Natural Beauty in the Salmon River Mountains and Stanley Idaho at the Diamond D Ranch; Travel Expert Stephanie Abrams Shares Packing Advice; The Best Bloody Mary: The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Know Your Traveler's Rights with Travel Industry Attorney Al Anolik.
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Topics Include:
Tom Demorest, Former President, Advisor to Current President, Diamond D Ranch, Stanley, Idaho, USA.
www.DiamondDRanch-idaho.com
Travel Expert Stephanie Abrams and the "Travelers411 Radio Show" bring a bit of the West onto the air with Tom Demorest, the Former President and Advisor to the current President of Diamond D Ranch in Stanley, Idaho. Nestled in a two-and-a-half-million acre property, the Diamond D Ranch prides itself on being "Idaho's premier all-inclusive guest ranch," a veritable resort for the outdoors-loving and relaxation hungry alike. The ranch is a full forty miles outside of Stanley, Idaho, a small town of one hundred people, which is about the same size as the staff at Diamond D Ranch.
According to Tom, Diamond D is the largest privately-owned ground in the area. Tom and his team offer a wide range of activities to their guests, including horseback riding, fly fishing, hiking, gold panning, archery, and photography hikes. Babysitting is available upon request. A visit to Diamond D can also be relaxing, as well as adventurous. Tom says, "for those who are just looking to get away from the telephone and the television, you can just sit next to the pool and relax and enjoy the spa… Just enjoy life. If you like living, we got it!"
Tom first came to Diamond D as a "youngster," when his family was moving from Michigan to California. They stopped in Idaho along the way in 1951, and Tom was taken by the clarity of the Salmon River Mountains, a part of the Rocky Mountain chain. He says, "it's absolutely beautiful, from the snow-capped mountains, and we have a beautiful trout stream running through the ranch." The region is a classified "wilderness area" and remains largely untouched; Diamond D cannot become a ski resort because the installation of ski lifts would violate land preservation codes. However, when Tom initially visited the ranch as a young boy, it was a bit rougher around the edges: most of the roads were unpaved, including the one hundred-mile stretch to Sun Valley, Idaho.
When Tom finished school in 1960, he moved out to Diamond D and assisted the owners in adding buildings and modern amenities. Under his loving care, the ranch has become both a destination and a tribute to the wilderness lifestyle he has always offered guests. After sixty years of life put into the ranch, it has not lost its charm for Tom: he says, "we may not be heaven, but we do have the same zip code."
To visit Diamond D ranch, Travel Expert Stephanie Abrams recommends a flight into Boise, Idaho. From there, guests can take a local flight to the government airstrip three miles south of the ranch. More commonly, guests rent a four wheel drive vehicle and enjoy the four and a half hour drive to Diamond D, braving the gravel back roads and eight thousand six hundred foot summit. Tom jokes, "there's a lot of people that made it, and I don't know of anyone that didn't." The drive offers a view of the Salmon River, and winds through mountain terrain all the way.
The region holds a rich history, which Tom recommends all visitors explore. The Salmon River Mountains were home to a gold rush of its own; according to Tom, "they claim more gold has been taken out of Idaho than has been mined in California and Alaska put together." A number of ghost towns litter the countryside around the ranch; Tom explains that "when the gold ran out, so did the people."
Other emptied towns came to a less amiable end. Tom recollects that the gold rush drew significant populations of Asian miners to Idaho; unwilling to share the wealth of the land with newcomers, white settlers occasionally dressed as Native Americans and massacred Asian mining towns. Tom says, "that probably isn't going to make most of the history books, but there was a lot of it."
At the end of the day, however, the experience in the Salmon River Mountains is a peaceful one. Tom says, "we're just getting rid of the last of our snow-capped mountains from last winter. It is just an absolutely beautiful country. If you want to be free, you want peace in your life, that's the place to visit."
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Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9441
For more information visit www.DiamondDRanch-idaho.com
Travel Expert Stephanie Abrams shares her packing secrets with the "Travelers411 Radio Show." Stephanie's qualifications as a travel expert reach beyond her lengthy experience with traveling; she believes that in order to call oneself a "travel expert" one must have worked in the industry. She says, "just because you know how to read doesn't mean you're a reading expert." Her understanding of the industry combined with her experience taking trips across the world puts Stephanie head and shoulders above a recent flurry of articles on the subject of packing luggage. She disagrees with methods suggested in a recent article, citing their impracticality.
When flying, more and more people are packing a lot in their carry-on luggage to avoid checked baggage fees. This presents a range of problems when it comes to packing cosmetics, bringing enough clothes without wrinkling them in the process, and most importantly, packing everything you need so that you can access it easily.
Transportation Security Administration regulations limit each container of liquid brought on board to three ounces. Travel Expert Stephanie Abrams points out that because of this regulation, all containers packed must carry a three ounce capacity: attempting to bring a four-ounce bottle of shampoo with only three ounces of shampoo in it will not work.
Stephanie recently read an article that presented a method for packing as many outfits as possible in a carry-on bag. The article suggested that travelers lay belts along the edges of their bag, place shoes at the bottom, add folded pants, and rolled shirts and sweaters at the very top. Stephanie points out that there is a better way to do this.
Stephanie says, "there are only two kinds of people: those who pack light, and those who wish they had… I try to pack in a way that, if I'm going to be one night here and one night there, or even if I'm staying for two nights, I don't have to unpack everything in order to get out what I need." The problem with the article's method, she says, is that you have to unpack everything to get what you need. She says, "your suitcase begins to look like a table at a rummage sale."
Instead, Travel Expert Stephanie recommends using a roller board suitcase with removable dividers. These dividers can be made out of shoe boxes with the ends cut off; when slid into the suitcase, they create separated spaces for different items. Stephanie suggests leaving six inches for shoes, eight inches for shirts and tops, and in the widest space, fold pants into thirds and separate them with plastic bags or tissue paper to prevent wrinkling.
In the case of excessive wrinkling, she says, hang your clothing in the bathroom while you shower. It will steam the clothes and relax their wrinkles. Stephanie also suggests color coordinating every outfit for your trip. Stick with one color scheme for the whole week or weekend; this will avoid packing unnecessary accessories.
For your trip to the airport, Stephanie reminds you to wear your heaviest pair of shoes, as if will lighten your bag. Make sure that they are comfortable and easy to slip off at security, and that you wear socks underneath: nobody wants to walk barefoot in an airport. For every trip, pack one pair of comfortable shoes, one pair of evening shoes, and one pair of airport shoes.
Fun Facts:
In 2010, Albany celebrated the four hundredth anniversary of Henry Hudson sailing down the Hudson River.
Tucson, Arizona was founded by an Irishman who was traveling with Spanish Conquistadors.
Guests Include:
Tom Demorest, Former President, Advisor to Current President, Diamond D Ranch, Stanley, Idaho, USA.
www.DiamondDRanch-idaho.com
Topics Include:
Joe Kurth, General Manager, The Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
www.thepfisterhotel.com
Travel Expert Stephanie Abrams and the "Travelers411 Radio Show" get excited about Stephanie's upcoming trip to Milwaukee with Joe Kurth, General Manager at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Milwaukee is home to the annual Irish Fest, a three-day extravaganza of Irish culture. The festivities include, Celctic dog shows, a city-wide happy hour, a "clan reunion" for the Fitzgerald family, photography contests, a "Leprechaun Village" for families, and a hurling clinic, which teaches guests the art of Ireland's oldest sport. This year's August 16-19, 2011 festival will be Stephanie's fourth visit to Irish Fest, and to the Pfister Hotel.
About the Pfister Hotel, Joe states that the ambiance has "that feeling that you're in a European property, where the hotel really is part of your stay." From the fireplace in the lobby to the Bloody Marys at the bar, Stephanie agrees particularly when it comes to the Bloody Marys. Though Stephanie doesn’t drink, she always makes a point of ordering a "Virgin Mary" when she stays at the Pfister. As Joe says, "it really is a dinner in a glass." Pfister's specialty drink includes the classic celery stick, along with a cube of cheddar cheese, a pearl onion, a salami stick, a large prawn balanced on the rim, and what Joe calls an "amazing little zing that you really can't get anywhere else." The cocktail is the signature creation of Val, a specialty bartender that has been working at the Pfister Hotel for over thirty years.
Look out for a full discussion of Travel Expert Stephanie Abrams' visit to Irish Fest in the next installment of the "Travelers411 Radio Show"!
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http://www.travelers411.com/forums/album.php?albumid=62
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
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For more information visit www.thepfisterhotel.com
Alexander Anolik, Travel Attorney, San Francisco, California, USA.
www.travellaw.com
Travel Expert Stephanie Abrams and the "Travelers411 Radio Show" get down to business with Alexander Anolik, a top-notch travel attorney out of San Francisco. Stephanie contends that Alexander is "the premier travel attorney in the United States, the man I have turned to for years regarding traveler's rights and the law as it relates to travel." She is very excited to have him on the show, so he can "give us the real deal about what's cooking" regarding traveler's rights.
The first issue on hand: tax refunds. According to Stephanie, when the US government fails to collect tax on airline tickets, some airlines refund the tax paid by their customers; others don't. "Sounds like fraud to me," Stephanie says. Alexander agrees, and contends that when tax money is kept by an airline, it misleads the customer. However, as of this moment, the action is still legal. Alexander says "we're talking about millions of dollars here, and they just ripped off the consumer. That easy!" However, Senate investigations into this matter are planned, along with possible class action suits.
Alexander notes that one of the major road blocks for travelers' rights lawyers is the federal government's refusal to introduce a Passenger Rights Bill. The good news is that the Department of Transportation recently passed a set of new rules, which go into effect on August 23, 2011.
The first rule relates to airline overbooking: when a traveler's seat is bumped on account of overbooking, they are entitled to a $400 refund from the airline. For this reason, Alexander advises that travelers never accept hotel vouchers from airlines in the case of a bumped flight, unless the voucher exceeds a $400 value. If the traveler refuses to accept a voucher, the airline must send the traveler a check within twenty-four hours of the bumped flight.
Also going into effect is the Forum Selection Rule, which states that anywhere a carrier flies, they can be sued in a local small claims court. This means that customers can file suit for up to $7500 in a court without attorneys near their own homes, rather than traveling to the airline's home base, in order to settle a claim. Alexander, who sits as a judge in a small claims court in San Francisco, points out that filing a suit in small claims court is simpler and swifter than writing a complaint letter to an airline. Travel Expert Stephanie Abrams agrees, noting that "the little guy does get a fair shake in small claims court."
Alexander does make it clear that there is a difference between making a claim and making a complaint. All airlines have a "carrier's contract of carriage", which can be found online. This outlines the agreement between carrier and customer, and is essentially a statement of travelers' rights. When a customer makes a complaint on these grounds, the Department of Transportation can fine the airline, but no compensation goes to the customer. On the other hand, when the customer makes a claim, if the ruling lands on their side they will receive compensation.
Under the new rules, it is possible for customers to make a complaint on their personal Twitter page. However, if the airline posts on their own Twitter page that all complaints must be filed through their website, the customer's Twitter complaint becomes defunct. The Department of Transportation's Department of Consumer Protection does have provisions to support complaints, however; all airlines are required to track complaints by hiring a designated employee to acknowledge all complaints within thirty days and act on them within sixty days.
Finally, the rules regarding passengers being held in planes on the runway for whatever reason have been firmed. On domestic flights, passengers can be held on a plane for three hours while it sits on the tarmac; on international flights, passengers can be held for four hours. This time period is counted from the time that the airplane doors are sealed, not from the time that the plane pulls away from the gate. During the time that passengers are held, they must be provided with water, a "reasonable snack" and a working lavatory.
Regarding the new rules issues by the Department of Transportation, Alexander says, "let's take advantage of this, and see if the Federal Government will back us up."
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9441
For more information visit www.travellaw.com
Travel Tips:
Pack your bags so that you don't have to unpack and repack the entire bag every time you need to retrieve something. Travel Expert Stephanie Abrams suggests using shoe boxes as dividers within your roller board suitcase: one section for shoes, one for pants and skirts, one for blouses and shirts. Underwear, socks, and miscellaneous items can be placed on top of your clothes, or in the zipper compartment in the lid of your suitcase. Place laptop computers in the outside pocket of your suitcase.
Wear your heaviest, largest shoes to the airport so that you don't have to fit them into your bag. Make sure that they easily slip on and off; tying laces at the security checkpoint is inconvenient at best.
Guests Include:
Joe Kurth, General Manager, The Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
www.thepfisterhotel.com
Alexander Anolik, Travel Attorney, San Francisco, California, USA.
www.travellaw.com
