Wondrous Wanders: Iceland

Today we feature the 6th post in our guest blog travel series.  This series highlights the favorite travel destinations that inspired wonder in each guest blogger as they wandered there.  Today's post is from Zach Sundquist and he is the Air Service Analyst at the Chicago Rockford International Airport in Rockford, IL. When he's not talking to airlines or other airports about new routes, Zach is exploring the world, spending time with friends across the country, or taking a road trip to a new city he's never been to.

In May of 2009 I had the opportunity to visit the most incredible place on Earth. Sitting near the arctic circle on the Mid-Atlantic ridge, the country of Iceland awaits. The task was to drive all the way around the island in seven days and see and do everything there is to see and do in Iceland. Needless to say I failed, because the fact of the matter is there isn't enough time in life to see and do everything there is in Iceland. The ever changing landscape is growing every year and every time you look away and come back something has changed. So allow me to give you a quick overview of some of the highlights of Iceland.

Once you touch down in Keflavik (35 miles outside Reykjavik) you really wonder if the pilot didn't take a wrong turn and you ended up on the moon. Lava fields stretch as far as the eye can see with a mountain range off in the distance. As you continue to drive you slowly start to change scenery as you enter Reykjavik and start to encounter about 75% of the country's population (Only 300,000 total).

For a quick visit there is plenty to do in the capital of Reykjavik. Take in a concert at Harpa, shop at one of the many boutique stores, eat a wide variety of seafood, and then party into the night at one of Iceland's many pubs and clubs. Reykjavik is always hosting some sort of Festival from fine arts to music and Film. In an effort to recover from the economic collapse of 2008 Iceland has been focused on inspiring tourism and has a campaign Inspired by Iceland (www.inspiredbyiceland.com). The President of Iceland is inviting you to a pancake breakfast with his family! How's that for hospitality! If a breakfast with the president is a little too personal for your tastes don't fear, there are many companies which offer one day tours of the Golden Circle where you can enjoy three of Iceland's most unique venues, Geysir, Gulfoss, and Thingvellir. All three are amazing and give you a quick glimpse at what this country has to offer.

Another great trip is only 45 minutes outside of Reykjavik and that is the Blue Lagoon. Who knew a power plant could be so fun as you soak in a geothermal pool. This is Iceland's number one tourist attraction. While it is a bit pricey, it is after all a tourist stop, you will leave feeling rested and rejuvenated.

If commercial tourism isn't for you, then head off into the countryside. Trust me, you won't regret it! Once you leave the Reykjanes Peninsula the views are astonishing, with your brain telling you this had to be computer generated because nature doesn't do this! Every fjord you encounter is unique and then coming out of a fjord and over a ridge you see a huge Glacier. Iceland is home to Vatnajokull, Europe's largest glacier. A little further down the road you encounter glacial runoffs and one of the most incredible sites in all of Iceland is the icebergs that have broken off from the glacier and are slowly making their way to the North Atlantic.

As you travel further in to the country you encounter Volcanoes around every turn and it is clear based on the lava fields and black sand beaches that this is an ever evolving landscape. My second favorite place in all of Iceland are the black beaches along the southern coast. They stretch for miles and being the only one standing on that beach with a mix of grays, green and black you literally feel as though you're on a different planet.

Heading north you come to Iceland's second city and my personal favorite, Akureyri. This little town in the far north of Iceland sits at the end of Eyjafjordur, one of Iceland's longest fjords. Surrounded by mountains it’s a great place for skiing in the winter and sensational hiking in the summer. A quick 45 minute drive from Akureyri is my favorite place in the world. Godafoss (Waterfall of the Gods). Here snowmelt and glacial melt run north from Iceland's interior to the Greenland Sea. While I've seen thousands of waterfalls, Godafoss has the most incredible power and beauty. It is a definite stop on any itinerary that ventures to the north of Iceland.

All in all if you are looking for a trip away from the norm, but incredibly scenic and cultural then Iceland is a place you must visit.

Have you ever visited Iceland?  If not, what about this post inspires you to visit this scenic destination?  Are you a fan of colder weather vacations?

Wondrous Wanders: Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

Today we feature the 5th post in our guest blog travel series.  This series highlights the favorite travel destinations that inspired wonder in each guest blogger as they wandered there.  Today's post is from Sandy Ward on her wondrous wanderings on Vancouver Island.  Sandy is the Marketing Director at Future of Flight Aviation Center and Boeing Tour in Mukilteo, Washington, just north of Seattle.  She has been a travel, tourism and hospitality professional for over 30 years.

I’ve been traveling for years for work and play, but I’ve never been a high adventure, “end of the road” kinda gal. Not till I discovered two British Columbia, Canada, destinations that redefine the word getaway. You cannot drive to either one, cell service is iffy, wildlife far outnumbers humans and the night sky is so littered with stars it looks like someone threw glitter onto black velvet. Let the adventure begin!

Eagle Nook Wilderness Resort is in Barkley Sound on Vancouver Island’s west coast. And because I’m not a roughing-it kinda gal, I was delighted to stay at this four-star resort with 23 beautifully appointed rooms and two cabins, all with water views. No phones or TVs in the rooms. Gourmet food. A fully-stocked bar. A spa.  Getting there is half the fun.  Float plane, water taxi or private boat are the only options.

On our first day within the first five minutes of Eagle Nook’s nature boat cruise, we spotted two black bears picking through the rocks at the edge of the bay. We were about a hundred yards away, far enough not to bother the bears plucking clams but close enough that my low-powered telephoto got a full-frame shot.

This was only the beginning of a day of wildlife sightings and full-frame photos. Decked out in bright orange survival suits (for warmth, I was assured, on the deck of our open air boat), we saw California sea lions lounging on rocky islands, harbor seals popping up and down in the water like jack-in-the-box. Whales, too -- humpbacks, then grays and a pod of orcas intent on showing us how high they could spy hop. I lost count of bald eagle sightings within the first half hour, and I will never forget Regal Eagle Princess. Our guide Charlie had trained her to sweep within 20 feet of the boat to snatch the bass he tossed in the air. Another full frame picture without the aid of a telephoto.

On a kayaking expedition our guide led us to a shallow channel where he pointed out oysters the size of a shoe, sea slugs that looked incapable of moving, cartoon-character bat starfish and orange sea stars that looked like they fell into a vat of Halloween dye.

I was so awed I wanted more and the resort laid out options that included fishing expeditions, heli-sightseeing, guided kayaking in the pristine Broken Group Islands and solo hiking on trails the Eagle Nook owners have cut through their 70-acres.

My other favorite BC escape took me a little further out of my comfort zone (must be a bucket list sorta thing) to an uninhabited island a half hour by boat from the northeast edge of Vancouver Island. God’sPocket Resort, they had me at the name.

Six days of kayaking -- would I be able to keep up? In the whale migration zone – what if the leviathans mistook my kayak for something edible? And, like, what else was there to do?

On day one our guide cautioned: "Mother Nature has veto power, so we can't promise whale sightings."  But on day three Mother Nature smiled on us, presenting a pod of orcas that passed within 100 yards of our kayaks. They were close enough to hear and smell (!) but far enough that I didn’t feel threatened.

Kayaking the next day, we came nose-to-nose with a seal sleeping on the rocks. From there we made our way to a gorgeous cove and our guides laid out a lunch that rivaled any hotel buffet I’ve ever seen. And as far as keeping up, we paddled in double kayaks, so when our boat lagged behind, I just blamed my partner.

And we didn’t paddle all day, every day. We hiked through old growth forests where our guides entertained with native lore and nature facts. During cocktail hour, seals popped up and down in the cove as if they wanted a glass of Chardonnay, too. One day I played hooky, totally permissible at God’s Pocket, and wandered solo along a rocky beach.

God’s Pocket’s rustic cabins won’t pass for five-star, but here, it feels right. The food, however, was many-starred. We dined family style on meals built around local fresh seafood and veggies and spent the evenings making new friends, playing board games and watching bioluminescence fill the bay as if God himself had emptied a pocket full of sequins.

Does Sandy's post inspire you to travel to British Columbia, or remind you of a trip you've taken there?  What about this destinations fascinates you?

Are You Inclined to Recline?

The great seat debate!

To recline or not to recline?  That is the question.

This remains a hot button topic going back through a number of years of air travel.  Should passengers recline their seats on a commercial flight?  Over the past few weeks we inquired on Twitter and Facebook to get a temperature on this topic.  The responses we received were passionate on both sides of the argument!  We've sampled a few of those answers below: 

Pros:

• Mark states, "My rule is more the timing... Do it early in the flight before beverage service on shorter flights, or on longer flights with a meal I wait until the meal service is over so they're not scrunched behind you trying to eat."
• Greg says, "OK, since we are doing etiquette, The recline is there, and free to use. Whether we use it is up to us. It truly depends on the aircraft I am on, if I use it. Some of the older CR aircraft are not that comfortable. Some of the new 170-190, I never need to recline. The common theme, if I want to recline, I will always look back, check the person behind me and let them know I am coming back a little..."
• Christopher shared this, "Well...I always look behind me first...and if the person doesn't look like they would be uncomfortable by my seat going back a bit, I just do it. (airplane manners??) My logic is, I paid for the seat (literally on some airlines), so if it goes back a few inches...I'm going for it if I need to rest. In first class it's never an issue. If the plane has WiFi (US Airways, AirTran, Delta, Southwest) or satellite TV (JetBlue, Virgin) I'm upright enjoying technology!"
• Lee Ann conveyed, "It's polite to warn and ask the person behind you first! Nothing like having a full tray suddenly unexpectedly in your lap. Think first if it was YOU in the rear!"
• Max says, "yes but SLOWLY... and if you're going to lean forward to eat, RAISE IT!"
• Timothy espoused, "Certainly, you payed for those extra several inches of room!"

Cons:

• Bob says, "If you clearly see someone behind you with long legs or working on a laptop then the answer is 'no.'"
• Susan's thoughts on the matter, "NO!!! Space is very limited. Every time the person puts their seat back I feel like it is an invasion of my space. Suck it up like the rest of us courteous people. I have noticed that the people that normally recline do not seem like frequent flyers."
• Dan indicates, "I personally do not use that feature because I dislike when others do and never inform you they are and if you have a drink on your tray at the time is can and does spill. Most people are not courteous to even ask or inform the person behind them they are going to recline there seat."
• Evan opined, "No unless no one is behind you. I almost never recline my seat anyway. I I am tired enough on a flight I will fall asleep no matter what position my seat is in. I fly 20,000-30,000 miles a year."
• Jeff shared, "Not okay. I avoid it because I fear being perceived as rude by the person seated behind me."
• Ryan said, "I tend not to. They don't go back far enough to be comfy and it just annoys the person behind you."

A number of taller passengers indicated that due their above average height, they needed to recline for more space, but didn't care for seats being reclined into their knees.  So they were honestly on both the pro and con side of the seat reclining topic!   We found responses to our inquiry to be nearly an equal split for and against the idea of seat reclining. 

So, where do you sit on this matter?  Are you inclined to recline?  We'd be interested in hearing what solutions you have that could remedy this great debate once and for all in everyone's favor. 

The Aircraft of MDT: Shorts 360

 Welcome to the ninth regular installment of The Aircraft of MDT. In this series we are taking a look at some of the aircraft that you may spot flying to and from Harrisburg International Airport.

A Shorts 360 on the AvFlight apron.

The Shorts 360 (SD3-60) was introduced as a 36-39 passenger aircraft in 1981 by the Short Brothers company of Northern Ireland. The 360 was a derivative of the company’s 30 seat Shorts 330, itself based on the Short SC.7 Skyvan, a 19 passenger airliner introduced in the early 1960s. Although the 330 and 360 share an otherwise distinctive boxy cabin and have similar dimensions, the 360 is easy to distinguish from its smaller sibling because of its tail. The 360 has a single vertical stabilizer, while the 330 sports an H-tail design. Manufacture of the 360 ended in 1991 after a total production run of 165.

Interior of a Shorts 360 converted
for use as a freighter.

Due to their large square fuselage, the Shorts 360 and its predecessors have been very popular as cargo aircraft. At Harrisburg International Airport, you may see the 360 near the west end of the property, at the facilities of AvFlight, the fixed base operator (FBO) at MDT. The 360 is used to pick up cargo for DHL Aviation.

Extra storage in the nose.

The United States Army also uses the Shorts 360. The military version is called the C-23B+/C Super Sherpa. It is cousin to the C-23A/B Sherpa flown by the US Air Force and Army National Guard, a military version of the Shorts 330. Interestingly, when the military buys 360s, they remove the single tail and restore the twin-tail and large rear cargo ramp of the 330.

The Aircraft of MDT: Cessna 208

Welcome to the eighth regular installment of The Aircraft of MDT. In this series we are taking a look at some of the aircraft that you may spot flying to and from Harrisburg International Airport.

A FedEx 208B Super Cargomaster seen through the
heat haze of the cargo apron.

The Cessna 208 is a single engine turboprop aircraft used for short-haul passenger and cargo flights. The original 208, the 208A Caravan, entered production in 1985. Shortly thereafter, in collaboration with Federal Express (now FedEx Express), Cessna developed the 208A Cargomaster and the 208B Super Cargomaster. The Super Cargomaster, 4 feet longer and using a more powerful engine than its smaller sibling, first flew in 1986. The passenger derivative of the Super Cargomaster, the 208B Grand Caravan, made its maiden flight in 1990.

There have been more than 1,000 208s built, across all of the variants. Of those, FedEx operates some 250, more than any other carrier. They, and other freight carriers, use the 208 primarily on feeder routes, carrying packages from small airports to hubs where they are transferred to large jet freighters like the Airbus A300. The Cargomaster can carry roughly 3,000 pounds of freight, and the Super Cargomaster, 3,500.

A Super Cargomaster operated by AirNet Express
is loaded with cargo.

The Caravan and Grand Caravan variants have standard passenger capacities of 9 and 14, respectively. They are commonly used as short-haul regional airliners. The 208, though, is an extremely versatile aircraft, and can be configured to a variety of specialized situations. The standard landing gear, for instance, can be replaced with skis or pontoons to enable landing on snow or water. The 208 is also popular as a skydiving plane; in this case, the cargo hatch can be replaced with a roll-up door.

At Harrisburg International Airport, Super Cargomasters can be spotted on the cargo apron, supporting the freight operations of both FedEx and UPS.

Wondrous Wanders: Santorini, Greece

Today we feature the fourth post in our guest blog travel series.  This series highlights the favorite travel destinations that inspired wonder in each guest blogger as they wandered there.  Today's post is from Dan Gellert on his wondrous wanderings in Santorini, Greece.  Dan is the CEO and Co-Founder of GateGuru, the leading in-airport mobile application for travelers.  In addition to his love of traveling and technology (hence GateGuru!), Dan enjoys outdoor activities, playing music and family. 

A little over a year ago, I visited Santorini with my wife as part of our honeymoon.  While this wasn’t my first time in Greece, this was my first time to the island of Santorini.  However, that trip will not be my last trip to Santorini.   In short, the island is the most perfect place I have ever been, and through that experience it has been elevated to my favorite travel destination.  Given that I have been to 6 continents and all 50 US states this is a big claim – so what specifically made Santorini my favorite travel destination?  In my mind, what made Santorini such a special place is the following:

Kirini Hotel

• Our hotel was right out of a dream.  Within Santorini, we stayed in the town of Oia, which is probably the most beautiful of the towns in Santorini (it is on the northwest coast of the island).  For those that don’t know anything about Santorini, the island was formed as a result of a volcanic explosion.  Many of the hotels, are basically carved right into the island, and as a result, they look like they are sitting on the edge of a cliff, creating amazing panoramic views of nothing but rock and blue seas.  Within Oia, we stayed at the Kirini Hotel.  We had the type of room where the doors opened up to a view of nothing but the deep blue Agean Sea – not a bad way to open your eyes in the morning!  Apart from the room, the hotel (along with many hotels in Oia) made sure our every desire was met and on our final night we had “The Experience Dinner”.  This aptly named dinner involves a 5-course meal where the diners are sitting on a jutted out part of the main balcony, creating a paradigm where it feels like you are the only two people in the world.  Simply amazing. 
• Lots of fun outdoor activities.  While I enjoy some beach time, I am not the type of person who can spend a week on a beach.  Luckily, on the island of Santorini there are so many fun and exciting activities.  One day we rented an ATV and went beach hoping to explore the island.  Another day we took a hike from Oia to Fira (the main town in Santorini) and another day we did a wine tour (there are lots of great Greek wines!).  Finally, we had one day to do nothing but sit by the infinity pool by the hotel (have I mentioned how much we liked the hotel J).  Overall, Santorini was a great mix of relaxation and activities, something that I would consider a requirement for my favorite travel destination.



Infinity Pool

• Worlds Best Sunset.  The sunset on Santorini is simply unlike anything I have ever seen before.  In short, it is the world’s best sunset.  Every night the people on Santorini go to the northern most tip of the island and everyone watches the sunset together.  The beauty of the Santorini sunset was one of those amazing moments that I will never forget in my lifetime.  

World's Best Sunse

The 4 days and 3 nights we spent on the island of Santorini were some of the most memorable of my life.  Despite my preference to constantly travel to new places, Santorini is one place that I will return to  in the coming years and I hope you have the chance to visit the island as well!

Have you been to Greece, specifically Santorini?   What have been your favorite aspects of traveling to this exotic destination? 

Wondrous Wanders: San Francisco & Paris

Today we feature the third post in our latest guest blog travel series.  The series highlights favorite travel destinations that inspired wonder in the guest blogger as they wandered there.  Today's post is from Benet Wilson about her wondrous wanderings in San Francisco and Paris.  Benet self-describes as a Mother; Multimedia journalist; aviation geek; excessive traveler; NABJ & ONA member; social media goddess; quilter; and your 'Aunt Benet!'  Find out more about Auntie Benet online!

I’ve been traveling since I took my first trip on an airplane – Pan Am, JFK Airport to London Heathrow – when I was six years old.  And truth be told, I haven’t slowed down since.

I’ve traveled the world, including Brazil, spots across Europe, Israel, Singapore, Seoul and even to Greenland (that’s for another post). When I was asked to pick my favorite place to visit, it proved to be a daunting task. So I’m not going to choose – I’m picking two.

First, is the city of my heart – and my birth – San Francisco.  Tony Bennett sums it up best:

I left my heart in San Francisco

High on a hill, it calls to me.

To be where little cable cars
Climb halfway to the stars!
The morning fog may chill the air
I don't care!

It has everything you want in a city – arts, culture, tourism, shopping, world-class dining, sports and funky neighborhoods, including the largest Chinatown in the United States.  The city makes a fortune selling sweatshirts, because, to (allegedly) quote Mark Twain “The coldest winter I ever saw was the summer I spent in San Francisco.”

Three things you MUST do in the city by the Bay: eat a meal at Hang Ah Tea Room, which serves fantastic dim sum, tea and Chinese desserts; visit The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, which has a world-class collection; and ride on the cable cars. Yes, it’s tourist and hokey, but it’s also a great ride and a wonderful way to see the city.

I told you I was doing two, and my second choice is Paris.  I vaguely remember going when I was in elementary school, but I went back as an adult in 1995 to cover my first Paris Air Show.  I was over there for almost 2 weeks for other work-related things, so I got a small taste of what it was like to be a Parisian.  I ate breakfast at a patisserie every morning, and spent time in the ubiquitous French cafes and bistros. 

I am an art museum fanatic and my favorite, by far, was the Musée d'Orsay, home to a wonderful collection of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings.  I also took a half day of cooking lessons at Le Cordon Bleu, visited the Rodin Museum, shopped at the many flea markets, took mass at Notre Dame Cathedral and ate a superb meal at Guy Savoy’s little bistro – great food at a fraction of the price of his three-Michelin-starred restaurant.

So you can’t go wrong at either of these world-class cities.  Enjoy your travels! 

Have you traveled to either of these fantastic cities?  What are some of your favorite spots to get lost in wonder in San Francisco and Paris?

The Aircraft of MDT: Airbus A300/A310

Welcome to the seventh regular installment of The Aircraft of MDT. In this series we are taking a look at some of the aircraft that you may spot flying to and from Harrisburg International Airport.

A UPS A300 freighter with its cargo doors open.

In 1967, the British, French, and German governments signed an agreement and began designing a new aircraft that would serve as an alternative for airlines interested in replacing their Boeing 727s. The company that resulted from that initial agreement was Airbus Industrie, and the aircraft would become the A300.

The first A300s entered commercial service in 1974. Four years later, Airbus began designing a shorter variant, then known as the A300B10. The ultimate designation of the new variant, which entered service in 1983, was A310. The A310 carries about 25 fewer passengers than the A300 and improves upon the range, able to travel 6,800 kilometers to the original A300’s 6,600. Also entering service in 1983 was the A300-600 variant that borrowed several of the A310’s advances, including a glass cockpit and new tail section design. The last A310 was delivered in 1998, and the last A300 in 2007.

UPS and FedEx A300s wait on the cargo apron.

Both the A300 and A310 were available in passenger and freight configurations. It is the freighter versions of the two airliners that you will see at Harrisburg International Airport. FedEx Express and UPS Airlines both maintain operations at MDT, and both airlines typically have at least one A300/310 parked on the cargo apron.

Finally, though it would be an unlikely sight in Harrisburg, no discussion of the A300-600 would be complete without noting that it serves as the basis for one of the world’s oddest looking airplanes.

A FedEx A310 touches down.

Airbus has manufacturing plants all over Europe, so to bring the pieces of their planes together for final assembly, they employ five Super Transporters. Known as the Beluga, for its oversized white body, the A300-600ST has the second largest cargo capacity by volume of any aircraft in the world.

Wondrous Wanders: Halifax, Nova Scotia

Today is the 2nd post in a guest blog series featuring some of our social media aviation community members. The series highlights the favorite travel destinations that inspired wonder in the guest blogger as they wandered there. Today's post is from Kristin Vanderhey Shaw.  She works for SITA and self-describes as loving her baby boy, airplanes, airports, classic cars, sports, Italy, and dessert; not necessarily in that order.

There’s something special about Halifax, Nova Scotia. This was my third trip to Halifax, and I count it as one of my favorite places in the world. As I wandered the streets recently for a few precious hours before my meetings began, I tried to put my finger on what it was. It’s not just the quiet elegance of the city, nestled in a now-popular cruise ship port. It’s not just the abundance of lobster, which is exported on 747s around the world. It’s not just the Halifax-Stanfield airport, which has clearly established a sense of place through natural décor, gift shops, and restaurants that reflect its personality. It’s not just the people, who are as friendly as you would expect from a Scottish-heritage town. It’s all of these things and then some.

Traveling to Halifax is not going to include a hopping night life and 5-star hotels and restaurants. The Westin is a little worn, but the rooms are clean and comfortable, the room service is well above par in terms of service and food (the crab cake and spinach-strawberry-goat cheese salad are excellent), and the chef called me personally to ensure that he understood my food allergies before proceeding.

Go to Halifax in the fall and wonder at the jewel tones of autumn in crimson, amber, and gold. Drive along the shores, and walk among the locals in town. You’ll find that you can learn how to navigate very quickly… up to the Citadel, and down to the boardwalk. Grab a lobster roll from Murphy’s on the water, and don’t forget to stop at the stand outside for a Beaver Tail (a delicious whole-wheat pastry fried and topped with various treats; I prefer the simplicity of cinnamon-sugar and lemon). In the evenings, seek out a local bar where you can hear lilting Celtic music and dance along, or watch the Halifax Mooseheads hockey team, a Quebec Junior Major League team with 16- and 17-year-olds training for the NHL.

If you have time, there are some fantastic quick trips you can take from Halifax, including Peggys Cove, the Swissair memorial site, and Lunenburg. If you’re an aviation buff, don’t miss the Swissair 111 site, a gorgeous piece of landscape just around the corner from Peggys Cove. Swissair 111 was lost in 1998 roughly five miles from the spot where the memorial site sits today. The site itself is not remarkable; it’s the serenity and natural beauty of the area that gives it an ethereal quality. For more information on the memorial site, click here.

From the Swissair site, follow the road around to the Peggy’s Cove lighthouse, which is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world. A photographer’s paradise, if you’re lucky enough to catch it on a foggy day, you’ll find enough material here to fill a coffee table book.

Lunenburg is a picturesque village on the shores of southwest Nova Scotia, about 80 km from Halifax. Deeply mired in Maritime culture, the heritage of the town is easy to spot in the “widow’s peaks” (also called “Lunenburg bumps”) the fishermen’s wives used to look out from the tops of their houses to watch for their husbands’ return from the sea.

The Bluenose II is being completely refurbished in a warehouse in Lunenburg. You can tour the site and see how the restoration is coming along and see a piece of history in progress: the original Bluenose is featured on the Canadian dime.

Also famous is this seaside town is Iron Works micro-distillery, offering tasting tours and bottles for sale of their molasses-finished rum with a warm, smooth finish. They also sell silky-smooth blueberry, cranberry, and raspberry liqueur. In case you can’t make it to Lunenburg from Halifax, you can purchase these potables at the Bishop Cellar, just off the boardwalk in Halifax, and they will package them up properly for checking your bag or shipping.

You may not find the connection to Halifax that I have, but I’d be surprised if you didn’t. If you get the chance, visit this corner of North America and let yourself be carried along by the song of Atlantic Canada.

Have you been to Nova Scotia, specifically Halifax?  What did you enjoy most about your visit to this city?  If you've not been there, do this post inspire you to a future visit?

Wondrous Wanders: Bali

Today we're starting a new guest blog series featuring some of our social media community members.  The new series will highlight the favorite travel destinations that inspired wonder in the guest blogger as they wandered there.  We begin the series with a post from Max Graham about his wonderous wandering in Bali.  Max is a full time international touring DJ and Record producer who has visited over 65 countries in his career.  As a “Million Miler” with Air Canada his Twitter bio says “Either in the studio or on a plane."  More info about Max can be found at www.maxgraham.com.

In 2002, I was introduced to Bali, and more specifically the “Gili Islands”. A trio of islands off the coast of Lombok. A small trek by plane, car and boat from Bali; these islands are a heaven for divers and people looking to relax. I’ve spent a lot of time on GIli Trawangan (the largest and the main tourist destination), including learning to dive there.

What catches you about this island, other than the clear blue water and relaxed vibe, is that there are no cars. To get around the island you either rent a bike for your time there or take the donkey taxi carts which are plentiful. On the main strip of the island you can find plenty of food options including the famous “Irish Bar,” where you’ll find the ex-pats hanging around talking about the good old days. Diving is amazing and there are enough spots to keep you going for a few weeks without getting bored. Weather is perfect and the locals were very helpful and nice, as it has that small community feel.

It’s a bit of extra work to get there but very worth it if you envision yourself spending your days diving and your nights eating and drinking under the stars.

Have you been to Bali, specifically the Gili Islands?  What diving spots do you recommend there?  If you've not been to Bali, when will you be planning your island vacation?


Want to fly to Bali from MDT?  A few of our air carrier partners can get you there with a couple of connections.  Save Money, Distance and Time choosing to fly to Bali from Harrisburg!