Spring has sprung!

Welcome to the wonderful season that ends winter and promises flowers, leafy trees and, of course, new plans to travel. Best wishes to our members, family and friends for a wonderful season.

Historian to address Annual Meeting

R. Scott Stephenson, CEO and President of the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, will make a presentation at our meeting on June 3 in New York. The meeting will be held at the Penn Club. Members and guests are invited for the luncheon and presentation. Only members can attend the meeting. Dr. Stephenson will make a travel-related presentation on the major sites of the revolution. An invitation will be sent out soon.

New York Metro dinner

New York Metro members and guests gathered for dinner at Sinigual in New York City on March 30. Long-time member of 28 years, Lois Kahan, was presented with a certificate acknowledging her as Honorary President of the Circumnavigators Club. Lois has fostered international goodwill and friendship in her decades of world travel representing the highest ideals of our organization. Congratulations to Lois!

Wings of the World

Club President David Mink made a presentation in Naples to this club of former Pan Am flight attendants. Twenty-five former Pan Am’ers learned about the Circumnavigators Club and its ties the fabled airline. Several Circumnavigators took historic Pan Am flights, including Fred Myers (Naples Chapter) who took the fastest around-the-world flight on a commercial airline in 1976 and Brian Baum (Pacific Northwest Chapter) who circled the world over the north and south poles in 1977. Also, Juan Trippe, founder of Pan Am, was our Magellan honoree in 1969. Attending the event was Circumnavigator Leilani Pierce who is a member of both clubs.

Ukraine Trip Off

Circumnavigator Halyna Traversa (Naples Chapter) was born in Ukraine and planned a trip there with friends this summer. With a heavy heart, she had to cancel the trip because of the tragic war that is underway. Halyna last visited Ukraine several years ago and wrote about the trip in The LOG. She described her wonderful visit to Lviv in western Ukraine with its historic buildings, charming coffeehouses and restaurants and beautiful opera house. Now, we can only hope that this fabled city and other cities will not be destroyed and that peace will return. Our thoughts are with those caught up in this tragedy.

Circumnavigators Susan Stoddard and Stephen Carmichael took a break from “Mud Season” in Minnesota to visit the Yucatán peninsula. The Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza were most impressive. Here they “show the flag” at the great pyramid that the Spanish named the Citadel.

New Book

Circumnavigator Paulette Cooper, President of Palm Beach Chapter, has written many books and now has a new one, a memoir of her fascinating life. The Perils of Paulette draws on her Holocaust Survival, her expose of Scientology, her world travels and more. The book is available on Amazon.

Pacific Southwest Chapter

The chapter held a “live” meeting to welcome Cris and Henry Fuhrer home after their trip to Antarctica. Co-President Arthur Hammons served up Corned Beef with a mustard glaze and Circumnavigator Cristull Hasson provided a decadent chocolate cake as they heard about the Fuhrers’ adventure to their Seventh Continent.

Collector’s Corner

Circumnavigator Katie Koontz (New York Metro) is looking for member collections that she can feature in her LOG column. If you have an interesting travel-related collection, contact Katie through club headquarters.

Circumnavigators Cruise

Several Circumnavigators invite you to join them on a cruise from Lisbon to Rome in 2023. The previous announcement had the wrong dates. The correct dates are July 23 to August 3, 2023. This is not an official club-sponsored trip but we are hoping members will take this opportunity to get together for fun and camaraderie. Contact David Mink for more information: davidamink@me.com

The Last Shot

Do you have a good photo for The Last Shot? Please send to club@circumnavigators.org.

Luck to you!

David A. Mink
International President
davidamink@me.com

February is for Lovers

As another trying year moves on, it is important to remember the many people and things we love—family, friends, and, of course, our wonderful earth. Happy Valentine’s Day to all!

The LOG Update

Our publication The LOG will be coming out soon, but there is still time to send us information on recent travel during the pandemic.  We will use the information in our column All Over the Map. Please send a brief description of your trip along with a photo to club@circumnavigators.org.

Circumnavigators Jack and Tina Nicholson (Naples Chapter) recently took two cruises in the Caribbean. Tina reports:

We went on two cruises three weeks apart.  The first one started on December 29 on Crystal and the second one started on January 28 on Oceania.  Two very different experiences from each other and from past cruises we have taken.

On Crystal, it took us three hours to get to the ship.  Long lines for Covid test, then waiting 30 minutes to get the text giving us the result.  Once we cleared that line we moved to the questionnaire part, filling out all kinds of forms.  Once on the ship, we were given a device that looked like a watch tracking all our movements.  Everyone had to wear it.  Some people did come down with Covid.  The device identified everyone they encountered and were immediately confined to their rooms.  We had our temperatures taken every night.  The staff had theirs taken three times a day.  Crystal captain kept apologizing for lack of staff as many had to be isolated due to Covid. Not much entertainment either again due to Covid.  The ship was at 40% capacity. We had to wear masks indoor, but wearing a mask outdoors was not mandatory.

On Oceania, it was a totally different experience.  The ship was at less than 40% capacity.  We were waitlisted until two days before the sailing date.  We were accepted only because we are Oceania club members.  The lines were very short.  The Covid test result came in 10 minutes.  There were about 500 passengers and 700 staff.  We had to wear masks indoor and outdoor.  We could go to any restaurant and the service was amazing.  It was a little sad to see 10 people in a restaurant with 500 capacity.  I attended a culinary class that did not allow us to participate in cooking or tasting the food.  It was just a demonstration but very interesting.

A very different experience in cruising but still wonderful.

New books by Circumnavigators

Circumnavigator Marilu Ramirez (New York Metro) has written a book: Travels with Marilu: A Spiritual Journey. The publisher notes:

Ramirez has deep roots in two cities: San Juan, Puerto Rico and New York City. And, yet, she is better understood as a wanderer, a veritable citizen of the world. Her passion is travel. She is never happier than when roaming the byways, country lanes, urban avenues, seascapes, and archaeological sites of terrains ranging from the rice paddies of Vietnam to the crowded plazas of Spain to Jordan’s ancient heritage sites.

In this book of photographs taken over the course of many years in 33 countries, she addresses the magic and intention of human activity as well as the sublime majesty of nature.

Circumnavigator Albert Podell has done it again with his latest book: Muddling Through the Sexual Revolution. It is bound to be as hilarious and ribald as his previous books. It will be available in April.

The Last Shot

Do you have a good photo for The Last Shot? Please send to club@circumnavigators.org.

Luck to you!

David A. Mink
International President
davidamink@me.com