These days there are so many resources to trace back your family tree and nail down exactly where your roots are. Some of the best stories have been of people who thought they were from one place only to find out that they came from another place completely. Someone commented that they always had an affinity for Scotland even though their family history came from Italy, only to research and find links to Scotland !!! Tracing you family's roots can [...]
We are always looking for new and fun bucket list experiences and we found a couple that are new and cool - we hope you enjoy. IRELAND: Finn Lough Resort - Northern Ireland Video Here "Back to Nature - Back to You" This really says it all. My first thought when researching this is just "Peace & Quiet" - this resort is tucked away in the beautiful countryside of Enniskillen Northern Ireland. [...]
"Travel Agents have been replaced by Travel "Experts". So many times we get asked "Do Travel Agents still exist??" What !!!! Yes they do and they are better than ever. The era of cookie cutter vacations is well past. Online booking engines are not as popular now as people have become frustrated and disappointed. These days, the new breed of Travel professionals are "Specialists" in their niche. If you are planning a trip of a lifetime, you want to [...]
Two times in the last 2 months, we have witnessed international destination situations where the traveler was unprepared and these two simple resources would have made the world of difference. #1 - portable phone charger (link) #2 Google Translate (link) (or similar translation app) In both instances, travelers were "stuck" somewhere with only limited battery power left on their phone and no access to a phone charger. We always recommend that everyone has [...]
We noticed a little chill in the air this week when we were sitting outside during Halloween - I guess it's finally time for our weather in Georgia to cool down. I also notice a lot of people with allergies and colds as the temps fluctuate, and word on the street is that (again), this year's flu vaccine is not effective :( When you have cold and flu symptoms and feel miserable, you'll try anything to feel better. [...]
Under-vacationed America. In the US, we excel at so many things, but we really fall behind in using vacation time. We suffer from "Vacation Deprivation" !! I remember when I first moved to the US, I was shocked at the limited amount of vacation time people took. I had come from Europe where we take our full 2 week vacation every year (all at once!) What ??!!! People looked at me like I was crazy and were scrambling to take [...]
Here are some tips make your overseas journey easier. (courtesy of Travel & Leisure) Hotel business cards. Take a business card from the front desk when you check in, that way, if you ever get lost, you have the name and address of the hotel in the local language. Having something in a local language that can be shown to locals and taxi drivers is an extra bit of insurance. The six-month passport rule. The U.S. lets you use your [...]
UNESCO World Heritage sites in Europe. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has designated 131 World Heritage Sites in Western Europe. These sites are located in 9 countries (also called "state parties"); France and Germany are home to the most with 37, while Liechtenstein and Monaco have no sites. There are ten sites which are shared between state parties both in and out of Western Europe. The first site from the region to be included on the [...]
What you need to know and how you can prepare for the laptop travel ban - Please note - THIS IS NOT IN EFFECT YET- Here is the fact sheet for Dept. of Homeland Security. https://www.dhs.gov/news/2017/03/21/fact-sheet-aviation-security-enhancements-select-last-point-departure-airports (Courtesy: WendyPerrin.com http://www.wendyperrin.com/how-you-can-prepare-for-the-laptop-travel-ban/) The (DHS) is expected to expand the laptop ban to include flights coming into the U.S. from Europe. Less than two months after the first ban required that fliers arriving from several Middle East countries pack their laptops, tablets, game consoles, digital [...]
(Emer) Last week Neal and I got to spend 5 days in the beautiful Playa del Carmen in the Riviera Maya Mexico. We stayed at the Iberostar Grand Paraiso resort. This is our second time staying at this particular property and we certainly were not disappointed. Iberostar Group is a Spanish based group with corporate offices in Mallorca, Spain. They operate over 100 resorts throughout Europe, Africa, and The Americas (Brazil, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica) and they specialize in Beachfront [...]