September 6, 2025 • 54 mins
The Wishing Well's Terrie Dean discusses this week's travel news and Hot Deals!
Ready to plan your next trip around the world’s most iconic sporting events? In this episode, we explore how major competitions can become the ultimate centerpiece of your travel experience. From the FIFA World Cup in North America and the Winter Olympics in Italy to the Ryder Cup in New York, the Super Bowl, the World Series, and the NCAA Final Four, we share tips and insights on how to turn these events into unforgettable journeys.
Discover the best destinations, cultural highlights, and insider advice for sports-themed travel. Whether you’re a passionate fan or just love the energy of global events, this episode will inspire your next adventure.
Ready to plan your next trip around the world’s most iconic sporting events? In this episode, we explore how major competitions can become the ultimate centerpiece of your travel experience. From the FIFA World Cup in North America and the Winter Olympics in Italy to the Ryder Cup in New York, the Super Bowl, the World Series, and the NCAA Final Four, we share tips and insights on how to turn these events into unforgettable journeys.
Discover the best destinations, cultural highlights, and insider advice for sports-themed travel. Whether you’re a passionate fan or just love the energy of global events, this episode will inspire your next adventure.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is a Lifeless Ordinary. It's a travel show and
podcasts from your friends at the wishing Well two forty
three f Avenue in Harsmert 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
(00:20):
guide 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, it's the
weekend again, Chris. It's always good to see it, dear,
and here we are. I like that we do this
every week.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
I do too. And another lovely Saturday it is.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Yeah, got well, I guess we don't have any more
football for a while. Jamu's off. They played last night
and then they're off next week. So hey, got a
little bit of time on that. It's time to do
some of that fall cleaning.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
I guess it's time to clean. It's time to go
to festivals and events. And you mentioned sports. All that's
a good prelude to what we're going to be talking
about today.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
Okay, Well, I look forward to finding out what our
show is. As we do each week, before we get
into the meat of the show, we like to talk
about what's happened current travel events.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Yes, sometimes it's good. Sometimes it's eh. You know, we've
got you know not some not so good news for
Spirit Airlines today, Chris. They actually have filed for bankruptcy again.
The budget carrier Spirit Airlines said that they are going
to file for fresh bankruptcy protection months after they just
(01:31):
emerged from a Chapter eleven reorganization. This is that ultra
low cost carrier that you may remember. They are the
ones who fly around with those bright yellow planes. But
they want to They say they want to keep flying
as usual during this restructuring process, meaning that passengers can
(01:51):
still book trips and use their tickets. I don't know
about that, but credits and loyalty points are still a
part of that. Employees and contractors also are going to continue,
they say, to get paid.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
That's good.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
That is good when you're in the midst of bankruptcy.
If you're paying your creditors, I think that's a really
good thing. The CEO, Dave Davis, said that the airline's
previous Chapter eleven petition focused on reducing debt and raising capital,
and since exiting that process in March, it has become
clear that there is a lot more work to be done,
(02:25):
he says, and many more tools are available to best
positioned Spirit for the future flight attendants. Meanwhile, we're warned
by union leaders to quote unquote prepare for all possible
scenarios now, he says. He, being the CEO, Dave Davis, says,
(02:46):
we're being very direct because even as we have many
ways to fight because of our union, we also want
to get you the truth about the situation at our
airline and how each of us can take action to
protect and prepare ourselves for any challenge. Now. Tough return
actually for Spirit from the pandemic. As I said, they're
(03:08):
known for their bright yellow planes and no frill service.
They've had a rough ride since the pandemic, actually struggling
to rebound through rising operation costs and it's mounting debt.
The airline now carries Chris two point four billion dollars
in long term debt, most of which is due in
twenty thirty, and the carrier reported a negative free cash
(03:32):
flow of one billion dollars at the end of the
second quarters sound good? It does not sound good. I
hope they bought a lottery ticket because that could help
them a lot if they bought a bunch of them.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Even if they win, it might not help them and
may not.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
But they've got a billion dollars in debt at the
end of the second quarter, and that does not really
bode well for a carrier who needs to continue to fly.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
So is this like a liquidation type bank or they're
just trying to restructure as chapter eleven?
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Yeah, but it's their second chapter eleven. So I mean,
unless the earth shakes and creates a miracle and MANI
falls from heaven, don't think that this may end well
for Spirit Airlines. It may not. On other news, Carnival
Cruise Line has gone now to something that is I
(04:28):
think going to be a trending issue for a lot
of cruise lines. They're going beyond soft drinks and now
announcing a zero proof drink package. And you might have
heard this, Chris. There's a lot of folks now that
are trending away from alcohol. We're hearing about the negative
effects that alcohol has on us physically. We also are
(04:50):
finding that people really do want a more healthy lifestyle.
That's great, and Carnival Cruise Line is introducing this new
non alcoholic beverage package in addition to its bottomless Bubbles option.
With Cheers zero Proof, the package goes beyond soft drinks,
including a variety of zero proof cocktails, what we think
(05:11):
of now as mocktails, and alcohol free sparkling wines, among
many other options. Cheers zero Proof is a direct response
to what they heard from their guests. They say, who
want a comprehensive non alcoholic drink package when they cruise,
and this new package kind of brings together the abundance
(05:31):
of their alcohol hal free refreshments with the flexibility and
ease that their guests already enjoy with other beverage packages.
This comprehensive package includes soft drinks, juices, bottled water, still,
sparkling and coconut. They have premium coffee and teas, zero
proof cocktails, alcohol free beer, yuck and sparkling wine, non
(05:56):
alcoholic frozen drinks, smoothies and protein shakes, milkshakes and energy drinks,
and some items such as the alcohol free beer, Yuck again,
wine and mocktails may carry an age restriction. Still of
twenty one and older. The Cheers Zero Proof package can
be pre purchased online and will be available for onboard
(06:20):
purchase in the next coming weeks.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
That would cover everything I would want.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Yeah, so Carnival's kind of getting trendy, and I actually
heard that Carnival is starting this. They're they're kind of
the rollout of this. But I did also get some
information across my desk that said maybe, just maybe we're
going to see a Royal Caribbean and Celebrity come out
with that as well, So we'll see. Speaking of Celebrity,
(06:48):
they have unveiled what's onboard new river ships, the Celebrity
Compass and the Celebrity Seeker, and they have promised they
would do European river cruising differently and so far it
is delivering. The line unveiled key details of its upcoming
river cruise ship fleet. And for those of you listening
(07:09):
who are hearing this news, Celebrity Cruise Line has long
been associated with mega cruise ships that sail into the
Mediterranean to Europe, British Isle cruises and then the Caribbean,
So them having the new river cruise fleet is a
real coup for a mega cruise line, who like Viking
(07:31):
now have both.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Is there a learning curve for a company like that
to transition their mindset between a mega cruise ship and
a river.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
I would think so. But they had the infrastructure in
place and the capital to be able to do it
well and to do it successfully, So why not? You know,
it's all about expansion in the travel industry. So Celebrity
has said they're starting with two ships, the Celebrity Compass
and the Seeker. There are Celebrities European fleet. They're going
to feature a patent pending, industry leading design that offers
(08:05):
more space to vacation while bringing guests even closer to destinations. Now,
among the highlights on board these ships, Chris is going
to be the Magic Edge. That's the first ever cantilevered
dining pods on a river cruise ship. So I'm anxious
to see what this is gonna look like and how
(08:26):
it's going to actually operate. But additionally, these ships are
going to feature revolutionary open decks, they say. They claim
they offer the most usable outdoor space of any river
cruise ship that will remain accessible throughout the entire journey.
Some river ships upper decks can't be used on rivers
(08:47):
that have a lot of bridges, So the open decks
are going to feature transformative shade structures along with a
top deck bar and grill and an Infinity edge plunge pool,
which is very three kind of revolutionary for river cruise ships.
A lot of them, like Viking, they don't even have
(09:07):
pools on board.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
I think would in real estate on that boat be
pretty valuable.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Would be Yeah, you're right. So Celebrity is going to
offer thirty three seven night sailings on the Rhine and
the Danube, with many itineraries offering multiple ports per day
as well as those overnight experiences that everybody loves on
river cruising. Pre booking access to the lines twenty twenty
seven itineries, which are going to be their new ones,
(09:32):
the ones that are going to open up. They opened
and sold out for twenty twenty seven on the same day,
So they're looking to do pretty well I think in
the river cruise business as well as the mega cruz business.
So keep your eye on Celebrity. As with any time
of year that we are looking at weather, in this
(09:56):
particular time of year, we're in September right now, it's
hurricane season and there is a hurricane. Hurricane Kiko could
hit Hawaii as a major storm next week. I don't
know if you've heard about that or now.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
I knew there was one in the Pacific we were watching,
I didn't know.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Yeah. It's a powerful Category four storm. It's threatening the
Hawaiian Islands as it tracks westward. And as of this
past week, Kiko was well east of the Hawaiian Islands,
located about one hundred and I'm sorry, fifteen hundred miles
east southeast of Hilo, Hawaii, the Big Island, and more
than seventeen hundred miles east southeast of Honolulu. It was
(10:34):
moving west at about eight miles an hour, a general
motion that the NHC expects to maintain through this week,
and the forecast says that Kiko should gradually increase in
speed as it approaches the islands, possibly early next week.
And there's still questions about how powerful Kiko will be
(10:55):
when it reaches Hawaii. The storm is currently a Category
four with winds about one hundred and forty five miles
an hour. That's a pretty powerful storm, but it's expected
to weaken as it approaches the Hawaiian Islands and the
NHC says the storm is likely going to be a
Category one, with winds nearing about eighty miles an hour
(11:18):
as it hits perhaps early in the week. As it
continues to move over cooler waters, it actually should weaken
further as it approaches the Big Island. So that's actually
good news, I mean, because we do watch these with
some trepidation when they start to occur. Norwegian Cruise Lines
Proud of America, which by the way, I have a
(11:39):
ton of people on coming up for this holiday season.
But they are scheduled to be in Honolulu. They were
today and at the end of a seven day inter
island sailing before kiko expected arrival. The ship is scheduled
to depart Honolulu on another seven day sailing after that,
with stops in now we Hilo, Kona, and no Wheelly
(12:02):
wee Ley before they return to Honolulu next week. So
no changes have been announced to those itineraries. Yet you're
laughing at the No Wheely we Lee. Sorry, that's an
actual place. Yeah, that's an actual place in Hawaii. Chris,
get a hold of yourself.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Yeah, I would love to visit.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
I know. It's a fabulous place, I say definitely if
you've never been, Hawaii is a great place to go.
We've got a great group cruise that we're going to
be sponsoring at the wishing Well for next year May
twenty twenty six. Not in hurricane weather, by the way,
but it's pretty much filled. I think I've got about
(12:43):
two cabins left. If you happen to be interested in that,
let us know. How can they find us.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
Chris online at the wishing Well talt biz. You can
find them on that f avenue in Harrisonburg or give
them a call. Five four h nine to eight, twenty
three thirty three.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Yep. Now I've got another piece of news. Save this
one for last because it plays very well into the
topic that we're going to be talking about today, which
is going to cover a lot of sporting and cultural events.
But this news is from sports tourism, a major focus
for twenty twenty six. If case you don't know, is
(13:18):
going to be the FIFA World Cup, it is coming
to the US in twenty twenty six, and from staying
longer in towns to exploring the whole region. A lot
of locations have a variety of strategies in place, and
especially those of us on the East Coast. We're calling
this a massive opportunity. Of the one hundred and four
(13:42):
matches in next summer's World Cup Chris, twenty seven of
those are going to be on the East Coast region YEP.
With the proximity and ease of transport between Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia,
and New York, New Jersey, that leaves those host communities
planning for more more than activations and economic opportunities within
(14:05):
their destinations. They are also promoting the chance to see
multiple matches in a tight geographic footprint. There's going to
be thirty days where matches aren't going on, and that
is an opportunity for other cities to recruit and advertise
and bring people to come and visit. The proximity for Boston, Philadelphia,
(14:27):
and New York, New Jersey in particular is even semi
relatable to one of the biggest pieces of praise for
the twenty twenty two World Cup and Katar, which happened,
the ability to get multiple matches easily. And while there
may not be multiple matches in a day like Katar,
from a traveler's perspective, you could see a group stage
(14:49):
match in Philadelphia on June twenty fifth, head right on
over to Boston on the twenty sixth, then go to
New York, New Jersey on the twenty seventh of June.
Only one area without getting on an airplane that is possible,
and that's the Northeast Corridor, And we're right there. Host
regions are banking on the impact of these games lasting
(15:13):
far beyond the results of the event itself, which is
the FIFA World Cup. And I will tell you I
already have large contingencies of families who just today with
me solidified their attendance at these World Cup games. And
they are not inexpensive, are they not? No, they're not.
(15:35):
So I mean we're talking, you know, as big a
bucks as you'd ever pay, probably for the Super Bowl.
Oh wow yeah, okay, so it's commanding quite a number.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
My father in law, he was a soccer coaching. He's
from New Jersey, so as you're talking, I'm thinking he
would love this. We watch we watched the ones from
Qatar and he was just glued to the TV.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
Yeah. And people who will be at they're fanatics. Yeah,
I mean they are what I mean they call football,
it's soccer. They are fanatics over this game and they
will pay anything, and that it's right here on the
East Coast. We've got a bunch of people who want
to go.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
I'm excited. I usually watch the World Cup. I don't
like soccer.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Yeah, I don't understand it much. You know, I do
watch it. I really enjoy it when I do watch it,
but I will say I don't understand all the calls.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Yeah I don't either. That's yeah, because I don't typically watch.
But I love watching the World Cup. It's something just
more exciting about it.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
And my business partner who's actually not here today, Harry Rich,
who's with his grandchildren, which is nice. That's a nice
way to spend grandparents weekend. I think he's spending it
with his grandchildren down in North Carolina. He actually used
to be a soccer coach, so some of what I've
learned about soccer I've learned from him, but not much.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
You know, I played hockey. I think it's hockey without ice. Okay,
well sort of how it looks to me up and down?
Speaker 2 (17:07):
Then yeah, it really does.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Well. They call it the pitch.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Yeah, okay, I think I think that's what it's called.
It sounds like something in baseball. But what do I know.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
Yeah, I don't think it's a field anyway, But.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
We do have a couple of sales. We'll hit those
real quick and then we'll head into some real fun
information for today's show. Jet Blue. They are having a
three day sale. It is how we adult these days
with Jet Blue. It's their falls best capt travel secret
now being grown up enough to take off and go anywhere.
(17:41):
Their fares are starting as low as fifty four dollars
each way and round trip fairs and to night hotel
packages with Jet Blue starting from three hundred and eleven
dollars per person, and those prices are actually from DCA
to New York JFK if you're interested. And also those packages,
(18:01):
so if you want to spend a little time in
New York, New York, that wouldn't be bad. Two nights,
hotel and air for only three hundred and eleven dollars
per person. Yeah, I'd go. Another one from one of
my favorites, Cie Tours. Love these guys. They're my fit
go to favorite for Ireland and many places in the UK.
They are currently having their big special. When we have this,
(18:25):
I like to announce it because people wait for it
and it's their two for one airfare Cie goes to Ireland.
They do a great job. They're one of the premier
suppliers to Ireland. They of course go to Iceland and
Italy as well, but right now they are doing two
for one airfares right now through September the thirtieth. You
(18:46):
buy one airfare, you get the other one for free.
So that is a great deal and so I think
that would be one I would jump on if you
are interested in going to Ireland, Italy or Iceland. And
then Club Med fine only this is the last one
in my toolbox today, Chris. They are doing ski days.
They're all inclusive ski vacations are up to fifty percent off.
(19:09):
As many of you may know or may not know.
Let me just tell you real quickly. Club Med is
an all inclusive vacation resort that means all drinks, all meals,
all non motorized water sports, and in this case, ski
days and lift passes are included and lessons too, So
if you don't know how to ski, they're more than
happy to help you out with that. And that is
(19:31):
going to last only until September the sixteenth. You can
book now for travel through April of twenty twenty six,
but that deal is going to end on September the sixteenth.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
How do we get in touch with you if we
want to book any of these?
Speaker 2 (19:45):
We are easy to find, Chris. We are located at
two forty three f Avenue in Harsenburg. You can call
us at five four oh nine oh eight two three
three three, or look us up on the web if
you need to find us at the Wishing Well.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
So you kind of alluded to this as we were
talking about our news sporting and cultural events.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Yeah, because a lot of people these days, Chris, are
looking for the reason for their whole trip. They're not
just looking to go to somewhere, you know, not like
you know, let's just go to Philadelphia for the weekend. No,
they want to really have a purpose driven reason for
going where they go. And that's what our show's about today.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
I'm excited about this because I've done this kind of traveling.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
I know you have.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Will talk about the world's greatest sporting and cultural events
coming up next here on a life less ordinaty who
would think.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
Of driving off to a new destination without guidance from
Google or Syria? Not the Wishing World Guide your next
travel experience.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
Travel the world as you enjoy the very.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
Best destinations and all they offer at the best prices.
Our mobile travel app keeps your vacation on track and
keeps you connected with our team of experts.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
For help. If you need it, call us at five four.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
Zero nine zero eight two three three three, stop by
two forty three Avenue, or visit us at the Wishingwell
dot bizz.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Hey, and welcome back to a Life lest Ordinary, the
travel Showing podcast from your friends at the wishing Well.
They're on that favenue in Harrisonburg, also online at the
wishing Well dot biz, or give them a call anytime
at five four h nine oh eight twenty three thirty three.
Jerry Dean from the wishing Well is here this morning.
As we do every Saturday morning, we sit down talk travel.
(21:26):
This week, we're talking about the world's greatest sporting and
cultural events. This is exciting now.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Will and I wouldn't say I'm a I'm a big
sports fan. I mean I'm not. I enjoy a good game.
You know, I always watch the Super Bowl. I'm not
sure if it's for the game or the commercials.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
I have vision. You're one of these people go go sport.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Yeah what But actually this is gonna surprise you. I
was a real tomboy when I was a youngster. Well,
there was nobody but boys in my neighborhood. Almost.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
Well you've told us you are a real athlete.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
Oh yeah, you know. I was a mountain biker, used
to be competitive mountain biker. And I played tackle football
with my brother and his friends in my neighborhood, you know,
and I got hurt, but I didn't show it, you know,
but it was you know, I did grow up around
a lot of sports lovers in my family. My dad
(22:18):
was a big football fan and baseball. My dad was
actually a boxer in the Navy.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
And so I mean, yeah, I was around a lot
of sports. I can't say, though, that I was really
athletically inclined. I did like biking, you know. But what
I have realized, Chris, and what I want to talk
to you about today is something really near and dear
to my heart, and that is the way that a
single event, one football match, one festival, one cultural moment,
(22:49):
can become the centerpiece of an entire travel journey. I
love that, you know. That's what makes athletics and games
exciting to me. I can plan travel around them, you know,
which is what this show is all about. So often
when we think of travel, we think destinations of Paris, Rome,
(23:10):
the Caribbean. But today I want you to think a
little differently. Today I want you to think about a moment,
a global stage, maybe a gathering that might happen only
once in a lifetime, or perhaps maybe happens every year,
but each year it carries its own magic. And in
(23:30):
this hour, we're going to journey through the world's most
exciting sports and cultural events that are happening between now
and twenty twenty six. We're going to talk about everything
from the Winter Olympics in Italy to the FIFA World
Cup across North America, from Coachella in California desert to
the events that are going on even in India, and
(23:52):
along the way, we're going to sprinkle in the Kentucky Derby,
the Masters, the Men's Final Four, and even Octoberfest in Germany.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
Let's do it.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
I know there's a lot, you know. See see what
I told you, There's a lot you can plan travel
around that encompass any any kind of special event. So
if you've dreamed of building your travels around that bucket
list event, or you're turning your love of sport, a
festival or cultural celebration into the trip of lifetime. This
show today, a life less ordinary, is for you. Now.
(24:25):
I want to begin today with the heavy hitters. Let's
just go ahead and get those out of the way,
because I don't know how much time when you and
I start talking about this, we might just drive a
nail in this one early. But anyway, with these heavy hitters,
the sporting events that the entire world stops to watch,
and it's got to be I must must start with
the twenty twenty six FIFA World Cup for the very
(24:48):
first time, Chris, This legendary tournament is going to be
hosted across three countries, the United States being one of them,
Canada and Mexico. That's exciting. And this this is not
just soccer, or as the rest of the world calls
it football football. This is a global celebration of sport
and unity, and matches are going to be played in
(25:10):
the United States, Canada, and Mexico City. Imagine a week
in New York with a World Cup match as the centerpiece,
or maybe a cultural escape in Mexico City, capped off
with a ticket to see Brazil versus Germany. These are
the kind of moments that are going to go down
in family history. The eleven major host cities for the
(25:34):
twenty twenty six FIFA World Cup are Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston,
Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia,
the San Francisco Bay Area, and Seattle. And they're all over,
they really are. So if these are going to be
(25:56):
in your city, likely it's going to get busy in
twenty twenty six. And these cities, located across three different regions,
entirely different regions of the US, are going to host
various matches in the tournament's first ever forty eight team,
one hundred and four game format. Now here's a list
(26:17):
of the full host cities again, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston,
Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia,
San Francisco, and Seattle. Now some key information here is
that the twenty twenty six feet of World Cup is
the first to be co hosted by three nations, the first.
(26:41):
Every other time, it's always just been in one country.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
That's where it's been. It's also regional grouping. The host
cities are divided into three regions, Eastern, Central, and Western,
which I think is brilliant, you know, because that's the
way it's laid out. That's the way our country is
laid out. The tournament expansion is going to be the
largest in history, with one hundred and four games and
forty eight teams. That's never been done before. And then
(27:07):
the key dates. The tournament is going to run from
June the eleventh to July the nineteenth. Now, if you
want to know a little something about pricing for this
major event, the wishing Well again has vetted vendors offering
the following types of packages for a family of four
adults and perhaps two children, and that would be a
(27:29):
six day, five night package. And this is an example
of them. This isn't the only one that they've got,
but this is just an example of one. I pulled
down because I had so many people booking this already,
so I thought it might be fun for our listeners
to hear about what this might look like June the
eighteenth to the twenty third. Accommodations. I picked Philadelphia because
(27:50):
that's the one that these guys were interested in. You
can stay at either the Sheraton Philadelphia University City or Sinesta,
Philadelphia Rittenhouse Square, which is where my guys chose entry
level category seating run of the house tickets for these
two matches that they wanted to see, match number twenty
nine on June the nineteenth and match forty two on
(28:12):
June the twenty second. You have a host throughout your experience,
so you do have like a concierge to help you
throughout the whole event, personalized itinerary, expert travel assistance from
their at your service team, and all your taxes and
service fees. Two adults, two children, one room. I'll let
(28:35):
you make a guess as to what that's running.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
I kind of glanced at your paper.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
Sits okay, that is not fair. You're right, you cheater,
So you're not supposed to cheat in sports, says.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
You know that, so Yste I admit to it.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
Between twelve to thirteen thousand dollars for run one room
for four gifts.
Speaker 4 (28:52):
That doesn't sound bad to me, though, when you're talking
about the experience, like, well, let me tell you how
right you are. Because the tickets for FIFA World Cup
just went on sale the other day, and those tickets
not even in the good seats. Okay, maybe you would
be way far away from actually being able to see
the game. You'd need binoculars to actually see it. Those
(29:14):
game tickets are running anywhere from two to three thousand
dollars a piece. So when you think this is six days,
five nights, you're getting hotel in that, and you're getting
the host services throughout your experience. Twelve to thirteen thousand
dollars for that kind of once in a lifetime experience
doesn't sound too bad.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
So for a client who has that money set aside
and they're looking to an evently what would be a
comparable luxury travel event that doesn't involve sports? So I mean,
would twelve thousand dollars get me to Rome or would
it get me to roam for twenty days? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (29:53):
I mean you could possibly do an escorted family tour
to someplace in Europe for that for that kind of money.
I would think, yeah, you could, but it's going to
be just to that location maybe, and that's all you're
going to be able to do.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
I'm just trying to get my head wrapped around and
what that amount really means in the travel world.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
Yeah, and let me just put it in maybe more
simplistic terms. People who want to go somewhere, who want
to see something, who want to do something so badly,
that's money we'll spend.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Oh absolutely, it's.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
Really and what we're talking about, folks, is really experiential travel.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
That's what this is.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
So for some people it doesn't go ahead and put
a dollar value on it doesn't matter. They're going to
pay whatever it is because they want to see it.
It's like the Formula one racing. I mean, people will
pay anything to go see those.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
My Stepsun gets up at two in the morning to
watch them with me.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
There you go, so you know what I'm talking about.
I mean, it's like the first time we ever put
a rocket on the moon. People got up in the
wee hours of the morning. I remember that I was
a kid. My parents. It's got up in the wee
hours of the morning to watch this on TV. And
if you could get a ringside seat to something like that,
what would you pay to watch Muhammad Ali box again?
(31:11):
You know? I mean, those those are the moments you
dream about. Those you know, somebody's so iconic that you
want to see do something in sports like that that
you're just a big fan and you want to see it.
I think it's great. Now moving on, that's the World Cup.
I think it's I mean, we've already established. I think
(31:32):
it's going to be big. It's going to be huge,
as they say. But moving on to the twenty twenty
six Winter Olympics in Milano Quotana, Italy, February sixth through
February the twenty second, right on the heels of the
preceding the World Cup. I should say, every four years
(31:53):
the world gathers for this winter sport event and it's
on a grand scale, and Italy is going to be
that stage. And twenty twenty six, so if you can
picture that, Alpine skiing in the Dolomites, figure skating in Milan,
the opening ceremonies under Italian skies, please take me there.
You know, I've always actually been a crazy Winter Olympics chan. Oh,
(32:16):
I love it. I you know, I could take it
or leave Summer Olympics. But the Winter Olympics there's just
something about it. I don't know. Maybe it's because I'm
a captive audience, can't do anything else outside stoo gold.
But you know, I love the Olympics. Not just about
the games. It's about sipping a little espresso in a
Milan cafe or enjoying a little week on Lake Como
(32:39):
after the medal ceremonies are over. Not so bad, you know,
that would be kind of nice. More than thirty five
hundred athletes from ninety three countries are going to be
competing for one hundred and ninety five medals in sixteen
Olympic disciplines and six Paralympics sports with beautiful Italian landscapes
(32:59):
as thedrop. Those big games are going to be making
news and the Olympic debut of ski mountaineering is going
to be the first ever at this Olympics. The app
for this event is scheduled to be available for download
in December of this year. You're hearing it here first.
Until then, you want to stay up to date on
(33:21):
the latest information, you can just go to the website
which is https Milano, Kortana twenty twenty six dot Olympics
dot com. And actually, Chris, we can include this in
some of the notes of this show if you would,
for folks so they can follow that if they want to.
(33:41):
That's going to be a big deal. So if you're
interested in going to Italy, February sixth through the twenty second, which,
by the way, I want to point out, were it
not for the Olympics, is low season for travel to Italy,
so prices are going to be pretty decent. I guarantee
you U. Hotel space is going to be jacked up
(34:02):
for that period, but that is low season typically for
travel to Europe. So just so you know. The other
big event, let's face it, this is one of the
big five. Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California for twenty
twenty six, America's most watched sporting event, and even if
you're not a diehard football fan, the atmosphere around Super
(34:26):
Bowl is electric. I mean I've talked to people, I've
sold people tickets and space for the Super Bowl before
they say there's nothing like it. There is no second
to that, ever, and I kind of feel the same way.
But I get a front row seat on my couch,
my leather couch in my family room with all the
food surrounding me. I'm literally like six steps away from
(34:49):
something I want to eat or drink. So it's perfect.
But you have celebrity concerts fan festivals. They do have
incredible food at the Super Bowl and the ultimate showdown
on the field. Super Bowl is twenty twenty six is
going to be special because it marks the sixtieth anniversary
(35:09):
of the Super Bowl. It's going to be held at
Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, and it's going to
coincide actually with the FIFA World Cup being hosted in
North America. As I said before, making twenty twenty six
an unprecedented year of major sporting events for the Bay Area.
Because as I told you, there's going to be some
(35:30):
Bay Area events for the FIFA World Cup as well,
so that area is going to be buzzing. I mean,
it's going to be crazy town. The game is going
to be a celebration of football history, and it's going
to be a feature a variety of events and experiences,
including some opportunities to see some memorabilia and performances from
NFL legends past. I think that's going to be exciting. Now,
(35:54):
anniversary and host venue, as I said, is going to
be a magnificent milestone in the iconic event. The game
is going to be played at Levi Stadium, the home
of the San Francisco forty nine ers actually marking the
return of the Super Bowl to the Bay Area for
the first time since Super Bowl fifty so ten years ago.
They will have hosted it for the second year a
(36:17):
year of major sporting events the Bay Area, as I said,
super Bowl sixty and significant portion of the FIFA World
Cup in twenty twenty six. The combination of those two
in the same region unprecedented. The festivities surrounding the game,
a variety of NFL honors, the super Bowl experience, the
(36:37):
Super Bowl opening night fans can expect those great concerts,
celebrity guest appearances, and there's going to be opportunities to
see historical Super Bowl artifacts and take pictures with the
Lombardi Trophy.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
And rumor is maybe Taylor Swift at halftime?
Speaker 2 (36:54):
I heard that. Yeah, I'm not really sure about that.
I know it has been rumored and little tidbits of
information shouldn't have been dropped about that.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
Roger Goodell yesterday I think it was on the Today
Show said maybe.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
Yeah, So, you know, wouldn't it be kind of neat
if she decided this is the place to also have
the wedding change stop with with with her?
Speaker 1 (37:17):
Man you just ruined the Super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
I'm really sorry, but I got to tell you for
those and I am I personally am not a Swiftie.
I'm not.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
We're all Swifties to a certain level.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
Well, you know, I like the good that comes in
all packaging. It really doesn't matter. But but you're right.
I think to actually have that wedding take place during
Super Bowl would have ruined it. We would ruin it all.
I'm sorry. If you're a swifty fan right now, apologies
from Chris and I. But that's how we feel. That's
the real feeling.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
That's how you feel, Swifties. That's right.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
And you know what, I'll go down that road with
you and then we'll just leave it there.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
Yeah, that's smart. We need to take a quick break, Terry,
and then when we come back more great cultural and
sporting destinations.
Speaker 2 (38:06):
Absolutely all right.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
We'll get into it next. Here on a life less ordinary.
Speaker 3 (38:09):
Who would think of driving off to a new destination
without guidance from Google or Syria? Not the wishing Well
Guide your next travel experience. Travel the world as you
enjoy the very best destinations and all they offer at
the best prices. Our mobile travel app keeps your vacation
on track and keeps you connected with our team of
experts for.
Speaker 1 (38:27):
Help if you need it, call us at five four
zero nine.
Speaker 3 (38:30):
Zero eight two three three three stop buy two forty
three Avenue, or visit us at the Wishingwell dot bizz.
Speaker 1 (38:37):
Hey, welcome back to a lifeless Ordinary. This is the
travel Showing podcast from your friends at the wishing Well.
They're on f Avenue in Harrisonburg. They're online at the
wishing Well dot bizz and you can give them a
call old fashion style, pick up the phone, talk to
Terry or Harry or any of the fine folks over
at the wishing Well at five four oh nine oh
eight twenty three point thirty three. Especially give them a
(38:59):
call if any of these sporting and cultural events we've
been talking about have peaked your interest and you're thinking, man,
I'd like to like to head to see the Olympics
in Italy or the Super Bowl. I know we got
a lot of golf fans out there. Do you have
a golf cultural or sporting event that we can go to?
Speaker 2 (39:17):
You know I do, Chris. We are going to the
Ryder Cup for twenty twenty five in Farmingdale, New York.
This is golf at its fiercest, the US versus Europe.
If you've ever thought golf was a quiet sport, just
go to the Ryder Cup. You're going to feel the
roar of thousands of fans as you hear those putts
(39:38):
drop and tempers flair. Okay, I think that's a good
way to put The Ryder Cup twenty twenty five is
also actually really special because it returns to the difficult
Bethpage Black Course on Long Island, New York. That's a
big deal for the first time since two thousand and
two under the leadership of youngest American captain in Dea Gades.
(40:00):
God by the name of Keegan Bradley doesn't mean anything
to me. Also, not a golfer. Enjoy watching it once
in a while, but it's a very slow sport. I think.
I'm not sure, but maybe that's because I've never been
to the Ryder Cup. But it takes place from Friday,
September the twenty sixth, which is coming up very soon,
(40:20):
to Sunday, September the twenty eighth, so it's just two days.
And why it's special again because Bethpage Black is renowned
as one of the country's most challenging public courses. They
offer a formidable test for the teams anybody who plays
on this course. And then the US captain Keegan Bradley,
(40:41):
as I said, the youngest captain since nineteen sixty three,
he's kind of bringing in a fresh, passionate energy to
the team. And then you've got the American home advantage.
The Ryder Cup is returning to the United States and
holding it at the demanding Beth Page Course. It's expecting
to create an intense atmosphere. I got to watch this because,
(41:02):
quite frankly, I've never seen a golf game yet that
I thought was intense. Maybe I've just watched it wrong.
Speaker 1 (41:08):
Yeah, I say, you're watching the wrong matches, must be Yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:11):
And then the US team has chosen to start with
the foursome format on both Friday and Saturday. That's a
strategy that historically led to American success in Ryder Cups
held on US soil. And then Captain Luke Donald is
leading the European team. He's aiming to be the first
captain since Tony Jacqueline in nineteen eighty seven to win
(41:35):
an away Ryder Cup game. So, if you are interested
in good golf, I would say, exciting golf. Want ahead,
maybe to Farmington, Farmingdale, sorry Farmingdale, New York for the
best Page Black Course. Ryder Cup twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (41:54):
So I'm not a golf fan. I've had a lot
of friends who love golf. The thing I think is
so interesting as being a golf fan, if you're going
to any of these events, how close you are to
the action?
Speaker 2 (42:07):
Yeah? Exactly.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
You know, you talk super Bowl and you're paying thousands
of dollars for a ticket in nose bleed. There's no
nose bleed at the Ryder Cup. I mean, I know
they have stands up like the eighteenth hole or something,
but most of them, you're right there next to the greenway.
Speaker 2 (42:21):
And can you believe there's no pushing, no show, there
is no get out of my way. Yeah, everybody's stepping
on people's feet.
Speaker 1 (42:27):
It's still humans. Show up to this, it's.
Speaker 2 (42:30):
Still humans right where. You want to hear about the
next ones we've got on our list?
Speaker 1 (42:34):
Absolutely, yep.
Speaker 2 (42:35):
So let's sprinkle in some of the annual icons. We
hit it with all the bigs. Okay, those are the
big ones, and these are the annual icons. These are
events you can count on every year, year after year,
but they never lose their thrill. And I have to
start with my personal favorite, the Kentucky Derby.
Speaker 1 (42:54):
Love the Derby.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
I have successfully picked the are the last five consecutive
Kentucky Derby's in a row?
Speaker 1 (43:04):
Are you putting money on this?
Speaker 2 (43:05):
No? I'm not, which is very sad. I just I
just don't. I don't bet, you know, I just don't
do it, but you know it's fun to do it.
From home, I watch them coming out of the paddock.
The horse is coming out of the paddock with their jockeys,
and I just go that horse is gonna run. He's
gonna do it. He wants to beat them all.
Speaker 1 (43:26):
And I've picking them once they start running.
Speaker 2 (43:29):
No, no, no, I pick them on their way to
the paddock. Oh okay, and actually you can do that
on the track. Okay, you can. You can pick them
on their way out of the to the paddock and
pick them as they're going into their little slot.
Speaker 1 (43:43):
Do you have a hat that you wear when you
watch it?
Speaker 2 (43:45):
I do not.
Speaker 1 (43:46):
Do you drink?
Speaker 2 (43:47):
I do not know. I sit on my couch and
I usually just watch the world go by.
Speaker 1 (43:53):
How are you preparing yourself for when you actually go
to the Kentucky Derby, you have to have.
Speaker 2 (43:57):
I know, you know, that's one of my bucket list things.
I really want to go. I want to wear the
big hat with all the stuff falling off of it.
I want to dress in some awesome dress from one
of the designers and high heels, just like all the
others do. I want to push the divots down like
all the others do. And yeah, I want to have
(44:17):
that kind of day.
Speaker 1 (44:17):
Well, you need to make that happens.
Speaker 2 (44:19):
I know, I know they say it's the most exciting
two minutes in sports. Big Hats, Mint Julips a weekend
of Southern charm in Louisville, Kentucky. And this year it's
going to be held, actually it's already been held this year.
Next year it's going to be Saturday, May the second.
And you know what's a problem with that is sometimes
(44:39):
it overlaps graduations here in our areas. So that's problematic
for me. I don't like it when that happens. We
really need to be more careful about how we plan
these things so I can watch the Kentucky Derby. The
race always takes place on the first Saturday of May.
The Kentucky Oates, the premier race for three year old Philly,
(45:00):
is actually scheduled for the day before, on Friday, May
the first, so I may have to just watch that
one if something interferes. But in any event, put Kentucky
Derby on your list of must visit places. Louisville, by
the way, is wonderful. I love Louisville, Kentucky. It's like
the big little town. There's a lot of things to do,
very culturally friendly, family friendly too, I'd like to say.
(45:23):
And if you know, if you're not taking your family,
just a couple of you want to go. It's also
a great bourbon tasting town. Just saying now, next we're
going to head to the Masters Tournament. I talked about
that a few minutes ago. Augusta, Georgia every April one
of the most exclusive and hallowed grounds in all of golf.
A Master's Week offers a full seven days of golf
(45:44):
when you do. The Masters features the top pros in
the sport. And in twenty twenty six, the Masters Who's
going to take place from Monday April the sixth to
Sunday April to twelfth, and every day of the Master's
schedule is going to bring something different and new to
the National Augusta National Golf Club. They do have practice rounds.
(46:06):
Those are going to be on Monday and Tuesday, April
the sixth and seventh, By the way, in case you
don't know, and I didn't know a lot about golf,
but I did want to educate myself a little bit
before I did this show today, and so I learned
that on Monday and Tuesday, those practice rounds, that's where
the pros play around the course and they work on
their game. The practice rounds, including Wednesday's par three contests,
(46:31):
are the only time cameras are permitted on the course,
so it's a really good opportunity to take some pictures
of the event and see the pros in a little
bit more relaxed atmosphere. And then they've got the par
three contest that happens on Wednesday, April the eighth, that
is played on a separate nine hole par twenty seventh
(46:51):
course in the northeast corner of Augusta National. Players often
have family members or even their children caddy for them
during that contest. It's an interesting piece of trivia that
no player has ever won the Wednesday Pars three contest
and then gone on to win the Masters Tournament itself
in the same year.
Speaker 1 (47:10):
So they're all trying to lose on them.
Speaker 2 (47:11):
They're all trying to lose, I would think so. In fact,
some players even consider it bad luck to win that
Part three contest. So for many many years, arguably the
three greatest golfers of their generation, Jack Nicholas, Arnold Palmer,
Palmer and Gary Player I do know those names, by
the way, would be grouped together to play the Par
(47:32):
three contest. Now the first tournament round, which is second
and third that happens on Thursday, April the ninth, eight
a m. Sharp on Thursday. The first tournament round begins
with an honorary t off to start the competition. Last year,
the honorary starters with Tom Watson, Jack Nicholas and Gary Player,
(47:56):
and the fourth tournament round is on Sunday, April to twelfth.
That's at ten am sharp on Sunday. The leaders usually
tee off around two to three o'clock, and the tournament
usually finishes between six and seven pm, with the presentation
of the Green jacket to the winner. Typically Saturday and
Sunday rounds are played with two players per group, and
(48:16):
that's what you call the masters. But I thought that
was interesting to kind of look at what happens on
each one of those days. So it's not like I thought,
because I've never been to a master's and as you said,
we both pointed out, neither one of us know that
much about golf. I thought, well, all the big players
just kept playing every single day until they got down to,
(48:39):
you know, the top two, and then they, you know,
played like a winner takes off, you know, winner takes
the green jacket, and that's not at all what happens.
So then we talked about this earlier too, which is
Formula one races. That's the next one on my list,
whether it's Monaco, Singapore or Austin. F one is speed,
(49:00):
it's glamour, its international flare. And the twenty twenty sixth
Formula One season is going to start in Melbourne, Australia,
Chris on March the eighth, and it's going to conclude
in Abu Dhabi on December sixth with the full twenty
four race calendar featuring the debut of a new street
circuit in Madrid, Spain. And the season is going to
include new regulations for the cars, the first use of
(49:23):
one hundred percent advanced sustainable fuels, and the return of
the Qatar Grand Prix as a ultimate round of the
ending of the event. So there you go. And then NASCAR.
We've got NASCAR Daytona five hundred Talladega, heart pounding action,
True Americana. The Daytona five hundred is going to take
(49:44):
place on Sunday, February fifteenth, twenty twenty sixth. This actually
marks the sixty eighth running of the Great American Race
and the official start of the NASCAR Cup Series season.
The key details for the twenty twenty six Daytona week
again February fifteenth. That's the day after Valentine's Day. Go
kiss your honey in Daytona. That would be nice. And
(50:07):
Daytona International Speedway is the host track for the event.
I don't think we could do a show like this
and not talk about Men's Final Four basketball. Right every
spring college basketball ball builds up to this crescendo. The
energy in the arena is unmatched anywhere. The Men's Final
(50:27):
Four is going to be played on Saturday, April fourth,
twenty twenty six for the semifinals and Monday, April sixth
for the championship game in Indianapolis, Indiana. The semi finals
are held on the first Saturday, and the championship follows
on the next Monday. And let's not forget the World
Series of Baseball. I did not leave you out, guys,
(50:49):
where America's pastime crowns its champion every fall. The World
Series is going to begin on Friday, October twenty fourth.
I thought this was a good place to finish up
with all all the games airing on Fox or FS one.
The series is a best of seven format, meaning the
first team to win four games is going to be
crowned the champion, and that's going to be October twenty
(51:13):
fourth of this year.
Speaker 1 (51:14):
So that one's a harder one to book in advance
because you don't know where they're going.
Speaker 2 (51:17):
To be exactly. But I do have people who try.
Speaker 1 (51:20):
The All Star The All Star Game would be a
good one to add to the list as well, because
you know what that's going to be in advance, so
you can plan out your vacation.
Speaker 2 (51:27):
Yeah, exactly, and real quickly, Chris, I know you've done
this before. You've actually planned trips around an event.
Speaker 1 (51:34):
Yeah, I went to baseball stadiums and went to seven
of them in nine days and went from a Saturday
to the following weekend on a Sunday. And it's not
easy to do on your own. Number One, you got
to find a week when all the teams are going
to be in the cities you'd like to travel to.
I wanted to go get up to Boston and I
couldn't because they were playing away. And then after I
(51:56):
had such a fun time on the trip I did,
I thought, I want to go to the West Coast
into it. I want to start in Seattle. Weren't a
convertible head down the coast and you know end in
you know, San Diego or something. Why not, Well, you
can't because there's so few teams on the West Coast.
They're constantly flying into the middle of the country to
play the other teams. Yeah, it would be hard. And
(52:18):
so there was like two teams that are you know,
at home during the same seven day span if you
want to do something like that. So it's just a
lot harder to do. But man, it was fun. Yeah,
And and what I love about this is what I
recommend if you're doing any of these these type of events.
Don't miss out on what's happening in that city. It's
not just the sporting event. There's so much, even in
(52:40):
places that you wouldn't consider to be tourist meccas. Yeah,
there's always something, whether it's some local restaurant or some
out of the way tourist attraction kind of thing. Find
a way to enjoy the city as journey.
Speaker 2 (52:53):
Yeah, that's great advice, great advice.
Speaker 1 (52:55):
Well, this has been a fun show.
Speaker 2 (52:57):
I know I think so too.
Speaker 1 (52:58):
I love talking. I'm not I am not a person.
I could never do a sports talk show. I don't
know enough about sports to tell you anything. Neither do I,
but I enjoy watching it. I enjoy going to them.
I've been to NFL games, NHL, Major League Baseball. I've
done all those things and I love every time I
do them.
Speaker 2 (53:14):
Yeah, I had a lot of people who turned the
Rose Bowl into a travel event this year. So you
can make any event a journey, and we would love
it if you would let us help you do that.
At the Wishing Well, we're located at two forty three
f Avenue in the Valley Center. Please come see us.
We'd love you to call us at five four oh
nine oh eight two three three three. You can always
(53:34):
look us up on the webwere at the Wishingwell dot biz.
Speaker 1 (53:38):
This has been a Life Less Ordinary, the travel show
from 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 l Life Less Ordinary
(54:01):
from the wishing Well
This is a Lifeless Ordinary. It's a travel show and
podcasts from your friends at the wishing Well two forty
three f Avenue in Harsmert 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
(00:20):
guide 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, it's the
weekend again, Chris. It's always good to see it, dear,
and here we are. I like that we do this
every week.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
I do too. And another lovely Saturday it is.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Yeah, got well, I guess we don't have any more
football for a while. Jamu's off. They played last night
and then they're off next week. So hey, got a
little bit of time on that. It's time to do
some of that fall cleaning.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
I guess it's time to clean. It's time to go
to festivals and events. And you mentioned sports. All that's
a good prelude to what we're going to be talking
about today.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
Okay, Well, I look forward to finding out what our
show is. As we do each week, before we get
into the meat of the show, we like to talk
about what's happened current travel events.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Yes, sometimes it's good. Sometimes it's eh. You know, we've
got you know not some not so good news for
Spirit Airlines today, Chris. They actually have filed for bankruptcy again.
The budget carrier Spirit Airlines said that they are going
to file for fresh bankruptcy protection months after they just
(01:31):
emerged from a Chapter eleven reorganization. This is that ultra
low cost carrier that you may remember. They are the
ones who fly around with those bright yellow planes. But
they want to They say they want to keep flying
as usual during this restructuring process, meaning that passengers can
(01:51):
still book trips and use their tickets. I don't know
about that, but credits and loyalty points are still a
part of that. Employees and contractors also are going to continue,
they say, to get paid.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
That's good.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
That is good when you're in the midst of bankruptcy.
If you're paying your creditors, I think that's a really
good thing. The CEO, Dave Davis, said that the airline's
previous Chapter eleven petition focused on reducing debt and raising capital,
and since exiting that process in March, it has become
clear that there is a lot more work to be done,
(02:25):
he says, and many more tools are available to best
positioned Spirit for the future flight attendants. Meanwhile, we're warned
by union leaders to quote unquote prepare for all possible
scenarios now, he says. He, being the CEO, Dave Davis, says,
(02:46):
we're being very direct because even as we have many
ways to fight because of our union, we also want
to get you the truth about the situation at our
airline and how each of us can take action to
protect and prepare ourselves for any challenge. Now. Tough return
actually for Spirit from the pandemic. As I said, they're
(03:08):
known for their bright yellow planes and no frill service.
They've had a rough ride since the pandemic, actually struggling
to rebound through rising operation costs and it's mounting debt.
The airline now carries Chris two point four billion dollars
in long term debt, most of which is due in
twenty thirty, and the carrier reported a negative free cash
(03:32):
flow of one billion dollars at the end of the
second quarters sound good? It does not sound good. I
hope they bought a lottery ticket because that could help
them a lot if they bought a bunch of them.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Even if they win, it might not help them and
may not.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
But they've got a billion dollars in debt at the
end of the second quarter, and that does not really
bode well for a carrier who needs to continue to fly.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
So is this like a liquidation type bank or they're
just trying to restructure as chapter eleven?
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Yeah, but it's their second chapter eleven. So I mean,
unless the earth shakes and creates a miracle and MANI
falls from heaven, don't think that this may end well
for Spirit Airlines. It may not. On other news, Carnival
Cruise Line has gone now to something that is I
(04:28):
think going to be a trending issue for a lot
of cruise lines. They're going beyond soft drinks and now
announcing a zero proof drink package. And you might have
heard this, Chris. There's a lot of folks now that
are trending away from alcohol. We're hearing about the negative
effects that alcohol has on us physically. We also are
(04:50):
finding that people really do want a more healthy lifestyle.
That's great, and Carnival Cruise Line is introducing this new
non alcoholic beverage package in addition to its bottomless Bubbles option.
With Cheers zero Proof, the package goes beyond soft drinks,
including a variety of zero proof cocktails, what we think
(05:11):
of now as mocktails, and alcohol free sparkling wines, among
many other options. Cheers zero Proof is a direct response
to what they heard from their guests. They say, who
want a comprehensive non alcoholic drink package when they cruise,
and this new package kind of brings together the abundance
(05:31):
of their alcohol hal free refreshments with the flexibility and
ease that their guests already enjoy with other beverage packages.
This comprehensive package includes soft drinks, juices, bottled water, still,
sparkling and coconut. They have premium coffee and teas, zero
proof cocktails, alcohol free beer, yuck and sparkling wine, non
(05:56):
alcoholic frozen drinks, smoothies and protein shakes, milkshakes and energy drinks,
and some items such as the alcohol free beer, Yuck again,
wine and mocktails may carry an age restriction. Still of
twenty one and older. The Cheers Zero Proof package can
be pre purchased online and will be available for onboard
(06:20):
purchase in the next coming weeks.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
That would cover everything I would want.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Yeah, so Carnival's kind of getting trendy, and I actually
heard that Carnival is starting this. They're they're kind of
the rollout of this. But I did also get some
information across my desk that said maybe, just maybe we're
going to see a Royal Caribbean and Celebrity come out
with that as well, So we'll see. Speaking of Celebrity,
(06:48):
they have unveiled what's onboard new river ships, the Celebrity
Compass and the Celebrity Seeker, and they have promised they
would do European river cruising differently and so far it
is delivering. The line unveiled key details of its upcoming
river cruise ship fleet. And for those of you listening
(07:09):
who are hearing this news, Celebrity Cruise Line has long
been associated with mega cruise ships that sail into the
Mediterranean to Europe, British Isle cruises and then the Caribbean,
So them having the new river cruise fleet is a
real coup for a mega cruise line, who like Viking
(07:31):
now have both.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Is there a learning curve for a company like that
to transition their mindset between a mega cruise ship and
a river.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
I would think so. But they had the infrastructure in
place and the capital to be able to do it
well and to do it successfully, So why not? You know,
it's all about expansion in the travel industry. So Celebrity
has said they're starting with two ships, the Celebrity Compass
and the Seeker. There are Celebrities European fleet. They're going
to feature a patent pending, industry leading design that offers
(08:05):
more space to vacation while bringing guests even closer to destinations. Now,
among the highlights on board these ships, Chris is going
to be the Magic Edge. That's the first ever cantilevered
dining pods on a river cruise ship. So I'm anxious
to see what this is gonna look like and how
(08:26):
it's going to actually operate. But additionally, these ships are
going to feature revolutionary open decks, they say. They claim
they offer the most usable outdoor space of any river
cruise ship that will remain accessible throughout the entire journey.
Some river ships upper decks can't be used on rivers
(08:47):
that have a lot of bridges, So the open decks
are going to feature transformative shade structures along with a
top deck bar and grill and an Infinity edge plunge pool,
which is very three kind of revolutionary for river cruise ships.
A lot of them, like Viking, they don't even have
(09:07):
pools on board.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
I think would in real estate on that boat be
pretty valuable.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Would be Yeah, you're right. So Celebrity is going to
offer thirty three seven night sailings on the Rhine and
the Danube, with many itineraries offering multiple ports per day
as well as those overnight experiences that everybody loves on
river cruising. Pre booking access to the lines twenty twenty
seven itineries, which are going to be their new ones,
(09:32):
the ones that are going to open up. They opened
and sold out for twenty twenty seven on the same day,
So they're looking to do pretty well I think in
the river cruise business as well as the mega cruz business.
So keep your eye on Celebrity. As with any time
of year that we are looking at weather, in this
(09:56):
particular time of year, we're in September right now, it's
hurricane season and there is a hurricane. Hurricane Kiko could
hit Hawaii as a major storm next week. I don't
know if you've heard about that or now.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
I knew there was one in the Pacific we were watching,
I didn't know.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Yeah. It's a powerful Category four storm. It's threatening the
Hawaiian Islands as it tracks westward. And as of this
past week, Kiko was well east of the Hawaiian Islands,
located about one hundred and I'm sorry, fifteen hundred miles
east southeast of Hilo, Hawaii, the Big Island, and more
than seventeen hundred miles east southeast of Honolulu. It was
(10:34):
moving west at about eight miles an hour, a general
motion that the NHC expects to maintain through this week,
and the forecast says that Kiko should gradually increase in
speed as it approaches the islands, possibly early next week.
And there's still questions about how powerful Kiko will be
(10:55):
when it reaches Hawaii. The storm is currently a Category
four with winds about one hundred and forty five miles
an hour. That's a pretty powerful storm, but it's expected
to weaken as it approaches the Hawaiian Islands and the
NHC says the storm is likely going to be a
Category one, with winds nearing about eighty miles an hour
(11:18):
as it hits perhaps early in the week. As it
continues to move over cooler waters, it actually should weaken
further as it approaches the Big Island. So that's actually
good news, I mean, because we do watch these with
some trepidation when they start to occur. Norwegian Cruise Lines
Proud of America, which by the way, I have a
(11:39):
ton of people on coming up for this holiday season.
But they are scheduled to be in Honolulu. They were
today and at the end of a seven day inter
island sailing before kiko expected arrival. The ship is scheduled
to depart Honolulu on another seven day sailing after that,
with stops in now we Hilo, Kona, and no Wheelly
(12:02):
wee Ley before they return to Honolulu next week. So
no changes have been announced to those itineraries. Yet you're
laughing at the No Wheely we Lee. Sorry, that's an
actual place. Yeah, that's an actual place in Hawaii. Chris,
get a hold of yourself.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Yeah, I would love to visit.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
I know. It's a fabulous place, I say definitely if
you've never been, Hawaii is a great place to go.
We've got a great group cruise that we're going to
be sponsoring at the wishing Well for next year May
twenty twenty six. Not in hurricane weather, by the way,
but it's pretty much filled. I think I've got about
(12:43):
two cabins left. If you happen to be interested in that,
let us know. How can they find us.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
Chris online at the wishing Well talt biz. You can
find them on that f avenue in Harrisonburg or give
them a call. Five four h nine to eight, twenty
three thirty three.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Yep. Now I've got another piece of news. Save this
one for last because it plays very well into the
topic that we're going to be talking about today, which
is going to cover a lot of sporting and cultural events.
But this news is from sports tourism, a major focus
for twenty twenty six. If case you don't know, is
(13:18):
going to be the FIFA World Cup, it is coming
to the US in twenty twenty six, and from staying
longer in towns to exploring the whole region. A lot
of locations have a variety of strategies in place, and
especially those of us on the East Coast. We're calling
this a massive opportunity. Of the one hundred and four
(13:42):
matches in next summer's World Cup Chris, twenty seven of
those are going to be on the East Coast region YEP.
With the proximity and ease of transport between Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia,
and New York, New Jersey, that leaves those host communities
planning for more more than activations and economic opportunities within
(14:05):
their destinations. They are also promoting the chance to see
multiple matches in a tight geographic footprint. There's going to
be thirty days where matches aren't going on, and that
is an opportunity for other cities to recruit and advertise
and bring people to come and visit. The proximity for Boston, Philadelphia,
(14:27):
and New York, New Jersey in particular is even semi
relatable to one of the biggest pieces of praise for
the twenty twenty two World Cup and Katar, which happened,
the ability to get multiple matches easily. And while there
may not be multiple matches in a day like Katar,
from a traveler's perspective, you could see a group stage
(14:49):
match in Philadelphia on June twenty fifth, head right on
over to Boston on the twenty sixth, then go to
New York, New Jersey on the twenty seventh of June.
Only one area without getting on an airplane that is possible,
and that's the Northeast Corridor, And we're right there. Host
regions are banking on the impact of these games lasting
(15:13):
far beyond the results of the event itself, which is
the FIFA World Cup. And I will tell you I
already have large contingencies of families who just today with
me solidified their attendance at these World Cup games. And
they are not inexpensive, are they not? No, they're not.
(15:35):
So I mean we're talking, you know, as big a
bucks as you'd ever pay, probably for the Super Bowl.
Oh wow yeah, okay, so it's commanding quite a number.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
My father in law, he was a soccer coaching. He's
from New Jersey, so as you're talking, I'm thinking he
would love this. We watch we watched the ones from
Qatar and he was just glued to the TV.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
Yeah. And people who will be at they're fanatics. Yeah,
I mean they are what I mean they call football,
it's soccer. They are fanatics over this game and they
will pay anything, and that it's right here on the
East Coast. We've got a bunch of people who want
to go.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
I'm excited. I usually watch the World Cup. I don't
like soccer.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Yeah, I don't understand it much. You know, I do
watch it. I really enjoy it when I do watch it,
but I will say I don't understand all the calls.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Yeah I don't either. That's yeah, because I don't typically watch.
But I love watching the World Cup. It's something just
more exciting about it.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
And my business partner who's actually not here today, Harry Rich,
who's with his grandchildren, which is nice. That's a nice
way to spend grandparents weekend. I think he's spending it
with his grandchildren down in North Carolina. He actually used
to be a soccer coach, so some of what I've
learned about soccer I've learned from him, but not much.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
You know, I played hockey. I think it's hockey without ice. Okay,
well sort of how it looks to me up and down?
Speaker 2 (17:07):
Then yeah, it really does.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Well. They call it the pitch.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Yeah, okay, I think I think that's what it's called.
It sounds like something in baseball. But what do I know.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
Yeah, I don't think it's a field anyway, But.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
We do have a couple of sales. We'll hit those
real quick and then we'll head into some real fun
information for today's show. Jet Blue. They are having a
three day sale. It is how we adult these days
with Jet Blue. It's their falls best capt travel secret
now being grown up enough to take off and go anywhere.
(17:41):
Their fares are starting as low as fifty four dollars
each way and round trip fairs and to night hotel
packages with Jet Blue starting from three hundred and eleven
dollars per person, and those prices are actually from DCA
to New York JFK if you're interested. And also those packages,
(18:01):
so if you want to spend a little time in
New York, New York, that wouldn't be bad. Two nights,
hotel and air for only three hundred and eleven dollars
per person. Yeah, I'd go. Another one from one of
my favorites, Cie Tours. Love these guys. They're my fit
go to favorite for Ireland and many places in the UK.
They are currently having their big special. When we have this,
(18:25):
I like to announce it because people wait for it
and it's their two for one airfare Cie goes to Ireland.
They do a great job. They're one of the premier
suppliers to Ireland. They of course go to Iceland and
Italy as well, but right now they are doing two
for one airfares right now through September the thirtieth. You
(18:46):
buy one airfare, you get the other one for free.
So that is a great deal and so I think
that would be one I would jump on if you
are interested in going to Ireland, Italy or Iceland. And
then Club Med fine only this is the last one
in my toolbox today, Chris. They are doing ski days.
They're all inclusive ski vacations are up to fifty percent off.
(19:09):
As many of you may know or may not know.
Let me just tell you real quickly. Club Med is
an all inclusive vacation resort that means all drinks, all meals,
all non motorized water sports, and in this case, ski
days and lift passes are included and lessons too, So
if you don't know how to ski, they're more than
happy to help you out with that. And that is
(19:31):
going to last only until September the sixteenth. You can
book now for travel through April of twenty twenty six,
but that deal is going to end on September the sixteenth.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
How do we get in touch with you if we
want to book any of these?
Speaker 2 (19:45):
We are easy to find, Chris. We are located at
two forty three f Avenue in Harsenburg. You can call
us at five four oh nine oh eight two three
three three, or look us up on the web if
you need to find us at the Wishing Well.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
So you kind of alluded to this as we were
talking about our news sporting and cultural events.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Yeah, because a lot of people these days, Chris, are
looking for the reason for their whole trip. They're not
just looking to go to somewhere, you know, not like
you know, let's just go to Philadelphia for the weekend. No,
they want to really have a purpose driven reason for
going where they go. And that's what our show's about today.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
I'm excited about this because I've done this kind of traveling.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
I know you have.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Will talk about the world's greatest sporting and cultural events
coming up next here on a life less ordinaty who
would think.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
Of driving off to a new destination without guidance from
Google or Syria? Not the Wishing World Guide your next
travel experience.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
Travel the world as you enjoy the very.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
Best destinations and all they offer at the best prices.
Our mobile travel app keeps your vacation on track and
keeps you connected with our team of experts.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
For help. If you need it, call us at five four.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
Zero nine zero eight two three three three, stop by
two forty three Avenue, or visit us at the Wishingwell
dot bizz.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Hey, and welcome back to a Life lest Ordinary, the
travel Showing podcast from your friends at the wishing Well.
They're on that favenue in Harrisonburg, also online at the
wishing Well dot biz, or give them a call anytime
at five four h nine oh eight twenty three thirty three.
Jerry Dean from the wishing Well is here this morning.
As we do every Saturday morning, we sit down talk travel.
(21:26):
This week, we're talking about the world's greatest sporting and
cultural events. This is exciting now.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Will and I wouldn't say I'm a I'm a big
sports fan. I mean I'm not. I enjoy a good game.
You know, I always watch the Super Bowl. I'm not
sure if it's for the game or the commercials.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
I have vision. You're one of these people go go sport.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Yeah what But actually this is gonna surprise you. I
was a real tomboy when I was a youngster. Well,
there was nobody but boys in my neighborhood. Almost.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
Well you've told us you are a real athlete.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
Oh yeah, you know. I was a mountain biker, used
to be competitive mountain biker. And I played tackle football
with my brother and his friends in my neighborhood, you know,
and I got hurt, but I didn't show it, you know,
but it was you know, I did grow up around
a lot of sports lovers in my family. My dad
(22:18):
was a big football fan and baseball. My dad was
actually a boxer in the Navy.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
And so I mean, yeah, I was around a lot
of sports. I can't say, though, that I was really
athletically inclined. I did like biking, you know. But what
I have realized, Chris, and what I want to talk
to you about today is something really near and dear
to my heart, and that is the way that a
single event, one football match, one festival, one cultural moment,
(22:49):
can become the centerpiece of an entire travel journey. I
love that, you know. That's what makes athletics and games
exciting to me. I can plan travel around them, you know,
which is what this show is all about. So often
when we think of travel, we think destinations of Paris, Rome,
(23:10):
the Caribbean. But today I want you to think a
little differently. Today I want you to think about a moment,
a global stage, maybe a gathering that might happen only
once in a lifetime, or perhaps maybe happens every year,
but each year it carries its own magic. And in
(23:30):
this hour, we're going to journey through the world's most
exciting sports and cultural events that are happening between now
and twenty twenty six. We're going to talk about everything
from the Winter Olympics in Italy to the FIFA World
Cup across North America, from Coachella in California desert to
the events that are going on even in India, and
(23:52):
along the way, we're going to sprinkle in the Kentucky Derby,
the Masters, the Men's Final Four, and even Octoberfest in Germany.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
Let's do it.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
I know there's a lot, you know. See see what
I told you, There's a lot you can plan travel
around that encompass any any kind of special event. So
if you've dreamed of building your travels around that bucket
list event, or you're turning your love of sport, a
festival or cultural celebration into the trip of lifetime. This
show today, a life less ordinary, is for you. Now.
(24:25):
I want to begin today with the heavy hitters. Let's
just go ahead and get those out of the way,
because I don't know how much time when you and
I start talking about this, we might just drive a
nail in this one early. But anyway, with these heavy hitters,
the sporting events that the entire world stops to watch,
and it's got to be I must must start with
the twenty twenty six FIFA World Cup for the very
(24:48):
first time, Chris, This legendary tournament is going to be
hosted across three countries, the United States being one of them,
Canada and Mexico. That's exciting. And this this is not
just soccer, or as the rest of the world calls
it football football. This is a global celebration of sport
and unity, and matches are going to be played in
(25:10):
the United States, Canada, and Mexico City. Imagine a week
in New York with a World Cup match as the centerpiece,
or maybe a cultural escape in Mexico City, capped off
with a ticket to see Brazil versus Germany. These are
the kind of moments that are going to go down
in family history. The eleven major host cities for the
(25:34):
twenty twenty six FIFA World Cup are Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston,
Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia,
the San Francisco Bay Area, and Seattle. And they're all over,
they really are. So if these are going to be
(25:56):
in your city, likely it's going to get busy in
twenty twenty six. And these cities, located across three different regions,
entirely different regions of the US, are going to host
various matches in the tournament's first ever forty eight team,
one hundred and four game format. Now here's a list
(26:17):
of the full host cities again, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston,
Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia,
San Francisco, and Seattle. Now some key information here is
that the twenty twenty six feet of World Cup is
the first to be co hosted by three nations, the first.
(26:41):
Every other time, it's always just been in one country.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
That's where it's been. It's also regional grouping. The host
cities are divided into three regions, Eastern, Central, and Western,
which I think is brilliant, you know, because that's the
way it's laid out. That's the way our country is
laid out. The tournament expansion is going to be the
largest in history, with one hundred and four games and
forty eight teams. That's never been done before. And then
(27:07):
the key dates. The tournament is going to run from
June the eleventh to July the nineteenth. Now, if you
want to know a little something about pricing for this
major event, the wishing Well again has vetted vendors offering
the following types of packages for a family of four
adults and perhaps two children, and that would be a
(27:29):
six day, five night package. And this is an example
of them. This isn't the only one that they've got,
but this is just an example of one. I pulled
down because I had so many people booking this already,
so I thought it might be fun for our listeners
to hear about what this might look like June the
eighteenth to the twenty third. Accommodations. I picked Philadelphia because
(27:50):
that's the one that these guys were interested in. You
can stay at either the Sheraton Philadelphia University City or Sinesta,
Philadelphia Rittenhouse Square, which is where my guys chose entry
level category seating run of the house tickets for these
two matches that they wanted to see, match number twenty
nine on June the nineteenth and match forty two on
(28:12):
June the twenty second. You have a host throughout your experience,
so you do have like a concierge to help you
throughout the whole event, personalized itinerary, expert travel assistance from
their at your service team, and all your taxes and
service fees. Two adults, two children, one room. I'll let
(28:35):
you make a guess as to what that's running.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
I kind of glanced at your paper.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
Sits okay, that is not fair. You're right, you cheater,
So you're not supposed to cheat in sports, says.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
You know that, so Yste I admit to it.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
Between twelve to thirteen thousand dollars for run one room
for four gifts.
Speaker 4 (28:52):
That doesn't sound bad to me, though, when you're talking
about the experience, like, well, let me tell you how
right you are. Because the tickets for FIFA World Cup
just went on sale the other day, and those tickets
not even in the good seats. Okay, maybe you would
be way far away from actually being able to see
the game. You'd need binoculars to actually see it. Those
(29:14):
game tickets are running anywhere from two to three thousand
dollars a piece. So when you think this is six days,
five nights, you're getting hotel in that, and you're getting
the host services throughout your experience. Twelve to thirteen thousand
dollars for that kind of once in a lifetime experience
doesn't sound too bad.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
So for a client who has that money set aside
and they're looking to an evently what would be a
comparable luxury travel event that doesn't involve sports? So I mean,
would twelve thousand dollars get me to Rome or would
it get me to roam for twenty days? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (29:53):
I mean you could possibly do an escorted family tour
to someplace in Europe for that for that kind of money.
I would think, yeah, you could, but it's going to
be just to that location maybe, and that's all you're
going to be able to do.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
I'm just trying to get my head wrapped around and
what that amount really means in the travel world.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
Yeah, and let me just put it in maybe more
simplistic terms. People who want to go somewhere, who want
to see something, who want to do something so badly,
that's money we'll spend.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Oh absolutely, it's.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
Really and what we're talking about, folks, is really experiential travel.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
That's what this is.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
So for some people it doesn't go ahead and put
a dollar value on it doesn't matter. They're going to
pay whatever it is because they want to see it.
It's like the Formula one racing. I mean, people will
pay anything to go see those.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
My Stepsun gets up at two in the morning to
watch them with me.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
There you go, so you know what I'm talking about.
I mean, it's like the first time we ever put
a rocket on the moon. People got up in the
wee hours of the morning. I remember that I was
a kid. My parents. It's got up in the wee
hours of the morning to watch this on TV. And
if you could get a ringside seat to something like that,
what would you pay to watch Muhammad Ali box again?
(31:11):
You know? I mean, those those are the moments you
dream about. Those you know, somebody's so iconic that you
want to see do something in sports like that that
you're just a big fan and you want to see it.
I think it's great. Now moving on, that's the World Cup.
I think it's I mean, we've already established. I think
(31:32):
it's going to be big. It's going to be huge,
as they say. But moving on to the twenty twenty
six Winter Olympics in Milano Quotana, Italy, February sixth through
February the twenty second, right on the heels of the
preceding the World Cup. I should say, every four years
(31:53):
the world gathers for this winter sport event and it's
on a grand scale, and Italy is going to be
that stage. And twenty twenty six, so if you can
picture that, Alpine skiing in the Dolomites, figure skating in Milan,
the opening ceremonies under Italian skies, please take me there.
You know, I've always actually been a crazy Winter Olympics chan. Oh,
(32:16):
I love it. I you know, I could take it
or leave Summer Olympics. But the Winter Olympics there's just
something about it. I don't know. Maybe it's because I'm
a captive audience, can't do anything else outside stoo gold.
But you know, I love the Olympics. Not just about
the games. It's about sipping a little espresso in a
Milan cafe or enjoying a little week on Lake Como
(32:39):
after the medal ceremonies are over. Not so bad, you know,
that would be kind of nice. More than thirty five
hundred athletes from ninety three countries are going to be
competing for one hundred and ninety five medals in sixteen
Olympic disciplines and six Paralympics sports with beautiful Italian landscapes
(32:59):
as thedrop. Those big games are going to be making
news and the Olympic debut of ski mountaineering is going
to be the first ever at this Olympics. The app
for this event is scheduled to be available for download
in December of this year. You're hearing it here first.
Until then, you want to stay up to date on
(33:21):
the latest information, you can just go to the website
which is https Milano, Kortana twenty twenty six dot Olympics
dot com. And actually, Chris, we can include this in
some of the notes of this show if you would,
for folks so they can follow that if they want to.
(33:41):
That's going to be a big deal. So if you're
interested in going to Italy, February sixth through the twenty second, which,
by the way, I want to point out, were it
not for the Olympics, is low season for travel to Italy,
so prices are going to be pretty decent. I guarantee
you U. Hotel space is going to be jacked up
(34:02):
for that period, but that is low season typically for
travel to Europe. So just so you know. The other
big event, let's face it, this is one of the
big five. Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California for twenty
twenty six, America's most watched sporting event, and even if
you're not a diehard football fan, the atmosphere around Super
(34:26):
Bowl is electric. I mean I've talked to people, I've
sold people tickets and space for the Super Bowl before
they say there's nothing like it. There is no second
to that, ever, and I kind of feel the same way.
But I get a front row seat on my couch,
my leather couch in my family room with all the
food surrounding me. I'm literally like six steps away from
(34:49):
something I want to eat or drink. So it's perfect.
But you have celebrity concerts fan festivals. They do have
incredible food at the Super Bowl and the ultimate showdown
on the field. Super Bowl is twenty twenty six is
going to be special because it marks the sixtieth anniversary
(35:09):
of the Super Bowl. It's going to be held at
Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, and it's going to
coincide actually with the FIFA World Cup being hosted in
North America. As I said before, making twenty twenty six
an unprecedented year of major sporting events for the Bay Area.
Because as I told you, there's going to be some
(35:30):
Bay Area events for the FIFA World Cup as well,
so that area is going to be buzzing. I mean,
it's going to be crazy town. The game is going
to be a celebration of football history, and it's going
to be a feature a variety of events and experiences,
including some opportunities to see some memorabilia and performances from
NFL legends past. I think that's going to be exciting. Now,
(35:54):
anniversary and host venue, as I said, is going to
be a magnificent milestone in the iconic event. The game
is going to be played at Levi Stadium, the home
of the San Francisco forty nine ers actually marking the
return of the Super Bowl to the Bay Area for
the first time since Super Bowl fifty so ten years ago.
They will have hosted it for the second year a
(36:17):
year of major sporting events the Bay Area, as I said,
super Bowl sixty and significant portion of the FIFA World
Cup in twenty twenty six. The combination of those two
in the same region unprecedented. The festivities surrounding the game,
a variety of NFL honors, the super Bowl experience, the
(36:37):
Super Bowl opening night fans can expect those great concerts,
celebrity guest appearances, and there's going to be opportunities to
see historical Super Bowl artifacts and take pictures with the
Lombardi Trophy.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
And rumor is maybe Taylor Swift at halftime?
Speaker 2 (36:54):
I heard that. Yeah, I'm not really sure about that.
I know it has been rumored and little tidbits of
information shouldn't have been dropped about that.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
Roger Goodell yesterday I think it was on the Today
Show said maybe.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
Yeah, So, you know, wouldn't it be kind of neat
if she decided this is the place to also have
the wedding change stop with with with her?
Speaker 1 (37:17):
Man you just ruined the Super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
I'm really sorry, but I got to tell you for
those and I am I personally am not a Swiftie.
I'm not.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
We're all Swifties to a certain level.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
Well, you know, I like the good that comes in
all packaging. It really doesn't matter. But but you're right.
I think to actually have that wedding take place during
Super Bowl would have ruined it. We would ruin it all.
I'm sorry. If you're a swifty fan right now, apologies
from Chris and I. But that's how we feel. That's
the real feeling.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
That's how you feel, Swifties. That's right.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
And you know what, I'll go down that road with
you and then we'll just leave it there.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
Yeah, that's smart. We need to take a quick break, Terry,
and then when we come back more great cultural and
sporting destinations.
Speaker 2 (38:06):
Absolutely all right.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
We'll get into it next. Here on a life less ordinary.
Speaker 3 (38:09):
Who would think of driving off to a new destination
without guidance from Google or Syria? Not the wishing Well
Guide your next travel experience. Travel the world as you
enjoy the very best destinations and all they offer at
the best prices. Our mobile travel app keeps your vacation
on track and keeps you connected with our team of
experts for.
Speaker 1 (38:27):
Help if you need it, call us at five four
zero nine.
Speaker 3 (38:30):
Zero eight two three three three stop buy two forty
three Avenue, or visit us at the Wishingwell dot bizz.
Speaker 1 (38:37):
Hey, welcome back to a lifeless Ordinary. This is the
travel Showing podcast from your friends at the wishing Well.
They're on f Avenue in Harrisonburg. They're online at the
wishing Well dot bizz and you can give them a
call old fashion style, pick up the phone, talk to
Terry or Harry or any of the fine folks over
at the wishing Well at five four oh nine oh
eight twenty three point thirty three. Especially give them a
(38:59):
call if any of these sporting and cultural events we've
been talking about have peaked your interest and you're thinking, man,
I'd like to like to head to see the Olympics
in Italy or the Super Bowl. I know we got
a lot of golf fans out there. Do you have
a golf cultural or sporting event that we can go to?
Speaker 2 (39:17):
You know I do, Chris. We are going to the
Ryder Cup for twenty twenty five in Farmingdale, New York.
This is golf at its fiercest, the US versus Europe.
If you've ever thought golf was a quiet sport, just
go to the Ryder Cup. You're going to feel the
roar of thousands of fans as you hear those putts
(39:38):
drop and tempers flair. Okay, I think that's a good
way to put The Ryder Cup twenty twenty five is
also actually really special because it returns to the difficult
Bethpage Black Course on Long Island, New York. That's a
big deal for the first time since two thousand and
two under the leadership of youngest American captain in Dea Gades.
(40:00):
God by the name of Keegan Bradley doesn't mean anything
to me. Also, not a golfer. Enjoy watching it once
in a while, but it's a very slow sport. I think.
I'm not sure, but maybe that's because I've never been
to the Ryder Cup. But it takes place from Friday,
September the twenty sixth, which is coming up very soon,
(40:20):
to Sunday, September the twenty eighth, so it's just two days.
And why it's special again because Bethpage Black is renowned
as one of the country's most challenging public courses. They
offer a formidable test for the teams anybody who plays
on this course. And then the US captain Keegan Bradley,
(40:41):
as I said, the youngest captain since nineteen sixty three,
he's kind of bringing in a fresh, passionate energy to
the team. And then you've got the American home advantage.
The Ryder Cup is returning to the United States and
holding it at the demanding Beth Page Course. It's expecting
to create an intense atmosphere. I got to watch this because,
(41:02):
quite frankly, I've never seen a golf game yet that
I thought was intense. Maybe I've just watched it wrong.
Speaker 1 (41:08):
Yeah, I say, you're watching the wrong matches, must be Yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:11):
And then the US team has chosen to start with
the foursome format on both Friday and Saturday. That's a
strategy that historically led to American success in Ryder Cups
held on US soil. And then Captain Luke Donald is
leading the European team. He's aiming to be the first
captain since Tony Jacqueline in nineteen eighty seven to win
(41:35):
an away Ryder Cup game. So, if you are interested
in good golf, I would say, exciting golf. Want ahead,
maybe to Farmington, Farmingdale, sorry Farmingdale, New York for the
best Page Black Course. Ryder Cup twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (41:54):
So I'm not a golf fan. I've had a lot
of friends who love golf. The thing I think is
so interesting as being a golf fan, if you're going
to any of these events, how close you are to
the action?
Speaker 2 (42:07):
Yeah? Exactly.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
You know, you talk super Bowl and you're paying thousands
of dollars for a ticket in nose bleed. There's no
nose bleed at the Ryder Cup. I mean, I know
they have stands up like the eighteenth hole or something,
but most of them, you're right there next to the greenway.
Speaker 2 (42:21):
And can you believe there's no pushing, no show, there
is no get out of my way. Yeah, everybody's stepping
on people's feet.
Speaker 1 (42:27):
It's still humans. Show up to this, it's.
Speaker 2 (42:30):
Still humans right where. You want to hear about the
next ones we've got on our list?
Speaker 1 (42:34):
Absolutely, yep.
Speaker 2 (42:35):
So let's sprinkle in some of the annual icons. We
hit it with all the bigs. Okay, those are the
big ones, and these are the annual icons. These are
events you can count on every year, year after year,
but they never lose their thrill. And I have to
start with my personal favorite, the Kentucky Derby.
Speaker 1 (42:54):
Love the Derby.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
I have successfully picked the are the last five consecutive
Kentucky Derby's in a row?
Speaker 1 (43:04):
Are you putting money on this?
Speaker 2 (43:05):
No? I'm not, which is very sad. I just I
just don't. I don't bet, you know, I just don't
do it, but you know it's fun to do it.
From home, I watch them coming out of the paddock.
The horse is coming out of the paddock with their jockeys,
and I just go that horse is gonna run. He's
gonna do it. He wants to beat them all.
Speaker 1 (43:26):
And I've picking them once they start running.
Speaker 2 (43:29):
No, no, no, I pick them on their way to
the paddock. Oh okay, and actually you can do that
on the track. Okay, you can. You can pick them
on their way out of the to the paddock and
pick them as they're going into their little slot.
Speaker 1 (43:43):
Do you have a hat that you wear when you
watch it?
Speaker 2 (43:45):
I do not.
Speaker 1 (43:46):
Do you drink?
Speaker 2 (43:47):
I do not know. I sit on my couch and
I usually just watch the world go by.
Speaker 1 (43:53):
How are you preparing yourself for when you actually go
to the Kentucky Derby, you have to have.
Speaker 2 (43:57):
I know, you know, that's one of my bucket list things.
I really want to go. I want to wear the
big hat with all the stuff falling off of it.
I want to dress in some awesome dress from one
of the designers and high heels, just like all the
others do. I want to push the divots down like
all the others do. And yeah, I want to have
(44:17):
that kind of day.
Speaker 1 (44:17):
Well, you need to make that happens.
Speaker 2 (44:19):
I know, I know they say it's the most exciting
two minutes in sports. Big Hats, Mint Julips a weekend
of Southern charm in Louisville, Kentucky. And this year it's
going to be held, actually it's already been held this year.
Next year it's going to be Saturday, May the second.
And you know what's a problem with that is sometimes
(44:39):
it overlaps graduations here in our areas. So that's problematic
for me. I don't like it when that happens. We
really need to be more careful about how we plan
these things so I can watch the Kentucky Derby. The
race always takes place on the first Saturday of May.
The Kentucky Oates, the premier race for three year old Philly,
(45:00):
is actually scheduled for the day before, on Friday, May
the first, so I may have to just watch that
one if something interferes. But in any event, put Kentucky
Derby on your list of must visit places. Louisville, by
the way, is wonderful. I love Louisville, Kentucky. It's like
the big little town. There's a lot of things to do,
very culturally friendly, family friendly too, I'd like to say.
(45:23):
And if you know, if you're not taking your family,
just a couple of you want to go. It's also
a great bourbon tasting town. Just saying now, next we're
going to head to the Masters Tournament. I talked about
that a few minutes ago. Augusta, Georgia every April one
of the most exclusive and hallowed grounds in all of golf.
A Master's Week offers a full seven days of golf
(45:44):
when you do. The Masters features the top pros in
the sport. And in twenty twenty six, the Masters Who's
going to take place from Monday April the sixth to
Sunday April to twelfth, and every day of the Master's
schedule is going to bring something different and new to
the National Augusta National Golf Club. They do have practice rounds.
(46:06):
Those are going to be on Monday and Tuesday, April
the sixth and seventh, By the way, in case you
don't know, and I didn't know a lot about golf,
but I did want to educate myself a little bit
before I did this show today, and so I learned
that on Monday and Tuesday, those practice rounds, that's where
the pros play around the course and they work on
their game. The practice rounds, including Wednesday's par three contests,
(46:31):
are the only time cameras are permitted on the course,
so it's a really good opportunity to take some pictures
of the event and see the pros in a little
bit more relaxed atmosphere. And then they've got the par
three contest that happens on Wednesday, April the eighth, that
is played on a separate nine hole par twenty seventh
(46:51):
course in the northeast corner of Augusta National. Players often
have family members or even their children caddy for them
during that contest. It's an interesting piece of trivia that
no player has ever won the Wednesday Pars three contest
and then gone on to win the Masters Tournament itself
in the same year.
Speaker 1 (47:10):
So they're all trying to lose on them.
Speaker 2 (47:11):
They're all trying to lose, I would think so. In fact,
some players even consider it bad luck to win that
Part three contest. So for many many years, arguably the
three greatest golfers of their generation, Jack Nicholas, Arnold Palmer,
Palmer and Gary Player I do know those names, by
the way, would be grouped together to play the Par
(47:32):
three contest. Now the first tournament round, which is second
and third that happens on Thursday, April the ninth, eight
a m. Sharp on Thursday. The first tournament round begins
with an honorary t off to start the competition. Last year,
the honorary starters with Tom Watson, Jack Nicholas and Gary Player,
(47:56):
and the fourth tournament round is on Sunday, April to twelfth.
That's at ten am sharp on Sunday. The leaders usually
tee off around two to three o'clock, and the tournament
usually finishes between six and seven pm, with the presentation
of the Green jacket to the winner. Typically Saturday and
Sunday rounds are played with two players per group, and
(48:16):
that's what you call the masters. But I thought that
was interesting to kind of look at what happens on
each one of those days. So it's not like I thought,
because I've never been to a master's and as you said,
we both pointed out, neither one of us know that
much about golf. I thought, well, all the big players
just kept playing every single day until they got down to,
(48:39):
you know, the top two, and then they, you know,
played like a winner takes off, you know, winner takes
the green jacket, and that's not at all what happens.
So then we talked about this earlier too, which is
Formula one races. That's the next one on my list,
whether it's Monaco, Singapore or Austin. F one is speed,
(49:00):
it's glamour, its international flare. And the twenty twenty sixth
Formula One season is going to start in Melbourne, Australia,
Chris on March the eighth, and it's going to conclude
in Abu Dhabi on December sixth with the full twenty
four race calendar featuring the debut of a new street
circuit in Madrid, Spain. And the season is going to
include new regulations for the cars, the first use of
(49:23):
one hundred percent advanced sustainable fuels, and the return of
the Qatar Grand Prix as a ultimate round of the
ending of the event. So there you go. And then NASCAR.
We've got NASCAR Daytona five hundred Talladega, heart pounding action,
True Americana. The Daytona five hundred is going to take
(49:44):
place on Sunday, February fifteenth, twenty twenty sixth. This actually
marks the sixty eighth running of the Great American Race
and the official start of the NASCAR Cup Series season.
The key details for the twenty twenty six Daytona week
again February fifteenth. That's the day after Valentine's Day. Go
kiss your honey in Daytona. That would be nice. And
(50:07):
Daytona International Speedway is the host track for the event.
I don't think we could do a show like this
and not talk about Men's Final Four basketball. Right every
spring college basketball ball builds up to this crescendo. The
energy in the arena is unmatched anywhere. The Men's Final
(50:27):
Four is going to be played on Saturday, April fourth,
twenty twenty six for the semifinals and Monday, April sixth
for the championship game in Indianapolis, Indiana. The semi finals
are held on the first Saturday, and the championship follows
on the next Monday. And let's not forget the World
Series of Baseball. I did not leave you out, guys,
(50:49):
where America's pastime crowns its champion every fall. The World
Series is going to begin on Friday, October twenty fourth.
I thought this was a good place to finish up
with all all the games airing on Fox or FS one.
The series is a best of seven format, meaning the
first team to win four games is going to be
crowned the champion, and that's going to be October twenty
(51:13):
fourth of this year.
Speaker 1 (51:14):
So that one's a harder one to book in advance
because you don't know where they're going.
Speaker 2 (51:17):
To be exactly. But I do have people who try.
Speaker 1 (51:20):
The All Star The All Star Game would be a
good one to add to the list as well, because
you know what that's going to be in advance, so
you can plan out your vacation.
Speaker 2 (51:27):
Yeah, exactly, and real quickly, Chris, I know you've done
this before. You've actually planned trips around an event.
Speaker 1 (51:34):
Yeah, I went to baseball stadiums and went to seven
of them in nine days and went from a Saturday
to the following weekend on a Sunday. And it's not
easy to do on your own. Number One, you got
to find a week when all the teams are going
to be in the cities you'd like to travel to.
I wanted to go get up to Boston and I
couldn't because they were playing away. And then after I
(51:56):
had such a fun time on the trip I did,
I thought, I want to go to the West Coast
into it. I want to start in Seattle. Weren't a
convertible head down the coast and you know end in
you know, San Diego or something. Why not, Well, you
can't because there's so few teams on the West Coast.
They're constantly flying into the middle of the country to
play the other teams. Yeah, it would be hard. And
(52:18):
so there was like two teams that are you know,
at home during the same seven day span if you
want to do something like that. So it's just a
lot harder to do. But man, it was fun. Yeah,
And and what I love about this is what I
recommend if you're doing any of these these type of events.
Don't miss out on what's happening in that city. It's
not just the sporting event. There's so much, even in
(52:40):
places that you wouldn't consider to be tourist meccas. Yeah,
there's always something, whether it's some local restaurant or some
out of the way tourist attraction kind of thing. Find
a way to enjoy the city as journey.
Speaker 2 (52:53):
Yeah, that's great advice, great advice.
Speaker 1 (52:55):
Well, this has been a fun show.
Speaker 2 (52:57):
I know I think so too.
Speaker 1 (52:58):
I love talking. I'm not I am not a person.
I could never do a sports talk show. I don't
know enough about sports to tell you anything. Neither do I,
but I enjoy watching it. I enjoy going to them.
I've been to NFL games, NHL, Major League Baseball. I've
done all those things and I love every time I
do them.
Speaker 2 (53:14):
Yeah, I had a lot of people who turned the
Rose Bowl into a travel event this year. So you
can make any event a journey, and we would love
it if you would let us help you do that.
At the Wishing Well, we're located at two forty three
f Avenue in the Valley Center. Please come see us.
We'd love you to call us at five four oh
nine oh eight two three three three. You can always
(53:34):
look us up on the webwere at the Wishingwell dot biz.
Speaker 1 (53:38):
This has been a Life Less Ordinary, the travel show
from 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 l Life Less Ordinary
(54:01):
from the wishing Well
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