If you want to go fishing for salmon or halibut–head to Valdez!

Typically, I love the kayaking (Pangaea Adventures) and the glacier cruises (Stan Stephens Cruises). But there’s fun for everyone!
a. The Halibut Derby is on through Sept. 5. There are weekly prizes, plus a grand prize of $15,000 cash. Get your ticket ($10/day, $50/season) at the Best Western Valdez Harbor Inn. We like that place. It’s where we stayed on our recent visit.
b. Silver Salmon Derby. Wow. Another $15,000 first-prize, plus weekly prizes. This derby also runs through Sept. 5, so go get your gear and plan your trip to Valdez!
c. Women’s Derby. This is the 6th annual Women’s Silver Salmon Derby–and it’s just for one day: Sat., Aug 14, 2010. The registration is $50, in addition to your regular derby ticket. But there are lots of extra bells and whistles that come along with the fee. Of course, i wouldn’t know…since I don’t qualify. HA! Check it out HERE.
In between your fishing dates, make plans to see the Whitney Museum, on the Prince William Sound Community College Campus. This is an incredible collection gathered over decades when the Whitney’s had a store and trading post out on the highway. There are furs, artifacts, carvings, mounted wildlife models–and much more. We basically got talked into visiting — and it was worth the trip. Learn more HERE.
Fly, drive or sail to Valdez. If you’re coming from Fairbanks, Valdez is a straight shot down the Richardson Highway. From Anchorage,you can take a quick 50-minute flight on Era Alaska. Or, you can drive up and over the mountains to Glennallen, then back down to Valdez. Or, you can sail across Prince William Sound on the Alaska Marine Highway to/from Whittier. Great fun. Great sailing!
Learn more about your adventure to Valdez! Let’s go fishing!

Gray Line of Alaska has some AWESOME rail-n-stay bargains:
a. Anchorage-Talkeetna. Ride the Great Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Talkeetna aboard the mega-dome McKinley Explorer rail cars. The coach will pick you up at the station in Talkeetna for your trip the McKinley Princess Lodge–right on the Chulitna River. Remember–this place has the MOTHER of all decks. It’s the closest hotel to Mt. McKinley–incredible views. As low as $135 per person, double occupancy, includes roundtrip rail, overnight accommodations.
b. Anchorage-Denali National Park. Get on board in Anchorage and keep riding the rails past Talkeetna up to Denali National Park. This tour includes overnight accommodations at Denali, plus roundtrip rail. Take optional bus tour into the park, go flightseeing or raft the river! As low as $239 per person, double.
c. Three days/two nights along the rail belt! Your package includes overnight accommodations at both Talkeetna and Denali National Park. You’ll see Denali from two sides! Check it out at Graylinealaska.com ! Priced from $299 per person, double!
Call (888) 452-1737 now to make your reservations to see more of Alaska with Gray Line!

A Southern California woman was removed from an Atlanta to Los Angeles flight on Delta last month after she told a flight attendant that she smelled alcohol on the breath of the plane’s captain. The flight had been delayed an hour, and, following the delay, she walked onto the jetway with the captain. Following the conversation, she told friends that she smelled alcohol on his breath. She then told a flight attendant, who told another pilot. The passenger was called into the cockpit to discuss, and was informed that the co-pilot and the captain were together during the delay that he definitely did not drink anything.

The passenger thanked the pilot and went back to her seat. Soon after, Delta staff came on board and removed her on the plane, saying that the Captain did not want her on board. Delta gave her meal vouchers and a hotel room and booked her on a flight the next day.

This does sound like one of those stories where there’s clearly another side, but if this is true, it’s kinda disturbing.

JAL is sending 100 of its executives to American Airlines to learn how to get the carrier through its severe financial troubles.

Let’s get this out of the way: you can insert all the jokes you want here about how it could be possible that they’ll learn anything from American. Blah blah blah.

The reality is this: the team was sent to American to learn about they manage their financials. And for whatever you want to say about American’s passenger experience (and I would say it’s on par with every other major US airline), American managed itself incredibly well during the past 2 downturns. During that time the industry saw just about every other major airline succumb to bankruptcy. American did not. And while that has put them at a bit of a disadvantage now, they were the only major airline to accomplish that, and, for JAL, there’s a huge lesson in how to turn around a company during a rough financial period. Or so they hope.

Virgin America is flying into Dallas/Fort Worth.

The carrier - known for Wi-Fi on all of its airplanes and flight attendants with a reality TV show - announced on Tuesday that it is launching service from D/FW Airport to Los Angeles and San Francisco in December.

“Virgin America’s decision to launch service from DFW Airport to two major markets is a testament to the strength and vitality of the Dallas-Fort Worth region,” said D/FW Airport chief executive Jeff Fegan. “Our passengers will see a big benefit from the increased competition and the new Virgin America service.”

The new service will launch with daily flights from Los Angeles to D/FW starting on December 1 and with daily flights to San Francisco as of December 6.

With the announcement, Virgin America is offering a "Texas-sized" fare sale on those routes starting at $129. There are blackout dates around the holidays where the cheap fare is not offered. The sale ends on August 12.

"Before today, travelers along these routes had very little choice and we think a little healthy competition is always a good thing - especially for consumers," said Virgin America chief executive David Cush.

Virgin America, which is 25 percent owned by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group, launched in 2007 with its hub in San Francisco. It has about 100 flights a day with service to eleven destinations. On its website, the carrier says its aim is to "make flying good again" and touts its in-flight Wi-Fi Internet service and mood-lit cabins.

Earlier this year, its flight attendants were in a reality TV show called "Fly Girls" that aired on the CW network. The show was canceled after its first season.

think I can say safely that everyone was happy to be in non-Rotary uniform clothing today. Today was a day without presentations, so we were free to wear whatever we liked. With the weather the way it is in Curitiba, today really meant we could wear whatever is warmest. Right now, it feels like Florida's winter. This year's winter, which was one of the coldest.

This morning began like most with my host family, which is host Mom, Nueza pronounced "New-ay-zah"), and host sisters, Alainah and Laryssa. Alainah is about my age, maybe a few years younger, and speaks English very well. She studied in Toronto for a year and a half. Laryssa and Nueza both speak a little English. Every morning begins with breakfast. Always coffee with the main dish varying from a pressed ham and cheese sandwich to cheese rolls and cereal to toast with butter and jam. Then, it is out the door to start the marathon.

Today we all met at Univerdade Positivo, a private university. I can't post photos via the computer I am on, but the campus is beautiful. We received a tour of the campus, including the impressive theater. Denise got to ride in style, and I do think the amount of food is taking its toll. It took the combined efforts of Jim, Daphne, and I to push Denise up the hill to the theater. :-)

Lunch was at an impressive castle of a restaurant in an area of town known as Portal Italiano - or Little Italy. We dined on lasagna, meat (so much meat, always meat!), risotto, gnocchi, fettuccine, salad, more pasta, and more meat served with wine. Oh, and I can't forget about the sugary shots of some sort of passion fruit liquor drink. There was also a cashew drink that I had Denise finish off for me. That's a good girl, Denise!

Lunch was followed by a trip around the city on the Lihna Turismo -- Tourist Line - a green bus that Jim hopped around in trying to capture every fantastic angle of the city. For 2 hours, he was back and forth and back and forth from side to side trying to snap photos out the windows of the bus while making the rest of us freeze in the breeze from the open window (and messing up our GSE Coordinator's - Douglas' - hair). Thanks, Jim. I hope you can trim your post-trip slideshow down to something less than one week of total of view time.

Tonight was our first night since Mother's Day to spend with our host families. Neuza made dinner for Doug and Douglas, and me. Her black bean noodle soup and chicken soup were to die for, and that is not the two glasses of wine talking!

Another marathon day spent out on the town, learning about the world of Brasil and Curitiba Alainah, smart and savvy real estate agent that she is, almost has Doug signing on the dotted line for a new home down here. As long as I can have a spare set of keys for my Christmas holiday, Doug, I support your purchase!!

Tomorrow, we don our uniforms once again for presentations and vocational meetings Stay tuned for more excitement. I have a feeling Doug's and Denise's coverage will be more entertaining....For now, bom noiche!!
source:http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/teambrazil6950/1/1273705084/tpod.html

Windy 2 hour drive to get here but worth it. The views were stunning - we walked part of the Queen Charlotte track and had views of two bays - we only walked for an hour each way as had to turn back due to rumbling stomachs, such light weights. Treated ourselves to a nice lunch out, um fish and chips for me and curry for James, also sun shining so this kept James happy.

Treetops was great as we had the place to ourselves, but didn't get on great with the spiders, the owner definitely needs a lesson in cleaning. Great night though eating pies (don't think I'll remain 9 stone for long!) and playing scrabble and got beaten by James twice, don't think we'll play anymore!
Source:http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bikhit/1/1273787552/tpod.html

We were up pretty early today as we had to get several busses to a village called Dazhai, apart from getting very bored, hot and sweaty the journey was very uneventful. We did stop at Guilin to drop our big rucksacks off at the lockers at the train station so that we only had to carry our day bags with us. Even that was a bit of a hassle as the woman at the train station wanted to open every bag to check them. Even then she only had a very quick look. Not sure what she was expecting to find?

Once we got as close as we could to Dazhai we were greeted off the bus by loads of little local women all of them were 4-5 feet tall with big baskets on their back offering to take our day bags and carry them for us. I felt guilty and I think everyone else did too as no one had their bags carried. You could even have yourself carried as there were men waiting with a kind of seat that was carried by two men. Now that would really have been lazy!

The walk up to Dazhai village was about 45 mins uphill but felt a lot longer as we were all a bit tired from travelling all day. We finally arrived at the village and our hotel/hostel at around 6pm. Got checked in, had a shower which I must add had no curtain but a view out over to the hillside....a shower with a view (see pic).

Sorry Dave, but I have to mention the food here. We all paid 30 Yuan (£3) each and had a 9 course set meal provided by the hotel. It was so good and possibly one of the best meals we have had all trip, that we asked if we could have some more made for us as we all enjoyed it so much.

Not much to do here so we all had an early night as we had to get up to do a 6 mile trek through the rice terraces tomorrow.
Source: http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/peterward/2/1273769910/tpod.html

Portage Bay, South Island, New Zealand
Sunday, May 9, 2010

Windy 2 hour drive to get here but worth it. The views were stunning - we walked part of the Queen Charlotte track and had views of two bays - we only walked for an hour each way as had to turn back due to rumbling stomachs, such light weights. Treated ourselves to a nice lunch out, um fish and chips for me and curry for James, also sun shining so this kept James happy.

Treetops was great as we had the place to ourselves, but didn't get on great with the spiders, the owner definitely needs a lesson in cleaning. Great night though eating pies (don't think I'll remain 9 stone for long!) and playing scrabble and got beaten by James twice, don't think we'll play anymore!
Source:http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bikhit/1/1273787552/tpod.html

We were up pretty early today as we had to get several busses to a village called Dazhai, apart from getting very bored, hot and sweaty the journey was very uneventful. We did stop at Guilin to drop our big rucksacks off at the lockers at the train station so that we only had to carry our day bags with us. Even that was a bit of a hassle as the woman at the train station wanted to open every bag to check them. Even then she only had a very quick look. Not sure what she was expecting to find?

Once we got as close as we could to Dazhai we were greeted off the bus by loads of little local women all of them were 4-5 feet tall with big baskets on their back offering to take our day bags and carry them for us. I felt guilty and I think everyone else did too as no one had their bags carried. You could even have yourself carried as there were men waiting with a kind of seat that was carried by two men. Now that would really have been lazy!

The walk up to Dazhai village was about 45 mins uphill but felt a lot longer as we were all a bit tired from travelling all day. We finally arrived at the village and our hotel/hostel at around 6pm. Got checked in, had a shower which I must add had no curtain but a view out over to the hillside....a shower with a view (see pic).

Sorry Dave, but I have to mention the food here. We all paid 30 Yuan (£3) each and had a 9 course set meal provided by the hotel. It was so good and possibly one of the best meals we have had all trip, that we asked if we could have some more made for us as we all enjoyed it so much.

Not much to do here so we all had an early night as we had to get up to do a 6 mile trek through the rice terraces tomorrow.
Source:http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/peterward/2/1273769910/tpod.html