Due to the tragedy involving Air France Flight 447 this week, all affiliate banners have been removed from this site per the request of the airline. This is one of the world's worst civil air disasters in history. I am asking all of my readers to extend their prayers to the friends and family members affected by this horrible tragedy.
Disney Cruise Line has announced that it will be repositioning the Disney Wonder to Los Angeles from it's home port in Port Canaveral, Florida. Disney Cruise Line did a "trial" run during the last two summer seasons operating cruise itineraries to the Mexican Riviera from the West Coast on the Disney Magic. The ship always sailed full.
From a travel agent's point of view, I really understand the need for a Disney Cruise option that will include our Disneyland Parks out here in California. Paying airfare for a large family to travel to Florida before beginning their cruise can be the deal breaker for many savvy tourists here on the West Coast.
Since Disneyland is not nearly as large as Walt Disney World in Florida, it will be nice to be able to add a cruise after 3 days of Disneyland Adventures. Disneyland is currently undergoing a major renovation in it's California Adventure Park and from what I understand, all will be revealed just about the same time as the Disney Wonder makes it's debut out here in sunny Southern California.
I have mentioned several times about the need for a good travel agent when planning a vacation. What I may have neglected to mention is the need for a good customer when planning a vacation. It can be difficult planning just the right vacation for yourself, but it is even more difficult for a travel agent to plan it for you if you don't have at least some idea as to where you want to go and what you want to do.
Patience is a tool we as travel agents must come fully equipped with, along with a huge sense of humor and a lot of imagination. Over the years I have actually had people call me to book their vacation and they had absolutely no idea what they wanted to do. The family had not discussed it among themselves, nor did they know how many family members would be participating in said vacation. Don't get me wrong, I completely understand knowing that you just need a vacation, but aren't sure where. You would think that the discussion would start within the family before you ask a travel agent to decide for you.
For the first few desperate years in the industry, I was foolish enough to fall for the "what do you have available?" type of customer. Well guess what? Everything is available!! Would you like to go on a cruise? Would you like to spend a week on a sandy beach? Would you like to spend a long weekend at a Dude Ranch? How about an African Safari? Or perhaps going over Niagara Falls in a barrel? If you really want to leave it all up to me, well then you and your whole family are going to Disney World, because that is my personal favorite!!
The point I am trying to make is that a travel agent is to be used to get you the best deal for your money, the best accommodations, the best seats at shows, the best connections in airports, the best travel insurance and the least amount of hassle from your planning experience. We need to know what your family likes to do, the ages of all your kids, the amount of money you plan to spend, and how much time you have to spend it. We work very hard for our clients, and we try to get them the best value from their hard earned dollar. We need to know if you have frequent flier miles on Delta Airlines before we put together a package that includes air on United Air Lines. We need to know if you are taking elderly parents or anyone that might require special assistance. We need to know if you get sea sick on boats and if you are celebrating a birthday or anniversary. We also need to know if you don't have a passport or if you have been extradited from another country. It would certainly help if you already knew at least which hemisphere you are interested in traveling to.
So in short, give your travel agent the tools to do their job!!! You will be glad you did!
Here is an innovative new concept when it comes to the "all-nighter" on an airplane...the Jumbo Hostel. Now you can sleep in luxurious accommodations on an airplane without ever leaving the ground. You can actually spend the night on board a real jumbo jet and never leave the airport. To some, this may sound like an incredible waste of time, but to others it could be quite the novelty in sleep-overs.
The airplane, a decommissioned model 747-200 jumbo jet was built in 1976 and was last operated by Transjet, a Swedish Airline that went bankrupt in 2002. It was originally built for Singapore Airlines and later flew for Pan Am. The airplane is now located at Arlanda Airport on it's permanent concrete foundation after undergoing a complete conversion. Over 450 seats were removed to make room for what is now a unique sleeping experience for guests. The hostel is built like any house, subject to regulations and standards. It now serves as a spectacular and (not so) original landmark at the Arlanda Airport.
There are 25 rooms on board this newly renovated Jumbo Hostel with a total of 85 beds in all. The rooms are configured with 3 bunk beds in most rooms. There are also quad dorm options, all with separate shared shower and bathroom facilities. There is one luxury suite in the converted cockpit with a panoramic view of the airport.
If sleeping in an airplane (when you don't really have to) is not exactly your cup of tea, well then, you can just stop by for...well, a cup of tea! There is a cafe' where you can purchase breakfast, coffee, cookies and snacks. You can also walk along the left wing observation deck and experience the feeling of standing on top of a real Jumbo Jet's wing.
In the travel industry convenience is a big plus, so if you have an early flight to catch, staying right at the airport (literally) may be the solution for you.
We live so close to San Diego that many of our day trips are actually spent down in that area. We have a whole repertoire of activities that we like to do depending upon the weather or perhaps the visiting relative at the time. It just so happens that every time we start to head south we drive right by Mt. Palomar and my mother says "I would really like to see the Mt. Palomar Observatory sometime." Of course, we are already on our way to somewhere else so her wish always goes unfulfilled. Just recently while trying to think of something special for her birthday, we remembered her desire to drive up Mt. Palomar and see the Observatory.
Our day started off unusually warm even for SoCal. It was in the mid 80s with those warm Santa Ana winds blowing. We knew better than to be fooled though. We were planning to trek up over 5000 feet so we knew it would be a little cooler and we remembered to take a few jackets, just in case. We pile in the truck and decided (as we usually do) that we were all hungry. What is it about a road trip that makes people so hungry? There just so happens to be a very small burger stand right off the exit we take to start up the mountain so we thought we would try it. I had heard great things about it, but it
always looked abandoned whenever I drove by. This little stand I refer to is called Nessy Burger. If you follow that link, you will enter a food blog that did a detailed report on the Nessy Burger. I can update a few things like...they are now open on Sundays and the burger is a little more expensive, but other than that, this guy really hits the nail on the head. I thoroughly enjoyed my Nessy Burger, although I could feel my arteries clogging while I ate it. The burger had an awesome flavor and was very juicy and fresh. The dining ambience...well there really isn't one unless you call sitting next to a busy freeway exit on a picnic bench with migrant workers ambience. Then again, that's pretty much authentic SoCal and I like it!
After we finished stuffing ourselves, we headed on up the mountain for our adventure. It turned into quite a pleasant day. The skies were clear which made the views breathtaking. The traffic was minimal and we had several chances to stop and take some pictures. We were able to see the charred reminders from the fires in the last few years. That part was kind of sad, but there were many signs of
new life sprouting up around the dead trees. Of course as we made our trek higher and higher, it started to get considerably colder. When we rounded the corner at the top of the mountain and headed toward the Observatory on the north side, there was snow and lots of it. The roads had been cleared but there was snow piled
up on either side with people who had stopped just to get out and build snowmen and slide down the hills. I took in the beauty of the meadows that were covered by a blanket of undisturbed snow. I did see one guy who was making a snowman in the back of his pick up truck to take home with him. I'm not sure if he thought this all the way through or was perhaps just trying to make his kids happy.
We finally arrived at the Observatory and it was a blustery 41 degrees. It was quite refreshing for a few minutes, then it was just plain cold. The few extra jackets we brought did not begin to keep us warm enough for this weather. I am not complaining though, I really enjoyed seeing the snow and feeling the cold. I surely did not feel as though I was in sunny SoCal and that was okay for a little while.
I can actually see the Observatory from my house on a clear day, but I had no idea of it's actual size being as it is so far away. This structure is magnificent, and the size of the telescope inside is unbelievable. It is an awesome site for both young and old. The history behind the Observatory is very interesting in that it took over 40 years to actually be realized, including taking a break for WWII. One of the most interesting parts to me is the transportation of the 200-inch mirror up the mountain. The trip that took us only 1 hour including "Kodak Moment" stops, took 3 trucks 32 hours to arrive safely with this precious 40 ton cargo.
For my regular readers and savvy tourists, you know I am always complaining about customer service. I am also always tooting Disney's horn whenever I get a chance. So, I was very pleasantly surprised to find a post today at Michigan Rafter (Meltwater. Torrents. Meanderings. Delta.) about great customer service at none other than Walt Disney World. Please follow this link and read the very inspiring review. I couldn't have said it better myself!!!
A little over a year ago I did a post about the Amazon Kindle. My curiosity was peaked backed then and it is again, but for different reasons this time. Santa was generous enough to leave a Kindle under my Christmas tree this year and I just love it. When I started researching the Kindle last year, there was quite a bit of content available to purchase for this electronic handheld reader. I questioned whether or not it was cost worthy considering a lot of the books were rather pricey considering they weren't real books that I could put my hands on. Somehow they just get wisked through the air and appear on the Kindle within seconds at my request. I now know that is not magic but rather Amazon's Whispernet technology. Well, a year later and there is a remarkable amount of material available for the Kindle and so far it is cheaper than buying the real book. It is not limited to books either. You can subscribe to newspapers, magazines, and blogs. One of the first things I did was subscribe to the Reader's Digest on a monthly basis.
Now you might wonder why I think this has anything to do with travel or blogging. Well, since I travel and blog sometimes at the same time, I think I will find the Amazon Kindle quite useful. I like to take more than a few books with me in my luggage and we all know that is almost impossible these days since you have to stuff your life in one bag or be charged out the wazoo by the airlines. I will have my book that I am currently reading for pleasure, (usually a James Patterson murder mystery) and a current newspaper from the hotel, (usually USA Today), several blogging reference books and some travel guides depending upon where I am visiting. That takes up quite a bit of room in my luggage! But now, I can have all those things and more on just one small electronic reading device that stores neatly in my luggage or even my purse.
Another great feature is that if you are thinking about buying a book, but aren't quite sure about it, the Kindle lets you download a portion of the book and read to see if you are interested first. You can also subscribe to magazines and newpapers free for 14 days to make sure that is the best subscription for you before you purchase.
The Kindle is difficult to get, but it sure is worth the wait!
When most people think of Southern California, they think beaches and sunshine and probably movie stars. Well, we do have all that, but we have much more. Since I was raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, I am more used to seasonal changes and some occasional weather issues like cold temperatures and snow. That is something I kind of miss...maybe just a little. The rest of my family, except for maybe my son, thinks I am a bit mental.
The other day we took a day trip to Julian, CA. to share with my Aunt who was visiting from West Virginia. I like to visit Julian occasionally because there I can experience all four seasons. At just over 4,000 feet elevation, Julian provides a mild Summer for hiking, camping, and fishing, and a colorful backdrop for fun Fall activities.
The Winter brings the perfect wonderland for the holiday season and then Spring produces all the flowers and new nature that warms our hearts after a cold Winter.
Julian, CA. is an historic gold mining town that was founded after the Civil War. Although it is quite popular with tourists, it has
remained small in general population and retains it's old world charm. The tiny town has since taken on
new found fame as "Pie Town" because of The Julian Pie Company, who ships pies out by the hundreds to all over the country.
There is plenty to do in Julian for the whole family. They have shopping (my favorite), Art Galleries, historic sites, dining, wine tasting, and of course, many types of lodging. A trip to Julian makes a great day trip if you live in the area, but I think I will stay for the weekend next time I go so that I can experience all the dining options. That is very hard to do in just one day, especially when there is pie involved!!
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