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The planes and ships want you back - desperately. But only you can decide if you feel safe enough to go. I ping-ponged back and forth from Alaska to the east coast three times between late summer and winter last year. I wore my mask, disinfected my hands with a spray I carried, wash my hands, and tried not to touch things like doorknobs and railings. I am still alive. Airlines and cruise ships are flinging discounts about madly and maybe if you feel you can go out safely, it might be time to...
On April Fool’s Day, no kidding, Canada will drop the requirement that travelers entering Canada either through airports or land borders prove they have a pre-arrival COVID-19 test result. But only for those fully vaccinated. This is a big sigh of relief for Alaskans whose towns and villages are so close to the international border that residents can only access a road out through Canada or for whom a Canadian city is the closest place to shop, go to for medical services. But wait, there might be a catch. Travelers arriving to Canada from a...
Passed by Congress in 2005, the REAL ID Act enacted the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the federal government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses.” The Act established requirements for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards and prohibits federal agencies from accepting licenses and ID cards from states that do not meet the requirements. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the deadline to obtain a Real ID has been extended to May 3, 2023. At that time, your non-compl...
Playing Pickleball in Hawaii is just what you'd think: Pleasant weather, tropical breezes, and usually a wonderful, welcoming group of people to play with. It can also be a place where you take the time to practice on your skills at a pickleball camp. Although, with COVID, camps are not as plentiful in Hawaii, there are still places that offer in-house clinics and coaching. On the Big Island of Hawaii, one place is at the Holua Tennis Club south of Kona, where you can schedule a class with a...
As the Civil War drew to a close, soldiers of the 55th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiments occupied a plantation on James Island, South Carolina, which earlier had been held by Confederate forces. They were among the approximately 185,000 U.S. Colored Troops, as they were called, who fought with the North. Visitors may relive that chapter of history, and the story of African slaves who lived and toiled at the plantation. This is one of numerous sites around the country which recount pages from...
In early January, hundreds of travelers taking Interstate 95 through Fredericksburg, Virginia, ran into a winter storm and spent overnight in below-freezing temperatures. And in mid-November 2021, four people died when a landslide covered Highway 99 in southern British Columbia when torrential rainfall and catastrophic flooding hit the region that included parts of northwestern Washington state. Global warming is wreaking havoc on our weather and increasing storm strength. As someone who's...
The recent COVID-19 variant Omicron is affecting travel as the pandemic shows no sign of waning. And for Alaskans, with winter coming on, the need for sun and fun as well as cultural stimulation poses the classic question: "Should I stay or should I go?" Hawaii, our kissing cousin on almost any map of the United States, is our main source of Vitamin D and fresh fruit in the dark time. We can still go there but there are rules. As you know, Hawaii defends its environment from invasive species and...
Chances are if you've lived in Alaska, you've resided in or traveled to different parts of the state. If not, well shame on you. But if you have and your life is not as mobile as it once was, there's a way to visit your old haunts and home towns. Think of these webcams and animal cams as magic carpets. Utqiagvik Ice Cam brings the Arctic to you My favorite weather cam is the University of Alaska Fairbanks Sea Ice Group Utqiagvik Ice Cam at https://seaice.alaska.edu/gi/observa...
The big storm that blew through Southeast Alaska on Oct. 1 sure played havoc with my travel plans. On a Friday night the winds blew at storm force and it rained pell-mell all night long. Although I checked the night before for notices on the Alaska Marine Highway System website for a cancellation, there was none. But on Saturday morning, a friend who was out of town emailed the inevitable - canceled. How to get out and make my flight from Juneau to Boston on Tuesday? A short break in the weather...
I have prided myself over the years on learning new technology, starting in 1992 when I first encountered a Dell computer at work and figured it out. Then through the years, from Boston to Alaska, I entered newsrooms with unknown computer programs I had to learn by myself, as there was no training. At the newspaper in Wasilla, I arrived in the newsroom to find no one knew I was coming, I had no desk assigned and the computer I was given did not have the application I needed to do my job,...
I am sitting in the Juneau "International" Airport waiting for the milk run from Juneau to Sitka to Ketchikan to Seattle, when an Alaska Airlines agent announces that, due to fog, our flight's captain has missed his initial approach and doesn't know if he has enough fuel to try another. I have never heard of this - have you? And when it is broadcast the plane will not land and rebooking will be necessary, we travel-savvy Alaskans make like a thundering herd of caribou for downstairs and the...
To the joy of Alaska border towns, Canada has reopened its customs checkpoints after 16 months due to the spread of COVID-19. As of Aug. 9, fully vaccinated foreign nationals are allowed into Canada for discretionary travel. But there are certain requirements you must meet: Travelers must be fully vaccinated, submit travel information electronically on Canada’s official government application ArriveCAN within 72 hours prior to arrival in Canada, and provide proof of a negative COVID-19 molecular test, taken within 72 hours. Those molecular t...
The English have always been keen to train travel, particularly during the days when they had private compartments and different classes. The Brits do love their classes. Today, while the trains are more modern and may remind you of a New York subway, they do have amenities like a club car and sleeping quarters. Take a pass The BritRail train ticket is worth buying as it is exclusive for tourists, providing unlimited journeys and discounts, and gives you the freedom to go at your own pace. You...
It was no time to celebrate in large crowds the past two years, so Independence Day celebrations across the state were canceled. But they're back now. In Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow), the midnight sun makes fireworks impossible, so they're saved for New Year's Eve at a time when the sun does not rise until February. While it may sometimes snow on July 4, that doesn't prevent residents from turning out for an array of games from foot races to a contest tossing a line and hook used in seal hunting...
I hopped on my bike and pedaled to the hot springs toward downtown Tenakee Springs, only to be stopped by the sight of a couple frozen in fear, their faces blanched pale. "Luna (a neighbor's dog) is barking at something up on the hillside," they said. I stopped my bike, looked and listened and pedaled on my way, glancing up at the hillside while singing a show tune. No bear would deter me from those warm waters. The restorative power of a good soak cannot be underestimated and sometimes just...
Women chatting in Greek stroll by signs that identify the Spartan Gas Station and Alexander the Great Apartments. They pass restaurants where diners are feasting on pickled octopus, squid salad and gyro sandwiches. Nearby, a man wearing a diving suit emerges from a river and clambers into a boat, clutching a sponge he dredged up from the bottom. At this time of limited travel, it may be impossible to visit other countries that are on your bucket list. However, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy...
OK, so I haven't lived in Alaska since 2012, and we decided to return when real estate prices tripled in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and the streets of my mother's beloved working-class fishing hometown became crowded with Lexuses, BMWs, Mercedes and Jaguars. I even saw a Rolls. Plus, people were not behaving in the stores, especially the supermarkets where management had stuck arrows down to indicate the flow so people could keep a safe distance. Time after time, I'd point out to someone they...
Alaska doesn't have a state lottery – but you could win the jackpot in one of our salmon or halibut fishing derbies. These fishing tournaments offer big fish winners cash and other prizes. Just grab a rod, buy a derby entry ticket, and bring home the biggest fish. Just be sure to have a valid Alaska fishing license. It's free if you're over 60. While other states may set the senior age level at 65, we get it five years earlier because we've worn ourselves out faster. Fishing and hunting l...
My wife and I had long dreamed of visiting Costa Rica. We knew about its reputation for magnificent landscapes, abundant animal and bird life, and preservation of the magnificent environment. We could have spent hours searching the Internet for flights and hotels, reserving a rental car and taking care of the many other details that are required. But we didn't. Instead, we made a single phone call that took care of all of the necessary planning. In addition, we knew that we would be following...
Air travel requires spending time in security lines and airport terminals, which can bring you in close contact with other people and frequently touched surfaces. Social distancing is difficult in busy airports and on crowded flights, and sitting within 6 feet of others, sometimes for hours, may increase your risk of getting COVID-19. How you get to and from the airport, such as with public transportation and ridesharing, can also increase your chances of being exposed to the virus. Testing before and after travel can reduce the risk of spreadi...
Come the time when we are able to travel freely, consider skipping Disneyland to visit a real castle on Cape Ann, just an hour north of Boston. Rising on the shore of Gloucester, Massachusetts, the first light of day strikes Hammond Castle illuminating its leaded stained glass windows and lighting up nearby Norman's Woe, the scene of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's tragic poem "The Wreck of the Hesperus." The son of John Hays Hammond Sr., who became wealthy as a mining engineer in Cecil Rhodes'...
Cabin fever came early this year for sure. With a vaccine coming available within the next couple of months, once we can go outside with some safety it'll be like the gift of an early spring. Meanwhile, consider getting some fresh air and sunlight by watching or participating in upcoming ski, skidoo and snowshoe races. It'll help with the blues and possible depression caused by the enormity of the pandemic's effect on our mental health. The calendar is out for races across Alaska. Visit...
I keep on thinking of that line from the old Laurel and Hardy routine, "Well, that's a fine kettle of fish you've gotten us in." Indeed, thanks to the coronavirus it is a trying time for a travel writer. Still there are things happening in the cruise ship industry that holds out hope for next year to bring tourism dollars back into the state. In 2018, two million out-of-state visitors arrived in Alaska on a cruise ship. Tourism adds close to $2.2 billion a year to the state's economy. Plus, more...
People who ascend a high mountain ridge in Wyoming are greeted by a collection of rocks carefully laid out in a geometric design. Visitors to southwestern Ohio marvel at the sight of a mammoth earthwork shaped like an undulating snake. A maze of stone walls, chambers and other structures perched on a hill in New Hampshire lives up to its nickname of "America's Stonehenge." If you're under the impression that archaeology is a dull, mind-numbing subject of interest only to scientists, think again....
How would you like to spend a night or more at a hotel once frequented by Clark Gable, Ingrid Bergman, Marilyn Monroe and a long list of other Hollywood luminaries? Or snuggle down under the sheets at a former stagecoach stop along the famous Chisholm Trail which played host to George Custer, the cavalry commander in the Civil and American Indian Wars, and Jesse James, who needs no introduction. A hotel can be more, much more, than just a place to catch a good night's sleep. Properties...
