by Betsy Herbert
My big trip round-the-world trip started on April 10 when left Santa Cruz for Portland to visit friends before flying to Vancouver, B.C. My dear friends Dave and Teri live in Alsea, Oregon, a rural village some 25 miles west of Corvallis. Dave teaches physics at Oregon State University and Teri is a craftsperson, cook and organic gardener. I feel blessed: Teri took time out from all of her projects to knit me a pair of socks!
I love hanging out at their farmhouse. It’s peaceful and it feels like home, despite the extensive brown clear-cuts that quilt the surrounding green hills.
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Can a visit to New York City nurse a broken heart? It can. Though I was grieving from the recent loss of my little brother David, I decided to continue my year-long trip around the world, after returning home to the Bay Area for a week to spend with my family.
I flew from San Francisco to New York City on May 7, where I met my dear friend Carmen who lives in Ithaca, New York. Carmen and I shared a great trip to Peru a few years ago. So we planned to meet up again in New York City, where she said she wanted to give me a “proper send-off” as I departed May 10 on the Queen Mary 2. Since her son lives in Brooklyn, Carmen visits New York frequently. Indeed, I was lucky to be accompanied by a great soul who also happens to know the city!
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![Vancouver, British Columbia]()
by Betsy Herbert
After visiting friends in Portland and Corvallis, Oregon, I flew via Alaska Airlines to Vancouver, B.C. on April 28. I was pleasantly surprised to find an information desk at the airport strategically located near baggage claim.
I was very pleased to find an actual human posted there to answer questions and direct arriving passengers to their destinations via different modes of transportation.
Within moments, I bought a ticket and boarded the light rail at the airport to downtown Vancouver. In twenty minutes, I arrived at a stop within walking distance of my hotel, Sunset Inn on the West End. I had two smallish bags, thankfully, both on wheels. After checking in, I continued to explore the city on foot.
Vancouver is a breathtakingly beautiful and cosmopolitan city that has managed to retain a small town feel. Don’t get me wrong. Vancouver has its share of chaos, mostly due to an ongoing construction boom reminiscent of San Francisco’s. Yet, despite detours and traffic jams, people for the most part seemed friendly and relaxed.
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I’m a train travel enthusiast. I’ve taken Amtrak across the US several times, starting in Oakland, California and ending in either New York City or Washington, D.C. The scenery is unbeatable. As long as you remain flexible and don’t get too bummed when the train doesn’t stay on schedule, you will probably enjoy this trip.
In October 2014, when I was just committing to my 2015/2016 round-the-world trip, I decided to take the train across Canada, eventually ending up in New York City to board the Queen Mary 2 (QM2) for her May 10 transAtlantic crossing to Southampton, England.
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What a send off it was on May 10 departing on the behemoth Queen Mary 2 (QM2) from New York Harbor on a sunny and warm afternoon. Cunard’s welcoming brochure urged all 2,429 guests to come to the main deck at departure time for a glass champagne to toast the beginning of the week long Atlantic crossing to Southampton, England.
The joy of the moment was somewhat diminished when I found a $20 charge to my stateroom for that single glass of champagne. And I thought Cunard invited me for that drink!!
Ah well, it wouldn’t be the last of the unexpected charges aboard the big ocean liner. No doubt the most annoying and exorbitant was the bill for wi-fi. Given that there was no cell phone coverage out at sea, the only way to stay in touch with friends and family on the big ship was wi-fi, made possible through satellite technology.
Were passengers offered free wi-fi? Not a chance.
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