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San Jose, Costa Rica

anabelunga@gmail.com (Anabel Fernandez) — Fri, 08 Jul 22 16:26:41 +0000

Things to Do:

On the Water

Preferred hotels/resorts:
Activities/Tours:
La Fortuna Waterfall
Thermal Hot Springs
Canyoning & Waterfall Rappelling
Catamaran & Sailing Tours
Surf Lessons
White Water Rafting
Snorkeling

On Land

Arenal Volcano
Hanging Bridges
Monteverde Cloud Forest
Canopy Zip-lining
ATV Adventure
Manuel Antonion National Park
Cooking & Dance Classes
Coffee & Chocolate Tours

San Salvador, El Salvador

anabelunga@gmail.com (Anabel Fernandez) — Fri, 08 Jul 22 16:21:44 +0000

Things to Do:

On the Water

Thermal Hot Springs
Surfing at El Tunco Beach
Tamanique Waterfalls
Coatepeque Lake

On Land

Volcano Tours
Flower Route Colorful Towns Tour
Mayan Ruins Tour
Coffee Farm Tour
San Salvador City Tour
Famous Rainbow Slide

Montego Bay, Jamaica

anabelunga@gmail.com (Anabel Fernandez) — Fri, 08 Jul 22 16:18:30 +0000

Things to Do:

On the Water

Bamboo River Rafting
Jet Ski
Dunn River Falls
Blue Hole
Parasailing
Catamaran Cruise
Luminous Lagoon Tour

On Land

Zip-lining
ATV
Jamaican Cuisine Tasting Tour
Rum Tasting Tour
Horseback Riding
Bob Marley Tour

San Juan, Puerto Rico

anabelunga@gmail.com (Anabel Fernandez) — Fri, 08 Jul 22 16:14:26 +0000

Things to Do:

On the Water

Catamaran & Boat Tours
Bioluminescent Bay Kayaking
Paddle Boarding
Snorkeling
Scuba Diving
Flyboarding
Jet Ski

On Land

ATV Adventure
Old San Juan Walking Tour
Salsa Dancing Class
Od San Juan Food Tour
Zip-lining
El Yunque Rainforest & Waterfalls
Castillo San Felipe del Morro
Rum Tasting Tour
Horseback Riding Adventure

San Pedro, Belize

anabelunga@gmail.com (Anabel Fernandez) — Fri, 08 Jul 22 16:10:10 +0000

Things to Do:

On the Water

ATM Cave Tubing
Crystal Cave & Blue Hole National Park
Boat Tours
Secret Beach
Shark Ray Alley
Hol Chan Marine Reserve
Jungle Pontoon Waterfall Adventure

On Land

Mayan Ruins Tours
Rum Factory Tour
Chocolate Making Tour
Horseback Riding Adventure

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

anabelunga@gmail.com (Anabel Fernandez) — Fri, 08 Jul 22 16:03:20 +0000

Things to Do:

On the Water

Catamaran & Boat Tours
Sunset & Dinner Cruise
Jet Ski
Kayaking & Paddleboarding
Parasailing
Scuba Diving
Snorkeling
Surfing
Swim with Dolphins or Sharks
Whale Watching
Sport Fishing
Flyboard

On Land

Zip-lining
Tequila Tasting
ATV Adventure
Taco Tasting Tour
Horseback Riding Adventure
Camel Ride Adventure
Mexican Cooking Class

Just Google It!

anabelunga@gmail.com (Anabel Fernandez) — Wed, 10 Mar 21 15:58:09 +0000

Google is your friend, they say. When you are restless and in need of a shift in scenery a getaway trip might be just the thing. Fortunately, there is a flight search engine called Google Flights to help you curb that routine of yours. Google’s explore map feature allows you to see the price of flights across the world on a macro map level. Simply type in the city or airport you plan to depart from and play around with different dates to access a variety of fares. There is also a price feature within the search engine that lets you toggle flight prices for different dates in a convenient bar chart view. Another great feature is the date grid. This tool allows you to sift through varying arrival and departure dates so you can choose the dates that fit both your schedule and wallet. Play around with it- you’re guaranteed to find something you like!

Snag a Low Cost Flight

anabelunga@gmail.com (Anabel Fernandez) — Wed, 10 Mar 21 15:55:23 +0000

There are a number of websites and social media accounts that serve up low-cost flight and hotel deals daily. My personal go-tos are secretflying.com, cheapdfw.com, airfarespot.com. All of these sites display an aggregate of low flight prices (both one-way and roundtrip) as well as error fares. Each deal site provides instructions on how to book the flight deal. Keep in mind you’ll have to be flexible with your travel dates to score some of the really low-priced deals. These deals are perfect for you if you want to go somewhere on a whim. I was fortunate enough to land a $650 roundtrip ticket to Tokyo for a grad school trip while the rest of my classmates paid upwards of $1,000+ for the same trip. These deals typically expire after 24-48 hours so it’s best to book it immediately upon seeing it. Most airlines give you 24 hours to cancel a flight and receive a full refund with no cancellation penalty fee as long as the flight departure date is more than 7 days from the time of booking.

Free flights anyone? How to Score a Flight Voucher

anabelunga@gmail.com (Anabel Fernandez) — Wed, 10 Mar 21 15:52:03 +0000

Vouchers are by far one of my favorite hacks for snagging a free flight. Often times airlines will overbook a flight to ensure they are getting revenue for the full occupancy of an aircraft. However, if every passenger shows up for the flight the airline may ask if passengers are willing to give up their seat. This is where you’ll need to be on alert. The gate agent will announce that they are offering flight vouchers in exchange for a passenger volunteering to give up their seat on the overbooked flight. Voucher amounts typically range from $150 - $1,000+ and can be used anytime up to 1 year from the issue date! I have racked up quite a few myself, mainly during work trips from busy airports. The latest one I snagged was for $675 on American Airlines in exchange for being bumped to a later flight same-day. What’s a few extra hours at the airport when you have a voucher worth $675 tucked in your pocket? That’s the equivalent of 3 roundtrip domestic flights or 1-2 international flights! I ended up using part of that particular voucher to fully fund a roundtrip flight to Belize from Dallas. Well worth it, I’d say. The best part about this perk is you’ll be rebooked on the next available flight- FREE voucher and all. The key to getting your hands on one of these vouchers is to arrive at your gate early and sit as close to the gate agent counter as possible. By doing this you’ll be prepared to be first in line if they announce a need for volunteers in exchange for vouchers.

Drink a Cocktail Made by the World’s 1st Human-like Robot Bartender at Sea

lynn@influenceproductions.com (Lynn Elmhirst) — Mon, 01 Mar 21 21:06:27 +0000

He mixes drinks, but doesn’t stop there. ‘Rob’ the robot bartender also speaks 8 languages, tells jokes and even dances too!

When we can cruise again, you won’t want to miss the world’s first humanoid – and interactive – shipboard robot bartender, who will make you the perfect cocktail to toast your return to cruising and travel.

When MSC Cruises launches its newest flagship this spring, it will have at least one exclusive feature.

The futuristic MSC Starship Club lets cruise guests feel like they’ve walked into a sci-fi movie as the sidle up to a bar that would look right at home in a space ship. MSC tells us the Starship Club was half a decade in the making, the result of experts in robotics and automation, digital media, interior design and of course, mixology and entertainment.

After placing your order in one of the bar’s ‘vertical digital cockpits’, you can watch as Rob shakes up your order from a menu of 16 signature ‘cosmic cocktails’ – alcoholic and kid-friendly – or a beverage of your own creation using dozens of ingredients including spirits, juices and syrups, mixes and garnishes.

Meanwhile, an LED ticker tape strip above the robotic island tracks the status of your drink. And the 3D holograms and immersive digital art wall add to the atmosphere.

Just like any good bartender, Rob’s got a ‘schtick’, chatting to guests, sharing jokes and responding to guests with human-like facial expressions and hand gestures – even dance moves.

When Rob is not preparing cocktails, he’s working the room. His AI programming gives him the ability to recognize guests passing by, greet and striking up a conversation with them.

The MSC Starship Lounge is just one of the 21 indoor and outdoor bars on board the 6300-guest Virtuosa, along with 11 dining options including a new concept for MSC: Indochine, with fusion Vietnamese/French cuisine.

Virtuosa and her sister ship Grandiosa are the two largest ships in 18-strong MSC Cruises' fleet. So there’s plenty of room for five spacious pools and one of the biggest and most elaborate waterparks at sea.

The Virtuosa will also be home to the longest LED dome at sea over top of the Galleria Virtuosa of a dozen boutiques and places to gather, lounge, sip and enjoy live entertainment.

And for those who like a quieter, more intimate cruise experience, the MSC Yacht Club is a luxury ‘ship within a ship’ with 24-hour butler service, private access to suites, dedicated restaurant, lounges, pool, whirlpools and spa space.

The ship will also be highly equipped with cutting-edge technologies and environmentally conscious capabilities.

After completing short cruises in the Mediterranean, Virtuosa will be deployed to Northern Europe in summer 2021 with a range of itineraries to the Norwegian fjords and Baltic capital cities.

#DreamNowCruiseSoon

Images: MSC

Every 10 Years, This ‘World’s Fair’ of Flowers Upstages Netherlands’ Tulip Time. Don’t Miss Floriade 2022

lynn@influenceproductions.com (Lynn Elmhirst) — Mon, 01 Mar 21 21:06:19 +0000

If you thought Tulip Time in the Netherlands was the ultimate garden travel experience, you haven’t heard about Floriade.

Horticulture is famously the Netherlands’ most ‘colorful’ industry. The country sells half of the world’s ‘floriculture’ products and over three-quarters of the world’s flower bulbs. It’s number one in greenhouse horticulture and leads global exports of cut flowers, ornamental plants and even trees.

One of the most magnificent Dutch travel experiences is an early spring – ‘Tulip Time’ – visit to Keukenhof, the world’s largest spring flower garden featuring 7 million spring bulbs including over a thousand varieties of tulips alone. But even this experience – marvellous for visitors as it is – is actually a functioning, outdoor trade show exhibiting the best and latest bulb varieties for buyers from around the world.

Tulip Time, where a drive through the southern provinces of the Netherlands reveals fields of blooming tulips as far as the eye can see, and Keukenhof garden tours, luckily take place every year.

Floriade happens only 10 times a century.

Some call it the ‘World’s Fair’ of horticulture, and the next one is in 2022, just in time for travel-hungry people to ensure their post-pandemic travel plans include the opportunity for a once-in-a-lifetime collection of vivid memories.

Floriade is the largest public event in the country, drawing 2 million visitors over six months between April and October to its vast displays of almost any plant that grows, in stunning gardens, installations, pavilions and greenhouses.

The exhibition moves around, with this Floriade taking place in a purpose-built, ultra-modern, 150-acre ‘garden city’ built on land reclaimed from the sea near Amsterdam.

The theme in 2022 is ‘Growing Green Cities’, with exhibitors from the Netherlands and around the world displaying green solutions and next-generation innovations and inventions for enjoyable, liveable and sustainable urban centers.

Like the term ‘World’s Fair of Horticulture’ suggests, Floriade offers 40 inspiring country presentations which will also house a spectacular greenhouse complex, a cable car over the Floriade park, pavilions with sustainable innovations and a vibrant arts and culture programme. An electric scale-model train moves visitors around the vast site, and a 35-meter high, 850-meter long cable car provides an incredible view of what will seem like the Garden of Eden below.

Other highlights of Floriade include: an international collection of plants, flowers and trees and 14,000 bulbs organized alphabetically ‘A to Z’ in nearly 200 sections of a vast arboretum like you’re walking through a plant encyclopedia, Alice in Wonderland style.

A visit to Floriade includes culinary experiences, entertainment and culture, and the intersection of horticulture and art, like the ‘life artwork’ project ‘Bobbing Forest’ consisting of 20 recycled sea buoys from the North Sea, planted with Dutch Elm trees even as they ‘bob’ in the water, which you can view from the cable car or on a tour boat that departs from a waterside terrace.

The theme even has a double meaning, since the site is set to become a new urban district once the expo closes. Its name will be ‘Hortus’, meaning ‘garden’ in Latin, and some future homes have already been built that will serve as pavillions during Floriade and in a perfect ‘green’ re-purposing, revert to homes afterwards.

How To Floriade

Like many other ticketed events, it pays to be part of an escorted group with guaranteed access and no need to line up with people waiting for tickets.

Amsterdam is the jumping off point for both Floriade and the Netherland’s spectacular spring flower garden Keukenhof.

It’s also a hub for land, ocean, and river travel, which means there are options for people of all travel styles to immerse themselves in the breathtaking beauty and inspiring innovation of Floriade.

Here are a few of our favorites:

LAND TOURS:

Check out: Trafalgar

Trafalgar’s guests on tours like Amsterdam Explorer and Best of Holland will spend a full day at the Floriade, and “Dive Into Culture” and discover what it would be like to live in a city which is built with environmental sustainability at its core. You’ll explore the location's three districts, each with their own theme – Food, Health and Energy, and the ‘Green Island’, along with live entertainment, cultural shows and culinary delights. In addition to Floriade, you’ll cruise the canals or bike through Amsterdam, taste cheese in Gouda, learn how pottery is made in Delft, and taste exquisite chocolate.

RIVER CRUISES

Check out: Uniworld, Avalon Waterways, Tauck, Scenic and Emerald Cruises

Luxury, boutique river cruise Uniworld is including Floriade as a ‘Choice Excursion’ on three of its 2022 itineraries, including the new Dutch Delight, as well as European Jewels and Remarkable Rhine and Historical Holland cruises on the cosmopolitan, richly elegant River Empress ship. Uniworld guests will have enjoy a full day excursion to Floriade, where you will stroll the expansive arboretum, sample healthful foods and learn about developments in sustainable architecture and energy.

Ultra-luxury river cruise line Tauck includes the Floriade experience on select Rhine River cruises in 2022. One of the things that sets the cruise line apart are its ‘Tauck Exclusive’ private shore experiences, which in this region of Europe, can include things like a pre-opening visit to the open-air Zuiderzee Museum; a private evening at the acclaimed Mauritshuis museum, where you will view masterpieces by Rembrandt, Vermeer (including his iconic Girl with a Pearl Earring) and others and have dinner with live music for you and your fellow guests only; a cruise on the IJsselmeer aboard a century-old sailboat; and tease for, “a special Dutch treat at Floriade 2022.

Avalon Waterways is offering travellers on 8-day Active Discovery in Holland & Belgium, and Tulips of Northern Holland sailings (as well as a number of Rhine and multi-river cruises) the opportunity to sail, enjoying the only open-air balconies in river cruising with floor to ceiling, sliding glass windows facing your bed, then stop and smell the roses at Floriade, a featured, included excursion, giving guests the chance to join the celebration of phenomenal flora in all its finery and fill their senses with color, fragrance and fantastic food.

Scenic has increased its 2022 departures for Windmills, Tulips and Belgian Delights cruise, and for cruises from April to October, you’ll visit Floriade. The luxury river cruise line will also offer a two night extension to visit Floriade to Danube, Rhine and multi-river cruises between end of April to October that take care of all your planning and logistics for you, and allow you to spend as much time at Floriade as you like.

Sister line Emerald Cruises has similar options.

OCEAN CRUISES

Check out: Crystal

Ultra-luxury Crystal cruises include Floriade on sailings on their legendary ocean ships calling in Amsterdam, including London-roundtrip Gardens and Gateways, as well as London-Stockholm and Copenhagen-Reykjavik.

ASK US ABOUT THE BEST WAY FOR YOU TO FLORIADE IN 2022.

#DreamNowTravelSoon

Images/ renderings courtesy Floriade

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The 'FOMO' Guide To Travel in 2022

lynn@influenceproductions.com (Lynn Elmhirst) — Mon, 01 Mar 21 21:06:09 +0000

Social media has an acronym for it: FOMO, or ‘Fear of Missing Out’.

Over the last year, we’ve been missing out on a lot. A lot of get togethers, events, family celebrations… and a lot of travel. Finally, it looks like there’s light at the end of the tunnel, with travel starting to pick up this year, and gaining real speed in 2022.

If you’re anything like us, you feel like you have a lot of catching up to do.

In addition to all your favorite travel experiences, the 2022 calendar of events is packed with events and natural phenomena that are always worth the trip.

The return of live music and theater worldwide.

All the famous races, from the Kentucky Derby by horse, to one of the Grand Prix by car, the Tour de France by bicycle, and the America’s Cup at sea.

Carnivale. Wimbledon. Day of the Dead.

Fashion Weeks, Christmas Markets, St. Patrick’s Day parades.

The Great Migration of Africa’s Wildlife on Safari, Cherry Blossom Festivals, Wine Harvests

In normal times, these things happen every year. Whether you’ve enjoyed them often, or they’re still entries on your bucket list, if we’ve learned anything from a canceled year, it’s to seize the moment and do it while you can.

But there are even more reasons to travel in 2022, and this is where FOMO sets in. Next year has an extraordinary abundance of events that only happen a few times in a century. Once in a lifetime? Maybe not. But your FOMO instincts should be tingling.

Mark Your Calendar

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics were postponed, and now the Summer Olympics take place in Japan in 2021, but the Winter Olympics are still on schedule for February 2022 in Beijing.

The World Games is a quadrennial event too, one that allows athletes to compete in dozens of sports uncontested at the Olympic Games, including acrobatic gymnastics, karate, orienteering, tug of war, waterskiing, and squash. They are held between Olympic Games. With the Summer Games bumped from 2020 to 2021, the 11^th World Games were also rescheduled to July, 2022, in Birmingham, Alabama.

August 2022 brings another multi-nation, multi-sport games that take place every four years. At the upcoming XXII Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, 5000 athletes from dozens of countries compete in 20 summer sports that bring together the former members of the British Empire.

That’s not all that’s happening for sports fans in 2022.

One sports event held every four years is the most widely viewed and followed in the world – beating out the even the Summer Games. The FIFA World Cup brings whole economies of diehard soccer fans to a standstill, and the fan culture in bars and cafes – and for some fortunate fans, in person – is legendary. The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be held over nearly a month at the end of the year in Qatar, the first time for it to be held in the Arab world.

World Expos (formerly known as World’s Fairs) showcase the excellence of nations in arenas other than sports - like technology, agriculture, design and architecture, energy, ecology and more, with vast displays and events held for months twice a decade. Inventions like the telephone, color TV’s, touch screens, Ferris wheels and even ice cream cones were unveiled at World’s Fairs, which also debuted landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Seattle’s Space Needle. Expo 2020 was postponed, and now takes place from October 2021 through April 2022 in Dubai with the theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.’

FOMO Tip:

No matter what’s on your travel list in 2022, we have one big travel tip: book early.

With people using their stored-up travel credits, and everyone looking to make up lost travel time, some events and blocks of tickets are already selling out.

If you have a Fear of Missing Out of any once-in-a-lifetime trip in 2021 or 2022, now’s the time to start planning your trip with your travel advisor.

#DreamNowTravelSoon

By: Lynn Elmhirst, Producer/ Host BestTrip TV

Image: Getty

Why a Trip to Canada's Northwest Territories is a Girl's Best Friend

lynn@influenceproductions.com (Lynn Elmhirst) — Mon, 01 Mar 21 21:05:47 +0000

Canada’s Far North is one of the world’s Last Frontiers – and a true polar travel experience. The country’s Northwest Territories extend from the 60^th parallel into Arctic Ocean islands all the way to the North Pole.

At half a million square miles, the Northwest Territories is six times the size of the UK, but has only about 45,000 residents.

Boreal forest thrives at the southern end of the NWT, which thin out before disappearing after the ‘tree line’, with tundra and ice stretching across islands in the Arctic Ocean.

Unsurprisingly, the region’s breathtaking natural wonders, wildlife, and the culture of its native peoples draw intrepid visitors above the 60^th parallel.

Celestial Wonders Heighten Your Senses

Capital city Yellowknife is the Northern Lights capital of the world. The aurora borealis dance autumn and winter, 200 nights a year in the crystal-clear dark skies of the NWT. Nature’s ultimate light show is a life-changing experience for visitors from around the world.

Midnight Sun and White Nights at the height of a summer that lasts only a few weeks. During mid-summer, the sun barely sets, creating an other-worldly experience.

Polar Nights are at the opposite end of the spectrum, with a winter that’s dark almost around the clock, especially above the Arctic Circle where the sun does not rise for nearly a month!

Larger Than Life Places Capture Your Imagination

Expedition cruises through Canada’s Northwest Passage follow a fabled route through the Arctic from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, visiting some of the world’s most remote communities and seeing rare scenery along the way.

(Virginia Falls, Nahanni National Park Reserve Photo Credit: George Fischer/NWT Tourism)

Virginia Falls takes your breath away at nearly twice the height of Niagara Falls and four acres in size. It's the centrepiece of Nahanni National Park Reserve, which is one of the territories’ UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Kraus Hot Springs – geothermal springs and pools are found in a number of places in the mountains of the NWT, but Thermal pools are common in the Mackenzie Mountains of the Northwest Territories. Kraus Hot Springs may be the most famous, as they are a popular stop for paddlers right on the shore of the South Nahanni River.

Wood Buffalo National Park is Canada's largest National Park, the 2^nd largest in the world, and another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its most famous resident is in its name, but the park is home to a vast richness of far north biodiversity.

(Buffalo in Wood Buffalo National Park, Photo Credit: Darren Roberts/NWT Tourism)

Great Slave Lake in the North Slave region is the deepest Lake in North America with over 2000 feet of mysterious depths.

Great Bear Lake is the largest lake in Canada, with an area larger than the entire country of Belgium. It’s a fisherman’s dream, and holds the world record for biggest sport-caught Lake Trout that weighed in at 72 pounds!

Speaking of sports, NWT’s Ulukhaktok has the most Northern golf course on the planet. In Florida, golfers sometimes have to make way for gators. In NWT, watch out for wandering muskoxen!

The Souvenir that’s ‘Forever’

One NWT attraction isn’t about its stunning geography. It’s about sparkling geology.

NWT is the home of Canadian diamonds. Only developed as a viable industry beginning in the ‘90’s, Canada is now one of the world’s top 10 diamond producers, which it says is an ethical alternative to so-called ‘blood diamonds’.

Just how much bling are we talking about? Tens of millions of carats of diamonds are extracted each year, worth billions of dollars.

The largest diamond found in the NWT to date is a whopping 552-carat, extremely rare, yellow diamond the size of an egg! It was found in 2018, blowing away the previous record for a Canadian diamond, a 188-carat white specimen called the ‘Foxfire’ found in 2015 that was worth an estimated $10 million.

Canada’s three diamond mines are in a remote corner of the NWT. Yellowknife, hundreds of miles southwest of the mines and the largest city in the NWT, is the hub for the diamond industry.

(Canadian Diamonds. Fischer/ NWT Tourism)

You can’t visit an actual mine, but Yellowknife’s NWT Diamond Centre has interpretive displays where you can learn about the geology of the fire and ice of Canada’s Far North that resulted in deposits of the delicate, but virtually indestructible stones we value so highly. You can also watch diamond cutters at work, transforming rough stones into rare gems.

It’s also where you can treat yourself or your sweetheart to a sparkling souvenir of your visit to NWT – and symbol of your love.

#DreamNowTravelSoon

Top Image: Wood Buffalo National Park Dark Sky Preserve Photo Credit: Peter McMahon/NWT Tourism

This State's 'For Lovers', and Even has a Seductive Local Cuisine - Recipe Included!

lynn@influenceproductions.com (Lynn Elmhirst) — Mon, 01 Mar 21 21:05:34 +0000

The catchy saying is known around the world and has even been inducted into the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame.

‘Virginia is for Lovers’ debuted over 50 years ago, explaining to readers of ‘Modern Bride’ why they should honeymoon in Virginia.

Over the next half-century, ‘Virginia is for Lovers’ has come to mean a lot of different things to different people. It’s not just newlyweds who love Virginia, nestled between Chesapeake Bay on the Atlantic Ocean and the Appalachian Mountains.

Ways to Fall in Love in Virginia

Virginia is the cradle, the battlefield, and the bedroom of American history. Jamestown, founded in 1607, was the first permanent English colony in the New World.

(Thomas Jefferson's plantation, Monticello/ J Looney)

Right next door to Washington, the ‘Commonwealth’ is home to the estates of eight early Presidents, as well as hallowed battlefield and military sites.

Places like Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Mountains are fabled backbones of Virginia’s natural history. Lush with flora and fauna they are host to fables and current-day outdoor activities, from trail to mountain biking, epic hikes with breathtaking views, camping and backpacking.

Descend from Virginia’s heights to sea level, and you collide with history again, along with current-day thrills.

The rich waters and shores of the Atlantic in Virginia are not only where those first English colonists landed. Today, Virginia Beach holds the Guinness World Record for the longest pleasure beach in the world. Sandy shores stretch for 35 miles, which are also the northern-most warm water beaches on the Eastern Seaboard.

Humans aren’t the only ones who love the fertile waters of storied Chesapeake Bay.

‘Virginia is for Lovers’ takes on new meaning when you discover the state’s most famous local seafood. Oysters thrive in eight different coastal regions in Virginia, each giving a different complex flavor and texture to the mollusk that’s widely considered an aphrodisiac due to its suggestive appearance and abundance of zinc.

This food of love tastes best in proximity to the state’s bay breezes, salt water, sunshine and dockside views, and travelers can join Virginians eating oysters in the state year round, at traditional Chesapeake Bay oyster roasts, marquee events like oyster festivals, as well as at local wineries and breweries and of course, fine dining restaurants.

We may not be traveling to Virginia right now, but we can still infuse a little Virginia love into our own stay-at-home Valentine’s Day or any day we want to share some love, with this delicious oyster recipe, shared with us by Virginia’s Hotel Roanoke.

With a prestigious AAA Four Diamond Designation testifying to the quality of its dining and hotel experience today, the Tudor-style Hotel Roanoke dates back to the latter half of the 19^th century, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. We bet local, fried oysters have been on the menu since the beginning. Here’s an upscale version to change up a romantic evening at home.

Hotel Roanoke’s Fried Oysters with Crab & Caper Beurre Blanc

Serves 2 as a light, shared treat

· 4 Fresh Medium-size Oysters

· 1 cup Ground Cornmeal

· 1 cup Buttermilk

· Micro-Arugula

· Deep-fat fryer

Beurre Blanc:

· 1 tsp Chopped Garlic

· ¼ Cup Chopped Onion

· 1 cup White Wine

· 1 cup Vegetable stock

· 2 cup Heavy Cream

· 2 Tbs Hard Butter

· ½ cup Lump Crabmeat

· ½ cup Capers

· Salt & Pepper to taste

To make Beurre Blanc, place garlic, onion, white wine, and vegetable stock in pot. Bring to a boil and reduce by half. Add heavy cream, bring to the boil and reduce until sauce consistency. Turn off heat, then whisk in hard butter a little at a time until fully incorporated. Strain, then add crab and capers. Season to taste. Leave until needed (covered in warm place).

Heat oil to 360 F. Dip each oyster into buttermilk (coat thoroughly) then into cornmeal, shake off excess, then carefully drop into hot oil. Fry until golden brown (1-2 minutes), drain dry. To serve, place a little sauce in bottom of one or two plates, and then top with Oysters and a few sprigs of micro-greens.

Enjoy with someone you love, and dream of traveling again soon!

Images Courtesy www.virginia.org/

3 Places For the Romantic, Overwater Escape of a Lifetime

lynn@influenceproductions.com (Lynn Elmhirst) — Mon, 01 Mar 21 21:05:24 +0000

Ever since the first overwater bungalow resort was built half a century ago, they have come to define the ultimate romantic tropical getaway.

Overwater villas are the next best thing to a private tropical island of your own – a luxury, rustic-chic bungalow suspended right over top of jewel-toned seas. It brings out the primal human in us all, and activates every romantic instinct.

The originals in French Polynesia were inspired by the makeshift, thatched-roof overwater huts made by local fishermen to work on their catch and boats in the shade. A trio of American entrepreneurs hoping to develop a resort on a property on Ra'iātea that had a rocky waterfront - but no beach - got sudden inspiration and voila! The world’s first overwater bungalow resort. Even the first resort, with no TV or phones even, was rustic compared with today’s versions that can be extravagantly luxurious, it allowed guests to feel embraced by the sea surrounding them. The bungalows featured a clear, plexiglass ‘window’ in the floor to the ocean below, with lights to attract marine life which they nicknamed, ‘Tahitian television’.

The original overwater bungalow resort is no longer, but it inspired a trend that swept the South Pacific and from there, some of the most exotic places in the world.

FRENCH POLYNESIA

Other French Polynesian islands, like Tahiti and Bora Bora, are now world-famous for the overwater villa lifestyle that tops many newlyweds’ lists of dream honeymoons.

Check out: the Four Seasons Bora Bora

You really feel like you are escaping the world when you travel to the Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora, where a private yacht whisks you across vivid, South Pacific waters from tiny Bora Bora’s airport to the resort, where you’re greeted in true Polynesian style with a h a traditional flower lei and escorted to your private overwater villa.

Above: Moeava de Rosemont / Four Seasons

Top: Andre Klotz/ Four Seasons

Some come with their own plunge pools or spacious decks for your own private access to the turquoise lagoon waters. Inspired by a traditional Polynesian village, with thatched roof-design, and décor and furnishings that celebrate by the island's natural beauty, from from the teak-wood furnishings, to textile patterns derived from traditional body tattoos, to the Mother of Pearl accents in the lighting fixtures, the villas are made to close the rest of the world away.

Your meals can be delivered by canoe for perfect seclusion, or you can join diving and snorkeling expeditions, and the rest of the resort on land.

The Four Seasons Bora Bora has even designed ‘A Meal You'll Always Remember’ for a very special night. You and your beloved board a canoe to a private white-sand motu, where you are greeted with Champagne followed by a personalized dinner for two as the sun sets into the water. Romantic meals may also be arranged on a private section of the resort beach or in your bungalow.

THE MALDIVES

They may have been invented in the South Pacific, but 50 years later, some estimate of the nearly 200 romantic, overwater bungalow resorts in the world, two-thirds are now in the Maldives.

Possibly even more exotic, almost exactly on the opposite side of the planet from North America, the Maldives is a thousand-mile long atoll covered in sandbars begging to be explored in barefoot luxury and experienced in overwater villas.

It puts new meaning into being immersed in the local natural beauty. The pristine waters of the Maldives are epic, surrounding one of the world's most romantic, remote and legendary tropical eco paradise destinations.

Check out: Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is a pioneering resort located in one of the Maldives' best diving and snorkeling locations. It melds harmoniously with the environment, flowing from island to its overwater villas.

What makes this resort stand out from other overwater villa resorts in the Maldives is that, in addition to overwater villas, the resort also boasts the first underwater restaurant 16 feet below the surface, and the first undersea residence.

Conrad Hotels & Resorts

It’s an extraordinary way for up to 9 guests to experience of one of the world's most breathtaking marine environments. Specialized aquarium technology was used to create the 2-story villa, consisting of an over-water space, and a spiral staircase to an underwater suite more than 16 feet below sea level with a king size bedroom, living room, and bathing area under a dome with 180-degree views of the ocean.

Sleeping in an undersea dome is an almost surreal vacation, but the overwater part of the villa above is unforgettable, too, complete with space for a butler and private security, an ocean-facing bathtub, bar and dining area with a deck facing the sunset, and another deck with an infinity pool facing sunrise.

Conrad Hotels & Resorts

Consciously-designed villas and suites, from ultra-private beach villas nestled amongst the rich tropical landscape with direct beach access, to overwater villas ranging from private and romantic, to expansive for an extended group of family or friends, complete with sundecks, hot tubs steps into the sea, spa treatment rooms and more, provide the iconic Maldives vacation.

JAMAICA

Luckily you don’t have to fly around the world to live the dream in tropical, overwater romantic luxury.

Check out: Sandals Royal Caribbean, Montego Bay, Jamaica

Couples-only Sandals built the Caribbean's first all-inclusive overwater bungalows, finally overcoming the barriers of tides and hurricane construction that had kept the romantic trend from expanding here already.

Sandals Royal Caribbean’s secluded villas are just off the resort's private island with private water taxi service. Picture glass floors, butler service, private infinity pools and outdoor soaking tub for two or hammocks over the water where you can dangle your toes and absorb the sun, extended outdoor decks and outdoor showers that blur the line between indoor and outdoor luxury living.

Sandals

Your romantic overwater Caribbean experience at this resort is all-inclusive, with fine dining at 8 restaurants and wine and spirits at 5 bars, including swim-up, and stocked bars in every room, with watersports, landsports, entertainment, and for Butler and Club Sandals guests, even private, luxury-vehicle airport transfers. Plus exchange privileges and all amenities and inclusions with 2 nearby Sandals – it's like having 3 resorts in one!

Valentine's Day – or every day – is the best day to dream of an overwater holiday with your sweetheart.

#DreamNowTravelSoon

Images courtesy their respective resorts.

6 Reasons Why Travel is the 'Best Medicine'

lynn@influenceproductions.com (Lynn Elmhirst) — Mon, 01 Mar 21 21:05:14 +0000

Are you missing travel? Evidence tells us that travel benefits us more than getting a fresh tan, new social media posts of us having fun in some exotic location, or even new stories to entertain our friends and family.

When we had the privilege of unrestricted travel, we took for granted all the benefits it brought, including real benefits to our health that research was beginning to reveal.

The old cliché that laughter is the best medicine could really be said of travel. Maybe not quite a magic potion, like the fun image above suggests, but something that explains how our missing travel is not just nostalgia.

Lynn Elmhirst, Producer/Host of BestTrip TV, explains 6 reasons how a return to travel will help our health as well as our enjoyment of life.

Recently, I was the guest expert invited to speak about ‘Travel in the Age of COVID’ on a radio show and podcast called Aging Better in Uncertain Times, and it encouraged me for a couple of reasons.

Not only did the conversation between me, broadcaster Gord Martineau and Dr. Fabio Varlese include valuable information about how to stay healthy while traveling, which you might expect, we also talked about why travel itself is a pursuit that’s good for us.

It inspired me to gather some of the latest information that makes the health ‘case’ for travel. It…

1. Boosts Your Immune System

My farmer grandfather used to say every kid should ‘eat a peck of dirt’ before they were 10 to stay healthy. Granddad was on to something. Research shows being in contact with new bacteria can help develop stronger antibodies, make your gut stronger, and build your body’s resistance to diseases.

Of course you should continue practicing hand hygiene on the road, but studies suggest exposure to new environments help make our bodies adapt and makes us stronger.

2. Increases Our Activity

Working from home likely isn’t doing much to help us achieve our goals to move more. Travel does.

A new environment encourages us to get out and experience it, whether it’s walking the streets of a new city, along the beach of our resort, cycling through vineyards, or even trying a more active or extreme sport. Movement is health, and nothing gets us more active than a new destination.

3. Strengthens Our Hearts

First they told us moderate amounts of wine and chocolate were good for our hearts. You can add travel to that list, too. Life doesn’t get much better than this, does it?

Heart health and travel has been studied in both women and men. Reportedly, women who vacation twice a year are substantially less likely to suffer a heart attack than women who travel only once every few years. Men who skip an annual vacation are at a 20% higher risk of death overall, and that jumps to a 30% higher chance of dying from heart disease.

Another, long-term study revealed that women in their middle years who travel more have less likelihood of having heart problems 20 years later, and the same study found travel also helped with blood pressure.

4. Supports Our Brains

We want our brains firing on all cylinders now… and protected from ailments like dementia in our later years. Happily, travel helps our brains throughout our lives.

New experiences, which are the essence of travel, including new scents, sounds and minor challenges like navigating a different town or language, give our brains a workout, and that is good for creativity and mental health in the short term, and the new connections we build in our brain as a result of processing new sensations help reduce the risk of dementia and even Alzheimer’s in the long term.

Researchers say the more engagement and immersion we have in a new location and culture, the more our brains have to adapt, and the more powerful the brain stimulation results.

5. Reduces Stress and Depression

This one is a no-brainer. You can tell – and research agrees – that taking a vacation makes you feel less anxious, better rested, and lifts your overall mood. Studies confirm these effects linger for weeks after our return home, reinforcing how important regular vacations are for our mental well-being.

One study revealed 90% of people showed significant stress reduction after just the first couple of days of a vacation, along with a more positive outlook on life.

Another showed that women who vacation twice a year are less likely to suffer from depression than those who take a holiday less than once every couple of years.

6. Increases Happiness

I don’t want all this good news about the health benefits of travel to actually depress you, considering we can’t do all the traveling we want right now.

You’ll be happy to hear that even planning a trip provides a direct increase in happiness. Anticipating your vacation, one study shows, is much more powerful than the anticipation of acquiring objects.

So planning a trip during our pandemic downtime can help us stay cheerful and happy until we can travel again. Crack out the guidebooks along with that wine and chocolate and here's to your good health!

#DreamNowTravelSoon

Top Image courtesy Open Jaw

Caribbean

anabelunga@gmail.com (Anabel Fernandez) — Mon, 01 Mar 21 16:50:35 +0000