Jenny’s A-to-Z of Travel: U Through Z
This is the long-awaited fourth and final installment of my A-to-Z of Travel. Wine, once again, emerges as central to some of my favorite recollections. This trip down memory lane takes us to one of my favorite views from last year’s trip to Hawaii; the reason why I couldn’t get into a bar in Vancouver, BC; and to a beach somewhere in Florida.

Photo courtesy of Mike Russell.
Unforgettable travel memory:
I have one. I’m being coy about it, I know. It’s about the sip of wine that changed the course of my life. It’s also the subject of an essay I’m developing. In one form or another, it will make an appearance on this blog soon.
Visas, how many and for where?
I traveled on my first United States passport nearly 30 years ago. Though it was a student trip, it was of the sort in which a tour group orchestrates loading adolescents on and off of buses for 10 days. But that trip and all the others I’ve taken to other countries have been brief enough to not require getting a visa. That’s a travel adventure that’s still ahead of me.
Wine, best glass of wine while traveling and where?
OK, OK. I have to play coy again. See, the “unforgettable travel memory” is the story of the best glass of wine I had traveling. My second best glass of wine is another tale I intend to turn into an essay one day. So, for now, I’ll give you just the basics: It was a 1988 Sangiovese from Tuscany that probably could be classed as a Brunello but wasn’t.
eXcellent view and from where?:
I love looking out at water so most of my favorite views when traveling involve staying in places that overlook oceans, inlets, and seas. Most recently, the house we stayed in Hawaii last December had a fantastic view.

Photo courtesy of Mike Russell.
Years spent traveling?:
Well, I suppose considering little local trips for family occasions or vacations, I think I’ve been traveling for longer than I can claim to remember. The oldest photo I have of me as a traveler is from when I was about three years old. I was wearing a sky blue, white polka-dotted bathing suit. I’m pretty sure I was on a beach in Florida somewhere.
Zealous sports fans and where?:
Well, well. I encountered happy Vancouver Canucks fans in June of 2011. I happened to be in town for a travel blogger’s conference the only time the Canucks beat the Bruins in that playoff series. It was impossible to walk down the street in downtown Vancouver without high fiving fans. It was equally impossible to get into a bar.