Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year!

May the holiday season bring joy, laughter, fabulous food and a time of peace and reflection. And may the New Year be full of wonderful surprises and new destinations to explore!

Cheers from Chicks That Trip

*Photo from http://www.netanimations.net/Christmas-Trees-decorations-animations.html

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Wishing you and your families a warm and wonderful 

Thanksgiving Holiday!

Cheers!
Chicks That Trip

 

*Photo provided by Freedigitalphotos.net courtesy of debspoons

Winery Spotlight: Matthews Winery

Matthews Winery - Wine Tasting Room

Spring has finally sprung and this is the time of year where we are all antsy to get moving and thinking about big trips and mini local trips that we can take in order to enjoy ourselves - near and afar!

Winery trips are always a treat to me. Whether it's a trip through Napa Valley, or a famous wine house in France; anytime is a perfect time to visit a winery and a wine tasting room - in my opinion. Those of us who appreciate and benefit from all of the work that takes place to transform those delicate grapes to the divine elixir of wine is something not to be taken lightly; after all, there is a lot of time, attention and dare I say, money, involved in the entire process to go from vine to wine.

On a late, rainy afternoon (yes, I'm in the Pacific Northwest, so I believe that may go without saying), I ventured out to Matthews Winery to meet one of the proprietors, Diane Otis, and of course, to have a taste of their delicious wine. We were supposed to meet a few weeks prior, but it was harvest time; therefore, her time was tight, and it was determined it would be best for me to come out after the harvest had been completed. 

Matthews Winery is ensconced in the serene community known as Woodinville. Given the location is a mere twenty miles from downtown Seattle; when you are there, you feel miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city. There are slight rolling hills and vast acres of land where the grapes are harvested. Numerous wine houses sprinkle the main corridor of Woodinville, and entice you in with their intricate signage that is strategically located in order to get you to veer off course and stop into their tasting rooms.

I pulled into the parking lot of the tasting room and got out of my car. I took in a deep breath and inhaled the smell of trees, rain and a bit of dirt. It's a refreshing experience and relaxing. It is as if all vestiges of stress roll off of your body and you become one with the softness of the surroundings.


During my visit, I had the opportunity to speak with Diane about her venture into the wine world, and it was worthy of  a "Wine 101"designation, given all of the useful insider information that she provided during my visit.

I was surprised to learn that initially the production of Matthews wine was in their Woodinville location; however, in 2010 they moved a portion of their wine producing to Walla Walla, Washington, and today, almost all of their production is in Walla Walla, with only a small amount being produced in Woodinville.

Their ultra premium label, Tenor, has become highly popular since it's launch back in 2008. Showcasing some of their single varietals of the fruits of Washington State, like their Syrah and Chardonnay. I was able to taste a pour of the Chardonnay (as I prefer whites over reds). It was liquid silk coating my tongue. The body was full and had hints of lemon; yet tinged with a bit of spiciness that was not off putting or too "in your face."
 

Matthews Winery is continually enhancing not only their wine offerings; like their wine-of-the-month clubs, but also encouraging small and medium-sized gatherings in the large area located right off of their tasting room. Diane said they have several events they host throughout the year, as well as private events that are held in this space.

They also boast an intimate Estate House which serves as their on site Bed and Breakfast, with  two guest rooms, as well as the ability to serve small scale gatherings such as a cooking class or private birthday party celebration.

I would recommend anyone to stop through and enjoy a glass of wine and feel the warm welcome that is extended by Diane, her family and their staff.

*Photos taken by That Chick Té

www.chicksthattrip.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Wishing You a Healthy, Prosperous and World Traveling New Year!

Chicks That Trip

*Photo from freedigitalphotos.net by noppasinw

The Sterilization of Starbucks

 

The Sterilization of Starbucks

Whether you are a coffee drinker or not, you will turn into one after a while of living here (in Seattle). Most of my friends can attest to the fact that I am not a coffee connoisseur. I have low expectations, and typically drink one of three coffee variations: regular coffee, vanilla latte, or some mocha type of concoction.

Despite the fact that I've never been a huge coffee drinker, I've always chilled at Starbucks, and a couple of other coffee establishments; however, Starbucks had always been my favorite, because I'd get to know the Baristas and they wouldn't chastise me for my lack of coffee culture, and the environment had always been cozy and inviting; HAD being the operative word.

Prior to my move to Seattle from Denver, I had been seeing a rash of updating of the Starbucks in the area. Hey, I'm all for updating and staying "fresh." The problem comes when the cozy, comfy leather chairs and odd sofas are replaced by cold and uninviting furniture; which does NOT encourage lingering. Hmmm, maybe that's the point.

About a month into living here in Seattle, I scooted into one of the Starbucks that was close to my house. There was a sign on the door that read (paraphrasing), "We'll be open during our remodeling. Please continue to frequent our location during our remodeling process." I stepped inside and chose a space that was a long, bench like seating, covered in a soft fabric, with several single tables next to one another. It's one of those situations where you have to squish between the tables to sit down, and you hope your rear-end isn't in someones face before you plop down.

I hunkered down into my seat, and began working away on my computer. A short time later, a perfectly coiffed lady in her late 60's sat next to me; curled her legs underneath herself, and pulled out her Kindle (or could have been a Nook...I'm not sure). She glanced in my direction and gave a light smile. I returned the smile and continued working on my computer. 

About thirty minutes later she put her device down and looked around the place. It was humming with a lot of energy. The loud hissing of the steam machines; idle chatter, and heated discussions surrounded us. She turned to me and said, "You know this is all going to end don't you?" 

I cocked my head to the side and said, "How is that?"

"All of these places [Starbucks] are getting 'renovated.' They are taking the heart away and making it so...so, Corporate. I mean, I know they are big time, but it's sad to see what they are doing," she uttered in a melancholy voice.

I replied, "Yes, it's a sterilization."

She perked up, "That's the exact word. Sterilization," she sighed.

We chatted a bit more, and then she settled back into her reading, and I returned to my work on the computer.

Now, with that being said, it's forced me to branch out and not seek out the comfort of a place I'd been going for sometime, but to try new places. I'm delighted to report that while Starbucks definitely has a tight grip on the coffee locations in this city; there are countless coffee shops and café's that are, and have been giving them a run for their money. I have a couple that are starting to become my "go to" places too, and I will share a bit about them as I venture out and spread my wings.

Bottoms up!

*Photo taken by That Chick Té

www.chicksthattrip.com

 

Welcome to the Emerald City!

Welcome to the Emerald City

That Chick Té is baaaaack! The last few months have been a whirlwind of activity; therefore, I apologize for the delay in updating my blog with THE BIG MOVE!

I have quite a few stories about my drive out to Seattle, Washington, and I have to admit (coming from someone who prefers not to drive), I had a wonderful time driving out with my mother, as I start a new adventure and page in my life in the phenomenal city of Seattle.

This city is SPECTACULAR! You can be in the city; by water, or in the mountains (some of these things are accomplished simultaneously) in what seems like a ten minute time frame. Driving across the bridge over Lake Washington, to downtown Seattle when I entered the city took my breathe away. I'd been to Seattle on many occasions, but I rarely had the opportunity to get out of the city and visit the surrounding areas. The only other place I'd been before was Olympia, and while that was nice; there are no breathtaking views (to me) like there are in and around Seattle. 

I am looking forward to checking out the bevy of wineries throughout the area; some only a fifteen minute car ride from where I live, like the popular and highly recognizable, Chateau St. Michelle Winery, located in Woodinville, Wa.

While I enjoy and take in as much as I can of this vibrant city, I look forward to sharing my experiences with you all too.

Cheers!

*Photo taken by That Chick Té

www.chicksthattrip.com

International Wine Guild Cruise

My friends from the International Wine Guild will be hosting a wine cruise.  The flyer below contains most of the information.

Join Us For A Wine Cruise

June 28 - July 5, 2014 PLUS a trip to Umbria before the cruise From Rome To Barcelona!

10-Night Luxurious Wine Cruise

Our June 28th, 10-day "Rome to Barcelona" cruise is in its final stage of booking. If you have not yet booked your cabin, please be aware we can only guarantee cabin inventory until February 15th! After this date, booking requests will only be honored on a "space available" basis. So if you want to go, please book now so you can enjoy the widest selection of prices and cabins.  This 10-night luxurious wine and food journey would make a wonderful Valentine's present! Per person pricing, based on two to a cabin, begins at $4,474 including round trip airfare from 26 US cities. And if you book now, Oceania's normal deposit payment has been reduced to just $750 per person. This cruise begins in the "Eternal City" of Rome, and we know you'll want to arrive early to insure you don't hear those fateful words "You just missed the ship"!  To encourage early arrival, Food & Wine Trails has released their special 2-night pre-cruise package that includes a boutique Rome hotel, an overnight at a Tres Bicchieri rated winery in Umbria with a wine-dinner, a cooking class in the classic hill town of Orvieto and a transfer to the ship. Claude Robbins will be onboard as the host, and the full 10-night tour will count as one of your required Level 3 wine trips if you are working on a Level 3 diploma! Onboard the ship Claude will host a Welcome Reception for the group, a special wine pared dinner and two private wine education seminars. All these events will be with wines chosen by the Guild. During your cruise, you have the opportunity to participate in two optional private excursions. In the port of Livorno, you will enjoy a perfect Super Tuscan-day visiting Azienda Agricola Tua Rita , the very first Italian winery to receive a perfect 100/100 score from Robert Parker.  In Marseille, France the group will visit the world renowned wine region of Chateauneuf du Pape with a wine-paired luncheon cooked by a Michelin-starred chef and a private tasting Domaine de la Janasse, another highly rated winery. Contact our travel partner Food & Wine Trails or visit  www.foodandwinetrails.com/wineguild/2014 before it's too late to reserve your stateroom and pay a lower deposit PLUS FREE airfare to Europe, FREE pre-paid gratuities, FREE internet package and up to $150 in shipboard credit to spend on Oceania Cruises beautiful ship, Riviera. Those are some awesome perks! Claude is looking forward to sharing his knowledge with you about these amazing wine producing areas and creating an experience that you will remember for a lifetime.

Wishing Our Olympians Success, Safety & Fun!

Wishing Our Olympians Success, Safety & Fun!

In a little more than a week, the Winter Olympic Games being held in Sochi, Russia will commence. There has been quite a bit of televised awareness around these olympics, but not for the usual reasons. Unfortunately, heightened degrees of security and travel alerts have been made due to the possibility (suspicion) of terrorist activity.

While safety is clearly the most important factor, I am disappointed that it has become the main focal point of these events. There are women and men coming from all over the globe in anticipation of winning in their respective events, as well as attendees coming to cheer on their friends, family members and fellow country men and women.

I am sending my positive vibes into the universe for all of the attendees and participants; while also wishing them safe passage, and the ability to enjoy this (possibly) once in a lifetime experience. 

*Photo "Skier in Power Snow," taken by franky242 and used from freedigitalphotos.net

www.chicksthattrip.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Looking forward to another fabulous New Year!

Welcome to 2014!

Chicks That Trip

*Photo from freedigitalphotos.net

Happy Holidays & Seasons Greetings!

Happy Holidays & Seasons Greetings!

Wishing you all a beautiful holiday season full of 

friends, family, fun and frivolity.

Looking forward to another wonderful new year

filled will many more possibilities to

be explored.

Chicks That Trip

*Photo used from freedigitalphotos.net "Christmas Decoration" by feelart

Find Your Zen to Reduce Stress

Find Your Zen to Reduce Stress

The holiday season starting from around late October to mid-January has been marked as being the most stressful time of the year.

Everyone is racing around trying to get all of their holiday shopping completed; while also maintaining a job (yeah, you know that thing that helps you pay for unbelievable travel). It's no wonder that people are stressed out. Lines are longer, and it would seem that patience levels are significantly shorter.

I was just in Staples the past evening to purchase some items and I was conversing pleasantly with the young lady ringing me up, and she commented during our conversation that during the holidays,  "People are just mean during this time of year. They are pushy and intolerant. Just mean." I nodded my head in agreement, because I've been seeing my fair share of "meanies" too. 

This time of year isn't particularly stressful for me, because in my family we really don't exchange gifts, so we don't have that stress of finding the "perfect" gift; procuring it, and hoping that the person likes it. Furthermore, I've been working extremely hard this year to find my Zen.

While I am not a particularly religious person (though I was brought up in the church); I am a spiritual person. I believe that you treat others as you'd like to be treated, and that you should simply - be nice (although I do fail at this at times too).

With that being said, I have had my fair amount of stress this year; specifically from September through October, so I get it. Stress...well, it's a natural part of life. We all have it, and as some studies have indicated, a certain level of stress is actually a good thing.

My approach has been really immersing myself into things that lessen my stress. There are things I have to get done on a daily basis; therefore, I make sure those important items get done, and then the rest can wait. Also, I've found that revisiting pictures from my travels really helps put things into perspective. I place myself in those spaces that make me feel all warm and cozy and from there - I find my Zen.

The picture above was taken during one of my visits to Puerto Rico. It is the entrance to the St. Regis Resort & Spa in Bahia Principe, Puerto Rico, and let me tell you, the property is AMAZING. It has an exquisite golf course (played by many pros in the golf industry); areas that remind me of Jurassic Park (though it was actually filmed in Hawaii). It simply permeates a calming feeling that resonates throughout every space on the property. I did a site inspection and was toured around the entire property (I'll put a full review up soon). I was there for almost two hours, and let me tell you, it broke my heart to have to leave. 

Now, whenever I feel a bit anxious or uptight, I place myself (mentally) back on that property. Immediately I can smell the ocean air and picture the exotic, indigenous foliage that surrounded me while I was visiting. The visions take me to a safe place and I can then shake off any of the nasties that may have been resting on my shoulders. I lean back. Take a deep breath, and immediately I'm in my Zen place. 

During this stressful time of year, make sure you take time for you! It's easy to get caught up in the fray, so my advice is to be nice to yourself and enjoy the here and now.

Namaste.

*Photo of St. Regis in Bahia Principe, Puerto Rico was taken by That Chick Té

www.chicksthattrip.com

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you and your families a beautiful

and food filled day of thanks.

Chicks That Trip

Event Showcase: Restaurant Day

Restaurant Day - November 16, 2013

As much as I consider myself to be a "foodie," I am embarrassed to say that I had never heard about Restaurantday.org. Recently on my linkedin account (that I am remiss in checking on a regular basis), I received a posting about Restaurant Day, so I had to check it out.

Restaurantday.org describes the Restaurant Day concept as:

"Restaurant Day is a worldwide food carnival when anyone can set up a restaurant, café or a bar for a day. It can happen anywhere: at your home, at the office, on a street corner, in your garden or inner courtyard, at a park, or on the beach – only your imagination is the limit." ~ Restaurantday.org

The event started with just a humble smattering of 13 cities and 45 restaurants participating back in May, 2011, and has swelled to an impressive 220 cites, 35 countries and 1683 restaurants (at their last event, August 18, 2013.)

For more information on the next Restaurant Day being held on November 16, 2013, visit their site: Restaurantday.org, for more detailed information.

*Picture provided by That Chick Té

www.chicksthattrip.com

Launch of: Women Play Golf Too!

Wow! I can't believe it's already October. Where has the year gone? I've been busy, busy, busy, and so has one of my close friends, Shanon, who recently launched her new site: Women Play Golf Too.

This cheeky site not only provides an insight into the forays of Shanon's golf outings, but also provides some musings (about golf, of course), as well as resources related to golf. There is also an events page showcasing future golfing trips! Shanon's premier golfing trip will be next October 2014, to the Reunion Resort property in Orlando, Florida. CEO and Founder of BET, Sheila Johnson, has the midas touch, and with that touch she has launched a string of luxury resorts.

I will be the first to admit that I  am not a golfer; however, I enjoy being on the golf course and pretty much whacking the heck out of the greens. Hmmm, perhaps I should revisit the golf lessons I took years ago.

Swing through the new site: Women Play Golf Too, and check out what Shanon's been up to on the course!

www.chicksthattrip.com

Launch of Travel Professional Association - Check out the video!

For those of us who take pride in our work and providing top-notch customer care for our clients, it's great to have organizations that not only support our efforts, but also provide us with the tools to be able to go above and beyond.

Recently a new organization was launched called, the Travel Professional Association, and I am proud to be a part of this association, which is headed by the Ogg's who have been an integral part of the travel industry for many years. They've written travel books; operated travel agencies; headed up travel organizations, and spearheaded other worthy travel related initiatives.

Here is a great video to watch extolling the benefits of working with a travel professional! Stay tuned for more great videos provided by the Travel Professional Association.

Technologies Creation of New Pen Pals

Technologies Creation of New Pen Pals

 

When I was growing up I had two pen pals; one was from France, and the other one was from (I think) Spain. My French pen pal began in either the third or fourth grade, and my Spanish pen pal started in middle school. I used to love coming home and seeing the letters with their exotic stamps. My pen pals were intrigued by me being from America, and I was equally intrigued by their beautiful cultures and foreign languages. 

 

It's a shame that we lost touch, because they helped brighten my life, and began my interest in travel at a very young age. Little did these cute, foreign girls know that they would influence a large portion of my life.

Today, we have pen pals of sorts. They are everywhere in social media like: Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, and the like. We are able to connect with people all over the world, in a medium that is familiar and comfortable to us all. 

In Linkedin, I belong to various business, hospitality, food and travel related groups. While the topics are interesting and diverse, I am much more fascinated that I am able to connect and communicate with people from small, nondescript parts of the world. Further, it's interesting to find that we all have some of the same issues and struggles in our professional and personal lives. I learn so much just from reading their questions, and responses to questions that are posed on the myriad of threads that pop up on a daily basis. 

Sometimes I get bummed out because I think we are losing some of our personal relationships by so much being done online; but then I'll receive an email from an individual who has read something I've written, and they will write saying that they felt compelled to reach out to me and let me know how much they enjoyed reading it. Or, my most recent endeavor involved the usage of SKYPE, wherein, I was able to interview two chefs that reside in London and Edinburgh.

Despite how big the world is, it's also shrinking, and while I enjoy meeting my new form of pen pals via the net, I can undoubtedly say there is no greater feeling than making new friends while traveling abroad.

Cheers! To our new wave of Pen Pals!

*photo used from freedigitalphotos.net by digitalart

www.chicksthattrip.com

Rock on Chef Elise Wiggins of Panzano - Denver, CO!

Rock on Chef Elise Wiggins of Panzano - Denver, CO!

Chef Elise has been featured in, Best Chefs America. The yearly publication features some of the top chefs around the country who are nominated by other fellow chefs, food enthusiast, and other culinary professionals. I can attest to the delicious food that Chef Elise prepares, and with her incredible personality and "can do" attitude, it's no surprise to me that she was one of the featured chefs for, Best Chefs America.

Again, a great big ole' congrats to one of my favorite chefs! You go Chef Elise!

Win Two Roundtrip Tickets Anywhere in the US! See How!

Whoever said there's "no such thing as a free lunch," well, they were wrong. Although technically, this isn't lunch - it's actually a much better deal!

Bestselling author Ramit Sethi, and writer on his site, "I Will Teach You To Be Rich," is giving away TWO roundtrip tickets for anywhere in the US!

Click on this link: http://awe.sm/cGQPe, and you can be entered to win the tickets. All he asks is that you tell where you would go if you won! This awesome opportunity will be over by August 5th, when he announces the winner!

Happy travels!

*Photo from freedigitalphotos.net, called, "Young Man Holding Globe" by stockimages

www.chicksthattrip.com

Woman's Day vs. The Travel Agent Community

Woman's Day vs. The Travel Agent Community

I took a few days to decide if I wanted to jump into the fray surrounding the controversial article that was written a few days ago by Woman's Day magazine titled, "10 9 Things Travel Agents Won't Tell You." Notice, I crossed out the 10 and changed it to 9, because throughout the past few days, the piece that was originally written (with outrageous misinformation) has been changed numerous times; therefore, I've lost track of what the original article even stated, but the non-edited version is still floating around somewhere on yahoo.com. I'm sure you can find it if you are so inclined.

Back in April I wrote a piece, "What's In It For Me When Working With A Travel Professional,", in that piece, I pointed out some benefits of working with a travel professional. I read the Woman's Day piece with much chagrin, because they pretty much trashed the travel agent community as a whole, but rest assured, the travel community took notice, and not just the agents, but numerous travel organizations like ASTA, as well as some of the heavy hitters in the supplier community like Apple Vacations. There were so many comments posted on the Woman's Day piece, as well as on their twitter account, that it was rumored that a lot of the comments had been deleted. Curious. Now that has me scratching my head.

Of course, I may be biased since I am a travel professional, and I take my work very seriously; especially when clients are forking out a few thousand dollars on a vacation, because it is my goal and soul desire to ensure they have the best experience they possibly can - with zero to few problems. While I can't guarantee there won't be issues during a clients travels; I can help to alleviate some of those issues, and essentially put those issues on my shoulders and make sure they are handled as expeditiously as possible, and hopefully in my clients favor.

There are unscrupulous and unprofessional people in every industry, but they are typically the exception, not the rule. Unfortunately, it is the negative or controversial items that seem to get legs and run away; versus the positive stories.  My final comment is that while the piece that Woman's Day wrote was clearly negatively slanted, it was refreshing to see so many organizations and clients of travel professionals, who bandied together to write comments and email the editor(s) of Woman's Day in support of the travel community...which, by the way isn't the dying breed that so many doomsayers have proclaimed it to be.

If  you'd like to stay abreast of this continuing saga, check out Stephanie Lee's site, Host Agency Reviews, which has links to most of the rebuttals to the controversial piece that was published by Woman's Day.

*Photo used from freedigitalphotos.net

www.chicksthattrip.com

See Where Your Luggage is Traveling With Trakdot!

See Where Your Luggage is Traveling With Trakdot!

Have you ever been hit with the sense that your luggage may be having a better vacation than you? Probably not, but the point is, many of us have checked in luggage, and it has theoretically "disappeared." Sure, some of us may get that luggage back...maybe, but for those who have lost their luggage to the wild abyss of airline mishandling, Trakdot is a state of the art device that is placed inside of your luggage so that it can be tracked when it's not with  you.

It is described as:

"First-ever luggage positioning solution with worldwide location reporting keeps you connected to your valuables

• Place the palm-sized device in your luggage and it will send you a text with the location of your luggage as soon as you arrive
• Provides peace of mind over baggage and valuables, used advanced technology to track luggage anywhere in the world from mobile phone or online
• Empowers you with the knowledge of your bag’s location, even if your bag does not arrive with you
• The lightweight design is built for travel and easy to use with a free app that works anywhere, no roaming fees
• Compatible with Android and Apple smartphones" 

(*Information provided courtesy of Trakdot)

According to a February 12, 2013 press release issued by the Department of Transportation, it was stated that:
"The U.S. carriers reporting flight delays and mishandled baggage data posted a mishandled baggage rate of 4.15 reports per 1,000 passengers in December, up from both December 2011’s rate of 3.22 and November 2012’s rate of 2.64. "

(Press release number: DOT 15-3 "Airlines Report Lowest Mishandled Baggage Rate in 18 Years in 2012")

Despite the fact that lost and/or mishandled luggage is down significantly over the past 20 years; there is still a significant amount of lost and/or mishandled luggage to date, not to mention the stress and time involved with getting that luggage returned, as well as the condition of that luggage once it has been returned. Trakdot's revolutionary tracking device and service can take some of the stress out of worrying about your luggage; especially for those frequent travelers.

*Trakdot photo provided, courtesy of Trakdot.com via Max Borges Agency; photo of suitcase provided by freedigitalphotos.net taken by Victor Habbick

www.chicksthattrip.com