Last night, Calvin and I sat down to watch the last two episodes of this season's Amazing Race. We were off on our own A.R. to Central America when the episodes originally aired, so we recorded them on our DVR. I think this is the first time since we've been watching that the team I was rooting for actually won. The female doctors, Nat and Kat, worked really well together and never complained or acted out against other competitors. Being a reality show, there is always some drama created for ratings, but we prefer to watch nice people succeed.
Next season, A.R. will feature past non-winner contestants including the cowboys, Jet and Cord, and the mom and her deaf son (sorry I don't remember their names). These contestants also had integrity in the face of adversity, which I admire. The next season starts in February and I am looking forward to it.
While most of the activities set up by Phil Keoghan and his crew are extreme and not likely to be encountered by regular travelers, they do show us places around the globe that we might not otherwise think of traveling. It is a peek into other cultures, and methods of trasportation. From shacks to castles, modern airports to ox-driven carts, we get to see how other people live. Isn't that one of the reasons why most of us travel? Traveling always reminds me how blessed we are to live in the United States.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Amazing Race Inspires Travelers
The 17th season of The Amazing Race has begun on CBS. Airing on Sunday nights, it seems to enjoy 'reality show' status without all the usual backbiting, secret alliances and voting people off. I missed the first 14 seasons, somehow, but got hooked when I found out that the contestants were traveling all over the world and engaging in outrageous adventures. Last year, we were rooting for 'the cowboys' and will forever remember one of the brothers (was it Jet or Cord?) who always said, "Oh, my gravy!"
The aerial shots of beautiful scenery and city skylines as the contestants travel around the world are awesome. Some of the travel challenges are funny, and some are frustrating, but the destinations are always inspiring to those of us who love to travel. It is too early in the season for me to pick out a favorite team of two contestants to win the million dollars, but I was sorry to see the first team lose their chance after getting lost looking for Stonehenge. While one contestant had never heard of "stone hedge" and was surprised to find out it was just a "pile of rocks" I'm definitely looking forward to seeing it someday soon.
I recommend reading Phil Keoghan's book, No Opportunity Wasted: 8 Ways to Create a List for the Life You Want Now. I picked up a copy late in 2008 and it (along with the very cute Pixar movie, Up! ) inspired me to take a journey around South America and how my life has changed since then! While I don't recommend Phil's Amazing Race strategy of racing through your travel until you are exhausted, I do embrace the excitement, challenges, and adventure of traveling abroad and meeting people of all cultures.
The aerial shots of beautiful scenery and city skylines as the contestants travel around the world are awesome. Some of the travel challenges are funny, and some are frustrating, but the destinations are always inspiring to those of us who love to travel. It is too early in the season for me to pick out a favorite team of two contestants to win the million dollars, but I was sorry to see the first team lose their chance after getting lost looking for Stonehenge. While one contestant had never heard of "stone hedge" and was surprised to find out it was just a "pile of rocks" I'm definitely looking forward to seeing it someday soon.
I recommend reading Phil Keoghan's book, No Opportunity Wasted: 8 Ways to Create a List for the Life You Want Now. I picked up a copy late in 2008 and it (along with the very cute Pixar movie, Up! ) inspired me to take a journey around South America and how my life has changed since then! While I don't recommend Phil's Amazing Race strategy of racing through your travel until you are exhausted, I do embrace the excitement, challenges, and adventure of traveling abroad and meeting people of all cultures.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
World's Largest Cruise Night
October is National Cruise Vacation Month 2010. To celebrate, CLIA, the international cruise line association, is sponsoring the World's Largest Cruise Night (WLCN) and you are invited! Just go to http://wlcn.cruising.org/StaciKendrickJones for your virtual cruise night. Feel free to share the link with your friends, as well. The World's Largest Cruise Night is held on October 13th this year, but you can access the virtual cruise night all month long from October 1st through the 31st. Part of the fun is watching any or all of the videos provided by the cruise lines to get inspired. Suite Romance Travel is recommending several of the cruise lines because of our personal experience. Each line has a unique personality, so let us be your guide to a perfect match for you.
Please come to our virtual cruise night, and give us a call when you are ready to book your next great adventure. Remember, bookings during the WLCN month receive special amenities that you won't want to miss out on. The cruise lines provide extra incentives to CLIA members like Suite Romance Travel that we can pass along to our clients. Early cruise bookings garner the best staterooms on your chosen ship, but best of all, the sooner you reserve your next cruise vacation, the more time you will have to plan and anticipate all the special memories you will be making.
Please come to our virtual cruise night, and give us a call when you are ready to book your next great adventure. Remember, bookings during the WLCN month receive special amenities that you won't want to miss out on. The cruise lines provide extra incentives to CLIA members like Suite Romance Travel that we can pass along to our clients. Early cruise bookings garner the best staterooms on your chosen ship, but best of all, the sooner you reserve your next cruise vacation, the more time you will have to plan and anticipate all the special memories you will be making.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Why "Suite Romance Travel"?
In 2009, the Star Princess embarked on a 30-day journey along the coasts of Central and South America with Calvin Jones and Staci Kendrick on board. They had planned their destination wedding and honeymoon to incorporate their love of travel. Earlier in the year, Calvin proposed to Staci at the conclusion of the fireworks over the castle at Walt Disney World. The fireworks were set to the music of "When You Wish Upon a Star." The final lyrics of that song are "...dreams come true." The couple started planning their wedding while still on holiday, and booked their cruise wedding package on line from their hotel room. Both Calvin and Staci had cruised several times before and were excited about incorporating travel to exotic, adventurous and romantic destinations into their honeymoon.
The wedding on board the Star Princess was absolutely wonderful and amazingly stress-free. The cruise line and their associates at The Wedding Experience took care of everything, including securing the marriage license from Bermuda, the ship's registry country. The Captain presided over the ceremony in the ship's wedding chapel which included lit candles (a rarity on board sea vessels), a pianist playing the white-lacquered grand piano, two beautiful floral arrangements of white roses and lilies, a professional photographer, videographer, webcam, personalized commemorative marriage certicate and maritime documents. The services of a friendly and helpful on-board wedding coordinator and her assistant, both of whom wore crisp dress uniforms for the ceremony, were included in the package. The cruise line also provided a florist who incorporated the bride's chosen blossoms and colors into the bouquet and boutonniere, and the pastry chef used the same colors and an extra half-dozen fresh blooms to decorate the wedding cake. In addition to the photography during the ceremony, the photographer worked with the couple at various locations on board including a visit to the bridge at the special invitation of the Captain. The wedding day was flawless. An impromptu champagne reception for guests and new cruise friends was held in the stately but intimate Wheelhouse Bar which was decorated with dark wood paneling and leather sofas. A small dance floor and musicians provided just the right accompaniment for the couple's first dance.
Calvin and Staci had booked a stateroom in the 'mini-suite' category which in addition to the bedroom area, included a sitting room, two flat-screen TVs, a walk-in closet, a tub in the bathroom, and a marvelous open-air deck for watching romantic sunsets and star gazing.
After a month of visiting ten countries with weather ranging from tropical to polar, and engaging in activities from adventure (zipline, commando bridge, rafting, 4x4 offroading to see penguins) to the sublime (fine dining, tango, and standing on top of the world beneath the outstretched arms of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro) Staci and Calvin could not imagine any type of wedding or honeymoon as sweet (suite!) as their own.
Now they would like to share their happiness by enabling others to find their own suite romance - anywhere they would like to travel.
The wedding on board the Star Princess was absolutely wonderful and amazingly stress-free. The cruise line and their associates at The Wedding Experience took care of everything, including securing the marriage license from Bermuda, the ship's registry country. The Captain presided over the ceremony in the ship's wedding chapel which included lit candles (a rarity on board sea vessels), a pianist playing the white-lacquered grand piano, two beautiful floral arrangements of white roses and lilies, a professional photographer, videographer, webcam, personalized commemorative marriage certicate and maritime documents. The services of a friendly and helpful on-board wedding coordinator and her assistant, both of whom wore crisp dress uniforms for the ceremony, were included in the package. The cruise line also provided a florist who incorporated the bride's chosen blossoms and colors into the bouquet and boutonniere, and the pastry chef used the same colors and an extra half-dozen fresh blooms to decorate the wedding cake. In addition to the photography during the ceremony, the photographer worked with the couple at various locations on board including a visit to the bridge at the special invitation of the Captain. The wedding day was flawless. An impromptu champagne reception for guests and new cruise friends was held in the stately but intimate Wheelhouse Bar which was decorated with dark wood paneling and leather sofas. A small dance floor and musicians provided just the right accompaniment for the couple's first dance.
Calvin and Staci had booked a stateroom in the 'mini-suite' category which in addition to the bedroom area, included a sitting room, two flat-screen TVs, a walk-in closet, a tub in the bathroom, and a marvelous open-air deck for watching romantic sunsets and star gazing.
After a month of visiting ten countries with weather ranging from tropical to polar, and engaging in activities from adventure (zipline, commando bridge, rafting, 4x4 offroading to see penguins) to the sublime (fine dining, tango, and standing on top of the world beneath the outstretched arms of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro) Staci and Calvin could not imagine any type of wedding or honeymoon as sweet (suite!) as their own.
Disclosure:
Blog owner is a travel agent affiliated with Vacation.com and Nexion LLC. The California Seller of Travel (CST) number is CST#2121310-40. Suite Romance Travel is operated by Staci and Calvin Jones. For DIY hotel and car bookings on the go use our discount booking engine at website address www.pulaskitravel.com/SuiteRomanceTrips . For the ultimate in personal service for ocean and river cruising, land tours and resort vacations, contact us directly at (707) 447-2457 or staci@SuiteRomanceTravel.com . Staci is an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) certified by CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association, Inc.) Our main website address is www.SuiteRomanceTravel.com . You can also like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SuiteRomanceTravelAgency
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)