June 2005

True Blue Featured Trips

Visit the "Polar Bear Capital of the World" on the Alumni Association's "Polar Bears of Churchill" trip. Your experienced guides know exactly where to find the bears to ensure maximum photo opportunities. You might spend an afternoon watching a mother and her cubs or come across bears play fighting. You’ll also explore the surrounding area to learn about Churchill’s history. At night, your Michigan group will enjoy meals together, discussing the day’s sights, participate in presentations on local life and culture, and perhaps even see the Northern Lights. For details, including dates and prices, on this trip and the rest of our itineraries, visit True Blue Travel online.

Travel Industry News

Attention all travelers! The United States is enforcing new travel document requirements beginning this December. All travelers to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Canada or Mexico will be required to present a passport or other document that establishes nationality. Dubbed the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, the new rules have been established in an effort to strengthen American border security. For more information, visit IntrepidTraveler.com.

Hints and Tips

Vacation can mean lazy days, sightseeing, relaxing, and, in some cases, weight gain. Avoid packing on the pounds during your next trip by following a few simple guidelines provided by Tripso.com:

• Eat regularly. Keep some healthy snacks on hand so you don’t overeat because you’re famished.
• Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water to help lessen your sense of hunger.
• Cut down on caffeine and alcohol—they will just dehydrate you.
• Walk as much as possible. You can burn lots of calories by skipping the shuttle and walking to your next site.

Products and Gadgets

If you need to take medication at regular intervals while you’re on the road, check out the Med Time Technology Pill Timer. This handy device features an LCD display and alarm built into a standard pill bottle lid. Just set the timer for your next dose, replace the lid, and the alarm goes off at your next medication time.

Association News

Summer travel often involves a visit to amusement parks. The Alumni Association can save you money on a number of parks around the country, including Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, and many Six Flags parks. Tickets for Cedar Point are available directly through the Alumni Association; you'll save $10.70 on any-day, adult tickets and $1.95 on junior tickets. Discounts on Six Flags, Disneyland, Busch Gardens, Universal Studios and other amusement parks are available through WorkingAdvantage.com, an online benefit provider that all Alumni Association members have free access to. For details on WorkingAdvantage discounts, click here.

Travel Trivia

Independence Day is fast approaching, and soon cities around the country will host elaborate fireworks displays. Did you know that America’s biggest fireworks display is the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks in New York City? Other prime destinations for some American splendor include America's 2005 Independence Day Parade on the Mall in Washington, DC; Boston's 4th of July Celebration; and the Go 4th on the River event in New Orleans.

True Blue Traveler Comments

"A trip of a lifetime. Enjoyable group of folks, great diversity."
—Linda Kughn, '66, on the 2004 China’s Cultural Triangle trip

Connect with your fellow alums on "Historical China and the Yangtze," this year’s 17-day trip to China that has it all—the great cities, the cultural “must-sees,” and a deluxe three-night Yangtze River cruise. Your journey includes the Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Ming Tombs, the Great Wall in Beijing, the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xi’an, a cruise on the Yangtze River through the controversial Three Gorges Dam and the busy city of Shanghai. We’ll also give you several opportunities to connect and give back to the local community by visiting with children, seniors, students and teachers as part of the “Make a Friend” program. Should you want the trip to continue a little longer, a post-extension to Hong Kong is also available. For details on this trip, visit our Web site.