Olympians’ Thoughts
The 2020 Olympics was going to be big for softball, after the sport was absent from the previous two. Disappointment was felt by all when the postponement was announced, but hope remains alive since it is not a cancellation.
Spanish Meanderings
Our last full day of our driving tour through Spain and Portugal took us on an intentionally roundabout route from Badajoz, on the Portuguese-Spanish border, to Talavera de la Reina, just a few hours' drive west of Madrid. We started off early, heading southeast toward the town of Zafra, where my husband had read about a few wineries we hoped to visit. The evening before, our friendly, non-English-speaking server at dinner, Maria, had grown quite animated when we told her that was our destination. With fingers curved above her forehead, she mimed a bull and conveyed there was some sort of celebration going on there. All the better!
Working from Home in Philadelphia
It is an odd experience being forced to stay home in a major city like Philadelphia. The streets are nearly empty, and the constant white-noise sounds have all but disappeared. Working in the travel industry through all of this has been an eye-opening experience, and as the days pass, it becomes hard to separate yourself from the constant news and updates. It is never bad to stay updated, but oftentimes you need something to take your mind off the negativity, especially when so many of us work from home.
COVID-19 Pollyanna
Barely two weeks into self-quarantine, my friends and I were already getting antsy and looking for home-bound activities. On what might have been our 100th FaceTime group call, we decided to treat ourselves with a little COVID-19 Pollyanna — think Secret Santa, but less cheer.
Basketball Trips
It's amazing how a pandemic affects us all as far as travel. In my case, the lost revenue due to a lack of travel from just my situation really adds up. My son and I traveled to Boston, Massachusetts, at the beginning of April 2019 to play in a basketball tournament. Since we were all traveling from Chicago, we all needed transportation to the airport and, while there, most of us had something to eat. We stayed at a hotel outside of Boston and also rented a car for three days. While in town, we ate at local establishments multiple times. There was also an entrance fee associated with the tournament. Since there were about 25 kids and adults altogether, there were nine hotel rooms and five vehicles rented in total.
Book Recommendations
We all have a bit more time on our hands these days, and I am practicing social distancing by doing what I do best — reading. I calculated a few months ago I have read about 300-plus books in the last five of six years, which I almost find embarrassing … maybe I should get out more?
Unconventional Thinking
Wizard World is a multi-genre fan convention held in several cities every year. Hundreds of celebrities appear, thousands of creators have booths, and millions of people attend every year.
Travel Dreams
I received the news last Tuesday that my company would shut down for two weeks due to COVID-19. Admittedly, this news sent me into a daydream of all the travel I would do if given a two-week break from work during a time when there wasn’t a pandemic happening.
Alentejo Sights
Last week I related the first half of our day's drive from Lisbon to Badajoz, in Spain. After a lengthy stop in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Évora, we jumped back in the car to make our way to our stop for the night. Again choosing to stay off the main roadway, the A6, we traveled along a roughly parallel route which allowed us to get a little closer to some of the historic sites and stunning vistas in this part of Portugal.
#globility
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Apr 3, 2020Vail Resorts Provides Food, Monetary Assistance to Employees and Mountain Communities
Vail Resorts opted to close all 37 resorts early in response to the current COVID-19 pandemic, but the mountain resort operator also wanted to give back to the community in the face of this adversity. The excess perishable food from the various properties was donated to 30 local food banks, schools and community organizations in the communities where Vail Resorts employees live, work and play. Fruit, vegetables, cheese, juice, granola bars and more went to mountain communities from Colorado and Vermont to British Columbia.
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Goway Offers Travelers Journey of a Lifetime
Since 1970, Goway Travel has been committed to providing customized travel experiences for world travelers. Few things are better evidence of this commitment than being awarded the 2019 Trazees award for Favorite Tour Operator. Goway Travel heartily thanks the readers of Trazee Travel for this honor and for their confidence in Goway’s work in creating travel memories that’ll last a lifetime.
Daily
Apr 3, 2020Airlines Updates on Cancelations and Rebookings Due to COVID-19
The airline industry responds to the COVID-19 pandemic with updates on cancellations, route capacity reductions and rebooking policies. Here’s an update.
April 2020
Apr 3, 2020Singapore Airlines and AeroFarms Launch Farm-to-Plane Initiative
IN A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND PARTNERSHIP, Singapore Airlines and AeroFarms, the leader in indoor vertical farming, launched a Farm-to-Plane initiative to bring the world’s freshest inflight produce to Singapore flights from Newark International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport.
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A Lighter Footprint
United Airlines’ environmentally friendly efforts lessen the impact on local U.S. communities.
Daily
Apr 3, 2020Go on Safari from Home with Africam and Explore.org
While we may be physically restricted as to where we travel, that doesn’t stop the wandering spirit from feeling the need to explore. With the rise of virtual tourism, we can do just that — explore, but from home.
Quito Entices Business Travelers
April 2020
Apr 2, 2020Eco-Friendly Methods of Grape Growing
April 2020
Apr 1, 2020Daily
Apr 1, 2020Munich Airport Secures Future Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
As a result of travel restrictions and drastic reductions in flights worldwide, Munich Airport is suffering from decreases in nearly every area of its operations. Take-offs and landings reached a low last week, with traffic plummeting to less than 10 percent of the number year over year. Passenger traffic is at 5 percent of last year’s level.
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Five Things You Need to Know About Punta Cana’s New Finest Resort
Finding a beachfront Punta Cana all-inclusive resort for all ages can be daunting when you want to take home great memories with loved ones but also experience a sophisticated escape. Now, you can have both thanks to a new resort: Finest Punta Cana.
eFlyer Lead
Apr 1, 2020FXExpress Publications, Inc. Team Share COVID-19 Experiences, Part 2
For the next several weeks, we are compiling the thoughts and experiences of our staff, writers and readers about the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. As a travel publication, we’ve all been affected during these difficult times, as have many of our clients, friends, partners and more.