TravelWorld International Magazine, Summer 2018 Issue

SUMMER 2018

travel world

I N T E R N AT I O N A L M AG A Z I N E

PALM SPRINGS’ LAZY

SUMMER IS • MODERNISM ALIVE IN THE DESERT

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OF • DELIGHTS A SUMMER

REASONS WHY YOU NEED TO VISIT THE FLORIDA KEYS

ROAD TRIP THROUGH THE MIDWEST

The Magazine Written By North American Travel Journalists Association Members

DO YOUR THING.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 04

10 REASONS TO VISIT THE FLORIDA KEYS

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THE MIDWEST’S ALLURE WILL INTRIGUE YOU

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THE NIGHT TRAIN TO IZUMO

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MIDCENTURY MODERNISM PHOTO ESSAY:

EXPLORING PALM SPRING DURING MODERNISM WEEK

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PRIDE OF AFRICA MALAWI’S MEJETE WILDLIFE RESERVE

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INNSBRUCK:

“WHERE EVERY DAY IS A HOLIDAY”

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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ummertime— it’s been hot, and I’m not sure the “Livin’” has been, “Easy,” but one sure antidote to the stresses and stains of life is travel, discovery and engagement.

Sometimes it is just the place and time— strolling down Park Avenue in a holiday snow fall, or wandering the Santa Monica pier towards Venice Beach at sunset. But other times, we dive deeper into the essence of the destination to experience what makes it work, what makes it different, what makes it memorable. Either way, the traveling can be transformative, taking us away from the grind, where the experience is the antidote.

This issue of TWI invites us to the beaches and doings in the magical Florida Keys, resilient and recovered from the last hurricane’s punch, and ready for travelers who want to do nothing, or go fishing, but just to immerse themselves in a Buffet lifestyle, far from our everyday demands.

Or discover alluring new enjoyments in our Midwest heartland. If you’re out West, time-travel back to mid-century modern styles in the lazy summer days in Palm Springs, where colors’ shimmer in the heat adds to the magical feeling. If lazy is not your summer style, check out East Africa’s needs and offerings, locking arms to save environments and animals at risk. Or escape the heat altogether, in a mountainside café, lollygagging in Innsbruck, Switzerland.

And if you can’t make any of these destinations, it already being the end of July with a calendar that is packed when it should be clear, curl up with this issue of TravelWorld International, and enjoy some easy living with the articles that follow. Just looking at proofs and galleys lowered my blood pressure.

I hope you like what you see.

Ben Root

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Travel World International Magazine is the only magazine that showcases the member talents of the North American Travel Journalists Association

Group Publisher: NATJA Publications Publisher: Helen Hernandez Editor In Chief: Bennett W. Root, Jr. Graphic Designer: Teresa Lopez VP Operations: Yanira Leon

Contributing Writers & Photographers: Debbra Dunning Brouillette Carole Herdegen Rob Goss Melody Pittman Bennett W. Root, Jr Peter I. Rose

Editorial /Advertising Offices: TravelWorld International Magazine 3579 E. Foothill Blvd., #744 Pasadena, CA 91107 Phone: (626) 376.9754 Fax: (626) 628-1854 www.travelworldmagazine.com

Volume 2018.02 Summer 2018. Copyright ©2018 by NATJA Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Advertising rates and information sent upon request. Acceptance of advertising in TravelWorld International Magazine in no way constitutes approval or endorsement by NATJA Publications, Inc., nor do products or services advertised. NATJA Publications and TravelWorld International Magazine reserve the right to reject any advertising. Opinions expressed by authors are their own and not necessarily those of Travel World International Magazine or NATJA Publications.

TravelWorld International Magazine reserves the right to edit all contributions for clarity and length, as well as to reject any material submitted, and is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts. is periodical’s name and logo along with the various titles and headings therein, are trademarks of NATJA Publications, Inc. PRODUCED IN U.S.A.

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REASONS TO VISIT THE FLORIDA KEYS

Photo courtesy of Ocean Key Resort and Spa

STORY AND PHOTOS BY: DEBBRA DUNNING BROUILLETTE

Transportation options to Key West International Airport are increasing. American Airlines started nonstop service between Key West and Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport. The new service opens up the U.S. West Coast market for Key West.

THERE ARE COUNTLESS REASONS TO VISIT THE FLORIDA KEYS

–AROUND 1,700 OF THEM IF YOU COUNT ALL THE KEYS! HERE ARE 10 TO GET YOU STARTED

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nless you live within driving distance or arrive by boat, you will most likely begin your exploration of the Keys by flying into the Miami International Airport (MIA) and renting a car to head south, or by flying into Key West International Airport (EYW), as I did, where a “Welcome to the Conch Republic” sign looms larger than “Welcome to Key West” at the airport’s entrance.

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Post-Hurricane Irma Update —

LET’S START WITH KEY WEST, THE SOUTHERNMOST POINT IN THE CONTINENTAL U.S.

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hile its quirky, irreverent reputation epitomizes the “Margaritaville” spirit of former resident, singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, its appeal has run the gamut. Key West’s Little White House was the winter retreat of U.S. President Harry S. Truman, while literary giants Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams and Robert Frost, all spent time here.

Courtesy of Google Maps

Put the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum at the top of your list of Key West “must-sees.” Forty to 50 six-toed cats, which appear to have a thumb on their paw, can be found inside the house and roaming the grounds. All are descendants of Hemingway’s six-toed cat, Snowball.

Key West’s best beach is at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park where you can also tour the fort, one of a series built in the mid-1800s to defend the nation’s southeastern coastline.

Some of the $450 million in gold and silver bars and coins, emeralds, and other jewels recovered from the Atocha and the Santa Margarita in 1985 are on display at Mel Fisher’s Maritime Museum.

And don’t leave without celebrating the nightly celebration of sunset at Mallory Square, which has become a Key West tradition.

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Credit: Rob O’Neal/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO

1 KEY WEST

Credit: Rob O’Neal/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO

Credit: Debbra Dunning Brouillette

After Hurricane Irma, on September 10, 2017, The Florida Keys officially reopened to visitors on October 1. Since that time, the majority of accommodations, restaurants, and attractions have reopened. The Florida Keys Overseas Highway, with 42 bridges providing scenic, overwater views, was designated safe for driving within five days after Hurricane Irma struck throughout the 125-mile island chain. Today, tourists are free to roam about the Keys in search of the perfect tan, beach views and a great margarita.

Credit: BBob Krist/Florida Keys News Bureau

2 BAHIA HONDA STATE

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eady for a beach day? Stop at Bahia Honda State Park, located at Mile Marker 37. Calusa Beach on the park’s northwest side is near the historic railroad bridge known as Henry Flagler’s Overseas Railway. Railroad magnate Henry Flagler’s famed railroad helped to transform Bahia Honda Key into a subtropical destination appealing to all ages. Construction of Flagler’s Key West extension of the Florida East Coast Railway was completed

in 1912.

From the old Bahia Honda Rail Bridge, known as the Over-Sea Railroad Bridge, the park offers stunning views. The original trestle railroad structure, with a

highway built on top, is a must-see point of interest for visitors.

Two nearby campgrounds — Buttonwood, with 43 sites, and Bayside, with eight — are available for overnight camping, accommodating everything from large RVs to small tents. Six cabins on stilts overlooking the bayside of the park are available for rent and can be reserved up to 11 months in advance through Reserve America.

Check this link for the latest updates on Bahia Honda: www.floridastateparks.org/park/Bahia-Honda

3 SEVEN MILE BRIDGE F

you will have traveled across a total of 42 bridges, including the longest and most famous — the Seven Mile Bridge, connecting Knight’s Key, part of the city of Marathon in the Middle Keys, to Little Duck Key in the Lower Keys.

Crossing the Seven Mile Bridge could be considered a reason to visit the Keys on its own. Until 1912, when the original bridge opened as an overseas railway, the Keys were accessible only by water. After a devastating hurricane closed the railway in 1935, a new bridge was built for vehicle travel, and then the current Seven Mile Bridge was constructed from 1978 to 1982. The old railway bridge, which had been used for bicycle and pedestrian traffic, was closed for repairs in 2016 and will not reopen until 2021.

Credit: Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau

rom Mile Marker 0 in Key West to the top of the Keys at Florida City (Mile Marker 127.5),

Join 1,500 runners the second Saturday in April for the annual Seven Mile Bridge Run, held since 1982 to commemorate the Florida Keys bridge rebuilding project.

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4 FOOD

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hether you are a full-fledged pescatarian and only eat fish, or are just a seafood lover, the variety available on menus throughout the Keys is sure to please. Put Key West pink shrimp, considered sweeter than other varieties, on your list to try, along with another Keys specialty — hogfish, a mild-flavored fish in the snapper family more likely to be found on menus in the Keys than elsewhere in Florida. Order it served in several ways at Hogfish Bar & Grill on Stock Island while in Key West.

The fresh “catch of the day” is often snapper, grouper, or mahi mahi (dolphin fish), but you’ll also be able to find Florida spiny lobster, pompano, yellowfin tuna, swordfish, wahoo, sea bass, scallops, conch, octopus, and squid (calamari) on menus throughout the area, prepared in a multitude of ways to tempt the tastebuds of the most discriminating foodie.

If you see lionfish on the menu, order it! While it is an invasive species introduced to Florida waters during the 1980s, it is also quite tasty, and more restaurants are featuring it when available.

The signature dessert of the Florida Keys is, without a doubt — Key Lime pie. Don’t leave the Keys without trying at least one variation of the tart yet sweet pie made with the juice of the Key lime, some piled high with meringue, some without.v

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ishing is a popular activity throughout the Florida Keys, both for expert and amateur anglers. Islamorada, known as the Sport Fishing Capital of the World, is where my travel companions and I boarded a 65-foot deep-sea fishing vessel at Robbie’s Marina, MM 77.5, for a half-day of party boat fishing.

We signed up for the Catch and Cook experience, which includes bait, tackle and fishing license. Our catch was cleaned, filleted and delivered to the marina’s restaurant, Hungry Tarpon, where it was prepared and served with two side dishes.

Recreational anglers can book guides and charter boats to seek out game fish — bonefish, tarpon, permit, redfish and snook. Some of the greatest sport fish in the world — blue and white marlin, sailfish and swordfish — are also caught in deep-sea areas. Fishing tournaments are held throughout the year for a variety of species, but the longest is the Key West Fishing Tournament (KWFT) an eight-month long competition that is open to the public whether fishing from a boat, land or bridge. In 2018, it began January 1 and continued through August 31.

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Photo courtesy of George Poveromo

5 FISHING

6 SCUBA DIVING AND SNORKELING I

f you are a SCUBA diver or snorkeler, “getting wet” may be the number one reason to visit the Florida Keys. Designated a National Marine Sanctuary in 1990, the Keys are surrounded by the continental United States’ only living-coral barrier reef (third largest in the world), encompassing more th an 2,900 nautical miles of protected waters.

Both snorkelers and divers can explore nine shipwreck sites stretching from Key Largo to Key West that make up the Florida Keys Shipwreck Heritage Trail.

Photo courtesy of Florida Keys and Key West

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo (MM 102.5) was established in 1963 as the first undersea park in the United States. Besides being able to dive and snorkel in the 70 nautical square miles making up the park, visitors can also board a 65-foot, glassbottom catamaran, Spirit of Pennekamp, for a 2 ½ hour excursion to the coral reef.

The park is also the site of one of the most photographed underwater sites in the Keys ¬¬— a nine-foot-tall “Christ of the Abyss” bronze statue. Since it’s submerged in only 25 feet of water, both divers and snorkelers can view it easily.

7 BOATING AND WATERSPORTS T

Ibis Bay Paddle Sports, located at Ibis Bay Beach Resort in Key West, offers nighttime guided tours on clear-bottom kayaks and standup paddleboards lit by super-bright waterproof LED lights on scenic Ibis Bay. Otherside Boardsports, Grassy Key (MM 59.3), offers lessons in wakeboarding, paddleboarding, kiteboarding and jetboarding on a seven-acre tidal lake surrounded by 26 acres of mangroves.

Credit: Yvette Cordoza

hink of a watersport you enjoy and you can pursue it in the Florida Keys, along with a few you may not have known existed. Boating, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), flyboarding, waterskiing, windsurfing, parasailing, and jet skiing are among the options available throughout the Keys.

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8 TURTLES

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ea turtle lovers will not want to miss visiting the Turtle Hospital in Marathon (MM 48.5). Opened in 1986, more than 1,500 injured or ill sea turtles (green, loggerhead, leatherback, Hawksbill and Kemp’s Ridley) have been rescued and rehabbed at the facility. Take a 90-minute guided tour (offered daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.), which includes a short presentation on the types of sea turtles cared for at The Turtle Hospital followed by a behindthe-scenes look at the hospital facilities.

Reservations are recommended. www.turtlehospital.org

The hospital treats a wide range of ailments and damage to turtles caused by boat collisions, ingesting plastic, and entanglements in rope or fishing line.

I was surprised to learn that more than half of sea turtles across the globe are affected by viral fibropapilloma tumors and their removal is the most common surgery performed at the Turtle Hospital.

9 DOLPHINS

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awks Cay Resort, located at Duck Key at Mile Marker 61, offers guests the opportunity to have a hands-on experience at its on-site Dolphin Connection, the only resort in the continental U.S. that features a dolphin research facility.

I was thrilled to be able to commune with these amazing mammals in a saltwater lagoon next to the open ocean when I stayed at Hawks Cay several years ago. Guests can also become a trainer for a day or just observe them from the dock and admire their aerial acrobatics.

Other dolphin programs in the Keys include: Dolphins Plus in Key Largo and Theatre of the Sea in Islamorada.

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10 FESTIVALS T

ime your visit to the Keys to coincide with a festival to suit most any taste or interest.

Keys festivals run the gamut, from music and art, birding and wildlife, to pirates and literary festivals. Visit the Keys Arts website for a festivals directory or the Florida Keys calendar of events.

Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival – Our visit was timed to coincide with the Underwater Music Festival, held the Saturday following July 4th at the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary/Looe Key Preservation Reserve. Boats filled with snorkelers and divers make their way to Looe Key Reef off Big Pine Key to explore the reef. Local radio station WWUS 104.1 FM pipes music underwater, adding a unique element to the event, now in its 34th year.

Hemingway Days – a 10-day festival held in

July to celebrate Hemingway’s birthday, includes Look-a-Like Contest, Twilight Party, 5K Run, Street Fair, Regatta, Short Story Competition, Marlin Tournament, Literary Events, and more! Humphrey Bogart Film Festival – Held each October in Key Largo.

(You can also take a ride on the original boat from the classic Bogie/Bacall film, The African Queen, which is docked there.) This year’s festival will celebrate the 70th Anniversary of Key Largo and Treasure of Sierra Madre.

Fantasy Fest –Held each October in Key West since 1979, Fantasy Fest is billed as 10 days of “adult partying,” featuring costuming, parades, libations, and excitement.

Birding Festival of the Keys (B.E.A.K.S.) – Held in September in Marathon,

it includes field trips, workshops, and lectures with top guides and biologists.

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The Hogback Bridge is the one most recognized from the award-winning "Bridges of Madison County" movie.

Who knew that Indianapolis was second only to Washington, DC in the number of patriotic memorials and monuments?

The Midwest’s Allure Will Intrigue You W

hile the Midwest maybe isn’t your typical vacation destination, it very well could be the smartest travel decision you’ll make. Adventures aplenty and priced just right, the Midwest is an awesome region to visit. Country music singer Jason Aldean wrote about those “Flyover States” and shares reasons why people who haven’t discovered the Midwest’s brilliant landscapes and harvest moon cannot even begin to fathom its special brand of appeal.

The Midwest is comprised of 12 states: Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, North and South Dakota, Ohio, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Kansas, Michigan, and Minnesota. Traveling for the first time to Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Kansas had me mesmerized from the beginning. With many interesting landmarks to see, new foods to taste, scenic terrains, and landscapes to photograph, I didn’t know where to begin.

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Photo courtesy of Maps0f.net

Story and Photos By: Melody Pittman

I learned about Iowa through Twitter Chats and really wanted to sample their food scene, mostly locally sourced within 50 miles. I stayed at Hotel Pattee in Perry, Iowa, consisting of 40 themed rooms that pay homage to famous Iowans. Rooms include the Marching Band, David Ahmanson Suite (Iowa folk art furniture designer), and VT Snick Hamlin (Alley Oop cartoon strip creator). Hotel Pattee’s lobby is gorgeously decorated and showcases 130 pieces of original artworks valued around three million dollars. Rooms feature large subway tile bathrooms with deep soaking tubs. The special touches are too many to list, but the cozy library won me over.

Strolling Winterset, Iowa’s Hogback and Holliwell bridges, of the award-winning Bridges of Madison County fame, made me wonder how many devotions were left between lovers on the carved walls or how many shared a memorable kiss at this romantic spot. In total, there are six covered bridges in Madison County.

Winterset holds an enchanting factor for sure. It’s quintessential small town square, complete with a water tower, is busting with friendly people, shops, and tasty eateries. The Bakery Unlimited is where locals grab their morning coffee paired with a savory bagel or sweet donut. It’s also the home of John Wayne’s birthplace, which is a public museum that attracts many international visitors.

Rube's Steakhouse, in Waukee, Iowa is a fun restaurant where guests grill their own meats and other items.

Indiana University's campus features picturesque water fountains and sculptures.

Iowa’s restaurants often have breaded pork tenderloin on the menu, the state’s most talked about food and truly bigger than the plates they are served on. Oh my, this is one dish you’ll love!

Seeing herds of bison while driving through the Midwest isn't so much a novelty like other parts of the country.

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The Indianapolis Zoo giraffe feeding is a popular activity.

I only spent a day in Wisconsin, with that being on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, in Kenosha. When visiting Kenosha, think amazing donuts, a whimsical trolley ride, and a fun visit to the Jelly Belly Visitor’s Center. Mike’s Donuts and Chicken has some of the best donuts I’ve ever eaten. The Girl Scout Lemonade and Chubby Hubby Cylops won’t let you down! At Jelly Belly, take a free 25- minute train tour of the warehouse facility, complete with samples. Be sure to take in the darling $1 electric streetcar runs around a two-mile loop through downtown Kenosha along Lake Shore, running parallel with the harbor. The streetcars are fashioned from 1950’s retro trolley cars and children especially will love them.

The third Midwestern state I visited was amazing Indiana.

Bloomington is a much-talked-about place that I had to explore and is the flagship campus of Indiana University.

This charming city was fun to ride Pedego electric-bikes through, indulge in vegan pastries at Rainbow Bakery, and tour the uber cool Lilly Library on IU’s campus.

Another fun college town is West Lafayette, home of Purdue University. Strolling Purdue’s massive grounds is a great way to spend the day, soaking up the scenery that includes the gates that were used as the model for the Monsters University movie setting. Adorable shops, street art, and homemade candies and gummies are available in the downtown parts, while the best-frozen treats you’ll ever have can be found at Igloo Frozen Custard. Also be sure to also sample Arni’s, a local’s pizzeria, super thin crust pizzas.

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My Indiana travels also included a stop in Fort Wayne, home to the second largest genealogy center in the country, nice museums and zoo, and a minor league baseball team. If your heritage interests you in the least, you can search a 500,000 database on your own or with assistance in a comfortable library setting at the Genealogy Center. You may want to schedule your Fort Wayne visit around the incredible Vera Bradley springtime warehouse sale.

Indianapolis was the coolest Midwest destination of them all. This highly patriotic city has incredible war memorials and fountains plus one of the best children’s museums and zoos in the country. Did I mention that Shrimp

My Marching Band room at Hotel Pattee had imaginative uses of all sorts of musical instruments in the decor and hand-drawn wallpaper border.

Wichita has many interesting murals for taking selfies and Instagram-worthy photos.

Cocktail was invented in Indy at St. Elmo’s Steakhouse?

Eat with caution; the sauce is heavenly and hellacious at the same time!

I visited Kansas City or KCK as the locals refer to it, one of the only places in the country to cohesively share a border between two states, Kansas and Missouri. The multi-cultural city is located centrally (geographically speaking), so many big companies and factories have made Kansas City their home base.

KCK is known for exceptional barbecue; smoked meats done low and slow in this region. Over 1200 accompanying sauces are created and bottled at Original Juan Specialty Foods.

Nearby, the Kansas City Steak Company ships desirable cuts of meat throughout the US and to many other countries locally and through the QVC online shopping channel.

Another themed hotel worth mentioning is KCK’s Chateau Avalon, which features a variety of rooms and is a popular wedding/anniversary destination. Chateau Avalon’s rooms include Tahitian Treehouse, New York Penthouse, Camelot Suite, and nearly 20 more.

If possible, rent a car and drive through the beautiful Flint Hills. Here, tall grasses and bison share the landscape with sunflowers in a picture perfect setting.

The Keeper of the Plains brings hundreds of locals together each night in celebration of their most iconic figure.

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Mike's Chicken and Donuts is a popular eatery in Kenosha, Wisconsin with stellar donut choices.

I sampled many different barbecue dishes in Kansas City but Slap's BBQ was my favorite.

The jagged rocks on the shoreline in Kenosha make it a great location for beautiful photos.

Stop by the newest Tallgrass Prairie National Park to explore the pristine landscape; serene, yet inviting.

Scents of blue Sage and fetid Marigold sedate you as you wander through the terrain, truly God’s country, and part of the historic Sante Fe Trail.

During your Flint Hills road trip, stop for lunch at Hays House in Council Grove, a tasty eatery that claims to be the oldest continually operating restaurant West of the Mississippi. The country buffet is enticing and the salad bar features delicious Dorothy Gale dressing, a local fave. Hand-made pies finish off a memorable meal at this National Historic Landmark.

My favorite Midwest destination is Wichita, laden with state-of-the-art museums, interesting culture, noteworthy attractions, and great street art. My way of describing Wichita is adult-hipster friendly. This is a place where I, rapidly approaching 50, felt right at home in the late night venues.

A free trolley shuttles you around the downtown area,

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with pickups at many hotels. I especially loved the Mosely Street Melodramas The Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne audience-participation performance that included is located on the second floor of a public library. a buffet-style dinner and Keeper of the Plains, the most recognized symbol of Wichita, designed by Indian artist Blackbear Bosin.

This 44-foot tall steel sculpture of an Indian with his arms raised toward the rising sun is located on the banks of the Arkansas River and is the star of the city. The firepots surrounding The Keeper are lit each evening at sunset and burn for 15 minutes. Street performers and food trucks are available nightly for the crowds who come out to enjoy the ritual.

The Midwest truly has something for everyone. It makes for a most economical getaway so you end up with so much more bang for your buck.

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THE NIGHT TRAIN TO IZUMO STORY AND PHOTOS by Rob goss

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courtesy of via www.jr-odekake.net

t’s 10:20 at night and I’m on my back, in underwear and a tee shirt, watching commuters wait in line at Yokohama Station. Ordinarily, that should draw looks of horror, possibly the attention of the police, but not tonight. Between me and the breath clouds dissipating above the platform, the station is briefly framed by the rectangular window of my sleeper compartment, before the Sunrise continues into the night.

In their heyday, sleepers crisscrossed Japan, offering a mix of functional transportation and luxury travel. Not now.

The Osaka to Sapporo Twilight Express made its final run in March 2014. The Akebono service between Tokyo and Aomori in the far north of Japan’s main island was retired in March 2015. The Cassiopeia, a favorite with train-spotters which ran between Tokyo and Sapporo, followed suit a year later.

Since the first sleeper took to the rails in 1958, more than 40 services have come and gone. An ever-expanding, highly efficient and high-speed bullet train network has played a part in that demise, as too has the rise of cheap and efficient inter-city night buses, plus the development of regional airports and with them increasingly affordable domestic air services.

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Yet something about the death of the sleeper doesn’t fit with Japan’s affection for its trains. Take to YouTube and look for Cassiopeia’s final run and you’ll see what I mean. People packed the platform at

Ueno Station in Tokyo to say their farewells. Some were holding up handwritten signs saying, “Arigatou” (thank you).

One young girl was filmed by national TV handing a bunch of flowers to a driver, her parents videoing it all as the driver bowed and received the bouquet with a

courtesy of osakastation.com

The decline of Japan’s night trains

smile. A few people were close to tears. Love-in met rush-hour scrum.

And when it was all done—a handful of new, yet exorbitantly priced multi-night luxury trains aside—there was just one regular sleeper left in Japan. The Sunrise.

The Sunrise to Izumo…or Takamatsu Every night at 10 pm, the Sunrise pulls out of an unusually quiet corner of Tokyo Station and heads 650 kilometers west to Okayama in the Kansai region, where at about 6.30 am it splits in two, the Sunrise Izumo half going 200 kilometers northwest to Izumo in Shimane and the Sunrise Seto half working its way 80 kilometers south to Takamatsu on Shikoku, the smallest of Japan’s four main islands.

On this trip, I’m going to Izumo to see one of Shinto’s most important annual rituals, the Kami-mukae-shinji (more on that later). I’m in the cheapest of the private berths, the Solo (basic Tokyo to Izumo fare of $109, plus $88), with a bed just long enough to lie straight and flat, but not quite wide enough for curling up in the fetal position. I can sit up, but there’s no standing. There’s no floor, just several narrow steps leading from doorway to bed; for that, you’d need the more spacious Single (basic plus $115) or Single Deluxe (basic plus $154), the latter of which also comes with a sink and desk.

The Solo, however, is comfortable enough. I’ve got a little ledge to keep a single-serve “One-Cup” sake on, even though the movement of the train frequently threatens to spill it onto my thin blanket. I’ve got a panel with an alarm clock and radio, and a set of pajamas that would undoubtedly split (for all the worst reasons) if I tried to squeeze into them. I have ever-changing scenery, too.

From Tokyo to Yokohama, the train slowly passes by skyscrapers and classic neon-lit views of the capital by night.

Then the city begins to recede. At Yokohama and latterly the seaside resort of Atami, where the train makes brief stops, you see people on distant platforms rushing for the last few trains of the night.

By midnight, the increasingly small stations whizzing by are no more than a series of deserted platforms. The builtup, illuminated Tokyo backdrop has been entirely replaced by darkened countryside.

You don’t notice the train’s rocking and bumping—not unduly—but when it comes time to sleep each sway and surge becomes more pronounced. Like a sadistic nanny, the Sunrise likes to gently rock you to sleep, then jolt you awake, the cabin’s digital clock marking each disturbance in the darkness. 1:30. 2:20.

3:10. The mini wake-ups come with unerring frequency, until Himeji, the first stop of the day, just before 5:30. An hour later, an announcement is piped through the train—a reminder that the Seto and Izumo sections of the Sunrise are about

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to part ways at Okayama—and the train comes to life.

I had barely heard another passenger all night, but with the train bearing down on Izumo the narrow passageways become a hive of activity, sumimasen (excuse me) and douzo (please) ringing out as people squeeze by each other, trying to get a turn in the onboard shower and grab a morning caffeine fix with a cold can of coffee from a vending machine – the only drink option on board. With Okayama left behind, the morning scenery becomes increasingly rural. Recently harvested rice paddies unfold to the horizon as we pass through Tottori prefecture and finally into Shimane prefecture, parts of Japan that few overseas travelers reach. And then comes Izumo.

Exploring Izumo It’s 9 am when the train pulls in to Izumo, and like many regional towns in Japan, there’s very little to initially greet

you around the station. The shrine—Izumo’s main sight —is a 20-minute bus ride away. It’s 30 minutes by bus to the local airport, which is where I’m headed to meet friends who opted to fly in from Tokyo.

That kills most of the morning, but in the afternoon we have time to spare before we have to be at the shrine for the Kami-mukae-shinji ritual. We spend it trying to connect the ancient shrine, Izumo Taisha, to modernday Izumo by visiting the local sake brewery that makes sacred sake (called o-miki) for its rituals. The Asahi Shuzo brewery is a small operation a few minutes from the station, and when we get there we are given the rare treat of being allowed in the koji-muro room, where cooked rice and a mold (koji) is mixed and warmed to produce a starter for the sake brewing process.

The room is a sensitive area, entered via a double door system that the staff explain stops the wrong type of mold or bacteria getting in and ruining the brew. We also have to cover our hair and leave our shoes behind.

Inside, the air is hot and damp, but infused with a delicate floral scent rich in umami, which we suck up as we chat with a couple of sweat-drenched brewers sprinkling a bed of cooked rice with koji and then mix and fold it into a heap. In a couple of days, Courtesy of Japanvisitor.com

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they say, that’ll form the basis—like malt does for beer—for a sake brew.

Izumo Taisha and the welcoming of the gods As darkness begins to envelope Izumo, we paya quick visit to the shrine to collect our press armbands— takinga moment to enjoy the architecture and the giant shimenawa straw decorations hanging from the buildings—wand then walk 20 minutes in an evergrowing crowd to the local beach, where several priests are stoking large fires on the sand.

The flames serve as symbolic beacons for Shinto deities around Japan, who on this night of the year descend upon Izumo for a month-long meeting of the gods, deciding the fate of crops, the nation’s prosperity and all manner of other matters for the year ahead. For the month, Izumo Taisha will be their home. And on this night, the gods require a fitting welcome. The crowd silent as flames spit into the dark sky, priests chant and pray on the beach before forming a procession with gods in tow and making a slow solemn walk through Izumo to the shrine. We follow.

Back at the shrine, we and a couple of local TV crews are ushered beyond the barriers separating the crowds from the main hall, where we wait in a

dim light for the procession to arrive. We hear them first, flutes and gongs repeating a droning tune in the distance, before lanterns emerge from the gloom and head into the shrine’s inner sanctum.

And then, it ends. Abruptly. The shrine’s lights turn on.

The barriers are lifted. The crowds surge forward to get the best seats on the floor of the inner sanctum and receive blessings from the gods. The mood goes from spiritual to stampede in a flash. The only logical thing to do is follow the crowds and hope it leads to a sample of somesacred sake.

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Photo credit: Robert Demar / aerial view, Mark Gardner / bikes, Mike Bertrand / Friday Harbor, Jim Maya / whales

Lopez Island • Orcas Island • San Juan Island / Friday Harbor

InspIratIon For the senses VisitSanJuans.com

Explore Historic Friday Harbor Find Endless Adventure

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Discover Nature’s Splendor

midcentury modernism

A PHOTO ESSAY: exploring palm springs during modernism week

STORY AND PHOTOS

BY BENNETT ROOT

TRAVELWORLD INTERNATIONAL STAFF

P S

roblem: What to do to entertain ten hardened travel journalists who’ve “seen it all,” and simply can’t be “WOW”ed (just ask them…)?

olution: Immerse them in Modernism Week, mid-February each year in Palm Springs,

when the California desert is at its peak of beauty and seductiveness, and tourists are captured by bold colors; sweeping, fluid design; industrial shapes in huge windows; bright, desert light on flat-roofed houses that seem to melt into the surrounding landscape.

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A

In a short ninety minutes, Robert introduced us to some of the meticulously maintained properties in the Movie Colony and Old Las Palmas that took us back to the 24

abundant optimism and clean line modernism of La La Lands’ neighboring playground for the likes of Kirk Douglas, Gene Autry, Leana Horn and Jack Warner (Old Las Palms neighborhood) Courtesy of Palm Springs Town And Country Realty

dozen of us arrived by “press bus” in Palm Springs for a little R&R, having just completed a strategic planning retreat held in the local mountains.

There was certainly no shortage of 50s and 60s eye candy.

But really, there was so much, often the jewels we knew were there seemed hidden from the casual, wandering tourist. We decided, and decidedly recommend, that one of the local architectural guides be booked to assure you see the best and the most authentic. We picked long-time architecture lover Robert Imber, an erudite and thoroughly delightful advocate for Palm Springs modernism.

and Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dinah Shore (Old Move Colony neighborhood). They lived east or west of Palm Canyon Highway in what today is North Palm Springs. They brought style. On either side of Palm Canyon is a feast for the eyes and the gentle atmosphere of a desert winter afternoon.

Modernism brought us easy, seamless indoor-outdoor living.

We were ready to move in, and move on to cocktails, but Robert had other ideas.

Reluctantly, we “bussed up” and headed east of the museum (it is worth a visit) and south towards Indian Canyon, east of the southern tip of the main commercial center.

There, inauspiciously nestled away from the main drag, is the Desert Star, a sumptuously restored set of six bungalows, now essentially a modernist “B&B” (without the last B). This one is classic.

The organge warms our spirit as light floods the front rooms through giant walls of glass including the workshop of owner, arist and shoemaker Arleen Katz.

Robert directs us across the pool—sparkling blue and very inviting on a hot desert afternoon, to a seculed, quiet bungalow with its own outdoor patio. The real owner (below, left) eyes us, not ready any time soon to give up her special spot.

The modernist theme is reflected in homes, hotels and businesses throughout the city, so much so 25

that Palm Springs is thought of as the Mecca of Modernism.

Walking tours are the immersion technique of choice, but we found ourselves so captured by the iconic, organic pull of the shapes, colors, and designs, including slow walking Palm Canyon Dr., the main shopping drag in Palm Springs.

With land to spread new homesites and even neighborhoods, Palm Springs earned its reputation as a home for integrating the starkness of the desert landscape into the utilitarianism of the local design.

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Architects leaving a distinct mark on Palm Springs included •

Albert Frey,

•

Howard Lapham, and

•

William Krisel

Others in the area included Southern California and even international icons s uch as •

A.C. Martin

•

Welton Becket, and

•

Frank Lloyd Wright.

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No stranger to reinvention, the Palm Springs architectural hertitage continues to produce distictive eyescapes, at night as well as during the day. Along Palm Canyon Boulevard, new shops, galleries, and hotels vie for attention, day and night.

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Driven by tourism and development, Palm Springs’ booming economy and ever changing city-scape teases one’s artistic taste buds. Just the best possible cure for the “seen it all” blahs of this group of veteran travel journalists.

Come to Palm Springs for

Modernism Week in 2019!

February 14 – February 24, 2019 www.modernismweek.com

Two of the best guides are: Robert Imber (our guide),

www.palmspringsmodernntours.com

and Kurt Cyr,

www.psmodsquad.com 29

Escape

and reconnect. Take in the light

show as the sun sets over the rolling Flint Hills. There’s no place like Kansas for a getaway … together.

800.2.KANSAS · TravelKS.com/Escape

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THE PRIDE OF AFRICA MALAWI’S MEJETE WILDLIFE RESERVE

by Carole Herdegen

T

he great appeal of Africa has always been its wildlife.

Elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards, zebra and even the Cape buffalo roamed freely in grasslands, savannahs and deep forests throughout much of the continent. But times are changing. As human population accelerates, the wildlife is being is being pushed to near extinction. Meanwhile, the wealth of natural resources like oil, diamonds, gold and other minerals have kept these African economies from collapsing. But we are overlooking something very important. The question should be: “Why not find a way to preserve and increase the wildlife and therefore increase tourism to stimulate the economies?”

This should be one Africa’s number one objectives; the preservation of its wildlife. When it’s gone, it will be lost forever. Every year, more and more indigenous animal species are being placed on the endangered list or are becoming extinct. There is no going back. On the African continent a hundred years ago, there were more than 10 million elephants and today there are around 350,000.

The philanthropic conservation organization, African Parks, and Earthwatch, the nonprofit field research volunteer organization, are making a big difference in African wildlife preservation.

photo credit: Carole Herdegen

Last June, I traveled to Malawi with my son, Richard and granddaughter, Katelin, to assist in scientific field research for the Earthwatch project named Animals of Malawi in the Majete Wildlife Reserve.

Impalas - M on the rear end - they are called the McDonald's of the game reserve

Malawi is a land-locked country in south-central Africa with five national parks and four wildlife reserves.

You might think this was a “good place” for wildlife to thrive. But corrupt governments permitted big game hunters to kill lions, leopards, zebras and other wildlife for a fee. These hunters wiped out the elephants for ivory and rhinos for their horns. In addition, the illegal bush meat trade in the villages surrounding the game reserves took whatever they needed to survive the hard times. This resulted in Malawi becoming one of the poorest countries in the world.

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photo credit: Carole Herdegen photo credit: Majete Wildlife Reserve

Hippopotamus

photo credit: Carole Herdegen

Typical village surrounding Majete Wildlife Reserve

Rhinoceros

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photo credit: Carole Herdegen

africaguide.com

photo credit: Carole Herdegen

Chikwawa - market town near Majete Wildlife Reserve

While countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa were prospering with safari tourism, Malawi’s wildlife population dwindled to almost zero by the year 2000. Since then, conservation officials in the government have finally woken up to the fact that their landscape of the wildlife parks and reserves are more diverse Sable Antelope than other surrounding countries.

Malawi has high mountains, 87 forests reserves, and over 500 plant species and 10% of the 650 species of birds unique to Africa. Lake Malawi is the third largest lake in Africa and ninth largest fresh water lake in the world. What would it take to reverse this downhill slide and make Malawi the pride of Africa? All the ingredients are there. What is required is some outside assistance. Thankfully, African Parks came to the rescue.

In 2003, African Parks took over complete and long-term management responsibility of Majete Wildlife Reserve. It was the first of three wildlife reserves they managed in Malawi.

Soon after, they added national parks and protected areas in eight other African countries.

Before animals could be translocated mainly from South Africa, an electrified perimeter fence was constructed around Majete.

Next, was the selection and training of park rangers and management staff to protect the animals once they began to arrive. First to come were the black rhinos in 2003; elephants followed in 2006; lions in 2012, as well as a host of other wildlife. Today, it’s a success story with a thriving reserve of more than 12,200 animals attracting more and more visitors.

In June, our Earthwatch project continued the scientific work for African Parks as it moved into the next phase….research -for correct management decisions for the future. We were lead by head scientist, Dr.Alison Leslie from Stellenbosch University in South Africa and two of her post grad students, Anel Olivier and Kayla Geenen.

MA

photo credit: Carole Herdegen photo credit: Carole Herdegen

photo credit: Carole Herdegen

Sugar Cane - 2nd export crop after tobacco

Electric perimeter fence Chikwawa - market town near Majete Wildlife Reserve

ALAWI photo credit: Carole Herdegen

Over the past four years, vital data had been gathered and it showed the reserve had become so successful with animal reproduction and protection that there now was a need for land management. Majete had started to become overcrowded.

It was now time to translocate some of the wildlife to other reserves in Malawi that were just in their infancy of rebirth.

Our days at Majete were spent in counting animals from vehicles, on foot and at waterholes. Even when we were not physically counting the wildlife, there were camera traps to download. We surveyed areas of vegetation to help the scientists determine the sources and availability of food.

Another element of our Earthwatch project involved visiting schools and communities surrounding the wildlife reserve to Cape Buffalo reinforce the need to maintain their precious natural resource.

We enjoyed our time spent at one of the eighty-five surrounding villages with its wonderful primary school.

Tens of thousands of local people are being positively impacted by Majete’s resurgence. Employment has risen more than ten-fold with now 140 people being employed on a full-time basis, including the growing ranger force that patrols the park daily. I was astonished to learn that not one rhino or elephant has been lost to poaching.

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photo credit: Carole Herdegen

Son and granddaughter in Majete Wildlife Reserve

photo credit: Carole Herdegen

In the summer of 2016 and then last summer, an historic African event in conservation history took place. It was called the 500 Elephants initiative. 2000 various animal species including 500 elephants were translocated from Majete and Liwonde Wildlife Reserves to Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve in the north of Malawi. Last summer, I, my son and granddaughter were in Majete as preparations were being completed for the second of the two translocations the following week.

The procedure went as follows: elephants were tranquillized in family groups. They were then hoisted feet first by cranes onto recovery trucks. Th e elephants were woken up in purpose-built “wake-up trucks� and loaded onto 30-ton low bed trucks for the 300 mile journey to the north. Upon arrival at Nkhotakota the elephants were released into a holding area with food Downloading camera traps

photo credit: Carole Herdegen

photo credit: Carole Herdegen

Elephants at the waterhole

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Elephants on the move

photo credit: Majete Wildlife Reserve

photo credit: Carole Herdegen

Family of elephants in the 500 Elephant Translocation - Majete Wildlife Reserve

and water. After 24 hours, they were moved to the larger reserve. I was overwhelmed with the beauty of Malawi, its people, its wildlife and the extraordinary lengths African conservation groups will go through to actively protect endangered species. This is just the beginning of the new world of conservation. I am now looking forward to my next return visit.

photo credit: Africa Park

Weighing elephants before loading -Majete Wildlife Reserve

photo credit: Carole Herdegen

Charging elephant

In the summers of 2016 & 2017, 2000 various animal species including 500 elephants were translocated from Majete and Liwonde Wildlife Reserves to Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve in the north of Malawi.

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Photo Credit: Carole Herdegen

Photo Credit: Carole Herdegen

The beautiful children of Malawi

Mavuwa Primary School in Chapananga, Malawi

IF YOU VISIT MAJETE WILDLIFE RESERVE Getting there: International flights to Lilongwe and Blantyre – Ethiopian Airlines; Malawian Airlines; Kenya Airways; South African Airways. You will need a Malawian visa upon entry.

When to visit: The best time to visit is June to August.

Where to stay: Mkulumadzi Lodge - info@robinpopesafaris.com.

It is the very best luxury lodge in Malawi and perhaps southern Africa. The lodge uses the green energy from solar power. The chalets open to spectacular views of the Shire River.

Moderate accommodations are available at Thawale Camp thawle@african-parks.org and the Majete Community Campsite African Parks is a non-profit conservation organization founded in 2000. It takes on direct responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of protected areas in partnership with governments and local communities. https://www.african-parks.org.

Earthwatch is a non-profit environmental organization focused on connecting everyday people with the world's top scientists to conduct vital field research. http://earthwatch.org.

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Lions at a waterhole Photo Credit: Carole Kayla Geenen

About Carole: An accomplished adventure traveler of seven continents, photographer and journalist who makes her home in Michigan.

INNSBRUCK:

The Inn River, from the site of the original bridge, looking westward toward its source hundreds of miles to the west

“WHERE EVERY DAY IS A HOLIDAY” Story and Photos by Hedy and Peter Rose courtesy of worldtravel.com

I

nnsbruck, Austria began as a Roman outpost in the 4th century. It was long referred to as Oeni Pontum, named for the bridge over the river Inn, where it became one of the main settlements along a waterway that starts as a trickle at the western end of the spectacular Engadin Valley of Switzerland and flows all the way to the Danube. For more than 800 years Innsbruck has been the hub of the area known as Tirol (also spelled Tyrol), the most mountainous province of Austria. It is bordered by Germany to the north (Munich is closer than Vienna), Italy to the south (the famed Brenner Pass is 30 kilometers away), and Switzerland to the west, just beyond Austria’s Vorarlberg Bundesland. Today Innsbruck is a bustling place having an estimated 150,000 permanent residents, 30,000 students, and probably ten times as many visitors gathering there during its high seasons (summer and winter).

The city’s administrators and other community leaders have long striven to maintain its very special Tirolean character. This is most evident in the center, a living monument to past glories. Many restored or well-preserved

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Posters for 1964 and 1976 Olympic games in Innsbruck

Center of the Old Town with its famous “Golden Roof”

old buildings abound. Taken together they offer classic examples of Romanesque, Baroque and rococo churches and palaces and homes of noble families. Some of the latter are now hotels, and many others house shops and restaurants on lower floors with apartments above.

The area is the favorite haunt of tourists, but it is also regularly visited by local residents who take special pride in the uniqueness of their town.

Innsbruck is probably best known to Americans as the home of two Winter Olympiads, 1964 and 1976. Europeans have long known it as a great place to ski and hike and most of the winter visitors come from nearby countries. Now a destination city, ski center, and stopping place for those on grand tours, people from all around the world are coming to know it as “the place with the Goldenes Dach [Golden Roof], the Hofburg [Imperial Palace] and Triumphpforte [Triumphal Arch] -- and the contemporary art and jewelry of Swarovski.

With its cultural and commercial and recreational attractions, to locals and long-time residents, Innsbruck is something more: a religious and political center where church and state were long conjoined as these two institutions ruled over body and soul. While the population remains predominantly Catholic and “native,” in recent years the city has become much more diverse. Many shopkeepers told us that this has contributed to a more cosmopolitan, less provincial feeling even as they, too, spoke of the very specialness of “our” Innsbruck.

I had been to the area to ski some years ago but never really spent

38

Crystal cascade and jeweled horse by Swarovski

Old church and graveyard, Innsbruck

much time exploring the city or learning about its history. An invitation to visit Innsbruck in the early autumn prompted a most worthwhile return.

This time Hedy was with me and together we found ourselves both intrigued and enchanted by what we learned, saw, and experienced in one memorable and very busy week in the Tirol.

As we wandered the main thoroughfares and side streets, we found an amazing mixture of tradition and modernity, with several neighborhoods that are quite similar in architectural style to that of the center, and some very modern ones, with buildings of steel and glass. One of the latter is the Hotel Adler where we stayed. It is a 14 storied tower that is a five-minute walk from the main railroad station and a ten minute walk to the oldest part of

Modernity and tradition in Innsbruck

Alters in two famous Innsbruck churches

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View from the rooftop restaurant of the new Hotel Adler (Photo PIR)

town. In addition to its convenience are the spectacular views from almost all rooms, and from every part of the top floor where breakfasts are served The first day we were in Innsbruck we met with a professional tour guide, Elisabeth Grassmayr. When Hedy asked her to describe her city, without a moment’s hesitation she said, “I live in a place where every day is a holiday.” She then continued, “Look around. There are mountains within a few kilometers of the city, huge churches, royal palaces, and the home of two winter Olympics and an Olympiad for youth in 2012….” We were to learn that she spoke with a very special kind of insider-authority.

hiker and entrepreneur and a true Tirolean in every sense of the word. Many years ago she married into a family that had already been making church bells in Innsbruck for fourteen generations. Not surprisingly, she made sure that one of the many stops we made during the two days spent under her guidance was at the Grassmayr Foundry, founded in 1599. There we were told and shown how bells were made – from tiny ones for Christmas tree ornaments to the largest bell in the world recently cast for a gigantic new cathedral in Bucharest, Romania. Another new creation was a special bell commemorating the life of the late Czech leader, Vaclav Havel, a personal hero of mine.

In addition to her day job, Elisabeth is a life-long skier,

With Elisabeth and on our own we visited a number of churches including the Hofkirche [Court Church] with

Schloss Ambras

A section of the panoramic painting

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Elisabeth Grassmayr and poster of their bell foundry (Photo PIR The author and “Havel Bell”

its tomb – although, curiously, not the body - of native son and icon, Emperor Maximilian; the Wilton Abbey Church and Basilica, and several small chapels; Die Tiroler Landsmuseum[, with major collections of history and art; the Tiroler Volkskunstmuseum for folk art; concert halls, conference centers, theaters and two royal residences: The Kaiserliche Hofburg and our favorite, the Schloss Ambras on the lower slopes of the mountain range on the southern side of town. Elisabeth took us to see Das Tirol Panorama a fabulous 1000 meter circular painting of a famous battle when local fighters rallied against the forces of Napoleon in the early 19th century.

The panoramic painting is very close to the Bergesil Ski Jump, now in its seventh iteration. It is the place of many winter-time competitions and used even in snowless months for practice on an artificial landing surface. At the very top is a prize-winning architectural landmark, a glass-enclosed restaurant the juts out from the tower that provides with great vistas of the whole area.

On a Friday evening we enjoyed joining thousands of local citizens –and surely as many tourists -- in a revelry called “Innsbruck Night.” The stores in the Old City were open and the restaurants and bars were full and vibrant, but, to us, the highlight of the evening was the street entertainment. Most intriguing was an incredible troop of dancing mimes, half of them on stilts. They performed in the city square and then danced their way through the nearby streets. There were other performing groups, some clearly appealing to children, and a one-man band whose three-wheeled motorcycle carried an array of instruments -- some played manually by the maestro, others clearly digitized. We stood through many sets listening to him and observing the enthusiastic reactions of his large audiences. When he finished playing, he swiveled around on his seat, revved the engine and tootled off to a typically Austrian martial tune.

One morning, still guided by Elisabeth, we decided to go to the ridge in the center of the nearest massif to a lift station visible from almost anyplace in town.

The Innsbruck Ski Jump

41

We didn’t go on foot, as many do. Instead we took a very modern funicular railroad that starts in a tunnel at the center of town and ends high on a plateau above the city near to the first station of the Nordkettenbahnen, from where two cable car rides took us to the place we had observed from far below.

The terminus is the beginning of hiking and biking trails and ski runs down the mountain. Like so many such venues in the Tirol, it, too, has the convenience of a restaurant where one can sit on the deck or inside, have a beer and a bowl of goulash or some Wurst before heading back down. And that is what we did.

Part of another day was spent on the opposite side of valley. A quick ride on a city bus took us to a stop just beyond the renowned ski village of Igls where we were able to take a cable car to a spot quite near the summit.

En route it was easy to see the Olympic bobsled run that snakes below the lift line. We hiked from the last station to the summit enjoying spectacular views of the city below and the even higher mountains beyond.

On the recommendation of new friends in Innsbruck,

Mountain peaks and powdered sandy scree on the mountain Tirolean panorama above the village of Igls

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Shop in the Old Town

Street entertainers on “Innsbruck Night”

On the Achensee

the most elegant being the Tyrol Kaufhaus which is across the street from another new and modern gallery of many shops and several restaurants. Shortly after leaving Innsbruck and getting back to the Sturm und Drang of the real world, we started reminiscing about our stay.

Then I remembered an inscription we saw on the wall in the lobby of the Volkskunstmuseum. It expressed our sentiments precisely.

“Good night, world….I’m going to Tirol.”

Tyrol Kaufhaus three blocks away

we took a twenty-minute train ride to the town of Jenbach and then a bus from the railroad station to the resort area that surrounds the Achensee, a beautiful mountain lake. Many activities are offered in the area.

Wanting to see more, we opted for a two-hour ride on one of the many ferryboats that ply the waters of the lake.

Back in Innsbruck, and before heading home, we decided to visit some of the many old shops and several 21st century huge shopping centers very close to them,

IF YOU GO Innsbruck is accessible by train, car, or airplane. For maps, guides and other material, contact innsbruck.info.

Hedy and Peter Rose have a long association with Austria and the Salzburg Global Seminar. They are both retired academics and travel journalists. Among Peter’s latest books are With Few Reservations: Travels at Home and Abroad, Professor, Mainstream and Margins Revisited: Sixty Years of Commentary on Minorities in America, a memoir, Postmonitions of a Peripatetic Professor, and his first storybook for children, Max, The Sea-Dog, a Cape Cod Saga. www.theprosewriter.com

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DESTINATION INFORMATION alabama

501-758-1424 NorthLittleRock.org

Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau 205-458-8000 inbirmingham.org

california

Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau 256-551-2235 huntsville.org

San Mateo County/ Silicon Valley CVB

(650) 348-7600 visitsanmateocounty.com

Fairbanks Alaska Explore Fairbanks 907-459-3770 explorefairbanks.com

arkansas Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism (501) 682-7606 Arkansas.com Little Rock CVB 5013703248 littlerock.com

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North Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau

Conneticut Norwalk Now 2035619878 norwalknow.org

Florida

alaska Southeast Alaska Tourism Council 9073217231 alaskasinsidepassage.com

Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association 970-945-5002 glenwoodchamber.com

Gateway to San Francisco and home of San Francisco International Airport and Stanford University, is graced with both scenic beauty and the excitement of a cosmopolitan community. We invite you to explore the land between the bay and the ocean, and discover for yourself its charm and natural beauty.

Janis Flippen Public Relations 805-389-9495 janisflippenpr.com Palm Springs Bureau Tourism 7603228425 visitpalmsprings.com Catalina Island Chamber & Visitors Bureau 310.510.1520 catalinachamber.com

colorado

Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel (239) 338-3500 fortmyers-sanibel.com St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau 9042094425 FloridasHistoricCoast.com Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB 239-252-2425 paradisecoast.com Santa Rosa County Tourist Development Office 850-981-8900 getrelaxing.com Visit Central Florida 863-551-4707 visitcentralflorida.org

DESTINATION INFORMATION indiana Visit South Bend Mishawaka (574) 400-4025 visitsouthbend.com

kansas

Massachusetts Destination Salem 978-741-3252 salem.org

Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks & Tourism 785-296-4922 travelks.com

kentucky Buffalo Trace Distillery 502-696-5926 BuffaloTraceDistillery.com

Maryland Visit Frederick 301-600-4023 visitfrederick.org

You are invited to make your own magic in Salem, Massachusetts. Just 16 miles north of Boston, you can explore rich maritime history, immerse yourself in the Witch Trials of 1692, visit the Peabody Essex Museum or the House of the Seven Gables and take in modern day Salem's many shops, tours, pubs, breweries and restaurants.

michigan Detr oit Metro Convention & Bureau (313) 202-1999 visitdetroit.com

Missouiri Branson Conven tion & Visitors Bureau 417-334-4084 explorebranson.com Springfield, Missouri, Convention & Visitors Bureau 417-881-5300 springfieldmo.org

Development Counselors Int. 2127250707 aboutdci.com

New york Visit Syracuse 315-264-6024 VisitSyracuse.com

It’s time to rally your passion. Find life’s shining moments and celebrate them in a place where true colors never fade; a place where independent spirits and an energetic community come together in perfect harmony. Here is where you find your center. Reconnect the dots with the things that truly matter and make memories on historic streets.Do what makes you happy.

Syracuse. Do Your Thing.

Dutchess County Tourism 845-463-5446 dutchesstourism.com

North carolina Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau 919-245-4323 visitchapelhill.org

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DESTINATION INFORMATION Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau 919-680-8326 durham-nc.com/ Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau 336-335-1578 VisitGreensboroNC.com New Bern - Craven County Convention & Visitor Center (252) 637-9400 visitnewbern.com Outer Banks Visitors Bureau 252-473-2138 outerbanks.org

South County Tourism Council (401) 789-4422 southcountyRI.com

Texas Visit Big Bend 432-837-3915 visitbigbend.com Galveston Island Convention & Visitors Bureau 409-707-5121 galveston.com

oregon

Visit El Paso 915-534-0685 visitelpaso.com

Baker County Tourism 541-523-1589 basecampbaker.com

Visit Pearland 2819975972 visitpearland.com

Visit Tillamook Coast 503 842 2672 tillamookcoast.com

Virginia

Washington County Visitors Association: The Tualatin Valley 503-644-5555 tualatinvalley.org

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Discover Newort, RI (401) 845-911 DiscoverNewprt.org

Rhode island

Lynchburg Office of Economic Development & Tourism (434) 485-7269 LynchburgVirginia.org

washington Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism

360-671-3990 bellingham.org San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau (360) 378-6822 ext. 6 visitsanjuans.com

Canada Quebec City Tourism 418-641-6654, 5427 quebecregion.com

Mexico Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board 212-633-2047 x103 visitpuertovallarta.com

Travel Services CityPAsS 503-292-4418 citypass.com Exodus Travels 647 880 1581 ExodusTravels.com

Our first stop on our visit to North Little Rock, Arkansas, was the famous Old Mill, which was in Gone with the Wind.

I’d heard of it but seeing it in person is a whole different story. Especially this time of year when the flowers are blooming, it’s out of a fairy tale.

Photo by Casey Crocker

w e h op p e d on ct ri t is D s rt A a he In t h e A rg e n t ch e ck e d ou t t d n a r ca t e re F ou r a vi n t a g e st d t h e n ig h t a t e d n e e W s. e a rt g a ll e ri w a s p la y in g . d n ba l ca lo a w h e re Q u a rt e r B a r, e ly ; w h e n a n ic d n ie fr so re e ou t T h e p e op le w t w e w e re fr om ou d n u fo r ba e ba ck co u p le a t t h e w e h a d t o co m s u d ol t y e h t t ou r. of t ow n , A rg e n t a g h os t w e n e h t o d and

Did you know North Little Rock has a REAL, working WWII submarine?! Hard to imagine how 100 men worked in that small space with no air conditioning, for weeks at a time. The Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum also has a tugboat that fought fires in Pearl Harbor. Wow.

t in g t h e su n se ch t a W ? rt a p e it h M y fa vo ri t nted kayaks w re e W . y t ci e ov e r t h e ve n in g fi t t e rs fo r a n t u O r e iv R n R oc k Tow hen the a n sa s R iv e r. W rk A e h t on e re t fl oa ok e d li k e w e w lo it , p u t li s ri ve r br id g e e li g h t . fl oa t in g on bl u Photo by Lori Sparkman

ARKANSAS

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Base photo courtesy of Detroit RiverFront Conservancy

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Detroit: No. 2 in the world of “Best In Travel 2018 Top Cities”— Lonely Planet

Infused with a newfound energy, experience Detroit’s thriving arts scene and world-class cultural attractions. Stroll the vibrant four-mile RiverWalk. Or catch a game in the only city that’s home to four pro sports teams just blocks from each other. With richly restored classic buildings, striking new architecture and more, it’s time to see why the world’s eyes are on Detroit.

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Detroit, USA