Travel hopes 2021

[1242Vintage]

Fortunately I’m grounded for the trip coming up later this month.

We live in CA and youngest daughter is graduating university in Maryland this month and will be starting a nursing job … in the middle of the country somewhere … yet to be determined. And my Mom who also lives in CA but cannot travel alone wants to go to Kansas City to visit with her sister.

So my lovely wife volunteered fo this. Fly from CA to KC with Mom and get Mom to her sisters house. Then the next day hop on a plane from KC to Baltimore to daughters apartment. Meet the movers there to pack up daughters stuff and get that trucked to Madison Wisconsin where our son lives. Then Wife and Daughter will road trip in daughters car to Minnesota to drop daughter and the car at boyfriends parents for safe keeping while daughter continues job hunting. Then wife hops a plane to KC to meet up with Mom. And the next day back to the KC airport where wife and Mom fly home to California.

I’m so glad I’m not involved in this journey.

[explanade]

Well I booked a business class ticket to Europe in late August. Prices were going up so I grabbed it.

We shall see what happens.

[FreeBear]

In a few weeks, we're renting another RV to go to the Grand Canyon for a couple of days. Then we've got another 7 day RV trip in the fall to Arches or Bryce.

[oiseux]

Quote:

Originally Posted by explanade Well I booked a business class ticket to Europe in late August. Prices were going up so I grabbed it. We shall see what happens.

We did too! The prices were only slightly above premium economy..

[grasshopper]

We are cancelling our Italian Dolomite trip. Biggest reason is we want to be able to see people smiling.

Still have our Greece trip 2022 as a go. Instead of delaying our Italy trip, we just feel that another year of age is pushing a strenuous 10 days of hiking for us.

Greece should be a walk in the park compared to the Dolomite's.

We have a housesitter/petsitter booked, I think I will buy some snow chains and hit some Sierra foothills wineries, drive up the central valley and cross over to Nevada. Ms G has never been to that part of the world.

[explanade]

Some of the Greek islands have a lot of up and down terrain. Those stunning houses hugging the cliffs require going up and down stairs to navigate.

For instance, that long hike on Santorini between Oia and Fira, is not level.

Not as strenuous though as climbing several hundred meters though.

[Koolau]

Still just praying we'll get to travel to the old homestead back in the midwest - before the winter comes. Haven't been back to see folks for 2 years now. 2 new grand kids never seen in person. Bummer. YMMV

[Involuntary Retiree]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koolau Still just praying we'll get to travel to the old homestead back in the midwest - before the winter comes. Haven't been back to see folks for 2 years now. 2 new grand kids never seen in person. Bummer. YMMV

I'm so sorry, Koolau, that you haven't seen/held new grandchildren. Makes me really sad.


We have friends who are US citizens but are expats in Spain who have been in the US multiple times since lockdowns were implemented everywhere.



It seems that expats from Europe have been able to travel to and from the US fairly easily where Hawaii residents/US citizens haven't had the same opportunities. Is that your view?

[Koolau]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Involuntary Retiree I'm so sorry, Koolau, that you haven't seen/held new grandchildren. Makes me really sad. We have friends who are US citizens but are expats in Spain who have been in the US multiple times since lockdowns were implemented everywhere. It seems that expats from Europe have been able to travel to and from the US fairly easily where Hawaii residents/US citizens haven't had the same opportunities. Is that your view?

Thanks for your sentiment. I DO often thank God for Zoom! It's an amazing technology that has made the pandemic a bit more bearable. I thank God for the vaccine as well. I really think things will soon open up when we either reach heard immunity OR the various "powers that be" figure a way to let us document that we are "clean." Heh, heh, I've had to have two of the up-you-nose-and-into-the-brain tests to simply allow me to go for "procedures" just within our local hospital. I guess I'd do that if required to fly - but am hopeful the vaccine "passport" will come to fruition. YMMV

[tulak]

Flew for the first time in 1.5 years. That’s probably the longest I haven’t flown in many decades.

Visiting Mexico (PV) and enjoying the warm weather. I have a full summer of travel planned. I’ll leave for a month long road trip at the end of May and plan to visit Europe end of August. Europe is a little easier, since that’s visiting family and I don’t have to deal with travel restrictions. Even though it looks like those might ease up over the next month or two.

I’m half tempted to fly business. Right now it’s about $2150, which is a deal. Economy is around $1500 for the same dates. But I can’t get myself to BTD, especially since it’d be 2 tickets. I’m waiting for the price of economy tickets to drop. One of these days…

[ivinsfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koolau Still just praying we'll get to travel to the old homestead back in the midwest - before the winter comes. Haven't been back to see folks for 2 years now. 2 new grand kids never seen in person. Bummer. YMMV

Haven't you already been vaccinated? This would seem to be one of the easier trips to plan for.

[athena53]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tulak I’m half tempted to fly business. Right now it’s about $2150, which is a deal. Economy is around $1500 for the same dates. But I can’t get myself to BTD, especially since it’d be 2 tickets. I’m waiting for the price of economy tickets to drop. One of these days…

I flew Business Class on AA to San Juan del Cabo in early 2019 and was not impressed. No lounge access; ordinarily international Business Class passengers get lounge access- but I guess Mexico isn't "international". Cleverly timed so that dinner service didn't apply and whatever snacks they provided were pitiful- I can't even remember but I was glad I'd brought a stash of protein bars. It was also a relatively short flight since I flew from Houston and the one-hour flight from my home airport to IAH was on a baby jet where Business Class doesn't get you much.

From now on, I'm going to be more careful about where and when I purchase Business Class.

[tulak]

Yes, definitely need to be careful for what flights you choose business class. US to Europe long-haul flights are good. You get flat-bed seats, plenty of space, good food. I’d stick with Delta, British, or Lufthansa for those flights.

For intra-Europe (or US) flights, upgraded service offers a lot less. I flew to Cancun once using points for first class tickets and while nice, it’s a far cry from international business class on a major airline carrier.

But I am cheap. If the plane has a two seat configuration for economy (window and aisle seat), then I’d do that instead of business. I won’t be as comfortable, but it’s half the price and we’re not sitting next to somebody else. If I was flying solo, I’d BTD for business, especially at current prices.

[Koolau]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivinsfan Haven't you already been vaccinated? This would seem to be one of the easier trips to plan for.

You'd think so , wouldn't you?

BUT our state is schizoid about all this. We STILL require a current (3-day) Covid test to come into the state - even for those who live here - even for those with current vaccination. Otherwise, it's a mandatory quarantine of 10 days.

We (Hawaii) are working on (and supposedly close to) a "passport" system, to fly inter-island (not something I need to do). In essence, you have to UPLOAD your vaccine "passport" to THEIR system from your smart phone - which I don't own. THEN you have to carry your "paper passport" for them to verify. BUT none of this yet works to get you back to Hawaii if you go anyplace but another Island.

Supposedly "they're working on it" as far as kama'aina returning form the mainland - as well as folks from Japan and other places. BUT so far, no. It's "up your nose with a rubber hose" as Vinnie Barbarino would say if you want to enter Hawaii without quarantine. YMMV

[harllee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koolau You'd think so , wouldn't you? BUT our state is schizoid about all this. We STILL require a current (3-day) Covid test to come into the state - even for those who live here - even for those with current vaccination. Otherwise, it's a mandatory quarantine of 10 days. We (Hawaii) are working on (and supposedly close to) a "passport" system, to fly inter-island (not something I need to do). In essence, you have to UPLOAD your vaccine "passport" to THEIR system from your smart phone - which I don't own. THEN you have to carry your "paper passport" for them to verify. BUT none of this yet works to get you back to Hawaii if you go anyplace but another Island. Supposedly "they're working on it" as far as kama'aina returning form the mainland - as well as folks from Japan and other places. BUT so far, no. It's "up your nose with a rubber hose" as Vinnie Barbarino would say if you want to enter Hawaii without quarantine. YMMV

Koolau, what can't you just get a Covid test right before you get on your return flight to Hawaii? You can now get rapid results in a couple of hours. The test is no big deal.

[Koolau]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harllee Koolau, what can't you just get a Covid test right before you get on your return flight to Hawaii? You can now get rapid results in a couple of hours. The test is no big deal.

You may be right. LAST I heard, it was the swab from hell or nothing. It was often problematic for folks to get the test within the 72 (not 73) hours AND once you returned, if you didn't have the right color form (or whatever) they wouldn't accept it. It was a cluster flop!. Could have changed but we don't like change here in the Islands, so YMMV.

[harllee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koolau You may be right. LAST I heard, it was the swab from hell or nothing. It was often problematic for folks to get the test within the 72 (not 73) hours AND once you returned, if you didn't have the right color form (or whatever) they wouldn't accept it. It was a cluster flop!. Could have changed but we don't like change here in the Islands, so YMMV.

Why do you call it the "swab from hell"--I have had it done several times and it is not painful--nothing to it really and over in a few seconds.

[tulak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harllee Why do you call it the "swab from hell"--I have had it done several times and it is not painful--nothing to it really and over in a few seconds.

Yep, I’ve had multiple swabs and will most likely have another before they let me back in the US. Not a big deal.

Missing out on travel, friends, family, and in general, enjoying life, well, for me that is a big deal. Isn’t that part of why we got vaccinated? But to each their own.

[grasshopper]

I take it you have never had a rectal swab before a prostate biopsy.

[Koolau]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harllee Why do you call it the "swab from hell"--I have had it done several times and it is not painful--nothing to it really and over in a few seconds.

I guess we're all different. I've had it done twice (DW once - she HATED it to distraction!!) The "guy" sticks this long swab up your nose until it hits the top of your sinus cavity. He "twizzles" it a couple of times IIRC, leaves it in for a count of 10 (his count), then pulls it out. It still hurts (me) 10 minutes later (DW 20 minutes later.) As with so many things in this life, YMMV.

Oh, and for flying, I think it costs YOU (not your insurance CO. as in DW and my case) $120 to $150, so there's that. Again, YMMV.