Travel plan idea blog

Kurt Cobain map for Nirvana themed travel plans

I think what we have here is a map of some important places in the life of Kurt Cobain, lead singer of Nirvana. This was probably the most popular band when I was in high school in the early 1990s. Even today, Nirvana Unplugged is one of the albums my wife and I listen to most.

So I was working on a travel plan that involved Seattle and Portland when I figured it might be nice to stop somewhere in between if you're driving. I looked at Tacoma, Mt. Rainier National Park, and then Aberdeen.

As I was looking for info on Aberdeen (and Seattle to some extent) I kept coming across information on Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. Kurt was born and raised in Aberdeen. Bassist Krist Novoselic was raised in Aberdeen as well. One of the things I found was this map. It has things like where Kurt was born, where he got married, etc.

View Larger Map

I give you this map for 2 reasons. First if you're a huge Nirvana fan, you might want to make a Kurt Cobain travel itinerary and this map ought to help. I don't think you'd want to try to hit every location in one trip, but you could do the "Kurt in Europe tour" or whatever. And obviously you could simply work one or two of these locations into another travel plan - no need to make your vacation Nirvana history only. The map can be discussed here.

The other reason for posting the map today is that making this Seattle - Aberdeen - Portland travel plan is taking me a while and I'm too busy reading all the angry comments on yesterday's blog entry to finish today. Maybe I'll have that travel plan for you tomorrow. And if anyone has some ideas on the best place to stop between Portland and Seattle, please leave me a comment below.

Should airline passengers pay by weight?

I never seriously thought that it would be cheaper to fly a little 140 pound guy like me around compared to someone heavier.

However, it seems that times are so tough for airlines that every pound counts. This article talks about how one airline is removing life vests from the planes - they will make each flight about 50 pounds lighter...

They won't want to pay for storage, so if you need an airline style life vest, I'd start checking Ebay.

Anyway, it's a topic we've covered this before but the cost of flying will increase. And although Continental made a nice gesture by not charging travelers who are affected by Tropical Storm Gustav for itinerary changes, the airlines are charging for just about everything these days.

And apparently they have to. Alitalia is in trouble again. Spanair should be in trouble if they aren't already. Zook failed (screwing hundreds of people in the process). The workers for American Airlines are making noise.

The extra charges trend has been devloping for a while. Recently we talked about pillows. One of the only things they don't charge you for is your body weight...

Modern and antique vacation experiences

This article talks about a multi-sports Yellowstone family vacation that includes off-road biking, hiking, horseback riding, rock climbing, and white water rafting. Sounds pretty cool to me.

These destinations also sound cool although one of them has been buried in volcanic ash for over 1900 years. And I thought talking about grandparents' travel habits was going back in time...

And it turns out that Staycations were not as popular as many people thought they would be this summer. I suppose I paid too much attention to the hype as well.

That article does argue that the travel industry is hurting a bit - but that does not mean everyone is staying home...

Finally, I'm thinking of starting a new thing where with each blog entry I point out an old one. Today I happen to be wondering what happened to Bobby Fischer who I wrote about back in February, 2005. Did he get out of jail? Did he get his new passport from Finland (apparently the 3 year old link on that old blog entry is no longer good)?

What did Michael Phelps do on his last vacation?

This article talks about Michael Phelps' vacation in Portugal, specifically the Algarve.

By the way, over 3 years ago, we published a travel plan for Lisbon and the Algarve.

Anyway, it sounds like the greatest Olympian of all time just wanted to relax after winning those 8 gold medals - no doubt he would have found our travel plan a bit more active than his plan: relax, golf, go to nightclubs.

Of course there's one big activity missing from that list: eating! Then again, a guy who eats a pound of pasta for dinner is probably eating too fast to taste the food anyway so we wouldn't expect much of a restaurant review from America's biggest Olympic story anyway.

Now changing subjects just slightly, if you ask me, Portugal's tourist board made an error in its press release:

Michael Phelps left the Beijing Olympics with a record eight gold medals, adding to a career tally of 14, so where is the golden athlete heading next? The twenty-three year old American swimmer is on route with some friends to a golfing vacation in Portugal's Algarve region. He will relax at Hotel Hilton Vilamoura As Cascatas Resort and Spa, and enjoy some of the best golf in the world, up to par for one of the world's best swimmers.

How is Michael Phelps one of the best instead of the best swimmer in the world?

Anyway, Phelps did say he would return to the Algarve if he had a chance. Maybe next time he can try our travel plan. For now he's too busy giving swimming lessons. Have you ever seen a pool so crowded? Actually the water park I went to in Ducksan was close but there were more people in the water and fewer people taking pictures.

My apologies to all you golfers reading this. I can't say much about golfing in Portugal. I'm not much of a golfer (though I have a cool story about a Buddhist monk trying to teach me how to swing a club in a little driving range set up behind a temple) and all I have for you is this old article on golfing in Vegas.

The Mystery of Amelia Earhart

It is unlikely that any other travel mystery has attracted more interest or speculation worldwide than the unexplained disappearance of Amelia Earhart. Recognized for her many daring accomplishments in aviation, her ultimate fate is still a puzzling one. After successfully crossing the Atlantic, the U.S. from coast to coast in 1932, and soloing from Hawaii to California in 1935, her next venture to fly around the world, unfortunately, would be her last. The first part of the 4-stage journey went well, but problems arose after leaving Lae, New Guinea in July 1937 enroute to Howland Island in the Pacific. Climbing to 10,000 feet to avoid the strong headwinds, the Lockheed Electra was gradually veering off course. With a rapidly depleting fuel supply, the plane was now heading into the sun and too far southwest in the opposite direction. About 20 hours into the flight, the last radio communication from Earhart was received by the Itasca, a Coast Guard boat stationed at Howland. An intensive search by 10 ships and 66 planes was launched, but no trace of the plane, Earhart, or her navigator, Fred Noonan, was found.

Officially, it was determined that the aircraft simply ran out of fuel and crashed into the sea, with no survivors. But, as happens with most tragic events, curiosity arose, as aviation experts, researchers, scientists, and journalists offered explanations and possibilities. From newspaper headlines to radio commentaries, everyone had an opinion as to what had happened. Rumors circulated that “America’s sweetheart” was one of the voices of the infamous Tokyo Rose; this, of course, proved to be nothing more than material for the tabloids.

One of the more credible theories was that the two made it to the Phoenix Islands and survived on Nikumaroro, the once uninhabited Gardner Island, as castaways until their death. Certainly, Robinson Crusoe readers were intrigued, but there does seem to be some real evidence to support this theory. Even the U.S. Navy and Earhart’s mother felt the flight had ended somewhere in the Phoenix Islands. Richard Gillespie of The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) based his investigation of the crash on the aircraft’s last known position, as well as on reports of a plane wreck and a man and woman living on Nikumaroro in 1939. Various items were recovered, which included aircraft parts unique to a Lockheed Electra and a bit of footwear similar to that worn by Earhart in flight attire. TIGHAR’s recent expedition in July-August 2007 discovered bronze aircraft bearings and a zipper pull, possibly from a flight suit. These artifacts are only circumstantial evidence, but TIGHAR continues to investigate Lockheed aircraft crashes, as well as other types of aircraft lost near the Phoenix Islands. George Putnam, Jr., Earhart’s stepson, has enthusiastically supported the Group’s research.

Just as convincing to some people, however, is the possibility that they were not heading to Howland Island as reported, but were on a secret mission directed by FDR to the Marshall Islands (then controlled by the Japanese). In this scenario, it is thought that the Japanese intercepted their last radio transmission and captured them upon landing. Here, they were held as hostages and eventually killed in Saipan. In 1949, Army Intelligence along with the United Press and Jackie Cochran, another world famous aviatrix and close friend of Earhart, completely dismissed the theory that the Japanese were involved in the disappearance. They based their conclusion on an extensive search of Japanese post-war files.

Others have presented evidence pointing toward a safe rescue and return to the US. Retired AF Colonel Reineck, considered an expert on the subject, explored this conspiracy theory in his book Amelia Earhart Survived, published in 2003. He writes that the plane was purposely ditched in the Marshall Islands, as planned by the U.S. government. While on a rescue mission for Earhart, they would then gain access to Japanese pre-war intelligence. Brought back to the U.S., different identities for security reasons would be assumed. Thus, Amelia Earhart became Irene Cragmile, married Guy Bolam, and lived in New Jersey until her death in 1982. Photographs of Irene Bolam and handwriting evidence would seem to prove that Earhart and Bolam were one and the same.

Although this does sounds plausible, it was contradicted with a televised series Undiscovered History by the National Geographic Channel in 2006. The broadcast was based upon an earlier book with the same theory, Amelia Earhart Lives, written by Joe Klaas in 1970. However, the real Irene Bolam, a banker in the 1940’s, denied that she was Earhart and filed a $1.5 million claim against the publishers, McGraw-Hill, who withdrew the book from the market and settled out of court. Other researchers and forensic specialists analyzed both women’s lives and photographs and came to the same conclusion – this was not Earhart.

The story of Amelia Earhart’s disappearance is a fascinating one, a legend and a mystery to this day.

Sharon Slayton

Facebook Where I've Been Countries Map Application

This will be a rant. You have been warned.

I really really hate this Facebook application. It's also for Mysapce and some things I've never heard of. I recently found an old college friend on Facebook and she had this application installed. It was the first time I had seen it. It didn't really excite me - you scroll over China and it says "Jane Doe wants to go here". You scroll over Hawaii and it says "Jane Doe has been here." Then I saw something about how she had seen 5% of the world. I thought 'that can't be right'.

A day or two later we're catching up and she says "I've been to 5% of the world which I think is pretty sad." I thought 'can she really think that?'

From her map it looks like she has been to about 10 states in America plus Ontario. Basically you fill in the information and the map shows people where you've been, where you've lived, and where you want to go. Then it 'calculates' how much of the world you've seen.

It's pretty ridiculous as far as I can tell. The US gets divided into states and Canada gets divided into provinces, but China is just China. Only the US, UK, Canada, and Australia get divided up. You can actually choose cities, but they don't seem to have smaller towns and I didn't see a chance to enter cities in China or wherever. Mostly North America I guess.

Now I was in China for 2 or 3 days. I saw 2 airports, 1 city, 1 dirty massage (well almost), Confucius' home, and a mountain. Have I seen China? I lived in New York for 12 years. Have I seen 5% of New York? Can you now calculate how much of the world I've seen?

I couldn't get the stupid thing to tell me how much of the world it thinks I've seen, but if 10 US states plus Ontario = 5% I must be up around 20% or maybe 30%. Yet I know that I've seen way less than 5%.

In the end, it's not the map that shows people where you've traveled I have trouble with. It's that only 4 countries get divided into states / provinces / whatever. And that they give you a crazy percentage of the world you've 'seen'.

Tripadvisor paid 3 million for this thing and I'm sure the exposure and advertising and awareness they get is totally worth it for them. But I still hate it. Better to just leave a comment here if you ask me.

Some Fall Reality Shows featuring Exotic Places!

It's that time of year again when the US television networks excitedly announce their fall line-up of television shows. A couple of the most popular reality shows are back and are going to some exotic places around the world. The latest installment of the long running CBS show Survivor was filmed in the small African country of Gabon – described as one of the last unspoiled wildernesses left on earth. (Hopefully the contestants won’t spoil it too much!) According to this article, Gabon actually sounds like an interesting place to visit – it is a politically stable country, and around 10% of the land is designated a national park. (Survivor starts Thursday, September 18th on CBS)

And one of the best reality shows, the Amazing Race is back for its 13th season (Starting Sunday, September 28th on CBS) If you haven't seen the show, eleven teams of two literally race around the world, trying to solve clues and be the first to arrive at the next location. The last team to arrive is usually eliminated.

The new series will include locations such as Russia, Brazil, Bolivia, Cambodia and Kazakhstan, and teams include an ex-NFL player and a couple of aging hippies. The show’s host Phil Keogh, who makes an appearance at every one of the show's locations, must surely be one of the most traveled people in the world by now.

I don’t see anything on the Travel Channel website about a new exciting fall line-up, so my feeling is that it will be the same shows repeated over and over. And the dreaded World Poker Tournament is still on all Saturday evening on the Travel Channel...

It isn't particularly exotic, but I spent last weekend with my family at Dollywood, Dolly Parton's theme park near Pigeon Forge in Tennessee. The park isn't as huge and overwhelming as some parks, but it has enough rides and entertainment to keep you occupied. My only complaint is that it cost $8 to park, which seems rather high, especially as we paid a lot just to get in the park. Which makes me wonder... what is the most anyone has ever paid for daily parking... either at a resort, theme park, airport or any other travel related place..?

Guest entry by Mancunian

Best Western's European reservation system

If you've stayed at a Best Western recently, this article on the biggest ever cyber heist will be of interest. Apparently 8 million Best Western customers have had their personal info stolen (credit cards, addresses, etc.).

From the article it sounds like we're talking specifically about Best Western's European reservation system.

The stolen credit cards is bad enough, but the real scary part are the burglary packs:

Because the compromised information included future bookings, the gang now has the capacity to sift through the data and sell "burglary packs", giving the home addresses of local victims and the dates on which they are expected to be away from their home.

Name that train contest

When I was a kid I rode on a cog railway. I loved it because the steep angle made it so that you could stand up, lean forward real far, and not fall over. I remember standing, leaning, and not falling. But I forget the name of the railroad.

I suppose it's possible that it was the Mount Washington Cog Railway. There can't be that many cog railways within driving distance of New York so I'd say there's a decent chance.

Anyway, that's why this contest caught my eye. You submit a name the new biodiesel engine and if they go with your name, you win.

Names for the new locomotive can be entered at the Cog's website - www.thecog.com. All entries must be received by Aug. 29 and the winner will be invited to ride the new biodesisel train and join Governor and Dr. Lynch at the dedication of the locomotive on Sept. 6, 2008.

I didn't actually see a spot on the website to submit and I may just enter this one, so I've got an email in to see if they can help us. Check the comments if there are any to see if we have a place to submit names. If you see the submission area on the website, let us know!

A good season to look for travel deals

This article talks about how September and October are usually cheaper months to travel. This year gas prices might cut into that savings however.

One suggestion is to head to places before they become popular. Easier said than done? But after the article mentions South Africa it seems like common sense:

South Africa is a bargain at the moment. It might cost you more to go there, but the cost of living is much lower. The exchange rate is also very good. But from 2010 it will definitely be more difficult.

I doubt that I'll make it to South Africa before 2010 but I would like to go for the World Cup if I have time and money in 2 years...

And that's about it for me. My wife and I sang karaoke for a couple of hours tonight and now I'm exhausted.

Where supermodels go on vacation

Today I plan to teach you how to meet super models on vacation.

The lesson doesn't really come from me (not that I'm not an expert!); it comes from this article on where to go to meet super models while they are on vacation. Our society being what it is, educators just don't make the same money as super models so my chances of paying 19,200 dollars a night (is that one of the most expensive hotel rooms?) at Badrutt's Palace in St. Moritz are pretty slim. Not that Claudia Schiffer, Liz Hurley, and Kate Moss are about to try to steal me away from my wife anyway.

Hotel Guanahani & Spa on St. Barts = Selita Ebanks
La Residencia Hotel in Mallorca = Kate Moss
Surf Lodge in Montauk, NY = Tyson Beckford
The Standard Hotel in Miami = Karolina Kurkova
Marina All Suites in Rio = Gisele Bündchen, Naomi Campbell
Heidi Klum's resort in Costa Careyes, Mexico = Christie Brinkley, Claudia Schiffer, Uma Thurman and Giorgio Armani

Which one will you be visiting? Me, I'll keep working on my Alaska vacation plan.

Alaska travel plan in progress - thinking out loud

The cruise to Alaska was a good introduction to the largest US state, but I realized that if you want to increase your chances of seeing the most interesting wildlife you need to stay in each place more than a few hours.

We did see a few whales while on the cruise ship, including one that was playing around for a good 15 minutes or so - slapping water with its tail, jumping, blowing water - basically putting on a great show. We also saw some eagles on some shore excursion. But there's a lot more we could have seen if we had spent more time on the land and less time on the boat.

So I figured I'd start working on a travel plan. Then I found this little tool and decided to check it out. If you just want to do some reading it's OK, but I didn't find it real helpful - I thought it was an interactive thing that could recommend a vacation itinerary based on my interests. I guess I'm on my own. Here's a rough draft, just a few ideas I'm working with:

1. Cruise the inside passage - this was very cool on the cruise ship. I'm sure a smaller ship that could get in closer would be even cooler.

2. Mendenhall Glacier hike - while we were on the Mendenhall Glacier River float shore excursion, the guide told us that his favorite thing in Alaska was hiking on the glacier because he knew some caves and other cool things. I'd like to go back there and skip the river float but explore the glacier.

3. Bear watching. We didn't see any bears but we saw signs and heard stories. My wife really wants to see some.

4. Wolf howls. One of my best experiences was listening to wolves howl in the Singapore Zoo Night Safari. Alaska has wolves. I'd love to see something like this live:

So those are the activities I need to include in the travel plan. Let's see if I can make an itinerary. Someone on youtube asked where the video was shot but that hasn't been answered. I haven't tracked down any good leads on wolf tourism in Alaska yet. Maybe my search engine skills are failing. I did find this: "Would you be interested in an adventure in Alaska? The International Wolf Center sure is! If you're serious about such a trip, please email Jess Edberg, Information Services Director at jedberg@wolf.org and let her know."

I guess I can't do too much planning until I know where the wolf tourism spots are. For bears, it seems like there are many options, possibly the best is Katmai National Park, the largest grizzly preserve in the world. It seems that fitting in a bear tour will be pretty easy as long as you go at the right time. I noticed in the cruise excursion book that there were bear tours starting in late July (our cruise was early July). I think that was in Juneau.

It seems that Katmai has no road access a flight from Anchorage is probably the way to go.

That means we'll probably be starting and ending the itinerary in Anchorage. Now there is a Wolf Song of Alaska in Anchorage but I'm not sure that they offer tours - I have sent them an email.

Anchorage is not close to the Inside Passage, so I may end up scrapping that part of the plan. However, it is possible to take cruises from Whittier (62 miles from Anchorage) to Vancouver that go through the Inside Passage. They seem to stop in Ketchikan, Skagway, and Juneau - 3 places my NCL cruise stopped. I could live without returning to those places, especially since I need more time in Juneau for the Mendenhall Glacier.

Clearly the big decision facing this travel plan is do we stick around the Anchorage area or do we also try to do Juneau and the Inside Passage? I'm not sure yet...

The Crash of Egypt Air Flight 990

Sharon Slayton follows up her interesting article on flights that vanished in the Bermuda Triangle with another airline disaster mystery.

The Boeing 767 left LAX, October 31, 1999, with 203 passengers and 14 crew members on a regularly scheduled route to Cairo, Egypt, with a stopover at JFK. Two separate crews were required for the long, international flight – one for takeoff, landing, and the first few hours in the air, and a second relief crew for the remaining flying time. Among the passengers from 7 different countries were over 30 high-ranking military officers from Egypt, whose identity and purpose of travel were not clearly revealed at the time. Radio contact was lost shortly after takeoff from JFK, and about 1:50 am, just 60 miles south of Nantucket, the plane went down in the Atlantic Ocean. In this short time, the aircraft deviated from its assigned path at 33,000 feet in a series of erratic ups and downs, diving to 16,000 feet, back up to 24,000, and then the final dive into the Atlantic.

Aeronautical engineers thoroughly analyzed this strange flight pattern, but could find no satisfactory explanation as to how or why this occurred. Furthermore, there was no evidence of an explosion, and there were no other commercial or military aircraft scheduled for this flight plan. This led to speculation that another unidentified type of aircraft was flying the same flight path, but if so, where did it come from, and why was there no information on it from the control tower at JFK?

The media, of course, reacted worldwide with a great deal of controversy and speculation over what caused the crash of Egypt Air Flight 990. Rumors of suicide and terrorism circulated, based upon the cockpit voice recording and various misinterpretations of the words in Arabic of Al-Batouti, the co-pilot. During the final few minutes of Flight 990, according to the flight data recorder, we hear the captain saying, “what’s happening,” and then “pull with me.” As the plane continued its downward plunge, the co-pilot kept repeating “I rely on God.” Much emphasis was placed by the media upon the tape recording as to what was said and the quality of the tape itself. Some sources claimed the words were “I made my decision now. I put my faith in God’s hands,” but this was never verified.

Another possibility mentioned too was that the co-pilot was reacting to a “surprise” development, and reciting a shaddah, Muslim prayer, when facing death. Questions arose about the apparent disconnection of the autopilot, as well. Was this a necessary reaction to the failure of the aircraft, or a deliberate act of suicide? Egypt officials promptly disagreed with the theory of suicide, as it is considered a mortal sin in their religion, and Al-Batouti did not fit the profile in any other way. Several members of the Egyptian press even suggested other theories, which included a CIA conspiracy with Israel’s secret service, the Mossad, an accidental firing of a missile by the U.S., which brought the aircraft down, or a secret recovery and reprogramming of the airplane’s black box before word could reach the public.

Since the flight had taken place over international waters, the Egyptian government participated in the investigation of the crash, along with numerous U.S. government agencies including the Department of Defense, the Coast Guard, the FAA, and Boeing. Just two weeks into the investigation, the NTSB declared it a criminal event to be turned over to the FBI. This was met, however, with vehement objections by Egyptian officials, who responded by sending their chief of intelligence, Omar Suleiman, to the U.S. Egypt Air’s report clearly refuted the idea of a deliberate action on the part of the co-pilot. Their engineers attributed the crash to a mechanical failure of the elevator control system, but the U.S. did not agree. Although there seemed to be little reliable data on this possibility at the time of the investigation, similar malfunctions on other Boeing aircraft did occur in the years following.

After almost two years of investigation, the NTSB published their final, official report on the disaster. It attributed the crash to the co-pilot’s handling of the flight controls, and made no mention of a suicide mission or imply that these were deliberate, criminal actions on his part. The reasons for the disaster remain unclear, and the questions about sabotage, conspiracy, or unknown aircraft are not answered, at least in the official report. The latter theory could not be proved or disproved, as some radar and test data were not released. No one survived this deadly crash, and the bits of wreckage that were recovered are now secured in an aircraft hangar in the U.S.

South Louisiana Blackpot Festival and Cookoff Stirs up Good Tunes and Vittles - October 24-25, 2008

This is a press release, but it seems like an interesting vacation idea, kind of a music / food festival.

2008 promises another breathtaking community-driven two-steppin', fiddle-smashin', Jambalaya-jammin', camping-out two-day event at the 3rd annual South Louisiana Blackpot Festival and Cookoff at Acadian Village in Lafayette, Louisiana. So grab your tents, tune your banjos and accordions, register your recipes, and get your boots over to one of the most unique festivals in Acadiana (and maybe even the world), October 24-25, 2008!

The South Louisiana Blackpot Festival and Cookoff in Lafayette, Louisiana is a cooperative and unprecedented gathering of South Louisiana musicians, artists and roots enthusiasts as well as a number of groups from all over the U.S. Cajun, Zydeco, Creole, Swing, Hot Jazz, Blues, Bluegrass, Americana, Irish and Old-Time live music combine to create a down-home festival fun for the whole family. In addition, campers have a chance to mingle and jam with the artists at the end of the night on the campground site. Marry spectacular bands with an old-fashioned blackpot cookoff, accordion contest, called square dancing, and ample camping space for tents and RV's, and you get an event combining community, music, food, and all-around good times in the warm, traditional setting of Acadian Village. Created and organized by the members of the Red Stick Ramblers, it was born from Linzay Young's ritual of bringing a black pot (cast iron) on tour to make sure the food wasn't overlooked, and is a 'real' and beautiful family-reunion-esque event making it a culturally rewarding travel, music and culinary destination for all ages. A portion of the proceeds benefits LARC. www.lafayettelarc.org

2008 lists a spectacular array of talented musicians such as The Figs, Red Stick Ramblers, Pine Leaf Boys, Lafayette Rhythm Devils, Racines, FeuFollet, and Joe Hall just to name a few. The Cookoff will be held Saturday, October 25 from 12 to 5, with judging taking place at 5pm based on 4 categories: gravy, cracklins, jambalaya, and dessert. The Accordion Contest will be held Saturday at noon granting prizes to both professionals and amateurs with no age limit. Pre-registration for both events is encouraged.

For additional information on the festival, and to register for the contests, check out the South Louisiana Blackpot Festival and Cookoff website at www.blackpotfestival.com.

"…the blackpot fest is sure to be the best thing to happen to you since you got your braces off… is sure to tickle the fancy of everyone from cast-iron cooks to two-steppin' couples." – PoorPony

"I think the relationship between food and music is a primal thing within people in general. We all thrive on company, and we all got to eat. It is a basic thing to enjoy each other's company and food and music and dancing." - Linzay Young

Hurricanes = tourism marketing challenge

A new challenge faces tourism promoters. This article says it well: "After three years, vacationers finally seem to have forgotten about Florida's hurricane woes. Tourism promoters hope Fay won't jog their memories."

This sounds to me like people who sell travel don't want to talk about hurricanes. You'd better do your own research, possibly starting with the average hurricane tracks I blogged about a few days ago.

Today is my anniversary so I won't be spending any more time with my computer...

Different style vacations

I hope to get a fairly broad sample of travel experiences. From cruising to Alaska, to live action roleplaying, to shopping in Europe, to all-inclusives in the Caribbean, to Ducksan, to road trips through Canada, and so on.

I want this blog to reflect not only all of my travel interests but even some travel that isn't really my style but that might be your style. So today I happened to find a bunch of articles on vacation style that I thought I'd share. If you plan to read them all you'll need to set aside some time...

This article talks about golf and gambling in Michigan. I'm not a big fan of either so this might be one of the last kinds of vacations I check out. Not that I'm against sports vacations. It might be rewarding (but highly unlikely to be fun) to go spend a month with some famous trainer who gets boxers or athletes into shape, for example.

Speaking of gambling, Atlantic City is going upscale. It seemed pretty upscale when I went a few years ago but since I don't like gambling I don't see myself returning anytime soon.

This one talks about all-inclusive resorts, claiming that there are different styles of all-inclusive. That's true to some extent since there are adult only resorts, nudist resorts, resorts we can't afford, etc.

This article is about family vacations in Austin, Texas. I was in Austin for about a day and would certainly be willing to go back.

This article is about an artificial salt cave spa near Chicago. The article makes me want to go see the real thing in Poland more than the imitation in Chicago...

This one talks about honeymoon style (in Florida). I like honeymoon articles even though my honeymoon ended years ago because it's still possible to get great romantic vacation ideas from these articles. Although something tells me that I'd be traveling solo if I went on the one that sounds best to me:

It's a roughing-it kind of adventure, but exploring the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail could appeal to nature-adoring newlyweds. Make your base at one of the new, fully equipped, air-conditioned cabins ($99 a night) in Stephen Foster, Suwannee River or Fanning Springs state parks and do day trips by canoe or bike or hike into the river wilderness. No televisions or telephones in cabins, so honeymooners can devote all their attention to each other.

With this article you can read about staying in the Ritz Carlton and rebuilding New Orleans at the same time. Kind of sad how the US has largely forgotten about New Orleans, but I have a friend who lives there (by choice - she's a social worker) and that city is still suffering mightily.

And of course, this blog goes back a few years and has lots of travel plans and ideas for various style vacations so if you still feel like reading, take a poke through the archives here.

Into the Unknown With Josh Bernstein

Here's a New York Times article on Into the Unknown With Josh Bernstein, a new Discovery Channel show. From the sounds of things it won't be a show I watch regularly although it is possible that an occasional topic will catch my interest:

"It’s a much broader series, not defined purely by archaeology," he added. "I travel the world to bring back fantastic stories," like a look at the real, rather than the Hollywood-based, life of Roman gladiators, or at elephant attacks on humans in Africa today.

Maybe eventually I'll watch one and review it, Like I did for Samantha Brown's Cabo show.

Find out which places are most likely to be hit with storms / hurricanes

With storms and hurricanes and things coming up, I thought this website might be useful for those going to Florida, the Caribbean, and other places where hurricanes are common. You want to scroll down to "Climatological Areas of Origin and Typical Hurricane Tracks by Month" and then find the month you'll be traveling in. Then see if your destination is in the path.

The maps are approximations or averages but better than nothing. If you are going to one of those areas at the "right" time I strongly recommend travel insurance, especially if you're spending a lot on the vacation.

It reminds me of this old conversation where most people seemed to say that travel agents are not to blame when they book trips for people who end up getting stuck in bad weather.

Are profits and stock prices more important than offering employees health insurance?

This story made it to Yahoo's front page for a bit. Seems Disney is trying to save money by making more of its employees unable to get health insurance. If you ask me the Disney execs making millions are the ones who should be going to jail but as usual it's the poor people who suffer. Protest because you want health insurance from a huge company that makes tons of money, go to jail.

By the way, here's a stock market guy claiming that Disney is doing such great business that the US can't possibly be in a recession. So Disney is making enough money to pay its employees. The financial data is here if you're used to looking at stock info.

My parents wanted to go to Disney with my wife and I this winter. I really can't see myself going to Disney until this labor dispute is resolved. I wonder if that resolution will end with more foreign workers in Disney hotels and fewer Americans with health insurance.

Unexplained Airplane Disappearances - The Bermuda Triangle

On January 31, 1948, a British passenger plane, the Star Tiger, disappeared somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle. The Tudor IV aircraft were a relatively new design of the British South American Airways Corporation, having spent about 500 hours in the air, but with no history of mechanical or structural failure. They had been flown successfully during the Berlin airlift, and were part of a transatlantic fleet with routes to Bermuda, the West Indies, and the coast of South America.

The plane left England on January 30, 1948 with 25 passengers on a long flight scheduled to arrive around 5 am the next day in Bermuda. One of the passengers of note, Air Marshall Sir Arthur Coningham, was a British World War II hero, having served as Commander in Chief during the Battle of Normandy. After refueling at Santa Maria Island in the Azores, the flight continued with no apparent problems. Although the Tudor aircraft was airtight and capable of much higher altitudes, the Star Tiger was flying low at 2,000 feet to avoid the headwinds from the Gulf Stream. The pilot and crew were highly experienced, and the runway at their destination was clearly lit and visible from 30 miles away. Everything seemed in order, according to the last contact with the plane’s radio operator at 3:15 am; yet, the plane and its passengers disappeared and were never seen or heard from again.

A ship at sea, the S.S. Troubadour, reported an airplane flying at a low altitude between Bermuda and Delaware Bay. It is doubtful, however, that this was the Star Tiger, since it would have been way off course. Extensive investigations by the British Civil Air Ministry were conducted, but no plausible explanation could be found for the disappearance. The possibility of low fuel or engine failure at this stage of the flight would not have been a factor, as the aircraft could have flown on three or even two engines for the short remaining distance. With no problems in weather, atmospheric conditions, visibility, or the aircraft itself, what happened so quickly to the Star Tiger remains a mystery to this day.

One year later, a similar British Tudor IV aircraft, the Star Ariel, disappeared on January 17, 1949 in the Bermuda Triangle. The Star Ariel was awaiting flight instructions in Bermuda, when it was called upon to replace another plane and take 13 passengers to Kingston, Jamaica. At 8:41 am, the flight left Kindley Field in Bermuda in perfect weather. About an hour into the flight, the pilot radioed in his position at 18,000 feet and estimated arrival time in Kingston at 2:10 pm. The Star Ariel had virtually unlimited visibility both above and far below to the Sargasso Sea.

One interesting, unexplainable factor was later considered, however. Throughout the day, communication had been poor, with unidentifiable static and loss of reception for short intervals on certain channels in the area. Some experts think it possible that a distress message sent by the pilot might have been lost, or intercepted, but others disagree. In any event, the communication problems mysteriously disappeared about an hour before the Star Ariel would have arrived in Bermuda. Extensive searches by British aircraft and U.S. Navy planes and ships came up empty. No trace of the 7-member crew, the passengers, or the wreckage was ever found.

The disappearances of the Star Tiger and Star Ariel in less than a year’s time and in the same approximate location may well have been just a coincidence. Even so, they were not the first and would not be the last mystery of the "Devil’s Triangle."

(Note: As a result of these two losses, the Tudor aircraft were withdrawn from service.)

Sharon Slayton

Have you ever used Greyhound - If so how was it?

Submitted question: I'm looking at what it will cost to see my parents in the Nashville, TN area over Christmas. I'm traveling from New Jersey. It's pretty depressing to look at the discounted prices even 5 months out. Anyway right now Greyhound is far and away the cheapest but they say the trip is 25 hours long. If anyone has every used Greyhound for a trip in that length range, how was it?

I've collected a few responses. Please add your comments below if you can help.

Response #1: Of course my suggestion is to either take a cheap flight or train ride to your destination. But if you have no choice but to take the bus for budge reasons, here are tips I picked up after riding Greyhound on a consistant basis.

1) Try to schedule taking Peter Pan bus as much as possible. It's the same company but Peter Pan buses have better and more comfortable seats (leg room is important).

2) Try to enter the bus somewhere in the middle of the line, never early. Reason being, if you get in the bus too early, you can't control who you sit next too. If you enter the bus somewhere in the middle, you have a decent shot at picking an OK person to sit to.

3) iPod, cd player are a must. Make sure you have enough music to pass the time properly.

4) People who pick YOU to sit next too, they can have body odor, or eat fried chicken and wipe their hands on their shirt to clean.......in the process smell like greesy fried chicken for the entire lenth of your trip.

To combat this, carry an orange in your backpack/jacket pocket. Peel the orange slowly durning your trip if someone sitting near you smells. Each time you peel the orange, the citrus scent will mask most of these odors.

5) Finally, don't sleep on the bus. Even prior to that horrific Canadian Greyhound story, I never felt it safe to sleep on those buses. If your trip is 20 hours, try to sleep\nap prior to you leave on this trip and stay awake the whole time.

Response #2: took it when I moved from San Fran to NY in '02. Did it b/c shipping my stuff with greyhound was the cheapest way back then. My horror story is that my bus broke down in the middle of the Utah desert on a 95 degree day, and we had to wait 3 hours standing around an exit ramp for a replacement bus to pick us up. But besides that, the rest of the ride wasn't bad. For about 80% percent of the way, I could get my own seat, so there weren't any smell issues, and I didn't see a lot of sketchy people, though I watched my backpack like a hawk. I remember staying in a hotel in Chicago, where I met a nice Tibetan family from the bus. Still, I'd keep looking for a cheap flight.

Response #3: I've taken buses all over and not just greyhound - I often take the "Chinatown bus" from D.C. to NYC when I visit family - that costs as low as $15 each way.

On Greyhound I've done countless ~4 hour trips, as well as Nashville to DC, Vegas to LA, and the Ironman Seattle to Denver which topped out at 50 hours. I don't mind them at all - I don't get bored very easily (music, reading, or just space out for hours at a time) and I find Amtrak prices just offensive. Flat out absurd. $110 one way D.C. to Penn? Gimme a break. I've also ridden all over the country via craigslist "rideshare" including from Denver to Vegas with a guy who turned out to be an amazing person and from San Fran to Denver with a raging hippie who was driving all the way to NY State.

I've never had any problems with travel (knock on wood) and enjoy the aberrations that buses or rides with random people tend to bring. Plus since I don't have any kids, I have little to lose. That said, if you have the coin - train rides are always preferable since they're faster and you can get bombed in the cafe car.

Response #4: What they don't tell you when you buy your tickets is that you aren't reserving a spot on a bus. You're buying the right to ride that bus, or a bus after that to your destination. If the bus is full at your connection, sorry next bus isn't for 6 hours. Oh, and we wont tell you what gate ahead of time, that way all the people that show up right before then can beat you to the line when it is announced.

Response #5: I had a "one and done" experience with greyhound and mind you this is only from Albany, NY to Port Authority, NYC which is a 2 hour 30 min ride tops.

I could not stand how crammed in it was and the type of crowd that was on the bus. Some really really weird people on the bus. Crying babies for the whole ride. I ditched my ticket for the way back and opted for Amtrak instead. I could have just had a one time bad experience but I've heard from other people, they haven't faired too much better.

Look into how much an Amtrak ticket would cost you but, because I really wouldn't wish a 25 hour greyhound trip on anyone.

Anddd...to add to that, there was an article maybe a month ago about a guy getting decapitated on a greyhound bus trip. Obviously that's pretty extreme, but it's not suprising.

So I did some research for you. Looks like you can fly round trip for about $300, not including car service to Newark or Phily airport if necessary. You could also rent a car and drive yourself down there. Anything is better than a 25 hour Greyhound bus trip.

OK, add your comments if you have anything to share.

Duksan Spa Castle water park: the good, the bad, and the so disgusting I'm almost too ashamed to write about it

Well we ended up having fun yesterday. That thick blanket I heard about never materialized so I slept on a very hard bed. What’s worse was that my “blanket” was actually some sort of bed decoration or something, about 6 feet long and 1 foot wide…

So I didn’t sleep that well. Around 8:00 AM or so we went to Dol Flower pension to meet the ladies so that they could cook for us. Don’t get too mad at me – I’m just going with the flow on this family vacation and it’s not uncommon for a Korean man to be totally helpless when it comes to preparing food. I know wives who won’t leave the house until they’ve prepared a sandwich or some meal for their husband. Sometimes even that’s not enough because the man won’t heat up a meal or anything. He either needs his wife to cook for him or he has to go eat in a restaurant. My father in law is like that.

So anyway, I eat breakfast and then nap until 11:00 or so. Even though Dol Flower has a bed I nap on the floor because one of our dogs recently had leg surgery and if I’m on the bed she’ll probably hurt her leg trying to join me.

Then we go for lunch in Duksan Spa Castle. I liked my beef stew but a lot of people weren’t happy with lunch there. We met up with my brother in law (he started this whole thing), his wife, and my nephew.

Then we went to the Duksan Spa Castle water park. The discounted price was about $40 each so it’s not cheap. They had a short water slide, a tube slide, and a “raft” ride. The raft ride was another $2 each. It was fun, but after paying $80 to get in I didn’t understand why there was only one decent ride and we had to pay another $4 to take it.

They had a wave pool/lagoon thing, where occasional strong waves would eventually blast you around in a circle through this lagoon. Tubes were mandatory, which was good since it was pretty packed and it’s better to have tubes smacking into each other than people…

The rides and wave area was all outside and there were tons of kids. Inside they had some adult only areas including a water massage thing that was very strong. I’m sure that if I had stayed there more than a few minutes the jets of water blasting my back around my kidneys would have done permanent damage. But there were plenty of people hanging out there for long stretches…

There were a couple of hurdles before I could even let myself have fun. This first one is absolutely disgusting so skip this paragraph if you’re not in the mood to read some nastiness. There were no shoes allowed in the water area, and you had to take them off and put them in lockers before you even got to the locker room to change and stuff. At first I thought this was just a bit nasty because of all the dirty feet I’d be sharing the ground with so was disappointed I wouldn’t be allowed to wear my sandals. What was really really nasty and disgusting though was that in order to use the bathroom in the locker room you had to step barefoot in puddles of piss. My wife said it was the same in the ladies’ room. It was the most disgusting thing I can remember doing my entire life.

The other hurdle, minor in comparison, was that you couldn’t enter the water without a shower cap. You could buy them for $3 each, but seriously everyone is walking into the pool to get the piss off their feet and they’re worried about shower caps?

But eventually I was able to forget about that stuff and the cost and just have a few hours of fun on the rides and in the wave pool. Then it was dinner (not so great), another night on the hard floor, and then we drove home the next day (today). After not sleeping real well the past couple of nights I am really looking forward to posting this thing and going to bed. It's nice to be home!

Ducksan, South Korea: Ducksan Spa Castle and Dol Flower Pension

Not much from me tonight because I'm on vacation!

Don't get jealous though, so far it has been amusing at best. It's kind of a long story, but we're in Ducksan Spa Castle (find a little blurb with a picture in the middle of this page). We also have a room in what Koreans call a pension. I've had conversations about how to translate the Korean pension into English. It's kind of like a cross between a motel and a condo. They're not usually fancy, but they do have kitchens. They seem to have 10-30 rooms on average but that's a rough guess.

Anyway, it's called the Dol Flower Pension in English and the website is Korean but you can see a picture. We got that room because they allow dogs while Ducksan Spa Castle does not. The original plan was for my wife, the dogs, and I to stay in the pension while everyone else stayed in the spa.

Everyone else would be my parents in law, my sister in law, her husband, and my niece. Apparently most people didn't want to come but my brother in law (who's coming for the day tomorrow if the weather is nice but who might not show up at all) said he could get the condo free through his work because they own it or something. Somehow he persuaded everyone to come even though everyone claims they were against the idea.

Then we find out (yesterday) that the free condo is actually $75/night (would be $180 without the company owning it), and it only sleeps 2, having one double bed. For an extra person in the room add $10. To rent blankets for the extra person (a thick one for the floor which you sleep on and another one to go on top) add another $10.

So naturally the 5 people who were supposed to stay for free in Ducksan Spa Castle are a bit upset they now have to pay $75 + $60 per night. My wife and I were already spending money on our dog friendly pension so we didn't want to hear it.

But we heard it, and heard it some more. We heard it enough to upgrade our room at the pension to the biggest one they had (not a suite, just a big motel room with a kitchen and private concrete patio). It would easily sleep 5 or even 10 (no idea if they actually allow 10 people in the room but it's pretty big) and no charge for extra blankets.

So we spent the day at the pension letting our dogs run aorund the concrete patio betwen breaks in the rain and watching the olympics. It was OK but nothing special. We discovered that there was no hot water so we figured we's all go to the spa for showers. But the pension also has no keys so with no way to lock our door my mother in law decided to stay in the room while me, my wife, my father in law, and my sister in law + husband and kid went to the spa.

So we're all here now (well not my mother in law). I'm writing while my wife showers. Then my wife and sister in law go back to Dol Flower Pension to stay up all night chatting with my mother in law. I guess my niece will go too and fall asleep while the ladies talk.

That will leave me, my father in law, and my sister in law's husband at the spa. I'll be sleeping on the floor without the benefit of a thick blanket because we're (not me!) too cheap to let them know there are 3 of us. So we escape paying the $10 plus the fee for renting blankets. I'll live because I don't mind hard beds although this one will be slightly harder than I like... My sister in law's husband is in the same boat. My father in law will get the bed. Not sure if he'll have any balnkets left...

Tomorrow, I'm willing to pay for spa treatments but I'm also willing to stay in the pension and mind the dogs. There's a pool here with a water slide but it's supposed to rain so we'll see...

I probably sound like I'm complaining but that's just a bad habit I have. I'm actually glad to be here experiencing something new. I consider this a very authentic Korean style vacation because I haven't seen another white person since I left Seoul.

And apparently my sister in law packed some blankets so I'll have a few layers between me and floor which should be exactly how I like it - I really prefer a firm bed. When I was on the cruise, the soft mattress was driving me nuts.

Tomorrow I'll try to check out the free area (the pool) and the spa a little bit to write a proper review of this Ducksan Spa Palace place. Since it has a computer in the room (that's how I'm able to blog) I guess I'll give it a few points now. We'll see about the rest tomorrow.

I can't figure out how to spell check on this thing so never mind the typos...

Several articles full of vacation deals

These vacation deals include the affordable:

New Mexico nights. Stay two nights and get a third night free at the Eldorado Hotel & Spa in Santa Fe. Rates start at $199 a night. Receive third night price adjustment upon checkout. Deal valid through Dec. 21. Mention promotional code PROSTA when booking.

And the not so affordable:

Danube River deal. Save $2,000 per couple on a last-minute deal with Cross-Culture Journeys. The 14-night Sept. 16 Danube River Discovery Cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam has a limited number of staterooms available from $3,395 to $5,395 per person, based on double occupancy. (Original prices, $4,395-$6,395.) Meals, sightseeing and fuel surcharge included.

Then we have some more travel deals here. The best one is another one I can't afford:

ITALIAN ESCAPE The Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan is offering a Milano to Lake Como package that includes accommodations in a double deluxe room, daily full breakfasts, a one-day trip to Como with a guided tour and lunch at a restaurant with panoramic views. Guests can also visit the hotel's fitness and beauty center and receive complimentary limousine service to the center of Milan. The neoclassical hotel is located near the La Scala opera house. Available through Sept. 30. Rates start at about $1,085 a night (taxes included).

This UK paper has some deals for England and nearby spots like Egypt. My favorite seems affordable until I consider the exchange rate...

The cost of a 17-day grand voyage to Venice has been slashed by almost half. Passengers taking the Voyages of Discovery cruise from Harwich on September 4 pay £1,299, including full board and entertainment, a saving of £1,280. The ship calls at Lisbon, Gibraltar, Almería, Nice, Livorno and Sorrento before reaching Venice, from where passengers fly back to Gatwick (or Manchester for an additional charge).

I could actually seriously consider these deals, especially the $75/night Colorado River rafting trip. I remember writing about rafting a little before, and kind of doing it in Alaska, the Mendenhall River Glacier Float...

And if you've been thinking about Vegas, this deal seems like a nice price:

Stay at the Palms in Las Vegas Sundays through Thursdays in September for $79 and get a $25 dining credit. Book by Friday.

Travel plan for Santorini (Thira) - Greece

Day 1: We board the ferry in Piraeus at 7 am for a 7 to 8-hour mini-cruise to Santorini, once known as Kallisti “the most beautiful one” of the southern Cyclades. Fortunately, the hotel concierge in Athens has provided us with up to date information, as ferry schedules and prices can fluctuate almost daily. We pay 120 Euros round trip for a first class ticket and a cabin to relax in, rather than ride on deck. Another option is a high-speed catamaran, more money, but a trip in half the time. There are also several flights a day, about 50 minutes from Athens to Santorini - average airfare, 100 Euros one way.

We arrive at the port, and take the spacious cable car “teleferique” about 900 feet up to Fira, the largest and most touristy town on Santorini. For a time, donkeys were the main mode of transport for those who didn’t want to climb the 800 steps to the top. Donkey rides are still offered as a tourist attraction. There are numerous hotels, villas, and apartments in and around Fira, but our destination is the luxurious Chromata Suites Hotel, 10 minutes away in the small village of Imerovigli. We are impressed with the ultra-modern furnishings and our own private veranda overlooking the Aegean. In addition to an infinity poolside bar and restaurant, the Chromata has an exclusive first-class restaurant on the glass enclosed deck. We have dinner here by candlelight, enthralled with the spectacular view of the sea and the black volcanic islands from the highest spot on the rim of the caldera Rates for two - 240 Euros and up; children under 13 are not accepted for obvious safety reasons of the cliffside location. (Note: Many more modest accommodations are available at street level in Fira, on the beach, and in the nearby villages.)

Day 2: After breakfast at the hotel, we explore some of the museums and archaeology in Fira. First stop at the Archaeological Museum of artifacts, frescoes and inscriptions from prehistoric to Roman and Hellenistic eras, and other items from excavations at Akrotiri, the ancient site of Minoan culture. Open: Tuesday – Sunday, 8:30 to 3, 2 Euros per person.

Next on our agenda is the Folklore Museum, one of the most interesting attractions in Fira. This is not a museum in the traditional sense, bur rather a recreation of a village with small shops and caves housing a winery, artisan workshops, art gallery, and archives of manuscripts and lithographs, as well as a garden area and small chapel. We found this delightful place well worth the 3 Euros for a guided tour. Hours: 10 to 2 pm, and 6 to10 pm, Daily.

We’ve spent the morning and part of the afternoon exploring the museums, so it’s time for a late lunch at the family owned taverna Stani. This is a casual place with a light and airy atmosphere, hanging plants, and colorful bric-a-brac. Lots to choose from on the menu of Mediterranean cuisine - we decide on the fava (split pea) appetizer and yemista, tomatoes and peppers stuffed with rice and herbs.

After a leisurely lunch, we return to our hotel to relax by the pool before dinner tonight.
at Fanari, highly recommended for traditional Greek specialties and seafood. The menu is extensive, and our moussaka, keftedes or tomato balls, and wine are excellent choices. You’ll find the wine here is some of the best in the world because of Santorini’s favorable growing climate for vineyards.

Day 3: The weather is beautiful today with some breeze from the Aegean, and perfect for the boat ride and tour of the volcano. There is interesting information associated with the sleeping volcano, which first erupted around 1500 - 1600 BC. Many historians think this caused a gigantic tsunami and a collapse of the volcano that forms the present day caldera. This too may explain the final downfall of the highly advanced Minoan Crete civilization. Smaller eruptions occurred between 197 BC and 1950 AD, creating two islands, Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni. Our tour includes a swim in the hot springs and a 2-hour stop at the small island of Thirasia for lunch in the village of Manolas. Tour rates: 25 – 30 Euros p/p.

We return to Fira around 5 pm in time for a nap at our hotel after a day of hiking, sun, and sea. Tonight, we want to experience some of the nightlife in Fira and decide on Kira Thira, which has been in business for years. They offer a good selection of beverages, great jazz music, and congenial staff, a pleasant way to spend an evening.

Day 4: Over a leisurely breakfast, we discuss our plans for the day. It’s a tossup between a visit to Akrotiri or the village of Oia. Intrigued by the boat tour yesterday, we decide to catch the bus and visit Akrotiri. Known as the “Pompeii of Greece,” the archaeological site below the village has been well preserved with streets, houses, wall paintings, and other aspects of the Minoan culture. A small fishing boat takes us to Red Beach, where the sand is indeed reddish in color and different from the black volcanic sand of other beaches on Santorini. We have lunch at Mama Thira on the road to the lighthouse before returning to our hotel and a sunset dinner at the Blue Note Restaurant in Imerovigli.

Day 5: Today, we’ll take the 30-minute bus ride to Oia on the northern tip of the island, a picturesque, peaceful village of white walled, blue domed houses, art galleries, and boutiques. Before the earthquake of l956, Oia prospered in the 19th and early 20th centuries, with its merchant fleet trading across the Mediterranean. At one time, over 9,000 people lived here, but by 1980 there were only about 500 residents. One of the main attractions in Oia is the Maritime Museum. The Museum is housed in a 19th century sea captain’s mansion and features figureheads, models and photographs of old and new sailing vessels, seamen’s chests, and other memorabilia. Hours: 10 am – 2 pm, 5 – 8 pm, Daily except Tuesday. We have lunch at Kyprida next to the Museum, spend the rest of the afternoon in the village, and end our day in Oia watching the magnificent sunset from the castle of St. Nikolas. Arriving back at our hotel, we relax before dinner by the pool.

Day 6: Another glorious sunrise, breakfast, and time for some great shopping in the village. There are over 40 shops in Fira, many along Ypapantis “gold street.” Our first stop is at Meandros Gold, where the displays of 18K and 22K jewelry are irresistible. We also find some traditional Greek worry beads, Komboli, to take home as gifts for friends and family. On one of the narrowest streets, we discover Kisiris, a small shop with unique pottery, gifts, and art. While here, we learn the history of bouzouki, the traditional music of Greece. If you’re interested in ceramics, there’s a wonderful collection of porcelain puppets at Kalipso in the Fabrica shopping center in Fira.

After several hours of shopping, we have lunch at Classico, a café in the middle of town. Everywhere on Santorini we find amazing views, and this is no exception. From the balconies here, we can see the chapel of Aghios Minas, the volcano, and the endless blue of the sea. Classico is known for some of the best espresso on the island, and a good variety of light meals, sandwiches, and salads.

We take a taxi from our hotel and return to Akrotiri for dinner tonight at Villa Mathios, which we’ve heard a lot about and may well consider on our next visit to Santorini. This family-run establishment has very reasonable accommodations, good food, friendly service, and beautiful surroundings. It certainly was an excellent choice for our last evening before returning to Piraeus, an overnight stay in Athens, and our flight home. Rates: From 80 – 100 Euros/pp; 3 to 6 night packages from 340 Euros/pp, which include breakfast buffet and dinner, rental car, and ferry boat tickets to/from Piraeus.

Transportation: Rental cars, taxis, motor scooters, and buses are available. The buses run about every 30 minutes to the other villages, and may be crowded, but they are clean and certainly cheap enough at 1 to 2 Euros per person. Some hotels offer rental jeeps with accommodations.

Whether Santorini arose from the Lost City of Atlantis, as some believe, or not, it remains a fascinating place. Take a step back in time while you enjoy the exotic and romantic ambiance of this idyllic paradise.

by Sharon Slayton

Solo travel fees

This article told me something I didn't know but that doesn't surprise me: "This year, a quarter-million singles 42 and older will spend more than $28 billion on travel, according to an AARP survey."

I often get requests for more articles on solo travel but it's tough. They don't seem to make the newspapers that often and when I travel I usually bring my wife (though she is threatening to send me to Amsterdam alone on my birthday this year since flights are getting more and more expensive - somehow, especially given Amsterdam's