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Hello Reader,

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🧭 Where in the World?

Greetings from the Twin Cities in Minnesota, where major road construction season has begun. Despite the closing of the main Interstate highway connecting Minneapolis with St. Paul over the weekend, 25,000 people made their way to the State Capitol for Hands Off demonstrations. We hope others, like us, took the opportunity to support neighborhood restaurants along the cities' back streets. (Indochin on Grand Avenue in St. Paul serves excellent egg rolls, bún, and salt & pepper fried calamari.)

🧳 Our Latest Posts

Speaking of pepper, our inbox is peppered with questions about international travel in these days of political and economic upheaval.

A couple quick observations:

We have not experienced animosity toward American visitors. Quite the contrary, we frequently hear words of commiseration and encouragement. Travel builds bridges.

Watch your exchange rates. Unfortunately, the U.S. dollar is down almost 10 percent against the Euro over the past couple weeks. Refer to this useful post about when and how to convert.​

Be aware of tightened controls at U.S. Customs. For privacy and security when re-entering the U.S., we advise shutting off your phone completely and disabling your Face ID unlock function. Immigration may ask to see your phone, but cannot force you give your unlock code or see what's on the phone without a warrant – although if anything should be clear of late, Homeland Security has sometimes not exactly been following the letter of the law. Here’s more on securing your identity when traveling. Read the very last section on what to do with your phone when crossing a border.

🗞️ Travel News From Around the Web

• Oops. A link we sent last week to a story in the Wall Street Journal about how not to fall for sketchy hotel booking sites got corrupted. Here it is, this time correct, we hope.
• If you haven't got your "Real ID", you're not going to be able to fly after May 7. There are several IDs other than a state driver's license that serves for Real ID, such as a passport, a passport card, or a Global Entry card. But, if you don't have one of those, you better get going. From all reports, many state DMVs are booked a long time out to get your license upgraded to Real ID. Don't wait.
• And, if you're a National Park fan, don't forget that April 19 is the first day of National Park Week, so it's free entry to all National Park sites on that day. Here's a list of all free admission days in 2025.
• If you are visiting Yellowstone this year and thinking of wandering off the boardwalks, know that even if you don't break through the crust and burn yourself to death, you still might end up in jail. So, don't do it.

💸 This Week's Best Deals in Travel

• One of the keys to packing light is being able to do a little laundry on the road. A great item for that is the Waschii portable "washing machine." We use it. It's great. And, it's on sale right now for 20 percent off.
• REI members save an extra 25% on select REI Outlet trail clothing + gear thru 4/14 with code OUTAPRIL25
• Don't forget the free version of the Daily Drop newsletter as the easiest, and cheapest, way to keep up on flight deals.

✈️ Points and Miles News

• The best deal on one of the best cards for travel has just gotten better. The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is now offering a 100,000 point bonus when you meet the minimum spend of $5000 in the first three month after card approval. When you spend those points on travel through the Chase Travel portal, 100,000 points is worth $1250 toward airline or hotel costs. Add to that a $50 hotel credit and the total offer is worth $1300. Don't miss it. Here's our comprehensive review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.
• Our other go-to travel card is from Capital One, which is still making its welcome offer of 75,000 miles and a $250 travel credit when you apply for their Venture Rewards credit card. It's a card we carry and use a lot. We don't know how much longer this offer will last, so if you're looking to save about $1000 on your travel this year, I wouldn't wait to get this card. You can read our review here.

📖 What We're Reading

Tom is reading the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, which has a calming effect after reading the day's news.

Kris has just started the rather long A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving, and is committed to breaking her recent habit of waking to the news and instead indulging in some fine fiction.

For our previous book recommendations, check out this list.

❝Travel Quote of the Week❞

Paris is always a good idea. – Audrey Hepburn

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Happy travels,

Kris and Tom

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​ Tom Bartel and Kristin Henning ​Travel Past 50​ ​ Connect with us: Facebook, Threads, Instagram, ​ Join our Facebook community.

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