Early 2019 Travels Recap

 Well, as per usual, the first part of the year was bonkers.
 So, here's the recap.
 When the question is, "Would you like to come to Cancun in January?" and it's in the teens at home   the answer is, "YES!"

 The Haven is a wonderful new resort located between the hotel zone in Cancun and Playa Del Carmen (aka a great, centralized location that does not require a lengthy transfer--not always the case in Cancun). 
 It is adults only, and luxury all inclusive.  The doors had only been open a few weeks but the service, food and amenities were top notch.

 We took a half day excursion to Tulum, a first for me.

 But then it was back to the pool.

 Next stop in Cancun this go around was the all-inclusive Grand Velas resort, located not far from Haven.  Ultra-luxury and serene.

After a few weeks home, it was back on the road in February to check out a new resort in Florida, Streamsong.  Located on the property of a phosphate mining operation, it's secluded and offers all of the fun stuff attendees love: Golf (three courses to choose from), bass fishing, clay shooting and more. All on property.
The rooms are sleek and modern, and there is ample meeting space for just about any group or incentive event.

After my visit to Streamsong, I headed east to Orlando for Connect's Business Travel conference.  I met up with George while there. (He's a big fan of mine, what can I say.)

 We stole away for a quick run through EPCOT, my first time since I was 12.  We used one of our Fast Passes to check out the "Frozen" ride.

 The animatronics were amazing but the ride overall was a solid "meh" for me. Glad I didn't wait an hour+ to ride it.

 From warm to cold: Chicago in March.
It was so unseasonably cold for March even the locals were complaining about the temps.  So we stayed indoors as much as possible.

 A lovely (enclosed) sunset river cruise along the Chicago River capped off night two of the event.

 A killer spread at Smith & Wollensky was much-appreciated.

 More spring-like temperatures were enjoyed along Lake Erie in early May.  My stay at the charming Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake included a tour of some of the many local wineries. All under sunny skies.

 Rest assured, I am now a HUGE fan of the wines in northeastern Ohio.

 A trip across the pond was the next order of business.  London was calling.
Straight from the airport, I jumped into a super fun foodie tour of Borough Market.  Lots of great sights and smells....I highly recommend this off-the-beaten-path London tour.  Come hungry.

 The fish and chips were, of course, to die for.

 The tour capped off with an amazing donut. 

 Next stop: Churchill's War Rooms. 
This was quite fascinating, especially as we honor the 75th anniversary of D-Day today.

The bunker was cobbled together during the air raids in London, and are literally in the basement of a government building. Fancy accommodations they were not, but they were safer than being above ground.

Once the war was declared over in August 1945, the rooms were left exactly as they were that day, and everyone returned to their regularly-scheduled lives. It wasn't until nearly 40 years later that someone thought to open the space to the public.  So it is like stepping back in to the time of Churchill, at the height of the war.

We kicked off a posh London Saturday night with a ride to dinner at Park Chinois in classic cars. The parade of cars caused quite a stir as we drove across town.  

 Our host hotel for the weekend in London was the lovely new Sea Containers, located in the financial district.  Great rooms, great views and a super fun sign in the lobby that changed sayings throughout the day.

 A day trip to York led me to hanging with the town crier. He even let me have bell duty.

 The Shambles was a highlight of the walking city tour.

 Back at The Grand, we got to test out their new cookery school and were taught how to make proper fish and chips. (Triple fried french fries, thank you very much).  Despite losing time when we did not account for the whole celsius/fahrenheit deal, the meal came out almost Pinterest-worthy (and was edible).

 A quick flight from London to Frankfurt, and we were off on our German portion of the adventure.

 The Frankfurt part was mostly work, visiting with and getting information on destinations from around the world.  You name it, the destination was there.

 But as always, I spent way more time with my Ireland peeps than anyone else.  I mean, they had brown bread and everything (my Ireland trip post to come....soon).

 The week was capped off with a farewell dinner aboard a ship on the River Main at sunset. 

That wraps up (most of) spring.  Stay tuned for separate blogs covering my Savannah convention and my incentive program to Killarney and Dublin, Ireland.