A Christian Travel Blog: Trip info on Monday and devotionals on Friday.
Make no mistake, I LOVED the Christmas experience of being in New York City last year. But, this year I’m across the Atlantic in the enchanting towns of Munich, Nuremburg, Salzburg and Vienna enjoying the famous Christmas markets that have been a part of their culture for several centuries. Look for lots of photos next week, but for today, please go back and enjoy some posts along with the photos from last year’s time in the Big Apple.
Ho, ho, ho! Enjoy the season, everyone!
Hotels are everywhere in the Orlando/Kissimmee, Florida, area, but I recently got a close-up look at an amazing 2200+-acre property within a 6-mile drive of Walt Disney World and only 30 miles from the Orlando airport. You might want to consider it for your next visit to Central Florida.
At Reunion Resort and Golf Club, 7593 Gathering Drive in Kissimmee, guests may choose from one, two- or three-bedroom villas or multi-bedroom vacation homes sleeping as many as 36! Many of the vacation homes have private swimming pools, but the resort also gives access to numerous pools, water slides and a 1000-foot lazy river.
An advantage of the homes would be the kitchen facilities and the spacious rooms for gathering and relaxing with families, friends or business associates. Grocery delivery is available from a Publix nearby, or there are two outstanding restaurants within the property grounds — Eleven (appropriately named for the floor where it is located) and Traditions in the newest golf clubhouse.
Speaking of golf, there are THREE signature courses inside the resort — Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson.
Massages, facial and body treatments are offered in the luxurious Boutique Spa, in addition to salon experiences such as hairstyles, manicures and pedicures.
Tennis, pickleball, bocce ball, bike rentals, playgrounds and fitness classes can all be scheduled by guests at Reunion Resort.
A shuttle operates 24-hours a day to transport guests from their lodging choice to any of the restaurants, golf courses, spa treatments or sports activities within the gates.
Here are some photos from the 6-bedroom house where I stayed:
And check out this burger I ordered at the Traditions Clubhouse. Enough for SEVERAL hungry people.
For larger groups, how about this beauty that sleeps 28 people and has its own lazy river:
Or this fabulous home that sleeps 36, has a bowling alley, a golf simulation area, theater room and large pool:
You could host an entire family reunion in one of these homes. We could even have Cousins Camp there. What do you think, Steve Pearson? It’s okay to dream, isn’t it?
Suffice it to say that there are some great choices for lodging when you decide to vacation in the Orlando/Kissimmee area. This one is near Celebration, FL and Disney Springs, giving even MORE dining and shopping possibilities.
When you’re 68 years old and you have a Travel Bucket List, it’s high time to start marking items off that list. Or, at least, that’s my reason, and I’m sticking to it. On three previous trips to New York City, I stayed in very nice hotels, but this time, if it was at all possible, I wanted to stay at the most iconic address in the city. It was worth every penny (ahem, dollar). I absolutely loved it, and here are 5 reasons why.
STORIED HISTORY
When The Plaza opened for business at 9:00 a.m. on October 1, 1907, Alfred G. Vanderbilt was the first to sign the guest list. He died in 1915 on board the Lusitania, when the Germans hit it with a torpedo.
Famous guests who have stayed (some even lived) there include: The Duke and Duchess of Windsor in 1946, Frank Lloyd Wright, Truman Capote, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon and Yoko Ono and hundreds of others.
Julie Nixon married David Eisenhower there on December 22, 1968.
The New York Yankees had their celebration party there a few hours after winning the World Series in 2000.
Donald Trump owned The Plaza for a few years starting in 1988, calling it “a masterpiece.”
Glimpses of the hotel’s lobby and guestrooms can be found in numerous movies, with Home Alone 2: Lost in New York being the most recent, where it was featured in many scenes.
The Plaza was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1986, for its lavish architecture. And I can assure you, the building deserves that recognition.
SINGULAR VIBE
From the crisply-uniformed doormen, reception clerks and discreetly-placed security guards to the gold-plated entrance doors, spectacular chandeliers, floral arrangements and even the aroma, you know you’ve walked into a special place.
Several times we got on the elevator with tall, chiseled-cheekboned models wearing exquisite fashions and speaking to their companions in Italian, Portuguese or French (or so it seemed). It would have been easy to feel like hayseeds from Alabama, as in “the Pearsons, i.e. Clampetts, go to New York,” but we didn’t. I’m sure there were famous people at the hotel while we were there, but we were treated just as exceptionally as all the guests.
The level of service is a source of pride instilled in the staff, and they take their roles seriously. Each guest is assigned a butler, for example. You don’t go traipsing down the hall to an ice machine with your plastic bucket. You alert the staff, and the ice is brought to your room — silver bucket, silver tongs and all.
When we were escorted to our room, a personalized note of greeting was waiting, along with a tray of colorful macarons. Nice touch. Very nice.
LUXURIOUS AMENITIES
The gold theme, along with crystal chandeliers, ornate tilework, elegant furniture and plushness carries over into even the most basic guest rooms. (In other words, we did NOT reserve a suite. There has to be a limit, you know).
Plush bathrobes and slippers, deluxe toiletries, a fully-stocked snack bar, a safe for your valuables (who, pray tell, travels with valuables?), huge bathroom with soaking tub, separate shower, separate toilet room, amazing linens on the bed. Wow.
And there was an iPad on the desk. Hmmm. An iPad. As it turns out, iPads were introduced by Apple in 2010, and The Plaza was the first hotel in the world to install these iPads in their guest rooms. With this iPad, guests can control the lights or the room temperature, order room service, request ice, a newspaper or a shoeshine from the butler, find out information about the area, and on and on. Another wow.
When the hotel first opened, it had 805 rooms. But, in 2008, it was renovated and now houses 282 guest rooms and suites, 152 condos, and an underground mall with retail shops and a fabulous food hall with specialities of many kinds. We loved strolling through, eyeing the various options for a casual dinner. We decided on crepes, made to order right in front of us.
Breakfast and Afternoon Tea in the Palm Court were both fabulous. Wonderful food. Impeccable service.
When I looked out our windows, I noticed several rooms on other floors with Christmas trees in them. I learned later that “for a small fee” you could order a fully-decorated Christmas tree to be in your room upon your arrival. Triple wow.
OUTSTANDING LOCATION
If you want to have the iconic NYC experience, it would be hard to beat the location of Central Park South at 5th Avenue and Grand Army Plaza. Just cross the street and you can enter Central Park, a wonderful place for a stroll or jog. Three blocks away you’ll find Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle. It’s an upscale shopping mall with a Whole Foods on the bottom floor, great for picking up a quick, inexpensive lunch. By the way, Columbus Circle is the location for one of the best outdoor holiday markets in New York City, most of them open from Thanksgiving weekend until Christmas Eve. A very convenient subway station is also located at Columbus Circle.
But, speaking of upscale, step outside the door and you’re practically at the entrance to Bergdorf-Goodman, then cross the street and make your way down 5th Avenue, probably the most recognizable retail hub in the world. Take your pick of Gucci, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Saks Fifth Avenue or Tiffany’s, to name a few. By continuing only a few blocks, you’ll reach Rockefeller Center with all of its attractions, including the newly-opened F.A.O. Schwartz Toy Store. Radio City Music Hall is within sight of the toy store.
For a visit to NYC at Christmastime, it would be hard to find a better location. But, actually, with the subway so near, you can reach pretty much anywhere from The Plaza.
THE INFLUENCE OF “ELOISE”
The children’s book Eloise at the Plaza by Kay Thompson was published in 1955. It tells the story of a very rich, but also very mischievous little girl who actually LIVES at the Plaza, is well-known to the staff, and who causes all kinds of “situations.”
Many Eloise-themed souvenirs, clothes and decor items have sprung from the book, and there is a popular store in the underground mall which sells this merchandise.
The very popular Afternoon Tea at the Plaza includes a menu specifically for little girls. In fact, there is a full schedule of activities wrapped around the character of Eloise that girls and their mothers can enjoy year-round. See the link here. There is even an Eloise Suite which can be reserved for an overnight stay. Be sure you like pink. A lot of pink. In a few months, we will welcome our EIGHTH granddaughter into the family. Wouldn’t it be fun to take them all to NYC for a tea party? . . . . If I didn’t have to PAY for it. 🙂
THOUGHTS
It’s not cheap, but I’m so glad we got to stay there for a couple of nights. To me, it was definitely worth the splurge, and I would eagerly anticipate a return visit — once I get more items marked off my Bucket List.
For a few more details, click here to see this article I wrote for Trip101.com.
I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t just looked back at my calendar and all of the photos I took. During 2018, I visited 23 destinations, finished construction/decisions/moving involved with our new house and hosted the 11th Annual Cousins Camp. You might think I’d be ready to stay home for awhile, and yes. I truly do savor days for writing, thinking and “just being.” But, those of you who know me best, know that I always LOVE planning. So, happily my calendar is filling up with more amazing places to explore in 2019.
A few of the trips I made in 2018 were purely for fun, but 100% have or will end up as blog posts or articles in other publications. And, 100% of the places I visited can be wholeheartedly recommended for you. The vast majority were in my heartland, a.k.a. The Deep South, but I also got on a few airplanes along the way.
I began the year with Steve on Captiva Island, near Fort Myers, FL, and we ended our travel year seeing New York City at Christmas time. In between, there were fabulous restaurants, hotels, museums, attractions of all kinds and stunning displays of nature. Here are some highlights, pretty much in order as I saw them through the year. Maybe one or more of them will capture your attention and draw you in for a closer look. Please stick with me as we explore more hidden, and not-so-hidden, gems in 2019.
Go. See. Eat. Experience. There’s a great, big, fascinating world out there.
(Just scroll back through my blog posts to read about these places in greater detail).
It’s Christmas Eve. If you haven’t already had all of your holiday parties and family gatherings, then likely today and tomorrow will be packed with food, gifts, excited children, tons of discarded wrapping paper and the inevitable dilemma of storing all the leftovers. Maybe, too, you will take time to attend a Christmas Eve service at your church or read Luke 2 and remember how all of this began, what it meant then and what it continues to mean today.
Before we start to take our own Christmas trees down this year and pack things away until next November, I just wanted to share a few more Christmas trees that we spotted in New York. Maybe you can start hinting to whoever controls the budget at your house that you’d like to see them for yourself in 2019.
A very Merry Christmas to all of you from Steve and me.
Before our recent trip to New York City, Steve asked me for suggestions as to what I’d like for my Christmas gift this year. I jokingly said, “Well, what about something from Tiffany’s?” But, in seriousness, I replied that I’d really like to have Afternoon Tea at The Plaza. In spite of the fact that such a frou-frou occasion sounded WAY out of his comfort zone, he agreed and let me make our reservations. The event matched my expectations and anticipation beautifully.
First of all, the setting at the Palm Court is exquisite. The ceiling, the architectural details, the ornately woven rugs, the plants, the music (light jazz a la Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole), the table linens, all of it has been welcoming dignitaries, movie stars, and common folks like us since 1907.
Our server knew how to put out-of-town, fairly unschooled, formal afternoon tea people at ease. She helped Steve choose a wonderful green tea, and my black tea had a light, but complex flavor. I noticed hints of cinnamon, vanilla, ginger and apples. I liked it with a cube or two of sugar, and lo and behold, I discovered that I really like a touch of milk in my tea. Who knew?
Although guests are booked solid every afternoon from noon until 5:00 p.m., especially during the holidays, we felt completely unhurried. Eventually, our tiered tray of sweets, savories and scones arrived and looked amazing. After a morning of browsing holiday markets and walking through Central Park, we were ready to enjoy these special treats.
The middle tray of sandwiches and savories included a smoked salmon and pumpernickel napoleon, deviled egg salad on white bread, roasted turkey on wheat bread, English cucumber on rye bread, Parisian ham and gruyere cheese on a pretzel ficelle and roasted prime rib on a brioche roll. So much variety, definitely something there for even the finickiest eaters.
I’ve never thought of scones as being extra special, but that’s probably because I haven’t had them with double devonshire cream, lemon curd or fresh preserves. Lemon curd was my favorite. That touch made the scones positively decadent.
The pastries and sweets were tiny (but not too tiny) bites of artfully-presented and intricately-delicious perfection. Listen to these descriptions: chocolate hazelnut nutella turron, chocolate and cherry buche de noel, eggnog tart with cranberry preserve and candied orange, raspberry tart, maple cheesecake with candied pecans, mandarin orange chocolate eclair and green apple and cinnamon macaron. And, yes, I had to look up several of those words. Turron is not in my everyday vocabulary. 🙂
I was completely surprised when the server appeared with a chocolate replica of The Plaza for each of us as parting gifts. (And, they both made it home unscathed in my carry-on bag). I can’t imagine actually breaking these apart and eating them, but I’ll enjoy showing them to the grandkids. 🙂
Apparently, very few people are able to eat everything on those trays in one sitting. Happily, the servers are gracious to offer to box up the leftovers, so Steve and I enjoyed them later than night after more sightseeing.
So, thank you, Silver Fox, for giving me this unforgettable afternoon. I loved making this memory with you.
It has been on my Bucket List for several years to “do New York City at Christmastime.” This was not a foodie trip, although we found some great food. This was not a shopping trip — but time for browsing holiday markets and window shopping did happen. This trip was a collection of experiences.Â
We flew in on a Friday and flew back home the following Tuesday. We lucked out on great weather. It was cold but not freezing, and it rained only on one day. During our 3 1/2 days in the Big Apple, we managed to fit in these activities:
Now, for a few photos that might tempt you to start planning your Christmas visit to NYC.
(I am declaring a one-month sabbatical from blogging for July. The two reasons? 1) We’re FINALLY moving into our new house, and I desperately need to “make it into a home,” with all of the organizing, picture-hanging, accessorizing that entails. 2) The 11th Annual Pearson Cousins Camp will be held July 22-28. That week requires complete focus, attention and meticulous planning. So, for this month, we will revisit some of my favorite posts from the past three years that I have been blogging here at ThereGoesConnie.com).
I’ll be back “live” on Friday, August 3, 2018. Thanks for your understanding. More great recommendations dead ahead. 🙂
Between my camera, Steve’s camera, and my cellphone, I’m sure we have close to a thousand photos.  But, as I reflect on our two weeks in the diverse country of Italy, full of history, natural beauty and incredible food, I wanted to try to pick my favorite scenes and events as a way to summarize the experience from my perspective and bring this series of blogs to a close.
1) Â We began our trip in Rome, and for me, the most stirring sight was the Coliseum. Â It was not only massive in its construction, but it was also the place where many people were so committed to their belief in Jesus Christ as the Messiah that they were martyred for their faith. Â They died horrible deaths from gladiators and lions rather than to denounce what was in their hearts. Â I look forward to standing around The Throne with them in heaven some day.
2) Positano and the drive along the Amalfi Coast were both incredibly gorgeous.  Steve and I were on the coast of California a few months before this trip, and it was beautiful, too, but I believe the Italian coast cranked it up a notch.  I wish you could see — and I wish I had the words to describe — the blue of the Mediterranean.  Oh my.  And the colorful villages that cling to the rocks?  Let’s just say that artists have endless inspirations here.
3)  Our cooking class in Florence was SO MUCH FUN.  I highly recommend that you take a cooking class of some kind when you’re in Italy.  Many are offered, and if I went back, I’d definitely sign up for another one.  You’ll learn something, you’ll have a great meal, and you’ll laugh a lot in the process.  We worked alongside a couple from New York who had been married for only six days!!  Yes, they were COOKING on their honeymoon.  🙂  What was even more incredible was learning that the young husband had grown up as a Missionary Kid in Japan, and his parents are still serving as Southern Baptist missionaries there.  Small, small world.
 
4)  I will remember the sight of Steve waving down to me from the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.  Healthy physical specimen that he is, he made it to the top, took a lot of pictures, and came back down in less than 24 minutes!!!  A new Pearson family record!  Ha!  The tower itself was prettier than I anticipated.  I believe you’ll enjoy seeing it.  If I could go back, I would spend more time in the center of town where it is located, because there are other important museums and sights there as well.
 
5)  The Tuscan countryside is breath-taking.  Pictures just don’t do it justice.  Miles and miles of vineyards, olive groves, villas and rolling hills — so vibrant and alive.  You find yourself basking in all of the scenery and wondering just which direction you should attempt to aim your camera.  If/when I go back, I’ll probably want to rent a villa in this region and just stay for several days soaking it all up.  Notice the deep purple color of the grapes — very unlike the ones that used to grow behind my grandparents’ house that were used for grape jelly.
 
 
6)  I loved walking into the piazza in Siena because I had enjoyed the movie “Letters to Juliet” while anticipating the trip.  It was like being an “extra” in that movie — especially when we stopped to eat gelato in almost the exact place where the main characters ate theirs.
7)  Steve and I are so glad we had the chance to see Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of “The Last Supper.”  It was a moving, spiritual experience for us.  Yes, we know that people in Bible days reclined at tables, rather than sat, but that fact didn’t take away from the impact of the painting at all.  Da Vinci had evidently studied the New Testament and understood a lot about the character and personality of each of the disciples.  He, too, had to have been a devout Christian to understand the importance of placing Jesus at the center and how he used divisions of three to represent the Trinity.  The painting is a representation of what took place immediately AFTER Jesus told the disciples that one of them would betray Him.  All of them look astonished and have strong reactions, except for Judas who is reaching his hand toward the plate, going on about the business of eating the meal.  Of course, no photos are allowed inside, but this one shows Steve in front of a depiction in the Piazza of Santa Maria Grazie in Milan where the painting is located.
8)  When I think of our trip, the faces of our friends Rick and Martine Sharp are woven into virtually every scene.  We toured famous places together.  We traveled on every possible means of transportation together.  We stayed in the same hotels.  They bailed us out when Steve’s wallet was stolen.  And, of course, we enjoyed many, many delicious meals and cones of gelato together.  We laughed A LOT.  It is very sad to realize that we will no longer be able to spend time with Rick.  We miss him.  Martine, we are truly blessed to have had this experience with the two of you.
9) There is a saying in Rome that if you turn your back away from the Trevi Fountain and toss a coin over your shoulder, then you will return to Rome some day in the future.  Well, here I am trying my best to toss my coin with Steve trying equally hard to catch that coin so he can put it back in his pocket.  Ha!  Those of you who know him well will understand completely.  He doesn’t like to waste ANY money.  However, I believe I WAS successful in my effort, so someday in the future, I hope to return. 
“Arrivederci, Italia.”  Till we meet again, farewell.
(I am declaring a one-month sabbatical from blogging for July. The two reasons? 1) We’re FINALLY moving into our new house, and I desperately need to “make it into a home,” with all of the organizing, picture-hanging, accessorizing that entails. 2) The 11th Annual Pearson Cousins Camp will be held July 22-28. That week requires complete focus, attention and meticulous planning. So, for this month, we will revisit some of my favorite posts from the past three years that I have been blogging here at ThereGoesConnie.com).
A memorable scene from Forrest Gump occurs when his friend Bubba drones on endlessly about the many ways that shrimp can been prepared and eaten.  As a refresher, watch it here.
When we got off the plane in Portland, Maine recently, one of my goals was to experience lobster, Maine lobster, in as many ways as I could find.  After all, hadn’t we just come to the Lobster Capital of the United States, maybe even the world??  According to a March 4, 2016 article in Portland Press Herald, lobstermen in Maine hauled a record $616.5 million worth of lobsters in 2015, derived from 276.5 million pounds.  Stacks of lobster traps and displays of colorful lobster buoys are common there but very uncommon for our native Alabamian eyes.
Lobster buoys and traps in Boothbay Harbor.
I had not eaten lobster since a very nice date during college insisted I order it in a restaurant and try it for the first time. Â I remembered liking it, but there again, over 45 years had passed in the meantime.
Fresh from the lobster boat ready for the boiling pot.
Since I wasn’t positive I’d really like it, I ordered a combination lobster/crab roll for one of our first lunches in Kennebunkport.  I liked the crab, but I LOVED the lobster, so it was full on after that.
A lobster roll in Boothbay Harbor. It tastes even better eaten outdoors overlooking the harbor.
For dinner that night, we had lobster bisque served in a coffee mug, then lobster mac and cheese. Â Both were delicious. Â The lobster mac and cheese was fancier than the name implied with huge chunks of lobster and both fontina and Gruyere cheeses.
Lobster mac and cheese in Kennebunkport.
During our first night in Rockland, we decided to go for broke and order “the whole deal” and try our best to crack that beast and coax out the meat.  It was an ordeal and a lot of work.  Dishes where the lobster has been picked out for you are much better deals.  Trust me.
My lobster bib getting ready to tackle the whole monster.
All except the white albino lobsters turn red when they’re cooked. I think they look better when they are this nice color.
While watching the Auburn game at a sports bar in Bar Harbor (see what I did there?), we enjoyed hot crab and lobster dip on flatbread wedges. Â Oh my goodness. Â YUMMMMM!!
After about 3 days of lobster, we decided to move on to some of the other delectable seafood choices and found the haddock and scallops to be amazing.  If you are a seafood lover, I strongly recommend a trip to Maine.  Try some dishes that aren’t fried and don’t expect hushpuppies, and you’ll be very satisfied.  I promise.
Just as a quick side note, we had breakfast one day with a couple from Cape Cod.  They had no plans to eat lobster in Maine declaring that the lobster on their part of the coast was much “sweeter and softer.”  Maybe that calls for another exploration trip. 🙂
When you’re planning your trip, check the websites for these restaurants:
Pier 77Â at Cape Porpoise near Kennebunkport
Mabel’s Lobster Claw, Kennebunkport
Alisson’s, Kennebunkport
Archer’s on the Pier, Rockland
Mariner’s Grill, Camden
The Pearl on the Pier, Rockland
Paddy’s Irish Pub, Bar Harbor
The Chart Room, Bar Harbor
Be aware that some of these may only be open for “the season” which basically runs from Memorial Day till Columbus Day, so do your research.
We got up at 3:30 a.m. in order to arrive at the Huntsville airport by 5:00 a.m. Only a long-awaited holiday trip could entice me to do such a thing with a smile. This was a Bucket List item for me, to which Steve agreed unbegrudgingly. Bless him. We were going to New York City at Christmastime. We had tickets to a Broadway musical, the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir was presenting their Christmas Celebration that weekend, holiday markets scattered throughout the city were on our itinerary, along with seeing the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center, the store windows on 5th Avenue and the 9-11 Memorial. Favorite New York delicatessens, cafes and diners were mapped out, and I was even hoping to get a glimpse of the World’s Largest Menorah while we were in Brooklyn. I had subway and street maps marked and ready. We had reservations at a hotel in Midtown only a couple of blocks from Times Square. We both packed extra-warm gloves, socks, hoods, comfortable shoes and plenty of layers. We were ready. In earlier years, we explored NYC in late May of 2000 for my 50th birthday, and we stood on the second row among the throngs to watch Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2008, enjoyed Thanksgiving Dinner at Tavern on the Green in Central Park and shopped for the grandchildren at F.A.O. Schwartz. This time our plans were looser. We just wanted to take it all in.
The trip began to run off the rails when our Huntsville flight was canceled. I wasn’t too worried. If the agent could find us two seats, we’d drive to Birmingham or Nashville to catch another one. We got an hour toward Nashville when the 2nd flight was canceled, and we were booked on yet another one that would leave another hour later. About the time we arrived at the Nashville airport, we got a notice that the 3rd flight was delayed by about a half hour. I still wasn’t too worried. Beginning to fret a little, but not too worried. We parked, caught the shuttle from the lot to the terminal and strolled in with our bags. Then came the words, “I’m sorry, but I’ve just been notified that Flight #____ has been canceled.” Now, I was worried.
The agent tried and tried to find another way for us to get to New York City, but we could tell she was very doubtful. Do you remember hearing on the news about American Airlines mistakenly giving too many of their pilots vacation days during the busiest flying period of the year? Well, the “official” reason we received was “mechanical issues,” but I am 99.9% convinced that we were victims of the pilot shortage on that particular day. Really, what are the chances that THREE flights going to the same place would be canceled WITHOUT any kind of weather situation?
Then, you have to factor in the sense we had that God was trying to protect us from something. It just didn’t feel right to keep on and on pushing to make this trip happen when the deck appeared to be stacked against it. We left the airport, went out for a nice consolation lunch at Maggiano’s and drove back home. Steve, although he hated to see me so disappointed, was probably a little bit relieved. He wasn’t looking forward to being cold for 5 days. I, however, was lower than a snake’s belly.
“It was one of those times you feel a sense of loss, even though you didn’t have something in the first place. I guess that’s what disappointment is — a sense of loss for something you never had.” Deb Caletti in The Nature of Jade.
There were a few good things that happened and a couple of suggestions I’d like to share that might help you if a similar scenario happens for a trip you plan in the future.
In my letter to American Airlines, I mentioned several items that the trip cancellation had cost me. No, I didn’t expect a refund on any of them, I just needed to type it all out.
PARKING AT AIRPORTS — We first parked in the Huntsville Airport lot. Because a lot of rain was predicted, we opted for a covered space — $10 per day. Then, we parked in the Nashville Airport lot, where we took a shuttle to the check-in counter. That would have been $18 per day. We ended up paying $4 in Huntsville and $12 in Nashville, even though our time in both airports was short. I just mention this to be sure you factor in this expense when you’re figuring your vacation/trip budget.
SUPER-ECONOMY AIRFARES HAVE HIDDEN COSTS. Beware. There is a new category of airfares that SEEM really good until you realize that you can’t carry on more than a normal backpack size without incurring baggage fees. Steve and I like to travel with only carry-ons whenever possible. But, with these fares, we were going to have to check even our carry-ons. Bummer. When you add $50 just by stepping up to the counter, you have to question what seems like a bait-and-switch deal.
PACK SNACKS, both for the airport as well as for the actual flight. First of all, airport food is notoriously expensive. Second of all, even if you get a small cup of Coke and a pack of pretzels on your flight, you are still likely to have to wait more than an hour for it to reach you. You’ll need to buy bottled waters or liquids after you go through security, but for other snacks, just have them in your allowed space to go with you on the plane. As hunger pangs hit, you’ll thank me for this reminder.
You will NOT be reimbursed for the hours you spend researching and planning nor for the books and maps you might buy in the process. I’m a planner. I’m sure that comes as a shock to you. 🙂 Nevertheless, before I go on a trip, I enjoy learning about what I’m going to see and do, how I will reach the attractions, where to eat, how much the costs will be, which shops are going to be the most unique, etc. etc. When a trip is canceled, those hours you spend on such things will NOT be added back to your life. They’re just gone, or in the best case scenario, they are delayed for a future trip.
New York City tickets, books and maps
You are also never going to be reimbursed for clothing you buy specifically for cold temperatures in New York City that are used very little in North Alabama. But, again, if I am able to go next year, I’ll be ready. Right?
Never fear. I am undeterred in my desire to travel and explore the world. We have another flight booked in a few weeks, this time in the opposite direction. I trust that Expedia will come through for me once again, and I plan to take my own advice regarding baggage, parking and snacks. Maybe some of these tips will help in your own planning.