When I went to the Adventure Travel Expo last year, I had the great joy of meeting a real adventurer – Harry Rutstein.
Harry is a fellow Seattle resident, and a recognized expert on the life of one of the world’s most famous adventurers – Marco Polo.  Harry gave me his recently published book, and I was finally had time to sink my teeth into it.
Over a period of about ten years, Harry became the first person to re-trace Marco Polo’s 13,000 mile Silk Road across Europe and Asia. 
In three expeditions (1971, 1981, and 1985), and using every imaginable type …read more

As more and more flora and fauna become extinct each year, as well as historical and cultural sites destroyed by man or nature, each day that you put off travel increases the chance that what you want to see will be gone.
Frommer’s 500 Places to See Before They Disappear runs with that concept, showing us how much of our disappearing world we take for granted.  Each of the 500 entries comes with an explanation of why it made the list, along with some history, why its disappearing, and tips and recommendations for visiting.
You’ll find a variety of entries including Fraser …read more

I’ve updated my reading list, so be sure to check it out.
I talked with a passenger who was reading this biography, and since, I too, am a big fan, had to pick it up (from my public library) and read it as well.
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I’ve written many times about my love of books and reading, along with my regular use of my local public library. Most travelers have a book tucked away in a purse, backpack, or carry on bag, and I’m no exception. A book has been excellent company while sitting on an airplane, lounging by a pool, waiting in line, or over a solo cup of coffee or meal.
In honor of National Library Month, I’m adding a Blog Page where I’ll track what I’m reading. It’s likely to be a pretty diverse list, covering a variety of writing genres, with …read more

What do you do when you learn that you are going to a destination that you have never been to before?
For me, it’s a multi-step process, involving some research, talking to friends and co-workers, a trip or two to the library, and maybe even a movie.  I like to gather data from a variety of sources, because I want both hard facts and opinions, and it’s rare that you can get top quality information like that from only one source.
Here are some of the things I do, and places that I look, for information:
Primary online research:  One of the first …read more

If you haven’t decided on a holiday gift for the special travelers in your life, it’s time to read this post, get some ideas, and then step away from the computer and go shopping.  It’s too late for online shopping, so you just need to get out there and get busy!  (Okay, an easy way out here is to order something online, then print out a nice picture of the gift, and slip in into a nice card.)
Today’s post is a round up of ideas that I’ve already suggested, along with a few new ones. 
So here’s the list of ideas …read more

Today’s gift is for young travelers.  Or maybe adults who want to instill in younger ones a sense of curiosity about the world.
101 Places You Gotta See Before You’re 12 by Joanne O’Sullivan.
Here’s what Amazon (aff) has to say about the book:
And there’s no need to go far or plan a big, expensive vacation to see this great stuff. In fact, some of the places may be quite close to home. They can take a peek at what actually goes on at their parents’ office, experience another culture’s cuisine at an ethnic restaurant, immerse themselves in the beauty of nature at …read more

Here’s a gift suggestion for travelers that fulfills a couple of missions:

It’s a book talking about the “inside” aspect of travel, written irreverently by a fellow Flight Attendant. 
It’s a book written by a blogger, specifically a Flight Attendant who got fired for blogging.
And it’s a fun read.  Quick, easy, providing a good laugh, and perfect for an otherwise boring trip.

Diary of a Dysfunctional Flight Attendant (The Queen of Sky Blog) is written by former Delta Flight Attendant, Ellen Simonetti.  It’s the life of a fictional flight attendant, told in blog form, and is based on Ellen’s Queen of Sky Blog.   …read more

If you spend much time traveling at all, you probably also spend a fair amount of time reading.  Sitting in an airport, on a plane, or in a hotel room, chances are you are going to pick up something to read.
Flight Attendants are frequently repositories of reading materials, collecting left behind magazines and newspapers.  Passengers also pass on to us books that they’ve finished.  We, in turn, take what we want, leave behind what we’ve finished with, and the process of sharing our reading continues.  Think of it as an informal lending library.  We laughingly call it the Jumpseat Library. 
This …read more