The Buenos Aires Guide – Be careful when booking you’re hotel, or you may wind up at one that rents by the hour.

Nerds Eye View – Pam is off at BlogHer with a bunch of other Seattle travelbloggers.  While I had to miss the event due to a scheduling matter, I’m keeping up on the travels via her blog.  I loved this section of their trip through Cody, Wyoming.

Travellious – My pals over here spent three weeks in Italy shortly before I did.  While I love, love, LOVE the food in Italy, I could relate to the urge for a food quintessentially American – onion rings.

Tripso – Cruising may not be the luxury experience we hope for.  Read about the five dirtiest cruise ships before making your plans.

LA Times – Commuting airline crew members who “live” in RV’s in the parking lot at LAX.  Yep, this is a real glamour job.

Gadling – Always a great stop for great photography, but this photo taken from the edge of the Grand Canyon made me realize how insignificant we all are.

Wanderlust and Lipstick – Beth gives some solid advice for a young woman about to embark on her first solo trip.  I’m reading Beth’s book on solo travel right now, so look for a review and more solo travel tips in the coming weeks.

Photo credit: irrezolut @flickr

Post from: Fly Away Cafe

Special onboard events are designed to encourage mixing and mingling and include costume and other parties and special events, along with special tours in every port. 

The ship leaves Sunday, October 26th from San Pedro Pier in Long Beach and returns Sunday, November 2nd.  Pricing starts at $840/person.  If you’re traveling alone and looking for a roommate, Singles Travel International has a complimentary roommate matching service.

This Halloween cruise is sure to include lots of tricks (sorry, couldn’t resists inserting a bad pun here) and treats!

NOTE:  Do you have a Halloween event in your area of the world that’s unusual, special, fun, silly, irreverent, or notable?  At Flyaway Cafe we celebrate Halloween all month long as I share holiday events from around the world.  While I can’t guarantee to write about every event, you can email me suggestions and information about Halloween where you are.

Photo credit:  SXC

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Post from: Fly Away Cafe

In fact, that type of vacation is one of the reasons people love Hawaii – sun, sand, surf, and stepping on the treadmill of ordinary life.

But at some point, you’re going to want to do something else.  I had a handful of ideas of those “other things” and one of the top of my list was whale watching.  Only problem — I was there on the very early end of the season, and the whales weren’t in town.

It didn’t take but a heartbeat to come up with another idea – if I couldn’t see whale, how about some dolphins?!  I remember watching these graceful and playful creatures as they’d swim alongside a cruise ship.  They’d play in the water, jumping about, almost like they were mocking us.

But I’m also sensitive to not disturbing marine habitat.  They were there first, after all, and I was just interested in viewing, not disrupting them.  Find a tour that appreciated the delicate and important balance between man and nature was important.

The Hoku Nai’a Wild Dolphin Watch Cruise offered by Star of Honolulu seemed to offer a good choice.

The day started off with an early morning pick up (a little after 7 am) at my Waikiki hotel.  "Pick up" meant transportation to west Oahu (our cruise departure location), and was in a comfortable air-conditioned motor coach.  There were a couple of guests from my hotel booked on the cruise, and we picked up a additional guests at stops at other Waikiki hotels.  If you have a car and want to drive, you can meet directly at the harbor, but it was easy and comfortable to just leave the driving and timing to someone else.

The morning ride occurred during morning commute traffic — yes, such a thing exists even in the islands!  The time passed easily as people napped. chatted, or watched an island video played on the motor coach player.   I appreciated that our hosts were available to point out a few sights along the way, answer questions, but did not barrage us with silly puns and inane patter.  Silence is golden at that time of morning.

We were all awake and ready to board by the time we reached Wai’anae Boat Harbor in west Oahu. 

The Hoku Nai’a is a new two-deck catamaran (in photo above), and was custom built to allow for viewing marine life without disturbing them.  On the day of my cruise, there were only about 25-30 passengers (it was off-season), but the boat will hold 149 passengers.  I’d expect it to be much busier during peak season.

As we all wandered around checking out the boat, and locating a spot to sit for departure, we were briefed in some safety information, told a little bit about where we would be going and what to expect, and served some beverages.  Once our crew had everything in order, we were on our way.

But did we see dolphins?  Keep reading. . . .

Riding out to the spot where dolphins had been sighted allowed us a great chance to relax, enjoy the weather, and look for all sorts of other wildlife.  We were given a handout showing a variety of marine life that we might encounter.  We saw a variety of seabirds and fish, but the schools of flying fish were a favorite of all of the guests.

The boat skipper had a general idea of where we were going, and as he was in radio contact with scouts who could point him to the right area with a little more precision.  The crew continued to interact with all the guests, answering questions, pointing out things, and generally making us feel like welcome guests rather than annoying tourists.

When we approached the sighting area, the boat slowed and everyone gathered at the railing to watch.  It wasn’t long before we saw Spinner dolphins swimming, jumping, and playing.  We could see them in the distance, watching as they swam closer, seemingly as curious about us as we were about them.  The crew was great about continuing to point out where we could see them, but it didn’t take must looking at all — they were all over the place.

We did not encroach upon the dolphins’ area, stopping far short.  The crew was very clear that we would only go so close, and that was a matter of protecting them.  Some companies give a sly wink and a nod to environmental rules about man meeting marine life, but this cruise makes clear its commitment to an eco-friendly encounter.

Although we had quite awhile to watch the dolphins, if you love these guys, it could never be long enough.

On the sail back to the harbor, we had lunch (included in the price of the cruise).  The crew fired up the barbecue, grilling burgers for guests.  You picked up your burger and then continued to a table with all the fixings you could want.  I opted for the Hawaiian approach, choosing a Taro bun, and adding grilled pineapple, along with the more standard choices.  Add some chips (there were a variety) and a brownie for dessert, and it was a perfect shipboard lunch.  A refreshing punch was always available, and additional beverages are available for purchased.  (NOTE:  vegetarian option available with 24-hour notice.)

We had no young children on the cruise, but when there are, a keiki program is offered for the young ones.  I took a brief look at some of the activities, and it was almost enough to make me wish I was six years old again.  The Hawaiian culture honors family and children, and that carries over into many of these activities.

Honolulu Star offers a "Dolphin Check."  If you don’t have a dolphin sighting, you receive a free return sailing. (lunch and transportation optional).

The Wild Dolphin Watch cruise operates year round, with a daily sailing at 9:30 am, returning at 11:30 am.  Cruise price is $65 for adults and $39 for children, and includes lunch and non-alcoholic beverages.  Hotel pick up can be added for $20 roundtrip from Waikiki hotels.  Hotel pick up starts at 7 am, returning around 1 pm.

Your hotel will be happy to book the cruise, however, I’d recommend making reservations online before your arrival.

I enthusiastically recommend this activity.  The company is reputable and responsible, managing the difficult balance of providing a quality experience for guests and protecting sea life.  Even a somewhat jaded guest, prepared to dislike anything that seemed remotely like a "tour" was overheard to say, "I’d do this again!"  I’m with him!  I’d do it again, too!

Photo credit: personal collection

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Post from: Fly Away Cafe

(As part of my quest to visit every state, I will be spending some time throughout the year highlighting each of our 50 states.)

Today is Admission Day for Alaska.  On January 3rd, 1959, Alaska (purchased from Russia in 1867) became the 49th state.

Although Alaska is the largest state in geographical area, it is one of the least populated, ranking 47th of 50.  Due in large part to its connection with the oil industry, it is one of the wealthiest states. 

Alaska is a rugged state, with lots of outdoor adventure opportunities:  fishing, hunting, hiking, snowshoeing, dog sledding, etc.  During the summer, the coastal cities in Alaska are popular ports of call for many cruise lines, and cruising the Inside Passage is an opportunity to see nature in all its glory.  Other popular sites:  train rides through the interior, Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau (in photo), and Mt. McKinley National Park.

I first visited Alaska in 1967.  It was a trip to Fairbanks to visit with extended family, and to take advantage of A-67, the centennial celebration.  I don’t remember a lot about that trip — except the continual daylight.  At home we were always told to come in before it got dark.  That didn’t work in Fairbanks.

Since that time, I have visited Alaska many, many times.  Cities I’ve visited:  Anchorage (the state’s largest city), Juneau (the capital and my favorite Alaska city), Fairbanks, Ketchikan, Sitka, Bethel, Gustavus, Barrow, Nome, Petersburg, Kotzebue, Cordova, North Pole, Prudhoe Bay, and probably a few others that I’ve forgotten.

Anyone else out there been to Alaska?  What’s your favorite place?

Photo credit:  Henry Hartley

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Post from: Fly Away Cafe

Details:

It’s a series of locks, and ships of all sizes line up to go through. Once you start going through the locks it takes several hours to complete the transit process.

If you’ve ever considered a cruise, this is a trip that I’d heartily recommend!

Photo credit: wikimedia

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Post from: Fly Away Cafe

Days at sea can be spent lying on deck in the sun (lots of sunscreen applied), wandering around the ship, enjoying the great food and drink available, relaxing with a book, participating in any number of shipboard activities, or simply doing nothing at all.

Friends have frequently asked if it’s boring being on a ship.  The short answer is no.

Evidently, lots of people must have these types of questions, because I’m noticing more and more theme cruises, with time at sea dedicated to the pursuit of a particular niche interest.

Princess Cruise Lines has started a Scrapbooking@Sea program, which offers the conviviality of group scrapping as well as classes and guidance in the craft.  Princess offers a series of classes, the first of which is a complimentary basic class to introduce participants to the basic tools of the class.  You’ll finish one page in the basic class. Additional classes are available for participants who purchase a scrapbook kit ($24.95).  All supplies (acid-free and archival safe products) are provided, so you don’t need to worry about getting your scissors through security or toting around paper, pens, stickers, and other supplies.  Plus, there’s lots of time provided to mingle with other scrappers, finish your pages, as well as to have a great time.

Princess is the first cruise line to offer an onboard scrap booking option, and with the rising popularity in the craft, I’d bet it’s going to be a big hit. 

Photo credit:  Princess Cruise Llne

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Post from: Fly Away Cafe

Canada, Mexico, and parts of the Caribbean have long been excluded from the requirement of a passport, but all that changes effective the end of the year. 

Travelers to and from these destinations will now be required to have a passport to enter the United States if traveling by common carrier — plane, cruise ship, train.  A year later, the passport requirement will be extended to ALL border crossings, including automobile and pedestrian crossings.

Travel to and from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are not included in these changes, and they are considered part of the U.S.

You can read my previous article on the “hows” and “wheres” of getting your passport, but don’t put it off any longer.  This change in policy means that the State Departments is going to get backed up with requests, and people waiting until the very last minute.

Post from: Fly Away Cafe

On cruises under a week, there is usually one formal night.  On weeklong cruises, usually two.  And on those over a week, usually three.  You will find a full itinerary listing meal events with your documents, in the cruise line brochure, or online.

The definition of formal varies from ship to ship, and person to person.  For the ladies, you will see floor length gowns, cocktail dresses, party outfits, or a simple long skirt and blouse.  For the gentlemen, you will see tuxedoes, suits, sport coats, and occasionally a rebel wearing a t-shirt printed with a tuxedo motif.

Most ships have tuxedo rentals onboard, or bring your own tuxedo or suit.  Some ships have party wear available for women to rent as well.  There is also a pressing service onboard, so you don’t need to worry about how your clothing travels. 

While it may be a stereotype, I think there’s a bit of truth to the notion that women will want to dress up for the evening, and men will resist it.  Don’t put up a fuss about it, just go with the theme and have a good time.  It’s a fun time to break away from the norm and enjoy a bit of adult night at the prom. 

Post from: Fly Away Cafe

If your mail is delivered directly to a box at your home, have it held if you are not going to be able to pick it up within 24 hours.

An overflowing mailbox says “I’m gone,” and marks you a target for thieves looking to steal your mail, your identity or burglarize or vandalize your home.

Your mail can usually be held for as few as three days and for as long as 30.  A form is available through your local post office, or use the online hold service.  (The online service is not available in all locations.)

Post from: Fly Away Cafe

The Art Deco themed bridge, one of the most widely recognized San Francisco landmarks, opened for vehicle traffic at noon on May 28th, 1937. 

The Golden Gate refers not to the color of the bridge (it has always been painted orange), but to the Golden Gate Straight.

The bridge’s main suspension span is 1.7 miles long, and for 27 years held the world record for the longest suspension span.  It can be crossed by vehicle, bicycle or on foot, and links San Francisco with Marin County.

When the bridge initially opened, the toll was 50 cents.  Today it is $5.

Post from: Fly Away Cafe