In this newsletter I concentrate on health and stamina so you can never stop traveling… like old age (as Betty Davis remarked), lifelong travel is not for sissies.
You’ll also get an eyeful of great hidden ideas for traveling from bread safaris to zoo safaris.
It’s been two weeks of back-to-back conferences, and I am both elated and tired. Elated because my presentation at the Hospitality Design Expo conference was reviewed by Purgula, the leading home design newsletter, and because I made great new friends at NATJA, the North American Travel Journalist Association. You will be hearing from them on the upcoming podcasts, like last week’s with Jeanne Decker.
So, it was all worthwhile…but…it was also exhausting, especially the trip from Little Rock back to Palm Springs. With all the airline delays, I could have walked faster!
With making travel easier in mind, here’s what I included in this week’s usual sections:
Ask Adriane: It’s an entire podcast answering your question!
News You Can Use: How to Handle Airport Delays, How To Watch For Microplastics In Hotels, And Why You Should
Culture Vulture: Bread Trips-Where To Travel To Taste The Ultimate Breads And The Upper Michigan Peninsula Pastys Trail
Luxury Travel For Less: Zoos And Glamping, Perfect Places To Spend Less And Experience More
On this week’s podcast, I am thrilled to spend 45 minutes answering your questions on longevity exercise, how to have extra money for travel, tips on solo road trips, grandparents travel, celebrations in Tokyo restaurants, Halloween travel for adults, and much more.
Never stop traveling
Cheers,
Adriane
P.S. Father’s Day is Coming Up
I have solved your biggest Father’s Day problem: what to buy your dad. Here are my picks: Luggage Free (Why Make Dad Shlep The Luggage), Tripped (Great Packing Tools For A More Organized Suitcase), Cruises It (Huge Discounts On Cruises When You Are Ready To Send Dad On A Trip Of A Lifetime Or A 3-Day Stint), The Traveling Hat (Yes, It Comes For Men Too).
P.P.S. Register for the June 10th webinar to discover what travel coaching is and how you can make money, travel more, and help others:
It’s Ask Adriane! I got a ton of questions from you when I mentioned you weren’t sending me enough inquiries. So I decided to make a Q AND A podcast from them.
Please, please send your questions here. I will resume my usual Ask Adriane in this newsletter in next week’s edition.
Culture Vulturing Around the World
Bread Tourism
“Without bread, there is no learning” is a biblical saying that I believe is true. But I never thought of Bread tourism before my podcast, “Italian Wannabe,” which features a film in which Bread is a main character and a metaphor for the good life.
Here are three bread experiences for your consideration.
#1. The Local Palate Magazine suggests bread-making in New Orleans, where bread serves as a foundational element of community and a “first act of solidarity between people”. In the late 1800s, the city was home to roughly 170 bakeries, which anchored neighborhoods and reflected the diversity of its residents. A defining moment in this history was the creation of the “Poor Boy sandwich” at the John Gendusa Bakery in 1922.
#2. I attended and wrote an article about The Challah Bake, the annual community event where women gather to bake challah. It’s a great tradition, and you will laugh when you read my article, as I have only supervised the oven with my stove and never baked anything before!
The UP offers the Keweenaw Pasty Trail, a food-focused journey centered on the area’s most iconic dish: the pasty (pronounced “PASS-tee”), a turnover filled with meat and root vegetables. Originally introduced by Cornish immigrants who came to work in the region’s copper and iron mines, it served as a portable, hearty “lunchbox” for miners.
Get the 12-stop Pasty Passport at the Visit Keweenaw Welcome Center in Calumet. Collect stamps at each stop to earn “pasty champ” rewards, including a certificate and regional swag. Don’t miss Roy’s Pasties and Bakery in Houghton, which is highly regarded for its flaky, buttery crust. At the same time, Suomi in downtown Houghton offers pastys and mini-pastys daily except on Wednesdays.
Planning Your Trip
Logistics: The Keweenaw Peninsula is approximately a nine-hour drive from Detroit or five hours from Mackinaw City. Alternatively, travelers can fly into Houghton or Marquette and rent a car.
Scheduling: Many stops have limited hours or specific “pasty days” (e.g., serving only on Tuesdays and Fridays), so creating a spreadsheet to track operating hours is highly recommended.
Special Events: If visiting in August, the town of Calumet hosts the UP Pasty Fest, a three-day celebration featuring bake-offs, eating contests, and numerous pasty vendors.
Exceptional Service: Many top-tier resorts, such as Nayara Tented Camp in Costa Rica, provide a personal butler. At The Resort at Paws Up in Montana, butlers organize activities while private camp chefs manage communal dining pavilions.
My husband says that his glamping experience on a tiger photo safari in Suján Jawai in Rajasthan, India, is the pinnacle of glamping, featuring “unforgettable” fireside dinners and beds so comfortable they are a “joy to fall into” after a day of adventure.
A Trip to the Zoo-If visiting India to see leopards is not on your fiscal bucket list, how about going to the zoo? As airfare costs increase, zoos have become a great value for travel, providing immersive nature experiences that are often accessible locally or on shorter, more affordable trips.
Many of the world’s premier zoos have transitioned to cage-free, open-air enclosures designed to replicate natural habitats, giving visitors a true sense of the wild. For instance, the San Diego Zoo was a pioneer in this naturalistic design, while Japan’s Zoorasia focuses on a “Symbiosis of Life” by minimizing fencing across eight distinct ecological zones. These spacious environments, such as the 265-acre Bronx Zoo, allow for a deep connection with nature that feels like a getaway without the need for an expensive flight.
But if you are traveling afar, check out these world-class destinations:
Singapore Zoo provides “keeper encounters” and an award-winning Night Safari.
Wellington Zoo offers “close encounters” with species like cheetahs and red pandas, with 10% of funds supporting animals in the wild.
Toronto Zoo hosts “Zoo Camp,” giving children the chance to meet keepers and participate in anti-extinction initiatives.
Berlin Zoo and Schönbrunn Zoo(Austria)—the world’s oldest continually operating zoo—support global projects to protect species like polar bears and elephants.
Hidden UNESCO sites-As the Representative to the United Nations for the International Federation on Aging, I keep a close eye on the accessibility of UNESCO sites to ensure they remain inclusive for all travelers. It is important to note that even well-known locations can face challenges; for instance, the elevator at the Berlin Wall Center was recently out of service, which highlights the need for vigilance.
Here are UNESCO SITES THAT MIGHT BE UNDER YOUR RADAR, but are worth visiting and largely accessible (although all are big trips)
Hanseatic Town of Visby, Sweden: A well-preserved medieval city with fairy-tale walls and churches. Note that the cobblestone streets may present navigation challenges.
Mir Castle Complex, Belarus: A fortress and garden complex showcasing a blend of Gothic, Renaissance, and Rococo architectural styles.
National History Park, Haiti: Featuring the Citadel and Sans Souci Palace, these structures serve as a powerful testament to Haitian independence and liberty.
My favorite of all time: Bukhara, Uzbekistan: A “city-museum” on the Silk Road containing 140 architectural monuments, including the Po-i Kalan religious complex.
My second favorite: Australian Convict Sites: A collection of 11 penal sites, including Port Arthur, representing the history of British colonial expansion.
Mesa Verde National Park, USA: This site protects over 5,000 archeological sites, including 600 Native American cliff dwellings accessible via hiking trails.
Fatehpur Sikri, India: An architectural treasure trove of palaces and mosques that serves as a testament to the brilliance of the Mughal Empire.
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