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! 

🍀 Discover the Wonders of Ireland: Fun Facts & Folklore! ☘️

I’m not sure how this happened, but I’ve never been to Ireland. Right next door in Scotland, yes, but not across the Irish Sea to the Emerald Isle herself. My husband and I have often talked about going, so maybe we’ll get there one day. In the meantime, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day this week, here are some fun facts about Ireland:

· Halloween is said to have originated here. The ancient Celts celebrated Samhain, with bonfires and costumes.

· Legend has it that St. Patrick banished snakes from Ireland, but in fact, Ireland never had any snakes to begin with.

· The “Emerald Isle” nickname comes from Ireland’s lush, green landscapes and rolling hills, a result of its temperate, humid climate.

· Whiskey is said to have originated here, with the oldest recorded mention of the spirit dating back to 1405.

· The Scots will claim to have originated whiskey, and they spell it without the “e” before the final letter.

· The world’s most famous passenger liner, the Titanic, was built in Belfast, Ireland, and picked up passengers in Cobh, then known as Queenstown, on its ill-fated maiden voyage in 1912.

· In Roman times, Ireland was known as Hibernia, a name that loosely translates to “land of winter.” The Romans were able to conquer England but couldn’t subdue Scotland and never made an attempt on Ireland.

· The national symbol of Ireland is the harp, the only musical instrument in the world to be so honored. It represents the country’s musical heritage and the ancient traveling bards.

· The remains of St. Valentine, the patron saint of lovers, are buried in Whitefriar Street Church in the capital city of Dublin.

· Famous people born in Ireland include the actors Pierce Brosnan, Richard Harris, Liam Neeson and Colin Farrell. The actress Catriona Balfe is also Irish, although on Outlander she plays and Englishwoman who travels back in time to Scotland. U2 lead singer Bono is Irish; other famous singers from the island include Enya and Sinead O’Connor. The island was also the birthplace of writers James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, Jonathan Swift and Bram Stoker, who wrote Dracula.

· Guinness is well-known in the U.S. as an Irish beer but is actually more popular in Africa than in the British Isles. More than one in ten pints of beer sold in London are Guinness, but 40% of the beer’s worldwide sales are in Africa, where three of the company’s five breweries are located.

· The most popular sports in Ireland are Gaelic football, played with 15 players on a side, and hurling, sort of like lacrosse, also with 15 players per side, using sticks called “hurleys” to control the ball. Hurling claims to be the world’s oldest sport.

· Ireland has the largest percentage of red-haired people of any country in the world.

· Irish love the craic. It’s a word that translates loosely as “chat,” “good conversation” or just “a good time.” Well-known for their hospitality, Irish also love dark humor. Here’s one:

· The brewmasters of 3 major beer companies decide to step away from a beer festival and go to a local pub:

The first, a Mexican, approaches the bar and says, "Hola bartender, I would like to have the finest beer in the world. Give me a Dos Equis, por favor."
The second, a Dutchman, says, "Bartender, give me the finest beer in the world, a Heineken."
The third is an Irishman, head of the Guinness brewery in Dublin. He takes a look around and then says, "Bartender, I'll have a Coke, please."
The other two give a puzzled look and finally ask, "Why a Coke?"
The brewmaster from Guinness answers, "Well, I figured if you lads weren't drinking beer yet, I could hold off for a wee bit."

Ready to spend a wee bit ‘o time in Ireland? Give us a call!

 

 

 Dressed for the Beach: The Unspoken Rules of Rostock's Shores

Many of our clients go to the beach somewhere for vacation. The Caribbean and Mexico have some great beaches, and we’ve written previously about the emerging beach culture of Europe. But recently, CNN Travel reported that there’s been some trouble at one of Germany’s most popular beaches, in Rostock, on the Baltic coast.

It seems too many people are keeping their clothes on.
Rostock’s beaches have been well-known for decades among German nudists (“naturists” in polite conversation.) Lately, though, some beach-goers haven’t been following proper etiquette, and the cops are cracking down. It might seem overly strict, but you know how it goes, one day people are keeping their swimsuits on, and the next day they might be…well, doing something else they shouldn’t be doing.

Full disclosure: my husband and I have not been to a “naturist” beach. At some resorts we’ve stayed at, there have been sections of the property where clothing is banned, or at least optional, but it’s interesting that certain resorts advertise themselves as being like the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, only better, and they’re typically not. “Naturists” come in all ages, shapes and sizes, and that’s what you must be prepared to see if you go to one of their beaches.

So, what’s going on in Rostock? Beach wardens now can issue bans to people wearing clothing—even a skimpy bathing suit—on naturist-only beaches. The bans will be handed out only “in case of conflict.” Evidently, possible such areas include someone staring at a naturist, or taking their picture, or making unwanted comments. These are common complaints by folks who frequent nude beaches, according to the International Naturist Federation. In Rostock, things have apparently been getting a little out of hand.

Rostock has about 9 miles of beach, divided into three zones: naturist-only, mixed and textile-only. (“Textile” apparently refers to any type of garment or artificial cover employed by the wearer. Evidently using one’s hands does not count.) So, all guests’ needs are covered, even if certain body parts are not.

“Naturism” has been a thing in Germany for a long time. You might not think that of Germany; Italy, yes, and France, of course. But Germany? It’s known as Freikoerperkultur (FKK), “Free Body Culture,” and it’s ubiquitous. Not only on beaches, but in public swimming pools, saunas, even city parks. The first German nude beach was established on the island of Sylt in 1920. Germans who lived in the communist East after World War II often considered FKK as a form of subtle rebellion against the country’s strict rulers.

Times might be changing, though. Rostock city authorities tell CNN that there’s been a decrease in the number of German citizens going completely bare, especially among younger people, surprisingly enough. Thus, with the new regulation, they reduced the size of the naturist-only stretch of beach from 37 blocks down to 27.

Textile-optional beaches are in almost every country, all over the world. The most famous one in New Zealand, where my husband and I are going for a conference next month, is Little Palm Beach on Waiheke Island. Although it’s legal to bare all on every beach in New Zealand, Kiwi naturists flock to this place, an hour-long ferry ride from Auckland, followed by a downhill hike. Fortunately, our meetings will be in Christchurch; we’ll only be flying into and out of Auckland. I’ll just have to tell Dave that we simply don’t have the time…

Ready to hit the beach (with or without your textiles)? Give us a call!

Global Delicacies Await: Uncover Hidden Culinary Gems Across Cultures

One of the best things about traveling is sampling local cuisine. My husband is on a quest to find the best Bolognese sauce in the world. So far, he’s sampled it in at least six countries. Who’s ahead? So far, he says, it’s pretty much a tie between a sauce prepared by a Macedonian chef on board a cruise liner off the coast of Italy, and one served up by a transplanted Roman chef at a small Italian restaurant in Belize, of all places.

Traditionally, countries like France and Italy have had well-deserved reputations as foodie destinations, but other countries and regions are stepping up their culinary game lately, says CNN Travel.

There is a “new Nordic cuisine” movement afoot, apparently, drawing attention to Scandinavian dishes like meatballs. Yes, the humble meatball, prepared Swedish style, comes swimming in gravy with buttery mashed potatoes on the side, green peas and “a dollop of sweet-and-sour lingonberry jam.” Especially treasured at Christmas time, Swedish meatballs long ago found their way to American buffet tables, and they’re always a hit.

Pickled herring is an acquired taste, but not in Scandinavia, where it is widely served and relished. Onion and carrot, mustard and the creamy “archipelago” variety, seasoned with roe and chives, are some of the favorites, especially during the holidays. The leading brand of Swedish pickled herring is called Abba, but it predates the rock group by over a century, dating back to 1838.

Other Scandinavian favorites include cured salmon, the goose dinner, fermented herring and—get ready for it—the caviar and egg sandwich.

Bolivia, a landlocked nation in South America, hasn’t been known as a foodie destination, but its reputation is growing. In the capital city of La Paz are three restaurants currently listed among the top 100 on the continent. About ten years ago, young Bolivian chefs decided that their nation’s cuisine deserved more recognition, and so they came up with “zero-kilometer cuisine,” using as many ingredients as possible that are raised or grown locally and having direct contact with the farmers and ranchers who produce the food. At the city’s renowned Gustu restaurant, co-founder Claus Meyer, a transplanted Dane who helped found the aforementioned New Nordic food movement, has a menu featuring signature dishes like raw Lake Titicaca trout with mango, llama with Amazonian vanilla and ajipa root, Amazon fish with gooseberries and a fermented yuca, and a lamb tamale that is considered the best in the world.

Bolivia and its neighbors in the Andes cultivate more than 4,000 types of potatoes. There are over 3,000 varieties of quinoa, a hardy grain which was banned by the Spaniards as a means of controlling the indigenous population. Today, NASA is planning to feature quinoa in the indoor greenhouses that will help feed human settlements on the moon and Mars.

Just about everybody has dined at a Chinese restaurant at least once—but not necessarily in China itself. Today, of course, China has thousands of restaurants serving traditional dishes. But one Chinese wanted to know what China’s rulers used to eat. Zhao Rongguang, a food historian, entered into the daunting task decades ago. It took him 40 years of research, gaining access to ancient records from Beijing’s Forbidden City, but he’s now beginning to publish his results.

Until the last one was ousted in 1924, China was ruled by imperial dynasties, whose families and hangers-on lived secretive lives within the Forbidden City. Zhao’s research took him back to 1644, when Kangxi seized power and began the Qing Dynasty. As things settled down in the country, Kangxi’s table began featuring more exotic fare, such as tiger testicles and rooster combs, both thought to be aphrodisiacs. Kangxi, evidently, was an enthusiastic tiger-hunter. He also had at least 17 sons, so maybe he was onto something. He also began offering more traditional ethnic Han dishes at his table, such as duck gizzard stew.

Kangxi’s grandson, Quianlong, ruled from 1735-1796 and kept meticulous records of his menus. Visitors to the Hong Kong Museum can see an elaborate display showcasing the food served up by Quianlong’s chefs. Milk tea was a dietary staple. Tea bricks would be broken into boiling water; milk, butter and a pinch of salt were added. The tea leaves were then filtered out and the tea was served in elaborate silver teapots. When he visited outlying parts of his empire, Quianlong would bring along a Mongolian tea master to prepare the royal court’s daily tea. Back in Beijing, his table often featured exotic game dishes, like Sika deer tail and smoked red-braised duck, along with fried spring bamboo shoots with pork and bird’s nest soup, made from the solidified saliva of swallows. The emperor liked the soup so much, it is said he enjoyed it every morning. You can see it in the picture above, and it looks fairly tasty. Just ignore the part about the saliva.

Ready to start exploring the restaurants of the world? Give us a call, and we’ll get you over there. (Bring your own bibs.)

Sue Tindell

 

Fly Fur-st Class with BARK Air: Luxury Travel for Dogs and Humans!" 🐾✈️

We’ve never taken our dog on an airliner, although some people do. There are certainly pluses for taking our pampered pooches along with us, but there are minuses, too. BARK Air started up last year to remove the minuses. Yes, luxury air travel for dogs (and their humans) is here.

The dog toy company BARK, in partnership with a jet charter service, now offers air travel for our canine friends “in comfort and in style,” CEO Matt Meeker told USA Today when the company launched in May 2024. Its website says, “We’re here to revolutionize flying for dogs.” And just to make sure nobody thinks it’s a joke, right underneath that line is this one: “A 100% totally real airline for dogs.”

The first flight, from New York to Los Angeles, sold out, and the company has been doing brisk business ever since. Fares are not cheap; pet owners can expect to pay $8,000 for a one-way international flight and $6,000 for a domestic flight. The fare covers both the dog and its human, thankfully. The company offers routes to and from New York, London, LA, Paris and Ft. Lauderdale. Making it even easier, the dog and its human won’t even have to deal with the notoriously busy (and not-necessarily dog-friendly) big airports like JFK, LAX or Heathrow. BARK Air is flying out of nearby smaller, regional airports like Westchester County and Van Nuys.

All of the “white glove experience typical of a human’s first-class experience” is redirected toward the dogs on these flights. This pampering helps to lower the dogs’ anxiety and stress, so they can have a comfortable, fear-free experience. Food and water are provided, and there’s even a mid-air spa treatment available.

Before the flight, a concierge evaluates a dog’s temperament and sensitivities before assigning it to a seat. Dogs aren’t caged on leashed, but are free to sit on a seat, on their human’s lap, a bed or wherever comfortable. Before boarding, there are designated areas where the dogs can relieve themselves, and emergency pads are available during the flight.

These aren’t large flights, like the ones humans are subjected to regularly when we travel. Each of the BARK Air flights seats 15 dogs and their humans, but it never sells more than 10 tickets per flight, so the dogs can have a little room to roam around the cabin. Plus, all the human passengers must be at least 18 years old. They must also provide their dogs’ up-to-date vaccination records. BARK Air’s website says that humans can bring a small carry-on but can also have a standard wheeled suitcase (50-pound maximum) and a small duffle bag that are stowed during travel. “Under no circumstances should they bring squirrels or mailmen,” the site warns.

What are customers saying? One human passenger last month posted a glowing 5-star review: “We love sitting at the conference table and Freya so enjoyed her own seat where she slept comfortably, only to wake up for a barkaccino or salmon treat.” Another said, “The entire experience is well organized, efficient and fun! Who says that about airline travel these days?”

If you’re ready to really pamper your canine bestie—and yourself—give us a call!

            

China's Travel Revolution: Jets, Exoskeletons, and Adventurous Journeys!

China has rapidly become a rival of the United States on just about every level, from military strength to technology to athletic competition. The world of travel isn’t outside China’s realm of advancement, either, as a recent issue of CNN Travel pointed out on several fronts.

            The first Chinese-designed and -built mainline passenger plane, the C919 jetliner, is now in service, courtesy of the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, based in Shanghai. The twin-engine jet is China’s answer to the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320, two of the world’s best-selling aircraft types. CNN travel writer Steven Jiang, a seasoned traveler with over a million air miles under his belt, recently flew aboard an Air China C919 from Beijing to Shanghai. The plane had 8 first-class seats and 158 in economy class, although some configurations go up to 192. Jiang pre-paid for an emergency exit row seat and was pleased with the legroom he encountered. Otherwise, the seats were not very special, he noted, and amenities are few; there are no seatback screens, for example. He also liked his in-flight meal and noted the bathrooms were a little more spacious than those he’s used on other airliners. Jiang enjoyed his flight to Shanghai and gave the C919 a solid grade of B in terms of safety and comfort.

            In about ten years, the C919 and its sister planes, along with lots of others, will be landing and taking off from the world’s largest airport on a man-made island, off the northeast coast of China. The Dalian Jinzhou Bay International Airport is scheduled to open in 2035 and will cover nearly 8 square miles with four runways and a passenger terminal of nearly a million square feet. The airport will be able to accommodate 80 million passengers a year across 540,000 flights. By comparison, the busiest U.S. airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, serves just over 50 million passengers per year.

            Dalian Jinzhou Bay International will pass Honk Kong International and Kansai Airport of Japan as the world’s largest airport on an artificial island. It will be just offshore of the city of Dalian, which has 7.5 million people and has long been a transport hub due to its proximity to Japan and Korea. Its current airport, Dalian Zhoushuizi, opened a century ago and has reached its capacity.

            Every tourist visiting China wants to see the country’s amazing sites, and some of them want to explore the exotic places more closely than from a tour bus. One of those destinations is Mount Tai, in the eastern province of Shandong. It’s 5,000 feet high and takes more than 7,000 steps to climb it, a punishing trek that has been known to turn legs to jelly. But a Chinese robotics company has come up with a way to make it easier: an exoskeleton that assists climbers. On January 29, the first day of the Chinese New Year, ten AI-powered exoskeletons debuted at Mount Tai, attracting over 200 users for a fee of about $10 to try out during a week-long trial. The device is designed to wrap around a user’s waist and thighs. It weighs about 5 pounds and is battery powered. Using AI algorithms, it can sense the user’s movements and provide “synchronized assistance” the ease the burden of the legs.

            How did it work? A 68-year-old who used it to climb the mountain was enthusiastic. “It felt like someone was pulling me uphill!” But a 29-year-old was a little more restrained. “Once I took it off, I felt a bit clumsy walking on my own.” Other climbers reported that the device was inconvenient when they needed to use the bathroom or tie their shoelaces. The company said that the beta testing period is giving them plenty of data from which to design improvements, and the device is expected to hit the market next month.

            Finally, there is a new travel trend developing among Chinese youth, who are looking for alternatives to air travel due to economic uncertainty. Thus, we now have the “iron butt” travelers, who go long distances on buses and trains. One of them, age 27, told CNN, “Iron butt travel lets me visit more places for less money.” Lin En, age 23, described a grueling 46-hour bus ride from Xinjiang, in China’s northwest, to Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. The bus would stop for food every few hours, but otherwise he had to endure the long haul in a near-vertical seat, which gave him severe back pain. But he says the experience was much more “down to earth” than flying, and not just in a literal sense. “I came across so many interesting stories along the way—about culture, family or making a living—it’s all super engaging,” Lin said. He’s been on ten iron butt trips in the last year, logging more than 300 miles on buses and trains.

            Well, we’re not necessarily fans of that kind of travel, nor are our clients, but we can certainly recommend some great train trips, not to mention a visit to China itself, high on a lot of our clients’ bucket lists. Give us a call!

 

Unlock the Secrets of a Romantic Getaway - Tips for Couple Travelers!

Valentine’s Day is this week, so a lot of people are planning a romantic getaway for a night or two, or maybe longer. Traveling together as a couple is exciting, and it’s good for the relationship, too, according to research cited recently in USA Today.

            Couples who travel together “can experience greater romantic and physical intimacy and higher satisfaction with their relationships,” say the scientists. But any seasoned traveler knows that romantic getaways can go wrong, just like any other trip, often through no fault of the couple. Flight delays, overbooked hotels, bad weather…the list of potential problems is a long one. But relationship experts say that the benefits almost always outweigh the risks. Here’s why they say traveling together can be good for couples.

·         Break out of the mundane. Do something different while traveling. Step outside the familiar routines of daily life and immerse yourselves in new experiences. A shared adventure fosters teamwork as you plan the trip, encounter obstacles and work around them. Stepping away from your daily schedules and distractions allows you to focus on each other, leading to meaningful conversations, laughing at silly moments, and being together in ways that are often hard to do at home.

·         Plan an itinerary together. Even if one member tends to be more of a planner than the other, it helps to work together in planning the itinerary. Agreeing on a solid itinerary before departing can decrease the chances of conflict on how to spend vacation time. Make sure each person has the opportunity to enjoy the trip. Having said that…

·         Don’t be afraid to stray from the itinerary. Flexibility is key to a couple’s vacation and a healthy relationship overall. How you deal with flight delays, vehicle breakdowns and the numerous other pitfalls that you might encounter will determine whether you can have a fun and memorable trip in spite of the hiccups. Working the problem on your trip can also help with conflict resolution skills at home.

·         Talk to each other (a lot). Communication is mandatory for a successful couple’s trip, especially if this is your first time traveling together. You’ll both need to adapt to each other’s habits, preferences and inevitable personality quirks. The cooperation and mutual support you need on a trip help build trust.

·         Get a new perspective. You’ll be seeing your partner in a new light, away from his or her familiar routine and lifestyle, giving you a fresh perspective. How do they adapt to stress, handle surprises? Are they willing to dive into new experiences? That could be something as simple as sampling a new dish at a restaurant or engaging in an outside-your-box activity. Travel can help reignite feelings of novelty and spontaneity in the relationship, allowing couples to rediscover each other in a fresh context.

·         Take some alone time. There will be times during the trip when you might want to be by yourself, and that’s okay, even necessary. Take a walk or a swim, read by the pool or on the beach, shop, hit the gym. Spending every waking moment with your companion isn’t a requirement. You’ll feel the need to recharge your own battery.

·         Don’t set lofty expectations. Eventually, your vacations will grow into trips that are bigger and better than the first ones you took. My husband and I took our first trip together to a resort in Jamaica, and since then we’ve traveled all over the world, climbing mountains and exploring Tibetan temples. But occasionally we still like a simple long-weekend getaway, or even a road trip for a night or two. These types of trips allow couples to reconnect. It’s not about where you go or how far away it is; it’s about being intentional with your time and creating memories together.

It might be a little late to plan your getaway for this upcoming Valentine’s Day, but there are plenty of days left in the year, and there’ll be another Valentine’s Day next year. Give us a call and get ready to get away with your special someone! 

 

Journey to Morocco: Explore the Timeless Charm of Casablanca!

In what promises to be a busy year of travel, one of the places I’m thinking of visiting is the North African country of Morocco. Just a short flight—or even a boat ride—from Spain, this historic nation has some of the most intriguing destinations for American and European travelers, especially movie buffs, because one of Morocco’s most famous cities was the scene of one of the greatest movies of all time.

            Eighty-one years ago this week, the Academy Award nominations for films released in 1943 were announced. The top two films, in terms of nominations, were The Song of Bernadette (12) and For Whom the Bell Tolls (9). But the movie that came next, with 8 nominations, is the one everybody remembers: Casablanca. It would go on to win Best Picture, along with Best Director and Best Screenplay. The star of the film, Humphrey Bogart, was nominated but lost out to Paul Lukas of Watch on the Rhine. Nobody remembers Lukas today, but everybody remembers Bogie.

            I’m not a film buff like my husband, but Morocco is also an intriguing destination because of its history and culture. When the French colonized Morocco early in the 20^th century, they envisioned Casablanca as the country’s New York, its international port and economic hub, and the capital of Rabat as its Washington. Since gaining independence in 1956, Morocco has slowly been climbing its way up the scale of preferred international destinations, thanks in part to its close proximity to western Europe, and of course its association with the movie.

            The biggest attraction in most Moroccan cities is the medina, the walled historical center of the city. With labyrinthine streets, quirky restaurants and unique shopping opportunities, the medina of a Moroccan city is often the most interesting place to visit. Many cities are now refurbishing old buildings in their medina and converting them into boutique hotels. Graham Cornwell of the Washington Post recently wrote about his trip to Rabat, in which he described a morning stroll along Rue Bouqroune: “…vendors line both sides of the street, where you’ll encounter half a dozen varieties of mint piled high on little tables, silver sardines on big trays of ice, and beautiful ‘heidi’ eggs still with traces of feathers stuck to them.”

            Rabat also boasts ancient ruins dating back thousands of years, as do many other Moroccan cities. These historical locations, many of them preserved as UNESCO World Heritage sites, tie in well with the country’s many and widely renowned museums and art galleries.

In Casablanca, the medina is smaller than those in other major cities (about 125 acres) and its charm carries the visitor away when you pass through its gates. It’s essentially a large bazaar, where you can get everything from native-made leather goods and rugs to spices, linen, antiques and so much more. In Arabic, the place is known as a souk, which makes it even more exotic.

Where can visitors to Casablanca find Rick’s Café Americain, where much of the action in the film takes place? The movie was filmed entirely in Hollywood, but about 20 years ago, some restaurant entrepreneurs opened Rick’s Café Casablanca near the harbor and right on the edge of the medina. The café’s interior is a faithful replica of the movie set, there’s music and high-end dining, but no back-room casino. Reservations are required, and there is a dress code.

Ready to go to Morocco? Give us a call, and when you get to Rick’s, toast your companion with the classic line, “Here’s looking at you, kid.”

 

Journey through History:
Presidential Travels from Rails to Air!

This week, we inaugurate a new President of the United States. It’s always an historic occasion, and not too long after being sworn in, the new president will take his first official trip, on the aircraft known as Air Force One.

            There was a time when presidential travel wasn’t in the air, but on the ground. On rails, to be precise. The history of presidential trains goes back almost as far as the days of our first president, George Washington.

            The Father of Our Country never rode on a train; Washington died in 1799, about a quarter-century before the first tracks were laid in the U.S. The first presidential candidate to use a train for campaigning was William Henry Harrison during his unsuccessful 1836 bid for the office. Harrison ran again in 1840 and won; he became the first president-elect to ride a train to his inauguration in March 1841.

            It would be another twenty years before a sitting president would really start utilizing the railroad to its fullest. Abraham Lincoln traveled throughout the country by train, reaching out directly to Americans and his soldiers in the Union Army, consolidating support for his policies during the Civil War. For the first time, a special coach was built for presidential rail travel. Passenger coaches, especially private ones, frequently bore unique names in those days. Lincoln’s was dubbed United States, and Lincoln supposedly disliked the very idea. He was personally averse to luxury and wary of the message such a coach would send to his constituents, especially during wartime. He never rode in it while alive; after his assassination in April 1865, the car was part of the “Lincoln Special” funeral train that brought his body back to Illinois for burial.

            Lincoln’s use of train travel set a precedent that his successors, and their rival candidates, were quick to follow. One president, James Garfield, was shot while waiting to board his train in Washington, D.C., in 1881. Garfield died of his wounds several months later. More than half a century later, Franklin Roosevelt set the standard for presidential rail travel.

            FDR used train travel extensively during his successful 1932 campaign, and several years after taking office he started using U.S. Car No. 1, built by the Pullman Company in 1928 and originally named the Ferdinand Magellan, one of six custom cars named after famous explorers. The car was acquired by the government in 1941 and refitted for Roosevelt’s use during his travels. World War II was on, so the car featured 5/8-inch steel plating on its roof, sides and floor, and 3-inch-thick bulletproof glass windows. Two escape hatches were also installed. It was the heaviest railcar ever built in America, weighing over 140 tons.

            The interior of Roosevelt’s car had a presidential suite, two guest rooms, a dining room that also served as a conference room, and an observation lounge. There were telephones in most rooms, unheard of at the time. Communications were facilitated by a converted hospital car that had high-tech radio gear installed, so the president could stay connected at all times. A second converted hospital car was used by the presidential Secret Service detail. The code name for these two cars was “Crate.” An oversize baggage car would often carry two sedans and two convertibles for motorcades. The presidential train used the call-sign “POTUS,” with the Secret Service calling it “City Hall.” The train had the right-of-way wherever it traveled, at any time, just like presidential motorcades and Air Force One do today.

            During his presidency, FDR traveled nearly a quarter-million miles on the rails. His successor, Harry Truman, took to U.S. Car No. 1 for his 1948 campaign, a 31,000-mile “whistlestop” tour in which the train would stop at virtually every town along the route and Truman would speak to the assembled crowd from the rear platform. Truman often complained of the train’s slow speed and demanded that the engineer open it up to 80mph, double what FDR preferred. The train’s relatively slow speed was one reason why Truman became increasingly reliant on air travel on a converted cargo plane, a C-118 Liftmaster dubbed Independence.

            Dwight Eisenhower used the special railcar during his 1953-61 presidency, but its days were numbered. During his administration, the White House put the first “Air Force One” callsign on a presidential plane, a Lockheed Constellation. The last use of the car was by Ike’s first lady, Mamie, who took it to christen the world’s first nuclear submarine, USS Nautilus. The historic car was retired to the Gold Coast Railroad Museum in Florida, where it remains on display today.

            Presidents and candidates have occasionally ridden the rails since the train’s golden era, recognizing the train’s iconic place in American lore and its unique ability to transport the president around the country in secure comfort and stay relatively close to the people. No president will ever use it like FDR did, but the train will always have a special place in the history of our chief executives.

            Ready to ride the rails? We can recommend some great trips in the U.S., Canada and overseas. Give us a call, and all aboard!
 

Journey through History:

Presidential Travels from Rails to Air!

My husband subscribes to a Substack written by Sean Dietrich, who lives in Alabama. The title is “Sean of the South,” and in his columns, Dietrich writes movingly about his observations of life. Dave passed this one on to me because it takes place on a plane, and I had to share it with you. Get some Kleenex ready.

I’m on a plane awaiting takeoff. My carry-on bag is above me in the compartment. A compartment which, according to FAA regulations, is slightly too small for everyone’s carry-on bags.

There is an old man behind me trying to force his oversized roller-suitcase into storage by throwing his bodyweight against his luggage like a first-string tackle. But his efforts aren’t working because his carry-on is about the size of a Honda Civic.

But God love him, he’s trying.

A few of us passengers help him out, although we are not strong enough to bend the immutable laws of physics. 

In the process of helping, the old guy and I make friends. I’m guessing he’s mid-eighties. 

“Hi, I’m Art,” he says cheerfully, and I smell nothing but Old Spice. He answers everything with a strong Midwestern “Youbectcha.” 

“I’m from Wisconsin,” he adds.

“I’m from Alabama,” I say. 

He nods. He thumps his chest and starts the conversational ball rolling. “I was married fifty-nine years.”

“Really.”

“Ohyoubetcha.” 

“That’s amazing.” 

“Well, I learned a long time ago that marriage is just an agreement between two adults. You don’t try to run her life, and you don’t try to run yours, either.”

We fall silent while the plane achieves liftoff. But not for long. He tells me about his wife.

“She was Korean. Met her when I was in the Air Force. The last thing I thought I’d do is get married, but, hey, I fell in love. She was the prettiest woman you ever saw.”

He goes on to tell me the whole love story. He tells me how he met her when he was a GI, and how he fell for her gentle spirit, her sable hair. He speaks of how she grew up in horrific poverty, of how she was an incurable optimist in the face of loss.

“...And she was smart. Spoke four languages. And when she sang in Korean, it melted you. Shoulda tasted the food she’d cook. God, she was a spectacular cook.”

He pauses and looks out his window. About 40,000 feet below us is the earth.

“She was a great woman,” he says.

Was.

His cheerful mood is suddenly dampened. And just like that he’s done talking. He’s tired. He sleeps. He gently snores. 

And I’m wondering what a guy does after losing his wife of 59 years. How does he carry on? How does he sleep in an empty bed? How does he eat supper alone in the deafening quiet? 

The plane lands. We deboard. 

And I am impressed with how strong the old Wisconsinite is. He unloads his carry-on bag from the overhead compartment and hobbles through the passenger boarding bridge like a man twenty years his junior.

I am starting to feel bad for this lonely man until we filter into the crowded terminal where I see two arrestingly beautiful middle-aged women waiting to meet him. The women confiscate his bags and throw their arms around him. 

“Daddy,” they both say. 

As I walk past the old man on my way to my next terminal, he and I lock eyes briefly. “It was nice meeting you,” the man says to me. “You take care now.”

I smile. “Youbetcha.”

 

Is Your ID Ready for Takeoff? Check Your Star Power Before May 2025!

Take a moment and check your driver’s license. If it has the star in the upper right hand corner, you can pass on this newsletter and congratulate yourself for having gotten the Real ID. But if there’s no star, then read on.

                The star is the Real ID symbol, and it’s displayed a little differently in each state. (Wisconsin and Minnesota have the star inside a circle; California’s has its inside a bear, the state’s symbol.) Many of us have had them on our driver’s licenses (or state-issued ID cards) for years. The Real ID Act was made law in 2005, mandating that people without the star would be prohibited from flying domestically or entering certain federal facilities. But Congress gave everyone plenty of time to get it done, with the law setting a 2020 deadline for compliance. That was pushed back to 2025, thanks to backlogs at state motor vehicle departments and, of course, Covid.

                Well, 2025 is here, and if you don’t have a Real ID yet, now is the time to get one.

                The origin of the law goes back to the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01. The commission that investigated the attacks recommended that the federal government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses.” The 2005 law established minimum security standards for states to use when issuing a Real ID card to a person. Also, certain federal agencies were prohibited from accepting IDs that were issued by states which did not meet the standards.

                It sounds a lot more complicated than it really is. (Imagine that.) Every driver’s license expires after a certain period of time. In Wisconsin, it’s typically about eight years. We all know the drill: go to the local DMV office, maybe fill out a form and pay a small fee, and our new license is issued, usually sent through the mail. The new license may have a different style than its predecessor. We probably had a new photo taken for it, or change of address. New security features could be added. And, hopefully, we made sure it has that Real ID star in the proper corner (upper right in every state).

                But getting the Real ID hasn’t been a requirement, necessarily, just a pretty good idea. Now, the calendar has turned to 2025, and May 7 is just about four months away. That’s the date the law takes effect nationwide. Any traveler aged 18 or older who doesn’t have another TSA-approved form of identification, such as a passport, must have a Real ID-compliant identification card or driver’s license. If you don’t have one and try to go through security at the airport, you’ll be turned away, no matter where you’d been planning to go, or how much you’ve already paid for your flight and other expenses, such as a cruise.

                Maybe you don’t want to take the time to get your license renewed, and Real ID certified, until your birthday, when the current card expires, and the big day is sometime after May 7. Okay, but if you plan to fly before your birthday, you’ll need one of the TSA-approved substitutes, such as a valid passport, from the U.S. or another country. Other documents on that list include a DHS trusted traveler card, such as Global Entry; a Department of Defense ID for military personnel and their dependents; a border crossing card, or others that are listed on the DHS website, www.dhs.gov.

                If you don’t have your Real ID yet but would like to get one, check with your local DMV office for a list of documents you’ll need. At a minimum, you’ll need to provide documentation with your full legal name and date of birth, your Social Security number, and proof of current address. Wisconsin’s Department of Transportation has a link prominently displayed on its website, www.wisconsindot.gov, that will even allow you to schedule your visit to the nearest field office. Once you’ve done all that, it will take up to 2 weeks for the new card to arrive in your mail.

                So, if you don’t have one and you plan to fly anytime on or after May 7, it’s time to git ‘er done, as Larry the Cable Guy says. Need help with your travel documents? We’re here to make sure you have everything you need before you head to the airport. Give us a call!

Sue Tindell

 

Explore Europe and Beyond: Journey Through the World's Famous Tunnels!
 

Many of our clients enjoy traveling to Europe, and it’s one of my favorite destinations, too. But one thing I haven’t done yet is go through the “Chunnel.” Officially known as the Channel Tunnel, it runs under the English Channel for about 31 miles, connecting England and France. Used by passenger and freight trains (cars can go aboard LeShuttle, a railway service), it is the longest underwater tunnel in the world. It opened in 1994, took six years to build and came in way over budget at 4.65 billion pounds.

            A cross-channel tunnel was not a new idea, not even a 20th century idea. Way back in 1802, a French mining engineer proposed a tunnel under the Channel, with illumination from oil lamps, horse-drawn coaches and an artificial island positioned mid-Channel for changing horses. That project didn’t get off the ground—or under it, as in this case—but it did start people on both sides of the Channel thinking about it. And now, there are some people thinking that the idea of an undersea tunnel might just work for something that is somewhat larger in scale: a tunnel under the Atlantic Ocean, linking New York and London.

            With airliners able to make the flight in eight hours, how could a tunnel even be practical? It might, using vacuum tube technology. By creating a vacuum within the tunnel and using pressurized vehicles, trains traveling along the structure could theoretically reach speeds of almost 3,000mph, making the journey last only an hour.

            Digging a tunnel under the Atlantic would be the most enormous engineering project in history. Using the Chunnel construction as a guide, the Atlantic tunnel would take nearly 800 years to build, and cost upwards of $20 trillion. Those numbers suggest it’ll be a while before anybody gets serious about this project, but tests of the vacuum-tube technology, also called a “hyperloop,” are underway in India and China right now.

            There are other tunnels that are actually happening. Norway just broke ground on the Rogfast Project, which promises to become the world’s longest and deepest undersea road tunnel, connecting the Norwegian mainland with some offshore islands. It will be just under 17 miles long and at its deepest point would be almost 1,300 feet under the water’s surface. The cost: $20 billion US. Another one that’s underway is the Fehmarnbeit Tunnel between Denmark and Germany, which will be the world’s longest road and rail tunnel when it opens in 2029.

            Bridge-builders aren’t ignoring the challenge of the tunnels. A new bridge linking Greece and Turkey over the Evros River is slated to open to vehicle traffic in 2027. China has been building a lot of them; since 2005, the Chinese have constructed nine of the top 16 longest bridges in the world. The U.K. recently shelved plans to build an over-water bridge linking Britain and Ireland. It was to be 12 miles long over the Irish Sea, The problem was not the length of the proposed bridge, but what would be underneath it: Beaufort’s Dyke, a 35-mile-long natural trench created during the last glacial period. Its average depth is 500 feet, twice that at its deepest point. It’s what’s down there that really killed the project: for about 30 years after World War II, the British government used the Dyke as a munitions dump. There are more than a million tons of unexploded munitions down there, as well as chemical weapons and even radioactive waste. Combine that with rough seas, strong currents and the unpredictable weather of Scotland and Northern Ireland, and it all caused the Brits to think that the bridge might not be the best idea to pursue right now.

            Just so you know, the longest suspension bridge in the world is not the Golden Gate in California. It’s the 1915 Ꞔanakkale Bridge in Turkey, with a main span of over 6,600 feet. It opened in 2022. The Golden Gate (4,199.5 feet long) is only number 20 on the list, right behind America’s longest, the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in New York. Closer to home, the Mackinac Bridge that connects Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with the lower part of the state is 28th at 3,799.2 feet.

            Maybe your next trip to Europe will include riding the rails under the Channel. Give us a call, and we’ll get you on board!