April 26, 2025 • 53 mins
The Wishing Well's Terrie Dean and Harry Reif discuss this week's travel news and Hot Deals!
Join us as we continue our Small Town-Big Luxury series with an exciting new episode that unveils the adventurous side of luxury travel. In this episode we explore how luxury isn't just about sophisticated properties but also about tailor-made adventure experiences that leave no upscale amenity overlooked. Discover the thrill of custom adventures with our inspirational Virtuoso partner, Backroads. Whether you're seeking a unique travel experience or simply curious about the luxurious yet adventurous side of travel, this episode is packed with insights and inspiration.
Join us as we continue our Small Town-Big Luxury series with an exciting new episode that unveils the adventurous side of luxury travel. In this episode we explore how luxury isn't just about sophisticated properties but also about tailor-made adventure experiences that leave no upscale amenity overlooked. Discover the thrill of custom adventures with our inspirational Virtuoso partner, Backroads. Whether you're seeking a unique travel experience or simply curious about the luxurious yet adventurous side of travel, this episode is packed with insights and inspiration.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is a Lifeless Ordinary, the travel show and podcasts
from your friends at the wishing Well two forty three
f Avenue in Harsmer and online at the wishing Well
dot biz. The wishing Well is your ultimate luxury concierge
travel agency and a Lifeless Ordinary is a travel show
and podcasts hosted by Terry Dean, bringing her over forty
years of experience in the travel industry to help guide
(00:21):
you to great experiences in your travel, whether it be
around the block, around the country, or around the world.
Let's bring in Terry Dean and say hello, Hello, Chris,
Hello Terry, and hello Harry. Well just plain hello for me, Chris.
I can't compete with that, and most people can't compete
with Terry d no, sir. So it's good to see all.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
It's fabulous.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
It's Saturday, Happy Red Bud Festival day, right, Kenny, Glad
to have gotten out of town for a bit to
come visit with you all day.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
You are, I'll bet you are.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
You right in the thick of it, right on my
front porch.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Yeah, but what a great day. I mean, it's it's
it's wonderful when spring starts to happen. It's a good day.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
I was just saying, I love the Red Bud Festival. Yeah,
but we know that my feeling about crowds, I'm not
a big fan of being surrounded. So I stay in
my house and hide for most of the day. My
wife goes out in search of the kettle corn and
all the.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Friends all nice kettle corn. That sounds delicious.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
We always end up with the back of that head
over there and get some of that.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
So absolutely, I think that's a great idea.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Well, enough about me and my hometown. What's going on
in your world?
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yep. So it's been busy at the Wishing Well. Obviously,
things are kicking into high gear. It's spring and we've
got some news to talk about. So actually, just in
time for our peak vacation season and especially Alaska goers,
Alaska Airlines is elevating its onboard meals in all of
(01:52):
their cabins, and they recently updated their first class and
main cabin menus. For economyngers, they're offering a healthier new
grain bowl that's going to be available for pre order
on most flights, and their first class passengers are going
to be treated to new menu items from a chef
that has won awards from both Michelin and James Beard.
(02:16):
That's very newsworthy when we talk about good food on
airlines these days, that's a red letter day. Travelers might
want to skip pre flight meals inside the airport before
their future Alaska Airlines flights. The Seattle based airline recently
announced an upgrade, as I said, on both of its
(02:36):
first class and main cabin dining menus. The Michelin and
James Beard award winning chef designed meals are prioritizing healthiness, wellness,
and bold taste at thirty thousand feet, which can often
be a challenge for airlines due to catering restrictions and
the quick turn of aircraft. Airlines frequently innovate and change
(02:58):
in flight menus to evolve with consumer demand and to
keep things fresh, but this is in fact something brand new.
In March, Delta Airlines announced an expansion of its partnership
with Shakeshack to provide the famed shake Shack burgers to
flights that are over nine hundred miles out of Atlanta,
(03:18):
New York, Seattle, and Los Angeles. The airline also upgraded
it's on the ground catering with the launch of Delta
one lounges at both New York and la Eva Airlines
also recently expanded its specialty culinary offerings with dumplings from
the famed den Te Fung on select flight routes. So
(03:41):
I think it's kind of exciting to see some upgraded
options coming to flight service these days.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
I got to tell you, the first time I flew,
I didn't know that, like everybody on the plane didn't
get food. And so they're coming down to, you know,
do the service with the food and the beverages, right,
and I got my cookies and my juice, and I'm like,
where's my steak dinner? And they're like, no service. This
is not a Nazi, sir, you not today.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
I'm so sorry. Christ need to make your next flight
on Alaska Airlines and perhaps well maybe an Alaska trip
for you and Beck. That sounds great. Next on my
list best time to ask for a flight upgrade. I
thought that might be interesting for people to know about.
This is really kind of an interesting tip, and this
(04:31):
comes according to flight attendants. Upgrades to business or first
class are extremely coveted, especially on long haul flights, and
so they're hard to come by. You're likely to get
anywhere by asking for a free upgrade, but you can
see whether a paid upgrade is possible. The best time
(04:54):
to ask for a flight upgrade is right after booking,
but if that doesn't work, you're still going to have
a couple more more options to try for an upgrade.
And just who exactly gets upgraded on a flight anyway? Well,
on almost every flight, the passengers who get upgrades are
either the ones who pay for it in advance, either
in dollars or miles, or frequent flyers with elite status
(05:17):
who receive complementary upgrades as part of their perks. Now,
there are very few exceptions to those rules, so don't
expect to score a free upgrade just by asking or
batting your eyes very nicely at the flight attendance. When
you buy a flight upgrade, if you want to buy
one with miles or cash, do so as early in
(05:40):
that process as possible. Start by contacting your airline right
after booking to see if there are any paid upgrades available.
If you're out of luck there, you can try again
at the check in desk. Now, if you ask for
an upgrade on the plane, might you get it? Well,
you have one last option. You can ask the lead
(06:03):
flight attendant or the flight attendant at the boarding door.
You should ask prior to the door closure, but don't
be surprised if they don't move you until after you're
in the air. If they're going to grant you your request,
you're more likely to score a paid upgrade to an
economy plus seat than you are to a first or
(06:23):
a business class, especially if you're already in economy. Standard
procedure is to wait until the door closes to see
if everybody shows up for that flight, and if your
seat that you're wanting is still available. The passenger pays
for the upgrade on the flight at that time. It's
usually not ever complementary. Now, in short, it's completely okay
(06:47):
to ask for an upgrade on a flight, but you
shouldn't expect a free upgrade. Feel free to ask for
a paid upgrade from bookings until boarding, and then, depending
on how crowded the flight is, you might be able
to pay your way up to a much more comfortable seat.
So those are just some tips that come to us
(07:08):
from flight attendants who have served in this lane and
they know better than I, so just thought i'd give
you some tips about how to upgrade if you choose
to do so. Very few times is it complementary, as
I said, unless you're a premiere or premium flight status
with those airlines.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Like Harry, I have the status on several airlines, and
the truth that I've found as I'm traveling is I
usually am eligible for one, but don't get one. So
if I ever see a case where a passenger who
hasn't paid or who is waiting until the last minute,
(07:49):
gets one, I'd be very surprised.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Well, if you pay for it, I'm sure. The one
thing we know for sure, the airlines are always happy
to take your money, So I don't think there's every
for a time if they have a seat and you
want to pay to upgrade to that seat, that they're
going to deny you. But there are some helpful tips
I think there that we've covered that give you sort
of the protocols in how to do that.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Yeah, I think that's correct, And I think the other
thing that's worth pointing out. A lot of times people
will look at an upgrade on a flight. It's possible
to upgrade one way on a flight, and especially for
our travelers who are traveling to Europe, very often will
recommend if you're on an overnight flight that you pay
for that upgrade because it gives you a little extra
room to stretch out while you're sleeping on that plane.
(08:35):
That's your hotel overnight. So you can buy that upgrade
one way, but not necessarily coming back.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
So I've never never asked for an upgrade. I don't
know that I would even know more than what you
just explained. What the process is is the cost to
pay for an upgrade, the difference in what I would
have paid for that seat to start.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
With, not necessarily. So that's where it gets a little
bit tricky. In the industry these days. Many people, especially
like Harry said, let's just say, for example, Chris, you
would be flying from Washington Dullest to Houston, Houston to London.
Now that's not a likely path, but that for the
sake of the example, I'm gonna give it and you go.
(09:17):
I really don't care much about an upgrade from Dulles
to Houston, but I really would like to have that
over the water portion of this upgraded. So if you'd
bought that in advance, let's just say that one way
upgrade might have cost you thirty five hundred dollars if
you wait till you get to the airport, and you
only want that segment from Houston to London upgraded. Now
(09:38):
we're talking that might only cost you seventeen hundred, so
you can kind of see how you can sort of
play with that just a little bit. And to Harry's point,
you know you're always flying overseas, especially to Europe at night,
so you want those upgraded lay flat seats if you
can get them. But in the daytime coming back is
when you're gonna fly. You're gonna fly in the daytime,
(09:59):
so there's really no need to pay for an extra upgrade.
Those are going to I always tell people those are
the most expensive drinks you'll ever buy. So it's okay
to upgrade, especially where it's going to do you the
most good, and that is where you can sleep.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Yeah, that makes sense.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
So I want to move on to some other news,
and again this is targeting our friends at United Airlines.
They are getting ready to purchase one hundred futuristic aircrafts,
and Chris, I only wish our listeners today could see
these aircrafts. They are phenomenal, they're actually quite pretty, and
(10:37):
they are very futuristic looking, but United's fleet is about
to get a little more futuristic. The Chicago based airline
announced it's going to be investing in aviation startup Jet zero,
known for its innovative blended wing body aircraft that are
designed to be ultra fuel efficient. United's investment includes a
(11:00):
conditional purchase agreement to order up to one hundred of
these planes, with an option to purchase another one hundred
after that.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
Now.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
The aircraft's blended wing design is supposed to reduce drag
and produces lyft across the whole wingspan. It can fly
at higher altitudes, all of which could reduce fuel burn
by up to fifty percent per passenger mile compared to
more traditional aircraft of the same size. Jet Zeros Z
(11:30):
four aircraft flies on conventional aviation fuel, but also has
propulsion systems that can run on sustainable fuel blend. The
aircraft is designed to transport up to two hundred and
fifty passengers and terry.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Not only United Airlines, but Alaska Airlines is also invested
in Jet Zeros. That's pretty exciting. We're just talking about that.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
That is exciting and I'm glad to see these new
evolutions in aircraft design and fuel efficiencies come into play. Herry,
I think you've got something else to add to that
as well, and then we're going to hit a sail
that you've got before we head into our story.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
Sounds great for me. It's very exciting to see the
energy efficiency happening with aircraft, both from the just the
keep the world better place kind of thing, but also
I think it's going to have a great effect on
the cost of air travel as time goes on. And
Airbus has been working diligently on a fully electric plane
(12:31):
and a hydrogen powered plane. So you're going to see
that they're going to put four engines on this plane,
and that's going to reduce from six on some of
the planes that they've been experimenting with. So they're making
some great progress with fuel economy. The only tough part
about this is we're going to have to wait about
another ten years. They're saying it's going to take them
(12:54):
until the middle of the twenty thirties before they can
have this plane in service. You know, fully tested and
all the bugs worked out, But ten years isn't a
real long time when you talk about that kind of saving.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Another reason why I love this industry so much is
that we see things happen, and even when, like you said,
they say it's ten years that go so fast in
this industry that we'll see it in our lifetime.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
So I love that it's great and it's going to
be reduced costs for the air traveler. I like that too,
very very much. I want to talk about a month
end sale, and this sale is only good through the
end of this month, through the end of April, so
we're not talking about very long. But our friends at
Viking are doing a month end special that they announced
to us this week. They're offering free airfare on select
(13:38):
sailings and a five hundred dollars shipboard credit per couple
and a free beverage package and only twenty five dollars deposits.
So if you see this deal and it looks good,
give us a call. We can get your booked. It's
only twenty five dollars deposit and you can think about
it for twenty five dollars, but it's important that you
(14:00):
get that room nailed down now.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
You know a lot of people think of Viking River
Cruises as only their European option, but I do want
to remind folks as I sold one of these actually
just this week to some folks. Viking also does the
Mississippi River and options there as well. This sale does
apply to those sailings, So if you're interested in any
(14:24):
of those, I do recommend that you reach out to
the wishing Well Chris. How can they find us?
Speaker 1 (14:30):
Well, you can call five four O nine twenty three
thirty three. You're on ne f Avenue in Harrisonburg and
online at the Wishingwell dot biz.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
And not only are we talking about European sailings, We're
not only talking about the US sailings. We're also talking
about sailings all the way to Antarctic. The Viking has
got a pretty diverse offering out there. So if this
is interesting to you, give us a call and let
us sign you up for one of these again.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
That numbers five four O nine oh eight twenty three
thirty three. We are con continuing our series of luxury travel.
We're currently talking about luxury travel in small towns and
places that are maybe not visited as often as those
mega vacation locations. Our show today is entitled Roads Less Traveled.
(15:17):
We're going to travel those roads next here on My
Life Less Ordinary protect.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
Your vacation investment with guidance from a travel professional. The
wishing Well knows travel and helps you avoid pitfalls that
can spoil your hard earned vacation. We have plan your
trip and heavy back as you travel. All of this
without support or so called convenience fees. We're on the
web at the Wishingwell Dot biz or call us at
five four zero nine zero eight two three three three.
(15:43):
That's five four zero nine zero eight two three three three.
The washing Well really does make dreams come true.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Hey, welcome back to a life less ordinary. This is
your weekly travel show on podcasts, produced by your friends
from the wishing Well, Terry Dean and Harry Rifer. Here
you can anytime you have them a call five four
ZHO nine to eight twenty three thirty three. They're on
ne f Avenue in Harrisonburg and online at the wishing
Well Biz. Our show today is called Roads Less Travel.
(16:11):
I feel like I had to read that when I
was a kid. Isn't there when they're a book that
take the road less traveled, I'm not sure? Well we're
taking that road either way too.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
We are, We really are, And you know I'd be
remiss today if I didn't say to those that join
us every Saturday here a great big thank you. We
really do appreciate you joining us here. More importantly, I
really love it when you give us your feedback, your
candid feedback. I will tell you that the last couple
of episodes and series that we've been doing here on
(16:39):
a lifeless ordinaries because of you. These are the things
that you ask us for. These are the things that
we're bringing to a lifeless ordinary so that you can
participate with us and give us your feedback. We love that,
and I certainly hope that you've been able to join
us in the last several weeks as we started a
new luxury series called Small Town's Big Luxury. This has
(17:02):
been a fun and really enlightening series. Not only have
we learned about some of the fabulous small town luxury properties,
but we've done so with some shared time with some
special guests. Several weeks ago, we were joined by the
vice president of sales and Marketing from Nima Colon in
a very small town called Farmington, Pennsylvania. That particular episode
(17:24):
was entitled The Mouse That Roared, and truly, if there
is a more outstanding surprise resort than Nima colon. I
don't know what it would be. Then last week we
were joined by a representative from Calliope Collective, which yes
is a collection of small town luxury properties, and we
found our way in that episode to some of the
(17:44):
most impressive resorts. Chris, we went all the way from
Virginia to the Green Hills of Ireland, did we not?
Speaker 1 (17:51):
We did?
Speaker 2 (17:52):
And so every week we are seeking to bring a
very different perspective to the world that we call luxury,
and we want to walk you through those many facets
of how that looks, but most importantly, how you can
customize that experience even if luxury to you doesn't look
exactly like it does to somebody else. Today, we're going
(18:15):
to continue our efforts to unveil yet another facet of
luxury travel that deals with the more adventurous aspects of
this topic. Now, while luxury might be all about the
sophistication of a property for some people, for others it's
just a super custom tailor made adventure experience with none
(18:37):
of the upscale amenities overlooked. So with that in mind,
our entire episode today is going to focus on another
one of our inspired Virtuoso partners, called Backroads. Now, Backroads
is the leader in active travel, and since nineteen seventy nine,
(18:59):
that's as long as I've been in this industry, they
have been doing what they do best, talking and taking
people on unforgettable vike biking, walking and hiking and multi
adventure trips around the world. So I want to first
of all talk about what sets them apart well. To me,
(19:21):
and I've sold back Roads for a number of years.
This really the whole active approach to luxury travel, though,
has really just started to come into vogue. I would
say probably within the last ten years. You know, before that,
people were okay with a much more structured you know,
(19:43):
escorted personally escorted, tour escort god, somebody to take your
bags everywhere you went, check you into a hotel, check
you out, and off you went in a motor coach.
That was kind of the norm. And I mean that
still tends to be one mode of luxury transportation. We've
got high end companies like Abercrombie and Kent, We've got
(20:05):
Knight's Bridge, We've got a lot of different companies out
there that are still doing that quite successfully at the
luxury pitch level. I mean, look at Luxury Gold, a
company that we had on here as a guest many
years ago. But these are companies that are still doing that.
And then you enter somebody like back Roads, and back
(20:26):
Roads is going to cater to these people who love
the outdoors, they love biking, they love hiking and walking,
they love multi activity type leveled experiences, but they want
them at the luxury level. Almost sounds like a different
kind of approach, doesn't it. I mean it almost sounds
(20:46):
like an oxymoron. Really, you're going to give me that
kind of experience and at luxury, how is that possible?
Speaker 3 (20:52):
Well, it exemplifies what we've been talking about in this
whole series terry about luxury. Luxury is in the eyes
of the beholder. For some people of Backroads clients in particular,
luxury is having a trip that's tailored to those things
that they love to do. To have that mountain bike
ready at the place where they need to do some
(21:13):
mountain biking, and to maybe have a kayak ready at
another part of their trip. Is they're going to move
down a river. That's luxury to them to have everything
there exactly as they wish.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Yeah, exactly. And I can remember my aha moment with
Backroads when I first found out about them, and I
began to investigate exactly what their tours included and what
people actually got on these immersive, personalized, customized, curated experiences,
and I went, are you kidding me right now? I mean,
(21:47):
it is really their thoughtful, meticulous trip design that puts
them in a class all by themselves. They're elegant hotels
and world class dining and their trip leaders who are
consistently described by the guests on back Roads as the
best gods they've ever had. Backroads sets the benchmark for
(22:11):
incredible active vacationers worldwide. Never subcontract any of their work.
They always use only their own hired, trained professionals in
more than fifty countries and with more dates to choose
from than any other outdoor active company. That's the back
Road standard. That is why the wishing Well loves them.
(22:35):
So now you know a little bit more about who
Backroads is, and that's kind of the reader's digest version.
Thanks Harry for chiming in on that. But I want
to take a look inside at how they open up
small towns and really whole regions of countries so that
the adventurous minded traveler can have their own slice of paradise,
(22:57):
luxury included, especially curated. Absolutely, so I want to talk
first of all about their biking tours and I want
to focus, if you allow me, on the e bike tours.
Back Roads also has the traditional bike tours as well,
but I think people respond well to e bike tours.
E bikes are what I like to call the great
(23:18):
equalizer because e bike tours use technology to kind of
eliminate the challenge of mismatched fitness levels. I think there's
some charm in that.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
Are you talking about me? What do you know what
I was doing last weekend? Right? I was e biking
with my son and grandkids and they're like, hey, Grandpa,
come on, come on, man, I can.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
Which is exactly why I think e bike tours are
so great, because they bring the generations together and there's
more than the equalizing factor here. Sometimes the joy of
discovering a new place gets lost along a challenging bike route. Traditionally,
on e bike even casual riders can focus on the
(24:02):
sites around them, which I think is great. With a
boost from the battery, you never have to choose between
reaching the next vista and having happy legs. The next morning,
and I'm going to share with you that once upon
a time I was a mountain bike competitor.
Speaker 1 (24:17):
But today whoa, whoa back up?
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Yes what I was. Yeah, once upon a time I
was a mountain bike competitor.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
Who had that on their being go carts today?
Speaker 2 (24:27):
Does that surprise you? I love this, Yes it was.
It was my life for a number of years. I
loved it, and then fear overtook me in a mountain
bike experience and I never did it again. And I'm
so sad about that, but I'm excited that other people
can have this experience because it is so so great.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
The z banks let you go to places. Let me
go to places that I want to see that I
couldn't ordinarily get to. I'd have to hike there, maybe
hire a helicopter, and that's just it's not practical. But
an e bike it doesn't take the workout of biking.
It makes it possible to bike to places that you
wouldn't ordinarily get there. It's like having that hand pushing
(25:12):
you on the back. If you've never ridden an e bike,
folks today after the broadcast, go down to the bike
store and just ride one. Try one. I'm not here
to sell e bikes, but I can endorse them and
say they have made a lot of things possible for
me and got me to places that I would not
ordinarily have gone.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Yeah, and I think that even though I was a
mountain bike competitor, as I said earlier in my life,
those skills stay with you, but the stamina unfortunately does not.
So I think even a traditional bike tour of several
miles would probably be a challenge for me today, and
maybe not in a pleasant way. So I too would
(25:53):
probably opt for an e bike experience. So I'm really
happy that back Roads offers these. One of the first
e bike tours that I want to have you join
me on this morning is the wonderful Loire Valley easy
Going e Bike Tour. Now already, I think just the
name of this tour sets a tone to not be
(26:13):
intimidating at all. Sounds glorious actually, So let's look at
what you would experience on this adventure. First of all,
I want to say this tour is great for couples,
friends traveling together, and even solos. Backroads does a great
job for people who want to just take solo tours
on the active scale. It comes in at about a
(26:35):
one or two out of a possible five. It's a
six day, five night package and you're staying at only
I love this premium hotels all along the journey. So
the highlights all while seeing this in up close and
immersive bike riding form is that you are first of
(26:56):
all taking your e bike through the lush valley and
this is this is in Tuscany, Italy, in the Loire Valley.
Charming villages, historic vineyards, plenty of stops for wine tasting,
even picnics. Back Roads does a great job of providing
these pre packed picnics that you stop along the route
(27:20):
and do people watching and just take your picnics, and
you dive into the fascinating history of this valley, the
home of the French court during the Renaissance in Europe
while visiting historic chateaus, and I think I said Italy,
this is actually in France. I beg your pardon. Where
the Loire Valley is in France, Tuscany is in Italy.
(27:40):
So you're in the Loire Valley of France with this experience,
and you're going to experience the lively culture of the
Loire's riverbank towns. Ideally you're going to be sipping a
glass of award winning wine. And these are from the
little small towns and provinces that make the lar Valley
so idyllic. You relax, you rejuvenate at these hotels that
(28:02):
enhance and delight the valley that you're going through through
immersive architecture, gorgeous grounds and ancient French traditions. Some of
the properties that you're going to be seeing here and
staying in one of them. And again I always invite
our listeners if you're with me as we go through
and broadcast some of what we're talking about. If you're
(28:24):
in front of a computer, do pull these up, because
I can tell you that as I research and prepare
for our show and our time together on a life
less ordinary, I do. I always if I've not been
to the places, I always look these up so that
I can best describe them to you while we're on air.
But the Laire Valley Lodge is one of the places
(28:45):
that you're going to be staying at for two nights
on this six day, five night package. These are gorgeous
lodges literally only about two hours outside of Paris, so
you never really know that you are in so close
to a big city, but it's set deep in the woods.
It's surrounded by nature, which makes you think big city
(29:08):
is just worlds away, but you really only two hours
outside of Paris. There's art, relaxation and if you don't
believe me, just look up this property. It's gorgeous. The
next one that you'll be staying in for the remaining
three nights is Fleur d Loire, and this is a
premium hotel. It has some of the best views of
(29:28):
the Loire Valley's idyllic scenery. Chef Christoph Hay has seventeenth
century property. His property overlooks the regal city of blue
Waw and a lazy section of the river. Now, this
sophisticated hotel is known for its exquisite contemporary design, relaxing
(29:49):
atmosphere and creative cuisine. This is a relay in chateau member.
They have a pool, they have a spa here. So
here you are on this e bike tour, which for
all intents and purposes for everybody else would sound a
bit rustic. I think it almost has that juxtas position
(30:10):
with these luxury hotel properties, like a relay in chateau Hotel,
which is a five star hotel, as well as the
lar Valley Lodges, which is another great place to unwind
after you've biked and you've kind of spent yourself a
little bit that day.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
And you're in groups that are not mega groups. So
you talked about this Terry, but you're talking about properties
that are not mega properties. You're talking about some very
high end, very nice properties. Incident, you're talking about that
intimate kind of feel you have in a group also
that you're there, you know, biking with It's a very
(30:48):
different than some of the mega experiences, not that they're bad,
but you talk about, you know, a large cruise ship
or you talk about a small group like this, it's
just a group that by the end of the week
you're going to know all the people there actually probably
creating some great lifelong kind of friendships on these tools.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
And that's a great point too, Harry, because most of
these people who are on these tours, especially these active
adventure type tours, they're going to be like minded people.
And Chris, even when you vacation, isn't it great when
you find and meet people who are like minded, that
share the same kinds of things that you like to do.
(31:28):
And I mean, I know that big crowds aren't particularly
your thing, but I'm sure on occasion you've run into
people and you go, I instantly met them, and because
we were doing the same thing, I just felt like
I knew them.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
I actually like to find those moments. That's how you
spark up a conversation. And because of the business that
I work in, I typically know radio stations from where
they're from and I'm like, do you listen to and
then we're off to the races having a conversation telling
me about their kids and yeah, what pets they have,
and you know, it's anything you have in common. It's
(32:02):
a great way to start a conversation.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
You know. One thing I've noticed that since COVID. I
hate to refer to the C word, you know, but
so many things changed during COVID. We isolated at home,
and not only that, but now we've got social media,
which is anything but social. If you ask me what
it does is I think it keeps us isolated even more.
(32:24):
There seems to be a hunger within our society these
days to really connect with other human beings doing the
same things that we love to do, and what better
way than to take these backroads adventures that are offered
by a tour company like Backroads, who introduce people who
(32:44):
are like minded together doing the same thing.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
Coming from different backgrounds, coming from different parts of the world,
coming with different expectations, but having those like interests. Those
are the people that I like meeting too, because the
conversation that you were talking about, Chris, those are great
conversations because it feels like you're speaking with your brother,
your sister, your family, and you've only met these people
(33:11):
eight hours ago. What a great experience for creating those
memories that we keep talking about exactly every time we
do a broadcast on a Life Less Ordinary.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
Exactly, Chris. Other e bike tours include those that can
take places. It can take place in places like Nova Scotia,
and that's going to take you from the North Atlantic
to the Bay of Fundy. I've got others that go
from Berlin to Prague. That's Germany into the Czech Republic.
Others that go through Switzerland. You're going to go through
(33:44):
montrou to Lucerne via the swift Swiss Alps. Boy, that
one sounds exciting to me. And if you want to
stay stateside, with some of these e bike tours, you
can do that too. There's the California Wine Country that
takes you through Napa and the Sonow home of vineyards
to the Pacific Coast. And if you have no e bike,
(34:04):
no problem. Backroads has e bikes available for rent, so
no need to even worry about that part of your experience.
It's all taken care of now, Chris, We're going to
take a break and when we come back, we're going
to be talking about other backroads adventures that include walking
and hiking tours.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
Look forward to that next Here on a life less Ordinate,
Why do you recharge your cell phone?
Speaker 3 (34:29):
Maybe because, just like you, it functions much better with
a little revitalization. The wishing Well helps people refresh and
revitalize with individually designed, customized vacation planning. We'll send you
anywhere in the world, plus offer advice on packing, navigating customs,
and more. Wishes really do come true at the wishing Well.
Visit us at two forty three and a half Avenue,
(34:50):
call us at five four zero nine zero eight two
three three three.
Speaker 1 (34:53):
Or on the web at the Wishingwell dot biz. Welcome
back to a life less Ordinary. This is the travel
showing podcast from your friends at the wishing Well. They're
on ne f Avenue in Harrisonburg. They're also online at
the wishing Well dot biz, where you can give them
a call at five four Oho nine eight twenty three
thirty three. We're continuing our series of small Towns Big
(35:14):
Luxury our show. Today's entitled Roads Less Traveled. We've talked
about some e bike adventures and now we're going to
do some hiking we are.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
You know, I actually think I've probably got as many
clients that are avid walker's hiker even runners. I mean,
I've got a big contingency of customers who they would
probably be just as happy to run to all the
places that they would vacation to, especially if we're talking
about these small towns. But let's be honest, people who
actively participate in this kind of fitness routine are a
(35:46):
little obsessive about it. They really are. Even one of
the gals who works for us at the wishing Well,
she is such an avid hiker. She told me that
she feels like she is, you know, on a drain
through the winter when she can't go hiking.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
I just met a lady who says she does these
non all thats are called mega marathons or where it's
like one hundred miles it takes a couple of days.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
Yep. Crazy, Yeah, really crazy.
Speaker 1 (36:13):
I'm just going to say this. I'm gonna it's going
to be controversial. People who like to run have a
mental illness. Oh my gosh, we.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
Do not believe that. At the wishing well, I can't
just want to give no.
Speaker 1 (36:27):
I actually ran. I ran track when I was a kid.
I was a sprinter. I enjoyed running.
Speaker 2 (36:31):
Yeah, running is great and it's got you know, there's
a lot of endorphins that get united when you run,
and so that's why I mean, it's it's like a
natural hif for people.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
I speak from a place of jealousy.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
But people who do this, Chris, I think we do
agree they can't get enough. Let's face it, with luxury
adventure companies like back Roads, you never have to be
without what you love, even while you're doing what you
love to do. So I love that, you know, you
can still have this great luxurious experience and you can
(37:04):
still be doing what it is you love to do.
So one very popular request I have these days, especially
of the outdoor adventure clients, is take us to Patagonia.
So today we're going to look a little closer at
back roads Argentina's Patagonia Lake District, easy going walking tour.
(37:25):
This is also a seven day, sixth night at Tenerary.
It's got some fabulous inclusions. We're going to visit in
just a few minutes. But I also want to mention
that this tour benefits from the premium class hotel stays
as well, So you're going to get that luxury in
here as well as the you know, aspect of adventure.
Speaker 3 (37:47):
I'd expect nothing less exactly.
Speaker 2 (37:49):
Now, the highlights of this great tour is you're going
to be able to do the grand tour of nahul
Huapi National Park that's through Patagonia. Close there, you can
float through the high altitude steps on a peaceful river,
stop for a swim at a backcountry beach. You're going
(38:10):
to be able to rest your head at lodges as
diverse as Argentina itself, from a cozy wilderness ranch to
a European inspired lakeside palazzo. Now, the first hotel is
the Labalis. This is understated luxury. If you're looking this
up online, it is La s B A L S
(38:32):
A S. And that is the hospitality relay in Chateau
on Lake nahul Huapi. This place is sick in a
great way. And I have to say that The website
is www dot L A S B A L S
(38:53):
A S dot com. I suggest you look it up.
It is incredible, is it not?
Speaker 1 (39:00):
Is doing just then? Yeah, I was searching for it
as you were putting the letters in. It's an image
of this blue hotel right on the edge of the
lake with just beautiful scenery in every direction.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
Absolutely gorgeous. I mean, first of all, Patagonia itself, and
we've talked about that here. I think we even did
a special on Patagonia maybe a year or so ago.
But I got to tell you this is a place
my heart longs for, and this particular property, in particular,
a relay in chateau property Los Balas, is one of
(39:35):
the most beautiful places on earth. It is just gorgeous.
You're going to spend a couple of nights there on
this itinerary. The next place that you're going to go
to is a Stanchia Piuma Hue and that's the next property.
It's also sunk into the fabulous area of Patagonia Wilderness
(39:57):
at an elevated ranch type exposed log river rock, fireplace
and stable populating this particular property, and it's highlighted by
a lot of working horses at this property. The next one,
the third one that you'll spend, you'll move three times
on this Patagonia itinerary. The next one you're going to
(40:20):
visit is Villa Billuno and that's b E l U
n O. It's an Old World inspired design kind of
defines this particular lakeside retreat. It's complete with its own
private beach where aquamarine water kind of laps at the pines.
Speaker 1 (40:38):
There.
Speaker 2 (40:40):
The words that are written on their website, I just
loved them, and it said, Villa Belluno exists on a
plane between the brute physical world and the delicate memories
made under the grandeur of our Patagonia sky. That really
is so poetic in how it's written. And I just
(41:01):
had to share that because to me, that just encapsulates
what I believe this property exudes when you first see
it on this itinerary. You're also going to soak in
the mountaintown energy of some of the bustling South Americans
most beloved ski resorts. Argentina's stellar cuisine awaits there, catered
(41:22):
cookouts and an interactive impanada making class is all part
of this itinerary. So you can see e biking has
come a long long way.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
Most certainly when you talk about those places you talk
about places that exist in our dreams.
Speaker 1 (41:41):
I'd say I'd hop on an e bike and hype
to any of these locations.
Speaker 2 (41:44):
These are correctual And I love that you're looking these up, Chris.
I mean, what kind of feeling do you get when
you immediately see these Uh.
Speaker 1 (41:53):
Like I'm soaking in a warm bath.
Speaker 2 (41:55):
Yeah, just comfort, they really are. And I mean after
you've e biked across several miles for a day, I
think these are just the kind of retreats you want
to soak into, are they not?
Speaker 1 (42:06):
Yeah, this is the kind of pit stop you want
after a day of biking.
Speaker 2 (42:09):
And the great part about it is most of these
properties are equipped also with pools. Many of them are heated,
but all of them that we're talking about have spas.
So what better after a day of biking and outdoor
adventure than to have somebody massage your back, pour some
warm oil on you, and massage out all of those
(42:30):
spots that you're going and that hurt, but it doesn't now, especially.
Speaker 3 (42:35):
If you're sipping a nice what do they call them
adult beverage.
Speaker 2 (42:39):
There you go, There you go. Now. Other walking and
hiking tours that back roads does include places like Scotland
and Ireland. They have those easy walking tours. Iceland the
Land of Fire and Ice. You'll find a great walking
and hiking tour there, Germany, Austria, Portugal again, Nova, Scotia
(43:01):
and state side. There's the Utah's arches and canyon lands
and oregons, crater Lake and cascades. The common denominator here
is the quality of the trips that you're going to receive. Again,
some of the best guides for outdoor adventures in the industry.
These are all five star programs led by some of
(43:23):
the best and most professionals in the industry, and all
of them are going to have those signature great stays
at hotels that are curated for you for this adventure.
Speaker 3 (43:33):
And many of the shows that we go to and
the conferences we go to, we meet some of these people,
and Terry is understating a little bit the capability and
the quality of these tour leaders These are folks who
are clearly very fit and prepared to help and assist
not just getting them from place to place along these tours,
(43:54):
but if you need some assistance, if there's something that
goes wrong along the way, whether it's you know, a
simple first aid to just a little little help to
get you from point A to point B, these are
the folks that are going to make that happen. They
are absolutely professional, they're absolutely the friendliest people that we
meet at some of these shows. I can't say enough
(44:16):
about them.
Speaker 2 (44:17):
Yeah, and again just remind you all of these tours
that I'm talking about with back roads fully escorted. They
offer massive support throughout your trip. All breakfasts, four lunches,
six dinners on all of these trips, expertise and services
of the trip leaders. They have additional GUIDs and experts
from the region that come in on many of these trips.
(44:40):
They have van shuttles that will follow the bikes and
the walking groups that support at a variety of route options.
They have private guided tours at the museums, some surprise
tours that are thrown in at wineries and other selected attractions.
All of your gratuities, the hotels and restaurants are included.
(45:02):
There are some special events that they'll throw in as
well as wind tastings. As I mentioned, your equipment if
you need it, is all included. Your gods for the kayaking, rafting, snorkeling, sailing,
all of that's included. Your park entries, fares for your
trains or ferries if that's part of your itinerary, your baggage,
(45:23):
transfers and porters. So really nothing else is that you
need to include.
Speaker 3 (45:29):
Well, that's what makes some a virtuals provider. They're part
of our virtual so partnership not surprisingly.
Speaker 2 (45:35):
Yeah. Now, one last luxury adventure and this time we're
going to be combining all of the best of everything, biking, hiking, canoeing,
you name it, it's in this. We're going to be
going to the Pacific coast of the San Juan and
would Be islands for five days and four nights. Now,
to explore this gorgeous corner of the Pacific Northwest is
(45:58):
really to get up close and person with kind of
a misty island dotted landscape. You're going to throw in
a little splash of Alaska mixed with a land laid
back island vibe. This is a picture of a forested island,
quaint harbor's kind of marine wildlife all around you. Maybe
you're going to run into a few otters bald eagles
(46:20):
from the seat of an e bike. You're going to
mix that in with beautiful rocky coasts, these cozy, beautiful hotels,
and the horns of ferry boats, and you're going to
have a trip as rich in experiences as it is
in the crisp salty air. You welcome to the Pacific Northwest.
This is where you're going to get to experience island
(46:42):
hopping at its best. First of all, you're going to
explore this tranquil, tranquil island called Whidby Island. You're going
to soak in panoramic views of the Puget Sound and
Olympic Range During a walk along the coastal bluffs of
Ebe's Landing National Historic Reserve. Your e bike is going
(47:03):
to take you through some farmland through there with some
dotted rustic barns sort of thrown in. You're going to
stroll into lovely Saratoga Woods and encounter some really interesting
geographical features there. You're going to be hiking and walking
through that area. You're going to stroll through Langley's enchanted
waterfront and relax at the idyllic Island Retreat. There there's
(47:28):
a ferry that takes you to Friday Harbor, then shuttles
you to Historic American Camp for a hike along those
rugged cliffs overlooking the Olympic Peninsula. You'll paddle a sea
kayak through tranquil harbors and inlets, and then you watch
for those harbor seals or sea otters that are napping
(47:48):
in the kelp canopies. You e bike again on San
Juan Island, past these secluded bays and driftwood beaches around
Pair Point, and then you relax and enjoy a lot
of the charms and amenities of those historic seaside resorts.
And then you join a marine biologists for a wildlife
(48:09):
watching crews around the island where you just might see
some whale.
Speaker 3 (48:15):
And these are places that I have not visited the
way that you're talking about. I'm terry, but I visited
some of these sitting in my comfortable car. But just
the places that you're talking about, they are idyllic. When
you're out there in that Pacific coast area and you're
talking about those islands there is just an ambiance around
(48:37):
that place that lets you know that the earth is
just such a spectacular place. Some of the wildlife you
will see out there, some of the weather that you'll
experience out there is just very different than what most
people are used to, and it's a very pleasant kind
of eye opening experience.
Speaker 2 (48:57):
Yeah. Now I'm speaking to all of you inter seekers
out there right now, because if you've done Alaska, you go, yeah,
I've done that, been there, done that, I've done the
Canadian Rockies. Let me tell you this Pacific area of
the coast Pacific coastal area where we're talking about the
San Juan Islands and wid Be Islands and all of
(49:18):
very unique but still the same kind of draw and
when you can experience it and be out there in nature,
you know, I remember our trip to Alaska, the group
trip that we took. Some of my best experiences on
that trip were the ones I had outside walking because
I was real with the land, with what I was seeing.
(49:40):
It was the most real experience to sort of let
my feet touch that ground in various places and able
to walk away from the ship, away from the groups,
away from the crowds, and kind of walk my own
paths if you will through the adventures of the outdoor.
Speaker 3 (49:58):
You feel like you own it and specifically to some
of the things that Chris talks about all the time.
You don't want to be in a crowd. You feel
like this is specifically, you know, individually catered just for you.
You are in your own little special place there, your
own little special place. What a marvelous, marvelous experience. If
(50:21):
you have time, look up some of the places Terry's
talking about, look up this whole area, and you'll see
exactly what I'm talking about.
Speaker 1 (50:29):
I'm actually in a very special place right now. I'm
on the back I'm on the Backroads dot Com website. Yeah,
just looking at all that if I've as you've been
talking about the Puget Sound, I've been looking at everything
you can do in Washington State and in Italy and
all over the world. They've got walking and biking trips,
and the pictures on their website are fabulous.
Speaker 2 (50:49):
Aren't They're pros? You know, I would also encourage people.
I mean, if if the show today has excited you,
I do encourage you. Like Chris is going to this
back road website right now, and there's a story on
that site about the founder of Backroads and his amazing
(51:10):
story how this all began. There's even a video there
that will walk you through the back Roads company and
let you in on a lot of what the inside
adventure and how this all started was. I love that
myself personally, being in this industry. I always liked the
backstory of how certain companies started because I know how
(51:32):
ours did you know? I know how the wishing Well
got started, And it's a story I love to tell.
So I always love it when we're able to share
in the excitement of how a company starts. And for me,
Backroads is one of those rare companies that shares something
that the world needs today, and that is harmony with
the world and harmony with nature, harmony and peace with
(51:55):
what we're seeing, and ways to do it in a
very sustainable way. Do no harm to the places that
you go, but enjoy it and embrace it when you
get there.
Speaker 3 (52:06):
And we talked so much today about the broad less
travel and we are now at the conclusion on most
of our broadcast. I want to remind people about something
you said earlier. We want to get that feedback from
you and if you're hearing things and you have ideas
for us, We always Chris will always sure how to
call us, how to stop by, where to find us
(52:29):
on the web. But I encourage you also if you
want to reach out to us via email, you can
find either of us. Terry's email is Terry at the
wishing Well dot biz. Mine is Harry at the wishing
Well dot biz. Probably didn't even need a piece of
paper to remember that. But we really do like hearing
from you, and you'll hear back from us too. So
(52:51):
let us know how we're doing. Let us know what
you want to hear, where you want to go, what
you want to hear about, And Chris, how.
Speaker 1 (52:58):
Do we do that? Well, I'm actually ask Terry, So Terry,
tell us how.
Speaker 2 (53:01):
You touch with you always happy to do that. We
are easy to find. We're located at two forty three
NEF Avenue in the Valley Center in Harsonburg, Virginia. You
can call us We're at five four O nine zero
eight two three three three, or look us up on
the web. We are at the Wishingwell dot biz. This
has been a life less ordinary. The travel show from
(53:23):
your Friends at the Wishing Well at two forty three
NEF Avenue in Harrisonburg. If you have any questions on
topics discussed today, please reach out to the wishing Well
online at the Wishingwell dot biz or five four oh
nine oh eight twenty three thirty three. Past episodes are
available on the iHeartRadio app. And we'll see again next
Saturday morning at ten for a life less Ordinary from
the wishing Well
This is a Lifeless Ordinary, the travel show and podcasts
from your friends at the wishing Well two forty three
f Avenue in Harsmer and online at the wishing Well
dot biz. The wishing Well is your ultimate luxury concierge
travel agency and a Lifeless Ordinary is a travel show
and podcasts hosted by Terry Dean, bringing her over forty
years of experience in the travel industry to help guide
(00:21):
you to great experiences in your travel, whether it be
around the block, around the country, or around the world.
Let's bring in Terry Dean and say hello, Hello, Chris,
Hello Terry, and hello Harry. Well just plain hello for me, Chris.
I can't compete with that, and most people can't compete
with Terry d no, sir. So it's good to see all.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
It's fabulous.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
It's Saturday, Happy Red Bud Festival day, right, Kenny, Glad
to have gotten out of town for a bit to
come visit with you all day.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
You are, I'll bet you are.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
You right in the thick of it, right on my
front porch.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Yeah, but what a great day. I mean, it's it's
it's wonderful when spring starts to happen. It's a good day.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
I was just saying, I love the Red Bud Festival. Yeah,
but we know that my feeling about crowds, I'm not
a big fan of being surrounded. So I stay in
my house and hide for most of the day. My
wife goes out in search of the kettle corn and
all the.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Friends all nice kettle corn. That sounds delicious.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
We always end up with the back of that head
over there and get some of that.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
So absolutely, I think that's a great idea.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Well, enough about me and my hometown. What's going on
in your world?
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yep. So it's been busy at the Wishing Well. Obviously,
things are kicking into high gear. It's spring and we've
got some news to talk about. So actually, just in
time for our peak vacation season and especially Alaska goers,
Alaska Airlines is elevating its onboard meals in all of
(01:52):
their cabins, and they recently updated their first class and
main cabin menus. For economyngers, they're offering a healthier new
grain bowl that's going to be available for pre order
on most flights, and their first class passengers are going
to be treated to new menu items from a chef
that has won awards from both Michelin and James Beard.
(02:16):
That's very newsworthy when we talk about good food on
airlines these days, that's a red letter day. Travelers might
want to skip pre flight meals inside the airport before
their future Alaska Airlines flights. The Seattle based airline recently
announced an upgrade, as I said, on both of its
(02:36):
first class and main cabin dining menus. The Michelin and
James Beard award winning chef designed meals are prioritizing healthiness, wellness,
and bold taste at thirty thousand feet, which can often
be a challenge for airlines due to catering restrictions and
the quick turn of aircraft. Airlines frequently innovate and change
(02:58):
in flight menus to evolve with consumer demand and to
keep things fresh, but this is in fact something brand new.
In March, Delta Airlines announced an expansion of its partnership
with Shakeshack to provide the famed shake Shack burgers to
flights that are over nine hundred miles out of Atlanta,
(03:18):
New York, Seattle, and Los Angeles. The airline also upgraded
it's on the ground catering with the launch of Delta
one lounges at both New York and la Eva Airlines
also recently expanded its specialty culinary offerings with dumplings from
the famed den Te Fung on select flight routes. So
(03:41):
I think it's kind of exciting to see some upgraded
options coming to flight service these days.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
I got to tell you, the first time I flew,
I didn't know that, like everybody on the plane didn't
get food. And so they're coming down to, you know,
do the service with the food and the beverages, right,
and I got my cookies and my juice, and I'm like,
where's my steak dinner? And they're like, no service. This
is not a Nazi, sir, you not today.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
I'm so sorry. Christ need to make your next flight
on Alaska Airlines and perhaps well maybe an Alaska trip
for you and Beck. That sounds great. Next on my
list best time to ask for a flight upgrade. I
thought that might be interesting for people to know about.
This is really kind of an interesting tip, and this
(04:31):
comes according to flight attendants. Upgrades to business or first
class are extremely coveted, especially on long haul flights, and
so they're hard to come by. You're likely to get
anywhere by asking for a free upgrade, but you can
see whether a paid upgrade is possible. The best time
(04:54):
to ask for a flight upgrade is right after booking,
but if that doesn't work, you're still going to have
a couple more more options to try for an upgrade.
And just who exactly gets upgraded on a flight anyway? Well,
on almost every flight, the passengers who get upgrades are
either the ones who pay for it in advance, either
in dollars or miles, or frequent flyers with elite status
(05:17):
who receive complementary upgrades as part of their perks. Now,
there are very few exceptions to those rules, so don't
expect to score a free upgrade just by asking or
batting your eyes very nicely at the flight attendance. When
you buy a flight upgrade, if you want to buy
one with miles or cash, do so as early in
(05:40):
that process as possible. Start by contacting your airline right
after booking to see if there are any paid upgrades available.
If you're out of luck there, you can try again
at the check in desk. Now, if you ask for
an upgrade on the plane, might you get it? Well,
you have one last option. You can ask the lead
(06:03):
flight attendant or the flight attendant at the boarding door.
You should ask prior to the door closure, but don't
be surprised if they don't move you until after you're
in the air. If they're going to grant you your request,
you're more likely to score a paid upgrade to an
economy plus seat than you are to a first or
(06:23):
a business class, especially if you're already in economy. Standard
procedure is to wait until the door closes to see
if everybody shows up for that flight, and if your
seat that you're wanting is still available. The passenger pays
for the upgrade on the flight at that time. It's
usually not ever complementary. Now, in short, it's completely okay
(06:47):
to ask for an upgrade on a flight, but you
shouldn't expect a free upgrade. Feel free to ask for
a paid upgrade from bookings until boarding, and then, depending
on how crowded the flight is, you might be able
to pay your way up to a much more comfortable seat.
So those are just some tips that come to us
(07:08):
from flight attendants who have served in this lane and
they know better than I, so just thought i'd give
you some tips about how to upgrade if you choose
to do so. Very few times is it complementary, as
I said, unless you're a premiere or premium flight status
with those airlines.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Like Harry, I have the status on several airlines, and
the truth that I've found as I'm traveling is I
usually am eligible for one, but don't get one. So
if I ever see a case where a passenger who
hasn't paid or who is waiting until the last minute,
(07:49):
gets one, I'd be very surprised.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Well, if you pay for it, I'm sure. The one
thing we know for sure, the airlines are always happy
to take your money, So I don't think there's every
for a time if they have a seat and you
want to pay to upgrade to that seat, that they're
going to deny you. But there are some helpful tips
I think there that we've covered that give you sort
of the protocols in how to do that.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Yeah, I think that's correct, And I think the other
thing that's worth pointing out. A lot of times people
will look at an upgrade on a flight. It's possible
to upgrade one way on a flight, and especially for
our travelers who are traveling to Europe, very often will
recommend if you're on an overnight flight that you pay
for that upgrade because it gives you a little extra
room to stretch out while you're sleeping on that plane.
(08:35):
That's your hotel overnight. So you can buy that upgrade
one way, but not necessarily coming back.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
So I've never never asked for an upgrade. I don't
know that I would even know more than what you
just explained. What the process is is the cost to
pay for an upgrade, the difference in what I would
have paid for that seat to start.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
With, not necessarily. So that's where it gets a little
bit tricky. In the industry these days. Many people, especially
like Harry said, let's just say, for example, Chris, you
would be flying from Washington Dullest to Houston, Houston to London.
Now that's not a likely path, but that for the
sake of the example, I'm gonna give it and you go.
(09:17):
I really don't care much about an upgrade from Dulles
to Houston, but I really would like to have that
over the water portion of this upgraded. So if you'd
bought that in advance, let's just say that one way
upgrade might have cost you thirty five hundred dollars if
you wait till you get to the airport, and you
only want that segment from Houston to London upgraded. Now
(09:38):
we're talking that might only cost you seventeen hundred, so
you can kind of see how you can sort of
play with that just a little bit. And to Harry's point,
you know you're always flying overseas, especially to Europe at night,
so you want those upgraded lay flat seats if you
can get them. But in the daytime coming back is
when you're gonna fly. You're gonna fly in the daytime,
(09:59):
so there's really no need to pay for an extra upgrade.
Those are going to I always tell people those are
the most expensive drinks you'll ever buy. So it's okay
to upgrade, especially where it's going to do you the
most good, and that is where you can sleep.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Yeah, that makes sense.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
So I want to move on to some other news,
and again this is targeting our friends at United Airlines.
They are getting ready to purchase one hundred futuristic aircrafts,
and Chris, I only wish our listeners today could see
these aircrafts. They are phenomenal, they're actually quite pretty, and
(10:37):
they are very futuristic looking, but United's fleet is about
to get a little more futuristic. The Chicago based airline
announced it's going to be investing in aviation startup Jet zero,
known for its innovative blended wing body aircraft that are
designed to be ultra fuel efficient. United's investment includes a
(11:00):
conditional purchase agreement to order up to one hundred of
these planes, with an option to purchase another one hundred
after that.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
Now.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
The aircraft's blended wing design is supposed to reduce drag
and produces lyft across the whole wingspan. It can fly
at higher altitudes, all of which could reduce fuel burn
by up to fifty percent per passenger mile compared to
more traditional aircraft of the same size. Jet Zeros Z
(11:30):
four aircraft flies on conventional aviation fuel, but also has
propulsion systems that can run on sustainable fuel blend. The
aircraft is designed to transport up to two hundred and
fifty passengers and terry.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Not only United Airlines, but Alaska Airlines is also invested
in Jet Zeros. That's pretty exciting. We're just talking about that.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
That is exciting and I'm glad to see these new
evolutions in aircraft design and fuel efficiencies come into play. Herry,
I think you've got something else to add to that
as well, and then we're going to hit a sail
that you've got before we head into our story.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
Sounds great for me. It's very exciting to see the
energy efficiency happening with aircraft, both from the just the
keep the world better place kind of thing, but also
I think it's going to have a great effect on
the cost of air travel as time goes on. And
Airbus has been working diligently on a fully electric plane
(12:31):
and a hydrogen powered plane. So you're going to see
that they're going to put four engines on this plane,
and that's going to reduce from six on some of
the planes that they've been experimenting with. So they're making
some great progress with fuel economy. The only tough part
about this is we're going to have to wait about
another ten years. They're saying it's going to take them
(12:54):
until the middle of the twenty thirties before they can
have this plane in service. You know, fully tested and
all the bugs worked out, But ten years isn't a
real long time when you talk about that kind of saving.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Another reason why I love this industry so much is
that we see things happen, and even when, like you said,
they say it's ten years that go so fast in
this industry that we'll see it in our lifetime.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
So I love that it's great and it's going to
be reduced costs for the air traveler. I like that too,
very very much. I want to talk about a month
end sale, and this sale is only good through the
end of this month, through the end of April, so
we're not talking about very long. But our friends at
Viking are doing a month end special that they announced
to us this week. They're offering free airfare on select
(13:38):
sailings and a five hundred dollars shipboard credit per couple
and a free beverage package and only twenty five dollars deposits.
So if you see this deal and it looks good,
give us a call. We can get your booked. It's
only twenty five dollars deposit and you can think about
it for twenty five dollars, but it's important that you
(14:00):
get that room nailed down now.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
You know a lot of people think of Viking River
Cruises as only their European option, but I do want
to remind folks as I sold one of these actually
just this week to some folks. Viking also does the
Mississippi River and options there as well. This sale does
apply to those sailings, So if you're interested in any
(14:24):
of those, I do recommend that you reach out to
the wishing Well Chris. How can they find us?
Speaker 1 (14:30):
Well, you can call five four O nine twenty three
thirty three. You're on ne f Avenue in Harrisonburg and
online at the Wishingwell dot biz.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
And not only are we talking about European sailings, We're
not only talking about the US sailings. We're also talking
about sailings all the way to Antarctic. The Viking has
got a pretty diverse offering out there. So if this
is interesting to you, give us a call and let
us sign you up for one of these again.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
That numbers five four O nine oh eight twenty three
thirty three. We are con continuing our series of luxury travel.
We're currently talking about luxury travel in small towns and
places that are maybe not visited as often as those
mega vacation locations. Our show today is entitled Roads Less Traveled.
(15:17):
We're going to travel those roads next here on My
Life Less Ordinary protect.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
Your vacation investment with guidance from a travel professional. The
wishing Well knows travel and helps you avoid pitfalls that
can spoil your hard earned vacation. We have plan your
trip and heavy back as you travel. All of this
without support or so called convenience fees. We're on the
web at the Wishingwell Dot biz or call us at
five four zero nine zero eight two three three three.
(15:43):
That's five four zero nine zero eight two three three three.
The washing Well really does make dreams come true.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Hey, welcome back to a life less ordinary. This is
your weekly travel show on podcasts, produced by your friends
from the wishing Well, Terry Dean and Harry Rifer. Here
you can anytime you have them a call five four
ZHO nine to eight twenty three thirty three. They're on
ne f Avenue in Harrisonburg and online at the wishing
Well Biz. Our show today is called Roads Less Travel.
(16:11):
I feel like I had to read that when I
was a kid. Isn't there when they're a book that
take the road less traveled, I'm not sure? Well we're
taking that road either way too.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
We are, We really are, And you know I'd be
remiss today if I didn't say to those that join
us every Saturday here a great big thank you. We
really do appreciate you joining us here. More importantly, I
really love it when you give us your feedback, your
candid feedback. I will tell you that the last couple
of episodes and series that we've been doing here on
(16:39):
a lifeless ordinaries because of you. These are the things
that you ask us for. These are the things that
we're bringing to a lifeless ordinary so that you can
participate with us and give us your feedback. We love that,
and I certainly hope that you've been able to join
us in the last several weeks as we started a
new luxury series called Small Town's Big Luxury. This has
(17:02):
been a fun and really enlightening series. Not only have
we learned about some of the fabulous small town luxury properties,
but we've done so with some shared time with some
special guests. Several weeks ago, we were joined by the
vice president of sales and Marketing from Nima Colon in
a very small town called Farmington, Pennsylvania. That particular episode
(17:24):
was entitled The Mouse That Roared, and truly, if there
is a more outstanding surprise resort than Nima colon. I
don't know what it would be. Then last week we
were joined by a representative from Calliope Collective, which yes
is a collection of small town luxury properties, and we
found our way in that episode to some of the
(17:44):
most impressive resorts. Chris, we went all the way from
Virginia to the Green Hills of Ireland, did we not?
Speaker 1 (17:51):
We did?
Speaker 2 (17:52):
And so every week we are seeking to bring a
very different perspective to the world that we call luxury,
and we want to walk you through those many facets
of how that looks, but most importantly, how you can
customize that experience even if luxury to you doesn't look
exactly like it does to somebody else. Today, we're going
(18:15):
to continue our efforts to unveil yet another facet of
luxury travel that deals with the more adventurous aspects of
this topic. Now, while luxury might be all about the
sophistication of a property for some people, for others it's
just a super custom tailor made adventure experience with none
(18:37):
of the upscale amenities overlooked. So with that in mind,
our entire episode today is going to focus on another
one of our inspired Virtuoso partners, called Backroads. Now, Backroads
is the leader in active travel, and since nineteen seventy nine,
(18:59):
that's as long as I've been in this industry, they
have been doing what they do best, talking and taking
people on unforgettable vike biking, walking and hiking and multi
adventure trips around the world. So I want to first
of all talk about what sets them apart well. To me,
(19:21):
and I've sold back Roads for a number of years.
This really the whole active approach to luxury travel, though,
has really just started to come into vogue. I would
say probably within the last ten years. You know, before that,
people were okay with a much more structured you know,
(19:43):
escorted personally escorted, tour escort god, somebody to take your
bags everywhere you went, check you into a hotel, check
you out, and off you went in a motor coach.
That was kind of the norm. And I mean that
still tends to be one mode of luxury transportation. We've
got high end companies like Abercrombie and Kent, We've got
(20:05):
Knight's Bridge, We've got a lot of different companies out
there that are still doing that quite successfully at the
luxury pitch level. I mean, look at Luxury Gold, a
company that we had on here as a guest many
years ago. But these are companies that are still doing that.
And then you enter somebody like back Roads, and back
(20:26):
Roads is going to cater to these people who love
the outdoors, they love biking, they love hiking and walking,
they love multi activity type leveled experiences, but they want
them at the luxury level. Almost sounds like a different
kind of approach, doesn't it. I mean it almost sounds
(20:46):
like an oxymoron. Really, you're going to give me that
kind of experience and at luxury, how is that possible?
Speaker 3 (20:52):
Well, it exemplifies what we've been talking about in this
whole series terry about luxury. Luxury is in the eyes
of the beholder. For some people of Backroads clients in particular,
luxury is having a trip that's tailored to those things
that they love to do. To have that mountain bike
ready at the place where they need to do some
(21:13):
mountain biking, and to maybe have a kayak ready at
another part of their trip. Is they're going to move
down a river. That's luxury to them to have everything
there exactly as they wish.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Yeah, exactly. And I can remember my aha moment with
Backroads when I first found out about them, and I
began to investigate exactly what their tours included and what
people actually got on these immersive, personalized, customized, curated experiences,
and I went, are you kidding me right now? I mean,
(21:47):
it is really their thoughtful, meticulous trip design that puts
them in a class all by themselves. They're elegant hotels
and world class dining and their trip leaders who are
consistently described by the guests on back Roads as the
best gods they've ever had. Backroads sets the benchmark for
(22:11):
incredible active vacationers worldwide. Never subcontract any of their work.
They always use only their own hired, trained professionals in
more than fifty countries and with more dates to choose
from than any other outdoor active company. That's the back
Road standard. That is why the wishing Well loves them.
(22:35):
So now you know a little bit more about who
Backroads is, and that's kind of the reader's digest version.
Thanks Harry for chiming in on that. But I want
to take a look inside at how they open up
small towns and really whole regions of countries so that
the adventurous minded traveler can have their own slice of paradise,
(22:57):
luxury included, especially curated. Absolutely, so I want to talk
first of all about their biking tours and I want
to focus, if you allow me, on the e bike tours.
Back Roads also has the traditional bike tours as well,
but I think people respond well to e bike tours.
E bikes are what I like to call the great
(23:18):
equalizer because e bike tours use technology to kind of
eliminate the challenge of mismatched fitness levels. I think there's
some charm in that.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
Are you talking about me? What do you know what
I was doing last weekend? Right? I was e biking
with my son and grandkids and they're like, hey, Grandpa,
come on, come on, man, I can.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
Which is exactly why I think e bike tours are
so great, because they bring the generations together and there's
more than the equalizing factor here. Sometimes the joy of
discovering a new place gets lost along a challenging bike route. Traditionally,
on e bike even casual riders can focus on the
(24:02):
sites around them, which I think is great. With a
boost from the battery, you never have to choose between
reaching the next vista and having happy legs. The next morning,
and I'm going to share with you that once upon
a time I was a mountain bike competitor.
Speaker 1 (24:17):
But today whoa, whoa back up?
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Yes what I was. Yeah, once upon a time I
was a mountain bike competitor.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
Who had that on their being go carts today?
Speaker 2 (24:27):
Does that surprise you? I love this, Yes it was.
It was my life for a number of years. I
loved it, and then fear overtook me in a mountain
bike experience and I never did it again. And I'm
so sad about that, but I'm excited that other people
can have this experience because it is so so great.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
The z banks let you go to places. Let me
go to places that I want to see that I
couldn't ordinarily get to. I'd have to hike there, maybe
hire a helicopter, and that's just it's not practical. But
an e bike it doesn't take the workout of biking.
It makes it possible to bike to places that you
wouldn't ordinarily get there. It's like having that hand pushing
(25:12):
you on the back. If you've never ridden an e bike,
folks today after the broadcast, go down to the bike
store and just ride one. Try one. I'm not here
to sell e bikes, but I can endorse them and
say they have made a lot of things possible for
me and got me to places that I would not
ordinarily have gone.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Yeah, and I think that even though I was a
mountain bike competitor, as I said earlier in my life,
those skills stay with you, but the stamina unfortunately does not.
So I think even a traditional bike tour of several
miles would probably be a challenge for me today, and
maybe not in a pleasant way. So I too would
(25:53):
probably opt for an e bike experience. So I'm really
happy that back Roads offers these. One of the first
e bike tours that I want to have you join
me on this morning is the wonderful Loire Valley easy
Going e Bike Tour. Now already, I think just the
name of this tour sets a tone to not be
(26:13):
intimidating at all. Sounds glorious actually, So let's look at
what you would experience on this adventure. First of all,
I want to say this tour is great for couples,
friends traveling together, and even solos. Backroads does a great
job for people who want to just take solo tours
on the active scale. It comes in at about a
(26:35):
one or two out of a possible five. It's a
six day, five night package and you're staying at only
I love this premium hotels all along the journey. So
the highlights all while seeing this in up close and
immersive bike riding form is that you are first of
(26:56):
all taking your e bike through the lush valley and
this is this is in Tuscany, Italy, in the Loire Valley.
Charming villages, historic vineyards, plenty of stops for wine tasting,
even picnics. Back Roads does a great job of providing
these pre packed picnics that you stop along the route
(27:20):
and do people watching and just take your picnics, and
you dive into the fascinating history of this valley, the
home of the French court during the Renaissance in Europe
while visiting historic chateaus, and I think I said Italy,
this is actually in France. I beg your pardon. Where
the Loire Valley is in France, Tuscany is in Italy.
(27:40):
So you're in the Loire Valley of France with this experience,
and you're going to experience the lively culture of the
Loire's riverbank towns. Ideally you're going to be sipping a
glass of award winning wine. And these are from the
little small towns and provinces that make the lar Valley
so idyllic. You relax, you rejuvenate at these hotels that
(28:02):
enhance and delight the valley that you're going through through
immersive architecture, gorgeous grounds and ancient French traditions. Some of
the properties that you're going to be seeing here and
staying in one of them. And again I always invite
our listeners if you're with me as we go through
and broadcast some of what we're talking about. If you're
(28:24):
in front of a computer, do pull these up, because
I can tell you that as I research and prepare
for our show and our time together on a life
less ordinary, I do. I always if I've not been
to the places, I always look these up so that
I can best describe them to you while we're on air.
But the Laire Valley Lodge is one of the places
(28:45):
that you're going to be staying at for two nights
on this six day, five night package. These are gorgeous
lodges literally only about two hours outside of Paris, so
you never really know that you are in so close
to a big city, but it's set deep in the woods.
It's surrounded by nature, which makes you think big city
(29:08):
is just worlds away, but you really only two hours
outside of Paris. There's art, relaxation and if you don't
believe me, just look up this property. It's gorgeous. The
next one that you'll be staying in for the remaining
three nights is Fleur d Loire, and this is a
premium hotel. It has some of the best views of
(29:28):
the Loire Valley's idyllic scenery. Chef Christoph Hay has seventeenth
century property. His property overlooks the regal city of blue
Waw and a lazy section of the river. Now, this
sophisticated hotel is known for its exquisite contemporary design, relaxing
(29:49):
atmosphere and creative cuisine. This is a relay in chateau member.
They have a pool, they have a spa here. So
here you are on this e bike tour, which for
all intents and purposes for everybody else would sound a
bit rustic. I think it almost has that juxtas position
(30:10):
with these luxury hotel properties, like a relay in chateau Hotel,
which is a five star hotel, as well as the
lar Valley Lodges, which is another great place to unwind
after you've biked and you've kind of spent yourself a
little bit that day.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
And you're in groups that are not mega groups. So
you talked about this Terry, but you're talking about properties
that are not mega properties. You're talking about some very
high end, very nice properties. Incident, you're talking about that
intimate kind of feel you have in a group also
that you're there, you know, biking with It's a very
(30:48):
different than some of the mega experiences, not that they're bad,
but you talk about, you know, a large cruise ship
or you talk about a small group like this, it's
just a group that by the end of the week
you're going to know all the people there actually probably
creating some great lifelong kind of friendships on these tools.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
And that's a great point too, Harry, because most of
these people who are on these tours, especially these active
adventure type tours, they're going to be like minded people.
And Chris, even when you vacation, isn't it great when
you find and meet people who are like minded, that
share the same kinds of things that you like to do.
(31:28):
And I mean, I know that big crowds aren't particularly
your thing, but I'm sure on occasion you've run into
people and you go, I instantly met them, and because
we were doing the same thing, I just felt like
I knew them.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
I actually like to find those moments. That's how you
spark up a conversation. And because of the business that
I work in, I typically know radio stations from where
they're from and I'm like, do you listen to and
then we're off to the races having a conversation telling
me about their kids and yeah, what pets they have,
and you know, it's anything you have in common. It's
(32:02):
a great way to start a conversation.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
You know. One thing I've noticed that since COVID. I
hate to refer to the C word, you know, but
so many things changed during COVID. We isolated at home,
and not only that, but now we've got social media,
which is anything but social. If you ask me what
it does is I think it keeps us isolated even more.
(32:24):
There seems to be a hunger within our society these
days to really connect with other human beings doing the
same things that we love to do, and what better
way than to take these backroads adventures that are offered
by a tour company like Backroads, who introduce people who
(32:44):
are like minded together doing the same thing.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
Coming from different backgrounds, coming from different parts of the world,
coming with different expectations, but having those like interests. Those
are the people that I like meeting too, because the
conversation that you were talking about, Chris, those are great
conversations because it feels like you're speaking with your brother,
your sister, your family, and you've only met these people
(33:11):
eight hours ago. What a great experience for creating those
memories that we keep talking about exactly every time we
do a broadcast on a Life Less Ordinary.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
Exactly, Chris. Other e bike tours include those that can
take places. It can take place in places like Nova Scotia,
and that's going to take you from the North Atlantic
to the Bay of Fundy. I've got others that go
from Berlin to Prague. That's Germany into the Czech Republic.
Others that go through Switzerland. You're going to go through
(33:44):
montrou to Lucerne via the swift Swiss Alps. Boy, that
one sounds exciting to me. And if you want to
stay stateside, with some of these e bike tours, you
can do that too. There's the California Wine Country that
takes you through Napa and the Sonow home of vineyards
to the Pacific Coast. And if you have no e bike,
(34:04):
no problem. Backroads has e bikes available for rent, so
no need to even worry about that part of your experience.
It's all taken care of now, Chris, We're going to
take a break and when we come back, we're going
to be talking about other backroads adventures that include walking
and hiking tours.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
Look forward to that next Here on a life less Ordinate,
Why do you recharge your cell phone?
Speaker 3 (34:29):
Maybe because, just like you, it functions much better with
a little revitalization. The wishing Well helps people refresh and
revitalize with individually designed, customized vacation planning. We'll send you
anywhere in the world, plus offer advice on packing, navigating customs,
and more. Wishes really do come true at the wishing Well.
Visit us at two forty three and a half Avenue,
(34:50):
call us at five four zero nine zero eight two
three three three.
Speaker 1 (34:53):
Or on the web at the Wishingwell dot biz. Welcome
back to a life less Ordinary. This is the travel
showing podcast from your friends at the wishing Well. They're
on ne f Avenue in Harrisonburg. They're also online at
the wishing Well dot biz, where you can give them
a call at five four Oho nine eight twenty three
thirty three. We're continuing our series of small Towns Big
(35:14):
Luxury our show. Today's entitled Roads Less Traveled. We've talked
about some e bike adventures and now we're going to
do some hiking we are.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
You know, I actually think I've probably got as many
clients that are avid walker's hiker even runners. I mean,
I've got a big contingency of customers who they would
probably be just as happy to run to all the
places that they would vacation to, especially if we're talking
about these small towns. But let's be honest, people who
actively participate in this kind of fitness routine are a
(35:46):
little obsessive about it. They really are. Even one of
the gals who works for us at the wishing Well,
she is such an avid hiker. She told me that
she feels like she is, you know, on a drain
through the winter when she can't go hiking.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
I just met a lady who says she does these
non all thats are called mega marathons or where it's
like one hundred miles it takes a couple of days.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
Yep. Crazy, Yeah, really crazy.
Speaker 1 (36:13):
I'm just going to say this. I'm gonna it's going
to be controversial. People who like to run have a
mental illness. Oh my gosh, we.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
Do not believe that. At the wishing well, I can't
just want to give no.
Speaker 1 (36:27):
I actually ran. I ran track when I was a kid.
I was a sprinter. I enjoyed running.
Speaker 2 (36:31):
Yeah, running is great and it's got you know, there's
a lot of endorphins that get united when you run,
and so that's why I mean, it's it's like a
natural hif for people.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
I speak from a place of jealousy.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
But people who do this, Chris, I think we do
agree they can't get enough. Let's face it, with luxury
adventure companies like back Roads, you never have to be
without what you love, even while you're doing what you
love to do. So I love that, you know, you
can still have this great luxurious experience and you can
(37:04):
still be doing what it is you love to do.
So one very popular request I have these days, especially
of the outdoor adventure clients, is take us to Patagonia.
So today we're going to look a little closer at
back roads Argentina's Patagonia Lake District, easy going walking tour.
(37:25):
This is also a seven day, sixth night at Tenerary.
It's got some fabulous inclusions. We're going to visit in
just a few minutes. But I also want to mention
that this tour benefits from the premium class hotel stays
as well, So you're going to get that luxury in
here as well as the you know, aspect of adventure.
Speaker 3 (37:47):
I'd expect nothing less exactly.
Speaker 2 (37:49):
Now, the highlights of this great tour is you're going
to be able to do the grand tour of nahul
Huapi National Park that's through Patagonia. Close there, you can
float through the high altitude steps on a peaceful river,
stop for a swim at a backcountry beach. You're going
(38:10):
to be able to rest your head at lodges as
diverse as Argentina itself, from a cozy wilderness ranch to
a European inspired lakeside palazzo. Now, the first hotel is
the Labalis. This is understated luxury. If you're looking this
up online, it is La s B A L S
(38:32):
A S. And that is the hospitality relay in Chateau
on Lake nahul Huapi. This place is sick in a
great way. And I have to say that The website
is www dot L A S B A L S
(38:53):
A S dot com. I suggest you look it up.
It is incredible, is it not?
Speaker 1 (39:00):
Is doing just then? Yeah, I was searching for it
as you were putting the letters in. It's an image
of this blue hotel right on the edge of the
lake with just beautiful scenery in every direction.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
Absolutely gorgeous. I mean, first of all, Patagonia itself, and
we've talked about that here. I think we even did
a special on Patagonia maybe a year or so ago.
But I got to tell you this is a place
my heart longs for, and this particular property, in particular,
a relay in chateau property Los Balas, is one of
(39:35):
the most beautiful places on earth. It is just gorgeous.
You're going to spend a couple of nights there on
this itinerary. The next place that you're going to go
to is a Stanchia Piuma Hue and that's the next property.
It's also sunk into the fabulous area of Patagonia Wilderness
(39:57):
at an elevated ranch type exposed log river rock, fireplace
and stable populating this particular property, and it's highlighted by
a lot of working horses at this property. The next one,
the third one that you'll spend, you'll move three times
on this Patagonia itinerary. The next one you're going to
(40:20):
visit is Villa Billuno and that's b E l U
n O. It's an Old World inspired design kind of
defines this particular lakeside retreat. It's complete with its own
private beach where aquamarine water kind of laps at the pines.
Speaker 1 (40:38):
There.
Speaker 2 (40:40):
The words that are written on their website, I just
loved them, and it said, Villa Belluno exists on a
plane between the brute physical world and the delicate memories
made under the grandeur of our Patagonia sky. That really
is so poetic in how it's written. And I just
(41:01):
had to share that because to me, that just encapsulates
what I believe this property exudes when you first see
it on this itinerary. You're also going to soak in
the mountaintown energy of some of the bustling South Americans
most beloved ski resorts. Argentina's stellar cuisine awaits there, catered
(41:22):
cookouts and an interactive impanada making class is all part
of this itinerary. So you can see e biking has
come a long long way.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
Most certainly when you talk about those places you talk
about places that exist in our dreams.
Speaker 1 (41:41):
I'd say I'd hop on an e bike and hype
to any of these locations.
Speaker 2 (41:44):
These are correctual And I love that you're looking these up, Chris.
I mean, what kind of feeling do you get when
you immediately see these Uh.
Speaker 1 (41:53):
Like I'm soaking in a warm bath.
Speaker 2 (41:55):
Yeah, just comfort, they really are. And I mean after
you've e biked across several miles for a day, I
think these are just the kind of retreats you want
to soak into, are they not?
Speaker 1 (42:06):
Yeah, this is the kind of pit stop you want
after a day of biking.
Speaker 2 (42:09):
And the great part about it is most of these
properties are equipped also with pools. Many of them are heated,
but all of them that we're talking about have spas.
So what better after a day of biking and outdoor
adventure than to have somebody massage your back, pour some
warm oil on you, and massage out all of those
(42:30):
spots that you're going and that hurt, but it doesn't now, especially.
Speaker 3 (42:35):
If you're sipping a nice what do they call them
adult beverage.
Speaker 2 (42:39):
There you go, There you go. Now. Other walking and
hiking tours that back roads does include places like Scotland
and Ireland. They have those easy walking tours. Iceland the
Land of Fire and Ice. You'll find a great walking
and hiking tour there, Germany, Austria, Portugal again, Nova, Scotia
(43:01):
and state side. There's the Utah's arches and canyon lands
and oregons, crater Lake and cascades. The common denominator here
is the quality of the trips that you're going to receive. Again,
some of the best guides for outdoor adventures in the industry.
These are all five star programs led by some of
(43:23):
the best and most professionals in the industry, and all
of them are going to have those signature great stays
at hotels that are curated for you for this adventure.
Speaker 3 (43:33):
And many of the shows that we go to and
the conferences we go to, we meet some of these people,
and Terry is understating a little bit the capability and
the quality of these tour leaders These are folks who
are clearly very fit and prepared to help and assist
not just getting them from place to place along these tours,
(43:54):
but if you need some assistance, if there's something that
goes wrong along the way, whether it's you know, a
simple first aid to just a little little help to
get you from point A to point B, these are
the folks that are going to make that happen. They
are absolutely professional, they're absolutely the friendliest people that we
meet at some of these shows. I can't say enough
(44:16):
about them.
Speaker 2 (44:17):
Yeah, and again just remind you all of these tours
that I'm talking about with back roads fully escorted. They
offer massive support throughout your trip. All breakfasts, four lunches,
six dinners on all of these trips, expertise and services
of the trip leaders. They have additional GUIDs and experts
from the region that come in on many of these trips.
(44:40):
They have van shuttles that will follow the bikes and
the walking groups that support at a variety of route options.
They have private guided tours at the museums, some surprise
tours that are thrown in at wineries and other selected attractions.
All of your gratuities, the hotels and restaurants are included.
(45:02):
There are some special events that they'll throw in as
well as wind tastings. As I mentioned, your equipment if
you need it, is all included. Your gods for the kayaking, rafting, snorkeling, sailing,
all of that's included. Your park entries, fares for your
trains or ferries if that's part of your itinerary, your baggage,
(45:23):
transfers and porters. So really nothing else is that you
need to include.
Speaker 3 (45:29):
Well, that's what makes some a virtuals provider. They're part
of our virtual so partnership not surprisingly.
Speaker 2 (45:35):
Yeah. Now, one last luxury adventure and this time we're
going to be combining all of the best of everything, biking, hiking, canoeing,
you name it, it's in this. We're going to be
going to the Pacific coast of the San Juan and
would Be islands for five days and four nights. Now,
to explore this gorgeous corner of the Pacific Northwest is
(45:58):
really to get up close and person with kind of
a misty island dotted landscape. You're going to throw in
a little splash of Alaska mixed with a land laid
back island vibe. This is a picture of a forested island,
quaint harbor's kind of marine wildlife all around you. Maybe
you're going to run into a few otters bald eagles
(46:20):
from the seat of an e bike. You're going to
mix that in with beautiful rocky coasts, these cozy, beautiful hotels,
and the horns of ferry boats, and you're going to
have a trip as rich in experiences as it is
in the crisp salty air. You welcome to the Pacific Northwest.
This is where you're going to get to experience island
(46:42):
hopping at its best. First of all, you're going to
explore this tranquil, tranquil island called Whidby Island. You're going
to soak in panoramic views of the Puget Sound and
Olympic Range During a walk along the coastal bluffs of
Ebe's Landing National Historic Reserve. Your e bike is going
(47:03):
to take you through some farmland through there with some
dotted rustic barns sort of thrown in. You're going to
stroll into lovely Saratoga Woods and encounter some really interesting
geographical features there. You're going to be hiking and walking
through that area. You're going to stroll through Langley's enchanted
waterfront and relax at the idyllic Island Retreat. There there's
(47:28):
a ferry that takes you to Friday Harbor, then shuttles
you to Historic American Camp for a hike along those
rugged cliffs overlooking the Olympic Peninsula. You'll paddle a sea
kayak through tranquil harbors and inlets, and then you watch
for those harbor seals or sea otters that are napping
(47:48):
in the kelp canopies. You e bike again on San
Juan Island, past these secluded bays and driftwood beaches around
Pair Point, and then you relax and enjoy a lot
of the charms and amenities of those historic seaside resorts.
And then you join a marine biologists for a wildlife
(48:09):
watching crews around the island where you just might see
some whale.
Speaker 3 (48:15):
And these are places that I have not visited the
way that you're talking about. I'm terry, but I visited
some of these sitting in my comfortable car. But just
the places that you're talking about, they are idyllic. When
you're out there in that Pacific coast area and you're
talking about those islands there is just an ambiance around
(48:37):
that place that lets you know that the earth is
just such a spectacular place. Some of the wildlife you
will see out there, some of the weather that you'll
experience out there is just very different than what most
people are used to, and it's a very pleasant kind
of eye opening experience.
Speaker 2 (48:57):
Yeah. Now I'm speaking to all of you inter seekers
out there right now, because if you've done Alaska, you go, yeah,
I've done that, been there, done that, I've done the
Canadian Rockies. Let me tell you this Pacific area of
the coast Pacific coastal area where we're talking about the
San Juan Islands and wid Be Islands and all of
(49:18):
very unique but still the same kind of draw and
when you can experience it and be out there in nature,
you know, I remember our trip to Alaska, the group
trip that we took. Some of my best experiences on
that trip were the ones I had outside walking because
I was real with the land, with what I was seeing.
(49:40):
It was the most real experience to sort of let
my feet touch that ground in various places and able
to walk away from the ship, away from the groups,
away from the crowds, and kind of walk my own
paths if you will through the adventures of the outdoor.
Speaker 3 (49:58):
You feel like you own it and specifically to some
of the things that Chris talks about all the time.
You don't want to be in a crowd. You feel
like this is specifically, you know, individually catered just for you.
You are in your own little special place there, your
own little special place. What a marvelous, marvelous experience. If
(50:21):
you have time, look up some of the places Terry's
talking about, look up this whole area, and you'll see
exactly what I'm talking about.
Speaker 1 (50:29):
I'm actually in a very special place right now. I'm
on the back I'm on the Backroads dot Com website. Yeah,
just looking at all that if I've as you've been
talking about the Puget Sound, I've been looking at everything
you can do in Washington State and in Italy and
all over the world. They've got walking and biking trips,
and the pictures on their website are fabulous.
Speaker 2 (50:49):
Aren't They're pros? You know, I would also encourage people.
I mean, if if the show today has excited you,
I do encourage you. Like Chris is going to this
back road website right now, and there's a story on
that site about the founder of Backroads and his amazing
(51:10):
story how this all began. There's even a video there
that will walk you through the back Roads company and
let you in on a lot of what the inside
adventure and how this all started was. I love that
myself personally, being in this industry. I always liked the
backstory of how certain companies started because I know how
(51:32):
ours did you know? I know how the wishing Well
got started, And it's a story I love to tell.
So I always love it when we're able to share
in the excitement of how a company starts. And for me,
Backroads is one of those rare companies that shares something
that the world needs today, and that is harmony with
the world and harmony with nature, harmony and peace with
(51:55):
what we're seeing, and ways to do it in a
very sustainable way. Do no harm to the places that
you go, but enjoy it and embrace it when you
get there.
Speaker 3 (52:06):
And we talked so much today about the broad less
travel and we are now at the conclusion on most
of our broadcast. I want to remind people about something
you said earlier. We want to get that feedback from
you and if you're hearing things and you have ideas
for us, We always Chris will always sure how to
call us, how to stop by, where to find us
(52:29):
on the web. But I encourage you also if you
want to reach out to us via email, you can
find either of us. Terry's email is Terry at the
wishing Well dot biz. Mine is Harry at the wishing
Well dot biz. Probably didn't even need a piece of
paper to remember that. But we really do like hearing
from you, and you'll hear back from us too. So
(52:51):
let us know how we're doing. Let us know what
you want to hear, where you want to go, what
you want to hear about, And Chris, how.
Speaker 1 (52:58):
Do we do that? Well, I'm actually ask Terry, So Terry,
tell us how.
Speaker 2 (53:01):
You touch with you always happy to do that. We
are easy to find. We're located at two forty three
NEF Avenue in the Valley Center in Harsonburg, Virginia. You
can call us We're at five four O nine zero
eight two three three three, or look us up on
the web. We are at the Wishingwell dot biz. This
has been a life less ordinary. The travel show from
(53:23):
your Friends at the Wishing Well at two forty three
NEF Avenue in Harrisonburg. If you have any questions on
topics discussed today, please reach out to the wishing Well
online at the Wishingwell dot biz or five four oh
nine oh eight twenty three thirty three. Past episodes are
available on the iHeartRadio app. And we'll see again next
Saturday morning at ten for a life less Ordinary from
the wishing Well
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