June 21, 2024 • 53 mins
The Wishing Well's Terrie Dean and Harry Reif discuss this week's travel news!
Maximize your travel experience without breaking the bank! In this episode we explore the world’s most value-packed destinations. Discover how to stretch your dollars in Mexico, savor the affordable luxury of Vietnam, bask in the sun-drenched charm of Portugal, embrace the vibrant culture of Colombia, and enjoy the natural beauty of Canada. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or planning your first adventure, this episode is your guide to making every penny count.
Maximize your travel experience without breaking the bank! In this episode we explore the world’s most value-packed destinations. Discover how to stretch your dollars in Mexico, savor the affordable luxury of Vietnam, bask in the sun-drenched charm of Portugal, embrace the vibrant culture of Colombia, and enjoy the natural beauty of Canada. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or planning your first adventure, this episode is your guide to making every penny count.
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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 Harrisburg 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.
Say hello, hello, Chris,how are you this wonderful summer? Wee
wait minute, It is officially summernow, isn't it. Bet you it
showed up yesterday, Yeah, yep. And it feels like the surface of
(00:41):
the sun. Yeah. You knowmy favorite saying lights will lick the sun
exactly right. And we got tosay hi to Harry too. Well.
And the only tough part about itbeing summer, you know the days are
getting shorter again. Man, youare a kill join right, Sorry about
that. That'd be downer. Wow, enjoy while you can. It's great.
(01:07):
Well, you know, we havecontrol who gets in the studio how
does Saturday mornings? I didn't makethe invitation, did you, Yes?
I did? Okay, Well,then you almost the one to blame.
Some Almo's got to keep you guysfrom getting too giddy here on Saturday morning.
Well, Harry, I'm glad tosee you this week, and I'm
glad you brought the heat, andI'll be happy when it's gone. Me
too, Me too. So howwas your week? It was fabulously busy.
(01:32):
Things are rocking and rolling. Imean, I am so excited to
see, you know, normalcy inthe travel industry. But not everything is
just so normal, you know.It's It's funny how I've often said,
Chris that no matter what occurs inthe world or in the news, it
has some way of touching the travelindustry in some way, shape or form.
(01:56):
So it's been a very interesting coupleof weeks. We have details about
once made interesting we do. Shallwe start talking about news? Ye?
Okay, So first thing is we'vegot a couple of pieces of news here
from the airlines. American Airlines andits flight attendants Thursday said no deal.
(02:16):
Contract negotiations between them and the flightattendants ended Thursday without any kind of agreement.
The union representing the flight attendants saidthere could be a strike, and
why that's important for us is becausealmost anywhere you want to go in and
out of the Shenandoah Valley, beit Weir's Cave Airport, our shenando Valley
(02:39):
Regional Airport, or Charlotte's Filibemoral Airport, even Richmond, primarily you're going to
be on American because you're going toconnect through Charlotte to go most places.
So this is a news story that'svery definitely going to affect our area.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants saidAmerican flight attendants have not received a pay
(03:02):
increase in five years. The unionrepresents about twenty eight thousand flight attendants at
American, and union president Julie Hedricksaid American did not provide a meaningful compensation
package despite almost a year of mediatedtalks with the National Mediation Board. American
(03:23):
previously countered with a one time,take it or leave it offer of a
seventeen percent increase as some flight attendantsstruggled with low pay and high cost of
living in some of their major metropolitanareas. Ironically, as the union talked
about being one step closer to astrike. Airline management said it thought it
(03:46):
had made some good progress. That'sone of those scenarios of he said,
she said, you know, wemade good progress and negotiations this week,
adding even more to the industry leadingproposal we've had on the table for months.
We look forward to continuing negotiations soour flight attendants can benefit from the
(04:06):
contract they deserve. American Airlines saidin their statement, this agreement is within
reach and we look forward to additionaldates being scheduled. New higher flight attendants
at American Airlines start at just twentyseven thousand dollars a year. I was
rocked by that. I actually thoughtthat was incredibly low for an industry leader
(04:33):
like American Airlines. I mean,come on, folks, they're one of
the big five. So twenty seventhousand dollars a year not so much.
And be away from home all thetime that those flight attendants have to be
away is no small sacrifice. That'snot even thirteen dollars an hour. It
really is not. And though Iwill say this, this story kind of
(04:58):
ends up by saying a strike isnot imminent. However, the flight attendants
do have to go through a mandatorythirty day cooling off period as per rules
from the National Mediation Board, whichthey have not been granted yet. So
this is definitely a story I thinkthat's going to grab all of our attention.
We're definitely going to want to keepour eyes on how this progresses,
(05:21):
because I for one, am veryinterested since I fly a lot of people
out of this area. Well asksaying I have always had wonderful service with
American Airlines, and I think theydeserve a lot more than twelve dollars and
ninety cents an hour. You heardit here flight attendants, So you can
say Chris said we should get moremoney. That that's going to help you
(05:44):
out all in the negotiation. Iknow. Good luck to you. Now.
The FAA new story about Southwest Airlines. I'm sure we've heard about this
in the news, but FAA isinvestigating the Southwest Airlines flight after they made
their treacher approach this was just tooclose for comfort treachery. In fact,
(06:06):
the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating aSouthwest Airlines flight in which the pilot came
in for a landing dangerously to likea couple hundred yards above houses. Indeed,
the incident happened Thursday night, justprevious Thursday night, near will Rogers
(06:26):
Airport in Oklahoma City. At onepoint, Southwest Airlines flight four zero six
'y nine was just Chris, you'reright, five hundred and twenty five feet
above the ground. The incident happenedabout nine miles from the airport, and
the pilot did make a safe landing, but not without some harrowing moments.
(06:46):
Nothing is more important to Southwest thansafety of our customers and employees, a
company spokesperson said. Southwest said itwill work in tandem with the FAA to
quote unquote understand and address any irregularitieswith the aircraft's approach to the airport.
Apparently there was no problem within thecockpit, as the low altitude warning did
(07:11):
go off, according to the FAA, but it was the second time in
a week that a Southwest Airlines flightwas paris perilously close to the ground.
So we don't, you know,we really don't know all the things that
are going on with Southwest Airlines atalmost when I listen to some of these
stories, almost sounds like somebody's gotit in form. But then it almost
(07:34):
sounds too like they're self sabotaging.So I don't know exactly what's happening.
If it's poor training, if it'scustomer service issues, if it's mechanical issues,
you know, we just don't know. But what we do know is
that certainly in many cases their technologiesneed to be upgraded. At Southwest,
(07:55):
we know that because every time thereis an onslaught of a lot of passengers
who make their way to Southwest hubbedairports, things go wrong, things go
off the rails. So I thinkit's high time that Southwest did some reflection
and certainly did something about the issuesthat they have going on. Well,
(08:18):
it's important too to keep in perspectiveTerry that when you look at all the
flights that operate in a single day, and to have one or two incidents
here there, it's statistically small.The issue is that when something happens in
an airplane, it's usually not asmall incident. The results can be very
(08:41):
catastrophic. And so that's why wedo need to continue paying attention to these
and we do need to insist thattraining and operations depend on the best humans
we have behind the controls of thesemassive airplanes and all the people on board,
(09:01):
hundreds of people on board. Sowe just got to keep pushing for
that, and hopefully the FAA's gottheir eyes on this. I would have
imagine that it's going to be prettyfrightening for the regular travelers, people who
know we're not supposed to be thisslow, right, I mean, I
don't fly that much. I probablybe like, oh cool, we can
see someone's pool. You can senseit. You can sense when something's going
wrong. And I actually remember veryvividly I was flying into Ireland once upon
(09:26):
a time on an aer Lingus flight, and I personally felt like I'd flown
quite a number of times, andI felt like the flight was coming in
too low and too fast, andI knew that I was probably right as
I watched about a half a dozenpeople around me unstrapped their seat belts and
(09:50):
literally hurl themselves into the middle ofthe floor and just lay flat, Oh
my gosh, and start screaming,because I think people thought we were about
ready to crash as we were flyinginto Dublin and it was a bit low
and it was a bit fast.You know. Good news is we of
(10:11):
course we landed safely. But whenwe landed on the ground, everybody on
the plane stood and gave the Polleta standing ovation. Either that or they
were ready to lynch him. I'mnot really sure which, but yeah,
those I mean, those things happen. But it's important that we have regulations.
I think that's the main point ofthat whole story, is that we
(10:33):
have regulations that do keep us allsafe. And my favorite story on that
coming into Boston's Logan Airport one daywith an airline that's no longer flying but
was a great airline founded by aformer astronaut. We were coming into Boston's
Logan Airport and everybody felt that feelingwhen your stomach's moving too quickly as the
(10:54):
plane is shaking and rattling toward arunway and they pull up and pull down.
We finally did land on that runwayin Boston Logan and there was not
a person speaking. There was hardlybreaths being taken inside of this airplane.
And thank goodness, we had aflight attendant got on the PA system and
said, ladies and gentlemen, welcometo Boston's Logan Airport. We have just
(11:18):
attacked and conquered the runway at Boston'sLogan Airport. Everybody started breathing again.
I'm happy to say I've never hadany issue flying. Yeah, and you
know, for the most part,I want to say this, flying is
a whole lot safer than driving.There are a whole lot more incidents that
occur on the highways than do inthe air. But when they happen,
(11:41):
we report them. We report themhere, they're reported on national news,
and we keep you informed. Butthe good news is good things happen as
a result of those stories coming tolight. I like to believe that the
reason why we report them is becausethey are so rare. Exactly if they
happen all the time, we wouldn'ttalk about it, exactly right. Yeah,
(12:01):
Now moving on to our next story, one that I think I think
probably impacts a lot of people withoutthem really knowing. But Expedia did a
study and they completed their twenty fourthannual what they call Vacation Deprivation Report,
Chris. They revealed a striking trend. Americans are more vacation deprived than ever.
(12:26):
Now if you look at the numbersat the Wishing Well, I'd beg
to differ. But although half ofthem are still planning to leave vacation days
unused this year, and that isstaggering to me. Either, companies are
just giving their employees more vacation timenow than ever before, or people are
(12:46):
just that busy with onslaught of workthat they're not using them. But despite
having the fewest average days off ofany country surveyed, with just twelve allotted
to them each year, fifty threepercent of Americans don't intend to take full
advantage of their time off. What'smore, America has hit an eleven year
(13:09):
high at sixty five percent in termsof vacation deprivation, defined as feeling you
don't have enough time off, whilerates have fallen in other global regions.
Now, the report, which examinesglobal time off trends, suggests that US
workers could benefit from adopting some othercountries' outlooks and practices regarding time off.
(13:35):
We've got some international comparisons here forJapan, For one, Japanese workers,
similar to their American counterparts, takeabout eleven days off a year. However,
Japan reports the lowest vacation deprivation levelsworldwide at only fifty three percent.
This could be because Japanese employees tendto take more frequent, shorter vacations,
(13:58):
focusing on relax during their breaks.I thought that was interesting, and then
France. French workers take the mostvacation days globally, averaging about twenty nine
days off, two and a halftimes more than the American average. And
in France, vacations are seen asa fundamental right, with ninety three percent
(14:20):
of French workers considering rest essential comparedto only eighty three percent of Americans.
That's one month off a year.Terry, Yeah, let's go move to
France. We wei, yes,tris comment I'm packing my bags, yes,
sir. Yeah. So Expedia isencouraging Americans to make the most of
(14:41):
their time off. Currently, throughJuly the fourteenth, one key member who
feel vacation deprived can save at leasttwenty five percent on stays at thousands of
hotels during expedia Summer sale. Thesedeals are valid for travels through the end
of octob of twenty twenty four,providing an excellent opportunity to ensure that you
(15:05):
use those PTO days and get outthere and go traveling. But it's really
sad that we still are, youknow, after COVID, when we have
all this pent up desire to gosomewhere, that now we're so overwhelmed and
work is so pressing that we feellike we can't take the time. You
(15:26):
know, I never thought about thisuntil I got married. But you don't
always have the same amount of vacationtime as your spouse. That's correct,
and so Becca, my wife getsabout half as many days as I do.
I mean, I've been here fortwelve years, so I'm maxed out
on a number of days they'll giveme, sure, But I spend a
lot of my vacation time working aroundthe house while she's at work, And
(15:48):
so I could see how some peoplego. I don't want to take time
off and just go sit at home, hence the term staycations. I mean,
that's what happened. You're describing.Exactly why that came about is because
spouse's didn't always have equal time off, so one or the other took a
staycation. We need to change regulationson vacation and just give everybody twenty days
(16:08):
a year. Okay, I'm allright with that, except boot done.
My work is vacation. What areyou talking about, Chris, Yeah,
so is mine. Now, I'vegot a really fun story here to finish
up with on the news today,because I know we've probably got a lot
of country music fans out there.Who listen but Luke Bryan. He was
(16:30):
the acclaimed five time Entertainer of theYear and judge on American Idol. He
is set to celebrate the tenth anniversaryof his popular Crash My Plaia event that's
scheduled from January the fifteenth to theeighteenth of twenty twenty five at the luxurious
four diamond awarded Moon Palace, Cancun. This all inclusive Caribbean concert vacation promises
(16:56):
to be a memorable, memorable occasion. And I will tell you this,
the Moon Palace, without a doubt, is one of the most sensational properties
in all of the Revere Maya inCancun. I've been there. I've been
to conventions there. I've been onvacation there. I've played there. I've
been in the sand there. I'vebeen in the pool there. I've been
(17:18):
in the restaurants there. It's amazing. You've been there. I've been there
a second there. Now they're makinga decade of warm memories filled with music
and sunshine. This year's event isgoing to see Luke Bryan headlining for two
nights and joining him is going tobe Jason Alden, returning for his third
performance on the Beach, and CaineBrown making his debut at Crash My Plaia.
(17:41):
The lineup also features Bailey Zimmerman,Dustin Lynch, Dylan Scott, l
King Jackson, Dene, Nate Smith, Dasha Ella Langley, Tucker Wetmore and
DJ Rock among others, and attendeescan look forward to special guests, daily
pool party, and exclusive alumni perksto enhance this special ten year milestone celebration.
(18:06):
So tickets for this all inclusive destinationevent are going to go on sale
online to the general public starting atthree o'clock. Go ahead, sharpen your
crayons right now, because I'm goingto give you the date on June twenty
eight at three pm. Early accessis going to be available to previous attendees
through an alumni pre sale beginning ateleven am on the twenty eighth. And
(18:29):
additionally, fan club members of LukeBran, Jason Aldan, Cain Brown or
Dustin Lynch are going to have achance to purchase pre sale packages starting at
two o'clock on that same day.They expect this is going to be a
sell out. The Moon Palace CanConoffers its guests an oddeal array of luxury
(18:49):
and adventure with upscale accommodations, gourmetdining, twenty four hour room service.
Plus there's a water park on property, so it makes it makes a fun,
fun, fun event. And Chris, it's in January, oh in
Mexico, right, yeah, Imean, could it get any better,
(19:11):
especially if you're a Luke Bryan fan, and apparently he's got quite a following.
Entertainer of the Year is no slouchyaward to get for what we said
the fifth year in a row.Not too bad, Yeah, not too
bad. But I'll tell you whatthat property, even if you're not there
with the entertainment, it's still ahands down winner. That is a great
(19:33):
property. We've sent lots of peoplethere. So here's my thinking. If
you want of those vacation deprived peoplestart the new year with a clean perspective,
go to the Moon Palace. Getsome of those days knocked out.
Right away. You're halfway there.I'm on board. Okay, it's good.
My bags are packed from something youwere doing with Harry earlier. We'll
(19:56):
just go there now. We'll leavefrom France on our way there. That's
right, And I are leaving therefrom France. So our show today is
called get more Bang for your Bucket. Are we going to be talking deals?
We are going to be talking somedeals. But right now, Chris,
the US dollar is going farther thanever before in certain areas, so
we're going to be taking a lookat how that can benefit you as a
(20:18):
traveler. Okay, well, we'llget more bang for our buck next here
on a Lifeless Ordinary. Protect yourvacation investment with guidance from a travel professional.
The wishing Well knows travel and helpyou avoid pitfalls they can spoil your
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 biz orcall us at five four zero nine zero
(20:42):
eight two three three three. That'sfive four zero nine zero eight two three
three three. The wishing Well reallydoes make dreams come true. And welcome
back to a life less Ordinary,the travel showing podcast from your friends at
the wishing Well. Our friends todayare Harry and Terry from the wishing Well.
You can find them at two fortythree and f Avenue in Harrisonburg Online
(21:03):
at the wishing Well dot biz orgive them a call at five four oh
nine oh eight twenty three thirty three. And I enjoy every Saturday morning as
we get to sit down and talktravel. I do too. Our show
today is about getting more bang forour buck while we travel. Isn't that?
Just the most fun you can haveon a Saturday is learning how to
save money and talk about travel.I'd rather not have to come to work
(21:26):
on Monday, and we can doit then. But yeah, sure,
Saturday is as good as any day. Yeah, plan your travel on Saturday.
Take the day off, as wewere just talking about earlier. Take
Tuesday off if you want, also, Chris, and get more bang for
your buck. I like how everythingfor you. Who doesn't want to get
more for their money these days?Anybody owls anybody? That's right. You
(21:49):
got groceries and gas. I meanthose are two right now that I'd like
to see them do something about.But you shoes one or the other.
Yeah, things here at home inthe US are expensive, we know that.
But abroad you'd be amazed, Chrisby how far you can stretch your
dollar. These days, the USdollar is incredibly strong against many major international
(22:15):
currencies, and that means your dollargoes further in many places abroad and in
a world where travel dreams often seemjust out of reach, there's really good
news for travelers who are seeking valuewithout compromising on experiences. Which is why
I love a lifeless ordinaries, becausewe tell you how to do that week
(22:40):
after week after week. But todayI'm going to tell you where to go
to do that, and to beable to really save while you're doing that.
Our travel decisions sometimes wind up takingaway some of the most desirable parts
of our travel adventures, and wedon't want that to happen, and that's
a bummer. So, whether you'rea budget savvy backpacker or you're a luxury
(23:03):
aficionado that we talk about so manytimes here on a life less ordinary,
looking to maximize every single dollar isone of the highest priorities for a lot
of what we call our globe trotters. These days, and these destinations that
I'm going to talk to you abouttoday are currently buzzing with affordability and excitement.
(23:25):
So this morning you can actually justsit back, pack a bag maybe,
and get ready to explore where yourdollar is going to go. A
lot further than you thought it might. Now I want to take a look
at some of these today and keepan open mind, because a lot of
these, Chris, they might notbe on the list that you would have
had a tendency to jump on first. But for those of you out there
(23:49):
who are listening, who will travelif you have the promise of a great
deal, I can tell you rightnow this show is for you, because
first on my list is a destinationwhere not a lot of people. This
would not come to the top ofa lot of people's minds. I'm pretty
sure about that. It's a destination, however, that I've been thinking about
(24:11):
personally for probably about the last threeyears, and people who know me well
know I've talked about it. I'mintrigued by it. I would very much
like to go, and now wouldbe the perfect time. And that is
Vietnam. Really, It's where historymeets hospitality. I like to say,
(24:32):
yeah, and picture this, You'rekind of cruising through the streets of Hanoi
or soaking up some of the beautifulbeach shores, all without denting your wallet.
I mean, that sounds great rightthere. Vietnam has long been a
haven for budget travelers, They offereverything from some mouthwatering street food to breathtaking
(24:56):
landscapes at Hollong Bay. And you'vegot these fa favorable exchange rates, a
vibrant culture waiting to be discovered,and Vietnam ensures everything you do counts toward
unforgettable memories. As a matter offact, I was actually watching a one
of those master competition cooking shows onFood Network the other night, and they
(25:22):
were featuring gourmet foods from Vietnam.I was definitely intrigued. Now, vacationing
and travel, to me, isnot all about food. But if you
miss the cuisine part of any destinationthat you're going to, you're missing a
really big part of what defines thattrip for you later as you talk about
(25:45):
it with your friends and family.And to me, Vietnam is one of
those places where if you don't experiencethe cuisine there, you experience only a
portion of it. And if youdon't think it's possible to land a great
deal worth leaving home for the Vietnam, let me try and prove you wrong.
Right now, I've got a twelveday that's twelve days again, all
(26:08):
of you vacation deprived people out there, twelve day, fully escorted tour with
most meals and your round trip airfareincluded from Los Angeles is starting from only
twenty five hundred dollars per person,and I know that is something that most
people wouldn't even believe. Even youraccommodations on this tour are all four star
(26:32):
and you have a tour guide throughoutyour experience. So this is a fully
escorted tour throughout Vietnam. You're goingto experience a lot of each of these
cities that I want to share withyou about Ho Chi Man, Hanoi,
the Hollong Bay again, all ofyou most of your meals included. You
can even add an optional full daytour on the Mekong Delta River that includes
(26:56):
a sampan ride, which is that'swhat they actually call the East Asia boats
that they use out there with theoars. They're unmistakably Asian type vessels,
but they have oars. They rowthem like a rowboat, and they'll take
you through these winding canals through theMaykong Delta River. You have a visit
(27:18):
to a coconut factory, there,a handicraft workshop. You'd love that,
Chris, and even a local honeybeefarm. So it's safe to say this
is not a cookie cutter trip.It does have many of the desirable inclusions
that put you a little off thebeaten path somewhat, but the accommodations are
always going to be conveniently located.They're clean, well appointed, and for
(27:42):
sure fairly priced. And I knowVietnam is on a lot of folks bucket
lists. Now is the perfect timeto make the most of getting there,
because, as I said, yourdollar goes a lot farther, twenty five
hundred dollars for twelve days with airincluded out of LA and most of your
(28:02):
meals and a tour. God,I mean to reiterate that even sounds crazy,
but it's absolutely true. So allyou'd have to do is get yourself
to Los Angeles and the rest isat your beck and call wow, yeah,
that's a great deal. Now nexton my list. Probably this won't
surprise a lot of people, andthose of you who are hoping to get
(28:25):
to Mexico this year, to you, I say, oh lah, paradise
seekers, because this is the onefor you. For me, the Mexican
allure goes way beyond all of thestunning beaches that are there, for sure,
and the ancient ruins. It's alsoone of the best bangs for your
buck destinations around. So, whetheryou're going neck deep shopping in some of
(28:49):
the colorful markets in Wahaka, oryou're indulging in some local cuisine like my
favorite homemade tacos on a busing streetcorner, or just kind of roaming around
exploring some of the vibrant nightlife ofMexico City, your dollar here is going
to stretch farther and wider. Mexicois so rich with culture and history and
(29:15):
natural beauty, and it really justinvites travelers to come and marvel in their
brand of luxury, actually without thatluxury price tag. And again, if
you doubt me how affordable a vacationchoice to Mexico can be, I'm going
to talk to you about it.I'm going to share another package with you
that might just spark your interest.How about Chris a seven night all inclusive
(29:41):
package at a five star resort withdirect NonStop flights from Dallas for only twenty
eight hundred dollars per couple. That'sonly fourteen hundred dollars a person for seven
nights in a five star resort withAaron cl that's amazing. And this resort
(30:03):
is even an adult's only resort,which means you probably won't be fighting for
space getting to restaurants or pools orbeach chairs. This property is a romantic
wonderland surrounded by crystal blue waters.You've got walkways that wind their way through
lush gardens. There's hammocks on thisproperty that are actually tucked away under palm
(30:27):
trees and just minutes away. Ifyou're a scuba diver or you just love
snorkeling, there's opportunities there to discoverone of the largest reefs in the Rivie
Maya. They've got archaeological destinations aswell as echo parks here, natural sandy
beaches, and of course the Mayneculture and the Mayan ruins. You'll see
(30:47):
all of that. There are hundredsand hundreds of more all inclusive properties in
Mexico, and like Cancun, they'repopping up in Los Cabos, Porto,
Velliarta and in Acapulco. So nomatter where you choose to go, Mexico
is just pure magic, I think. And it helps to have a travel
(31:08):
professional actually, somebody who's been thereand can help you navigate to just the
right resort, because, as Ilike to say, not one size fits
all. I mean, just becausean adult's only property might be just the
thing that a honeymoon couple is lookingfor. On the other hand, and
the next visit at the wishing Well, I might have a family of six,
(31:30):
you know, two adults and fourkids who that wouldn't work for at
all. So you really have towork with the right travel professional, somebody
who can match you up with theright property, and you don't want to
know the difference about how that's goingto affect you when you arrive at the
property. Nobody likes that kind ofsurprise. So another one of the destinations
(31:51):
that I would say is worth puttingon your list of great places where your
dollar goes further right now is definitelyMexico. Now, I'm going to turn
the mic over to Harry right now, because he just did a fabulous trip
to Canada and had a great groupof folks that went with him up there,
and I want him to talk,if you will, a little bit
(32:13):
about the buying power that Canada affordstravelers right now. Yeah, when I
was growing up, the difference betweenCanadian and US dollars was measured about a
dime. Today it's you know,it's a solid quarter. And more so,
you're getting a twenty five percent booston your dollar up in Canada at
(32:34):
least. And this goes across theboard. This is true from everything.
It includes things you were talking about, terry, things like food, includes
things like lodging, It includes evengratuities up there, so everything you're doing,
things that you are doing to visithistoric sites. We visited many most
(32:54):
beautiful basilica's there, just like beingin Europe. The part of Canada that
I was in this last week wasin the capital of Canada, of course,
Ottawa, and then I went overto the French speaking side in Quebec
and we visited Quebec and we visitedparticularly Montreal and Quebec City, the historic
(33:17):
Quebec city Chris, which is justlike being in parts of Europe. You
hear French on the streets, butEnglish is very popular there too, And
we stayed at a most magnificent hotel. While we were in Montreal, we
watched the Olympic Stadium, Remember theOlympics. They built that stadium with the
roof that was supposed to be raisedbut didn't work. For the Olympics.
(33:40):
I don't remember that sad news.It still doesn't work, but it's a
beautiful piece of architecture and the Canadianshave repurposed it and so they built a
soccer stadium right next to it.There's an amusement park where the Olympic village
was, so lots of things tosee there and very very economical. The
(34:00):
things that I enjoyed, especially overthere were the food experience is because you
get the taste of the French cuisine, the French influenced cuisine over there,
and again you're buying it at atwenty five or thirty percent discount with your
US dollars as you're talking about terry. Yeah, as a matter of fact,
I look to the exchange rate uptoday and one US dollar equals one
(34:25):
point five to one Canadian dollars,so you're getting fifty cent more on every
dollar that you spend by using USmoney. So Canada definitely is one of
the destinations that I want to addto our list of mussies and where you
get the best bang for your buckright now, and when you look at
(34:47):
going to Canada, one of theinvestments that travelers look at as well as
their time. We talk about timeand travel through airports. One of the
great things about visiting Canada if youget on the interstate and just go from
our little town here in Harsenburg,just head north until there is no more
Interstate eighty one. Welcome to Canada. You're crossing into Canada. Easy to
(35:10):
get to. The Canadian US borderis I think still reputed to be the
world's most friendly border. Yes,you have to go through you know,
customs and immigration control. But youknow, as I was passing through,
we you know, we were preparedto deal with a very serious group.
(35:30):
When you go through customs and immigration, it's not a time for joking and
kidding. However, if you're acustoms agent. The customs agent came and
greeted our group and made a jokeabout someone with a backpack and asking if
he was coming to rob the Canadianbanks. So you know, they're just
a very very gregarious people. Andone of the things I'll say about visiting
(35:52):
Canada also, Chris Will, wetalk about nice people a lot on this
show. Canadians are just genuinely nicepeople. And there's some stigmas that people
think about visiting Montreal because the Frenchspeaking culture there. It is not a
problem whatsoever. It's just one ofthe most pleasant places to be and refreshing
(36:15):
to go to a place where everyone'shappy to see you and you're happy to
be there and see the people too. We had a wonderful, marvelous time
during our week there. So thatwas really why I wanted to add Canada
to our best Bang for Your Buckpart of our show today because one of
the things that I think people missabout Canada is that if you are especially
(36:39):
averse to flying overseas over to Europewhere there's a six hour time difference,
I can tell you this. Iflew into Montreal from Washington Dulles last year,
did that for part of my vacation, and in an hour and a
half I lifted off from Dulles,landed in Montreal, literally felt like I
(37:01):
was in France. This was oneof the best experiences of European style vacation.
Without the effort of flying over thebig Pond, you can enjoy And
did you change your watch when youarrived? No? No, I mean
we did a show about that whenyou got back here, So you can
go back in the archives of thepodcast at the wishing Well dot biz up
(37:22):
in the upper right hand corner youfinal link and you go back and listen
to just the amazing trip that Terryhad when she was in Canada. It
was great, so one of thereal nice things in Canada. Also,
if I can just add, youcan follow the course of the Saint Lawrence
River, which is a very importantwaterway there, and you can move all
the way up from a Club Medwhich is north of Montreal. You can
(37:45):
go up there and stay at ClubMed of a very attractive ski area and
make your way all the way downto where the Saint Lawrence River joins into
the United States. So already we'veover Vietnam, Mexico and Canada. We're
going to move on now to adestination Chris, that's going to be a
(38:07):
little bit further and we'll do thatwhen we come back right here on a
lifeless ordinary. Protect your vacation investmentwith guidance from a travel professional. The
wishing Well knows travel and help youavoid pitfalls they can spoil your hard earned
vacation. We'll plan your trip andhave your back at your travel all of
this without support or so called conveniencefees. We're on the web at tho
(38:28):
Wishingwell dot biz or call us atfive four zero nine zero eight two three
three three. That's five four zeronine zero eight two three three three.
The washing Well really does make dreamscome true and welcome back to a lifeless
ordinary, the travel show and podcastfrom the Wishing Well. You can find
them on f Avenue in Harrisonburg,online at the wishing Well dot biz,
(38:50):
or give them a call. They'dlove to talk to you. The phone
numbers five four nine oh A twentythree thirty three. And I guarantee when
you talk to Terry or Harry atthe wishing Well, you're going to get
more bang for your buck, Ihope. So that's the goal. We
like to get people traveling, andI'm excited about today's show. It was
a lot of fun, first ofall, to research and put together.
(39:13):
I always love it when I'm ableto save people money and introduce them to
a world of luxury and exploration thatthey may not have tried before. We
have in previously here in the show. Today, we've talked about Vietnam,
We've talked about Mexico, and Harryshared a little bit about his just recent
trip to Canada. And those arethree magnificent destinations on the globe right now
(39:39):
where your dollar goes farther. Andthat's the whole goal right now today that
we're looking at is how can youdo that? And so the next one
that I want to talk about isEurope on a budget. Yes, you
do that, It is possible,Okay. Portugal as a matter of fact,
and this one, Chris, thatis so interesting to me. Clients
(40:04):
keep coming into the wishing well repeatingthis destination over and over and over again
as a place where they want togo. You've got Portugal with its cobblestone
streets, just charming, charming littlevillages there. They've got this breath taking
coastal cliffs, just a real walletfriendly escape unlike any other on the continent.
(40:29):
And from the historic streets of Lisbonto you've got these wonderful vineyards in
the Douro Valley. Portugal really captivateswith its affordability. And they've got this
warm hospitality, fresh seafood, Imean, that's really what they're known for,
and their wines and just soak inthe sun. Their Portugal proofs that
(40:54):
euro can go a long long way, now, you know, Chris,
I did a little homework for you, and I had to look into just
how much inclusive package to Portugal wouldcost, and so I dug in.
So many times travelers want to combinePortugal with Spain. That's what they tell
(41:15):
us, you know, because Portugalis a small little country, and they
go, well, it's so closeto Spain. I'd really like to do
both. And I can highly recommendthat two countries, one round trip ticket
makes perfect sense to me. Okay, So I found this wonderful ten day
again fully escorted Spain and Portugal tour, including your round trip airfare, all
(41:39):
of your sight seeing, most ofyour meals, and four and five star
hotel accommodations in great locations from onlytwenty four hundred dollars per person. Now,
I want to remind you that thatincludes the round trip airfare, in
case you didn't hear me say that. And right now, if you're looking
(41:59):
at your round trip airfares are runningroughly on the good day, eleven to
twelve hundred dollars round trip per person. So look at what that does to
the price of this trip. Imean, it's amazing. Did I not
tell you? These were cities anddestinations where your dollar would really go farther.
I'm not kidding. Now, thisis the itinerary. Not only will
(42:21):
you get Lisbon in Portugal, butyou're also going to see cities in Spain
like Savella, Madrid and Oh Madridmy favorite, Oh my Lord, and
Barcelona. These are all great citiesfor entertainment, but they're also just culturally
rich and where history comes to life. And for me one of my truly
(42:42):
favorite trips in my travel career.Loved every bit of Spain. Would gladly
go back again, and often I'vesaid I could probably live in Madrid.
It was fantastic. Portugal is justknown for a magnificent world away. It
was so interesting to me all ofthe times that I've even watched travel videos
(43:07):
of Portugal and they pan into thesebeautiful areas of downtown Porto where port wine
is actually known to have come fromand first came from. They do you
know how they make port wine?I just thought it was a wine that
they let evaporate longer. Yeah,and and some people do think that,
(43:31):
and and the truth is it doeshave that quality. But they also add
is it bourbon, bourbon or brandy? I'm sorry they add brandy. To
the finish of the wine, thatis aging before it's finished. And that's
what makes the port wine is whenthey add the brandy. So it's an
(43:55):
amazing area full of culture and history. And if you can get a ten
day fully escort and you know,some people ask me, Chris, I
want to stop here for just asecond. They'll ask me, why is
it so important when you're going tothese countries to do a fully escorted tour.
Well, in my opinion, inmy professional opinion, it's because I
(44:19):
don't want you to miss anything.I mean, yes, you can do
what they call a fly drive vacation, where you can fly into a city,
rent a car and drive. Butdo you really know what you're looking
at unless you've got somebody there totell you, and they can give you
some excellent go to gods. Butyou're not necessarily going to always know what
(44:40):
you're looking at. One of thequestions, Terry, you mentioned fully escorted
tours. One of the questions Iget a lot. Maybe be interested in
your perspective on this. Listeners wouldbe interested to hear when you say fully
escorted, some people think that meansyou are fully regimented. You are,
in effect marching down the street likeyou didn't in kindergarten when you went on
(45:00):
a field trip. That's not whatfully escorted means. So it might be
worth a couple words talking about that. Yeah, you're so right here,
and what a great question. Weget that a lot people do want to
know what does fully escorted means,and it backs some people up and pushes
them away from what I call avery valuable vacation. But what I want
(45:21):
you to know, folks, isthat these fully escorted tours, the ones
that are done well, the onesthat we recommend, the ones that we
can help you book, are oneswhere there is a gigantic amount of free
time built in as well, sothat you have time once you're in these
cities to go shopping, where youcan go into the little pubs, where
(45:44):
you can go into the mom andpop owned restaurants and chart your own culinary
experience. Kind of sounds like acruise on land. It is. You're
exactly right, Chris. And whatyou have, though, in a addition
to those wonderful, memorable, personalizedmoments, is somebody to guide you through
(46:07):
the not to be missed things thatyou want to see. And that's the
value of those escorted vacations. Yeah, the escorts are so great because they
take you to all of the greatplaces, and then it's dependent upon each
traveler to think about what's the rightpace for me. Do I want to
sit here and watch the people goby. Do I want to go inside
(46:29):
this place and participate in what's goingon in there, or do I want
to just sit around and talk tosome of the local people. Those options
are entirely up to you, andthat's what the great escort will do.
They'll take you to the right place, and then they'll give you the freedom
to create those fantastic vacation memories thatwe all love. And we have some
(46:51):
people on our tours that will donothing during their free time but snap pictures,
picture picture, got how many youwant to get in? And there
are other people who just want tosit back and absorb what's going on,
and other people who will go alittle outside the area and kind of test
the boundaries of that area to doa little exploration. All of those are
(47:12):
great, and all of those arepart of a great escorted tour, and
when you come in and talk tous, part of fitting you to the
right tour, especially an escorted touris trying to know which is the correct
as Terry was saying, escorted tourfor you and for the group of travelers,
and it might not be an escortedtour at all. I mean,
I always like to say to anyclients who come in the right tour is
(47:35):
the right one for you, Andit's our job to help you find and
flush that out as to what's goingto fit you. It's like a great
pair of shoes. If it fits, you'll love it and you'll want to
come back. So that's our goal. But I do want to hit a
couple of the other great places togo because I want to want people to
know where they can get the biggestbang for their buck. And next on
(47:58):
my list, Chris is a placethat I love, Indonesia. We call
this the islands of Paradise. Ifyou pack your sarong and prepare for a
journey to Indonesia, this is whereyour dollar transforms into unforgetable island adventures.
Not that the Caribbean isn't great,but if you've missed the Indonesia, you've
(48:19):
missed real paradise. Now, forthose of you who could use a quick
geography lesson Some of the most popularislands to travel to in Indonesia are Sumatra,
Borneo, Bali, and of courseand Java, one of the most
fertile and densely populated of the islands. But it's really Bali's pristine beaches and
(48:42):
that vibrant culture scene that they havethere that are the wonderlust for a lot
of Indonesian travel seekers. And ifyou do venture farther into the jungles of
you Bid or the volcanic landscapes ofJava, you're going to discover a land
where affordability meets natural splendor. Thereare literally hundreds of accommodation options, ranging
(49:05):
from budget friendly guesthouses to luxurious resorts. Indonesia caters really to every traveler's taste
and budget and whatever you have dreamedand closed your eyes and thought about Indonesia.
Yes, I would just say,yes, it's all there. And
as a matter of fact, youmight just be surprised to learn that Bali
(49:27):
can provide you with a seven nightair inclusive package from New York and accommodations
in a five star luxury hotel,the Hotel Nico, as a matter of
fact, from only two thousand dollarsper person. Now that's seven nights with
air from New York and in afive star hotel for two thousand per person.
(49:50):
That is a sweet, sweet deal. Now a close second. I
just had to add this, sincewe're roaming around Polynesia, I want to
hop on over to Fiji, whereyou can get an eight night air inclusive
package from San Francisco again in afive star hotel resort for only fourteen hundred
(50:12):
dollars per person. Hello, andthis would of course be a first class
ocean front resort. It's nestled amongpalm trees and just a short boat ride
from the main island of Viti Levu. And to this I can only say
yes, please last on my list. I'm going to get through this real
quickly. But Columbia is shedding it'spast and emerging as a must visit destination
(50:39):
for budget conscious travelers. Now.I don't know if what's her name,
Sophia Vagara on America's Got Talent,has anything to do with the interest in
this country. But she's from thereand she's a lot of fun. But
the colonial charm of Cartagena's walled cityto their lush coffee plantations really offer just
(51:01):
this diverse tapestry there. And ifyou're wondering why you might want to visit
Columbia, well, it might bethe people, the beautiful beaches they have
there, the wonderful festivals, someof the best coffee in the world,
not to mention the food. Andthen there's the street art. There's a
place called Cono Cristali's probably one ofthe most beautiful rivers in the world.
(51:23):
For a large share of the year, Chris, it appears to be regular,
but between September and November, amiracle happens here. It becomes multi
colored, and it's natural. It'stinted in five different colors, red,
green, black, yellow, andblue. And it's why it's also called
the River of five Colors or RainbowRiver. And again, Chris for an
(51:45):
eight day fully escorted exclusive tour withairfare package included to Columbia in four star
hotels. This package would only runtwenty four hundred dollars per person for all
eight days. So let me giveyou a summation here. Whether you're drawn
to the streets of Vietnam or theshores of Mexico, the beautiful historic areas
(52:07):
of Canada and Portugal, the exoticislands of Indonesia or Colombia. The one
thing is clear. The world isfull of destinations where your dollar can unlock
endless, endless possibilities. So grabyour passport, pack light, embark on
a journey where value meets adventure andyour next unforgettable travel experience awaits you.
(52:30):
Where will your dollar take you next? Chris? Everywhere that we talked about
to sounds amazing, doesn't it.I really want to go to Canada.
Yeah, it's amazing, it reallyis, and I hadn't thought about but
until you talked about the Portugal Spaintrips, sounds really fun? It does
it? Does? I mean?Now you know why I love my job
(52:52):
so very much. It's not work, it's my hobby. It's the favorite
thing I do in the whole world. And getting people to be able to
experience that and have them come backand say and try. The best part
was you made it affordable for us. I love that. How do we
get in touch with you? We'reeasy to find. The Wishing Well is
located at two forty three nef Avenuein the Valley Center in Harsenburg. They
(53:15):
can call us. We love that. We can be reached at five four
h nine oh eight, two threethree three, or look us up on
the web where at the Wishingwell dotbiz. This has been a Life Less
Ordinary, the travel show from yourfriends at the wishing Well at two forty
three nep Avenue in Harrisonburg. Ifyou have any questions on topics discussed today,
please reach out to the wishing Wellonline at the Wishingwell dot biz or
(53:38):
five four oh nine eight twenty threethirty three. Past episodes are available on
the iHeartRadio app. And we'll seeagain next Saturday morning 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 Harrisburg 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.
Say hello, hello, Chris,how are you this wonderful summer? Wee
wait minute, It is officially summernow, isn't it. Bet you it
showed up yesterday, Yeah, yep. And it feels like the surface of
(00:41):
the sun. Yeah. You knowmy favorite saying lights will lick the sun
exactly right. And we got tosay hi to Harry too. Well.
And the only tough part about itbeing summer, you know the days are
getting shorter again. Man, youare a kill join right, Sorry about
that. That'd be downer. Wow, enjoy while you can. It's great.
(01:07):
Well, you know, we havecontrol who gets in the studio how
does Saturday mornings? I didn't makethe invitation, did you, Yes?
I did? Okay, Well,then you almost the one to blame.
Some Almo's got to keep you guysfrom getting too giddy here on Saturday morning.
Well, Harry, I'm glad tosee you this week, and I'm
glad you brought the heat, andI'll be happy when it's gone. Me
too, Me too. So howwas your week? It was fabulously busy.
(01:32):
Things are rocking and rolling. Imean, I am so excited to
see, you know, normalcy inthe travel industry. But not everything is
just so normal, you know.It's It's funny how I've often said,
Chris that no matter what occurs inthe world or in the news, it
has some way of touching the travelindustry in some way, shape or form.
(01:56):
So it's been a very interesting coupleof weeks. We have details about
once made interesting we do. Shallwe start talking about news? Ye?
Okay, So first thing is we'vegot a couple of pieces of news here
from the airlines. American Airlines andits flight attendants Thursday said no deal.
(02:16):
Contract negotiations between them and the flightattendants ended Thursday without any kind of agreement.
The union representing the flight attendants saidthere could be a strike, and
why that's important for us is becausealmost anywhere you want to go in and
out of the Shenandoah Valley, beit Weir's Cave Airport, our shenando Valley
(02:39):
Regional Airport, or Charlotte's Filibemoral Airport, even Richmond, primarily you're going to
be on American because you're going toconnect through Charlotte to go most places.
So this is a news story that'svery definitely going to affect our area.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants saidAmerican flight attendants have not received a pay
(03:02):
increase in five years. The unionrepresents about twenty eight thousand flight attendants at
American, and union president Julie Hedricksaid American did not provide a meaningful compensation
package despite almost a year of mediatedtalks with the National Mediation Board. American
(03:23):
previously countered with a one time,take it or leave it offer of a
seventeen percent increase as some flight attendantsstruggled with low pay and high cost of
living in some of their major metropolitanareas. Ironically, as the union talked
about being one step closer to astrike. Airline management said it thought it
(03:46):
had made some good progress. That'sone of those scenarios of he said,
she said, you know, wemade good progress and negotiations this week,
adding even more to the industry leadingproposal we've had on the table for months.
We look forward to continuing negotiations soour flight attendants can benefit from the
(04:06):
contract they deserve. American Airlines saidin their statement, this agreement is within
reach and we look forward to additionaldates being scheduled. New higher flight attendants
at American Airlines start at just twentyseven thousand dollars a year. I was
rocked by that. I actually thoughtthat was incredibly low for an industry leader
(04:33):
like American Airlines. I mean,come on, folks, they're one of
the big five. So twenty seventhousand dollars a year not so much.
And be away from home all thetime that those flight attendants have to be
away is no small sacrifice. That'snot even thirteen dollars an hour. It
really is not. And though Iwill say this, this story kind of
(04:58):
ends up by saying a strike isnot imminent. However, the flight attendants
do have to go through a mandatorythirty day cooling off period as per rules
from the National Mediation Board, whichthey have not been granted yet. So
this is definitely a story I thinkthat's going to grab all of our attention.
We're definitely going to want to keepour eyes on how this progresses,
(05:21):
because I for one, am veryinterested since I fly a lot of people
out of this area. Well asksaying I have always had wonderful service with
American Airlines, and I think theydeserve a lot more than twelve dollars and
ninety cents an hour. You heardit here flight attendants, So you can
say Chris said we should get moremoney. That that's going to help you
(05:44):
out all in the negotiation. Iknow. Good luck to you. Now.
The FAA new story about Southwest Airlines. I'm sure we've heard about this
in the news, but FAA isinvestigating the Southwest Airlines flight after they made
their treacher approach this was just tooclose for comfort treachery. In fact,
(06:06):
the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating aSouthwest Airlines flight in which the pilot came
in for a landing dangerously to likea couple hundred yards above houses. Indeed,
the incident happened Thursday night, justprevious Thursday night, near will Rogers
(06:26):
Airport in Oklahoma City. At onepoint, Southwest Airlines flight four zero six
'y nine was just Chris, you'reright, five hundred and twenty five feet
above the ground. The incident happenedabout nine miles from the airport, and
the pilot did make a safe landing, but not without some harrowing moments.
(06:46):
Nothing is more important to Southwest thansafety of our customers and employees, a
company spokesperson said. Southwest said itwill work in tandem with the FAA to
quote unquote understand and address any irregularitieswith the aircraft's approach to the airport.
Apparently there was no problem within thecockpit, as the low altitude warning did
(07:11):
go off, according to the FAA, but it was the second time in
a week that a Southwest Airlines flightwas paris perilously close to the ground.
So we don't, you know,we really don't know all the things that
are going on with Southwest Airlines atalmost when I listen to some of these
stories, almost sounds like somebody's gotit in form. But then it almost
(07:34):
sounds too like they're self sabotaging.So I don't know exactly what's happening.
If it's poor training, if it'scustomer service issues, if it's mechanical issues,
you know, we just don't know. But what we do know is
that certainly in many cases their technologiesneed to be upgraded. At Southwest,
(07:55):
we know that because every time thereis an onslaught of a lot of passengers
who make their way to Southwest hubbedairports, things go wrong, things go
off the rails. So I thinkit's high time that Southwest did some reflection
and certainly did something about the issuesthat they have going on. Well,
(08:18):
it's important too to keep in perspectiveTerry that when you look at all the
flights that operate in a single day, and to have one or two incidents
here there, it's statistically small.The issue is that when something happens in
an airplane, it's usually not asmall incident. The results can be very
(08:41):
catastrophic. And so that's why wedo need to continue paying attention to these
and we do need to insist thattraining and operations depend on the best humans
we have behind the controls of thesemassive airplanes and all the people on board,
(09:01):
hundreds of people on board. Sowe just got to keep pushing for
that, and hopefully the FAA's gottheir eyes on this. I would have
imagine that it's going to be prettyfrightening for the regular travelers, people who
know we're not supposed to be thisslow, right, I mean, I
don't fly that much. I probablybe like, oh cool, we can
see someone's pool. You can senseit. You can sense when something's going
wrong. And I actually remember veryvividly I was flying into Ireland once upon
(09:26):
a time on an aer Lingus flight, and I personally felt like I'd flown
quite a number of times, andI felt like the flight was coming in
too low and too fast, andI knew that I was probably right as
I watched about a half a dozenpeople around me unstrapped their seat belts and
(09:50):
literally hurl themselves into the middle ofthe floor and just lay flat, Oh
my gosh, and start screaming,because I think people thought we were about
ready to crash as we were flyinginto Dublin and it was a bit low
and it was a bit fast.You know. Good news is we of
(10:11):
course we landed safely. But whenwe landed on the ground, everybody on
the plane stood and gave the Polleta standing ovation. Either that or they
were ready to lynch him. I'mnot really sure which, but yeah,
those I mean, those things happen. But it's important that we have regulations.
I think that's the main point ofthat whole story, is that we
(10:33):
have regulations that do keep us allsafe. And my favorite story on that
coming into Boston's Logan Airport one daywith an airline that's no longer flying but
was a great airline founded by aformer astronaut. We were coming into Boston's
Logan Airport and everybody felt that feelingwhen your stomach's moving too quickly as the
(10:54):
plane is shaking and rattling toward arunway and they pull up and pull down.
We finally did land on that runwayin Boston Logan and there was not
a person speaking. There was hardlybreaths being taken inside of this airplane.
And thank goodness, we had aflight attendant got on the PA system and
said, ladies and gentlemen, welcometo Boston's Logan Airport. We have just
(11:18):
attacked and conquered the runway at Boston'sLogan Airport. Everybody started breathing again.
I'm happy to say I've never hadany issue flying. Yeah, and you
know, for the most part,I want to say this, flying is
a whole lot safer than driving.There are a whole lot more incidents that
occur on the highways than do inthe air. But when they happen,
(11:41):
we report them. We report themhere, they're reported on national news,
and we keep you informed. Butthe good news is good things happen as
a result of those stories coming tolight. I like to believe that the
reason why we report them is becausethey are so rare. Exactly if they
happen all the time, we wouldn'ttalk about it, exactly right. Yeah,
(12:01):
Now moving on to our next story, one that I think I think
probably impacts a lot of people withoutthem really knowing. But Expedia did a
study and they completed their twenty fourthannual what they call Vacation Deprivation Report,
Chris. They revealed a striking trend. Americans are more vacation deprived than ever.
(12:26):
Now if you look at the numbersat the Wishing Well, I'd beg
to differ. But although half ofthem are still planning to leave vacation days
unused this year, and that isstaggering to me. Either, companies are
just giving their employees more vacation timenow than ever before, or people are
(12:46):
just that busy with onslaught of workthat they're not using them. But despite
having the fewest average days off ofany country surveyed, with just twelve allotted
to them each year, fifty threepercent of Americans don't intend to take full
advantage of their time off. What'smore, America has hit an eleven year
(13:09):
high at sixty five percent in termsof vacation deprivation, defined as feeling you
don't have enough time off, whilerates have fallen in other global regions.
Now, the report, which examinesglobal time off trends, suggests that US
workers could benefit from adopting some othercountries' outlooks and practices regarding time off.
(13:35):
We've got some international comparisons here forJapan, For one, Japanese workers,
similar to their American counterparts, takeabout eleven days off a year. However,
Japan reports the lowest vacation deprivation levelsworldwide at only fifty three percent.
This could be because Japanese employees tendto take more frequent, shorter vacations,
(13:58):
focusing on relax during their breaks.I thought that was interesting, and then
France. French workers take the mostvacation days globally, averaging about twenty nine
days off, two and a halftimes more than the American average. And
in France, vacations are seen asa fundamental right, with ninety three percent
(14:20):
of French workers considering rest essential comparedto only eighty three percent of Americans.
That's one month off a year.Terry, Yeah, let's go move to
France. We wei, yes,tris comment I'm packing my bags, yes,
sir. Yeah. So Expedia isencouraging Americans to make the most of
(14:41):
their time off. Currently, throughJuly the fourteenth, one key member who
feel vacation deprived can save at leasttwenty five percent on stays at thousands of
hotels during expedia Summer sale. Thesedeals are valid for travels through the end
of octob of twenty twenty four,providing an excellent opportunity to ensure that you
(15:05):
use those PTO days and get outthere and go traveling. But it's really
sad that we still are, youknow, after COVID, when we have
all this pent up desire to gosomewhere, that now we're so overwhelmed and
work is so pressing that we feellike we can't take the time. You
(15:26):
know, I never thought about thisuntil I got married. But you don't
always have the same amount of vacationtime as your spouse. That's correct,
and so Becca, my wife getsabout half as many days as I do.
I mean, I've been here fortwelve years, so I'm maxed out
on a number of days they'll giveme, sure, But I spend a
lot of my vacation time working aroundthe house while she's at work, And
(15:48):
so I could see how some peoplego. I don't want to take time
off and just go sit at home, hence the term staycations. I mean,
that's what happened. You're describing.Exactly why that came about is because
spouse's didn't always have equal time off, so one or the other took a
staycation. We need to change regulationson vacation and just give everybody twenty days
(16:08):
a year. Okay, I'm allright with that, except boot done.
My work is vacation. What areyou talking about, Chris, Yeah,
so is mine. Now, I'vegot a really fun story here to finish
up with on the news today,because I know we've probably got a lot
of country music fans out there.Who listen but Luke Bryan. He was
(16:30):
the acclaimed five time Entertainer of theYear and judge on American Idol. He
is set to celebrate the tenth anniversaryof his popular Crash My Plaia event that's
scheduled from January the fifteenth to theeighteenth of twenty twenty five at the luxurious
four diamond awarded Moon Palace, Cancun. This all inclusive Caribbean concert vacation promises
(16:56):
to be a memorable, memorable occasion. And I will tell you this,
the Moon Palace, without a doubt, is one of the most sensational properties
in all of the Revere Maya inCancun. I've been there. I've been
to conventions there. I've been onvacation there. I've played there. I've
been in the sand there. I'vebeen in the pool there. I've been
(17:18):
in the restaurants there. It's amazing. You've been there. I've been there
a second there. Now they're makinga decade of warm memories filled with music
and sunshine. This year's event isgoing to see Luke Bryan headlining for two
nights and joining him is going tobe Jason Alden, returning for his third
performance on the Beach, and CaineBrown making his debut at Crash My Plaia.
(17:41):
The lineup also features Bailey Zimmerman,Dustin Lynch, Dylan Scott, l
King Jackson, Dene, Nate Smith, Dasha Ella Langley, Tucker Wetmore and
DJ Rock among others, and attendeescan look forward to special guests, daily
pool party, and exclusive alumni perksto enhance this special ten year milestone celebration.
(18:06):
So tickets for this all inclusive destinationevent are going to go on sale
online to the general public starting atthree o'clock. Go ahead, sharpen your
crayons right now, because I'm goingto give you the date on June twenty
eight at three pm. Early accessis going to be available to previous attendees
through an alumni pre sale beginning ateleven am on the twenty eighth. And
(18:29):
additionally, fan club members of LukeBran, Jason Aldan, Cain Brown or
Dustin Lynch are going to have achance to purchase pre sale packages starting at
two o'clock on that same day.They expect this is going to be a
sell out. The Moon Palace CanConoffers its guests an oddeal array of luxury
(18:49):
and adventure with upscale accommodations, gourmetdining, twenty four hour room service.
Plus there's a water park on property, so it makes it makes a fun,
fun, fun event. And Chris, it's in January, oh in
Mexico, right, yeah, Imean, could it get any better,
(19:11):
especially if you're a Luke Bryan fan, and apparently he's got quite a following.
Entertainer of the Year is no slouchyaward to get for what we said
the fifth year in a row.Not too bad, Yeah, not too
bad. But I'll tell you whatthat property, even if you're not there
with the entertainment, it's still ahands down winner. That is a great
(19:33):
property. We've sent lots of peoplethere. So here's my thinking. If
you want of those vacation deprived peoplestart the new year with a clean perspective,
go to the Moon Palace. Getsome of those days knocked out.
Right away. You're halfway there.I'm on board. Okay, it's good.
My bags are packed from something youwere doing with Harry earlier. We'll
(19:56):
just go there now. We'll leavefrom France on our way there. That's
right, And I are leaving therefrom France. So our show today is
called get more Bang for your Bucket. Are we going to be talking deals?
We are going to be talking somedeals. But right now, Chris,
the US dollar is going farther thanever before in certain areas, so
we're going to be taking a lookat how that can benefit you as a
(20:18):
traveler. Okay, well, we'llget more bang for our buck next here
on a Lifeless Ordinary. Protect yourvacation investment with guidance from a travel professional.
The wishing Well knows travel and helpyou avoid pitfalls they can spoil your
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 biz orcall us at five four zero nine zero
(20:42):
eight two three three three. That'sfive four zero nine zero eight two three
three three. The wishing Well reallydoes make dreams come true. And welcome
back to a life less Ordinary,the travel showing podcast from your friends at
the wishing Well. Our friends todayare Harry and Terry from the wishing Well.
You can find them at two fortythree and f Avenue in Harrisonburg Online
(21:03):
at the wishing Well dot biz orgive them a call at five four oh
nine oh eight twenty three thirty three. And I enjoy every Saturday morning as
we get to sit down and talktravel. I do too. Our show
today is about getting more bang forour buck while we travel. Isn't that?
Just the most fun you can haveon a Saturday is learning how to
save money and talk about travel.I'd rather not have to come to work
(21:26):
on Monday, and we can doit then. But yeah, sure,
Saturday is as good as any day. Yeah, plan your travel on Saturday.
Take the day off, as wewere just talking about earlier. Take
Tuesday off if you want, also, Chris, and get more bang for
your buck. I like how everythingfor you. Who doesn't want to get
more for their money these days?Anybody owls anybody? That's right. You
(21:49):
got groceries and gas. I meanthose are two right now that I'd like
to see them do something about.But you shoes one or the other.
Yeah, things here at home inthe US are expensive, we know that.
But abroad you'd be amazed, Chrisby how far you can stretch your
dollar. These days, the USdollar is incredibly strong against many major international
(22:15):
currencies, and that means your dollargoes further in many places abroad and in
a world where travel dreams often seemjust out of reach, there's really good
news for travelers who are seeking valuewithout compromising on experiences. Which is why
I love a lifeless ordinaries, becausewe tell you how to do that week
(22:40):
after week after week. But todayI'm going to tell you where to go
to do that, and to beable to really save while you're doing that.
Our travel decisions sometimes wind up takingaway some of the most desirable parts
of our travel adventures, and wedon't want that to happen, and that's
a bummer. So, whether you'rea budget savvy backpacker or you're a luxury
(23:03):
aficionado that we talk about so manytimes here on a life less ordinary,
looking to maximize every single dollar isone of the highest priorities for a lot
of what we call our globe trotters. These days, and these destinations that
I'm going to talk to you abouttoday are currently buzzing with affordability and excitement.
(23:25):
So this morning you can actually justsit back, pack a bag maybe,
and get ready to explore where yourdollar is going to go. A
lot further than you thought it might. Now I want to take a look
at some of these today and keepan open mind, because a lot of
these, Chris, they might notbe on the list that you would have
had a tendency to jump on first. But for those of you out there
(23:49):
who are listening, who will travelif you have the promise of a great
deal, I can tell you rightnow this show is for you, because
first on my list is a destinationwhere not a lot of people. This
would not come to the top ofa lot of people's minds. I'm pretty
sure about that. It's a destination, however, that I've been thinking about
(24:11):
personally for probably about the last threeyears, and people who know me well
know I've talked about it. I'mintrigued by it. I would very much
like to go, and now wouldbe the perfect time. And that is
Vietnam. Really, It's where historymeets hospitality. I like to say,
(24:32):
yeah, and picture this, You'rekind of cruising through the streets of Hanoi
or soaking up some of the beautifulbeach shores, all without denting your wallet.
I mean, that sounds great rightthere. Vietnam has long been a
haven for budget travelers, They offereverything from some mouthwatering street food to breathtaking
(24:56):
landscapes at Hollong Bay. And you'vegot these fa favorable exchange rates, a
vibrant culture waiting to be discovered,and Vietnam ensures everything you do counts toward
unforgettable memories. As a matter offact, I was actually watching a one
of those master competition cooking shows onFood Network the other night, and they
(25:22):
were featuring gourmet foods from Vietnam.I was definitely intrigued. Now, vacationing
and travel, to me, isnot all about food. But if you
miss the cuisine part of any destinationthat you're going to, you're missing a
really big part of what defines thattrip for you later as you talk about
(25:45):
it with your friends and family.And to me, Vietnam is one of
those places where if you don't experiencethe cuisine there, you experience only a
portion of it. And if youdon't think it's possible to land a great
deal worth leaving home for the Vietnam, let me try and prove you wrong.
Right now, I've got a twelveday that's twelve days again, all
(26:08):
of you vacation deprived people out there, twelve day, fully escorted tour with
most meals and your round trip airfareincluded from Los Angeles is starting from only
twenty five hundred dollars per person,and I know that is something that most
people wouldn't even believe. Even youraccommodations on this tour are all four star
(26:32):
and you have a tour guide throughoutyour experience. So this is a fully
escorted tour throughout Vietnam. You're goingto experience a lot of each of these
cities that I want to share withyou about Ho Chi Man, Hanoi,
the Hollong Bay again, all ofyou most of your meals included. You
can even add an optional full daytour on the Mekong Delta River that includes
(26:56):
a sampan ride, which is that'swhat they actually call the East Asia boats
that they use out there with theoars. They're unmistakably Asian type vessels,
but they have oars. They rowthem like a rowboat, and they'll take
you through these winding canals through theMaykong Delta River. You have a visit
(27:18):
to a coconut factory, there,a handicraft workshop. You'd love that,
Chris, and even a local honeybeefarm. So it's safe to say this
is not a cookie cutter trip.It does have many of the desirable inclusions
that put you a little off thebeaten path somewhat, but the accommodations are
always going to be conveniently located.They're clean, well appointed, and for
(27:42):
sure fairly priced. And I knowVietnam is on a lot of folks bucket
lists. Now is the perfect timeto make the most of getting there,
because, as I said, yourdollar goes a lot farther, twenty five
hundred dollars for twelve days with airincluded out of LA and most of your
(28:02):
meals and a tour. God,I mean to reiterate that even sounds crazy,
but it's absolutely true. So allyou'd have to do is get yourself
to Los Angeles and the rest isat your beck and call wow, yeah,
that's a great deal. Now nexton my list. Probably this won't
surprise a lot of people, andthose of you who are hoping to get
(28:25):
to Mexico this year, to you, I say, oh lah, paradise
seekers, because this is the onefor you. For me, the Mexican
allure goes way beyond all of thestunning beaches that are there, for sure,
and the ancient ruins. It's alsoone of the best bangs for your
buck destinations around. So, whetheryou're going neck deep shopping in some of
(28:49):
the colorful markets in Wahaka, oryou're indulging in some local cuisine like my
favorite homemade tacos on a busing streetcorner, or just kind of roaming around
exploring some of the vibrant nightlife ofMexico City, your dollar here is going
to stretch farther and wider. Mexicois so rich with culture and history and
(29:15):
natural beauty, and it really justinvites travelers to come and marvel in their
brand of luxury, actually without thatluxury price tag. And again, if
you doubt me how affordable a vacationchoice to Mexico can be, I'm going
to talk to you about it.I'm going to share another package with you
that might just spark your interest.How about Chris a seven night all inclusive
(29:41):
package at a five star resort withdirect NonStop flights from Dallas for only twenty
eight hundred dollars per couple. That'sonly fourteen hundred dollars a person for seven
nights in a five star resort withAaron cl that's amazing. And this resort
(30:03):
is even an adult's only resort,which means you probably won't be fighting for
space getting to restaurants or pools orbeach chairs. This property is a romantic
wonderland surrounded by crystal blue waters.You've got walkways that wind their way through
lush gardens. There's hammocks on thisproperty that are actually tucked away under palm
(30:27):
trees and just minutes away. Ifyou're a scuba diver or you just love
snorkeling, there's opportunities there to discoverone of the largest reefs in the Rivie
Maya. They've got archaeological destinations aswell as echo parks here, natural sandy
beaches, and of course the Mayneculture and the Mayan ruins. You'll see
(30:47):
all of that. There are hundredsand hundreds of more all inclusive properties in
Mexico, and like Cancun, they'repopping up in Los Cabos, Porto,
Velliarta and in Acapulco. So nomatter where you choose to go, Mexico
is just pure magic, I think. And it helps to have a travel
(31:08):
professional actually, somebody who's been thereand can help you navigate to just the
right resort, because, as Ilike to say, not one size fits
all. I mean, just becausean adult's only property might be just the
thing that a honeymoon couple is lookingfor. On the other hand, and
the next visit at the wishing Well, I might have a family of six,
(31:30):
you know, two adults and fourkids who that wouldn't work for at
all. So you really have towork with the right travel professional, somebody
who can match you up with theright property, and you don't want to
know the difference about how that's goingto affect you when you arrive at the
property. Nobody likes that kind ofsurprise. So another one of the destinations
(31:51):
that I would say is worth puttingon your list of great places where your
dollar goes further right now is definitelyMexico. Now, I'm going to turn
the mic over to Harry right now, because he just did a fabulous trip
to Canada and had a great groupof folks that went with him up there,
and I want him to talk,if you will, a little bit
(32:13):
about the buying power that Canada affordstravelers right now. Yeah, when I
was growing up, the difference betweenCanadian and US dollars was measured about a
dime. Today it's you know,it's a solid quarter. And more so,
you're getting a twenty five percent booston your dollar up in Canada at
(32:34):
least. And this goes across theboard. This is true from everything.
It includes things you were talking about, terry, things like food, includes
things like lodging, It includes evengratuities up there, so everything you're doing,
things that you are doing to visithistoric sites. We visited many most
(32:54):
beautiful basilica's there, just like beingin Europe. The part of Canada that
I was in this last week wasin the capital of Canada, of course,
Ottawa, and then I went overto the French speaking side in Quebec
and we visited Quebec and we visitedparticularly Montreal and Quebec City, the historic
(33:17):
Quebec city Chris, which is justlike being in parts of Europe. You
hear French on the streets, butEnglish is very popular there too, And
we stayed at a most magnificent hotel. While we were in Montreal, we
watched the Olympic Stadium, Remember theOlympics. They built that stadium with the
roof that was supposed to be raisedbut didn't work. For the Olympics.
(33:40):
I don't remember that sad news.It still doesn't work, but it's a
beautiful piece of architecture and the Canadianshave repurposed it and so they built a
soccer stadium right next to it.There's an amusement park where the Olympic village
was, so lots of things tosee there and very very economical. The
(34:00):
things that I enjoyed, especially overthere were the food experience is because you
get the taste of the French cuisine, the French influenced cuisine over there,
and again you're buying it at atwenty five or thirty percent discount with your
US dollars as you're talking about terry. Yeah, as a matter of fact,
I look to the exchange rate uptoday and one US dollar equals one
(34:25):
point five to one Canadian dollars,so you're getting fifty cent more on every
dollar that you spend by using USmoney. So Canada definitely is one of
the destinations that I want to addto our list of mussies and where you
get the best bang for your buckright now, and when you look at
(34:47):
going to Canada, one of theinvestments that travelers look at as well as
their time. We talk about timeand travel through airports. One of the
great things about visiting Canada if youget on the interstate and just go from
our little town here in Harsenburg,just head north until there is no more
Interstate eighty one. Welcome to Canada. You're crossing into Canada. Easy to
(35:10):
get to. The Canadian US borderis I think still reputed to be the
world's most friendly border. Yes,you have to go through you know,
customs and immigration control. But youknow, as I was passing through,
we you know, we were preparedto deal with a very serious group.
(35:30):
When you go through customs and immigration, it's not a time for joking and
kidding. However, if you're acustoms agent. The customs agent came and
greeted our group and made a jokeabout someone with a backpack and asking if
he was coming to rob the Canadianbanks. So you know, they're just
a very very gregarious people. Andone of the things I'll say about visiting
(35:52):
Canada also, Chris Will, wetalk about nice people a lot on this
show. Canadians are just genuinely nicepeople. And there's some stigmas that people
think about visiting Montreal because the Frenchspeaking culture there. It is not a
problem whatsoever. It's just one ofthe most pleasant places to be and refreshing
(36:15):
to go to a place where everyone'shappy to see you and you're happy to
be there and see the people too. We had a wonderful, marvelous time
during our week there. So thatwas really why I wanted to add Canada
to our best Bang for Your Buckpart of our show today because one of
the things that I think people missabout Canada is that if you are especially
(36:39):
averse to flying overseas over to Europewhere there's a six hour time difference,
I can tell you this. Iflew into Montreal from Washington Dulles last year,
did that for part of my vacation, and in an hour and a
half I lifted off from Dulles,landed in Montreal, literally felt like I
(37:01):
was in France. This was oneof the best experiences of European style vacation.
Without the effort of flying over thebig Pond, you can enjoy And
did you change your watch when youarrived? No? No, I mean
we did a show about that whenyou got back here, So you can
go back in the archives of thepodcast at the wishing Well dot biz up
(37:22):
in the upper right hand corner youfinal link and you go back and listen
to just the amazing trip that Terryhad when she was in Canada. It
was great, so one of thereal nice things in Canada. Also,
if I can just add, youcan follow the course of the Saint Lawrence
River, which is a very importantwaterway there, and you can move all
the way up from a Club Medwhich is north of Montreal. You can
(37:45):
go up there and stay at ClubMed of a very attractive ski area and
make your way all the way downto where the Saint Lawrence River joins into
the United States. So already we'veover Vietnam, Mexico and Canada. We're
going to move on now to adestination Chris, that's going to be a
(38:07):
little bit further and we'll do thatwhen we come back right here on a
lifeless ordinary. Protect your vacation investmentwith guidance from a travel professional. The
wishing Well knows travel and help youavoid pitfalls they can spoil your hard earned
vacation. We'll plan your trip andhave your back at your travel all of
this without support or so called conveniencefees. We're on the web at tho
(38:28):
Wishingwell dot biz or call us atfive four zero nine zero eight two three
three three. That's five four zeronine zero eight two three three three.
The washing Well really does make dreamscome true and welcome back to a lifeless
ordinary, the travel show and podcastfrom the Wishing Well. You can find
them on f Avenue in Harrisonburg,online at the wishing Well dot biz,
(38:50):
or give them a call. They'dlove to talk to you. The phone
numbers five four nine oh A twentythree thirty three. And I guarantee when
you talk to Terry or Harry atthe wishing Well, you're going to get
more bang for your buck, Ihope. So that's the goal. We
like to get people traveling, andI'm excited about today's show. It was
a lot of fun, first ofall, to research and put together.
(39:13):
I always love it when I'm ableto save people money and introduce them to
a world of luxury and exploration thatthey may not have tried before. We
have in previously here in the show. Today, we've talked about Vietnam,
We've talked about Mexico, and Harryshared a little bit about his just recent
trip to Canada. And those arethree magnificent destinations on the globe right now
(39:39):
where your dollar goes farther. Andthat's the whole goal right now today that
we're looking at is how can youdo that? And so the next one
that I want to talk about isEurope on a budget. Yes, you
do that, It is possible,Okay. Portugal as a matter of fact,
and this one, Chris, thatis so interesting to me. Clients
(40:04):
keep coming into the wishing well repeatingthis destination over and over and over again
as a place where they want togo. You've got Portugal with its cobblestone
streets, just charming, charming littlevillages there. They've got this breath taking
coastal cliffs, just a real walletfriendly escape unlike any other on the continent.
(40:29):
And from the historic streets of Lisbonto you've got these wonderful vineyards in
the Douro Valley. Portugal really captivateswith its affordability. And they've got this
warm hospitality, fresh seafood, Imean, that's really what they're known for,
and their wines and just soak inthe sun. Their Portugal proofs that
(40:54):
euro can go a long long way, now, you know, Chris,
I did a little homework for you, and I had to look into just
how much inclusive package to Portugal wouldcost, and so I dug in.
So many times travelers want to combinePortugal with Spain. That's what they tell
(41:15):
us, you know, because Portugalis a small little country, and they
go, well, it's so closeto Spain. I'd really like to do
both. And I can highly recommendthat two countries, one round trip ticket
makes perfect sense to me. Okay, So I found this wonderful ten day
again fully escorted Spain and Portugal tour, including your round trip airfare, all
(41:39):
of your sight seeing, most ofyour meals, and four and five star
hotel accommodations in great locations from onlytwenty four hundred dollars per person. Now,
I want to remind you that thatincludes the round trip airfare, in
case you didn't hear me say that. And right now, if you're looking
(41:59):
at your round trip airfares are runningroughly on the good day, eleven to
twelve hundred dollars round trip per person. So look at what that does to
the price of this trip. Imean, it's amazing. Did I not
tell you? These were cities anddestinations where your dollar would really go farther.
I'm not kidding. Now, thisis the itinerary. Not only will
(42:21):
you get Lisbon in Portugal, butyou're also going to see cities in Spain
like Savella, Madrid and Oh Madridmy favorite, Oh my Lord, and
Barcelona. These are all great citiesfor entertainment, but they're also just culturally
rich and where history comes to life. And for me one of my truly
(42:42):
favorite trips in my travel career.Loved every bit of Spain. Would gladly
go back again, and often I'vesaid I could probably live in Madrid.
It was fantastic. Portugal is justknown for a magnificent world away. It
was so interesting to me all ofthe times that I've even watched travel videos
(43:07):
of Portugal and they pan into thesebeautiful areas of downtown Porto where port wine
is actually known to have come fromand first came from. They do you
know how they make port wine?I just thought it was a wine that
they let evaporate longer. Yeah,and and some people do think that,
(43:31):
and and the truth is it doeshave that quality. But they also add
is it bourbon, bourbon or brandy? I'm sorry they add brandy. To
the finish of the wine, thatis aging before it's finished. And that's
what makes the port wine is whenthey add the brandy. So it's an
(43:55):
amazing area full of culture and history. And if you can get a ten
day fully escort and you know,some people ask me, Chris, I
want to stop here for just asecond. They'll ask me, why is
it so important when you're going tothese countries to do a fully escorted tour.
Well, in my opinion, inmy professional opinion, it's because I
(44:19):
don't want you to miss anything.I mean, yes, you can do
what they call a fly drive vacation, where you can fly into a city,
rent a car and drive. Butdo you really know what you're looking
at unless you've got somebody there totell you, and they can give you
some excellent go to gods. Butyou're not necessarily going to always know what
(44:40):
you're looking at. One of thequestions, Terry, you mentioned fully escorted
tours. One of the questions Iget a lot. Maybe be interested in
your perspective on this. Listeners wouldbe interested to hear when you say fully
escorted, some people think that meansyou are fully regimented. You are,
in effect marching down the street likeyou didn't in kindergarten when you went on
(45:00):
a field trip. That's not whatfully escorted means. So it might be
worth a couple words talking about that. Yeah, you're so right here,
and what a great question. Weget that a lot people do want to
know what does fully escorted means,and it backs some people up and pushes
them away from what I call avery valuable vacation. But what I want
(45:21):
you to know, folks, isthat these fully escorted tours, the ones
that are done well, the onesthat we recommend, the ones that we
can help you book, are oneswhere there is a gigantic amount of free
time built in as well, sothat you have time once you're in these
cities to go shopping, where youcan go into the little pubs, where
(45:44):
you can go into the mom andpop owned restaurants and chart your own culinary
experience. Kind of sounds like acruise on land. It is. You're
exactly right, Chris. And whatyou have, though, in a addition
to those wonderful, memorable, personalizedmoments, is somebody to guide you through
(46:07):
the not to be missed things thatyou want to see. And that's the
value of those escorted vacations. Yeah, the escorts are so great because they
take you to all of the greatplaces, and then it's dependent upon each
traveler to think about what's the rightpace for me. Do I want to
sit here and watch the people goby. Do I want to go inside
(46:29):
this place and participate in what's goingon in there, or do I want
to just sit around and talk tosome of the local people. Those options
are entirely up to you, andthat's what the great escort will do.
They'll take you to the right place, and then they'll give you the freedom
to create those fantastic vacation memories thatwe all love. And we have some
(46:51):
people on our tours that will donothing during their free time but snap pictures,
picture picture, got how many youwant to get in? And there
are other people who just want tosit back and absorb what's going on,
and other people who will go alittle outside the area and kind of test
the boundaries of that area to doa little exploration. All of those are
(47:12):
great, and all of those arepart of a great escorted tour, and
when you come in and talk tous, part of fitting you to the
right tour, especially an escorted touris trying to know which is the correct
as Terry was saying, escorted tourfor you and for the group of travelers,
and it might not be an escortedtour at all. I mean,
I always like to say to anyclients who come in the right tour is
(47:35):
the right one for you, Andit's our job to help you find and
flush that out as to what's goingto fit you. It's like a great
pair of shoes. If it fits, you'll love it and you'll want to
come back. So that's our goal. But I do want to hit a
couple of the other great places togo because I want to want people to
know where they can get the biggestbang for their buck. And next on
(47:58):
my list, Chris is a placethat I love, Indonesia. We call
this the islands of Paradise. Ifyou pack your sarong and prepare for a
journey to Indonesia, this is whereyour dollar transforms into unforgetable island adventures.
Not that the Caribbean isn't great,but if you've missed the Indonesia, you've
(48:19):
missed real paradise. Now, forthose of you who could use a quick
geography lesson Some of the most popularislands to travel to in Indonesia are Sumatra,
Borneo, Bali, and of courseand Java, one of the most
fertile and densely populated of the islands. But it's really Bali's pristine beaches and
(48:42):
that vibrant culture scene that they havethere that are the wonderlust for a lot
of Indonesian travel seekers. And ifyou do venture farther into the jungles of
you Bid or the volcanic landscapes ofJava, you're going to discover a land
where affordability meets natural splendor. Thereare literally hundreds of accommodation options, ranging
(49:05):
from budget friendly guesthouses to luxurious resorts. Indonesia caters really to every traveler's taste
and budget and whatever you have dreamedand closed your eyes and thought about Indonesia.
Yes, I would just say,yes, it's all there. And
as a matter of fact, youmight just be surprised to learn that Bali
(49:27):
can provide you with a seven nightair inclusive package from New York and accommodations
in a five star luxury hotel,the Hotel Nico, as a matter of
fact, from only two thousand dollarsper person. Now that's seven nights with
air from New York and in afive star hotel for two thousand per person.
(49:50):
That is a sweet, sweet deal. Now a close second. I
just had to add this, sincewe're roaming around Polynesia, I want to
hop on over to Fiji, whereyou can get an eight night air inclusive
package from San Francisco again in afive star hotel resort for only fourteen hundred
(50:12):
dollars per person. Hello, andthis would of course be a first class
ocean front resort. It's nestled amongpalm trees and just a short boat ride
from the main island of Viti Levu. And to this I can only say
yes, please last on my list. I'm going to get through this real
quickly. But Columbia is shedding it'spast and emerging as a must visit destination
(50:39):
for budget conscious travelers. Now.I don't know if what's her name,
Sophia Vagara on America's Got Talent,has anything to do with the interest in
this country. But she's from thereand she's a lot of fun. But
the colonial charm of Cartagena's walled cityto their lush coffee plantations really offer just
(51:01):
this diverse tapestry there. And ifyou're wondering why you might want to visit
Columbia, well, it might bethe people, the beautiful beaches they have
there, the wonderful festivals, someof the best coffee in the world,
not to mention the food. Andthen there's the street art. There's a
place called Cono Cristali's probably one ofthe most beautiful rivers in the world.
(51:23):
For a large share of the year, Chris, it appears to be regular,
but between September and November, amiracle happens here. It becomes multi
colored, and it's natural. It'stinted in five different colors, red,
green, black, yellow, andblue. And it's why it's also called
the River of five Colors or RainbowRiver. And again, Chris for an
(51:45):
eight day fully escorted exclusive tour withairfare package included to Columbia in four star
hotels. This package would only runtwenty four hundred dollars per person for all
eight days. So let me giveyou a summation here. Whether you're drawn
to the streets of Vietnam or theshores of Mexico, the beautiful historic areas
(52:07):
of Canada and Portugal, the exoticislands of Indonesia or Colombia. The one
thing is clear. The world isfull of destinations where your dollar can unlock
endless, endless possibilities. So grabyour passport, pack light, embark on
a journey where value meets adventure andyour next unforgettable travel experience awaits you.
(52:30):
Where will your dollar take you next? Chris? Everywhere that we talked about
to sounds amazing, doesn't it.I really want to go to Canada.
Yeah, it's amazing, it reallyis, and I hadn't thought about but
until you talked about the Portugal Spaintrips, sounds really fun? It does
it? Does? I mean?Now you know why I love my job
(52:52):
so very much. It's not work, it's my hobby. It's the favorite
thing I do in the whole world. And getting people to be able to
experience that and have them come backand say and try. The best part
was you made it affordable for us. I love that. How do we
get in touch with you? We'reeasy to find. The Wishing Well is
located at two forty three nef Avenuein the Valley Center in Harsenburg. They
(53:15):
can call us. We love that. We can be reached at five four
h nine oh eight, two threethree three, or look us up on
the web where at the Wishingwell dotbiz. This has been a Life Less
Ordinary, the travel show from yourfriends at the wishing Well at two forty
three nep Avenue in Harrisonburg. Ifyou have any questions on topics discussed today,
please reach out to the wishing Wellonline at the Wishingwell dot biz or
(53:38):
five four oh nine eight twenty threethirty three. Past episodes are available on
the iHeartRadio app. And we'll seeagain next Saturday morning at ten for a
Life Less Ordinary from the wishing Well
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