New US Passport Laws go into effect June 1, 2009!

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Virgin Galactic’s Mothership Eve, also known as WhiteKnightTwo, will make its world debut at EAA AirVenture 2009 when it arrives Monday, July 27 as part of the opening day air show. Virgin Galactic and Scaled Composites, the designers of WhiteKnightOne and SpaceShipOne, which won the $10 million X-Prize in 2005, will fly the space launch vehicle into Wittman Regional Airport on July 27. Visitors to the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual convention will be able to view the aircraft up close on the AirVenture grounds through Saturday, Aug. 1.

The aircraft will depart on Saturday, Aug. 1, but only after it flies as part of the day’s air show. Virgin Galactic officials also hope to arrange showcase flights during the week.

I’ve been blogging about Virgin Galactic’s suborbital space flights for 2 years (hence the blog name “Space Goddess—and other worldly pursuits”) and now I have more news! You will soon have a choice of departure locales—New Mexico’s Spaceport America or Sweden’s Spaceport Sweden in Kiruna, Sweden. If you choose Sweden and depart in the winter, you could combine the space flight with some nifty (don’t you love using ’50’s words?) activities such as sleeping in the famous Ice Hotel (yes, the rooms are actually made of ice!), going dog-sledding, or catching a whale safari. If you choose New Mexico, you can travel year-round, co-ordinate your flight with the annual Balloon Festival, and have an easier time getting to the Spaceport if you live in the continental US. Also, predictions are that Spaceport America will be operational before Spaceport Sweden.

So, it’s choices, choices, choices—what’s a person to do?

Friday, August 15th, marks a big day for me and several other ASA’s (Accredited Space Agents)! We will be flown to Mojave, California, to the home of Burt Rutan’s Scaled Composites to view Virgin Galactic’s newly unveiled mothership, VMS Eve (named after Sir Richard Branson’s mother).

ASAs from around the world will gather for a morning of training in Las Vegas, followed by a charter flight to Mojave Spaceport/Airport and our first up close and personal inspection of this amazing aircraft, whose existence brings space tourism out of “Future” and into “Now!” It’s tangible, it’s real, and I’d be happy to help you reserve a seat on the Enterprise to visit our newest exotic destination, Space!

Tuesday       June 03 2008                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Today you will be assisted onto your helicopter transfer from Shumba Camp to Kafue Airstrip, for your light aircraft transfer to Lusaka Airport for your scheduled flight SA 63 departing at 1:50 PM to Johannesburg

 On arrival at OR Tambo International Airport off flight SA63 at 4:00 PM you will be met by a Wilderness Safaris representative, who will transfer you to Grace Hotel.

Grace in Rosebank is located in the heart of Rosebank and surrounded by boutiques, art galleries, art cinemas, high quality craft markets, restaurants and clubs. The hotel has 73 rooms in total comprising 60 double size or twin rooms, 10 one-bedroom suites and 3 one-bedroom penthouse suites. Each room has an en suite bathroom with bath and separate shower, mini-bar, satellite TV, wall safe, tea/coffee making facilities, hairdryer, air-conditioning and telephone. The suites each have a separate lounge and guest toilet and the penthouse suites are larger than normal suites, and have a private balcony.  Flavoursome cuisine is available in the hotel’s fourth-floor dining room, which opens onto a rooftop pool and terrace garden where one can enjoy light alfresco meals. Specially selected wines can be enjoyed from Vinothèque. The ground floor sitting room with its fascinating library and complimentary Café Complet, which offers tea and coffee with pastries and cakes, has a warm intimate ambience.  There is a heated outdoor rooftop lap pool as well as The Spa which offers a full compliment of treatments. Adjoining the ground floor is a business facility centre where all modern communication and presentation equipment is at hand, as well as secretarial services. Website:         www.thegrace.co.za

Thursday       May 29 2008 

Today you will be assisted to your light aircraft transfer from Kings Pool Camp to Kasane Airport – for customs and immigration purposes.

       

At Kasane Airport you will be assisted to your light aircraft transfer from Kasane Airport to Livingstone Airport for your scheduled road transfer to the River Club.

The River Club

The River Club is a sunlit bubble of comfort and hospitality that lies dreaming in dappled shade overlooking the Zambezi River, 18km upstream from the world-famousVictoria Falls. The River Club, with its Edwardian-style house and manicured lawns on the banks of the swift-flowing

Zambezi

River where hippo and crocodile float, seems to straddle the continents of Africa and

Europe. Its main area is a well-appointed residence, with a comfortable lounge, large dining room, impressive library and wide veranda on which breakfasts and teas are taken.  Lush gardens (where midday meals are often served) spread out beneath the trees and a croquet court is an ideal venue for a Pimm’s-soaked croquet game. The pool seems part of the river itself, a secluded deck with hammocks and loungers provide respite and beauty treatments are available in the calico ‘massage’ tent.  Ten luxury chalets are spread out amongst the riverine vegetation, comprising comfortable bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms, most being split-level. Their originality stems from the fact that one side is completely open to the river so that there is an uninterrupted vista of the

Zambezi and its far bank from both bed and bathtub. Each room looks west into glorious African sunsets best viewed from the privacy of a ball and claw bath, brim-full with bubbles. All have a concertina screen door or window which can be drawn across the front of the bedroom and/or bathroom.

Activities include sundowner cruises, fishing, visits to the Zambian side of the Victoria Falls, Simonga Village and Mosi-Oa-Tunya

National Park. Also on offer is a variety of adrenaline-loaded activities at extra cost such as: white water rafting, bungee jumping, abseiling, and helicopter flights over the Falls. Although The River Club is not a traditional safari camp, elephants can often be seen in the

Zambezi

National Park opposite and hippo are regularly seen and heard in the river itself. Game drives are also offered into the nearby

Mosi-oa-Tunya

National Park where there is an abundance of general game species like buffalo, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and impala. There is rich bird life in the area, including several rarer species such as African Finfoot, Half-collared Kingfisher, African Skimmer (seasonal), Rock Pratincole (seasonal) and Collared Palm-Thrush. There are leisurely nature trails around the lodge, boat cruises and island walks and the

Zambezi

River offers ample fishing opportunities. Website:  www.riverclubzam.com

Today is May 20th and we arrived in Paris this morning. Before we began this journey, Michael suggested we spend our 11-hour layover in Paris by taking the train into the city center, going to the Hermes store, and buying me one of Hermes’ fabled scarves! On our honeymoon Michael bought me a scarf at Hermes and now we are celebrating our 10th anniversary. My husband is very romantic and thoughtful and I love him more today than the day we married. I suggested that we find an inexpensive hotel close to the airport, check in, and…….sleep. Yes, age and jet lag now take priority over fashinable designer accessories!

Late night on May 20th we boarded our flight from Paris to Johannesburg and tomorrow we will arrive in South Africa!

 (In this interlude, please envision me sleeping peacefully in Business Class!!!)

Good morning, it is now May 21st and we cleared South African Customs. For the next several posts, our friends at Wilderness Safaris will describe our activities:

Wednesday       May 21 2008 

9:40am

On arrival at OR Tambo International Airport off your International flight AF990 at 9:40am you will be met by a Wilderness Safaris representative, who will hand over your travel documents and transfer you to the Saxon Hotel. Please note that OR Tambo International Airport

Accommodation has been reserved for you for 1 night.  Accommodation Saxon Hotel Room : 1 x Egoli Suite Dates : Check in  :   May 21 2008   Check out:   May 22 2008 Included : Breakfast

Situated in the exclusive Sandhurst suburb of Sandton, The Saxon, a boutique hotel and spa, combines ethnic African elegance with personalised attention to detail. It became home to Nelson Mandela after he was released from prison, and it was during his stay that South Africa’s former President edited his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom. Off the main entrance there is a boutique shop, piano lounge, smoking library and dining room, where world-class chefs ensure personalised cuisine. The wine cellar serves as an exclusive dining area for couples or small groups. The Saxon has 24 suites of various sizes, and 5 Presidential suites, all incorporating a strong element of African art, with latticed shutters covering large bay windows looking out over the gardens or pool area.

Each suite features large screen televisions, VCR and DVD player with surround sound system.  There is a magnificent nine hundred and twenty square metre swimming pool, pool terrace where sundowners can be served and an Olive Bar. A full menu of spa treatments is offers at the Spa and Studio using the most up-to-date equipment and there is also a fitness centre. Website:         www.thesaxon.com

Before I begin, I remind you that today is Monday, May 19th—no matter what day it really is! If you’re not following my logic, I invite you to re-read the last post.

May 19, 2008 

Using frequent flyer points sometimes requires a person to fly from here to there in less than perfect timing, flight connections, etc. Our flight to South Africa is an example of the perils of using mileage points. Although it is not an unusual flight plan, it has a very long layover.

Leader Limo (the absolute best in KC!) picked us up this morning and whisked us to Kansas City International Airport (we will never be in contention for “World’s Busiest”–thank God!) where we boarded our flight to Cincinnati. Did you know that Cincinnati is the home of Graeter’s Ice Cream? Ice cream afficionados know these things, of course! Oprah knows this, too, and has given her seal of approval to Graeter’s!

Because we have several hours to enjoy the Cincinnati Airport (which can be easily enjoyed in less than one hour), we contemplated renting a car to go to the nearest Graeter’s store. We planned to pig out on their divine creations and lug our sated, bloated bodies back to the airport while toting some extra pints of this mother’s milk packed in dry ice! Go ahead and scoff! You haven’t tried Graeter’s, have you?

Bowing to the gods of moderation and judgement, we decided we’d just sit at the airport, do Sudoku puzzles, eat the delicious food always available at airports worldwide, peruse the exciting shops (all together now—Wilson Leather, PGA shop, the book store, Brookstone, the Duty-Free shop, the local souvenir shop, et al), inspect the restrooms, do Sudoku, get bored, wish I had brought my laptop, look at my watch, re-inspect the bathrooms, tape my watch to my forehead so it dangles before my eyes, eliminating the repetitive wrist strain of checking the time every minute, and finally board the flight to Paris.

Tune in tomorrow for my exciting entries in the saga of the Traveling Kings!