Traveling with the Jones

Are you a fan of cruising and Heidi Klum? You will want to tune in to the new season of Project Runway on Lifetime television starting this Thursday August 6th. On Thursday August 20, 2015, Celebrity Cruises’ CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo will appear alongside eminent fashioneer Tim Gunn to issue the contestants a special challenge. Plus, this season’s winning designer will win a Celebrity Cruises vacation for two in AquaClass accommodations to almost anywhere in the world, along with all all of the other Project Runway spoils.  (We’ve set our Google Fiber TV to record the season.)

Would you rather have your fingerprints scanned rather than produce a boarding pass to get on a flight? Alaska Airlines has been testing using biometrics for check-in, security and boarding at the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport in California’s Silicon Valley. Supposedly those tests have gone well and the airline is going forward with next steps.

Craving Disneyland nostalgia? The Walt Disney Hometown Museum in tiny Marceline, Missouri has announced a $500,000 Kickstarter campaign to fund bringing back the vintage Disneyland attraction known as Midget Autopia. Walt Disney gave the ride to his hometown in 1966 when it was removed from Disneyland to make room for It’s a Small World.  The town of Marceline (population approximately 2,350) operated the ride for 11 years before costs forced the operation to close. Now the museum hopes to get the ride rolling again by July 4, 2016. Check out the BringBackAutopia website to learn more and donate.

Do you find it tough to keep up on current news and events?  Sign up here for a fun and informative news email from theSkimm each weekday morning. It’s free. With a 30-second quick skim, you can be up on world events, and theSkimm is easier to read than the Economist. (For the record, we love the Economist.)

When flying, we always make sure our iPads are charged and filled with books to read, television shows to watch and games to play. Along with a set of noise-canceling ear buds and a stash of Kind bars, we are prepared for delays or being squeezed in next to less-than-fun seatmates. Still, it is good to know that many airlines are giving in-flight entertainment options an update. We might have to book a British Airways flight, just to watch the Paws and Relax channel filled with footage of puppies and kittens.

Are you an “oeno-flyer“? That’s CNN’s name for air travelers who care deeply about the wine served on their flight. You might want to check out this Business Insider article where a top sommelier rates the airlines with the best wine lists.  We’ve flown on three of the five highlighted airlines in business or first class. Does that mean we qualify?

Where will you dream of traveling this week?

Other recent posts to check out:

• 3 Favorite Cocktail Bars in Ghent, Belgium
• A Visit to the National Airline History Museum in Kansas City, Missouri
• A Walk Around Halifax, Nova Scotia During Our Visit By Cruise Ship
• Staying at the Hilton Amsterdam Schiphol Airport Hotel Before An Early Flight
• 11 Hospitality Superstars Who Made Our Holland America Cruise Special

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When we visited Belgium in late May, we were pleasantly surprised to find that the land known for beer, chocolate and waffles also is home to some delightful cocktail bars. After discovering two amazing cocktail bars in Antwerp, we thought we’d see how the cocktail scene in Ghent compared. All in the name of research, of course.

With college students making up nearly 25 percent of its population, and its well-preserved medieval architecture along the picturesque Scheldt and Leie Rivers luring tourists, Ghent is a prime spot for cocktail bars. We discovered our three favorite cocktail bars all within walking distance of our Ghent Marriott hotel.

3 Favorite Cocktail Bars in Ghent, Belgium

1. The De Alchemist, a casual, clubby, neighborhood bar, reuses gin bottles as candle holders.

The bar features several different trendy gins.

I discovered Monkey 47 to be a favorite.

This gin and tonic made with Monkey 47 gin and Fentimans tonic water was spectacular. The glass arrived with ice, gin, lemon peels and juniper berries, along with the bottle of tonic for mixing to my taste.

Mr. Jones decided to start with a local beer.

We loved this bar; it ruined us for a “regular” G & T. We stopped after one drink, as we had more bars to “research.”

2. The Mosquito Coast has globes and a mannequin wearing a “dress” of various foreign currencies in its window. This is a tip-off to what you find inside this eclectic bar, restaurant and gathering place for travelers.

There are several comfortable rooms furnished like living rooms for enjoying cocktails, along with a section of travel books if you need to get inspired. There is also a bar downstairs.

Upstairs at the Mosquito Coast you will find an indoor and outdoor eating area, and the license plate collection from around the globe.

I tried the gin and tonic here with Monkey 47 gin and Fever-Tree tonic water. It’s my new favorite tonic, and I’m thrilled to find it back home at the Riverside Red -X.

3. The Old Fashioned is a speak-easy cocktail bar, hidden in a basement. Inside you find the bartenders mixing potions like mad scientists.

The cocktail menu is a series of cards. Being an Alaskan, Mr. Jones had to try the “Smoky Halibut” cocktail, which tastes like smoked fish.

The drinks are unique and elegant.

Steve Okhuysen, the owner and chief cocktail chemist of the Old Fashioned, is a delightful personality.

Each of our three favorite cocktail bars in Ghent, Belgium has a distinctly different vibe, but found each of them uniquely enjoyable.

What’s your favorite cocktail bar? Please share the name and location in comments below. 

Check out these other posts from Belgium: 

• A Delightful Dinner at Ristorante Gallo Nero in Antwerp, Belgium
• 17 Fun Facts About Ghent, Belgium
• 20 Fun Facts About Antwerp, Belgium
• 9 Things You Must See While In Belgium
• A Peek Inside the Hilton Antwerp Old Town Hotel

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Travelers often overlook exploring attractions in their backyard in favor of traveling to far-flung destinations. We are guilty.

Whenever our fellow travel-loving friend James comes to Kansas City to visit, we are inspired to explore locally. During his recent visit, we checked out the National Airline History Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.

Located at Hangar 9 at the Downtown Airport in Kansas City, Missouri, the National Airline History Museum looks unimpressive from the outside. It’s worth the visit inside, where the museum dedicated to aviation history is staffed 100 percent by volunteers.

After paying the $8 admission fee ($5 for Seniors 65+ and Active Military; $4 for kids age 13-17 and free for kids ages 12 and under), we watched a short film about aviation history before seeing displays of early aviation memorabilia such as playing cards and first class menus.

The airline uniforms through the history of commercial aviation are interesting.

Next, our volunteer guide led us into the work area of Hangar 9 where the planes are restored and made available for close-up views. There are also displays of early air traffic equipment, as shown above.

Museum visitors get to climb through one of 103 Martin 404 aircraft ever built. The museum’s Martin 404 was built in 1952 and delivered to Eastern Airlines. It flew 40 passengers, all in first class, with two pilots and one flight attendant.

This Douglas DC-3-G202A, the Museum’s latest restoration project, was built in Santa Monica, California, and delivered to Transcontinental and Western Airlines (TWA) at Kansas City, Missouri on March 4, 1941. While many DC-3 aircraft where used during WWII as transports, this plane did not and is one of the very few existing DC-3s with the rare 24-passenger, 8-window configuration.  TWA flew this airplane from 1941 until 1952.

Inside the Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation (Connie), built in 1958, there were actually sleeping berths for some passengers. The plane accommodated 53-88 passengers, depending on the configuration.

The National Airline History Museum is open year round on Wednesday through Saturday between 10 a.m.—4 p.m. The museum is closed on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays.

Are you a fan of aviation history? Have you visited the National Airline History Museum in Kansas City, Missouri?

Other aviation related posts to check out:

• Great Views Flying Into Washington National Airport on a Sunny Day
• Southwest Airlines Introduces Missouri One to Its Fleet in Kansas City Today
• How to Get a Deal on a 1-Way Flight To or From Europe
• What is Necessary to Travel by Plane with an Emotional Support Dog
• Experiencing Lufthansa First Class Mumbai to Frankfurt