random conversations with fellow travelers

walking together (in Paris) (c) 2017 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Everyone at the gate was waiting to board our flight from Baltimore, MD to Charlotte, NC when another passenger and I struck up a conversation. We started discussing the airlines, their general lack of customer friendliness (with the exception of Southwest), and how difficult it is to find award flights. All familiar territory for readers of this blog.

And then the conversation turned to current events — specifically Trumpcare, which then was in the news. We commiserated about the inability of the President and Congress to work together for the good of all the people. Both of us believed that practical solutions do exist, that people of good will do want to make things better, and that we can find solutions that will benefit society at large.

What gives me hope is that while he considers himself a conservative (he's a librarian at the United States Military Academy at West Point) and I consider myself a progressive, we could talk together respectfully and constructively — we had a very enjoyable conversation! I experience this everywhere I travel with the vast majority of my fellow travelers. This reinforces my sense of hope.

Why can't our Members of Congress (whom we pay $174,000 a year plus some pretty generous benefits) do what we travelers do every single day of the year — talk together, discover that we share common goals, and solve our problems? Just a thought...

copyright (c) 2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

by the dawn's early light

view from my window this morning

The few minutes before dawn are my absolute favorite time for photography, and this morning was a delight. Woke up in time to capture this picture through the east-facing window in our wrap-around corner suite at Four Seasons Baltimore. In the foreground is a small marina, and the iconic 40 foot Dominos Sugars sign can be seen in the background. But what I love most of all is the surface of the harbor, luminescent with the dawn's early light.

Baltimore is a historic city, the place where the national anthem of the United States was penned by Francis Scott Key in 1814. Despite the onslaught of "bombs bursting in air" (the bombardment of Baltimore's Fort McHenry in the War of 1812), onlookers could see "by the dawn's early light ... that our flag was still there."

A number of tourist attractions are within walking distance of the Four Seasons — the Civil War Museum, the National Aquarium, Ripley's Believe it or Not, the Maryland Science Museum, and the American Visionary Arts Museum ... not to mention the Harbor East Shopping area with high-end national brands in a non-mall setting.

copyright (c) 2014 by David Ourisman LLC. As affiliates of Brownell Travel, we can provide our clients with Virtuoso amenities and amenities from other Brownell preferred hotel partners including Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, and more. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Thanksgiving, Baltimore style

I've spent very little time in Baltimore, despite growing up less than 40 miles away. But my son and daughter-in-law moved to Baltimore a year ago, and they're hosting Thanksgiving dinner. Josh is a partner with Bolster Labs, a web design company located in Baltimore … and Jessica heads the east coast office of Ourisman Travel.

After many years of celebrating Thanksgiving in New York, I'll miss walking through Central Park, catching live glimpses of the Macy's Parade, and making my early morning Black Friday visits to the 5th Avenue Apple Store (reasonable crowds at 5 a.m. - impossible crowds later in the day).

So what awaits me in Baltimore? We'll of course be staying at the Four Seasons Baltimore, located on the inner harbour. Later this week, I'll let you know about the rooms, the service, and what to do in the area. If your plans take you to Baltimore, contact me (or any Four Seasons Preferred Partner travel consultant) to get complimentary breakfast for two, free internet, $100 spa credit, and space available upgrades at the best luxury hotel in Baltimore.

copyright (c) 2014 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.