Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for travel insurance
Birthplace of Water Skiing
By Linda Tancs
In 1922 Ralph Samuelson invented water skiing in Lake City, Minnesota, rendering the locale the birthplace of the sport. The city lies along Lake Pepin, the widest portion of the Mississippi River. As you can imagine, you’ll find some of the best boating in the Midwest there along with plenty of parks for walking, swimming and fishing. Among its charms it boasts the highest number of 19th century homes for a town this size in Minnesota. At three miles wide and 21 miles long, the lake is perfectly suited for a scenic cruise on the Pearl of the Lake Paddleboat, a modern day replica of the grand riverboats that traveled the Mississippi River in the 1800s. Why not top off a visit with stop at the marina building; you’ll find Samuelson’s skis on display there.
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Rendezvous in the Black Hills
By Linda Tancs
Motorcycle mania hits the Black Hills of South Dakota during the Sturgis Rally from August 8 to 14 this year. The origins of the race began with the Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club in 1936, with an official American Motorcycle Association (AMA) charter in 1937. AMA began promoting the racing events which started the now famous Rally in Sturgis on August 14, 1938. That weekend celebration in 1938 had a lineup of only nine racers and a small audience watching the races. Now the rally will hold 12 events, including motocross racing, a 1/2 mile race, hill climbs, road tours and short track racing. As you can see, the Sturgis Rally has grown quite a bit since the first rally in 1937! Is this the greatest motorcycle rally anywhere? You decide.
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The Maine Event
By Linda Tancs
Maine. Lobster. Perfect together. So of course the Maine event (okay, I couldn’t resist the pun) in Vacationland is the annual Lobster Festival today through 7 August at Rockland’s Harbor Park, less than two hours from Portland. Today is Hometown Day, and admission is free to kickoff the festivities. Not that you’ll mind the eight dollars for adults and two dollars for children (ages 6 to 12) thereafter for your crack at nearly 20,000 pounds of Maine’s proudest export. So nip along smartly before it’s all gone.
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The Castled Crag of Drachenfels
By Linda Tancs
“The castled crag of Drachenfels/Frowns o’er the wide and winding Rhine” wrote English Romantic poet Lord Byron. That’s a reference to Drachenfels, a 1,053 foot mountain range near Bonn, Germany. The ruined castle atop the mountain bears the same name. A newer castle, down the Rhine and frequently referred to as the Neuschwanstein of the Rhine, is named Schloss Drachenburg, a palace constructed in the late 19th century. A German legend recounts the slaying of a dragon in a cave in the mountain. Hence, the mountain is named the “Dragon’s Rock”, or Drachenfels. An electric railcar connects the summit with the resort town of Koenigswinter.
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Voucher to Travel
By Linda Tancs
You may have heard that Delta Airlines is offering travel vouchers for lost flights. The interesting detail is that the vouchers are obtained as a result of bidding for compensation on a bumped flight. Undoubtedly, compensation for bumped flights costs airlines a bundle. The current scheme saves Delta money, particularly considering that the remuneration consists of a voucher for the value of a bid for the bumped flight. Cash is undoubtedly king–but a voucher? Consider your options. The same applies to travel insurance plans offered by tour operators. Be sure that a cancellation without cause policy results in a cash refund for the full value of the tour and not simply vouchers for a future tour in a time frame of one year or less. It’s your money. Spend it wisely.
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Earth Day Celebrations
By Linda Tancs
Happy Earth Day. Kermit the Frog says it’s not easy being green. Earth Day advocates surely don’t agree. This year’s events will show you why. Listen in at Travelrific Radio.
If you enjoyed this post, please share it on sites such as StumbleUpon, vote for it, or bookmark it. Thanks for your support! Travelrific® was featured as Blog of the Day on NJ.com!
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Travel Insurance Concerns Are Abated
By Linda Tancs
With today’s economic uncertainties, travelers may be taking a closer look at the “comforts” of travel insurance. Of course, that coverage is only as good as the company standing behind it. That’s why purchasers of AIG’s Travel Guard may have suffered some heartburn recently, at least until news of Uncle Sam’s $85 billion bailout. For greater ease of mind, the company has sent out a release assuring customers that subsidiaries, like Travel Guard, are able to meet their obligations. If only the same could be said for the rest of the industry.
If you enjoyed this post, please share it on sites such as StumbleUpon, vote for it, or bookmark it. Thanks for your support! Travelrific® was featured as Blog of the Day on NJ.com!
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How to Find a Good Tour Company
By Linda Tancs
Granted, there hasn’t been much news lately of a tour company going belly up, stranding hundreds of passengers and stripping them of their tour and deposit monies–not to mention peace of mind. The majority of tour operators are stable and reputable, but do your homework nonetheless. Check with the Better Business Bureau in the city in which a tour company you plan on using is doing business. You can also download a list of members of the U.S. Tour Operators Association at www.ustoa.com. Each tour company member is required to carry $1 million in security in the form of a bond or letter of credit held in trust by the USTOA to reimburse travelers against the operator’s financial instability or other failures. With over $9 billion in sales volume, that’s a lot of money to look after so be sure to finish your homework.
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How to Compare Travel Insurance Policies
By Linda Tancs
Make no mistake about it. All travel insurance policies are not created equal. Travel insurance is a billion dollar industry, and trip cancellation/interruption accounts for the bulk of the cost of travel insurance packages. Read the fine print of each provider’s coverage and weigh that against the cost of the coverage being sought. You can compare policy providers online. Check out http://www.quotewright.com.
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