Travel Locally By: Stu Cooper / Happy Adventures As I write this, COVID infection rates are falling all over the country. However, the world political situation, (meaning the war in Ukraine), is deteriorating. In light of these latest developments, what then is the state of travel for Americans? Here’s my view. Moving around the United States is beginning to return to pre-pandemic levels. I can personally attest that airplanes, no matter where you go, are back to full capacity. I’ve flown from New York to Las Vegas and Los Angeles a few times and there was not an empty seat. “Road trips” by car are also approaching prepandemic levels as well. And this is in light of raising gas prices. Even future cruise reservations are trending towards all-time highs. Cruising in the near future, however, remains a bit low, as folks are waiting for new modified vaccine and testing requirements to cruise. I just returned from a Mexican Riviera cruise, and the ship sailed at less than 50% capacity. It was wonderful - no crowds, no lines, and plenty of deck chairs by the pool. It was one of the best cruises I’ve ever been on. European travel has been affected by political events. It is understandable that there is a reluctance to visit Europe. It is really a “wait and see” mentality concerning European travel. What should you do? I say, “Get out there.” See the USA. Perhaps Alaska, Canada or New England - or anywhere along the United States coasts. Visit the National Parks or do a Mississippi River cruise. It is time to put the pandemic behind us. But, as I always say, travel smart. Don’t leave your brain at home when you go on vacation and do your research before you go. Please don’t hesitate to call me at 516/485-3200 with any question you might have. Happy and safe adventures to all. By: Kathy Manney / Around Our World In 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed a bill setting aside more than two-million acres as America’s first national park – Yellowstone. Yellowstone National Park is planning its 2022 Sesquicentennial with new focus and signage illuminating the story of Native American tribes with historic connections to the land. Thousands of years ago, Yellowstone’s roads and trails were Native American trails. More than 11,000 years ago, Native Americans inhabited this land. When the park was established however, Native Americans were driven out. The public was led to believe Native Americans never occupied the area. The earliest people in Yellowstone may have been the Clovis people, arriving in the summer to harvest indigenous plants and hunt. Clovis people coming here were hardy hunters whose prey included wooly mammoths and other animals that are now extinct. Due to White hunters, bison numbered only two dozen in Yellowstone by 1902. Today the herd has grown to 5,000 and more than 600 grizzly bears live in the park, as well as more than 300 bird species, including many owl varieties. 42 Yellowstone Celebrates Native American Tribes April 2022 The Cody people in Yellowstone primarily hunted bison and bear, but occasionally elk and deer. Their square-stemmed projectile points and asymmetrical knives were first discovered in Cody, Wyoming, though more than 70 Cody points and knives have been found in Yellowstone. The greatest concentration is near Yellowstone Lake. At twenty miles long and 14 miles wide, Yellowstone Lake is North America’s largest natural high-elevation lake. The park’s Yellowstone River was first named Elk River by Native Americans. Noteworthy, Yellowstone has never been farmed or logged. Other native peoples seasonally migrating across Yellowstone were the Nez Perce. Relocating from Idaho’s Snake River, east to the Great Plains, they too have an ancient association to Yellowstone. And with forty mountain peaks above 10,000 feet, many are considered Native American religious sites. Yellowstone’s 2022 Sesquicentennial signage telling about the lives of the first inhabitants, their work and spiritual knowledge is welcome and past due. Kathy Manney enjoys visiting interesting places and being an Adventure Diva. Her “Must See” travel journeys continue - always with enthusiasm.
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