Travel is . .

, , , Nostalgia

One of the best trips my husband and I ever made was a car trip, about six months before he died, that took us through the deep south. We hit Little Rock and Memphis and while in Memphis went to Graceland and wandered through Elvisland, reliving our youth and feeling a little bit "all shook up." Loved it and I will always recall the trip fondly - and all those Cracker Barrel lunches.

Nostalgia is a biggie this year: new TV shows revisit "Pan Am," the "Playboy Club" and "Charlie's Angels." It's an intersting phenomenom and seems to be a combination of young women in skin-tight clothing and a longing for what may have been a simpler time.

I think that longing for what was is the key to this season's new TV shows, but I see it and hear it from my friends quite often.

"What's happening in the world?," "look how different things are today" are common statements. Maybe the 60s and 70s were very different. While I think each period in time brings its own situations, I do remember those days fondly.

Apparently others do as well.

Mount Airy, N.C. will be celebrating Mayberry Days Sept. 22-25, with tributes to the star of the Andy Griffith show, the town's most famous son. Actors who appeared on the show and a variety of exhibits representative of the show will be on display. For more information go to www.mayberrydays.org.

Travel is . .

. . . Sometimes accidental

I've been MIA for a while, and the last week I had a perfectly good excuse.

I was in New Jersey visiting a friend (and planned a weekend in New York to see theater and other friends,) when she and I went for a walk. My friend was planning a dinner party for me and another friend so we walked to a fruit and vegetable market a few blocks away.

To make a long story short, I fell. I fell flat on my face. Literally. I didn't break anything, but fell on my nose. A week later it is still swollen, red, scabbed over and my eyes have gone through every shade in the purple color order.

This happened at 11:30 in the morning, I spent three hours in the ER and flew home later that night. The looks on the faces of my fellow passengers were telling and I think I have some better understanding of the Elephant Man now.

I lost my theater tickets and time in New York City, but am so grateful that I am not going through the throes of a broken limb or nose or teeth, and so grateful to my friend for attending to me, that I can't waste time on self pity.

It was a ghastly week, but it could've been worse.

I could have stayed and enjoyed Hurrican Irene.

Travel is . .

. . . Doing well

In a time when costs for most things are sky high, when the stock market goes south and the country's financial ratings slip, cruise line business seems to be going great guns. In today's Sun-Sentinel newspaper I read an article about Carnival Corp. and plc building three new ships. Two will sail under Carnival's AIDA brand flag and one for Costa. The cost is just under $800 million for the Costa ship and $1.3 for the AIDA vessels.

Yes the cruise business seems to be good.

Espcially at the high end. I recently wrote a story about premium cruise ships and had several public relations people tell me the vessels are going out full. People are booking expensive, luxury cruises.

While gas prices hover around $3.80 a gallon and masses moan, more and more folks are
clamboring aboard cruise ship for a sea-going vacation.

A travel agent friend told me she is booking luxury holidays for couples in their 20s and 30s as well as retirees. Premium cruises are full and mass-market sailings are also doing extremely well.

It is an interesting (and interesting doesn't always mean good,)time all the way around: in politics, entertainment and business most certainly. The travel biz is no exception - certainly not in the field of cruises.

Travel is . . .

. . .Right now? H O T.

I spent three days in Indianapolis last week, making plans for a convention I am chairing for Society of American Travel Writers in September 2012. I walked through meeting venues, explored parks and museums and ate at a few of the many fine restaurants the city offers.

One of the little luxuries, after professional development, networking, and of course sightseeing for story/photo materials in Indy we will offer as an incentive, is an opportunity for a few of our members to get a massage at the utterly charming and elegant Evan Todd Spa in the Conrad hotel in downtown Indianapolis.

I test drove a massage, chosing three Chakras: No. 3, Grounded, No. 4, Harmony and No. 6, Insight. Whether or not I buy the whole concept, whether I am now grounded. harmonious or have more insight is probably debatable. I know that after two heavy-duty days of trekking through Indy, I was thoroughly relaxed, had an incredible massage and felt great.

Indy is a great midwestern city. As a former midwesterner but a long-time South Florida resident I found their obsession with the heatwave humorous. For years people have said to me "how can you stand Florida in the summer?" and I have said we just do, we go from air-conditioned homes to air-conditioned cars to air-conditioned stores, etc., etc. And actually, it felt 10 degrees cooler when we landed in Fort Lauderdale.

After my friend picked me up I had to ask him to lower the air conditioning. I was too cold!

Incidentally, an article in the Sun-Sentinel the other day noted that Fort Lauderdale has the lowest travel-related taxes of the top 50 destination in the U.S.

Come on down.

Travel is . . .

. . .In the blood

This week my sons - three of them - were in Kansas City, Washington, DC an Las Vegas respectively. The first two cities were business trips, Las Vegas? Not so much. They inherited the traveling gene from me. None of us ever really complain about travel. Even in this time and place.

I leave early in the morning for a short trip to Indianapolis to plan for a convention to take place their next year.

I realized today that after three or four months of practically back-to-back trips, I'd been home for a month. It was a month ago that I walked off Allure of the Seas with my son, daughter-in-law and three grandkids. It was a great trip, a wonderful cruise on a wonderful ship. (And I did need a rest when I came home.)

But I guess that old Dalmatian fire dog and I respond similarly. I know the next few days will be full (and probably very hot) but I am looking forward to going to Indy, to making plans for the meeting and even the joy of flying!

I've another short trip planned for later August and a third in September and am weighing a couple of other options. It is addictive, I know. I watch as friends agonize over packing and am fairly casual about the process myself.

I know the day will come when it will not be fun, but until then, Indy here I come.

Travel is . . .

. . .maybe another time

Two of my sons are meeting in Las Vegas next week. This morning my physical therapist told me she's heading to the Nevada city in a couple of weeks and one of her colleagues will be there at the same time. My CPA is flying out in a day or two and I woman I met at the beauty parlor leaves for her first trip to Vegas in a month.

Yep. Las Vegas remains a popular travel destination. Rates are good, promotional rates even better and the entertainment is still top drawer.

I love Las Vegas and was scheduled to fly there with my son last month. We had to cancel the trip, but I am sure, before the year is out, I too will journey back to Las Vegas.

I've been going there for about 40 years. I've played blackjack in a dozen casinos seen all the show biz greats: I've been embarassed sitting in the first row at a Don Rickles show; been enamored by Frank Sinatra and the "rat pack," (years later by an aging Tom Jones,) seen Paul Anka and Ann Margret, Redd Foxx, Mort Sahl and Buddy Hackett, Leno, Seinfeld, lots of Cirque shows - the Beatles "Love" twice - and had many enjoyable first class meals.

Years ago Las Vegas marketed itself as family-friendly. It's not. It is an adult Disney World. Topless pools, sexually charged shows and pricey restaurants are for adults. Chicken fingers and kids' cups are family-friendly.

I am delighted, that after a few years of terrible tourism people are rediscovering Las Vegas.

Travel is . . .

. . .a kind of history

I found out on Monday that two friends were planning to attend the firt 3D ballet at a local theater Tuesday night. These are two women who are long-time friends, our kids grew up together, we have shared many rites of passage and many good times and bad. I felt very comfortable inviting myself along.

I had been to the movies on Sunday and fleetingly saw a promotion for the ballet but didn't note the name of the ballet or of the company. Then I heard lt was the Mariinsky company of St. Petersburg - renamed Kirov during USSR days.

I had shlepped my husband to the Mariinsky when our ship spent two days in St. Petersburg. I nagged him into a jacket and although it was in the high 80s and very humid in the beautiful Russian city, he wore one.

This was during a very hot summer, probably about 1993 or 1994, and the theater, while still beautiful had not been maintained well under earlier governments. Many seats were broken, the upholstery torn and it had the aura of being sadly in need of a major rehab. And, of course, did not have air conditioning! My husband's dismay resulted ln his removing the jacket and placing it next to him on a (broken) seat - as did 99 percent of the men in the audience.

But when the lights went down and the curtains opened, all thought of heat, folded sports jackets, former governing styles and everything else disappeared. The dancers were amazing, their skills outstanding and although I truly cannot remember the name of the ballet we saw, it was a riveting experience. One I won't forget.

It all came rushing back when I saw the newest generation of Mariinsky dancers dance the haunting GISELLE. (The ballet was filmed in 2010.)

They are true artists, the large corps de ballet is fantastic and the lead dancers take your breath away.

It's just another reason I love travel -- and long-time friends!