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In This Issue...
Reader Tips & Suggestions
Hot Deals ~ Save on Travel
Hot Air Balloon Ride over Central
Turkey
Women's Tour: Tuscany and Rome
Spotlight ~ Twin Peaks Dude Ranch
Prague: We Came for the Pils, but
Left Thirsty for More of the City!
Saddle Up and Put Your Life Jacket
On!
Have Cabin Will Travel ~ A Rhine
River Cruise!
Charlevoix: Quebec's Area of Fine
Foods
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Greetings!
It seems like only yesterday that we were pounding the pavements of Europe -
possibly because we are spending most of our time writing articles about our
experiences and sorting through the multitude of photos (3200+), from our
recent six-week European adventure. We were fortunate enough to have a
trip that went as planned and was without a hiccup; but not everyone who
travels is that lucky. If you're one of the lucky ones, or even the unlucky ones,
send us your travel tips, suggestions and tales. We love to read them and
know other WAVE Journey readers do too.
Looking for ideas for that next trip? This issue contains some great ideas
including: exploring in Prague; feasting in Charlevoix, Quebec; hot air
ballooning over Central Turkey; dude ranch 101 in Idaho; floating between
European cities. So what are you waiting for?
One of the events we covered this month was the Reno River Festival in Reno,
Nevada, USA. This is an annual event that takes place in and around the
Truckee River in downtown Reno. If you haven't attended this event, put it on
your list for 2009. www.renoriverfestival.com
Also, we took in the Tournament of Sand Sculpture Champions in Harrison,
British Columbia, Canada. The weather wasn't very cooperative - usually isn't
in this area at this time of year - but you can take a look at photos of the sand
sculptures on their website. www.harrisand.org
Mark your calender: for all our fans in the Atlanta, Georgia area - June 23rd at
3PM EST - we will be interviewed by Ann Lombardi, of The Trip Chicks, on
Radio Sandy Springs Travel Talk: Escapes!
www.radiosandysprings.com/escapes.php
Send us an email if you need any suggestions or ideas, and as always, we'll be
happy to help.
Thanks to all our faithful readers and contributors for making the WJ website a
success. Keep your photos, stories, travel tips, recipes and recommendations
coming and help us spread the word by forwarding this newsletter to your
family, friends and colleagues.
New contest for WJ readers ~ We are giving away the book, Inca Trails:
Journey Through The Bolivian and Peruvian Andes by Martin Li. Inca Trails is
the thrilling story of a riding and trekking adventure through the Bolivian and
Peruvian Andes, tracing the rise and fall of the Inca empire.
For all the details and to enter the contest, click here.
To view WJ's latest photos, visit www.flickr.com/wavejourney.
Happy Trails!
Viv and Jill
(aka: WJ)
New WAVE Journey photos can be accessed by clicking here.
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Reader Suggestions
The setting of the Domina Hotel Parco dello
Stelvio is unique and inspiring. You will be
welcomed with elegant, comfortable living
spaces, cared for down to the smallest of
details, where nothing is left to chance and
everybody will find their own favourite spaces.
Via S.Antonio, 16 - 38024 Cogolo di Peio (TN) -
Italy
Tel. +39 0463 754553 - Fax +39 0463 754322
Email: info@hotelstelviodomina.it
Website: www.hotelstelviodomina.it
As recommended by Patricia and Dick,
Oregon, USA.
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Hot Travel Deals
Book your travel and check the weekly bargains from Expedia.com.
* cruises
* car rentals
* hotels
* flights
* vacation packages
* excursions
* hot summer vacations at 30% off
Click Here For Details...
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Readers Recommend:
I love the Old Town Hilton in Prague. It has a
great location, has recently been rehabbed
and is just minutes from the square and many
others sights. I met someone from Prague
and she told me of a restaurant frequented by
locals - Cafe Louvre. It was walking distance
from the Hilton Hotel, the food was great
(outrageous desserts) and the prices were
very reasonable. I ate there several times,
especially as they have a nice no-smoking
room. Their poppy seed/plum strudel was
heavenly!!
http://www.cafelouvre.cz/en/
As recommended by Sandra, USA.
Sirmione is considered one of the pearls of
Garda Lake. It is on the calm banks of this
lake that the Hotel Grifone rises. Ideal point of
departure to visit all this area has to offer:
Therme of Sirmione; the beauties of the
natural parks; the structures of fun, such as
Gardaland or Aquapark Caneva; the famous
products of the local wine and food. The Hotel
Grifone is 2-star, family-managed since 1968
and has a marvelous view of the lake with
some rooms with a balcony.
Via Bocchio 4, 25019 Sirmione, Italy.
As recommended by Patricia and Dick,
Oregon, USA.
Just a note to thank you for all your input before
we went on our river cruise on the Amadeus
Amacello. It was a great help and we had a
wonderful time. The ship was great (brand
new) and we had a wonderful cruise director,
Maddy. We took a day trip to Salzburg which
was worthwhile, driving back through the
lake/mountain country which was beautiful.
www.amadeuswaterways.com
As recommended by Sandra, USA.
Hiking and photography are two of my favorite
activities when visiting Sedona, Arizona. If you
pay a visit, you must take a good camera with
you. Hikers will be in heaven. Take an off-road
jeep tour to the Seven Sacred Pools. There's a
lot of talk about the half-dozen or so, vortexes
in Sedona. Downtown Sedona is small, but
there are some excellent places to grab a bite
to eat.
As recommended by Danielle, New
Hampshire, USA.
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Travel Tales
Hot Air Balloon Ride over Central
Turkey
By Beth Robinette
Anytime you get a chance to take a hot air balloon ride, you should do it. Nothing compares to
quietly floating over the landscape. I had the special honor of taking my first balloon flight
during a recent trip to Cappadocia, Turkey.
Balloon flights are done at dawn or dusk, when the air currents are low. We picked a morning
flight and it was hard to crawl out of bed in complete darkness. Turkey is quite cold in early
March and we were bundled up.
The crew starts by spreading the balloon canopy on the ground. They fill it with air using an
industrial fan. Once the balloon is full enough so that the sides stand out, they use a propane
burner to complete the inflation with hot air.
There were about 8 balloons going up simultaneously that morning. Ours was the last to leave
the ground, just as the sun was topping the mountains. Balloon flight is quite smooth and the
only sounds are your breathing and the occasional blast from the propane burner.
Click here to read more...
Travel Tales
Prague: We Came for the Pils, but Left Thirsty for More of the City!
Story by Vivienne Chapleo
On a cold and blustery day in early April (in what was supposed to be spring), Jill and I arrived
in Prague after a scenic and rather interesting (whole other story), seven-hour train ride from
Budapest. From our very first moments after stepping from the train, until we departed from the
airport, our time in Prague was spectacular.
Our smiling chauffer met us at the train station with our name written on his board. Quickly and
efficiently, Mike (the owner of Mike's Chauffeur Service), showed us to his van and whisked us
through the busy city traffic towards our hotel. Within 20-minutes of leaving the train, we
entered the lobby of the hotel that would be our home-away-from-home for the next three
nights. We had booked our transfer online the previous day at a price of CZK380 (US$24).
www.mike-chauffeur.cz
The Hotel Maximilian proved to be a perfect choice for our stay in this exciting city. Designed by
Czech-born architect Eva Jiricna, the Hotel Maximilian is ideally located on a quiet street within
a few minutes walk of Old Town Square and within five minutes you can be at all the major
sights - Astronomical Clock, Wenceslas Square, Charles Bridge, Powder Tower, opera and
concert halls.
Click here to read more...
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HIGH SIERRA SPORT COMPANY
For over 25 years, High Sierra Sport Company has strived to give you
the bags you need at a price you can afford. Specializing in adventure
travel, their dedication to function, design and quality shines in each
and every one of thier products. From athletes and outdoor
enthusiasts, to students, travellers and professionals, their versatile,
innovative products are sure to fit your needs.
To learn more about High Sierra products, click here.
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WJ's recommended top 5 things
to do on your next trip to Berlin:
1. Stay at the Hotel Adlon Kempinski
and book a room with a view of the
Brandenburg Gate. www.hotel-adlon.de
2. Take a city sightseeing tour with
Berlin City Tour - hop on, hop off for
Euro 15 per adult.
www.berlin-city-tour.de
3. Polish off a Berliner Pilsner beer at
Kartoffel-Laube - Euro 3.50. Address:
Das Kartoffel Restaurant & Bar,
Berlin-Mitte, Probststrasse 1. Tel: 24 72
21 21. Open noon to midnight.
4. Take a free tour of the Parliament
building, Reichstag. Write them in
advance of your visit and arrange this
tour of the Reichstag and then spend
time in the famous dome for some great
views of Berlin.
http://www.bundestag.de/htdocs_e/visitor
s/besgrupp/fuehr.html
5. Pay a visit to the Brandenburg Gate
at night when it is quiet and there aren't
hundreds of tourists milling around.
Make sure to take your camera and get
a photo of the illuminated gate.
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Recommended Women's Tour for 2008
"STEP INSIDE THE BEST OF TUSCANY AND ROME"
A Small Group All-Gals Getaway with The Trip Chicks™
September 19 - September 27, 2008
Enjoy 5 nights in a "home-base" Montecatini family-run hotel, with a reputation for
fantastic cuisine. With Italian guide Paola, experience the magic of the best of
Tuscany by private minibus.
Amble through cypress and olive tree-lined country lanes, Frances Mayes'
Cortona, breathtaking Siena, medieval hill-town San Gimignano, the "Eternal City"
Rome and much more by bus and on foot.
Marvel at inspiring St. Peter's and the ancient Colosseum, dodge buzzing Vespas,
savor tasty and surprisingly affordable trattoria cuisine, wander through the
Palatine ruins and take in Italy's "la dolce vita" like few tourists do.
Click here to read more about this exciting trip...
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Spend a day enjoying the countryside of
Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic when
you take the train from Budapest's Keleti
Station to Prague's Holesovice Station.
The 9:30AM train from Budapest arrives in
Prague at 4:24PM and a second class,
one-way seat cost 16,800 Hungarian Forints
(Approx. US$105.00 or E67.00). Credit cards
and cash in the form of the Forint are accepted
at the train station ticket office where you need
to go to purchase your ticket.
It is possible to find prices online -
http://www.elvira.hu.
Speaking with locals we hear that return tickets
are the best deal and first-class tickets are an
extra 50% (not worth it in our opinion).
- by WAVE Journey.
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Travel Tales
Saddle Up and Put Your Life Jacket On!
Story by Jill Hoelting
Choosing one or the other is exactly what we did, depending on the day, during our week's stay
at Twin Peaks Ranch, 18 miles south of Salmon, Idaho. Total immersion in Dude Ranch 101 is
just what we wanted and got at this 2900-acre working ranch in the northern Rockies.
This well-appointed dude ranch delivers adrenalin-laced adventure from the saddle to the
paddle.
Offering the expected pasture-full of sleek mounts for high country riding, Twin Peaks Ranch
also ensures you a wet and woolly river experience either in rafts or duckies (inflatable kayaks),
down the rated Salmon River, commonly referred to as "The River of No Return".
Bolstered with some of the most outstanding meals we have ever eaten, we found our inner
cowgirl with every new trail discovered. The experienced and jovial staff ensures rides are
suitable for the group and always fresh. One day featured a long ride up into the high country of
the North Basin for an overnight with cookout at a tent camp. The crisp mountain air and
exquisite scenery soothed away the stress of city life, like sun fading an old pair of
saddle-chaffed denim jeans.
Click here to read more...
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READERS RECOMMEND
MomsMiniVan.com is a great source for ideas
on how to keep the kids busy on that next
roadtrip. They tout 101 car games, travel
games and road trip games for kids.
www.momsminivan.com
As recommended by Lou, Halifax, Canada.
Festivals and Events around the World -
looking for things to do and places to go? Try
www.2camels.com and get some great ideas.
As recommended by Natalie, Ohio, USA.
Pillows and Pancakes B&B guide is my
favorite place to go when looking for a place to
stay on my next vacation.
www.pillowsandpancakes.com
As recommended by Reggie, Winnipeg,
Canada.
I love anything crafty. So, when I came across
"Craft Mafia", I was thrilled. This is a great
website for people who love all aspects of
crafts.
www.craftmafia.com
As recommended by Gabby, Wisconsin, USA.
This is a site I've visited a number of times and
like the idea. I don't mind traveling solo, but it's
much cheaper if I can find someone to travel
with. "Just Us Girls Travel" is for women who
love to travel, make friends and enjoy life. It is
the first travel matching service exclusively for
women 40+.
www.justusgirlstravel.com
As recommended by Betty, Austin, USA.
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Travel Tales
Stops on the Gastronomic Trail in Charlevoix: Quebec's Area of Fine Foods
story by Habeeb Salloum
In the past I had travelled to Charlevoix, some one and a half hours drive east of Quebec City;
but in the ensuing years had always yearned to return to this region, noted for its fine foods. A
rich farming and tourist area with an enticing mountain and river landscape, inviting fiords,
islands, lakes, parks and wilderness, it contains within its borders charming villages and
rustic farms. As well, the many tourist establishments such as art galleries, museums, quaint
inns and restaurants combine to dazzle and delight visitors. Above all, this region with some
30,000 inhabitants is noted for its organic foods offered locally to the some 800,000 annual
tourists by its hospitable inhabitants.
This day I had returned and was planning to indulge in savouring, as much as possible, the
region's food. Thinking of the many calories that I would consume, I was awakened from my
dreams when our vehicle stopped in Baie St-Paul, a village of some 4,000 at the testaurant/bar
and microbrewery, Le Saint Pub, serving a whole series of in-house beers along with excellent
meals.
Both Frederick and Caroline, the owners, are proud of their establishment, working in total
harmony at creating new types of beers of which some have become well known. Business is
expanding and they are now in the process of building a new brewery. In the words of
Frederick, "I have always loved beer and I have been experimenting with beer-making since I
was in my teens. The brewing of beer is what I love most".
Click here to read more...
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ZEN CITY SPA
On a recent visit to Prague, WAVE
Journey had the opportunity to visit the
Zen City Spa and experience the "Bali
Blossom" treatment and the Floatarium.
Tucked away in Prague's marvelous
Hotel Maximilian, you'll discover true Zen
Asian Wellness at Zen City Spa,
www.planetzen.cz. Whether in Prague
on business or pleasure, experience the
exotic ambiance in this tranquil retreat
and luxuriate with one of the many
calming and holistic massage therapies
and treatments on the menu at Zen City
Spa.
Indulge in Classic Thai massage,
stretching all parts of your body and
releasing the natural energy from within.
Or choose "Foot Joy" with acupressure
reflexology, stimulating many other parts
and organs of your body. Zen City Spa
caters to expectant mothers with their
"Pre-Mamma" relaxation massage. Or
experience the atmosphere of a tropical
paradise with the "Bali Blossom"
treatment ~ a massage from Bali Island
followed with a relaxing bath full or rose
petals and coconut oil, while you sip tea
and nibble on fresh fruit. The
comprehensive menu provides many
different treatments to alleviate stress
and tension and unleash the energy in
your body, while calming your mind.
It is here at Zen City Spa, where you will
find the Floatarium ~ a private room with
a salty mineral pool which allows you the
sense of the infinite lightness of being.
Soothe your body and mind and relax
muscles and joints while floating in the
warm water.
Zen City Spa is open daily 10AM to
10PM.
Address: Hotel Maximilian
(www.maximilianhotel.com), Hastalska
14, Praha 1.
Tel: +420 225 303 116
Website: www.planetzen.cz
Open to both the general public and
hotel guests.
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Spotlight
TWIN PEAKS DUDE RANCH
July 2007 had WAVE Journey spending a week
experiencing everything Twin Peaks Ranch
had to offer. WJ highly recommends a trip to
Twin Peaks Ranch for families, couples,
singles, honeymooners,adventure seekers
and for corporate retreats.
Located near Salmon, Idaho on the wild "River of No Return", Twin Peaks Ranch offers guests
a one of a kind western vacation. If you're looking to get in touch with your inner cowboy, or just
get away and relax, our 2,900-acre working ranch will provide you with an authentic Wild West
experience.
Founded because of its ideal location for sportsmen activities, guests can participate in the
widest variety of western activities found anywhere. Whether it's riding lofty trails to our high
mountain tent camp, fishing an alpine lake, or floating the Salmon River's white water rapids,
there is something for everybody.
At Twin Peaks Ranch you can enjoy the widest variety of western activities found in the Northern
Rockies. From riding to wrangling to rafting, you can experience it all.
Come break trail over the Continental Divide where Lewis & Clark came over on their way to
map the Northwest Territories. Herd cattle through the open range of our working ranches
2,900 acres. Raft the rated Salmon River, or as many know it, the "River of No Return". Or, just
relax in our heated swimming pool. Fishing, target shooting, arena riding, overnight trips,
evening entertainment and much more await you as well.
Toll Free: 1-800-659-4899
Phone: 208-894-2290
Fax: 208-894-2429
Email: tpranch@twinpeaksranch.com
Website: www.twinpeaksranch.com
Travel Tales
Amadeus Waterways: Have Cabin Will Travel ~ A Rhine River Cruise
Story by Vivienne Chapleo
Amsterdam captures my heart on any given visit, but for it to be the embarkation point for a river
cruise, made it even more captivating.
Cruising is one of the ways I like to spend my vacations, but after a week sailing the Rhine and
Mosel Rivers with Amadeus Waterways, river cruising has shot to the top of my list of
favorite-ways-to-travel.
Arriving in Amsterdam (a few days earlier than my scheduled cruise), I checked into the Hotel
Estherea. This charming four-star, 70-room boutique hotel, established in a renovated
building from the 17th century, fronts the Singel Canal. Hotel Estherea is perfectly located on a
quiet street within walking distance to all the main sights in Amsterdam - Anne Frank House,
Red Light District, Dam Square, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Central Station, Begijnhof
and Rembrandt Square.
The day of embarkation, walking from Hotel Estherea to the cruise ship (and rolling my High
Sierra wheeled duffel) on a crisp spring afternoon, only took 20 minutes. Once I caught sight of
the Amadeus Amadagio (the ship that would be home for the next week) my pace increased
with excitement. She looked beautiful!
Click here to read more...
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