Abroad – Travel Smart With Jodie

Where to find vacation ideas

Travel and Adventure Show Chicago (Photo courtesy of the TaA Show)

Two Travel and Adventure Shows, one virtual and the other in Rosemont, IL, offer ideas and experts to help you plan your next trip.

The show includes experts, travel tips, itinerary and budget options and private tour suggestions.

Go Online Dec. 7, 2022 from 5 to 10 p.m. ET. Arranged through Eventbrite and Unicomm, you can find it at Eventbrite/virtual and Unicomm/events.

The other show is in Chicago Jan. 14-15, 2023, at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center (Hall F) at 5555 N. River Rd., Rosemont, IL (847) 692-2220). Jan 14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Jan 15 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT.

It’s a fun show with entertainment, food, expert speakers and lots of handouts.

If you have time, you may want to start out at the virtual show to pick up some ideas in December and then attend the in-person show in January.

For tickets and more information on the January show visit Chicago Travel and Adventure Show | Event Information – Travel Shows.

Travel to aTitanic and Game of Thrones destination

Titanic Belfast in Northern Ireland's capital. (Photo courtesy of Tourism Ireland) — Titanic Belfast in Northern Ireland’s capital. (Photo courtesy of Tourism Ireland)

t’s OK to dream of where we want to go when we can safely travel again. With that idea in mind, Tourism Ireland has come out with tempting scenes of go-to places just waiting for us when we land on the Emerald Isle.

A “stay at home and stay on board” video takes you on board the Titanic Belfast, a giant, amazing ship-style structure that seems to pull you into its hold. Inside you learn about the town of Belfast, its shipyards and, of course, the RMS Titanic.

A Game of Thrones video with its Belfast-ties shows off intricately carved doors and beautifully stained glass windows of some of the mega-hit’s special scenes and characters.

Another video takes you to the charming city of Limerick. It convinced me to add it to my go-to stops when I can visit Ireland.

Where do you want to go when we can start traveling again? (J Jacobs photo)

Until we can safely do more than drive to our local grocery store, walk the dog and do curbside pick-up or door-to-door delivery, it’s nice to start thinking of places we hope to go.

Where to visit while staying home

The spiral galaxy NGC 2008 sits centre stage, its ghostly spiral arms spreading out towards us, in this image captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. (NASA photo)

Get comfortable. It’s time to visit some of the places that have intrigued you or are on your someday list. Don’t dress for travel.

Lots of destinations have added virtual tours. Some are OK even though they expect you to read French, such as on the 350 degree Louvre exploration or Spanish such as with the Guggenheim in Bilbao videos on Mark Rothko’s “Untitled” and Jeff Koons’ “Puppy.”

Others, like the ones here, have videos and cams that make visitors feel they are there.

So warm-ups or jammies are OK as you visit outer space, a zoo, an amazing garden, a Royal home and an aquarium. Just remember if looking at a cam that the place may be in a different time zone so might have different action at a later or earlier hour.

San Diego Zoo

Meet its penguins in Penguin Beach video episodes and safari animals in the cams.

NASA

Visit the Hubble Space Telescope, watch a video on the Evolution of the Moon and experience outer space visits through the Solar Dynamics Observatory.

Monet

Tour Claude Monet’s Garden at Giverny where you see what the artist painted including the Water Lily Pond.

Osborne House

Visit Osborne, the house that Victoria and Albert built via a Google Arts & Culture video.

Shedd Aquarium

If you have facebook follow penguin Wellington and his friends explore the closed Shedd Aquarium.

Travel experts and exhibitors offer advice at Chicago Travel and Adventure Show

Travel and Adventure show has travel experts and knowledgeable exhibitors who can help guests decide where to go, how to get there and what to pack. ( J Jacobs photo)

If not sure where to travel this year, check out the Chicago Travel & Adventure Show at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Feb. 8-9, 2020.

Hundreds of destinations from Alabama to Amelia Island and Africa to Australia plus cruise lines will have exhibitors with suggestions on where to stay, when is the best time to go and what are the cost options.

It’s a fun show where guests can listen to and ask questions of Rick Steves, writer and host of Rick Steves Europe and Travel with Rick Steves; Josh Gates, host, The Travel Channel’s Expedition Unknown; Pauline Frommer editorial director of Frommer’s Guides; and Peter Greenberg, TV reporter, producer and CBS News Travel editor.

Just don’t be surprised at what you’ll see there, including camel rides, chef demonstrations, Nordic, Polynesian and Taiwanese folk dancers, an obstacle course and Trikkes.

Tips: Enter the drawings for a door prize and pick up a bag there to carry all the handouts home to peruse.

Have fun.

Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. For ticket and other information visit TravelShows/Chicago. The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Rd., Rosemont.