2014 Travel Recap

So 2014 took me to many places on our planet.  (I’m playing a bit of catch up here.  In 2015 my posts will be in real-time, rather than a retrospective.)  Some places I visited were awesome, others not as much.  Let me begin with my biggest disappointment, Eastern Europe (or at least parts of it) was really disappointing.  So sad to see a country like Bulgaria stuck in an economic “dark ages.”  This is apparently so because of Soviet domination up until the early 1990s.  It was then that Bulgaria along with many other of its neighbors gained their independence.  In the 25 years since then not much has happened economically.  More specifically, tourism seems to be non-existent.  In Romania I had a pretty similar experience, once you leave Bucharest.  I traveled through Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Eastern Croatia, Slovakia and Austria.  What I noted was that generally, as one travels west in that region, conditions seem to improve.  We did travel along the Danube River.  It was not until I arrived in Budapest that I found a truly beautiful gem.  This place is as beautiful as it is when depicted in travel brochures.  Overall, if you are desirous of a more Western Europe experience, I would suggest you either wait another 25 years for that part of the world to catch up, or begin in Budapest and go west from there.

My best european experience of 2014 had to be Lithuania.  This little country is bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east, Poland to the south, Kaliningrad Russia to the southwest, and the Baltic Sea to the northwest.  It gained its independence in a hard fought revolution against the Soviet Union (now Russia) in the early 1990s.  I spent time in the capital city of Vilnius.  This city is where most of the resources are being deployed in order to restore the buildings, parks and general appearance, and it shows.  I loved the old town area.  It was very walk friendly and incredibly charming.  The people are as well.  Everyone I met was ready to please.  The other thing that impressed me was their grasp of the English language.  While my Lithuanian is a bit thin it was easy to communicate because most people have a decent understanding of English, and are willing to use it.  After some time spent in Vilnius I rented a vehicle and took off for the Baltic seaside.

The driving experience was good, compared to other European cities.  Signage was great and the GPS was near flawless.  I must say that without GPS, it would have been a bit different.  So I must conclude that  GPS is mandatory.  It was a great 560 kilometer (about 350 miles) drive to the little seaside village of Nida.  Once I arrived here I parked my vehicle and rented a bike.  I did not need the vehicle again until I returned to Vilnius some two weeks later.  My experience in Nida was the highlight of an already great visit to this little country.  Pubs and restaurants dot the coastline.  The food is always fresh and homemade no matter which establishment you choose.  The Lithuanian cuisine is pretty similar to Eastern Europe fair, only more hearty.  Potatoes are an important part of the diet and these guys prepare them very well.  All produce in this country is non-GMO, and all beef is hormone free.  Interesting to note if that is the sort of thing that floats your boat.  Cobblestone lanes and footpaths through the forest are prevalent and user friendly.  The beaches are pristine, although the water can be quite chilly.  The entire spit of land upon which Nida can be found is known as Neringa.  Neringa in total is a protected UNESCO World Heritage site, so if it seems uncharacteristicly clean, this may be why.   In 2004 Lithuania became part of the European Union.  Beginning in 2015 Lithuania will accept the Euro. This fact should further enhance the travel experience.

Another voyage took me to the Eastern Caribbean .  I needed to test drive a cruise line in advance of booking a longer voyage in 2015.  A test drive to me is prudent.  I have  defined it as booking a short trip (in this case 14 days) to be able to determine the overall feel of the ship and cruise line before I commit to a longer trip.  I have sailed many times on Regent.  Its ships accommodate between 490 and 680 guests.  My experience on these sailings was mostly very positive.  I was contemplating booking a 2015 cruise for 40 nights.  I was told that Oceania Cruise was great.  However, having never sailed with them before I was reluctant to booking a long cruise.  Thus, a test drive was deemed necessary before such a booking.  I figured the Caribbean route would be a fair test.  The Oceania ship accommodates 1,250 guests.  The name of the vessel was Riviera.  The itinerary was great.  The food also great.  However, because of the Miami – Miami route I believe the crowd was very much older than I had hoped it would be.  I think this was so because cruising internationally, especially disembarking in a non U.S. country raises the level of difficulty of travel, and therefore eliminates many older travelers.  Getting on and getting off in the same city, in this case Miami, makes it very easy for elderly and handicapped travelers.  That said this crowd was well past their prime.  I even experienced wheelchair traffic jams on board several times.  The overall feeling of the vessel and its 1,250 guests was that it was too large for my liking.  I find the 400-600 guest vessel is just like the three bears, not too small (as to cause claustrophobia) and not too large (as too cause agoraphobia).  Consequently, I eliminated Oceania from future cruise travel.  The 2015 cruise has now been booked on Regent.  Please follow that experience, as well as my other 2015 travel experiences in real-time entries by viewing my blog.

Next up are mineral baths.  During 2014 I saw many.  Among my favorites are those in Ojo Caliente, in New Mexico and The Springs Resort in Pagosa Springs, Colorado.  Ojo Caliente is a charming little inn accommodating about 80 people in 40 suites. Many of the suites have pinion burning wood fireplaces making the air sweet with its aroma.  The baths themselves have their waters blessed by Tibetan monks (in case you care).The minerals are plentiful in these waters and extremely beneficial, both physically and mentally.  Once I’m there (typically for 3 nights) I never leave the property. I bring my own refreshments  (beer, wine, alcohol and snacks) as the units do include a small kitchen.   Ojo has a great restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.  It should be noted that Ojo has a beer and wine license only.  The dinner options are varied so I never have the same dish twice during my stay.  There is a small spa offering fairly priced services from salt scrubs to all types of massage.  There is also a yurt offering great yoga sessions.  If you are looking for anything more (especially night-life) this is not your place.  In that case go to 10,000 Waves in Santa Fe.

The Springs Resort in Pagosa Springs is awesome.  Its baths are adjacent to, and part of, the San Juan River.  They also offer an adults only area of baths.  The older portion of the hotel itself is pretty tired.  If you go, I suggest the Mountain Suites.  This building is only 4 years old and has old western world charm.  The suites are killer too.  There is also an old west main street a short walk away.  Plenty of other outdoor activities as well; among a few are white water rafting, fly-fishing, hunting, tubing the San Juan, hiking, and shooting sporting clays.

Maui and Lanai.  These are very special places for me.  I love upcountry Maui as much as the beach.  So nice to have both of these experiences in the same day.  It’s great to be able to enjoy an awesome boat drink on the beach in 85 degree weather, and later, a fine single malt scotch in 60 degree weather upcountry.  Maui plays host to every micro climate that exists on earth.  The Haleakala crater is over 10,000 feet above sea level.  So if you venture up there for an early morning sunrise be prepared for 20 degree temperatures.  I spent 5 weeks on Maui and Lanai in 2014.  The local beaches are great.  One of my favorites is Baldwin Beach, located on the north shore of the island.  When up country make sure you don’t miss dinner at Bev Gannon’s  Hali’imaile General Store.  Make sure you have the Blackened Ahi as an entree.  This place rocks.  Another north shore place is Mama’s Fish House.  This place is best at lunch, only because you can sit almost on the beach and the view is very special.  However, be prepared for both the crazy high prices and how touristy it is.  Having said that, it is still a great place for lunch.  If you are there in the winter your lucky because there’s a good chance the big wave swells will be something worth viewing.  Some of the largest waves happen just a bit north of here at Jaws.

If you have lots of time I would strongly urge you to spend 3 or 4 nights at the Hotel Travasa (formerly the Hana Hotel) in Hana.  The area is remote and it takes about 3-4 hours to drive there from the Kahului Airport.   However, you will not regret the effort.  You want to book one of the seaside cottages.  Just spectacular.

If you have even more time (and cash) take the 50 minute ferry from Lahaina to Lanai and spend 4 or 5 days at the Four Seasons on the beach.  This island is owned in total by Larry Ellison of Oracle fame.  He has been spending lots and lots of money improving the entire island and experience.  The few locals that live there seem to have no problem with what is happening and is slated to happen.  There are two Four Season properties on the island.  The hotel on the beach and the one known as the Lodge at Koele.  Because of its elevation at 2,000 feet, this property is very unique as well and offers things that do not exist at the beach property.  Orchid gardens and manicured croquet and bocce courses are but a few.  The 18 hole golf course is among the best in the world.  The resort also has a sporting clay range with 9 different blinds.  This island is a bit like fantasy island.  Amazingly relaxing.

Well that’s the digest for 2014.  As I mentioned earlier, in 2015 my entries will be in real-time.  You should also look forward to seeing both the national and international sponsors to my website.  I’m currently working on numerous relationships.

All the best to you in 2015 and safe travels,

Craig