TRAVEL TIPS FROM THE 2016 SAN DIEGO TRAVEL & ADVENTURE SHOW

       Travel shows are where travel lovers come for inspiration, insight, and expert information and to hear celebrity speakers. The 2016 San Diego Travel & Adventure Show, January 16-17, once again provided all of this and more. With over 140 exhibits, four travel stages, and a global beats music stage, deciding where to spend my time was a challenge.

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       Here are some of the best TRAVEL TIPS I gathered from the experts: 

    

       Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter, producer and CBS news travel editor, Peter Greenberg, flies 400,000 miles a year. He is not shy about speaking up when the airlines, hotels and others treat the public unfairly. Here are some TIPS from his fantastic presentation.

PETER GREENBERG

      Airline Points: There are 18 trillion unredeemed frequent flyer miles. His advice: REDEEM THEM. They lose value every day.

      Hotel bookings: Everything is negotiable; his advice it to call the manager on duty directly to get a good rate, or some free incidentals like parking or resort fees. Always get the individual's name for verification. If a hotel fails to disclose a charge, you don't have to pay it.

      Online bookings: Peter is a real fan of “having a conversation.” He is fine about doing your research online; however, when it comes to booking, he likes to do it with a real person because they have far more information available to them. We see only about half of available inventory online.

      He is also a strong believer in talking to the local people at a destination to find out what's going on. The people who live there know the most. His motto: it's more important to be interested than interesting. Always ask “Why?”

      Airlines: He frequently hears complaints about the airlines these days; however, when someone complains he asks them: Did you get from point A to point B? Did you get there alive? If the answer is yes to both questions, he tells them they had a good flight. In other words, keep your expectations low.

      Connection time: He warned that it's important to allow plenty of time between flights. He recommends 90 minutes to two hours on domestic and four hours when flying internationally.

      What do you do if you get to the gate and your flight is delayed or canceled (not due to weather or “acts of God”)? If it's a major airline you can evoke the FAA Rule 240. It mandates that an airline with a delayed or canceled flight has to transfer passengers to another carrier if the second carrier could get passengers to the destination more quickly than the original airline.

      TSA: Always avoid the line that has two individuals instead of one looking at the computer screen where the bags are scanned. This is because one of them is a trainee and it will take more time.

      Baggage: If you check bags, and especially if you pack valuables like cameras, electronics, and new purchases, always open the bag at the conveyer belt before leaving the airport to make sure nothing has been stolen. Commonly thieves open the bag, remove the items, and then close it again so you won't notice until it's too late. Better yet, don't pack valuables.

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      Patricia Schultz, author of the best sellers 1,000 Places to Go Before You Die and 1,000 Places to See in the USA & Canada is always a delight to listen to. (She was advised not to use the word die in the title-I guess she proved the editors wrong.) She has the gift of making every place she talks about sound “Oh, so enticing.”

     

PATRICIA SCHULTZ

She had great things to say about Scandinavia, especially Norway, with its fjords, describing it as the most beautifully endowed of the Scandinavian countries. She loves Italy, her favorite city is Venice. She said that her Italian mother had a lot to do with her love of Italy and life, although she credits her German father for instilling a hard-work ethic required to write books. 
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      For photography tips, award-winning photographer, Ralph Velasco, was the guy to listen to. His presentation was full of practical ideas without getting high tech. He has led over fifty small group cultural tours around the world with an emphasis on photography. His latest ebook is titled Essence of a Place: A Travel Photographer's Guide to Using a Shot List for Capturing Any Destination.

    

RALPH VELASCO

#1 Travel Tip: Spend more time on travel and less money on gear.

      Backgrounds: He shared a number of his photos on an overhead screen and frequently pointed out the importance of using the background to provide a sense of place—this is especially important when taking portraits and selfies.

      Shot List: Prepare a shot list ahead of time. It is basically a plan for taking photos in a variety of categories. This will make your photo books and slideshows more interesting. For more information, he offers a free app titled My Shot List for Travel (available only on IOS devices at this time).

      Other Ideas:

--Always stop, look, recognize, and then shoot; don't forget to turn around and look behind you.

--Manipulate the landscape. Take photos in both landscape and portrait mode to see which is preferable.

--Download and back up your photos nightly.

--Have a theme in mind when taking photos—you are more likely to see something if you are looking for it.

--Don't just take photos—allow time to have fun and enjoy the place through the mind's eye.

--Learn from your mistakes.

--Share your photos when you get back.

--If you don't like getting up early you should become a writer.

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      One last tip from me: Visit the exhibitors early in the day before they run out of freebies like candy, pens, and bags and don't forget to enter all of the contests—you might win a free trip.

BELLA GUATEMALA TRAVEL EXHIBIT

CAFFEINE CRAWL SAN DIEGO, JANUARY 22 TO JANUARY 24, 2016

I'll be joining hundreds of coffee lovers of San Diego this weekend for the third annual Caffeine Crawl. There are a variety of routes offered January 22 to January 24, 2016 and we'll be visiting some of the best coffee shops in Southern California.


Come and join us for presentations, chocolate, tea and loads of caffeine. For a full schedule of events, costs, and participating coffee businesses visit caffeinecrawl.com.

-List of Participating Shops-

COFFEE, VACATION IN A CUP

Bay Park Coffee                           
Bean Bar
Bird Rock Coffee Roasters
Cafe Moto
Cafe Virtuoso Coffee Roasters
Caffe Calabria Coffee Roasting Co.
Coffee & Tea Collective
Copa Vida
Dane Coffee Roasters at Subterranean Coffee Boutique
Dark Horse Coffee Roasters
David Bacco Chocolatier
Eclipse Chocolate
InterAmerican Coffee
James Coffee Co.
Ryan Bros. Coffee
The West Bean Coffee Roasters
Banana Dang Coffee
Coffee Coffee

PLACES I'VE BEEN......THAT ARE CALLING ME BACK

THUNERSEE, SWITZERLAND

   When my daughter and Classy Career Girl founder, Anna, asked if I would write a guest post for her website I was honored, and a bit perplexed as to how this vintage traveler could be of interest to young and ambitious Classy Career Girl readers. I started thinking about the many places I've traveled to, and the ones that are still calling me back for a more leisurely vintage visit. Here are the Top Six:

       I visited Trondheim (pop. 170,000), Norway, in 1967, when I was traveling through Europe with friends on $5 a day. Here, I met my grandmother's sister—her only living sibling at that time. She gave me a bracelet that I still cherish. My grandmother, Anna, left Norway for the U.S. in the late 1800s. She never returned and never saw her sister again. This wasn't unusual back in those days. They kept in touch by writing letters. Since my ancestors came from here, I would like to return for a week in the warmth of the summer, exploring the old harbor city with its wooden houses on the River Nidelva, and meeting distant cousins.

ROCKEFELLER CENTER

NEW YORK CITY

      A city that I've been to many times and would return to again in a heartbeat is New York. I can walk for miles along the crowded streets to view a fascinating mix of modern and historic architecture, and 19^th century brownstones, along tree-lined streets. With a population of 8.5 million—37% foreign-born, and dozens of parks, rivers, museums, theaters, skyscrapers, restaurants, there is never a shortage of things to explore. It's hectic and I'm always ready to leave, but there's something special about New York that keeps calling me back.

      

        We visited Greece, about ten years ago in April, a delightful time of year to be there. It was off season, and we could ride the ferries to enjoy the uncrowded islands of Santorini and Mykanos at our leisure. With over 1,200 islands, mountains, and the 11^th longest coastline in the world, this is truly an enchanted region for a long and casual vintage revisit.

CASTELROTTO, ITALY

      Another spot that I have fond memories of is a small town in the Dolomites of northern Italy called Castelrotto—located near the wonderful Alpe Di Siuse which is the largest high altitude alpine meadow in Europe. It offers easy hikes, historic nearby villages, wonderful scenery, wineries, and reasonably priced bus and train passes to explore South Tyrol. Yes, that's an area I would go back to frequently, given a chance.

 Where else?

    

AMALFI, ITALY

WATERCOLORED POSTCARD

  Once we spent a couple of nights in Amalfi on the western coast of Italy, just below Naples. I said at the time, I would like to return to the place we stayed at, with a balcony overlooking the turquoise sea, and then jump a coastal train to the southern tip of Italy. That was about twenty years ago, and it still hasn't happened. However, the watercolored postcards of Amalfi, that I have hanging in my bedroom, will ensure I won't forget about this destination.

VIEW ABOVE GUNTEN, SWITZERLAND 

THUNERSEE

      Finally, I will return to the chalet ($64 per night) perched on a mountain above Gunten, Switzerland, overlooking the Thunersee—a place we recently visited. This I could do every June for the rest of my life and not tire of it. Hopefully, I'll be hiking on the nearby trails, just as the locals do, well into their nineties. Switzerland is known for its high cost, however, we found reasonable grocery, beer and wine prices at the Coop City in Thun. Our lodging included a free bus pass with unlimited travel in the area.

       These are my brief words of travel wisdom for followers of the “Classy Career Girl”—those special women who are working everyday to make their lives better. We can all grow, and frankly life keeps getting better. Most importantly, if you wish to travel, as my father use to say, “Go while you can.

      "Don't pass up any opportunities that come your way—some of them only come once in a lifetime."        -The Vintage Mom

ALPE DI SIUSI

SOUTH TYROL ITALY

HAPPY NEW YEAR

CORONADO BRIDGE AT DAYBREAK

Happy New Year to all. We spent the holidays home and enjoying our apartment on the San Diego Bay and were blessed with visits by our children, grandchild and nephew – we are all healthy and look forward to another year.

The sun is rising over the Coronado Bridge, the sky is a light pink and purple with a silhouette of mountains in the distance. The bay is calm. Looking north is the San Diego skyline. It will change throughout the early hours until the sun totally rises. A reminder that we are blessed with another new day.

CALIFORNIA GOLD COUNTRY

      Our decision to explore the California Gold Country happened a bit by chance. We spent a day exploring Yosemite National Park and then headed west without reservations for the night. (Lodging in Yosemite is booked many months in advance, next time we'll plan ahead.) We drove along the Mariposa Scenic Byway 32 miles to Mariposa (pop. 2100). This is one of the closer towns to the park and happens to sit at the south end of Highway 49, a perfect starting point for a drive north toward Nevada City through the heart of the California Gold Country.

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        James Marshall discovered gold in the Sacramento River, and the gold rush began. It was 1849, and the arriving miners, known as the “forty-niners”, were coming to strike it rich. The California Gold Rush was one of the greatest migrations for the search of riches in the history of the world—more than 300,000 men (and a few women) crowded into the wilderness of Sierra Nevada in search of gold. Coming from China, Chile, Europe, Mexico, Canada, Central America, Australia, and the US, it was truly an international event that lasted for ten years. The heart of the gold country, where miners sought their Mother Lode, was along the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada foothills. It stretched from Nevada City in the north to Mariposa in the south, which is where our road tour begins.

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       We arrived in Mariposa after dark on this cool October and found lodging. I was anxious to head out the next morning for a stroll along the main street of this once-prosperous mining center. A highlight was my stop at the Mariposa Museum and History Center, which contains dozens of reconstructed interiors shown just as they were in the mid-1800s—including a sheriff's office, saloon, piano room, and a miner's cabin. The friendly staff made it all the more informative and fun to visit. I found a locally handmade rag doll in the gift shop for Mila's Xmas stocking. Rag dolls are easily made from scraps of material and are one of the most ancient children's toys in existence.

      While I enjoyed the museum, Ron was happily working and enjoying the best hamburger of the trip at the Happy Burger Diner which was directly across the street.

       After leaving here, we decide to drive north on the steep and windy roads of Highway 49, stopping to explore the dozens of small historic mining towns along the way—many of which have not changed much since the 19th century.

 CHINESE CAMP

       One of our first stops is ChineseCamp (pop. 126); home to 5,000 Chinese in the 1850s. One of every ten miners was Chinese. After the initial boom had ended, anti-foreign taxes and racist attacks sought to drive out foreigners—especially Chinese and Latin American immigrants. Many gravitated to San Francisco, where one of the largest Chinatowns outside of Asia exists today.

        Next we drive about seven miles north to Jamestown (pop. 3400) in Tuolumne County that offers a restored and picture-perfect main street with many of the false-front buildings still standing. It is in this county that over 350 productions have been filmed including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Gunsmoke, High Noon, and Bonanza. Commercialism has crept in with many restaurants, antique stores, and gift shops. However, you still get a strong sense of the past here—just as you do in all of these small historic towns along Highway 49.

SONORA

       On the second night, we stayed near Sonora (pop 4800). This is one of the best preserved towns on the route. I picked up a brochure in the tourist office that highlights a walking tour of over 70 historical sites and homes in the town. I spent some time strolling around and tracing history through architecture until they all started looking a bit alike. I then entered the Tuolumne County Museum that was built in 1857 as the old county jail. It was rebuilt in 1866 after a fatal fire set by an inmate and continued to be in use until 1960. It was another well-done museum in this area that provided a private tour of the old jail cell, photograph collections, and a lot of interesting trivia. Before jails were built, there were public lynchings that became major events attended by all the townspeople—sometimes, with all of the drinking going on, even more killings occurred.

      A modest number of miners were of African ancestry (about 4,000 at most) and came as free men. However, some were brought as slaves. One of the “laws” in prospecting was that the gold belonged to the man who discovered it. This provided a way for slaves to earn money during their off-hours. Many bought their freedom during the gold rush as a result of this policy.

MURPHYS - TASTING ROOM

       As we drove further north, we discovered more and more wineries in the historic towns and surrounding countryside. Murphys (pop. 2,213) was established by two Irishmen back in 1848, and its historic Main Street is interspersed with 25 charming tasting rooms. We enjoyed a stop at the Frog's Tooth Winery. Most of the wineries offer free tastings provided you purchase a bottle of wine. Consequently, we arrived home with a half dozen colorfully labeled wine bottles to help us reminisce about our visit to the old west and a step back in time.

CHINA'S HOSPITAL SHIP "ARK PEACE" VISITS SAN DIEGO

ARK PEACE IN SAN DIEGO

      It's 8:30 pm on a rather cool Thursday evening in San Diego, and I'm waiting for the return ferry to Coronado. I decide to walk out on the Broadway Pier to help pass the time, and to take a closer look at a stark white ship parked toward the end of the pier. It looks too small to be a cruise ship, and as I get closer I notice a large red cross on the side. A few people are boarding—some with shopping bags from local retailers. I ask the guard about it, and he informs me that it is a Chinese hospital ship called the Ark Peace that is on a mission tour—the only one of its kind in China. He also said that there would be public tours the next morning at 9 a.m.

      I decide to head over the next day, thinking it will probably be my only opportunity to board a Chinese hospital ship. This is the first time, since being commissioned in 2008, that it has stopped in the U.S. mainland and relations between the U.S. and China do not seem to be getting any better.

     When I arrived the next morning, there were about twelve in line to board the ship. We went through security and walked up the plank to an open area where we viewed a ten minute introductory video about the ship's mission and history. Then we walked down the halls where we peered into the labs and state-of-the-art medical facilities. In addition to western medicine, the ship offers the traditional Chinese medicines of acupuncture, massage and cupping therapy. There were posters along the way, in English and Chinese, that explained some of these methods.

    

Chinese military and medical staff were stationed throughout the tour directing us and providing information. A language barrier prevented any meaningful communication, but everyone was very cordial. Then we took the steep-narrow stairway to another level where there was a large open deck with an armed guard. Here we could get a view of the bay and tour the one Z-8 rescue helicopter that is on board. There was a curtain covering the cockpit and we were told not to look in. The ship has seven stories; we were allowed to visit sections on the bottom two floors.

     The hospital ship Ark Peace is currently on the Mission Harmony 2015 tour that began September 7—making goodwill visits throughout the Pacific Rim and heads to Mexico when it leaves here. While docked in San Diego for five days, the crew members have met with U.S. Navy officials and attended programs and seminars at the Naval Medical Center San Diego and the U.S. floating hospital, USNS Mercy, that is home ported in San Diego. All with the purpose of military medical professionals exchanging ideas and learning from each others experiences. The USNS Mercy is 300 feet longer with about three times more beds and has a sister hospital ship, USNS Comfort, based in Virginia. Only eight countries in the world currently have hospital ships, the U.S. has the two largest.

     The Ark Peace, with its impressive medical facilities and free medical and humanitarian services, provides a common ground where we can still find harmony in the world. Thankfully, we still share the desire for making this a healthier world.

POSTER ON THE SHIP WALL

FRIENDLY STAFF ON THE ARK PEACE SHIP

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THE RONALD REAGAN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY & MUSEUM

       We arrived at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum on a Saturday morning. This was our first visit to a Presidential Library. Fortunately, we allowed a lot of time for the visit. We didn't realize the magnitude of the place and the amount of information that was available. Exhibits combined fascinating artifacts, historical documents, photographs, films, and dozens of interactive displays that made for a pleasant day of history.

      The tradition of Presidential Libraries began with President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was the first to raise private funds to build a library that opened in 1941. It was later given to the U.S. government for operation through the National Archives. Prior to this time, Presidential papers and records were often lost, destroyed, or sold for profit. There are currently 13 presidential libraries located throughout the U.S., each one offering a special place for all to learn about democracy and our nation—without regard to political considerations.

SCENIC DRIVE TO MOUNTAINTOP
PRESIDENTIAL BANNERS ALONG THE WAY

      The Reagan Library, located 45 miles north of downtown Los Angeles, in Simi Valley, CA, is perched on a mountaintop with sweeping views of surrounding mountains and valleys. We entered the grounds on a curving tree-lined mile-long drive with colorful banners with pictures honoring all U.S. Presidents along the way. The library is surrounded by a hundred-acre landscape that includes a full scale replica of the White House Rose Garden, President Reagan's grave site, and a 9 ½ foot-tall, piece of the Berlin Wall that weighs over 6,000 lbs. There are benches and picnic tables—all can be enjoyed without paying the entrance fee that is required for the the library and museum.

      The 100,000 square-foot Reagan Museum consists of 24 galleries including a full-scale reproduction of the Oval Office as it appeared during the Reagan Presidency—inclusive of a painting of his hero, President Andrew Jackson, bronze saddles, a jar of jelly beans and plaque, sitting on his desk, that reads: “It CAN by done.”

      On display throughout the museum are hundreds of gifts President and Mrs. Reagan received from world leaders, visiting dignitaries and others. There are lovely photos of these visits, and I especially enjoyed looking at the interesting clothing and styles of the time. There were displays of dresses worn by Nancy Reagan in one of the galleries that was devoted entirely to the First Lady.

AIR FORCE ONE

      Air Force One, that served seven U.S. Presidents and carried Ronald Reagan more than 660,000 miles, is on display and available for boarding. The press, who had to pay their own fare, rode in the rear of the aircraft—the President enjoyed comfortable seating and working arrangements in the front section. Also, located in the Pavilion is the Ronald Reagan Pub which contains original contents from a pub that was named in his honor in Ballyporeen, Ireland—his ancestral homeland. The President would often say “John Kennedy got an airport, Lyndon Johnson got a space center, but I got a pub named after me.” The pub also served as a good place for our much needed coffee break.

      Ronald Reagan wrote his thoughts and observations in his personal diary virtually every day during his eight years as president. The Reagan diaries are on display and they can be viewed digitally by date. Throughout all the galleries one can find his personal notes, including love notes to Nancy. He was referred to as the great communicator and famous for his many quotations.

       Ronald Reagan was born in Tampico, IL in 1911. His family moved around the midwest until they finally settled in Dixon, IL when Ronald was seven years old. He served as the 40^th president of the from January 20, 1981 to January 20, 1989. He suffered from Alzheimer's disease during his last years of life and died in 2004 at the age of 93.

      “I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead.”             Announcement of Alzheimer's Diagnosis

                                                                                                       November 5, 1994

ACTUAL PIECE OF BERLIN WALL

LANDSCAPED GROUNDS SURROUNDING LIBRARY

RONALD REAGAN PUB
LOCATED IN AIR FORCE ONE PAVILION

VIEW FROM THE REAGAN LIBRARY