July 12, 2024 • 53 mins
The Wishing Well's Terrie Dean discusses this week's travel news and hot deals!
Plus, we’re diving into refreshing travel destinations that offer respite from scorching temperatures. Join us as we explore the icy wonders of Iceland, the rugged beauty of Alaska, the serene landscapes of Canada, and the vibrant culture of Cape Town, South Africa. Whether you’re dreaming of glaciers, northern lights, or ocean breezes, we’ve got you covered. Let’s beat the heat together!
Plus, we’re diving into refreshing travel destinations that offer respite from scorching temperatures. Join us as we explore the icy wonders of Iceland, the rugged beauty of Alaska, the serene landscapes of Canada, and the vibrant culture of Cape Town, South Africa. Whether you’re dreaming of glaciers, northern lights, or ocean breezes, we’ve got you covered. Let’s beat the heat together!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
This is a Lifeless Ordinary. It'sthe travel show and podcasts from your friends
at the wishing Well two forty threeft Avenue in harsmerg and online at the
wishing Well dot This. The wishingWell is your ultimate luxury concierge, travel
agency and a Lifeless Ordinary is atravel show and podcast hosted by Terry Dean,
bringing her over forty years of experiencein the travel industry to help guide
(00:21):
you to great experiences in your travel, whether it be around the block,
around the country, or around theworld. Let's bring in Terry Dean.
Say hello, Hi, Chris.How are you happy for it to be
a weekend? I know I loveweekends. We're going to enjoice some.
I n actually love weekends in thesummer. I'm gonna say nice weather,
not great weather. And then Monday, we're back to one hundred degrees.
(00:41):
Yes, it's coming, it's coming. Can we can we please just stop
having summer? I know at leastyou know, at least air conditioning,
you know that works consistently. Itis all I plead for in my entire
life. I don't want any airconditioning breaking down, not in my car,
not at work, not at home. I just want consistent air conditioning.
(01:03):
And we've got a puppy at home, so we've been leaving the back
door opens so that she can comeand go as she's learning, you know,
to be house trained. And acouple of days it has felt like
a hair dryer is blown in fromthe back door when you walk into the
kitchen. I love this one commercialthat's on TV. I don't know even
what the product is, it's advertising, but there's two men outside, both
(01:26):
in shorts. They both look likethey have been sweltering for hours with sweat
just running off of them. Theirhair is all matted to their head.
It's so wet with sweat. Andone says to the other, I feel
like I'm in a saona. AndI love that commercial because that really sums
up I think where we've been thelast couple of weeks, in a saona
(01:51):
in the valley in the summertime.That's right. Oh boy, wow,
what happened in travel news this week? Well, we do have a couple
of things that I want to sirwith our audience today, and one is
regarding guns at airports. They're findingthis was made national news the Transportation Security
Administration. Chris announced that agents workingat airport checkpoints across the United States intercepted
(02:15):
thirty two hundred and sixty nine firearmsduring the first half of twenty twenty four.
Y'all got to stop that stuff.TSA officials reported that the first half
of the year ended June thirtieth,with the total number of confiscated guns representing
an average of nineteen firearms detected perday at security checkpoints. That's a lot
(02:37):
of guns. These are people tryingto carry them on. Yeah, yeah,
yeah, they're doing that. Ofthe guns stopped by TSA agents,
an astounding ninety four percent were whatare you people thinking? They were loaded?
During the same period in twenty twentythree, thirty two hundred and fifty
one firearms were confiscated. Now,while the numbers are very similar, TSA
(03:00):
officers have screened nearly seven percent morepassengers during the first half of twenty twenty
four than in previous years. Therate of passengers with firearms during the most
recent quarter was seven point five firearmsper one hundred people. That's a slight
decrease from the previous year. Yaypeople, Now, if you carry a
(03:22):
firearm, you are required to placeit unloaded and locked in a hard sided
case in your checked bag, notyour carry on, and declare it to
the airline when you check in atthe airline ticket counter. That is the
proper procedure. Do not bring itto the checkpoint. It is costly and
(03:46):
it delays you and everybody else travelingin the same line with you. And
those aren't my words, those arethe cautionary tales sent to me by TSA
saying please announce this okay. SoTSA officials announced that the federal agency had
set a new record for the numberof travelers screened in a single day.
(04:09):
Security officers screened in a record threemillion people at checkpoints around the United States
on Sunday, July the seventh alone. Now, on that same date the
previous year, chris agents only screenedtwo million, six hundred thousand people.
That's a lot of people. Andso just you know, just some cautionary
(04:34):
words if you are traveling, ifyou're flying and you want to get through
easily and seamlessly, there's just afew things to remember about how you must
go through. If if they findyou with a firearm in the checkpoint,
is that a crime, like willthey arrest you? Or are they just
going to confiscate your well, theycan detain you. They most certainly will
(04:55):
confiscate the weapon. And if it'sloaded, then how charges could be placed?
Yes? Good at home? Yeah, amen to that good news.
After following that story, You're welcome. Our pilot shortage might be getting better,
Chris, which is great. Yeah, over the coming four years,
(05:16):
Congress is actually set to distribute someeighty million dollars to hopefully help ease the
pilot workforce shortage that's been plaguing thecountry's airline industry. We know all about
this. The money, which wasincluded in the FAA Reauthorization Act, is
far more than the twenty five milliondollars allocated by Congress for such expenses back
(05:40):
in twenty eighteen, and it's airmarked to provide support for aviation related education
programs. Now, while it's beenreported that the largest carriers have recovered from
the pilot shortage, I don't knowwho came up with that brilliant idea.
I wouldn't agree necessarily, but smallerregional airlines they continue to struggle with staffing
(06:02):
challenges, and some are offering substantialsign up bonuses to lure new pilots.
That challenge is compounded by the factthat the TSA continues to report record passenger
volumes at airports. Yeah, andthere's those people with guns too that are
coming through. In May. Aheadof Memorial Day weekend, for instance,
(06:24):
the government agency said it was preparingfor the highest passenger volumes the agency has
seen at airport security checkpoints nationwide.Now, the root cause of these pilot
shortages has all been well reported anddocumented. The COVID nineteen pandemic had a
profound impact on the travel industry worldwide, and that pandemic also influenced how people
(06:48):
viewed life and their priorities. Andonce COVID nineteen global lockdown eased, those
shifting priorities became increasingly apparent and causedmajor challenges for the airline industry. People
said, I'm going to change myoutlook on life and how I'm going to
travel, and I'm willing to spendthe extra money to fly privately, and
(07:11):
so there was this massive surge onthe private side of aviation that then affected
the pilots overall. So, inother words, suddenly far more pilots were
needed to fly private planes in orderto accommodate all those individuals who were now
willing to shell out some big bucksfor a more exclusive flying experience. In
(07:31):
a post pandemic world. With privateaviation companies hiring pilots as quickly as they
could as the pandemic waned, guesswhat, the industry wide shortage was exacerbated.
This issue was compounded by the factthat commercial airline pilots wanted to travel
far more than they did prior tothe pandemic. Big carriers scrambled to add
(07:57):
more flights and staffing those flights requiredmore polit pollets, YadA, YadA,
YadA, so you know how thatgoes. It's like chasing your tail.
Failure to prioritize staffing, though,has really hurt the regional carries. The
dynamics of global pandemic and the realitiesafter the pandemic were further exacerbated by a
failure to plan appropriately for staffing needs, particularly among these smaller regional airlines.
(08:24):
A few of these smaller airlines werejust a little bit behind in providing pay
increases and increasing benefits during the surgeback in twenty twenty two and twenty twenty
one, so they got hurt reallyvery quickly. Because pilots were leaving to
go to other airlines or to cometo the private side sector, where there
were large sign on bonuses and alot bigger compensation structure. A lot of
(08:50):
the smaller regional airlines just set backand waited, and that put them in
a bad position, to the pointwhere they had planes that were just grounded
because they didn't have pilots to crewand fly them. Now where do things
stand right now? Well, whileregional carriers continue to struggle, the airline
industry as a whole, including themajor carriers, have made significant progress toward
(09:11):
the height of the challenges. Infact, far from a shortage, some
major airlines have actually put hiring onpause throughout the end of this year.
Now that surprised me, it reallydid, because I don't think we're there
yet. I really don't. AndI just read today came across my desk
that a lot of more flights arecoming into Washington Dulles. International carriers are
(09:35):
trying to open up more slots fortheir carriers. Jet Blue is really going
toe to toe with United at WashingtonDulles. We're not there yet. I
just don't think this is the timeto be putting a halt on hiring pilots,
but what do I know. Someof the big operators like Wheels Up
for example, that's a private jet. They've just announced that they're letting go
(10:00):
ten percent of their pilot staff andthey are one of the top five largest
private operators that fly. Right now, things are definitely shifting. I think
we're seeing a light at the endof the tunnel, but again I don't
think we're there yet. Interesting.Yeah, so that's the news in the
aviation industry and at airports. Ifound the most fun story regarding an opening
(10:26):
of a Georgia hotel. This isgoing to be opening from famed Hollywood director
Francis Ford Coppola, and I foundthis was just the most entertaining story.
He has debuted his largest hospitality venture. It's called the All Movie Hotel in
peach Tree City, Georgia, which, in case you don't know, is
(10:48):
very close to Atlanta, roughly aboutthirty miles outside of Atlanta to be exact.
The twenty seven room property was createdto cater primarily to film makers and
film enthusiasts. In a statement,Coppola said he was inspired to open the
hotel after spending two years in PeachtreeCity shooting his film Megalopolis, which premiered
(11:13):
earlier this year. I didn't knowabout this movie, he says. I
fell in love with Peachtree City,citing the destination's people, easy access to
nature, and extensive network of golfcart paths. As Key draws, the
hotel is home to its own postproduction facilities, which it says offer a
(11:33):
collaborative environment for filmmakers to edit,perfect and showcase their work. These include
two soundproofed editing suites. We shouldgo record here, Chris. That would
be a great idea, wouldn't it. I mean, we've got a soundproof
editing suite, an automated dialogue replacementsuite, and a green room, among
other specialized amenities. We could makeourselves look like anything we wanted to.
(11:56):
You know, you have high hopes, don't I do? I always do.
Other highlights include a pool, agym, an outdoor patio space,
and a living room, game roomarea where daily Continental breakfast is served.
Now this is an all movie hotelis the seventh property in the family Coppola
Hidaways in his hospitality portfolio. Itis joined by the Blancheneau Lodge, Turtle
(12:24):
Inn, and Coral k In belize. These are all three absolutely fabulous properties.
I've booked folks into all three ofthese, and I can tell you
they are high end, high touchservice properties. He's got the La Lancha
in Guatemala, the Jardin Escondido inArgentino, and the Palazio Margharita in Italy.
(12:48):
And so this is another property.The reason I mentioned it today is
because it's stateside. It's someplace wherewe can actually drive to if you want
to. But it's very close toAtlanta, Georgia. You also have that
nice direct NonStop flight from Charlottesville toAtlanta. So you might want to put
this little property on your to goplaces. But I don't have to be
(13:09):
a movie producer. You do nothave to be. But it's he designed
it for, you know, hiscrowd. I guess you could say exactly
we're be from. You know.So it's been hot out, has been
hot out. Yeah, we havesome hot deals. I do. I've
got some hot deals. Actually theseare from a few of my cruise friends
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and partners. I thought this wouldbe fun because this is what people want
to do when it's hot. Theywant to get in the water, you
know, And I don't necessarily wantyou to get in the water when you're
cruising unless it's on board the ship, right, But I do have some
deals. I've got three today totalk about from our friends at Celebrity,
Oceana and a Royal Caribbean. Ourcruise promotion from Celebrity is offering seventy five
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percent off theavant the second guest.They deliver an unleveled premium vacation experience across
their fleet of ships. Guests canexplore the world or get away from it
in just a little while. Withevery detail elevated beyond expectations. Guests will
never want a vacation any other way. And this is the deal. You
(14:22):
get away on a vacation that willruin all others and save with an offer
you won't want to miss seventy fivepercent off your second guest and you can
save also up to two hundred dollars. This offer is ending on August the
fourteenth, so you only have alimited amount of time to book this.
You'll book now and get a bonussavings of two hundred dollars off of that
(14:43):
seventy five percent off the second guest. And they also have galopokas twenty percent
off and flights on them, sofree flights on a trip to the Galopicas
if you're sailing for a limited time. When you book a vacation to the
incredible Glopagos Islands, you're going toenjoy twenty percent off of your cruise fair.
(15:03):
Plus when you book a vacation package, you're going to get there with
airfare included as part of your allinclusive experience. Now, I don't know
anybody out there who is listening whomay have investigated going to the Galopagos Islands
before, but it is a it'sa very exclusive place to go. I
(15:24):
personally want to put this on mylist of places to go. But when
you can go and have your airincluded these days, that's luxury. I
always say that that's part of theluxury experience. And when you can go
and get there on a celebrity cruise, this one just might be on my
list of places. But don't wait. This offer is going to end on
October the thirty first of this year, so if you are interested, be
(15:48):
sure you give me a call ifyou're interested in that celebrity deal to the
Galopogos. Now, next on mylist comes from Oceana cruise Line. They
have a promotion called simply More andon there. Simply More Now through July
the twenty seventh, you are goingto get simply More exactly what they say,
(16:08):
free again, round trip airfare,free airport transfers, free shore excursions,
free champagne, wine and more.And they have a free gourmet specialty
dining program plus free unlimited WiFi.All of that on some of the most
luxurious cruise lines offerings in the world. And itineraries love Oceana. I've got
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many, many clients who will notsail anybody else, and they are great.
If you remember many years A coupleof years ago, the Wishing Well
did a Regent seven Seas cruise toAlaska. We most recently did one also
with Tassi Pippert. Oceana is thesister cruise company to Regent, So if
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you are interested, give me acall. That one is an absolute steal.
The last one on my list comesto me today from a Royal Caribbean
and the Utopia of the Seas.In case you didn't know, and you
didn't hear all the hooplas surrounding this, this is Royal Caribbean's brand new ship.
I don't even think the paint isdry yet. She just docked in
(17:15):
Port Canaveral yesterday to begin her nextnew sailing, which is going to begin
July the nineteenth. They have abuy one, get one for sixty percent
off and kids sail free. Thisis a valid offer for July the thirty
first through April the twenty fifth oftwenty twenty six. Your booking window,
(17:36):
however, is only until August firston this deal, so you really do
have to hurry. You buy oneguest, you get the second guest sixty
percent off, and then thirty percentoff your third and fourth or kids sail
free. So this is a greatdeal. Your booking window, as I
said, is between now and Augustthe first of twenty twenty four, and
(17:57):
all sailings have to depart on orafter July thirty first of this year.
So this is a great deal,great new ship, utopia of the seas.
There's nothing bigger out there right nowor better, so this is a
great deal. If you're interested incruising, just contact me at the Wishing
Well. So we mentioned it's beena hot couple of a few flick years
(18:22):
a couple of weeks. Yes,this summer. We need to find some
chill places to hang out, don'twe know, cool boy. That's today's
show. It's called chasing the Chill. It is certainly is. We'll start
that chase next year on a lifelessordinary. Protect your vacation investment with guidance
from a travel professional. The wishingWell knows travel and helps you avoid pitfalls
they can spoil your hard earned vacation. We'll plan your trip and have your
(18:45):
back as you travel. All ofthis without support or so called convenience fees.
We're on the web at tho Wishingwelldot biz or call us at five
four zero nine zero eight two threethree three. That's five four zero nine
zero eight two three three three.The washing Well really does make dreams come
true and welcome back to a lifeless ordinary. This is the travel show
(19:07):
on podcast from your friends at thewishing Well. You can find them on
nept Avenue in Harrisonburg, The wishingWell dot biz online, or you can
give him a call the old fashionedway at five four oh nine oh eight
twenty three thirty three and you'll talkto a very knowledgeable, skilled travel advisor.
Maybe if you ask real nicely,they'll transfer to Terry's office, and
(19:29):
Terry can get you hooked up withsome chill location to chase after the submers
fun. Yeah yeah, so weall know how hot it is, and
we've got the hottest two months actuallyleft to go through yet real here,
Yes, So today I'm going tosuggest Chris that we turned down the AC
to about sixty yes, fifty five, fixed two cups of coffee, and
(19:52):
pretend we're bound for some of thenicest, coolest destinations on the planet.
You in, I'm in, okay, love it now. As much as
the heat seems to have some negativeeffects on human personality, sometimes it's an
equally volatile situation for the aviation industry. And I do want to jump into
our cool destinations, but I wantedto cover this first because this is what
(20:15):
we go through in our industry whenit's hot outside. It's not just us
that go through this. So beforewe leap into our so cool destinations today,
I want to share with you howheat really does have an impact on
the aviation industry. It's not justwinter weather that can take all the blame
for flight cancellations and delays. Itis not, as a matter of fact,
(20:38):
in the summer two major factors contributeto this flying unpredictability. More frequent
storms and in extreme cases, hottemperatures that make it impossible for some planes
to actually take off in land.Really, yes, sir, weather is
behind nearly two thirds of flight disruptions, and according to the Federal Aviation Administration,
(21:02):
sixty three percent of flight delays areas a result of weather conditions.
The FAA's job is to get travelersto their destinations safely and efficiently, and
this summer we'll see more planes inthe skies. We talked about that just
earlier today, frequent bad weather andincreased use of the nation's airspace. But
(21:22):
the FAA is continuously working behind thescenes to address these challenges, and their
Summer Travel website outlines initiatives they've takento keep summer traffic safe and smooth.
Yay, we're glad to hear thatairlines southern hubs can be especially prone to
storm and heat disruptions during the summer. Dallas has been especially bad for this
(21:48):
this year, and we've been seeingflight disruptions out of that city since mid
March, as a matter of fact, and it's not improving, it's just
bad. And we know just recently, how bad the weather hit Texas again.
So this is what happens, andextreme heat can make flying impossible.
(22:08):
I said that as we continue tosee these global temperatures rise storms aren't the
only thing affecting flight. When theair is hot, it becomes less dense
due to air molecules spreading out.Hot air is thin air. Now,
that's why I mean you sounded surprisedwhen I said that earlier. That's exactly
(22:29):
why. That's the science behind that. Now, while this reduces the lift
on which airlines rely for takeoff,the main impact is felt on engine thrust.
Aircraft engines will produce less thrust duringtakeoff and ascent as a result.
We don't want that to happen,which makes it harder for them and sometimes
just impossible to take off. Interesting, So, just how hot is too
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hot for airplanes? Most airlines,Airbus and Boeing jets can take off safely
up to one hundred and twenty twodegrees or so. Smaller regional jets often
have a lower threshold for safe operations, but the exact limits depend on a
variety of factors, including the plane'stotal weight, the altitude of the airport,
(23:15):
and other conditions, and high heatcan lead to extra weight restrictions for
some planes at some airports, whichcan mean they sometimes may need to bump
passenger. That's why that happens inthe summer. That's why you get bumped
is because it's just too much weightload. Extreme temperatures can even result in airlines
completely canceling their flights altogether. You'reflying on a smaller regional jet, it's
(23:41):
hot outside, it's a packed flight. Guess what, it's maybe not going
to go at all interesting. Sohow can you plan ahead? The safest
bet is to take the first flightout in the morning. That's when temperatures
are typically lowest and also the leastlikely time of day airlines to experience knock
(24:02):
off delays from earlier disruptions. It'salso usually a good idea to avoid connections
in airports that are especially susceptible tosummer weather delays if you can. The
rule of thumb is connect through northernairports in the summer and southern airports in
the winter. Would have never thoughtof that, yep, So I'm glad
(24:25):
we had this opportunity to cover that, because you know, we do want
to talk about the cooler destinations,but how to get there is just is
equally important because we might be travelingto a cooler destination, but we're going
to leave from Hades at some point, you know, I mean, and
how knowing how to navigate that isreally important. Washington Dulles is not known
(24:48):
to be a very cool city inthe summertime. Well, I'm thinking about
like if you're traveling to Vegas.Oh, yes, I am this month,
actually sorry August, and you saidone hundred and twenty two degrees,
but yes, that's not airtimp termguessing that would be also like when you
count in the heat, come upfarms, right, yeah, oh yeah,
yeah, okay, leave in themorning. Yes, and I'm hoping
(25:08):
that I am. Now. Iwanted to cover this somewhat annoying issue because
if you listen to us every Saturdayhere on a lifeless ordinary, we try
not to just provide you with timelyand informative travel decisions, but information that
helps you make those decisions, youknow. And I was fascinated by this
a little bit myself, but thisis part of the whole fascinating industry I
(25:32):
call home. So I wanted toshare that with you. But today's topic.
Now you can bundle up, okay, okay, let's go. I
assure you it's supposed to take yourminds off of that scorching heat and get
you into a more chill state ofmind. That's where I want to be.
I don't know about you, butthat's where I want to be.
Our show today is entitled Chasing theChill, So we're going to introduce you,
(25:52):
Chris and I are to some ofthe most wonderfully cool destinations. You
might have never considered visiting this timeof year, but you might after today.
Today, it seems that everybody islooking to snowbird in reverse. That's
what I'm seeing. And when theymake their choices for travel destinations, they're
choosing to flee the sweltering summer temperaturesfor the guaranteed refreshing cool of the Arctic,
(26:18):
Antarctic and any of those nearby regions. Now we're seeing travelers, certainly
at the wishing Well, flock todestinations like Iceland. I've got some folks
leaving just this month, as amatter of fact, Iceland, Greenland,
Alaska. I've got a ton ofpeople going to Alaska, the Northwest territories,
and cruising through the Northern Passages Passagesof Norway, Finland and Sweden not
(26:41):
really a previously popular destination for cruising, but it is now people are going,
I mean, just check out thehot travel instagrams and you're going to
see people snuggling up in cozy parkasand hiking on ancient glaciers, all during
this enormous heat that we're And Ithink, Chris, this infatuation with the
(27:03):
chill zones is more than just aninternet trend. I think it reflects a
cultural shift driven by probably what alot of people perceive as this climate change
concerns. You know, now,whether it's supermafrost in the North American Arctic
suddenly being less than permanent, orthe glaciers melting, or the polar ice
(27:25):
cap splintering, I know, allof that's happening. It really is.
It changes that we're witnessing our spurringtravelers to explore some northern destinations uniquely featuring
what they what they can't see anywhereelse or maybe see any longer. And
in response to polar travel is goingmainstream Arctic cruises, exploring Greenland's Fiords,
(27:48):
Iceland's glaciers and remote Canadian territories arebooming. The combination of a limited season
and unprecedented demand have made them thehottest ticket in town. And I can
tell you to ticket well, ohthere you go, Yeah, thank you.
What was I thinking, the hottestcoolest ticket in town? Yep.
(28:12):
And Chris, I can tell youthat our Canadian Rocky Mountaineer trip that we're
going to have in late August,that was a sellout and the demand was
such that we really could have takenmore travelers, but it was important to
me to kind of keep that groupsize manageable for everybody. But we had
unprecedented demand for that trip. Wow, everybody wanted to go to the Canadian
(28:34):
Rockies and they wanted to experience theRocky Mountaineer. Great trip and it's full
and I'm so excited because that's leavingAugust the twenty seventh. If you aren't
familiar with the Rocky Mountaineer, wehave a podcast that we did. We
absolutely guess it was last fall,huh, And you can go back and
listen to that. Just go tothe wishing welldop is up right hand corner.
(28:56):
You'll see a link for a lifelessordinary Go back and listen Chris,
even if you and get it's agreat show you I don't remember if that's
the one where they said there's alady that comes out and greets the train.
It is. Yeah, Yeah,it sounded like a real, real
fun trip. Yeah, and it'sgoing to be and I mean, so
many unique experiences. And you know, I mentioned I was going to Las
Vegas in the early part of August, which I am, but some of
(29:18):
that focus of that trip is goingto be to meet with some of our
Rocky Mountaineer partners. And the hotelsthat we're going to be visiting while we're
there, which are all three ofthe places where we'll be staying in Canada
are all Fairmont hotels, which Idon't know if you know anything about the
Fairmont brand, but you might aswell say Ritz Carlton right after that.
(29:40):
I hope they're not listening because theywouldn't like the association probably, But if
you know, if people don't knowthe Fairmont brand, that's the closest thing
I can give you to an association. It's all that I mean, it
really is, and it's very hightouch, high service. This is what
that trip is all about. Andas I told you, it sold out
quickly. We could have taken more, and maybe we need to do that
(30:03):
maybe next year, but it wasdefinitely a sela. And I'll tell you
Arctic tour companies are expanding their numberof summer departures, but there's only so
much they can even do with arelatively short season, you know. So
what applies to the Arctic applies equallyto Antarctica. We're seeing that demand has
never been greater for the least exploredcontinent on Earth. So let's start to
(30:29):
look at some of the most idylliccool destinations and you can decide for yourself
if these could or should make itto your must see list of destinations to
pursue. First one on the list, I've already mentioned it several times while
we've been talking already, and thatis Iceland, the Land of Fire and
Ice. It's compact, it's safe, it's easily accessible, making it really
(30:52):
a good first choice for your coolweather explorations. And a lot of times
people who have been tell me,you know, I'm so glad I went
there because first of all, it'sa shorter flight. Actually, it's a
direct NonStop flight from Washington Dulles toRaykovic, So that makes it in my
opinion. You know what I sayabout direct NonStop flights. To me,
(31:14):
that is luxury. Okay, Soif you're going to Iceland automatically, I
think that throws it into a luxuriouscategory when you can go direct NonStop.
But we have a lot of peoplewho say I did that as opposed to
going to Alaska because I really didn'tknow if I could tolerate the long flight
across country to Alaska and really toIceland. It is a much shorter flight
(31:37):
than it is to Alaska, Sothere's that. There are also many other
endless reasons to go to Iceland.There's no question why everybody is traveling there
these days. The country has longbeen known for its stunning landscapes. It's
just beautiful. I mean, really, think Alaska if you've been there,
Iceland is really a close second tothat. Beyond the scene, however,
(32:00):
there's so many other things that areinteresting about Iceland and Icelanders. Iceland is
said to be one of the mostpeaceful countries in the world. They really
have a strong infrastructure there a littlebit of trivia if you don't mind.
While I was doing research for today'sshow, I found this out. I
thought it was just fascinating. Icelandis proud to have the distinction of having
(32:22):
established the first parliament in the world, in the world. Pretty cool,
Pretty cool to see what I didthere. Pretty cool, don't you think?
Now you know? I said?Iceland is also known as the land
of Fire and Iceland. That's becausethe island was actually formed over millions of
years ago by volcanoes, and thelandscape was shaped by those two forces of
(32:46):
nature of fire and ice. Andin Iceland you can explore everything from volcanoes
to geysers. You've got glaciers,hot natural springs there, black sand beaches,
very much like what we see inHawaii. So what a great combo.
You know, you got Alaska andHawaii combinations right there, and impressive
(33:07):
lava fields to waterfalls and sculptural mountains. And just like all Icelanders, you
would no doubt find your personal favoritenature sites there. You'd probably find those
yourself. A lot of them areprobably even going to be in the remote
and isolated areas of the country.Now, what is the warmest it gets
in Iceland? You want to takea stab at that one, Chris,
(33:29):
like, out of the whole year. Out of the whole year, sixty
five degrees. Close. Warm summerdays can reach actually sixty eight to seventy
seven, which to me, myabsolute perfect temperature is seventy seven degrees.
I love. I don't know whyif it's seventy seven, I'm a happy
girl. That's outside. Inside Myhappy temperature is sixty five. Yeah.
(33:54):
The highest temperature recorded in Iceland waseighty six point nine. That was in
the Eastern Fiords in nineteen thirty nine. An annual average sunshine hours in Reykovic
are about thirteen hundred, which issimilar to some towns in Scotland and Ireland.
I thought that was interesting. Themost unique place to stay in Iceland.
(34:16):
This was so much fun for meto uncover. I love this.
It's located about an hour's drive outsideof the capital of Raykovic. It's known
as the five Million Star Hotel orthe Bubble Hotel. And if you are
anywhere close to a computer this morning, you must, must, must,
(34:37):
must, must look this up.It is so much fun. It's probably
one of the coolest hotel experiences onthe planet. If you like the idea
of an elevated glamping kind of experience, this is beyond the entire unit that
you reserve is a huge bubble thatgives you a perfect three hundred and sixty
(34:58):
degree view of the world around you, with also be very best possibilities of
seeing the coveted Northern lights. Andthis is why people typically will choose to
stay in these days. Right Chrisis looking at him right now. If
you are at the website the bestit's bubble dot com but with two u's
bu bble e n b you uble and sign me up right it is.
(35:24):
It's magical. It's just absolutely magical, and it's so great for the
weather, fabulous surroundings and these qualityaccommodations. Now what's really cool about it
I learned is that they actually dohave running water and bathrooms in these units.
You when you look at them,you're like, well, where are
(35:45):
they? But I mean, thatis the way to do this. I
watched actually a YouTube video of aguy who stayed in one of these bubble
units and he got up seti's clockarm clock every hour so that he could
catch the Northern lights, and atlovely about three o'clock in the morning,
(36:07):
just like uh, you know,clockwork, here came the Northern lights.
He came out and photographed them.It was spectacular. A little inflatable bubbles
it is. It actually does haveair that keeps the bubble inflated. But
it is just the coolest, coolcoolcation, I think is the way they
(36:31):
in Iceland. Is that not justgreat? And you're welcome for that one.
You're so welcome. So I wantto quickly go over to my next
uh chill place and one of myfavorites. Of course We've talked about it
a number of times here on aLifeless Ordinary, but it has to be
(36:52):
Alaska. If you've never been toAlaska, words and pictures just failed to
do it justice. America's four fortyninth state has all of the cool weather
wilderness experiences your heart would ever desire, from tundra treks to well watching to
hiking expeditions across epic volcanic light landscapes. I mean, Chris, we really
(37:15):
do live on one of the mostmagnificent places, and we are so blessed?
Are we not to be on aglobe that offers us so much?
I mean, it really excites me, you know, and I've really do
you know why I love my job, you know, And you often say
you know, I get really animatedwhen I'm talking about all of these places
(37:37):
because this is my world, thisis my happy place, and you get
a little emotional right now just talkingabout it. I love it. I
love it. And I want toadd that Alaska was one of the top
destinations at the Wishing Well in twentytwenty three. We assisted with more Alaska
vacationers last year than in any otheryear that we've been in business in the
(37:57):
Chenandol Valley. That's a lot.And did I mention that there are glaciers
in Alaska? Well, there are. There's Danali, There's the Alaska rail
Road, there's the Midnight Sun,there's baseball games in the middle of the
night at midnight. You're right,Native culture and the incredible fishing on the
Kenyai Peninsula. My nephew left forAlaska on Wednesday and he intends to go
(38:23):
fishing on the Kenyai Peninsula, sohe's excited about that. In many ways,
Alaska is the ultimate coolcation destination.No other place on Earth makes a
variety so accessible. So how hotcan it get an Alaska in the summer?
You want to know? Well,while weather in Alaska can sometimes be
(38:45):
a little unpredictable. The summer season, which we call mid June through mid
August, is usually the mildest andthe warmest time of the year for them,
especially in the interior, when temperaturescan reach slightly above a degrees.
I'm okay with that. I'll takeit. Yeah, Now, what are
(39:07):
the prettiest places in Alaska? Thiswas fun for me. This is an
easy, easy question. I alwayssay that life in Alaska is lived along
the coast, and if you missthat, you miss the very essence of
Alaska. You really do that.Being said, then the very best way
to do that, of course,is on a cruise. So I did
(39:28):
look for some of the best placesto stay, but I went, wait
a minute, Terry, what doyou always tell people? You tell people
that life in Alaska is lived onthe coast, so why would you not
direct them in that way? Somy cruise recommendation, well, it's really
a strong tie. I love Regentseven SE's that's the cruise line, the
(39:49):
all inclusive, all luxury cruise linethat we did our group on a couple
of years ago. By far thebest small cruise experience to Alaska. You
can really get into some of thosetime glacial areas that you want to see.
It's beautifully narrated while you're on boardby a guests. They're called a
geoologist. Is that what they're Ithink that's what they're called, Okay,
(40:13):
But then however, Holland America isthe real granddaddy of cruise operators to Alaska,
and they do a fantastic job withwhat we call cruise tours to Alaska.
That's where you do part of theadventure on land and part on the
ocean. January is one of thebest times to book. That's probably the
(40:35):
least time that people are even thinkingabout Alaska, but that is what we
call wave month. So if youare wanting to get the best deals to
Alaska other than maybe some of thesale that I listed earlier in the show
today, January would be one ofthe best times to book during wave months.
Can you travel to Alaska in thequlder month? You really can't know,
(40:58):
not unless you're on some sort ofprivat boat type small boat expedition.
You would have to hire that privately. The major cruise lines do not sail
to Alaska in January and February,but the best time to buy is in
January. Yep. Now, nexton my list is a place that I
(41:19):
am aching to go to. Iconfess I have not been here, but
it's Cape Town, South Africa.Oh yeah, yep. It's another very
cool place to go, and it'snicknamed the mother City, and it's considered
the oldest and most culturally diverse cityin the country of South Africa. Natural
(41:39):
beauty. Cape Town is surrounded bymountains. It's got these stunning coastlines with
great beaches, including Boulders Beach whereyou can actually see penguins. How cool
is that. And then you've gotTable Mountain, one of the new Seven
Wonders of the World, by theway, it's really a defining landmark of
(42:00):
this particular city of Cape Town.You've got culture there. The city has
been just rich in history and it'sa mix of Dutch, French, Malay,
English Joja cultures. The Bocap neighborhoodis known for its colorful houses there
and cobblestone streets very much like youwould see in Denmark and Copenhagen, those
(42:23):
painted houses. You've got the historicalsignificance there. Cape Town was the first
place in South Africa where European colonistslanded did you know that. Well,
it's true, and it's where NelsonMandela was imprisoned on Robin Island. I
know that, yep. For avery very long time. Activities there.
(42:43):
Cape Town offers a lot of activitiesincluding hiking, visiting the VNA waterfront,
and exploring their beautiful National Botanical Gardensthat are there. Also, it's a
well known area for food and wine. As a matter of fact, it
has a ward win food and wineriesthroughout. Just such a beautiful place and
(43:06):
Cape Town, with its cool coastalclimate and breathtaking scenery, it's got a
fantastic destination if you want to usethat as a coolcation type destination. Summer
temperatures in Cape Town, you're goingto love this. It surprised me.
I was expecting much higher. Youknow, when you think of South Africa,
I don't know why, but Ialways think hot. I just think
(43:29):
hot, yeah, because most ofAfrica is a desert exactly. But summertime
temperatures in Cape Town range only fromfifty nine to seventy seven degrees fahrenheit.
Really, right, I mean thatmakes it the perfect place for exploring the
city's beautiful beaches and hiking up thatTable Mountain and visiting the Cape Wine Lands.
(43:50):
You do not want to miss achance to see those penguins at Boulders
Beach and take a scenic drive alongChapman's Peak. Just beautiful scene. I
mean, I've researched this, I'vegot certification in South African travel, but
this is someplace that has eluded me. I want to go so badly.
And are the most unique places tosay, where are those in Cape Town,
(44:14):
South Africa? Well, there area lot, but Ekana Safari Lodge
that's spelled ik ha ya Kona SafariLodge is my number one pick today.
Akana is unique because it's a trulyAfrican Safari ambiance, but it's right in
the middle of the beautiful Constantia regionof Cape Town. The lodge features nine
(44:39):
double rooms and suites. That's it. Nine, that's it, all decorated
with comfortably homely atmosphere. The greatadvantage is that it's situated high on the
mountain close to Constantia Neck, sothe Hoyt Bay area and the Winelands are
just a stone's throwaway, which isreally where everybody wants to be now.
(45:00):
If you are interested in other coolcationtype places, I would highly recommend Aspen,
Colorado. Aspen is famous for itsworld class ski resorts, but it's
also a fantastic culcation destination in thesummer. Temperatures there, too, only
range in the summer from fifty toseventy seven degrees. I know, Aspen
(45:23):
offers just the most refreshing escape withplenty of outdoor activities, you know that.
I mean, Aspen's just always wherethe cool people go. You know,
no matter what time of the yearit is, you can hike through
the Maroon Bells there, go mountainbiking, take a scenic drive along the
Independence Pass. And in the winter, of course, you know, they're
(45:45):
just a snowy paradise for ski bunniesand snowboarding people. But again, Aspen,
Colorado another great place. But thisone was interesting to me because I
didn't really have this one on mylist of possible places that I would put
again in this category, and that'sTasmania, Australia. But I happen to
(46:09):
think when it's our summer here,it's their winter. So Tasmania temperatures range
from about fifty to sixty eight degreesduring our summer, which is their winter
area. But that still makes ita very comfortable wintertime temperature there, making
it kind of refreshing for outdoor adventures. And some of the stunning landscapes there
(46:31):
of Cradle Mountain Lake, You've gotSaint Clair National Park, You've got Port
Arthur. You can just enjoy thecool coastal breezes along the peninsula there.
So Tasmania is great. Another onethat came across my radar love this is
Tenarief. You might want to lookat this. This is actually associated most
(46:52):
with travel to Spain. You wouldfly into Madrid and from there you would
take a direct NonStop flight into tenerReef. But it's known nationally as the
Island of Eternal Spring. Okay,doesn't that sound great? I mean,
who doesn't want to go there?Hello, when it's wintertime here, let's
go to the Island of Eternal Spring. When it's summertime here, let's go
(47:14):
to the Island of Eternal Spring.The average average temperatures there are just about
seventy degrees fahrenheit with about twenty eighthundred hours of sun a year. So
when you go there, you reallydo want to pack an imask because it
really stays sunny a long time.It doesn't get dark very early. There's
(47:37):
about eight hours of I'm sorry,eighteen hours or more of sun a day
here. So if you're interested inany of these locations, Edinburgh, Scotland
is another one that came across myradar. It's also known for its cool
climate, historic charm, vibrant culturethere. Summer temperatures in Edinburgh now,
(47:59):
I know, they can get tobe triple digits sometimes, but you've got
those coastal breezes that come through thecountry there, but they can range anywhere
from the upper seventies to upper eighties, making it perfect for exploring still exploring
the city's historic sites. You know, in August they do have the very
(48:20):
famous military tattoo in Edinburgh, soa lot of people count on good weather
when they go there, otherwise itcan be pretty uncomfortable out watching that,
and that takes place in August,and also the Edinburgh Festival Fringe takes place
in August, as well as alot of other arts and crafts festivals.
(48:40):
I was just talked to my wifeabout this. I was looking at a
map and I was like, doyou realize if you go due east from
where we are, we end upin Africa? And England, Scotland,
Ireland, they're all like up north, like we're Canada, you know,
north of Canada. It's like,never realized how far Europe is north of
(49:02):
the elevation that we live at herehere exactly. Now. There are some
places in Europe, you know,Spain, to be sure, Italy,
which is experiencing some just horrible temperaturesright now as well. As you know,
we had talked off air earlier,Chris, you and I did about
the Paris Summer Olympics. It's swelteringthere right now. And actually we have
(49:23):
an employee who just got back fromParis at the tail end of a cruise
that they did, he and hisfamily did, and he said Paris was
busy as I'll get out, butit was also so hot there. The
temperatures were already just climbing and itwas insufferable. So, you know,
having the knowledge of some very nice, cool places to go to put on
(49:47):
your radar. If these weren't previouslyplaces that you considered going, I think
you should. I mean, they'reall worthwhile, They've all got something great
to offer. And the globe we'veonly just scratched the surface of the places
that are out there for us tosee and enjoy, and for me personally,
I love the cool places, Cherry. Before we run out of time,
(50:10):
I got to sneak in one morebreak and then we'll be back.
We'll talk a little bit more aboutour Chasing the Chill episode here on a
Lifeless Ordinary. Protect your vacation investmentwith guidance from a travel professional. The
wishing Well knows travel and help youavoid pitfalls. They can spoil your hard
earned vacation. We'll plan your tripand have you back as you travel.
(50:30):
All of this without support or socalled convenience fees. We're on the web
at tho Wishingwell dot biz or callus at five four zero nine zero eight
two three eight three three. That'sfive four zero nine zero eight two thirty
three three. The wishing Well reallydoes make dreams come true. And welcome
back to a Lifeless Ordinary. Thisis the travel show and podcasts from your
(50:51):
friends at the wishing Well. Findthem on f Avenue in Harrisonburg, The
wishing Well top biz, or givethem a call at five four h nine
oh eight twenty three point thirty three. Terry. We've talked about some great
destinations around the world where we canfind some respite from the heat. I
feel cooler already, yeah, becauseI see is still on the studios.
(51:13):
But are there some places we couldgo that are close by if we're just
trying to escape, like when theheat wave hits and you're like, let's
go. Yeah, you know whenyou when you ask me that, initially,
one place automatically comes to my mind, and it happens to be a
place that I took to vacation lastyear, and that was to Montreal,
Canada. I always said, youknow, it was so funny. I
(51:35):
boarded a flight in Washington Dulls andin an hour and a half I was
literally in France. I mean Igot off, I heard French music in
the airport. I first saw pastriesand a petisserie, and I was greeted
by people who spoke French, andI was in heaven. I was absolutely
in heaven. And the great thingabout that is they will be in the
(51:57):
Canadian region of Montreal and Quebec.That area, they'll be about anywhere from
eight to ten degrees cooler than weare typically. So I was there at
the end of May first of Juneand it was jacket weather for sure.
I mean in the late afternoons,even when the sun started to go down,
we needed jackets. Another place thatcomes to my mind that I didn't
(52:20):
talk about, but I wish Ihad had more time to do is Ireland.
Ireland is an enchanting place. I'veoften said, and I have a
saying about Ireland. If you're goodwhen you die, you go to Ireland.
I went to Ireland my first timewhen I was It was in April
of the season that I went.It was beautiful, it was just starting
(52:40):
to become spring there. I stillwas able to wear walls and jackets and
that kind of thing, and justloved it. Chris, there's so many
places on the globe that we don'tconsider, maybe because they are cool,
but our planet is changing so quicklyand people really want to avoid heat,
and I am always looking for acool place to hang out. I am
(53:02):
too, I am too. Thisis a fun show, Terry. How
do we get in touch with youif you'd like to book one of these
chill escapes. Yep, we're easyto find. We're the Wishing Well at
two forty three nef Avenue, locatedin the Valley Center. You can find
us on the web We're at theWishingwell dot biz or call us. We'd
love to talk to you at fivefour oh nine oh eight two three three
(53:23):
three. This has been a LifeLess Ordinary, the travel show from your
friends at the wishing Well at twoforty three nep Avenue in Harrisonburg. If
you have any questions on topics discussedtoday, please reach out to the wishing
Well online at the Wishingwell dot bizor five four oh nine oh eight twenty
three thirty three. Past episodes areavailable on the iHeartRadio app. And we'll
(53:44):
see you again next Saturday morning atten for a life Less Ordinary from the wishing Well
This is a Lifeless Ordinary. It'sthe travel show and podcasts from your friends
at the wishing Well two forty threeft Avenue in harsmerg and online at the
wishing Well dot This. The wishingWell is your ultimate luxury concierge, travel
agency and a Lifeless Ordinary is atravel show and podcast hosted by Terry Dean,
bringing her over forty years of experiencein the travel industry to help guide
(00:21):
you to great experiences in your travel, whether it be around the block,
around the country, or around theworld. Let's bring in Terry Dean.
Say hello, Hi, Chris.How are you happy for it to be
a weekend? I know I loveweekends. We're going to enjoice some.
I n actually love weekends in thesummer. I'm gonna say nice weather,
not great weather. And then Monday, we're back to one hundred degrees.
(00:41):
Yes, it's coming, it's coming. Can we can we please just stop
having summer? I know at leastyou know, at least air conditioning,
you know that works consistently. Itis all I plead for in my entire
life. I don't want any airconditioning breaking down, not in my car,
not at work, not at home. I just want consistent air conditioning.
(01:03):
And we've got a puppy at home, so we've been leaving the back
door opens so that she can comeand go as she's learning, you know,
to be house trained. And acouple of days it has felt like
a hair dryer is blown in fromthe back door when you walk into the
kitchen. I love this one commercialthat's on TV. I don't know even
what the product is, it's advertising, but there's two men outside, both
(01:26):
in shorts. They both look likethey have been sweltering for hours with sweat
just running off of them. Theirhair is all matted to their head.
It's so wet with sweat. Andone says to the other, I feel
like I'm in a saona. AndI love that commercial because that really sums
up I think where we've been thelast couple of weeks, in a saona
(01:51):
in the valley in the summertime.That's right. Oh boy, wow,
what happened in travel news this week? Well, we do have a couple
of things that I want to sirwith our audience today, and one is
regarding guns at airports. They're findingthis was made national news the Transportation Security
Administration. Chris announced that agents workingat airport checkpoints across the United States intercepted
(02:15):
thirty two hundred and sixty nine firearmsduring the first half of twenty twenty four.
Y'all got to stop that stuff.TSA officials reported that the first half
of the year ended June thirtieth,with the total number of confiscated guns representing
an average of nineteen firearms detected perday at security checkpoints. That's a lot
(02:37):
of guns. These are people tryingto carry them on. Yeah, yeah,
yeah, they're doing that. Ofthe guns stopped by TSA agents,
an astounding ninety four percent were whatare you people thinking? They were loaded?
During the same period in twenty twentythree, thirty two hundred and fifty
one firearms were confiscated. Now,while the numbers are very similar, TSA
(03:00):
officers have screened nearly seven percent morepassengers during the first half of twenty twenty
four than in previous years. Therate of passengers with firearms during the most
recent quarter was seven point five firearmsper one hundred people. That's a slight
decrease from the previous year. Yaypeople, Now, if you carry a
(03:22):
firearm, you are required to placeit unloaded and locked in a hard sided
case in your checked bag, notyour carry on, and declare it to
the airline when you check in atthe airline ticket counter. That is the
proper procedure. Do not bring itto the checkpoint. It is costly and
(03:46):
it delays you and everybody else travelingin the same line with you. And
those aren't my words, those arethe cautionary tales sent to me by TSA
saying please announce this okay. SoTSA officials announced that the federal agency had
set a new record for the numberof travelers screened in a single day.
(04:09):
Security officers screened in a record threemillion people at checkpoints around the United States
on Sunday, July the seventh alone. Now, on that same date the
previous year, chris agents only screenedtwo million, six hundred thousand people.
That's a lot of people. Andso just you know, just some cautionary
(04:34):
words if you are traveling, ifyou're flying and you want to get through
easily and seamlessly, there's just afew things to remember about how you must
go through. If if they findyou with a firearm in the checkpoint,
is that a crime, like willthey arrest you? Or are they just
going to confiscate your well, theycan detain you. They most certainly will
(04:55):
confiscate the weapon. And if it'sloaded, then how charges could be placed?
Yes? Good at home? Yeah, amen to that good news.
After following that story, You're welcome. Our pilot shortage might be getting better,
Chris, which is great. Yeah, over the coming four years,
(05:16):
Congress is actually set to distribute someeighty million dollars to hopefully help ease the
pilot workforce shortage that's been plaguing thecountry's airline industry. We know all about
this. The money, which wasincluded in the FAA Reauthorization Act, is
far more than the twenty five milliondollars allocated by Congress for such expenses back
(05:40):
in twenty eighteen, and it's airmarked to provide support for aviation related education
programs. Now, while it's beenreported that the largest carriers have recovered from
the pilot shortage, I don't knowwho came up with that brilliant idea.
I wouldn't agree necessarily, but smallerregional airlines they continue to struggle with staffing
(06:02):
challenges, and some are offering substantialsign up bonuses to lure new pilots.
That challenge is compounded by the factthat the TSA continues to report record passenger
volumes at airports. Yeah, andthere's those people with guns too that are
coming through. In May. Aheadof Memorial Day weekend, for instance,
(06:24):
the government agency said it was preparingfor the highest passenger volumes the agency has
seen at airport security checkpoints nationwide.Now, the root cause of these pilot
shortages has all been well reported anddocumented. The COVID nineteen pandemic had a
profound impact on the travel industry worldwide, and that pandemic also influenced how people
(06:48):
viewed life and their priorities. Andonce COVID nineteen global lockdown eased, those
shifting priorities became increasingly apparent and causedmajor challenges for the airline industry. People
said, I'm going to change myoutlook on life and how I'm going to
travel, and I'm willing to spendthe extra money to fly privately, and
(07:11):
so there was this massive surge onthe private side of aviation that then affected
the pilots overall. So, inother words, suddenly far more pilots were
needed to fly private planes in orderto accommodate all those individuals who were now
willing to shell out some big bucksfor a more exclusive flying experience. In
(07:31):
a post pandemic world. With privateaviation companies hiring pilots as quickly as they
could as the pandemic waned, guesswhat, the industry wide shortage was exacerbated.
This issue was compounded by the factthat commercial airline pilots wanted to travel
far more than they did prior tothe pandemic. Big carriers scrambled to add
(07:57):
more flights and staffing those flights requiredmore polit pollets, YadA, YadA,
YadA, so you know how thatgoes. It's like chasing your tail.
Failure to prioritize staffing, though,has really hurt the regional carries. The
dynamics of global pandemic and the realitiesafter the pandemic were further exacerbated by a
failure to plan appropriately for staffing needs, particularly among these smaller regional airlines.
(08:24):
A few of these smaller airlines werejust a little bit behind in providing pay
increases and increasing benefits during the surgeback in twenty twenty two and twenty twenty
one, so they got hurt reallyvery quickly. Because pilots were leaving to
go to other airlines or to cometo the private side sector, where there
were large sign on bonuses and alot bigger compensation structure. A lot of
(08:50):
the smaller regional airlines just set backand waited, and that put them in
a bad position, to the pointwhere they had planes that were just grounded
because they didn't have pilots to crewand fly them. Now where do things
stand right now? Well, whileregional carriers continue to struggle, the airline
industry as a whole, including themajor carriers, have made significant progress toward
(09:11):
the height of the challenges. Infact, far from a shortage, some
major airlines have actually put hiring onpause throughout the end of this year.
Now that surprised me, it reallydid, because I don't think we're there
yet. I really don't. AndI just read today came across my desk
that a lot of more flights arecoming into Washington Dulles. International carriers are
(09:35):
trying to open up more slots fortheir carriers. Jet Blue is really going
toe to toe with United at WashingtonDulles. We're not there yet. I
just don't think this is the timeto be putting a halt on hiring pilots,
but what do I know. Someof the big operators like Wheels Up
for example, that's a private jet. They've just announced that they're letting go
(10:00):
ten percent of their pilot staff andthey are one of the top five largest
private operators that fly. Right now, things are definitely shifting. I think
we're seeing a light at the endof the tunnel, but again I don't
think we're there yet. Interesting.Yeah, so that's the news in the
aviation industry and at airports. Ifound the most fun story regarding an opening
(10:26):
of a Georgia hotel. This isgoing to be opening from famed Hollywood director
Francis Ford Coppola, and I foundthis was just the most entertaining story.
He has debuted his largest hospitality venture. It's called the All Movie Hotel in
peach Tree City, Georgia, which, in case you don't know, is
(10:48):
very close to Atlanta, roughly aboutthirty miles outside of Atlanta to be exact.
The twenty seven room property was createdto cater primarily to film makers and
film enthusiasts. In a statement,Coppola said he was inspired to open the
hotel after spending two years in PeachtreeCity shooting his film Megalopolis, which premiered
(11:13):
earlier this year. I didn't knowabout this movie, he says. I
fell in love with Peachtree City,citing the destination's people, easy access to
nature, and extensive network of golfcart paths. As Key draws, the
hotel is home to its own postproduction facilities, which it says offer a
(11:33):
collaborative environment for filmmakers to edit,perfect and showcase their work. These include
two soundproofed editing suites. We shouldgo record here, Chris. That would
be a great idea, wouldn't it. I mean, we've got a soundproof
editing suite, an automated dialogue replacementsuite, and a green room, among
other specialized amenities. We could makeourselves look like anything we wanted to.
(11:56):
You know, you have high hopes, don't I do? I always do.
Other highlights include a pool, agym, an outdoor patio space,
and a living room, game roomarea where daily Continental breakfast is served.
Now this is an all movie hotelis the seventh property in the family Coppola
Hidaways in his hospitality portfolio. Itis joined by the Blancheneau Lodge, Turtle
(12:24):
Inn, and Coral k In belize. These are all three absolutely fabulous properties.
I've booked folks into all three ofthese, and I can tell you
they are high end, high touchservice properties. He's got the La Lancha
in Guatemala, the Jardin Escondido inArgentino, and the Palazio Margharita in Italy.
(12:48):
And so this is another property.The reason I mentioned it today is
because it's stateside. It's someplace wherewe can actually drive to if you want
to. But it's very close toAtlanta, Georgia. You also have that
nice direct NonStop flight from Charlottesville toAtlanta. So you might want to put
this little property on your to goplaces. But I don't have to be
(13:09):
a movie producer. You do nothave to be. But it's he designed
it for, you know, hiscrowd. I guess you could say exactly
we're be from. You know.So it's been hot out, has been
hot out. Yeah, we havesome hot deals. I do. I've
got some hot deals. Actually theseare from a few of my cruise friends
(13:31):
and partners. I thought this wouldbe fun because this is what people want
to do when it's hot. Theywant to get in the water, you
know, And I don't necessarily wantyou to get in the water when you're
cruising unless it's on board the ship, right, But I do have some
deals. I've got three today totalk about from our friends at Celebrity,
Oceana and a Royal Caribbean. Ourcruise promotion from Celebrity is offering seventy five
(13:58):
percent off theavant the second guest.They deliver an unleveled premium vacation experience across
their fleet of ships. Guests canexplore the world or get away from it
in just a little while. Withevery detail elevated beyond expectations. Guests will
never want a vacation any other way. And this is the deal. You
(14:22):
get away on a vacation that willruin all others and save with an offer
you won't want to miss seventy fivepercent off your second guest and you can
save also up to two hundred dollars. This offer is ending on August the
fourteenth, so you only have alimited amount of time to book this.
You'll book now and get a bonussavings of two hundred dollars off of that
(14:43):
seventy five percent off the second guest. And they also have galopokas twenty percent
off and flights on them, sofree flights on a trip to the Galopicas
if you're sailing for a limited time. When you book a vacation to the
incredible Glopagos Islands, you're going toenjoy twenty percent off of your cruise fair.
(15:03):
Plus when you book a vacation package, you're going to get there with
airfare included as part of your allinclusive experience. Now, I don't know
anybody out there who is listening whomay have investigated going to the Galopagos Islands
before, but it is a it'sa very exclusive place to go. I
(15:24):
personally want to put this on mylist of places to go. But when
you can go and have your airincluded these days, that's luxury. I
always say that that's part of theluxury experience. And when you can go
and get there on a celebrity cruise, this one just might be on my
list of places. But don't wait. This offer is going to end on
October the thirty first of this year, so if you are interested, be
(15:48):
sure you give me a call ifyou're interested in that celebrity deal to the
Galopogos. Now, next on mylist comes from Oceana cruise Line. They
have a promotion called simply More andon there. Simply More Now through July
the twenty seventh, you are goingto get simply More exactly what they say,
(16:08):
free again, round trip airfare,free airport transfers, free shore excursions,
free champagne, wine and more.And they have a free gourmet specialty
dining program plus free unlimited WiFi.All of that on some of the most
luxurious cruise lines offerings in the world. And itineraries love Oceana. I've got
(16:30):
many, many clients who will notsail anybody else, and they are great.
If you remember many years A coupleof years ago, the Wishing Well
did a Regent seven Seas cruise toAlaska. We most recently did one also
with Tassi Pippert. Oceana is thesister cruise company to Regent, So if
(16:52):
you are interested, give me acall. That one is an absolute steal.
The last one on my list comesto me today from a Royal Caribbean
and the Utopia of the Seas.In case you didn't know, and you
didn't hear all the hooplas surrounding this, this is Royal Caribbean's brand new ship.
I don't even think the paint isdry yet. She just docked in
(17:15):
Port Canaveral yesterday to begin her nextnew sailing, which is going to begin
July the nineteenth. They have abuy one, get one for sixty percent
off and kids sail free. Thisis a valid offer for July the thirty
first through April the twenty fifth oftwenty twenty six. Your booking window,
(17:36):
however, is only until August firston this deal, so you really do
have to hurry. You buy oneguest, you get the second guest sixty
percent off, and then thirty percentoff your third and fourth or kids sail
free. So this is a greatdeal. Your booking window, as I
said, is between now and Augustthe first of twenty twenty four, and
(17:57):
all sailings have to depart on orafter July thirty first of this year.
So this is a great deal,great new ship, utopia of the seas.
There's nothing bigger out there right nowor better, so this is a
great deal. If you're interested incruising, just contact me at the Wishing
Well. So we mentioned it's beena hot couple of a few flick years
(18:22):
a couple of weeks. Yes,this summer. We need to find some
chill places to hang out, don'twe know, cool boy. That's today's
show. It's called chasing the Chill. It is certainly is. We'll start
that chase next year on a lifelessordinary. Protect your vacation investment with guidance
from a travel professional. The wishingWell knows travel and helps you avoid pitfalls
they can spoil your hard earned vacation. We'll plan your trip and have your
(18:45):
back as you travel. All ofthis without support or so called convenience fees.
We're on the web at tho Wishingwelldot biz or call us at five
four zero nine zero eight two threethree three. That's five four zero nine
zero eight two three three three.The washing Well really does make dreams come
true and welcome back to a lifeless ordinary. This is the travel show
(19:07):
on podcast from your friends at thewishing Well. You can find them on
nept Avenue in Harrisonburg, The wishingWell dot biz online, or you can
give him a call the old fashionedway at five four oh nine oh eight
twenty three thirty three and you'll talkto a very knowledgeable, skilled travel advisor.
Maybe if you ask real nicely,they'll transfer to Terry's office, and
(19:29):
Terry can get you hooked up withsome chill location to chase after the submers
fun. Yeah yeah, so weall know how hot it is, and
we've got the hottest two months actuallyleft to go through yet real here,
Yes, So today I'm going tosuggest Chris that we turned down the AC
to about sixty yes, fifty five, fixed two cups of coffee, and
(19:52):
pretend we're bound for some of thenicest, coolest destinations on the planet.
You in, I'm in, okay, love it now. As much as
the heat seems to have some negativeeffects on human personality, sometimes it's an
equally volatile situation for the aviation industry. And I do want to jump into
our cool destinations, but I wantedto cover this first because this is what
(20:15):
we go through in our industry whenit's hot outside. It's not just us
that go through this. So beforewe leap into our so cool destinations today,
I want to share with you howheat really does have an impact on
the aviation industry. It's not justwinter weather that can take all the blame
for flight cancellations and delays. Itis not, as a matter of fact,
(20:38):
in the summer two major factors contributeto this flying unpredictability. More frequent
storms and in extreme cases, hottemperatures that make it impossible for some planes
to actually take off in land.Really, yes, sir, weather is
behind nearly two thirds of flight disruptions, and according to the Federal Aviation Administration,
(21:02):
sixty three percent of flight delays areas a result of weather conditions.
The FAA's job is to get travelersto their destinations safely and efficiently, and
this summer we'll see more planes inthe skies. We talked about that just
earlier today, frequent bad weather andincreased use of the nation's airspace. But
(21:22):
the FAA is continuously working behind thescenes to address these challenges, and their
Summer Travel website outlines initiatives they've takento keep summer traffic safe and smooth.
Yay, we're glad to hear thatairlines southern hubs can be especially prone to
storm and heat disruptions during the summer. Dallas has been especially bad for this
(21:48):
this year, and we've been seeingflight disruptions out of that city since mid
March, as a matter of fact, and it's not improving, it's just
bad. And we know just recently, how bad the weather hit Texas again.
So this is what happens, andextreme heat can make flying impossible.
(22:08):
I said that as we continue tosee these global temperatures rise storms aren't the
only thing affecting flight. When theair is hot, it becomes less dense
due to air molecules spreading out.Hot air is thin air. Now,
that's why I mean you sounded surprisedwhen I said that earlier. That's exactly
(22:29):
why. That's the science behind that. Now, while this reduces the lift
on which airlines rely for takeoff,the main impact is felt on engine thrust.
Aircraft engines will produce less thrust duringtakeoff and ascent as a result.
We don't want that to happen,which makes it harder for them and sometimes
just impossible to take off. Interesting, So, just how hot is too
(22:53):
hot for airplanes? Most airlines,Airbus and Boeing jets can take off safely
up to one hundred and twenty twodegrees or so. Smaller regional jets often
have a lower threshold for safe operations, but the exact limits depend on a
variety of factors, including the plane'stotal weight, the altitude of the airport,
(23:15):
and other conditions, and high heatcan lead to extra weight restrictions for
some planes at some airports, whichcan mean they sometimes may need to bump
passenger. That's why that happens inthe summer. That's why you get bumped
is because it's just too much weightload. Extreme temperatures can even result in airlines
completely canceling their flights altogether. You'reflying on a smaller regional jet, it's
(23:41):
hot outside, it's a packed flight. Guess what, it's maybe not going
to go at all interesting. Sohow can you plan ahead? The safest
bet is to take the first flightout in the morning. That's when temperatures
are typically lowest and also the leastlikely time of day airlines to experience knock
(24:02):
off delays from earlier disruptions. It'salso usually a good idea to avoid connections
in airports that are especially susceptible tosummer weather delays if you can. The
rule of thumb is connect through northernairports in the summer and southern airports in
the winter. Would have never thoughtof that, yep, So I'm glad
(24:25):
we had this opportunity to cover that, because you know, we do want
to talk about the cooler destinations,but how to get there is just is
equally important because we might be travelingto a cooler destination, but we're going
to leave from Hades at some point, you know, I mean, and
how knowing how to navigate that isreally important. Washington Dulles is not known
(24:48):
to be a very cool city inthe summertime. Well, I'm thinking about
like if you're traveling to Vegas.Oh, yes, I am this month,
actually sorry August, and you saidone hundred and twenty two degrees,
but yes, that's not airtimp termguessing that would be also like when you
count in the heat, come upfarms, right, yeah, oh yeah,
yeah, okay, leave in themorning. Yes, and I'm hoping
(25:08):
that I am. Now. Iwanted to cover this somewhat annoying issue because
if you listen to us every Saturdayhere on a lifeless ordinary, we try
not to just provide you with timelyand informative travel decisions, but information that
helps you make those decisions, youknow. And I was fascinated by this
a little bit myself, but thisis part of the whole fascinating industry I
(25:32):
call home. So I wanted toshare that with you. But today's topic.
Now you can bundle up, okay, okay, let's go. I
assure you it's supposed to take yourminds off of that scorching heat and get
you into a more chill state ofmind. That's where I want to be.
I don't know about you, butthat's where I want to be.
Our show today is entitled Chasing theChill, So we're going to introduce you,
(25:52):
Chris and I are to some ofthe most wonderfully cool destinations. You
might have never considered visiting this timeof year, but you might after today.
Today, it seems that everybody islooking to snowbird in reverse. That's
what I'm seeing. And when theymake their choices for travel destinations, they're
choosing to flee the sweltering summer temperaturesfor the guaranteed refreshing cool of the Arctic,
(26:18):
Antarctic and any of those nearby regions. Now we're seeing travelers, certainly
at the wishing Well, flock todestinations like Iceland. I've got some folks
leaving just this month, as amatter of fact, Iceland, Greenland,
Alaska. I've got a ton ofpeople going to Alaska, the Northwest territories,
and cruising through the Northern Passages Passagesof Norway, Finland and Sweden not
(26:41):
really a previously popular destination for cruising, but it is now people are going,
I mean, just check out thehot travel instagrams and you're going to
see people snuggling up in cozy parkasand hiking on ancient glaciers, all during
this enormous heat that we're And Ithink, Chris, this infatuation with the
(27:03):
chill zones is more than just aninternet trend. I think it reflects a
cultural shift driven by probably what alot of people perceive as this climate change
concerns. You know, now,whether it's supermafrost in the North American Arctic
suddenly being less than permanent, orthe glaciers melting, or the polar ice
(27:25):
cap splintering, I know, allof that's happening. It really is.
It changes that we're witnessing our spurringtravelers to explore some northern destinations uniquely featuring
what they what they can't see anywhereelse or maybe see any longer. And
in response to polar travel is goingmainstream Arctic cruises, exploring Greenland's Fiords,
(27:48):
Iceland's glaciers and remote Canadian territories arebooming. The combination of a limited season
and unprecedented demand have made them thehottest ticket in town. And I can
tell you to ticket well, ohthere you go, Yeah, thank you.
What was I thinking, the hottestcoolest ticket in town? Yep.
(28:12):
And Chris, I can tell youthat our Canadian Rocky Mountaineer trip that we're
going to have in late August,that was a sellout and the demand was
such that we really could have takenmore travelers, but it was important to
me to kind of keep that groupsize manageable for everybody. But we had
unprecedented demand for that trip. Wow, everybody wanted to go to the Canadian
(28:34):
Rockies and they wanted to experience theRocky Mountaineer. Great trip and it's full
and I'm so excited because that's leavingAugust the twenty seventh. If you aren't
familiar with the Rocky Mountaineer, wehave a podcast that we did. We
absolutely guess it was last fall,huh, And you can go back and
listen to that. Just go tothe wishing welldop is up right hand corner.
(28:56):
You'll see a link for a lifelessordinary Go back and listen Chris,
even if you and get it's agreat show you I don't remember if that's
the one where they said there's alady that comes out and greets the train.
It is. Yeah, Yeah,it sounded like a real, real
fun trip. Yeah, and it'sgoing to be and I mean, so
many unique experiences. And you know, I mentioned I was going to Las
Vegas in the early part of August, which I am, but some of
(29:18):
that focus of that trip is goingto be to meet with some of our
Rocky Mountaineer partners. And the hotelsthat we're going to be visiting while we're
there, which are all three ofthe places where we'll be staying in Canada
are all Fairmont hotels, which Idon't know if you know anything about the
Fairmont brand, but you might aswell say Ritz Carlton right after that.
(29:40):
I hope they're not listening because theywouldn't like the association probably, But if
you know, if people don't knowthe Fairmont brand, that's the closest thing
I can give you to an association. It's all that I mean, it
really is, and it's very hightouch, high service. This is what
that trip is all about. Andas I told you, it sold out
quickly. We could have taken more, and maybe we need to do that
(30:03):
maybe next year, but it wasdefinitely a sela. And I'll tell you
Arctic tour companies are expanding their numberof summer departures, but there's only so
much they can even do with arelatively short season, you know. So
what applies to the Arctic applies equallyto Antarctica. We're seeing that demand has
never been greater for the least exploredcontinent on Earth. So let's start to
(30:29):
look at some of the most idylliccool destinations and you can decide for yourself
if these could or should make itto your must see list of destinations to
pursue. First one on the list, I've already mentioned it several times while
we've been talking already, and thatis Iceland, the Land of Fire and
Ice. It's compact, it's safe, it's easily accessible, making it really
(30:52):
a good first choice for your coolweather explorations. And a lot of times
people who have been tell me,you know, I'm so glad I went
there because first of all, it'sa shorter flight. Actually, it's a
direct NonStop flight from Washington Dulles toRaykovic, So that makes it in my
opinion. You know what I sayabout direct NonStop flights. To me,
(31:14):
that is luxury. Okay, Soif you're going to Iceland automatically, I
think that throws it into a luxuriouscategory when you can go direct NonStop.
But we have a lot of peoplewho say I did that as opposed to
going to Alaska because I really didn'tknow if I could tolerate the long flight
across country to Alaska and really toIceland. It is a much shorter flight
(31:37):
than it is to Alaska, Sothere's that. There are also many other
endless reasons to go to Iceland.There's no question why everybody is traveling there
these days. The country has longbeen known for its stunning landscapes. It's
just beautiful. I mean, really, think Alaska if you've been there,
Iceland is really a close second tothat. Beyond the scene, however,
(32:00):
there's so many other things that areinteresting about Iceland and Icelanders. Iceland is
said to be one of the mostpeaceful countries in the world. They really
have a strong infrastructure there a littlebit of trivia if you don't mind.
While I was doing research for today'sshow, I found this out. I
thought it was just fascinating. Icelandis proud to have the distinction of having
(32:22):
established the first parliament in the world, in the world. Pretty cool,
Pretty cool to see what I didthere. Pretty cool, don't you think?
Now you know? I said?Iceland is also known as the land
of Fire and Iceland. That's becausethe island was actually formed over millions of
years ago by volcanoes, and thelandscape was shaped by those two forces of
(32:46):
nature of fire and ice. Andin Iceland you can explore everything from volcanoes
to geysers. You've got glaciers,hot natural springs there, black sand beaches,
very much like what we see inHawaii. So what a great combo.
You know, you got Alaska andHawaii combinations right there, and impressive
(33:07):
lava fields to waterfalls and sculptural mountains. And just like all Icelanders, you
would no doubt find your personal favoritenature sites there. You'd probably find those
yourself. A lot of them areprobably even going to be in the remote
and isolated areas of the country.Now, what is the warmest it gets
in Iceland? You want to takea stab at that one, Chris,
(33:29):
like, out of the whole year. Out of the whole year, sixty
five degrees. Close. Warm summerdays can reach actually sixty eight to seventy
seven, which to me, myabsolute perfect temperature is seventy seven degrees.
I love. I don't know whyif it's seventy seven, I'm a happy
girl. That's outside. Inside Myhappy temperature is sixty five. Yeah.
(33:54):
The highest temperature recorded in Iceland waseighty six point nine. That was in
the Eastern Fiords in nineteen thirty nine. An annual average sunshine hours in Reykovic
are about thirteen hundred, which issimilar to some towns in Scotland and Ireland.
I thought that was interesting. Themost unique place to stay in Iceland.
(34:16):
This was so much fun for meto uncover. I love this.
It's located about an hour's drive outsideof the capital of Raykovic. It's known
as the five Million Star Hotel orthe Bubble Hotel. And if you are
anywhere close to a computer this morning, you must, must, must,
(34:37):
must, must look this up.It is so much fun. It's probably
one of the coolest hotel experiences onthe planet. If you like the idea
of an elevated glamping kind of experience, this is beyond the entire unit that
you reserve is a huge bubble thatgives you a perfect three hundred and sixty
(34:58):
degree view of the world around you, with also be very best possibilities of
seeing the coveted Northern lights. Andthis is why people typically will choose to
stay in these days. Right Chrisis looking at him right now. If
you are at the website the bestit's bubble dot com but with two u's
bu bble e n b you uble and sign me up right it is.
(35:24):
It's magical. It's just absolutely magical, and it's so great for the
weather, fabulous surroundings and these qualityaccommodations. Now what's really cool about it
I learned is that they actually dohave running water and bathrooms in these units.
You when you look at them,you're like, well, where are
(35:45):
they? But I mean, thatis the way to do this. I
watched actually a YouTube video of aguy who stayed in one of these bubble
units and he got up seti's clockarm clock every hour so that he could
catch the Northern lights, and atlovely about three o'clock in the morning,
(36:07):
just like uh, you know,clockwork, here came the Northern lights.
He came out and photographed them.It was spectacular. A little inflatable bubbles
it is. It actually does haveair that keeps the bubble inflated. But
it is just the coolest, coolcoolcation, I think is the way they
(36:31):
in Iceland. Is that not justgreat? And you're welcome for that one.
You're so welcome. So I wantto quickly go over to my next
uh chill place and one of myfavorites. Of course We've talked about it
a number of times here on aLifeless Ordinary, but it has to be
(36:52):
Alaska. If you've never been toAlaska, words and pictures just failed to
do it justice. America's four fortyninth state has all of the cool weather
wilderness experiences your heart would ever desire, from tundra treks to well watching to
hiking expeditions across epic volcanic light landscapes. I mean, Chris, we really
(37:15):
do live on one of the mostmagnificent places, and we are so blessed?
Are we not to be on aglobe that offers us so much?
I mean, it really excites me, you know, and I've really do
you know why I love my job, you know, And you often say
you know, I get really animatedwhen I'm talking about all of these places
(37:37):
because this is my world, thisis my happy place, and you get
a little emotional right now just talkingabout it. I love it. I
love it. And I want toadd that Alaska was one of the top
destinations at the Wishing Well in twentytwenty three. We assisted with more Alaska
vacationers last year than in any otheryear that we've been in business in the
(37:57):
Chenandol Valley. That's a lot.And did I mention that there are glaciers
in Alaska? Well, there are. There's Danali, There's the Alaska rail
Road, there's the Midnight Sun,there's baseball games in the middle of the
night at midnight. You're right,Native culture and the incredible fishing on the
Kenyai Peninsula. My nephew left forAlaska on Wednesday and he intends to go
(38:23):
fishing on the Kenyai Peninsula, sohe's excited about that. In many ways,
Alaska is the ultimate coolcation destination.No other place on Earth makes a
variety so accessible. So how hotcan it get an Alaska in the summer?
You want to know? Well,while weather in Alaska can sometimes be
(38:45):
a little unpredictable. The summer season, which we call mid June through mid
August, is usually the mildest andthe warmest time of the year for them,
especially in the interior, when temperaturescan reach slightly above a degrees.
I'm okay with that. I'll takeit. Yeah, Now, what are
(39:07):
the prettiest places in Alaska? Thiswas fun for me. This is an
easy, easy question. I alwayssay that life in Alaska is lived along
the coast, and if you missthat, you miss the very essence of
Alaska. You really do that.Being said, then the very best way
to do that, of course,is on a cruise. So I did
(39:28):
look for some of the best placesto stay, but I went, wait
a minute, Terry, what doyou always tell people? You tell people
that life in Alaska is lived onthe coast, so why would you not
direct them in that way? Somy cruise recommendation, well, it's really
a strong tie. I love Regentseven SE's that's the cruise line, the
(39:49):
all inclusive, all luxury cruise linethat we did our group on a couple
of years ago. By far thebest small cruise experience to Alaska. You
can really get into some of thosetime glacial areas that you want to see.
It's beautifully narrated while you're on boardby a guests. They're called a
geoologist. Is that what they're Ithink that's what they're called, Okay,
(40:13):
But then however, Holland America isthe real granddaddy of cruise operators to Alaska,
and they do a fantastic job withwhat we call cruise tours to Alaska.
That's where you do part of theadventure on land and part on the
ocean. January is one of thebest times to book. That's probably the
(40:35):
least time that people are even thinkingabout Alaska, but that is what we
call wave month. So if youare wanting to get the best deals to
Alaska other than maybe some of thesale that I listed earlier in the show
today, January would be one ofthe best times to book during wave months.
Can you travel to Alaska in thequlder month? You really can't know,
(40:58):
not unless you're on some sort ofprivat boat type small boat expedition.
You would have to hire that privately. The major cruise lines do not sail
to Alaska in January and February,but the best time to buy is in
January. Yep. Now, nexton my list is a place that I
(41:19):
am aching to go to. Iconfess I have not been here, but
it's Cape Town, South Africa.Oh yeah, yep. It's another very
cool place to go, and it'snicknamed the mother City, and it's considered
the oldest and most culturally diverse cityin the country of South Africa. Natural
(41:39):
beauty. Cape Town is surrounded bymountains. It's got these stunning coastlines with
great beaches, including Boulders Beach whereyou can actually see penguins. How cool
is that. And then you've gotTable Mountain, one of the new Seven
Wonders of the World, by theway, it's really a defining landmark of
(42:00):
this particular city of Cape Town.You've got culture there. The city has
been just rich in history and it'sa mix of Dutch, French, Malay,
English Joja cultures. The Bocap neighborhoodis known for its colorful houses there
and cobblestone streets very much like youwould see in Denmark and Copenhagen, those
(42:23):
painted houses. You've got the historicalsignificance there. Cape Town was the first
place in South Africa where European colonistslanded did you know that. Well,
it's true, and it's where NelsonMandela was imprisoned on Robin Island. I
know that, yep. For avery very long time. Activities there.
(42:43):
Cape Town offers a lot of activitiesincluding hiking, visiting the VNA waterfront,
and exploring their beautiful National Botanical Gardensthat are there. Also, it's a
well known area for food and wine. As a matter of fact, it
has a ward win food and wineriesthroughout. Just such a beautiful place and
(43:06):
Cape Town, with its cool coastalclimate and breathtaking scenery, it's got a
fantastic destination if you want to usethat as a coolcation type destination. Summer
temperatures in Cape Town, you're goingto love this. It surprised me.
I was expecting much higher. Youknow, when you think of South Africa,
I don't know why, but Ialways think hot. I just think
(43:29):
hot, yeah, because most ofAfrica is a desert exactly. But summertime
temperatures in Cape Town range only fromfifty nine to seventy seven degrees fahrenheit.
Really, right, I mean thatmakes it the perfect place for exploring the
city's beautiful beaches and hiking up thatTable Mountain and visiting the Cape Wine Lands.
(43:50):
You do not want to miss achance to see those penguins at Boulders
Beach and take a scenic drive alongChapman's Peak. Just beautiful scene. I
mean, I've researched this, I'vegot certification in South African travel, but
this is someplace that has eluded me. I want to go so badly.
And are the most unique places tosay, where are those in Cape Town,
(44:14):
South Africa? Well, there area lot, but Ekana Safari Lodge
that's spelled ik ha ya Kona SafariLodge is my number one pick today.
Akana is unique because it's a trulyAfrican Safari ambiance, but it's right in
the middle of the beautiful Constantia regionof Cape Town. The lodge features nine
(44:39):
double rooms and suites. That's it. Nine, that's it, all decorated
with comfortably homely atmosphere. The greatadvantage is that it's situated high on the
mountain close to Constantia Neck, sothe Hoyt Bay area and the Winelands are
just a stone's throwaway, which isreally where everybody wants to be now.
(45:00):
If you are interested in other coolcationtype places, I would highly recommend Aspen,
Colorado. Aspen is famous for itsworld class ski resorts, but it's
also a fantastic culcation destination in thesummer. Temperatures there, too, only
range in the summer from fifty toseventy seven degrees. I know, Aspen
(45:23):
offers just the most refreshing escape withplenty of outdoor activities, you know that.
I mean, Aspen's just always wherethe cool people go. You know,
no matter what time of the yearit is, you can hike through
the Maroon Bells there, go mountainbiking, take a scenic drive along the
Independence Pass. And in the winter, of course, you know, they're
(45:45):
just a snowy paradise for ski bunniesand snowboarding people. But again, Aspen,
Colorado another great place. But thisone was interesting to me because I
didn't really have this one on mylist of possible places that I would put
again in this category, and that'sTasmania, Australia. But I happen to
(46:09):
think when it's our summer here,it's their winter. So Tasmania temperatures range
from about fifty to sixty eight degreesduring our summer, which is their winter
area. But that still makes ita very comfortable wintertime temperature there, making
it kind of refreshing for outdoor adventures. And some of the stunning landscapes there
(46:31):
of Cradle Mountain Lake, You've gotSaint Clair National Park, You've got Port
Arthur. You can just enjoy thecool coastal breezes along the peninsula there.
So Tasmania is great. Another onethat came across my radar love this is
Tenarief. You might want to lookat this. This is actually associated most
(46:52):
with travel to Spain. You wouldfly into Madrid and from there you would
take a direct NonStop flight into tenerReef. But it's known nationally as the
Island of Eternal Spring. Okay,doesn't that sound great? I mean,
who doesn't want to go there?Hello, when it's wintertime here, let's
go to the Island of Eternal Spring. When it's summertime here, let's go
(47:14):
to the Island of Eternal Spring.The average average temperatures there are just about
seventy degrees fahrenheit with about twenty eighthundred hours of sun a year. So
when you go there, you reallydo want to pack an imask because it
really stays sunny a long time.It doesn't get dark very early. There's
(47:37):
about eight hours of I'm sorry,eighteen hours or more of sun a day
here. So if you're interested inany of these locations, Edinburgh, Scotland
is another one that came across myradar. It's also known for its cool
climate, historic charm, vibrant culturethere. Summer temperatures in Edinburgh now,
(47:59):
I know, they can get tobe triple digits sometimes, but you've got
those coastal breezes that come through thecountry there, but they can range anywhere
from the upper seventies to upper eighties, making it perfect for exploring still exploring
the city's historic sites. You know, in August they do have the very
(48:20):
famous military tattoo in Edinburgh, soa lot of people count on good weather
when they go there, otherwise itcan be pretty uncomfortable out watching that,
and that takes place in August,and also the Edinburgh Festival Fringe takes place
in August, as well as alot of other arts and crafts festivals.
(48:40):
I was just talked to my wifeabout this. I was looking at a
map and I was like, doyou realize if you go due east from
where we are, we end upin Africa? And England, Scotland,
Ireland, they're all like up north, like we're Canada, you know,
north of Canada. It's like,never realized how far Europe is north of
(49:02):
the elevation that we live at herehere exactly. Now. There are some
places in Europe, you know,Spain, to be sure, Italy,
which is experiencing some just horrible temperaturesright now as well. As you know,
we had talked off air earlier,Chris, you and I did about
the Paris Summer Olympics. It's swelteringthere right now. And actually we have
(49:23):
an employee who just got back fromParis at the tail end of a cruise
that they did, he and hisfamily did, and he said Paris was
busy as I'll get out, butit was also so hot there. The
temperatures were already just climbing and itwas insufferable. So, you know,
having the knowledge of some very nice, cool places to go to put on
(49:47):
your radar. If these weren't previouslyplaces that you considered going, I think
you should. I mean, they'reall worthwhile, They've all got something great
to offer. And the globe we'veonly just scratched the surface of the places
that are out there for us tosee and enjoy, and for me personally,
I love the cool places, Cherry. Before we run out of time,
(50:10):
I got to sneak in one morebreak and then we'll be back.
We'll talk a little bit more aboutour Chasing the Chill episode here on a
Lifeless Ordinary. Protect your vacation investmentwith guidance from a travel professional. The
wishing Well knows travel and help youavoid pitfalls. They can spoil your hard
earned vacation. We'll plan your tripand have you back as you travel.
(50:30):
All of this without support or socalled convenience fees. We're on the web
at tho Wishingwell dot biz or callus at five four zero nine zero eight
two three eight three three. That'sfive four zero nine zero eight two thirty
three three. The wishing Well reallydoes make dreams come true. And welcome
back to a Lifeless Ordinary. Thisis the travel show and podcasts from your
(50:51):
friends at the wishing Well. Findthem on f Avenue in Harrisonburg, The
wishing Well top biz, or givethem a call at five four h nine
oh eight twenty three point thirty three. Terry. We've talked about some great
destinations around the world where we canfind some respite from the heat. I
feel cooler already, yeah, becauseI see is still on the studios.
(51:13):
But are there some places we couldgo that are close by if we're just
trying to escape, like when theheat wave hits and you're like, let's
go. Yeah, you know whenyou when you ask me that, initially,
one place automatically comes to my mind, and it happens to be a
place that I took to vacation lastyear, and that was to Montreal,
Canada. I always said, youknow, it was so funny. I
(51:35):
boarded a flight in Washington Dulls andin an hour and a half I was
literally in France. I mean Igot off, I heard French music in
the airport. I first saw pastriesand a petisserie, and I was greeted
by people who spoke French, andI was in heaven. I was absolutely
in heaven. And the great thingabout that is they will be in the
(51:57):
Canadian region of Montreal and Quebec.That area, they'll be about anywhere from
eight to ten degrees cooler than weare typically. So I was there at
the end of May first of Juneand it was jacket weather for sure.
I mean in the late afternoons,even when the sun started to go down,
we needed jackets. Another place thatcomes to my mind that I didn't
(52:20):
talk about, but I wish Ihad had more time to do is Ireland.
Ireland is an enchanting place. I'veoften said, and I have a
saying about Ireland. If you're goodwhen you die, you go to Ireland.
I went to Ireland my first timewhen I was It was in April
of the season that I went.It was beautiful, it was just starting
(52:40):
to become spring there. I stillwas able to wear walls and jackets and
that kind of thing, and justloved it. Chris, there's so many
places on the globe that we don'tconsider, maybe because they are cool,
but our planet is changing so quicklyand people really want to avoid heat,
and I am always looking for acool place to hang out. I am
(53:02):
too, I am too. Thisis a fun show, Terry. How
do we get in touch with youif you'd like to book one of these
chill escapes. Yep, we're easyto find. We're the Wishing Well at
two forty three nef Avenue, locatedin the Valley Center. You can find
us on the web We're at theWishingwell dot biz or call us. We'd
love to talk to you at fivefour oh nine oh eight two three three
(53:23):
three. This has been a LifeLess Ordinary, the travel show from your
friends at the wishing Well at twoforty three nep Avenue in Harrisonburg. If
you have any questions on topics discussedtoday, please reach out to the wishing
Well online at the Wishingwell dot bizor five four oh nine oh eight twenty
three thirty three. Past episodes areavailable on the iHeartRadio app. And we'll
(53:44):
see you again next Saturday morning atten for a life Less Ordinary from the wishing Well
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