Posts

Part 3: ALPINE ADVENTURES EXCEED EXPECTATIONS – STRESA, ITALY and SWISS COMMUNITIES OF LUGANO, BELLIZONA, ASCONA, MARCOTE and GANDRIA

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

Driving through the Simplon Pass connecting Italy and Switzerland.

In Part 2: A relaxing boat ride and two cogwheel trains later, we’d risen over 10,000 feet to gape at the Matterhorn.

We took a toe dip into Italy before re-entering Switzerland, where we would be staying in Lugano for a few days. I say a toe dip because we left the mountains briefly for Stresa, Italy, an internationally acclaimed resort town snuggled up to Lake Maggiore, and because similar to a toe dip, we weren’t invested in full immersion.

Before arriving in Stresa, we took a roadside pause on the Simplon Pass, where Napoleon had constructed a road Read more

Part 1: ALPINE ADVENTURES EXCEED EXPECTATIONS – LUCERNE

/1 Comment/in , , /by

The scenic natural beauty of Switzerland.

It was the trains that did it.

The idea of trains snaking slowly up to mountain peaks 7,000 feet or higher along ancient cogwheel tracks exhilarated my any-excuse-to-take-a-train husband, Russ. My stomach roiled pondering multiple train rides chugging along steep inclines, thinking about how I got nervous even holding onto the railing on the Empire State Building’s upper floor and tried looking down. He buttered me up about taking the Odysseys Unlimited Alpine Splendor tour by painting a picture of the scenic beauty we’d encounter in five countries: Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Liechtenstein, and Germany. By then, I remembered we’ve climbed glaciers and volcanos, ridden cable cars up 5,000 feet, and never once did I pass out in fright. My fears morphed into anticipation.

Ride along with me on this soaring Alpine Adventure which concluded with an extension trip to Read more

HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – JULY 2015

/0 Comments/in /by

Surrounded yourself with art of the ages at Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai, China

Surrounded yourself with art of the ages at Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai, China


In this issue: Exotic resort stays will cost you less while new hotels will vie for your dollars.
HOT DEALS
Summer’s reached the halfway point and Fall is just around the corner, but you have until Dec. 30, 2015 to enjoy a stay at the Gaylord National in Washington DC and receive a $100 per night resort credit. Receive a $50 per night credit for a stay at any of the other three Gaylord properties: Gaylord Opryland (Nashville, TN), Gaylord Palms (Orlando/Kissimmee area), or Gaylord Texan (Dallas/Ft. Worth area). Must request promotional code ZJL.
1-800-GAYLORD in the US.  Outside the US, http://www.marriott.com/help/global-phone-reservation-numbers.mi
Experience the historic Wine Train and explore Napa Valley wineries in style

Experience the historic Wine Train and explore Napa Valley wineries in style


This one is for all of you who love wine and wish you could explore Napa Valley but who’d rather not try to drive while gazing at a map. Take the Wine Train. Better yet, take one of the Wine Train packages being offered this summer. I’ve taken this train, a restored and preserved beauty. Most of the cars were built in 1915 by the Pullman Standard Company as first­ class coaches for the Northern Pacific Railway. Just sitting in the dining car with original lighting and wooden bar sets the mood for an elegant Read more