Here's your June issue of GOING PLACES

Official newsletter of the

YMCA Alumni Travel Club

June 2022

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'The best way to travel... with friends'

An affordable winter escape to beautiful

Costa Rica

February 25-March 3, 2023

Escape winter with the YMCA Alumni Travel Club on this affordable adventure to Costa Rica’s natural paradise. Cost: $929 pp, plus taxes, fees and airfare.

From tropical rain forest to high-altitude trails, and simmering volcanoes to world-class surf breaks, traveling in Costa Rica is the perfect taste of Central America. Not that you have to live in the fast lane – with an emphasis on la pura vida, you’ll find the locals (and wildlife!) love living slowly.

So take a breath, sky-walk through the Santa Elena Cloud Forest canopy, taste your first arracacha and peer into the angry depths of the Arenal Volcano. You’ll find space for your spirit to soar as you travel through Costa Rica on a Globus Central American tour.

This Globus Tour will fill quickly. Please don't delay.

"One term you should be familiar with is “Pura Vida” (pronounces poo-rah vee-dah). Simply translated, it means “simple life” or “pure life”, but here in Costa Rica, it is more than just a saying—it is a way of life.

Top reasons to visit Costa Rica:

*Average weather

conditions around 85° -- balmy year round.

*It's a short plane ride away from home.

*Costa Rica has more than 800 miles of picture-perfect beaches.

*Wlldlife abounds with iconic species in Costa Rica.

*Outdoor enthusiasts will be blown away by adrenaline-pumping tours.

*Your favorite cuppa joe was likely grown on the volcanic slopes of Costa Rica.

*Costa Rica is one of the safest countries for travelers.

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Here's what you need to know about travel insurance today

It’s been a serious learning curve the past few years about the need for travel insurance. Bob Cook, our YMCA Alumni Travel Club advisor and booking agent from GoTravel, tells us what we need to know these days about this important topic.

“In these post-COVID days, one of the most important items you need to purchase when traveling is travel insurance. This has become increasingly important with the myriad of issues that arose when the travel industry literally shut down in March 2020,” Bob writes. Click the button below to read the full article.

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Strong dollar sticks around for Euro travel

The strong dollar trend doesn’t appear to be reversing anytime soon, making travel to Europe from the U.S. that much more affordable right now. Click the button to read full reprint from AFAR Daily Wanderings.

Sail home on the Queen;

A unique Travel Club offering

Sept. 15-23, 2022

Here's a very different kind of experience with your YMCA Alumni Travel Club. Head to Europe on your own for as short or long a time as you wish (GoTravel can make all your arrangements) and then enjoy the luxury of cruising transatlantic for eight nights on the majestic Queen Mary 2 from Southampton, England to New York City.

Queen Mary 2 is a remarkable flagship, and her style and elegance are legendary. Above all, it‘s the space she offers and the luxury for you to do as little or as much as you wish which set her apart.

The trip is even more special because of Cunard Line's partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Guests can enjoy exclusive theatrical scenes and classic performances on stage and on screen, as well as take part in workshops, Q&As, and take a journey through Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon with a unique exhibition.

Balcony stateroom pricing starts at $2,662 per person for this once-in-a-lifetime voyage.

Details

Egypt along the Nile

April 29 - May 4, 2023

"See the pyramids along the Nile..

you belong with us..."

In this 10-day journey, you’ll marvel at many other amazing accomplishments of this remarkable civilization.

The daunting Great Pyramids, the enigmatic Sphinx, the extraordinary temples of Luxor and Karnak, and the magnificent royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings are well worth the journey as are the sparkling treasures inside Cairo’s Egyptian Museum, including the fascinating burial items from the opulent tomb of “King Tut.”

As we sail down the legendary Nile from Luxor to Aswan on this enthralling tour of Egypt, you’ll also stand in awe at the preserved Temples of Horus and Isis, barter for goods at the bustling bazaars, and sway to the rhythmic drums on a relaxing felucca ride down the Nile.

This 10-day cruise and tour begins and ends in bustling Cairo.

We'll travel with Globus Tours. After 90-plus years of sharing the world with travelers, Globus has set the gold standard for award-winning touring across virtually every continent.

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Don't wait until

it's SOLD OUT

The need to reserve your spot early for YMCA Alumni Travel Club trips is evident. Our Trade Routes of the Middle Ages, Portugal's River of Gold , Alaska cruise, and Colorado's Historic Trains trips all are SOLD OUT.