Travel Chat - Page 6

World Traveler · ‎02-02-2015

@itsmagic wrote:
I saw a thread about visiting Mackinaw Island (posted by @qualitygal). I thought I would post my experience about Mackinaw Island here in the travel chat.

We've visited Mackinaw Island and stayed at the Grand Hotel on the island. Had a fabulous dinner there (white tablecloths, waiters, several courses, everyone dresses up). Each guest room in the Grand Hotel is decorated uniquely (different colors, wallpaper, bedspreads). It really is a "grand" hotel!

We rented bicycles to ride around the island. Some people will rent horses with buggies. (No motorized vehicles). Have visited the fort, butterfly house, arch rock, old cemetery on the island. Lots of little shops to visit as well.

Beautiful views from the island. And it is known for its fudge - I love the penuche flavor.

@itsmagic Thanks for stopping by with your interesting trip. But I must admit, I don't know where Mackinaw Island is. I need to google it.

I think renting bicycles and checking out an island would be a great way to go. Great exercise and slow enough to take in all the scenery, noticing things that not everyone else would normally see.

Are there always butterflies in the "house"? I ask that because I know the Monarch butterflies go from one part of the country to another, depending upon the seasons. Santa Barbara (or is it Monterey) in California is known for having thousands and thousands stop by at about the same time every year.

A friend of mine went down to Mexico for an invasion of butterflies that apparently happens at the same time each year. She had a picture taken of her just covered with butterflies all over her head! Gorgeous!

Okay, you got me at "known for its fudge," as I'm a chocoholic! ha!

World Traveler · ‎02-02-2015

@dooBdoo wrote:

@World Traveler

Greetings! I was thinking... you might be interested in reading and posting on a few recent threads about travel to let those posters know about your montly travel threads:

@Lila Belle's "What languages other than English do you speak ?"

link: http://community.qvc.com/t5/Community-Chat/What-languages-other-than-English-do-you-speak/m-p/255968...

and @Crv's "Ireland"

link: http://community.qvc.com/t5/Community-Chat/Ireland/m-p/2738858/highlight/true#M847017

and "Anyone been to Belfast Northern Ireland?"

link: http://community.qvc.com/t5/Community-Chat/Anyone-been-to-Belfast-Northern-Ireland/m-p/2743722/highl...

Great idea, @dooBdoo The more, the merrier! And if we combine our efforts, maybe we will have our very own category! ha!

I'll check the links later this evening. And I hope everyone feels free to invite other people to join us. I'm am already enjoying hearing about places I never thought of going to before. Guess I have to add another page to my bucket list!

Thanks again!

itsmagic · ‎08-08-2011

@World Traveler

I'm not sure what happens to the butterflies in the winter in the butterfly house. Mackinaw Island is in Michigan and it is pretty cold and snowy so not many visitors then. All the touristy stuff shuts down in the winter. We went in the summer and it was fun having butterflies flying all around and even landing on us.

It's kind of steep and hilly in the middle of the island so riding a bike gets your heart pumping going up but it's easy coming back down!

World Traveler · ‎02-02-2015

@itsmagic wrote:
@World Traveler

I'm not sure what happens to the butterflies in the winter in the butterfly house. Mackinaw Island is in Michigan and it is pretty cold and snowy so not many visitors then. All the touristy stuff shuts down in the winter. We went in the summer and it was fun having butterflies flying all around and even landing on us.

It's kind of steep and hilly in the middle of the island so riding a bike gets your heart pumping going up but it's easy coming back down!

@itsmagic Oh, thanks. Had not heard of it before you posted. Truly, there are great places to see in the good 'ole USA.

World Traveler · ‎02-02-2015

@NAES1 Are you still in China? I haven't heard from you in a few days on the other thread. Hope all is well.

JudyL · ‎07-11-2010

World Traveler - I was on the GCT website the other day and noticed for 2017 they are starting in Dublin rather than Galway and the post-trip is down the west coast and does not include extra days in Dublin. Think the rest of the trip is pretty much the same. There is a link at the top of the page when you go to the Ireland in Depth trip to see what the itinerary is for 2017.

I did do the walk with lions when in Africa and loved it. I have a picture of myself walking beside a lion.

Can't wait until you get back from your trip so I can hear all about Ireland. I leave on August 31 so you should be getting back just before I leave. I'm still a bit confused on how much money to take and whether I should do the exchange here or there. What do you usually do? I would prefer to use my credit card in most places - such as for meals out, shopping, etc., but will need cash for tips and when using a credit card isn't appropriate. How do you do it? Do you leave tips in your rooms daily for the housekeeping staff or just on the day you leave? I'm always thinking what if the person who comes in to clean my room on the day I leave isn't the one who has been doing it my whole stay - doesn't seem fair that person should get the whole tip. Know what I mean? Anyway, the money/tip thing always gets me. Never sure how much to take, when to do the exchange, how to tip. Ugh.

itsmagic · ‎08-08-2011

I noticed a new thread recently posted asking about places to visit in Seattle. Sure wish we had a Travel sub-forum so all we had to do was click on "Travel" and all the travel questions would be right there. When thinking about a trip, it would be handy to be able to refer back to where other people have gone and their ideas on what to do.

World Traveler · ‎02-02-2015

@JudyL wrote:
World Traveler - I was on the GCT website the other day and noticed for 2017 they are starting in Dublin rather than Galway and the post-trip is down the west coast and does not include extra days in Dublin. Think the rest of the trip is pretty much the same. There is a link at the top of the page when you go to the Ireland in Depth trip to see what the itinerary is for 2017.

I did do the walk with lions when in Africa and loved it. I have a picture of myself walking beside a lion.

Can't wait until you get back from your trip so I can hear all about Ireland. I leave on August 31 so you should be getting back just before I leave. I'm still a bit confused on how much money to take and whether I should do the exchange here or there. What do you usually do? I would prefer to use my credit card in most places - such as for meals out, shopping, etc., but will need cash for tips and when using a credit card isn't appropriate. How do you do it? Do you leave tips in your rooms daily for the housekeeping staff or just on the day you leave? I'm always thinking what if the person who comes in to clean my room on the day I leave isn't the one who has been doing it my whole stay - doesn't seem fair that person should get the whole tip. Know what I mean? Anyway, the money/tip thing always gets me. Never sure how much to take, when to do the exchange, how to tip. Ugh.

@JudyL So glad you walked with the lions. That was so neat, right? When I tell people about that, they freak out, but I wasn't afraid.

At one point, the guide let me sit down with them (you probably got to do the same thing), and I had one cub on one side and the other on the other side of me. One of them started to turn on its back and I started to scratch his tummy.

The guide was really nervous because the cub was stretching its paws out to me, and two guides quickly grabbed me and pulled me up. I don't believe the cub would have hurt me; he was just stretching out while I scratched his tummy. The guide said they were worried about the claws scratching me. They might be playing with me, but they are very, very strong.

Yes, I will be back by the time you leave. I return on August 4, I think.

As to money to take, I always take way more than I think I will need. And I take cash. I used to take money orders, but that is almost useless in places where I go. Many times there aren't any major banks around. So it is cash and credit cards.

I never exchange money here in the states because the rate of exchange is not as good as if you wait until you arrive in the country. I would say for the last five-six years, I have not exchanged money at all because the various countries I have gone to don't mind taking American money. In fact, as you probably experienced in Africa, our money is worth a lot to them. Not so in Europe, though. However, I note that OAT has advised that some of the countries I am going to this summer do not take American money, so I will exchange once I arrive there.

One thing I always do is to make sure the bills I take are fairly new. Most of the time we are cautioned to not take torn, well worn-out paper money because the countries won't accept it.

When I was in China I had a $100 bill that no one would take because part of the corner was torn off. Not a problem here in the states, but I couldn't even get a Chinese bank to take it. I met another American one morning at breakfast and he was on his way back to the states. He was gracious enough to give me a bunch of 20's and 10's in exchange for my $100 bill.

But that taught me a lesson. Now anytime I come into possession of a nice, clean, crisp bill, I just stash it away in a safe place to use when I travel! ha!

As to tips, that too has changed. OAT now covers ALL tips except for the head tour director. They take care of tips in rooms, restaurants, etc. Used to not be like that. Since this is my first time to go with GCT (Ireland), I haven't checked out what they say about it. I would think it would be the same as OAT. I'll tell you one thing.....I'm not looking forward to the larger group that GCT has. Once you have gone with OAT, you get kind of spoiled.

World Traveler · ‎02-02-2015

@itsmagic wrote:
I noticed a new thread recently posted asking about places to visit in Seattle. Sure wish we had a Travel sub-forum so all we had to do was click on "Travel" and all the travel questions would be right there. When thinking about a trip, it would be handy to be able to refer back to where other people have gone and their ideas on what to do.

@itsmagic I agree! Hope QVC sees things our way too.

Maybe if any of us see threads like that, we could let them know that there might be more responses if they posted on our monthly travel thread. I have mentioned this thread on a couple of other posts, because I thought we could all benefit from what they were saying about their vacation plans for the summer.

JudyL · ‎07-11-2010

World Traveler - thank you for the tips - pun intended - re the money exchange and the tips. I'm going to read my info from GCT again but don't think GCT covers as much of the tips as OAT. Since I"m not leaving until end of August, I must admit I put aside the info that was sent to me after I booked the trip and figured I'd look at it in July.

Are you doing any of the pre or post trips on your trip? They make them so enticing it's hard not to!

I'm not looking foward to the larger GCT groups either and at first I thought I wouldn't book the trip because of that but, obviously, decided to go ahead anyway. It will be different than OAT. We'll have to compare notes when I get back to see how we felt about the larger group.

It was pretty spectacular to be that close to a lion and to be able to walk and touch it. I can understand why those guides were a bit nervous - one swipe of that paw even in a playful way could cause some serious injury.