Taylor'd Travel

06/14/2026

Congrats to Morocco!!!Great game. Brazil is a tough competitor. Maybe not a win but the Morocco team held their own and showed how tough they are. Good luck Maroc against Scotland Friday!!!!!

🔥 FULL TIME 🔥

🇲🇦 Morocco 1️⃣-1️⃣ Brazil 🇧🇷

A battle of giants. A scoreline that reflects the fight, quality, and determination shown by both teams.

The World Cup journey goes on. Good luck to the Atlas Lions and the Seleção in the matches ahead! 🏆⚽

Which team impressed you the most today? 👇

06/13/2026

Japan in May, Day 1 : travel
We flew from FL to LAX on Southwest. If it weren’t for the best connection and points I would not have flown SW, but hey it did make for a good connection. We just had to collect our luggage then walk from Terminal 1 to Terminal 4 which is not at all close, then recheck and go thru security again. Even with a 3hr and some minute layover we only spent about an hour in the lounge.

We flew LAX to Osaka on Japan Air but an older aircraft. While business class wasn’t as comfy as on newer aircraft, the staff was very nice and accommodating, food good and the lie flat bed was pretty comfortable for me as I slept a good portion of the way ( but I had pulled an all- nighter the night before our flight). Chase is use to a soft mattress so found it not too comfy and slept little. It was a little under a 12 hour flight.

We arrived in KIX at approx 7 pm Japan time the next day, 13 hours ahead of Fl time/ 16 ahead of LA. We decided to take the Nankai Rapi:t Express from KIX to Namba station in Osaka. The trip takes about 35 minutes and was easy to get from the airport. We could use the IC card with a supplement which we did. Price is 1490 yen. We only had to wait a few minutes for the train so this was a great way to get to town. I read taxis are over $100 because KIX is far from the center of town. There are airport buses too but slower and more limited departure times.

We bought reserve seats just so I’d know we had a comfy seat the whole way. Oh my goodness- the trains put most countries to shame including the US as do the public restrooms/toilets. The trains run on time, are spotted, quiet, organized and not marred by graffiti or violence.

Going to Japan highlighted to me how broken and messed up America is in many ways. During this blog of Japan in the days to come you will hear me reflect on this much as I do with every country I visit.

Once we arrived at Namba and looked for a specific exit it was very confusing. By the end of the trip we were quite savvy about the train system but that first night if was definitely bewildering. From Namba station we caught a taxi to our hotel The Bridge Hotel on Shinsaibashi area only about 10 minutes away. The taxis too are amazing. More on these later and also about the hotel.

06/13/2026

Magical Morocco, Day 10: Marrakech
Our final day of the tour was spent on a walking tour of Marrakech. We covered a lot of ground. The weather cooperated after the thunderstorms the night before. A couple of the ladies decided to take it easy while the rest of us made tracks to Bahia Palace, the medina and more. We had a lovely farewell dinner in our neighborhood at M Bacha.

This 10 nt Northern Gems tour was my first of this length as my usual are 15 nt. I offered 10 nt because so many ladies esp. those still working sought something shorter. I thought the itinerary worked well for what we could cover in that amount of time although I fid miss showing them the dunes of the Sahara and the Dades Valley. I will say again that this group of ladies were a joy to travel with. They had a great sense of adventure and humor; interesting backgrounds; melded well and were fun to be around.

06/06/2026

Magical Morocco, Day 9 in Marrakech: Getting a scarf-tying lesson in the medina. I definitely needed it especially given the number of scarves I’ve bought in the last few years.

06/03/2026

Magical Morocco, Day 9: Marrakech
This was a packed day!!! The ladies started the day with a cooking class. I did it on my first trip to Morocco and liked it so when the itinerary has the cooking class in Marrakech it is my go to because hands on, good food, recipes supplied and can be replicated and in the neighborhood I like most in Marrakech.

They finished about 1pm. Some of us then decided to walk through the medina before the afternoon trip to Agafay. We learned some scarf tying tricks ( oh I so need because have no skill in this area- in a later reel) and took in the sights and sounds.

The afternoon was cool and cloudy. As we headed to Agafay we stopped at an argan cooperative to see how the famed argan oil is made. Personally I love both the edible for salads and the cosmetic versions but I esp like the argan oil with fragrance in it like jasmine or orange blossom more than the creams.

Next stop- a short camel ride. I have never been to Agafay but because this was a shorter tour that did not go to the Saharan dunes near Merzouga, a taste of desert is close to Marrakech. I will say I was shocked by how green it was! I’d never seen the desert in this state. Goes to show you how life responds to rain. With all the rain Morocco has received the desert was verdant. It was gloomy and started spitting rain when the ladies boarded their “ships of the desert” - hate that I couldn’t give them a beautiful sunset but my magic wand was on the fritz. At least they were able to have the camel ride and, as we learned over dinner, we missed the hail that came down there just about 1-2 hrs before our arrival. Okay so a little rain was better than that alternative. We then had tea and a simple tagine dinner in a tent overlooking the valley. It was cold by this point as we watched the thunderstorms roll in.

Driving back to Marrakech we witnessed some pretty fantastic lightning and a deluge of rain to the degree I’ve only seen once before in Morocco. One busy day!

05/30/2026

Magical Morocco, day 8 (part3):
Before leaving the Ouzoud Falls area, we had lunch at a local Berber family’s home. The man actually was our guide for our Falls hike then we went to his home in the village near the Falls.
The ladies of the family made a huge lunch for us. They didn’t speak any English but graciously showed us their kitchen and posed for photos. This doesn’t sound like such a big deal but culturally it is.

Traditionally Muslims do/did not want their photos because photos capture their image snd in Islam only God can create the image of animals or humans that’s why is Islamic art you don’t see animals or people only plants and design. Plus the women are modest. So it was kind of them to take photos with us.

They made a bountiful meal including fresh oh so good bread, salads, tagine, seffa, fruit and sweets- enough for 10 people.

After plenty of fresh air and filled bellies we headed to Marrakech for the last 3 nights of this 10-night Northern Gems tour.

05/30/2026

Read if traveling to Uganda, DNC or South Sudan re ebola protocol when returning to US.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a public health order affecting travelers who have recently been in Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), or South Sudan.

What You Need to Know:

· If you have been in Uganda, DRC, or South Sudan within the past 21 days, you may be subject to additional screening and travel procedures when entering the United States.

· Designated Airports for Arrival: If you have visited one of these countries in the 21 days before your travel to the US, your flight must arrive to a designated airport for enhanced public health measures. The currently designated arrival airports are:

§ Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Dulles, Virginia (Effective May 20, 2026)
§ Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Atlanta (Effective May 22, 2026)
§ George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Houston (Effective May 26, 2026)
§ John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York (Effective May 28, 2026)

§ Check www.cbp.gov for updates to the designated airports list.

· Upon arrival to the United States, please inform a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer if you have recently traveled to one of these countries.

Securing America's Borders

05/29/2026

Magical Morocco, day 8 (part 2): residents at the falls- one ready for a nap snd the other has been through some battles. Last enjoys a sip on a warm day.

05/28/2026

Magical Morocco, day 8 (part 1): Today we headed from Bin el Ouidane to Marrakech stopping at the gorgeous Ouzoud Falls, 95 miles from Marrakech. All the rain has produced great falls. And the sun came out for our hike down. This was a first visit for me and I loved it! By the way, the falls are 330 ft tall.

05/26/2026

Magical Morocco, day 7: our lodge for the night, Soo Bin. It would be great in warm sunny weather but still charming. Relatively new and lovely but could use a few simple finishing touches to be perfect.