Packing, Packing, Packing!!!

Okay, I admit it.  It's almost impossible to pack for an 18-day trip where we will be leaving 90 degree temperatures and going to 50 and 60 degree temps.  You just can't take lightweight clothes when you're going to be around glaciers in Iceland and Greenland.

However, while on one of those last minute "gotta see what else we must buy from Costco" trips over the weekend, I stumbled on the vacuum travel bags.  Costco has 12 of them (6 large and 6 extra large) for $24.99.  The beauty of these babies is that you can carry twice as much stuff in half the space.  The bad part is that you have to weigh your bags to make sure you're not going over the weight limit for the flight. 

Our puppy, Liesel, was terrified when Charlie vacuumed the air out of the first bag.  We had loaded up a bag, squished as much air out as we could, hooked up the vacuum to it, and vacuumed out the rest.  Now, there are goods and bads about this also.  We had to repack a couple of the bags because they ended up being too wide for our suitcase.  However, after the first two bags, we got the hang of it, and did the rest of the packing in no time.

ONE REALLY IMPORTANT PACKING TIP:  We always pack half of my clothes and half of Charlie's clothes in each bag so that if one of our bags gets lost, we will still have some clothes each.  We came up with this idea after Charlie's bag with all of his pants and shirts was lost when we arrived in New Orleans for a cruise.  He had to rush like crazy at the port to find a pair of pants and couple of shirts he could wear until we got his bag three days later.

Back to the vacuum bags - I've been cautioned to carry extra bags in case one of more of the bags spring a leak and we have clothes exploding everywhere when we open the bags in London.  Let's just hope the security personnel at the airport don't try to open one of these.  They'll never get all of those sweaters and jackets back in the bag.

P.O.S.H.

Today, I have been doing some research on a large mailpiece we are doing with one of our suppliers.  I have been looking for vintage postcards of Europe.  On one of them I saw the word P.O.S.H.

When we opened Just Cruisin' Plus in 1988, I had heard the term P.O.S.H., but didn't know what it meant.  This term for "grand" or "first-rate" originated in the days of ocean steamship travel between England and India.  Wealthy passengers would, at some considerable cost, book round-trip passage as "Port Outward, Starboard Home."  They would book a cabin on the cooler side of the ship while crossing the unbearably hot Indian Ocean under the sun.  Abbreviated as P.O.S.H., the expression soon came to be applied to first-class passengers who could afford that luxury.

However, the reality is that the monsoon winds that blow in and out of the Asian area shift between winter and summer, so that the sheltered side of a ship would change according to the season.  During my research today, I found some old deck plans of ships during that period, and  in looking at them I found that most cabins were located mid-ship with indoor promenades or hallways along each side, so the actual definition of the origin of P.O.S.H. could be said to be taken as artistic license.

Just my bit of trivial information for today.....

A Travel Agent Could Be Your New Best Friend in a Disaster

Charlie and I often get interviewed for articles in trade publications.  This week Charlie was interviewed by Frommer's for an article on why you need a travel agent.  Take a look at this article. You never know when that vacation you booked online could become a disaster.  Who would you call?  Read the article.  You'll be glad you did.

Potter-mania

When the first Harry Potter book was printed, I instantly picked it up thinking I would buy it for my granddaughter to read to her when she was older.  Little did I know that I would be drawn into the wizarding world of Harry Potter, Hogwarts, and Diagon Alley.

When we saw the first movie in the series, I was blown away with how Universal had taken the book and actually brought it to life just as J.K. Rowling had done in my mind.  It was just as I had pictured it, down to Hagrid's cabin and Diagon Alley. 

In June, we were fortunate to be able to visit Universal Studios in Orlando while we were attending the Vacation.com annual Conference.  One week earlier, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter had just opened to record crowds.  Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade have been replicated down to Honeyduke's, Ollivander's, the Owl Post, the Three Broomsticks, the Hogwart Express at Track 9 3/4, and of course, Hogwart's at the end of the street.  Again, I never dreamed it could be done, but Universal has made the books and movies come to life.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has had to be crowd controlled, and there are certain times during the day when this section of the park is actually closed to additional visitors.  On the day we were there, the line into Honeydukes' was a 45-minute wait.  The Owl Post had another 45-minute wait. 

You can ride the Dragon Challenge, an incredible high-thrills rollercoaster with lots of inversions.  The Flight of the Hippogriff is a family ride that passes Hagrid's Hut and encounters a Hippogriff while aboard the coaster.

The ride that takes you through Hogwarts is called the Forbidden Journey.  This signature attraction uses advanced robotics to send guests on a wild journey alongside Harry, Hermione, and Ron where they experience many scenes from the films. We were told that it is the most advanced, stunning park ride anywhere.  On the day we were there, the wait was 90-minutes. 

Hogwarts Castle, is located at the end of the village and  is everything a muggle could hope for. Walking through the halls of Hogwarts on your way to the Fobidden Journey ride, you'll see all sorts of wizardry, including portraits that, astonishingly, start talking and moving and snow that begins falling from the ceiling. Even without the ride, the tour through Hogwarts is an incredible standalone attraction.


Hogwarts Castle and the Forbidden journey ride have been designed to handle enormous crowds. But the shops are all built to scale--to serve the story, no doubt--and the tight quarters can't comfortably accommodate the hordes of muggles who visit on busy days.

The Three Broomsticks tavern offers Harry Potter-specific foode such as Cornish Pasties (pastry puffs filled with minced beef and vegetables) and strawberry and peanut butter ice cream. Pub grub, such as fish and chips, is also available. The Hog's Head bar features butterbeer (frozen and non-frozen), which has traces of shortbread and butterscotch and is addictive, pumpkin juice, and "real" alcoholic beverages.  There are also Butterbeer stands all around Hogsmeade. 

Ollivanders wand shop has a brief show in which "the wand chooses the wizard" (a lucky kiddo plucked from the crowd). The shop accommodates only about 25 guests at a time, and the line to get in can be huge.  There were almost 700 people in line the day we were there. Wands are for sale next door in an adjacent store and at a small kiosk next to Hogwarts.

Other stores include Zonko's (a joke shop made famous by the Weasley twins) with oddities like Extendable Ears; Dervish and Banges, which sells Quidditch gear; and Honeydukes, a sweets shop with chocolate frogs and Bertie Bott’s Every-Flavour Beans (including--ew!--fish and cheese flavors).


Our suggestion:  Wait until next year or at least in the off-season to go to this incredible reproduction of Hogsmeade, Hogwarts, and Diagon Alley.  Stay on property at Universal and you can enter early and stay late without other guests.  This should definitely be on every muggle's vacation bucket list.

I Admit It...

...I'm a Tennessee Titans junkie.  We are original PSL (private seat license) holders.  We have four seats on the fifty-yard-line.  We attend all of the home games.  We love our boys in blue, and there's no place better to be on a Sunday afternoon in the fall than at LP Field.  We've gotten to know everyone around us who have season tickets.  There's Kenny who sits next to me.  He has about 6 or 7 seats (I'm not really sure which) and brings some of his employees with him to every game.  There's Susie and Don who sit behind us.  There's Sandy and her son who sit in front of us.  We look forward each year to reuniting and cheering on our favorite team.

But there's a bee in my bonnet.  I hate that the NFL requires season ticket holders to purchase pre-season tickets at the same face value as the regular game tickets cost.  I hate that all of the teams must play four pre-season games, risking teams losing some of their best players from injuries they receive in one of these games for part or most of a season.  Two pre-season games are more than sufficient for coaches to see who can do what the best.

But what I do love is hearing The Duke, the voice of the Titans, say "Tennessee, are you ready?  Titans fans, are you ready?"  It's football time in Tennessee, and although we gave away our tickets for tonight's game, we're glued to the TV, eating popcorn and cheering on our boys.

GO TITANS!!!

My Sailing Playlist

I love my iPod.  I truly do.  I have a docking station for it on my desk at the office as well as one at home.  One of my "must haves" on my car was a plug-in for my iPod that will play through my sound system.  With over 3000 songs in my library, I have divided them into playlists depending on my mood du jour.  Today's mood is my Sailing Songs list.  There are three versions of Sea of Love, but all of them are so good, I just couldn't resist putting them all on.  There's a lot of Jimmy Buffett on this list as well. 

Nautical Wheelers - Jimmy Buffett
Michael Row The Boat Ashore - Peter, Paul & Mary
Come Sail Away - Styx
Splish Splash - Bobby Darin
Strange Boat - The Waterboys
Sailing - Christopher Cross
Sea Cruise - Frankie Ford
Under The Sea - Mannheim Steamroller
Sea of Love - The Honeydrippers
Shiver Me Timbers - Tom Waits
Sail Away - Neil Young
Coconut Telegraph - Jimmy Buffett
Tryin' To Reason With Hurricane Season - Jimmy Buffett
Sail On - The Commodores
Sea of Love - Cat Power
On A Slow Boat To China - Bette Midler & Barry Manilow
My Bonnie - The Beatles & Tony Sheridan
Sail Away - Joe Cocker
Son Of A Son Of A Sailor - Jimmy Buffett
Stars On The Water - Jimmy Buffett
If I Had a Boat - Lyle Lovett
The Captain And The Kid - Jimmy Buffett
Sailing - Rod Stewart
Terra Nova - James Taylor
Rock the Boat - Hues Corporation
Lovely Cruise - Jimmy Buffett
Sail Away - The Oak Ridge Boys
Boat Drinks - Jimmy Buffett
Beyond the Sea - Bobby Darin
Sea of Love - Phil Phillips

Yep, I'm definitely getting ready for our cruise.....

My Least Favorite Thing about Traveling

As much as i LOVE to travel - and, make no mistake, I do love to travel - I truly hate the packing and unpacking part.  In twelve days we are leaving 90 degreee plus temperatures to go to London for a Trans-atlantic cruise.  Today's high temperature in London is 72; in Dublin, which is one of our ports, the high will be 64; and in Reykjavik, Iceland, another port we will be visiting, the high today is 57.  So, the dilemma begins.

What do we pack?  We'll be cruising glaciers in Iceland and are then going to Greenland, where it will be even colder.  Do we take heavier jackets?  Or do we take clothes we can layer?  Do I take gloves and hats?  Do I take swimsuits and flip-flops for the ship's Sanctuary and Thermal Suite? 

I remember a few years ago on our first trip to Italy, the Brentwood Six thought it would be a great idea to ship our dirty clothes back home.  Each couple boxed up dirty underwear, socks and clothes and shipped them back home via UPS.  Great idea!!!  WRONG!!!  When we got the bill for our great idea, it was $189 for a box of smelly, dirty clothes that still had to be washed.  UGH!!!

The following year when we went to Germany and Switzerland, we all took our oldest underwear and socks, even old washcloths (most hotels in Europe have hand towels, but no facecloths) and threw them away as we used them each day.  You can just imagine the housekeeping staffs at our hotels when they would empty our trash cans and find dirty underwear, socks and washcloths. 

This weekend will be spent getting out warmer clothes, choosing and sorting them and trying NOT to take everything we "might" need while we are gone.  For Pete's sake, there's a laundry on the ship and we will be at sea on seven different days!!!  I think I can find my way there.....

Some of the best things that happen are accidents

You've probably made some of those vacation videos.  You know the ones - the voice over describing things that you know should be interesting and you want your friends to be jealous that you've been there, but as hard as you try to dress it up, it's dry and it's bo-ring.  That was pretty much the case when the Brentwood Six went to Italy on a "free" vacation built around a 14-day Eurail pass (that's another story and there's another two or three blogs from that one trip yet to come), and we found ourselves in Rome.

There we were at the Spanish Steps, and I was panning around the square at the foot of the steps and describing the shops, the architecture, the ..., and that's when I panned around and there, full frame, stood my buddy Jim Tidwell.  Who knows why, but I blurted out "Excuse me sir, are you an American tourist?" to which he replied in his own inimitable accent "Why, yes I am!"  A bit of banter about what brought him to Rome ("an airplane") led to a discourse on what he had seen while in the Eternal City.  He assured me that he had seen every "church" and every "picture museum" that was ever built.  And his wife, Linda, had dragged him to every shoe store in the country, whereupon he confided "You know she'll buy shoes just to keep another woman from gettin' 'em.  And another thing - gun control.  You know I ain't seen a single gun since we got here!  But ever'body's got a knife.  'Cept me.  And I really wanted a knife, and they was two or three stores I saw that had them, but could I go in and look at 'em?  Nooooooooo.  I had to go look at shoes." 

We discovered that day that we all but read each other's minds, Jim taking my questions and improvising hilarious replies that led to other questions that fed the fire like gasoline on a barbecue grill.  The interviews became the "Man on the Street" series that we did all over Europe, Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, and the Caribbean.  Like the time The Six went to one of I, Snorkel Bob's dive gear stores in Maui and. totally improvised and spontaneous, became a crew from WGN, channel 20 in Chicago, doing a story on famous icons in Hawaii.  Or the time we were in the South of France and shot fifteen minutes at a junk pile that Jim insisted had come from his wife Linda's suitcase.  Sometimes the dialog would drift off on a tangent that would have squeezed a PG13 rating, but the bits were always really funny and made many good memories.

We've compiled about two hours of video that maybe someday I'll get really adventurous and convert to digital and upload to You Tube.

I Have a New Love

I have a new love and it's not another man.  My plate is already full with Charlie, the love of my life.  However, I've fallen in love with Greece again.  It all started when I found Fage Greek yogurt at Costco.  You know, it's the kind that is so thick your spoon will actually stand straight up in it.  I love it with with a few blueberries or strawberries mixed in and honey on top. 
Every morning when I'm having my yogurt for breakfast, my mind wanders back to our journeys to Greece, particularly Athens, and the first time we saw the Parthenon in Athens.  We had been on our first Mediterranean cruise and Athens was our last port-of-call.  I was so excited because we were spending a couple of nights there after the cruise and could get out in the city and experience some of the local Greek cuisine.

When we left the ship, we had a sightseeing tour of Athens before going to our hotel.  When we got into the city from Pireaus, the port nearest Athens, we immediately saw Acropolis Hill and the Parthenon.  It was breathtaking.  We have our own Parthenon in Nashville, but to see the original was truly amazing.  Regardless where you are in Athens, you can see the Parthenon.  It is on the highest point in the city, and at night it is illuminated so all can see it.  It is spectacular!!
Of course, on our tour, we climbed the Acropolis.  However, on the day we got there Greece was experiencing a heat wave, and it was 105 degrees.  There are approximately 150 steps from the bottom of the hill to the Parthenon.  However, they are not steep.  Each step is about 4 feet deep so you step up and then take a couple of steps before you step up again. 
We had a guide who trained at the university in Athens for four years before he could become a licensed tour guide.  He would stop periodically on our climb to give us facts about Athens, the Acropolis and the Parthenon.  We saw Mars Hill where Paul preached and was the site of the council of elders, like the Roman senate.  Our friend, Jim, had another description that Mars Hill was where Snickers, Mars bars and Milky Ways were invented.  On one stop, we saw Hadrian's Arch, and the Placa, a wonderful shopping district in Athens.

As we neared the Parthenon, a member of our group happened to mention to our guide that we were from Nashville, TN, and that we had an exact replica of the Parthenon in our Centennial Park.  Without missing a beat, he told her that was not true.  However, he would be wrong.  We do have one, it is an exact replica, and ours is complete with the statue of Athena inside just as the original had. 
One other thing - the Greek cuisine.  I couldn't wait to get to Greece to have a real Greek salad.  We went to a little restaurant in Athens for lunch that first day.  Of course, I ordered my Greek salad.  Expecting a bowl of greens with cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese, and kalamata olives, was I ever surprised when I got actually got no greens, wonderful cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers, onions, feta cheese, kalamata olives, some oregano and the most incredible olive oil and vinegar to top it I've ever had.  The spanikopita, the dolmades, the tzatziki, pitas with hummus, the baklava.......

My mind and my tastebuds take me back to one of my favorite places on earth.  Maybe I should try a Greek salad with some Greek yogurt on top.  Hmmmmmmmm.....

What The Love Boat Did for Cruising

In the 70s and 80's, The Love Boat was one of the most popular TV sitcoms.  It was set on a cruise ship - the Pacific Princess.  The original 1976 made-for-TV movie on which the show was based, also titled The Love Boat, was itself based on the nonfiction book The Love Boats by Jeraldine Saunders, a real-life cruise director. Each week new guest stars would board the ship with the intentions of having a romantic vacation getaway.  The popularity of cruising began its climb as more and more people wanted to getaway to exotic ports and have a little romance in their lives.  The Love Boat was on ABC, and there were 244 episodes over a ten-season run.      

The original cast of The Love Boat included:
Gavin MacLeod - Captain Merrill Stubing
Bernie Kopell - Dr. Adam "Doc" Bricker
Fred Grandy - Burl "Gopher" Smith
Ted Lange - Bartender Isaac Washington
Lauren Tewes - Cruise Director Julie McCoy

Each had unique traits.  Captain Stubing was very outgoing and caring.  He met all the passengers as they boarded the ship.  He was very visible throughout the cruise and could call most passengers by name.  Dr. Bricker was a womanizer who had a different love interest on each cruise.  Gopher Smith was the yeoman purser, the officer in charge of all money matters on the ship.  In other words, he was the bean counter.  Isaac Washington was a bartender who knew everyone on the ship.  For some reason we never saw any other bartender or server.  He sure could get around.  Julie McCoy was a female cruise director, something we see rarely today.  Like Captain Stubing, Julie knew everyone and loved making sure all of the passengers were having a good time.

The Love Boat was an escapist sitcom where those of us watching it each week could envision ourselves sailing away on a beautiful ocean-liner, sitting by the pool sipping one of those drinks with the little umbrellas in it  while being waited on hand-and-foot. 

Today, cruising is an affordable vacation that includes all of your accomodations, meals, entertainment and the opportunity to visit ports-of-call all over the world.  Isn't it time to treat yourself and your family to the best vacation of your life?   

Three Weeks from Today.....

.....we depart the U.S. for London!!!  Ironic, isn't it, that we own a travel agency, but haven't had a true vacation for ourselves in two years.  Last fall, we were scheduled to take a river cruise in Europe, but had to cancel when my mom became very ill and passed away.  We went to Gatlinburg with our family in March, but there was no one to make our bed or cook our meals unless we went out.  With four kids, ages 8 months to 8 years, it was a chore to pack everyone up and go out.  Although it was fun to just spend time with the family, it wasn't a relaxing vacation for me.  We also took our grandson to DisneyWorld for his fifth birthday - great trip, lots of fun watching him, but vacation for us?  No way.
     On August 31, however, we are taking a big people vacation for just us.  We're flying to London on Virgin Atlantic in their Upperclass.  Rewards Plus with American Express allowed us to move miles to my new Frequent Flyer account with Virgin and fly for only the taxes on this trip.  This airline is phenomenal and the Upperclass seats are actually individual "pods" that will recline completely flat, so you actually have a bed for sleeping over the pond.  We'll be ready to hit the streets running when we arrive in London the next morning.
     We are staying at the Crowne Plaza St. James in London, right in the heart of the city.  When we were there four years ago, we were fortunate to be able to actually go inside Buckingham Palace while the Queen was on holiday at Balmoral.  Because of our staying there for three hours, we didn't get to see everything in London that we wanted to see.  So, this time, we're going back to Westminster Abbey and to the Tower of London.  Of course, a trip to London without a visit to Harrod's would not be complete. 
     The best way to see this amazing city is by the hop-on, hop-off double decker buses.  For one fare, you can visit all the attractions you want and stay as long as you wish at each.
      England is not known for its cuisine, so we learned quickly to enjoy "pub grub" - fish and chips with "mushy peas", shepherd's pie, and bangers and squee, or as some call it, mash (sausages and mashed potatoes).  I'm sure there will be pub grub and a pint or two in our near future.
     After two nights in London, we'll head to Southampton and board Princess Cruises' Crown Princess for a 14-night Trans-atlantic crossing to Cornwall, Dublin, Belfast, Rekyjavek (Iceland), Qaqortoq (Greenland), St. John's (Newfoundland) into New York. 
     Our blog while we are gone will go into detail on each of these wonderful ports-of-call.  Don't you wish you were us right now!!!  We can make this happen for you.

One of the Many Reasons I Love Italy

There are so many reasons why we'd go back to Italy year after year after year that I couldn't count them all.  One of the things we love the most in Italy is the food, primarily the pastas and gelato.  We learned quickly that we prefer trattorias, little mom and pop cafes, rather than the multi-course ristorantes. 

One of our favorite restaurants is Scarpone's, located on one of the seven hills of Rome.  It's a little family place where you can sit under the grape arbors, sip some low-alcohol wine served in pitchers and have wonderful pasta dishes.  For years, I've tried to recreate the pasta we've had there and until about six months ago, I couldn't do it.  However, I've finally concocted my own version of their marinara sauce, and we both love it. 

Here's the recipe:
Olive Oil, just two or three tablespoons
Garlic (as much as you want), pressed
1 large can of petite diced tomatoes with the juice
Fresh basil, chopped
Kosher Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Pasta of your choice, al dente
Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated

Saute the garlic in the olive oil until the aroma releases.  Add the tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper.  Simmer on low heat.  While this is simmering, cook your pasta until almost done.  Drain and add to the sauce. Continue simmering the sauce and pasta together until the liquid is absorbed by the pasta.  Serve in pasta bowls and top with a sprig of fresh basil and the cheese.

Serve with a salad and bread with olive oil (Italian butter) and a little balsamic for dipping. This is one of those meals you can prepare in 15-20 minutes and is so good.  The secret to this recipe is allowing the pasta to soak up all the wonderful flavors of the sauce.

Now, if I could just figure out how to make gelato like we've had in Italy.....

Why You Need a Travel Agent

We once had a friend who was wrongly accused of committing a crime. He talked with numerous attorneys and found the rates they would charge to defend him would be higher than he wanted to pay. He realized that he could go to the Internet, learn what he needed to know about defending himself in court, and save a tremendous amount of money. He’ll be out of jail in eleven months and twenty-nine days.

Sound silly? It’s no sillier than thinking you can save money in doing your own dental work, or removing your own appendix, or even in booking a vacation or cruise that will make memories for the rest of your life. In today’s cyber-space world, it’s easy to sit down at your computer and book a round-trip airline ticket to go visit your family in Pittsburgh. But, when it comes to booking a tour of Australia and New Zealand, finding the documents you must have to enter these countries, arranging complex air itineraries and finding guides in each city to show you what you don’t want to miss, you can easily become overwhelmed.

You need a travel agent.

Here are some things you may not know about travel agents:
* Travel agents earn commissions from the tour operators, hotels, and cruise lines.
* Travel agents do NOT earn commissions from the airlines. In other words, we make zero on air tickets and have been forced to charge service fees to issue tickets.
* Travel agents cannot visit every hotel, sail on every cruise ship, visit every destination and fly on every air carrier. We do, however, have access to information on everything we sell.

Here’s what a good, reputable travel agent can do for you:
* A good travel agent is in the “custom-tailoring” business. We’ll fit the right cruise ship, resort, tour or hotel to your desires.
* A good travel agent can handle every aspect of your trip from airline tickets to lodging, ground transportation, activities, event tickets, tours and more.
* A good travel agent will use their time to find the right vacation instead of using yours. Our reservation systems will allow us to look at multiple airlines, cruise lines, hotels and rental car companies, comparing rates and itineraries, instead of going from one website to another.
* A good travel agent will take the time to learn about you and your lifestyle so that your vacation exceeds your expectations.
* A good travel agent will be your advocate if the need arises. Should you have a problem during your trip, good travel agents can act on your behalf to see that proper restitutions are made.
* A good travel agent will use our expertise, knowledge and access to the latest promotions to be sure you get the best value for your budget.
* A good travel agent is an expert in helping travelers get where they need to go and in helping to create possibilities most people never would have dreamed were possible.
* A good travel agent will help you understand supplier policies and rules associated with your reservation.
* A good travel agent will help you prepare and organize any necessary documents that you may need in order to travel outside the country. They can direct you to your local passport office, and they know where you need a visa, as well as any other documentation that you might need to along the way.
* A good travel agent will offer that “personal” touch” to your travel planning experience, offering help and advice that a website cannot provide.

In the past few years, we’ve heard that travel agents are a thing of the past. People will only book online. However, travel agents must be doing something right. Did you know that travel agents still sell 51% of all airline tickets, 87 % of all cruises, 81 % of all tours and land packages, 45% of all car rentals and about 47% of all hotels.

It just makes sense to use a travel, because without a travel agent, you’re on your own.

This One's Going in our Book

As travel agents, we get asked some of the strangest questions - some so incredible that we're going to write a book. 

There was one when a lady called our office in a panic at 7:00 am one morning. My husband, Charlie, was there alone, but answered the call, and she told him she was so glad someone was there early.  She explained that she was leaving on Saturday, and just realized that her passport had expired, and it was just three days before departure.  She said she was a teacher and it was the end of the school year, and she had just forgotten to get one because she had been busy with exams and grades.  Charlie pulled up her record to find out she was going to Hawaii.  He said, "Ma'am, you're going to Hawaii."  She said, "I know, and my passport has expired!"  Charlie assured her that she didn't need one because Hawaii was a state, not a different country.  The irony was, she teaches our children!

Or the couple going to Europe who, when their documents arrived, realized that they needed an extra day to fly to Europe overnight.  They thought their flight would be like one going to Miami. 

Our favorite occured about eight years ago.  It was a Friday afternoon.  We could hear one of our agents laughing hysterically.  She had a lady on-hold.  Seemed the lady wanted to take an Alaskan cruise, but would not give our agent money to hold the cabin unless we could guarantee that the "glaciers would still be out in September."  Charlie told our agent to take the credit card because if the glaciers aren't there, we had a much bigger problem than a charge-back.

There are some client concerns that are easier to answer than others.

How Hot Is It?

In Nashville, TN, it's hotter than Hell!!!  That's right, it's hotter than it is in Hell, Grand Cayman.  Today in Nashville, the official temperature got up to 102 with a heat index over 110.  In Hell today, it was a balmy 88 degrees.
Grand Cayman is one of the three islands that make up the Cayman Islands in the Western Caribbean - Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman.  Hell is a village on Grand Cayman.  The village is made up of a post office, three tourist shops, and an interesting rock formation from which Hell took its name.  This rock formation may give an intimidating impression of what the other Hell may well be like.  It is half the size of a soccer field, and is not actually lava, but a mixture of limestone and dolomite.

Hell is harder to find than you may think.  Part of the problem is that Grand Cayman is covered in churches, but has very few road signs.  There is no clear path to Hell!  And, if you go there, you must send all of your friends postcards postmarked from Hell.  This is your opportunity to tell all of them to "Go to Hell"!! and really mean it.
Grand Cayman is a beautiful island with its famous Seven Mile Beach, turtle farm, Stingray City, Rum Point, and the amazing snokeling and diving opportunities to see one of the world's most incredible coral reefs.
Don't you want to go to Hell!!  To get out of the heat we've had here, I'm ready to get outta here!!

A Charming Vacation

Growing up, I lived in a "Leave It to Beaver" household.  My mom was a stay-at-home mom and my dad was the Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for a drug company.  Although Daddy traveled extensively in his job, vacations were usually just staying home and going to the pool or a trip to Chattanooga to "See Rock City".  When I started working in the travel industry, the whole world opened up to me.

We opened Just Cruisin' Plus in 1988, the same year my dad retired at 63.  He and Mom were healthy, vibrant sixty-somethings.  They had bought a camper and had traveled all over the U.S., but had not traveled outside the country until that year.  Within two months of Daddy's retirement, they were off to see the world.  Their first trip was a cruise to Scandinavia and Russia.  Their journeys to six of the seven continents had begun.

Their travels took them to Hawaii, Alaska, the Holy Land, the Mediterranean, the Far East (Japan, China and Korea), the British Isles, Canada and New England, Australia and New Zealand.  They took a 16-night river cruise through Europe from Budapest to Amsterdam, the one city my mom wanted to visit so she could see the Anne Frank House.  They experienced more in twenty years than most will experience in a lifetime.

Mom and Dad were never big souvenir shoppers, but Mom collected thimbles and charms in the many places their travels took them.  Their house was broken into a number of years ago, and one of the things that was taken was her charm bracelet with all of her memories.  About five years ago, our family decided to replace this bracelet for her for Christmas.

A year ago today, we began a journey with Mom that would end on October 13 when she finally took her final journey.  My dad is now living in assited living and has Alzheimer's.  He still knows all of us and can call us by name.  I talk with him every day.  He can't remember things that occurred 20 minutes ago, but he can tell us about all of the many trips he and Mom took to places most of us long to visit.

When we were cleaning out the house they shared for 50 years, I came across Mom's charm bracelet.   There's the Canadian maple leaf, a cruise ship, a hula dancer from Hawaii, a pyramid and sphinx from Egypt, Scottish bagpipes, a windmill from Holland, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, a gondola from Venice, the Capitol in Washington, the Colosseum in Rome, the Statue of Liberty, Big Ben in London, a Chinese lantern, a kangaroo from Australia, a shamrock from Ireland, and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, where Mom and Dad had their first home when Daddy returned from Guadalcanal after World War II.

Of all the things at their house, this bracelet means more to me than anything else I found.  I helped them see the world, but more importantly, they were able to enjoy retirement as it is meant to be.

Chicken Salad Days

We love to entertain, and last Friday, twelve of our preferred suppliers were invited to lunch at our office.  We did this for two reasons:

• We wanted to show appreciation to those suppliers who have supported us in the past year and show off our new office.
• These reps travel on business almost every week.  They get tired of eating in restaurants, so I made all of the food, except for the chocolate and pecan pies that LaDonna, one of our agents, made.

Our menu consisted of chicken salad on croissants, a Mediterranean orzo salad, beefsteak tomatoes with mozzarella and homemade balsamic vinagrette dressing, a melon boat, and of course, LaDonna's wonderful pies.

I had a lot of requests for the chicken salad recipe.  This is a recipe that I got from a friend of mine, Linda B, and that I modified a little.

So for those interested, here it is:

Chicken breasts with the bone in and skin on - as many as you want to cook
Hellman's Mayonaise
Durkee's Sauce
Pecans, chopped
Celery, chopped
Red seedless grapes (optional), halved
Lemon juice
Lemon Pepper

Stew the chicken breasts for at least two hours in a large pot.  Cut the tops off the celery and throw them into the pot.  Add two chicken bouillon cubes per chicken breast.  After the chicken has cooled thoroughly, pull off the bone, shred, and discard the bones and skin.

Chop up as much celery and pecans as you want to add to the salad.  Same with the grapes.  Mix some of the mayonaise with a small amount of Durkee's - I used 9 breasts in the batch I just made up and it took about 2 cups of mayonaise and less than a teaspoon of Durkee's.  Add some lemon juice and lemon pepper to this mixture and mix into the chicken, celery, pecans and grapes.  This will distribute the flavors evenly.  Add more mayonaise if needed.  It's better to start out with a smaller amount of mayonaise and add more after you initially mix this up. 

That's it.  Pretty easy and the best I've ever had.  Thanks, Linda B, for this wonderful concoction.

Money Saving Tip for Any Office

In a travel agency, we need pads that we can take copious notes on reservations we are making for our clients.  Whether it's a price comparison, or just getting the data we need to make their reservations, our agents keep 70-page spiral notebooks at their desks to take these notes. 

Well, today, WalMart has 70-page spiral notebooks on sale for 15 cents each.  Yep, that's right - 15 cents.  Steno pads were costing us over $1.00-$1.50 each.  BIG cost saver here. Might be a good idea to go out and stock up today.