Another Cautionary Travel Tale • Groupon Version

More And More That Caution “Buyer Beware” Should Be Considered When Planning Travel

If you don’t know Groupon they’re an online company that was originally intended to help local businesses promote their company using discount coupons. Working mostly with restaurants, Groupon promoted the discount with prepaid vouchers online and through emails to subscribers. There have been issues but most problems involved a few dollars, but times have changed and they’ve even expanded internationally.

Groupon, The Good, The Bad And ?

Just recently we wasted several days and several hundred dollars trying to use a Groupon deal to visit Busch Gardens Tampa. We still operate an online business and wholesale products to some local shops and we needed to get away for a few days before the holiday rush started. It was planned as a three day road trip to Tampa with the centerpiece being a day in Busch Gardens. We had Groupon admission tickets (both printed and digital) that included the park’s meal package that clearly stated on both that the ticket expired in early December. We made reservations at a hotel near the park for two nights and in the first morning went over to Busch Gardens to spend the day. At the entrance we were told that the tickets had expired on October 27th.

The Busch Gardens people insisted that it didn’t matter what the ticket indicated, the bar code showed it clearly had expired and they had no responsibility for the error. We needed to contact Groupon. It took two hours to start an online chat with Groupon while sitting outside the entrance. There is no phone number that works so we downloaded the app. On the chat we explained that we had come from out of the area and had spent $300+ on a hotel and were now at the entrance to the park. The Groupon agent indicated that they would need to contact Busch Gardens to resolve the issue but unfortunately Groupon could not issue a new corrected ticket. At one point they did offer to provide us with a $10 credit on our account for “the inconvenience”. After another hour plus we were informed that it could take seven days to resolve the matter with Busch Gardens and they would look into a refund but couldn’t guarantee what would happen (after all their policy is no refunds).

Busch Gardens Tampa

The final irony of all this is that Busch Gardens was currently running a special that would make the tickets only $3.00 more than what we paid Groupon. We could not get a refund on the additional night at the hotel and with no other options we just went home…

P.S. Busch Garden’s claim that we purchased though a third party so they were not responsible for the problem is legally incorrect. As far as the law is concerned that is not the case. They had entered into a contractural arrangement that allowed Groupon to represent them and offer those tickets and they had obviously benefitted financially the sale and legally both parties are responsible (odd how nobody accepts responsibility any more?). Again the only Busch Gardens contact we had was the gate attendents and they kept insisting that there was nobody else we could speak with. The cost of seeking redress however is probably to difficult to pursue. Exploring options regarding Groupon we discovered that some years ago Groupon lost a class-action case. It seems that after that they changed their official policy. Today by buying from Groupon the small print states that you accept that you cannot sue them. You can contact an arbitration company – but after several hours on the indicated website I couldn’t even find the submission form.

While traveling there has always been a hiccup or two – language problems, a cancelled flight, a too short connection, a missing reservation etcetera. It just is one of those things you need to deal with. Something has changed recently and it seems we are running into serious issues on a regular basis. There was a last minute cancelled trans-Atlantic flight that cascaded into problems that took days to straighten out with nobody on the travel business side seeming to care or was even interested in helping with a solution*. On that same trip a reservation for late arrival in Amsterdam at a hotel couldn’t be honored because they overbooked. Transfers that don’t show, wrong directions as to where to go, train service that changed without notice. Often today these are not small inconveniences but serious travel disasters and in more and more cases – you’re on your own!

The Groupon Final Outcome

It took a bit longer than seven days, a whole three weeks. Groupn agreed to refund the purchase price but wev never got the $10..

Todays Images • Elk In Smokey Mountains National Park

The Elk mostly disappeared from the mountains of the eastern United States. Reintroduction of elk into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park began in 2001 when 25 elk were brought from the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area along the Tennessee-Kentucky border.

Despite early struggles, including predation by black bears on young calves, the elk population in the Smokies has been doing well since shortly after the reintroduction.

Best Elk Viewing Location In The Smokies 

The Mountain Farm Museum

The park provides various locations to allow for visitors to see elk, but the best is in the open meadows near the Mountain Farm Museum. Elk can often be seen browsing for food in the area especially in the early morning.

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Todays Image • The Iron Gate

A Great Canyon On The Danube River

The Iron Gate, also known as the Đerdap Gorge, is situated between Romania and Serbia and is one of the most scenic stretches along the Danube river. The Iron Gate is a natural gorge formed by the Carpathian Mountains on the Romanian side and the Balkan Mountains on the Serbian side. It stretches for about 134 kilometers and offers stunning views of cliffs, caves, and and rock formations.

The Iron Gates consist of narrow gorges and wide basins, making it one of Europe’s most significant natural features. While an important stretch of the navigable Danube it was actually very dangerous with challenges posed by the river’s rapids and many whirlpools. The construction of the Iron Gate Dam was crucial for controlling navigation. Construction of a dam began in 1977 as a joint project between Romania and Yugoslavia and was considered an engineering marvel. Completed in 1984 with hydroelectric generation from 16 units generating a total capacity of 432 MW. 

A number of archaeological sites in the gorge have provided evidence of early human occupation. Classified as the Iron Gates Mesolithic culture they are dated between 13,000 and 6,000 years ago, shedding light on hunter-gatherer lifestyles in Romania and Serbia.

Todays Image • An Orchid And A Frog Sitting In A Pot

Some years ago we had a wall mounted pot holding orchids outside our front door with a small pond with goldfish and more orchids off to the side. For several months this little tree frog took up residence in the pot and more often than not he would be there, just sitting and watching the activity around our front door.

We’ve since moved but for over a year we now have a new resident tree frog outside our front door residing in a bromeliad. He disappears for a day or two but always seems to comes back.

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Download Our Free Travel Pin Map

Our Christmas Gift To You

Every serious traveler needs a pin map! And they make a great gift for the other travelers you know!

Years ago, shortly after we put ours up on the wall, we started getting requests from family and friends to make one for them. It became a favorite gift item and after a few dozen maps we decided we’d try selling them online.

We started selling on Etsy with a few world map color versions and added a United States map. We offered a selection of titles and provided personalization (all our friends and relatives wanted theirs personalized). Within a couple of months sales took off and soon I was spending hours printing and shipping maps. A few dozen a week wasn’t going to make me rich but unfortunately it was eating up a lot of my week. After about six months I shut it down because it was just too much work and I couldn’t keep taking orders while we were traveling.

If you love travel, keeping a travel pin map is a great way to keep track of where you’ve been while also a fantastic decorating accent. We started ours years ago and even today it is a fantastic conversation piece.

After a lot of prodding we decided to put in some more time exploring our travel pin maps again. After talking to a number of friends about the process and discussing options we developed a plan.

Our own travel pin map

This time we’re using a do-it-yourself approach and if you follow the steps here you’ll have a decorating accent to be proud of and for now you can download them for free!

Making Custom Travel Pin Maps

Here’s how to create your very own custom 16×20″ (or smaller) pin map for under US$50 all in with five simple steps:

  • Download your map below

Blue on brown version in jpg file format:

Download 16×20 brown on blue map without a heading

World map B on B 16×20Download Now

Grey on blue version in jpg file format:

Download 11×14 grey on blue map

24 Map 2 color 11×14Download
  • Print the map up to 16×20″ at home or at Walmart or Office Depot
  • Pick out a standard frame to fit the map print
  • Remove glass (plastic) in frame and back up map with a sheet of foam board
  • Close or seal the back and add a frame hanger if needed
  • Get a set of map push pins

Do It Yourself  Instructions For Our Travel Pin Maps

Customizing Our Map To Make It Your Own

Instructions For Customizing Your Map

With Microsoft

Microsoft offers several software tools and services that can be used for annotating our JPG map file that include:

Our files are formatted in a 4:5 ratio that will produce prints from 4×5” through 16×20” and are provided in an open jpg file format that can be customized using many standard applications in computers using MS, Apple and Google operating systems by following the steps outlined here.

• Microsoft Paint: A basic image editing program included with Windows that allows users to add simple annotations such as text, lines, and shapes to images.

• Microsoft Office Picture Manager: A more advanced image editing program that comes with Microsoft Office and provides more features for annotating images, including the ability to add captions, watermarks, and other effects.

• Microsoft OneNote: A digital note-taking application that allows users to insert and annotate images, including JPG files.

• Microsoft SharePoint: A cloud-based collaboration platform that allows users to store, share, and annotate images, in JPG files.

With Apple Macintosh

Using the Preview application:

• Open the JPG image in Preview.

• Click the “Markup Toolbar” button in the toolbar.

• Select the annotation tool you want to use, such as the “Text” tool, “Shape” tool, or “Arrow” tool.

• Click and drag on the image to create your annotation.

• Adjust the properties of the annotation, such as font, color, and size, using the options in the Markup Toolbar.

• Save the finished file for printing.

Using The Google Operating Systems

With a Google computer using Google Cloud, This system offers a comprehensive platform for image annotation. It provides a suite of tools and services that enable users to annotate JPG images efficiently and accurately providing powerful image editing tools that facilitate the annotation process. Users can easily draw bounding boxes around objects, add polygons, or even create 3D annotations. These tools ensure precise and consistent annotation, which is essential for high-quality machine learning models.

Printing Your Map

If you have access to a printer that can print to a sheet size needed you can print the map yourself at either 11×14 (standard frame size) up to 13×19 or 16×20. Make sure there’s an off the shelf frame available.

Large prints can be ordered from a number of sites including Office Depot and Walmart. If you have a wide format (13×19) you can of course print it yourself.

Print yours with Walmart Custom Prints. The 16×20” print is the best format at under $14.00 and the order can be placed with your local Walmart online at the web page below.

Click Walmart Link HERE

Framing Your Map

Our maps when printed can be formatted to fit a 16×20” standard size frame, or 11×14”, 8.5×11” and 8×10”that are available nationwide from many stores like Michaels or Walmart as well as online. In order to convert the frame to a pin map all need to do is to remove the plastic or glass front, back up the map with a sheet of foam board and reassemble. See a good choice from Michaels HERE.

Pushpins

Hopefully you’ll be adding a lot of pins to your map and while you can find push pins in most office supply departments we recommend a smaller headed shorter pin made for that purpose and recommend Yalis Push Pins 600-count Map Tacks available from Amazon HERE.

Port of Call Messina, Sicily

Probably one of the most important stretches of water in the Mediterranean is the Straits of Messina that separates the boot of Italy from the island of Sicily. In ancient legend the straight is said to be only an arrows shot wide. With a majority of cruise itineraries going south and east out of Rome’s port of Civitavecchia traveling through the straights is a common experience.

The Straights of Messina were often written about in ancient texts regarding Scylla and Charybdis, two monsters who attacked ships traveling through the straight. Scylla was a multi-headed monster that plucked sailors from the deck while Charybdis was a sea monster that crushed and sank ships. The most famous tale of all being about the Greek hero Odysseus who encounters Scylla and Charybdis on his return journey from the Trojan War. Odysseus was urged to follow the advice of the goddess Circe. Circe told Odysseus to sail closer to Scylla, rather than Charybdis, for it was wiser to lose a few men than to sink the whole ship.

Additionally the straight also saw the establishment of the important Greek cities of Messana and was the location of numerous naval battles, most notably the Battle of the Strait of Messina between Pyrrhus of Epirus and the Carthaginians in 276 BC.

Where Your Ship Docks

The Messina harbor is situated right in the center of the city and equipped with a cruise terminal along with another cruise pier. Public facilities are available as well as some shops and a bus stop.

Wheelchair Accessibility – Disembarking is dependent on ships gangway designs. The cruise pier disembarks right into downtown. For passengers using wheelchairs there can be a moderate ramp incline to deal with. Locations.

Port City Characteristics – This port has a well developed wheelchair friendly infrastructure. The port area is flat or has few inclines. Intersection crosswalks have few issues with curbs or other wheelchair obstacles. Outside the port area the city does have an increase in elevation to deal with.

Public Transportation

The Central Station of Messina is the second most important one of Sicily. Nearer the port is a station called Messina Marittima and is there for connections with mainland Italy with ferries to both Reggio Calabria and Villa San Giovanni.

Most public transportation in the city is by bus with an 8 kilometer long, tram line. For the bus and tram a single use ticket costs 1.50 Euro and is valid for 100 minutes from the time of use stamping. At the bus the price is 2 Euros. A ticket for 200 minutes costs 2.50 Euro but must be stamped twice. A day ticket costs 4 Euro, a 72-hour ticket 10 Euro.

Currency

Italy uses the Euro which recently has ranged from US$1.05 to US$1.12 to 1€ Euro. ATMs* are plentiful and credit cards are usually welcome. https://intend2travel.info/2023/12/29/international-travel-credit-cards-atms-identity-theft/

Tipping

Tipping follows a general tipping culture similar to many European countries. Tipping is appreciated but not mandatory. If service charges are included in your bill, rounding up or leaving small change is customary. In restaurants, leaving between 5-10% of the bill is a common practice if you are satisfied with the service. Tipping tour guides is usually based on the tour cost with a few dollars being a minimum. For taxi drivers or service staff, rounding up the fare or leaving a small tip is often sufficient.

Local Attraction

Messina Cathedral – A stunning example of Norman architecture, the cathedral is known for its beautiful facade and the astronomical clock that offers a daily show.

La Spiaggetta – A beautiful beach perfect for sunning and swimming that offers stunning views of the Straits of Messina.

The Astronomical Clock Of Messina – Located in the main square, it’s one of the largest in the world, with intricate mechanisms and a show at noon that always attracts a crowd.

Taormina

A great day trip to consider while visiting Messina is Taormina about an hour south along the coast. The town has a beach vibe about it but the main town is located above the sea and is also recognized as one of Europe’s best shopping destinations. A number of famous fashion houses operate salons in Taormina. There are 3 ways to get from Messina to Taormina

the harbor at Taormina, Sicily
Train, Rideshare or Taxi.

Train from Messina Centrale to Taormina-Giardini takes about an hour and costs 4 to 9 Euros. Service is frequent. Rideshare (uber) also about an hour but varies by traffic conditions and will cost between 6 and 12 Euros. Taxi service should run about 100 Euros but fare can be negotiated and again the trip should take about an hour.

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