What Is Your Dream Trip?

What Are You Secretly Yearning to See or Do?  Do you Know?

Do you even have a dream trip?  Have you ever had one, and did you take it?  If you did, is it crossed off your list, are you thinking of going back, or are you thinking of another one?

There are lots of different kinds of trips.  Say you go to Maui every year, with the family, and relax on the beach and by the pool.  That probably isn’t your dream trip.  It is a great family time.  But I am talking about the one thing that seems like magic to you, making your heart go pitter-patter just thinking of it.  

I fulfilled a long standing desire to see what the luxurious spas are really about in August of 2012 at Canyon Ranch.  There are many more aspects than just "diet and exercise"  and this vignette sculpture, one of many art works dotted around the grounds,  contributed to a sense of complete serenity during my brief stay.

Neither is the trip to one of the Disneys,  as much fun as it can be.  But for adults often the fun of that is watching kids or grandkids, and reliving their childhood excitement.  Not a usually a dream trip though.  What is one place that you would like to see above all others?  Maybe you have even been there and want to go back.

Or possibly it is an experience…being eyeball to eyeball with a whale  that was under my panga was one of mine.  Only about three feet separated us.  Suddenly, I was in the middle of a dream trip. The giant gray whale could have risen and upended our boat, but it didn’t.  We looked at each other.  Now it is a dream to go back and see them again.   Do you want to dig for dinosaurs?  How about riding the range in Montana?  Or even more exciting, riding across the steppes of Mongolia?  (No offense, Montana!   Love you!)  Learning to make fresh pasta and sauces in Italy?  Hot air ballooning over Cappadocia, marveling at the fairy chimney rock houses carved out centuries ago? (More about that one later.)

I am always captivated by the greens and blues found in nature and this shot of a little islet off of the Isle de Pines is one of my favorites.  It looks like it is floating.  I have been to many tropical paradises over the years but the time I spent here  was memorable for the sheer and simple beauty of the place, and the friendly people.

Mine changes all of the time, partly because I have fulfilled some dreams.  And then another crops up, perhaps after reading a magazine article, or even seeing a jaw-dropping photo..  That is the beauty of a dream trip, you can make it come true, and then the excitement of just thinking about another one can return.

My first was Machu Picchu.  I had actually been, a few years earlier, to some unexcavated ruins in Mexico out in the middle of nowhere.  They are now uncovered, restored as much as possible, and open to the public.  I do want to go back there and see what it looks like now, but that will come later, I hope. Yet after that trip,  I wanted to see ruins that were carefully reconstructed enough that we could see, study, and visualize their lives there.   So I went to Peru and Bolivia and saw some wonderous things,  and fulfilled a dream.

The Olympic Games always sounded to me like they would just be a hassle to see, so I was happily surprised to be wrong with a trip to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada in 2010.  Driving to the border early in the morning there was only one car in line in front of us (unheard of, really) and everything clicked beautifully the rest of the way to Whistler.  We were able to roam freely,  got great places to stand to watch the ski races,  and  could almost touch the athletes as they sped toward the finish line.  It was a beautiful and perfect day, capped by seeing the Olympic Flame in friendly downtown Vancouver, hearing many different languages as we walked the streets in the evening.

I was  dining at a popular restaurant in my home town one evening and was seated under a travel poster, a reproduction, that depicted Havana in all of the glory of the glamorous days of the  ‘50s.   Wow,  I thought,  I wish I could go there,  I yearned to go there,  but I knew it wouldn’t be the same under the oppressive rule of Communism.  This was back in the late 1970s  and the door hadn’t yet cracked open.    However….an opportunity came up,   somehow the embargo was lifted and I was able to visit with other travel professionals.  Then the door slammed shut again, and I was lucky enough to have been with a handful of Americans to see Cuba in the earlier years of the current regime.   This trip of course didn’t equal my “dream” of what Havana would be like, but was fascinating in many ways.  I had never been to a place where, when chatting with locals, they would stop speaking to you if others walked by and resume when they were out of earshot. 

Some places weren’t dreams when I went there, but because they were so wonderful, I have dreamed about going back (and in some cases have done so.)   I cannot get enough of Istanbul, for example.

I am passionate about history, and to see places where monumental things happened (and especially when the people did not know they were doing something monumental) it is a thrill to see them.  How ordinary and barren does this look?  Here, though, is the spot where the Dead Sea Scrolls were concealed and accidentally found about 2,000 years later by a goat herder.  Go figure.  I did not know that on this particular trip I would see something that I had always wanted to see.  Serendipity!

We are now coming full circle.  Lately I have been reading about some exciting discoveries in Turkey that have turned the clock way back on religion, civilization and how they developed.  Thousands and thousands of years ago early inhabitants there created the most stunning religious monuments(religion is a term used loosely here as we do not know what the beliefs were).  The project of discovery is still ongoing, and I am longing to see the site as a work in progress, before the crowds, the lines, and the inevitable souvenirs, guide books, etc. are there.   Not too far away is the earliest settlementever found…not to say that there are not older sites waiting to be found, but this one is from a civilization that pre-dates the Hittites.   Since they entered their homes from the rooftops, maybe they originated the saying “drop in anytime!”  

So, to make my newest dream come true,  I am planning this trip with the help of my experts in Istanbul, and have a small group coming along with me next July.  A week’s spin around the BlackSea, and a week seeing breathtaking things in Turkey with an expert guide, and air conditioning all the way through!  (That’s what this Seattle girl needs.)   Go ahead and google “Gobekli Tepe” and then “Catal Hoyuk” and see what you think, I’d love to have you come along!

Have you made that dream trip and was it all you thought it would be?  Or are you waiting for it to happen?  Do you  even have one?    If you drop to the bottom and click on “comments”  you can let me, and other readers, know about some of your peak travel experiences.  Let's compare dreams!  If you don't have one, let me help you find it.

My commercial is this fantastic trip, with the week visiting Russia, Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria  before  seeing history being re-discovered before our very eyes in Turkey.    Call at 888-857-7379, and I will get the details out to you.

A Totem Graveyard, And Their Replacements

Mother Nature has begun the slow process of returning the poles to the earth

Nobody knows  exactly when the First Nation tribes of the Northwest  American coastline began to carve these beautiful  poles.   They can depict many things such as clan affiliations and social rank.  They would commemorate a potlatch, be positioned at the entrance to a home, or be a memorial or grave marker among other things.

The front portion of a whale carved in the 1930s

Where was the first one constructed?  When?  We’ll never know these answers but we do know they were seen when the European explorers first visited back in the 1700s.  And it seems certain that it was done somewhere between, say, the current cities of Seattle and Anchorage, and most likely somewhere on the coastline midway between these two cities. If you have perhaps sailed the "Inside Passage" don't suppose you have seen the most authentic, historic portion of it.  There are numerous Haida, Tlingit and other tribal villages here with a much longer history.

I was fortunate enough to spend part of a day at Klawock, Alaska recently,  observing the carving of and learning more about these spectacular totem poles.   Klawock is considered the “mother village” of the Tlingit tribe (commonly pronounced “ Klinkit”). The culture of totem carving is on the rise here as many of the tribe members are striving to re-incorporate into their lives some of the values and traditions of their ancestors.  Their oral history tells them they have been here for well over 5,000 years, maybe double that time,  and some of the aspects of the lives of their ancestors certainly bear emulating!

Mid-August was a special and historic time for the Tlingits of Klawock.  In centuries past, they would migrate to Klawock  from their northern home at Tuxekan during the summer for fishing.  There were a number of totem poles at Tuxekan .  Since a pole typically has a “life” of about 80 years,  during the 1930s the government (via the civilian conservation corps) hired Tingits to recreate the Tuxekan poles and install them at what is now Totem Pole Park in Klawock.

A young carver working on a totem pole for the August pole raising

One of the newer poles at the park in Klawock

These poles have recently been replicated once more,  third generation true copies, and  mid-August the final five were raised during a potlatch.  Now the number is again  21 and the prior poles, which lay on the ground near the carving shed,  have an undecided fate.   As of July, the Tlingits at Klawock haven’t yet come to agreement as to whether to keep,  dispose or let Mother Nature have her way.  But because of the new generation of carvers, they may be going, going, gone, but they won’t be forgotten.

This was one wonderful day of a wilderness cruise in the Inside Passage which skipped the commonly visited ports in favor of uninhabited places and this lovely stop at Klawock, where we learned so much about their long and admirable heritage.

My commercial:  If you are interested in the art of the northwestern natives of the US and Canada I would love to help you plan a trip to view the art, in and out of museums, and perhaps you will discover the perfect piece for your home or yard.  Or, if you want to see the wilderness that very few outsiders visit,  give me a call.  These are places that you will never see on a large ship.

My other commercial:  Some of the finest of the cruise lines are offering special incentives for booking cruises due to sail before the end of the year,  with lower fares and/or onboard spending credits.  Need a last minute vacation?  Call me at 888-857-7379!

The Best Family Thanksgiving Ever Can Be Yours!

For years, I started off my Thanksgiving day watching the Macy’s  Thanksgiving Parade in New York on the TV,  since I am on the west coast.  It was the kick-off to the wonderful holiday season that we  so eagerly anticipate,  but I longed to see the parade in person.

One year, though, I was able to take my kids on a very, very special holiday trip.  We flew into New York on Wednesday and went to a musical that evening.  One of my sisters and her family lived in Brooklyn at the time,  and they had been invited to a parade party at the home of her husband’s employer, which was right along the parade route.  We had the famous balloon characters right at our eye level, and were able to run downstairs to the sidewalk when we wished to watch from ground level.  We then went to her home for a wonderful feast, and the next few days did things like seeing  the real Santa at Macy’s (although there were three or four there at the same time)  and the Christmas Spectacular show with the fabulous Rockettes  at Radio City Music Hall.  It was my Best Thanksgiving Ever.

The parade is long, and watching it from the street can be tiring, especially with children, and what about going to the bathroom?  We were lucky we had the apartment to run up to, and where we could grab a bite to eat also.

I highly, highly recommend this having a spot like this, especially if you have children or grandchildren to take.  My sister doesn’t live there anymore, so you can’t visit her J  but I can offer you the opportunity of seeing the parade with special access to a fantastic rest area steps from the parade route.  You can arrive as early as 8:00 am and partake of a buffet breakfast, and use it throughout the parade to come in for the rest room, a cup of cocoa,  or to just get off your feet for a few moments.

This  package includes three nights at a newly renovated hotel near Times Square in the theatre district, about three blocks from Radio City, access to the rest area, and a couple of other perks.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the cost of this great package. Obviously space is limited but there is still some left….and I can help you with other ideas and make suggestions for what to do  in and around New York to make this the Best Thanksgiving Ever!

If you have already seen this parade, I have any number of great quick getaways where you can kick off the holidays.  Contact me at 888-857-7379 or anne@specialtycruise.com.

Buenos Aires' Explosion of Color!

Welcome to the heart of Buenos Aires'  La Boca Neighborhood!

People have called the Argentine capitol of Buenos Aires the “Paris of the Americas,” lauding the wide, tree lined boulevards and the exquisite architecture.   The Recoleta district, with the sophistication of uptown Manhattan, the glorious statues throughout the city, and the wonderful market at St. Telmo make this a fantastic city for those of us who love the variety that a large metropolis can give us. 

That said….I love seeking out the “fun” parts of cities, where the vibe is not necessarily refined and upscale.   Not quite “down and dirty” but more alive, colorful, electric…you name it.

This wall says it all!  To the left, the historic beginnings, where cattle and horses were first introduced to South America, to the right,  showing the purported home of Tango, and the nifty map of La Boca in the middle.

In Buenos Aires, this is La Boca,  (in espanol “The Mouth” ) which some people say is the site of the very first settlement of Buenos Aires in the 1500s. Named for its site on the mouth of the Riacheula, an original point of entrance for vessels arriving from Europe, it still has that edgy port feel.   One that is alive with color, stalls selling beautiful things for very good prices, interesting graffiti that just seems to fit, lots of restaurants, just a worthwhile place to wander for a few hours and see a different side of the city, youthful and old at the same time. 

A few of the permanent residents of Caminito, the heart of La Boca.

And Tango.  Almost a religion here,  the little streetside restaurants each have tango dancers outside, showing their skills at this magical and dramatic dance,  inviting you to sit awhile and watch (and order lunch, as we did.)  La Boca is rumored to be the point of origin for Tango, and it permeates everything here.

Teaching a tourist to tango.

Also here is La Bonbonera, the home stadium for the wildly popular futbol club, the Boca Juniors.  (How on earth did a chocolate confection become the nickname for a stadium full of rabid fans?)   This is a working class neighborhood and can be a bit rough and tumble...stay in the commercial areas, and this is not the best part of town to go clubbing.  But a lunch, a little shopping, and time to just absorb the energized feel of the area makes for a memorable afternoon!   Enjoy the rest of the photos.

As you can see the corrugated metal is a popular building choice....

Shade, fresh air and a cool drink keep these people refreshed on a hot day.

My first "maxikiosco" ever!

Two future Tango masters?  Or futbol players?

Ready for my commercial?  I have a fantastic offer for the month of May from Azamara Club Cruises.  Book an inside cabin for most cruises in 2014 and receive a complimentary upgrade to a fabulous balcony cabin!   Newly refreshed ships and imaginative itineraries with longer stays in port (we had three days and two nights in Buenos Aires) make this a desirable offer.  Call me!  425-454-1250 or 888-857-7379.

Mother Nature and the Man in the Moon

It’s hard to resist the thought of visiting a tropical paradise,  but as a person who used to visit the same place every year,  I found it becoming a bit boring and predictable,  NOT what I wish when I have my precious time away from home.   Sameness is comforting to me in my stomping grounds, but not so much while I am away.  Here's something you probably haven't heard of....

Lush, thick foliage and interestingly rounded boulders create a beautiful entrance into bay.  Look like giant turtles, don't they!

As access to the tiny dots on the map of the world’s tropics becomes easier, you can become a little more selective in choosing your delightful landing spots.  I spent a little time, recently, at a somewhat remote Brazilian beach resort and the frosting on that cake is that it has some historical significance and has preserved it!

Paraty,  (sometimes spelled Parati,) is prounounced Parachee.  Cariocas and their ladies make the two hour or so trip on weekends from Rio,  but I arrived midweek so the town had no crowds whatsoever.  Approaching the town from the water,  you will step onto a dock with vendors selling hats, hats, cold treats and did I say hats?   But unlike many other places, there were no "in your face" salespeople,  a treat in itself.  Walking along the long pier, the crazily painted boats are just begging for someone to please hire them...again, with nobody  approaching you.

Boy boat

Girlie boat

The historic center is set in front of you as you step off the pier.  Briefly, this bay and therefore the site of the city were first seen by the Portuguese a mere decade after Columbus' first trip.  We cannot say Portugal discovered it, however, as there were already several tribes thriving here for hundreds of years before  the Europeans came.  In the 1600s the town became the most important point of export for gold, jewels and sugar in Brazil and in the next hundred years or so the town itself is what thrived.  Then the export business dried up as it moved away (too easy for pirates to plunder from this location) and Paraty was seemingly forgotten.  Thankfully, many of the buildings, iglesias, warehouses, and homes remained as a little time capsule, now still homes, shops, and restaurants to enchant us 21st century travelers.

No motorized vehicles allowed here, an original street  which is cleaned monthly  with the cooperation of  Mother Nature and the Man in the Moon.  The bulkhead along the beach has openings so the highest tides of the full moon can come onto the cobblestone streets and rinse everything away.  

No need to pave your driveway,  just place a few rocks and your lawn and car park are separated.  Wish I could see beyond the gates.

  

Once you enter the historic area, you'll be dazzled by the whitewashed walls, the foliage, and neatness of this quaint little place.  There's a nice mix of usage from private homes to a well-done cultural center to restaurants, places to stay and of course shops, which were surprisingly well-stocked and not at all "beach-town-ish."   Some nice galleries too.

Although the temperatures and  humidity were in the 90s on this peak-of-summer day,  I felt refreshed just looking at the cool blues and greens of these homes.

I turned a corner and was intrigued to see what looked like a little pocket bar, about seven feet wide and maybe twenty feet long.  There was no one there to serve me a very cold beverage and I realized it was part of a hostel.  A kind staff member found me there and brought me into the office where he served me a glass of cool water.  

The tiny little bar  with the big-hearted bartender...

...and the Simpsons on Abbey Road.

Turning toward the main square at the waterfront I caught a glimpse of the church tower and a horse-drawn carriage,  allowing me to imagine a little of what life much have been like centuries ago.

Brazil has done a great job recently of identifying and saving it's treasures of the past and UNESCO has declared this Old Town  a World Heritage Site.

This is no one-note visit.  There is Aventura Park just a mile away, a rainforest with zip lines,  swinging bridges,  numerous hiking trails, and a river running through it.  You can also walk parts of the famous original Gold Trail from the 1600s which have been dug up and made passable.  And lest you think I have forgotten,  there are beaches all over...surfing, swimming, and sunbathing.

But no matter what you do here, this might be your most lasting image:

Tchau,  Paraty.    (pronounce it "ciao.")

Do you have a favorite, perhaps secret, tropical hideaway with a lot of personality?  I'd love to hear about it.  Just go below to Comments and type in your message and you can share with my millions of readers.  (Insert smiley face here.)

Commercial message!   How I love them!   I've got to make a living!!!  People are often surprised at how much they fall in love with South America, whether they travel by cruise ship and pop down to Antarctica,  or just tour several of these magnificent countries.  You can almost hear whispers of the ancients at Macchu Piccu and you can definitely hear the beat of Tango in Argentina.   This is a continent of superlatives and the time to visit just might be now.    Call me for ideas at 888-857-7379.

A Quiz, and a Prize!

In the spirit of the holiday season I have decided to construct a quiz with a real prize.   Of course it is about travel.  You may even find an answer or two in one or more of my  prior blogs.  Or maybe not.

First of all I would like to thank the many travel vendors who present webinars to me, as a  Virtuoso travel professional.  The depth of information we get in an hour or less, accompanied by exquisite photographs,   has increased my desire to globetrot and see some of the astounding places they represent.  I am often able to attend two or three a week and since things change rapidly in the wonderful world of travel, I am kept up to date.

Iolani Palace in Honolulu, the only royal palace in the current US, a beautiful yet bittersweet place to visit.  US business interests essentially staged a coup to overthrow the royal family.  A must-see, I think,  in Hawaii.

Since of course I cannot present photos of these places I am just going to scatter some pix that I have taken over the past few years  of some favorite things  (this time, not my adorable dog,  Ranger, who I used previously.)

1. What church will astound you with its interior of gold?  Hint, this place is high on my bucket list.  I hope to visit here in the next couple of years.  Name of the church and city please.  Let me know if you want to visit also.

      2.   What city has two of the most  architecturally unusual buildings in the world.  Hint, these are not  buildings from antiquity.  They are modern.  They will take your breath away.    If you want to see them in person rather than in photos,  call me.  

How thrilled I was to step into  the Victoria and Albert Museum  and see this installation which I immediately knew was from my favorite hometown artist, Dale Chihuly!

       3. Where will you find ancient cave paintings made by a people who today might be models and basketball players?   And you can visit them!  Just ask me how!

      4. Where are there conical homes with stone roofs which used to be taken apart to fool tax assessors into thinking the home was not finished?  

      5. In what city can you visit a building, now a museum, that was inhabited until not too long ago, whose first inhabitants were  Phoenicians?  This is a great place, packed with history.

A stylish pedicab in Tallin, Estonia

      6. In what country can you be transported on two non-motorized types of transportation,  one beginning with a K and the other ending in a K.  I want the country and the two types of transportation.   And, I can send you on a trip to this country with the author of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, as she revisits one of them.

      7.  What archaeological site in the eastern hemisphere has been said to cause controvery in the archaeology world which thought that agriculture, which begat settlements,  was the first cornerstone in the foundation of religion?  

Ok I think this is enough!   Just go ahead and leave your answers in the comments section, click below to leave your name and comment.  The first person who gets all of the answers right will win something that I actually will have to pay for…no keychains for you!

Now for my commercial.  Just because the name of our company is Specialty Cruise & Villas doesn’t mean that is all we do!  Our membership in Virtuoso has allowed us to expand to enable you to visit some of the most  fascinating places in the world, even those not on a river or near the ocean.  I would love to help you  fulfill your most passionate travel dreams.   We can nearly always do this with our worldwide contacts.  Can’t take you to the moon yet, but maybe soon!    Call me at 425-454-1250 or 888-857-7379.

One more thing:  King Tut is leaving Seattle January 6.  This exhibit is spellbinding and this is the last stop in the US.  I can help you arrange this, including VIP tickets,  but you must act quickly.

Loving a Loooong Layover (am I crazy?)

Or:  Handed a Travel Lemon?   Make Lemonade!

Every once in awhile,  I am stuck with a long layover.  Sometimes it is just all you can get when going from point A to B.  But there you are, with  interminable hours at an airport. Chain restaurants, shops, uncomfortable chairs, frequent announcements, long lines, ugh.

Recently, faced with 7 hours at London Heathrow, I decided to put my  noggin to work and try to turn it into a positive.  My agreeable Travel Companion (TC), is happy with a sports lounge with banks of televisions so he can watch game after game.  Not me!

Going from a sunny day in Nice to  seven hours in an airport is not my idea of how to end a vacation!

On the lower floor of the terminal we found the local transportation information offices where we obtained  schedules and some ideas of where we could go that was nearby and would have some interest.  My TC is a good sport and will go along with whatever I decide,  so I took a stab and decided on a town called Staines.

Next, we pondered on what to do with our carry-on luggage.  Viola, a few feet away was a short-term baggage storage area which would, for a small fee, let us leave our bags securely for four hours.

Then out to the bus stop. Along it came, on we went, and before we knew it we hopped off near a shopping mall. Down the street we saw what looked like it might be a small hostelry and away we went to look for lunch.  As we came closer we discovered something that made my TC happy. The hotel was on a river, and the river was The Thames, with  there was a paved walkway alongside it!  That was a big thing, and I think worth the whole layover to him.   

The beautiful white swans brighten up a dreary day.

That particular hostelry was not yet serving lunch so we decided to walk along the path.  The weather was iffy, the current was fast,  the swans were plentiful,  and the scenery was pleasant for being relatively close to the airport.  Then I saw something that made my heart flutter…there, across the river,  was a picturesque little inn called the  Swan Hotel.   I remembered that I had enjoyed lunch there on a trip decades ago!    It had been a much more pleasant day and we had sat outside along the river for an outstanding meal.

This inn gave me a moment of deja vu!

A little farther down the path we found a  modern building overlooking the river with a pub called something that reminded me of my little vegetable patch at  home:  the Slug and Lettuce.   We had good food and a congenial waiter, adding  up to a memorable lunch.

The pub, called "the Slug and Lettuce", had a great riverside location.  On a warmer day, we would have eaten outside.

Like most small towns, it was a mix of  old and new architecture (the Slug and Lettuce obviously in a new building.)

The greenish neon sign brings the sedate Town Hall building a touch of whimsy.

 

Heading into the center of town we discovered a mall where the roads had been closed to traffic, making it a comfortable place to wander.   The historian in me was thrilled to see a marker commemorating a bridge that had been built there by the Romans in AD 43,  and another marking an event that happened over 400 years later.  

Marking an important bridge crossing the Thames here from 2,000 years ago.  Ramparts from some nearby bridges of the same era still exist nearby.

My favorite part of the outing, a bit of serendipity as I did not expect this, was the wonderful sculpture honoring the people who worked for years  in the local linoleum factory. It turned out more of that ubiquitous flooring than any other place in the world…until the market slowed and it closed.  But the town clearly survived!

This is where linoleum was invented, and most of it was produced, until it fell out of favor.

Then back on the bus, to the airport, grabbing the bags, heading up the escalators and back into the throngs of Terminal 5 to board the flight home. The nine hours was easier to endure because of the discovery of a small working-class British town.  Fresh air, stretching your legs, and a nice pub lunch is  much more fun than just another long airport layover. (I learned one lesson:  plan this before you leave home and save time!)

Commercial time!   The river cruise business is exploding and the various companies are building nicer and better river boats as fast as they can.  New technology is making these vessels more comfortable with larger staterooms and even balconies on some, giving you 24 hour access to great views.  The time to think about this is now, since many of them offer their best rates 12-18 months prior.  All over the world, towns sprung up along river banks as that was their best mode of transportation, so you will see history everywhere.    Europe, China, and the US are the tip of the iceberg...(you won't see any of THOSE on a river cruise by the way :)   How about a safari cruise in Africa, where the game comes to you as they quench their thirst.  Or the remote reaches of the upper Amazon, through the densest jungles.  Combine with with a Macchu Piccu trip before or after!  Call me at 888-857-7379,  Anne Johnson at Specialty Cruise.