If you have a favorite travel quote, we invite you to share it, and if we like it we’ll add it to our Travel Wisdom page. (Be sure to include who the author of the quote is.)

“My favorite thing is to go where I’ve never been.”
Diane Arbus

There are a number of rail trips worldwide that merit special attention. So what are the best rail vacations? With the recent Winter Olympics in British Columbia, it’s prescient to note three of the top train trips are in Canada. The Trans-Canada rail trip is one of the grandaddy trips, operated by Via Rail. In western Canada are two other notable rail trips — The Rocky Mountaineer (between Vancouver and  Jasper) and Whistler Mountaineer (between Vancouver and Whistler).

Travel by rail in Europe is a popular way to get around between cities, and there are some notable European train trips, especially thru scenic Switzerland where The Glacier Express and The Bernina Express were voted among the top ten train trips by the Society of American Travel Writers.

Read more about rail vacations around the globe.

Dan Ilves
dan.i@travelstoreusa.com

Travelers needing extra visa pages will soon pay $82. Currently this service is free, therefore if you are a frequent traveler and may be in need of extra visa pages, you best submit an application right away.

While no formal implementation date has been given for the changes, the State has indicated it intends to implement new fees once it has had time to consider public comments. The public comment period for the proposed fees ends on March 11, 2010.

Dan Ilves, CTC, MCC
dan.i@travelstoreusa.com

Accra was a lot of fun for us.  The Obama Hotel was fine, large room, decent bathroom, good air-con and even a minifridge, but ours didn’t work and we didn’t complain.  The only thing about it is that it is VERY isolated from ANYTHING.  If we were doing business at the university or needed to be really close to the airport, it would have been an okay location.  However, to explore the city, it was a bit removed. 

We walked to the tro-tro stop and road the cramped minivans with the locals, but at night, it didn’t feel that safe to be walking the isolated streets.  Next time we will stay somewhere you can walk to restaurants/clubs in the evening.  The staff was great.  Breakfast simple but good.  We ate dinner there one night and food was good.

We also stayed in Elmina where the slave castle is–great tour–dismal history of how low humans can go!!  Stayed at the Bridges Hotel (owned by the folks who own the Elmina resort.  It was a fair room, okay bed,  great staff.

In Osua Beach we stayed at a nice place, African Rainbow Resort, owned by a Canadian-Ghanian family.  Ray was in the volunteer service with the owner in the 70’s.  It is a great place, 12 large rooms, refrig, some with air-con others with fans, great rooftop patio that overlooks the town and ocean.  Good food!

In Kumasi we stayed with another Canadian-Ghanian family, also former volunteers who have come back.  Their place is called Four Villages B&B.  It is a lovely large home with four large rooms, very nice bathroom, homecooked breakfast, air-con.  A large central living room, free movies to watch in your room.  Great hosts, Chris and Charity Scott.  They offered to drop us off at a few sites, gave us tips on best places to see etc., and they have a woman (Comfort) who takes folks on guided tours to craft villages and even to the enormous market (largest open air market in Africa, 10,500 individual stalls).  We took the market tour for 3 hours for less than $8 US.  It was like staying at good friends home.  Really wonderful.

Tish Young
client of Nancy Harthill
nancy.h@travelstoreusa.com

We had fun eating local foods like pannekoek [one large pancake the size of a plate] with the special troop or syrup; rystafel [Indonesian rice table consisting of several dishes with numerous condiments and sauces], and delicious Dutch cheeses.

We continued on to Brussels,  an hour and 10 minutes trip on the express train. We stayed at the beautiful and high tech Sofitel Toison d’Or. Our ultra modern suite overlooked rooftops and a bit of the garden, which must be fabulous on warm days.  The area is very elegant and conveniently located.  You can walk to museums, the Grand Place with its beautiful guild houses, and many other places. Here too, it was fun to see friends and family and relax.  There is a wonderful new Magritte Museum.  We did not have enough time to do all the things we wanted to.

Our final leg was to Paris on the Thalys, a fast train like the TGV.  In a little over an hour, we were in the romantic city.  So easy.  We took a taxi to the Left bank this time and to the Lutetia Hotel. It is the grande dame of the sixth arrondissement, with a one star Michelin restaurant and a very popular bar.
 
I did not want to leave and go home yet.  Every trip needs a few days in Paris– just to breathe the city’s air, to gaze at the beautiful buildings, and, for me especially, to shop.  Alas, there was hardly any time for that.  And the worst part was, because it was the week-end, most stores were closed.

We were extremely lucky with the weather, but it did  rain a day or so in each country.  The temperatures were most pleasant. 

Suzanne Allswang
suzanne.a@travelstoreusa.com

The food in these countries is similar and quite hearty- excellent dark breads, sausages,  lots of potatoes, potato pancakes and dumplings, and delicious red beat soup and sauerkraut soup.  I miss it!

From Lithuania we continued  by car towards Riga, Latvia, arriving around 5 p.m, and checked in at the Hotel Avalon.  One side of the building was very old, while the facade facing the old market was very modern, as was the interior.  It has a tall atrium lobby, with a glass elevator, and rooms are very modern.

We walked around Riga with a guide.  She gave us some historical facts, we stopped at a small “sun” museum, where the owner collects various items made to represent the sun (clocks, mirrors, plates, signs). She  even had a small workshop, where guests could paint a small sun to keep as a souvenir. This would appeal to children in particular.

Estonia, located across the water  from Finland, has a  language  similar to Finnish.  But the architecture of the country  is very nordic.  The old city center of Tallin is so lovely.  We stayed at the small  Hotel Savoy Boutique on a side street.  It has a nice restaurant with fusion cuisine (Baltic and European), and a cozy lounge, and bar. The staff is very friendly.  The building dates from 1898, but was renovated a couple of years ago. Having only 44 rooms, it is very intimate.

We walked over to the opera house for a ballet performance.  Super seats right up front. Not many large cities where one can do this.  Very stress free.

Estonia is the first country to have E-government!: the first elections to be held on the internet (in 2007)!  That save tons of paperwork and really is kind to the environment.

It was interesting to see that these Baltic countries had many outdoor restaurants, and people were still sitting outside, even in chilly weather.  The establishments provide you with blankets!  And many have heaters.

What  is also interesting in these three countries, are the Museums of the Occupation.  The emphasis is on the Russian occupation.  The one in Tallin, Estonia, is the best of them, both physically and qualitatively. The  building has many items that are well preserved (books, radios, cars, uniforms, etc.)
 
During the Late Middle Ages and early modern period (13th-17th centuries), Riga and Tallin belonged to the Hanseatic League, an alliance of cities and their guilds that maintained a trade monopoly along the coast of Northen Europe, from the Baltics to the North Sea and inland.  The Hanseatic cities had their own law system that furnished their protection and provided mutual aid.
 
Suzanne Allswang
suzanne.a@travelstoreusa.com

We stayed at the Artis Hotel, in the Old City, and walked everywhere from there.  The hotel had a wonderful, large buffet breakfast, with great  cheeses, cold meats, smoked fish, pastries, breads, fruit, juices, jams, etc.

Vilnius is a lovely city with cobblestone streets and painted buildings. In many ways similar to Western Europe, with many baroque churches. We had arranged for a walking city tour, which was great.  We rode up to the castle, walked all around, and visited a church with beautiful statues.

There was a fair in progress on the main pedestrian street selling local foods  and handicrafts, such as hand-made socks, mittens, and sweaters.   We ate lunch there, pointing to things being cooked, as we could not figure out what people were saying. The language is difficult, and although I speak several well, I was unable to understand any of the Baltic ones. The natives were friendly, though, and tried to help us.

One evening we went to the symphony where  a special program of Russian music was performed. The concert hall was small and within walking distance from our hotel.  This all made it a  most enjoyable experience.  As we were wondering what the comments meant, I asked the people seated in front of us, and they translated for us for the remainder of the evening.

We rented a car on our last day here and drove to Trakai, where several hundred Karaites still live.  They are people going back to the 14th century.  Trakai is a charming town with an old castle and a lake with sailboats and other water excursion vehicles. The main street had very charming wooden painted houses; 0ne being the the local museum, which we visited. We had lunch at one of the Karaite restaurants,  where we enjoyed  “pasties”, pocket like pies filled with meat or vegetables.  Excellent!

From there we drove through forests, to the Hill of Crosses.  Thousands of them, in various sizes, many created from wood, some created from metal, some ornate, and some very simple.  All this dates back many years and has become a pilgrimage site.

Driving was  easy, as the roads are excellent and not very busy, so no worries of getting stuck or lost, or having any problems.  Also distances are not that big, so one gets to places fairly fast. 

Suzanne Allswang
suzanne.a@travelstoreusa.com

It is a beautiful “three room suite” (bedroom, small dining area, livingroom, hallway and large bathroom (all in marble and a warming towel rack, which I love).  The layout of the rooms is great, and the suite is very spacious and ultra modern, in soft gray, green and black tones.  One can entertain here.

The hotel also has a Gordon Ramsay restaurant open for dinner only; and a casual restaurant and bar.

The lobby is small, but pleasant, with a beautiful hand embroidered tapestry. Interestingly, various signs were also hand embroidered.  Have not see this in a hotel before.

The service was excellent, and the staff friendly.  The location is wonderful—within walking distance of Central Park, Fifth Avenue, MOMA (where we saw an excellent exhibit on the Belgian painter James Ensor). Even  Times Square is close by.  We also walked around the newly fashionable Meatpacking District, and the unusual High Line Park,  built on old elevated railroad tracks.

Suzanne Allswang
suzanne.a@travelstoreusa.com

Hawaii

After the humpbacks spend the summer months feeding in Alaskan waters, over 10,000 make the arduous journey to Hawaii’s protected waters between the islands of Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe.  They reside here November thru April, to mate and give birth. Given their purpose, the whales are active and provide spectators top-notch nature viewing opportunities.  You don’t even need to go out on a boat excursion to see them, though certainly that get’s you up closer. One can often stand on the beach or on your oceanfront lanai and watch them frolicking off shore. On our winter trip we usually enjoyed our breakfast with the whales, as we enjoyed having our croissants and coffee on our lanai while watching the humpbacks breaching off shore. (Bring binoculars!)

There are many Hawaii vacation packages available during this time , and the visit makes for wonderful family vacations, too, as all ages delight in experiencing these gentle mammals.

Dan Ilves
dan.i@travelstoreusa.com

The rooms in the main building are lovely – they are well designed, fresh, almost a zen feeling of calm. The bathrooms are much improved. There is a separate area where you find two sinks, one on each wall, with plenty of counter space and well-lit mirrors. Through an opaque door is an all-white room with large soaking tub and deluge shower, facing floor to ceiling windows and a glass door opening onto a private balcony, so you can not only enjoy a view of the ocean but can step out from the shower to the open air.

The rooms have coffee makers, complimentary bottles of water, mini bar. As this is one of our preferred hotels, breakfast is always included, as well as an upgrade if available when we make the booking.

The other building is called Plumeria - a bulding down along the beach. In this building is the concierge office with complimentary cookies and soft drinks, library, newspapers, as well as the concierge. There is a game room with pool tables, wii, televisions, etc. – popular on hot days. There is also a laundry room.

The rooms in this bulding have been renovated, but due to demand from the very loyal repeat guests of Mauna Kea, they were kept very much in the old style. The green tile floors, dark teak cabinets, small closets and bathrooms are similar to what was there before. The bathrooms are not only small, they do not have separate tub and shower. They are good if you want to walk right out onto the grass and then onto the beach, but I would not book a guest in this building unless it was requested.

The main building has rooms facing the golf course and mountains for half the price of the ocean-facing rooms — these are the same design as the oceanfront with large walk in closet and the big bathroom. Book this if price is an issue and try for an upgrade!

Pool is rather small, but the beach is still the best on the island – a beautiful curve of white sand, waves rolling in perfect for boogie boarding or body surfing. Lots of chairs and umbrellas (except for Festive Season where guests race to claim their space on the beach.)

We took a yoga class (compimentary class 3 days a week) and watched whales breaching and putting on a show, as our class was outside on the grass in front of the beach. Fitness center was large with plenty of equipment. There are 2 excellent fine dining restaurants as well as a beach bar and main bar, and a nice restaurant on the golf course right across from the main building of the hotel.

Katie Cadar
katie.c@travelstoreusa.com