Top Ten Tuesdays
In an effort to spread a little information as briefly as possible, I’m going to try some “Top Ten Tuesdays” in which I discuss my “top ten” of something.  Today I’ll start with:

My Top Ten Things To Do at Walt Disney World Without Going Into The Parks
When thinking about Walt Disney World, so many people think only about the Theme Parks.  But there are so many things to do “around the World” without ever setting foot in the parks – just ask my husband who is “parked-out”!  Everyone has their favorites, but here are my Top Ten:

#10.  Downtown Disney – This could easily be #1, but I wanted you to read it first.  Going to Downtown Disney (DTD) is usually the first thing we do when we get to Orlando, just to immerse ourselves in a little Disney culture.  These days there’s a lot of construction going on as they turn DTD into Disney Springs, but it’s worth the parking hassle to explore all the shops and restaurants.  To avoid the parking problems you can take a bus from your resort or, from some resorts, a boat to DTD.

#9.  Golf – This is my husband’s #1.  With one 9-hole and three championship golf courses, there’s plenty to challenge every golf-lover.  For the amateur there’s also miniature golf at Fantasia Gardens and Winter Summerland.  In another column I’ll talk about other recreational activities.

#8.  ESPN Club – This restaurant/sports bar is a great place to go on game day.  With nearly 100 screens showing any number of games, sports fans will always be entertained…and the food’s pretty good too!  It gets very crowded during “big games”, so be sure to get there early.  As you can imagine, it’s a popular spot during NCAA March Madness which also overlaps Spring Break!

#7.  Go see the animals at Animal Kingdom Lodge – There are 30 species of African wildlife roaming the Savannah and Animal Specialists to tell you about them.

#6.  Dinner Shows – Whether it’s the Spirit of Aloha Show at the Polynesian or Hoop Dee Doo Review or Mickey’s Backyard BBQ at Fort Wilderness, these shows serve up fun entertainment and good food.

#5.  Speaking of entertainment, one of my favorite things is going to Port Orleans Riverside to see Bob Jackson.  “YeHaa Bob” plays a rockin’ piano in the River Roost Lounge and gets the audience involved in some sing-alongs.  Super silly and super fun, Bob has somewhat of a cult following which tells you it’s sure to be a good time.

#4.  And speaking of Lounges, that brings me to my #4 – Cocktails!  The resorts offer some terrific watering holes where you can relax over your favorite libation.  All beautifully themed to their resort, many offer a selection of tasty appetizers or small plates as well.  Many of the lounges have specialty cocktails and those infamous glow cubes!  Try the cozy Belle Vue Lounge at the Boardwalk, Territory Lounge at Wilderness Lodge, Victoria Falls Lounge at Animal Kingdom Lodge or the hip and contemporary Rix Lounge at Coronado Springs, just to name a few.

#3.  Pin Trading – Disney Pin Trading has become a popular pastime for many Disney aficionados and you don’t have to go into the parks to trade.  Disney’s Pin Traders and World of Disney at Downtown Disney as well as the gift shops at the resorts offer pin boards for trading.  Many of the cast members in the resorts and Downtown also wear lanyards for trading pins with guests.  But be careful – pin trading can be addictive!

#2.  Ride the Monorail – one of the best free things to do that is sure to get you in the Disney mood.  Hop on at the Ticket & Transportation Center (TTC) or go have a bite to eat at the Contemporary, Polynesian or Grand Floridian, then catch the monorail from there and ride the Magic Kingdom area loop.  From the TTC you can transfer to an Epcot monorail which glides over Future World before stopping at the terminal, offering nice views of the park.  It also affords you the opportunity to jump off at any of the three resorts on the Magic Kingdom loop and explore the resorts, check out the gift shops or grab a bite to eat.

#1.  EAT! – There are so many great restaurants around Walt Disney World and most of them are not in the parks.  The food as well as the theming at resort restaurants are pure Disney magic.  Add to that the wealth of choices at DTD and you have a foodie Mecca.  In future Top Ten Tuesday posts I’ll offer my favorite restaurants. 

There's a lot of discussion online lately about the "snack" category at Walt Disney World.  With several clients coming up on spring break trips, I thought I'd add my two cents.  If you're on the Disney Dining Plan you obviously want to get the most for your money and, if you're not a big eater at certain mealtimes or if you have small children, your snack credits might even constitute a "meal".

Here's what the Disney Dining Plan website describes about the Snack credit:
     "Examples of snacks are: 1 frozen ice cream novelty, popsicle, fruit bar, popcorn scoop (single-serving box), single-serving bag of snacks, single piece of whole fruit, 20-oz. bottle of Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite or Dasani water, 22-oz. fountain soft drink or juice, 12-oz. coffee, hot chocolate or hot tea, single-serving prepackaged milk or juice"

Yes, a bottle of water costs $2.50 in the parks, but you can get far more food than a bottle of water!

When you see this symbol on a menu board, that item qualifies for a Snack credit.  Here are just a few examples of things you can get for a snack credit:
​
In Magic Kingdom:
- A muffin, scone or latte from the Main Street Starbuck's
- A Dole Whip Soft Serve at Aloha Aisle
- Potato Leek Soup at Be Our Guest
- Freshly dipped fruit at Big Top Treats (be careful - the pineapple spears can be messy!)
- A baked potato or baked sweet potato (seasonally) at Liberty Square Market 

At Epcot:
- A Berry cream puff or Mixed green salad at Norway's Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe
- All sorts of lovely caramel desserts at Germany's Karamel Kuche
- Combo Sushi at Japan's Kabuki Cafe
- Lobster Bisque or myriad pastries at Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie in France

At Animal Kingdom:
- Fresh fruit at Harambe Fruit Market
- Chicken Fried Rice at Anandapur Local Food Cafe
- Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich at Dino-Bite Snacks
- Oatmeal with apples, brown sugar and raisins at Pizzafari

At Hollywood Studios:
- Funnel cake at Oasis Canteen
- Cream Cheese Pretzel at the Pretzel Garden
- A giant Carrot Cake Cookie (a personal favorite!) at Writer's Stop
- Carrots and celery with ranch at multiple locations...and the list goes on...

...and on for several pages!  Here's a link to a good article from our friends at the Disney Food Blog (copy and paste the link into your browser):  
http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2012/05/09/top-6-disney-dining-plan-snack-credit-values-for-2012/

While the article references 2012, many of the same tips apply...be sure to read the comments at the bottom of the article.

If you have favorite ways to use your snack credits, let us know!

I recently returned from a whirlwind trip to Walt Disney World where I did exactly what I counsel my clients not to do -- we ran ourselves ragged!  I should explain that this was a group of 12 ladies for my daughter's bachelorette weekend.  The main issue was not having enough time for all the things we wanted to do...but isn't that always the case?!  When you have only two full and two partial (travel) days, you have to set realistic expectations.

 Walt Disney World is a huge place with four theme parks, two water parks, a downtown dining and entertainment district and myriad good restaurants.  In addition, the main reason for our having a bachelorette there was to enjoy the International Food & Wine Festival at Epcot.

We had a couple people in our party who'd either never been to Walt Disney World (WDW) or hadn't been in decades.  Naturally we wanted them to make it to all four parks and experience the highlights at each.  Another thing to remember is that traveling in a large group can be cumbersome.  You'll find that you spend time waiting for "the rest of the group," whether it's in a food line or a bathroom break.  For that reason, advance planning is invaluable when going in a group.  You may find that the schedule you've pre-planned gets thrown off for one reason or another, but you'll spend less time trying to make decisions about what to do next.

 When your time is limited at WDW decide on your "must-do's" ahead of time and if you find yourself with extra time, so much the better.  It's impossible to do everything.  Part of the magic of Disney is taking it all in -- the careful thought put into every detail reminds us that it's all about telling a story.  Take the time to enjoy your own story and make magical memories.

I'm going back again, this time escorting clients to the Food & Wine Festival along with my husband, and plan to make it a more leisurely trip.  The next couple blogs will contain some details of Food & Wine and a review of our dinner at the newly remodeled California Grill.

Happy and safe travels, everyone!

It used to be that we’d hear about well-to-do ladies jetting off somewhere for a “Girls’ Weekend” – a fun and carefree few days free of work stresses and family commitments.  These days, though, it’s become quite common for a group of adult women to plan a weekend away.  Maybe it’s a group of high school or college friends who’ve been separated by time and distance…or maybe it’s the neighborhood gals who’d prefer to gab over a drink by the pool rather than coffee at the nearest Starbuck’s.  Either way, there’s no time like the present to start planning such a getaway.

Where and when to go…the options are limitless.  Start by deciding on a budget.  Will you fly or drive?  Do you want warm weather activities or a spa getaway in the middle of winter?  It’s sometimes hard to take advantage of those “last-minute deals” because for most people, life requires advance planning. 

Autumn is a great time to gather the group.  The kids are back in school and the family calendar is fairly set for the next couple months.  You might be just a short drive away from a spot where you can enjoy watching the colorful autumn foliage.

A group of my friends and I recently spent a weekend at a rented cottage on a lake, taking advantage of the last precious days of summer weather.  We had no particular agenda…just to relax and enjoy each other’s company.  We decided to eat-in rather than going out to restaurants and, as moms generally do, brought enough food – and adult beverages – to feed an army!  We watched chick flicks, played games, took walks and ate junk food!  It felt indulgent and I know it was time well spent.  Reinforcing relationships is something we too often take for granted.

Want something a little more “upscale”?  How about a spa resort? A city escape filled with fine dining, shopping and theater tickets?  Maybe you want to take advantage of a special event somewhere like the South Beach Wine & Food Festival in Miami Beach, ArtPrize in Grand Rapids, or the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival, Night of Joy or International Food & Wine Festival in Orlando.  There’s something for every season, every interest and every budget.

Take some time out of your year to spend it with your girlfriends and let me know if I can assist with your plans.  As always, have happy and safe travels.

One of our delicious meals in Traverse City was at the Apache Trout Grill.  They make a flavorful pesto which they finish at the table, using oils from Fustini (the oil and vinegar store I discussed in my blog). It's served with a basket of fresh bread and rolls and you have to stop yourself from over-indulging in this deliciousness so as not to spoil your dinner!


 Anyway, here's the recipe for the pesto:

1 cup Trimmed Basil
2-1/4 Cloves of Garlic
1/4 cup Pine Nuts
1/4 cup Parmesan
1/4 cup Fustini's Garlic Olive Oil (although I'm going to use the Tuscan Herb oil I brought home!)
6 Kalamata Olives

Grind in food processor and enjoy!

Tuesday was our last day in the Traverse City area and our goal was some outdoor fun.  We drove to Sleeping Bear Dunes and climbed to the point where you could see Lake Michigan.  Climbing the first dune was the most strenuous part of the trek and for an out-of-shape middle-aged woman, I was just glad I made it to the top!  Coming back down was really fun!

We had a late lunch in the little town of Empire at Joe’s Friendly Tavern.  This little hole in the wall served up exceptional food!  They grind their own hamburger daily, which could explain why their “olive burger” was perhaps the best burger I’ve ever had in my life!  My husband’s chili was a good balance between the amount of meat and beans with a nice amount of heat, but not too spicy.  The atmosphere is distinctively northwoods neighborhood tavern-like and the service really was friendly.  It seems like a place all the locals go, and with good reason.

A short drive down Highway M-22 was Riverside Canoe Trips.  We rented 2 canoes and paddled our way along the lower Platte River.  The approximately two-hour trip turned out to be a workout as we struggled through some periods of gusty winds!

After an exhilarating day, it was time to head for our destination of Holland, Michigan where we would stop for the night.  As it was starting to get a little late, we ended up stopping in Grand Haven for dinner at Portabello.  The nicely appointed restaurant was a welcome stop with a menu of favorite Italian fare.  The portions were generous and the dishes were well-prepared and delicious.

Here’s a tip…we had tried to stop in Muskegon, but found it to be a depressed area of urban blight…not a restaurant to be found in the “downtown” area.

Unfortunately, the only reservations in Holland I could get on short notice were at the Days Inn.  I’d give it 1 star.  The room was tiny with 2 double beds, not queens.  It’s in sore need of a remodel, but it seemed clean.  I realize how spoiled we’ve become staying in nicer accommodations, but if you’re on a strict budget, it will do.

Before heading for home on this Wednesday morning, we checked out the downtown Holland area, stopping in some shops and grabbing a cup of Starbuck’s and a pastry at the Alpen Rose Konditerei.  It actually had a cute-looking German/Dutch restaurant in the back, but we weren’t going to be staying for lunch.

Our last foodie stop of note was at Sherman’s Dairy Bar in South Haven.  

This famous counter service ice cream shop has been around for decades and serves some of the richest, most delicious ice cream you’ve ever eaten.  Featuring over 60 flavors, Sherman’s provides customers with extra-large portions…even a “baby” scoop is generous!  Another thing we discovered – pass on the “cookie bowl”, but don’t pass up the pretzel cone!

Needless to say, there were more tempting establishments in western Michigan than we could possibly try in just a few days.  I’d definitely go back just for the dining and drinking!  How about an autumn trip next year??

The beauty of the Traverse City area can’t be over-sold.  The Old Mission and Leelanau Peninsulas cut into the northeast corner of Lake Michigan, providing miles and miles of lakeshore.  The climate is perfect for fruit orchards, giving way to countless roadside stands offering the juiciest, most fragrant peaches on earth, not to mention the famous Michigan cherries.

The Traverse City area now boasts over thirty wineries, nine microbreweries and several distilleries.  According to the Pure Michigan guide magazine, it’s “Traverse City’s combination of climate, topography and soils…it’s ‘northern-ness’ that makes the wine so good.”  Needless to say, we had to try a couple.

There’s so much we wanted to see and do in a short couple of days here that we only planned on hitting one winery and one distillery. Because we didn’t know exactly how long we’d be spending on some things our timing didn’t exactly work out…we found ourselves driving from one peninsula to the other and back again!  Oh well, the scenery was beautiful.  Our first stop was the Old Mission Lighthouse on the northern tip of the Old Mission Peninsula.  The views out into Lake Michigan were incredible.

We thought we’d have more to see in the “Old Mission Village” but it turns out it’s only a one-room “mission” building and a general store.  That’s where our timing got thrown off…we thought it would take more time there so our timing would be good for the 1:00 tour at Chateau Chantal.  Since we now had too much time on our hands, we drove back down Old Mission Peninsula and up the Leelanau Peninsula to hit a couple spots recommended by our friends.

The Leelanau Pie and Pastry shop is a little building along the road where they’re making fresh pies and pastries on site.  I guess our friends got a pie right out of the oven and it was fabulous. We chose some pastries out of the case and while they were good, we felt it wasn’t anything special.  Down the street, however, was something special.  Northern Latitudes Distillery is a local operation with a small tasting room – another small building along the road. You’d miss it if you weren’t looking for it.  At Northern Latitudes they make just eight craft spirits with a uniqueness we enjoyed.  They offer free tastings – 3 or 4 samples per person.  Between 3 of us we tasted everything they had!  They make three different vodkas:  Ice Dunes Vodka, Apollo Horseradish Vodka and our favorite, Deer Camp Vodka, made from Michigan sugar beets.  They were out of their Manitou Passage Rum, so we didn’t get to try that, but the Jack Pine Gin was outstanding. “Local Leelanau botanicals like jack pine seed and lavender create a distinct and deeply regional gin.”  A rich Mackinac Island Fudge Liqueur and ultra-smooth Limoncello di Leelanau round out the offerings.  They are also selling a nice bourbon whiskey, but not their own.  Being a newer distillery, their bourbon is not yet ready.  There are a few tables where you can sit and enjoy cocktails crafted from their spirits. A gift shop offers some unique barware and accessories.  We chose to bring home bottles of the Deer Camp Vodka, Jack Pine Gin and Limoncello di Leelanau.

Back to the Old Mission Peninsula to try to make one of the 3 tours at Chateau Chantal, we needed to stop somewhere to grab a bite of lunch.  We found a perfect little unassuming spot:  Bad Dog Deli.  The deli makes sandwiches to order, either for carry-out or eat in.  The sandwiches were delicious which the owner attributed to their use of Boar’s Head brand deli meats. While we were chowing down on our lunch, HGTV’s Carter Oosterhouse (in the background of photo) and his wife, actress Amy Smart, came in and ordered carry-out.  Apparently they live locally and are frequent patrons of Bad Dog Deli.

We finally made it to Chateau Chantal with a few minutes to spare before the 3:00 tour.  They offer these free tours daily at 1:00, 2:00 and 3:00.  They also offer a “tapas tour” which is $29/person and includes a tasting and small plates. We enjoyed hearing about the types of wines they produce at Chateau Chantal and seeing their operation.  After our tour we went to the tasting room and purchased a few things from the gift shop.  A lovely B & B inn rounds out the picturesque property.  One of the most breathtaking views at this hilltop property is from the large patio outside of the tasting room.  Overlooking vineyards and fruit orchards, the lake can be seen on 3 sides from this property.

Our last stop of the day was back in Traverse City to The Village at Grand Traverse Commons.  This “sprawling campus preserves the castle-like buildings” that once housed a state mental asylum. This ambitious historical redevelopment is an ongoing project that is being turned into restaurants, shops, galleries and apartments.  My youngest daughter's request was a visit to the Underground Cheesecake Company.  They produce 42 different flavors of cheesecake and we enjoyed splitting a couple pieces so we could try more than one flavor!

We had planned on finishing out our day by renting jet skis back at our resort, but a huge thunderstorm forced us to resort to the indoor pool.  We asked at the front desk about local pizza places that would deliver to the resort and she recommended That’s A Pizza.  It was delivered to our room in record time and was really delicious…perfect for a rainy night indoors. 

 

I tried to get revenge for my previous loss with another round of Phase Ten and failed miserably!  I was consoled by a drive to the original Moomer’s Ice Cream, just before closing.  Moomer’s is Traverse City’s famous ice cream, featuring over 100 flavors.  There is usually a line out the door, but apparently this night the storm had driven the crowds away, so we only had a short wait in line.  

Part Three (the end of this trip!) coming tomorrow.

When summer is nearly over and you realize you haven’t gone anywhere, what’s better than a quick road trip?  While I’m usually a real planner, I didn’t have much time to devote to a last-minute getaway to Traverse City and western Michigan.  We’d always wanted to take a trip up to Traverse City, but just never got around to it.  Not wanting to spend long hours in the car and knowing we wouldn’t get going at the crack of dawn, we planned a first day stop in Grand Rapids, about 3-1/2 hours from our northwest suburban Chicago home.

As predicted, we got somewhat of a late start, so we arrived at Saugatuck, MI around lunch time.  The cute Lake Michigan resort town was really bustling on this August Saturday, making it somewhat difficult to find parking.  At the recommendation of a friend, we lunched at The Butler Deck.  Like everywhere else, there was a wait for a table, but after about 20 minutes we were seated on the outdoor deck overlooking the lake.  I have to say that, while the view was nice, I absolutely baked with the hot sun beating down on me.  The food was good, but nothing I would call particularly special…the usual assortment of burgers, sandwiches and salads.  Hovering bees and somewhat slow service made it a place I probably wouldn’t frequent.  I’m sure it’s wonderful on a cooler, less crowded day or evening.

On to Grand Rapids where we checked in to the Fairfield Inn.  It was newly renovated and, while a fairly typical Fairfield layout, was nicely decorated and clean.  At $99 for a two queen bed room including continental breakfast, I’d have no trouble recommending it, especially for a night or two.  We took advantage of the nice late afternoon by taking a self-guided walking tour of some historic homes in Grand Rapids.  There are a number of maintained and restored homes of varying architectural styles dating to the early 1900s within a few blocks, including the Meyer May House.  The Meyer May House was Frank Lloyd Wright’s first commission in Michigan and has been beautifully restored.  Unfortunately for us, touring hours were over, but we walked around the outside.

A city which, unlike much of eastern Michigan, seems to be thriving and growing, Grand Rapids offers a lot of culture, entertainment and, for us foodies, great dining and drinking.  They’re calling themselves “Beer City USA”, boasting 21 local breweries and a list of awards.  That’s something we’ll have to explore on another trip!  We did, however, find a restaurant for a casual dinner.  Since it was getting late and we were getting really hungry, we didn’t take time to explore, instead returning to a location to which we’d been on a previous trip where we knew there were several restaurants.  Once a grocery warehouse, “The B.O.B.” (an acronym for Big Old Building) in downtown Grand Rapids is a 70,000-square-foot, four-story building which houses three restaurants, a lounge, nightclub, comedy club and microbrewery.  We ate at Bobarino’s which serves wood-fired pizzas and an array of burgers, sandwiches and entrees.  I had a succulent Cubano sandwich of pulled pork, ham, mustard, pickles, Swiss cheese and mayo all on a perfectly toasted ciabatta bun.  My daughter loved the “build your own” pizza, choosing from five different sauces and 19 different toppings.  A game of Phase Ten back at the hotel (with Mom getting creamed!) completed our night in Grand Rapids.

Sunday morning we got up and made the 148 mile drive to Traverse City.  I had booked a room at the Grand Beach/Sugar Beach Traverse City beachfront resort.  Our room wasn’t ready for check-in, so we headed to Clinch Park Beach to meet our friends who were enjoying the last day of their Traverse City vacation.  While some of the gang played volleyball on the beach, I visited with Cathy and got some of her tips on places to visit in T.C.  The beach is located right across the street from the central downtown area, so we walked over and hit a few shops before our friends left town.  Cherry Republic offers tastings of their many products made from Michigan cherries.  We sampled cherry sodas, cherry wine, cherry salsa and even cherry tortilla chips.  We settled on purchasing some delicious cherry barbecue sauce.  I’m looking forward to using it on a pork roast in the near future!

Perhaps my favorite find in downtown Traverse City was Fustini’s, a boutique of flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars. In Italy, “Fustini” are the stainless steel containers in which olive oils and vinegars are stored.  The walls of the shop are lined with fustinis containing the most wonderful assortment of oils and vinegars with little plastic cups for tasting.  I limited myself to purchasing only 3 bottles…it was difficult!  In the end I settled on the Tuscan Herb olive oil and the Wild Blueberry and Espresso Bean balsamic vinegars.  Fortunately, Fustini’s ships and you can order at their online store www.fustinis.com.

After checking into our lovely room and changing clothes we ventured out for dinner.  I had done a little research on Traverse City before we left and had a list of potential eateries for us to try.  After looking at online menus we chose to eat at the Apache Trout Grill – and were we glad we did!  A short drive around the west bay, the restaurant is situated on the water, with a dock where boats can pull right up.  An outdoor seating area is a picturesque setting while you have a cocktail and wait for your table.  Ours wasn’t a long wait, but long enough to order drinks.  Jen got an “Aloe Vera” cocktail – a combination of Midori melon liqueur, citrus vodka, sweet and sour mix and Sprite – which she enjoyed.  My cherry martini was sweeter than I expected with a maraschino flavor rather than the tart Michigan cherry flavor I was expecting.  While Bill and I got the beer battered lake perch sandwiches, Jen and Jo shared the baked macaroni and cheese and the braised short ribs.  If you like garlic, you’d love their mac and cheese, but the real star of the evening was the succulent, melt-in-your-mouth short ribs in a cola barbecue sauce and topped with fried onion straws – yum!  We also chose the Apache house potatoes as our sides – it's like loaded baked potatoes, only with diced potatoes...cheesey, bacon-y goodness.

Across from our resort was Pirate’s Cove, where we played a round of mini golf before calling it a day.

Where did the summer go?!  Well, for me, it was largely consumed with directing The King's Players' production of "Kiss Me, Kate".  Another year with another wonderful cast!  I am as proud of them as any cast I've ever directed.  A special treat this year was having so many alums come back to help on the crew!


Of course, while The King's Players is my "avocation," my travel planner "vocation" was still hard at work, quoting and booking special trips for my clients!  But now the summer days are winding down and we've only a handful of days before taking our daughter back to college, so we're going to take off for a quick few days to Michigan -- Traverse City to be exact -- a place my hubby, Bill, has long wanted to visit.


Daughters # 2 & 3, Jen & Johanna, will be accompanying us and we're looking forward to seeing the sights and checking out the "foodie tour" of Traverse City.  Most people know about the famous Traverse City Cherry Festival (which we've already missed), but did you know they also have dozens of distilleries, wineries and microbreweries?  We're definitely going to check that out, along with Johanna's request for the "Underground Cheesecake Company"...yum!!


Whatever your plans for the last precious days of summer, let me know if I can help with your plans and have happy and safe travels!

Why is it that when you're not trying you have so much to say, yet when you sit down to write, you're stumped!

So it is with starting my TravelBlog...

In the days ahead, I will have lots of information here, but as I need to get packing for a weekend wedding in Michigan, it won't be today!

Happy and safe travels, Everyone!