Monday Morning Memories as Told on a Thursday

I forgot to share a Monday Morning Memory this week! Oops! So instead I’ll share it today. You’ll forgive me, won’t you?

This week I was thinking about a trip I took several years ago to Romania. It was my second trip ever out of the United States. And certainly my first trip to a “second world” country. And wow, was I ever unprepared.

I’m one of those people who can attract chaos and the completely unexpected everywhere they go. That includes the Romanian Alps. And I’d bet you probably havne’t ever realized there were Alps in Romania!

To be honest, I hadn’t realized it either, until I found myself in a small bus service winding through the mountains, with a driver who refused to open the windows, turn on the air, and was chain-smoking a vile smelling brand of cigarettes. This was my first real introduction to the country, and not the best one ever.

When I think back to Romania, many of my memories involve extreme motion sickness and someone chain-smoking. But thankfully, most of those car rides where on the way to amazing experiences in other parts of the country.

One of my favorite memories was of a short walking hike my friends and I took up to the top of a small mountain in Brasov. It was a gorgeous view overlooking the valley, and the mountains surrounding us were majestic. I couldn’t help myself. I just had to do it. You know you would have done it too!

I had my friends sing, “The Hills Are Alive” from the “Sound of Music,” while I twirled around on the mountainside. For a few beautiful moments it was glorious and exhilirating. The fresh mountain air, the green rolling land, the snow capped peaks, the laughter of friends, the pile of mountain goat poop…

What? Mountain goat poop? Yes. Somehow I didn’t notice that first.

Suddenly, mid-twirl, my foot hit the pile of petrified mountain goat poop, I tripped, and rolled downhill. The sounds of my friends’ laughter echoing through the mountainside…

Ah yes, great memory.

Did You Know? Aisle vs. Window

A recent study has revealed that the aisle is the healthier option in long haul flights, as sitting in the aisle helps prevent dangerous blood clots, known as Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) or Economy Class or Coach Class Syndrome. The majority cases of DVT occur when a passenger sits in a non-aisle seat where a flight is 8 hours or more. This study also concluded, that there was no proven health benefit for a passenger to sit in business versus economy class when it comes to the prevention of DVT.

DVT occurs when a passenger holds still for several hours, not stretching their legs, allowing the blood to flow, building up clots. To combat DVT get up and take a walk around the plane a few times, and get plenty of water (not alcohol) to drink. Or, if you know you are prone to clotting, wear compression stockings to improve circulation in-flight.

Sweet Home Alabama

What is so sweet about down home Alabama? What is there to do there? And why should you care?

1. Mardi Gras in Mobile.

2. Alabama Shakespeare Festival

3. Into fishing? Alabama has fishing!

4. Like beaches? There’s the Gulf Coast.

5. And there’s always the burgeoning gambling industry!

Utah the Greatest Snow, Red Rock, Dirt, Mountains, and Arches on Earth

Utah has something for everyone. Some people know it as the Greatest Snow on Earth (and it is). Others know it for great bicycling along the slickrock of Moab. If you love to study the days the dinosaurs roamed the Earth, you know Utah has two of the largest dinosaur museums in the world, plus the “dinosaur graveyard.” Geology enthusiasts also know that nothing else in this world compares to the Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. And there are still the Bonneville Salt Flats, Zions National Park, the red rocks of St George, boating in the numerous reservoirs, plus world-class fishing, hiking, and camping.

Feeling Adventurous?

Do you ever get the urge to try something a little different and crazy? Why hike a mountain or visit a state park when you can tempt the gods at the edge of a volcano?

If hot lava, steaming gases, and a daredevil approach to vacationing is your idea of a good time, maybe you should update your passport with a few trips to the following live volcanoes!

Mt. Vesuvius is six miles outside of Naples, Italy. You can hike right up to the crater to sacrifice a virgin, if you want. There is access by road to within 200 metres (660 ft) of the summit (measured vertically), but thereafter access is on foot only. There is a spiral walkway around the mountain from the road to the crater. Make sure it is a lightweight virgin.

The largest volcano on Earth is Mauna Loa in Hawaii. It’s most recent eruption occurred from March 24, 1984, to April 15, 1984. While you can’t walk to the volcano’s edge, you can visit the world famous Mauna Loa Observatory to see the volcano in action.

Mt. Rainier, Washington is one of the most pouplar volcanic expeditions. With a rigorous 2-3 day hike to the summit it is equally picturesque and challenging. Approximately 10,000 people attempt the trail each year.

Sakurajima in Japan erupted in 2008 and is still considered to be a dangerous area. People used to climb Sakurajima until about 50 years ago. Many students climbed Sakurajima as a school trip. Students climbed to the peak of mountain and even to inside of the crater. At that time, many people visited Sakurajima for hiking. Now, climbing Sakurajima above the Yunohira observatory is not allowed.

Monday Morning Memories- Samoa

We’re going to start a new tradition here on the One Travel blog. Every Monday morning will feature a new post about a distant memory of a far off place *I* have traveled. Many of these will be tucked away, hardly known places. But hopefully they won’t be “hardly known” for long.

When I was a very young child, barely even a toddler, my father had the chance to go and work for the U.S. government on a small tropical island in the South Pacific. This little known island was called American Samoa. Right beside American Samoa lies Samoa (formerly known as Western Samoa). These tropical paradises are  two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and New Zealand in the heart of the South Pacific. Other neighbors include Fiji, and the Cook Islands.

I have few memories of our tropical life. They are mostly constructed from pictures and home movies and the stories I was told of the Islands. My favorite story is about the baby octupus I played with on the beach. While other children went for walks along city streets in their strollers back in the States, my mother pulled me along the ocean’s edge in a little raft for one. We would collect sea shells and watch the fishermen at work. One day we came upon a baby octopus on the beach. My two year old self knew no fear and befriended the eight-legged creature. No kittens or puppies for this little girl! I loved the baby octupus! I played with its many arms and legs, fascinated by its suction cup like tentacles.

It is memories like this that make me long to return to the beautiful islands of Samoa. Maybe someday soon I will make it happen. Until then, I will continue to stare at pictures of the beaches and fales and daydream.

Most Popular Ski Weekend of the Year

Could you ski all 13 Utah ski resorts in one day?

Beach Landing Anyone?

Barra Airport, Scotland (BRR), is one of the world’s most unique airports. It is one of the two airports in the world that uses the beach as its runway. The beach is set out with three different runways, each marked with wooden poles at their ends. This allows the Twin Otters that serve the airport to almost always land into the wind. At high tide these runways are under water, and therefore, flight times vary with the tide. In case of emergency, flights that need to operate at night from the airport, vehicle lights indicate the center line of the runway and reflective strips laid on to the beach in order to ensure a safe landing. Because the airport is naturally lighted, there have been reports of cars in the parking lot “assisting” pilots by leaving their head lights on.

Barra Airport is 116 nautical miles from Inverness, 140 nautical miles from Glasgow, and 75 nautical miles from the Scottish mainland. An average of 8500 passengers per year use the airport and there are more than 1400 aircraft movements (landings or takeoffs) per year. British Airways is the main transporter to this airport.

While flying into or out of Barra may seem a bit crazy, the airport is subject to the same safety rules as anywhere else. Facilities include modern emergency services, though the airport fire crews are called out far more frequently to help stranded dolphins or seals on Traigh Mhor Bay (where the airport is located) than for any reason connected with the aircraft operations. This, too, makes the airport quite unique.

Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras is probably best known as a huge party in New Orleans every winter. Over time people seem to have forgotten the historical and religious significance of Mardi Gras, and focus just on the gluttony and excitement.

Mardi Gras is technically “Fat Tuesday” or the day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lenten. Mardi Gras was designated by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 as the day that debauchery would end, or a last day for the gluttony, before the Lenten or Easter season began.

Mardi Gras officially begins on the day of the Feast of Epiphany. It is also known as Kings’ Day or the Twelfth Night, which celebrates the day the three kings or wise men arrived at the birthplace of Christ, which formally ends the Christmas season for some.

Cities such as New Orleans now host massive Mardi Gras celebrations from January 6, 2009 to February 24, 2009 with parades, parties, drunken revelry, bead throwing, Kings Cakes, and more.

Did You Know? DCA

Did you know?

That Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is considered by many pilots as one of the world’s most difficult to land at?

The approach to DCA is called the “River Visual.”  Located smack in the center of two overlapping air-exclusion zones, Reagan National requires pilots approaching from the north follow the path of the Potomac River and make a steep turn shortly before landing on the southbound runway in order to stay clear of sensitive sites such as the Pentagon and CIA headquarters.

And then when taking off pilots need to climb quickly and execute a steep left bank to avoid flying over the White House.

For tourists flying into town though, it is one of the most picturesque landings. Passengers can get a head start on their sight-seeing depending where on the plane they are sitting. The US Capitol, the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Monument and the Georgetown Waterfront are all visible on the descent, and from some vantage points in the airport itself.