Travel Adventure Ideas from a Pan Am Flight Attendant

Ever since I can remember, traveling has been in my blood. I have been in every state in the USA multiple times and have traveled the world extensively while I was a flight attendant with Pan American Airways, Inc.

Enjoyment at every destination comes from being with friends or family, exploring, learning, and, best of all, eating. The first question I am asked when someone finds out about my traveling passion is, “Where is your favorite place in the world?” This question is always hard to answer as every place has its own unique value when it comes to cultural lifestyles.

While my 84-year-old father was sick these past two years, being at the hospital daily just sitting with the man who started my love of travel, I began reminiscing about all the wonderful times we’ve had together. All the lifetime of adventure makes for some pretty good storytelling. Often, my family says, “Tell the one about….” So, with all these good tales in mind, here goes my foray into blogging. I’d like to start with these thoughts sent out in my last yearly Christmas letter.

“Old King Dennis was a Merry Old Soul, and a Merry Old Soul was He, He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl, and he called for his Lemons Three.”

I made a lot of lemonade when caring for my two elderly parents. January started with terrible rainstorms devastating San Diego, and a cold, dark winter was ahead. Dad entered the hospital with a bad case of MRSA, aspirated during a test, and I was told that he had a 20% chance of survival.

Being Gaelic, a redhead, and very stubborn helped Dad fight hard to stay with us. Dad’s first major surgery was on his neck, which was the primary source of his MRSA infection. The operation occurred on my parents’ 57th wedding anniversary. What timing.

While recovering from two surgeries, he requested lemons daily from our tree, which he credits with giving him extra Vitamin C and giving a boost to his immune system, along with the bonus of annoying me daily as he repeatedly called for his lemons three. His chance of survival went to an 80% recovery of bodily functions, and after months of daily intravenous antibiotics administered by his granddaughter, Dad was given a clean bill of health and could stay home. I took the time to stop and have a big glass of lemonade.

Those months of struggling with seeing her husband devastated by MRSA took their toll on Mom’s health, and she slowly declined into AFIB with a weakened heart. I can truly say I got tired of calling ambulances to the house. One of her specialists decided it was time to take out a 12″ polyp from Mom’s colon.

She underwent surgery, and I was handed another bowl of lemons when Mom declined into AFIB again with pneumonia during her hospital stay in rehab. Also, being Irish with a strong-willed temperament, my mother bounced back to return home by the end of the year.

I was ready for this year to be over. Mom had been my travel companion for many years and instilled in me a love to learn. She had been an excellent cook when growing up and introduced me to many different culinary delights. One of my favorite perks while planning my itinerary on the road was seeking wonderful places to eat. Lemon is an essential ingredient in almost any recipe. So, when life gives you a bowl of lemons, sit back, relax, enjoy the journey, and make some lemonade.

Sipping a glass now reminds me of my many travels to Ireland, not only as a flight attendant but also with my family. One of my first favorite places to travel is Ireland. The McGinley name is from Northern Ireland, and the Collins name is in Southern Ireland. Dublin is the best place to find out about your family heritage. A few years ago, my great-uncle passed away. He made many attempts to teach me Gaelic, which is a hard language to learn. I do remember some of the words, such as lemonade. In Gaelic, it is spelled Llíomanáid.

If you have a burning travel question, or are you looking for personalized travel adventure ideas, I’d love to hear from you. Contact me today, and let’s make your travel dreams a reality.

Flying into Dublin usually is the first choice for so many travelers choosing to start their journey in this majestic old-world city. My preference is to travel to Shannon Airport instead of Dublin. It is smaller & more easily managed. It takes a little longer in travel time from California but puts me in the right area of the country to start my journeys. Upon arrival in Shannon, it is very easy to rent a car, which really is the best way to see the countryside and also be able to stop at will at any of the numerous pubs along the way. 

Driving on the left side does require some getting used to, but with enough practice around the car port, driving becomes more natural. Just try not to veer to the right side as going up over the curb is frowned upon. One of my favorite places to stay is right outside of Shannon Airport called the Park Inn Radisson Shannon Airport. It is super convenient, and the rooms are economical. You just walk across the car port to the Inn. I enjoy their morning breakfast selection & they make a great Irish Coffee. Warms you up after a long day at airports & long wait times at customs. In the light of day, I walk back over to the airport, go to the pre rented car station & usually pick up an automatic vehicle as driving a stick shift requires more of my attention which I prefer to apply to driving on the left. Now that everyone is well rested the adventure begins. 

Starting out with the rental car can be frustrating until you get the knack of the engine going quiet when you come to a stop. The first time it happened I drove back & wanted to trade in the car. I was informed that in idle the car seems to be off but once you press the gas, the engine starts up again. It is a fuel-saving feature that comes in handy as I don’t have to buy as much petrol for our long journeys. Now with a new driving mindset, we start off on the expressway headed for Limerick. It is a quick and easy drive & getting around downtown Limerick is a lot less crowded than our California roadways. Walking is really the best way to get the feel of the town. We stay at the Limerick Strand Hotel usually as it is central for both coming and going & touring the town. The best way to see the sites is either on foot or to rent a bicycle. 

My last trip there was a reunion with Pan Am flight crews of yesteryear. It was focused on the Foynes Flying boat & Maritime Museum outside of Limerick city in the county of Limerick. The pioneering waterway that saw the launch of Pan Am’s Boeing’s 314 flying boat airplane. It was very informative about aviation history & the restaurant had delicious food especially their pastries, as well as their famous Irish Coffee of which my mom & I had two cups. We were entertained by local dancers and many a story was told before the afternoon ended. I would highly recommend a trip to this museum. It will take half your day to get through all the exhibits. Unfortunately, the museum sustained flooding damage a few years ago but I understand it plans to reopen in May of 2023! 

The local drug dealer Angel took me under his supervision & gave me a lot of life lessons. A tale for another time. However, one of the first things he told me was to stay on the outward edge of the sidewalk. If you veer inwards to the apartments, then you can be easily pushed down & robbed. One night I was walking home alone along 49th street in Manhattan around 10pm when 3 men were walking toward me. Two were on the opposite side of the street & the third was coming straight towards me. I had remembered Angels words & stepped off the sidewalk walking into the street. As we passed each other, the third man crossed over after passing me to the other side of the street to rejoin his friends. Suddenly, I heard someone shouting at me. I turned around while still walking & one of the men asked me “who taught you how to do that?” I replied: “Angel.” Another travelling tip he gave me, being so naïve at only 23 years old with little life experience, was when your lost don’t stand around looking lost. Go into a building until you can figure out your next move. A piece of advice that helped me out many times when travelling around the world. 

Travelling with a small coin purse that I can tuck away in my pants pocket helps me feel safer when out & about. Jeans are my preferred clothing option when touring a city. They have plenty of pockets and old-world dust can ruin nice clothes. Most hotels will have a safe to store valuables right in your room. All you have to do is select a code and then remember it. I will try out my chosen code opening and closing the safe before putting anything of value in it. Remember to write it down just in case you forget it later. Usually, I prefer to take a backpack with me instead of a purse for long travels. Choose a backpack with inside hidden pockets that is not too big or heavy. Usually I prefer to take a backpack with me instead of a purse for long travels.

On some occasions we stay outside of Limerick at the Bunratty Castle Hotel.