Author: mark
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Podcast #186 — Mask Mandate Scramble; Small Airport Survival
We recap the bouncing ball history of the in-flight mask mandate as we try to figure out where it’s going land now that it’s in the courts. But before that, I recap my trip to Santa Fe, NM, take the flight tracking app Flighty for a spin, and wonder why CLEAR keeps giving away annual Continue Reading →
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Podcast #185 — Notes on Louisville; Changing Mask Mandates
As the great American philosopher Ferris Bueller once said, “Life moves pretty fast” and in this episode, we talk about the rapid changes in hotel service, and in-flight mask mandates. Then I go into detail about our recent trip to Louisville, complete with recommendations for food and drink. All this and more – click here Continue Reading →
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Podcast #184 — Figuring Out Stealth Travel Inflation
In the travel world, what goes up — rules, fees, prices — often stays up. It’s the ratchet effect and it’s a theme running through this episode. Inflation is on everyone’s mind, and so we dig into travel inflation, comparing today’s prices with pre-pandemic levels. We also talk about US passport renewals ahead of the summer vacation season, and some… Continue Reading →
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Podcast #183 — COVID Test Anxiety; Michelin Food Adventures
No travel since the last episode, but lots of travel planning. Are we making our way back to pre-COVID travel planning patterns? Omicron has lots of people worried about testing positive and getting stuck abroad. Michael Giusti of InsuranceQuotes.com talks about how travel insurance can help. A blogger’s brutal review of a Michelin-starred restaurant where we Continue Reading →
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My Best Restaurants, Bars and Taprooms of 2021
It’ll take travel guide books a while to catch up with all the restaurants and bars closures caused by the COVID lockdowns. To help fill that gap, here are the best places I’ve ate and drank at during my 2021 travels. I’ll update this after each trip, so keep it bookmarked. Chicago NoodleBird at Fat Continue Reading →
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Podcast #182 — More COVID Changes; Words That Mean Adventure
Back in front of the microphone after a two-week trip to the UK, getting back home just before the new Omicron travel restrictions hit. We talk about getting to London, surfing the waves of changing travel requirements, a new way to renew Global Entry, moan a bit more about the inexorable advance of the cashless Continue Reading →
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Podcast #181 — Travel Potpourri; 2021 Traveler’s Gift Guide
No travel since the last episode, so just talking through a random potpourri of travel stuff. There’s more travel planning; this time for a couple of weeks split between London and Wales which means sorting through a new set of COVID travel requirements. We look at some stats — Uber’s latest financials and how deeply Continue Reading →
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10 Best Travel Gift Ideas To Survive Post-Pandemic Travel
If last year’s gift guide was all about helping folks travel while dodging last-minute lockdowns, this year’s guide is stacked with the best travel gift ideas to help the frequent traveler in your life cope with all the major airline meltdowns. Or, if you are the frequent traveler, here’s a list of hints you could Continue Reading →