The Travel Valet

The Ring of Fire

2011-03-12T06:57:00.000-08:00

The Pacific Ring of Fire is a chain of volcanoes, running along the coastline of various continents bordering the Pacific Ocean. It's a notoriously geologically unstable region that is home to over 75% of the world's volcanic eruptions and earthquakes and other than the Haiti Earthquake of 2010, this area has been victim to more natural disasters and human devastation than any other this century. Starting with the 2004 earthquake that erupted off the back edge of the Ring of Fire and started the tsunami that destroyed numerous vacation destinations and took countless lives. So may lives were lost that no one is sure, but its estimated that 231,000+ lives vanquished. The 2008 Sichuan China earthquake had 69, 195 causalities. Last month in Christchurch, New Zealand approximately 200 lives were taken in a 6.3 earthquake. On March 10, in China near Myanmar another 24 lives fell to a 5.8 quake.

An now as the disaster unfolds in Japan and reports blanket the Internet, Japan may be experiencing it's worst natural disaster in history that began with an 8.9 earthquake yesterday and followed by at least one 6.3 aftershock. Some 1300+ lives are missing with a minimum of 675 confirmed dead.

Life is precious and fleeting. Prayers go out to all that are suffering or have suffered.

Al,

the Travel Valet

An Idiot Abroad

2011-03-01T15:00:00.000-08:00

I don't know how many of you have seen the television's newest travel experiment, An Idiot Abroad. According to the Science Channel, many of you, something like 15 million, have. At least that's their claim on the commercial trailers. It's a pretty damn funny take on a Brit who doesn't like to venture outside of his element being thrust into very uncomfortable situations on the premise of seeing many of the world's great attractions. Ricky Gervais funds this "practical joke" experiment and goes out of his way to place Karl Pilkington (the Brit) in many compromising and uncomfortable situations. "It's quite funny. You should check it out."

On a side bar, why is it when we (Americans) watch British television do we feel the need to turn up the volume? Do we think British syntax will morph into a Midwest accent as the volume increases? It puzzles me, too.

Happy Travel,
Al, the Travel Valet

Fell on Black Days

2010-10-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

I was left behind. How it happened, I'm not sure.

Traveling along in my life minding my own business trying to live up to my responsibilities and expectations, and it happened.

The alarm on my iPhone started singing Fell on Black Days by Soundgarden. I laid there and listened to the words cuz I wasn't ready to face another day of the same shit. On a side note, I find it strange I can sing the correct lyrics to thousands of songs yet I never listen to the words. Anyway, I just woke up one day (a generic Thursday, I think) after 100s of days in a row of waking up after completing the same tasks as I had completed the day before. Faceless people I loiter with call it, the "same ol' same ol '". I was just shuffling along with the rest of the cattle heading toward the feed trough one day and I woke up. I woke up.

This can't be my life? You know, the one that was going to set the world on fire, amass riches beyond comprehension, cure cancer. That life. I stumbled to the bathroom and turned on the light. I looked into the mirror and saw a person I didn't even recognize, the reflection of some total stranger was standing in my bathroom looking back at me. It was uncomfortable seeing this man I didn't know. The man I had become. What happened? Where was I while this metamorphosis took place?

I knew the answers before my clouded mind could generate the questions. Depression would be the medical term, I suppose, if I were to see a doctor. Surely, he would write a perscription for some sort of emotion balancing chemical. You know, the kind that has more crippling side effects than curative medicinal qualities. Doctors are great this way, if you have an ailment or even the thought of an ailment then they have a script for you. And then they will kindly offer curative measures for the side effects. It's an endless cycle of perscriptions, dosage adjustments, and doctor's visits, temporary symptomatic Band-aids.

My problem probably could have been altered with one of these "happy pills", but my problem didn't need a Band-aid laced with a side effect. I needed to change what society, the government, my job, my community and my family had asked me to become. What I had allowed myself to become. I needed to make ME right.

I found it in reading, learning and experiencing travel. I burst my own bubble and stepped outside the lines. And felt young again. I may not cure cancer or die with the most toys, but I promised myself something better, a full life. And I'm living that promise.

I was wondering, can you say the same about yourself?

Email me at thetravelvalet@gmail.com or contact me through this blog or http://www.thetravelvalet.com/ if you would like your reflection to represent the real you.

Happy Travel,
Al, the Travel Valet

Did You Know? The Ancient Greeks didn't pray or give eulogies at burials. They only asked one question when they buried their dead. Did he live with passion?

Need Washing?

2010-09-28T09:24:00.000-07:00

A friend forwarded me this story while I was in the midst of a painful day. The flawless timing of the email shook me a bit. I accidentally erased the email so I am retelling the story based on memory. Please forgive me if I altered it a bit.

A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in Target. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence. It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout. A small crowd had formed under the awning and just outside the door of the Target. We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature had messed up their harried day.

I am always mesmerized by rainfall and got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing barefoot so carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day. The little voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance I was caught in...

"Mom let’s run through the rain," the little red-headed girl said.

"What?" Mom asked.
"Lets run through the rain!" She repeated.
"No, honey. We’ll wait until it slows down a bit,’ Mom replied.
This young child waited about another minute and repeated, "Mom, let’s run through the rain."
"We’ll get soaked if we do," Mom said.
"No, we won’t, Mom. That’s not what you said this morning," the young girl tugged at her mom’s arm.
"This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet"?

"Don’t you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said , If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!"
The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn’t hear anything but the rain. We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next few minutes. Mom paused and thought for a few moments about what she would say.

Now, some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child’s life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith. Mom handled it well.

"Honey, you are absolutely right. Let’s run through the rain. If GOD let’s us get wet, well maybe we just needed washing," Mom said.

Then off they ran. We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and through the puddles. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. They got soaked. Then, amazingly, others followed. Adults running, screaming and laughing like children all the way to their cars. And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.

Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take away your health. But no one can ever take away your precious memories.

I HOPE YOU TAKE THE TIME TO RUN THROUGH THE RAIN.

Al, the Travel Valet

Bitten by the Bug

2010-09-25T05:57:00.000-07:00

Many people have asked me when I had been bit by the travel bug. My patented answer has always been "before I can remember". As lame as that answer is, it's the truth. One of my two earliest memories includes a snapshot quick vacation. I remember standing inside the gates of Disneyland in the summer of 1969 attempting to line up a picture of Cinderella's castle with my Brownie camera. The summer was abuzz with astronaut excitement. Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin were a week away from walking on the moon. My father, a photographer, decided to take his young family to California for a short vacation before a Life Magazine assignment in Cocoa Beach, Florida. I was 4 years old.

Even though, I don't recall exactly when I had been bit, I do remember the moment I realized I had been infected by the bug's powerful toxin. Early June 1974. In the early days following the graduation of third grade, I had been called home by the "neighborhood alert system". We middle-aged folks raised in the 60's and 70's understand the the powers of the NAS. It was how your parents called you home, before cell phones. They would stand out on the front porch and yell. Even if you were out of earshot, someone would hear the call and pass it along if they knew the direction the neighborhood children had run. All children knew not to ignore the NAS.

I was in the creek behind the Fire House catching crayfish with my best friend. I never understood why we captured these pinching mudbugs. We always released them after one of the prehistoric-looking monsters brought blood to our waterlogged fingers...it was probably a rite of manhood. I'll have to ponder that a while.

Anyway, the NAS found me quickly and I knew to run. It wasn't anywhere near dinnertime and I had not been issued any edicts, which only meant one thing, something was wrong. Though muddy water and trepidation weighted down my legs, I knew not to dally. My dad, who spent as many as 280 days a year on the road, was home. And he despised childish loitering.

I walked headlong into a buzzsaw and, as long as I live, I will never forget the next few hours. It went down like this.......

"Where have you been?" My dad asked the question as he examined my sodden legs and bloody fingertips. It was easy to sense something bad had happened. My stomach was churning bile. I suddenly felt very ill and my father noticed the immediate change in my demeanor. I could see a familiar glare in his eyes. I was guilty of...something.

"In the creek by the Fire Station. The firemen feed scraps to the crawdads. Some of them get this big." I held out my fingers four inches apart.

"How long have you boys been in the creek?" My father was interrogating, but I was sure I had already been convicted. I knew the routine all too well. My heart sank.

"Uh," I looked at my fingertips trying to judge the pruning against my many hours in the pool. "Maybe two hours or, Uhhh, a little less." I wasn't sure. It could have been 45 minutes or 4 hours.

"Well, I have my doubts about 2 hours." His eyes bore into me.

"I'm not exactly sure about the time." Faltering before even before the accusation.

"Don't you have something to tell me?"

"Uh, Uh, Uh...no?" The stuttering answer came out like a question. My son must be lying my father reasoned or he wouldn't be so apprehensive to answer. He asked me several more times and my responses became less and less convincing. I was crying and begging forgiveness in less than five minutes. I still didn't know my crime. Admittedly, I was no angel as a child and could be a headstrong handful. Everyone else, my brothers, mother and the nosey neighborhood waited out by the gallows hoping to see a hanging.

In an effort to shorten the story, I was accused and convicted of throwing a baseball through a window across the street. I denied the crime vehemently which caused the bigger problem for me. In the opinion of the neighborhood, I was lying. And in my household, this was a crime punishable by death. I wore that "Scarlet Letter" for the duration of my adolescence.

You may ask, what does this have to do with the travel bug? Well, while the crime didn't turn out to be earth "shattering." The punishment was. My dad forbade me to travel with him that summer. That was the moment I knew had the disease. The punishment crushed me.

He was a freelance photo journalist about to leave on a photo shoot for National Geographic. Walter Cronkite of CBS had stirred up renewed interest in the UNICEF mission and their struggle with poverty-stricken children in eastern Africa. He was going to take me along. I had traveled with him the year before to some harsh, wind-blown ports of the North Sea. He photo documented some grotesque whaling practices. For three weeks, I couldn't breathe. Horrified, terrified and loving every second. Being the eldest son and in Texan parlance, I had just been denied a birth right.

It took a year to figure out that Roger, a younger kid who lived around the corner, broke the window. My family never understood how much the accusation, conviction and punishment affected me. I became a different person...cynical, suspicious and addicted to travel.

Have a great day!

Al, the Travel Valet

College Football? Why Don't You Get It?

2010-09-13T15:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been gone sooo long. Sometimes LIFE gets in the way.

I was talking to a New Yorker the other day. He was coming out of his pants excited about the upcoming football season. Growin' up in Texas where football is a seven day a week religion not just a Sunday morning commitment, I understood his excitement. Trying to be cordial I asked him which team he rooted for and he barked, "The ___ New York ___ Giants, of course..." He added the typical east coast linguistic flavor to his response which I chose to edit out. He rambled on, but I quit listening (seems the Giants have built a new stadium). He didn't ask me anything about my football preferences and I'm glad he didn't. He just wouldn't understand. I know these things only cuz I've been down that road before and it is a long, bumpy road filled with Volkswagen-sized potholes. Not good traveling.

The brief conversation got me thinking.

I know New Yorkers think their five boroughs make up the center of the universe. And to some degree, their arguments are understandable. Gotham boasts world class culture, cuisine and diversity. But one is remiss to think New York is the cat's pajamas when it comes to sports. Yes, they have the Yankees who have won something like 35 out of the 105 or so World Series. They also have the Mets, Knicks, Nets, Jets and the ___ New York ___ Giants. They also have one leg of horse racing's Triple Crown in the Belmont as well as the world's largest tennis tournament in the US Open. One may think I have presented a great argument for Gotham City. Well, you are wrong.

Did you know...the 11 largest stadiums in the country were built specifically for college football and account for 11 of the world's largest 18 stadiums. Did you know every Saturday from September through December these eleven behemoths are filled to the rafters with rabid college football fans.

Did you know...approximately 975,000 fans attend NFL games each week while more than 2,100,000 witness college football firsthand every single weekend. That's 2.1 million folks; 2.5 times the NFL.

Have you ever been to a Texas/Oklahoma game in Dallas during the State Fair? Or the Army/Navy game? Or the Michigan/Ohio State game at the end of the season? I have. I have also been to a Cowboy/Redskin game and a Cowboy/Giant game when the teams were great and guess what...there is no comparison. Not even close. Compare the Kentucky Derby with a three furlong quarter horse race and you'll begin to see what I'm talking about. The energy, fan participation and pageantry of a college football game rivals the NFL playoffs every single weekend. It's not even close.

New York will never understand.

Enjoy the football season.

Al, the Travel Valet

Tapas Crawl in Barcelona

2010-05-22T13:07:00.000-07:00

Tasting, smelling and savoring culture in one of the world's most atmospheric, relaxed and casually chic cities is what I would call a very, very good day. And, to me, tapas exemplifies this with sophisticated yet unpretentious Catalan style. I love everything about Barcelona's independently-minded, bohemian, modernista style and what better way to absorb this vibe than to consume it.

For those in search of a truly authentic and memorable night in Barcelona, a tapas crawl is essential. Basically, you simply head from bar to bar, enjoying one plate of food and one drink in each joint. For me, there is no better way to sample the food of the city, meet new people, enjoy the ones your with and capture the essence of the city. As the sociable air that pervades all tapas restaurants inevitably comes out in full as the night wears on, lose yourself in Catalonia.

Here is where I would crawl...

Cal Pep - This is definitely where to start. And it may be the gastronomical highlight of the entire crawl. This is probably the most popular tapas bar in the city with tourists and locals alike. It's getting in the door here that seems to be the issue. It's not uncommon for Cal Pep to have a line out the door and around the corner. Just squeeze up to the bar and enjoy a plate of the tastiest gourmet seafood tapas in the city with a glass of cava, the Catalan version of champagne. You will be glad you started your evening off here. My tapas pick: trifasic (combo of calamari, prawns and whitefish).

Bar Pinotxo - This bar located in the Mercat de la Boqueria near the La Rambla entrance bustles with locals and tourists. Grab a stool, a plate of the freshest food in the city, an Estrella Damm beer and people watch. No matter where you come from Bar Pinotxo will make you feel as if you belong. Bar Pinotxo serves fabulous lunch fare. Say hi to Tony and catch a glimpse of his effervescent smile.

Bar Central - Located in the same market, Marcat, Bar Central is where to head for lunch and jostle with the locals for a stool. With the the same atmosphere as Bar Pinotxo, Bar Central makes for a great alternative if the wait is long at Tony's bar. My tapas pick: grilled "fresh catch of the day".

Granja Viader - While this is a cafe and not a tapas bar, I would be remiss not to mention it. For more than a century people have flocked down this alley to get Grandja Viader's cups of thick hot chocolate and whipped cream. The Viader clan in vented Cacaolat (the forerunner to Nestle's Quik). This nook is an ideal breakfast locale for the sweet tooth with it's suis and pastries on display. Granja Viader closes at 8:45pm (18:45). Don't miss out!!! My pick: suis, of course.

La Vinacoteca Torres - La Vinacoteca Torres clearly understands that tapas and wine are simply unbeatable as a double act on the palate. This wonderful establishments near the Passeig de Gracia metro station offers not just excellent and varied tapas, but also a wine list to remember. It’s not the cheapest of places, but then you forget after you’re 4th glass of red anyway. My pick: any Catalan red wine with Toro in the name

Ciudad Condal - It may not be the most traditional of joints, but Ciudad Condal is a sure-fire bet for a fun and cheap evening spent eating and drinking with the locals. The tapas selection here is impressive, and many of the tapas available are on display to help you when it comes to deciding where to start. My pick: the most expensive (read: aged) Spanish jamon and a San Miguel beer.

El Xampanyet - Nothing has changed for decades in this, one of the city's best-known cava bars. This place reeks bohemian atmosphere. I love it. Grab a plate of any regional tapas and a few glasses of cave and find a table against the tiled walls and absorb it all.

Though the tapas crawl may be more traditional in Madrid or Andalusia, the Catalans have integrated their distinct culture in to an amazing experience. Much like a pub crawl in London, quite simply there are few traveling experiences more enjoyable than a tapas crawl in Spain.

Hambre? Come mucho!

Al, the Travel Valet

Gunshot Through My Soul

2010-04-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

A very good friend and constant companion passed away in her doggie bed two nights ago. She was about 13 years old. I miss her already.

Twice in two days, I have absentmindedly called out to her to go out back with me to check on the pool. Both times her name rang through the big empty house; both times, only tears answered. Devastated, I stumbled aimlessly into my backyard with a fresh gunshot wound through my soul forgetting why I was even outside in the first place. Mind you, I consider myself a hardened, thick skinned Texan that can take whatever life deals, chew it up and spit it back out. I'm not really that guy. Her death has taught me that.

When we first met she was terrified of me. Maybe it was my brash, alpha-male personality or maybe it was just that my voice was louder than everything she knew. Either way, early on, I terrified her. As the years passed, she became my friend. (I'm the first to admit, that's no easy task); but she found a way into my heart. I had a ton of nick names for her, opting for them over her given name all the time. She invariably ignored me. I'm sure she was thinking, "He's not so tough. And I'm not answering to Rusty, that's not my name."

And of course, I have stories....She hated loud sounds. When we lived in Florida, the daily summer showers brought numerous lightning storms. The thunderous bolts always sent her scrambling for cover. I can't begin to tell you how many times I fell to the floor laughing at her expense. Damn, I miss her already. Years ago, we had this giant television that must have weighed three hundred pounds with the world's largest picture tube. After many years, the picture tube began to hum. It was terribly annoying. The only way to get the television to stop humming was to bang the console with my fist one time, real hard. It made a terrible racket, like an explosion. Anyway, we kept this television longer than we should have for two reasons; one was it was too damn heavy to get to the curb and second, plasma and LCD televisions were just coming out and I wanted one. So, we waited. The poor damn dog was so terrified by my angry outbursts on the tv console that she became programmed for flight everytime I raised my hand over my head. It may not sound funny, but it was. I pulled that stunt on her last week, maybe six years after we got rid of that television. I raised my hand, she turned away and winced. She was too old to run. I laughed. I miss her already. She may have passed away, but she will live inside of me forever. There she won't have to hear any scary sounds and that brazen Texan that liked to bang on televisions will protect her.

Did I tell you she had the most amazing eyes? I miss her already.

Please visit the Animal Rescue Site and click to give.
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/

Until the tears dry,
Al, the Travel Valet

Lonely Planet Offers Free iPhone Apps

2010-04-21T11:03:00.000-07:00

The fine folks at Lonely Planet are offering free iPhone City Guide Apps, at least through tomorrow. Lonely Planet is making the free offer in response to the Icelandic volcano eruptions causing worldwide travel interruptions. For once, I'm glad I'm home.

Each city guide is typically $4.99. I downloaded 8 different city guide apps por nada and saved $40. Please take advantage of this offer while it lasts.

Thanks Lonely Planet.

P.S. Every freakin' time a volcano eruption makes headlines, that Jimmy Buffett song bombards my mind. It's not good. How would you like Jimmy Buffett haunting your thoughts all the time?

Until the ash clouds clear,
Al, the Travel Valet

Spewing Volcano Closes Airport

2010-04-15T12:19:00.000-07:00

A week ago, some travel sites were coercing potential travelers to Iceland to view the active volcano and take advantage of Iceland's faltering economy. Hope no one took the bait. Now, the volcano has decided to play nasty.

London's Heathrow Airport just shut down because of the enormous ash clouds forming over the spewing volcano and riding the Jet Stream to the UK. Be careful!

Easy Does It!

Al, the Travel Valet

Pick of the Day(62-13-1)...Phillies

Five Days in Florida (Day 3)

2010-04-15T09:54:00.000-07:00

Day 3 - Get up early, you bum. A few blocks south of the Versace Mansion on Ocean Drive is an awesome place to start your day. If you are a Versace/fashionista fan, then a short pilgrimage to the steps where a deranged Andrew Cunanan murdered Gianni in 1997 would be worth the few extra steps. There is an al fresco coffee shop (I'm sorry I can't remember the name) with an excellent international newsstand that is prime people watching real estate. Get there early, buy a newspaper or magazine, find an excellent bistro table and let the South Beach morning unfold before your eyes. Rarely will one find a more eclectic migration of souls in such a small place. Honestly, one could write a novel just utilizing only the characters passing by on the sidewalk. If coffee didn't make me so jittery, I could do this every day for the rest of my life and still want more. If coffee isn't your "cup of tea", and romantic isolation is, then opt for a great stroll on the beach. It's South Beach, fool. By about 10 am, checkout of your South Beach hotel and aim your convertible south on A1A. We are headed to the Keys. First stop Key Largo, the self-proclaimed and over-exaggerated, "Dive Capital of the World".

I love just about everything the Florida Keys has to offer. Except the traffic on the Overseas Highway. And, I will be the first to admit that their "come as you are" way of life keeps me dreaming of my next visit. I'm asked at least monthly if I could live anyplace in the continental US and money was no object, where would I live. Answer: The Florida Keys would be in the top 2. I don't want to have to pick between Key West and Austin; my hometown might lose.

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park located at MM 102.6 is fun for all ages and skill levels. Even if you don't want to get wet, the park offers glass bottom tours that allows one to experience everything a snorkeler sees in the dry confines of a boat. This is an American diver/snorkeler "must do" experience in Florida. You don't go to the Cayman Islands and not visit Sting Ray City nor do you go to Rome and ignore the Colosseum. You don't tour the Keys without John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. Canoeing through the mangroves is a highlight for me.

At MM 82 is Cheeca Lodge Resort and Spa in Islamorada, this is the luxury resort in the area and sometimes even worth it. They charge an automatic $39 resort fee; I hate these add-ons. The service is flat and some of the bungalows are unacceptable and need attention. (I still think they owe me a $169 credit to my credit card from Sept. 2001) But the location and views are unbeatable. Cheeca Lodge offers all kinds of cutesy packages that induces one to stay on property. Don't fall for it. Just get a nice bed with an ocean view. That's all you need. Take a walk out on the pier; early in the morning nurse sharks scour the sand at the end of the pier for any opportunity. In the evening, right after dusk, the giant tarpon show looking for a hand out, literally. Watch your hands. If your want to utilize the extensive amenities that Cheeca Lodge offers then check at the concierge desk before check-in. You can also do this online at http://www.cheeca.com/. Islamorada is truly the Sportfishing Capital of the World and a vacation in itself. Don't financially commit to any charter before you see what the nearby competition has to offer. You will be pleasantly surprised how affordable world class sport fishing can be if you are not afraid to barter.

Day 3 is much slower than Days 1 and 2. The tranquil magnificence of the Florida Keys will do this to you. Slow down and savor it.

Come as you are,

Al, the Travel Valet

http://www.thetravelvalet.com/

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Five Days in Florida

2010-04-08T16:53:00.000-07:00

A couple of friends recently visited my old stomping grounds, Florida. Before they left, we spoke of the things I would return to do if I only had five days slotted for such a great state and a friend visiting for the first time. To be honest, seeing everything Florida has to offer in a year is difficult. It got me to thinkin......

Five Days of Florida (We will tour the 1st 2 days, now)

Day One - Fly into Tampa, rent a convertible and head for the Clearwater Beach Pier. The pier isn't its big attraction, it's the sand. Clearwater Beach has some of the grandest sand in the land. Other than a small section of beach in the Caymans, I consider this sand the best anywhere. Take just enough time to grab a black grouper sandwich from Frenchy's, a cold Kalik and a 45 minute walk on a truly amazing beach. Now, you know your in Florida and can understand why so many retire to this incredibly hurricane-infested state. Wow!! Next, head north on US 19 to Tarpon Springs. The sponge docks and bayou make for a very fun and educational experience. Greeks are everywhere. The Greeks came for the wildly lucrative sponge trade that made Tarpon Springs the world leader in the natural sponge market. As a matter of fact, for more than forty years, the Tarpon Springs sponge trade was the #1 industry in Florida over tourism and citrus. Look around you, if it weren't for the humidity, you would swear you left touristy Florida behind. Next, continue north on US 19 to Crystal River. We are gonna snorkel with the sea cow, no not Aunt Elsie, the manatee. This bests the dolphin Discovery Cove in Orlando by a mile. These gentle giants float, swim and eat in their natural environment, the clear waters of the Crystal River. This can be a life altering experience. Don't sell it short just because the area is not designed as a tourist destination. The water can be cold, but it's worth it. Find your way back to Tampa and a comfortable hotel in the Channelside area. If you are not too bushed, there's Ybor City. The Columbia Restaurant with its 1905 Salad, sangria wine, mojitos and local Cuban neighborhood nightlife. My vote would be this, but Channelside has many of the top local restaurants and bars.
Day Two - Find your way to the intersection of US 41 and State Road 60. This the beginning 275 mile Tamiami Trail which spans from Tampa, south to Naples and east (Alligator Alley) right through the heart of the Everglades and onto Calle Ocho in old Miami. We have to do this weekend worth of entertainment in one day. So, hang on. Many parts of this journey will be littered with abject, heartbreaking poverty. In places, the poverty becomes the scenery, but isn't that part in parcel with cultural travel? First stop, Gibsonton. Strange starts here. Originally, this was the winter home to carnival workers and their beasts. Now, it's mostly an otherworld retirement commune of oddities. I'm being nice here. Some of this shit is downright creepy, even nightmare...ish. Visit Giant's Camp restaurant for some homemade biscuits and a gander. Place opened some three decades earlier by the Barnum & Bailey's Circus Giant and his wife, The Half-Girl. Get your biscuits and get out alive. We are going to a Ruskin vegetable stand for a tomato. What you say? Well, Ruskin is to tomatoes as Indian River is to Florida Oranges. Have a browse, eat a tomato and leave. Sarasota is next stop. This is a very beautiful city and enough refinement for that Grey Poupon guy. The rich carny lived here, John Ringling. Ringling's first job was as a circus clown and with the help of his brothers started the famous circus that still bears his name. His wife, Mable filled her mansion with world class, I mean "world class" which eventually became a museum. I personally favor the mansion and the harbor views over the art. But who am I to say, I prefer Gulden's over Grey Poupon any day. An hour south is Fort Myers and the Shell Factory. I don't really understand the invisible force that draws me to water nor can I comprehend my instinctive desire for shells, but at the Shell Factory one can quench these needs in the gaudiest way imaginable. This is old-fashioned Florida, pre-Disney. Pretty hilarious stuff. We pass through Naples without stopping. Plenty to do, but not enough time to enjoy it. You will pass North America's smallest post office in Ochopee; it's 7'3" wide and 8'4" deep, if you really needed to know. Next stop, Big Cypress National Preserve and the Miccosukee Indian Reservation, here you can take an airboat ride through the river of grass or watch some crazy Indian stick his face in alligator's mouth. There is also a visitor's center near Monroe Station. Last time I went by, eight or nine 12 foot alligators were waiting for some tourist to really screw up. Makes the hairs on your neck prickle. After you have had your fill of the swamp we move into old Miami with a hunger for platanos and a cigar. Yes, the Tamiami Trail ends on Calle Ocho where a good game of dominoes is more important than the Miami Dolphins entire football season. After a cuban coffee and bakery delight, it's time to hit South Beach baby. Pick one of many Art Deco masterpieces on Ocean Drive or Collins Ave for your one night stay. I've stayed in a few. To keep things eclectic, why not The Colony Hotel on Ocean. It's kinda run down, but this is the hotel in Scarface where the drug deal went bad and Tony Montana almost had a terrible chainsaw accident. The hotel has one of those old timey elevators with the cage door that is so slow you are not sure it's moving and sometimes stops between floors; something about that is fun to me. There are several places to dine al fresco on Ocean Drive and people watch. Pick one and enjoy the parade.

Hasta Manana!

Al, the Travel Valet

Spirit Air? Skip 'em!

2010-04-07T10:57:00.000-07:00

Officially, there are now 2 airlines I refuse to fly. Everybody knows of my distaste of US Airways. Now, there's Spirit Air, too.

Based out of Fort Lauderdale and with a small hub in Detroit, Spirit Air has been attempting to establish itself as a limited flight discount carrier, much like Jet Blue ten years ago. And for a while, I rooted for them. The niche they filled was there, especially with the growing cruise trade of the giant passenger ships from the nearby port.

I guess I'm still rooting, but now it's against them.

Spirit Air, as of April 6th, 2010, is charging $45 at the gate for your carry-on, your 1st carry-on! This is the same price they charge for each checked bag on all domestic flights. Outrageous!!! There are a few exceptions. We are allowed to bring on a book or an umbrella or a hat or a diaper bag or a Subway sandwich. So, I'm still allowed to read without paying $45; feed a baby or eat a hoagie without the $45 add-on; or even protect myself from the daily Florida rain without a $45 penalty. But Heaven forbid, I'm hungry and it's raining. That will cost me an additional $45. What if I'm hungry, it's raining, I'm bald and just gave birth? Technically, I'm out $135. I guess Rich Dad, Poor Dad will have to stay at home.

I can't speak for anyone. But I will never pay for this! Ever. I would much rather pay the IRS. I can at least pretend the money will go to something worthwhile. I really hate this crap.

Boycott Spirit Air,
Al, the Travel Valet

BTW, check out http://www.scottevest.com/, there's always a way.
Pick of the Day(61-13-1)...San Francisco

Magic Mountain and Parental Observations

2010-04-06T13:27:00.000-07:00

Took the teenage daughter and her cousin to Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California as a reward for Honor Roll grades over her Spring Break last week. The trip was uneventful. I guess that is a good thing. We stayed at the Embassy Suites across I-5 from Six Flags. The hotel was everything we could have imagined and more. I don't have a huge history with Embassy Suites per se, but this was definitely the most well equipped Hotel for its location that I can recall. Children ran a muck, but what do you expect on the first day of Spring Break across the street from the best collection of roller coasters in North America. We stayed in a well priced suite over looking the hotel's outdoor heated pool with indoor/outdoor fireplace that the staff lit every evening. Free full hot breakfasts and complimentary Happy Hour from 3pm-6pm that included a nacho bar and snack bar for the kids. A free 24 hr soda fountain was well-stocked the entire stay. I highly recommend Embassy Suites Valencia to any family visiting the area. It was more than worth the few extra bucks. The kids loved it. Now, on to the amusement park.

The weather could have been more cooperative. Very breezy, windy, weather pushed multiple ominous storm clouds by overhead causing the park to shutdown a ride temporarily only to reset its systems and reopen the same ride 45 minutes later. It was quite irritating. Mother nature was at fault and I didn't blame the park's engineers for the precaution. The kids did, of course.

The things that bothered me were much different.

Almost every building had paint peeling and in dire need of cosmetic attention. Makes you wonder how much attention the coasters need. Kinda spooky. I thought about it all day.

Several of the restrooms stunk to high hell. One, just inside the main gate near the flags fountain was down right nasty, reminiscent of a roadside rest area toilet that only sees janitorial service once a week. I wouldn't even let my nephew use it. Six Flags is a place where parents pay premium admission fees so children can enjoy safe, clean fun, not squalor in a breeding ground for Hepatitis A, B, and C.

The food choices were abhorrent. The line were ridiculously long and only half the food venues were open. On Spring Break???? I understand Six Flags is not responsible my child's fitness and health. But shouldn't there be at least a little in the way of alternatives. How about frozen yogurt? Or smoothies? I did see one apple and banana stand near the sushi and french fry stands, but only one. Speaking of sushi...what is that about? What child chooses sushi as a first choice? Especially at an amusement park.

The costumes of the super heroes are better on Hollywood Boulevard, seriously. Some were not even believable to a 5 year old. I don't understand why Six Flags has to skimp on costumes. It's not like they go bad or rot. You can use them year after year. The actors just stand there for heaven's sake. Get decent costumes!!!! Batman should look like Batman, not a drunk bingeing on Halloween.

There was no water in the areas that were designed for water (the man-made ponds) and standing water in places where water obviously was hazardous. Now I realize this is a mostly cosmetic and decorative complaint/observation, but again, if the easy, simple, inexpensive stuff isn't being maintained then what about the high thrill rides? You know, the ones that rocket your child through the air at speeds over 60 mph. Parents need reassurances, too.
The last thing I want to mention is probably what disturbed be the most. It's our youth. What in the Hell is going on? There were more 15 year old thugs, pimps and sluts wandering about than I could ever experience in the seediest alleys of Las Vegas. Are there any parents out there?? I don't want to do this alone. But I will if I have to....

Until next time,

Al, the Travel Valet

Maui, it ain't Fiji

2010-04-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

I was talking with a friend the other day. He shared his plans of a possible future vacation with me. Come to find out, one of his good buddies, Devin, lives on a 50 ft Beneteau that he purchased with the sale of his .com stock before that bubble burst; a very fortuitous event for Devin. He found his dream. Anyway, Devin recently passed through the Panama Canal on his way to the Galapagos then to Hawai'i and finally on to Fiji. Well, my buddy has been timing his vacations over the last few years to catch up with Devin by flying to whichever port the 50ft Beneteau is docked. My buddy gets to live on board for a week of phenomenal sailing in life altering destinations basically for the cost of plane fare. A real good deal if you ask me. This year he was trying to plan his vacation around the time Devin would be in Fiji. Good plans, right? Well, they fell through and Devin is only going to be as far as Maui when my buddy must take his vacation. I was still enthusiastic about his vacation to Maui for the price of airfare when he said, "Maui...it ain't Fiji!"

This may be true, but Maui, jeez, ain't Terre Haute, Indiana, either.

Though Maui is visited by more than 2 million visitors a year, it is still only about 25% developed. There are so many marvelous things to do and experience that I would sound like an infomercial for the Hawai'i visitor's bureau if I rambled as long as I wanted.

The 57 mile drive down the "Road to Hana" sticks with me some thirty years after I sat in the back of an open-top jeep. Hanging on to roll bar and laughing until hit hurt as my father white knuckled the 600+ curves of breathtaking beauty, is my favorite memory. The road was not near as death defying as he made it out to be, but he did almost roll us a few times while he was caught gazing awestruck at the island's saintly beauty.

I remember stopping on the side of the road for ice cream and they only had one flavor, a flavor I had never heard of, macadamia. I was distraught. What happened to chocolate or vanilla? I was familiar with the nut, but the ice cream. Even thirty years later, I can taste it. I'm in my mid forties now and this is still some of the best ice cream I have ever enjoyed. Not everything tastes good. On this same trip, I had a run in with poi. This strange milky substance is made from taro root and has become quite popular over the years with health addicts. Well, my experience with poi came at a touristy luau in Lahaina. I was having a grand time with my brothers when I was challenged by a very pretty Hawaiian lady to try it. My machismo was shot down as this...gruel came out of my nose as I began to choke. Regardless of what any Kashi commercial might say, Poi sucks.

The Haleakala Volcano is no longer as famous as Mauna Loa or Kilauea, which has been erupting continuously since 1982, the Haleakala crater makes for mind blowing hiking and mountain biking. You can even book a ticket for the very popular volcano to ocean bike ride. It's more of a coast than anything, but tons of fun. Trying to take a picture is virtually impossible so leave your camera in your backpack and record this experience to memory. My personal memory is from 1995. Fifteen years is too long. I must go back soon.

While Maui is most assuredly not Fiji, Fiji is definitely no Maui!

Happy Travels,
Al, the Travel Valet

Paradise Lost or Misplaced?

2010-04-04T15:53:00.000-07:00

A great friend once told me, "Each of us define our own Paradise; what it looks like, feels like and even smells like." When I initially heard her say it, I appreciated the thoughtfulness in her words. But I didn't take the time to absorb what she was saying. She went on to ask, "Are you living each day in Paradise or are you on a never-ending voyage to reach what you 'think' is Paradise?"

Today, I stopped to reread her words, 11 months later. Profound words? Indeed. As the years pass and my body ages, I have learned life is mostly about...timing. Maybe I wasn't ready to understand or maybe I wasn't in the mood to listen. Who knows? Timing, timing, timing.

Anyway, the point of this post is the brilliance in her words. Most of us plod through life searching for or climbing some imaginary ladder to reach their own Paradise. Trouble is we waste most of our natural life trying to accomplish this when we can have it right now. I'm not talking about the 50 ft. yacht moored in the British Virgin Islands (that's mine). I'm referring to the obstacles we create and poor decisions we make during the course of our maturation into adulthood. My grandmother once said, "If you lean your ladder against an oak, you may get high up, but don't expect to be picking any apples."

If you dream to wile away your life in a hammock under a palm overlooking the ocean, then why are you in the big city working in an office building fighting for a promotion that you probably don't even want? If your dream to be the mother of three living in a wholesome small town with an adorable house with a white picket fence and tree swing, then why are you working two cocktail jobs in Las Vegas trying to make ends meet? Guess what? You will not ever find your Paradise. You are looking in the wrong damn place! And what really sucks, you already know this to be true. You are just too afraid to make the changes in your life necessary to find and live your Paradise. We all make mistakes and poor decisions, some are seriously life altering wowzers. But other than say, capital murder, these poor decisions can be overcome.

I believe in a degree of free will, the choosing is the constant. These choices accrue throughout life to a determining effect that ultimately limits options. Thus, seemingly innocent decisions have catastrophic consequences in dire situations.

My Conclusion - The initial innocuous decision in the chain seems to be tantamount and keeping "options open" is the key to achieving you own Paradise.

BTW, my grandmother and this great friend are two of the smartest people I have ever known. I love them dearly. This is good advice.

Happy Easter!

Al, the Travel Valet

Pick of the Day(60-13-1)...Butler +7 on Monday

Travel Itineraries for Fictional Books and Movies

2009-12-11T14:40:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure when it all started, but I first made reference to the marvelous idea when I saw The Da Vinci Code rage gather steam. People signed on to various Paris and/or United Kingdom tours and allowed a guide to one ton location to film shoots or famous landmarks depicted in the Da Vinci Code. I loved it. The idea continued with the Harry Potter series of movies and now Sherlock Holmes.

I was sent an e-mail from VisitBritian.com and VisitLondon.com yesterday. Both were touting available itineraries that explored movie set and historical locations for the Sherlock Holmes movie that comes out on Christmas Day. According to the website, even Madame Tussaud's Waxworks in London is getting into the action. They are making several Robert Downey Jr, Sherlock Holmes, wax figures to be strategically placed throughout London for gimmick advertising. All this in time for the worldwide release on Christmas Day (Boxing Day in the UK). Historical movie sites include Freemason's Hall, the Docklands and St. Paul's Cathedral in London as well as sites in Kent and Liverpool. This adventure could be loads of fun. Especially, if it was an independent itinerary self-catered to your wishes.

Now, I personally love Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's characters. Holmes' tall, lanky, even gangly, physique combined with his unusual and quirky methodical behavior enticed me to challenge wits with him every time I sat down to read one of his capers. This movie , on the other hand, employs Robert Downey, Jr. as Holmes and Jude Law as Dr. Watson. I don't get it. Holmes, as I have described above, is not the Toulouse-Latrec look-alike that Downey, Jr. is. And Watson is a dumpy, middle aged, shell-shocked army surgeon, not Jude Law. I don't get it. But this is not the point of the post.

For the traveling/movie lover in you why not plan an itinerary around one of your favorite books or movies. I can help. Give us a call/text at 702.767.6912 or e-mail at theTravelValet@gmail.com. Instead of just owning the Blu-ray disc, why not live the adventure?

Al, the Travel Valet

Visiting Stonehenge on Boxing Day

2009-12-04T12:46:00.000-08:00

We all have some sort of "Life's To Do List" or "Bucket List". I do as well. And on my list near the top of the first page is visiting Stonehenge. Why I have never visited the ancient ruin is easy? It is smack dab in the middle of nowhere, kinda like Spokane. You really have to make an effort to get there. Now remember, I grew up in Texas and getting anywhere within that state kills at least one day. But when traveling overseas, killing a day is rarely an option. So, as the years passed and many of other Bucket List entries were checked off, Stonehenge just sat there staring back at me. I could never formulate the appropriate agenda and not waste a day. Well, I may have figured it all out (44 years later). Visit Stonehenge on Boxing Day!

Now, if you ever wanted to meet the most ridiculous holiday...ever, then visit England on Boxing Day. It is flat out a total waste of a day. I don't care if the banks are closed; they always are. Hell, they shut down as often as the public school systems in Nevada (And we wonder why our kids can't read, multiply or formulate a complete sentence. My daughter informed me last week that she watches Dirty Jobs in her 3rd period college prep class. What?!? If I wanted my daughter to watch reruns all day, I would pull her out of school, buy her a giant bag of Cheetos and call my first college roommate for some marijuana. Seriously, is this where public education has gone??).

Back to Boxing Day. To be honest, I had heard of Boxing Day and had seen it written on calendars along with Flag Day and Arbor Day. Honestly, I never thought anyone actually celebrated it. I remember once in fourth grade, our teacher took us out in the front of our elementary school and we planted a tree to commemorate Arbor Day, but we were nine year olds. Anyway, England takes this day seriously. All public service in London is shut down including the buses and Underground from late Christmas Eve on the 24th to mid morning on the 26th (Boxing Day). Could you imagine New York City's MTA shutting down for the better part of three days? There would be...I don't know...I can't fathom it. But, London does it. And curiously, the population of each city is within 1,000,000 souls of the other. Wow.

According to FactMonster.com, Boxing Day is of an unknown origin that probably starting sometime in the Middle Ages. It is celebrated the Day after Christmas in England. Australia, Canada and South Africa also partake, but not necessarily on the same day. Not sure why. Some historians claim that Boxing Day derives its name from the "boxed" gifts servants would receive from their employers for having to work on Christmas Day. Best I can tell, everyone is getting two days off.

So, while the Brits are taking off an extra day for Christmas, I'm taking the opportunity to fill the wasted day with a trip to Spokane, I mean, Stonehenge.

Happy Boxing Day!!!

Al, the Travel Valet

PS. When you visualize Stonehenge? Do you see Chevy Chase in National Lampoon's European Vacation as Clark Griswald knocking it down like dominoes by backing into it in a rented Cooper? Or, is it just me?

Scary Flight??? There's an App for That

2009-11-24T08:02:00.000-08:00

<---- You are kidding me, right?

With over 100,000 applications available for the iPhone and iPod Touch, some don't live up to the hype. Virgin Atlantic's Flying Without Fear is most definitely one of the those.

Let me start my rant by saying I understand there are more than a few jittery travelers with flying phobias. Rational or not, I also understand there is real fear involved. I have been in two very real (to me) close encounters on planes, one on an American Eagle puddle jumper off Puerto Rico in 1987 and another in September 2001 (this one we won't discuss). I do empathize with those who have been involved, or those whose friends or relatives have been involved in aviation accidents or close calls. I am not here to ridicule anyone with flying anxiety, just the fear mongers who try and profit from it.

Also, I am sure this $4.99 iPhone/iPod Touch Application won't help.

Flying Without Fear basically strings together everything my twelve year old schnauzer knows about the fears of flying and wraps it beautifully around Sir Richard Branson's "comforting" words. By the way, my dog tries to dig a hole in the floor behind the washing machine every Fourth of July. And when we lived in Central Florida, the lightning capital of the world, this dog shook for three straight years; this dog understands FEAR. But she is a dog!!!

And what does Sir Richard have to offer? Oh yeah, he has "an App for That". How did he get a Title? I bet...he bought it. Unless it comes with a prescription of Xanax, I wouldn't waste the five bucks. I guess Sir Richard wants to upgrade his title to "His Majesty, the King".

One last thing, Virgin Atlantic claims a 98% success rate using this tool (application). By all means, please tell me how this is measured.

Happy Holidays,
Al, the Travel Valet

Prepping for the Holidays....

2009-11-23T22:30:00.000-08:00

So, as I'm getting ready for the holidays and my family's London vacation, I finally remember to transfer all my pictures from my camera's memory cards to the portable hard drive via the computer. This is a task I always forget. Not sure why. Hum? Maybe it's my age and I'll still think I can just go buy extra 35mm film.

Anyway, I never seem to remember this and as I'm traveling I'm forced to be very selective in my picture taking because I'm limited in my memory space. This stinks because I like to take at least 25-50 of these every time I visit Cabo San Lucas....

and one of these every time Ben tolls.

I can take 200 pictures of seals sun bathing at Fisherman's Wharf and forty pictures of the Golden Gate engulfed in fog. I justify this camera abuse utilizing the "artistic license" card. Maybe the light will be different 20 seconds from now or the seal blinked. For whatever reason, this strikes me as funny. If I was really still buying 35mm film, this foolish pleasure would never happen.

Happy Holidays!

Al, the Travel Valet and very amateur photographer

Just Picked This off Snopes.com

2009-11-16T16:50:00.000-08:00

I know I try to stay away from politics and religion here on the Travel Valet, but I just can't let this go...

Check out the picture on your left. Have you seen it yet?.......What you are looking at are two Democratic Representatives from the State of Connecticut playing solitaire on their notebook computers while the Republican House Minority Leader is pleading in the background for Congress to submit a balanced budget. In this economy, don't you think your representative would at least listen even if he and she she did not agree. Now, I'm not a constituent of either of these representatives, but if I were there would be some HELL to pay. Are you a constituent of either of them? If you want their names and addresses I have them and all you have to do is send me an email to thetravelvalet@gmail.com and then I'll forward the info along to you. Unbelievable!!!

Al, the Travel Valet

So Long US Airways Part II - The Final Chapter

2009-11-16T14:59:00.000-08:00

Continuation of the true US Airways story...

"Well," as I turned to face him, "what would be your suggestion?" I was starting to steam. I focused hard with my eyes into his face hoping my Superman super powers would ignite his little blue smock. Yea, with might, I tried. But my valiant efforts went unrewarded. The smock must have been laced with Kryptonite. He stood defiant.

"Well," His ferret-like head bobbed in beat on his bony shoulders with his short, quick reply, "I suggest you take your luggage to back of the plane. There should be plenty of storage in the rear." This is the very same attendant who pleaded with passengers to cough up the $30 check the bags below. LIAR!!!

I almost "outted" him right there, but decided I could rise above it and pick my fight after I arrived at my destination. I really didn't want to spend another minute at the airport nor have to defend myself to airport security when I am "the customer" who paid several hundred dollars for each of the seats. I bit my tongue and turned toward the rear of the plane. The aisle was crammed passengers jostling with their own carry-ons. This would take awhile. My first attempt to roll one of our suitcases in front of me and the other behind didn't last long. I couldn't manage my way around the passengers. So, I threw both cases over my shoulders and carried them as the Greek Titan, Atlas, supported the Earth. It was ridiculous. I'm not Atlas and was very concerned one of the cases might fall from its perch onto an innocent's head. Mark made zero attempt to offer assistance, and his crew mate standing at the back near the galley, just watched. I really was angry and humiliated now.

Eventually, which equals about five minutes, I found room for one and then the other farther back, near the lavatory. I was now standing directly in front of the rear-stationed flight attendant sweating profusely. She just stood there staring blankly into my eyes. Not once offering assistance or even saying a word. I was aghast. Why are they called flight attendants, anyway?? What exactly do they "attend" to? They no longer offer food unless your are willing to swipe your credit card for a six dollar bag of "gourmet" Lays potato chips. But what I find really entertaining is they will walk by six times with a trash bag in hopes you will do their work for them. That is hilarious. They don't offer anything that we can discard, but just in case we bring aboard a $4.95 bottle of water that we had to purchase on the concourse after the security check, these blank-staring "attendants" want to make sure we have at least six opportunities to discard the bottle before we consider cramming it into the magazine pocket before us. Wow!

Now, what is exactly is their purpose? If they don't attempt to accommodate, can't we just have a giant list of rules plastered to each bulkhead and an "aisle" monitor with an Uzi to enforce them. Seriously, why not?

I'm done with US Airways. I hope they go the way of Braniff and Eastern. That is something, I'll help them with and they don't need to walk by me six times with a garbage bag. I'll do it myself, thanks.

PS: What was really ironic in this tale was pretty much everyone saw what transpired and several offered to help me by bringing my bags forward since I was sitting in Row 4. Of course, the attendants made no effort.

Al, the Travel Valet

Send me an email and let me know what you think at thetravelvalet@gmail.com or just sign in and leave a comment here.

Pick of the Day(59-13-1)...NCAAB -Western Kentucky -6.5

Economy Hodgepodge

2009-10-30T12:48:00.000-07:00

I was reading yesterday on Yahoo! news that Harrah's Entertainment (HET) reported a $1.6 billion loss for last quarter to their stockholders. Which isn't that mind blowing in today's economy except for the fact that Harrah's paid it's CEO, Gary Loveman, a $2,400,000 bonus (that's 2.4 MILLION, folks)at the beginning of the same quarter. According to wtop.com, Harrah's has reported a loss in each of it's last 5 quarters the smallest being $1.05 billion for the same quarter last year. I'm not really sure why he gets that bonus, are you? If it looks like AIG and smells like AIG...

Al, the Travel Valet

Pick of the Day(59-13-1)...West Virginia

So Long US Airways - Part I

2009-10-30T09:08:00.001-07:00

I finally think I'm over the swine flu, avian flu, rotavirus, Norwalk virus, the croup, pneumonia, bronchitis, polio and the Rocky Mountain spotted fever that has plagued me since late summer. I sure hope death will come easier. I got sick the last week in August and still feel the effects. Jeez.

Strange observation...even with my potpourri of misdiagnosed illnesses, I managed to get everything completed each day, but write. What sucks is...writing is the only thing I really want to do. Not sure if it's a reflection of my or our culture's priorities that are out of whack. I was raised to blame myself and not others...I will.

I recently returned from Texas. Very nice trip, but that's for another post. Weather was wicked the first 48 hrs; it was that same weather front that eventually dumped a ton of snow in the Northeast screwing up travel at the major hubs. Speaking of air travel...

US Airways has cut 50 percent of their daily flights to Las Vegas. Quite frankly, I'm glad. Their service is abhorrent!!! I would hate to mistakenly purchase tickets on another of their flights while searching for a good deal. No deal is worth their ridiculously chaotic and half-cocked service. They are under staffed and have laid off all of their young talent. Leaving behind a tenured crew of jaded, smarmy, sloth-like and arrogant JACKASSES waiting for a pension. It's awful!! Story time...

My wife and I sat at DFW on a Sunday afternoon watching some inept service attendant (referred to as the "gatekeeper" onward) try to bargain with approximately 200 passengers on a full flight to relinquish their coveted seats to the 20 or so standby passengers that were overbooked by US Airways. Seriously, how can airlines continuously get away with such practices?

What if you called up your bank and ordered 8000 British Pounds Sterling for your upcoming trip to England and upon arrival to pick up the money, the banker hands you a giant box filled with 169,352 Mexican pesos? You look at him blankly and say, "what's this?" He says, "well we really didn't have any extra pounds, so we substituted pesos. It is the same amount of money. Maybe you can change your holiday plans and vacation in Cancun." He smiles and walks away. You, on the other hand, have a pirate's chest of Mexican coins and no tickets to Cancun. Poor business practices, huh? (Maybe that's why we pay frivolous taxes. So we can keep bailing out the two industries).

Back to the story...The gatekeeper was also in charge of boarding passengers on time according to some elementary "zone system" that no one seemed to understand or cared to pay attention to. And to top it off, since US Airways charges $30 per bag, even the laziest of consumers are carrying on their luggage. Intermittently, the gatekeeper would stop with her "Let's Make a Deal" skit to inform passengers that the overhead compartments would be full by the time we boarded "Zone Three". The passengers in "Zone Three" should approach the the counter and allow their bags to be stowed below the plane with the six other bags in the cargo hold. It is only a modest fee, she reiterated. Modest Fee??? What? Who are trying to sell your tainted Kool-aid to? $30 feeds an entire African village for a month. I know this because, I saw it on TV!! It must be true.

"Zone Three" must mean all passengers in Row 4, Seats A & B because my wife and I were the only fools left when "Zone Three" was called to board. Except of course for the ten or so stand-by passengers that couldn't wheel-and-deal food vouchers and first class seats for next Thursday's flight to Boise. Idaho is sorta close to Nevada, you know. You think this crap is funny, just wait. This story is only beginning.

Now, I'm not a total idiot. I suspected where all this nonsense was headed. My geometrically FAA-compliant carry on rolling bag was gonna be an issue. It was. When I finally entered the plane, the last passenger...Remember, my wife and I were "Zone Three". You know, Row 4, Seats A & B. The overheads were full.

For future reference, Row 4, Seat C, must be in Zone One. The fine gentleman occupying this seat was one of the first to board with the baby strollers. Confusing? Don't try to figure it out. I'll tell you how he did it. He must have convinced the harried gatekeeper that his rolling carry-on, his lap-top, his overcoat hanging bag and his day (messenger) bag only equaled "one plus a personal item", AND it allowed him an opportunity to board with the mothers and infirmed because he needed additional time to get situated.

Anyway, while on the gangway just outside the plane's door, the first-class flight attendant, his real name is Mark (I don't care if he finds out I'm about to lambaste him, the story is true), is on the intercom repeatedly instructing the passengers to "face their carry-ons forward with the handles facing out". This procedure will allow for more room and quite possibly Row 4, Seats A & B will have an opportunity to a very feed a hungry African village next month instead of paying to have their luggage checked and stored below. My wife climbed into the miserable "middle seat B" next to the smartly clad gentleman with the four carry-ons. I told I would figure something out. It was the least I could do. The first thing I saw was, directly above my row in the overhead, someone not complying with Mark's pleas. I figured I could be of service and stow at least one of our two carry-ons in the process. Immediately, from behind and below I was verbally assaulted. Mark, from his perch guarding (?) the cockpit door, squealed, "Don't touch that! I put it there. It is to be left alone." I turned to him. He was giving me a look like I soiled his new rug. A "grimaced pucker" is how I would describe the look. Kinda frightening.

I'll finish the story tomorrow. Same blog time. Same blog channel.

Al, the Travel Valet

Pick of the Day(58-13-1)...Yankees

The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game - A Book Review

2009-09-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game is the seventh novel by author, Michael Lewis. After his highly acclaimed debut, Liar's Poker, this is Lewis' at his best. The story weaves back and forth between the evolution of the NFL's Left Tackle position and the unbelievable story of Michael Oher.

The book opens with the disturbing recollection of New York Giants' linebacker Lawrence Taylor's destructive sack of Washington Redskins' Joe Theismann. Taylor's bull rush off the left side of the offensive line, the quarterback's blind side, resulted in a gruesome career ending compound fracture of Theismann's leg.

It was a sack, if you saw it live or on Monday Night Football back in November, 1985, you will never forget. I was a freshman in college and had gone bowling with some friends that night. The Monday Night Football game was playing on the adjacent monitor to where we were keeping our bowling scores manually. I didn't see the live play, but saw the replay when O.J. Simpson, Joe Namath and Frank Gifford were beside themselves announcing the event. The bowling alley went quiet. Balls stopped rolling and pins stood motionless. The aftermath of the collision was hard to witness and even harder to stomach. A collective gasp echoed down the silent lanes. The scene was surreal. The NFL and the left tackle position had changed forever.

While this recounting made for a good opening chapter, this book is about something much bigger...Michael Oher.

A child of dangerous intercity Memphis streets, Michael Oher wandered the streets from age seven and was fending for himself by the age of nine. Michael's absent father was eventually murdered during the boy's formative years and Michael's mother was addicted to crack cocaine. Michael repeated first and second grade and had attended eleven different schools by the time he was finishing middle school. During Michael's seventh grade year he missed more days of school than he attended. His GPA hovered around 0.90, but the system kept passing him off to the next grade. By the time Leigh Anne and Sean Touhy picked Michael off the street, he was a non-communicative dissociative illiterate and also a 6'3", 275 lb., 15 year old black kid with only one pair of shorts, two shirts and no physical address.

I will not spoil the story, but sufficed to say, Michael Lewis utilizes a sense of humor with sound prose and amazing metaphors to create a damn fine read. Check it out before Hollywood spins a different tale and screws it up.

Al, the Travel Valet
Pick of the Day(57-13-1)...Twins

Back From the Dead

2009-09-25T10:14:00.000-07:00

I apologize to everyone who has been eagerly awaiting my return. I was on my own death-watch for the past few weeks. Okay, maybe a slight exaggeration on my part. The flu and my weak bronchial response to the illness really knocked me out. I'm still terribly dazed by the medications and flu grogginess, but will make an attempt to rejoin the literary and internet world today.

I find it astounding that with all our scientific and medical advancement in the past fifty years an otherwise perfectly healthy adult can still be obliterated by the flu for several weeks. The pharmacological and health care industry in the United States is a frickin' joke. The industry focuses on symptom management, not health and wellness. "Let's prescribe something for that nasty cough." (Not what's causing it). I'm so over this.

Don't think for one instant I'm promoting the Obama, Hilary or Pelosi heathcare reform nonsense. That is not the answer! That route is just a means for the further promotion of Socialism!!!

The problems lie within the FDA and its communal relationship the pharmaceutical companies and a seriously corrupt insurance industry. Our healthcare has turned into an outrageous scam that will only worsen as the Baby Boomers age. These two fields have gone the same way as the auto and fuel industry. If this were an unregulated field it would go bankrupt, but since the government feels we can't take care of ourselves, healthcare has become more profitable than oil. The focus on profit margin has crippled research and development and redundant anemic bureaucratic oversight has cost the economy billions and priced a very large portion of society out of vital care. Now, the government wants to overhaul the mess it created at the taxpayer's expense claiming it will not affect the deficit. Hogwash!!! That is not possible. Our Democratic lawmakers tripled our deficit in under a year bailing out two industries that would have fixed itself under the free market system at no cost to anyone except those who damaged themselves in the first place. Government intervention in a free market economy doesn't protect it's citizens, it handicaps them to dependency. Folks we are headed down a path that there is no return. Look at history, please. Rome faltered. So will we.

I'm not saying I have the answers. I don't. Sometimes we must take a step backward to make progress. Let's reexamine what made our country great. Focus on the Constitution and what we stand for. The document was created by great statesmen. Let it work. Don't over-govern. Allow our greatness, like cream, to rise. It will. (It 's the physics of natural order) Greatness always rises.

Al

Catchin' Zzzzzzzz

2009-09-08T11:42:00.000-07:00

There's no glossy interpretation...sleeping on a plane is challenging and ugly. The air is dry, the blankets are scratchy, the seats get smaller every other year(we aren't getting bigger, are we?) and the lights and noises of the cabin are intrusive. The planes are fuller than ever with reduced capacity and less flight service. To top it off, airlines charge for the use of pillows so our necks bob with the turbulence. It is just ugly.

As the story goes, my father used to drive me in my infant years around town in the front seat of the old Ford when I couldn't sleep. It supposedly settled me enough to sleep. I'm have no memory of this, of course, but the story contradicts my current predicament. I cannot sleep while in transit. Not even a little. It's so bad, I will probably awaken in the hearse on the way to the grave. I have absolutely no idea why this occurs, but it is real. I have tried over-the-counter, prescription and "under-the-counter" medication. My body/mind will not relax; I'm neither nervous nor anxious, just not sleepy. It is odd.

For the rest of the world, sleep may be possible. Try chamomile tea or glass of milk. Some swear by padded eye masks and ear plugs. Others won't go anywhere without noise reduction head phones (Bose) or a buckwheat pillow/neck collar. I say try them all and discard those without benefit. Lack of sleep and poor hydration are the two main causes of jet lag. And jet lag can be nasty, even ruining the first several days of a much earned vacation. Don't take this too lightly. I try and will continue to try everything. Maybe someday I will find something that works for me. Happy snoozing.

Al. the Travel Valet
Pick of the Day(56-13-1)...Phillies

Returned from Texas with a New Appreciation....

2009-09-07T11:56:00.000-07:00

Just returned from Texas with a new appreciation...for humidity! Holy Mackerel!!! We landed in Austin early Thursday afternoon. The temperature hovered near 100 until about 3pm and then Satan decided to open his bathroom window while taking a shower, 102F & 90% humidity. After spending thirty-five years in the sweat soups of Texas and Florida one would think I would be accustomed to this insanity. I'm not; I almost dissolved.

It was the first Thursday of the month so, we decided to checkout the First Thursday Markets on South Congress. It was so damn miserable outside that the market vendors were closing up shop around 5:30. No one wanted to play. Next, we went indoor and dug into some Guero's tacos. Conditioned air is a good thing. Guero's Taco Bar lived up to the hype and delivered an excellent afternoon diversion. After a house margarita and a few chicken especial tacos we opted to forego the ubiquitous bats under the South Congress Bridge for the climate controlled environs of a city driving tour. That ended Thursday.

On Friday, the rains came. An afternoon deluge left us pondering our options in a Target parking lot while a two inch flow of water raced across the parking lot toward drains unseen for what seemed an hour. We decided to head for the safety of the Crowne Plaza Hotel. On the on ramp to the highway water flooded into the rental car from under the floorboard. Seriously, it was raining hard. The night ended with a forgetable visit to the Pappasito's cantina.

Saturday started with a very pleasant brunch at Kerbey Lane Cafe. I'm pretty sure they put a little vanilla in their pancake batter. Kinda addictive, don't you think? After a few marvelous hours in the Central Market, we crept along the University of Texas campus to Scholtz Garten. There we drank cervezas and people watched at the oldest business establishment in Texas before and evening of grandiose college football at the stadium. What an amazing day!! On Sunday, we overslept our checkout time and made it to the airport in time for a Salt Lick BBQ sandwich before boarding a Frontier flight for cooler Las Vegas. That just sounds ridiculous, cooler Las Vegas.

Al, the Travel Valet
Hook'em
Pick of the Day(55-13-1)...Cubs

Europe's Central Courtyard

2009-08-24T09:24:00.000-07:00

La Grand Place

Very few urban squares/piazzas will make the initial impact of Brussels' Grote Markt. It is an eye-popping beauty, pin-up poster worthy. The ornate Baroque facades of the powerful guild houses date back to the 15th century offer eye candy at every turn. The cherry of this grand square is the Gothic Hotel de Ville which opened in 1402, creates a splendid stage for...anything. this Grand Place is a "wowzer" if there ever was one.

Believe it or not, most of Brussel's intercity was bombed out by Louis XIV of France in the 1600's destroying some 5000 wooden buildings. The buildings on this square survived some of the onslaught. Could you imagine what might have been? Exquisite.

The Grand Place provides a stage and backdrop from quite a few bigtime productions: the biannual Flower Carpet (Tapis de Fleurs) takes place every other August on even numbered years and the Ommegang Pageant takes place annually in July. The Ommegang pageant is a medieval reenactment of the 1549 procession of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Both are don't miss opportunities if your plans can swing it.

While Brussels isn't a cost effective travel destination, a day trip to the Grote Markt (the Grand Place) with a wax-paper flute of Belgian fries in one hand and a draught of Duvel in the other can make for one affordably unforgettable day. Cheers.

Al, the Travel Valet

Pick of the Day(54-13-1)...Phillies

Scenic Train Travel

2009-08-22T08:27:00.001-07:00

Nothing stimulates the romance of travel like a choo-choo. What's funny, I don't why know this is true. Maybe it's the confines or the repetitive thumping of a imperfect wheel on a steel rail or possibly the casual speed of the train relative to the scenery. I don't know. My guess is... it's the movies that created, dramatized and glamorized train travel. Humphrey Bogart or Clark Gable chasing after a train to catch Ingrid Bergman or Eva Marie Saint will do it every time. Since I'm not a child of the Fifties, that's my parent's generation, I was educated through westerns and war movies on television. What's not more romantic to a young boy than to climb on a train escaping your mother's apron strings and seeing the world? WOW!

Trains stimulate the adventurous imagination more so than planes. Again, I'm not sure why. It's just, planes seem so "business". If you have a weekend or even better, a week to indulge yourself in adventure then take a train ride. Here are a few I highly recommend:

Rocky Mountaineer - http://www.rocky-mountaineer.com/ - this train travel company's routes bubbles over with scenery. Everywhere you look in the Canadian Rockies you will find majestic alpine mountains and abundant wildlife. The Rocky Mountaineer takes advantage of this opportunity as well it should. There are several routes to choose, all are good, but I recommend a Vancouver to Jasper National Park through Fraser Canyon...amazing.
The Mount Ranier Scenic Railroad - http://www.mrsr.com/ - a 90 minutes ride through the foothills of Mount Ranier in a vintage 1920's locomotive makes for a fine day.
The Royal Scotsman - http://www.royalscotsman.com/ - This fabulous train takes you on an elegant 4-day journey. What great way to see the ever changing countryside of Scotland.
Deccan Odyssey - http://www.thedeccanodyssey.com/ - A 21 coach train travels eight days safely through India passing thriving beach communities, quaint towns and impoverished villages from Mumbai to Maharashtra. Quite the eye opener.
The Blue Train - http://www.bluetrain.co.za/ - South Africa's Orient Express travels 27 hours from Cape Town to Pretoria. Very elegant, a little pricey, but a interesting experience overall. 1.5 Thumbs Up
Xining, Qinghai-Lhasa Tibet - This rail line opened to passengers in late 2006. The 1000+ kilometer trip from Beijing to Lhasa (the capital of Tibet) is an architectural masterpiece through the Himalayans rising over 16,000 feet at it's highest point. A ticket for this 650 mile trip is less than $75. Unbelievable.

Interested in more? Don't hesitate to email me at theTravelValet@gmail.com

AL, the Travel Valet
Pick of the day(54-13-1)...White Sox

From Regent Street to Somerset House

2009-08-20T13:23:00.000-07:00

Exhausted by the thought of another harried Christmas/Holiday Season? Dreading the annual visit from Uncle Whatshisname? Or not living up to your mother's discerning eye? Then why not travel to England this Christmas and experience a European Christmas without the need for translation?

London's shopping season opens in mid November when Regent Street ceremoniously turns on it's Christmas lights for a pedestrian parade, and then London bursts wide open with yuletide passion. This historic city prefers to spread out it's Christmas cheer over its expanse. From the Marble Arch to Harrod's to Regent Street to the Natural History Museum to Somerset House, the city of London comes alive with the electric spirit of Christmas. Bundle up against the weather and get lost in London's winter beauty. See the Norwegian fir dazzle Christmas joy across Trafalgar Square. Visit Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland where fairy lights twinkle over a traditional German Christkindlmarkt. And finally, off to Somerset House where possibly the most beautiful setting for an ice skating rink can be found. Top the day off with some hot cocoa and you will have a holiday to remember. No Uncle Whatshisname, no harried Target/Macy's/Wal-Mart shopping, no cooking and cleaning for twenty and no disapproving relative huffing "under their breath, but within earshot". Just a marvelous holiday in a marvelous locale. Want to join me?

Oh...did I forget to mention Harrod's, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols?

Al, the Travel Valet

theTravelValet@gmail.com

Pick of the Day(53-13-1)...Cardinals

Westminster Abbey: England's Snow Globe

2009-08-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

So, you prefer the History Channel to history books and Cliff's Notes to the classics. You are not the only one who has admitted this to me. And the honesty is appreciated.

You want to experience English history, but don't want to work for it. You don't say? Well, I have an idea just for you, Westminster Abbey.

Westminster Abbey is the greatest church in the English-speaking world, where kings and queens have been buried since 1066. To know the history of the abbey is to understand the history of England. The abbey was built in 1065 and its name means "church in the west" (west of St. Paul's). There is 1000 years years of history in these walls with 3000 tombs and the remains of 29 kings and queens. There are literally 100s of memorials to writers, poets, politicians and warriors behind some of the world's most exquisite stained glass. A peak into Westminster Abbey is a peak into England's history, but a two hour walking tour is a 1000 years of history crammed into one excellent episode on the History Channel. Let's take a gander.

Westminster Facts:
Hours: 09:15-16:45 Mon-Sat - Cloisters open until 17:45
Nearest Tube Stations: St. James or Westminster
Tele: 020 72 22 5152
Website: http://www.westminster-abbey.org/

Jeremy Irons narrates a fabulous audioguide which is included in the price of admission. No photos inside, but as always, their will be plenty of photos for sale in gift shop. The abbey is always crowded, but the mass of tourists thins each afternoon around 14:00. A walking guided tour by well-informed vergers is offered for a nominal fee (This is the only way one can see Edward the Confessor's tomb). I think the Jeremy Irons audio is more than adequate along with the free abbey map at the door. You will have no choice but to follow the hordes clockwise through the church. Just be glad this is only a one loop tour. Here is a list of the abbey don't miss sites.

North Transept and view of Nave

Tomb of Edward the Confessor - He's the guy who built the church.

Tombs of Queen Elizabeth I and Mary I - there is only one effigy (Elizabeth). She was still pissed at her sister.

Chapel of King Henry VII - ended War of the Roses with his marriage to Elizabeth of York

Royal Air Force Chapel - this is the former tomb of Oliver Cromwell. Charles II had Cromwell's 2 year dead body exonerated, hanged, drawn and quartered, and then nailed to the gates of the walled city. Seems he needed a little revenge after watching Cromwell hang his father, Charles I, outside the Banquetting Hall. Boy had some rage issues, I guess.

Tomb of Mary, Queen of Scots - Elizabeth had her imprisoned for 12 years before decapitating her. When Elizabeth, the Virgin Queen, died without an heir, James I, the son of Mary of Scots was crowned king. he buried his mother here in the most beautiful portion of the abbey.

Coronation Chair - This gold-plated wooded chair has kissed the royal butt of every king and queen since 1308, sans 2.

Poet's Corner - my Holy Grail.

Cloisters and Abbey Museum - these buildings housed the benedictine monks until Henry VIII kicked them out in 1540 with the Dissolution of the Monasteries

The Nave - This is where you will find Winston Churchill's memorial, "Scientist's Corner" and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

This isn't just the history of the abbey that you just encountered, but the history of England, London and the English-speaking world. This is England in a snow globe or the history of England on a zip-drive. If you are interested in finding out more, send me an email at theTravelValet@gmail.com.

Al, the Travel Valet

Pick of the day(52-12-1)...Rangers, Giants

Do you Really Need a Passport in Texas?

2009-08-14T07:17:00.000-07:00

A 2009 survey conducted by the online booking portal kayak.com found that Americans are woefully uneducated about passports. In this survey of 1000 American respondents, 26% thought that Americans would need a passport to return from Maui and a whopping 50% were certain one needed a passport to return from South Padre Island (in Texas). What???

I didn't see the original survey nor did I meet any of the monkeys that took it, but my belief is these Americans are geographically challenged. I guess South Padre Island could be construed as a Mexican resort beach. I just don't know.

Here are a couple tips that can help with Immigration and what the government neglects to tell you before you departure.

You may be denied boarding or reentry into the United States if:

Your passport is going to expire within 6 months

You don't have enough blank pages remaining on your passport.

At least four months before you plan to travel, make sure you have at least two pages on your passport for every foreign country you plan to visit. if you are cutting it close on pages, it's worth it to order extra pages from a passport office or American consulate. Your passport can't expire while you are out of the country, period. A general rule of thumb is that you should have at least 6 months remaining on your passport beyond your travel dates. I know this sounds obsessive, but the alternative is the chance of being denied entry or exit of a country. The fines and costs of returning home once your travel is halted can become exorbitant and the hassle will be prohibitive.

The recent law changes have made crossing borders more difficult and the laws more confusing, but if you just assume you will need a passport for every border crossing everywhere then you will be fine. So, when you take the family to South Padre Island for one last weekend of beach time before school starts remember to bring along your passport. Just kidding.

Al, the Travel Valet
Pick of the Day(51-12-1)...Cubs

Digging for Treasure

2009-08-11T06:56:00.000-07:00

While not one myself, I am very close to a few treasure seekers. You know the type. The ones that will scour, sift and rummage through countless shelves, racks and piles to save 80% on a 70% off sale burning $30 worth of gas and an entire day off from their paying gig in hopes of "sticking it to...". I don't even know who.

I have tried to understand their justifications, but I can't. I'll just say bless 'em and then get the hell out of their way. They probably say the same thing about my addiction to Saturday college football, To each is own, I suppose.

Although I'm not a shelf scourer or bin tosser, I am a devout people watcher and I have learned over the years that there are excellent people watching opportunities at these "fests". And, I have learned to incorporate a touch of this into my leisure life just for the chance to see the donut-glazed stares of harried women leaning over a table filled with 80 pounds of panties scrambling for the two "medium" sized pair amongst the thousands of "extra-smalls" and "XXXLs".

Grab yourself a beer, a glass of wine or just a bottle of water and venture out on your next day off to one of these famous markets for a little treasured people watching. Here is a list of some of the world's best people watching and bargain hunting events. Try incorporating any of these into your next trip if their locales are not within a day's commute. Trust me; it's worth it.

Portobello Street Market - London's premier flea market (even if the bargains are rare) in trendy Notting Hill. This Saturday morning extravaganza is an eye full of London offerings. Like dessert for your senses, Portobello Market is rich in colors, smells and oddities. Spend a few hours rummaging or watching others in this open air bliss of madness. Go early if you are really a bargain hunter and check out the antiques. Hint: a great remedy for jet lag!

New Caladonian Antique and Flea Market - aka. the Bermondsey Market - this has much better prices and is less touristy that the Portobello or Camden markets. These bargain hunters are serious; they show around 4:30 0r 5:00 am armed with flashlights (torches) to find the best deals before daylight. While this is over-the-top effort for me, I know people very close to me who will wait in line on frigid December mornings to make sure they get their mitts on a Wii for Christmas. I would imagine this is hilarious fun, but I regret I will not be attending. I'm not even sure I can laugh at 4:30am. Do those muscles even work before coffee?

Marches Aux Puces De Clignancourt - What flea market list would be complete without the mother of all flea markets. Marches Aux Puces translates to March of Fleas. How can you not like that? This is also where we dirty Americans derived the name. Situated on the northern outskirts of Paris, this original and one of the larger markets is really twelve markets that grew together over the years. Each day, between 2500 and 3000 stalls are occupied with gloriously cool French junk. Obviously, the better your French, the better the deal. But don't let a language barrier deter you. Half the fun is trying to figure out what is going on all around you. It's a trip.

127 Corridor - Billed as the "World's Longest Yard Sale" stretching 654 miles from Covington, Kentucky to Gadsen, Alabama, it sounds more like a Jeff Foxworthy joke than a market. I'm told this week-long, once a year event is chock full of flavor, bric-a-brac and southern hospitality. I guess I'll take their word for it. I would be remiss not to mention the 127 Corridor Market here, but I prefer my flea markets slightly more self-contained like my next choice.

Rose Bowl Swap Meet- Limited to the confines of Pasadena, California's Rose Bowl and the hours of 9am-3pm on the second Sunday of each month is more my style of flea markets. Let's cram 100,000 people and vendors into a confined bowl and watch them banter over a used surf board or lawn ornament. That's what I call "people watching". What kind of stinks here is these Cali capitalists charge admission, $8-15, depending on how long you want to stand in line to get in and what time you wish to enter. This gratuitous cash grab eliminates some of my favorite kinds of bargain hunters, the super cheap. Mostly, you will find curious middle class locals at this event along with the traveling carny-like vendors barking "Hey, Rube! I got da' best stuff, check it out."

First Mondays in Canton - This market, as its name suggests, is only open on the first Monday of the each month, yet is inundated with 100,000+ bargain shoppers. This market specializes in Texas arts and crafts, some of it truly fabulous. First Monday has a state fair atmosphere and county fair ambiance. Refreshing Texas hospitality seeps from everything. Covering over 1000 acres of endless stalls, this is not for rookies. They even pass out maps in hopes of shoppers not getting lost. If you think you are just going to pop in and have a look-see, think again. First Monday is an all day event as well it should be since you have to drive 60 miles east from Dallas to get there. Oh, and did I mention the people watching. Hee-Haww!

Al, the Travel Valet
Pick of the Day(50-12-1)...Yankees

My Summer Vacation...

2009-08-09T06:50:00.000-07:00

I remember elementary school vividly, thirty-five years ago. But I can't remember Tuesday, five days ago. Before one of you thinks, "what's wrong with this guy?", let me finish. It's not because I have some short-term memory issue. It's because last Tuesday was a regular routine day for me and elementary school was an adventure. We need to remember to look through the eyes of our children this summer and encourage that sense of adventure, theirs and ours.

Most American families are reeling in this recession. Worrying about their mortgage payments, the aging family sedan and the cost of remaining status quo has taken precedence to the annual family vacation, as well it should. But lest we forget, our children will not be children for long. And the opportunity we have to influence our children dwindles everytime a new "WiFi hotspot" is established. Even if there is not a lot of "extra" money to spend this summer. Spend it on the opportunity to bond with your children. It doesn't take much to "wow" a child.

Here are a few ideas that don't cost too much.

Go to the Beach, Forest, Mountains or Hills - Nature costs nothing. Raid the refrigerator and make some crazy-fun picnic. Break the "vegetable" rule for a day. Pack treats.
Go hiking, swimming, camping, exploring, beach combing or star gazing. Bring a Frisbee and the family pet. Start a campfire and roast weenies and marshmallows. Just because you think it may be boring, look into your child's eyes and tell me that it's not worth it. It's amazing how much fun your children can have on a tank of gas.
Museum Hop - If you live in or near the big city, plan a fun day of public transportation and museum hopping. Only spend a few hours at each place checking out the highlights. Remember this is for the children and their attention spans are not in tune with yours. Eat food from street vendors in the park, a pretzel can make someones day. Visit the biggest public library or check out the fire station to mix things up.
Tune into your Child's Hobbies - What are your child's favorite things? Focus on them and plan an itinerary around it. If he likes to bicycle, drive him to some trails or hills and ride them together. He will enjoy and laugh each time you have to push your bike to the top and scream on the way down. If she loves animals, go to the zoo, aquarium or Natural History Museum. If they are adrenaline junkies, encourage roller blading, skateboarding or an amusement park with white-knuckle rides. Try it yourself. Let them show you how. There is going to be some laughs at your expense, but it will be worth it.

Focus on your attitude and their desires. Family vacations are about quality family time without interruption. Trust me, we need it as much as they do. Watching your child's eyes grow, face smile and belly laugh goes a long way in recharging a parent's batteries. Best yet, when the first day of school returns and the teacher tells your child to write an essay on their summer vacation...there is no pause.

Pick of the Day(49-12-1)...Blue Jays

Grandest European Cities

2009-08-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

"What are the five grandest European cities?" I was asked this yesterday and to answer the question took me 24 hours. My first instinct was to answer with my favorites. But I thankfully hesitated and pondered the question. Even though this is a subjective question, this is what I believe to be my very best answer in ascending order...

5. Amsterdam - This is Scandinavia's centerpiece. Every continent needs a San Francisco and this is Europe's version. Young, liberal and forward-thinking, this Rembrandt masterpiece come-to-life will convince you that there is still plenty of youthfulness in your blood as you meander the cobbled streets and canals on your borrowed bike. A lovely start to any amazing journey.

4. Venice - Romantically captivating, this city known for it's canals, lovers and pigeons is breathtaking one moment and heartbreaking the next. St. Mark's Square is possibly the grandest of all Italian piazzas and picture postcard beautiful. This city of tiny islands is slowly being taken back by the sea rotting from its foundations upward and quickly becoming a tourist trap. Only the very wealthy and those fortifying the tourist trade still reside on the islands. That is sad.

3. London - This is the English-speaking zenith. Even though London has outgrown its walls by a thousand fold, this city is where an enormous portion of Americans can trace there roots. If not there hereditary roots, then surely their educational and linguistic roots. London is and has been the cornerstone of literary genius since Chaucer. Most of the greatest works of literary art were cultivated through London. What Paris has accomplished in the name of Impressionism and Patriotic Revolution, England has doubled that effort for the written word. Shakespeare, enough said. Sadly, London, in all its growth, has lost its Englishness, that is our progressive world, I know. But it's kind of depressing to know there are more Indian restaurants in London than pubs.

2. Rome - My heart wants this to be the grandest city in all of Europe, but its not. That award goes to the Gauls. Nevertheless, Roma is the cultural and spiritual beginning of our Western Civilization. The largest Christian church in the world resides self-contained in its own country encapsulated by Rome. The most powerful rulers of all time conquered the far reaches of the known world for more than 1000 years. Italy was only unified in 1870, but Rome was founded April 21, 753 BCE. From the Forum to the Pantheon to the Colosseum to the Vatican, Rome's history ebbs from every orifice. Rome can't even expand its subway system in fear of losing any more archaeological history to development. If we are not African or Asian, then we are most probably (at least a little) Roman.

1. Paris - Belgians have a joke, "God made France too perfect, he had to add the Frenchmen to even the score." Even so, Paris is the Grand Dame of European cities. The city was so beautiful Hitler didn't have the heart to bomb it like he did London. Of course, the English would say the French laid down when the Germans turned there tanks toward the French border. So be it. Napoleon commission the Arc de Triomphe in 1810 to stroke his ego, but it wasn't completed until 1836. Next, Baron Haussmann rebuilt the city to its current magnificence between 1852 and 1870. And then Gustave Eiffel added his final touch in 1889. I'm glad Hitler allowed the city to stand. To top off this idyllic and picturesque city life, Paris has the grandest collection of museums in the world including the queen of them all, the Louvre.

One may not agree with my ranking of these cities, but one can't argue they don't belong.

Al, the Travel Valet
thetravelvalet@gmail.com

Pick of the Day(48-12-1)...Giants

I'm not a "Foodie", but these are Big D can't misses

2009-08-04T15:10:00.000-07:00

Awesome Dallas Eats...

Everybody who knows me understands I could really care less about food. I'm a refuel and move on kinda guy. Maybe it was growing up in the cultureless suburbs or just not wanting to sit still long enough to appreciate the cuisine. Or maybe I have broken taste buds. I don't know. Anyway, I usually opt for atmosphere over ingredients. Here are a few in Dallas that have a lot of both .

The Mecca Restaurant - 10422 Harry Hines Blvd. Talk about culture. If you've been to Dallas and haven't been to the Mecca, well, you never really visited. The place is authentically Texan. The people treat you as if they've known you all their lives. The food is 100% made from scratch. Go for breakfast and order chicken fried steak and eggs. If you can't manage it on your diet, try the pancakes. They are a little on the big side. The place isn't sexy and neither are the patrons, but you can't help but love it. Every last white gravy soaked drop.

Campisi's Egyptian Restaurant - 5610 E Mockingbird Ln. This place is "old school" in every sense of the phrase. This is one of the few remaining speakeasy/hangouts from the 40's. Many organized crime bosses including Jack Ruby hung out here and some still do alongside former Dallas Cowboys. The restaurant introduced pizza to Dallas and was my first "non-Chef Boyardee" Italian food. The place ebbs atmosphere. What about the "Egyptian" in the name you ask? Well, as the story goes, when Campisi opened the restaurant he couldn't afford to take down the neon sign of the previous tenant, The Egyptian Lounge, so he incorporated the "Egyptian" into the restaurant name. You gotta like that. Make sure you eat in the original locale at the bar or in the Egyptian Lounge .

Highland Park Pharmacy

Hernandez Finer Foods

Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse - 2202 Inwood Rd. Holy smoked meats, Batman. This place is ridiculous good. I normally refuse to offer advice on Tex-Mex and BBQ restaurants because someone is gonna bark a better joint. Regardless, you are not going to find a better atmosphere to eat insanely good Texas smoked meats than at this location. You'll see why when you get there and have to sit in an old time elementary school desk to chow. Awesome.

I know I left off a ton of amazing eateries, but this little list will make you happy and serve you up a huge helping of Texas. Soup's on!!!

Al, the Travel Valet

thetravelvalet@gmail.com
Pick of the Day( 49-11-1)...Marlins

Liar's Poker - Book Review

2009-08-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

Traveling down time allots me adequate opportunity to knock out a novel. Normally, I try to read something new, but this time I went back and reread Michael Lewis' Liar's Poker. I'm glad I did.

Published by W.W. Norton and Co. in 1989, the book received critical acclaim pretty much everywhere. When I read it the first time back in 1990 I was between undergrad and grad school. To be honest, I didn't like it. I assumed, at the time, that maybe I was too immature or naive to wrap my mind the vast amounts of tongue-in-cheek humor. Basically, I was giving the literary world the benefit of my doubt. Now, twenty years later, chock full of my own sarcastic wit, I still don't think it is bestseller worthy. But, what do I know? I'm not Oprah. (See? There is a little of my own.)

Don't get me wrong, the book is good, damn good.

The beauty of this novel is in its outrageous and true tales of the salesmen of Salomon Brothers that created the bond trading industry and almost ruined the American economy in the 1980's. Lewis introduced characters to the general non-business public like Michael Milken and John Gutfruend. Even twenty years later, after the the "junk-bond king" did his time, Salomon went under and thousands of CNN news stories filled cable television, I still find the tidbits of insider information enlightening.

Lewis is a master of the metaphor and simile. This talent keeps the reader's imagination on overdrive. It also exhibits the work the author put into his work. He just didn't regurgitate a story, but told it in humorous, anecdotal metaphors. His style is amazing and one I wish I could capture as my own.

Kinda fitting, I chose this crucial time in our current economy to reread Michael Lewis' Wall Street tale. I did it on purpose, of course. Many parallels in our economic makeup exist today with the state of the economy after the 1987 stock market crash. Difference being we had much farther to fall this time around. One thing is certain, history does repeat itself.

This book is worth the read. Very well written. And for non-fiction...entertaining.

Pick it up. Or pick it up again.

Al, the Travel Valet

Pick of the Day(46-10-1)...Dodgers,Tigers, Rays

The Freezing Dog Savior

2009-07-30T12:07:00.000-07:00

I woke before the alarm and the sun; I didn't want to, but I did. Where am I? At first there was just confusion and darkness and then I realized...I was freezing. I tried to pull the covers higher, but the hotel's housekeeping tucked the sheets and blanket too tight. I remembered. I am at the Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal, California. I could not pull hard enough on the covers. My fingertips ached from the cold; could this be frostbite. My brain knew better, but...jeez. How can a hotel room possibly get this cold? And how could my mother enjoy this absurd temperature? I was in pain.

"Screw this, " I whined. "I'm getting up." I closed my eyes and then slowly opened them. I read somewhere that it helped you see better in limited light. Putting the theory to the test, I gave it a shot. Blackout curtains really work. I saw absolutely nothing. I tried a second of my six senses and listened. Crammed into a double queen room with a kitchenette was my wife sleeping next to me. My daughter sharing the bed with the Ice Queen and her two dogs. I was sure I could hear every last one of them and their slumbered breath. Certain I could not get up without waking at least half the room, I laid back down and tried to see my frosty breath. It was too dark, but I'm positive I could have with a little light. After what seemed an eternity, my wife stirred.

"You okay?" She whispered.

"No, rigor mortis has commandeered my extremities."

"Huh?"

"Nothing." Sometimes my humor goes unappreciated.

"I didn't hear you." The volume of her whisper rose slightly.

"I said...I'm freezing." It wasn't worth repeating myself. She was barely awake.

"Yeah, it's cold. I'll go turn up the thermostat." She sounded as if she meant it. She is awesome like that.

"No, it's okay. I'll live...maybe." This wasn't a North Face commercial and I didn't want to sacrifice my wife's health. If a mammoth can survive an Ice Age, so could I. Wait a sec, mammoths didn't make it. I'll probably die too. What kind of fire could possibly be in that woman's blood for her to enjoy the single digits of a thermometer in a tissue-thin nightgown? I considered it for a moment and decided she may be the cause of the global warming crisis. Maybe I should alert the global warming watchdogs. Curled fetally in my pre-rigor state, I tried to figure out who I should contact. I couldn't think of any, so...

"Screw it. I'm gettin' up." Survival instincts took over. I needed to save myself. Sitting up, I threw my legs over the side of the bed. Mom's poor little dog was at my feet wimpering to be saved. I dressed and took the dog for a walk. The poor dog peed little yellow ice cubes. Did I tell you it was cold. It's not often, one's gets to be a dog hero before daylight. Maybe PETA or Cesar "the Dog Whisperer" Millan should honor me with a roast.

To continue reading about the Adventures of Al, please visit his website at http://www.thetravelvalet.com/.

Al

Pick of the Day(45-9-1)...Phillies and Rays

Yosemite is Timeless

2009-07-30T08:19:00.000-07:00

The last time I visited Yosemite, I was about my daughter's age, 12. I remember thinking the place was really "cool" and "neat-o". Thirty some-odd years later, I found better words. "Mesmerizing", "awe-inspiring", and "humbling" are my newer, more adult words for the same picturesque moments I encountered this week. I never seem to grasp how small I really am until I am confronted with these monumental wonders.

Only a few days later, I still have not come to terms with the relative size of everything Yosemite. Think about it...El Capitan is the largest single piece of granite above ground on the face of the earth. Yosemite Falls is the tallest falls in North America and third largest on earth. And you can look at them at the same time by turning your head. The Mariposa Grove, while it doesn't claim the oldest or largest tree, is the largest concentration of giant sequoias in the world. Many are so close they have grown together. A sequoia named, "Old Grizzly" is considered to be around 1900 years old and is 92 ft in diameter at its base. I have slept in much smaller hotel rooms. It seems impossible to come to comprehend the grandness and I just left. Maybe "neat-o" is a better adjective.

Yosemite Facts

Yosemite National Park is located 195 miles east of San Francisco and 276 miles north of Los Angeles, California

It's 761,266 acres cover almost 1000 miles in circumference.

Became a World Heritage Site in 1984.

Ansel Adams spent a lifetime here photographing Yosemite's wonders

Yosemite Falls is solely fed by snowmelt and dries up every August

Abraham Lincoln signed a bill protecting the Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove during the Civil War.

The US Calvary protected the park until the Ranger Service was created.

The sport of rock climbing got it's start in Yosemite. As a matter of fact, the campground at the base of El Capitan is listed on the World Heritage Registry as being instrumental in the formation of the sport.
There are over 800 miles of hiking trails within the park

If your thinking of visiting Yosemite National Park, please contact me at theTravelValet@gmail.com. I can provide a wealth of info and advice as well as some very current itinerary tips.

Wildlife sights on this trip included: American black bear (mother and three cubs), mule deer, yellow-bellied marmot, rainbow trout, coyote and timber wolf. That was enough to validate the trip by itself.

Al, the Travel Valet

Pick of the Day(44-9-1)...Red Sox

Life's Autumn

2009-07-19T14:51:00.000-07:00

I got up this morning, like any good rooster, to crow and watch Lance Armstrong's comeback in the Tour de France. Getting up on less than three hours sleep gets harder as the years pass, my mind and body want to linger longer on the goose down, but I forge forward and will my self downstairs to the television room. Lance is on. I am loyal.

The race is leaving France and entering the Swiss Alps as I rub the sleep away. The first thing I notice is Lance is not at the front, but lingering at the rear of the peloton. This is not like him. His motis operandi is to steer clear of danger and hang around the front end of the peloton surrounded by his teammates. I sense danger like seals off Dyer Island in South Africa, white sharks are lurking nearby. My stomach starts to churn. I worry. The picturesque Swiss countryside zooms by at 35 miles per hour. That's how fast these insanely fit men tackle the Tour de France mountain stages. They are in the Swiss Alps for Christ's sake, some of the steepest mountains in the world. I'm am in awe as I watch. I can only stretch out my 44 year old back on the sofa and dream of such things.

The day's breakaway of riders is caught at the bottom of the nastiest climb to the ski resort, Verbier. I watch Alberto Contador look at faces of the few remaining competitors. I know what is about to happen. I saw Lance do the same thing six years earlier. Contador was looking into the eyes of his combatants and challenging their greatness (read: manhood). I knew then, at that very nanosecond, it was over. Contador turned forward and faced the alpine mountain, his only competitor, took a deep breath and said, "It's just you and me." And then it was over. Alberto Contador's 25 year old legs accelerated as if going downhill.

Lance had nothing. I was depressed. Ten minutes later, the race was over. Lance finished ninth on the day and sat in second for the Tour. A truly remarkable achievement, but not what I hoped. Not the way I needed it to end. What? Not the way I needed it? I didn't race. Hell, I'm not even in Europe. But, I'll explain

Many times in my life I have tried to explain sport and how it symbolized a man's life in microcosm. I'm not sure if my argument ever bore any fruit to any of my audience, but the parallel holds true for me. The battle on the field or on the race course exemplifies the journey of a man's life, it's life in microcosm. The championships are too glorious and and the failures much too foreboding. Sometimes, I catch myself living through sport, pinning hopes on great seasons or routing the evil enemy. And in the end, always falling short of perfection. In sport, there is only one champion each season and everyone else loses. Kinda cruel, like life, but if you don't play, you can't win. This is how I pursue life.

Anyway, back to Lance. He didn't have the legs to match the 25 year old. I saw the fire in his eyes turn to solemn acceptance. He was done. The championships are behind him. Lance slipped into Life's Autumn.

He may go fighting, kicking and scratching. Most champions do. Ali, Jordan, Emmitt Smith, Brett Farve, Greg Norman and Tom Watson in this year's British Open all tried to recapture youth. But Lance is through.

I went back to bed depressed. I slept most of the rest of the day. I needed Lance to prove it was possible to postpone the inevitable Autumn. It's not possible, I know this consciously. My life is in it's very late Summer, I feel it every day. It's sad. I pray I have the courage to admit and accept Autumn when it arrives. I can almost see it on the horizon. I can definitely smell it in the air.

LiveStrong

Al

Pick of the day(42-9-1)...Rockies

WSOP Out, Yosemite In

2009-07-16T12:05:00.000-07:00

With the WSOP ending last night earlier than expected, the Travel Valet gets to focus on upcoming trips and planning trips for clients. Tonight we'll close out an Itinerary for two '30 something' American women going on a South African safari at Kruger National Park, then a helicopter adventure over Victoria Falls in Zambia and finally, cage diving with great white sharks off Cape Town. Talk about experiencing life...wow! These girls are going to have opportunities to embrace life changing moments continuously for 14 days. Have fun.

Al, on the other hand, is off trekking again next week. He will journey into Death Valley and battle some of earth's harshest conditions and then move on to Yosemite National Park in hopes of rediscovering his tail feathers. Puk Ack!! A little El Capitan, a little Half-Dome and throw in a lot of hiking for rejuvenation were the doctor's orders. I swear. Sitting in stale poker rooms for 6 weeks doesn't do much for this rooster's complexion.

After California, we are off to the Texas Hill Country in early September with a long weekend in Austin. Because? Because we want to. Anyway, why wouldn't one wish to visit Austin? Its possibly the coolest city in the US. After that trip ends, the Travel Valet gang will set out to experience some true Americana in early October, state fairs. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Next stop, Yosemite. All aboard.

Al

Pick of the Day(42-9-1)...Braves

Oh, the irony...

2009-07-14T14:41:00.001-07:00

According to the writing gods, irony is a literary or rhetorical device that suggests incongruity or discordance between what is true and what is generally understood to be true.

Last week, Time.com printed an article on their website that examined a recent poll of 4000 worldwide hotel employees released by Expedia.fr (the French branch of the travel portal). The question was asked, "Who are the worst and most obnoxious travelers?" My first thought was here we go again. The French just want to take another jab at Americans. Over the course of my traveling life I've consistently heard complaints by foreigners, especially the French, about "those crass Americans". Honestly, I was offended and have spent the better part of my life going out of my way not to be "crass". But, lo and behold, guess what the results turned up?

Americans aren't the "crass", obnoxious travelers. It's the stinking Francos. And what's really ironic, it's just not the rest of the world that dislikes the Gallic attitude; they even finished at the bottom of the rankings when traveling in their own country and rated by other countrymen.

Now, this is refreshing news. And to make their "gripe" on the Americans even more ridiculous, the Gauls even finished dead last on attempting or being unwilling to communicate in a foreign language on foreign soil. Ha! and Double Ha! I don't wanna hear it anymore. Just eat your Royale with cheese (Quarter Pounder) and be quiet.

As Alanis Morissette sings, "Isn't it ironic...don'tcha think?"

Al
Happy Bastille Day!

Spent some time with celebs

2009-07-10T02:18:00.000-07:00

Not sure exactly what an "A" list celebrity is, but I had the opportunity to spend a little time with some relatively famous television and movie actors. My life crossed paths with the lives of Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Alexander, Robin Leach, Brad Garrett and Antonio Tarver this week. I know Antonio Tarver is a boxer, but he did that "Rocky Balboa" movie, so he counts. Some were very cool and some just thought they were.

Why am I even bringing this up, you ask? Well, its because our culture is so very star struck. Many of us live vicariously through the lives of stars. Television programs like, TMZ, and periodicals, such as Us and People, make a killing on this very premise. And I'm not sure why.

I understand entertainment soothes the soul and relaxes the mind. Sometimes entertainment affords an inexpensive "mental" vacation from the rigors of life. I get it. But people, seriously, these folks are just ordinary schmoes that happen to get paid entirely too much. Yes, these actors have talent, a talent for pretending. Yes, some are beautiful, but I see more beautiful people every single day. I just don't get it. There are people in the world who may deserve some or even most of their adoration: Tiger Woods in golf; Roger Federer in tennis; Lance Armstrong in cycling; the late Bette Davis, Jimmy Stewart or Sir Lawrence Olivier in acting; Abraham Lincoln and Benjamin Franklin as American statesmen; even the Beatles or Michael Jackson make sense. These examples are exemplary talents in their specific fields of endeavor. They are the best of the best. Patterning your career goals after these professional champions is admirable. But embracing George Constanza, Robert Barone or Mason Dixon is disconcerting.

On a side note, Jason Alexander and Brad Garrett have a new fan...me. These two gentlemen were every bit as cordial as you could hope them to be. I wish them every success.

Al, the Travel Valet

Pick of the Day(41-9-1)...Giants

Surprised? I shouldn't be.

2009-07-07T02:09:00.000-07:00

I can't say it is beyond possibility, and I shouldn't say I'm surprised. But...I am surprised, maybe astounded. The remarkable production of Lance Armstrong over the first 3 stages of the Tour de France and after a four year absence can be described as surreal. Jeez, he's only six weeks removed from a major surgery in which a five-inch metal plate was inserted along with 12 screws to piece back together his clavicle that was shattered in four places. And if you don't think it's such a big deal because he pedals for a living, think again. Try climbing a hill on a bicycle without pulling with your arms. Not that hard, huh? Now, turn that little incline you call a hill on your driveway into the Swiss Alps. Yes, Lance is pedaling up the Pyrenees and the Alps with a recently reconstructed shoulder, a pair of 37 year old legs and faster than any human on Earth. Wow. Are there any appropriate adjectives?

I have to admit there may be a full-bore, no-holds-barred man-crush in the near future if he pulls it off. I, was satisfied with his seven consecutive Tour de France titles with the first being only eighteen months after brain surgery to remove malignant cancerous tumors. I guess the key word in the last sentence was "I" because Lance was not. He's back.

I'm honored just to witness this bionic man will greatness. He is greater than Tiger, Federer, Jordan and Kobe combined. Don't scoff. What have any of these gifted athlete's overcome. Tiger won the U.S. Open on a destroyed knee. That was impressive, but everyone was rooting for him. How about Lance? He continuously battles an entire country of Frenchmen who want him extinguished, but can't ever seem to bring him down. These French elitists fill the media with filthy accusations, but they inevitably lead nowhere. He competes in a tarnished sport where cheating is the norm (kinda sounds like baseball). Armstrong has been tested more than another athlete in history, ten times more. Always passing each test, Lance chooses to take the high road and laugh off these detractors. But you know it stings.

And then there is the LiveStrong Foundation. Along with the Susan B. Komen Foundation, Livestrong is the single greatest vehicle available to find a cure for the disease that affects every single one of us on some level. Cancer kills. No one else fights a more public battle to defeat it than Lance Armstrong.

His exhibitions inspire me to be a better man, father, husband, Texan, American and cancer survivor.

Pick of the Day(40-9-1)...Boston

Nothing Quite Compares

2009-07-04T02:04:00.000-07:00

Nothing Quite Compares...

The guards collected our tickets and we strolled for what seemed a mile on a dusty path down to and through a narrow crevasse in the sandstone canyon. I hoped, really hoped, this arduous travel in uncomfortable conditions would be worth it. We passed a few massive pillars and a couple of temple ruins, not too much really. I stole a quick glance at my wife. By her demeanor, she wasn't taking it well. The trip to get here was a hassle and swallowed two days of our 12 alloted for the side trip, my side trip. I really began to wonder if all the pictures I'd seen over my lifetime were "doctored" or "airbrushed". It began to look like I made a mistake.

Then I saw a glimpse of its form as the crevasse swallowed us at its narrowest. The hand-carved elevation of "The Treasury" almost glowed as we spilled out in the canyon on the other side of the crevasse. My jaw dropped. I stood stiff, overwhelmed in absolute astonishment. This was not a mistake....

Petra, Jordan was a major trade city between 400 BCE and 200 AD. It sat on the Spice Route between the Far East and the West and prospered for almost 600 years until the Romans sacked it. Being semi-arid and of not much benefit to the Romans, the area was abandoned until a Swiss explorer rediscovered Petra in the 1800's.

Carved into the cliffs and hidden from the desert wind, Petra is remarkably pristine. Remarkably! It is easy to see why Steven Speilberg chose Petra and especially The Treasury to film his Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade here. There are over 800 registered historic sites at Petra. The place is awesome.

"match me a marvel, save in Eastern clime
A rose-red city half as old as time." - "Petra", a portion of the sonnet by John William Burgon

This is the second installment of a four part series of mind blowing walks. If you would like me to help you experience Petra, send me a note at theTravelValet@gmail.com.

Al

Pick of the Day(38-8-1)...Boston, Texas

The Game Has Changed

2009-07-03T10:40:00.000-07:00

With the World Series of Poker winding down and the WSOP Main Event starting up, I thought I would throw my two cents into the fountain. After a month of playing and watching the world's best poker players battle for bracelets, I have come to this one conclusion...I have no idea what the hell is going on! I have decided this though, the game of poker is no longer my game. I'm not making these statements because I have become a losing player, which I have, but the atmosphere or texture of the game is so radically different from its roots. I don't respect the game any longer as a game of skill, patience and character, it's nothing but Russian Roulette.

Poker has become a flagrant series of slot machine pulls in which doubling up or going out are the only two options. I don't blame the X-Games/Punk'd/MTV kids that now dominate the sport either. I blame television! The journalists, color commentators and media gurus (ha!) said Chris Moneymaker is the reason the sport exploded. That's crapola. The WSOP was already up 300% the year Moneymaker won. The rise of the sport came via internet gaming. This new avenue popularized bringing the garage and basement game to the masses. The internet poker industry made the game available to practically everyone. Along with the influx of new, younger players came truckloads of new money. These enormous sums of money blanketed the "ugly" poker stigma. The game was on it's way up.

Then came ESPN and television technology of the "hole card" camera. Yeah, I know ESPN covered the WSOP long before the game exploded. But it wasn't the same. Have you ever watched poker on television without seeing each players "hole cards"? It is slow, tedious and mind numbing, a game only Doyle Brunson and Amarillo Slim could love. That game would never intrigue today's generation of adrenaline junkies. They would rather tune in to Days of Our Lives and needlepoint than listen to Dick Van Patten and Gabe Kaplan consider the possibilities of what two or three very ugly men are contemplating while they stare at the felt. It is a truly painful experience.

Then came editing! The television gurus never seem to remind the television viewer that 5500 hands of poker will not be televised due to boredom. Poker is game of FOLDING, people. Not pushing all-in because its been twenty minutes since you sat down and a new episode of Transformers is about to air on the Cartoon Network. Take your friggin' Ritalin already. The new young gun-type players don't know the game any other way than what ESPN shows them. I don't like it and I don't want to play anymore. You can keep the new game and its new breed of players. If I wanted to go all-in or bust I'd spend my money on Lotto.

By-the-way, if baseball caps were meant to be worn crooked, wouldn't they have been designed as such? I don't know...just wondering.

Main Event starts tomorrow at the Rio in Las Vegas.

Pick of the Day(36-8-1)...Dodgers, Yanks

"A Perfect Day for a Bananafish"

2009-07-02T02:24:00.000-07:00

I was going through my emails today and ran across an article that someone forwarded to me. I found it very illuminating. The article was about a recent court ruling banning the publication of a sequel to "Catcher in the Rye".

My initial thoughts while I read the article was..."Is Salinger still alive?" ; "Wow, it's about time. Is Holden still 16?" and "Why would a judge ban the publication of a sequel to Catcher sixty years later?"

I Googled for answers and come to find out... J.D. Salinger is still alive at 91 and living near Cornish, New Hampshire. The book in question's author claims he did not pen a sequel, but according to the court there are enough backhand references to Catcher the judge had no choice but to ban publication. But why? Plagiarists do that kind of crap all the time and make a good living at it. Jeez, hasn't everybody seen books titled Robert Ludlum's Bourne Whatever by Get Rich Quick or similar nonsense like J.R.R. Tolkien's Whatever of the Rings by I. Play Dungeons? I didn't understand.

It seems, since Salinger isn't dead and this plagiarist didn't receive permission to plagiarize then, I guess, it's illegal to profit. But, the friggin' guy is 91 and he hasn't published since Kennedy was shot, for heaven's sake. If you're gonna let Ludlum, Tolkien and a myriad of other fine novelists be bastardized, then...hum...I guess I see the legal point-of-view. But I'm a writer and this business of stealing another's original thought and authoring crappy sequels even if it's legal is horrific and should be grounds for immediate banishment to leper island.

Oops. This was not my intended subject matter for the blog. I wanted to talk about "A Perfect Day for a Bananafish", J.D. Salinger's first published story in 1948 by The New Yorker. I guess soapboxes were built to stand on. Anyway, read the short story, it's delightful.

On Writing

2009-06-29T14:28:00.000-07:00

I'm often asked what I use for a reference library when I write. My favorite answer is...my mind. However, this isn't usually the case. I only own a half dozen books on writing techniques and style. But frequently utilize just one, The Elements of Style, by Strunk and White. The only other reference I pick up is Roget's International Thesaurus. Pretty much everything else comes free off the internet; Dictionary.com gets most of my business.

I unvaryingly sense I'm misguiding novice writers when I tell them this simple truth. I know writers who have these incredible libraries on the various subjects of writing. I'm not sure what to think...I guess I'm not them. I don't care to read to someone's opinion on character development or dramatic plot twists unless his name is Mark Twain, Jane Austen or William Shakespeare. I like to consider myself open-minded and respect another's opinions on writing, but my voice is mine. That voice is not malleable. Your opinion probably can't change it. Nor should it.

I do have a voracious reading appetite which helps with style, vocabulary and insight. Sometimes I see something new or unique to me and give it a shot. Maybe it's how an author uses a metaphor or a bit of irony. Sometimes the experiment works, sometimes not. Over time, my writing just matures, good or bad. Anyway, that's my answer (for what it's worth).

**Disclaimer***(I just reread what I wrote and decided I needed this post note)

This is intended as a general answer to a general question. But if someone reads something of mine and says there is a character development flaw in my story. I listen.

Al, the Travel Valet

Pick of the Day(35-8-1)...Boston

Well, I'm just dandy. Thanks for asking.

2009-06-28T00:53:00.000-07:00

I met some very pleasant Canucks tonight. They overheard me talking and detected my Texas accent. "I ain't got no stinkin' accent," I said, "I'm a Texan, gawl darnit." After I politely corrected them as to who has the "accent", we became immediately cordial. This kind family thanked me for the warm hospitality my home state offered their daughter while she attended veterinarian school. I tried to explain to them that I had no idea who their daughter was nor had I ever attended said animal doctor university. As a matter of fact, that was my rival school some 20 years ago. They laughed off this bit of info as irrelevant. I shrugged and said, "Okay, your welcome. Anytime." True story.

The family was from Vancouver, Canada. I never asked them; I didn't need to. This fact was written on every exposed item of clothing they wore. I figured they were either from Vancouver or a truck loaded with tacky silk-screened Vancouver merchandise bound for a Wal-Mart in British Columbia had just been hi-jacked and the culprits fled to Las Vegas to avoid apprehension. I considered this possibility for a wink and let it go. Plus these Canadians were way too affable to be hardened criminals. And did I tell you they were nice, 'Mr. Rogers Neighborhood' nice.

Anyway, the point of this silly look into my bizarre life is to bring light to a simple cultural nuance this Canuck family presented. I, a perfect stranger standing in the middle of a casino in Las Vegas, was considered kind and hospitable because of where I was raised.

I know you've seen that Budweiser commercial when that Texan winds up in a New York bar and the bartender asks, "Wassup?" The Texan answers with this long, slow, overly-friendly ramble about his flight to New York and cab ride over to the bar. The New Yorker's question was rhetorical and wasn't looking to be answered, but the Texan, taught to answer every question completely exhibiting demonstrative respect to the questioner, is made to look foolish and dimwitted. The commercial is comical, stereotypical and not far from the truth.

These British Columbians found Texas culture endearing and chose to embraced it instead of spurning it as unusual or different or worse, wrong. That is the lesson. When introduced to a foreign culture, embrace it. Don't try and isolate yourself from new experiences. Your travels will be rewarded.

Blaze a trail,
Al, the Travel Valet

Pick of the Day(34-8-1)...Tampa Bay Rays

Each Day's a Gift, Not a Given

2009-06-25T19:02:00.000-07:00

Treat Every Day As A Gift

I'm gonna tear away from my traveling theme for just one blog. Life is so very fragile. As the world knows, three icons have passed away this week in Los Angeles, Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Two were kind of expected; both Farrah and Ed had been battling mightily against the demon, cancer. Michael's death was a sudden jolt. I guess you couldn't have expected him to leave this earth any other way. Wow. Nary a day passed from the mid 70's to the early 80's that at least one of these stars weren't made mention.

Farrah's transcendent poster adorned the wall of practically every boy I knew growing up (along with Roger Staubach, the Bee-Gees and John Travolta's Saturday Night Fever). Her Texas roots endeared her to me even though I thought Charlie's Angels was too corny. An interesting fact in Longhorn lore, Farrah was James Street's escort the first day he set foot on campus. James went on to accomplish fabulous things at the University. I guess there is something to be said for the women on your arm. May you rest in peace, Farrah. You fought a marvelous fight.

I still remember Ed McMahon's off-screen laugh while Johnny Carson was doing some insanely funny skit in costume. His deep, belly laugh made you laugh along with him even if nothing was funny. I pray they rejoin for an encore performance in the next life; and I hope I can get tickets. Rest in peace, Ed. I'll miss your laugh.

Michael Jackson invented "cool" in the 70's and 80's and defined "weird" thereafter. But I'm not here to exploit his frailty or condemn his character. I'm writing to celebrate his genius. Please, tell me you haven't attempted to moonwalk? Liar. His music and dance identified a generation, helped dissolve race barriers and carried pop music to the rural populous. America melded with "Beat It", "Billie Jean" and "Bad".

Each day's a gift. Blaze a trail and make everyday count. Ask yourself hard questions. Seek the truth. Never, ever quit. Give way more than you take. Find a cause and fight for it. Fear is a sickness; cleanse yourself of fear. Climb the ladder and bring someone with you. Shut up and Listen. Love. Laugh. Pray. Peace.

Blaze a trail,
Al
the Travel Valet

Good Travelin' Songs

2009-06-24T13:42:00.000-07:00

I kinda pick an odd medley of music for my journeys. I pray my travels become spiritually cleansing and I never really know what is gonna "move me". I grew up country, listened to the classics, hid amongst the alt-rockers while pretending to be young and tried, in earnest, to understand urban hip-hop. Somewhere along the way I found myself, but you could hardly classify it as anything, but me. So, I'm not really confident your interested in any of this, but I always find myself making sure I have "my" music. A crying child can disappear with a well thought out playlist. You never know.

Here is a list of killer travel/escape/destination tunes you may enjoy...

Around the World- Red Hot Chili Peppers
Wherever I May Roam - Metallica
King of the Road - Roger Miller
Life is a Highway - Tom Cochran
Fly Away - Lenny Kravitz
Come Away With Me - Norah Jones
Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude - Jimmy Buffet
Ramblin' Man - Allman Brothers
Ramble On - Led Zeppelin (Honestly, I have Led Zeppelin I-IV always on iPod)
Freebird - Lynrd Skynrd
The River - Garth Brooks
The Fireman - George Strait
America - Simon & Garfunkel
Time to Move On - Tom Petty
Marrakesh Express - Crosby, Stills and Nash
City of New Orleans - Arlo Guthrie
Fire and Rain - James Taylor
Scenes From an Italian Restaurant - Billy Joel
Carolina on My Mind - James Taylor
Taking the Long Way Around - the Dixie Chicks (I've spent some time on protest, but I can forgive. Kanye West is still in my doghouse.)
Hook - Blues Travelers

I could have contributed to this list for hours, I have over a thousand on my iPhone. One thing is for sure, there are five bands I never leave home without, Led Zeppelin, Reckless Kelly, Johnny Cash, Blues Travelers and, of course, Jimmy Buffett. I think I can turn any moment on the road into a Jimmy Buffett song. My wife thinks I'm the embodiment of Buffett's, "School Boy Heart". She oughta know, she's smart.
Remember, don't take the well-worn path. Blaze your own. But don't forget your earbuds.

Al, the Travel Valet

Pick of the Day(33-8-1)...Twins

Summers Finally Here

2009-06-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

It has been joyous. Back in March, with the temperatures already cracking the mystical 100 degree mark I began to wonder how hot we would go this summer. Then, "Spring" came. I guess. I'm from the South, Texas and Florida, where there is no real Spring. Only heat and humidity. I grew up thinking the "feels-like" temperature was a scientific form of measurement. Anyway, Las Vegas really cooled down. April and May have been incredibly moderate. I was beginning to think if this is Global Warming or El Nino then I would like a second serving. "May I have some more? Please."

Then yesterday came and reminded me why there are no trees in the desert. They melted.

So, while peeling my sweaty back from the leather seat, I thought of houseboats and how marvelous that would be sipping a cool beverage while puttering along the picturesque coastline of Lake Powell. I dug out my handy-dandy directory and created a houseboat itinerary for all of us this summer. Wouldn't it be fabulous to escape the sweltering heat on your very own houseboat? I can help. Drop me a line at theTravelValet@gmail.com.

Pick of the Day(32-8-1)...Red Sox for second day in a row. Go BoSox!

Witness the Circle of Life in Real Time

2009-06-21T02:14:00.000-07:00

You are not going to believe what you are about to see. I came across this while web searching a trip I am planning for a couple of women travelers. I am still in awe and I've seen this video many times now. Amazing, is all I can say.

Click here --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU8DDYz68kM

If you would like an opportunity to experience life-changing moments like these, drop me a note at theTravelValet@gmail.com.

Pick of the Day(31-8-1)....Red Sox

Watch Out! Car Rental Fees

2009-06-14T17:05:00.000-07:00

This is my second installment of Watch Out!, the Travel Valet tirade. The first post attempted to identify and explain the various fees and taxes that are added to an airline ticket that turns a great $200 fare into a price gouging $350. Today, I'll focus my energy and rhetoric on the car rental industry and its gouging techniques. I will try and break down everything on the rental invoice except insurance (that is for another blog). What am I waiting for?

Car Rental Fees and Taxes

*Disclaimer* Not all of these fees apply to every company or every situation.

Additional Drivers Fee-$25 to $50: More and more of the larger companies are eliminating this fee. Thank goodness.

Airport Concession Fees-10% of total rental cost: also called; recoup fees, consolidation facility charges (CFC), facility usage fees, or concession recovery fees-depending on the company). Don't really understand this fee, but think it is levied to "recoup" costs of conducting a business in or near an airport.

Convention/Stadium/Sports Arena Tax-approx. $10: collected to help build a venue that the city/county/state doesn't want to pay for.

Drop-off Fee- as much as several hundred dollars: Dropping off a vehicle in a location other than where you picked it up can be costly. A few exceptions: Hertz and National eliminated this fee and Enterprise allows for one-way rentals in Florida, Texas and California without fees.

Equipment Rental Fees-rental agencies charge additional fees for equipment such as child car seats, ski racks, GPS systems and cellular phones. Fees are listed alongside the equipment, but remember, fees like the airport concession fee are calculated as a percentage of total rental cost. So you are gonna pay more than list price. Hint: If you don't need it, don't rent it.

Frequent Flier Tax-up to 8% of entire rental cost: This a newer hidden fee imposed by companies. This charge is incurred when earning frequent flier miles for your rental. I call it "the charge back X 2" tax. It is designed to recoup federal, state and local taxes on frequent flier mileage accumulated.

Fuel Charge: Per gallon charges on returns without a completely filled tank. Be very, very wary...we're hunting wabbits.

Late Fee: Car rental rates are charged on a 24 hour clock. So, if you pick up a car at 10am then it must be returned by 10am on return date or be subject to an expensive hourly charge. Not too fun.

Mileage: While more and more of the larger companies offer unlimited miles, some companies cap you at a daily or rental limit and then charge approx. $.50 per mile. Not a good option in states like Texas where airports can be 45 miles from the city.

Out of State Fee: This can be a mondo expense. If you rent a car in Denver and choose to drive to Las Vegas, you better get permission.

Story Time... I know a guy, who knows a guy that rented a car at Denver's old Stapleton Airport. He and his buddies were initially going skiing at Keystone and Arapahoe Basin, but when they arrived there was no snow. So, they decided to trek west into the Rockies to Vail. Well, in Vail ski passes and rooms were too expensive for the miserable snow conditions and amount of trails open. In a last ditch effort to enjoy the trip, the small group abandoned the idea of skiing and drove on to Las Vegas (another 8 hours west and south).

All went great and everyone had a fabulous time until they returned the car to the rental agency back in Denver. Little did they know, but these unsuspecting travelers rented a vehicle equipped with a new state-of-the-art Lo-jack system. This unnamed rental company charged the leasee $500 per day for each day the car was out of Colorado and an additional $100 each time the vehicle crossed a state line. The $350 week long rental turned into a $2250 credit card buster. Come to find out, if they had declared their intentions before they crossed the state line into Utah there would only have been a $75 out-of-state rider to purchase. True story...I know a guy, who knows a guy, who was there.

Parking Tax-about $.45: for parking lot??

Peak Season Surcharge: Not much one can do , but travel in the "off-season".

Reimbursement Fee-3% to 8% of car rental fee: Also called excise tax or vehicle license fee, this goes to offsetting new car purchase costs.

Young Driver's Fee: Driver's under 25 will pay $10 to $75 per day for being young regardless of driving record.

Can you believe there are this many opportunities to get shafted while renting a car? Next tirade will be unleashed on car rental insurance.

Happy renting,
Al , the Travel Valet

Tweet me at http://twitter.com/TravelValet or
Email me at theTravelValet@gmail.com.

Pick of the Day(31-7-1)...Phillies

31-7-1!!!

2009-06-14T16:37:00.000-07:00

I'm 31-7-1!!! and no one is mentioning all the cash I earned for you. Cha-ching. I can't recall ever being this solid over such a long period of time (44 days). I realize this blog is not about sports betting and I'm not endorsing such behavior. But WOW!

Watch Out! Airfare Fees

2009-06-14T11:18:00.000-07:00

We are all aware of the airlines charging random fees for baggage no heavier than lip balm. After a recent debacle which I'm still too angry to share, I decided to make it my mission and expose every hidden fee in travel I can find. I really hope I piss somebody somewhere off. This has gone far enough.

I'm calling my new series of tirades Watch Out!. Today, I will expose airfares, but the series will also include car rental fees(which may be the most difficult to understand), car rental insurance, and anything else I can drag through a gutter of rodent infested raw sewage. Please don't let my animosity concern you. I really have calmed down quit a bit. Onward...

Airfare Fees and Taxes

Domestic Passenger Ticket Tax -7.5%: This is just some random additional tax that we pay when anyone purchases a domestic airline ticket. The proceeds go to the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. The AATF was created in 1970 and has been milking us since. Currently the Trust Fund is gouging us for 7.5% of the the ticket price for this Domestic Passenger Ticket Tax.
Segment Tax-$3.40: We pay $3.40 every time during our flight that our plane lands or takes off. Pretty funny, huh. I guess our ticket only pays for actual air flight? Even better...if you change planes, you pay twice. All these funds go to our friends at the Airport and Airway Trust Fund (AATF).
Rural Airport Tax-7.5%: This tax is for regional airport usage. If your flight goes to Boise or Duluth or Reno you will see this tacked on to the ticket price. Some good news, it seems you will not be charged for both the rural tax and the domestic tax on same flight, but you will be charged one. This is even more moola for the Trust Fund.
Passenger Facility Charge-Up to $4.50 each time we visit an airport: Now, I'm going out of my way to utilize every restroom and lounge area I pass. Five dollars is an expensive potty break. This money goes to offset airport maintenance? I guess my question is this, "How does LAX get it's $4.50 from Travelocity?"
Alaska/Hawaii Surcharge-$15:for roundtrip flights. Not really sure why? No one will tell me. But, I know where the money goes...the Airport and Airway Trust Fund.
International Departure Tax-$15.10: We get charged $15.10 to leave the U.S. The funds again go the AATF (the Trust Fund).
International Arrival Tax-$15.1o: And, of course, we get charged another $15.10 to come home (U.S.). Monies go to Trust Fund.

Beginning to wonder if this Paris Hilton's trust fund?

Customs User Fee-$5.50: This is added to your airfare if arriving from outside the U.S. Funds go to Homeland Security.
Immigration User Fee-$7.00: Fee charged if arriving from outside U.S. So, if you get charged for one, you will be charged for the other. Funds also go to Homeland Security.
Security Fee-$2.50 to $5.00: Goes to Homeland Security. If I could find more info on these I would explain, but Homeland Security doesn't seem to have to explain anything.
APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service)-$5.00: Charged if arriving from outside the U.S. Homeland Security gets this money too.

So, we get to pay $22.50 and take off our shoes all in the name of Homeland Security. Cool.

Fuel Charges-charged at airlines discretion: These fees were created to offset fuel costs. READ-The airline charges much as humanly possible and still get travelers in need of transportation to buy the ticket.
Paper Ticket Charge-up to $50: Airlines charge as much as $50 to issue a paper ticket. Some online vendors tack on additional charges as well.
Phone Reservation Charge: Yes, you will be charged to book a reservation over the phone to a human versus reserving online. You don't expect the airlines to have to pay for their own reservation staff, do you?
Change Fees: You will be charged, period. How much is anyone's guess. It is 100% negotiable. Most likely, you are gonna get screwed!

What if...we went to your favorite restaurant and without looking at the menu you order your favorite $6.00 salad and an iced tea for $2.5o. After typical sales tax, you expect your bill to be just under $10.00. At the end of the meal, the server drops off a bill for $27.50. You are shocked. You see you have been charged an additional $17 broken down accordingly: for paper napkin usage $.75; $2.00 for ice; $1.00 facilities charge (restroom); $.95 maintenance fee (parking lot); $9.00 tomato surcharge (because price of tomato skyrocketed due to ecoli scare); $2.00 Animal and Plant Inspection Service-monies sent to Homeland Security; and then charged local sales tax on everything. You locate a manager and flip out. The manager kindly smiles, apologizes and offers to direct you to the last page of the menu you never picked up and in tiny print you'll find the legalese. Is this a fair parallel? Would we ever accept this as consumers??

Pick of the Day(29-7-1)...Marlins, Angels

This is Not the Way I Left It this Morning

2009-06-12T12:28:00.000-07:00

Imagine coming home after a very long day at work and terrible commute to this ----->

That's what happened to Georgia man yesterday. A house across the street was scheduled to be demolished, but the demolition crew received the wrong address and GPS coordinates from the general contractor who was designing a new home on the site.

The wrecking crew knocked on the door to make sure no one was inside as per their legal requirements and then preceeded to bring down the house and all its contents. Holy #*%@!! The owner said the house was filled with all of his recently deceased mother's antique furniture and pictures. He contacted his attorney, but is not sure what he'll do next. Talk about a bad day!

The Come Back

2009-06-12T10:29:00.000-07:00

What's going on in July, you ask? Well, buckaroos, we have the Tour de Lance (I mean France) from July 4th-July 26th covering 3,500 kilometers. Lance Armstrong is recuperating from a nasty crash in Spain which broke his clavicle. I pretty common cycling injury, but painful. I should know; I did the same thing. I really thought he blew his chances for a comeback with the injury. But he claims he will be ready for the Tour.

To complicate things further for the seven-time champion, his significant other brought a baby boy, Max, into the world last week. I'm sure he feels the familial strings tugging to stick around base camp. But he says he's still on track. I'm chomping at the bit to see it with my own eyes.

This Tour should be exceptionally amazing because of the course. We have a huge mountain ascent only 24 hours before the Champs-Elysees circuit. That means we probably will not have a champion until the last day. Wait, there's even more! The Tour de France is visiting some grand destinations as well; Monaco, Marseilles, Andorra, Barcelona, Verbier, Switzerland and of course, Paris. Are you kidding me? You don't need the greatest non-motor race in the world to visit such incredible sites. I'm hyperventilating! Okay, now I'm kidding. If you want to check it out with me or independently, drop me an email at theTravelValet@gmail.com or tweet me on Twitter.

Go Lance!! Make it 8! Livestrong everyone!!!

Al, the Travel Valet
Survivor '83

Pick of the Day(28-7-1)...Rays

First Class to Maui, Anyone?

2009-06-10T14:30:00.000-07:00

Ever fly first class to Maui or Oahu? Want to? Usually over priced in the $1600 range, United is offering first class accomodations from Los Angeles starting at $522, New York from $660, San Antonio from $560, etc.... I'm not too fond of blogging about airfare deals; I'm a writer, for heaven's sake. But sometimes deals are too good to ignore. This is one. Take a gander and treat yourself to a trip of a lifetime. Need a little assistance, send me a note to Al@theTravelValet.com.

Cheap Family Summer Fun

2009-06-10T12:35:00.000-07:00

I was talking to a lady in a restaurant last night about family vacation expenses. Her two teenage sons stood nearby appearing bored and ready to leave. She said her family was staying home this summer because the economy was pinching them too hard.

"What can you do?" She said.
"Where do you live?" I asked.
"Phoenix."
"Horse poo," I retorted. "Take'em to Flagstaff in late July. The Arizona Cardinals begin their NFL training camp around the last week of the month and its free to attend" (I didn't know the exact date; turns out it's July 23). "It'll be cooler and revitalizing to you and your sons."

Flagstaff, elevation 7200 ft., is usually 20-30 degrees cooler than the desert of Phoenix. Flagstaff is 30 miles from the wonders of Sedona and sixty miles from the grandest hole in the world, the Grand Canyon.

"Don't let money get you down, just get more creative. Plan a long weekend, make picnics, go hiking, or camp out. A tank of gas can get you hundreds of miles away from the norm."
"Not a bad idea, " she mumbled. I don't think she was interested, but her sons looked as if they had polished off a six-pack of Red Bull. They left me wondering what would happen. I wished I would have pushed harder, but the timing seemed awkward.

If you need to get out and take a break, but fear you can't afford it, drop me an e-mail for alternate ideas. I'll bet, I can help. Here is a link to the NFL Training Camp locations and start dates. http://fftool box .com /footb all/2 009/nfl -training -camps.cfm.

Have an adventurous summer!
Al, The Travel Valet
theTravelValet@gmail.com

Pick of the Day(28-7-0)...Rangers

Al's Book Review

2009-06-09T03:02:00.000-07:00

It's kind of ironic that I just blogged on experiencing life without the lifevest of another's opinion. In the blog I used book and movie reviews as examples of how we (our culture) preferred to wait and let someone else formulate the opinion of whether the undertaking was worthwhile. I scoffed at how we avoided thinking for ourselves. And now, I'm trying to provide that very crutch the next day. Oh well. I guess "I" am a part of "we."

Since this is my first Book Review on this blog, probably my 100th overall, I thought I should preface the review with a little background on my reading preferences and writing resume. I love to read and have been known to read as many as five books simultaneously. I am hyper-critical of flow, prose and storyline, but less critical of syntax or literary genius. As to my writing accomplishments: I have one novel under my belt; two others unfinished; and about ten short stories. There are a few essays and poems out there with my trademark as well. Does this make me an expert? Hell no. Just one who loves reading and writing.

I'm not a big fan of memoirs, including travel memoirs, which makes my first material for a book review a bit unusual. But I decided almost immediately to roll with my most recently finished reads instead of my favorites. That is for another day. Okay? Let's do this...

Travels by Michael Crichton (published originally in 1988 by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.)

I kinda picked up this book while searching whether or not I should write a travel memoir myself. I still haven't decided. I just may after the first of the year. I'll have a few more trips under my belt and an extended sojourn with my twelve year old daughter. Her innocent perspective really slows me down forcing me to look at being a traveler from a very different
point of view. Anyway...

This book is divided into two sections; his "medical days" and his "travel days." The book starts out on fire. The first eighty pages tells various stories from Michael Crichton's days at Harvard Medical School. The writing is amazing; the prose is smooth and witty; and his anecdotes are funny as hell. I began to wonder how I missed reading this potential bestseller for so many years. Sadly, this book had another 300 pages left in her when we slip into the next section of the book just as he finishes medical school and as his novel, The Andromeda Strain, is turned into a movie. This is when Mr. Crichton's Travels begins the slow descent of losing this reader.

The author constantly attempts to subjugate the reader's ideology with his less than ordinary beliefs in the astral plane, chakras, auras and mystical spoon bending while utilizing traveling adventures as a backdrop. It doesn't work. Crichton often challenges believers of the western world's three main religions (Judaism, Islam, Christianity) as shallow and gullible. He submits western medicine is short-sided and too scientific. I don't have a problem with his opinions per se. I only wish the book would not have been marketed as a travel memoir, but instead some kind of "Western moving Eastern coming-of-age story". Because this is what we end up with.

Attempting to be optimistic, (not a strong suit) I am still hoping that the original premise can be salvaged through Crichton's Family Christmas trip to Tahiti around page 230. But the optimism became futile when I had to sit through a whole chapter of him sitting in the California desert for two weeks communing with a talking cactus. This could have been some seriously funny stuff if he weren't sincere. And then Mr. Crichton really loses me when he wants me to consider him worldly and intelligent as he precedes to tell of his experience being exorcised of the demon that appeared to be the evil devil in Disney's Fantasia in a Los Angeles apartment by some clairvoyant named Gary. Give me a friggin' break.

I finished the book. Maybe I'm a masochist.

Pick of the day(25-7-0)...Orlando/Lakers O48 1st quarter, O99 half, O198 game

Shifting Perspectives

2009-06-08T12:53:00.000-07:00

We have become unaccustomed to direct experiences. We have lost confidence to perceive for ourselves. We don't want to read a book or see a new movie premiere until someone (an "expert") sees it first and tells us what to think. Terrified of our our own original, authentically personal perspective...we wait. And wait. Until someone gives us the go ahead to experience it for ourselves. And then, courageously, we venture out armed with the deadly opine of someone else and make direct contact with it.

Life, we have come to fear it and go to extraordinary lengths to avoid it. We succumb to fears of ridicule, failure, disease, snakes or whatever our self-imposed terror of the day may be only to whine that "our" lives are unfulfilled. Talk about a road to nowhere....

And what's really pathetic, we envy those we perceive to have one!

(Where's my soapbox? Oh, it's under my feet.)

Don't you think you should probably experience your own life without the Cliff's Notes of someone else? There is an excellent possibility this is the only life your gonna get. On this Earth, anyway. You already know I'm the bettin' kind and pretty good at picking winners. So, go ahead and get on a plane. Find yourself, pick up your pieces and come back more whole. I'm bettin' its a winning proposition. Send me a comment; let me know what you think; or just ask me for directions at TheTravelValet@gmail.com.

Pick of the Day(24-6-0)...Rockies, Rangers

Flight 447

2009-06-06T13:27:00.001-07:00

I haven't said a word on the horrific details of Flight 447. Mostly because I wanted to wait out the salivating journalist's rhetoric. I never look for gore or blame in tragic stories. The human tragedy is more than enough for me. I can appreciate the need to place blame. No one in our culture wants to be held responsible for anything especially the accidental death of 228 souls.

But cars wreck, planes crash, ships sink and trains derail. By no stretch am I belittling this accident or any other. They are all terrible. Many families will be forever devastated by this event and my heart and prayers go out to them.

My argument is in the media coverage. Reporting facts are good and can help keep big business transparent and accountable. This is good. What sucks is the media becoming the de facto judge and jury. When did this stop being journalism and start becoming gossip columns, layman "expert" op/ed pieces disguised as factual reporting? Who really thinks Nancy Grace television is quality news? Seriously. I'm over it. Hell, the HMS Titanic sank in the North Atlantic in 1912 and we are still trying to place blame some 95 years later.

What I didn't read about, but found terribly disturbing was this...How in the world did Air France Flight 447 disappear? How? I can count the Terra cotta tiles of my roof from outer space with my cellphone! And I down loaded the application for free! Practically every cellphone made has built-in GPS capabilities. Are you telling me that no one on that plane had a cell phone turned on? Or some satellite somewhere wasn't tracking that plane or that Atlantic storm? Please!!! I'm only a little bit stupid.

Pick of the Day(22-6-0)...Mind That Bird-to Show, Red Sox

Walking to the Parthenon

2009-06-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

With one-third of the Greek population below me, literally, I look up to my destination. Perched majestically atop the Acropolis sits the ancient temple. Rays of sun squeeze between heavy, dark, water-laden clouds directly onto the Doric columns of the Parthenon. It's as if the gods have been anxiously awaiting my arrival and were illuminating my path home. The overcast sky and the smell of rain cast doubts as to when I may make my pilgrim's ascent to the top of the Acropolis. The anticipation is unbearable. I need to go now. Foregoing by best meteorological judgement, I take on the task without my fellow travelers. They choose to wait until the morrow and finer weather. I know I will not sleep with that ancient mecca looming above me and just out of reach.

The grade of the walk is noticeable, but my adrenal glands are producing enough energy to make the walk easy. I worry about the rain and the warnings from the others concerning my foolish behavior. The weather looks more ominous than only fifteen minutes earlier when I separated from my clan. Thunder cracked! Rumbling from every direction like some sort of theatrical earthquake sound effect or maybe, Thor was welcoming me. I turn back look at Athens below. It is raining in the Old Town, but not where I stand. I am basking in an amazing elevator shaft of sunlight. So much for my fellow travelers. I'm sure they are ducking into a cafe to avoid the cloud burst and will drink plenty of Ouzo while making sport of my stubborn ways. Ha!

I continue my journey up the same stone pathway once traversed by throngs of Greeks as part of an annual rite, known as the Panathenaic Procession to the site of the grandest of the grand temples around 500 B.C. I look around and I'm almost alone. Eerie; not spooky, more like mausoleum eerie. More thunder crackled farther away. I looked for lightning along the horizon, but only see a small group of undaunted Scandinavians. Weather is not gonna scare them off. Those crazies are from the fjord and frozen tundra lands. Mediterranean rain showers are fabulous touring conditions to them.

I over and clamor past the ruins of the Propylaia, the formal entrance to the sacred place and what stood before me took my breath away...the Parthenon. Other than the eerie solitude that had washed over me even as I began my ascent, I was overwhelmed by how much of the edifice was still intact and the otherworldly significance of the sun shining solely on the the temple. I was moved to tears. I don't know where they came from, they just appeared. Suddenly, I'm glad I came alone. Some people are moved by poetry, or art, or music, or architecture. While I enjoy each of these, I am truly moved by its history or historical gravity. I sense history everywhere. I visualize the statue of the goddess Athena that once stood here. I imagine Socrates holding court on the steps of the Agora, the political center of ancient Athens. And I look across at the remarkably intact statues of women supporting the Erechtheion. A lifetime of reading and studying and, in worst cases, memorizing, this place, this ancient democratic city-state, did not prepare me for this life-altering moment.

I never got wet. No kidding.

The Walks

2009-06-05T09:35:00.000-07:00

I thought I might begin a weekly or monthly expose on walks. "Huh?" You say.

Well, I've been thinking about travel (duh) and specifically what sparks my synapses and kick starts my adrenaline. It's the anticipation. For many tourists, the anticipation is what destroys them. They are so excited before leaving their home that they work themselves into a tizzy and can't sleep. These tourists usually burnout even before they even reach their destination...and then, there's "the letdown". "Is that it?" (Stonehenge); "It's not as big as I thought" (the Colosseum); "It's so dusty/dirty" (the Pyramids at Giza); "Why do they have to put sardines/olives on everything? I hate sardines!" (Sicily or just about anywhere in the Mediterranean) or my all time favorite, "Whaddya mean there is no a/c?" (pretty much everywhere). The world and its history are not a glossy 8x10s and, of course; weather rarely cooperates. It's gonna be hot, or cold, or windy, or rainy or dirty. Move on, expect it and adapt.

Touristy whining aside, for me, what gets my juices flowing is the anticipation right before you see something for the first time. Something magical in my mind's eye that I've only seen in pictures or on film will come to life around the next bend or through a small opening or over the rise. This is when I get turned on. I feel my pulse pick up and my hairs on my arms begin to prickle. I have to admit, I'm almost nervous. The walk up to it....I feel I need to run just to see it a half second sooner. It seems so important, so worthwhile, so life-altering. That is how travel lives within me.

I thought we would take a few "Walks" together over the next few weeks or months and hopefully I'm literate enough that you may experience some of the same passion and adrenal rushes I do. Some of the places we may visit are: Walking up to the Acropolis, Walking into Petra, Walking the Strand in London and Historic Paris. I may include other magical travel moments if this project goes as I hope it will.

World's Best Hotels

2009-06-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

The June issue of Travel & Leisure released it's "It List". You can find the editor's 45 best new hotels at www.tinyurl.com/qzftqu. Twelve are in the US and include the $1 billion dollar remodel of the Fountainbleau, the Mondrian and the Viceroy in Miami. California represents with the Montage Beverly Hills, the Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach, and the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills. Rounding out the U.S. hotels are the Encore in Las Vegas, the Intercontinental Montelucia in Scottsdale, The Nines in Portland, Oregon, The Mansion on Peachtree, Atlanta, the Mandarin Oriental, Boston, The Standard in New York and Encantado, Santa Fe, NM.

This list will definitely change by years' end. In October, Las Vegas will be sporting four new swanky hotels, three of which should make the list, the Mandarin Oriental at CityCenter, Aria by MGM/Mirage and The Harmon at CityCenter.

Pick of the Day(22-5-0)...Cardinals

Oops! They did it again

2009-06-02T13:58:00.000-07:00

British Airlines offer is back!

British Airways is offering the same amazing low cost round-trip transport to London from the West Coast as they did last month. The offer is through Travelzoo and is in limited supply. Take advantage of this unbeatable deal while you can.

$ Money Tip of the Month $....Buy the British Pound Sterling. Value has risen 28 cents on the US dollar in three months. That's 28% profit folks.

A Toast

2009-06-02T13:43:00.000-07:00

I would like to pose a toast to those who follow and lurk:

I raise my glass to all smart lurkers and followers who realize that it's the process, not the product; the journey, not the destination; and the experience of both that fulfills you. Cheers!

Pick of the Day(21-5-0)...Jays

The Perils of Parenting

2009-06-01T11:43:00.000-07:00

My wife sent me a text this morning that is haunting...and all too common. Her friend, let's call her, Mary, has an 18 yr old daughter (that, by itself, is terrifying to a father) who has run-off presumably with a new "boy" friend no one else in the family has ever met. I didn't say runaway because the girl is 18 and since the law deems her an adult then I guess we have little choice, but to accept it. The girl left sometime last Saturday and vanished. No one has heard from her. Mary is understandably fraught with terror. My heart aches for this woman and her family. I have met Mary on two occasions, but never Mary's daughter. They are a spiritual family that places a lot of emphasis on family. I pray all ends well. My stomach churns...

See, I have a teenage daughter and this is one of my greatest fears. I don't think there is any one right answer or bit of advice to offer. One can only hope your children are given the proper tools to make the best possible decisions everyday. Allowing your child to make decisions early in life seems to be a key factor even if they are poor decisions. Let them screw up and live with the consequences on small things like staying up too late on a school night. Allow them an opportunity to suffer through one or two days exhaustion without cutting them slack on sleeping late, or doing chores or completing homework. As your child starts to drag remind them of their choice to stay up. It's a teaching moment. They will feel the need for sleep just like adults. Just remember, no child is angelic and no parent is without fault.

Try escaping the norm with your family? Go on a trip, explore new things, travel to exotic or hidden places. Create familial memories that bond. Step away from the things in which you disagree and find something that enriches your lives and share. Listen, everyone needs a vacation, even your eight year old. Drop me a message at thetravelvalet@gmail.com. Happy traveling and parenting.

I'm on a roll!!!

2009-06-01T09:50:00.000-07:00

My Pick of the Day is now officially 20-5. That's 75% Las Vegas. Take that. Pow! And that. Thwack!! Seriously, I'm on a pretty good roll. I usually pick baseball around 63%. Rarely do I hit the rarified air of 75%. Let's enjoy it while we can because it won't last long.

Pick of the Day(20-5-0)...White Sox

The "jinx" is on...haha.

Extremely Busy

2009-05-31T12:58:00.000-07:00

Not blogging too often. At WSOP in Las Vegas and the long hours are a physical and mental grind. Don't know how pros keep it up. I guess it's like every career. I just keep thinking poker is a game and should be relaxing and fun. It's not!!! I think taking the SATs in Latin would be less daunting. Veni, vidi, vici.

FWI...the new passport laws take affect June 1. U.S. citizens must now have valid passport to enter Canada and Mexico. Don't get caught with your pants down. Always be ready to travel.
That last sentence made me think of Glengarry Glen Ross. What an awesome movie! "A-B-C...A-Always, B-Be, C-Closing. Always be closing." And, "Put that coffee down! Coffee is for closers, only." Good stuff.

Picks of the Day(17-5-0)...Red Sox, Detroit, Philly

I'm a history buff; you should be one, too.

2009-05-29T11:13:00.000-07:00

I am by no means an archaeologist, a historical sociologist or anthropologist. I am merely a meager, unpretentious history aficionado. I don't claim to have all or any of the answers. Nor do I even have an inkling of the correct questions. But two things which I am certain to be true are... the closer one looks at history, the less coherent it becomes; and history is doomed to repeat itself. These dilemmas intrigue me like eternal afterlife questions monopolize the fears of most of the secular world. I am consumed.

For the most part, we are the history we create it to be. Huh? Say what? Hear me out.

Heinrich Schliemann discovered the lost city of Troy. This is a commonly retold story that we accept as fact. Practically everyone does. Right? Not necessarily, I say. Heinrich Schliemann definitely discovered an ancient city in Asia Minor. This is a fact. But what city is it? Did Troy truly ever exist? There is really no evidence to substantiate this claim. Or was it merely a story from the imagination of a poet? Jeez, I write stories all the time. I even wrote a novel of 120,000 words and not one word of it true. So has Steven King. He's written something like 30 of them and I hope to all Hell none of his warped print is real. Do you see where I'm going here?

How about Arthur Evan's discovery of the Palace of King Minos. Travelers, archaeologists and tourists pilgrim to Knossos, on Crete, annually to take a look at this historical site. Yet, there is no concrete evidence that the structure all these people pay to see is King Minos' Palace or that the crumbled remains were even a palace at all. What's really funny (odd), there is no evidence that King Minos had anything to do with its construction or its habitation. And you wanna hear something really outrageous? King Minos, well...there may never have been a King Minos. There is certainly no proof he ever existed.

I know you are wondering, what do I know? Well, that's exactly what you should be wondering. I admittedly know very little and either does anyone else. The "knowledged" will not tell you so. Why mess with their own fame or own income or their own contribution to history? Think about it. If one "educated" scholar can get their own theory (opinion) published and read by enough other "educated" scholars who in turn can't discredit the theory (opinion). Eventually, over time after enough people educated or not reads this undiscredited opinion and then folks, tuh duh, we have "history". What makes this new history even better its our own history and we can paint it any color and give it any name. Molded, comfortable, roomy history, just the way we like it.

Now that you have listened to me banter for some time, you are probably wondering what does this have to do with travel and storytelling. To put it bluntly, everything. From a distance, or from the chapter headings of a textbook, history looks very tidy indeed. We were even forced to memorize it for tests. But on closer inspection, it all breaks down. In fourth grade I was taught that Columbus sailed west from Spain in search of a shorter route to China, all the while fearful that the world may really be flat. Several years later in tenth grade I read that Ptolemy, a 2nd Century Egyptian astronomer, proved mathematically that the world was a globe. That's some 1200 years earlier. Problem was, the Church preferred a different suit of invisible clothes. They liked the idea that the world was flat and Jerusalem was at the center. Much like the hole on a compact disk. Very convenient and comfy, like a terrycloth robe and slippers, huh? And conveniently, I wasn't taught that bit of info in school. I stumbled across something unusual while traveling with my dad overseas. I saw a relief etched into a wall of a very old building that resembled Earth. You know...the round one. Funny thing, it was etched almost a 500 years before Columbus. After my dad and I returned I raced to the public library and found the information about Ptolemy findings. How could this be? I was taught something wholly different. My father scoffed and said, "That is why you must step out. Truths are to be found, not told." I was pissed! My friggin' teachers lied to me! And at the time, I believed it was on purpose.

Travel is about experiences, finding truths and learning who you are, not what someone tells you. Sometimes one must leave to find themselves and uncover personal truths. And its never as convenient as the chapter headings of a textbook.

Let's uncover some truths together. Give me a buzz, text, Twitter or email. It is easiest to contact me at thetravelvalet@gmail.com.

Pick of the Day(16-5-0)...Texas

I may be an Addict

2009-05-28T14:22:00.000-07:00

While I proudly flaunt my feathers and crow, "I've never been addicted to anything," there should be a caveat to this claim. I really may be an addict after all. To cruises. Cruise addicts can't wait to "get back out there." I am one.

Hello, my name is Al, the Travel Valet, and I'm a cruise addict. I am hungry to explore places I never been before. I am weak; I admit it. I love to prepay and not worry about money. I love to eat what and when I choose. I love to relax and appreciate not having to juggle itineraries or rush to connections. And, most of all, I love the ocean.

Several years ago, I considered living at sea on The World, a ResidentSea cruise ship, but couldn't adapt my life to accomodate living at sea. I have a teenager, enough said. Possibly at some point my life's priorities will change (hopefully, the kid will get tired of my nagging and leave...just kidding) and I can move to the sea. Until then, I am stuck anticipating my next opportunity "get out there."

Many of us have cruised on the classic seven day Caribbean, Alaskan and Mediterrean voyages and we are eager for something new, longer and more exotic. Traveling to exciting, undiscovered and remote ports, visiting more than one region or continent or even venturing through multiple climates can offer an exciting twist to your cruise vacation. Well, have you considered what I like to call Grand Voyages? These grand voyages incorporate most or all of the above. If you are interested please contact me at thetravelvalet@gmail.com.

Pick of the Day(15-5-0)...Red Sox

Al's back in Las Vegas for WSOP

2009-05-27T22:50:00.000-07:00

I just spent the better part of the day at the Rio All Suites Casino in Las Vegas. Tuesday was the first day of the seven week Pokerpaloosa surrounding the Super Bowl of poker, the WSOP. This is
the fifth year the World Series of Poker is being held at the cavernous Rio and most likely its last. Harrah's has been talking of moving the event to Caesar's Palace for several years. And it seems the time has come because Harrah's Entertainment has been looking to unload the eighteen year old Rio to the highest bidder.

It's way too early to tell how the tournament will fare in our current economic downturn. One thing is for sure, though, the eastern European countries will be well represented. These young dynamos honed their skills at online poker sites like Full Tilt and then bought a transatlantic ticket to riches. Their meteoric rise has been amazing.

I'll be focusing a little more time on Twitter while at the WSOP. Please follow me at TravelValet on Twitter. I'll constantly update you...tweet tweet. You can click on me directly along the right hand column under "Twitter Tweets."

Pick of the Day(14-5-0)...Giants

Memoirs

2009-05-25T11:21:00.001-07:00

Travels with Michael Crichton is on my nightstand flirting with me to pick it up. I'm afraid if I succumb to the book's nasty propositions, we'll be up all night trying to finish what we started. Sometimes some stories are just too entertaining to set aside and this romantic innuendo started my typical random line of thinking.

With the addition of the Kindle and ease of downloading entire libraries to your iPhone, I thought you might enjoy a few thoughts on a great travel companion, the memoir. While not a huge fan of the memoir, there are a few very noteworthy tell-all tales that will suck you in and make that transatlantic flight seem like a vacation by itself.

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway- His comfortable writing style makes you feel like your sitting in a 1920's cafe across from the Sorbonne with the likes of Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Keenly aware of his expatriate status and Fitzgerald's self-defeating character and Stein's sense of value, Hemingway takes us on a series of entertaining tales that offers us a chance to gain a glimpse of his perspective. Published posthumously in 1964, the memoir was probably heavily edited by his widow, but Hemingway drips from its pages.

The Strawberry Statement by James Simon Kunen- 1968 was a culturally troubling time for many including Kunen who was at Columbia University. The university students were outraged over Vietnam and the construction of a racially segregated gym. The memoir chronicles the students uprising on campus and his participation in said events including being chased by club-wielding police.

The Crack-Up by F. Scott Fitzgerald- Mostly a collection of essays compiled by his editor in 1940 shortly after the author's death. "Of course all life is a process of breaking down..." These first lines of the first essay give the reader a sense of what's to come, Fitzgerald's self-destructing relationship with his wife, Zelda, and alcohol. The writings generally accumulated during Fitzgerald's "down" years gives us great insight into his faltering life.

Walking Through the Fire: A Hospital Journey by Laurel Lee- Six months pregnant and with a nagging cough, Lee went numb when her doctor uttered the word, "tumor." After returning from the hospital after her latest bout with Hodgkin's, she discovers that her husband is going to leave her for the babysitter. She writes to heal. Her struggles with faith and her spiritual journey to recovery fill the central portion of the memoir. At some point she begins to share her writings with her doctor. He sends them on to an editor friend, the memoir is published and she becomes a best-seller. Pancreatic cancer eventually beats Lee, but the courageous fighter makes it to 58.

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer- This account of the deadly 1996 climbing season up Mt. Everest is mesmerizing. Krakauer who is both a writer and climber journals a poignant tale that was instantly disputed by others on the same climb. What I find too ironic is within 18 months after Into Thin Air is published the very people who disputed Krakauer's version of the '96 climbing season died on subsequent assents.

On the Road by Jack Kerouac- What can I say about this great American travel memoir that hasn't already been said. Written in 1951, this Beat Generation author rambles about his spontaneous road trips in mid-century America. Kerouac's character, Sal, is the quintessential sojourner.

Pick of the Day(13-5-0)...Yanks

Memorial Day and Iconic Americana

2009-05-25T07:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day!

On February 16, 1944, my grandfather was gunned down by sniper fire in the opening moments of the Battle of Anzio in southern Italy. Frankly, I only know the man through three black and white pictures, vague senility-stricken stories and a plain granite headstone in central Texas. Yet every Memorial Day, I pause and think of his ultimate sacrifice. Chills creep up my arms and legs until my body shudders.

Memorial Day began in the mid-1860's to commemorate the lives of so many dead Americans lost from our Civil War. Over time we have included all our dead from the armed forces throughout our brief history. These individual sacrifices were and are not insignificant. These dead souls are buried in the soil where we play baseball, picnic and hike freely. They fought and died so we can vote, move, work, play and travel at our own digression without governmental discord. They died so we could become Americans. Lest we forget.

Lest We Forget

They shall not grow older
As we are left to grow older.
Age shall not weary them,
Nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun,
and the rising of the next morn,
This Memorial Day
We shall remember them.
We shall remember them.

(I obviously despoiled the speech to fit my needs in this post, but I think it's appropriate.)

In tribute to a grandfather I never met, I listed some of the grandest American iconic events that make our country so great. These are ten amazing events that have almost become holidays in themselves. In no particular order, except in my head...here we go.

The Super Bowl
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Mardi Gras
The Kentucky Derby
The Masters
The Rose Bowl
Indianapolis 500
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
SXSW
Sundance Film Festival

A way to pay tribute to our fallen heroes is enjoy the freedoms for which they died. My own, personal memory of my grandfather would have it no other way. If you want to get out there and be a part of Americana, contact us at TheTravelValet@gmail.com. Enjoy your Memorial Day.

Pick of the Day(12-5-0)...Mets

Business Class to London on British Airways

2009-05-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

Whoa! Andrew from Travelzoo just e-mailed me a an excellent offer that will be published later today by British Airways.

2 for 1 Business Class to London!!! Including flights from Los Angeles through October!

This is an amazing offer. Basically you can pay coach fares for business class seats and service. Remember how I mention "value" as a determining factor in my travel itineraries. Well, this is value. The non-stop flight from Los Angeles to London is a physically taxing 10 hour journey. One would be surprised how much a few inches of room can add to comfort as well as fully reclining seats. Losing a vacation day to jet-lag or lethargy sucks. Take a hard look at this offer from Travelzoo. If you have any plans for a summer or fall trip, this is a wonderful option. But hurry, the offer comes off the table May 26. If you have any questions or need some help? Don't hesitate. E-mail me at Al@TheTravelValet.com or TheTravelValet@gmail.com.

Pick of the Day(12-4-0)...Toronto

What's up with the Travel Channel?

2009-05-21T09:38:00.001-07:00

The Travel Channel website is still an outstanding source for travel news and ideas, but what's up with the their television line-up? It's like watching the Food Network. It seems half of their television schedule is food based or at least food driven. Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Zimmern and Adam Richman are always on. What gives? If I wanted to watch some overzealous, bald dude eat bird-vomit soup, then I would tune into a food channel, some extreme network or that stupid reality network. I get Bizarre Foods is about traveling to all corners of the world and dining on different cultures, but the show is not travel themed. It's about grossing you out. Why would I tune into the Travel Channel and want to watch Zimmern almost puke trying to eat year-old stinky tofu? Jeez, I'm not twelve. It isn't cute. It's foul!

And if I thought Bizarre Foods ventured too far from the travel theme then what is the purpose of Man vs. Food? Seriously. This, I don't even understand. I guess the show is about some twenty-something life drop-out (maybe the producer's brother?) who travels around trying to either overeat or win some sort of pig-out contest. Other than these "pig-out" sites being in different U.S. cities, I can't even figure out why the Travel Channel airs this garbage.

Speaking of pigging out...I also see that the Travel Channel even airs a series of shows on the best places in the U.S. to pig-out. Please don't tell me someone is spending their precious leisure time and hard-earned travel dollar searching out these gorging joints. Whatever! Rant over.

Pick of the Day(11-4-0)...Phillies

Start Your Vacation Early

2009-05-20T00:38:00.000-07:00

Last month I received an e-mail from one of my new clients and after receiving permission I thought I would share an excerpt of our discussion in hopes of providing some form of enlightenment...

Dear Al the Travel Valet,
I recently purchased one of your independent itineraries, the "London Like A Local". We are very excited and can't wait until our October departure. None of us have ever been overseas and want to prepare as much a possible before our trip. Do you have any suggestions as to how we can become more prepared so we can get the most out of our trip...?

Dear Excited,
Absolutely. You did well in choosing the London Itinerary. Knowing the language is a great confidence builder on your first overseas journey. The biggest mistakes travelers make are over packing and under preparing. Since you asked me specifically about preparation, I'll focus my answer on that. There are several ways to familiarize yourself with London. Obviously, studying maps and transit options is imperative, but beyond that I would try a less scholastic and more entertaining approach.

There are several A-List movies that use London and the surrounding environs as a backdrop. Here is a list: "Notting Hill", "Bridget Jones Diaries", "Love, Actually", the Harry Potter movies, "About a Boy", the Mr. Bean movies, "Shakespeare in Love", "Da Vinci Code" etc. There are many, many others.

If reading is your fancy, try: "Oliver Twist", the Sherlock Holmes stories, "Canterbury Tales", most of the movies above were adapted from bestsellers, as well as fabulous literature from great writers like Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Lewis Carroll, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, T.S. Eliot, A.A. Milne, and the greatest dramatist in the history of the world, William Shakespeare.

I included a four page, condensed history lesson of London's history with your itinerary as well as a map of the London Underground and a city map. These should give you basic understanding of London's layout and if you choose to follow the daily itinerary you purchased then you will be traveling like a local from the moment you land at Heathrow.

I hope this helps. Please feel free to contact me anytime if you have any additional questions or if there is anything I can do to make this trip more amazing.

Sincerely,
AL
The Travel Valet

This particular travel group consisted of two couples more interested in culture and a social adventure than history per se. I tried to focus my answer away from Elizabethan, Tudor and/or Royal laden agendas. I also veered away from family-oriented suggestions like "Through the Looking Glass", "Winnie-the-Pooh" or "Wallace and Gromit". The Travel Valet doesn't stop at just booking you tickets, accommodations and supplying you with an appropriate itinerary, but works to fill your dreamcatcher and accommodate your whims. Thanks for reading.

Pick of the Day(11-3-0)...Cavs ML

More Bang for the Family's Buck

2009-05-18T14:35:00.000-07:00

Families traveling with children face many special challenges. I'm not just talking about the little tykes. I'm also talking about your teens. Entertaining, feeding and landing decent lodging accomodations that appeal to everyone is difficult at best. Here are a few tips on how to cope:

Watch the ads for freebies. Breakfasts, resort credits, kids-stay-free and other promotional savings can chop off hundreds from your vacation budget.
Book early. Last-minute deals are great for people who are flexible and travel off-season. To get what you want at a price you can afford, book early.
Check out the free attractions. In Washington D.C., entry into dozens of Smithsonian facilities is free (and pretty amazing) as well as the National Zoo. In London, most of the main museums are free, including the British Museum and the National Gallery.

Book a Package. With airfare, hotel and rental car bundled together, you can shave costs. The reason you ask? The sellers do not have to disclose which firm gave the discount thus able to keep advertised individual higher rates valid to general public.

Stay in Business Hotels or Locations on Weekends. Ever wonder how you booked that reservation at the Intercontinental on Hotwire for $100? Intercontinental sells its empty weekend rooms at business locations in bulk to discount websites like Hotwire. Sometimes the hotels are a little out of the way, maybe in a deserted downtown business district or near an executive airport. But these unused business hotels are great for cutting costs.

These are just a few of the tricks to save some money while tripping with the clan. Visit our website at http://www.thetravelvalet.com/ to find more ideas.

Pick of the Day(10-3-0)...Brewers

FLN Top 20 Part V- Last Installment

2009-05-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

#4 Avoid Calling Toll-Free Hotel Numbers
You pay for convenience, period. Even though that toll-free number is screaming at you to call...don't do it. That number is most likely a call center in who-knows-where. And these reservationists have no authority to cut a deal. Instead, find the local phone number and give that a shot first. Ask the local decision maker about deals and discounts that you may not know about. Be nice. Make friends. You never know where it may lead.

A quick story...One of the worst reservations I have ever received was at a Four Season's resort. I went to the front desk of the Four Season's where I was staying and asked to reserve a room at the Four Season's at our next destination. The front desk girl directed me to an exquisite house phone in a the lobby. I picked up the phone and it rang. It was a direct line to a corporate reservationist. I booked a room in seconds. I was thrilled...until she quoted me her best deal. You would have thought I was booking the Lincoln Bedroom at the White House. It was almost twice what I expected. Don't call toll-free numbers!

#3 Learn the Local Language
The more you wear the local culture, the greater the experience will become. At the very least, learn the local greeting, please, and thank you. I'm sure you've heard this before, but people are proud and by making even small efforts to learn another's culture is endearing. Just try.

#2 Rule 240
Oh, the wonders of 2-4-0. Invoking Rule 240 is fun for some, but daunting for others. Even if you despise confrontrations, the right to demand a seat on the next available flight if your flight is cancelled is yours. Utilize it. A food coupon for an airport burger doesn't get it done. Just remember...
A. The airline may try the weather excuse. Don't let'em off so easy; find out for yourself if it's true.
B. Only the Legacy Airlines signed this agreement. Some upstarts might not honor Rule 240.
C. Be nice, but don't give in. Airlines do not want to pay, but it is yours. Seize it!

#1 Get a GPS
Again, this is the new trend in travel. Many won't leave home without it. I find it most effective when renting a car or using foreign subway systems (it is very easy to get turned around in a subway). My phone is equipped with one and it really helped circumvent a gnarly Los Angeles traffic jam last winter. We left the cruise terminal in San Pedro and found ourselves entangled in a famous downtown LA traffic jam. The GPS navigated us through several neighborhoods to an alternate highway out of the city. It was a lifesaver.

These are FLN's Top 20 Travel Tips. Hope you found them along with my commentary useful and entertaining. TTFN.

Pick of the Day(9-3-0)...Dodgers

FLN Top 20 Part IV continued...

2009-05-17T11:58:00.000-07:00

#9 Travel in the Shoulder or Off-Season
Are you kidding me? How could this be only the #9 travel tip? This is probably the most economical advice I could give and definitely the best way to avoid crowds. Why would you want to stand in line on vacation? And is there really a bad time to visit Barcelona? Seriously? I make it a practice to utilize this travel-saving technique before any other. Why skimp on your dreams when all you have to do is pick another month and then live your dreams? What's really amazing about this tip is usually you only have to move your dates back or forward less than a week to score huge savings. It does take a little effort, but that's why I'm here.

Honestly, there are drawbacks to off-season. My wife and I cruised through and around two hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico a few years ago. I have never seen a cruise ship so empty in my life; there were only about forty diners at dinner one evening. The ship even cancelled their nightly stage shows because the actors were falling off the stage during performances. I'm not kidding. Talk about a memorable trip....

There are pros and cons to way,but why not take a long look at your options before purchasing those premium priced rack rates.

#8 Mail your Luggage in Advance
This is becoming the new trend. Even though it sounds as if this tip is too bothersome, consider the predicament of lost luggage. The FAA reported that lost luggage reports have risen by 30%
since 2005 and a passenger has a 1/100th chance of losing their luggage on their next trip. Also, since the new carry-on laws and checked luggage charges have stymied the best of us, why worry about confiscations or outrageous charges. Just Fedex 'em to your destination, guaranteed and insured.

#7 Sanitize Your Hotel Room
Bed bugs are making a grand encore. As a matter of fact, incidents of bed bugs in American hotel rooms is above that of the WWII era. Jeez, talk about disgusting. Imagine the nastiest thing that the people before you could have done in your room before you arrived...It's worse that that. We've all seen local news media using blacklights in bedspreads in hotel rooms. This is not a joke. It is creepy. Bring some sani-wipes and some Lysol and clean the remote, door handles, phone, etc.... And that comforter, throw it in the corner or jam it in the closet and leave it there for the duration of your stay. Why take ill on vacation?

#6 Booking a Room in a Sold-out Hotel
It can be done. If you really wanted to stay in the Irish castle, but you can't get a reservation. I understand that sometimes part of the trip is the hotel or inn. I have found a way to do it and rapport is everything. Let me help you get in.

#5 Getting the Best Seat on the Flight
At the moment of book, ask about seats. Try and choose your seat immediately. If you can't choose at that time, try back later and often. The last thing you want to do is wait to ask. It never hurts to ask. Even if you are not one of their premiere travelers, maybe they don't have one on that particular flight. Ask, Ask, and ask again.

Pick of the Day(9-3-0)...Lakers ML

FLN Top 20 Part III

2009-05-16T12:53:00.000-07:00

#12 When to Buy Travel Insurance
You can read my blog on May 8th to get the lowdown on this hoedown. Very rarely do I feel the need for this added expense. Just take a gander at To Insure or Not To Insure, That is the Question and you'll understand.

#11 Join the Loyalty Clubs
Other than the incessant filtering of massive amounts of emails and junk mailings, joining all the loyalty programs makes considerable sense. What I believe most valuable are the last minute deals many airlines or cruise lines offer their loyalty club members. I have booked and taken many last minute "value" trips only because the deal was too good to pass up. (I use the term "value" quite often. It has become the essence of my itineraries. One day soon I'll write a blog on what "value " means to me in travel terminology).

Another good reason to join a loyalty program is avoiding lines. Much like having a "Fast Pass" at Disneyworld, a decent loyalty club perk is avoiding annoying, time consuming lines. Have you ever stood in line at the Port of Miami in sweltering August humidity with three awkward pieces of luggage dangling from your limbs praying that the line stops in the shade so you can stand in a temperature under 100 degrees? Obviously, I have. That very day I signed up for that cruise line's loyalty program. Now I go straight through with the guests who stay in the pricey Royal Suites, yet I only pay budget fares.

#10 Swap Your Home
This may not be for you, but the Fine Living Network thinks swapping your home may be an excellent way to reduce one of the most expensive aspects of travel, lodging. While I have never participated in this sort of adventure, there may be some benefit, I guess, from swapping homes in rare situations. I just can't think of one. No way would I want to stress about my personal (or my wife's) belongings while I am trying to vacation from...stress. I'm all about renting someone else's apartment or vacation home to cut costs, but trading mine is another story. I don't think it is for me.

We will continue on the next installment. Come see our new digs at www.thetravelvalet.com.

Pick of the Day(8-3-0)...Phillies

Pardon the Interruption

2009-05-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

Al, the Travel Valet, will be away for a few days. We are building a fabulous website to present a better product. Please check back soon. I think you'll be impressed. Ciao for now.

Pick of the Day(7-3-0)...Detroit

FLN's Top 20 Part II

2009-05-13T12:23:00.000-07:00

#16 Prepare for a Travel Crisis
While 95% of all trips go off without a hitch, go ahead and prepare for a crisis. Whether it be a theft, bad health, or even an emergency back home be prepared to get out of any entanglement. This additional piece of mind will go along way in contributing to a successful trip.

A few tips you should always follow...
1. Always bring your passport and an alternate form of picture identification.
2. Have an alternate form of payment available
3. Make 2 copies of everything front and back, your travel documents, tickets, itineraries, credit card, etc. Give one copy to someone back home you trust and and pack the other in your luggage. Next, scan everything again and email it to yourself. Now you have access to the documents in perpetuity from an Internet cafe, your hotel or consulate.
4. Don't forget to notify your credit card company or bank that you will be using the card abroad.
5. Make an Emergency Contact List of every conceivable address, phone number, acct#, expiration date, etc. you may need. Place this list in your luggage and email it to yourself.

#15 Don't Buy Too Much Car Insurance
This is a very easy mistake for even experienced travelers. You are standing at the counter and all of the sudden a fear overwhelms your better judgement and your allow the car rental salesperson coax you into maxxing the insurance. Its an easier sell than flowers on Mother's Day. Go ahead and make the annoying 20 minute call to your insurance provider; it could save you $20-30 per day. There is also a decent chance your credit card company insures you. Make that call as well, what could it hurt.

#14 Fine Dining For Less
If you crave that fine dining experience, but don't want to pay $500 to $1000 per person then here is a little secret...go for lunch. You can get the same table, the same service with the same view for a fraction of the bill. Many fine dining restaurants offer a reasonable afternoon prefix meal. So, if Gordon Ramsey in London is on your wish list, but his prices don't fit your budget, try lunch.

#13 Tag your Luggage
Seriously, if you haven't noticed, Samsonite made more than one black rolly-bag. Nothing can be more annoying than watching your bag a half mile down the carousel being accosted by one insolent traveler after another on its way to you. I always feel as if my luggage needs a hug after I rescue it from all those groping mitts. Make your luggage discriminately yours with tags, ribbons, and bumper stickers so you'll stop touching mine. Just kidding, sorta.

Also, only put your name and phone number on the outside of your luggage. I don't know if thieves really stalk baggage tags to see who is leaving town, but why take that chance. Your emergency contact info should already be inside.

Pick of the Day(6-3-0)...Cleveland

Fine Living Network's Top 20

2009-05-12T11:17:00.000-07:00

Even when this rooster isn't flapping his feathers abroad, I enjoy becoming a virtual traveler on the flat screen. Recently, I watched an interesting travel tips program on the Fine Living Network and thought I would share it with you. The program titled, "Top 20 Travel Tips" gives me a forum to comment on many different pertinent and handy travel tips. I decided to tackle this project in five digestible parts starting with their twentieth pick.

*Disclaimer* These are my comments on their top twenty travel tips.

#20 Be Wary of Travel Brochures
This seems obvious to me, but I can imagine the letdown one would feel when arriving at a "stroll along the beach" hideaway bungalow that required a connecting bus ticket to reach the ocean. It happened to me.

One time I rented the top floor of a beach house for a weekend family retreat. I found this beautiful, timbered beach house on the Internet. I perused the web photos, did a Mapquest of the location, felt comfortable in my decision, and sent off the deposit. When we arrived, the house was marvelous, more amazing than photos could capture. That is...until I walked out back onto the picturesque landing facing the ocean. The house was perched on a cliff some 60 feet above the beach. The only way down was a steep, rickety, wooden staircase that reminded me of a treehouse ladder. We only ventured down once to the water that weekend and I think my chicken legs are still sore from the climb back up.

Seriously, utilize web tools like TripAdvisor or Virtual Tourist to get an alternate point-of-view before committing to a deposit.

#19 Don't Pack What You Can Buy
When it comes to beach towels, snorkel gear or sand toys, I couldn't agree more. If you can buy or rent 'em then don't lug them. Even if you have to buy costly swim fins for one 3 hour snorkel excursion, do it. It beats hauling those same swim fins the other 237 hours of your trip. After your finished with the fins, give them to local children. It will make your trip more rewarding. Leave the world better than how you encountered it.

On the other hand, some people don't pack a toothbrush, toothpaste or deodorant. Just buy it when you get there. I'm not a big fan of this idea. I'm not saying buy the Costco-size shampoo with pump action and try to pack it. Buy the trail size of your favorite brand and use it sparingly. If it runs out, then find a pharmacy. I know I'll enjoy myself more if I feel clean. I'm not a huge fan of stinking arm pits and breathe; the French don't have it all right.

#18 Book a Vacation Rental for Family Trips
I agree with this tip 100%. When traveling with multi-generational family members it is practically impossible to oblige every one's needs and stay within a reasonable lodging budget at a resort or hotel, a vacation rental is an outstanding alternative. Also, the pace at which each generation of traveler explorers is different. It is very hard to get grandpa and grandma to keep up with the grandchildren on consecutive days, and it is very hard to get the grandchildren to slow down. It is much easier to leave slower travelers behind in a nice vacation rental than cooped up in a hotel room with only four walls looking back at you and twelve channels on the tube.

#17 Take Extra Items in Your Carry-On Bag
If you have to check baggage, and it's getting more and more difficult not to, then adding additional essentials to your carry-on makes sense. Medication is a no-brainer, but be wary of consolidating your prescription medication. If a security agent decides to check your bags and your meds are not in the original containers, they might be confiscated or worse. An extra pair of underwear may sound silly, but I've been there. Three days in the same skivvies you can make an interesting (French) travel companion. And don't forget the 3-1-1 Rule-No more than 3 ounces of liquid or gel of any one container stored in a 1 quart sealable bag and only 1 bag per person.

Also, since you are checking bags don't forget to put a copy of your itinerary in every piece of checked luggage as well as your contact information. This may increase your chances of seeing your luggage again. Note: A Robb Report survey in June 2006 claims that 30% more luggage is lost daily worldwide than pre-9/11. Good luck.

I will continue the countdown in the next post.

Pick of the Day (5-3-0)...Lakers

Debunking a Travel Myth

2009-05-11T07:27:00.000-07:00

Every airline flight attendant makes more or less the same announcement, insisting for the safety of the flight you must turn off your cell phone, iPhone, Blackberry, Gameboys, etc... because they may interfere with the plane's navigational systems. Some flight attendants will even claim the policy as an FAA edict. Is any of this true?

Of course, this is nonsense. The FAA has attempted practically everything in the last twenty-five years to disrupt an aircraft's avionics with a notebook computer, hand-held PDAs, Blackberries, you name it. What have they determined? Nothing. You can't knock a plane out of the sky by sending an email. The FAA's policy is to let each individual airline dictate their own. So the next time someone tries to sell you this wheelbarrow full of fertilizer you are in the know.

One last thing, even though the flight attendant may be spraying poo in your face, you need to oblige. Since 9/11, Ignoring instruction by a flight attendant is now an arrestable offense.

Pick of the Day(5-2-0)...Arizona

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T10:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers and mothers-to-be! In reverence to this hallowed day, I thought it would be appropriate tell a short story about familial bonding.

...the first afternoon with our daughter, Mckenna, aboard the floating shopping mall was uneventful until she needed to go potty. Without getting technical, toilets on ships operate on a wicked suction system and if you're seated on the toilet and flush...well, you are in for a surprise. A surprise to an adult is first-rate horror to a four year old girl. Without thinking, we allowed Mckenna to experience this horror alone. She flushed, the toilet sucked, she screamed. The sound was blood curdling.

"Help!!" and "Something grabbed my bottom!" were the only words I understood. We barged headlong into the tiny head to rescue her. She was standing in the shower with her pants around her ankles trembling. Mckenna was convinced a monster growled and then tugged her into the little opening at the bottom of the bowl. Tears streaked her cheeks and the whimpering continued for hours.

Mckenna avoided the potty for two days opting for some sort of starvation technique to ward off the beast in the potty. Eventually, after hellacious prodding by a worried mother she succumbed to a specific routine only in public lavatories while holding hands and keeping a constant eye between her legs on the hole on the bottom of the bowl. Even when others went to the head, Mckenna cowered in the corner.

Several years later, my wife asked me to walk Mckenna to the restroom in the Denver airport. I said no problem, but when I left her at the entrance to the ladies restroom, she hesiated and frowned.

"What's wrong, sugar?" I asked.

"Daddy, is this a good bathroom?" She gulped and looked at me half-frightened. I was confused.

"I don't understand sweetie." I crouched to her. "What do you mean?"

"Is it a regular potty or one of the those sucky kinds?" She was truly concerned. I held back the chuckle and assured her that only sucky potties were on boats and planes.

"That is why we were going now so we won't have to go a plane." I hunged her and she ventured on cautiously.

Mckenna is twelve years old now, a cruising and flying veteran, and at an age when daughters and fathers no longer talk about the restroom. I'm sure she still considers the toilet before she sits...I don't blame her.

This is an excerpt from my book, The Perils of Travel. Hope you enjoyed it.

Pick of the Day(4-2-0)...Detroit

To Insure or Not to Insure, That is the Question

2009-05-08T10:23:00.000-07:00

Let me start by admitting, I am not an advocate of travel insurance. Investing an extra 5 to 10 percent to my travel budget just to protect a deposit for a trip I have every intention of taking doesn't seem logical to me. Traveling stirs my soul. It keeps me grounded and sane in an insane world. Why would I want to pay extra for something, nothing, short of dying, would keep me from anyway?

We are not talking about health insurance; that is a whole different beast. I'm talking about insuring the cost of your trip in case you can't make the trip for some inexplicable reason. Well, I have found a few exceptions in which I would purchase insurance.

The Very Short List
1. You have booked a once-in-a-lifetime holiday cruise many months in advance. This safety investment may seem simple to you, but I still struggle with letting go of the loot.
2. Illness; if someone in the traveling party has been recently battling illness or recuperating from a major surgery, then the idea of foregoing the trip for health reasons is reasonable.
3. If the trip includes extended family surrounded by an event such as a wedding, reunion or the Super Bowl then insuring the cost might make sense.

That's about it. Most everything else can and should be handled by a different means. Insurance is intended for for catastrophes not inconveniences. How do you think Snoopy fuels the Met Life blimp? I've said my peace.

Pick of the Day(4-1-0)...Cardinals/Reds U9.5

Independent Travel for First-Timers

2009-05-05T11:47:00.000-07:00

Want to travel abroad but nervous? Ready to check-off sights from your "bucket list"? Want to explore your personal history?

Why not get your feet wet in London?

Many countries share history with this cosmopolitan Goliath. India, Canada, South Africa, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, many countries in Africa and, of course, the United States have a bond through many moments in times past with the British capital. Only a few generations removed from being the world's greatest superpower, this tiny island off the coast of Europe is a fantastic starting point to your journey abroad.

Don't get me wrong...the United Kingdom is still a foreign country to all but the Welsh, Scots, and Brits; even the most veteran globe trekkers struggle with some of London's complexities. London's public transit is daunting. Its congestion is troublesome and its weather can pose many obstacles to the unprepared. However, London is still an English speaking ancestral home to our forefathers. This commonality alone breeds confidence turning your first sojourn into a most rewarding first trip abroad.

I have an amazingly affordable first-class Southern England (London) itinerary for a couple or small family if the travel bug has bitten; don't be afraid to scratch. Send an Email to thetravelvalet@gmail.com and I'll happily share or personalize a specific adventure vacation for you.

Pick of the Day (3-1-0)...Toronto

Oh, the Places I've Seen

2009-05-04T10:04:00.000-07:00

I thought it was about time to introduce myself. My name is Al and I'm the Travel Valet. What is a travel valet you ask? Well, I'm the guy who handles the details. In Las Vegas, they are called hosts and work for a casino; hosts are loyal to the casino of which they are employed and seek out those who gamble and spend large amounts of money. In the world of business, valets are called personal assistants. They are salaried employees and are loyal to the person who signs their paycheck. I'm neither of these. My livelihood is generated from outside sources not directly associated with the travel industry. Writing and travel are my passions and this avenue fuels both. My only goal is to seek out like-minded individuals or families to share travel secrets, cost saving techniques and fabulous stories.

I have been traveling since my earliest memories. My father was a photographer for National Geographic back in the 70's and still occasionally freelances to this day. Hitching along carrying one of his many camera bags, I witnessed, tasted and smelled the world from a point of view many never have the opportunity to experience. As my dad slowed so did my time on the road and then somehow, life got in the way. College, career, marriage and a child appeared in militaristic uniformed succession. My life became someone else's. Others called the shots; I merely followed orders. And then, other than the annual family pilgrimage to Disney World, my travelling ceased. I didn't realize how much the foundation of who I had become, my character, relied on these early experiences. My life became...ordinary.

Sometime during the monotony, I began visiting the local Barnes & Noble while having my afternoon Starbuck's before picking up my family for dinner to shuffle of to The Cheesecake Factory in our family truckster for our typical Tuesday night out. These visits to the bookstore opened my eyes to the unforeseen beauty of the written word. The words came alive like the travel experiences of my youth. I felt the energy and it tugged on me. My soul needed to get back out there. I eventually made that commitment. I made travel and writing a priority and forced it into my family's life. I believe we will all benefit from it.

This blog will be about everything travel from cost saving ideas, to my favorites, to top fives of anything, to great itineraries for all occassions and travel preferences and hopefully some amazing stories to tug at your travel soul.

By-the-way, for whatever reason, I'm quite good at picking winners. I'll share that too. Who knows, it could pay for your next adventure.
Picks of the Day(2-0-0)...Lakers first half -4, Brewers

Tragedy Dims the Glitter

2009-05-03T11:13:00.000-07:00

The Las Vegas community was stunned Friday to find out Danny Gans, 52, passed away.

I was very reluctant to post this in fear I could not serve this great man justice. On stage, he was brilliant; and recognized as the Las Vegas Entertainer of the Year for eleven consecutive years. Off stage, he was greater. Danny contributed so much to the community and the children he dearly loved. He worked tirelessly to better the lives of the ill and less fortunate.

Danny touched the lives of millions through his comedy and service. I never knew him personally and I miss him already.

Please continue his legacy by making a donation to The Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation at http://www.nvccf.org/.

The "Current" Five Best in Las Vegas

2009-05-03T10:12:00.000-07:00

Listing the five best of anything in Las Vegas is an extremely fluid proposition. Even in this economy, Las Vegas changes faster than the lastest diet fad. But since Al, the Travel Valet, wanted to get caught up in the phrenetic atomosphere that is Las Vegas Fight Night he ventured out to see where the bee's buzzed. This is what he found.

The Countdown starts...
5. The best night club is...XS inside the Encore. The line was two hours last night.
4. The best sportsbook to watch the big game...Red Rock in Summerlin.
3. The best place to get a tan...Rehab at the Hard Rock
2. The best restaurant to for celebs and killer Italian food...Cafe Martorano in the Rio.
1. The best poker room...Bellagio (still).

I guess Manny Pacquiao is pretty good.
Today's Top Pick (2-0-0)...Toronto Blue Jays

Blanket of Roses

2009-05-02T03:52:00.000-07:00

From a distance, the race is lovely, harmonious and balletic. Titans flex and relax contrasting prodigious muscles to music hearkened only by the contestants. Distant observers view a dance of dolphins at the ship's bow frolicking in the white capping crests of waves moving in unison with man and nature. Sheer poetry.

Amongst the beasts, the race is filthy, thunderous and violent. Elephantine grit and exaggerated masculinity shake the earth kicking turf skyward staining their pristine coats with battle dirt; the soot blinding the angry combatants. The earth trembles in awe. Gladiators bump, shove and trample for rail position abridging the finishing distance. Muscles and joints writhe in agony; oxygen dissipates in grime; and exhileratation succumbs to exhaustion.

Perseverance, determination and effort win the race. Win. Place. And Show. Only the champion survives to enter the winner's circle. Only one gets the blanket of roses.

I wrote this a few years ago prior to the Kentucky Derby attempting to have it submitted into their official program. It wasn't accepted for publishing, but that is not the reason for this post.
The "Run for the Roses" is contested today, probably the grandest two minutes in sports amid a backdrop of pagentry that surpasses the The Masters in golf. Many sports fans have The Masters on their personal "bucket list". These same people would be remiss to not include this spectacle of grandeur as well. It may be too late to saunter down to the paddock this year, but if you're interested in the 136th running at Churchill Downs drop me an email at TheTravelValet@gmail.com and I can piece together your perfect itinerary.

Today's Top Pick... Pioneer of the Nile to Show

Baby Steps

2009-05-02T02:58:00.000-07:00

A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. - Lao Tzu