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Are You Ready to Get Real?
You may already be somewhat familiar with the upcoming changes in identification requirements for air travel. But the deadline for it has moved SO MANY TIMES, you may be wondering if you even need an updated ID card at all. Well, no need to wonder anymore. The time has FINALLY been set for May 7, 2025. So the question is…are you ready to get Real? What Is Real ID? The Real ID Act establishes basic security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards. The Act was passed in response to the security vulnerabilities highlighted by the 9/11 attacks. Its goal is to enhance the documentation used for flights and…
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Celebrating MLK with a Day of Service
This week we remembered civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr, here in the USA. The folks at the Oracle usually use a holiday giving us a three day weekend as an excuse to travel. But this year, we decided to do something a little different. Join us this week as we unpack celebrating MLK with a Day of Service. Life’s Most Persistent Question Last year, I listened to a local historian who shared stories about Martin Luther King Jr. As part of this presentation, he shared these two quotes that really made me think: ”Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.” And… ”Life’s most persistent and urgent question…
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Let’s Look for Mudhens at the Toledo Zoo
This week a tragedy hit our home. Okay, so it was a MINOR tragedy and maybe “tragedy” is being used too loosely. Our son’s girlfriend, Savanna, was moving something in the basement and her commemorative shot glass from Tony Packo’s restaurant shattered. So what can do two travel junkies do to help? Why, we use this as an excuse to go on a road trip, of course! Come along and let’s look for Mudhens at the Toledo Zoo. The Logistics Okay, we know that you don’t HAVE to go to the zoo to get a new shot glass from Tony Packo’s but they are BOTH in Toledo. And in case…
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2024 Book Report: Must-Read Recommendations
Besides a serious case of wanderlust and running ALL the miles, you may be surprised to know we LOOOOOOVE books. In fact, whenever we visit a new city, finding at least one independent bookstore is at the top of our list of things to do. We thought it might be fun to share with you all the stories we had the pleasure of reading this year. If you love books like we do, join us this week for our 2024 book report: must read recommendations. Non-Fiction Reads At least twice a week, I spend time reading non-fiction books. Since I LOVE listening to people talk about their lives, I picked…
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The Very Best of 2024
We SO love experiences and look for fun ways to remember everything we’ve done over the year. One of our favorites is tacking up things like theater tickets, paper wrist bands, and bar coasters on a corkboard. On New Year’s Eve, we place these mementos in an envelope and write about where we’ve been and what we’ve done. And since starting the Oracle, we take lots of pictures to share with you all. So as we wind down the year, let us share with you the very best of 2024! The Meal of the Year For my birthday, I had two big wishes. The first was to spend the morning…
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It’s Like Christmas in a Time Machine
Since way back in the aughts, there is one place I’ve always wanted to visit for my birthday. I’m sure some ladies would choose a spa weekend, or maybe somewhere glamourous with a beach. But if you know me at all, you know that I love history – thanks to my pop. I can be VERY nostalgic – thanks to my mom. And that I was born in December – thanks to both! So when the commercial for Holiday Nights at Greenfield Village came on the radio last year, I couldn’t help but say outloud, “I’ve ALWAYS wanted to do that. It’s like Christmas in a Time Machine!!” And even…
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Top 5 Sporting Events I’ve Been a Part of or Witnessed Live
In addition to traveling, The Travel Oracle is also pretty passionate about sports. Runner_dad has been fortunate to see some pretty epic sporting events live. Here’s a little trip down memory lane with his top five. 1 – Packers vs Lions Oct 5, 2024 – Thursday Night Football, Ford Field. Lions win 34-31 First football game for Savanna, Connor’s first Lions’ win. A heavyweight slugfest. The fourth and one gamble. Field goal by Jake Bates to win the game as time expired!! Total playoff atmosphere. This comes in at number one because I know that 30 years from now the kids will still remember this day, just as I remember…
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Cyber Monday Deals for the Travel Lover in Your Life
In case you haven’t heard…there’s only 24 more shopping days until Christmas. If you’ve got someone on your list with a solid case of wander lust, we have some great ideas for you! Check out these Cyber Monday deals for the travel lover in your life. BOSE Noise Cancelling Headphones Make the crying child on the airplane irrelevant by donning a pair of these wonderful noise cancelling headphones! You can also use them to connect to in-flight entertainment. Pack Light with Veken Packing Cubes Keep all your clothes organized and packed into a small space with these packing cubes. We travelled from London to Paris and then to Rome and…
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NYC 2024 Marathon – The Rest of the Story
Do you remember a movie from the 80’s called “Planes, Trains and Automobiles“? Well if you haven’t seen that yet, you should really check it out. It’s really funny and it’s Thanksgiving themed. And if you haven’t read it yet, be sure to check out last week’s NYC pre-race report, where we take an Uber, to a ferry, to a bus, JUST to run 26.2 miles! And once that’s done, come back here for the rest of the NYC 2024 Marathon story. Bridge #1 – the Verrazzano Narrows Once the cannon went off my shuffle to the start line began. It wasn’t but a minute before I crossed the start…
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NYC Marathon Pre-Race Report
Hard to believe it’s almost been two weeks since I completed my third NYC Marathon. Thought I’d share a little bit with y’all about how the day went for me. Today I’ll be sharing the journey to the start line. Join us this week for the NYC Marathon Pre-Race Report. With the marathon falling on the day we set the clocks back an hour, it means either an extra hour of sleep or an extra hour of tossing and turning. Fortunately for me I usually sleep pretty well the night before a race and tonight was no exception so I enjoyed the extra sleep. Alarm was set for five am but…
