Travel Chat - October 2017

World Traveler · ‎02-02-2015

Welcome to our monthly travel chat! The forum was very busy last month and once again I learned a lot from the posters. These are just some of the things that were covered in September:

13 Things Cruise Lines Won’t Tell You

27 Most Beautiful Places in America

Alaskan cruise - @CLEM is going to report back to us

Armchair Travel - favorite TV programs on travel

Booking a hotel in London – from @Happiness is an Inside Job

Cab driver scams in NYC – started by @walker

Camper travel - think @gacat123 has this subject down pat now!

Carry-on luggage questions - started by @bargainsgirl

Cruise Tips – 17 Little Travel Hacks to Make Your Trip Easier

England, Wales, and Scotland - from @JudyL who talked about her trip

Favorite books with travel stories from many authors

Favorite vacation places - started by @Robin1869

Flight Attendants Share the 21 Things They Wish Passengers Would Stop Doing

Global entry passes (process from start to finish)

Globus travel company - thanks to @bargainsgirl for starting

Last Minute Beach Getaways

Luggage – 2 or 4 wheels best? started by @Miss Shelly

Many discussions about the cruises, particularly those affected by the hurricanes in the Caribbean, and how it affected not only those who live in the line of destruction, but also the employees of the ships and the tourist income lost for the islanders – @KathyPet, @Shanus, @BalletBabe, @JeanLouiseFinch, and many others

New bags several of us got from Lug for our travels and continuing posts about our preferences – @pinkmochi, @JudyL, @gacat123

Packing help - @godi

Perfect NYC trip (including Bette Midler performance!) - started by @CoffeeNut

Restaurant suggestions for Portland, Maine - started by @seaswirl

Saint Francisville, LA; what to do there – started by @Munchkincat

Ten Commandments for Travelers

Tourist’s Prayer

Train travel in Switzerland – started by @wonderfulworld

Travel guidebooks

Useful websites for travelers

Weekend in Pittsburg - started by @birdQ13

What is better…camera or iPhone for taking photos? started by @godi

And lots more in the September Travel Chat thread!

Can’t wait to see what October posts bring us. It is always informative for me to read your questions and suggestions. Thanks for all your good tips!

JeanLouiseFinch · ‎10-03-2011

@World Traveler I haven't been a super active member in this forum - just here and there a little. Do you do this every month? Either you have an incredible memory or you must be taking notes!

October is the month I've been waiting for. Well, one of them anyway. I'm finally going to see The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, in person! We'll be travelling for a week altogether, Grand Rapids, then up to Mackinac and then back down to nothern Indiana for a few days before going home. Then, the night we get home, DH and I are going to the Fab Four show locally. We just saw it a few weeks ago and loved it so much that when we saw it was going to be at a local venue we didn't have to think twice about going. When we saw it a couple of weeks ago, we were in the front row and the "George" impersonator called me up to strum on his guitar at the end of Revolution. I just about died, but wasn't going to pass up that opportunity.

World Traveler · ‎02-02-2015

@JeanLouiseFinch Oh, I hope you will report back on your visit to Mackinac Island. Over the past year, that place has been mentioned more than once by posters, and it sounds like an amazing place.

And the Fab Four sounds awesome! I want to go too. Any chance your husband took a photo of you on the guitar that you could post? Think that would be a hoot to see. Lucky you!

As to my memory, it does pretty good even as I get older, but only with things that are of great interest to me, and that is anything having to do with travel.

walker · ‎03-26-2010

World Traveler.....I really enjoy this forum too....lots of good and interesting information. Thanks for your part and starting this thread.

JeanLouiseFinch.....I am from Michigan and will look forward to your report in trip to Mackinac Island and Grand Rapids too. Both favorite places of mine.....born in GR....very nice city! Art Prize Show going on now and I have never been....can't believe it! Big event there every year. I love Mackinac Island....been many times but have never stayed at the Grand Hotel....would like to do that. A friend of mine went the last weekend in October as they close for the season and said that was fun....watching them roll up the carpet, etc.

Happy Travels!

IMW · ‎06-15-2014

I'm not a traveler, but I wanted to compliment you on the wonderful work you do organizing your posts, and providing great info.

Thank you

World Traveler · ‎02-02-2015

@IMW How very nice of you to say that!. Thank you. You made my day.

World Traveler · ‎02-02-2015

@walker I really appreciate your kind words. Thank you! So glad you stop by. There are so many interesting things that the posters talk about. Even if one doesn't travel much, it is hard not to learn something by reading what is written about.

JeanLouiseFinch · ‎10-03-2011

@walker wrote:
World Traveler.....I really enjoy this forum too....lots of good and interesting information. Thanks for your part and starting this thread.

JeanLouiseFinch.....I am from Michigan and will look forward to your report in trip to Mackinac Island and Grand Rapids too. Both favorite places of mine.....born in GR....very nice city! Art Prize Show going on now and I have never been....can't believe it! Big event there every year. I love Mackinac Island....been many times but have never stayed at the Grand Hotel....would like to do that. A friend of mine went the last weekend in October as they close for the season and said that was fun....watching them roll up the carpet, etc.

Happy Travels!

@walker - I think we'll be at the Grand Hotel one week prior to them closing up for the season. It will probably be a little chilly but that doesn't bother me. I imagine the colors will be gorgeous. We have friends and family in several Michigan locations. My sister moved to Holland a few years ago and we love visiting them, the neighborhood is a little wooded and very peaceful. DH and I are very content in our home, and happy to be no more than an hour away from any of our kids, but if we ever decided to leave we'd be looking at Michigan. GR has so much to offer. I was at The Market last December for an event - what a place! We'll be visiting friends in Wyoming this trip, staying a night with them, and then we're all going up to the island together. My only regret is that our time up there isn't going to be long enough due to prior reservations made for another place. If we could have, we would have liked to spend 2-3 days up there. My DH and I already know we'll have to plan a longer trip maybe late next summer or early fall. As much as I'd like to stay at the GH, that would be pretty pricey. I'm sure there are other fine hotels where we could stay and just pay our $10 each to go rock on the GH porch!

BTW - do you have a favorite ferry service for getting to the island? We're probably going on Schepler's unless there's a good reason why we shouldn't.

walker · ‎03-26-2010

JeanLouiseFinch......Schepler's is a good ferry line. We have used them also. I haven't been there in awhile so not sure if there are any new ones. Have a great time visiting! I would love to move back to Michigan where we have extended family and friends. But, we have our kids and grandkids here (Chicago) so doesn't make sense to move back and away from them.