Here, you'll find a Blog regarding all things Travel! Whether it's an amusement park update, giving information on a current promotion, or just an article that we found interesting, we'll cover it here! Check back each week to see what's new!

October 4th, 2018

Today is one of our favorite days of the year, Happy National Taco Day!

September 6th, 2018

Have you seen this sign? Chances are, if you've flown over the last year, you have. But, do you really understand everything behind it? If you look into it, you can find out why it's being put into place-that part is pretty easy to understand. However, who it affects, when things are actually going into effect-that's where it gets confusing.

If you don't know, here is a little excerpt from a USA Today Article for Carry-on Guidelines: "When flying domestically, U.S. citizens have only needed a driver's license or another government-issued ID to board their planes. However, signs are appearing at airports indicating that ID requirements will be changing as of October 2018. At that time, residents of nine states will have to carry a passport to fly domestically because their state IDs don't meet the TSA requirements. The states are Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Washington. If you are a resident of one of these states, give yourself plenty of time to apply for and receive your passport if you plan on traveling after the October rule change." You can find the rest of the article here: USA Today-TSA Carry-on Guidelines.

There are so many conflicting articles on this topic with different effective dates and no real clear answers. Over the last month, I've been working with a client from Missouri, who obviously this will affect. I called Homeland Security to find out more information. All they did was direct me to a FAQ page. They couldn't even tell me if Missouri would receive another extension. I called the Department of Revenue for Missouri, same thing-no new information.

Bottomline is this...if you live in one of the above 9 states and plan to fly domestically, I highly suggest going ahead and applying for a US Passport. If you already have one, great! Make sure to take it with you for your domestic flights going forward. If you don't, I would apply as soon as possible. If you don't plan to ever travel internationally, you can apply for a US Passport Card, which will be a lower cost; $65 opposed to $145. The Passport card is Real ID compliant and can be used for domestic travel. Here is a link for the difference between the two: Should I get a passport book or card? As a Travel Agent, we want to do everything we can to help your travel experience be as smooth as possible. I hope this helps you prepare for what's needed for your future travels.

August 2nd, 2018

And the winners of our $50 Visa Gift Cards are...Lindsey Marie and Melissa Ott-Vazquez! Congratulations! We’ll be reaching out to arrange delivery. And Thank You to everyone who entered!

Since this was such a huge success, we’ll be doing more giveaways in the future! What kind of things would you like to win, besides a free vacation 😉 ? Travel accessories? More gift cards? SWAG? Go to our Facebook Page, @pinksandtravels1, and let us know your thoughts!

And, let us know if you’re planning an adventure, we’d love to help!

July 25th, 2018

There is a little over a week left in our “Christmas in July” Giveaway from Pink Sand Travels! Don’t miss your chance to win!!! We are giving away TWO $50 Visa Gift Cards to TWO lucky winners! Here is how you enter: Like our Facebook Page- @pinksandtravels1, Share the Post on our Page about the Giveaway, and Comment on the Post on our Page with your favorite Vacation spot. It’s that simple! Then, on August 1st, TWO lucky, random entrants will WIN! Again, to enter, Like our Page- @pinksandtravels1, Share our Post on our Page about the Giveaway, Comment on our Post on our Page with your favorite Vacation spot, and you’ll be entered!

July 10th, 2018

All-Inclusive resorts are one of Ingrid and I's favorite things to go to! The value that you get with an All-Inclusive is incredible. How many places can you go out to eat to and say "Yes, I'll take the Lasagna and the Steak" and not have to pay extra?! I'll shamefully admit that I may have done that a few times! Between the swim-up bars, the restaurant options, multiple pools and normally situated along the beach front, how can you beat it? Staying at All-Inclusive resorts are when we've typically done extra excursions too. We've done zip-lining, swimming with Sea Turtles, repelling down a wall, swimming in caves, Jet Skiing in the ocean, and Parasailing, just to name a few. They are extra costs, but the value of staying at an all-inclusive typically allows us to do those extras. If you've never stayed at an all-inclusive resort, I would highly recommend it. If you have any questions about how they work, what you might need to know beforehand, please reach out! I'd be more than happy to give you advice, share tips, and help you plan a great adventure!

June 30th, 2018

Today is the day! Toy Story Land is now open in Hollywood Studios of WDW! The theming of the land looks amazing. I’ve seen a few Easter eggs within the land so far. Of the ones I've seen, my favorites are the Popsicle sticks that they used to make benches and the price tag that is used on Rex's box. What Easter eggs have you seen so far?! If you've seen any that are really cool, send me a message and I'll mention them in an upcoming blog!

June 13th, 2018

Ingrid and I recently went on a road trip to Southern Missouri, where we met up with my family and went to Silver Dollar City. I’ve been going to Silver Dollar City since I was a young boy, but this was Ingrid’s first time. If you’ve never heard of Silver Dollar City, it’s a 1880’s themed amusement park located in the boot hills of Branson, Missouri. Silver Dollar City is also the sister park of Dollywood located in Tennessee.

SDC is well known for it’s delicious food, great shows and demonstrations, and of course, the rides! I love roller coaster, but Ingrid, not so much. However, even Ingrid found things that she enjoyed. Food wise, you can get one of their famous cinnamon rolls, a skillet, or a Tater-Twist (that is a spiral cut potato, wrapped around a foot long hot dog on a stick, then deep fried) – all of which are made from scratch, on property. As for shows, they have many different ones to enjoy, like a bluegrass performance, a saloon show, and if you ride the train, you might even get to witness a train robbery! And how many amusement parks can you watch a blacksmith demonstration and a glass blowing demonstrations? Well you can check both out at SDC and are two of my favorite things to see!

And let’s not forget the main reason most people go to amusement parks, the rides! SDC has something for everyone – a wooden roller coaster with inversions (Outlaw Run), a launch coaster that goes 0-53 mph in 2.8 seconds (Powder Keg), a log flume water ride with a 5-story splash down (American Plunge), a whitewater rapid ride (Lost River of the Ozarks), and SDC’s newest attraction for 2018, the World's Fastest, Steepest & Tallest Spinning Coaster (Time Traveler). They also have a great kids area with rides and attractions just for the little ones. Below, I’ll post some videos of Time Traveler, if you haven’t seen it yet. One video is a Point of View released by SDC and the other is a segment from Hoda and Kathie Lee on NBC.

If you’re not familiar with Branson, Missouri, it’s like a mini-Vegas, without the Casinos. They have stage production shows like Million Dollar Quartet, a Hollywood wax museum, a Titanic museum, a water park, a couple Alpine coasters, arcades, go-karts, and mini-golf. There are a ton of things to see and do there.

If you’d like more information on Silver Dollar City or Branson, give me a call or shoot me an email, I’d be more than happy to help you plan a trip to Southern Missouri’s attraction capital!

June 5th, 2018

I've spent the morning searching for the perfect Venice cruise vacation for one of my clients and I came across this picture. How amazing would it be to wake up and see this sunrise? One of my wife's favorite things to do on vacation is to wake up early one of the days and catch the sunrise. We've seen many sunrises, but I think this one would take the cake. And just think, while taking a cruise, seeing Venice is only ONE of the beautiful cities you can experience!

May 16th, 2018

Does anyone love going through Customs? I know I don't! Every time I go through, I'm questioned, one down side to having a very common name. During our last trip, I was asked if I had every been accused of a felon in Georgia. Don't worry, the answer is NO! But, I was a little worried that they were asking me this. First thing that came to my mind was, "how do I prove that, if they don't believe me". Thankfully, just saying no was all I needed to do.

No matter how much we might dislike going through Customs, it's necessary. Those fine men and women are there to help keep us safe. And it can't be an easy job, I don't think I'd be able to do it! But, there are things that we can do to help make their job easier and get us through that dreaded part quicker. I came across this article this week that I found very helpful and thought it would be great to share with everyone. Check it out - 8 Ways to Breeze Through Customs Quickly.

May 7th, 2018

Came across this wonderful article today that explains why using a Travel Agent in 2018 can be extremely helpful. Check it out! Travel Market Report.

May 2nd, 2018

Can you believe it's been over 20 years since Toy Story was released? Makes me feel kinda old! If you're like us at Pink Sand Travels, your super excited for Disney to open Toy Story Land inside Hollywood Studios in Florida. The Toy Story Land is set to open on June 30th, less than two months away! Here is a great segment that Good Morning America did on Toy Story Land this morning, check it out! Inside Disney's Toy Story Land.