Susan's Travel Highlights This was a great year for travel......even after September 11, 2001. Many great experiences on the world wide map, and I am pleased to share my thoughts about the best moments. Hope it inspires you to some thoughts of what you would like to do in 2002 and beyond! Paris in April Traveled with a very good and old friend, and we had 6 terrific days that included day trips to Normandy and Brugge in Belgium . Our transportation was via British Airways in business class, and we both agreed that was definitely the way to go!. Wonderful service, and great comfort! We stayed in a small hotel near the Rue de Rivoli, the Saint Romain on Rue St Roch, which turned out to be a wonderful location for walking, eating and accessing the tours we chose to do. Also, it was 2 blocks from the Louvre. Normandy, one of our day tour destinations, deserves much attention for the beautiful seascapes and the atmosphere of the small villages along the way. Of course, the history in that area of World War II is awesome, and well worth taking a few days to investigate. Brugge in Belgium is a fantastic town, and another day trip from Paris. The architecture is charming and the layout of the town is conducive to walking or boating on canals to enjoy incredible vistas around each turn of the corner. Brugge is designated as one of two "cultural city sites in Europe" in 2002. The spotlight will be on a most beautiful venue....Pretty, pretty, pretty! Put it on your "must visit" list! Sailed on the Radiance of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's new ship, from Seattle to Vancouver in May. Magnolia Travel booked a group, and we all had much fun on a short 2 night cruise. Some of our guests had never cruised before, and were wowed with the experience. Beautiful ship, with all the amenities and more of a full service resort. We spent one night in Vancouver and stayed at the Blue Horizon on Robson. Great hotel, and in the midst of all the great shopping, restaurants and nightlife on Robson St. I recommend the Listel O'Doul's restaurant for their jazz/dinners on Friday and Saturday evenings. They also do a fixed price menu paired with wines that is sensibly priced and delicious! Juneau, Alaska for a short weekend in June. A day cruise in Tracy Arm/ Sawyer Glacier was awesome.....wow, is there anything better than the landscapes and wildlife of Alaska? My top picks for Juneau include doing the Mt Roberts Tram, and being sure to include a glacier cruise or tour to either Mendenhall or Sawyer. Southeast Alaska deserves a longer look.....I recommend a 7 day inside passage cruise! Orcas Island in the San Juans in July. In our own backyard, Orcas is a wonderful destination at any time of the year. Beautiful, peaceful setting and Clare, my hostess, gave me a great view of the charm and serenity of island life. Great restaurants, rural living at its best. Stay at Rosario Resort for the resort experience or a B&B or a rented condo/cottage. Plan a trip there in any season! Windstar Cruises, traveling on the Wind Star ship from Istanbul to Athens in August. I have found my cruise line, and Wind Star is it.........small ships, motorized sails, open seating for dining, casual dress (translate no ties for men!), and the most fabulous ports in the Mediterranean, Caribbean and New Zealand, and recently added, Tahiti. Fell in love with Turkey and would like to do a land tour there sometime. Best port of that cruise was Ephesus which is a truly amazing reconstruction of ruins dating to Persian, Greek, Roman times. My favorite Greek island was Santorini, where we rented a car and drove to Oai, where we walked the narrow streets (no cars allowed!) and made friends with artists, cats and shopkeepers. Ending in Athens, we took a quick peek at the Acropolis and also made mental notes of progress for their city's hosting of the 2004 Summer Olympics. It's coming along, but much work yet to be done! New Orleans in October for 4 days of fun, fabulous food and warm weather! Took my Aussie friend and former coworker to this great city. Our stay at Place D'Armes in the French Quarter was superb, for both location and amenities. We walked the River Walk, rode the St. Charles Streetcar, checked out the bargains at the Market, and took a day trip out to plantation country. Food was outstanding....it's a highlight of travel to this city! Check with me for some great restaurant recommendations. San Franciso, best of the West Coast! San Francisco is still the most cosmopolitan city on the west coast, and deserves a visit at least once a year, or more! A long weekend there at the end of October, and we had great weather to take in the sights with my Australian visitor. Our stay at the Hotel Palomar was fantastic, and it was just around the corner from MOMA, where we went to see the Ansel Adams exhibition. We shopped and ate at wonderful restaurants....from Fisherman's Wharf to the Embarcadero! I also had an opportunity to tour the American Safari vessel that is doing 3 & 4 night cruises in the spring and fall to the Napa Valley from a berth just under the Bay Bridge. This is an elegant venue for touring the Napa Valley. It's size would make it a good match for a family reunion or small group celebration. Put the Bay Area on your list as a great get away vacation soon! (206) 283-1565 / (800) 294-8747 FAX (206) 282-6180 Hours: 9:30 am - 5:30 pm, Monday - Friday | Saturdays 10:00 am - 1:00 pm E-mail: susan@magnoliatravel.com