Posts from the “Travel” Category
Music Festival is a Perfect Weekend Getaway for Solo Travelers
Contributed by Michael Katz, Singles Travel International Concierge and Musician
There aren’t too many places in this world that have the charm, excitement, and energy of the French Quarter in New Orleans. This past weekend, they kicked it up a notch, and 38 happy campers from Singles Travel International were there to experience the sights and sounds of the FRENCH QUARTER MUSIC FESTIVAL! What a dream come true…some of the best Jambalaya, Cajun, and Creole cooking, combined with some of the best blues, jazz, and big band music scattered throughout the streets and squares of the French Quarter….Wow! We had all barely checked into our hotel the first day of the festival when we were out the door getting the party started at the LOA Bar, a classy and perfect place to have a cocktail and to get to know our new friends! From there we took a walk up Decatur Street to have dinner at Tujaques, the 2nd oldest restaurant in town. What a treat. The meal was excellent and the bread pudding for dessert was out of this world! We ended the night strolling down Bourbon Street to get an up close and personal look at the nightlife in full swing! Nothing compares to Bourbon Street with it’s variety of bars, live bands, partiers throwing beads from balconies, and people walking the street mesmerized by the spectacular audio and visual performances!
The next day we were treated to a bus tour of historical New Orleans, complete with a trip to the Oak Alley Plantation, where we took a guided tour of the grounds and mansion, and had an authentic home style southern buffet lunch. Mmmmmm good! Getting back to the hotel at mid-afternoon, it was on to the music! The group was revved up as we checked out the four sound stages at the Riverfront. The park was packed and the music was awesome! From Zydeco to Blues, to Jazz, to Cajun Jitterbug, we heard and saw it all. We then headed over to Jackson Square, where we heard original Dixieland Jazz from the Preservation Hall Jazz Band! Nice! Listening to all that good music can sure build up an appetite, so we headed to the GUMBO POT restaurant, a favorite of many in the group. Shrimp Creole, Pasta Jambalaya, and Seafood Gumbo were big hits! Another trip down Bourbon Street completed another perfect day for all!
Our final day saw many from our group going on a Swamp Tour, Cajun Cooking School Tour, and a ride up the Mississippi on the Natchez River Boat Cruise. More music in the afternoon, and then to top off our fantastic weekend, our farewell dinner was held on the second floor of the famous New Awlins Cookery right on Bourbon Street, complete with our own private balcony overlooking 100’s of party people on the street below! Whooo Hoooo!!!! Standing on the balcony, watching how much fun everyone was having, I suddenly realized how much we actually did in three days. This really is a magical place to be. Great Food, Great People, Great Time! STI did it again! Can’t wait til next year! J
Are you an Adventurous Solo Traveler?
My heart is racing, as I stand at the edge of the cliff, while my Ecuadorian guide hooks me into my double harness for a “Superman” run across the Amazon rain forest. The “Superman”, a forward zip line with arms outstretched in super hero form, is not for beginners. My fellow travelers look on in envy until it’s their turn. Earlier in the day, we hiked and swam at the foot of a waterfall, not bad for just one of the action packed days on an adventure vacation.
My very first adventure trip was a multi-sport trip to Bryce, Zionand Grand Canyon where we hiked and biked our way through some of the most beautiful national parks in the US. I trained a bit before I left but was told that all skill levels would be accommodated, so I didn’t kill myself getting ready. As a regular runner, I simply added a little biking to my routine and off I went. To my surprise, the guides on our tour were not only trained adventure, naturalists, but they also prepared a mean, gourmet baked brie snack in the middle of nowhere! They carried extra water, supplies, knew the best routes for each of our abilities and were willing to pick up the pieces or boost us up into the van when we’d had it and were ready to pack it in. As a super achiever with a competitive nature, I pushed myself as hard as ever and was rewarded with a new sense of accomplishment when I repelled after the most incredible hike in theGrand Canyon.
Best of all, my brave compadres and I bonded like I’d never done before on a group tour. There was something about sharing our fears, facing them together and helping support one another to successfully navigate new horizons.
Since then, my adrenaline rushing experiences include hiking to the Sun Gate at Machu Picchu, biking through hillside villages of Peru, hiking the 17 mile Samaria Gorge in Crete followed by a soothing, natural hot spring mud bath, horseback riding, surfing and white water rafting in Costa Rica to name a few.
I am a city girl who loves fine dining and the conveniences of a 5-star hotel. But now, nothing gets me more excited than taking it to the limit, surrounded by good ‘ole Mother Nature, with laid back people just like me who like to take a day at a time.
French Favorites
Meeting French locals (Parisians) is one of the adventures of traveling to Paris– and it’s free. As a Francophile, I hear all the time that the French are unfriendly and that it’s such a tough country to visit, especially if you don’t speak the language.
But over the years, having lived in Paris, I learned a few tricks and that the hardened crust of a Frenchman (woman) often protects a soft center. Compliment a surly bistro owner on her cuisine, and — 9 times out of 10 — she’ll melt before your eyes. Admire a Parisian’s dog or praise a window display and you’ll find a loquaciously knowledgeable companion. Try to meet a Parisian halfway with some kind of personalized contact and just 1-2 words of French. Only then do you learn their best qualities: their famed charm, their savoir-faire — and, yes, believe it or not, the delightful courtesy that marks their social life.
With the holidays in my mind, I find myself singing, “These are a few of my favorite things” and France is one of them. So here I share some of my fave things to do in France. Bonne année!
Skip the Louvre and head right for the Musée D’Orsay which houses every major impressionist piece you’ve ever wanted to see. All of these works used to be available in a separate wing of the Louvre, but when they moved it to its own venue, an old train station on theSeine River, I never thought again about the Louvre.
Number 1 “gotta do” spot is theEiffelTower! Go there any time of the day or night, ride to the top, take all kinds of fun photos, post your location on Facebook and be sure to pack a lunch for a picnic on the grass.
Hang out for at least one sunset on the steps of Sacré Couer, then have a typical dinner of cog au vin in Montmartre.
For serious cheese-lovers, France is the ultimate paradise. As de Gaulle once commented “You can unite the French only through fear. You cannot simply bring together a country that has over 265 kinds of cheese.” Go into ANY fromagerie and sample. Buy some to go, next stop, the boulangerie for a fresh baguette and voila, you have lunch!
People-watching while taking your time over a coffee and a croissant is a quintessential French experience and one of the best ways to meet the locals.
Avignon, a convenient stop from the high speed train TGV, is one of my southern favorites. It’s the “Great city of the popes”, and one of France’s artistic centers with spectacular monuments and museums, countless places to eat and drink, and its annual summer festival.
Jazz clubs in Nice – oh la la, what a sensual place to be on the French Riviera.
Playing craps at the Casino de Monte Carlo. The first step inside and you’ll find yourself feeling immersed in your own James Bond movie! If you win big, have lunch at one my FAVORITE spots, Le Louis XV, an extraordinary (and uber expensive) restaurant of master Chef Alain Ducasse at the Hôtel de Paris in Monaco.
French wines are unrivalled in the world for their range, sophistication, diversity and status. I am a sucker for French wines since it’s where I got my start. Try wines wherever you go to get a feeling for what you like best. Maybe this will be the start of something new and wonderful for you too.
As a final note, I am not done withFranceand probably never will be tired of its allure. The more I visit, the more there is to see, learn and enjoy.
How to Plan for the Best New Years Eve
You’re probably thinking “Are you crazy?” I don’t even know what I’m doing next weekend. Or, maybe a twinge of guilt washes over you as you recall last year’s, long forgotten resolutions.
Just because you didn’t make good is no reason to avoid this light hearted holiday that is pure fun and shouldn’t be taken seriously. Even though it’s still seems far away, there are many good reasons for making your plans now and no good reason for waiting. First of all, you’ll have something exciting to look forward to doing, what a terrific topic of conversation at all of the events you attend, you’ll have plenty of time to convince your friends to join you, you’ll get the best deals and you may even pay for your holiday plans over time. The best part is that, by the time New Years Eve rolls around, you’ll be all set.
Even though the economy is slumbering along, New Years travel is always popular and at premium prices. Waiting until the last minute will not net you the same deals that abound in other “off” seasons. Any discount space will have been scooped up by the early birds. Yes, many people do plan their next New Years Eve vacation immediately upon returning home from the current trip.
If you’ve never gone away for New Years Eve, you don’t know what you’re missing. The weather is generally better than where you live, no planning required once you’ve made your reservation, you won’t be worried about transportation and finding a designated driver because you’ll be within a taxi drive away or onboard a ship. Best of all, you’ll meet so many new people.
Making plans is easy if you start now rather than wait until December. Some great New Years Eve cities areNew York, Miami, New Orleans and Las Vegas. Better yet, consider a singles cruise where you’ll be welcomed immediately into a group and there’ll be no time wasted searching for other singles. Almost every singles travel company offers a New Years Eve cruise; just do a search online for “New Years Eve Singles Cruise”.
Ladies, we’ve all read “He’s Just Not That Into You”, so you know better than to sit around and wait. Guys, this is not a commitment. In fact, most vacations may be changed or cancelled a couple months before departure with no penalty at all. If you do find someone special in the meantime, you may find that including them in your vacation plans is an even better idea.
So many of us wait until the last minute and end up not doing anything. You have nothing to lose by planning early. Picture yourself this New Years Eve surrounded by hundreds of other singles who had the sense to make their plans early and who are having the time of their lives, eating, drinking, dancing, shopping, sightseeing, falling in love and of course, making resolutions! Now go make your plans.
Singles Travel International hosts it’s 16th annual New Years Eve Party Cruise, December 29-January 3, aboard the Liberty of the Seas. Join over 100 single revelers to bring in the New Year!
http://www.singlestravelintl.com/trip_packages/118-new-years-eve-party-cruise
One Big Happy (Singles Cruise) Family
Over 50 million people are expected to cruise in the next 3 years and to date, only 20% of Americans having cruised. As a single traveler, how do you know which cruise is going to match your idea of a great vacation?
The first important news flash is that unless you go with friends or a group of single travelers, you are very unlikely to meet other singles in 7 days much less within the first 48 hours.
I just got off a cruise this weekend and as usual, I beeline for the singles party in search of new members for STI! And again, I was not disappointed, as usual; there was 1 person who showed up beside me. Why am I not disappointed? Because it reinforces the need for a singles cruise/vacation company to provide a platform for solo travelers.
But aside from choosing a vacation from a licensed singles vacation company with a sterling reputation, what other features should you look for before making your vacation investment?
In the last 18 years we have clearly heard the cry for “Who will be on the trip with me?”
How cool would it be to belong to a community of solo travelers where you had the ability to preview traveler profiles even before you signed up for your vacation? At STI, that’s exactly what you have at your fingertips with your free membership.
And even better, how about having a selection of cruises that are specific to your age range and other special activities that you enjoy on vacation? Both features are part of your personal profile at STI. The more information (which you control using privacy controls) you share with each other and with us, the more fun and accurate your vacation planning becomes.
Certainly some of us wait until the last minute when our boss says, “use it or lose it” and then there’s the mad dash to “Google” the top 3 places on your bucket list, your dates and hope there’s a deal. But for anyone who has tried that, you know it’s hit or miss and more often than not, you end up going by yourself and it’s not what the brochure said.
But most members at STI complete their travel “wish list” and update it regularly so that they receive only relevant emails and have an opportunity to communicate with other travelers on the same vacation. We hear stories every day about our members that have met online and on vacation. I can’t even imagine how many more are out there. We even had a weeding between 2 STI members on the beach inKey Westlast year during our New Year’s Eve cruise!
Singles Travel International is the place to be for single cruisers. I am confident to say that, my name is Tammy, I am president and have spent 18 years making it a fun, safe, reliable and happy place to be. If you are not already a family member, join FREE today and meet 15,000 new singles. www.singlestravelintl.com/signup
