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A couple years ago my fiancée, my daughter, and his son and father all went to Disney World to celebrate our union together before our wedding.  I already had joined the Disney Vacation Club program, and went ahead to schedule a 2 bedroom villa.  Doug’s father could not walk long distances due to a heart issue, and being 80 years old, so we rented a scooter.  We also made sure that the villa was on the first floor.  My fiancée needed to use a CPAK for oxygen at night, so a comfortable place to sleep was key.  Finally, the kitchen was Wonderful, as we had special dietary needs.

Hilton has a new digital app to assist in travel bookings that is easy to use whether you are a Millennial or a Boomer. Boomers are using more digital tools to assist in all aspects of travel. The Boomer Travel Patrol will be periodically reviewing what is available to let our readers know what they can download to their smart phones or tablets. 

Along the northern coast of Africa sits the amazing country of Morocco. It boasts incredibly diverse – and beautiful landscapes, and is home to a wonderfully diverse population. On the “Highlights of Morocco” tour, you’ll get to know the vibrant culture and colorful backdrops that distinctively define Morocco. 

A few miles south on US29 from our home base in Everglades City, we discovered Chokoloskee Island. It is a wonderful Off the Beaten Path spot with great food, photography, fishing and the historical and mysterious Smallwood Store. 

I have strong memories from my childhood vacations to Keystone Heights in north central Florida to visit my dad’s mom and family. Once each trip we would head off to Saint Augustine in my great- uncle’s Cadillac. I remember the huge old fort, the smell of the ocean, and the trees of unknown origin. Last winter, we stopped for an afternoon on our way to Seabrook Island, South Carolina. My return trip brought back these great memories and much more. 

As a young teen, I spent my first three high school years in Madrid, Spain. My father was a career USAF officer and we were stationed in Madrid.  I always dreamed as a young woman of returning, not realizing that once my sons flew away to college, I would fly away as a flight attendant for a major airline.  My first assignment as a new graduate was to Madrid! I was thrilled, not only to visit Madrid but also to Barcelona, Seville and many other Spanish cities.

What happens when the worst happens and you get sick or injured on vacation? If your condition is so severe that you can’t fly back on a commercial airline then you will need to book an air ambulance to get home. Most likely this isn’t an area that you have thought about or have any background knowledge on. So, what are the questions to ask, and do’s and don’ts you need to know before booking an air ambulance? 

The everyday food onboard ship is absolutely amazing!  Kudos to the Executive Chef, his sous-Chefs, and “the lines”,  plus all the kitchen workers who so diligently produced fine food at every meal.  Breakfast is a wonderful mixture of choices – the traditional English fare, solid, well cooked and tasty (bacon being the biggest treat it seemed!).  There were the Continental breakfasts more on the French style, and then the hearty German ones laden with processed meats and cheeses.  It seemed that everyone subscribed to the English tradition of eating a hearty breakfast to set you up for the rest of the day.

“the very image of an enormous lion crouched between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean”

                                                         William Makepeace Thackeray 

It’s finally fall and time for two of the most popular Disney World events – the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival and Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. Here are some insider tips about these events and how to make the most of them, along with a few extra bonuses for your Orlando trip this season.

A surprising awaits people who venture a block or so from the beach in Ft. Lauderdale Florida.  A large Caribbean style home was built around 1900 and is filled with lots of animals, and treasures from around the world.

Ecuador is a small gem of a country with picturesque Quito nestled in the Andes bisecting the unique Galapagos Islands and some of the most biodiverse rainforest in the world.  A recent site visit to the easternmost part of the Ecuadorian Amazon exposed me to the amazing flora and fauna of this ecosystem, now under increasing pressure to be developed because of its oil reserves.  Searching for a suitable site to send nationally-selected Eagle Scouts for the National Eagle Scout Association (NESA), Tiputini seemed to be a great destination. Long experience with expedition medicine required some advance reconnaissance for me to assure safety.     

Once I left Tognazzini’s Dockside, I checked into my accommodations at Harbor Front Suites. Actually, there was no check-in as I was provided with a pass code to enter my condo. It was in a private complex complete with a garage, which also had a code. It was really funny not having a card or keys, as my rental car also was keyless. It’s a new day, Boomers!

Until January 3^rd, visitors to the Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library in Winterthur, Delaware, have a chance to view a very special exhibition of Tiffany Stained Glass. The Museum, located on the former du Pont estate, about 45 minutes southwest of Philadelphia, is showing Tiffany Glass: Painting with Color and Light, which features selected works by Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933). The exhibition was organized by the Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass in New York City. 

One great fear for travelers in tropical or semi-tropical climates is a venomous snake bite.  Though relatively rare, venomous snake bites do account for about 40,000 deaths worldwide, many of them in rural areas of underdeveloped countries.  Pit vipers are the source of many bites but most have low death rates.  Although all snake bites are potentially dangerous, highly venomous snakes require urgent and specific attention.  I was contacted to assist with just such a snake bite right before Christmas.

Here’s a great trivia question for you. What city is the Classic Car Capital of Canada? Give up? The answer is Chatham. Next question – what U.S. city is near Chatham? You guessed it – Detroit. So now I say, book a flight to Detroit, rent a car, drive 53 miles (don’t forget your passport) and book a room at the Retro Suites Hotel. 

May is Lyme Disease Awareness month, the start of summer travel season and a good time to share information about staying protected from ticks. There are more ticks in more places than ever before. Lyme disease has now become one of the fastest growing epidemics to date. The CDC estimates the number of cases in the US alone to be about 300,000 cases a year. Tick encounter rates are soaring and it is time to get tick savvy to avoid bites and lessen the risk of Lyme disease. 

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984, Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal, offers some of the best wildlife viewing in Asia. The park, which is situated approximately 150km southwest of Kathmandu, is home to the Royal Bengal Tiger, Sloth Bear, Clouded Leopard, Striped Hyena, One-Horned Indian Rhino, wild boar, deer, monkey, Gharial (crocodile), over 450 species of birdlife and can all been seen in their natural habitat. 

In March, I had the amazing opportunity to attend a business retreat with Virgin Mobile & Airlines founder Richard Branson on his private island in the Caribbean, Necker Island. At the retreat, the entrepreneur attendees shared valuable business lessons and made strong connections through our relevant career and life experience. A genuine connection that I made was with my roommate, Etienne Pretorius, a native of South Africa. Our relationship would lead me to an amazing journey to South Africa.

Personal safety experts share tips that can help protect stressed out travelers.

As peak holiday travel season is upon us, consumers are often left wondering when they should actually book their flight and hotel accommodations. With Thanksgiving less than a month away and Christmas following shortly after, travelers that are holding out for a last minute deal may be making a costly mistake. 

Combine a 30-mile trip on My Old Kentucky Dinner Train through the heart of Kentucky Bourbon Country during October, with good friends and a great lunch; you have a bucket list afternoon. Bardstown, Kentucky is the home of this great destination experience. 

Join acclaimed actress, Linda Kozlowski, best known as the leading lady in “The Crocodile Dundee” trilogy, as she embraces her new role as co-founder of Dream My Destiny (www.dreamydestiny.com), a bespoke Moroccan tour company with her partner Moulay Hafid Baba. Her bold new travel business offers one- of-a-kind vacations perfect for those seeking a truly customized travel experience in 2015.

Are you tired of cool, cold, and totally freezing days of winter?  If you are anything like me you could use a little bit of Florida Sunshine.  Mid Spring (after Easter week) is a great time of year to visit Walt Disney World due to lower crowds, nice temperatures, and one of my favorite events…

The Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival 2015