Hello Reader,

🧭 Where in the World

We’ll be close to home these last days of August and over the long holiday weekend. We actually relish not traveling out of town over summer holidays, but making a concerted effort to be tourists in our own town.

Where will you go and what will you see? Check local listings for events, review your local tourism website for ideas, head to public parks, walk new neighborhoods, seek out locally-owned specialty shops and restaurants. Be a tourist in your own town, gobbling up the opportunities and exploring from morning to night.

No doubt your local businesses will appreciate you showing up. And you can flex that traveler’s mindset and break in those shoes in preparation for future travels, more far flung.

🗞️ Travel News From Around the Web

• We've all been miserable on a flight when the person sitting next to us is taking up half our space. Southwest Airlines will soon require travelers who don’t fit within the armrests of their seat to pay for an extra seat in advance. This policy will go into effect in January 2026, when Southwest also begins assigning seats and charging for bags.
• Ryanair has announced it will begin partnering with Booking.com to sell its flights through the online agency. The deal includes Booking’s other holdings, Kayak, Priceline and Agoda.
• If you can fly through Orlando, JFK, or Newark, you're at the right place to get the best deals on international flights.
• Finally, if you need a reminder to Carpe Diem, here's a note from my friend Greg Baugher, whom I had the pleasure of traveling with in the desert of Southern California a few years back. Greg's recently been diagnosed with cancer and he's determined to not put off all the things he's always wanted to do any longer. As the Roman poet Horace, who coined the phrase "carpe diem" said, "While we speak, envious time will have fled. Seize the day. Trust as little as possible in tomorrow."

💸 This Week's Best Deals in Travel

• Keep your eyes open. On Facebook, we're soon announcing a big "Getaway Giveaway" sweepstakes that will award $10,000 toward one winner's dream trip. Follow us on Facebook, and join our Travel Past 50 Travel Community to watch for details. Entry deadline is August 31.
• Our favorite gear stop, REI, is still having their Labor Day Sale, through, uh...., Labor Day, Monday, September 1. Lots of handy travel gear and clothing on sale. For example: this small backpack, which makes a perfect personal item for your next flight; this toiletry bag, the one Tom carries, is on sale at 25 percent off; and the indestructable Tilley AirFlo hat that Tom's been wearing for at least 18 years (we have the photos to prove it) is also 25 percent off. And, best of all, Tom's favorite travel pants and a really cool shirt from his favorite travel clothes brand, Kuhl, are also on sale.
• Amazon also has a few of our favorite travel accessories, including Apple Airtags at the lowest price we've seen in a while; this bluetooth transmitter for the plane, so you can use your wireless earbuds; and Amazon also has the above-mentioned toiletry bag on sale for 25 percent off. You can see all our suggestions for your travel accessories here.

✈️ Points and Miles News

• Thrifty Traveler is offering $20 off its premium flight and hotel discount information services if you subscribe through this link. We love all the cheap flight info especially. If you're flexible about where and when you are going, this is the best service out there.

📖 What We're Reading

Kris just read the short novel, Bonjour Tristesse, by Francoise Sagan who wrote this in the 1950s when she was a teenager. The protagonist’s views of her father, his mistress, his soon-to-be-wife, and of herself resonate to this day.

Tom is still working on The Secret History, by Donna Tartt, and finds himself marveling on each page what a wonderful writer she is.

For our previous book recommendations, check out this list.

❝Travel Quote of the Week❞

If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion, and avoid the people, you might better stay home. – James A. Michener

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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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