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Hello Reader,

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🇸🇪 🇳🇴 🇩🇰 Come with us to Scandinavia!

We're announcing our latest Travel Past 50 tour to Scandinavia, September 18-29, 2025. This 12-day tour (with an optional 3-day extension in Copenhagen) offers guests great flexibility while covering Kris and Tom’s favorite places in Sweden and Norway.

Building on our previous experiences in Sweden, we’ll combine city visits starting in Stockholm with spectacular scenery in the northern area of Jämtland. We’ll explore bits of the historic St. Olav’s Pilgrimage, and dive deep into food and culture – from Sweden’s mountains to the fjords and seaside towns of Trondheim and Bergen, Norway.

Secure your spot now. This is a small-group tour and space is limited to 14 travelers like you.

We’ve partnered with Go Ahead Tours to create this custom Travel Past 50 Tour and streamline the booking process. Check out the full itinerary, all the details, and book your Scandinavian Tour with us HERE.

Questions? The team at Go Ahead Tours can answer your travel and booking questions by chat on the tour page or by phone, if you prefer. Just call 1-800-438-7672 and mention "Travel Past 50".

As always, we look forward to hearing your feedback. We're excited to return to Sweden and Norway with you.

P.S. Here’s one of our posts from a previous trip, all the better to imagine your visit with Travel Past 50. (The hikes are completely optional, btw.)

🇮🇪 Still one spot for a single left on our tour of Sligo, Ireland

There's only one spot left on our tour to Sligo, Ireland. And, there's a discount of $300 if you use the code TP50 at checkout. Don't delay. The discount is only good until January 15.

We'd love to have you join us on one or both!

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🧳 Our Latest Posts

One of the fun perks about this oddball work we do – talking about travel – is testing travel related products like gear, bags, and clothing. That’s how we’ve become fans of Unbound Merino wool apparel.

Last year at this time we were headed to Antarctica. This year, we’re enjoying much colder temperatures here in Minnesota than on the White Continent, so you know we are donning our woolies from head to toe. Seems like the perfect time to update our Spring T-shirts post to include the best of Merino wool options for all seasons.

The latest Unbound product is a surprising one: women’s unstructured travel pants made of a fine, silky (think summer weight) wool. I’m planning on wearing these on our quick domestic trip next month.

Other travel gear we're currently wearing

Both of us are testing new Vessi shoes, designed for waterproof wear. So far, we’ve slogged through snow and slush and rain with dry feet. The fit runs slightly small. Tom sized up and is now happy walking in his Stormburst Low Top; Kris’s High Top with elastic ankle is a bit difficult to get on and off but has extra good grip and stability.

🗞️ Travel News From Around the Web

• The New York Times has published its annual 52 Places to Go list. Our mouth is watering, as usual, over several of their picks. We've been to 20 of the spots on the list. Tom, in particular, wants to get back to Bukhara, Uzbekistan.
• The Times has also recently published an article full of hints of how to save money on your travels. The main hint is travel during non peak times, like January and February. (Duh.)
• Spain announced it’s raising taxes on short-term rentals. The idea is to keep taxes on holiday rentals and the digital platforms that manage them more in synch with Spanish hotels, which currently pay 10 percent value-added tax. Look for similar moves in other European countries coming soon.
• ​REI is shutting down its adventure travel business. They said it hasn't been profitable for the last several years. We'll keep shopping REI for its quality, deals, and cool outdoor community.

💸 This Week's Best Deals in Travel

• Yeah, we know we mention Apple AirTags almost every week, but as long as they're on sale, we're going to keep recommending them. $69.99 for a four-pack, which is about $10 less than we paid.

📖 What We're Reading

Tom is enthralled with The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook, by Hampton Sides. Kris is sure after reading it, he's never going to complain about minor travel delays again.

Kris finished James, by Percival Everett. For a little interlude before starting the next novel, she’s reading Quo Vadimus? Or, the Case for the Bicycle, by E.B. White. Kris discovered this quirky paperback, filled with some of White’s most outrageous satirical essays, at a local used bookstore. Published by Grosset’s Universal Library with copyright dates annually from 1927-1938, it displays the original price of $1.25.

For our previous book recommendations, check out this list.

❝Travel Quote of the Week❞

It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. — Confucius

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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Are you planning to book a trip soon?

• See our favorite travel resources​
• Check out our recommended travel accessories​
• Get the best travel credit card for you​
• Read all our Travel Skills tips posts​

Some other recommendations from our partners:

• See the travel gear and books we recommend at our Travel Past 50 Amazon shop​
• Shop our favorite place for outdoor gear and travel clothing at REI Co-op​
• Get your travel insurance with Allianz Travel Insurance​
• For your Spain travel, check out suggested itineraries at Spain's official tourism site​

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