Traveling Tod

Since its grand opening on May 27, 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge has provided a vital link across the Golden Gate, where San Francisco Bay meets the Pacific Ocean. Before the bridge was built, the quickest way to travel between San Francisco and the headlands of Marin County was by ferry: today, approximately 300,000 vehicles a day move smoothly across the bridge.

Some people doubted that a bridge could be built across the Golden Gate, where the strong ocean currents and frequent fog can be treacherous. But after a little more than four years of construction, the bridge opened with the longest main span of any suspension bridge in the world at that time. The beauty of that graceful span, along with distinctive bright orange paint, made the bridge an enduring symbol of San Francisco.

Now through mid-October, dozens of events are being held in and around San Francisco to celebrate the 75^th birthday of the bridge.  Photo exhibits, art contests, musical performances, tours of historic homes and food festivals are just some of the festivities planned. Everything is designed to commemorate the bridge, but also to spread appreciation of its beautiful setting and special place in the hearts of area residents and visitors.

The official celebration on Sunday, May 27 – the Golden Gate Festival – will take place along San Francisco’s waterfront, including the famous locations of Ghirardelli Square, Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39, with additional exhibits and activities at various landmarks around the city. The festival program is still developing, but will include a display of autos from 1937 to the present, a parade of historic watercraft, live music and dance, art installations and films. The evening will be lit up by a spectacular fireworks display.

If you want a great view of the bridge, visit Baker Beach in San Francisco’s Presidio Park; or, rent a convertible, put the top down, and drive to South Vista Point, on the San Francisco end of the bridge, or North Vista Point, on the Marin County end.

In addition to the famous bridge, San Francisco is full of cultural attractions, gorgeous parks, major league sports and colorful neighborhoods to explore. Just north of the San Francisco Bay Area, the Napa Valley offers an array of wonderful accommodations, along with world-class wineries. Talk with your travel professional about everything you can do in the Bay Area during the 75^th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge.

In the most recent Travel Trends survey conducted by Travel Leaders, expert travel agents cited Panama as the top up-and-coming vacation destination in Central and South America, and with good reason. Many people are familiar with the Panama Canal, the impressive 98 year old manmade waterway that links two oceans and, in itself, is a reason to visit the Central American country. However, there is much more to Panama than the canal. The incredibly diverse landscape ranges from quiet beaches ringed with coral reefs to pristine rainforests and mountain peaks that lose their tops in the clouds.

Panama City, which lies at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, offers a vibrant atmosphere, stunning skyscrapers, great dining, and a convenient base from which to see the rest of the country. There are really three Panama Cities, all worth exploring: the modern city, Panama Viejo and Casco Viejo.

            In the 1500s, development of the original Panama City was set back several times by fires and earthquakes. The city was completely destroyed by fire in January 1671 after being attacked by pirates. The ruins, located in the suburbs of the modern city, have are now a popular attraction called Panama Viejo.

After the destruction of the original city, residents conceived of a walled city that would protect against future pirate attacks. This is now the historic district called Casco Viejo, which is full of wonderful buildings and monuments.

            Panama City is within easy driving distance of the beautiful Soberania National Park. The park, which stretches along much of the length of the Panama Canal, is great for hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, bird- and monkey-watching, or simply taking in the beauty of the rainforest.

You’ll need to venture a bit farther from the city to tour Panama’s spectacular highlands. From the heights of Volcàn Barù National Park, it’s possible to see both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as well as the coffee plantations around the charming town of Boquete.

            Then, of course, there’s the famous canal, a true marvel of engineering. The Miraflores Visitor Center is a 20-minute ride from Panama City. It has a museum of interactive exhibits and an outdoor terrace where you can get a close-up view of transiting ships. Another way to experience the canal is to hop on a day cruise that will take you through one or more of the three impressive sets of locks. You can also take a cruise from Miami or Los Angeles that will sail through the canal as part of a longer itinerary.

            For more ideas for things to see and do in Panama, talk with your travel professional.

            Fifty years ago, the Century 21 Exposition, also known as the Seattle World’s Fair, opened on April 21 in Seattle, Wash. Visitors were instantly drawn to the futuristic look of the Space Needle, a slender tower that soars over the city to a height of 605 feet.

            Since then, the Space Needle has become an iconic symbol of Seattle and the entire Pacific Northwest. It’s a top visitor attraction in the “Emerald City,” so named for its verdant parks and evergreen forests.

            An elevator will take you up the Space Needle to the Sky City Restaurant, where you can dine on regional cuisine and drink in a fabulous view of the Cascade Mountains to the east, Mount Rainier to the southeast, and the rugged Olympic Peninsula to the west. Just above the restaurant is an observation platform, which has welcomed the likes of Elvis Presley, Bono, Mike Myers and John Travolta.

            There’s more to see and do on the former grounds of the World’s Fair, now called the Seattle Center. The Pacific Science Center museum includes two IMAX theaters, a tropical butterfly house, a planetarium and hundreds of hands-on science exhibits. The EMP (formerly Experience Music Project) Museum, housed in an incredible building designed by Frank Gehry, showcases the history of music through rare memorabilia and multimedia displays. You can also catch a performance of the Seattle Shakespeare Company at the Center House Theater.

            While in Seattle, visit some of the city’s other famous sites. Go to the Pike Place Fish market to see the workers throwing huge fish through the air before they are wrapped up for customers. Then, explore the rest of the Public Market Center, the oldest continually operated public farmers’ market in the U.S.

            Seattle is also known as “Jet City” due to the presence of the Boeing Company, one of the world’s largest aircraft manufacturers. Boeing’s Future of Flight Aviation Center in the suburb of Everett offers tours of the massive assembly factory where Boeing’s 747, 767, 777 and the new 787 Dreamliner are built.

            For many more ideas about things to see and do in beautiful, green Seattle, talk with your travel professional.

Staying up late to prepare a presentation, a long flight, a hotel room that’s not ready when you arrive – all of these and more can contribute to travel fatigue, burnout or even jet lag while traveling on business. Here are some ways to prevent these problems and to feel good while on the road.

Travel fatigue is simply exhaustion due to the stresses of travel. One of the best ways to prevent it is to be well-rested when you leave. Allow enough time to prepare for your trip and get a good night’s sleep before you go. Buy a bottle of water in the airport and sip it during your flight to stay hydrated, and get up to stroll the aisle at least once during your flight. Also, bring along anything that will help you sleep in a strange bed: perhaps your favorite pajamas, an eyeshade, a recording of white noise, or a small bottle of aromatherapy oil.

Burnout can occur when traveling seems like a hassle in which everyone is irritating and nothing can please you. This can happen during a long stretch of travel, or as after an unfortunate experience – say, a lost bag or misplaced flash drive. Remember that yelling won’t help. Instead, use your free time to refresh yourself. Ask where the best local food is served and go try it. Catch a movie or live performance, visit the local zoo, or take a walk. You can also go to the hotel lounge and find a fellow road warrior – it can help to talk to someone who understands your frustration and to know that you’re not alone in feeling that way.

Jet lag is a result of our marvelous ability to fly across multiple time zones in a few hours, which creates a mismatch between your internal clock and the actual time of day in your destination. To minimize jet lag, follow the same steps recommended for battling travel fatigue – plus, try to arrive a day early to give yourself time to adjust before you go into presentation or decision-making mode. Drink plenty of water, eat meals according to the local time, and avoid caffeine and alcohol until you are acclimated. If you must sleep before the appropriate local bedtime, set your travel alarm to wake you after 30 minutes.

Oceans and coastlines are the focus of the 2012 World Expo, opening May 12 in the port city of Yeosu, South Korea, and running through August 12. Eight million visitors are expected to tour the expo, where more than 100 countries will showcase advancements in cultivating the oceans of the world as a renewable source of food and energy.

The expo site is lovely, overlooking the Hallyeosudo Marine National Park, Odong Island and hundreds of green islets leading out to the East China Sea. The grounds will be dotted with pavilions and exhibits that will preview a future in which human and oceans harmoniously coexist, as well as three must-see landmarks: The Big-O, the Sky Tower and the Expo Digital Gallery.

The Big-O is a circular stage that will float on the water, presenting cultural performances against the backdrop of the open sea. When the expo closes each night, the Big-O will be the site of a light show featuring lasers, 3-D images, fireworks and a fountain.

The Sky Tower is a previously abandoned pair of cement silos that have been transformed into a huge pipe organ that visitors will be able to play by using their smartphones. There is also an observation deck at the top, which will provide a panoramic view of the grounds.

The LED screens in the 450-yard-long Expo Digital Gallery will light up with images of the sea. Visitors will be able to make the whales swimming in the digital seascape grow by using their smartphones to send them text messages of hope.

The expo park will be well equipped to welcome visitors with convenient shuttle buses, lots of restaurants and ice cream stands, and thousands of live performances throughout the three-month event.

In addition to the World Expo, South Korea offers a wealth of wonderful travel experiences. You might stay overnight in a Buddhist temple, bathe in a hot spring or sip fragrant tea in a traditional teahouse. Whether you are attracted to the bustle of cities like Seoul or would like to tour the countryside, talk with your travel professional about combining a visit to the World Expo with some of the other sights of South Korea.

If you appreciate lovely flowers, you’ll love Floriade, an international horticultural exposition held once every 10 years in the Netherlands, a country famous for its gorgeous tulip fields.

Floriade has been held in various locations around the Netherlands, and the 2012 Floriade will be in the city of Venlo, in the southeastern corner of the country. Floriade will be open to visitors daily from April 5 through October 7.

An expected two million visitors will enter the expo through the Innovatoren, an energy-efficient tower with a glass atrium, now the tallest structure in the Venlo region. Once inside the park, visitors can stroll through acres of gardens and exhibits. There will be daily performances of live music, dance and theatre; graphic arts displays; five restaurants and many food carts; and the Villa Flora, the largest indoor flower exhibition in Europe.

The Floriade is an international exhibit, and countries such as the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Yemen, Nepal, Pakistan and India will show their horticultural treasures. In addition to flowers, visitors will see spectacular displays of shrubs and trees, fruits and vegetables, formal gardens and innovative landscaping.

Five trains running on sustainable fuels will transport visitors around the park, stopping in all five of Floriade’s themed “zones:” relax and heal, green engine, education and innovation, environment and the World Show Stage. Visitors can also get a bird’s-eye view of the festivities on a cable car ride that will traverse the entire park.

There’s more to explore in and around Venlo, including a historical museum, an art museum, nightlife in the city center, and a national park just north of the city. It’s not far to other wonderful cities and attractions, including Amsterdam, which ranked 20th on the list of top international destinations in Travel Leaders’ most recent Travel Trends Survey.

To make plans to visit Floriade 2012, talk with your travel professional.

If you’re looking for a gorgeous, historic European destination that still feels a little undiscovered, try Croatia. Once part of Yugoslavia, Croatia fought a war for independence during the 1990s. Today, this county on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea is peaceful, thriving, and welcoming more visitors each year.

The natural wonders of Croatia are remarkably diverse, beginning with the country’s long and scenic coastline along the sparkling Adriatic. There are more than a thousand islands off the coastline, where boaters and sun seekers flock in the summer. Inland, there are mountains, forests, waterfalls and thermal spas.

The inland city of Zagreb, bordered by mountains and rivers, is full of wooded parks, lakes and lovely gardens. From the bountiful farmer’s market in the historic Dolac quarter to the charming pavilions of Maksimir Park, there’s a lot of explore in this capital city. One of the loveliest sights in Zagred is actually a cemetery – Mirogoj Cemetery was designed by renowned architect Herman Bolle.

The centerpiece of the port city of Split is the palace of the ancient Roman Emperor Diocletian, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can spend an entire day exploring the remains of the palace, constructed in 305 AD. Or, focus on the city’s museums, including the popular Archaeological Museum and the Maritime Museum. For a stunning view, climb the bell tower of St. Duje, constructed in the 13^th century.

The islands of Korcula and Hvar tempt visitors to hop a ferry from Split. Korcula has a rich history in the arts, and many visitors are thrilled to see the traditional Moreska sword dance. Hvar is known for hillsides covered in pine forests, which make a lovely backdrop for vineyards, olive groves, and fields of lavender.

Have your camera ready in Dubrovnik – another UNESCO World Heritage Site where there are photo-worthy views everywhere you turn. You can actually on top of walls constructed between the 13^th and 16^th centuries to protect the Old Town, one of the best-preserved medieval city centers in the world. You’ll see the Sponza Palace, the Rector’s Palace, Luza Square, and ancient towers and fortifications that have stood the test of time.

With so many fascinating places to explore, it’s no wonder Travel Leaders agents nationally named Croatia as the top “up and coming” destination within Europe. To find out more about how you can enjoy Croatia’s cities, seashore and natural wonders, talk with your travel professional.

Travel Leaders’ newly released 2012 Travel Trends Survey shows that most travelers have no plans to cut back on their vacations in the new year. More than 91 percent of Travel Leaders owners, managers and frontline travel experts throughout the U.S. said that their clients plan to spend as much or more on vacation travel in 2012 as they did in 2011.

Actual booking data gathered by the Travel Leaders survey also shows that U.S. travelers remain consistent in their most-wanted vacation destinations. Eight of the top ten domestic destinations for 2012 were also on the top ten list for 2011, and the top two choices – Las Vegas, Nev., and Orlando, Fla. – remain the same.

The enduring popularity of Las Vegas is due to its fabulous opportunities for gaming – as well as golfing, clubbing and shopping – plus the ease of booking a vacation there. After all, there are more than 120,000 hotel rooms to choose from, more than half of them along the famed Las Vegas Strip. The Vegas hotels that Travel Leaders agents book most often for their clients include the MGM Grand, the world’s largest hotel/resort complex, which has a glass-walled lion habitat inside the casino; and the Bellagio, where elegant attractions include an eight-acre lake with dancing water fountains and a unique lobby ceiling made of beautiful blown glass flowers. Also, since opening little more than a year ago, The Cosmopolitan lands in the top ten.

Most visitors to Orlando love Walt Disney World, with more than 80 percent making reservations at Disney properties. Among the most popular are Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, which features the vibrant colors and laid-back vibe of a Caribbean island; and Disney’s All-Star Music Resort, which offers family suites with kitchenettes and two full baths.

The complete list of the top ten U.S. destinations is a diverse mix of islands, cruises and cities:

1. Las Vegas, NV
2. Orlando, FL
3. Maui, HI
4. Alaska cruising
5. New York City, NY
6. Honolulu, HI
7. Washington, DC
8. Chicago, IL., up two spots from last year
9. Los Angeles, CA, up three spots from last year
10. Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ

The Travel Leaders survey also shows that vacationers are booking their travel farther in advance. A majority of travelers now book their U.S. vacations eight weeks or more in advance – both to lock in optimum pricing and to ensure their first choice for flight schedules. Talk with your travel professional soon about your 2012 vacation plans.

Carnival is one of the world’s great celebrations. Who hasn’t dreamt of being part of the revelry in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, home of the world’s most famous Carnival celebration? But, Carnival has deep roots in places like Italy, Belgium and Louisiana, too.

In Catholic and some Eastern Orthodox traditions, the six weeks before Easter is the Lenten period, traditionally observed by fasting and other austere practices. Long ago, in the days just before Lent, people would gather for parties to enjoy the rich food and drink that would not be allowed during Lent. Through the centuries, this practice evolved into what we now know as Carnival.

This year, Carnival begins on February 18 and ends on Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras, February 21. Where would you like to celebrate?

Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is the largest in the world. Highlights include the glittering Samba Parade, elegant balls, street parties and street band parades. After partying late into the night, you can relax and enjoy the sun on one of Rio’s gorgeous beaches during the day.

Many Carnival traditions, such as parades and masquerade balls, were first recorded in medieval Italy. At the ancient Carnival of Venice, everyone wore a mask so they could mingle and celebrate without being identified by social class. This tradition continues at the modern Carnival of Venice, where a contest to select the best mask is a highlight.

Carnival in the Belgian town of Binche dates back to the 14th century. It features the antics of the Gilles, clown-like characters who wear vibrant costumes, wax masks and wooden shoes. They march through the town, dance, brandish sticks to shoo away evil spirits, and throw oranges to the crowd.

In the U.S., New Orleans is famous for its Carnival celebration, Mardi Gras – a legacy of the city’s early French settlers. Parades and parties begin in early January, with a citywide celebration on Mardi Gras Day, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. People congregate in the picturesque streets of the French Quarter, but the parades take place along some of the city’s wider avenues.

There’s still time to make arrangements to attend a Carnival celebration in one of these locations or many others around the world. Talk with your travel professional.

The Dreamliner, Boeing’s newest aircraft, has the potential to profoundly change air travel. The Dreamliner isn’t all about size – among wide-bodied aircraft, it’s a midsize airplane that seats 210 to 290 passengers, depending on the model. Instead, its claim to fame is efficiency. The 787 Dreamliner consumes 20 percent less fuel than the similarly sized Boeing 767. The greater fuel efficiency means fewer stops for refueling, which will allow airlines to deploy the Dreamliner on longer nonstop routes.

The aircraft’s construction is also revolutionary, using composite materials that are lighter yet more durable than aluminum and steel. These materials allow the inside of the twin-aisle aircraft to be more spacious. There’s more room for overhead luggage storage and larger windows, which have dimmers instead of shades.

Additional innovations include quieter engines and new sensors that help ease turbulence. The humidity in the cabin can also be higher than on other airplanes, which means a more comfortable and less tiring flight for passengers.

The Dreamliner made its first passenger flight, an ANA (All Nippon Airways) flight from Tokyo to Hong Kong, in November. Since ANA is part of the Star Alliance that also includes United Airlines, it’s possible that if you’re booking a ticket to fly from United to parts of Southeast Asia via Tokyo, you just might connect with one of the ANA flights using the Dreamliner. Closer to home, the airline formed by the merger of United and Continental will be the first U.S. carrier to receive a Dreamliner, with initial plans to fly between Houston and Auckland, New Zealand, beginning later in 2012. The aircraft’s extended range is expected to give more U.S. airports the ability to establish international flights.

Boeing has pre-sold more than 800 Dreamliners. To find out when one may be coming to an airport near you, talk with your travel professional.