Planning your dream trip

I have so many things I want to do these days. I have some people asking about trips, which is always an exciting thing. I have articles I want to write.. But first, let me take care of the basic.

A lot of you read this blog because you like to travel. But is there one trip you have always dreamed of taking, but have never gotten around to it? You may be saving your pennies. Or the timing just never seems right. Or you may not have the time you want off from work.. Or maybe you just don’t know how to go about planning something that is so important to you. Here are some ideas to help you know how to plan.

• You will want to talk to a travel agent. I’ve said this time and again on this blog, but travel agents make commission when we book hotels, cruises, or things like that. Personally, I do not charge anything over and above that. And the thing is, I have a lot more resources than the average person when it comes to travel and figuring out the best way to do everything.
• I am going to do a lot of research, but you need to do research too. I am not a mind reader. I will want to know exactly what you want to do. Feel free to ask me your questions, figuring your questions out is part of my job. I’ll be asking you a lot of questions too, to make sure we’re on the right track. Believe me, I’d love to amaze you with the trips of your dreams.
• If you have more than one trip you’d like to go on, you may want to consider some things like this… Is one of the places going to require more physical physical agility than the others? Is there places you want to go that that you may want to stay longer, as in this trip may be better to wait until your retirement?

 

These are just some of the things you will need to consider when planning a dream trip. I would love to know what your travel dreams are.

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When something goes wrong on vacation

You may think I’m crazy, but I like getting up early. I love having quiet in the mornings to read and journal my thoughts.. I’m trying to figure out what I want to do, considering taking some writing classes. I know I want to work on some more articles. I’m also feeling like I need to figure out how to close more sales.. My mind is going a hundred different directions. But I am grateful to have gotten up early and be able to have plenty of time to work.

This is not something we like to think about at all… We like to think that while we are on vacation, that nothing will go wrong and that everything will be perfect. But unfortunately things do come up you’re on vacation, just like they do at any other time. But what are you supposed to do? First, this is one reason it is always a good idea to book through a travel agent. And the reason for this is that travel agents are going to book a lot more hotel rooms, cruises, and things like that than average people. So we are just going to have more pull with these people to make sure that things are done right.

• The first thing you should try to do is not to panic or get upset. Most people in these businesses really do want to help. Know what you want and ask for it specifically. You don’t want to be rude, but at the same time you want to be firm on what you need to happen.
• Travel agents really can help when something does go wrong, so please e-mail me and let me know exactly what is going on and what you need.
• It is also wise to purchase travel insurance. You never know when something might go wrong, and you may have to return home before you planned. Travel insurance helps you cover all those emergencies.

Do you have any thoughts or questions you might like to share? Let me know.

“Oscars packages”

Tomorrow night the stars will gather to have their most important night. They’ll discover who did the most impressive movies and things like that. And while I imagine that most of them have homes in L.A., let’s look at some of the fancy hotel packages.

• Packages at the West Beverly Hills will cost you no less eleven thousand dollars. And this is just for one night, wowzers. But you will get a suite. You will get a cocktail party for up to twenty guests. A private bartender will attend you while the Oscars are playing. And four people are going to get spa teatments.
• The Viceroy L’Ermitage Beverly Hills is offing a package that includes a lot. You will be staying in a nice suite where you will receive breakfast each morning of your stay. You will also get your makeup done by a professional. Another professional is going to take you shopping to get the perfect outfit.
• If you do not want to be in the city, but still want to watch the event in style, consider going to the Westin Verasa Napa which is in the Napa Valley. You’ll be getting an one-bedroom suite. You’ll be treated to special popcorn, ice cream and wine. You might be treated better than the stars maybe.
• Even the K Bar in the Kensington, which is in England will be celebrating. They will have special drinks and food for your enjoyment.

No, none of the other places gave any idea about prices. I’m not sure anything would be reasonable. But we are celebrating Oscars, right

The story of my trip

We’ve been home for a week now. I’ve kind of worked on this here and there, between catching up on my work, recovering from the jetlag and things like that. But anyway, we left on a Friday evening, and our flight was delayed. I’m not the most fond of those long flights. That first stretch was ten hours. Remember that we got our breakfast shortly before landing, and then we got to the next airport as the sun was setting. I had never been out of the country before, and that was just a really weird feeling, to lose time like that. Got on the next plane and ate dinner.. That night we met with some of the people we were meeting with. Sunday we were meeting the other people that were going to meet with, and were getting familiar with the area. Looking at the grocery store and things like that..

Monday during the day was a lot like Sunday. we gathered at the restaurant where we would eat each night night, and ate. And then went to the hotel conference room to meet. Tuesday we started meeting after having our big breakfast. We’d meet in the morning. Breakfast they would have eggs, bread and jams, sausages, I’d always eat yogurt and something that was kind of a mix between granola and raisin bran. Break for lunch. The hotel had a buffet for lunch too. But Mom and I would just eat something in the room. We had a big breakfast and big dinners, we didn’t want anything big at lunch. Mom and I would eat our little lunch, I would rest a little and then we’d go down. The hotel people liked to make sure I got walks each afternoon. It was funny but I was more comfortable when someone I knew came. We would have afternoon meetings.. We had some issues with some of the plugs not working right. The best plug we had was in our room. Because of the charging troubles I was leaving this and felt like I wasn’t getting to know anyone. And the people I did know were the ones putting this thing on. They were busy. We’d have another break before dinner. I’d rest. Sometimes we’d walk. Dinners were fun but kind of chaotic. We’d have our evening meeting. And then I went to bed. Wednesday was a lot like Tuesday, a lot of meetings and all that. Wednesday evening I did get sometime to visit with some of the friends I went to see and enjoyed that…

Thursday was the day.. See, the conference leader would have different people introduce themselves as our meetings started. Thursday was my day to be introduced… Let me say here that I didn’t know what my second week would look like. Mom had been vague. Turns out they had a surprise for me. I was going to Israel, to Jerusalem. There is a woman in Cyprus that had lived in Jerusalem for years. She was going to be our guide. She also knew a woman that welcomed us into her home. but I’m getting ahead of myself. Thursday was the day people started talking to me more. Before this I think most people thought I was just there because I had to be with Mom. Thursday was more meetings and more walks. Friday was the last meeting in the morning. I spent most the rest of the day with friends, both old and new.? Friday night a much smaller group of us went back to the restaurant.. Saturday was a day of saying good-byes and just being quiet. Taking more walks.

Sunday we had the last hotel breakfast and then a group took us to the airport. The flight was pretty fast. Our guide knows a taxi driver who met us in Tel Aviv onto Jerusalem. It was so nice coming into a home after being in a hotel.. We got our stuff into our places and then went to a church meeting.. The songs were half in English and half in Hebrew. Thought it was neat.. After the meeting, our guide took us up to a place where we could see a lot of the city. We saw a lot of the places seen on tv.. After that we went and had a nice dinner with our host and some other friends.. I think Monday may have been one of my favorite days. The first thing we went to do was to go to see the market. This was a huge place, full of breads and pastries, dried fruits, huge vegetables, made me think of when the Israelites first went to Canaan. I think the three of us went to the apartment, or flat, to get warm, Jerusalem was a lot colder than what I’m used to in Georgia. That morning was also pretty wet. We walked to the old city after that. I’m guessing the place we were staying was about a mile or two from the entrance of the old city. That afternoon was the prettiest weather wise, and I loved seeing the city without a car.. Of course I wasn’t walking.. We saw Christ church.. Jerusalem seems to be full of shops, shops selling food, shops selling jewelry and art and all kinds of crafts.. We made our way down to the Western Wall. There is this huge hill you have to go down. And sadly as we were going down, we could hear the Muslim call to prayer. That is something I think I’ll always remember. And before going, I thought the Wailing wall would be this narrow space. Instead it was this huge outdoor court. People would sit in these white chairs.. And we didn’t follow this tradition, but most people do not turn their backs on the wall.. We walked back to the flat. Our hostess made us another nice dinner, and then we four ladies watched a movie.. Tuesday was the day we had the taxi, so we explored farther parts of the old city. We saw one of the places they think golgotha was. I’m embarrassed to say I wasn’t sure what we were looking at at first. But the empty tomb I did get. We also went to the garden of Gethsame. That afternoon was a quieter time. I did some work stuff.. That evening was another nice dinner and a movie. Wednesday we made one more trip to the trip to the market, and then got ready and headed to the airport. The rest of the day was spent traveling..

Thursday Mom had met another friend who was in Cyprus. We met with her that morning. And that afternoon and evening we were with our friends. Loved the time in the evening because it was a time with just the people we know really well. And it was just a time to hang out and visit. And then that Friday was another long day of traveling.

Disney cruise facts

yesterday was the first day I was able to get all the way through e-mail and get to some other things I need to do.. I’m not 100% sure what I’m doing as far as work goes, my family has plans… Actually the next several weeks are going to be busy for us. We have several trips coming up.. I’ll let you know more as I find out more.

Today let’s talk about Disney cruises.. Let’s start by discussing the shows. Disney has decided to take one of their animated movies and turn them into musicals which are performed on their ships. By November of 2017, they will have one unique plays on each of their ships.

“Disney’s Aladdin– A Musical Spectacular” was the introductory production. And this came out on the Disney Fantasy in 2012..  Disney does a lot of musical on their ships which is kind of like their movies but with some twists. Cinderella is one story they change around some.

“Tangled” and “Frozen” are two of the other movies that have been done close to the original movies. And if my nieces are any indication, these are two of the more popular movies these days.

But what are some places the cruiseline will be going In 2018? Rome, Barcelona, Ireland will be a few of the stops in Europe. They will also going to the Caribbean and the Bahamas. They are going to return to Alaska.

When I tell tell people that I am a travel agent, if people ask about a specific vacation, it is going to be a Disney cruise. Disney does not put deals on their cruises because they don’t have to. These things sell out every time.. Please let me know if you are interested in taking a Disney cruise. I would love to help you plan one.

Hotels you might want to visit

I think I’ve just about caught up on e-mail from being gone for two weeks. I need to work on the article I’m trying to revive. And I do want to post an in depth report about my trip.. There are several things I need to do. So let’s do this.

Winter is a great time to take a vacation for a lot of reasons. Most people aren’t even thinking about taking vacations, but hotels and other travel suppliers are still wanting to keep even somewhat busy, so they are going to offer some of their best deals in winter. Today we are going to look at some deals.

• Hotel Alyeska is in Girdwood, Alaska, and because it is by the sea, it is going to have some milder weather. This is a smaller ski resort where a lot of Alaskans go, but hardly anyone else has heard of it yet. You are going to get fantastic deals if you go between the weekends. You’ll even get free lift tickets.
• San Francisco is a city that is mostly dead in winter. Still interested in visiting? Maybe you want to do a romantic getaway there, or a girls’ weekend. Yes, here you can get good deal even in winter. The Palace Hotel is an old property , but has recently gone through a multi million dollar refurbishment. This place sounds classy. You can sit and listen to a piano player. This hotel is going to be pretty central to everything you’ll want to see in the city.
• Or you may want to try our nation’s capitol. D.C. clears out on weekends. So you are going to have the monuments, The Smithsonian museums, and all the city’s attractions to yourself. The Ritz-Carlton Washington has the deals, and will also give you the royal treatment.

Please let me know if you are interested in taking a trip to any of these places. I would love to help you plan something.

Excellent River Cruises

River cruises are getting more and more popular as time goes by. Today let’s look at three you might want to try, whether this will be your first river cruise or your one hundredth.

• I live in Georgia, and spring is glorious here in the south. We do get some colder weather down here.. And our summers can begin in April and go through October. But spring, spring is nice. I love to walk around my neighborhood, looking at all the beautiful Flowers and the baby animals that are coming out. Spring seems to be beginning already in my part of the world. And if you want to experience this, you might want to try the trip called Antebellum South, which is put on by American Queen Steamboat Company. The ship runs between Memphis and New Orleans. Explore some of the cities that became famous during the Civil War.
• Or you might want to get out of this country for a while.. River cruising starting in Europe, and this continent is still one of the very best places to do a river cruise.. There is something elegant about both Europe and river cruising that the one truly complements the the others. While there is really no bad choice when it comes to touring Europe in this style.
• Another place people are enjoying taking river cruises to is Myammar. Explore old monasteries. Discover all the different markets in the country. See “The Golden City” of Mandalay.

I would love to hear your questions about River cruises. Please let me know.

Romance in Spain

Getting everything back to normal when you’ve not done much at all for two weeks takes a while. I need to remember that and accept it. I’m also kind of still fighting jetlag in the evenings… Also, just to let you know, I do plan to give a detailed account of my trip sometime in the the near near future. Be on the lookout for that.

Valentine’s Day was exactly a week ago. But if you didn’t get much time with your spouse, there’s never a bad time to plan a romantic holiday. And today we are going to take a look at some things you might consider if you went to Madrid.

Madrid has a lot of beautiful parks around the city which make the perfect place for long walks with intimate conversation or picnics. You will also find a lot of places to take beautiful pictures so that you will remember your special trip.

But where would you stay? What about the beautiful, newly renovated Barcelo Emperatriz. From this hotel, you’ll be able to look out your window and see one of their beautiful parks.. Pampering happens in every part of this hotel. They ensure that each of the beds is luxurious, complete with 300 count cotton sheets. A rainfall shower is another part of the pampering. You may be able to get a whirlpool perfect for two. Other amenity in your room include huge tvs, free wi-fi, and room service is available whenever you get hungry.

I would love to know your thoughts about this, or any questions you might have. Please let me know.

What to do during layovers

I have to confess, Saturday I was just wanting to get a few things done.. Today I’m hopefully going to I am going to get a lot more done. I have several people I am talking to about trips. I have lots of e-mail to work through. And then there’s the article writing stuff.. I also have friends to catch up with… Anyway, let’s get down to business.

Layovers… That’s something I’m more familiar with after my trip.. But anyway, what do you do during layovers? Do you just sit and wait at the airport? Do you go out and try to explore the city you’re in?.. Here are some suggestions.

• The first thing you’ll want to do is to know exactly how long your layover is. Are you going to have time to do anything. Remember you are going to have to get through customs and security and everything. You are going to want to give yourself a good hour to get through all that.
• Want to just get your travel over with? Look and see if there is an earlier flight you might be able to get on… Now, this does work best if you only have carry on luggage.
• If you are a frequent flyer, you might want to invest in the priority passes. These will get you into the nice lounges where you can get free food, and I’m not just talking about peanuts here.
• Sometimes airports are going to have mini tours of their cities. You might want to ask someone who works at the airport if they can point you in the right direction. You will need five to seven hours to do these tours, and again, give yourself an hour to get the necessary things done at the airport.
• Airports these days have places for children to play, work off some of their energy. They have spas. They have nice sit-down restaurants.

I would love to know what you do uring your layovers.

Saving money while traveling

We are home.. Loved my trip, there is no question of that. It was kind of a combination of a trip to visit some dear friends who live in other parts of the world, and also to do some sight seeing an. Loved both of those things.. Did not especially the flying over, especially the really long flights.. Anyway, I’m sort of fighting jetlag, so I am going to do my usual and write about an article I’m reading online.

• If you want to save to save money on travel, the first thing you should consider is when you should take your trip. Summer is the most popular time to travel, so it is also usually the most expensive. Christmas is another popular time to travel. Going at other times will usually go a long way to help save Money.
• Booking early is another way to save money. Hotels and places like that like knowing that they are going to have guests. It also doesn’t hurt your travel agent’s feelings to book early, just saying. However, make sure you are going to be able to take your trip before booking, because some people charge when you have to change things around.
• Bring snacks. Personally we did this on our trip, and it worked really well.. Our hotel had a big breakfast for us each morning. And we were eating out with our friends most evenings. So at lunch we mostly had snacks. That’s all we really wanted or needed.

I would love to know any thoughts you might have on this. I would also to know ways you save on travel.