July 2023

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View this email in your browser Greetings Friends, Summer is in full swing here, and I hope you are enjoying July. My wedding anniversary is June 2.  Each year, Sandy and I try to do something to celebrate.  This year we took a tour of Taliesin.  This is the architect Frank Lloyd Wright's home, school, studio, and estate.  It's located about an hour away from us.  We both thought the tour guide was fantastic in providing information and answering questions.  The site is beautiful - rolling hills, flowers, and trees.  Also, seeing the buildings and learning about their history was fascinating. At night, we went to one of our favorite restaurants, Bar Corallini for a celebratory dinner. Soon after our anniversary, Sarah finished Kindergarten.  She had a small parade at school.  I can't believe how big she's getting.  Peter finished up his last day of preschool for the school year.  And last but certainly not least, Sandy finished her twelfth year as a school librarian. One of my favorite things we did in June was attend a Madison Mallards (local minor league) baseball game.  The kids' attention waned at times, but the promotion team did a great job keeping everyone entertained between innings.  The game itself was high scoring, and the Mallards won. We all had a great afternoon. Sandy and I had one other special outing in June.  We were gifted tickets to the American Players Theatre.  I'd heard about this theatre in the woods but never saw a performance.  Coincidentally enough, it was located down the road from Taliesin which we'd visited earlier in June.  I knew that people brought food and ate picnics prior to the show beginning.  I don't think Sandy or I was prepared for the full gourmet spreads that we saw when we arrived.  Groups had brought elaborate meals, china, grills, etc.  Clearly, they had done this before!  We enjoyed our basic picnic of fruit salad and subs but will be better prepared for next time.  The theatre itself is surrounded by trees and is absolutely beautiful.  Unfortunately, forty-five minutes into the performance, it was canceled due to rain.  We already have tickets to go back later in the summer. The rest of the month was rounded out by visits to the zoo, children's museums, and activities at the library.  And of course, lots of swimming. I'm starting to get more inquiries for people interested in traveling to the Caribbean next winter.  I can't emphasize enough how important it is to try and plan early.  For those of you in Wisconsin, the direct flights to Mexico were just released from Milwaukee.  These flights are usually less expensive than direct flights from O'Hare in Chicago.  And a bonus is that it is easier to get in and out of the Milwaukee airport. I know I emphasize planning vacations to Europe (and really anywhere) early.  Something to keep in mind is that an alternative to doing a land-based vacation would be a river cruise.  The great thing about a river cruise is that you can visit different cities, but you move at night when you're sleeping.  So no "wasted" days traveling between cities.  There are also almost always promotions on flights, which helps to reduce costs.  In my ten years as a travel agent, the popularity of them grows each year.  The feedback from clients is always phenomenal.  It's on my list of future vacations, and I'm hoping to go on one in 2024. I'm going to take a break from sending a First Friday newsletter in August.  I have two personal trips booked in late July and August, and I know I'm going to be busy getting taking care of clients and relaxing on my own.  As always, feel free to reach out or schedule some time to speak if you have any travel questions or needs. Have a wonderful weekend, Brian Contact Today See previous monthly emails here.