Traveling with the Jones — Sharing Travel Discoveries

Travel Adventures with Flat Stanley, Part 3

by Janis on January 5, 2011

For our niece Justina’s third grade class project, we traveled with Flat Stanley during November and December.

This is the third post on Flat Stanley’s adventures while he was Traveling with the Jones.

Flat Stanley rides the ferry to Uruguay

Flat Stanley rides the Buquebus high speed ferry between Buenos Aires and Colonia del Sacramento

The Río de la Plata is a river and estuary between the borders of Argentina and Uruguay. Colonia del Sacramento, one of Uruguay’s oldest European settlements founded by the Portuguese in 1680, is only an hour away from Buenos Aires via the Buquebus high speed ferry. Flat Stanley enjoyed the ride.

Famous for Beef

Flat Stanley enjoying a steak lunch in Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay

Uruguay and Argentina are both famous for their grass-fed beef. Flat Stanley and Mr. Jones are about to enjoy a steak lunch in Colonia del Sacramento.

An Upscale Starbucks

Back in Buenos Aires, Flat Stanley enjoys a coffee break in an upscale Starbucks in the trendy Faena Art District.

Catching Up on Email in the United Red Carpet Club

Stanley supervises as Mr. Jones catches up on his emails in the United Red Carpet Club in the Buenos Aires airport. Stanley likes the snacks, comfortable chairs and friendly concierge.

Business Class on TAM Airlines

Flat Stanley on TAM Airlines in Business Class

The Jones are heading home from South America. Their first flight is on TAM Airlines, from Buenos Aires to San Paulo, Brazil. Stanley loves the comfy seats in business class, especially because they were frequent flyer award tickets.

Flat Stanley did not enjoy the San Paulo airport. It was crowded, disorganized and full of angry travelers trying to get through lengthy security lines without missing their flights. Just as the doors of the plane where about to close, Stanley and the Jones made it to their United flight to Chicago. Stanley slept through that flight, and then happy there was only one more flight to go to get back to Kansas City.

Stanley’s Adventures With the Jones are not complete

Although Stanley arrived back in Kansas City from his South America adventures, his travels with the Jones are not yet done.

Click here for part 4 of Flat Stanley’s Travel Adventures with the Jones.

Have you read the Flat Stanley book by Jeff Brown?

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Travel Adventures with Flat Stanley, Part 2

by Janis on January 5, 2011

At the request of our niece Justina, we traveled with a companion during November and December for a class project undertaken by Mrs. Petsche’s third grade in Harlan, Iowa.
The class read Flat Stanley, a book by Jeff Brown, in which Stanley is flattened by a falling bulletin board, allowing him to travel by mail (and in our carry-on bag.)

In her letter to us, Justina enclosed a flattened “Stanley”. We were to capture Stanley’s photo in interesting places.

Today, Stanley will be taking one last trip — in an envelope to Harlan, Iowa – back to Mrs. Petsche’s third grade. But first Stanley has more adventures to share on his travels with the Jones.

Exploring Chile’s Casablanca Valley

While staying in Santiago, Stanley accompanied us on a day trip to the sunny Casablanca Valley, famous for its wine grapes and other fruit. Located 11 miles from the Chilean coast, the Valley gets morning fogs from the chilly Pacific Ocean and warm sunny days. This balance of warm and cool temperatures is ideal for growing wine grapes, and other Mediterranean climate crops.

The seaport city of Valparaíso

Valparaíso is located in central Chile along the Pacific Ocean, 75 miles northwest of the capital Santiago. The city is built on steep hillsides, with a series of elevated cable cars (ascensores in Spanish) that help residents and visitors navigate the hills.

Flat Stanley enjoyed the view of the city and its port from “La Sebastiana“, the Valparaíso home of poet Pablo Neruda (now a museum).

Click here for part 3 of Flat Stanley’s Travel Adventures with the Jones.

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Travel Adventures with Flat Stanley, Part 1

by Janis on January 5, 2011

Our niece, Justina, sent us a letter in October as a class project for Mrs. Petsche’s third grade in Harlan, Iowa.

The class read Flat StanleyFlat Stanley (picture book edition), a book by Jeff Brown. In the book, Stanley is flattened by a falling bulletin board, allowing him to travel by mail (and in our carry-on bag.)

Mrs. Petsche’s third grade used Flat Stanley to learn how to write letters. In her letter to us, Justina enclosed a flattened “Stanley“. We were asked to show Flat Stanley interesting places, and take pictures of him. Then we were to send a letter back, with photos of our adventures with Flat Stanley.

We have kept Flat Stanley long past the two week deadline. We thought he would want to accompany us on our November and early December travels from Canada to South America, and to visit another third grader in Odessa, Texas.

In late December, Justina called. Flat Stanley must be returned soon. “Okay,” we said. But then, we were sailing on the New Year’s cruise aboard Holland America’s newest ship – the Nieuw Amsterdam. And we couldn’t leave Stanley at home.

Tomorrow, Stanley will be taking one last trip, this time in an envelope, to Harlan, Iowa. He will be mailed back to Justina’s third grade class.

And since we’ve kept the guy so long, we thought a photo recap of where he’s been might help mitigate Flat Stanley’s late return to Mrs. Petsche’s third grade. We hear the class is tracing Stanley’s travels on a map, and computing the miles he traveled.

A Connection through Toronto

First stop for Flat Stanley was Toronto’s Pearson airport, where he down a couple of maple cremes and tried to say “Eh” like a Canadian. This was a connection point for a flight to Santiago, Chile.

Flat Stanley Loves Seeing His Route

On the Air Canada flight, video monitors trace the plane’s route from Toronto to Santiago. Flat Stanley liked watching the flight’s progress.

A Room with a View

While he did not like the glare, Flat Stanley loved the view of the Andes Mountains from his room on the 23rd floor of the Santiago Marriott.

A city view of Santiago

Cerro San Cristíbal is a hill in Santiago, Chile nearly 1,000 feet above the rest of the city. After riding up a step tram, Flat Stanley got great views of the city, and rested in an outdoor church with an amphitheater.

Click here to continue to Part 2 of Flat Stanley’s Travel Adventures.

Have you ever taken Flat Stanley along on your travels?

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Views from the Nieuw Amsterdam

by Janis on January 3, 2011

We just returned from a 7-day New Year’s cruise aboard Holland America Line’s newest ship, the Nieuw Amsterdam.

It’s a long way down

Our stateroom, # 11007, a Deluxe Spa Verandah Oceanview, is on the ship’s 11^thdeck, near the Crow’s Next and Exploration’s Café. The verandah is narrow, but provides a great view.

The Lido Pool @ Night

Deck 9 houses the spa at one end and an outdoor pool and Slice pizzeria at the other end. In between is the Lido restaurant and the Lido Pool with a retractable roof. The water fountain sculpture was a popular spot for kids to play. Words for water –in many languages –decorate the the sculpture. A Collection of Penguins Decorate the Lido Deck.

A Sushi Chef prepares rolls in the Tamarind Restaurant

Also on the 11th deck at midship is the pan-Asian Tamarind restaurant and Silk Den lounge with panoramic views of the ocean and Lido Pool. Lunch is complimentary while dinner is $15 per person. We loved both. Make your reservations on the first day of your cruise.

Oro and the other Northern Lights bartenders were busy on New Year’s Eve.

The Master Chef’s Dinner is Incredible

The wine steward, the waiters and the ship’s cellar master and Pinnacle Grill Chef cooked up an amazing dinner and wine pairing. We had a great time interacting with the other guests and enjoying the food & wine over this leisurely 6-course meal.

The Le Cirque Dinner in the Pinnacle Restaurant

What better place to celebrate our anniversary than in the Pinnacle Restaurant? It was the Le Cirque Dinner, and Pinnacle manager Anne gave us a fabulous romantic table.

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