January 3, 2017 - Rose Parade Recap AND Women Rock Day: Women Who Made Travel History

Elisa's Daily Scoop
CURRENTLY TRAVELING IN:
​BOCA RATON, FLORIDA

World Travelin' Women & A Visit with another Elisa
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Hello, Hello!!

Ahh, another day in sunny Florida!

South Florida is truly like paradise - especially during the Winter months when it is so cold up north.

A few years ago, I wanted to move to Florida more than anything.  I just love the way the lifestyle is down here - sunny and mild.  Everything is so green and lush, flowering and alive.

I went as far as to shop around for homes, check out the local schools and even fell in love with one development in Delray Beach.  However, the timing wasn't right and thankfully, me and Tedd did not make a major life change at that point, considering that we wound up breaking up a year after we were all gung ho to become residents of the Sunshine State.

That being said, I still want to live here!!  I'm certain I will have a place down here in the near future!!

WOMEN ROCK DAY...

Well, as you probably noticed, today is WOMEN ROCK DAY!  Tanya and I thought that considering how much we LOVE all things travel, we would feature some of the coolest, most kick-butt women who made TRAVEL HISTORY!!

(c)clevrcat.com

Considering the list of women in this category consist of numerous amazing travel ladies, we decided to split up the list for your reading pleasure and focus in on six!!

One thing that sort of irks me is how men have traditionally received most of the accolades for being world explorers and pioneers of travelers.  

Guys like Christopher Columbus (he even has a holiday named for him!!) and Lewis and Clark garner the history books, but to a lesser degree are the women who have accomplished just as much.

Did you know there are some absolutely daring and adventurous ladies that have made travel and exploration history?

Let's take a look at SIX of these phenomenal females - three, here in my blog and three on Tanya's...

Amelia Earhart

Most of us probably think immediately of Amelia Earhart when we think of women travelers.  

Boy was she a pioneer and trailblazer! She is best known for becoming the first female pilot to ever fly across the Atlantic Ocean. She was a "tom boy" in her era, but never let the social norms of the day dampen her desire to get behind the cockpit!

She took her first flying lesson on January 3, 1921, and bought her own plane six months later. Wow!

In 1922, Ms. Earhart broke the woman's world altitude record, reaching 14,000 feet. Many other accomplishments followed, including speed records and solo flights, as well as numerous articles penned by the pilot urging other women to fly. She is also one of the founders of The Ninety-Nines: International Organization of Women Pilots.

Tragically, her attempt to set a record for flying around the world that ended with her plane going missing. Although it has always been a mystery as to what became of her, most recently, there is evidence that suggests that she crash landed on an uninhabited island and lived out the rest of her days there.
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KRYSTYNA CHOJNOWSKA-LISKIEWICZ

What struck me most about Chojnowska-Liskiewicz is her bravery in traveling the world alone as both sea captain and "crew" for 401 days.

This Polish sea captain and shipbuilding engineer earned the title of "First Lady of the Oceans" when she became the first woman to sail solo around the world in 1976.

Her 31,166 nautical mile voyage began on February 28, 1976 when she left from the Canary Islands.  Aboard her ship, Mazurek, which was built in Poland, by her husband, she traveled through the Caribbean and the Panama Canal to the Pacific Ocean. From there, Chojnowska-Liskiewicz traversed across the Indian Ocean and then down around Africa.

She returned from her journey to the Canary Islands on April 21, 1978 - 401 days later.

Truly solo - she spent more than a year by herself,   preparing all her meals, maintaining the boat, and encountering threats at sea such as storms, rough seas and even pirates, all alone.

She is quoted as saying of her solo voyage,
"Grown people should be aware that sometimes in life is lonely. But during the trip I was not plagued by loneliness. I was not lonely, but alone. There's a difference."
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SACAGAWEA
We are all familiar with Lewis and Clark (featured in the above picture with Sacagawea), but if it wasn't for the help of this incredible Native American woman, one has to wonder how much progress these two explorers would have made throughout the western United States in the 1800's.

Merely a teen, Sacagawea was a crucial member of the Corps of Discovery.  She and her trader husband, Toussant Charbonneau encountered the duo, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark during their exploration in North Dakota.

Sakagawea joined the expedition with her husband and her newborn son Jean Baptiste on her back!! Her invaluable help included being a guide and an interpreter and with her, the territories of the West were not only explored, but mapped!!
 
Wow!!
Check out Tanya's Scoop to read all about three more rockin' women who traversed the world...

As for me, today is going to be a rockin' women's day as I meet up with one of my dearest and long-time friends, also named Elisa.

Elisa and I know each other for more than twenty years, having met through business and becoming fast friends.  

A former resident of Michigan, back in the '90's, it was Elisa who invited me to join her on a sailboat trip on Lake Huron!

MACKINAC ISLAND, MICHIGAN (c)michigan.org

We had so much fun, amidst a bit of sea sicknesses on my part lol, but, I had the chance to visit one of the most beautiful places in all of Michigan, Mackinac Island.

Referred to as the Jewel of the Great Lakes, Mackinac Island has beautiful vistas, shopping, and carriage rides during the day, and transforms at night into a happening scene for music and night life.  

I decided to insert a quote from mackinacisland.org, which really describes this destination best...
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"You have an Island where the automobile never replaced the horse and carriage.
You have lodging properties where corporations never replaced family ownership.
You have a Revolutionary era Fort where the British couldn’t permanently replace Americans.
You have Fudge Stores where box recipes never replaced our 19th Century recipes.
​You have a place to leave your routine, discover the rhythm of waves and horse-clops and a place that getting to is half the fun."

ARCH ROCK, MACKINAC ISLAND (c)mightymachome

It is also home to Mackinac National Park, which was a U.S. national park that existed from 1875 to 1895 on Mackinac Island in northern Michigan making it the second National Park in the United States after Yellowstone National Park in the Rocky Mountains.​

However, in 1895,  the park  was turned over to the State of Michigan, becoming Mackinac Island State Park, the first state park in Michigan.

Elisa herself, has lived all around the country and even abroad in England and has traveled the world.  I can assure you that you will be seeing Elisa featured as a guest writing on TC  to share some of her exciting traveling adventures, including some captivating Pet Friendly travel destinations!

That's about it folks.  Have a fabulous day!

-E
xoxo

Tanya's Daily Scoop
NEXT TRIP DEPARTS IN: 3 DAYS
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And More World Travelin' Women

Hello there everyone!

Today was probably not the most looked forward to day - as most people have gone home from their vacations, either gone back to school, back to work, or both.

But it was yet another wonderful holiday season and there is always something on the horizon to look forward to!
And if there isn't anything on your horizon to look forward to then I suggest you put something on there that can bring you hope, joy, excitement and overall lift your spirits.
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Dream a little, or a lot.        No dream is too big!

Echoes of Success - that was the theme for yesterday's 128th Annual Tournament of Roses Parade. 

Taken from this years program: 
What begun as a small effort by Pasadena's distinguished Valley Hunt Club to promote the city's charm and beautiful weather, the Tournament of Roses has since become America's New Year Celebration.

A global event that is viewed by more than 50 million people in the U.S. and in 225 countries around the world.

And we were there!

But let me tell you, it was a day where my emotions were on a roller coaster of full of ups and downs.

It started out where we were excited about going to the parade and excited about our seats. I had ordered our grandstand tickets on Feb 1 of 2016 - the day they went on sale. I loved our seats at the 2016 Tournament of Roses and hoped for similar seats. I received an email confirmation for our purchase and we were all set...or were we?!

Several months later the hard copy tickets had arrived in the mail and we took a look at what they sent us. The seats were not what I had requested, but what did I know - only having gone the one time before. 
​These looked excellent - only closer to the beginning of the parade and not on Colorado blvd, but on Orange Grove instead. I figured that these seats must've been good ones - but little did I know.
My thoughts of them being good seats had only been confirmed when we had spoken to officials on the telephone when ordering our parking passes, we were told what GREAT seats we had!

HOWEVER once we arrived and were directed to our seats I could immediately tell that something was terribly wrong! 

For starters we were behind at least 2 floats and there was a big tree obstructing our view!!!

We had inquired as to the floats that several blocks of attendees would not get to see and we were told that those weren't any good anyhow - these freakin people must be taught to make us feel good about whatever the stupid lame situation might be.
*Later on I find out that the 2 first floats in the parade were actually quite lovely and not too be missed. (insert me making a disgusted expression here)

Not only did we miss the 2 floats at the beginning of the parade - because they clearly DID NOT start at the beginning of the route, but we also missed a total of 9 in the order of the march, including:
The United States Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard and the United States Marine Corps West Coast Composite Band.
And that is not to mention that even after the parade had started and we were already at #16 in the order of the march - the Westlake High School Chaparral Band from Austin, Texas had decided to just walk on by without playing or performing! ​​

Just walked on by - totally lame, but I don't blame the kids. I'm sure it was the band directors choice. (c)travelincousins.com

It was more that being behind the scenes or back stage. 
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If I said that our section and the ones before it were dissatisfied that would be an understatement. Not to mention that everything we did see - we got the back side of.
We had all paid good money for these seats (nearly $100 per seat) and we didn't even get to see the parade in its entirety?!

What the heck is up with that???

Luckily seeing all the rest of the floats and bands had turned my mood in an upswing - but that is not to say that I don't plan on giving Sharp Seats an earful of complaints!

Did you watch the parade?

Well here are some pictures in case you didn't:

My favorite band - Martin Luther King Jr. High School Band "Kings of Halftime" (c)travelincousins.com

Back of the Dole float (c)travelincousins.com

So colorful and pretty (c)travelincousins.com

Norco Cowgirls (c)travelincousins.com

Dancing along (c)travelincousins.com

One of the Grand Marshals - Olympian Greg Louganis (c)travelincousins.com

Grand Marshals - Olympians Janet Evans & Allyson Felix (c)travelincousins.com

Fluttering by (c)travelincousins.com

USC Cheer (c)travelincousins.com

A view down the block (c)travelincousins.com

Tall and cute (c)travelincousins.com

Must be plant based milk if it's in the Rose Parade! (c)travelincousins.com

One of my favorite floats (c)travelincousins.com

There's always a Dragon (c)travelincousins.com

All in all we had a good time and that's what matters. ​

I'm still smiling (c)travelincousins.com

Always smiling (c)travelincousins.com

Our next stop (after a yummy crepe breakfast) was to go view the Rose Parade Floats up close and personal.
However once we had arrived on site and saw the masses it was quite discouraging to say the least. 
The line to get in was massive and that was if you already had tickets - which we did not! 
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The line to get tickets was obscene and went so far down the block that we could not see the end.

I had inquired with a nearby sheriff who was working the security of this event as to if they had another entrance and ticket line (as they have in the past). He MISINFORMED me that this was the ONLY line and that there was no other entrance or ticket line! 
At first I had believed him, and Dave and I walked to find the end of the line knowing that there would be no time to actually see the floats if we had to stand in this ridiculous line. We agreed that seeing the floats on the day of the parade was probably the busiest and most crowded day to come. We continued to walk along the fence and I'd occasionally lift my camera over the fence to snap a pic or two.

From over the fence (c)travelincousins.com

I'm not tall enough to see over the fence (c)travelincousins.com

And eventually when we had nearly approached the end of the designated space where the floats are held - lo and behold do you know what we saw?

Another entrance and another ticket line with a line so very much shorter than the one that went on forever!

I really had to ask myself: Why do people feel the need to answer even if they don't know the answer? Why give a BS answer instead of just saying that you don't know? Well you don't know how very much I hate this attribute!

So I'm sure as you figured, we had walked amongst the floats and had a good time. Here are some of those pics: 

Pretty shades of pink (c)travelincousins.com

Cute Monkey (c)travelincousins.com

Stars, Rainbows, and Doves (c)travelincousins.com

Close up of detail (c)travelincousins.com

In front of my favorite float (c)travelincousins.com

Once we had wrapped things up over there we could see that the crowd from the intial line was still entering - what a shame for people to be misinformed. 
At this point the plan was to go over to The Huntington Library and Gardens - a real favorite!
Although our time was going to be short and with the amount of cloud cover and losing daylight, we decided to spend our time in the museum with a few specific things to see in mind - Pinkie and Blue Boy 

Sarah Barrett Moulton: Pinkie (1794) by Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830) oil on canvas, 58 1/4 x 40 1/4 inches

The Blue Boy, (1770) by Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788) oil on canvas

And to our good fortune - this was the last day of the special exhibit - Van Gogh and Friends!

(c)travelincousins.com

Examining the piece closely (c)travelincousins.com

Dinner was next before heading home and relaxing the rest of the night (as you recall we hardly got much sleep the night before and had woke up at 4am). 

Althought the day had its ups, downs and all arounds, it was still quite a lovely lovely day!

For your convience I will be posting an article under  THINGS TO DO titled "First Hand Tips and Tricks for attending the Tournament of Roses Parade"
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Now on with my selections of Women who made Travel History!!

Decriptions are from MentalFloss.com

FANNY BULLOCK WORKMAN

​Traveling with her husband William Hunter Workman, M.D., this American mountaineer broke a string of women's altitude records while becoming a noted geographer, cartographer, and travel writer. The Workmans both came from wealth, enabling them to go on extravagant and arduous trips, like bicycle rides through Spain and India and treks up the Himalayas.

A shameless self-promoter, she earned a reputation for riling her rivals. But her dedication to detailing her accomplishments with precise measurements and thorough documentation meant she could back up her big mouth. A compelling orator, Fanny was the first American woman to lecture at the Sorbonne in Paris, and the second female explorer ever allowed to address—and later join—the Royal Geographical Society of London.

ANNIE LONDONDERRY

Born in Latvia Annie Cohen, she married in the U.S. and became Annie Kopchovsky. But this mother of three's ambitions as an athlete, entrepreneur, and explorer urged her to create a new name for herself: Annie Londonderry, the first woman to circle the globe on a bicycle. A bet was made that challenged her to circumnavigate the world in under 15 months while earning at least $5,000 along the way. What might seem a silly wager became a way to challenge the concept of female propriety as well as a chance for her to show just how a woman might get on in the world on her own.

Departing from her husband and children on June 25, 1894, Londonderry set off from the Massachusetts State House in Boston with a crowd of 500 looking on. Along her route she sold promotional photos of herself and made paid appearances. She leased out advertising space on her clothes and bicycle, among these a billboard for Londonderry Lithia Spring Water. Once her ride was complete, The New York World called her adventure “the most extraordinary journey ever undertaken by a woman.”

VALENTINA TERESHKOVA

Leaving Earth exploration behind, we move to on to the first woman to travel into space, Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova. She flew the Vostok 6 mission, which launched on June 16, 1963. But her path to space was paved with tragedy. Her family was stricken personally and financially when her father died in World War II. Tereshkova was only able to attend school from age 8-16.

While working at factories, she continued her education through correspondence courses. Though she had no piloting experience, Tereshkova was accepted into the Soviet space program because she'd done 126 parachute jumps, an essential skill in a cosmonaut's descent to Earth. After much training, she was chosen to pilot Vostok 6, and logged 70 hours in space, making 48 orbits around Earth. Her work here earned her the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, as well as the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star Medal.

Each quite remarkable!

I hope that you've enjoyed what we've shared and we look forward to seeing you back here again tomorrow.

Bye for now,
​-T