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Whether business or pleasure, Rawhide Travel and Tours delivers. Internet Travel sites list hotels and destinations, but offer little else. Our years of experience in the industry will help you design the perfect traveling experience. From romantic getaways to large events, our experienced agents will handle all the details. Traveling does not need to be stressful. You can count on us for great value and dependable service.

We arrange travel air, land and sea. We can arrange the perfect destination package including, resorts, conference rooms and meeting locations, special events, and attractions.

Call us and start planning that special vacation or event today. 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com

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In the News: New Service Covers Flight Mishaps

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, part of Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, has launched the first product in its new travel-insurance line designed for travelers, travel agencies, tour operators and travel suppliers called AirCare.

AirCare is a fixed-benefit flight protection coverage available up to one hour before flight departure.

AirCare coverage is priced at $25 per trip and pays $1,000 to travelers for tarmac delays of more than two hours; $1,000 if a traveler experiences lost or stolen luggage; $500 if a flight delay causes a traveler to miss a connecting flight; $500 for luggage delayed more than 12 hours; and $50 if a traveler experiences more than a two-hour flight delay. AirCare also includes travel-assistance through MyAssist, a global-assistance and concierge service.

AirCare was developed in response to what is shaping up to be one of the most disruptive and expensive years for travelers. According to data from FlightAware, this has been the worst year on record for flight cancellations in the U.S., with nearly 90,000 flights cancelled since December 2013.

AirCare is the first of several travel-protection products slated to be released under the Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection name over the next several months.

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection will operate under the leadership of John Noel and leverages the capabilities of MyAssist and Insure America, both part of Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance.

It will be available through travel agents and other travel suppliers.

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection is the marketing name for travel protection and services of Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Concierge, LLC, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Co. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Concierge, LLC provides personal and emergency assistance services, and liability-protection products to customers.

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection is the marketing name for travel protection and services of Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Concierge, LLC, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Co. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Concierge, LLC provides personal and emergency assistance services, and liability-protection products to customers.

Looking for that uniquely different vacation destination. Call Rawhide Travel and Tours today 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com. We can help!

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Off the Beaten Path: Yunnan Province, China

From the mountains which meet the border of Tibet through to the Vietnam and Laos borders and the endless rice fields, Yunnan has probably the most diversity in all of China. Winters are cold, summers are hot. Instead of staying in touristy Lijiang head out to Shuhe and spend a night in an old style Chinese village away from all the tourists. Shuhe even has a “Pub Street” and a Food Market, as well as being a spot to truly relax and breathe in Yunnan’s charm. In winter months, it gets cold here and acts as a gateway to the impressive Tiger Leaping Gorge.

The Tiger Leaping Gorge trek, near Lijiang in Yunnan, is one of the finest treks through some of the most naturally beautiful and diverse landscapes China has to offer. The trail runs high on the northern side of the gorge passing through quiet villages, shady forest, blustery precipice and verdant terraced farmland. The snow covered peaks of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Haba Snow Mountain shadow either side of the gorge.

If you prefer to visit without any strenuous hiking, a road along the south side of the gorge enters from the west and goes for a over a mile before stopping at a parking lot. After that there is a fairly level paved trail to Upper Tiger Leaping stone. Tours can be arranged in Lijiang or you can try to hire a driver to take you as a day trip from Lijiang, though drivers from Lijiang are not allowed to cross the river as that's outside their allowed territory.

Luoping, Yunnan Province
The yellow canola fields in springtime make Luoping a feast for the lover of nature. As well as visiting the two viewing points of “Screw Tin” and “Jin Ji Cun”, there is also a very unknown national park with the most amazing waterfalls. The Nine Dragons Waterfalls are mostly crowded with Chinese tourists, so you’ll be the only foreigner in sight if you head there. There are a load of hikes in the national park as well as a cable car ride.

The Huangshan Waterfalls is a spectacular tourist spot, with three waterfalls as the most famous ones, namely the Jiulong Waterfall (Nine-dragon Waterfall), the Renzi Waterfall, and the Baizhang Waterfall.

The Jiulong Waterfall is situated between the Luohan Peak and the Xianglu Peak, hanging down from cliffs thousands of meters high. It has nine curves, each forming a pool underneath. Therefore, the waterfall is made up of nine cascades and nine pools, known as Nine-Dragon Waterfall. After heavy rain, the rushing waterfall looks like nine white dragons, flying down from the sky.

Looking for that uniquely different vacation destination. Call Rawhide Travel and Tours today 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com. We can help!

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Culinary Travel: Yunnan Province China

Yunnan has some of the most magical and diverse scenery in all of China. There are endless trekking opportunities in the south’s tropical rainforests, and in the north, snow-capped Tibetan peaks hide dozens of tiny villages and temples rarely visited by tourists.

The fairly flat, productive northeast of the province is home to the attractive capital, Kunming, whose mild climate earned Yunnan its name, meaning literally “south of the Clouds”. A scattering of local sights extends southeast from the city towards the border with Vietnam.

Northwest of Kunming, the Yunnan plateau rises to serrated, snowbound peaks, extending north to Tibet and surrounding the ancient historic towns of Dali and Lijiang. The Far West, laid out along the ghost of old trade routes, has less of specific interest but allows gentle probing along the border with Burma. Yunnan’s deep south comprises a further isolated stretch of the same frontier, which reaches down to the tropical forests and paddy fields of Xishuangbanna, a botanical, zoological and ethnic cornucopia abutting Burma and Laos.

Eggplant or aubergine is a staple in not only Yunnan cuisine but Chinese cuisine around the country. Similarly, soy sauce-based hongshao dishes are available all over China.

Eggplant Cooked in Red Sauce - Hongshao Qiezi

Ingredients
2 medium eggplants
5 sprigs of green onion
2 small green Chinese capsicums
1/4 to 1/3 ounce of whole fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp black pepper
Oil for frying

Directions
Slice off the top and then slice the eggplants into strips about 1 inch long. Wash and chop the green onion into 3/4 inch lengths and chop the capsicum into small pieces. Wash the ginger thoroughly and slice thinly, leaving the skin on. Peel the garlic and slice it thinly.

Heat 3 – 4 tablespoons of oil in a wok on high heat and add the eggplant. Stir thoroughly until the eggplant has taken up all of the oil, then fry for around five minutes, shifting the eggplant around occasionally but giving it time to cook without being disturbed.

You want your eggplant to be browned on the outside and reasonably mushy, you will find it gives back a lot of the oil to the pan when ready.

Once cooked remove the eggplant to a plate, leaving the oil in the wok.

Lower the heat slightly and add the green onion, capsicum, garlic and ginger to the wok. Stir fry them together for around a minute and then return the eggplant to the wok.

Add in the salt, pepper and soy sauce and stir to mix thoroughly. Serve

If you have a taste for culinary travel, let Rawhide Travel and Tours help you plan your next vacation and all of your other reservation needs. Call us at (602) 843-5100 or visit our website: rawhidetravel.com.

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Rawhide Travel and Tours Remembers Memorial Day

People from all over the nation are traveling today to visit the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, directly across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial.  They gather on the last Monday in May and put flowers on graves and renew contacts with kinfolk and others. 

There often is a religious service and a "dinner on the ground," the traditional term for a potluck meal in which people used to spread the dishes out on sheets or tablecloths on the grass. It is believed that this practice began before the Civil War and thus may reflect the real origin of the "memorial day" idea.

Memorial Day is a federal holiday where the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces are remembered. The holiday, which is remembered every year was formerly known as Decoration Day and originated after the Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who had fallen in the Civil War.

By the 20th century, Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died while in the military service. It typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end. Many people travel to visit cemeteries and memorials, particularly to honor those who have died in military service. Many volunteers place an American flag on each grave in national cemeteries.

Annual Decoration Days for particular cemeteries are held on a Sunday in late spring or early summer in some rural areas of the South, notably in the mountains. In cases involving a family graveyard where remote ancestors as well as those who were deceased more recently are buried, this may take on the character of an extended family reunion to which some people travel hundreds of miles.

Memorial Day is not to be confused with Veterans Day; Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving, while Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans.

The practice of decorating soldiers' graves with flowers is an ancient custom. Soldiers' graves were decorated in the U.S. before and during the Civil War. A claim was made in 1906 that the first Civil War soldier's grave ever decorated was in Warrenton, Virginia, on June 3, 1861, implying the first Memorial Day occurred there. Though not for Union soldiers, there is authentic documentation that women in Savannah, Georgia, decorated Confederate soldiers' graves in 1862. 

In 1863, the cemetery dedication at Gettysburg, was a ceremony of commemoration at the graves of dead soldiers. Local historians in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, claim that ladies there decorated soldiers' graves on July 4, 1864. As a result, Boalsburg promotes itself as the birthplace of Memorial Day

In Remembrance
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Plan Your Next Vacation With Rawhide Travel and Tours

Rawhide Travel and Tours with combined total of “75 years of travel experience" provides amazing deals for your dream vacation with experienced, friendly travel experts.

Services offered include booking domestic and international air travel, hotel and resort reservations, car rental and cruises for individuals, corporate, group and incentive travel. Also tour packages of every type from a weekend getaway, to San Diego or Disneyland to involved and detailed vacations worldwide.

Plan your next great vacation with Rawhide Travel and Tours. Call today (602) 843-5100 or email us at flythis@rawhidetravel.com.

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In the News: The National September 11 Memorial Museum Opens

The National September 11 Memorial Museum opened on May 21, 2014 as the country's principal institution concerned with exploring the implications of the events of 9/11, documenting the impact of those events and exploring 9/11's continuing significance.

The Museum’s 110,000 square feet of exhibition space is located within the archaeological heart of the World Trade Center site—telling the story of 9/11 through multimedia displays, archives, narratives and a collection of monumental and authentic artifacts. The lives of every victim of the 2001 and 1993 attacks will be commemorated as visitors have the opportunity to learn about the men, women, and children who died.

The monumental artifacts of the Museum provide a link to the events of 9/11, while presenting intimate stories of loss, compassion, reckoning, and recovery that are central to telling the story of the attacks and the aftermath.

Visitors to the Museum descend a gently sloped ramp as they make their way to the original foundation level, where the main exhibition space is located. The descent echoes the construction ramps used to build the original World Trade Center, which were placed again at the site in the aftermath of the attacks for removal of debris and to provide access for victims’ family members and others on the anniversaries of 9/11.

As visitors make their final descent to the exhibition level, they will pass alongside the Vesey Street stair remnant, the historic "Survivors' Stairs." On 9/11, hundreds escaped with their lives, fleeing down this stairway. Visitors will also see the remnants of structural columns that now delineate the footprints of the original Twin Towers.

There are prominent videos of the twin towers collapsing, photos of people falling from them, portraits of nearly 3,000 victims and voicemail messages from people in hijacked planes.

But behind the wrenching sights and sounds of the National Sept. 11 Memorial Museum lies a quiet effort to help visitors handle its potentially traumatic impact, from silent spaces and built-in tissue boxes to a layout designed to let people bypass the most intense exhibits.

Looking for that uniquely different vacation destination. Call Rawhide Travel and Tours today 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com. We can help!

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Off the Beaten Path: Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province, China

Never heard of the Hallelujah Floating Mountains, these mountains are one of the most beautiful in the world. Here was filmed the blockbuster  film “Avatar” and yes, the Pandora world is real and can be found in Zhangjiajie.

The area is surrounded by rocks rocketing to the sky and sandstone pillars scattered across the area. You can walk through the glass bridge, do some proper trekking or take cable cars which connect the town with the mountain range, which is considered to be the longest in the world. 

Zhangjiajie City is located on the northwestern border of Hunan Province. It features a variety of different terrains including: mountainous regions, upland areas, plains, and Karst rock areas.

The world-famous natural heritage site 'Wulingyuan Scenic Area' is located on the base of these great mountains. Areas worth visiting include Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (known as China's first national forest park), Suoxiyu Natural Resource Reserve, and Tianzi Mountain Natural Resource Reserve. The scenic area hosts many natural features including: mountains, forests, caves, lakes and waterfalls and perhaps there are more than three thousand rock ridges and eight hundred ghylls. They enjoy the reputation of 'Original Picture on Mountain and River of China'. This wonderland is covered with dense forests.

One of the most interesting things to do here is the experience of drifting on the Maoyan River. The Maoyan River is the upper reach of the Li River in Yongding District. The length for drifting is about 16 miles and the zigzags in the river offer an exhilarating ride. There are four wonders on the Maoyan River: Bangtou Spring, Jianxie Spring, Yan Spring and Pen Wu Cave. These scenic spots cover the river with a mysterious color. The most renowned scenic spot is the Shui Dongzi Waterfall. On the bank opposite the waterfall there are several huge rocks which provide a perfect natural observation platform. This is an ideal place for visitors to take photos.

Jiuzhaigou Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Along the valley, you will see many attractions including Huanglong (Yellow Dragon) Temple, Huanglong (Yellow Dragon) Cave, Shitazhenhai and Zhuanhua (whirling flower) Pond. In the Huanglong Cave, there are three sitting Buddha figures whose bodies are encrusted with calc-sinter crystals. This whole area is filled with breathtaking features, beautiful streams, waterfalls and wildlife.

Looking for that uniquely different vacation destination. Call Rawhide Travel and Tours today 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com. We can help!

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Culinary Travel: Hunan Province China

Located in the south central part of the Chinese mainland, Hunan has long been known for its natural beauty. It is surrounded by mountains on the east, west, and south, and by the Yangtze River on the north. Its mixture of mountains and water makes it among the most beautiful provinces in China. For thousands of years, the region has been a major center of agriculture, growing rice, tea, and oranges.

In a discussion of China's four regional cuisines (North, South, East and West) the provinces of Szechuan, Yunnan and Hunan are combined to represent China's western regional schools of cooking. It's true that Hunan and Szechuan cuisine have much in common - both are famous for their fiery cooking and production of rice. But there are also significant differences. Today we have a Hunan recipe for you.

Stir-Fried Shrimp in Garlic Sauce

Servings  3-4 Servings

Ingredients:
1 lb large shrimp, cleaned and deveined

3 1/2 cups assorted fresh vegetables, chopped

1/3 cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon chili paste (sambal oelek) (optional)

1 tablespoon dry sherry or 1 tablespoon sake

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

9 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger

10 Thai chiles, stemmed and left whole (optional)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

3 tablespoons water

hot steamed rice


Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together chicken broth, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, chile paste (if using) and sherry; set aside.

In another small bowl or cup, stir together the tbsp of cornstarch with the 3 tbsp of water and set aside.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a wok; add ginger and garlic and sizzle briefly, then add vegetables and Thai chilies (if using).

Stir-fry vegetables for approximately 3 minutes, then add the shrimp.

Cook the shrimp 2 minutes or until it curls and turns opaque or pink.

Add the sauce mixture and cook 1 minute more; then stir in the thickener (briefly stir first) and stir-fry until mixture thickens, about 1 minute.

Serve with hot cooked rice.

If you have a taste for culinary travel, let Rawhide Travel and Tours help you plan your next vacation and all of your other reservation needs. Call us at (602) 843-5100 or visit our website: rawhidetravel.com.

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Great Places to Take the Grandchildren: Smithsonian Institution

If you have the opportunity to travel with your grandchildren, we are starting a new series to share some of the great places to take them this summer. The first destination we are going to cover is the Smithsonian Institution.

There are so many things to see at the Smithsonian that it is difficult to pick a place to start. It will of course depend upon the age and interests of the children. Here are a few of the many offerings at the Smithsonian Institution.

Smithsonian IMAX® Theaters
Their giant-screen films offer an immersive experience that complements the exhibitions. Explore exotic locations like Jerusalem, Madagascar and Mexico at the National Museum of Natural History’s Johnson IMAX Theater. Travel to the moon and back via the National Air and Space Museums’ IMAX Theater and Planetarium in Washington, D.C., or at the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.—no space suit required!

Albert Einstein Planetarium
Feel the sensation of zooming through the cosmos, enveloped in color saturated moving images and spine-tingling sound. Immerse yourself in the stars! The Einstein Planetarium is the only full-dome digital theater in the DC area.

Celebrating 125 years at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo
About 2,000 animals from 400 different species reside at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Our best known residents are our giant pandas, but the Zoo is also home to great apes, big cats, Asian elephants, birds, amphibians, reptiles, insects, aquatic animals, small mammals, and many more.

Natural History Museum 
Tarantula feedings, the biggest blue diamond in the world, a Live Coral Reef and more. There is plenty for you to do at the world’s largest natural history museum!

National Air and Space Museum
Twenty-three galleries exhibiting hundreds of aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, rockets, and other flight-related artifacts. Highlights 1903 Wright Flyer, Spirit of St. Louis, SpaceShipOne, Apollo 11 command module, Hubble Space Telescope test vehicle

A Night at the Museum
Imagine rolling out your sleeping bag at the home of the Star-Spangled Banner or beneath a 50-foot whale. That’s exactly what kids and their grown-up companions can do when they attend a Smithsonian Sleepover. The American History Museum or the Natural History Museum is all yours during a night of fun that features tours, games, crafts, a film, and more.

This basically just scratches the surface. There are many more thing to see and do in a multitude of locations.

Let Rawhide Travel and Tours help you with all your reservation needs. Call us at (602) 843-5100 or visit our website: rawhidetravel.com.

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Experience Full Service

Need to travel on business or leisure, Rawhide Travel and Tours will make it happen. We will arrange your flights, rail, hotel and car rentals. Let us assist you in planning your upcoming business trip. We're also available to help you plan that exciting vacation.

Want a small hotel or a luxury resort? Let Rawhide Travel and Tours customize the perfect spot just for you! We have many choices.  Let Us Help You Get Lost.

Call us at (602) 843-5100. Check out our website: rawhidetravel.com or email us at flythis@rawhidetravel.com.

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In the News: Summertime Air Travel Predicted to Be Busier

After a harsh winter, Americans are determined to pack their bags and travel this summer, even though they will have to pay a little bit more if they choose to fly.

Airlines for America, the trade group for most of the major carriers in the USA, predicts roughly 210 million fliers will take to the skies on U.S. airlines this summer, the most in six years, and 1.5% more than the number who flew last summer.

Among them will be a record-setting number of passengers traveling abroad, with Canada, Mexico, the U.K., Germany and Japan the most popular international locales for a summertime visit. International flights are expected to ferry 29.9 million passengers.

Job growth, growing personal income and airfares that have been rising more slowly than inflation and some consumer goods, are all helping boost the demand for air travel.

Customer satisfaction with airlines has also reaches a record high. With fares remaining stable, customer satisfaction with the airline industry is at a record high, according to an annual study released Wednesday.

On a 1,000-point scale, customer satisfaction reached 712, a 17-point increase from the same study last year when the previous record of 695 was established, according to the 2014 airline satisfaction study by J.D. Power.

The study found that the greatest influence on overall satisfaction came in the category of costs and fees, whose satisfaction score improved to 642 from 618 last year.

Airlines are adding seats to deal with the summer crush, and planes should be about 85% to 87% full, the same as last year.

But passengers flying between June 1 and Aug. 31 will see some changes that they didn't experience in 2013, such as their pick of dozens more destinations and upgraded facilities at airports around the country, like the new Terminal B at Boston's Logan Airport where fliers can tag their own bags and even scan their own boarding passes before walking onto the plane.

Flying will cost a bit more. The average domestic fare from June 8 though Aug. 25 will be 2% higher than during that period in 2013.

Come summer, the highest fares are likely to be seen on the most coveted flights, such as a non-stop departing late morning on a Friday, or those heading to the most popular destinations. Still, there are bargains to be had, if you're flexible.

Looking for that uniquely different vacation destination. Call Rawhide Travel and Tours today 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com. We can help!

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Off the Beaten Path: Southern India

The original population of South India are the Dravidians. In Madurai, Thanjavur, Trichy and Mamallapuram are impressive temples. On the coast, there is salt mining, rice and sugarcane are grown and fishing is done with nets. In the Backwaters near Allepey people live on and in the water. In the mountains are rainforests, tea plantations and pineapple, rubber and coffee are grown there.

Mamallapuram was the major seaport of the ancient Pallava kingdom based at Kanchipuram, and a wander round the town’s great, World Heritage–listed temples and carvings inflames the imagination, especially at sunset. ‘Mahabs’, as some call it, is only two hours by bus from Chennai, and many travellers make a beeline straight here. The town is small and laid-back, and its sights can be explored on foot or by bicycle.

Alapuzha (Venice of the East) or Alleppey as it is popularly known is the most prominent township in the backwaters. The Backwaters of Kerala is a network of interconnected canals, rivers, lakes and inlets formed by more than 550 miles of waterways. The backwaters have a unique ecosystem, freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea. Many tourists that come to Alappuzha take a houseboat cruise along the backwaters. If you are not interested in a longer ride in a House boat, there are smaller boats available for rides lasting 3 to 4 hours.

South India Beaches mainly takes in to account the beaches of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, four states of South India. The beaches of Kerala are placed between the Lakhswadeep Sea and the western Ghats in South India. The South Indian state of Tamil Nadu possesses the second longest beach in the world namely the Marina beach. The Bay of Bengal stretches along the vast sand sea shores. Karnataka boast of a coast line of around 200 miles filled with the serenity and charming imagery of the beautiful landscape.

The Malnad region of Karnataka State in South India is part of a unique ecosystem known as the Western Ghats, an area famous for its biodiversity. Due in part to the mountainous biotype and the effect of yearly monsoons, which bring high annual rainfall, the Western Ghats has an incredibly rich assemblage of endemic plants, reptiles and amphibians, many of which remain unknown to science. The rainforest is also the home of the largest venomous snake in the world, the much respected and feared king cobra. 

Looking for that uniquely different vacation destination. Call Rawhide Travel and Tours today 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com. We can help!

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Culinary Travel: Southern India

Soothe your soul with ayurveda! Savour the brimming coffee estates, spice plantations and rice paddies and amble in lush jungles. Add spark to your evening witnessing fireflies on a houseboat in Kerala's backwaters. Witness historic living temples and colonial towns. A gentler India awaits.

South Indian cuisine is rice based. Rice is combined with lentils to make wonderful dosas, idlis, vadas and uttapams. These items are delicious besides being nourishing and digestible (due to the fermenting process). They are combined with sambar (dal), rasam (tamarind dal), dry and curried vegetable and pachadi (yogurt). Their rice preparations are also masterpieces like the biryani from Hyderabad, lemon rice and rice seasoned with coconut peanuts, tamarind, chilies, curry leaves, urad dal and fenugreek seedsSouth Indian chutneys are made of tamarind, coconut, peanuts, dal, fenugreek seeds, and cilantro. Meals are followed by coffee. South Indian dals and curries are more soupy than North Indian dals and curries. South Indian cuisine is also hotter.

Coconut milk straight from the nut is a common beverage in South India. Coffee is very popular in South India and Madras coffee is popular in South Indian restaurants throughout the world. 

The South Indian food is a brilliant blend of flavors, colors, seasoning, nutritional balance, fragrance, taste, and visual appeal.

Shrimp Curry in Coconut Milk

Ingredients
1 large onion, minced
1 inch-long piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup butter, ghee or vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 to 2 fresh green chiles minced
1 cup hot water
1  can unsweetened coconut milk - 14 oz.
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 lb large shrimp in shell  - about 20
minced cilantro leaves for garnish

Directions
Heat oil in a pan and saute onion until onion is a nice golden brown color. Add ginger, green chilies. Stir in curry powder and turmeric and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Stir in water, coconut milk, and lime juice, salt, sugar and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 5 to 8 minutes.

While sauce simmers, peel shrimp (devein), wash. Add shrimp to curry sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are just cooked through and change color, about 3 minutes. Serve garnished with cilantro. 

If you have a taste for culinary travel, let Rawhide Travel and Tours help you plan your next vacation and all of your other reservation needs. Call us at (602) 843-5100 or visit our website: rawhidetravel.com.

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Washington Monument to Reopen

More than 150 cracks have been repaired, rainwater leaks have been sealed, and the 130-year-old Washington Monument will reopen today for the first time in nearly three years since an earthquake caused widespread damage. Tours begin at 1 p.m., beforehand, the National Park Service held an hour long reopening ceremony with schoolchildren, bands, singers and speeches.

The monument’s white marble and mortar were cracked and shaken loose during an unusual 5.8-magnitude earthquake in August 2011 that sent some of the worst vibrations to the top. Debris fell inside and outside the monument, and visitors scrambled to evacuate.

The memorial honoring George Washington has been closed for about 33 months for engineers to conduct an extensive analysis and restoration of the 555-foot stone obelisk that was once the tallest structure in the world.

The monument was built in two phases between 1848 and 1884. When it was completed, it was the world’s tallest structure for five years until it was eclipsed by the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The monument remains the world’s tallest freestanding stone structure.

It normally draws about 700,000 visitors a year. The National Park Service will offer extended hours to visit the monument beginning Tuesday and through the summer from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day.

Let Rawhide Travel and Tours help you with all your reservation needs. Call us at (602) 843-5100 or visit our website: rawhidetravel.com.

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Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona 85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com

Update: Rawhide Travel and Tours Holiday Tree

This month our little tree is all decked out to celebrate two holidays, Mothers' Day and Memorial Day. Dressed in pink ribbon and flowers to honor mothers and red, white and blue to honor our veteran that gave their all for our country.

Did you know

The modern American holiday of Mother's Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother in Grafton, West Virginia. Her campaign to make "Mother's Day" a recognized holiday in the United States began in 1905, the year her beloved mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, died. Anna’s mission was to honor her own mother by continuing work she had started and to set aside a day to honor mothers, "the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world." Anna's mother, Ann Jarvis, was a peace activist who had cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the Civil War and created Mother’s Day Work Clubs to address public health issues.

Due to the campaign efforts of Anna Jarvis, several states officially recognized Mother's Day, the first in 1910 being West Virginia, Jarvis’ home state. In 1914 Woodrow Wilson signed the proclamation creating Mother’s Day, the second Sunday in May, as a national holiday to honor mothers.

Memorial Day is a US federal holiday wherein the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces are remembered. The holiday, which is celebrated every year on the final Monday of May, was formerly known as Decoration Day and originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. By the 20th century, Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died while in the military service. It typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end.

On May 26, 1966, President Johnson signed a presidential proclamation naming Waterloo, New York, as the birthplace of Memorial Day. Earlier, the 89th Congress adopted House Concurrent Resolution 587, which officially recognized that the patriotic tradition of observing Memorial Day began one hundred years prior in Waterloo, New York.

We, at Rawhide Travel and Tours would like to wish all Mothers a very Happy Mother's Day.

Call Rawhide Travel and Tours, start planning that special vacation or event today. 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com

Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Road # F105
Glendale, Arizona  85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com

In the News: Travelers Fall Victim to Scams Overseas

The U.S. State Department has taken notice of many of the common scams and criminal tactics, and warns travelers to be aware of them.

Current safety information from the Bureau of Consular Affairs, here are some of scams and schemes have been reported in foreign countries:

Argentina
A common scam is to spray mustard or a similar substance on a traveler and offer to help clean the stain. A pickpocket or an accomplice then steals from the traveler. Unscrupulous vendors and taxi drivers sometimes pretend to help tourists review their pesos, then trade counterfeit bills for good ones.

China
Taxi drivers, especially at airports, sometimes target arriving travelers, refusing to use the meter or claiming they are a limousine and can charge higher fares. Cab drivers, businesses and even ATMs have given people counterfeit currency.

Colombia
Criminals pose as undercover police officers on the street and request to examine a traveler's money or jewelry, supposedly to determine if it is counterfeit. They then flee with the money or jewelry.

Czech Republic
Americans have reported being overcharged by merchants on credit card transactions. Travelers should verify that charges are correct before signing for purchases. Keep all receipts, and check credit card accounts online to ensure proper billing. Be alert for substantial overcharging by taxis. Some taxi drivers charge unsuspecting foreigners two or three times the standard rate.

France
Pickpockets are very active on the rail link from Charles de Gaulle Airport to central Paris and Metro Line 1. They may try to distract their target by making a disturbance, asking questions, or asking someone to sign a petition or take a survey. In the Pigalle area, unsuspecting tourists have run up exorbitant bar bills and been forced to pay before being permitted to leave.

Israel
Americans have sometimes been victims of high-pressure sales tactics in Jerusalem's Old City and other tourist areas. Vendors have not disclosed the cost of an item and convinced the buyer, who is unfamiliar with the exchange rate, to unwittingly sign a credit card receipt worth thousands of dollars.

Italy
Travelers in Rome, Florence and Naples have been befriended by criminals and offered a drink laced with a sleeping drug. While asleep, the criminals steal valuables or commit sexual assault. Three thieves may work together. One drops or spills something on the victim, a second assists the victim in cleaning up the mess, and the third discreetly takes the victim's belongings.

The U.S. Secret Service in Rome is assisting Italian law enforcement authorities in investigating an increase in ATM skimming devices. The devices are attached to legitimate bank ATMs and capture the account information stored electronically on a credit card's magnetic strip. The devices consist of a card reader installed over the legitimate reader and a pin-hole video camera mounted above the keypad that records the customer's PIN. The victim's information is sold, traded online or encoded on another card, such as a hotel key card, to access the compromised account.

Mexico
Americans in Mexico have had their debit or credit card numbers "skimmed." An employee of a merchant or a bank copies the card number manually, with a magnetic stripe reader or with a camera at an ATM, then fraudulently withdraws money or charges the card. Americans have become victims of harassment, mistreatment, and extortion by alleged Mexican law enforcement, immigration and other officials.

Russia
A common street scam is the "turkey drop." An individual "accidentally" drops money on the ground in front of an intended victim, while an accomplice either waits for the money to be picked up or picks up the money and offers to split it with the pedestrian. The individual who dropped the currency then returns, aggressively accusing both of stealing the money. The confrontation often results in the theft of the pedestrian's money.

In airports, travelers have been targeted by a "friendly" stranger who asks them to watch a bag or a purse, then leaves. The stranger returns with someone appearing to be a police officer, and the bag may contain drugs or other illegal items. The perpetrators then extort money or other valuables to avoid hassles with the police.

Spain
Two or more thieves often work together and use distractions. A thief might wave a map in a target's face and ask for directions, "inadvertently" spill something on a target, help clean up bird droppings thrown at a target by a third accomplice, or drop coins or keys at a target's feet. Some thieves have posed as plainclothes police officers, beckoning pedestrians from cars or confronting them on the street. They've asked for documents or to inspect their cash for counterfeit bills, which they confiscate as "evidence."

Good Samaritan scams are common. A thief diverts a driver's attention by indicating there is a flat tire or a mechanical problem. When the driver gets out to check the vehicle, the thief offers assistance, while an accomplice steals from the car.

Thailand
Scams involving gems, city tours, entertainment venues and credit cards are common and often involve drivers of taxis and tuk-tuks (three-wheel taxis) who receive kickbacks or commissions. Many companies that rent motorbikes, jet skis and cars require a passport as a deposit or collateral. If a rental vehicle is damaged, the company often holds the passport until payment for the damage. Many renters have reported they were charged exorbitant amounts, even when there was no visible damage.

United Kingdom
Imposters pose as undercover police officers and demand cash for bogus minor offenses, including littering or not having ID documents. At ATMs in busy areas, thieves use distraction techniques. They may wait until a PIN has been entered, then point to money on the ground or hand out a free newspaper. A colleague will quickly withdraw cash when the ATM user is distracted.


The State Department offers tips that may help travelers avoid being victims of scams or petty crimes abroad:

Before departing, read the warnings and alerts on the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs site for the country you are traveling to.

Don't bring valuables and irreplaceable items, but, if you do, use a hotel's safe. Carry only the cash, credit cards and belongings needed for each outing.

Put your passport in a pocket with a zipper or another safe enclosure.

Be very cautious when using ATMs to protect against theft of card information.

Be wary of people who aim to extort a bribe by posing as undercover police or public transportation inspectors.

No matter where you are traveling the most important thing is to stay alert and be aware of your surroundings.

Looking for that uniquely different vacation destination. Call Rawhide Travel and Tours today 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com. We can help!

Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona  85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com

Off the Beaten Path: Northern India

Difficult to get to, but isn’t that true for all the best places? Tucked between Nepal and Bhutan, the West Bengal Hills are home to rolling hillsides, stretching tea plantations, and the city of Darjeeling.

Take in nature’s beauty on treks through Singalilia National Park with views over Nepal and the Himalayas; ride an historic toy train through the hillsides; spend days lazing around Darjeeling and enjoying the mix of Buddhist temples and colonial buildings. This state is also home to Calcutta, where most of the tourists head, so leave the trail and head north. The unpaved path awaits.

With a country of such magnitude and marvel these six suggestions only scratch the surface. India is so vast and so nuanced that getting off the beaten path can be as subtle as taking the less-travelled Delhi street or as bold as heading into a sleepy snow-covered mountain town. Carve out the trip that you want, get out of the cities as much as possible, and look for those shimmers of the real Indian spark. The untouched is all around, so go explore it.

Darjeeling

Spread in ribbons over a steep mountain ridge, surrounded by emerald-green tea plantations and with a backdrop of jagged white Himalayan peaks floating over distant clouds, the archetypal hill station of Darjeeling is rightly West Bengal’s premier attraction. When you aren’t gazing open-mouthed at Khangchendzonga (28,207 feet), you can explore colonial-era architecture, visit Buddhist monasteries and spot snow leopards and red pandas at the nearby zoo. The steep narrow streets bustle with an array of Himalayan faces from Sikkim, Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet and when energies start to flag a good, steaming Darjeeling brew is never far away.

Darjeeling sprawls over a west-facing slope in a confusing web of interconnecting roads and steep flights of steps. Expect an uphill hike to your hotel if arriving at the train station or jeep stand. The two main squares are Chowrasta, near the top of town, and Clubside junction, which are linked by the pedestrian Nehru Rd (The Mall), the main shopping street. Hill Cart Rd (Tenzing Norgay Rd) runs the length of the bustling lower bazaar and is Darjeeling’s major vehicle thoroughfare.

Put your experience of getting mesmerized under challenge by discovering sheer artistry of nature spread to every corner of the horizon. The lush green gardens at your feet and snow-covered White Mountains at a distance seem like a wonderful experiment of god with colors. It is the rendezvous of earth and heaven; it is the treasure that you would keep in your heart forever. Hidden under the shadows of Eastern Himalayas, the hill stations of West Bengal are the main footprint of tourism in the state. Darjeeling, without a doubt is the most important and most visited hill station. This unique destination is famous world over for its unparallel beauty. Darjeeling and the other hill stations of West Bengal offer a magnificently rejuvenating respite from the exhausting heat that adorns the majority of the state during the summer months.

Mirik, 30 miles from Darjeeling, at an altitude of 5676 feet, has forests of japonica, orange orchards, tea gardens and cardamom plantations. Its restful ambience, dramatic views and homely accommodation make it an appealing stop for a few days of relaxation. Sumendu Lake, with its 2 mile cobbled promenade, offers boating, while Krishannagar, south of the lake, has a carpet weaving centre and the impressive Bokar Gompa, a 15-minute stroll from the main road. You can trek to Kurseong and Sandakphu, or less ambitiously, take a bus a few minutes up the Darjeeling road and walk back through rolling tea estates, flower-laden cottages and villages.

Kurseong ('Place of the White Orchid') east of Mirik, is surrounded by tea gardens and orange orchards and has some popular boarding schools. Travellers suggest stopping here overnight on the Toy Train between Siliguri and Darjeeling. You can visit the Makaibari Tea Estate and the Forest Museum on Dow Hill.

Looking for that uniquely different vacation destination. Call Rawhide Travel and Tours today 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com. We can help!

Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona  85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com