Atlanta is a very interesting city and has a lot of unique things to do there. It is one of Donna and I’s favorite US destinations. It also is home to the worlds busiest airport that is like a mini city. Atlanta Hartsfield has many restaurants, art and exhibits to see if you are there for a layover or visiting Atlanta. Here is a guide on the airport that gives some good tips. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/atlanta-airport-guide/index.html

Aer Lingus is the national carrier of Ireland and an airline Donna and I regularly fly going over to Europe. We have found the service and entertainment are excellent, the prices are great and in comparison to some airlines the seats are comfortable. Getting the chance to visit Ireland is also wonderful since it is a beautiful and friendly country with many great sights to see. Aer Lingus isn’t as well know but its an airline to check out. I agree with this person’s take on Aer Lingus and had a nearly identical experience on my flights in 2018 on Aer Lingus. We will be flying it again for sure…

You may be wondering if you have trips planed in the United States what things are opened and if flights are operating normally. Right now flights are operating normally since Air Traffic Control and TSA employees are working without pay. There could be delays as employees are starting to call in. National Parks might still be able to be visited but there will be no facilities (restrooms, museums open). Where there are restrooms open they are quickly becoming unusable due to no maintenance. All the Smithsonian museums are closed at the moment. Here is more information about the shutdown and travel: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/us-government-shutdown-travel/index.html

Looking back at our travel in 2018 we had a great year with many firsts for us. Donna and I traveled more miles this year than we have traveled before at 54,000 miles traveled. We made it to the continent of Africa and the countries of Morocco, Gibraltar, and Northern Ireland for the first time. We visited spots such as the Canary Islands, Madeira Island, and multiple spots in Belgium for the first time. We made it to 9 different countries this year (Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Gibraltar, The Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Northern Ireland, and England) We met many different people around the world and had the chance to continue learning…

In 2018 there were many firsts and interesting things that happened in the World of Aviation and flight travel. Here are a few of the cool things that happened in 2018: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/2018-year-in-aviation/index.html

I love to fly and see the sights from the air. This is a special flight I would like to take someday. Its a flight from Honolulu to Guam that stops at many small Micronesia islands and nations. Check it out!   https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/pacific-island-hopper/index.html

Everyone loves deserts and trying new ones from around the world is a great experience. Here is a good list of 50 of the World’s Best deserts. Some will be familiar and others you have never heard of. Check it out!   https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/world-50-best-desserts/index.html

A new state of the art cruise ship with a new design that gives more light to a cruise ship has been built. It was designed by 3D Technology. Check out the story about it.   https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/celebrity-edge-cruise-ship/index.html

A really interesting article about how you can maximize points when you travel. Donna and I have used some of these strategies and they do work!   https://upgradedpoints.com/stopovers-and-open-jaws

If you are someone like myself who loves aviation this article is a good one for you. Its about airport hotels that give you great views of the airports. The operations at an airport can be interesting to view that’s for sure. Check it out!   https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/airport-hotels-runway-views/index.html