Wanderboomer

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

BY Nancy Mueller 3 Comments ON November 2, 2012

Top 5 Tips for Surviving Travel Emergencies

Photo by GlynLowe.com courtesy of Flickr

The stark images of  hurricane Super Storm Sandy‘s impact show one devastating scene after another.  Loss of lives, uprooted trees, fallen power lines, facades sheared off buildings . . . A friend from New Jersey writes: “The winds are terrifying. The Jersey Shore is obliterated.”

No one likes to imagine the dangers that can happen while traveling. But keeping fingers crossed while hoping for the best are not success strategies for coping with the unexpected while on the road.

Whether you’re a stranded traveler for a few hours or a few days, heed these top 5 tips for coping with unexpected disasters away from home:

Photo by NASA, courtesy of Flickr

1) Be prepared.

  • Expectations are everything. When you have an idea of what you’re in for, you can plan accordingly. Do your homework. Check weather and travel advisories before you leave for your trip.
  • Carry personal identification and your health insurance card in case you need medical assistance.
  • Make two extra copies of your travel documents, including your passport. Keep one with a contact person at home and another in a separate travel bag.
  • Be aware of your own medical and auto insurance coverage before investigating travel insurance options. Only then, depending on the coverage you already have, consider purchasing travel insurance, one that provides a refund for flight delays or cancellations, for instance, to give you peace of mind.
  • Diversify your money options. Carry a limited amount of cash. Memorize your pin number so you can access your checking and savings accounts from an ATM machine. Bring Traveler’s Checks as a back up.

2) Stay informed.

  • Before traveling abroad, consider signing up for the U.S. State Department’s free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive up-to-date travel information, alerts and advisories about your destination.
  • Sign up for text and Twitter updates from your airline. Check your airline’s website and Facebook page for the latest flight information.
  • If possible, stay tuned to the local news forecasts for information relevant to your travel site.
  • Check with the front desk or concierge at your hotel for local information.

Photo by Sean MacEntee, courtesy of Flickr

3) Stay connected.

  • Leave a copy of your travel itinerary and local contact information with a friend at home.
  • Update your travel information on your social media sites like Facebook.
  • Program important telephone numbers in your smart phone, including the name of your hotel, local hospitals, physicians who speak English, embassies and consulates.
  • If traveling with family or friends, keep a color photo of each person in your group on your smart phone.
  • When local connections are lost, contact family or friends outside your travel area who often can give you a better idea of what’s happening in your area.

Photo by cuttlefish, courtesy of Flickr

4) Get your bearings.

  • Be able to identify your location on a map as well as the closest hospitals, subway stations, tsunami evacuation routes, embassies and fire departments.
  • Learn a few emergency phrases in the local language so that you can communicate in a crisis situation.

5) Stay smart.

  • Don’t tempt Mother Nature when it comes to hurricane warnings, tsunami alerts and tornado sightings. Stay out of harm’s way.
  • Avoid local demonstrations and other signs of civil unrest.
  • Read the safety information provided to you on airplanes and in your hotel room.
  • Pay attention to your surroundings. Stay on alert and listen to your intuition.
  • Follow the safety precaution, transportation guidelines and advisories issued by local officials.

For more information on travel health and safety, be sure and check out these two posts, Top 5 Travel Safety Tips and Top 5 Tips for Healthy Travels.

For information on how you can help  the victims of Hurricane Sandy, contact your local American Red Cross.

What tips do you have for surviving travel emergencies, Wanderboomers?

Filed Under: Baby Boomers and Travel, New York, Travel Tips Tagged With: ATM machine, consulates, crisis, embassies, Facebook, health insurance card, hotel, hurricanes, Jersey Shore, local news, mother nature, New Jersey, Sandy, Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, social media, Super Storm Sandy, travel emergencies, travel insurance, travel itinerary, tsunami, tsunami evacuation routes, Twitter, U.S. State Department

BY Nancy Mueller 8 Comments ON February 14, 2012

Shot on Location: 7 Movie Destinations for Valentine’s Day

Romantic Movies on Location

Travelers at heart can visit any one of several romantic destinations on Valentine’s Day in the click of an eye through the magic of movies. Cuddle up with or without your sweetie and pass the popcorn and kleenex . . .

An Affair to Remember

An Affair to Remember

An ocean liner headed for New York City sets the stage for this Hollywood classic starring Deborah Kerr (Terry McKay) and Cary Grant (Nicky Ferrante), with Fate and Destiny in key supporting roles. As an added bonus, you can enjoy gorgeous views from the villa on the French Riviera where Nicky’s wise and loving grandmother resides. Most famous line: “If you can paint, I can walk!”

Casablanca

Casablanca

Former lovers meet unexpectedly in French Morocco during World War II when “of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world,” Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) has to walk into his, Rick’s (Humphrey Bogart). The drama includes flashback scenes to happier times when they fell in love in Paris, together with a rousing rendition of the national anthem of France, “La Marseillaise.”

Dr. Zhivago

Omar Sharif (Yuri) and Julie Christie (Lara) are star-crossed lovers in this film set in Russia (though filmed in Canada, Finland and Spain) during the Bolshevik Revolution. Any movie that can romanticize an Ice Palace in the Russian countryside in the middle of winter is worth a viewing.

Lady and the Tramp

In case you think that only we humans hold the monopoly on romance, our canine counterparts will convince you otherwise in this Disney classic. Has there ever been a more heartwarming animated scene than when our main characters discover love at the end of a shared strand of spaghetti at Tony’s (Italian) Restaurant?

Roman Holiday

Audrey Hepburn won an oscar for her performance as Princess Anne who rebels against her royal duties by going undercover as a commoner in Rome for a day. After a memorable chance encounter, reporter Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck) soon realizes he has the scoop of the decade – and the love of a lifetime. Location shots include the Spanish Steps, Palazza Colonna, and Bocca della Verita (Mouth of Truth).

Notorious

Notorious

Rio de Janeiro takes center stage in Hitchcock’s brilliant tale of espionage, romance and betrayal. Cary Grant stars as Devlin, an American agent, who enlists the aid of Alicia (Ingrid Bergman) to track the Nazi ring operating in Rio after her father is convicted of treason. Love intervenes only to be pushed aside by the dutiful Devlin who throws her into marriage with Alex (Claude Rains), leader of the local Nazis group. Will Devlin find a way to save Alicia and himself by movie’s end? You’ll just have to watch the film to find out.

Sound of Music

“The hills are alive with the sound of music” while romance blooms between Maria, a young postulant at Austria’s Nonnberg Abbey, and Baron von Trapp, a widower engaged to be married. Cupid strikes when their eyes meet as the Baron leads Maria in a dance. Be still my heart . . .

Added Bonus!

I can’t help myself. I have to include one more travel film here:

The English Patient

The English Patient

Though this World War II drama is set in Tuscany and Egypt, several scenes were shot on location in Tunisia for a more realistic portrait of 1940’s Cairo. Viewing Ralph Fiennes in his role as Count Laszlo de Almasy carrying his beloved, white shrouded Katherine (Kristin Scott Thomas) across the windswept desert landscape leaves me mesmerized every time. When he recognizes that she’s wearing the thimble (You have to see the movie), her reply, “Of course, you idiot. I always wear it. I’ve always worn it. I’ve always loved you,” says it all. Sigh . . .

What about you, Wanderboomers? What travel movies would you add to my list for Valentine’s Day?

Filed Under: Activities, Africa, Baby Boomers and Travel, Brazil, Entertainment, Italy, New York, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Russia Tagged With: An Affair to Remember, Audrey Hepburn, Austria, Baron von Trapp, Bocca della Verita, Bolshevik Revolution, Cairo, Canada, Cary Grant, Casablanca, Claude Rains, Count Laszlo de Almasy, Deborah Kerr, desert, Dr. Zhivago, Egypt, espionage, films, Finland, French Morocco, French Riviera, Gregory Peck, Hitchcock, Humphrey Bogart, Ice Palace, Ingrid Bergman, Italian, Joe Bradley, Julie Christie, Kristin Scott Thomas, La Marseillaise, Lady and the Tramp, love, Morocco, Mouth of Truth, movies, Nazi, Nazis, New York, Nicky Ferrante, Nonnberg Abbey, Notorious, ocean liner, Omar Sharif, Palazza Colonna, Paria, Princess Anne, Ralph Fiennes, restaurant, Rio de Janeiro, Roman Holiday, romance, Rome, spaghetti, Spain, Spanish Steps, St. Valentine's Day, Terry McKay, The English patient, The Sound of Music, Tony's, travel, Tunisia, Tuscany, villa

BY Nancy Mueller 10 Comments ON December 27, 2011

The Best of 2011: Hotels & Haciendas

Here are my top hotel choices from my travels in 2011 . . . Drumroll, please!

Hacienda Cusin

1) Hacienda Cusin – If you’ve been following my blog, then you already know much I loved staying at this luxurious Ecuadorian resort last summer. My only regret is that my visit was so short, only for a night. No matter. I was still able to take in its beautiful pastoral surroundings and enjoy a couple of exquisite meals in the cozy dining room.

Spa at Termas Papallacta2) Termas Papallacta – I’ve written several posts about this luxurious hot springs and spa that lies high in the Andes, just 40 miles east of Quito. Just imagine starting your day with a restorative soak in one of several pools just footsteps outside your cabin door. Go ahead. Breathe in the misty, clean air brought by the Amazon jungle winds. Afterwards, stroll along the covered walkways that lead to the main lodge where a breakfast of empanadas and exotic fruit juices, like naranjilla or guanabana, await. I can hear you moaning now . . . Or was that me, remembering the experience?

The resort, a popular haven for adventurers and health-conscious travelers, is the first in mainland Ecuador to receive the Smart Voyager sustainable tourism certification. Lucky me to have stayed here for three days and three nights!

Inside Spa at Termas Papallacta

MV Evolution3) MV Evolution – My home away from home for my cruise of the Galapagos Islands was aboard a classic 32-passenger yacht “floating hotel.” Billed as a throwback to memories of exotic travel in the 1920’s, this small-ship was a beauty. With an all-Ecuadorian crew of 18 that included a doctor, cruise director and two naturalist guides, the level of personal service our hosts provided was exceptional. As you might imagine, the sky lounge on the upper deck became a very popular watering hole at the end of our days spent hiking, kayaking and snorkeling.

Okay – so far, my top hotel choices for 2011 have all been in Ecuador. But there is one more worth mentioning . . .

4) Hotel Casablanca in New York City – What a perfect little retreat from the over-the-top bright lights and cacophony of Times Square! Truly a boutique hotel, with its tiny elevator and narrow hallways, the hotel is a lovely little gem with a Moroccan motif in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. The staff was warm and welcoming, and despite a few problems with the free Wi-Fi service during my stay, the level of service was outstanding. I especially enjoyed Rick’s Café, the intimate lounge where a delicious continental breakfast was provided each morning and a wine and cheese reception every afternoon. So civilized . . .

While there, I struck up a conversation with one of the other hotel guests – a young girl visiting New York City with her family to celebrate her 11th birthday on 11/11/11. If you saw The Today Show that day, you saw her, too, along with several other kids celebrating the same event themselves.

Inside Rick's Cafe at Hotel Casablanca

So much depends upon the care and kindness of strangers when we’re on the road. Whether you want to celebrate a special occasion like my new 11-year-old friend, or simply disappear off the beaten path, each of these hotels offer unforgettable experiences.

What hotels made your “Best of 2011” list, Wanderboomers? Tell us why.

Filed Under: Baby Boomers and Travel, By Land, By Ship & By Sea, Destinations, Food & Dining, Galapagos Islands, Hotels, New York Tagged With: Amazon, best of, Casablanca, Ecuador, empanadas, fruit juices, Galapagos Islands, guanabana, Hacienda, Hacienda Cusin, hot springs, Hotel Casablanca, Hotels, jungle, luxury, Midtown Manhattan, Moroccan, Morocco, MY Evolution, naranjilla, Rick's cafe, service, Smart Voyager, spa, sustainable tourism certification, Termas Papallacta, The Today Show, Times Square

BY Nancy Mueller 20 Comments ON December 1, 2011

A Fast 48 Hours in New York City – Part Three

Wow! Thanks to all my readers for adding your suggestions to my list of Must-sees and Do’s in New York City. I’ll be sure to add your favorites on my next visit. Here’s what made my final cut during my most recent quick trip:

11) I never tire of taking the Staten Island Ferry to see The Statue of Liberty, even if it’s only to offer a passing salute. One thing that has changed since my last trip to NYC is having the steady presence of the U.S. Coast Guard cruising alongside our vessel for the short round trip between Lower Manhattan and Staten Island. I have yet to get off the ferry to explore the island, but one of these days . . .

12) What’s a trip to NYC without a ride on the subway? With an estimated 660 miles of track and 22 interconnected subway routes serving Manhattan and its surrounding boroughs, you’re bound to hop on one sooner or later.

Walking the city neighborhoods is a must, but when you’re in a hurry or your feet need a break from hitting the pavement, the subway makes life sooo much easier.

13) Explore High Line Park, which was built on the historic elevated freight train line on Manhattan’s West Side. This was, well, high on my list for this trip since it only first opened in 2009. Once scheduled for demolition, community residents fought to preserve the original structure. What an achievement! The area has been transformed into a beautiful landscaped public space covering the area from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to 34th Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues.

Strolling through the park while taking in the city skyline offers one of those great New York City experiences. There are any number of choice spots where you can sit for a spell along the way, including the 23rd Street Lawn which has become a favorite gathering place among locals.

14) Visit The New York Public Library, an architectural wonder, with its great lion guardians outside the entrance. Inside, the Beaux Arts masterpiece showcases soaring vaulted ceilings and archways, marble hallways and an extraordinary reading and music collection. You won’t want to miss the Main Reading Room which is about the size of two city blocks alone!

15) Visit St. John the Divine, the largest, though still unfinished, cathedral in the world. After suffering major damage from a fire in December 2001, the “house of prayer for all people” was restored and rededicated in 2008.  On this trip, I had hoped to see the newly restored gift shop which was also destroyed in the fire, only to discover that it hasn’t been replaced. What a shame! But the Great Bronze doors and the Great Rose window are as magnificent as ever. The Poets’ Corner and the Baptistry are also among my favorites here. If you’re new to the cathedral, pick up a flyer in the entrance for a self-guided tour. Or if you’re up for a fun adventure, schedule a Vertical Tour for a climb of over 124 feet up the spiral staircases to the top of the cathedral.

So much left to explore in The Big Apple, Wanderboomers, so little time!

What would you most want to see & do in The City That Never Sleeps over the holidays? Leave a comment here.

 

 

Filed Under: Activities, Baby Boomers and Travel, By Land, By Ship & By Sea, Destinations, New York Tagged With: High Line Park, John the Divine, lower Manhattan, Manhattan, New York, skyline, Staten island, Staten island ferry, subway, subways, U.S. Coast Guard

BY Nancy Mueller 12 Comments ON November 23, 2011

A Fast 48 Hours in New York City – Part Two

View of the New York City Skyline in Lower Manhattan

If only my travel dates to New York City had coincided with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! Maybe next year . . .

In the meantime, I was still able to cross a few more items off my list of Must Sees and Do’s on this fast-paced trip to The Big Apple. For WanderFood Wednesday here at Wanderlust and Lipstick, I’m starting off with one of my favorite food choices:

6) Snack on a super-size soft pretzel and roasted chestnuts while wandering around Midtown. All that window shopping takes its toll! Thankfully, corner street vendors abound here so you’ll have plenty of food choices to whet your appetite. If pretzels and chestnuts don’t do it for you, how about a hot dog? Or Falafal? A chicken kebab or Italian sausage perhaps?
Mmm . . .

7) After checking out the beautiful window displays at Versace, Michael Kors, Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue (Hey – a girl can dream, can’t she?) – you know what’s next. It’s time to go shopping! My hopes are dashed, however, when my teenage daughter shows me the plan she’s already mapped out.

Better luck next time, Mom!

8) Take a break from urban mania with a walk in Central Park. Even a short respite will help restore your sanity and show you a portion of the lovely 843-acre landscape designed by Fredrick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1858. I still haven’t made it to Strawberry Fields, the meditative garden created by Yoko Ono in memory of her husband, John Lennon. But I know it ranks high on the list of NYC residents and tourists alike so I’m adding it to my list.

9) Go for a spin on the ice at Rockefeller Center. If you’re not quite up for an axel jump or a camel spin, which we Wanderboomers rarely are, you can still enjoy a more relaxed skate around the rink, or simply watch the other skaters from the viewing platform. NBC Studios, Radio City Music Hall, and Top of the Rock are all here and definitely worth a visit.

10) Keep your eye out for celebrities. You never know who you might run into so don’t be surprised if your server or tour guide looks vaguely familiar. Say, haven’t I seen this guy and gal on Law & Order? Maybe The Late Show with David Letterman?

Here’s a tip: if you do see a celebrity like Brad or Angelina (Where in the world are you, Johnny Depp?), be cooool – and always respectful. In fact, if you want to be the epitome of cool, pretend you have no idea who they are, just like I did when spotting Chris Noth and Frank Langella on previous visits. Of course, they pretended not to know who I was either . . .

Do you have any favorite celebrity sightings in NYC, Wanderboomers?
What other Must Sees & Do’s are on your list when visiting The City That Never Sleeps?

Filed Under: Activities, Baby Boomers and Travel, Destinations, Food & Dining, Holidays, New York, Shopping Tagged With: Aeropostale, American Eagle, Angelina Jolie, Bloomingdales, Brad and Angelina, Brad Pitt, Calvert Vaux, celebrities, Central Park, Central Park West, chicken kebaby, Chris Noth, corner street vendors, David Letterman, falafal, Forever 21, Frank Langella, Fredrick Law Olmsted, H & M, Hollister, hot dogs, Italian sausage, John Lennon, Law & Order, Lord & Taylor, lower Manhattan, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Matt Lauer, Michael Kors, Midtown, NBC Experience Store, NBC Studios, New York City skyline, pretzel and chestnuts stand, Radio City Music Hall, roasted chestnuts, Rockefeller Center, Rockefeller Center ice Skating Rink, Saks Fifth Avenue, soft pretzels, Strawberry Fields, The Big Apple, The City That Never Sleeps, The Late Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, Top of the Rock, Versace, Where in the World is Matt Lauer, Yoko Ono

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »
Hello fellow wanderboomers! I’m a Seattle-based travel journalist, specializing in fun travel adventures for the young at heart. My articles have been featured in Hemispheres, AAA Highroads Magazine and Northwest Travel & Life Magazine where I'm a frequent contributor. When this Wanderboomer isn’t traveling, I help global executives polish their personal and professional brand for long-term results.
For travel tips, news & inspiration in our Wanderboomer newsletter, subscribe here.

Destination:

  • North America
  • South America
  • Europe
  • Asia
  • Australia
  • Africa

Categories:

  • Business
  • Family
  • Purpose
  • Writing

© 2023 · Wanderboomer. Terms and Conditons | Sitemap | Contact · Site by Wordpress Barista