Changing Money In Italy

I made a trip to Italy right before they switched over to the Euro so I had a pocket full of Lira that I wanted to change out when I was returning home. Typically, the currency exchanges won't take coins, but they would do that at the Rome airport. I was heading to London for a couple of days and wanted to change my lira to Pounds. Unfortunately, they only had 50 pound notes (at that time about $80). I got out all the Lira I could find and counted it out. I was a few hundred Lira short so I couldn't get the money changed there. When I got to London, of course they wouldn't take any of the coins and I had enough paper money to get only 20 pounds. That was enough for the bus ride to and from my hotel and a liter of Bombay Sapphire Gin (with 5p left over!) so that worked out well.

The first laundry day after my return home, I checked the pockets of my pants. In the little "watch pocket" of the pants I was wearing on the my travel day was a 1000 lira note...I wish I had found that earlier!

I still have all those coins, maybe I will drop them in one of those donation boxes I have seen in European airports...maybe they can do something with them :-)

Expedition Everest



Expedition Everest



When we spent our honeymoon at Walt Disney World seven years ago, we were taunted by the construction of a new ride at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Unfortunately it would not be completed for some time after we left. We were finally able to make the trek back to the Animal Kingdom on Christmas Day! The ride, of course, was completed and fully operational.

Once we got to the park, we made a bee line for Expedition Everest, got FastPasses and went to the line, which was already a 40 minute wait. We kept the Fastpasses for a later time, realizing that the line was not going to get any shorter as the day progressed.

Big Thunder Mountain used to be my favorite coaster at Disney. This ride is like BTM on steroids! It starts out with a little jaunt through the countryside, peaceful enough. Then it makes a very steep climb into the mountain (as you can see by the picture). After climbing into the mountain and cruising around a bit, you come to a complete stop where the tracks have been torn up by a Yeti. The train then goes backwards through the dark with some thrilling twists and turns. There is then a brief pause and the train heads forward again through a bit of a drop and several curves (excellent g-forces!) and comes to a rest back at the train station.

It is a very smooth ride without any inversions. There is a high-g backwards curve in the middle of the ride which is quite fun, then there is the drop and curve as you emerge from the mountain (smile, they take your picture there). I tried riding through it with my hands in the air, but couldn't do it :-)

We used our FastPasses around midday and got another set of FastPasses to use right before we left for the evening. I really enjoyed this ride!

Christmas Eve At Hollywood Studios



Osborne Family Lights

We had the joy of spending last Christmas Eve in Disney's Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World. Of course we rode on several of our favorite rides like Rockin' Roller Coaster, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Star Tours. We also caught some of their many shows. We saw Beauty and The Beast, Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, and Lights Motors Action.

One of the new shows there since our last wisit was the Comedy Warehouse. This show used to be on Pleasure Island before it closed. They were doing a Christmas themed improv show which was a hoot!

When we emerged from the Comedy Warehouse, we were treated to the splendor of the Osborne Family Christmas Lights. As a power system engineer, I was very impressed with the 5 million twinkling lights (they have all been converted to efficient LEDs :-)

Here is the scoop on this display.

Fun at the Airport

One-man band
 

We flew out of SeaTac airport a couple of days before Christmas and were pleasantly surprised at the holiday festivities they had there.

We started off by going through the TSA PREcheck line (check out my previous blogs) which took mere seconds and we didn't need to reassemble our bags or ourselves.

Once we got through security, we encountered strolling carolers, a pianist in the atrium, a one-man band, and people in costume. There was a joyful and festive atmosphere there, which is a nice change from the normal airport humdrum.

This was the most fun I have had in the airport in a long time, and a great way to start our Christmas trip :-)

Tying It All Together (NEXUS Fin)

Sunset Over Greenland

Sunrise 11 Minutes Later

 

 

In this final (maybe) installment on NEXUS, I will tell about our first-hand experience with TSA PreCheck and Global Entry on a recent trip to Istanbul.

We were originally not going to try the TSA PreCheck since it was on the opposite side of the airport from where we were and where we needed to be, but the security lines were as long as I had ever seen them at SeaTac so we changed our minds. When we arrived at the PreCheck line, the officer there said that they weren't set up for international flights so we had to go through a regular check. This wasn't too bad because the line for the regular check in at the PreCheck checkpoint had only a couple of people in it. We did watch some people go through the expedited check and they went through quickly and easily.

When we returned to Seattle, we went straight to the Global Entry Kiosks in the international arrival area. I breezed right through, but Judy's NEXUS card had expired so the kiosk directed her to the normal Passport Control line. I proceded to the baggage claim. Normally we try to just have carry-ons for our returning flights, but my bag was too heavy so we decided to check both our larger bags. The nice ticketing agent at Istanbul gave our bags "Priority" tags and mine was the first one on the carousel in SeaTac, Judy's bag was a distant sixth. I was able to collect our bags and be waiting near the exit for Judy to get through passport control.

Judy's NEXUS card has since been renewed.

More on Istanbul later :-)

TSA Pre (Nexus part trois)

Another perk for Nexus cardholders is in the works. The TSA is starting a program where certain travelers may be able to go through security checkpoints with less hassle. This means they can keep their coats, belts, and shoes on as well as leaving their laptops and liquids inside their carry-ons while going through the checkpoint. Of course the TSA can make any of them go through the regular check.

Currently this is available to certain frequent fliers of Delta and American (and soon Alaska! ) at a handful of airports. Ultimately people in trusted traveler programs such as Nexus and Global Entry will be able to participate. This feature will eventually be available at many more airports (including SeaTac! )
You can find out more at the TSA website:

http://www.tsa.gov/what_we_do/escreening.shtm

Bad Jet Lag Advice



I get very jet lagged when I fly Eastbound. When I lived in Spokane, WA I used to joke that I got jet lagged just driving to Montana (90 miles to the East). I have unsucessfully tried many of the recommended ways to avoid jet lag, but haven't found one that really works for me. On a recent trip to Dubai, I ignored most of the advice I have heard and it really worked out well for me.

I flew overnight from SeaTac to Amsterdam and arrived there early in the morning. I was meeting up with the rest of my group there and we had booked some day-rooms at the Park Plaza hotel near the airport. It would be about three hours before the rest of the group arrived and another 10 hours after that before our flight to Dubai would depart, so I decided to sleep the day away. I typically do not sleep on airplane flights, so I was ready for some shuteye. The hotel was comfortable and very quiet. It had room-darkening shades so the daylight didn't illuminate the room. Most of the jet lag advice would have me staying awake during the day to help my body clock adjust to the new time zone, but my desire for slumber was overwhelming.



Park Plaza Hotel Room

I slept for a few hours then met up with the group for lunch. Afterward, I was contemplating taking a walk and exploring the area around the hotel, but the lure of the comfortable, quiet room was too much and I bedded down for another 5 hours.

We had another overnight flight to Dubai and, of course, I was jet lagged. I recovered in a couple of days like I normally do. I don't remember how bad I felt while for those first few days in Dubai, but I do remember that nice day of sleep I got in Amsterdam!

Monsoon Season In Scottsdale

 

One of the things we learned when we went to the Phoenix Botanical Garden last year was that the Sonoran Desert is unique. It is the only desert in the world to have two rainy seasons. During our visit in July, we witnessed what they call "Monsoon Season". One of my friends from the area assured us that it was a small monsoon. I recorded this short video on my Droid. It is mostly dark but occasionally the lightning illuminates Crescent Peak and the surrounding area.

Our annual pilgrimage to Scottsdale

Once again we are in Scottsdale in late July, aka monsoon season. We are attending a Ministry Insights conference to enhance Judy's coaching ministry. We are once again staying at the Four Seasons at Troon resort. This is a fabulous resort (and we get a fantastic price through the conference.)
I will be blogging about some of our adventures and feasting over the next few days.
This blog entry is the first one using my Droid. It is very handy.  I just have to watch out for typpos :-)

MS Amsterdam in the Panama Canal

MS Amsterdam at Miraflores

My mother is taking a repositioning cruise from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Seattle, WA on Holland America's MS Amsterdam. Today they cruised through the Panama Canal. I was able to track her on http://www.marinetraffic.com/ and capture a picture as the ship was going through the Miraflores Lock with a live webcam at http://www.pancanal.com/ .

On Marine Traffic you can see what ships are in a particular port or you can locate and track a specific ship. Not every ship is trackable and there are many areas that are out of range, but it appears to cover most of the US ports. You can even receive email updates on your favorite ships. I have ejoyed tracking the Amsterdam on this voyage.

The Panama Canal website has live webcams at the Miraflores locks as well as the Gatun locks.

NEXUS Part Deux

I flew through Atlanta on the way home from a recent trip overseas and saw the "Global Entry" kiosks by Passport Control. Global Entry is a trusted traveler program that has kiosks in several US airports that allow arriving international passengers to bypass the passport control line when they are entering the USA. I was wishing I could use them and had planned on looking into it further when I was done with that trip. When I got home I had no less than four postcards from Customs and Border Protection informing me that since I was a NEXUS cardholder, I can use the Global Entry kiosks! There is no extra charge for this service.

This is a great benefit for NEXUS members, especially since the Global Entry program costs twice as much.

The website for the NEXUS program is:
www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/trusted_traveler/nexus_prog/nexus.xml

The website for Global Entry is:
http://www.globalentry.gov/


Safe Travels!

George

If you haven't bought your sweetie flowers yet...

Our self-service travel website (http://www.gracepointtravel.com/) offers much more than just hotel rooms and airline tickets. You can also order flowers and gifts for delivery. This time of year you can go directly to the flowers and gift site through our homepage.

There is also a special site called "YTB Romance" where you can book romantic getaways, etc. One unique feature is a Honeymoon Registry where you can book a honeymoon and friends and relatives can pay for part of the trip or buy extras, much like a gift registry at a store. YTB Romance can be found under the Extras tab on our main travel page (http://www.gracepointtravel.com/)

Have a great weekend!

George

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Safe travels.

George.

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Nexus Lanes

I am sure, if you have crossed the border into Canada at Peace Arch or Blaine Truck Crossing, that you have noticed the NEXUS lanes which usually flow pretty freely. I have had a NEXUS card for five years (I just renewed) and find it a real time saver.

It is part of a trusted traveler program which means that both the US and Canada do a background check on the applicants. NEXUS cardholders typically pass through the border crossings swiftly (more often than not, I just get waved through but they sometimes ask some questions), but the border agents have the option to conduct a thorough check. That has yet to happen to me. In order to use the NEXUS lanes, everyone in the car needs to carry a card. There is also a zero-tolerance policy for what you can take across the border. If a cardholder is in violation, the card can be confiscated, so if one is in doubt about what they can take, it is better to take the regular lanes than to risk losing the NEXUS privilege.

If a cardholder chooses, they can have their irises scanned and put in the database so they can use the kiosks at participating Canadian airports to get through immigration. A few years ago we flew from London to Vancouver, BC and used the system. It was very fast and one fewer line to stand in. Unfortunately, there was a baggage handlers strike and we had to wait 90 minutes for our bags (we now only have carry-ons).

To find out more information you can go to the Customs and Border Protection website:

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/trusted_traveler/nexus_prog/nexus.xml

You can now apply online. It costs $50 for five years. After your application is approved, you will need to appear before a CBP officer for an interview. There is an office at Boeing Field in Seattle as well as at the Blaine border crossing (there are, of course, other offices farther afield for people outside the Western Washington area)

Pinnacle Peak Patio - 10426 E Jomax RD, Scottsdale

The Pinnacle Peak Patio is one of the few places one can walk to from the Four Seasons resort. I drove, though. It is situated on the road to Pinnacle Peak park in a little shopping area. They have a strict "no necktie" policy as is evidenced by the number of ties stapled to the rafters in the restaurant. Their website boasts over a million ties have been severed from unsuspecting diners. The atmosphere there is relaxed and the staff is very friendly. Both nights I went they had live music. The first night was a lone singer, but the second night was a band.

They have outside seating (the patio) but since it was monsoon season, and there were threatening clouds, I decided to dine inside.

I ordered a half-rack of baby back ribs, which came with a salad, corn on the cob, and baked beans. I have astounded people in the past with my ability to clean all the meat off  of pork ribs with just a knife and fork (hands-free). The ribs here were so tender that I did not need the knife!! All the food was very tasty!

There is a little gift shop adjacent to the restaurant that had a nice selection of jewelry made by locals, as well as some of the usual touristy stuff.

http://www.pppatio.com/

Chuy's Mesquite Broiler - 12235 Cave Creek RD, Phoenix

We stumbled upon this restaurant after finding several places in the area were closed (it was Sunday) and I am glad we did! It is a fun place with a surfing theme. This particular place had $2 Margharitas at all times, which were quite tasty. The food prices were surprisingly low, and the food was quite good. We got the quarter chicken special which included a couple of sides and all the chips & salsa we wanted. This place is part of a chain with several restaurants in Arizona and California.

http://www.bajachuys.com/

White Chocolate Grill - 7000 E. Mayo BV, Phoenix

The White Chocolate Grill Bar




 This restaurant was recommended by our concierge. We did not see any white chocolate roasting over the coals, but the ambiance was great and the food was excellent. Their house specialty was Tomato Gin Soup and it was some of the best soup I have ever eaten. It had tomatoes, cream, mushrooms, and bacon. They added the gin right before they served it, so it didn't lose any of its alcohol content. They only serve this to customers over 21, so you may get carded.

Four Seasons At Troon - The Pools

The Main Pool

While Judy was in her conference at this resort, I spent many hours at poolside. It was one of the sacrifices I made for our travel business :-)

The resort had recently completed a million dollar refurbishment of the pool area and it showed! There are three pools: a wading pool, a family pool, and an adults-only pool. The family pool shown at right is the largest of the three. The temperature of the water was refreshingly brisk, but not uncomfortably cold.There is also a hot tub which is nice for the cooler evenings.

The Wading Pool

The area is surrounded by several cabanas and lounge chairs. The cabanas are free to use and provide much needed shelter from the sun. As the day heats up, they turn on misters to cool the area down a bit. The staff there are available to help you set up the cabana to your liking and bring a pitcher of water. They make sure that everyone stays hydrated. Periodically throughout the day they bring around free treats like fresh fruit or sammples of smoothies. There is also food and drink available for purchase from the poolside restaurant. The staff is happy to take your order and bring your food to you.

Four Seasons at Troon - The Room

The view from our deck!

Sunset from our deck!

Our room was what they call a "Deluxe Casita". It was 500 Square feet and had a king bed. There was also a sitting area with a large screen TV and a gas fireplace. The room opened out to a very nice deck with a spectacular view of Crescent Butte. It was breathtaking. The desert came right up to our deck and we could see critters of all sorts scampering about. It is amazing just how much life there is in the desert.

 

North end of our room

We were about a five minute walk from the main building and lobby. It was very quiet there, we rarely heard our neighbors. The bathroom was pretty much the mirror-image of the one we had at the Venetian (no TV, though). The housekeeping had a policy that I had never encountered before. If you leave the do not disturb tag out, they will make up your room anyway at 2:00, unless you call them to make other arrangements. This is good for someone like me who sometimes forgets to take in the tag, but a bit of an inconvenience for someone who really does not want to be disturbed. Maybe they should have a second "I really mean it" tag to put out.

South end of our room

The room had a nice sized walk-in closet so our my junk was mostly out of sight :-) There were robes and slippers for us to use there, which came in handy for the journey to the pool.

The ice machine was in a little building adjacent to the building our room was in. Also in that building was a free washer/dryer as well as free soap and fabric softener. We really took advantage of that! I wish more places had that feature. 

All in all this was a very comfortable place to stay. I would highly recommend staying here.

The Four Seasons at Troon in Scottsdale, AZ

While we were in Scottsdale, we stayed at the Four Seasons resort at Troon. This resort is outstanding, and, since we traveled in the off-season (also known as the monsoon season) we got a fantastic price. It is located about 30 miles North of the Phoenix airport. They have a shuttle, but as I mentioned in my previous post, a rental car would give you more freedom to explore the area. Not much is within walking distance...especially with triple-digit temperatures.

They have valet parking (for a fee) and plenty of self-parking (for a lesser fee). We did the self-parking to keep our car conveniently located by our room.

The Main Entrance with Pinnacle Peak in the background

It is designed to blend in nicely with its surroundings and there is an abundance of native plants surrounding the campus as well as critters running around. I had not seen quail since I was growing up in Eastern Washington...I had forgotten how cute they are. We also saw jack rabbits, lizards, and raptors. It is amazing how much life there is in the desert.

The view from the lobby

There was a $5 resort fee, which is quite reasonable compared to other places I have stayed. This covers the tips, which is makes it really worthwhile. The service here is outstanding. From the time we arrived to the time we got to the room, four people helped us out and it left a very favorable first impression with us.

It is located next to Pinnacle Peak State Park. They have daily guided hikes there from the resort. Take lots of water!

Our Room (the dark balcony just left of center)

Be sure to pick up an activity calendar from the front desk. They have several activities for adults and children. Some of the fitness activities have a fee. We went to the wine tasting, tequila tasting, and the Margarita demonstration. All those were free as well as informative and fun. I think I am becoming a tequila connoisseur. Unfortunately we missed the chocolate tasting.