Travel Calendar

KUALA LUMPUR – The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Sunday encouraged travel industry leaders from all over the world to rediscover the Philippines as Manila, once again, is set to host the PATA Travel Mart (PTM) 2012 on September 25-28 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

Established in Manila in 1978, where some 300 delegates assembled to experience Asia Pacific’s first-ever industry trade event, PTM remains to be one of the region’s leading travel shows regularly attracting hundreds of delegates.

“I’m pleased to announce that we’re finally bringing back PATA’s signature event to Manila. Over a thousand delegates are slated to attend the event which is expected to highlight the country’s re-emergence as a leading tourism destination hub in the Asia-Pacific region,” said newly-appointed PATA Chief Executive Officer Martin Craigs during the media briefing session of the 2012 PATA Annual Conference (PAC) at the Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur.

Craigs said, “we’re very excited to come back to Manila. What better way to follow up this meaningful event in Malaysia than with a fun, colorful event in the Philippines?”

It has been a few years since Southeast Asian cities like the Philippines and Malaysia hosted PATA’s two major events. Over the last three years, the PAC or the PTM took place in Greater China (Hangzhou, Macau, and Beijing) or in India (Hyderabad and New Delhi).

“With the current growing tourism development not just in Manila but throughout the Philippines, this is the best time to come back and discover new sights, facilities and other tourism infrastructures in that wonderful country,” Craigs said.

In the past, the Philippines also hosted several key PATA events including the 29 PATA Annual Conference and Workshop in 1980; PATA Annual Board of Directors Meetings in 1989; the 47 PATA Annual Conference in 1998; the Chapter World Congress and the PATA Board of Directors Meeting in 2002.

Founded in 1951, PATA is a membership association acting as a catalyst for the development of the Asia-Pacific travel and tourism. In partnership with the private and public sector members, PATA enhances the sustainable growth, value and quality of the industry to, from and within the region.

The name “Riviera Nayarit,” a not so subtle allusion to Europe’s famed rivieras (and, closer to home, the Riviera Maya), suggests the luxury—and the accompanying price tag—of a spare-no-expense vacation. And it’s true, you can find that here, primarily in the exclusive, gated community of Punta Mita , the compound where the Four Seasons and St. Regis are located, as well as in the not-yet-finished development of Litibu, where the recently opened upscale hotel La Tranquila will eventually be joined by two upper-end Iberostar properties.

Despite all the luxury, budget travelers have plenty of options for exploring the communities along the 200-mile Pacific coast north of Puerto Vallarta. And there are many reasons why they should. 

In contrast to the overly-Americanized Cancun, where it’s difficult to find any remnants of authentic Mexican culture, Riviera Nayarit is home to four indigenous groups (the Coras, the Huicholes, the Mexicaneros, and the Tepehuanes) who actively maintain their distinct cultural traditions. The Huichol community is  particularly accessible to travelers, who can see their colorful, intricate bead art and yarn paintings and learn about their culture at the Galeria Tanana in the town of Sayulita.

There’s also a growing community of expats, many of them young and middle-aged Americans and Canadians who want the more laid-back lifestyle of a beach town. “Hippie chic” expats have joined their Mexican peers to open funky clothing and home decor boutiques, art galleries, and cafes, bakeries, and restaurants, all of which invite browsing, lounging, and munching. All of this is set against the stage of the Pacific Ocean, which itself is framed by the backdrop of the Sierra Madre mountains, a combination that produces stunningly photogenic sunsets.

Travelers who already know Puerto Vallarta and are interested in exploring further north should use Nuevo Vallarta as their jumping off point for the region. Those who don’t yet know Puerto Vallarta could combine the two areas (Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit) on a single road trip up the coast.

Julie Schwietert Collazo is a freelance writer based in New York City.

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Question: I just renewed my passport. Why does the U.S. Department of State send the new passport and the old passport separately? I know the Postal Service needs all the business it can get, but two mailings instead of one seems wasteful.

Daniel Fink

Beverly Hills

Answer: Like Fink, I just got a new passport and was puzzled about why it arrived in one heavy envelope and the documentation I had provided in another. I was smugly certain it had to do with security, and in my smugness, I disregarded the lesson of Ockham’s (sometimes spelled Occam’s) razor: The simplest solution is usually the correct one.

Here it is: Passports are printed in a different place from where the passport is adjudicated, the examination of documentation. For security reasons the State Department does not provide details of this adjudication process.

But consider, for a moment, what is considered proof of citizenship: The State Department’s website says you can use an old, undamaged passport, a certificate of citizenship, a certified birth certificate, a consular report of birth abroad or certification of birth, a naturalization certificate or a certificate of citizenship. Then think of friends, family and others who don’t have a U.S. birth certificate. My friend Vic, for instance, was born in a displaced persons camp in Germany after World War II, and my friend Raoul was born in Asia and became a U.S. citizen. Adjudicators must know when to become suspicious of documents of any stripe, never mind a document issued in the chaos of post-war Europe.

Then imagine 1,100 or so Passport Services workers evaluating this information 12.6 million times. That’s the number of passports and passport cards issued in 2011. The number of documents has increased dramatically since new requirements for passports (or cards) went into effect with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (partly implemented in January 2007).

That law mandated passports (or, in some cases, other kinds of enhanced documentation) for travel to Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean, where Americans previously could get in or out just by showing something as common as a U.S. driver’s license. The new rule (and, perhaps, a booming economy) resulted in 18.3 million passport applications in 2007, and the State Department struggled to keep up.

The State Department is expecting about 13 million applications this year, about a third of which are received in the summer. If you’re planning to travel, now is the time to put in that application. See www

.travel.state.gov for regulations that pertain to your situation. (Besides the ones mentioned above, there are special rules for children’s applications, especially children of divorced parents.) Unlike Ockham’s razor, some of the solutions are not simple, so stay sharp, take a deep breath and begin the journey to your journey by packing an extra dose of patience.

Have a travel dilemma? Write to travel@latimes.com. We regret we cannot answer every inquiry.

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» Keep expectations to a minimum so you’re not disappointed. Instead, be flexible, go with the flow and treasure the unexpected. I’ve stumbled upon some amazing hidden gems. Bedouins invited me for tea in the caves of Petra, and a Portuguese model in Lisbon declared his affection for me by saying it was “love at first look.”

» Be prepared for the occasional bad day. I’ve been tired, cranky, lonely and frustrated, suffering from food poisoning and stressed out by emergency landings, 14-hour flight delays, altercations with customs officials, bad weather and other complications. But temporary misery is part of travel, and can help you enjoy the magnificent moments that much more. And sometimes the worst experiences generate great stories later on.

» Write in a journal every night. It records your adventures while also giving you the conversational outlet to express and process the details of your action-packed day.

» When dining alone, bring a book or journal. Eating at the bar may feel more comfortable than a table for one.

» Be respectful, inconspicuous and dress to blend in. Local fashion norms vary, but I typically wear jeans with subdued colors, dark shoes and subtle accessories so as not to attract undue attention.

» English has become the world’s second language, but learning to say hello and thank you in the local tongue goes a long way.

» Be cautious but not paranoid. If there’s a site that piques your interest, but it’s out of the way or you have concerns about personal safety, take a day tour or hire a guide. Independent female travelers may face harassment and other dangers, while men traveling alone may be targeted by scam artists and touts peddling illicit activities.

» Ignoring verbal aggressors — whether beggars, vendors or passers-by — is frequently the best defense, although in some cultures, like the markets in Istanbul, a simple “no, thank you” works better. Intimidation and harassment are never fun; feel empowered by your ability to say no.

» Check guidebooks and consult with local tourist offices and hotel staff for advice on what to watch out for. Take special care after dark, in dense crowds and with likable strangers. The freedom of being far from home can release inhibitions in wonderful ways. In fact, I try to do something new every trip. But if you feel as though you’re taking a risk, have an exit strategy, inform the hotel staff of your whereabouts, or make sure you’re in a place where you can shout out to others.

Gratifying solo travel comes from following your bliss. Don’t let societal pressures rattle you. Don’t let loneliness paralyze you. Educate yourself so you know what you can, and cannot, do. Most of all, embrace the exciting possibilities before you.

SINGAPORE — Australia’s Qantas took its repaired A380 superjumbo back to the skies on Saturday, resuming a 3,900 mile journey dramatically interrupted 18 months ago when one of its engines blew up over Indonesia.

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After $140 million of repairs, the world’s largest jetliner took off for Sydney shortly before midnight, carrying Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce and members of the crew that safely landed the crippled Airbus in Singapore with 440 passengers on board.

“She’s running a little late… 18 months,” Joyce earlier told reporters under the left wing of the big jet, which was sprayed by shrapnel as the engine blew apart shortly after take-off from Singapore in November 2010.

The return to service of the flagship European jetliner ends a harrowing episode for the airline, planemaker Airbus and engine supplier Rolls-Royce.

Investigators have blamed the incident on a potential manufacturing flaw at Britain’s Rolls-Royce, which endured blunt criticism from Joyce following the Trent 900 engine explosion.

Qantas and Airbus said the aircraft is safe and nearly as good as new after going through what they described as the biggest repair job on a single aircraft in aviation history.

The only visible scars are two patches of metal under the left wing where it was pierced by debris, some of which shot out at an angle that narrowly missed the top of the fuselage.

“We believe this aircraft is as good as new. In the test flight that has taken place it is performing better than a new aircraft would,” Joyce said.

The engine blowout initially prompted the grounding of the entire Qantas A380 fleet — six A380s at the time — for over three weeks.

The aircraft has undergone extensive repairs involving 70,000 hours of work in a hangar belonging to Singapore Airlines at Changi Airport in Singapore.

With each aircraft costing almost $400 million at today’s list prices, the insurance-paid repair bill of A$139 million ($143 million) was cheaper than writing off the damaged jet.

The plane, named after Australian aviation pioneer Nancy Bird-Walton, began the 6-1/2 hour journey home as flight QF32, the same call sign it was using at the time of the incident.

Qantas will stop using that call sign after Saturday’s homecoming flight.

“It is very important that everybody was here to fulfill the last flight that was not completed 18 months ago,” Joyce said.

Passengers on the journey home included Richard De Crespigny, the captain on the troubled flight 18 months ago.

“I have absolute complete confidence in the aircraft. I am very pleased that my CEO is coming back on the flight tonight and I look forward to having my wife and two children also here on the A380 as soon as possible,” De Crespigny told reporters.

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Check for restrictions at: http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp

Megan Murray has been relentlessly shopping for airline tickets since February, hoping to snag a deal to New Jersey for her brother’s Fourth of July party.

But the 31-year-old graphic designer has come up empty. The lowest round-trip fare to Newark she found last week: $421, up from $380 last summer and nearly double the bargain fare she grabbed for a getaway to Boston earlier this year.

“I’m probably not going to go,” Murray said.

As the calendar creeps toward May and its signature summer-is-around-the-corner events — the end of school and Memorial Day — more travelers will be striking out as they search for bargain vacation airfares.

The cheap fares travelers enjoyed just a few summers ago are gone, killed off by a combination of an improving economy, rising fuel prices and fewer airline flights.

Out of Phoenix, round-trip flights to popular Hawaiian islands including Maui and the Big Island start at $900 for a July trip, more than double the lowest rate available in 2009. Phoenix to Chicago, an urban getaway for tourists and vacationers visiting family, is $450 round-trip in mid-June. Hoping to soak in the pre-Olympics excitement in London? British Airways’ non-stop flight to London from Phoenix is nearly $1,400 round trip in mid-June.

Overall, average summer airfares this year are up 3 to 10 percent from a year ago, according to travel experts. Online agency Travelocity is seeing domestic fares up 3 percent; international fares, 5 percent. CheapOAir.com estimates domestic and international fares will be up between 7 and 10 percent.

Those increases aren’t as hefty as last summer’s price hikes, but that’s only because fares started at a higher level following seven fare increases in early 2011 due to high fuel costs. With fuel costs still high, airlines have raised fares three times this year. One Wall Street analyst estimates carriers have to raise domestic round-trip fares $6 to recoup every $5-per-barrel increase in oil.

“A lot of people think that the airfares are going to go down, and sadly they’re not going down,” said Wally Jones, travel consultant with Travel Leaders in Phoenix.

Airlines have been able to boost fares for two key reasons: Travel demand is strong thanks to the improving economy, and there are fewer seats to sell. Most airlines have been shedding unprofitable flights the past few years to survive high fuel costs and the recession. That’s why travelers see fewer, if any, non-stop flights on their favorite routes.

The upshot: Airlines are able to fill their planes without giving seats away.

“It’s unlikely that there will be aggressive fare sales this year,” US Airways President Scott Kirby said last month.

Most travelers haven’t booked their summer trips. Tempe-based US Airways estimates that just one-quarter of its summer bookings are in. Jones said only one in five of his clients has made reservations. That’s not unusual. Even though travel agents like Jones urge clients to start shopping early, especially when fares are on the rise, most travelers wait until after spring break and Easter to start planning summer travel.

Jones expects a booking rush beginning this week.

“I’ll probably start getting inundated with e-mails and phone calls with people that have been putting it off,” he said.

He is ready with his answer to those who ask, “Do you think it’s going to go down?” when he quotes prices: “No.”

“Actually, I’ve seen prices go up,” he said.

Courtney Scott, Travelocity’s senior editor, said her best advice for summer-travel shoppers is to act quickly when they find a palatable price.

“Now is not the time to wait and anticipate, ‘Maybe it might go down next week,”’ she said. “When you see the deal, you have to book it.”

Murray, who lives in Phoenix, is more than ready to pounce but isn’t hopeful she’ll find a deal for the Fourth of July. So, she’s making alternative plans. The backups: Stay in Phoenix or head to San Diego — by car.

Travel tips for finding the best prices:

Watch for fare sales. The deals may not blow you away like airfare sales of the past, but there usually are some savings. Pay particular attention to the websites and Facebook pages of airlines, online travel agencies and travel-deal sites on Tuesdays, when many sales are launched. Last week, Southwest, JetBlue and Alaska had Tuesday sales. Southwest recently started Tick Tock Tuesday, with fares on sale to a particular city or state. Last week, flights to Florida were on sale, although summer travel was not included. Alaska had a one-day sale offering 10 percent off all flights.

Set up airfare alerts. Most online travel agencies and several other sites, including FareCompare, Travelocity, Kayak, Airfarewatchdog and TripAdvisor, offer free e-mail alerts. Enter the information on the trip you are watching and you’ll get an e-mail if the price changes.

Be flexible. Non-stop flights are convenient, but you will pay a premium over flights with a connection or two. Also consider off-peak flight times and days, even if it means an extra day off or less sleep. Southwest Airlines’ cheapest fares to Las Vegas for Memorial Day weekend are already gone if you want to depart after work on Friday and come back on Monday afternoon. The lowest round-trip fare at those times: $383. Leave ultra-early Friday morning and return late Sunday, instead, and the lowest fare is $120 round trip as of late last week.

Consider alternative destinations. This isn’t the year to make London the centerpiece of your European vacation if you haven’t booked yet. Check out Greece, which has had a slew of economic problems, for bargains, Jones said. Is Hawaii too much for the budget? Beach lovers will find great deals in resort destinations in Mexico, including Cancun, he said. Cancun is the sixth-most-popular summer travel destination this year among Travelocity customers, Scott said. The top five: Orlando, Las Vegas, New York City, South Florida and Los Angeles. Jones said he has seen an uptick in requests about the Caribbean.

Check out vacation packages. Many tour companies have contracts with airlines and offer discounted air as part of a hotel-and-air package. “We’ve been doing this for a while because it’salways been the better deal,” Jones said.

Look beyond major airports. In Phoenix, that would be Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. Allegiant Air serves more than 30 (mostly smaller) cities from east Mesa, most recently adding Las Vegas, and Spirit Airlines just began service, with flights to Las Vegas and Dallas. When comparing fares, be sure to compare fees, too. Allegiant and Spirit are known for ultra-low fares and a variety of fees, some of which other airlines don’t charge.

Shop on your smartphone or other mobile device. Trying to offset higher airfare costs? If you don’t mind winging it, save money on hotels with last-minute deals on apps from Hotel Tonight, Priceline and others. Travelocity offers Mobile Exclusive deals. Popular websites for deep hotel discounts include Hotwire.com and Priceline.com.

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As Earth Day directs our attention to how to live more gently, here are 10 tips for greener travel, gathered with the help of David Owen, author of the recently released book “The Conundrum,” and with eco-destination operators, hoteliers, travel experts and environmentalists from the Natural Resources Defense Council.

1. Make every trip count. “The environmental key to travel is not how you go, but how much you go and how far you go,” says Owen, whose book is subtitled, “How Scientific Innovation, Increased Efficiency and Good Intentions Can Make Our Energy and Climate Problems Worse.” Owen notes that trains aren’t necessarily greener than planes. “People are packed as tightly as possible in a plane, but on a train there’s a lot of space,” he says, adding, “Trains work in Europe because it’s compact.”  

2.  Try to fly nonstop. “Generally speaking, flights with more stops will require more emission intensive takeoffs and landings,” says Anne Banas, executive editor of SmarterTravel.com, a travel resource website.

3.  Consider taking a group trip. “If you choose good companies, they do the work for you of selecting low-impact transportation, lodging, the best local guides and ways to give back to the communities you are visiting,” says Marie Uehling, director of National Wildlife Federation Expeditions program. “And traveling as a group usually means a smaller carbon footprint.”

4. “Choose destinations where you can walk, bicycle or take public transit,” Owen says.  And when it comes to the environmental impact of driving, miles are more important than miles per gallon. He recommends the Walk Score website to calculate a destination’s walkability.

5. Chose an eco-friendly hotel, BB or vacation rental. “Look for hotels and inns with a commitment to being green, though be careful of green washing,” Banas says. “Most truly green hotels will be proud to talk about everything they are doing for the environment, so I recommend calling the hotel before booking and asking a lot of questions.”

Marriott, Starwood, Hilton, Hyatt, Accor, the Palace Hotel San Francisco and Caesars Palace Las Vegas have active green programs to reduce their environmental impact.
Airbnb has created a collection of sustainable vacation rentals. 

6. Conserve light and energy along with reusing sheets and towels. “Air conditioning, heating and lighting use a lot more energy than washing towels,” says Bob Schildgen, a.k.a. Mr. Green for Sierra magazine. “And turn off the TV if you’re not watching it.  The room shouldn’t have to be any hotter than 60 or cooler than 78.” 

7. Don’t waste water by dawdling in the shower or running the water while brushing your teeth. Talk to the maid or leave a note to ensure that housekeeping is letting you reuse sheets and towels.

8. Refuse bottled water, unless you are staying somewhere that may have unsafe tap water. “The world as a whole spends $50 billion a year on bottled water,” Schildgen says.  “I asked a couple of water experts what it would cost to bring clean water to the whole world.  Two million kids die every year from dirty water.  They said, ‘About $50 billion.’ What we spend on bottled water could save millions of lives.”

9. Go local, eat what the locals eat and encourage the local economy by hiring local guides. “Be less demanding of having a Western-style meal where they would have to truck things in from a far distance,” Uehling says.
 
10.  If you’re not in a group and don’t need a car daily, look for car-sharing options at your destination from Zipcar, Hertz On Demand  and Enterprise, which all offer electric car rentals.  Owen notes that driving an electric car isn’t necessarily greener, because we primarily burn coal to generate electricity in the U.S.

WASHINGTON — Mixing policy and politics, President Barack Obama is picking up the pace of his travel with that ultimate incumbent’s perk — unlimited use of Air Force One. The trips are mostly to about a dozen swing states that will decide the election and to two reliably Democratic states, New York and California, for campaign money.

And Obama is not the only frequent flier with a re-election agenda. Both Vice President Joe Biden and the first lady Michelle Obama are increasingly stumping across the country as the campaign seeks to repeat its fundraising success of 2008 and counter a building wave of GOP cash.

The trips yield a payoff not only in donations — collected at small-crowd, big-dollar events in the sumptuous homes of donors and at small-dollar, big-crowd rallies — but also in local headlines trumpeting Obama’s message of the day. Taken together, they raise the quadrennial question of how much of a president’s travel should be paid for by taxpayers and how much by his party.

“It’s very opaque,” said Meredith McGehee, policy director of the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan group. “You’re kind of left in the position of, ‘Trust us; we’re doing it right.’ ”

Since Obama filed for re-election a year ago, he has taken 60 domestic trips, of which 26 included fundraisers, said Mark Knoller, a White House correspondent for CBS News who for years has compiled such data.

Knoller’s count shows that since Obama took office, his most frequent destinations besides Maryland, Virginia and Illinois, his home state, have been fundraising centers and swing states:

New York (23 visits), Ohio (20), Florida (16), Pennsylvania (15), Michigan (11), California and North Carolina (10 each), Massachusetts (9), Wisconsin (8), Iowa and Nevada (7 each) and Colorado (6).

On Wednesday, Obama made an official visit to an Ohio community college and a political trip to Michigan for two fundraisers. This week, Obama is scheduled to visit the University of Colorado at Boulder and campuses in North Carolina and Iowa for official addresses on student loans, prime territory for his drive to motivate young voters.

Officials at the White House, the Chicago campaign headquarters and the Democratic National Committee declined to say how they decide which events are political and how much to reimburse the government. That secrecy has a tradition dating at least to the late 1970s.

A White House spokesman, Eric Schultz, said: “As in other administrations, we follow all rules and regulations to ensure that the DNC or other relevant political committee pays what is required for the president to travel to political events.”

Related news

Obama urges end to Sudan conflict • WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama urged Sudan and South Sudan to end their fighting and begin negotiations to settle the intensifying conflict between the newly separated countries.

In a video message recorded in the White House and released late Friday, Obama put part of the onus on the government of Sudan, which he said “must stop its military actions, including aerial bombardments.” He said heated words between the countries had raised the risk of war at a time when neither side can afford continued conflict.

Obama did not let South Sudan off the hook either. “Likewise, the government of South Sudan must end its support for armed groups inside Sudan, and it must cease its military actions across the border,” Obama said.

The two countries have been edging toward full-scale war in a dispute over sharing oil revenue. They also continue to fight over their disputed border. South Sudan seceded from Sudan last year, part of a peace treaty in 2005 that was supposed to end the long-running conflict there. The New York Times

Toll roads have been in the news in Georgia lately. State officials reneged on a promise to end the toll on Ga. 400 when it was paid for. They also turned a lane of Interstate 85 that tax money had built into a High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lane that you have to pay to use now. And there are plans and discussions about other toll roads in the Atlanta area.

When roads were first built in Georgia, they were mostly private enterprises, and most charged tolls to use them. They generally followed paths Indians had worn through the countryside over the years. And those trails might well have been started by herds of buffalo that trampled through the wilderness in search of water, food or shallow river crossings.

Seven groups of trails provided access to what became Hall County. One ran through the Chattahoochee River Valley, another through Rabun Gap that eventually became the route of today’s U.S. 441. One of the best known trails was the Unicoi Turnpike running north and south across Unicoi Gap, and still another was Frogtown Trail through Neel’s Gap, now U.S. 129 north.

The Old Federal Road crossed through south Hall County from Jackson County along part of what is now Ga. 53. It connected Georgia and Tennessee across Indian territory.

The late L.W. Richardson wrote about early transportation in North Georgia for Hall County Historical Society, whose files now are housed in the restored Piedmont Hotel that was operated by Gen. James Longstreet. Richardson wrote that the first wagon road in Hall County followed trails used by the Cherokees.

Federal Road was a misnomer, Richardson said, because no federal funds were used to build it. A better name would have been Cherokee Road because Indians first used it.

Tolls were charged by private landowners on early routes to make repairs or just make a profit. Likewise, tolls were charged at many river crossings.

Before bridges, ferries charged a fee to get people across streams. A rope powered by men or mules pulled a flat boat loaded with people or livestock across Vann’s Ferry, one of the first on the Chattahoochee, later becoming known as Winn’s Ferry. Other ferries simply floated people downstream to a landing area on the other side of the stream.

Obediah Light operated a state-sanctioned ferry on the Old Federal Road at Flowery Branch by Old Federal Park between Balus and Mud creeks. Others included Shadburn, which crossed into Forsyth County, Williams and Keith’s. Williams was in the area of today’s Lan-Mar Marina.

Early travel was rough, hazardous, strenuous and tiring. George William Featherstonebaugh, wrote of his journey through North Georgia in 1837. He stopped in Hall County on a stage coach trip from Athens. He described Gainesville as only a small collection of buildings with a courthouse in the middle. He walked to a public spring, which was called Town Spring, but later Gower Spring.

His trip to Dahlonega from Gainesville took more than 10 hours over 29 miles, he said. You almost could walk there and back in less time, but you don’t know what route they had to take.

With the gold rush in Lumpkin County in the 1830s, stage coaches were running more regularly from Athens through Gainesville to Auraria. By 1876, stages carried mail to Dahlonega from Gainesville daily on improved roads, though still rough. They went to Jefferson and Cleveland twice a week and to Homer, Wahoo and Dawsonville once a week.

Often coach drivers would report travelers stranded with broken wagon wheels, tired teams of overworked horses and even DUIs back then — drivers who had too much to drink and ran their wagons or coaches off the road.

Coach travel cost about a dime a mile, and rides of 10 to 14 hours were routine.

It wasn’t until the 1920s that paved roads came to Hall County. U.S. 23, which is now the Old Cornelia Highway and Atlanta Highway, was the first in 1921. U.S. 129 came in 1923, but took four years to complete the Hall County section. Ga. 53, which goes through Hall County to Winder and Dawsonville, wasn’t paved till 1937.

Some towns, however, had hard-surface streets before state and federal routes were paved. Gainesville used bricks around the square and other nearby streets.

Johnny Vardeman is retired editor of The Times. He can be reached at 2183 Pinetree Circle NE, Gainesville, GA 30501. His column appears Sundays and at gainesvilletimes.com/johnny.

Hanoi, Vietnam, April 22, 2012 –(PR.com)– Luxury Travel Ltd., (www.luxurytravelvietnam.com) an award winning luxury travel tour operator and destination company (“DMC”) in Vietnam, has announced the addition of Marion Debuy to their marketing team.

Marion will be responsible for French speaking markets, trade shows, sales call and marketing activities with Luxury Travel Ltd’s business partners throughout German speaking countries, seeking new business opportunities and coordinating the company’s marketing program.

“I was always fascinated by Vietnam and its history, and ever since I was young, I was really convinced that one way or another I would go there. Now I am really proud to be part of the Luxury Travel team and to promote the company’s values through quality travel services. I will do my best to serve you, and to guarantee that you have an enjoyable stay in Southeast Asia,” said Marion

Vietnam now has world class hotels and resorts, beaches and cuisine, in addition to its natural beauty, rich history and traditional culture. The country receives 170,000 French tourists yearly, and the number of tourists increases year after year. The new slogan of Vietnam tourism, “Timeless charm,” was created with an aim to attract long haul travelers from French and elsewhere, who wish to experience its defining characteristics: Thrills, nature, heritage, festival, pristine, enjoyment, scenery and essence.

Luxury Travel has the very first luxury travel website in French in Vietnam to promote the charm and luxury of Vietnam, travelers can book and pay online on the website of this company. Luxury Travel Ltd is a long established specialist in luxury privately guided and fully bespoke holidays in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand.

Luxury Travel Ltd (www.luxurytravelvietnam.com) is a long established specialist in luxury privately guided and fully bespoke holidays in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand. Luxury Travel is excellent in designing tailor-made tours and providing unique travel experiences to fulfill the most sophisticated traveler’s expectations. Luxury Travel Ltd won numerous travel awards for excellent performance including the most recent award: Best Luxury Tour Operator.