Giving You Some Thought Provoking Concepts On This Week's Fast Five!

 Sometimes things just blow my mind.  It's that simple.  Here are five concepts involving travel, because that's what I do, that might make you ponder the way you look at certain things.  Quick!  Let's go!

1.    The Gimmelwald Honesty Shop, Gimmelwald, Switzerland.  This was one of the most amazing places I'd ever seen when I saw it in 2013.  That was a long time ago.  There was a tiny shop in a large building in a tiny village on the edge of a cliff where you could take a gondola down to the Lauterbrunnen Valley.  That village had amazing views, it was quiet, and no one was home in this shop.  You were supposed to go in, pick out your merchandise, and leave the proper amount of money before taking your things away with you.  I'm not joking.  Sound crazy?  That couldn't work you say.

Here it is 13 years later and not only has the shop worked out; it's expanded.  It's still in the same building, but now it takes up more of the building.  Think about that.  No one mans this store.  No one ever has.  Just when you think that society is going down the tubes, here's a shop in the middle of nowhere on a cliff in Switzerland that begs to differ.  Honesty is still a thing.

https://www.honestyshop.com/about-us/   

https://www.facebook.com/TheHonestyShop/   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwyPEFC4Tsk    

https://www.instagram.com/reels/DTiL-FUkxg-/   

https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/destinations/gimmelwald/   

2.    The Isles of Scilly, UK.  What can I say about this?  It's a getaway for Brits.  That's a start.  It's off the southern tip of the UK from Cornwall.  You can get there in any number of ways, air or ferry or whatever.  Cruises do stop there.  There's a whole archipelago, and only a little over 2,000 residents.  Why visit?

This is a spot of subtropic wonder off the coast of England.  England is known for it's gloomy weather and rainy days.  These islands tend to be warmer, sunnier, full of beaches and activities, including outdoor and even spas.  It's kind of like visiting the Azores of Portugal, but the Pound is the currency and everyone speaks English.  It's kind of advanced tourism, because it's not big on the tourism radar, but it's worth it for the getaway that leaves you somewhere in the UK that doesn't feel like the UK at all.

https://www.visitislesofscilly.com/   

https://www.islesofscilly-travel.co.uk/   

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/historic-sites-of-scilly/   

https://duchyofcornwall.org/estate/isles-of-scilly/   

https://www.islesofscillyholiday.co.uk/travel/   

3.    The Bunkers of Cornwall, England, UK.  While we're talking about southern UK, let's talk bunkers.  This is something to ponder.  Cornwall is not just a town but a district of the UK.  During WWII, they played an active role there in monitoring and even disrupting communications amongst adversaries.  There are at least 15 to 20 of these bunkers in the area still today.  They were telegraphy stations during the war.

Some of these are private homes.  Some are holiday rentals.  Some are little museums.  Some are just there.  The Veryan Bunkers and the tunnels at PK Porthcurno are some of the most popular visiting spots.  There is a National Trust Organization and some local groups in the area that can help you with which ones to visit and how to get to them and that kind of thing.  It's just that little something in a quiet area that you'd probably not be aware of and it was a key operation during World War II.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cornwall/carne-and-pendower/wartime-bunker-on-nare-head   

https://www.cornishsecrets.co.uk/guide/cornwalls-underground-attractions-to-visit/    

https://hostunusual.com/property/the-bunker/   

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/cornwalls-cold-war-nuclear-bunker-6531422   

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pl7sq0Ej_wk    

4.    What is a coolcation?  This is something to ponder.  Summer is travel time, and beaches fill up and droughts happen worldwide, and I don't know what to make of Florida and Arizona in the summer.  Do you have to go someplace and endure ridiculous heat and humidity because it's summer?  People do this every summer, and it's ridiculous.

There are plenty of places that you can go that aren't going to be that hot.  Two of my favorites are Iceland and the Swiss Alps.  There's so much to do, the scenery is something you'll never forget and believe it or not; people mostly speak English.  What I do when I'm looking to go somewhere in the summer, which is rare for me anyway, is look at the climate that they typically have in a location throughout the year and then if that looks doable, I look at the current predictions for the time I intend to travel there.

You don't necessarily have to run to the opposite end of the planet to find some cooler weather for your summer trip.  You will find that there are some great places all around you.  Normally, if you go to mountainous areas, you'll find a little cooler weather.  If you do travel internationally, visit Canada, Norway, Iceland, the UK, or something like that.  If in the United States, I would say check out the Rocky Mountains or the Cascades or the Sierra Nevadas.  The Upper peninsula of Michigan is normally a nice area.  Normally, but not always, you have to check, the Pacific Northwest.  Alaska tends to make that list, but closer to Denali and that area. 

This is something that takes some research, but there's no reason to go to Florida in the summer.  There are options, and they are worth the research and planning.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/what-is-coolcation-best-places-in-europe   

https://www.visitnorway.com/plan-your-trip/coolcation/   

https://www.azureroad.io/how-to-plan-a-coolcation-in-a-warming-world/   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQEQp58BJCA   

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidnikel/2025/06/17/the-coolcation-trend-is-heating-up-and-the-numbers-prove-it/   

5.    Here's a big ponder; what kind of hotel do you need?  I can tell you all day about the great places I've stayed and you might think I'm crazy.  Everyone is a bit different.  There are all kinds of accommodations out there for all kinds of tastes.

You might travel on a budget and light and stay at a hostel.  Some people might want to camp and take road trips.  Some folks like the flexibility of stopping at motels.  Some people like historic hotels.  Some folks like Air BnB or VRBO for that living space.  Some people might want a hotel with options for a suite.  Some want a vacation home, and some want to go to an all inclusive resort.  Some people would rather take a cruise.  There are so many options.  You can rent a yacht and drive it yourself if you want in some places.

There's no wrong choice.  You do you.  Just remember that you need to look into it.  That's why I call it a ponder.  Do some self exploration on the web to figure out what you really want for your accommodations, because it can make or break a trip.

https://www.expedia.com/   

https://www.cruises.com/   

https://www.hotels.com/  

https://www.historichotels.org/us  

https://www.recreation.gov/   

That's my ponders for you.  I say never travel before doing some planning.  

If you'd like to see what I'm doing right now, check out my YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@adventuresforanyone2026

Explore those unique places and never lose faith in your fellow inhabitants on this beautiful planet.  Just when you think it's all going downhill, you'll find that something that renews your faith in people.  You'll see where war led to creativity, and you'll find that spot that you really never thought existed.  If you take the time to ponder what you want to do, where you want to stay, and how you want to travel; you'll have a great time!  Enjoy!

I Have Some Thoughts and Oddball Information On This Week's Fast Five! Join Me!

 The more I travel, the more amazed I am about the things I learn.  I've been traveling my entire life and I'm never unamazed.  Here's a few things that either I just found out about or haven't mentioned before.  They're all things that may or may not help you out in your travels!

1.    Have I ever used an audio guide in New York City?  The answer to that is no.  However, it's a really great idea.  New York City is huge, has a lot going on, and isn't always user friendly.  It is one of the most walkable cities in the country.  It has more famous sites to visit than most places in the United States.  They have probably more guided tours than anywhere else in the country.  But if you'd like to take yourself around; and I highly recommend that; you need a couple of things.

First, you need an OMNY card and a subway map.  That's your best bet to get around.  You also need a list of things you're interested in, which means prior research in a lot of cases.  After that, if you want an explanation and you don't want to stand out by being in a huge group on a tour, get that audio guide to tell you what you're looking at.

You can choose from over 100 different audio guide options.  There's Action Tour Guide, which is a service that covers a lot of places; not just New York City.  They offer a yearly membership and after you pay your $99 a year, you can look up audio guides for stuff all over.  Not a bad deal.

Another way to get an audio guide is to go where you get your podcasts.  There are different platforms, but they all offer some audio guides for things in New York.  You can look into in on Trip Advisor, Viator and companies of that sort.  Sometimes in New York, you can just scan a QR code on site and you'll be all set.

This is just another way to get yourself around.  I love doing things on my own.  There's a certain level of accomplishment that goes along with it.  It also makes me able to do things on my own schedule.  Investigating locations on my own gives me more information, helps me learn my way around in general and provides a challenge that I think I need.

https://www.centralparknyc.org/explore-the-central-park-digital-guide   

https://actiontourguide.com/   

https://www.viator.com/New-York-City-tours/Audio-Guided-Tours/d687-g12-c26963   

https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g60763-d25557232-Private_Audio_Guided_Walking_Tour_in_New_York-New_York_City_New_York.html   

https://izi.travel/en?visit=1786120201   

2.    The underground world of South Manhattan.  Did you know about this?  This is amazing.  I'm still investigating this.  I love the mole people effect that the underground world and the subway has in New York City; particularly in Manhattan.  There's one area that continues to amaze me.  The area between Brookfield Place and William Street in South Manhattan.

Let me explain.  Brookfield Place is a shopping mall along the Hudson River, just across the street from 1 WTC.  It's a lovely place which is currently doing some sea wall work along their marina.  You can walk along the riverfront behind this mall and even catch a ferry to New Jersey.  It's a lovely place and it has palm trees inside.  It's pretty cool.

Here's a really cool thing.  If you go down the escalators by the entrance to the mall, you'll enter what I'm calling the underworld.  From there you head east.  You can go to 1 WTC to the observation deck from down there.  You head via passageway over to the Oculus.  In the Oculus you can catch a PATH Train to New Jersey or catch a subway.  In one end you have the 1.  On the other end in one way or another you can catch the 2, 3, 4, 5, R, W, J, Z, A, and C via passageways and Fulton Center on the other end of that.  You can also catch the E in that end of the Oculus.

But we're not done yet.  When you connect to some of these subways, while still underground; you haven't come out of the underground yet; you may walk to Chambers Street, Park Place, Cortlandt Street and on and on.  You'll find out that Fulton Street and Fulton Center are not the same place but are connected.  If you keep investigating all these subways, you will find that it doesn't end until you get to the William Street section of the 2 and the 3.  That's in the Financial District.  It's a lot to take in, but I guarantee it's nice for people on bad weather days.

There's more going on in that underground than in most places in New York.  There's restaurants, high end shops, tourist attractions and all the World Trade and 9/11 Memorial things accessible via that underground system.  You can also investigate the financial district via the system.  It's amazing where it goes.

https://www.explorewtc.com/en/local/learn-about-wtc/oculus-transportation-hub.html  

https://www.bfplny.com/visit/getting-here/  

https://www.projectsubwaynyc.com/complex-connections   

https://www.renewnyc.com/ThePlan/transportation.asp   

https://www.mta.info/project/fulton-transit-center   

3.    It's called the East River Esplanade.  The section I'm referring to runs from roughly 53rd Street to 63rd Street.  This is a unique pathway that runs along the East River for about ten blocks and also goes underneath the massive Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge at 59th Street.  It's scenic and classy and sits right out there over the river.

What is it?

The city of New York has been for years making the waterfront a pedestrian/park/greenway/scenic waterfront/bike route.  Unfortunately, they ran into a problem, and the problem was FDR Drive.  In this particular spot the road literally runs over and right up against the East River.  They couldn't move the road.  I've looked at it.  They really couldn't.

Therefore, they had to come up with a solution or they wouldn't have people space all around the island.  So, they built a bridge.  That's right.  This Esplanade is really a ten block long bridge.  There are bridges over FDR Drive on each end and there's a couple of other access points along the way, but it's a walkway over the water.  They've made it beautiful with stone walks and benches and landscaping with plants and trees.  It's pretty amazing, just like the ingenuity you find with projects all over the city.

In addition to the nice walkway over the water, you get some of the most amazing views of the Queensboro Bridge and Roosevelt Island that you'll ever get.  This section is at Sutton Place and runs under the bridge, and also accesses Andrew Haswell Green Park.

https://www.esplanadefriends.org/  

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/east-river-esplanade/   

https://edc.nyc/project/east-midtown-waterfront   

https://commercial.unilock.com/projects/parks/sutton-place-park/   

https://travelpal.ai/destinations/north-america/united-states/new-york/east-river-esplanade-sutton-pl-s   

4.    Summit One Vanderbilt.  I've visited pretty much all the tall buildings in New York, and this was interesting.  One of the main points for this one is the simple fact that it's really at the train station.  You don't have to even go outside of Grand Central to go to the observation deck that is Summit One.

That being said, I have mixed feelings about this one.  Just because it's the newest and it says Vanderbilt on it, doesn't necessarily mean it's the best or even great.  I bought a ticket on their website listed as $44.  There were fees and then I don't know what that made it total $57.  That's a big leap for coming from their own website with the idea that you have to buy it in advance to get in.  I'm still torn about how I feel about that.  It feels like a tourist trap move to me.

The experience was nice.  They had three levels of observation deck and the option to pay extra to take the Ascent, which was the outer elevator to the tippy top of the building.  It was all right.  Did I have a good time?  Yes.

However, they were a one trick pony.  Go up high and see reflective stuff.  We had to wear booties so our shoes wouldn't, God forbid, put a scratch in one of their mirror floors.  That was fine.  Then there were blobs of reflective material on the floor in one room.  Cute.  There were reflective balloons bouncing all over a room that also had great views.  It was also cute.  There was a room where you could wait in a line to step onto a bay that hung out off the side of the observation deck and you could see the ground below.  It was cute.  The top deck gave access to the outside which was cool.  There were snacks and drinks available.  That was nice.  Honestly, the best part of the experience were the main areas of the lower two decks where everything reflected.  I liked that.

1.4 Million people visited Summit in the first year alone.  Is it worth the hype?  I don't think so.  The reflective stuff is cool, but that's most of what you've got.  They don't really have many experiences.  They have reflection and views.  The views are really nice.

https://summitov.com/   

https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g60763-d23904654-SUMMIT_One_Vanderbilt_Experience_Ticket-New_York_City_New_York.html   

https://wherearethosemorgans.com/best-observation-decks-in-nyc/   

https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/city/new-york-city   

https://www.hines.com/properties/one-vanderbilt-new-york   

5.    Real ID; what is it good for?  This is part story and part report.  I had to renew my driver's license shortly before these went into effect.  I was at the DMV and there were ads and signs all over about getting your real ID.  I only go to the DMV when I absolutely have to.  I hate it there.  So, I asked the person when I was talking to them to renew my license if I could get the real ID while I was there.  They said they could do it, but I had to renew my regular driver's license first and come back after and pay extra to replace that with a Real ID.  That was the dumbest thing I ever heard and I told her that.  She informed me that shortly I wouldn't be able to fly without one and I replied that the joke was on the State of Connecticut, because I have a valid passport.  That's the story part.

Long story short, this is basically a money grab.  I've used my passport for the last year and a half or so, and I've had no problems.  I still have my driver's license for driving, and I'm good to go.  as a matter of fact, I can do a lot of stuff with my passport.  I can get security checked really quickly for things with my passport.  I can obviously use it all over the world, because that's what it was made for.  I've traveled the world with it, therefore it doesn't bother me to carry it with me when I travel.  What am I really missing?  I don't think anything.

Will I get my Real ID?  I will when I need a driver's license.  I will always renew my passport, because I don't want to be trapped in my own country all the time.  Therefore, the Real ID will forever be something that I will get when I have to renew my license or when I decide.  I hate being told what to do, especially by the government, and especially for nothing more than a money grab.

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification   

https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DMV/Real-ID-Brochure-English.pdf   

https://www.usa.gov/real-id   

https://travel.state.gov/en/passports.html   

https://www.usps.com/international/passports.htm   

There you have it.  Some thoughts, opinions, and information to help in your travels.  Remember, a lot of what I do is find out amazing things about New York City and make videos about it on my YouTube Channel, "Adventures for Anyone with Terri Dixon." That's me!

https://www.youtube.com/@adventuresforanyone2026   

Come by there and check it out.  Tall buildings are definitely a current subject over there.  Hope this gives you some insight into various things about your next potential adventure!  Follow for more!  Thanks for joining me!  Enjoy!