travel news Page 69

On the Sunday, April 25th, 2021 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, airlines are expanding summer flight schedules to meet growing travel demand and Hawaii reports hotel numbers are going up each month. Sadly, the Hotel Pennsylvania, the New York Hotel whose phone number, Pennsylvania 6-5,000, became a hit for Glenn Miller, is likely to stay closed. It shut down during the pandemic and its owner wants to demolish the hotel and turn it into a mixed-use tower, something it has been trying to do for nearly 20 years. In our Smarter Traveler segment, we introduce you to CLEAR, a better way to get through security lines at airports. CLEAR arrived in Sacramento in March and we have Mitch Nadler from the company with us to explain how it works, how much is costs and how you can join. In Mark's Just One Man's Opinion piece, he warns us that fuel surcharges are coming to travel very soon, and why on some level, the charges are legit. The second half of the show is for your input on the restart of travel. We open the phone lines, bribe you with an offer of possibly winning a See's Candy Gift Card, and give you the opportunity to share your opinions. Are you ready to travel now? Still waiting for a while? Where are you on vaccines for getting into theaters and events? It's always interesting to hear our audience's take. If you are reading this after the show is broadcast, you can hear the comments on the podcast. The link can be found on this page.

On the Sunday, April 18th, 2021 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, reopening continues at museums, hotels and attractions, especially theme parks. Southwest has announced new service to two Pacific Northwest cities, Eugene, Oregon, and Bellingham, Washington. While you would have to connect to those destinations (no non-stops from Sacramento), it’s important to note that Bellingham is very close to the Canadian border (when it reopens) and is also the jumping off spot for the Alaska Ferry. California could be headed for a big fire season this year. Recently, a tour operator friend of Mark’s, Shebby Lee, had to flee her home in the Black Hills on a moment’s notice. Her experience might help you prepare for a similar occurrence in your neighborhood. Shebby also offers one heck of a Lewis and Clark tour you might want to participate in this year or in the future. Gwen Duncan of Cordially Yours Travel joins Mark to debate the return of cruise ships to the high seas. Gwen says the ships have done a lot to improve traveler safety on board against Covid. Mark says he’s not sure you can trust cruise lines, who haven’t always proven to be the best environmental partners, among other sins, and how can a cruise possibly be safe during Covid? 50 years ago, a vocal duo named Brewer and Shipley wrote and sang a controversial song, ‘One Toke Over the Line.' It was about smoking too much funny tobacco. The song was WAYYY before it’s time. Next week, April 20 (4-20) comes to calendars. 4-20 is a longtime part of marijuana culture. Tom sits down with one of the duo and gets the story behind the song. It really is a great interview. Especially the part about the song being played on the Lawrence Welk Show.

On the Sunday, April 11th, 2021 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Carnival Cruise Lines threatens to move operations off shore if they aren't allowed to sail from US ports, many national parks will be tied or appointment entry only this summer and we tell you about a new airline taking to the sky, headquartered in Burbank. Baby's Away is the place to get travel supplies to help you go the distance with mini-travelers. Now you know all about them! Chris Elliott is not only the Travel Writer for USA Today and Forbes Magazine, he runs Elliott.org, a great consumer action web site, and is a regular guest on our show. Chris talks about his change in travel advisories for some groups, gives a great lesson on solving consumer issues and tells the story about how Elliott Advocacy got an "F" from the Better Business Bureau.

On the Sunday, April 4th, 2021 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, the CDC has a host of new guidelines for travel, starting with domestic trips and including guidance for the cruise lines. American Airlines says you can travel to Italy without a quarantine and several airlines have weighed in on the laws which appear to restrict the ability to vote in Georgia and other states. Mark headed to Seattle for business and a little baseball this week. He shares some updates and observations on airports and the behavior of travelers in our Smarter Traveler segment. Ever since the days of the Comstock, women have played a major role in the running of Virginia City. That’s still happening today. Meet the ladies of Virginia City and learn about what makes it an incredibly unique place to visit, very close to home. For 25 years, David Watts Barton was the music reviewer for the Sacramento Bee. His second career is as an author and he has a fascinating book on Japan, Japan: From Anime to Zen. We’ll talk with him about it.