WineSellar did it again. They won Best of Award of Excellence 2019
What does this
award mean?
These wine lists display excellent breadth across multiple wine growing regions
and/or significant vertical depth of top producers, along with superior
presentation. Typically offering 350 or more selections, these restaurants are
destinations for serious wine lovers, showing a deep commitment to wine, both
in the cellar and through their service team.
Only 1,244 restaurants were awarded this! With over 15 million restaurants
world wide that means 1 in every 12,000 restaurants have received this honor!
It could be why
we love this place! Lunch…dinner…or a bottle of wine…it’s all fantastic.
Do you use any of these vacation rental apps? If so, which are your favorites?
VRBO…Vacation Rentals by Owner
This was acquired by Home Away in 2006, so you really don’t
need to check both sites. They are almost identical as far as I can tell. You
can add your dates, place, and amenities you are looking for.
HomeAway
This user-friendly site makes it one of the best for
vacation rentals. You have access to a map view and a list of all the details
of the property. Add your filters to find places that fit your needs. I found
it to be transparent with all the fees, what they are for, and if they are
refundable.
Airbnb
This site is easy to use, giving you a map of properties
available. Add your filters and find the right place. It gives plenty of
information about the place, including photos. It’s clear on whether you will
have an entire house or a private room.
Booking.com
With this one, you can look for hotels and B&Bs, to
vacation rentals, to apartments. They clearly label whether the booking is
refundable or not. Do keep in mind to check if there are any extra fees not
mentioned in the original price. I didn’t care for the little messages that say
“you missed it” when I was looking for a certain place. I don’t need to be
urged on to book.
TripAdvisor
This is SmaterTravel’s parent company…just in case you were
wondering. They have also acquired FlipKey and HolidayLettings. You will find
plenty of listings and options to book. Their listings are generally
informative with traveler reviews and owner profiles. There is also an option
to send a message directly to the owner.
Tripping
This is another meta-search site for vacation rentals.
Sometimes they will overall with their parent company, HometoGo. They have
hotels, hostels, apartments, home, etc. One thing they do offer in addition is
a flexible date feature. For example, you can put in January to March to see
when the best dates to book are for your destination.
Hotels.com
This one offers star ratings so you can see what others
thought of a property. The map is not the best, in my opinion. You cannot see
taxes and fees until you book…a real problem for me. I want to know what I’m paying
before putting in my credit card.
Expedia
You have the option for many different accommodation types,
as well as a dedicated vacation rental search page. If you are map oriented
when browsing, this isn’t the best. When you click on a listing you will find
photos, amenities, reviews, and nearby attractions. Total price is not available
until you reserve…again fees and taxes not listed until then.
HometoGo
This is a meta-search site, allowing you to search most of
the sites I already mentioned. Each list offers the type of rental and exactly
where you can book it. Be sure you check the price once you leave this site and
go to the booking site. It can be different. This is almost a one-stop shop.
The first episode of Animal Planet’s THE ZOO: San Diego at the San Diego Zoo features our own San Diego Zoo and Safari Park.
This heartwarming
television series will take you behind the scenes to share the incredible
stories of the animals that call the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari
Park home. THE
ZOO: San Diego also shares the world-class, highly specialized care each
animal receives from veterinarians, keepers, trainers, and researchers, many of
whom have deep and meaningful relationships with the animals they have
dedicated their lives to caring for. The show also reveals the often-surprising
steps we take in our journey to end extinction.
THE ZOO: SAN DIEGO will introduce a wide range of animals to Animal Planet audiences this season, including pandas, giraffes, Galápagos tortoises, koalas, elephants, mountain lions, two baby cheetahs that are learning how to be ambassadors for their species and a flock of ostriches known as the “Spice Girls.” Viewers will watch as California condors are brought back from the brink of extinction and get an up-close look as Joanne the gorilla celebrates her fifth birthday along with her troop. Animal Planet audiences will also follow the animal care teams—keepers and veterinarians at both the Zoo and the Safari Park—many of whom have dedicated their lives to caring for animals, and the numerous projects and initiatives that place this nonprofit organization at the forefront of wildlife conservation.
About San Diego Zoo Global:
As an international nonprofit
organization, San Diego Zoo Global works to fight extinction through
conservation efforts for plants and animals worldwide. With a history of
leadership in species recovery and animal care, San Diego Zoo Global works with
partners in science-based field programs on six continents, and maintains
sanctuaries and public education facilities in many places. Inspiring a passion
for nature is critical to saving species, and San Diego Zoo Global’s outreach
efforts share the wonder of wildlife with millions of people every year.
Current major conservation initiatives include fighting wildlife trafficking
and the impacts of climate change on wildlife species; broad-spectrum species and
habitat protection efforts in Kenya, in Peru and on islands worldwide;
preventing extinction in our own backyard; and expanding efforts to bank
critical genetic resources and apply them to the conservation of critically
endangered species.
Way to go… Check it out for yourself.
There will be a special two-hour season premier on August 10 at 8 pm ET/PT. The following week this will return to its regular schedule of 9 ET/PT.
According to airline industry experts, these five airlines met the 2019 list for safety, comfort, and overall experience.
Singapore Airlines took the number one spot. Things like passenger
reviews, operational safety, fleet age, and flight availability helped the
airline reach this distinction. It doesn’t hurt that it also has a first-class
suite.
Air New Zealand came in at number two. They added new aircraft like the
A321 neo airbus. It also has the Best Premium Economy and Best Airline Pacific
awards.
Qantas is number three. They plan on adding non-stop flights from London
to Sydney next year or so. Since they received the Best Airline Lounge award,
you have a great place to wait for your flight.
Qatar Airways is new to this list and is number four. Their business
class and catering service helped move them up the list.
Virgin Australia brought home number five. They also received the award
for the best cabin crew.
Have you flown any of these? Do you agree with these awards?
Minneapolis and Salt Lake City will
soon offer optional boarding by facial recognition on nonstop international
flights flown with Delta and its partners. Atlanta’s Terminal E will be
equipped with scanners to facilitate even more ticketless boarding in Delta’s
hometown.
Delta confirmed with TPG that
Atlanta’s Terminal E, Minneapolis and Salt Lake City will all be live at
various points in July. It won’t be a hard switch; rather, Delta will install
facial recognition equipment at one gate, and once tested and proven, more
gates will be brought online until each gate is equipped.
Delta worked with US Customs and
Border Protection, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the
Transportation Security Administration to bring optional biometric boarding to
international flights in Atlanta’s Terminal F in December of 2018. Now that the
airline has had a few months to test and learn, the system is spreading to new
locales.
The launch of biometric boarding is a
first-of-its-kind experience for MSP and SLC. If you’re traveling out of either
airport (as well as Terminals E and F in Atlanta), you’ll need to be ticketed
on a nonstop international flight to take advantage. Delta flights are
supported, as are those on SkyTeam partners Aeromexico, Air France-KLM and Virgin
Atlantic.
Since launching in Atlanta’s Terminal F, Delta has commissioned third-party customer insight research to gather feedback from those experiencing the process for the first time. According to Delta, that research found that 72% prefer facial recognition to standard boarding. Moreover, just 2% of customers opted out of the process, though Delta makes clear that anyone uncomfortable with the notion of having their face scanned to board can use a traditional ticket instead.
Flight attendants have compiled a list of some basic etiquette rules airline passengers should follow. Take a look and let me know if you agree.
Don’t stow your luggage anywhere.
Place it close to where you are sitting. Use the space by your feet for your
smaller bags.
On long flights remember to get up
and move around. However, this doesn’t mean to use the flight attendant’s
galley space as your own personal yoga studio.
Use your own space…not your
neighbor’s space. That means side, front, and behind you.
Don’t take off your socks. The
floor is not that clean. Plus, who wants to smell your feet.
Speaking of clean, it’s not a good
idea to eat right off the tray table without wiping it with some disinfectant
wipes. Someone may have changed their baby’s diaper on it the flight before
yours.
Stay hydrated.
Don’t turn off the air vent. If you’re
cold, put on a sweater.
Don’t jump up the minute the plane
lands to deplane. If your connecting flight is tight, tell a flight attendant
and she or he will get you off quickly. Otherwise, wait your turn. Don’t try to
jump in front of the little old lady trying to get her bag down from the
overhead bin. It just isn’t polite.
State Department advisories can be confusing, if you don’t know what you are reading.
Right now, there are
about 210 advisories from the US State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs.
All destinations are ranked from levels 1 to 4.
Level One says to
exercise normal precautions. Level Two says to exercise increased precautions.
Level Three says to reconsider travel. Level Four says do not travel as the US
may have limited ability to assist you.
Warnings range from
possible terrorist attacks in Italy to arbitrary enforcement of local laws in
China to extreme and unpredictable weather in Antarctica.
There is an advisory
warning of violent crimes in the Dominican Republic.
More than half of the
advisories are at Level 1, the lowest level. This tells travelers to exercise
normal precautions. Keep in mind, there could be higher levels within a country
or a region.
What does this mean for
you, as a traveler? Read the warnings before you book and before you go. Pay
attention if there are any specific warnings for your area of travel. Be sure
to read the entire warning and don’t just look for the level. For instance, the
advisory for Barbados says there is nothing to worry about. Keep reading and
you will find there are certain areas where two businesses are running pirate
ship cruises at night. These have caused problems and issues for many tourists.
Situations change
quickly, especially in high-risk areas.
If you sign up for the
Smart Traveler Enrollment Program you will receive alerts if something changes.
It also provides ways for the US Embassy to reach you, if necessary.
Looking for a check list to help you plan your trip abroad? Check out these helpful hints.
Check your cell phone coverage. Do you have a plan that covers
you in Europe? Do you need to add a plan? Or, are you planning on buying a SIM
card once you land?
Make copies of all your documents. All. Email a copy to yourself
and store it in the cloud. Give paper copies to your traveling partner, if you
have one.
Register for STEP. I’ve mentioned this previously. The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program was created by the US Department of State to notify local embassies about your travel plans. You will be contacted in case of an emergency or security advisory in your destination. It’s free and easy to register. Though you may not need to enroll every time you leave the country, I always do.
Notify your bank and credit card
companies of your plans. No sense having a credit card or bank deny a
transaction because they didn’t know you were in Paris and not at home in Denver.
Download any offline maps you can. That
way you will always be able to look at a map.
Pay attention to the exchange rate.
If you don’t get any money ahead of time, you will want to know what it will
cost you once you land.
Before you leave, charge all your
electronics. Everything. If you have everything plugged in…don’t walk out the door
without the devices and their chargers.
Remember to take a plug adapter to
use in Europe or wherever you are going.
