June 14, 2024 • 53 mins
The Wishing Well's Terrie Dean discusses this week's travel news and Hot Deals!
Explore epic father getaways, from road trips to adrenaline-fueled destinations, and outdoor adventures. Discover the best destinations for unforgettable dad adventures this Father's Day!
Explore epic father getaways, from road trips to adrenaline-fueled destinations, and outdoor adventures. Discover the best destinations for unforgettable dad adventures this Father's Day!
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
This is a Lifeless Ordinary. It'sa travel show and podcasts from your friends
at the wishing Well two forty threef Avenue in Harsemburg 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
(00:20):
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 and
say hello, Hey, Chris,how are you today? Spec Taxlar.
You know what we have. We'rehaving a great weekend it is. We're
there. We spot light in Dad'stomorrow. I know, we'll see if
most of kids remember that it's Father'sDay tomorrow. I will. I'm sure
(00:44):
they will. We'll see what happens. But anyway, Yeah, had a
good week. We've had nice weather. I got not a lot to complain
about. No, we don't havea lot to complain about. And much
needed rain came along. So alot of rain. Yeah, yeah,
I mean I do. My homegoes out to those folks in Florida who
have seen unnecessarily high levels of waterthat they got a bit more than they
(01:08):
probably needed or wanted. Well,in Florida so flat, it doesn't take
much before they start seeing flooding.And then we were also informed that folks
that are doing river cruises in Europeare also experiencing high water levels that are
making some of the river cruises impossibleto navigate the river structures. They can't
(01:30):
catch break. Last year there wasn'tenough water, not enough, and now
this year it's too much. Wowthis time of years, So you know,
lots to be thankful for here inthe good old Sanando Valley where we
see just enough of what we need. Right. Yeah, But I do
want to talk about news before welaunch into our precious fathers, and I
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do want to dedicate our show todayto fathers. We're going to call our
show Dad Ventures, and it's goingto be fun. I think there's a
lot of remnut thing that's going togo on. For me. I don't
have my dad anymore, but hestill lives in my heart and I can
tell you that I think about himalmost every day because he was really one
of the catalysts for the upstart ofthe wishing whell. So I owe my
(02:16):
dad a lot, So I dowant to actually really spotlight dads today and
thank all of you good daddy's outthere for helping us be better kids.
We love that we look forward toour show today. So I want to
start with the news and talk aboutsome records that have been set for TSA
in airport screenings. I'll tell youthis is no surprise to me as I
(02:39):
was through airports here recently on myvacation and working. But a record was
broken ahead of the Memorial Day weekendchrispher the number of airline travelers screened at
US airports. More than two pointnine million travelers were screened at US airport
(03:00):
courts on the Friday that preceded MemorialDay, surpassing previous records set last year
on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, accordingto the Transportation Security Agency, and officers
have set a new record for mosttravelers screened in a single day. The
third busiest day on record was seton last the Thursday after Memorial Day,
(03:24):
when just under two point nine milliontravelers were screened there as well, and
in Atlanta, the world's busiest airporthad is its busiest day ever. We're
talking like, not Christmas, notThanksgiving, No, no, it was
right here over the Memorial Day holiday. The second busiest day followed the Friday
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after when one hundred and nine thousand, nine hundred and sixty people were screened.
Now, with one hundred and fourpoint six million passengers, the Atlanta
airport was the busiest in the worldlast year. US airlines expect to carry
a record number of passengers this summer. I know that we're well on our
way to achieving that goal if wehaven't already. And Trivia A predicted that
(04:13):
this is going to be the busieststart of summer weekend. They said Memorial
Day weekend in twenty years. Andall of that is hindsight news actually right
now, but well worth mentioning becausewe hit and broke all of those records
that have been previously set at airportsand with TSA. The next piece of
news, Chris, I want totalk about is something that actually I got
(04:35):
excited about on my vacation, andI think I mentioned it to you.
I'm not sure, but I beganto fall in love with uber on my
vacation. Did I tell you howto mend that? Yeah? Yeah.
I had a very helpful concierge atthe hotel that I stayed in in Orlando,
and he helped me launch Uber onmy app on my telephone and it
(05:00):
made transportation challenges very very easy.So I fell in love with Uber,
I really did, because there wasno place I couldn't go and no time
of day that I couldn't get there. So I love that. But Uber
has now announced that they're going tolaunch airport shuttle service in the US.
I found this really really interesting.They're going to offer transportation to events and
(05:26):
to airports. The service currently isavailable in Egypt and India, according to
Uber, and they didn't disclose actuallywhich airports are going to have this quote
unquote shuttle service available, but thatit was working with airport partners and local
officials across the United States and beyond. Now when the service becomes available,
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customers are going to see a shuttleoption in their Uber app. Customers can
book up to five seats total fromseven days in advance to five minutes before
their shuttles scheduled departure. They're goingto be able to pay for and track
their shuttle within twenty five minutes oftheir departure time in their app. Now,
(06:10):
I think that's pretty slick technology.All right, I've never used Uber.
Actually, I was getting my carworking on I think they awesome.
I think they called an Uber forme. Yeah, But how is this
different than than using like a cabservice. Well, because, and I'll
tell you that the challenge that I'vealways run into with cabs. I love
cabs, I trust cabs, andthat's that was the method of transportation I
(06:32):
would usually use if I didn't renta car. However, cabs you can
call them and sometimes it'll take asmuch as thirty to thirty five minutes for
them to even show up if theydo, and that's some of the problems
that have started to originate with cabcompanies. And no offense to cab drivers.
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I love you guys out there,if you if any of you are
listening to me right now, Ireally do love cab drivers. You do
an awfully great service, help alot of shut ins and that kind of
thing, So we appreciate your service. But Uber is instantaneous. I mean,
that's what the great part about Uberis. Now, I'm not exactly
(07:15):
sure how this is going to workwith these larger events. And what they
call airport shuttle service. But theysay riders are going to know they're fair
before they reserve their spot, whichyou can know now with Uber when you're
doing that, and their price willnot be affected by surging prices. And
when their shuttle arrives, riders aregoing to have their QR code ticket validated
(07:38):
by the driver, and they'll beable to rate and tip their driver in
the app, as they have beenable to do with all other rides.
Uber also sees potential, they say, for Uber Shuttle to be included for
Uber for business clients. Now.Since twenty twenty one, the company's been
operating shuttle routes for its employe inMission Bay office in San Francisco. I
(08:01):
didn't know they were already doing that, but they are, as well as
for employees in Seattle and Bangalore,India. Now the company also has begun
to offer shuttle service to Uber forbusiness clients in some overseas markets and sees
definite potential to expand the offering tomore clients in the US. Now here's
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what I'll say. I don't thinkthat we'll ever want to or need to
replace cab companies. I think theystill are going to have a very viable
service for a lot of folks.However, Uber is out there for a
lot of people who, as youknow, Chris grew up on technology.
(08:43):
It's our millennials, you know,it's our gen zers. They don't know
anything except that. And they arenot going to wait for thirty five minutes
for a taxi to arrive when theycan know where their Uber driver is within
two minutes. Yeah. I knowa lot of like college age or young
professionals who don't want to own acar. It's exactly right because they can
(09:05):
just have Uber drive them everywhing Ohyeah. And I don't know if I
told you this or not. IfI did, I apologize for being redundant,
but for those listening, I diddo a comparison. We talked about
my vacation in Orlando last week withoutMickey Ears, and I did it really
off site, so that does presentsomewhat of a challenge when you're not staying
(09:28):
on property at Disney. However,I compared my Uber into end prices and
tips compared to what I would havehad to have paid for a rental car,
and I made out better on theUber side of things because I did
check into what a rental car wouldcost me with everything all in at the
(09:50):
time, and I said, I'mnot really sure how I'll make out on
the deal, but I'm going togo Uber on this one, and did
and it was less expensive than therental car would have cost me. So
just you know, some interesting news. And if this becomes an opportunity for
them to have shuttles in and outof the airports, okay, I think
you know, it could be agreat service. I bet you somewhere down
(10:11):
the road a lot of the cabcompanies will start using like Uber like technology.
It's possible. Yeah, it's possible, because this has got to be
It's a great technology and it worksso famously for getting you a ride when
you need it. And it's likehaving the pizza tracker. You just love
watching the little though. It's likeyou're in control exactly exactly. Now,
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another thing, talk about new technology. I want folks to know that you
can now this is good. Youcan now renew your passports online. And
here's how. There's a new passportrenewal method. It was just launched actually
this week, and this is onethat whose time has come. Let me
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tell you if anybody remembers the backlogof passports we had in the last two
years, everybody's standing applauding right now. But this week the State Department Chris
which manages the distribution of passports,announced a new beta test of an online
passport renewal program, which is goingto allow travelers to virtually complete the renewal
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process. However, only travelers whocurrently live in the United States and have
passports that were issued between everybody's goingto run and get their passports now and
look issued between two thousand and nineand two thousand and fifteen are going to
be eligible to renew online. PassportHolders looking to change their name or date
(11:39):
of birth that you're also not goingto be able to renew online. Travelers
also need to have the ability toupload their own photo okay, and it's
worth noting that once an online applicationis submitted, a traveler's current passport is
going to be immediately canceled, sothose with international travel plans in their near
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future shouldn't do this because you stillneed that passport. The agency says they
do not need travelers to mail theirexisting passport to them if they're using this
process now renewing a passport online isgoing to cost one hundred and thirty dollars
and credit card is the only acceptablepayment method for this. Is that a
(12:22):
higher price? It is? Itwas about eighty five dollars before if you
mailed it in. Oh wow,yeah yeah, But you know, if
I don't have to do all that, I'm so convenience is costly, you
know, as we all know.But people are willing to pay that to
get what they want when they wanted. You know. Now, this may
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not be too exciting for anybody locally, but keep your eye on this piece
of next piece of news, becausework has begun on a southern California to
Las Vegas high speed train. Thisis big news, folks. Bright Line
West broke ground this week on ahigh speed rail line that's going to connect
Las Vegas to southern California. It'sexpected to open in twenty twenty eight.
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And if you don't think there's goingto be some residual linkage to that in
the near future to other locations,I would probably beg to differ. And
doesn't La feed a lot of theVegas business, Yes, it does in
California. To Las Vegas is bigbusiness. But the Department of Transportation Secretary
Pete Budagietch joined Brightline West executives andlocal government officials for the official groundbreaking ceremony.
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So I think we're going to seea lot more of the high speed
trains being talked about, negotiated,and perhaps put in in other strategic places
around the United States. We certainlyneed it. It's something that we see
a lot of in Europe and inAsia, but we never have seemed to
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have made that leap here, andI think it's time. I think we're
going to see how successful this oneis and just watch what happens. I
would like a high speed train frommaybe the Stanton station to Vegas, just
for you, Chris, Vegas.Why not? I'm sure that's a big
corridor. Thirty five minutes. Okay, thirty five minutes, you say,
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be a frustrated, It would be. It would be. Well, you
want to talk about some deals,now, yeah, I love the hot
deals. So Viking always seems tocrop up on my list of potential companies
that are running great, big sales. There is a sale right now on
Viking that's going to expire June theseventeenth, so you don't have but just
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a couple of days on this one, but they are this is the one
everybody waits for. They're going tobe offering on Viking free airfare and the
free Silver Spirits beverage package. Vikingdoesn't always do that. That's the open
package. They usually if you're bookinga Viking cruise, you only get beer
(15:03):
and wine with dinner and lunch.But if you have the Silver Spirits beverage
package, that's kind of an openbar. People love that and they wait
for that. All you have todo is contact the wishing well if you're
interested in that special. It doesonly apply to some select sailings. It's
not across the board, but wecan tell you very easily which ones they
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do apply to and if you qualify. Now, another thing in the world
of the way people like to traveland which really translates, I think into
the sale segment of our show isTalk Tours, one of our preferred luxury
providers. They are actually piloting orgoing to be piloting a new smaller groups
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tour. They're capping them at fifteenguests per tour and for twenty twenty four
they still have some of the bestof the Canadian Rockies, which they're going
to continue in twenty twenty five.They've got Canadians Capital Cities plus Niagara Falls
again twenty twenty five is going toapply there as well. For Europe,
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Northern Spain, Switzerland, a weekin Ireland. So if you're looking for
a group type trip that's fully escorted, Chris, but you don't like the
larger groups, even twenty or morepeople make you a little nervous. These
new groups that Talk is doing,capping them at fifteen guests, I think
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is just what the doctor ordered.A lot of people are real excited about
that, and I thought i'd sharethat with us with our audience today.
Then there are some salefares from Princess. Princess Cruise Line is really blowing the
doors off of some of their deals. They have Alaska on sale right now
Voyage of the Glaciers cruise prices forseven night cruises, Chris, I can't
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believe this. Three hundred and ninetynine dollars per person, and we do
have Every time we advertise this,we sell tons of Alaska and right now
is a great time to go.These would be considered some of the last
minute deals. I was talking tosomebody in the office today, do you
realize we are already halfway through thisyear. Yeah, unfortunately I know,
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and I keep looking at these dealsgoing, oh my gosh, before you
know it and we blink, summeris going to be over. So if
you want to go to Alaska,these are great deals for you to jump
on right now. Princess has anotherone for inside passage cruises from six hundred
and forty eight dollars per person,and cruise tours, which is where you
have the land and the cruise together, starting from only nine hundred and ninety
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nine dollars per person. If youwant to go to Europe, you've still
got time and Princess is just theway to go. Mediterranean cruise fares are
starting from only seven hundred and ninetyseven dollars. Most of the Mediterranean cruises
are seven to ten days at least, so that's a great deal. Northern
Europe is nine hundred and ninety sevendollars plus depending on your cabin type.
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And then Canada and New England.I've started just get inquiries for that already.
People are looking for fall folkeeping,so cruise fares on Princess for Canada
and New England. Most of theirsare going to leave from New York,
some from Boston. But those cruisefairs are starting from four hundred and seventy
nine dollars. And if the Caribbeanis still your cup of tea, and
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it is for a lot of people, and you've got some vacation time,
you want to burn away Eastern Caribbean, Western Caribbean and Caribbean adventures from Princess.
It's what they do best, really, in my opinion. The Eastern
Caribbean fairs starting from four hundred andfifty seven dollars, Western Caribbean from four
hundred and ninety eight. So thereyou go, Chris, that's our sales
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for this Father's Day weekend. AndI think there's something certainly in there that
would probably fit under anybody's wish list. Well, you talked about Alaska,
Mama Carmichael, my stepdad or inAlaska this week? No way, They're
on a cruise awesome. And Iwas trying to tell them everything they need
to pack based on the show wedid a few months back exactly, and
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she's like, I already have everythingpacked. Well, good, I have
everything. I couldn't tell her anything. She didn't know. Well, I
tried. I wanted to feel likeI had information to break it. She
was more prepared for the trip thanI was. That's awesome. So I
hope they're having a wonderful time toAlaska. That's a heck of a Father's
Day present. So today's show iscalled Dad Ventures. Yes, a gift
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is not always a tie. Iknow, and you know our poor dads.
It's so hard you guys and presentcompany included Chris. Guys are hard
to buy for. They really are. So I do know one thing,
travel always fits. You know.You just have to get it right.
Yeah, you do. You gottaknow dad. Well, yes, let's
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get into dad Ventures next. Herein my life less ordinary. Protect your
vacation investment with guidance from a travelprofessional. The wishing Well knows travel and
help you avoid falls. They canspoil your hard earned vacation. We'll plan
your trip and have your back asyou travel. All of this without support
or so called convenience fees. We'reon the web at THO Wishingwell dot biz
or call us at five four zeronine zero eight two three three three.
(20:15):
That's five four zero nine zero eighttwo three three three. The Washing Well
really does make dreams come true andwelcome back to a life less ordinary The
Travel Show on podcasts from your friendsat the Wishing Well. You'll find them
on ne f Avenue in Harrisonburg,online at the Wishingwell dot biz, or
you can give them a call atfive four oh nine oh eight twenty three
(20:37):
thirty three. And I'm sure Terrywould love to talk to you about some
dad ventures and the hot deals thatwe were just talking about before the break.
Absolutely, But yeah, Dad's dayis tomorrow, and I guess maybe
we're a little too late to bebooking travel for Dad tomorrow. You know,
it's never really too late, butwere give him the gifts, you
know, the little uh you knowcard that says, Dad, you're going
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here and you can book it whenit's perfect for you. That's right.
I'll bet Dad would even like itif you said, and we're going together,
you know, it's even better.My dad might not be So.
There was a recent study done byYahoo and they were asking people, you
know, dads, what do youreally want and what don't you want?
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Sure? Here are the gifts toskip by the way, Okay, fishing
gear, golf related items, Hawaiianshirts, bow ties, cuff links,
jim attire, any of that.Best dad merchandise, socks, barbecue tools,
and jewelry okay, pretty much thego to when you don't know what
to buy dad. Those are allthe things you should actually stuff that always
pops up on your computer whenever youlook for best gifts for Dad. But
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here are the top picks for dads. Okay, I'm interested a shared meal,
okay, budget friendly alcoholic beverages,quality time together, hotel stays,
especially when it involves wine. Ilike it, and get away adventures there
you go, which is exactly thefocus of our show. It's a dad
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venture, it really is. AndI actually always enjoyed Father's Day with my
dad. He was just a tonof fun. But I've been without him
now for sixteen years and I won'tlie, Chris. I miss him all
the time, but especially missing youknow now over Father's Day. My dad
was one of the key reasons andencouraged me to get into the travel business.
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So I really owe him a lotfor being my cheerleader. So if
your dad is still with you tocelebrate this Sunday, then I'm here to
encourage you to get a little creativeand do some extraordinary things in ways to
celebrate him and quite possibly with himas well. I think those make the
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best gifts, you know, becauseDad doesn't want to open just a box.
He wants something he can do withyou. At least that's what my
dad always wanted. I'll say thatthat survey, three of them were quality
time, shared adventures, shared meals. Yep. And I'm sure you've already
figured out based on what you justsaid and the way I reacted, when
it comes to celebrating the special menin our lives. I'm going to tell
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you that nothing beats creating lasting memorieslike travel. I mean, it just
does. And I think you know, regardless of whether we really are talking
about Father's Day, but if weweren't, any holiday is a good Any
day, any week is a goodtime to talk about travel. I think
you know. But whether your dadis an outdoorsman, know a history buff,
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my dad was both a foodie.There's countless destinations and experiences that cater
to his unique interests in the travelindustry, so you can get very personal
with this type of gift giving.That's why I like it. I want
to stroll through some of these exceptionaltravel ideas with you today that's going to
make your dad's next adventure really kindof unforgettable. We're going to talk about
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thrilling outdoor paids to some cultural explorationsand culinary things. Because these travel ideas
are supposed to inspire you and delightyour dad's So no matter what his favorite
thing to do is, I hopeI've got the perfect gift for you to
give to him. And like yousaid, Chris, you don't have to
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wrap this gift up and go,hey Dad, we're leaving on Monday.
You don't have to do that.You can just think about this, listen
to the show today in its entirety, and go, that was a great
idea. I'm going to plan thiswith my dad, sit down with him
this holiday and say I wanted todo something special for you. Guess what
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this is where I want to gowith you. So this is going to
inspire I think. I hope that'smy goal. Anyway, And I talk
to a lot of people, mother'sdaughter's, wives, you name it,
and guys, and I won't lie. You all are just so hard to
buy for you really are? Youeither have it, you have you want
the most expensive of whatever it is, it's not happening when you want to
(25:03):
do it, or my favorite,there's nothing I want. Yeah, does
that sound familiar. It's because atthis point in my life, I've bought
everything that I want. Yeah,exactly, That's what you all do,
and it'll give us nothing on thetable, And if I need something,
I'm running out today to get itand I'm not waiting. I know.
See that's the way you all are. Well. I knew there had to
(25:26):
be a way to please the hardestto please guy and not break the bank
and not buy another tie or dumbelectronic device. And the answer for me
had to be traveled. Am Iright? So now, before I jump
into some of my favorite gift ideasfor Dad, I want to share with
you another reason why I like thisidea so very much. As a gift
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for fathers. Several years ago,Chris, I might have mis mentioned this
to you. I read a bookwritten by Nicholas Sparks, you know,
the guy that wrote the famous Notebook. It was a book and it turned
into a movie and real tear jerker. Well, another one of his great
works I think would have to bea book entitled Three Weeks with my Brother
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I don't know if you have everread that. It is a must read.
I would highly recommend it for itstravel content, but also because it
reminds us of something. It remindsus to embrace life with all of its
uncertainties, and most of all,to cherish, cherish those joyful times,
both small and momentous, and thewonderful people who make them possible, those
(26:34):
being our dads. You know.So I thought about this book a lot
when I was researching and preparing fortoday's show, and it reminded me to
go back and reread it again.It's not about a relationship with Dad,
it's his brother, but it's aboutthe importance of embracing all of those life
moments and whenever we can. Bythe way, three weeks with my brother
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would also make a really great giftfor Dad, just saying, you know,
even if he doesn't have, youknow, a brother, it's just
it's just a tender story about howfamilies can travel together and what occurs life
happens in those moments. And that'sthe message I want to have here in
(27:17):
today's show. If you're traveling withDad or mom or your family, what
life happens in those moments that you'rewith them, so you should make the
most of them. But I wantto begin exploring some of these travel gift
ideas together, and Chris, youlet me know which of these you find
interesting. I'd be interested in that, and maybe somebody else would as well.
(27:37):
I'm ready. So the first categoryI'm going to hit is our outdoorsman.
Okay, I said, my dadwas if if your dad is this
kind of dad, you're in luckbecause a trip that takes them into the
heart of nature. That's really aperfect choice. And that's easy. It's
just because nature's everywhere. You know, consider maybe a hiking expedition to Patagonia
(28:00):
and Argentina. Now I know thisone wouldn't be for everybody, but hanging
there with me for a minute,because I want to explain that one.
First of all, Patagonia Argentina isjust a captivating destination for a lot of
reasons. First of all, you'vegot this stunning landscape. It is absolutely
gorgeous. It's got some of themost breathtaking natural scenery on the planet.
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So imagine, if you will,that you're there with your dad, You're
in this beautiful place together, andyou're about to explore everything from mountains to
glaciers to crystal clear lakes that they'vegot there, and these vast grasslands just
a beautiful place. So already Ilike the tone of the trip, you
(28:44):
know. And then you've got thisunique wildlife. You've got these awesome condors
there that go soaring overhead, tothe most absolutely adorable penguins that waddle along
the coast there. Patagonia is hometo just a diverse array of wildlife.
You can spot seals that lounge onthe beaches there, and if you're lucky,
(29:07):
even a puma or two prowling throughthe forest there. You don't want
to get too close to those guys, of course, but what a great
adventure for you to be able toexperience something like that with your dad and
have him see those things with youfor the first time. I mean,
that's magic right there. And thenyou've got the cultural richness of Patagonia.
It's not all about its natural beauty, but it's also got just a rich
(29:30):
cultural heritage there. You can immerseyourself in the fascinating history of that region
by visiting some of the indigenous communitiesthat are there, learning about the traditions
of the to Walchi, I'm sorry, t Walchie people, all of which
offer insights into Patagonia's past. Sothat's really kind of another reason why this
(29:53):
is such a great area. Andthe book that I was talking to you
about with Nicholas Sparks, he didn'tgo to Patagonia. I picked that one
because of all of the wonderful thingsI found about it. But he went
into Machipichu area with his brother,and that's what you'll read about his experiences.
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The other thing about Patagonia, though, it's just that remote wilderness.
And I'll tell you what. Forthose seeking solitude and some serenity, Patagonia's
untouched wilderness provides just the perfect escape. For dad. If this is a
trip that you'd want to maybe lettinggo on on his own, Maybe he
needs this, Maybe he needs atrip like that. This would be a
(30:36):
great trip for somebody who was lookingfor that serenity. Now like Patagonia a
bunch for all of those reasons,and because, let's face it, if
your dad truly appreciates the outdoors,this travel gift choice would be akin to
a Rembrandt painting for him. Imean, it's wonderful, but overall,
Patagonia, Argentina offers just this uniqueblend of natural beauty, adventure, wildlife,
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cultural experience just makes it a trulyexceptional destination for travelers looking for that
unforgettable experience. But if that's justan idea that's a little too far out
there for you, maybe it's notprice right, or you would consider maybe
a thrilling whitewater rafting trip. Youcan do that in as close as West
(31:22):
Virginia, you know, or ifyou want to go a little further,
yeah, exactly, or even theGrand Canyon. You know, there's some
great whitewater river rafting trips in thein the Grand Canyon for an adrenaline field
adventure. Or you can explore theancient rainforest, which I did in Costa
Rica. There are endless possibilities fordads out there who crave the wild outdoors.
(31:45):
And I love that first category becauseI can pack it all in,
you know, I can tell youabout some amazing places to go outdoors.
And we've just recently partnered Chris withseveral fantastic tour operators that's specialize in outdoor
adventures, one of which is acompany called g Adventures. They are fabulous
(32:06):
and back roads. They offer someof the very best adventure hiking, biking,
and off the beaten path trail adventuresyou could possibly imagine. So,
if again, your dad is anoutdoorsman, look no further. The wishing
well probably has that magical gift foryou, just waiting to give to that
special dad. I like about halfwayinto the outdoor adventure. Yeah, I
(32:30):
want to go somewhere where a beautifulscenery places I can take photographs. Oh
yeah, but a place that alsohas a really nice hotel and I'm not
camping, Yeah, in an RVA. So you know, you are my
ideal candidate for someplace like Patagonia,Argentina. You would absolutely love it there.
Yes, it would fit you justso perfectly. And so if Chris's
(32:53):
kids are listening right now, dadwants to go to Patagonia, Argentina,
just saying breath on that one.Okay, Now, let's look at another
category of dads out there, andthose are actually know some adrenaline junkies.
I mean they really they'll they'll gothe gamut. What in the world can
(33:14):
you get him? Well, oneof the things you can do is plan
a skydiving adventure. We talked aboutthis once upon a time on this show
in Switzerland the Swiss Alps, oryou can indulge in a thrilling bungee jump
in Queenstown, New Zealand, bothof which are they hit that mark of
high adrenaline. You know. Now, while I've not skydived over the Swiss
(33:37):
Alps, Chris, I have goneskydiving, and though I don't know how
much of an adrenaline junkie have tobe to do that, I can tell
you that it was one of themost exciting and unforgettable moments of my life.
And honestly, my dad was Hewas a Navy akin to the Navy
Seals. He was a precursor tothe Navy Seals. He was the underwater
(33:59):
demolition team in the UDT is whatit was called during the Korean War.
And so you I mean, we'retalking about a man who put his life
on the line for his brothers.Yeah. So when he came, I
mean, when it came to mecoming along and growing up with this man
who was my hero of a dad, I would have loved to have gone
(34:22):
sky diving with him. I wouldhave loved that. You know, he
probably could have taught me a thingor three, But that was the most
amazing experience of my life. Ican only imagine what it would be like
with a parent, you know,by your side, to have that awesome,
awesome experience and that moment when yourealize your hibove the ground. Imagine
(34:45):
that in the Swiss Alps you're nextto this aircraft. Skydiving over one of
the most beautiful places on Earth isdefinitely a bucket list trip. So and
if you if you know, it'snot really even expensive. I priced this
out, the Swis Alps experience,that's only like four hundred and sixty dollars
a person. So the biggest partof this gift giving would be in getting
(35:08):
to Switzerland, you know. Butthis skydiving adventure over the Alps, that's
four hundred and sixty bucks. That'sdoable, you know. But for water
sports enthusiasts, you might want toconsider a surfing trip to a Wise North
shore that's where it's the most beautiful, or maybe a scuba diving scuba diving
(35:28):
expedition in the Grand Great Barrier reefin Australia. Those heart pounding experiences,
Chris are sure to make your dad'sadrenaline sore and the final adrenaline junkie option.
How about going on a sharp dive? No, thank you? Well,
yeah you can do that. Andactually, I know a lot of
people who I thought would be verytimid and would never ever consider anything like
(35:52):
that, have come to me andsaid, Terry, I'll go if you
go. And as a matter offact, you don't even have to go
as far as Hawaii or Australia forone of these experiences. You only have
to go as far as Atlanta,Georgia to the Georgia Aquarium. As a
matter of fact, did you knowthat the Georgia Aquarium is the only place
in the world where you are guaranteedto swim with white sharks, mannar rays,
(36:17):
and thousands of other marine animals.It's in their Journey with General Giants
program. Guests get in on theirOcean Voyage exhibit. It's built by Home
depot thousands of amazing animals for theexperience of a lifetime. So you only
have to go to Georgia. Itsounds like fun. My problem is I
(36:38):
don't like water. Oh so thesurfing, the whitewater rafting, the shark
diving. Yeah, so here's thething that's something that you and I share
in common. I am. I'mnot a great swimmer. I can doggy
paddle, and I can tell youthis, I could never swim hard enough
to save my own life. Probably. However, when I was in Bermuda,
(37:00):
I did something that I thought i'dnever do. I went diving.
Okay, and you're saying, howin the world did you do that?
Well, I went on an excursionthat was called a helmet dive. Now
I don't know if you know whatthat is or not, but I want
you to imagine this, if you'relistening today, that you take a glass,
(37:20):
just a regular glass, hold itupside down and immerse it into water.
You put oxygen in under that,and you have a perfect bubble in
which to put your head. Yourhair never gets wet, even in these
helmet dives, and they pipe oxygenin under the helmet, and you're able
to walk around on the ocean floor. Don't have to know how to swim,
(37:43):
but you have the most amazing experienceunderwater. I might try that.
That sounds like fun. Actually yeah, And actually some of these shark dives
that when I was researching this,you can do the same way they do
it with a helmet dive, whichoffers that extra protection you know, around
your head, which people like that, so it's really great. So if
you're pushing the adrenaline button right nowand that's up Dad's ally, a lot
(38:07):
of those might just be a greattravel gift up opportunity for Dad and a
great gift for you to wrap upfor Dad. All right, So if
adrenaline isn't Dad's thing, we're goingto slow it down a little bit for
Dad, but still it's going tobe great Dad ventures. Next here on
a Life Less Ordinary. Protect yourvacation investment with guidance from a travel professional.
The wishing Well knows travel and helpyou avoid pitfalls they can spoil your
(38:29):
hard earned vacation. We'll plan yourtrip and have your back as you travel.
All of this without support or socalled convenience fees. We're on the
web at THO Wishingwell dot viiz orcall us at five four zero nine zero
eight two three three three. That'sfive four zero nine zero eight two three
three three. The washing Well reallydoes make dreams come true. Hey,
(38:51):
welcome back to a Life Less Ordinary, the travel showing podcast from your friends
at the wishing Well. You canfind them on ne f Avenue in Harrisonburg.
Online the wishing Well dot diz bI Z or give them a call
five four nine to eight, twentythree thirty three. Today's show is entitled
dad Ventures, and we have donethe outdoors, the adventures, the high
(39:12):
adrenaline adventures, and now sometimes that'sstill outside and probably has an adrenaline kick
to it, but is a littlebit more low key. It is.
It's a little bit more low key. I have to tell you that I'm
just having a ball today. Theseare great fun and there are a lot
of dads out there who are golfjunkies. You know, we were talking
about adrenaline junkies. They're golf junkies. And you could, Chris, you
(39:36):
could book your dad a legendary tripto Saint Andrew's in Scotland. You could
do that. That would be agreat family trip as a matter of fact.
But alternatively, you could do somethingelse that's a little more doable,
a little more affordable maybe for somepeople, and even turn that into a
family vacation at the all inclusive MoonPalace in Cancun. It's got its own
(40:01):
twenty seven whole Jack Nicholas designed golfcourse directly adjacent to its expansive resort,
and I've actually stayed at this place. It has its own convention center right
next door, so it's a bigplace. The Moon Palace really is kind
of like I say, a cityunto itself. But it does also have
(40:22):
this great Jack Nicholas golf course forthose who are really into that. Dad
would love it. It is alsoan all inclusive resort, so who doesn't
love that. Even anybody who's travelingwith Dad would love that. So everybody
gets to play and enjoy all ofthe culinary experiences there and stay well hydrated.
I will say golf is obviously agreat choice for Dad and this year
(40:45):
give him a trip. Don't justgive him the golf teas and the balls.
Has probably got enough of those andlost enough of those, so this
would be a much better choice.And I'm betting you at the Moon Palace
they'll give you your own teas andballs there probably. Yeah. Now,
next are our history buff guys andcultural guys. Yeah, my dad was
(41:07):
into that category as well. Soif your dad is a history buff or
has a passion for cultural explorations,you can plan a trip with him that
takes in two some iconic sites andexplore maybe the ancient wonders of Egypt Pyramids
of Giza, to the Temples ofLuxor, or immerse yourself in the rich
(41:27):
history of Rome, maybe by visitingthe Colosseum, the Vatican City Room Forum.
For a more immersive experience, youmight consider a cultural trip to Japan.
I did that, and I willtell you my dad actually encouraged me
to do that. As I toldyou, my dad was in the Korean
War and he was telling me whenI was younger just how beautiful it was
(41:50):
over in Asia. He didn't havefond memories, of course, of that
area because he was in conflict atthat time, but he did paint the
pictures for me in mind of whatthis place must look like before I got
there, and I have to tellyou it did not disappoint. Japan was
an amazing kaleidoscope of history and cultureand food and everything all at once.
(42:12):
So that too, could make agreat trip. But if all of those
sound like a big commitment, Iknow they are. But for some dads
this would be a bucket list tripfor sure. I've got a fabulous historic
tour, though that's more local innature. Washington, d C. To
Philadelphia, and it's an extremely populartrip for those with a passion for history.
(42:34):
It's a non day tour. Youcan pick up your participation in this
in Washington, d C. Itgoes all the way to Philadelphia, and
it includes landmarks, presidential estates,the historic East that we all know about.
But how many of us have actuallyseen and gone through that historic tour.
Not many people have done that forall nine days in a row,
(42:57):
you know. But America's great chaptersin history come to life on a tour
like this. You're going to strolldown the quaint streets of colonial Williamsburg and
Jamestown, marching the steps of theAmerican Revolution and the Civil War. Soldiers
stand inside the markable Palladian walls ofGeorge Washington's Mountain Verden and Thomas Jefferson's Monticello,
(43:20):
prepared to be moved as this EastCoast vacation leads you to the marbled
memorials of Washington, d C.The sacred site of Lincoln's Gettysburg address,
and the symbolic Liberty Bell in thecity of brotherly love, Philadelphia. You
combine all of that with small towngyms, plus a visit to the wonder
and expansive views of the Shenandoah NationalPark. All of this is rolled together
(43:45):
in one great trip and one touroperator that we use for this trip.
And like I said, I knowwe live in this area, but we
haven't always experienced it like a tourist, you know what I'm saying, And
we haven't really earned the history likewe could. If we were on a
guided tour like this. And thereare so many dads out there, I
(44:07):
know that this would speak too,and this tour would be wonderful for This
is a good one. And thisis also offered by one of our premier
tour operators, Globus Tours. Theydo such a great job. There are
many other tours that do this.We've got another one with Collette that does
almost exactly the same thing. Doorto door service in many cases is offered
(44:30):
for these tours. So definitely,if your dad is a history buff,
put this one on your list.He will thank you. It'll be a
trip he'll never forget. That timemight go in a drawer, but this
trip is something he'll never forget.You know. Do we have time for
a couple more? Chris? Absolutely, well, I want to hit our
foodies, then dads who really loveand I know this speaks to you,
(44:52):
Chris, you're a culinary guy,but you can book a trip to France
where he can savor, you know, a lot of wines and the vineyards
Bordeaux, or could maybe enjoy someMichelin starred cuisine in Paris for that trip.
Though. You might even want toconsider one of the many Viking River
cruises we talked about that early onThere on sale right now, folks in
(45:13):
many cases offering the free air thatI said, so great time to buy
right now. Those beverage packages areincluded, and I can tell you food
is divine on Viking. You knowthat we did a group trip up the
Rhine last year. It was absolutelysuccessful. People went back for more.
Alternatively, you can explore street foodscene in New Orleans. Now that one
(45:37):
really speaks to me. I loveNew Orleans and I love the culture and
the cuisine there. It's interesting.I've never had much desire to go there.
But then there's the moments, youknow, when they have the parade
phone for Mardi Grass, absolutely,and then someone will mention jazz music and
I'm like, I want to go, Yeah, and everybody said to me
(45:58):
before I went. You know,it's like, oh, it's really spicy
there. You've got the you know, the Cajun food, and it's all
really spicy. But I was ableto find that happy medium. You know,
Terry Dean doesn't always like anything soreally hot and spicy. But you
know, I found my groove therein Cafe Dumont. I mean, are
you kidding me right now? Withthe beignets and please, I mean,
(46:20):
the pastries and the chocolate in NewOrleans is just to die for. And
they really do have some great Michelinstarred restaurants in New Orleans that have nothing
to do with Cajun food. Butif you like it, you like it,
and there's no place better to getit than New Orleans. I'll tell
you that. Now. Food toursand cooking classes are also a great way
(46:45):
for your dad to learn some newculinary skills and immerse himself in local flavors,
especially there in New Orleans. Theyhave some of the best led by
some of the top chefs in theworld. So New Orleans a great choice
if your dad again and is aculinary guy and really just enjoys food.
I love food. Yeah, sothere you go. Now, finally,
(47:06):
I want to hit something that alot of our dads truly love, and
especially those that like to drive.You know, I'm going to call this
our road trippers road trip Extravaganza.There's some something kind of liberating I think
for dads about hitting the open road, kind of going on a classic road
trip. You can plan a journeyfor dad along the iconic Root sixty six
(47:30):
in the United States. You know, that's always been kind of very popular.
You know, we know that fromthe fifties when Roots sixty six and
wasn't there a show that was calledRoot sixty six once upon a time,
think back in the sixties, Iknow, right, yeah, But still,
I mean, I think it speaksto dad's you know, just getting
in the car, being able totake that trip and just kind of unhooking,
(47:53):
unattached, untethered to life and anythingelse that's encumbering is really liberating for
dads. I'm glad you brought uproad trips because I I did a trip.
I did it by myself. Ididn't have kids to take with me
or my dad. You told meabout this, I want you to share
that. But to me, thisis one of the best trips I ever
(48:13):
did. And if your dad lovessports, he's gonna love this. I
booked, well, I actually didn't. I just got on the road and
drove. But I went to baseballstadiums around the eastern part of the United
States, so I I hit where'dI go? I went to New York
first went to Yankee Stadium, thendrove all day and night through the rain
(48:35):
to get to Chicago and went toWrigley Field, then down to Saint Louis.
And in each one of these towns, I was doing something local.
So when I went to New York, I went to Kat's Delhi. When
I went to Chicago, I wentto UNA's Pizza, the original. When
Saint Louis got ribs went up inthe arch, you know, try to
do something each one's hand. Wentto Detroit, went to the game and
(48:58):
got out. There wasn't a lotfor me to do in Detroit. Then
drove to Cincinnati and went to agame at All American, And then I
think Philadelphia, went to I sawthe Liberty Bell and you had to have
a steak and cheese. Please tellme you had a Philly seak and cheese.
I did, and I found outthat there is a big difference between
(49:19):
just a steak and cheese and aPhilly steak and cheese. Right, yeah,
it's got to have the cheese wizon it and Stuffy and I went
to a game there and then wentto Baltimore and saw the Oriols. Flate
did all that in the course ofnine days. See, I can't improve
upon that. I mean, whenwe're talking about a road trip with dad
(49:39):
and something that you could plan,Honestly, I think what Chris just described
would be ideal. And I meanreally even use the theme that you used,
Chris, which is to take Dadaround to all of the baseball parks.
I mean, I can't imagine anythingthat a dad who loves sports,
who loves baseball, and who lovesthat feel of the freedom of being on
(50:02):
a road trip wouldn't love that.The part for me, and what I
still tell people because I still getthe character on my phone out, I'm
like, here, look at thepictures I took. It was doing all
the things that were that made thosecities famous, right. It was going
up in the arch in Saint Louis, which I'm a little claustrophobic. They
(50:22):
put you in a little egg shapedcar and take you to the top.
But once you're there, it's amazing. Yeah, you know, it's those
little moments. Baseball game is abaseball game. It's cool to see the
old stadiums. It's cool to beable to say you were there. I
was in Yankee Stadium, the originalone before they tore down to build a
new one. But it was goingto stuff in you know, New York
City that I really remember. Yeah, you know the pictures that you can
(50:45):
take and be able to relive thosememories, oh yeah, for years to
come. So what I want everybodyto know who listens to us here on
a Life Less Ordinary, is thatlife should never never be ordinary. And
if I had it to do overagain, and I had my dad here
with me this holiday, this particularFather's Day, I would take every one
(51:07):
of these trips and I would wrapthem up and I would say, Dad,
these are the things that we're goingto do while we have time.
While all of you all who arelistening to us, have time, and
you have your dad's pick something,pick something remarkable, and take Dad on
(51:28):
one of these adventures. You willnever be sorry, you will never have
regrets, and it'll be something thatyou can both cherish forever. Yeah,
and we need those moments. Wedo. Everybody does. I mean,
life is a little boring unless wefind something to add a spark. Yeah,
(51:49):
it really is. Life is justordinary if we don't find something.
And that's what I hope listeners takeaway from this show week after week as
we bring the world to you ina very different way and a way to
help you apply it to the wayin which you live. And right now,
the way in which we live isin celebration of dads. This weekend.
It's all about dads. It's allabout the strong men that are in
(52:13):
our lives and we want to saythanks and celebrate yep, and dads that
weren't your natural dad too, Yeah, exactly, the guy who stepped up
to help lead you and guide youand teach you. Yeah, it's about
saying thanks in a way they don'tnever forget. Well, I've got a
dad and a stepdad, and Ihad a big brother in big brothers,
(52:35):
big sisters who was there for fifteenyears of my life. Yeah. I
have had a lot of good men, an uncle that was like a dad
to me, a lot of goodmen in my life that have cared for
me, made sure that I didn'tget too far off that. You know,
that's awesome off the path. Soyeah, sad, we thank you,
Yeah, absolutely, And happy Father'sDay out there to all of you.
(52:57):
Do something amazing, have a griteight an amazing weekend with your family
and your kids, and let's lethim know how much we appreciate it.
How do we get in touch withyou? We're easy to find. The
wishing Well is located at two fortythree nef Avenue in the Valley Center Chris
in Harsonburg, Virginia. You cancall us at five four zero none zero
(53:19):
eight two three three three or lookus up at the web. We are
at the Wishingwell dot biz. Thishas been a life Less Ordinary the travel
show from your friends at the wishingWell at two forty three nep Avenue in
Harrisonburg. If you have any questionson topics discussed today, please reach out
to the wishing Well online at theWishingwell dop biz or five four oh nine
oh eight twenty three thirty three.Past episodes are available on the iHeartRadio app.
(53:44):
And we'll see you again next Saturdaymorning at ten for a Life Less
Ordinary from the wishing well
This is a Lifeless Ordinary. It'sa travel show and podcasts from your friends
at the wishing Well two forty threef Avenue in Harsemburg 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
(00:20):
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 and
say hello, Hey, Chris,how are you today? Spec Taxlar.
You know what we have. We'rehaving a great weekend it is. We're
there. We spot light in Dad'stomorrow. I know, we'll see if
most of kids remember that it's Father'sDay tomorrow. I will. I'm sure
(00:44):
they will. We'll see what happens. But anyway, Yeah, had a
good week. We've had nice weather. I got not a lot to complain
about. No, we don't havea lot to complain about. And much
needed rain came along. So alot of rain. Yeah, yeah,
I mean I do. My homegoes out to those folks in Florida who
have seen unnecessarily high levels of waterthat they got a bit more than they
(01:08):
probably needed or wanted. Well,in Florida so flat, it doesn't take
much before they start seeing flooding.And then we were also informed that folks
that are doing river cruises in Europeare also experiencing high water levels that are
making some of the river cruises impossibleto navigate the river structures. They can't
(01:30):
catch break. Last year there wasn'tenough water, not enough, and now
this year it's too much. Wowthis time of years, So you know,
lots to be thankful for here inthe good old Sanando Valley where we
see just enough of what we need. Right. Yeah, But I do
want to talk about news before welaunch into our precious fathers, and I
(01:51):
do want to dedicate our show todayto fathers. We're going to call our
show Dad Ventures, and it's goingto be fun. I think there's a
lot of remnut thing that's going togo on. For me. I don't
have my dad anymore, but hestill lives in my heart and I can
tell you that I think about himalmost every day because he was really one
of the catalysts for the upstart ofthe wishing whell. So I owe my
(02:16):
dad a lot, So I dowant to actually really spotlight dads today and
thank all of you good daddy's outthere for helping us be better kids.
We love that we look forward toour show today. So I want to
start with the news and talk aboutsome records that have been set for TSA
in airport screenings. I'll tell youthis is no surprise to me as I
(02:39):
was through airports here recently on myvacation and working. But a record was
broken ahead of the Memorial Day weekendchrispher the number of airline travelers screened at
US airports. More than two pointnine million travelers were screened at US airport
(03:00):
courts on the Friday that preceded MemorialDay, surpassing previous records set last year
on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, accordingto the Transportation Security Agency, and officers
have set a new record for mosttravelers screened in a single day. The
third busiest day on record was seton last the Thursday after Memorial Day,
(03:24):
when just under two point nine milliontravelers were screened there as well, and
in Atlanta, the world's busiest airporthad is its busiest day ever. We're
talking like, not Christmas, notThanksgiving, No, no, it was
right here over the Memorial Day holiday. The second busiest day followed the Friday
(03:46):
after when one hundred and nine thousand, nine hundred and sixty people were screened.
Now, with one hundred and fourpoint six million passengers, the Atlanta
airport was the busiest in the worldlast year. US airlines expect to carry
a record number of passengers this summer. I know that we're well on our
way to achieving that goal if wehaven't already. And Trivia A predicted that
(04:13):
this is going to be the busieststart of summer weekend. They said Memorial
Day weekend in twenty years. Andall of that is hindsight news actually right
now, but well worth mentioning becausewe hit and broke all of those records
that have been previously set at airportsand with TSA. The next piece of
news, Chris, I want totalk about is something that actually I got
(04:35):
excited about on my vacation, andI think I mentioned it to you.
I'm not sure, but I beganto fall in love with uber on my
vacation. Did I tell you howto mend that? Yeah? Yeah.
I had a very helpful concierge atthe hotel that I stayed in in Orlando,
and he helped me launch Uber onmy app on my telephone and it
(05:00):
made transportation challenges very very easy.So I fell in love with Uber,
I really did, because there wasno place I couldn't go and no time
of day that I couldn't get there. So I love that. But Uber
has now announced that they're going tolaunch airport shuttle service in the US.
I found this really really interesting.They're going to offer transportation to events and
(05:26):
to airports. The service currently isavailable in Egypt and India, according to
Uber, and they didn't disclose actuallywhich airports are going to have this quote
unquote shuttle service available, but thatit was working with airport partners and local
officials across the United States and beyond. Now when the service becomes available,
(05:48):
customers are going to see a shuttleoption in their Uber app. Customers can
book up to five seats total fromseven days in advance to five minutes before
their shuttles scheduled departure. They're goingto be able to pay for and track
their shuttle within twenty five minutes oftheir departure time in their app. Now,
(06:10):
I think that's pretty slick technology.All right, I've never used Uber.
Actually, I was getting my carworking on I think they awesome.
I think they called an Uber forme. Yeah, But how is this
different than than using like a cabservice. Well, because, and I'll
tell you that the challenge that I'vealways run into with cabs. I love
cabs, I trust cabs, andthat's that was the method of transportation I
(06:32):
would usually use if I didn't renta car. However, cabs you can
call them and sometimes it'll take asmuch as thirty to thirty five minutes for
them to even show up if theydo, and that's some of the problems
that have started to originate with cabcompanies. And no offense to cab drivers.
(06:54):
I love you guys out there,if you if any of you are
listening to me right now, Ireally do love cab drivers. You do
an awfully great service, help alot of shut ins and that kind of
thing, So we appreciate your service. But Uber is instantaneous. I mean,
that's what the great part about Uberis. Now, I'm not exactly
(07:15):
sure how this is going to workwith these larger events. And what they
call airport shuttle service. But theysay riders are going to know they're fair
before they reserve their spot, whichyou can know now with Uber when you're
doing that, and their price willnot be affected by surging prices. And
when their shuttle arrives, riders aregoing to have their QR code ticket validated
(07:38):
by the driver, and they'll beable to rate and tip their driver in
the app, as they have beenable to do with all other rides.
Uber also sees potential, they say, for Uber Shuttle to be included for
Uber for business clients. Now.Since twenty twenty one, the company's been
operating shuttle routes for its employe inMission Bay office in San Francisco. I
(08:01):
didn't know they were already doing that, but they are, as well as
for employees in Seattle and Bangalore,India. Now the company also has begun
to offer shuttle service to Uber forbusiness clients in some overseas markets and sees
definite potential to expand the offering tomore clients in the US. Now here's
(08:22):
what I'll say. I don't thinkthat we'll ever want to or need to
replace cab companies. I think theystill are going to have a very viable
service for a lot of folks.However, Uber is out there for a
lot of people who, as youknow, Chris grew up on technology.
(08:43):
It's our millennials, you know,it's our gen zers. They don't know
anything except that. And they arenot going to wait for thirty five minutes
for a taxi to arrive when theycan know where their Uber driver is within
two minutes. Yeah. I knowa lot of like college age or young
professionals who don't want to own acar. It's exactly right because they can
(09:05):
just have Uber drive them everywhing Ohyeah. And I don't know if I
told you this or not. IfI did, I apologize for being redundant,
but for those listening, I diddo a comparison. We talked about
my vacation in Orlando last week withoutMickey Ears, and I did it really
off site, so that does presentsomewhat of a challenge when you're not staying
(09:28):
on property at Disney. However,I compared my Uber into end prices and
tips compared to what I would havehad to have paid for a rental car,
and I made out better on theUber side of things because I did
check into what a rental car wouldcost me with everything all in at the
(09:50):
time, and I said, I'mnot really sure how I'll make out on
the deal, but I'm going togo Uber on this one, and did
and it was less expensive than therental car would have cost me. So
just you know, some interesting news. And if this becomes an opportunity for
them to have shuttles in and outof the airports, okay, I think
you know, it could be agreat service. I bet you somewhere down
(10:11):
the road a lot of the cabcompanies will start using like Uber like technology.
It's possible. Yeah, it's possible, because this has got to be
It's a great technology and it worksso famously for getting you a ride when
you need it. And it's likehaving the pizza tracker. You just love
watching the little though. It's likeyou're in control exactly exactly. Now,
(10:35):
another thing, talk about new technology. I want folks to know that you
can now this is good. Youcan now renew your passports online. And
here's how. There's a new passportrenewal method. It was just launched actually
this week, and this is onethat whose time has come. Let me
(10:56):
tell you if anybody remembers the backlogof passports we had in the last two
years, everybody's standing applauding right now. But this week the State Department Chris
which manages the distribution of passports,announced a new beta test of an online
passport renewal program, which is goingto allow travelers to virtually complete the renewal
(11:18):
process. However, only travelers whocurrently live in the United States and have
passports that were issued between everybody's goingto run and get their passports now and
look issued between two thousand and nineand two thousand and fifteen are going to
be eligible to renew online. PassportHolders looking to change their name or date
(11:39):
of birth that you're also not goingto be able to renew online. Travelers
also need to have the ability toupload their own photo okay, and it's
worth noting that once an online applicationis submitted, a traveler's current passport is
going to be immediately canceled, sothose with international travel plans in their near
(12:01):
future shouldn't do this because you stillneed that passport. The agency says they
do not need travelers to mail theirexisting passport to them if they're using this
process now renewing a passport online isgoing to cost one hundred and thirty dollars
and credit card is the only acceptablepayment method for this. Is that a
(12:22):
higher price? It is? Itwas about eighty five dollars before if you
mailed it in. Oh wow,yeah yeah, But you know, if
I don't have to do all that, I'm so convenience is costly, you
know, as we all know.But people are willing to pay that to
get what they want when they wanted. You know. Now, this may
(12:43):
not be too exciting for anybody locally, but keep your eye on this piece
of next piece of news, becausework has begun on a southern California to
Las Vegas high speed train. Thisis big news, folks. Bright Line
West broke ground this week on ahigh speed rail line that's going to connect
Las Vegas to southern California. It'sexpected to open in twenty twenty eight.
(13:09):
And if you don't think there's goingto be some residual linkage to that in
the near future to other locations,I would probably beg to differ. And
doesn't La feed a lot of theVegas business, Yes, it does in
California. To Las Vegas is bigbusiness. But the Department of Transportation Secretary
Pete Budagietch joined Brightline West executives andlocal government officials for the official groundbreaking ceremony.
(13:35):
So I think we're going to seea lot more of the high speed
trains being talked about, negotiated,and perhaps put in in other strategic places
around the United States. We certainlyneed it. It's something that we see
a lot of in Europe and inAsia, but we never have seemed to
(13:56):
have made that leap here, andI think it's time. I think we're
going to see how successful this oneis and just watch what happens. I
would like a high speed train frommaybe the Stanton station to Vegas, just
for you, Chris, Vegas.Why not? I'm sure that's a big
corridor. Thirty five minutes. Okay, thirty five minutes, you say,
(14:22):
be a frustrated, It would be. It would be. Well, you
want to talk about some deals,now, yeah, I love the hot
deals. So Viking always seems tocrop up on my list of potential companies
that are running great, big sales. There is a sale right now on
Viking that's going to expire June theseventeenth, so you don't have but just
(14:43):
a couple of days on this one, but they are this is the one
everybody waits for. They're going tobe offering on Viking free airfare and the
free Silver Spirits beverage package. Vikingdoesn't always do that. That's the open
package. They usually if you're bookinga Viking cruise, you only get beer
(15:03):
and wine with dinner and lunch.But if you have the Silver Spirits beverage
package, that's kind of an openbar. People love that and they wait
for that. All you have todo is contact the wishing well if you're
interested in that special. It doesonly apply to some select sailings. It's
not across the board, but wecan tell you very easily which ones they
(15:28):
do apply to and if you qualify. Now, another thing in the world
of the way people like to traveland which really translates, I think into
the sale segment of our show isTalk Tours, one of our preferred luxury
providers. They are actually piloting orgoing to be piloting a new smaller groups
(15:50):
tour. They're capping them at fifteenguests per tour and for twenty twenty four
they still have some of the bestof the Canadian Rockies, which they're going
to continue in twenty twenty five.They've got Canadians Capital Cities plus Niagara Falls
again twenty twenty five is going toapply there as well. For Europe,
(16:12):
Northern Spain, Switzerland, a weekin Ireland. So if you're looking for
a group type trip that's fully escorted, Chris, but you don't like the
larger groups, even twenty or morepeople make you a little nervous. These
new groups that Talk is doing,capping them at fifteen guests, I think
(16:33):
is just what the doctor ordered.A lot of people are real excited about
that, and I thought i'd sharethat with us with our audience today.
Then there are some salefares from Princess. Princess Cruise Line is really blowing the
doors off of some of their deals. They have Alaska on sale right now
Voyage of the Glaciers cruise prices forseven night cruises, Chris, I can't
(16:56):
believe this. Three hundred and ninetynine dollars per person, and we do
have Every time we advertise this,we sell tons of Alaska and right now
is a great time to go.These would be considered some of the last
minute deals. I was talking tosomebody in the office today, do you
realize we are already halfway through thisyear. Yeah, unfortunately I know,
(17:17):
and I keep looking at these dealsgoing, oh my gosh, before you
know it and we blink, summeris going to be over. So if
you want to go to Alaska,these are great deals for you to jump
on right now. Princess has anotherone for inside passage cruises from six hundred
and forty eight dollars per person,and cruise tours, which is where you
have the land and the cruise together, starting from only nine hundred and ninety
(17:38):
nine dollars per person. If youwant to go to Europe, you've still
got time and Princess is just theway to go. Mediterranean cruise fares are
starting from only seven hundred and ninetyseven dollars. Most of the Mediterranean cruises
are seven to ten days at least, so that's a great deal. Northern
Europe is nine hundred and ninety sevendollars plus depending on your cabin type.
(18:02):
And then Canada and New England.I've started just get inquiries for that already.
People are looking for fall folkeeping,so cruise fares on Princess for Canada
and New England. Most of theirsare going to leave from New York,
some from Boston. But those cruisefairs are starting from four hundred and seventy
nine dollars. And if the Caribbeanis still your cup of tea, and
(18:25):
it is for a lot of people, and you've got some vacation time,
you want to burn away Eastern Caribbean, Western Caribbean and Caribbean adventures from Princess.
It's what they do best, really, in my opinion. The Eastern
Caribbean fairs starting from four hundred andfifty seven dollars, Western Caribbean from four
hundred and ninety eight. So thereyou go, Chris, that's our sales
(18:47):
for this Father's Day weekend. AndI think there's something certainly in there that
would probably fit under anybody's wish list. Well, you talked about Alaska,
Mama Carmichael, my stepdad or inAlaska this week? No way, They're
on a cruise awesome. And Iwas trying to tell them everything they need
to pack based on the show wedid a few months back exactly, and
(19:08):
she's like, I already have everythingpacked. Well, good, I have
everything. I couldn't tell her anything. She didn't know. Well, I
tried. I wanted to feel likeI had information to break it. She
was more prepared for the trip thanI was. That's awesome. So I
hope they're having a wonderful time toAlaska. That's a heck of a Father's
Day present. So today's show iscalled Dad Ventures. Yes, a gift
(19:30):
is not always a tie. Iknow, and you know our poor dads.
It's so hard you guys and presentcompany included Chris. Guys are hard
to buy for. They really are. So I do know one thing,
travel always fits. You know.You just have to get it right.
Yeah, you do. You gottaknow dad. Well, yes, let's
(19:51):
get into dad Ventures next. Herein my life less ordinary. Protect your
vacation investment with guidance from a travelprofessional. The wishing Well knows travel and
help you avoid falls. They canspoil your hard earned vacation. We'll plan
your trip and have your back asyou travel. All of this without support
or so called convenience fees. We'reon the web at THO Wishingwell dot biz
or call us at five four zeronine zero eight two three three three.
(20:15):
That's five four zero nine zero eighttwo three three three. The Washing Well
really does make dreams come true andwelcome back to a life less ordinary The
Travel Show on podcasts from your friendsat the Wishing Well. You'll find them
on ne f Avenue in Harrisonburg,online at the Wishingwell dot biz, or
you can give them a call atfive four oh nine oh eight twenty three
(20:37):
thirty three. And I'm sure Terrywould love to talk to you about some
dad ventures and the hot deals thatwe were just talking about before the break.
Absolutely, But yeah, Dad's dayis tomorrow, and I guess maybe
we're a little too late to bebooking travel for Dad tomorrow. You know,
it's never really too late, butwere give him the gifts, you
know, the little uh you knowcard that says, Dad, you're going
(21:00):
here and you can book it whenit's perfect for you. That's right.
I'll bet Dad would even like itif you said, and we're going together,
you know, it's even better.My dad might not be So.
There was a recent study done byYahoo and they were asking people, you
know, dads, what do youreally want and what don't you want?
(21:22):
Sure? Here are the gifts toskip by the way, Okay, fishing
gear, golf related items, Hawaiianshirts, bow ties, cuff links,
jim attire, any of that.Best dad merchandise, socks, barbecue tools,
and jewelry okay, pretty much thego to when you don't know what
to buy dad. Those are allthe things you should actually stuff that always
pops up on your computer whenever youlook for best gifts for Dad. But
(21:45):
here are the top picks for dads. Okay, I'm interested a shared meal,
okay, budget friendly alcoholic beverages,quality time together, hotel stays,
especially when it involves wine. Ilike it, and get away adventures there
you go, which is exactly thefocus of our show. It's a dad
(22:06):
venture, it really is. AndI actually always enjoyed Father's Day with my
dad. He was just a tonof fun. But I've been without him
now for sixteen years and I won'tlie, Chris. I miss him all
the time, but especially missing youknow now over Father's Day. My dad
was one of the key reasons andencouraged me to get into the travel business.
(22:26):
So I really owe him a lotfor being my cheerleader. So if
your dad is still with you tocelebrate this Sunday, then I'm here to
encourage you to get a little creativeand do some extraordinary things in ways to
celebrate him and quite possibly with himas well. I think those make the
(22:48):
best gifts, you know, becauseDad doesn't want to open just a box.
He wants something he can do withyou. At least that's what my
dad always wanted. I'll say thatthat survey, three of them were quality
time, shared adventures, shared meals. Yep. And I'm sure you've already
figured out based on what you justsaid and the way I reacted, when
it comes to celebrating the special menin our lives. I'm going to tell
(23:11):
you that nothing beats creating lasting memorieslike travel. I mean, it just
does. And I think you know, regardless of whether we really are talking
about Father's Day, but if weweren't, any holiday is a good Any
day, any week is a goodtime to talk about travel. I think
you know. But whether your dadis an outdoorsman, know a history buff,
(23:33):
my dad was both a foodie.There's countless destinations and experiences that cater
to his unique interests in the travelindustry, so you can get very personal
with this type of gift giving.That's why I like it. I want
to stroll through some of these exceptionaltravel ideas with you today that's going to
make your dad's next adventure really kindof unforgettable. We're going to talk about
(23:57):
thrilling outdoor paids to some cultural explorationsand culinary things. Because these travel ideas
are supposed to inspire you and delightyour dad's So no matter what his favorite
thing to do is, I hopeI've got the perfect gift for you to
give to him. And like yousaid, Chris, you don't have to
(24:18):
wrap this gift up and go,hey Dad, we're leaving on Monday.
You don't have to do that.You can just think about this, listen
to the show today in its entirety, and go, that was a great
idea. I'm going to plan thiswith my dad, sit down with him
this holiday and say I wanted todo something special for you. Guess what
(24:40):
this is where I want to gowith you. So this is going to
inspire I think. I hope that'smy goal. Anyway, And I talk
to a lot of people, mother'sdaughter's, wives, you name it,
and guys, and I won't lie. You all are just so hard to
buy for you really are? Youeither have it, you have you want
the most expensive of whatever it is, it's not happening when you want to
(25:03):
do it, or my favorite,there's nothing I want. Yeah, does
that sound familiar. It's because atthis point in my life, I've bought
everything that I want. Yeah,exactly, That's what you all do,
and it'll give us nothing on thetable, And if I need something,
I'm running out today to get itand I'm not waiting. I know.
See that's the way you all are. Well. I knew there had to
(25:26):
be a way to please the hardestto please guy and not break the bank
and not buy another tie or dumbelectronic device. And the answer for me
had to be traveled. Am Iright? So now, before I jump
into some of my favorite gift ideasfor Dad, I want to share with
you another reason why I like thisidea so very much. As a gift
(25:47):
for fathers. Several years ago,Chris, I might have mis mentioned this
to you. I read a bookwritten by Nicholas Sparks, you know,
the guy that wrote the famous Notebook. It was a book and it turned
into a movie and real tear jerker. Well, another one of his great
works I think would have to bea book entitled Three Weeks with my Brother
(26:11):
I don't know if you have everread that. It is a must read.
I would highly recommend it for itstravel content, but also because it
reminds us of something. It remindsus to embrace life with all of its
uncertainties, and most of all,to cherish, cherish those joyful times,
both small and momentous, and thewonderful people who make them possible, those
(26:34):
being our dads. You know.So I thought about this book a lot
when I was researching and preparing fortoday's show, and it reminded me to
go back and reread it again.It's not about a relationship with Dad,
it's his brother, but it's aboutthe importance of embracing all of those life
moments and whenever we can. Bythe way, three weeks with my brother
(26:56):
would also make a really great giftfor Dad, just saying, you know,
even if he doesn't have, youknow, a brother, it's just
it's just a tender story about howfamilies can travel together and what occurs life
happens in those moments. And that'sthe message I want to have here in
(27:17):
today's show. If you're traveling withDad or mom or your family, what
life happens in those moments that you'rewith them, so you should make the
most of them. But I wantto begin exploring some of these travel gift
ideas together, and Chris, youlet me know which of these you find
interesting. I'd be interested in that, and maybe somebody else would as well.
(27:37):
I'm ready. So the first categoryI'm going to hit is our outdoorsman.
Okay, I said, my dadwas if if your dad is this
kind of dad, you're in luckbecause a trip that takes them into the
heart of nature. That's really aperfect choice. And that's easy. It's
just because nature's everywhere. You know, consider maybe a hiking expedition to Patagonia
(28:00):
and Argentina. Now I know thisone wouldn't be for everybody, but hanging
there with me for a minute,because I want to explain that one.
First of all, Patagonia Argentina isjust a captivating destination for a lot of
reasons. First of all, you'vegot this stunning landscape. It is absolutely
gorgeous. It's got some of themost breathtaking natural scenery on the planet.
(28:23):
So imagine, if you will,that you're there with your dad, You're
in this beautiful place together, andyou're about to explore everything from mountains to
glaciers to crystal clear lakes that they'vegot there, and these vast grasslands just
a beautiful place. So already Ilike the tone of the trip, you
(28:44):
know. And then you've got thisunique wildlife. You've got these awesome condors
there that go soaring overhead, tothe most absolutely adorable penguins that waddle along
the coast there. Patagonia is hometo just a diverse array of wildlife.
You can spot seals that lounge onthe beaches there, and if you're lucky,
(29:07):
even a puma or two prowling throughthe forest there. You don't want
to get too close to those guys, of course, but what a great
adventure for you to be able toexperience something like that with your dad and
have him see those things with youfor the first time. I mean,
that's magic right there. And thenyou've got the cultural richness of Patagonia.
It's not all about its natural beauty, but it's also got just a rich
(29:30):
cultural heritage there. You can immerseyourself in the fascinating history of that region
by visiting some of the indigenous communitiesthat are there, learning about the traditions
of the to Walchi, I'm sorry, t Walchie people, all of which
offer insights into Patagonia's past. Sothat's really kind of another reason why this
(29:53):
is such a great area. Andthe book that I was talking to you
about with Nicholas Sparks, he didn'tgo to Patagonia. I picked that one
because of all of the wonderful thingsI found about it. But he went
into Machipichu area with his brother,and that's what you'll read about his experiences.
(30:14):
The other thing about Patagonia, though, it's just that remote wilderness.
And I'll tell you what. Forthose seeking solitude and some serenity, Patagonia's
untouched wilderness provides just the perfect escape. For dad. If this is a
trip that you'd want to maybe lettinggo on on his own, Maybe he
needs this, Maybe he needs atrip like that. This would be a
(30:36):
great trip for somebody who was lookingfor that serenity. Now like Patagonia a
bunch for all of those reasons,and because, let's face it, if
your dad truly appreciates the outdoors,this travel gift choice would be akin to
a Rembrandt painting for him. Imean, it's wonderful, but overall,
Patagonia, Argentina offers just this uniqueblend of natural beauty, adventure, wildlife,
(31:00):
cultural experience just makes it a trulyexceptional destination for travelers looking for that
unforgettable experience. But if that's justan idea that's a little too far out
there for you, maybe it's notprice right, or you would consider maybe
a thrilling whitewater rafting trip. Youcan do that in as close as West
(31:22):
Virginia, you know, or ifyou want to go a little further,
yeah, exactly, or even theGrand Canyon. You know, there's some
great whitewater river rafting trips in thein the Grand Canyon for an adrenaline field
adventure. Or you can explore theancient rainforest, which I did in Costa
Rica. There are endless possibilities fordads out there who crave the wild outdoors.
(31:45):
And I love that first category becauseI can pack it all in,
you know, I can tell youabout some amazing places to go outdoors.
And we've just recently partnered Chris withseveral fantastic tour operators that's specialize in outdoor
adventures, one of which is acompany called g Adventures. They are fabulous
(32:06):
and back roads. They offer someof the very best adventure hiking, biking,
and off the beaten path trail adventuresyou could possibly imagine. So,
if again, your dad is anoutdoorsman, look no further. The wishing
well probably has that magical gift foryou, just waiting to give to that
special dad. I like about halfwayinto the outdoor adventure. Yeah, I
(32:30):
want to go somewhere where a beautifulscenery places I can take photographs. Oh
yeah, but a place that alsohas a really nice hotel and I'm not
camping, Yeah, in an RVA. So you know, you are my
ideal candidate for someplace like Patagonia,Argentina. You would absolutely love it there.
Yes, it would fit you justso perfectly. And so if Chris's
(32:53):
kids are listening right now, dadwants to go to Patagonia, Argentina,
just saying breath on that one.Okay, Now, let's look at another
category of dads out there, andthose are actually know some adrenaline junkies.
I mean they really they'll they'll gothe gamut. What in the world can
(33:14):
you get him? Well, oneof the things you can do is plan
a skydiving adventure. We talked aboutthis once upon a time on this show
in Switzerland the Swiss Alps, oryou can indulge in a thrilling bungee jump
in Queenstown, New Zealand, bothof which are they hit that mark of
high adrenaline. You know. Now, while I've not skydived over the Swiss
(33:37):
Alps, Chris, I have goneskydiving, and though I don't know how
much of an adrenaline junkie have tobe to do that, I can tell
you that it was one of themost exciting and unforgettable moments of my life.
And honestly, my dad was Hewas a Navy akin to the Navy
Seals. He was a precursor tothe Navy Seals. He was the underwater
(33:59):
demolition team in the UDT is whatit was called during the Korean War.
And so you I mean, we'retalking about a man who put his life
on the line for his brothers.Yeah. So when he came, I
mean, when it came to mecoming along and growing up with this man
who was my hero of a dad, I would have loved to have gone
(34:22):
sky diving with him. I wouldhave loved that. You know, he
probably could have taught me a thingor three, But that was the most
amazing experience of my life. Ican only imagine what it would be like
with a parent, you know,by your side, to have that awesome,
awesome experience and that moment when yourealize your hibove the ground. Imagine
(34:45):
that in the Swiss Alps you're nextto this aircraft. Skydiving over one of
the most beautiful places on Earth isdefinitely a bucket list trip. So and
if you if you know, it'snot really even expensive. I priced this
out, the Swis Alps experience,that's only like four hundred and sixty dollars
a person. So the biggest partof this gift giving would be in getting
(35:08):
to Switzerland, you know. Butthis skydiving adventure over the Alps, that's
four hundred and sixty bucks. That'sdoable, you know. But for water
sports enthusiasts, you might want toconsider a surfing trip to a Wise North
shore that's where it's the most beautiful, or maybe a scuba diving scuba diving
(35:28):
expedition in the Grand Great Barrier reefin Australia. Those heart pounding experiences,
Chris are sure to make your dad'sadrenaline sore and the final adrenaline junkie option.
How about going on a sharp dive? No, thank you? Well,
yeah you can do that. Andactually, I know a lot of
people who I thought would be verytimid and would never ever consider anything like
(35:52):
that, have come to me andsaid, Terry, I'll go if you
go. And as a matter offact, you don't even have to go
as far as Hawaii or Australia forone of these experiences. You only have
to go as far as Atlanta,Georgia to the Georgia Aquarium. As a
matter of fact, did you knowthat the Georgia Aquarium is the only place
in the world where you are guaranteedto swim with white sharks, mannar rays,
(36:17):
and thousands of other marine animals.It's in their Journey with General Giants
program. Guests get in on theirOcean Voyage exhibit. It's built by Home
depot thousands of amazing animals for theexperience of a lifetime. So you only
have to go to Georgia. Itsounds like fun. My problem is I
(36:38):
don't like water. Oh so thesurfing, the whitewater rafting, the shark
diving. Yeah, so here's thething that's something that you and I share
in common. I am. I'mnot a great swimmer. I can doggy
paddle, and I can tell youthis, I could never swim hard enough
to save my own life. Probably. However, when I was in Bermuda,
(37:00):
I did something that I thought i'dnever do. I went diving.
Okay, and you're saying, howin the world did you do that?
Well, I went on an excursionthat was called a helmet dive. Now
I don't know if you know whatthat is or not, but I want
you to imagine this, if you'relistening today, that you take a glass,
(37:20):
just a regular glass, hold itupside down and immerse it into water.
You put oxygen in under that,and you have a perfect bubble in
which to put your head. Yourhair never gets wet, even in these
helmet dives, and they pipe oxygenin under the helmet, and you're able
to walk around on the ocean floor. Don't have to know how to swim,
(37:43):
but you have the most amazing experienceunderwater. I might try that.
That sounds like fun. Actually yeah, And actually some of these shark dives
that when I was researching this,you can do the same way they do
it with a helmet dive, whichoffers that extra protection you know, around
your head, which people like that, so it's really great. So if
you're pushing the adrenaline button right nowand that's up Dad's ally, a lot
(38:07):
of those might just be a greattravel gift up opportunity for Dad and a
great gift for you to wrap upfor Dad. All right, So if
adrenaline isn't Dad's thing, we're goingto slow it down a little bit for
Dad, but still it's going tobe great Dad ventures. Next here on
a Life Less Ordinary. Protect yourvacation investment with guidance from a travel professional.
The wishing Well knows travel and helpyou avoid pitfalls they can spoil your
(38:29):
hard earned vacation. We'll plan yourtrip and have your back as you travel.
All of this without support or socalled convenience fees. We're on the
web at THO Wishingwell dot viiz orcall us at five four zero nine zero
eight two three three three. That'sfive four zero nine zero eight two three
three three. The washing Well reallydoes make dreams come true. Hey,
(38:51):
welcome back to a Life Less Ordinary, the travel showing podcast from your friends
at the wishing Well. You canfind them on ne f Avenue in Harrisonburg.
Online the wishing Well dot diz bI Z or give them a call
five four nine to eight, twentythree thirty three. Today's show is entitled
dad Ventures, and we have donethe outdoors, the adventures, the high
(39:12):
adrenaline adventures, and now sometimes that'sstill outside and probably has an adrenaline kick
to it, but is a littlebit more low key. It is.
It's a little bit more low key. I have to tell you that I'm
just having a ball today. Theseare great fun and there are a lot
of dads out there who are golfjunkies. You know, we were talking
about adrenaline junkies. They're golf junkies. And you could, Chris, you
(39:36):
could book your dad a legendary tripto Saint Andrew's in Scotland. You could
do that. That would be agreat family trip as a matter of fact.
But alternatively, you could do somethingelse that's a little more doable,
a little more affordable maybe for somepeople, and even turn that into a
family vacation at the all inclusive MoonPalace in Cancun. It's got its own
(40:01):
twenty seven whole Jack Nicholas designed golfcourse directly adjacent to its expansive resort,
and I've actually stayed at this place. It has its own convention center right
next door, so it's a bigplace. The Moon Palace really is kind
of like I say, a cityunto itself. But it does also have
(40:22):
this great Jack Nicholas golf course forthose who are really into that. Dad
would love it. It is alsoan all inclusive resort, so who doesn't
love that. Even anybody who's travelingwith Dad would love that. So everybody
gets to play and enjoy all ofthe culinary experiences there and stay well hydrated.
I will say golf is obviously agreat choice for Dad and this year
(40:45):
give him a trip. Don't justgive him the golf teas and the balls.
Has probably got enough of those andlost enough of those, so this
would be a much better choice.And I'm betting you at the Moon Palace
they'll give you your own teas andballs there probably. Yeah. Now,
next are our history buff guys andcultural guys. Yeah, my dad was
(41:07):
into that category as well. Soif your dad is a history buff or
has a passion for cultural explorations,you can plan a trip with him that
takes in two some iconic sites andexplore maybe the ancient wonders of Egypt Pyramids
of Giza, to the Temples ofLuxor, or immerse yourself in the rich
(41:27):
history of Rome, maybe by visitingthe Colosseum, the Vatican City Room Forum.
For a more immersive experience, youmight consider a cultural trip to Japan.
I did that, and I willtell you my dad actually encouraged me
to do that. As I toldyou, my dad was in the Korean
War and he was telling me whenI was younger just how beautiful it was
(41:50):
over in Asia. He didn't havefond memories, of course, of that
area because he was in conflict atthat time, but he did paint the
pictures for me in mind of whatthis place must look like before I got
there, and I have to tellyou it did not disappoint. Japan was
an amazing kaleidoscope of history and cultureand food and everything all at once.
(42:12):
So that too, could make agreat trip. But if all of those
sound like a big commitment, Iknow they are. But for some dads
this would be a bucket list tripfor sure. I've got a fabulous historic
tour, though that's more local innature. Washington, d C. To
Philadelphia, and it's an extremely populartrip for those with a passion for history.
(42:34):
It's a non day tour. Youcan pick up your participation in this
in Washington, d C. Itgoes all the way to Philadelphia, and
it includes landmarks, presidential estates,the historic East that we all know about.
But how many of us have actuallyseen and gone through that historic tour.
Not many people have done that forall nine days in a row,
(42:57):
you know. But America's great chaptersin history come to life on a tour
like this. You're going to strolldown the quaint streets of colonial Williamsburg and
Jamestown, marching the steps of theAmerican Revolution and the Civil War. Soldiers
stand inside the markable Palladian walls ofGeorge Washington's Mountain Verden and Thomas Jefferson's Monticello,
(43:20):
prepared to be moved as this EastCoast vacation leads you to the marbled
memorials of Washington, d C.The sacred site of Lincoln's Gettysburg address,
and the symbolic Liberty Bell in thecity of brotherly love, Philadelphia. You
combine all of that with small towngyms, plus a visit to the wonder
and expansive views of the Shenandoah NationalPark. All of this is rolled together
(43:45):
in one great trip and one touroperator that we use for this trip.
And like I said, I knowwe live in this area, but we
haven't always experienced it like a tourist, you know what I'm saying, And
we haven't really earned the history likewe could. If we were on a
guided tour like this. And thereare so many dads out there, I
(44:07):
know that this would speak too,and this tour would be wonderful for This
is a good one. And thisis also offered by one of our premier
tour operators, Globus Tours. Theydo such a great job. There are
many other tours that do this.We've got another one with Collette that does
almost exactly the same thing. Doorto door service in many cases is offered
(44:30):
for these tours. So definitely,if your dad is a history buff,
put this one on your list.He will thank you. It'll be a
trip he'll never forget. That timemight go in a drawer, but this
trip is something he'll never forget.You know. Do we have time for
a couple more? Chris? Absolutely, well, I want to hit our
foodies, then dads who really loveand I know this speaks to you,
(44:52):
Chris, you're a culinary guy,but you can book a trip to France
where he can savor, you know, a lot of wines and the vineyards
Bordeaux, or could maybe enjoy someMichelin starred cuisine in Paris for that trip.
Though. You might even want toconsider one of the many Viking River
cruises we talked about that early onThere on sale right now, folks in
(45:13):
many cases offering the free air thatI said, so great time to buy
right now. Those beverage packages areincluded, and I can tell you food
is divine on Viking. You knowthat we did a group trip up the
Rhine last year. It was absolutelysuccessful. People went back for more.
Alternatively, you can explore street foodscene in New Orleans. Now that one
(45:37):
really speaks to me. I loveNew Orleans and I love the culture and
the cuisine there. It's interesting.I've never had much desire to go there.
But then there's the moments, youknow, when they have the parade
phone for Mardi Grass, absolutely,and then someone will mention jazz music and
I'm like, I want to go, Yeah, and everybody said to me
(45:58):
before I went. You know,it's like, oh, it's really spicy
there. You've got the you know, the Cajun food, and it's all
really spicy. But I was ableto find that happy medium. You know,
Terry Dean doesn't always like anything soreally hot and spicy. But you
know, I found my groove therein Cafe Dumont. I mean, are
you kidding me right now? Withthe beignets and please, I mean,
(46:20):
the pastries and the chocolate in NewOrleans is just to die for. And
they really do have some great Michelinstarred restaurants in New Orleans that have nothing
to do with Cajun food. Butif you like it, you like it,
and there's no place better to getit than New Orleans. I'll tell
you that. Now. Food toursand cooking classes are also a great way
(46:45):
for your dad to learn some newculinary skills and immerse himself in local flavors,
especially there in New Orleans. Theyhave some of the best led by
some of the top chefs in theworld. So New Orleans a great choice
if your dad again and is aculinary guy and really just enjoys food.
I love food. Yeah, sothere you go. Now, finally,
(47:06):
I want to hit something that alot of our dads truly love, and
especially those that like to drive.You know, I'm going to call this
our road trippers road trip Extravaganza.There's some something kind of liberating I think
for dads about hitting the open road, kind of going on a classic road
trip. You can plan a journeyfor dad along the iconic Root sixty six
(47:30):
in the United States. You know, that's always been kind of very popular.
You know, we know that fromthe fifties when Roots sixty six and
wasn't there a show that was calledRoot sixty six once upon a time,
think back in the sixties, Iknow, right, yeah, But still,
I mean, I think it speaksto dad's you know, just getting
in the car, being able totake that trip and just kind of unhooking,
(47:53):
unattached, untethered to life and anythingelse that's encumbering is really liberating for
dads. I'm glad you brought uproad trips because I I did a trip.
I did it by myself. Ididn't have kids to take with me
or my dad. You told meabout this, I want you to share
that. But to me, thisis one of the best trips I ever
(48:13):
did. And if your dad lovessports, he's gonna love this. I
booked, well, I actually didn't. I just got on the road and
drove. But I went to baseballstadiums around the eastern part of the United
States, so I I hit where'dI go? I went to New York
first went to Yankee Stadium, thendrove all day and night through the rain
(48:35):
to get to Chicago and went toWrigley Field, then down to Saint Louis.
And in each one of these towns, I was doing something local.
So when I went to New York, I went to Kat's Delhi. When
I went to Chicago, I wentto UNA's Pizza, the original. When
Saint Louis got ribs went up inthe arch, you know, try to
do something each one's hand. Wentto Detroit, went to the game and
(48:58):
got out. There wasn't a lotfor me to do in Detroit. Then
drove to Cincinnati and went to agame at All American, And then I
think Philadelphia, went to I sawthe Liberty Bell and you had to have
a steak and cheese. Please tellme you had a Philly seak and cheese.
I did, and I found outthat there is a big difference between
(49:19):
just a steak and cheese and aPhilly steak and cheese. Right, yeah,
it's got to have the cheese wizon it and Stuffy and I went
to a game there and then wentto Baltimore and saw the Oriols. Flate
did all that in the course ofnine days. See, I can't improve
upon that. I mean, whenwe're talking about a road trip with dad
(49:39):
and something that you could plan,Honestly, I think what Chris just described
would be ideal. And I meanreally even use the theme that you used,
Chris, which is to take Dadaround to all of the baseball parks.
I mean, I can't imagine anythingthat a dad who loves sports,
who loves baseball, and who lovesthat feel of the freedom of being on
(50:02):
a road trip wouldn't love that.The part for me, and what I
still tell people because I still getthe character on my phone out, I'm
like, here, look at thepictures I took. It was doing all
the things that were that made thosecities famous, right. It was going
up in the arch in Saint Louis, which I'm a little claustrophobic. They
(50:22):
put you in a little egg shapedcar and take you to the top.
But once you're there, it's amazing. Yeah, you know, it's those
little moments. Baseball game is abaseball game. It's cool to see the
old stadiums. It's cool to beable to say you were there. I
was in Yankee Stadium, the originalone before they tore down to build a
new one. But it was goingto stuff in you know, New York
City that I really remember. Yeah, you know the pictures that you can
(50:45):
take and be able to relive thosememories, oh yeah, for years to
come. So what I want everybodyto know who listens to us here on
a Life Less Ordinary, is thatlife should never never be ordinary. And
if I had it to do overagain, and I had my dad here
with me this holiday, this particularFather's Day, I would take every one
(51:07):
of these trips and I would wrapthem up and I would say, Dad,
these are the things that we're goingto do while we have time.
While all of you all who arelistening to us, have time, and
you have your dad's pick something,pick something remarkable, and take Dad on
(51:28):
one of these adventures. You willnever be sorry, you will never have
regrets, and it'll be something thatyou can both cherish forever. Yeah,
and we need those moments. Wedo. Everybody does. I mean,
life is a little boring unless wefind something to add a spark. Yeah,
(51:49):
it really is. Life is justordinary if we don't find something.
And that's what I hope listeners takeaway from this show week after week as
we bring the world to you ina very different way and a way to
help you apply it to the wayin which you live. And right now,
the way in which we live isin celebration of dads. This weekend.
It's all about dads. It's allabout the strong men that are in
(52:13):
our lives and we want to saythanks and celebrate yep, and dads that
weren't your natural dad too, Yeah, exactly, the guy who stepped up
to help lead you and guide youand teach you. Yeah, it's about
saying thanks in a way they don'tnever forget. Well, I've got a
dad and a stepdad, and Ihad a big brother in big brothers,
(52:35):
big sisters who was there for fifteenyears of my life. Yeah. I
have had a lot of good men, an uncle that was like a dad
to me, a lot of goodmen in my life that have cared for
me, made sure that I didn'tget too far off that. You know,
that's awesome off the path. Soyeah, sad, we thank you,
Yeah, absolutely, And happy Father'sDay out there to all of you.
(52:57):
Do something amazing, have a griteight an amazing weekend with your family
and your kids, and let's lethim know how much we appreciate it.
How do we get in touch withyou? We're easy to find. The
wishing Well is located at two fortythree nef Avenue in the Valley Center Chris
in Harsonburg, Virginia. You cancall us at five four zero none zero
(53:19):
eight two three three three or lookus up at the web. We are
at the Wishingwell dot biz. Thishas been a life Less Ordinary the travel
show from your friends at the wishingWell at two forty three nep Avenue in
Harrisonburg. If you have any questionson topics discussed today, please reach out
to the wishing Well online at theWishingwell dop biz or five four oh nine
oh eight twenty three thirty three.Past episodes are available on the iHeartRadio app.
(53:44):
And we'll see you again next Saturdaymorning at ten for a Life Less
Ordinary from the wishing well
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