravery: Discover Li's Voyage

Maisie, our 3-year-old Morkie, sometimes accompanies me to the office. She naps in her bed on my desk, waking up to greet clients. Over the noon hour, we’ll go for a 2-mile walk along the Red Cedar River, which flows past our building. Then, it’s back to the desk for another afternoon helping our clients achieve their travel dreams.

I was thinking of what to write about this week when I felt a paw touching my leg. It was Maisie, giving me her “up on the lap” signal. This time, though, she wasn’t content with just lap time. She put her front paws on the table, looked at my computer screen…and started touching keys. Within seconds, a story from CNN Travel appeared. Maisie looked at me, tail wagging.

“Is this what you want Mom to write about, honey?” I asked.

“Woof!”

(I should mention here that Maisie is very smart. She chose a perfect story, and it has a dog, of course.)

Li Dongju, a grandmother from Zhengzhou in central China, was battling depression after her 2005 divorce. Eight years later, a group of fully-geared-up cyclists pedaled past her. Their upbeat vibe made Li a little envious. Living on a pension, she couldn’t afford a bicycle, but her son bought her a folding mountain bike. Li got herself a helmet and a basket for the front of the bike, where her poodle, Xili (“razor sharp”) would ride. Now, all she needed was money; she had only $25 to her name. She worked for a year as a house cleaner before departing on a trip to Vietnam with two companions.

But Li’s inexperience caused some problems. Somewhere in Vietnam, she became separated from her more seasoned partners. She had only a mobile phone to help her navigate a foreign land, and she didn’t know the language, as she speaks only Mandarin. But she met a fellow Chinese cyclist who helped her get home.

A lot of people would say their long-distance bike trekking days would be done after that, but not Li. In 2015, she pedaled through 20 Chinese cities. She worked occasional gigs like cleaning in a spa and washing dishes in a hotel. By 2017, she was ready for another go at Southeast Asia, this time with a smartphone loaded with translation and map apps, a comprehensive plan and two seasoned companions close to her in age. The fellow riders gave it up and headed for home after three weeks, but Li kept going, biking through Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar. She came home after 70 days on the road.

Li probably didn’t know it, but she was part of a growing trend of “silver travelers” in China, whose population is rapidly aging. The China Tourism Academy says many Chinese seniors are choosing outbound travel these days, cruising to different destinations and sometimes combining travel with residency abroad.

By 2019, Europe was calling Li. Over 66 days, she biked through six countries. Later that year, she flew to Australia, which at the time was being ravaged by wildfires. Pedaling slowly along the Pacific Highway, Li saw smoke rising from nearby brush. She shot a video clip and sent it to local police, preventing a serious fire from developing. She went to New Zealand and returned home just as the pandemic hit. She realized that she’d stopped taking her depression meds.

Li has many stories of the kindness shown her by natives of the countries she’s visited. Now, she’s planning her biggest trip yet, from Kazakhstan to the United Arab Emirates. “My goal is to visit 100 countries,” she said. “Travel is like a drug. Once you taste it, you just can’t stop.”

Well, we certainly agree that travel can be a pretty healthy addiction! Give us a call, and we’ll help you get hooked!

(And by the way, the part about Maisie picking the story…remember what day occurred this week!)

            

 

Capture the Magic Again: Your Next Travel Photo Awaits!

 Everybody has them: travel photos. Somewhere in our closets and storerooms, there are albums filled with photographs from trips we’ve taken, sometimes back to childhood. These days, we’re more likely to keep them on our phones, or at least on a memory stick.

            Have you ever looked at one particularly cherished picture and thought, “I’d like to recreate that one, with how we all look today”? Jennifer Candotti, an American who now lives in Switzerland, decided to do just that. Her photo wasn’t really from a vacation, but it was important enough to her that she decided it had to be done again, and this time on a real vacation.

            Before she and her husband moved abroad, she went through her clothes, deciding which garments to keep and which to give away. She came upon a floral dress, her favorite from her college days at the University of Richmond in the 1980s. That one, she said, had so many good memories, she couldn’t part with it. She was wearing it when she and three best friends from college posed for a photo at a football game tailgate party. The girls, who lived in the same residence hall, would go to the tailgate parties but never to the actual games themselves.

            The picture was iconic for each of the young women. They have it framed in their homes. One of them, Angie Carrano, mailed the photo to each of the other three when she became engaged, asking them to be her bridesmaids. Robin Clark and Robin Garrison are the other two women in the group. The photo, Clark says, has “stood the test of time.”

            Thirty-five years after the iconic photo, the women were planning a vacation together in Italy. When Candotti found the dress, she contacted her friends via group chat and said they should recreate the photo when they got together.

            The women are now all parents, with jobs and the usual responsibilities of people in their age group, but when they travel together, it’s like “being together under one roof as if it were our freshman year of college,” Candotti says. They’d vacationed in Scotland in 2023 and decided on Italy in ’24.

            For the picture, Candotti wore her original floral print dress. The other women dug out clothes that resembled their outfits from ’89. Garrison brought along blue solo cups. This time, the cups were filled with fine Italian wine rather than cheap college beer. “We’ve upgraded,” she said with a laugh.

            Candotti’s husband, who was along on the trip, took the photo, making sure the women were posed as closely to the original as possible. There was lots of laughter, and then a few tears when they saw the finished product and compared it to the original. Clark said, “There’s so much in that photo that somebody else just looking at it doesn’t see, but we can see and feel it. And I think that’s what’s so special about it.”

            Ready to create new vacation memories…or recreate old ones? Give us a call!