Bus Tour of Nassau

Following our Nassau, Bahamas boat tour, we headed into tour buses to tour the city.

We made a couple of shopping stops while on the tour. The first was at a flea market next to Fort Fincastle and the other was at a very high-end mall at Crystal Court at Atlantis Resort .

During our stops, we had to brave downpours while shopping. I picked up a windchime consisting of shells for Greg Lucier for taking care of my cat Sierra. I also got a Bob Marley hat for Larry Lucier as a gag. I told him he can wear the hat while toking on a "Bob Marley joint". He appreciated it.

Here's some photos of the land tour:

Above and the next three photos, Fort Fincastle. Photos by Armand Vaquer.

Above, yours truly with a shop clerk at the flea market near Fort Fincastle. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

Above, our tour bus at the mall. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Rolex store. One watch was priced at $40,000. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Cartier store. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the mall even had a casino. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a tuckered-out Mitch after the tours of Nassau. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Grand Canyon National Park To Get New Shuttle Fleet

Above, one of the aging Grand Canyon shuttle buses to be replaced. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Grand Canyon National Park will be getting a new fleet of shuttle buses to replace the aging ones the park is now using.

According to National Parks Traveler:

A new shuttle bus fleet is coming to Grand Canyon National Park thanks to a grant of $27.5 million from the U.S. Transportation Department's Federal Highway Administration.

The funding will help pay for 30 new buses, including 10 battery electric buses and 20 compressed natural gas buses, to replace the current aging fleet. It also will cover installation of charging infrastructure to support the new electric buses. An estimated 6 million people visit the park each year and use the free shuttle buses to access destinations throughout the Grand Canyon.

The project is one of seven to receive federal grants totaling $130.5 million under FHWA’s Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Transportation Projects Program. 

The shuttle bus system at Grand Canyon National Park was handy for us back in 2017 when we camped at Trailer Village at the South Rim. The bus stop was located at the campground's main entrance.

To read more, go here. 

Yellowstone, Grand Teton Parks To Resume Bus Operations

Above, Buffalo Bus Touring Co. that is based in West Yellowstone, Montana. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Things are slowly creeping back to normal at Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks as tour and charter bus operations are restarting.

According to ABC News:

BILLINGS, Mont. -- Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks have resumed large group tours with safety measures intended to limit the spread of COVID-19, including wearing masks and being tested with 72 hours before the trip or showing proof of vaccination.

American Bus Association President Pete Pantuso called it a “reasonable” approach, citing increased demand and interest from people to visit, The Billings Gazette reported. However, he said he doesn't expect charter and bus operations to see a lot of traffic until later in the summer and fall.

To read more, go here.

New Mexico MAGA Bus Tour

Hello New Mexico Patriots! Join us this week for a New Mexico MAGA Bus Tour! This Monday-Wednesday across the state, the Women for Trump Bus is coming. We will be joined by special guest speakers at each stop. Events are scheduled throughout the day Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday—addresses are listed on the registration website. Sign up below for your tickets. We can't wait to see you there! RSVP: Monday 10:00 AM - Las Cruces Field Office RSVP: Monday 2:15 PM - Carlsbad Field Office RSVP: Monday 5:15 PM - Hobbs Field Office RSVP: Tuesday 12:15 PM - Artesia Field Office RSVP: Tuesday 2:45 PM - Roswell Field Office RSVP: Wednesday 9:00 AM - South Valley Field Office RSVP: Wednesday 11:20 AM - Rio Rancho Field Office RSVP: Wednesday 2:15 PM - Española Field Office MAGA Meet-Ups play a pivotal role in organizing your local community to help Keep America Great. They help us connect with other supporters in the area and recruit new volunteers who are ready to re-elect President Donald J. Trump and Republicans across America.

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Time Out Tokyo: Cheap Transport Deals For Tourists

Above, a view of Kyoto from a bullet train window. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Foreign visitors to Japan are a lucky bunch, for they can get many deals on transportation to places in cities and around the country. All one needs is a foreign passport.

Time Out Tokyo has an article list different transportation deals available for tourists in Japan.

They begin with:

Flash your foreign passport and get access to a host of discounted tickets for trains, buses, metro, flights and even the shinkansen 

Everyone keeps telling you how expensive Tokyo is, right? Don't let the naysayers get the better of you. There are means to beat the budget-blowing travel expenses that come with sightseeing around the city and beyond. One of the best money-saving tips is to get a travel pass that gives you unlimited rides on the city’s efficient and extensive public transportation network with just a one-off payment. Here are your options. Some of these will require you to show your passport upon purchase or use.

To read more, go here.

Narita Airport Gets Midnight Trains To Tokyo

Above, a Keisei Skyliner train at Narita Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For those who have a late arrival at Narita Airport will soon be able to take a midnight train into Tokyo. Bus lines will also have later departures.

According to Nikkei Asian Review:

TOKYO -- Train and bus operators announced on Thursday plans to run more nighttime trips between Narita Airport and nearby Tokyo and Chiba to accommodate travelers taking advantage of the hub's service extension this fall. 

Narita, which now lets aircraft take off and land until 11 p.m., will push this back to midnight in late October. Both travelers and staff will need ways to get to and from the airport at that hour. 

Keisei Electric Railway's Skyliner express train to downtown Tokyo will add an 11:20 p.m. departure from Narita. A new timetable going into effect Oct. 26 will boost the number of daily trips by 40% to 41 in each direction, with about 20 minutes between each. 

The company will expand service on its regular line as well. Trains that had terminated at Keisei Narita Station will continue on to Narita Airport, meaning that the last train to the airport will be almost half an hour later than under the current schedule.

To read more, go here. 

Yosemite A Year Ago Today

Above, the South Entrance gate to Yosemite. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today marks one year since Sierra and I arrived in Yosemite National Park.

I woke up early and after putting things away after breakfast, we got back on the road and headed to Yosemite.

It was rainy in the park upon our arrival at the South Entrance and it continued to rain off and on for the couple of days. But the rain didn't dampen my enjoyment of the park.

The first stop after entering the park was along the road where there was a beautiful view of the mountains. They were shrouded with clouds, which made for some interesting photography. The next stop was at Tunnel View, which is an overlook next to Wawona Tunnel on the east end from the south entrance on Highway 41. Visitors can see the whole Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View on clear days. El Capitan, Bridalveil Falls, Half Dome and the Three Brothers can be easily seen. On this day, clouds covered Half Dome. The Wawona Tunnel, from which the overlook gets its name, was built in 1933 and renovated and re-dedicated in 2008.

Reservations were made the previous November for a campsite at North Pines Campground in Yosemite Valley, It was a nice campsite and it was just a short walk to Tenaya Creek.

Fortunately, the shuttle stop for the campground was nearby at the stables, so I was able to get around Yosemite Valley easily. The free shuttle stops at all the main attractions in Yosemite Valley. Although it was early spring, there were many people in the park, but they weren't overwhelming.

Above, one of the Yosemite shuttle buses. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Before checking in at the gate to North Pines Campground, I drove around Yosemite Valley to see some of the attractions such as Yosemite Falls, Bridalveil Falls, Ahwahnee Hotel (now called the Majestic Yosemite Hotel due to the trademark lawsuit with Delaware North) and Tenaya Creek. I also stopped at Curry Village (now called Half Dome Village due to the lawsuit) for some groceries. After this, I was off to North Pines Campground.

After setting up camp, I spent most of the day relaxing before starting dinner (consisting of barbecued steak). After dinner, I caught a shuttle bus to go to Yosemite Village and the Ahwahnee Hotel. After roaming around the Village, the Visitor Center and the Ahwahnee, which had the only decent Wi-Fi in the park. I headed back to the campground on the shuttle. On the way, we spotted some deer.

Here's some photos of Yosemite on the first day:

Above, the first stop after entering Yosemite. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the view of Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Bridalveil Falls. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, The Beast at the stop at Bridalveil Falls. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the campsite at North Pines Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Visitor Center. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Degnan's snack bar in Yosemite Village. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the lounge in the Ahwahnee Hotel. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a view of three deer from the shuttle bus. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The First Blog Post Pick-ups For March

The kind folks at The Japan Daily have picked up three blog posts for sharing with their readers.

They are:

To read The Japan Daily, go here.

Narita Airport Budget Shuttle Buses

Above, train and bus ticket counters at Narita International Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Whenever I've traveled to Japan, I've always flown into Narita International Airport and taken either the Narita Express or the Keisei Line trains into Tokyo (which are under an hour's ride).

However, there are also shuttle bus services available that are much cheaper than the aforementioned train lines.

Rocket News 24 reviews both budget bus services. So if you are not in a hurry to get into Tokyo or want to save money, these alternatives may be to your liking.

They begin their article with:

Most tourists to Japan will come in and out through Tokyo’s Narita Airport. But like many international airports, Narita is not exactly on the doorstep of a major destination city, and travellers headed for Tokyo will usually make the 60-kilometer (36-mile) journey to the metropolis via the Narita Express, a high-speed rail service with a single-trip fare of 3020 yen (US $25.34). 

What’s perhaps less well-known is there are two budget bus services that take you from Narita Airport to Tokyo Station for as little as 900 yen. Tokyo Shuttle and The Access Narita seem to offer similar airport shuttle services, but which is the better option?  And can they match the Narita Express in comfort and convenience? We sent one of our Japanese reporters to test out both services and find out!

To read more, go here.