This issue of our newsletter brought to you by Daily Drop Pro Flash Sale​

Hello Reader,

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We are concerned on many levels about the national and global repercussions from the acts of the current US administration. In particular, we despair at the dismantling of USAID – at the front line of preventing global pandemics and food scarcity. USAID leads the way worldwide in peaceful partnerships and education and is essential to economic development (always a global proposition) and by extension is a key piece of our national security.

We’ve been so proud to see USAID at work around the world. As American travelers we've seen first hand USAID's part in protecting natural environments and cultural heritage, providing jobs, and boosting cooperation among people and countries.

So, we’ll stick to travel today. Here’s just one success story of USAID building economic sustainability through tourism, benefiting countries, regions, and the U.S. This article, describing the initial tourism project in Jordan, is from the archives, as the USAID site has been taken down.

Please join us in staying informed and vocal. 5Calls.org can help you direct your message.

🧭 Where in the World?

OK, it’s true, we were in Las Vegas recently. Best entertainment was Colin Cloud, mentalist, magician, and comedian performing in a small room at Harrah’s. Best meal was at Jose Andres’ Bazaar Mar.

Most strange experience was at the Sphere’s “Postcards from Earth” film: an amazing 18K surround video experience embedded in a confusing message-heavy story. Are we supposed to protect our Earth or just abandon it and start over on another planet? Crowd management is poor. If you don’t like lines or trying to find your seats in a steep, dark, poorly marked theater, don’t go. BTW, Tom won more at poker than Kris lost at Pai Gow.

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🛫 Get Going: Tours We Recommend For You

Have you ever considered a trip to Sweden or Norway? Have you been wanting to explore a less touristy destination? Grab your family or friends and join us for our Travel Past 50 tour of Scandinavia. We built the itinerary ourselves based on our trips there, so we know you'll enjoy the food, the scenery, the wonderful cities, and the unique itinerary across Sweden and Norway.

Save $100 per person when you book by February 28! See the itinerary and book here. Questions? Just ask. We love helping you plan your best trip ever.

If you have questions, you can reply to this email and we'll get you the answers as soon as we can.

🧳 Our Latest Posts

Meanwhile, Kris is a regular contributor to Travel Writers Radio. We keep a running digest of her audio work on Travel Past 50. Check it out! The most recent conversation was about ancestry travel, with examples from our experience in Sweden a few years ago.

🗞️ Travel News From Around the Web

• If you're looking for ideas for visits to more offbeat locations, check out this Reddit thread. Lots of good suggestions here – ones that might require a little more effort and sense of adventure.
• Do you use AirBnB? There are a growing list of complaints we're seeing about the platform, and this is just the latest. At best, evidence is that they're erratic, capricious, and not very forthcoming. (Also, a lot of scammers seem to use it. We had that experience once when the property was nothing like what we thought we were reserving.) We only use AirBnB very rarely if at all any more. You can certainly find longer stays on Booking.com or VRBO.com, if thats what you're looking for. It's what we do.

💸 This Week's Best Deals in Travel

• Daily Drop Pro (one of our favorite travel deal services) is having a flash sale this week only. Get cash deals and points deals on flights, hotels, foreign and domestic, and more sent to your inbox. With this $50 off deal, the annual price is $99. You'll make more than that back with one purchase of a deal they send you. Check it out here.
• Our very favorite merino wool socks (and other gear) from Point6 are on sale now for 50 percent off. through Friday, Valentine's Day. If you know how pricy merino wool socks can be, you know this is a great deal. Use the Valentine's Day code BEMINE to get the discount.
• As long as Apple AirTags are on sale for $70 for a pack of four, you're going to keep seeing them recommended here. We paid $20 more than the current price for ours last year. The very best way to keep track of your luggage and more.
• And, this Belkin portable charger that we carry is also currently on sale. If you're using maps on your phone all day, you definitely need something like this.

✈️ Points and Miles News

• If you're a Delta flyer, like we are, you need a Delta branded card to get the best deals, and accumulate Delta miles. All three Delta credit cards have elevated introductory offers right now, varying from 80,000 to 100,000 miles. There are lots of other benefits, including free bags, priority boarding, statement credits for stays booked through Delta, and more. Check them out for more details.
• Speaking of Daily Drop Pro, like we were above, the tempting deal of the week for us was $429 to Oslo, Norway. Check out Daily Drop Pro for yourself while it's on sale this week.

📖 What We're Reading

Kris has been sucked into reading the news and related commentary, but hopes to pick up another good book next week.

Tom has just ordered Takeover: Hitler's Final Rise to Power by Timothy W. Ryback. That's for right after he finishes Orlando by Virginia Wolff for his book club.

For our previous book recommendations, check out this list.

❝Travel Quote of the Week❞

You can't get away from yourself by moving from one place to another. ― Ernest Hemingway

Happy travels,

Kris and Tom

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

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