Category Archives: Travel

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Don’t Let Time pass You By!

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I was talking to a friend recently, about my upcoming vacation and how I need to have my time off, not only to “get away” but also to see family and friends that I live far from and don’t get a chance to see every day.

I’ve always felt that it’s good to stay in touch, including face to face visits, even if there is great distance involved. But, I’ve known and met many people in my life that had relatives or friends that they haven’t seen in years, often due to the distance and busy lives.

Of course, it is understandable, in today’s fast-paced world, that time is scarce. The problem with this is that, many of us postpone that trip for later, “when I have more time…” which never seems to come. Before you know it, the friendship has faded, or worse, that great friend or relative has died.

I read an article once from a travel writer, who said that he was always postponing visiting his favorite uncle, due to his job. His uncle later died and the writer has regretted not visiting his uncle, for the sake of any job. Jobs come and go, but people cannot be replaced and once they’re gone, they’re gone!

I’ve lost several relatives and friends within the past year, but one thing I don’t regret is my having made time to visit them and to have them visit me.

Last Christmas, I met a relative who’d been out of the family circle for a long time, and I could see, without his telling me, that he most likely felt that he’d missed out on a lot, and regretted it.

So, if you have that wonderful friend or relative that you haven’t seen in a long, long time, don’t postpone that trip! Make time for that visit!

No regrets.

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Think You’ve Seen All of Your Home Town?

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So, you’ve lived in your current home town for a long time now, and you think you’ve seen all there is to see, right? Well, guess again! Chances are you probably haven’t. Just pick up a local map.

If you look long enough, you’ll probably see lots of little places right in your town that you’ve never really seen. You may have passed by them many times, but you haven’t really seen them. And they can make great local trips. Some of them might be less than 5 minutes away from you!

Kelly Point Park

Kelly Point Park

 

I’ve lived in the Portland area for over 11 years now and I’m still finding little spots, like Kelly Point Park, pictured here, that I hadn’t seen before. Before moving to the Portland area, I lived in the Los Angeles area for over 40 years and there are still places I haven’t seen there!

Confluence of the Willamette & Columbia Rivers from Kelly Point Park.

Confluence of the Willamette & Columbia Rivers from Kelly Point Park.

So, how to find these places and add them to your day trips planner? Just pick up a map from the AAA or your city offices, and really look at it. That’s what I do from time to time, and I always find something new I haven’t discovered before.

Now that spring is just about here, with summer not far behind, it’s time to rediscover your home town area!

Happy traveling!

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Don’t Drive? Need a License? No! Need an Updated ID? Yes!

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So, you no longer drive or have stopped driving. And that means you have no need of a license, or a need to update it. But, do you still need an up to date ID? The answer is, yes!

Now, we’re not like an iron curtain country where we need “papers”, but there are cases where an up to date ID can really help. And no, not just to enter bars or other adults only places.

I went to do my taxes last week, and, while waiting, a customer appeared who had not updated his ID, so, the expired ID he had was considered invalid. This meant that he had to go and update his ID before he could do his taxes.

There can be other cases where an updated ID is essential. Among these are getting all kinds of services and discounts for senior citizens. Also, one is often needed for banking and other financial transactions. Then of course, you need one if you’re going to fly anywhere.

And lastly, if you lose your wallet and it ends up with the police or other law enforcement authority, you may have more trouble getting it back.

So, what to do if you don’t drive and don’t need a license? Well, you can get just an ID card, usually from the DMV. They are usually good for 10 years, to my knowledge, and are accepted as valid forms of identification. And remember to keep it updated!

You never know when a valid ID can help you.

Be up to date!

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Don’t Know What to Eat on the Road? Try This!

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So, you’ve decided to take a road trip. Yes, you’ve packed some snacks, but didn’t really relish the idea of taking sandwiches for lunch, dinner, or breakfast for that matter. And you don’t like the fast food selections you’ve been passing.

Well, there is a good alternative. You may come across a larger food store, such as an Albertsons, Winco, Kroger, Raleys, Safeway, Walmart, or some other. Many of these larger supermarkets will have sandwiches and other items ready-made and kept refrigerated, just waiting for you! And, at some of these stores, there may even be a full cafeteria of items as well. And if you’re a Costco member, good food is available there, too!

You can stop and eat a hot meal at some. Or, you can select from their refrigerated products, which, in addition to sandwiches, can include wraps, burritos, and salads. And some of the items can be had for less than at some fast food places!

Then, at the same store, you can find individual sized drinks as well. Then you can stop at that nearby rest stop just down the road. Oftentimes there are tables available, along with restrooms. And sometimes they just happen to have an awesome view as well, and you’re set!

I’ve done this and it’s great! Oh, just don’t forget those snacks from home, too! We still like those!

Have a great trip!

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Try a Cruise This Summer!

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Vacation time is here and there’s a great many choices out there! And one choice is to take a cruise.

A cruise? Isn’t that for the very rich and wouldn’t it be very boring, with lots of old people and boring days at sea? Most likely, the answer is no, and has been for a long time.

There are all kinds of cruises and cruise/fly combos out there. And even the ‘standard’ Caribbean and European cruises don ‘t fit that stereotype.

Advantages of a cruise? There are a great variety of types of cruises. For all kinds of people and tastes. There are cruises to Antarctica, cruises along rivers, more intimate cruises on smaller vessels, cruises that drop you off on a secluded beach or island, where you create your own adventure from there, and so on.

On many cruises, you can visit several places, with most of the time at sea being at night and tours during the day.

Oftentimes, on the larger vessels, you may have a great variety of entertainment and dining options, so that staying on board can be a viable option as opposed to taking tours at each port of call.

Cruise prices are more competitive now and within reach of more people today.

In 1992, I took a Caribbean cruise and it was great! I visited Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guadalupe, Grenada, Caracas, and Aruba, and took day tours at each port of call. And the ship was large enough to provide various entertainment options. It was far from boring and, at the same time, I saw that it accommodated the varying tastes of different kinds of passengers, too. And it shattered my stereotypes of cruising.

A few years earlier, my cousins went on a cruise where they had some beach time on what amounted to “their own beach” for a short amount of time. They, too, had a great time. Another person I know has gone on several cruises in North America and Europe and never had a bad time on any of them.

Are there disadvantages? Sure. Destinations can change due to weather, civil unrest at a port of call, health problems on board, and mechanical problems. One cruise my cousins went on was disrupted by a hurricane. Another person I know, was on the cruise following mine in 1992, and had to miss Caracas due to riots having occurred the day before. And of course there are the norovirus stories and recently the stories of cruise ships that had to be towed back to port.

Fortunately, these are less common than the media would have you believe. So, how to plan a cruise? First, do your research. If you know a good travel agent, use them. If not, find one. Booking a cruise yourself can be fraught with mishaps. An experienced travel agent can be sure that all your connections are viable and, if something goes wrong, they are much more able to help you than you can help yourself.

Also, get a passport if you don’t already have one, and if you do, make sure that there is more than 6 months left to renew it. It will make life much easier.

So, if you haven’t ever taken a cruise and want to do something different this year, book a cruise!

Bon voyage!

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Road Trip!

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With summer coming up, one’s thoughts turn to travel, and the idea of a road trip. I like travel in most forms, and when I travel in winter, I do prefer to fly to avoid snow issues, but traveling by car is my most preferred method.

Travel by car allows the most freedom. If I see something along the way that I want to check out, I can! If you’re flying from Las Vegas to Albuquerque, you’ll likely be flying over the Grand Canyon. But stopping to take a picture from the rim is impossible to do from a passenger jet at 35,000 feet, for obvious reasons. But if you’re traveling by car, yes, you can stop to take pictures.

Car travel, (or RV travel, etc) usually involves less hassles. No security checkpoints, no true restrictions on liquids, items, etc. Easier transport of items. You also know how much you can take and know that someone else won’t have taken your trunk space. None of the hassles that you encounter when flying.

You see the scenery along the way when you travel by car. You can see things from a plane, too, but only if you have a window seat, and your field of vision is restricted.

Lastly, but oftentimes most important, you have more control over your trip. You can leave when you want to. And if you need to, changing motel reservations is much easier and often less costly than changing or cancelling flight reservations. Also, there are less likely to be delays caused by things beyond your control, like the airline simply cancelling your flight, even though you are well, and all ready to go, or flight delays due to weather on the other side of the country. (Yes, I have heard of flight delays at an airport where the weather is perfect, because of “chain reaction” delays caused by weather in a location far from that airport!)

Are there disadvantages? Sure. Flat tires or maintenance issues you must handle yourself, though AAA is a great help. It’s slower. Driving from Portland, Oregon to Los Angeles, California takes two days. It only takes 4 hours by plane nonstop if you also throw in the 2 hours that you should arrive before your actual boarding time. Arrive at the airport at 7am to leave on a 9am flight and arrive before lunchtime.

Though gas, motel rooms, and eating out can add to the expense of a road trip, I usually find driving to cost somewhat less, especially if your final destination is a friend’s or relative’s house where you’ll be staying, and sometimes eating, for free. If you’re renting a car after the plane trip and staying in lodging that you’ll be paying for at your destination, then the cost of gas, eating out, and lodging almost don’t matter and the overall trip, boosted by the plane fare, may be much more expensive.(Though still worth it if you like travel as I do!)

And, if driving long distances really tires you out or is just not your thing, then travelling by car is its own disadvantage for you.

But, if you don’t mind driving and are fed up with airports, (and your destination is drive-able, since you can’t drive to Hawaii,) think about a road trip!

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And thanks for reading! 🙂