Can we travel safely?

If you are like me, you long for the opportunity to get out and travel, see parts of the world  you haven't been and yearn to visit old familiar places, like old friends.  

With the pandemic still out of control you might be wondering if we will ever be able to continue to work on our bucket lists. While international travel is still on hold, we can still travel domestically. 

The key is to do it safely and to minimize your risk to not only catching the virus, but also spreading it.

Planning is key. 

I am taking a trip in just under a month. I am 'road tripping' from the upper Midwest to Florida. Here I will chronical planning, preparation and scenes from the trip. 

First step is to decide how many days. This particular trip I am planning on 10 days. 

Next, I will make sure I have enough face coverings to double mask each day. In planning my activities, I will keep in mind to keep it outdoors as much as possible and/or social distance as well as keeping my face mask properly in place. 

I am in the second group of eligibility for getting the vaccine and if I can get it before I go, I will do so. I know this is a subject that has become politicalized, but it shouldn't be. Nor am I saying you must get it before travel. I am only saying I will get it when I can and hopefully before I leave. 

Now for the fun part! Planning!

I know that I am boarding two dogs so I have made the reservations for them and made arrangements for a friend to take my parrot and check on my cat while gone. 

This makes my first day pretty easy. I will be leaving after work, so all packed up the night before. Then dropping off the dogs and then hitting the road. 

Travel in the Midwest during March is always a bit iffy as one never knows if/when a snow storm or blizzard will strike. I am doing my planning as if there will be no issue, buy I am aware that all things will need to be fluid to accommodate changing weather patterns. 

Being aware of the pandemic issues, this particular trip I will plan on eating 'on the run' as opposed to eating in dining rooms. So, a cooler will be part of the items I will pack along with easy to keep foods for the drive. Much like camping. 

I will also stock up on paper maps. While GPS is helpful, nothing replaces a paper road map if you find yourself hitting detours or wanting to know how far to the next town to fuel up. Call me old school, but there is just something that is tangible about paper maps that you don't get from a GPS. 

For this trip I will need Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and West Virginia. I have many of these that are only a year or so old but others I will need to update. Tip: you can contact each state independently to get one for free, or you can stop in at the first tourist information station as you cross the state lines to get one. 

Stay tuned for more on planning!

Travel 2021

Planning is key to a fun and successful vacation and, with January almost gone, it is not too early to start for 2021 summer plans. 

I am cautiously optimistic that travel overseas will open by this fall. As you know, I have a tour scheduled for Eastern Europe for late September. The good news, this tour is  small group allowing social distancing throughout the length of the tour. Great pricing with huge savings and a generous no change fee by the tour company should the need arise. 

The Eastern Europe tour is 13 days for less than $2000 plus airfare. For complete details please visit Trip Along Travel web site (htpps://tripalongtravel.com), facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/beckytripalongtravel) or email me at becky@tripalongtravel.com for all the details. 

Domestic travel is certainly on the rise. National parks, state parks and local attractions have seen a boon during the pandemic as people, longing for adventure, have rediscovered their own back yards. This is a wonderful, unexpected, silver lining to the pandemic that has gripped the world. 

Maybe this year you will plan to see Mesa Verde in Colorado. This ancient site has some accessible sites, easy hiking and more demanding hiking segments for those that choose to take the extreme rugged road. 

Perhaps take in the Great River Road route along the Mississippi and stop at St. Louis and Hannibal MO before you end at New Orleans. There are any number of historical sites to see along the way and you will find many options for paddleboat cruises, many that offer dining and entertainment. 

Over the next few weeks, I will be putting together a personal vacation and I will invite you to follow along and join me virtually as I travel later this Spring. Keep tuned! 

Don't forget to check out the website for details on the Budapest trip. I am also taking a group to Scandinavia & Russia in June of 2022. Details are also on the website. Check it out!

Until next time! Keep safe and keep dreaming of that next trip!

 

Cruise planning for 2022

It is never too early start planning your next vacation. The earlier you start brainstorming ideas, the better prepared you are when the time comes to pack up and take that first step of the new adventure. 

While Covid19 has certainly put a dent in our plans, it hasn't stopped them. Now with the availability of testing and more importantly, a vaccine, travel will soon open up to us. 

I foresee 2022 being the year they really open up all of the cruises. The hospitality industry, and cruises in particular, have taken a huge hit during the pandemic. All of the cruise lines are struggling and looking to safely restart as soon as they can. 2022, I think, will be their year. 

I am working on putting together a cruise for June of 2022 with the Royal Caribbean line. This particular cruise that I am putting together is a 10 day cruise around Scandinavian countries and will include a stop in Russia. Estonia, Latvia, Denmark and more are on the list of ports of call. 

On board, the amenities are nothing to sneeze at. Water slides, rock climbing walls, miniature golf, glow in the dark laser tag, on-board surfing and an ice rink!

Pricing right now is fantastic, starting at $870 per person/double occupancy. (THIS WILL NOT LAST)

Contact me today for more information or to reserve your stateroom. 

(Photos courtesy of Royal Caribbean)

The Journey Begins

If you are like so many of us, you are looking forward to seeing the backside of 2020 and starting to plan your next travels for 2021 or even 2022. 

Perhaps you became engaged during the pandemic, Yippee, and are now considering a destination wedding at a lovely all inclusive resort for you and your guests. Maybe you had to cancel your wedding or honeymoon plans and not sure what you'd like to do once the world opens to travel. 

Trip Along Travel is here to help. 

Becoming more and more popular, weddings that take place with the back drop of an ocean, sunny skies and white sandy beaches are hard to beat. 

Have you considered a trip to Bora Bora, Fiji or French Polynesia? Surprisingly affordable, this may be just the ticket to start your new lives together. 

Or perhaps you would like to go to the City of Light and say your vows against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower in Paris? 

Always an option, have the wedding at your home venue, but take your honeymoon in Italy!

Weddings and honeymoons are as unique as you are. At Trip Along Travel we will work with you and your wedding planner to make your day shine. 

From all inclusive stays in Mexico or Caribbean, Greek Island hopping, African Safaris and everything in between, contact me at Trip Along Travel for more information. 

Becky

becky@tripalongtravel.com

www.tripalongtravel.com 

Reflections

 2020 will go down as one of the worst years in history I suspect. So many things ground to a halt as the pandemic surged out of control. 

Travel plans placed on hold or canceled altogether. Airlines, hotels, bed and breakfasts, restaurants struggling to stay afloat or closed their doors forever. 

Communities that depend upon tourism have been hit particularly hard this last year. 

Wildfires raged in the western states and hurricanes savaged the southern states. Riots erupted across the world, as well as in our own back yards. 

It wasn't all doom and gloom though. 

Venice, that lovely city built along water ways, saw the canal water clear and dolphins coming into the harbor. You could see the bottom of the canals as the water traffic slowed to almost a stop. 

                                            Getty Images

Air pollution cleared in places such as the Taj Mahal, as people stayed home and left much smaller carbon footprints. 

                                                   Lonely Planet

People rediscovered their own back yard and visited local, state and national parks in record numbers. The Smokey Mountains being one of the top domestic destinations this year. 

With the advent of the vaccine, we will soon be turning the corner on the pandemic. 

Now is the time to look to book travel for 2021 and 2022. 

Super deals on both domestic and international trips are currently available with generous no fee change dates. 

Dream big, plan for tomorrow and contact me to help make those travel plans come true. 

If you are dreaming of a trip to see Dracula's Castle, consider joining me in September to do just that along with seeing so much more of the Carpathian Mountains and savor some of the best foods I have ever enjoyed. 

2021, the best is yet to be!

                                           Carpathian Mountains 
                                         

Castles anyone? Part one

 Those of you who know me, know I LOVE to explore castles-both those still in use today and the lovely ruins that dot the countryside in Europe. 

Each castle is unique and served a purpose, to protect it's kingdom's people and way of life. The architecture of castles reflect the times, always with an eye to protect the kingdom, and reflects the style of the times. 

Here are a few of my favorites, in no particular order mind you. 

Ludlow Castle, Ludlow England. 

Built near the Welsh border, this castle was probably built by William de Lacy after the Norman conquest, it was one of the first stone castles in England. Changing hands many times until Edward Clive bought the castle in 1811. A mansion was constructed on the outer bailey but the remainder of the grounds were left largely untouched. 

After 1900, the castle grounds were cleared of vegetation and over the next century was largely restored by the Powis Estate and governmental bodies. It is currently owned by the Earl of Powis and is open to the public. 

There is a lovely gift shop on the grounds and a great tea room. 

I first discovered the castle in a book I read, unfortunately I no longer recall the name or author, but is was a fictional story that included the Ghost of Ludlow Castle. The story of the ghost is real and many have claimed to have seen her. 

Blarney  Castle, Blaney Ireland

I love Ireland and all it represents. One of my favorite places in the world, the entire island is dotted with castles.  The Blarney castle is one of the most famous. 

On approach, Blarney appears to be an intact and imposing edifice. 

The grounds are extensive and well worth the time to explore. If  you take the to the trails, you will find the old ice house, a horse graveyard, a poison garden and in the old stable yard another lovely tea shop. Are you sensing a trend here? 

The blarney stone itself, is at the top of the castle. In order to kiss the stone, you must sit facing backwards, bend back and down, grabbing the hand rails that have been installed, and kiss the stone upside down. There are people that sit on the battlement to hold you and help you down and back up and as you kiss the stone they will even take your snap-and you can purchase the photo or photos if  you like in the gift shop, along with a certificate that confirms you kissed the famous stone. 

The interior of the castle keep is completely gutted as you can see here. Be warned, to climb to the top, you must traverse a very narrow and steep stairway often with only a rope hand rail. The good news is that you can 'hop off' the steps at the intervening levels to take a break and take in more of the castle. 

Kilkenny Castle, Kilkenny Ireland

Staying in Ireland, Kilkenny Castle is one that is relatively intact. 

The first castle built here by Strongbow (aka Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke) was made of wood. The current structure was built about 1195. 

If you visit this site, allow for at least a half day, if not a full day. There are many rooms open to view and meticulously restore. Well worth a visit. 

Le Mont-Saint-Michel, island off the coast of France

Built upon a tidal island, this castle is completely cut off from the mainland at high tide. To visit, you can walk the causeway at low tide or take a boat. 

On the UNESCO list, it was originally founded by an Irish hermit, it has a very long history commencing before the 7th century. 

Stay tuned for more on castles. 

Traditional Hungarian Goulash-YUM

 From time to time, I will share some of the lovely recipes that I collect as I travel around the world. Today I will share a traditional recipe for Hungarian Goulash. 

Growing up in the Midwest, goulash was a staple of pot lucks. Typically it was made with hamburger, tomato sauce or paste, and pasta to make a casserole. Imagine my surprise when I discovered this was not, in any way, what 'real' Hungarian Goulash is. 

Real Hungarian Goulash is not a casserole dish at all, but rather a soup or stew. 

Each region has it's own variations, but all are based upon the recipe I will share below. A great soup recipe for those cold nights that will soon be upon us! 

This recipe I got from Sandra, who was our tour director on my trip through the Bohemian area of Europe and a native of the area. She graciously shared this family recipe with me. 

This original recipe makes about 8 servings. 

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil

3 onions sliced or chopped

2 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes

1-6 ounce can tomato paste

1 1/2 cups water

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook onions in oil until soft, stirring frequently. Remove onions and set aside 

In a medium bowl, combine paprika, 2 teaspoons salt and pepper. coat beef cubes in spice mixture and cook in onion pot until brown on all sides. return the onions to the pot. pour in tomato paste, water, garlic and the remaining teaspoon of salt. reduce heat to low,  cover and simmer, stirring occasionally 90 minutes to 2  hours or until meat is tender. 

Garnish with sour cream.

To this base recipe you can and whatever vegetables you like, most common are potatoes and carrots which does alter the taste of the base recipe. Cheap cuts of meat work well as the soup mixture simmers for some time and will make the cheap cuts nice and tender as if  you used premium steak. 

TIP: after having made this a few times, I decided to try putting the spice mixture into a large gallon sized baggie and then put the cut up meat in, shaking the bag until all coated and then putting into the pot as directed. For me it saved time rather then rolling each piece in the mixture to coat.