Winter 2003 Winter Newsletter HAPPY NEW YEAR.....Wishing you a wonderful new year! Thanks for your great support of our business. We treasure our clients, and we will continue our focus on the best service you could possibly have, no matter what your travel plans are. Many, many thanks for your loyalty and referrals. Our newsletter this quarter highlights some destinations that our travel planners have recently experienced, and we also have some recommendations for quick getaways. There are also some tips for travelers (and in this case, I do mean tips!!!). Hope you enjoy this issue. Let us know if we can provide other kinds of news that would be interesting or helpful to you. Click on susan@magnoliatravel.com and send us your comments via email! If you read to the end of this newsletter, there is a reward for you! TOP TRAVEL SPOTS FOR 2003....THE LIST FROM YOUR AGENTS AT MAGNOLIA TRAVEL & CRUISE! If you are wondering what other travelers are booking, here is the list of most requested and traveled destinations in 2002 at our agency. Hawaii Mexico Europe Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific Disneyland & Disney World Caribbean Cruises Canada & New England Central America Alaska Asia Yes, people are choosing to travel, and we are pleased to be here to assist with all the details of your travel itinerary. We are trained in our profession, and continue to add to our skills and knowledge via education and travel experiences. Booking travel arrangements has become an increasingly complicated and sophisticated process. It is more important than ever to work with a travel planner who is working on your behalf. We hope you will consider venturing from home in 2003, and will stop in to talk with us soon. You can also contact us via email from our website, www.magnoliatravel.com, where you will find many specials updated regularly, read about the travel adventures of our staff, and access links to many informative travel information sources on the internet. Tips for Travelers....from the American Society of Travel Agents "Tipping: Who, When & How Much?" A question often discussed in our office, and the following is a definitive guide. Hope it serves you well in your travels around the globe. 1. Upon arriving or leaving from the airport or train station, tip the standard porter rate of $1 per bag, more if your luggage is very heavy. 2. Typically, a $1 tip for hailing a taxi is appropriate for doormen. However, you may want to tip more for special services, such as carrying your bag. 3. When you arrive at your hotel after a long trip, first things first: Tip the taxi or limo driver. Ten to 15 per cent of your total fare is usually expected. If you drive your own car, give the valet attendant $1 to $2. If you take the shuttle van or bus, tip the driver $2 per person. 4. The bellman, who will be more than happy to assist you with your bags and the door, should receive $1 to $2 per bag. Tip when he shows you to your room, and again if he assists you upon checkout. Tip more if he provides any additional service. 5. The concierge, who can get you anything from dinner reservations to hard-to-come-by theatre tickets, deserves $5-$10 for such feats. You may tip at the time of service or at the end of the trip. 6. Add 15% to a room service charge, unless a gratuity has already been added, then no additional tip or simply $1. If you requested something delivered to your room such as an iron or hair dryer, tip $1 per item received. Typically, the maid deserves a $1-$2 tip each day, as well. 7. If you are taking a tour and a tip is not included in the price of the tour, tip the tour guide $1 for a half day tour, $2 for a full day tour, and anywhere from $5 -$10 for a week long tour. Tip a private guide more. 8. When on a cruise, tip according to your comfort level and only on the last evening of your cruise. As a general rule, dining room waiters receive $3.50 per person/per day whereas the dining room busboy should receive $2.00 per person/per day . The room steward, for all his efforts, receives $3.50 per person/per day. Special service from the Maitre D or the wine steward in the dining room can be rewarded with an amount based upon their level of assistance and attention to your needs. Other personnel, such as bar waiters, bellboys and deck stewards may be tipped as service is rendered. Special Note: Cruising options provided by lines which offer open seating for dining and alternate restaurant options, either have special tipping policies in place, or have no tipping policies. Our agents can advise you when you are booking one of these lines. TAKE A GOOD SUPPLY OF $1 US BILLS....THEY WILL COME IN HANDY IN MOST COUNTRIES!!! Family Vacations at the Happiest Place on Earth! By Laura Cochran I recently toured the Disneyland Resort in California. I was thrilled with the new park, "California Adventure". There are so many things for the whole family to do in this park. It is more mangeable in size than the Magic Kingdom, but has lots of rides and activities for little kids and on up to us adults! The park is divided into 3 sections, Golden State, Hollywood Pictures Backlot and Paradise Pier. A couple of my favorite activities were riding on the Grizzly River Run (get wet with friends!), and It's Tough to be a Bug (a humorous 3D show). The California Screamin' is a state of the art, white-knuckle roller coaster ride, and a joy to those who love a real thrill! The evening Electrical Parade is magical, and a must see. The Magic Kingdom includes a recently upgraded animated story of Abraham Lincoln, with the use of new individual headsets that makes the story come to life in the most realistic way. There is a whole new "Downtown Disney" that has entertainment, dining and shopping. Wow, so much to see and do. Spend 4 days here to get the full benefit of these parks. Visit Beautiful Canada & New England! By Susan Jarvis This fall I cruised and toured the highlights of New England and eastern Canada while aboard Holland America's Rotterdam. On a 10 day cruise, we visited some wonderful regions in both the U.S. & Canada. City life in New York at the beginning of the cruise, and Montreal at the end, offered opportunities to tour, shop, and dine in style. In between, we visited quaint ports in Bar Harbor, Sydney in Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The Candians are friendly, welcoming and share some great heritage and history with the U.S. Quebec City has the best of the French culture, outside of France. Cruising the St. Lawrence Seaway is a fascinating trip, and provides a unique perspective for this landscape. Several cruise lines offer itineraries for this region, and the season has been expanded to include sailings from spring to fall. While fall sailings offer the opportunity for viewing foilage, other dates would be just as good for both pleasant weather and great ambience in the seaports. Give some consideration to sailing closer to our homeland, and yet experience some most definitely different than home sights, scents and tastes! Is It Time to Think of A Winter Getaway??? Here's Our Top Ten List!!! Cruise the Clipper to Victoria for a winter weekend. Shop the bargains, and soak up the English atmosphere. Visit Leavenworth, stay at a B&B, prepared to pamper you! Train it to Portland, OR & stay at the Benson. Check out the museums & restaurants. Salish Lodge at Snoqualamie Falls. Spend the weekend in a fireplace room, enjoy the views, spa and fine dining. Cannon Beach, OR. Spend a long weekend watching a winter storm from your window at The Stephanie Inn, a small, boutique property. Fly Kenmore Air to Rosario Resort on Orcas Island. Enjoy the historic building, fine dining and great island ambience. The Resort at Semiahmoo, near Blaine, offers special packages for winter, and has a Kids Kamp program for 12 months to 12 years. Vancouver Island's Wickannish Inn is a 5 star resort with beautiful views & gourmet dining. Fly from Vancouver or Seattle! Coeur d'Alene Resort in northern Idaho offers winter rates and ski packages at Schweitzer Basin. The Columbia Gorge Hotel offers a stay in a historical setting with much pampering! Report From the Land of the Kiwi By Gary Heltemes In June, I traveled to New Zealand, a country the size of California, and made up of 2 islands. Auckland was the 1st stop, and is now making the news as the site of the America's Cup Yacht Races. On to Rotorua, Wellington, Christchurch & Queenstown. Rotorua is the site of one of the 3 known thermal areas in the world. Viewing the geysers, hot mudpits and sulphur deposits was spectacular. Here I also experienced a Maori cultural show, a must see performance. Queenstown, a wonderful ski town on the South Island, is filled with shops and restaurants. It is also a stepping stone for several different trekking trails. Milford Sound is a day trip away, and boasts towering fjords and gorgeous waterfalls. New Zealand is safe, as it hosts no dangerous snakes or animals in the outdoors. The exchange rate for U.S. visitors is most favorable, and the cost of living there is about half, compared to home. A round of golf, including club rental and a pull cart, on a quality course, was about $15 US!! Quality and choice of food was fantastic, with lamb, venison and seafood being the most common. Wines and local beers were enjoyable to sample.....even the "Brewski" I had in Queenstown. With the warmth of the people, the beauty of the country, and all that New Zealand has to offer, I say it's time to go to the "other" land down under! Riding the Rails: "The Copper Canyon" By Rich Rock Did you know that Mexico is home to one of the world's most spectacular railway journeys? It is the Copper Canyon Express. Dubbed "The Grand Canyon of Mexico", the Copper Canyon lies in southwestern Mexico, and is traversed once daily by the Copper Canyon Express Train. Passengers embark either in Chihuahua City or Los Mochis, near the west coast of Mexico. This route, conceptualized in 1872 & completed in 1941, was to be a path from Kansas City to the Pacific Ocean. To this day, it remains the only reliable form of transportation through the Sierra Madres. This journey through the unparalleled beauty of rock vistas, high mountain peaks and winding passes crosses 37 bridges , passes through 86 tunnels on its 14 hour journey. The train operates only during the daylight hours, making 9 intermediate stops along the way. Tour packages are available that allow passengers to get off at different stops each day, staying at some unique hotels along the way. American Orient Express offers 2 eight day tours through the Copper Canyon with its vintage equipment this winter. So, when you consider your next trip to Mexico, think about trading in the sound of ocean waves for the clickety-clack of the Copper Canyon Express. Consider a Visit to Bristol By Bill Scharff I had the pleasure of visiting Bristol on a trip to the UK this fall. The city lies in the rolling Mendip Hills of SW England, not far from the Welsh border. Unlike its fashionable sister city, Bath, Bristol was a workingman's town. Located at the mouth of the Avon River, it was an important port and manufacturing center since Roman times. Long known for its textile mills & shipbuilding as well as chocolate, cheese, and of course, Harvey's Bristol Creme Liqueur. Like many of England's manufacturing towns, Bristol was badly bombed during the war and much of the city was rebuilt after the war. The waterfront wharfs which once held goods for shipping now house fashionable small shops and restaurants. A new interactive museum called @Bristol opened recently, and opens onto the Millennium Square where concerts and street fairs are regularly held. A pedestrian only shopping zone, Broadmead, can be found in the downtown core. Clifton Village, in the hills above downtown, showcases a lovely area of Georgian townhomes and crescents. A walk across the Clifton Suspension Bridge allows a look at the city and the River Avon Gorge below. Also, in Clifton, is the city zoo, one of the finest in Europe. So, when you take that trip to England, consider Bristol. A pleasant place, and a base to visit other destinations such as Bath, Southern Wales and the Southern English Coast. (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