All stories
Browse by category:
-
Inflated tips on deflated service
Young people seem so sensitive about everything, but now it’s my turn. I want to express my frustration over inflated tipping. I think there’s a disconnect between receiving money and earning money. Current tipping expectations are either the result of indulgent parenting or a lack of understanding of basic math. No matter where you purchase…
-
A Fall Trip to Hood River, Oregon
Joan and I headed out again on our first tour together since Savannah. We took a group to the town of Hood River on the Columbia river in Oregon. It made for a fun challenge because most of the guests were life-long Oregonians, so we tried our best to find things that would be new…
-
A trip to the Wallowas and Eastern Oregon
With our intimate Sprinter van, we headed off to see the Wallowa mountains. Traveling in a van with 10 people and no toilet necessitated extra stops, but those provided opportunities to enjoy experiences that can’t be had when traveling in a full size motorcoach. In addition to a couple extra overnights to break up the…
-
Explore Thailand and Laos on a maiden voyage
A couple years ago, Joan and I did a travel presentation for our upcoming tours. At the end, someone came up to Joan and lamented, “I wish I had gone on one of Tom’s trips back when they were cheaper”. Well this December, I’m offering the chance to take one of those budget trips. In…
-
Dreaming of Mexico and The Day of the Dead
I am in Seattle this week, and I’m already starting to think about Mexico. It seems a little early to be fantasizing about my winter travels, but the weather this week helped me along. Cold showers soaked Seattle all day last Sunday, reminding me of why I first headed to Mexico. I’d been to Cabo…
-
Do you have an adult menu? The ageism inherent in the QR code.
Last week, Joan and I went out to eat. The sign at the front of the restaurant said to seat yourself. The sign on the table said to order yourself. When the server came by to deliver glasses of water and tell us we had to order using the QR code, I asked, “Do you…
