I am often amazed at how few people in the Toledo area are familiar with Lakeside, Ohio between Catawba and Marblehead. It is what is known as a “Chautauqua.” Lakeside began in 1873 as a Methodist camp-meeting retreat and soon became part of the Chautauqua Movement in the U.S. A Chautauqua is (and I quote from the Lakeside brochure) “ a community welcoming all people to gather and participate in life-long learning opportunities through the four pillars: religion, education, cultural arts and recreation.”

Lakeside is a gated community with a gate fee from Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day with the exception of the three weeks around the Ohio Methodist Conferences in early June. The daily gate fee this year is $18 for adults, $12.50 for youth 12-18, and children under 12 are free. It also costs $9 per day to bring your car in. This is certainly not inexpensive, but those who go there to make use of the many facilities and take part in the activities generally feel that it is a good value. (The famous Chautuaqua in upstate New York charges over $40 per day.)

The following areas nurture the mind: educational seminars (such as the Civil War, creation and evolution, financial planning, foreign policy); environmental seminars, youth music programs, symphony pre-concert talks, Heritage Society lectures, historic tours, health seminars, and Women’s Club speakers and book reviews.

To nurture the body Lakeside offers shuffleboard, swimming, sailing and boating, tennis, yoga, fitness classes for women, a supervised children’s playground, adult bicycle trips, and miniature golf (extra charge). There is a 2 mile walking trail around the perimeter of Lakeside and Life Trail Outdoor Wellness Park featuring 10 exercise and stretching stations.

Spiritual life involves Sunday worship, weekday morning chaplain’s hour and evening praise, God Squad for children 4-9, Middle Grade Ministries for ages 10-14, and teen ministries.

Other programs are: organized playground games, kids’ nature program, family picnics, puppet shows, youth music programs (Fun with Music, Ring and Sing), Where in the World (world geography and culture for kids), Rhein Center arts and crafts (extra charge), and historical tours.

During the gated season Lakeside features a program, included in the gate fee, every night except Sunday in the 3000 seat Hoover Auditorium. From July 30 – Aug. 19 the Lakeside Symphony performs seven concerts. Some of the other programs this summer are: The Return (Beatles Tribute Band), Second City, Kenya Safari Acrobats, Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers, John Ford Coley Band, The OSU Alumni Band, The Chenille Sisters, and Mike Albert and the Big “E” Band.” The complete schedule is available at www.lakesideohio.com or call 866-952-5374 for a brochure.

The annual Women’s Club Tour of Homes on the fourth Thursday of July is an interesting was to sample Lakeside.

Lakeside offers a variety of places to stay including the historic lakefront Lakeside Hotel, the more modern Fountain Inn, cottage rentals, bed and breakfasts, and a campground.

The only restaurant in Lakeside open year round is Sloopy’s Pizza, which also offers pasta, sandwiches, and salads. The dining room in the Hotel Lakeside has the prime location with a wonderful view of the lake. The other main restaurant on the grounds is the Patio which is open all day and has a Friday All-You-Can-Eat Fish special. A few snack shops fill out the food choices.

If any of you remember the popular Abigail Tea Room, it unfortunately is no more.

Of course visitors can enjoy also many other restaurants in the Marblehead, Catawba, Port Clinton area including the popular Mon Ami.

Besides the “official” activities, I have some personal favorites. My afternoons are usually spent sitting in an Adirondack chair on the deck of the pavilion, reading a page-turner but taking breaks to look out over the beautiful blue lake. Even on the hottest days, a cooling breeze makes it a pleasant pastime. I also enjoy just walking or biking around the grounds gazing at the interesting cottages. Many of them are over 100 years old and lovingly cared for. Some are the Victorian gingerbread style similar to the ones in Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard.

Lakeside has several shops in its tiny downtown for those who need a shopportunity fix.

This quaint community is also a great base for exploring the peninsula and making excursions to Put-in-Bay or Kelleys Island. It is truly an ideal part of vacationland for summertime fun but can also be a nice day trip in the spring or fall.

Tags: Catawba Island, Kelleys Island, Lakeside, Practical Traveler

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 12th, 2011 at 12:38 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, Practical Traveler.
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When one thinks of going to Africa, a safari usually comes to mind. However, my 24 day trip there in November was much more. After a long flight, 38 of us met up in Johannesburg for Grand Circle’s Highlights of South Africa tour. This was by far the most expensive trip I have ever taken, but a friend that I had taken along on several trips passed away about two years ago and left me $5000 so that was just about right for this special trip.

Two days in Jo-burg gave us a chance to get acclimated with a city tour and a visit to the famous township Soweto; a combination of shanty town, low-income housing, and a smattering of more upscale homes belonging mostly to people who operate businesses there.

Then it was off to Kruger National Park for two days of game drives. On the way we took the Panorama Route to Blyde Canyon where the landscape was somewhat similar to parts of Utah. One particularly scenic area was called The Potholes.

For our game drives the option was offered to upgrade to a small open air 4×4 with a professional guide for an extra $115 per day, but cheapskate that I am, I decided to stick with the air conditioned bus at least for the first day. With only 4 of us on the bus, we had great flexibility for taking pictures. Our bus driver along with our regular guide Charl did a fantastic job of spotting the game and telling us about them. The second day we had about 20 on the bus since many decided it wasn’t worth the extra money to be exposed to dust, heat, and bugs while not being able to hear the driver very well. We saw 4 of the famous “big 5” with leopards being elusive because they are nocturnal.

The highlight was getting to see a group of about 15 female lions and cubs lunch on a zebra. Lions are actually not considered the best hunters so when they get such a feast, they make the most of it. We saw much wildlife but no large herds such as I had seen in the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania on a previous trip.

After two days of animals I was ready for a change of scenery which didn’t take long as we drove to Swaziland, one of the poorest countries in Africa. Our home for 2 nights was the Mountain Inn in Mbabane, overlooking a beautiful valley.

The next day was what Grand Circle calls “A Day in the Life.” This was all located on a tribal nature preserve. We met a local chief at her residence where she tried to teach us some of their songs and dances. Then it was time to visit the local Esitjeni Primary School, supported by the Grand Circle Foundation. Our lunch at the Orphan Center was a traditional Swazi meal prepared by the local women. It was similar to what the orphan children receive daily there: stewed tomatoes and onion, squash, beets, and white maze. About 30 of them live in the community, mostly with extended family. In Swaziland one in three adults is infected with HIV and several of these children also were.

After lunch we divided into small groups to visit some of the homes in the community. Most homes do not have electricity or indoor plumbing, but they do have cell phones which they take to stores about once a week to get charged. I find these visits extremely interesting and worthwhile since one of the main reasons for travel is to meet people and see how others live. Home visits are a hallmark of Grand Circle.

We went from Swaziland to Zululand back in South Africa. Here we stayed in rondevals – round huts with thatched roofs- but with a modern bathroom and wall-mounted flat screen TV. Although it was touristy, I thought this was one of the more interesting places I’ve ever stayed. The complex was built for a movie several years ago and then converted into a Zulu resort, Shakaland, named after a Zulu king. We had a tour of the village, complete with native dancers and then an ample buffet. We certainly did not need a wake- up call when the local roosters started in at 4 in the morning.

A short drive took us to the airport at the outskirts of Durban for our short flight to Port Elizabeth where our hotel overlooked the Indian Ocean. (To Be Continued)

Tags: Judy Pfaffenberger, Practical Traveler, South Africa

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 13th, 2011 at 4:26 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, Practical Traveler.
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We were glad to arrive in Cape Town where we would spend 4 nights. Our guide, Charl, was also glad to be there because it was his home and he would get to see his family. We began with a city tour, stopping for the view atop Signal Mountain before taking a cable car to the top of Table Mountain where we probably wouldn’t have a view since it appeared to be “socked in.” The gondola on the cable car rotated 360 degrees so everyone had an equal view, at least until we went into the cloud. It was still a fun experience although very cold and windy at the top.

Our driver was kind enough to drop people where they wanted on the way back to the hotel. Several got off in the city or at a new waterfront complex to shop; a few were taking the ferry to Robbin Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned; and a friend and I decided to visit some places in the city, stopping to see the oldest church in South Africa, touring the Gold Museum next door, and strolling through the East India Company Gardens which were springtime beautiful. We found a cheap internet place to check email and then went back to the hotel on a public bus.

A group of us ate dinner on our own at a recommended restaurant, The Ocean Basket. The dinners were between $6 and $14 and all were pleased with them. One person chose the seafood platter containing deep-fried Calamari heads. They looked like little octopi and he gave them to me since he didn’t like eating things which appeared to be looking at him.

A highlight of the Cape Town area is the wine country around the quaint town of Stellenbosch. We had some free time to explore the town before taking part in a wine tasting. This became wine country because a few hundred years ago some French Huguenot Vintners were kicked out of France by the king and went to Holland since it was mostly Protestant. Land in Holland isn’t known to be good for grapes so they were offered land in South Africa to encourage settlement there.

That evening we were treated to a home hosted dinner in a middle-class home in the suburbs. Our hosts were of part- Indian background so they served an Indian style chicken and rice dish with several other side dishes. This is a great opportunity to interact with average people and see how they live.

Our last day in Cape Town was a full day of exploring the peninsula to the Cape of Good Hope. We began with more awesome coastal scenery, including a short sighting of a lonely whale. At the Cape we took a funicular to the top for the view. Nearby we had a nice seafood lunch – fish kebabs wrapped in bacon- before stopping at Boulders Beach to see hundreds of African Penguins. It wasn’t listed on our itinerary, but our guide said we had to see Kirstenbosch Gardens, generally accepted to be one of the ten best gardens in the world. We were very grateful for this too short visit.

Our farewell dinner that evening was at the revolving penthouse restaurant at the Ritz Hotel. Sixteen from our group would be heading home the next morning while the other 22 of us went on to Victoria Falls.

Most of the weather on this trip was mild but when we landed at the airport at Zimbabwe it was 100 degrees. At that moment I was glad that I had prepurchased my visa so I could go to the hotel rather than stand in line with more than 100 others in the unairconditioned airport. However, it would have been about $100 cheaper to buy it in the airport.

My main reason for doing the extension was to see Victoria Falls and take an optional ($195) day trip to Chobe National Park in Botswana (and add 3 more countries to my collection, including Zambia which I got by walking across a bridge near Vic Falls). The falls were at about 1/3 flow so they were not too spectacular, but when they are at full flow in April and May, there is so much mist you can’t see much of the falls. We had a guided tour along the opposite rim, with a rainbow in every view.

Our trip to Chobe was very good but we didn’t see much that we hadn’t seen before except larger herds and many kinds of birds. The morning segment was a game drive and after a buffet lunch with goat meat (it wasn’t b-a-a-a-d at all), we cruised on the river where we got up close and a little too personal with some hippos.

Our final farewell dinner was a Boma dinner, a buffet along with traditional entertainment. Some of the meats offered for dinner were Impala turine, buffalo stew, ostrich kebabs, kudu steak, warthog, and boerwort sausage. That fortified us for our almost two days to get home. Although travel has become more difficult, I feel it was worth it and I was blessed to be able to make such a trip.

Tags: Judy Pfaffenberger, Practical Traveler

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011 at 12:59 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, Practical Traveler.
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Yes it does. Almost any travel is an expensive proposition. However, international travel involves problems and situations that are not generally encountered traveling in this country.

When people traveled to foreign countries in the past, they usually bought travelers checks to take along. This is no longer advisable. They can be hard to cash (incurring a surcharge), and businesses do not want to bother with them.

Another thing you should not do except in an extreme emergency is to use your credit card to get a cash advance. Your interest rate kicks in immediately even if you pay your balance off on time.

So what is the best way to be able to spend money in foreign countries? Currently the ATM card is considered the best, although some changes have meant that they aren’t as good as they were. There used to be a flat transaction fee or a 1% fee but now most charge up to 3% which can be a considerable amount. Unfortunately, somewhat the same thing has happened with credit cards. They all charge a 1% international exchange fee, but most are also now charging the extra 2 or 3%. Some cards from credit unions as well as Capital One ATM and credit cards do not assess the extra fee. To use their ATM card, you must have a Direct Banking Account with them which can be done by mail or internet.

If you don’t have an ATM card, you can purchase a preloaded ATM card. The advantage to this is that the amount that can be taken out is limited to how much you put in. (AAA sells these preloaded VISA cards for a minimum of $100, that can be used as a debit or an ATM card. They are protected like travelers checks and will be replaced if lost or stolen.) A disadvantage of a regular ATM card is that someone with your card and pin could wipe out an account.

Even with an ATM card it is still advisable to take cash as a back- up. Sometimes ATM cards do not work. If that happens, try another machine the first one might be empty. However, do not carry any large amounts of cash in a purse, fanny pack, or wallet in a pocket. Anything important should be kept in a money belt or some kind of pouch that can be carried underneath clothing. This should include cash, credit cards, and passports. It is also a good idea to make a photocopy of the first page of your passport which you keep in a separate place. In addition, you should make copies of both sides of your credit cards. However, it is a good idea to cut the copies in half and keep each half in a different place.

Another issue involving credit cards is chip and pin. Most other countries have gone to this system. (Europe by 2012; Canada by 2015) Instead of a “swipe strip”, they contain a computer chip and require the use of a pin number for security. As of this time no American credit card companies have plans to switch to this new system. Many travelers have reported no problems so far with this. However, unmanned service stations, railway, and subway stations can cause difficulties.

In many countries businesses do as some of our gas stations are doing and charge a higher price for using credit cards. This is most common at smaller restaurants and hotels. Many bed and breakfasts and most small local restaurants do not accept credit cards. If you do plan to use a card in a restaurant, ask first whether they will accept it and swipe it at the table.

Something that I recently heard about occurs when you purchase something from the American office of a foreign-based company and use a credit card. Although the price is quoted in dollars, when you get your statement, the foreign exchange premium is added on. I know of this happening to a person who purchased airline tickets from Aer Lingus.

Unless it is absolutely necessary, do not purchase foreign currency in the U.S. before your trip. There are usually ATMs and exchange booths at all airports and points of entry. For a recent transatlantic cruise, I was going to need significant Euros for private tours that we had booked. Someone suggested that I just go to the bank and get what I needed. I called to get the price for 400 Euros and 160 British pounds (this was for two of us). In the end I used my Capital One ATM card and it turned out to be $133 cheaper with the card than it would have been from the bank.

Try not to change more than you will need; you can usually get more if necessary. Changing it back costs you twice. If you think you might go back to a country, keep what you have left for a starter. If you are on a tour, use the leftover money toward the tip for your guide.

Some of this information came from articles and letters from subscribers to a wonderful travel magazine, International Travel News.

Tags: Judy Pfaffenberger, Practical Traveler

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 9th, 2011 at 1:41 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, Practical Traveler.
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Americans have traveled to Europe for many years to enjoy the Christmas markets. However, in recent years they have discovered that river cruising is a wonderful way to experience this.  As with other cruising, you only unpack once. A few other bonuses are complimentary wine with dinner and most of the sightseeing is included.

The main choices for river cruising at Christmas are the Seine and Rhone in France and the more popular trips on the Rhine and Danube. Most of these cruises range from five to 12 days.

In 2007 my longlost cousin Jan from the state of Oregon, who found me on the Internet, thought we should get to know each other better. Since we both like to travel, we decided that a river trip might be a nice way to do this. She suffers greatly from motion sickness so we settled on the shorter Danube trip. As it turned out, she had no problems; and people rarely encounter mal de mere on river cruises. We opted to go with Grand Circle (1-800-248-3737) since I had used their services before and was quite satisfied. We chose one of the earliest trips because it was cheaper and we thought that we might have slightly warmer weather. However, one of the markets was not open that early.

Jan flew to Toledo so she could meet the rest of the family at Thanksgiving dinner and then we flew out of Detroit the next day. We arrived at our ship, the River Symphony, in Vienna shortly after noon the following day. After a quick lunch, I took the free shuttle to the town center to get my bearings since I hadn’t been there since 1980. That evening we enjoyed a relaxing dinner.

The next day was Sunday so I started the day by dropping in at a local church service. Then we spent a few hours exploring the city — Demels pastry shop, St. Stephan Cathedral, the Hofburg — and ended up back at the Rathaus (city hall) where we found the largest of Vienna’s seven Cristkindlmarkts.

Even if you are not a shopper, there is still so much to see and enjoy.

That evening we had the opportunity for an optional tour ($65) to the Kursalon to enjoy the music of Vienna, complete with dancers.

The next morning we were cruising through the Wachau valley, one of the most scenic stretches of the Danube — vineyards, castles, abbeys. We were graced with sunshine for most of the morning and then a light dusting of snow made our visit to Melk Abbey Christmas-card perfect. A bus took us up the hill for a tour of the abbey featuring a short organ concert in the gilded chapel.

Linz was our port for the next day. The main event was an optional tour to Salzburg, which is my favorite city so I couldn’t pass that up. Those who remained in Linz said that it was an enjoyable day, with a good market and an art museum across from the dock. In Salzburg we had a walking tour, a tasty lunch and then free time to explore the market and beyond. Many took the funicular or walked up to the fortress.

Passau, at the confluence of the Inn, Ilz and Danube rivers, was our next stop. We began with a walking tour and ended at the cathedral which houses the world’s largest cathedral pipe organ.

The sun was out in the afternoon and it was quite warm so I shed my coat and hiked to the top of the hill across the river for the view. Passau was a joy just to roam, with a Kodak moment around every corner.

Regensburg was the only place on the trip where I hadn’t been before. Again we began with a walking tour and ended with our guide treating us to the city’s signature sausages. After some free time we gathered at a local church for a Christmas concert performed by a quartet of alumni from the Regensburg Boys Choir.

Our last stop was Nuremburg. On a bus tour into the city we saw many historical sights connected with World War II. We were then dropped off in the Old Town for another walking tour and time to explore. I visited St. Lorenz Kirche, which is the mother church of the big church in Frankenmuth. We watched the glistening lights come on in the market before we headed back to the ship for our farewell dinner.

E-mail travel columnist Judy Pfaffenberger at letters@toledofreepress.com.

Tags: Danube River, Judy Pfaffenberger, Practical Traveler

This entry was posted on Monday, December 13th, 2010 at 7:48 am and is filed under Arts and Life, Practical Traveler.
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When I said that I was going to Vietnam, most people asked me why. No one that I knew very well had served there during the war, so that had nothing to do with it. However, many Americans who did serve do travel there today.  Some people who had been there said it was a fascinating trip. I wanted to see Halong Bay, often called the most beautiful bay in the world. The last reason was that I had credits to use from a previous trip with Grand Circle — OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel, a division of Grand Circle Travel 1-800-873-5628). Since nobody that I knew wanted to go to Vietnam, including my husband, I wanted to take advantage of their promotion of no single supplement which can save several hundred dollars. It also happened to be one of their cheaper trips.

In the end I didn’t exactly go alone. When my cousin, who had just retired as an educator, heard about my trip, he said that if he could also travel as a single, he would go along. So off we went last October.

Unfortunately, it does take a long flight to get there. No U.S. airlines flew into Vietnam then, so we flew to Bangkok via Chicago and Tokyo for an overnight and then a two-hour flight on to Hanoi after breakfast.

As we rode into Hanoi from the airport, our first impression was of the masses of motorbikes whizzing in and out of traffic. As we arrived in the city proper, we were overwhelmed by the electric wires everywhere. We felt like we were in a heaping plate of spaghetti (wires) being buzzed by thousands of flies (motorbikes). It made us think that we would never venture to cross a city street by ourselves, but we learned. Traffic lights are somewhat scarce. Just start walking and don’t stop or hesitate.

This was not a trip of spectacular scenery (except for Halong Bay which didn’t disappoint), but the country was beautiful in places and the people were wonderful. Life has drastically improved for most Vietnamese in the past 20 years. Officially communist, they are now enjoying a free market economy.

We spent a few nights in Hanoi where we attended the water puppet theater and visited the infamous Hanoi Hilton. We also made an optional trip to a village on an island where we all got to try our hand at making rice paper spring roll wrappers. I did not do well and was “voted off the island.” We were entertained in the home of a former North Vietnamese soldier who treated us to tapioca wine. He played some native musical instruments for us and a man in our group joined with him on the harmonica to make some beautiful music. People everywhere were welcoming and friendly.

Then came the highlight of the trip — Halong Bay. We were fortunate to spend the night on the bay in a “Chinese junk.” The bay is about 30 miles long with numerous karst sandstone formations rising majestically from the water. We stopped to visit a floating fish farm and also a massive cave. Our “junk” was rustic but cozy and we certainly enjoyed excellent seafood for lunch and dinner. An opportunity to swim in the bay in the moonlight was a treat for me.

A short flight took us to Hue, the ancient capital, complete with a citadel much like The Forbidden City in Beijing. We also visited an orphanage operated by Buddhist nuns and supported by the Grand Circle Foundation.

An interesting vegetarian lunch at a pagoda was followed by free time when I indulged in a one-hour $12 massage with hot rocks and oil.

To be continued …

E-mail travel columnist Judy Pfaffenberger at news@toledofreepress.com.

Tags: Judy Pfaffenberger, Practical Traveler, Vietnam

This entry was posted on Friday, October 29th, 2010 at 1:03 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, Practical Traveler.
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In these times of airport security hassles, the weak dollar, high fuel prices and airline cuts (of almost everything except prices), traveling vicariously through the silver screen is not such a bad idea. You can travel the world for the price of admission or even free with videos from the public library. “Eat, Pray, Love” has been at the forefront of this genre this summer. Another current “chick flick” with sumptuous scenery is “Letters from Juliet,” which I liked even more. “Knight and Day” was also touted as a good location movie, but the action was so fast and furious with bullets flying that it was difficult to savor the beautiful cities of Salzburg and Seville.

A movie had a very important role in my travel life since I retired from teaching. Our lunch group at school often talked travel, and one day my dear friend and colleague, LaTrelle Peterson, who is a movie buff supreme, asked me if I would, when we retired, take her to Austria to see the places connected with “The Sound of Music.” The plan in 1999 was for us to rent a car and do just that. As friends and family found out, our numbers grew to nine of us. The trip was so successful that it spawned several more wonderful European road trips.

On those trips, we were fortunate to visit several more “movie sets,” although in most cases this was not a deliberate move. My second favorite city next to Salzburg is Venice, and watching “Summertime” (completely filmed in Venice) with Katharine Hepburn always brings back wonderful memories. The movie also briefly shows the island of Burano, which Rossano Brazzi in the movie aptly calls “the island where the rainbow fell.” If you are ever in Venice, don’t miss it. Burano (not Murano, famous for glass) is less than one hour by boat across the lagoon, but a world away. It is a quaint fishing village with its own leaning tower.

Two more places in Italy that we visited because of movies were San Gimignano (“Tea with Mussolini”)  and Cortona (“Under the Tuscan Sun”). They did not disappoint. Other Italian movies are: “Light in the Piazza,” “Three Coins in the Fountain,” “Roman Holiday,” “A Room with a View,” “Only You” and “When in Rome.” There are many more that can be found on the Internet, but these are a few that I enjoy.

France also has an abundance of films with Paris taking the lead. Some are action-adventure, but romance abounds. “Before Sunset,” “Chocolat,” “Paris When It Sizzles,” “French Kiss,” “Charade” and “Amelie” all can be a pleasant way to spend a “foreign” evening.

Other movies with a variety of European locations are: “European Vacation,” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” “Chasing Liberty,” “Before Sunrise (Vienna),”  “Au Pair” and “Au Pair II” (some of the Austrian or Swiss scenes were actually filmed in the quaint town of Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic), “Shirley Valentine” (England and Mykonos), and “Cold Mountain” (which is about the American Civil War but was filmed in Transylvania, Romania).

Even more exotic films can be viewed at the Way Library in Perrysburg as part of their International and Art Film Series. The films are presented free on Fridays at 7 p.m. complete with free refreshments. Oct. 15: “Departures” (Japan); Nov. 19:“Lemon Tree” (Palestine);  Dec. 10: “As It Is in Heaven” (Sweden). These are in the foreign language with English subtitles.

If you enjoy professionally photographed and narrated travelogues, the Kiwanis Club of Tecumseh Travel and Adventure Cinema might be what you’re looking for. They are held at 7:30 p.m. at the Center for the Arts, just off M-50 to the north, at the first traffic light (right turn coming from U.S. 23). Tickets are $5 at the door. Oct 12: “Gulf Coast RV Adventure,” Nov. 9: “Prague to Paris” and “A Cruise Too.” Tecumseh is about a 45-minute drive from Toledo.

I would like to dedicate this column to LaTrelle: friend, traveling companion, and “roomie.” Thanks for the incredible memories. To her I say “So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu” because she is moving to Texas to care for her sisters. I had hoped we would continue to “Climb Every Mountain” but we have done so many of “My Favorite Things.” One of my treasured memories is of the two of us standing on the stage of the empty Festspielhaus in Salzburg singing “Edelweiss.”

Corny, but “Something Good,” very, very good!

E-mail travel columnist Judy Pfaffenberger at letters@toledofreepress.com.

Tags: Practical Traveler, Sound of Music

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 23rd, 2010 at 4:12 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, Practical Traveler.
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Let’s talk about cruising! From talking to people, it seems that those who travel have cruised and most more than once. Of those who haven’t cruised, many say they hope to someday.

Fall is definitely “offseason” in the cruise industry until about the third week in December. If you are flexible and can go on short notice, there are certainly bargains. (Some recent examples: seven nights on the Celebrity Solstice, Oct. 31, balcony $699 + tax; Carnival Liberty, Sept 24, balcony $569 + tax.) Unless you are loyal to a particular travel agency, it is a good idea to sign up with some cruise websites that will send you weekly notices.

Carnival Liberty

A website I have found to be useful is cruisecritic.com. It sends weekly listings of bargains from a variety of cruise lines with links to various agencies. There are reviews of specific cruises as well as what are called “boards” and “roll call.” You register for the specific ship and date that you are traveling, and you connect with other people who will also be on that cruise. Some of what goes on is basically small talk, but there can also be useful information and opportunities.

If you have specific questions about the ship or ports, there is often someone who will answer your questions. On my last cruise, I took three shore excursions that were organized by other cruisers on that website. The advantages were that they were less expensive than what the cruise line offered and we went in vans instead of the usual big buses.

The disadvantage is that they had to be paid in local currency instead of just putting it on the ship’s tab.

It is sometimes good to check with more than one agency for cruise prices. The cruise line sets the price, but different agencies offer different perks. The most common perks now are shipboard credits that can be used to pay tips, buy shore excursions or even purchase drinks (alcohol or soda).

After you book, check the prices occasionally before the final payment is due. If the price goes down, let your agent know and you will get the lower price.

Many people enjoy cruising but they don’t like flying to get there. New York is the closest option for driving at 600 miles one way. (Miami is 1,400 and Tampa 1,200.) Because of the large population base, New York is now the home port for a number of ships to the Caribbean, Bermuda and Canada. If you put four people in a car or six in a van, it is cheaper than flying.

Gas runs about $180; parking at the pier in Manhattan is $30 per day and $20 per day at the pier in Cape Liberty, N.J. where Royal Caribbean docks. We usually stay at a motel ($40-$80) in New Jersey on the night before the cruise. There are motels near Cape Liberty (Bayonne) where you can park free if you stay the night, with a shuttle available to the pier. If you have family or friends nearby where you can park and stay, it is an even better deal. Upon disembarking the ship, you can be home from New York by 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. if you park at the pier.

Another port that we have driven to a few times is New Orleans. It is 1,000 miles from Toledo. It does require an overnight each way unless you enjoy driving straight through. Parking is cheaper at the port than New York.

On the East Coast, you can also cruise from Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore or Charleston, but not necessarily on a weekly basis throughout the year.

Cruising is not the “all-inclusive” vacation that it was once touted to be, but with great and abundant food and a variety of entertainment, activities, and sightseeing, it can still be an excellent value.

E-mail travel columnist Judy Pfaffenberger at news@toledofreepress.com.

Tags: Carnival Cruiselines, Practical Traveler

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 2nd, 2010 at 5:33 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, Practical Traveler.
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