This issue of our newsletter brought to you by REI Co-op​

Hello Reader,

🧭 Where in the World?

In case you missed it over the weekend, we sent out a poll asking about your preferences for group tours. The questionnaire results will help us prioritize and plan our upcoming Travel Past 50 tours. If you haven’t filled it out yet, please do us a solid and take about 3 minutes to complete it now. Thanks!

We’re enjoying a crisp early September weekend, a sure sign it’s time to sort through closets, clear out corners, and begin to focus on what’s ahead. Spring cleaning never really happens around here until Fall.

Instead of going to Minnesota’s State Fair this year, we visited the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The people watching was good, and not just because of the crowd drawn to the special event in the Period Rooms. No, the people we watched were on the walls: Bacchanalia, street scenes, on the shore, on horseback, dancing, music, dogs! Even a girl in a State Fair hot dog stand. Alas, nary a Pronto Pup in sight. You can see our favorite paintings of the museum visit by looking at Reels on our Travel Past 50 Facebook or Instagram page.

🧳 Our Latest Posts

Planning ahead for the coming pack-your-bags season, we’ve updated our post about The Bags We Carry. Basically, you’ll see why we use carry-on size luggage, even when we are checking. You’ll find our selections are versatile, lightweight, and big enough. Check out our picks for that smaller “personal item” that goes under the seat in front of you, too, as well as our favorite day packs. All our recommendations are tried and true: we’re using these bags this Fall for everything from a weekend trip to a six-week journey to Italy and the Balkans.

🗞️ Travel News From Around the Web

• ​Berlin will be celebrating the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9 this year. Berlin will be hosting open-air events, exhibitions, and guided tours. Historical and new posters will be displayed along the former wall corridor, focusing on freedom, protests, and demonstrations. We’ve posted about some of our favorite things to do in Berlin here, heavy on arts and museums.
• A reader asks about the new ETIAS – the travel authorization that will be required of visitors to the EU. This doesn’t take effect until next year. And, yes, US will be subject to it. It looks like you'll be able to get ETIAS online before you travel, and they will cost about €7. People over 70 won't have to pay the fee, but will still be required to have the ETIAS.
• Viking has taken delivery of its newest ship to join its fleet in Egypt. The Viking Hathor is an 82-passenger vessel custom designed for the Nile. Viking is taking bookings now for its Pharaohs and Pyramids itinerary into 2027, though some spots remain available for the remainder of 2024.
• ​Air fares could soon be going up to pay for "green" fuels.

✈️ Points and Miles News

LAST CALL on these great card offers! Both offers end this week!

The great current welcome offer on this card (that we carry) ends on Thursday, September 5 at 9 a.m. EST. It is currently offering a huge 120,000 point welcome offer that is worth a minimum of $1200 in cash back or $1500 when redeemed through their travel portal. These points can be worth even more if you transfer points to the card's many airline or hotel partners. In fact, you could get as many as 35 free nights at Hyatt Hotels, if you take the best offer. All in all, a spectacular deal for a $95 annual fee. Read our detailed review of this card here. (P.S. Don't let the fact that this is a "business card" scare you off. Any size business, down to the smallest side hustle, will qualify.)

Another great offer is on this card. To start, you get a $250 travel credit valid during the first year of card membership. Plus, you get 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months after account opening. This welcome offer alone is worth up to $1,080 when you combine the value of the travel credit, the bonus miles, and the miles you earn on the minimum spend. And, this card also has a low $95 annual fee. Check our full review here. This offer expires on Monday, September 9.

Before you sign up for any rewards credit cards, be sure to read our post on how to find the right travel credit card for you.

📖 What We're Reading

Tom is reading some of that United States history that is not exactly a recounting of our country's best moments: A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them by Timothy Egan.

Kris is taking a different more literary approach to some of the same themes with James McBride's The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store.

❝Travel Quote of the Week❞

Few men enjoy prolonged travel; it disrupts all habit and endlessly jolts each prejudice. – Marguerite Yourcenar

Happy travels,

Kris and Tom

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

​

P.S. What more can we do for you? Reply to this newsletter and ask us anything.

Do you like this email? Please forward it to a friend!

Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here.

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​

Travel Past 50 is part of affiliate sales networks and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers.