Marilyn Foster: Start packing! We’ll soon by traveling again

Those of us who love to travel know the importance of getting the COVID-19 vaccine shot so that we are able to safely travel once again. I got mine as soon as I could.

It seems it’s been a long since I have been anywhere other than Carson City or Douglas County, and I am itching to get on that big silver bird to places that are still on my bucket list.

I was supposed to go to Russia in 2020 and was so looking forward to that. And, the trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico was canceled as well and although I am one who usually has a deposit on two trips annually, this year I haven’t even decided where I wish to go now that most states no longer require self-isolation. Europe is a bit behind and until we all get vaccinated, I probably will stick closer to home this year. By home, I mean traveling within our own borders.

When I travel, I love to go on a group tour where everything is planned for you. For many, it’s hard to plan for a trip when you’ve never been to the destination before. When going on a trip conducted by a reputable tour operator, all you need to do is pack and off you go. It’s fortunate for our area that the Carson City Chamber has an active travel club that always plans and coordinates the most interesting trips, and I’ve met many good travel friends over the years and seen many places I probably would not have seen had it not been for the Chamber’s Travel Club.

On April 22, a representative from Collette Vacations will tell us about the new offerings for 2022 that I understand are already filling up because of the pent-up demand from home-bound travelers like me who want to just go!

For those unfamiliar with Collette Vacations, this was one of the few tour operators who completely provided cash refunds to all those who chose not to apply a credit toward a future trips. Some tour operators only gave credit toward the future.

Although I have been on many of the trips that will be presented April 22, I love to look and hear about the places I may have been. Trips that are tempting me, however, are a more in-depth tour of Spain and touring the Scottish Isles this September would get me off the couch in a flash. While I have toured some of Scotland, I’ve never tasted the whiskey right from the distillery the islands are famous for!

While it may be too soon for some to feel comfortable to travel this fall, we do have some trips for consideration and perhaps there are still a few seats left for amazing South Dakota or Mackinac Islands, both departing in June. We’ve got some mighty wonderful places right here that really aren’t that far away.

Next year, 2022 will find us traveling through colorful Peru and the major cities of Central Europe, island hopping in Greece, enjoying the Old South, walking the battlefields of Gettysburg, delighting at the floral displays at Floriade — held once every 10 years — and Keukenhof Gardens in Amsterdam, and singing Elvis tunes in Memphis. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.

We’re doing a bit more cruising this year, mostly in Europe on the new 100-passenger supersize yacht, the Azzurra, allowing us to visit ports larger cruise ships can’t. And, we’ve booked cabins on The American Queen between Memphis and New Orleans.

All these trips and more can be found on the Chamber’s travel club page found on the Chamber’s website on the homepage found at www.carsoncitychamber.com. Or, just RSVP for one of the travel club meetings on April 22 by calling 882-1565.

If you are like me, you just can’t wait to dust off your suitcase and see some new sites and learn how the rest of the world fared during this pandemic. Happy travels to us all and if you haven’t signed up for your shot, please do so!

Marilyn Foster was 92 in January and still yearns to see far-a-way places.