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Top billing with the Anaheim Ducks

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This’ll quack you up, drakes and mallards love me and I’m even getting top billing with the Anaheim Ducks.

Donald Duck, no less, famously took time out from his busy schedule waddling around Disney World and Epcot Park in Florida to thank me personally.

After I had made him the cover of one unforgettable trip out to Orlando which corresponded with Donald Trump’s election as President.

And we have been firm friends since, shaking the tail feather out in Disneyland too in Anaheim.

Whisper it around Donald though because there is another Disney duck vying for top billing (there will be a lot of this) in Anaheim.

And I had an ice old time with the Anaheim Ducks’ mascot Wild Wing at the Honda Center.

With Double Dubya as his friends (well, me anyway) call him gave me a miniature of himself.

And it now takes pride of place on my desk.

On the wing

Wild Wing got back in touch this week to ask where I’d been these past few years.

And remind me that it is the 30th anniversary of Disney’s Mighty Ducks joining the National Hockey League.

Wild Wing reached out, saying: “Our records indicate that you have been absent virtually and at Honda Center for some time now.

“We want to make sure that you receive all the pertinent information coming up for our 30th anniversary season.”

Now, I’m maybe not surprised that I got the call.

A former ice hockey writer in my days down in Reading in the south of England I showed that I’d picked up a thing or two from watching the Bracknell Bees.

When I swiped, swung and scored in the net.

When the floor was opened up for us on our visit to the Honda.

My LA story

As a day out from the American Travel Fair, IPW, which was held in Anaheim.

And they opened up Disneyland especially for us to see the new Star Wars land.

Now, each to their own, but I haven’t got an Obi-Wan Kinobi about the land far, far, away but twas a good oul’ time none the less.

And I hope to get back out there next year, flying with Aer Lingus of course.

For the latest renewal of the American Travel Fair in Los Angeles.

When hopefully they’ll be celebrating a Stanley Cup at the Honda Center to go with their 2007 triumph.

And I’ll be able to join Wild Wing for top billing with the Anaheim Ducks.

America, Canada, Countries, Ireland, UK

Happy Fourth of July

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Who’d have thought it? The Fourth of July today is as big a cause for celebration (if not more) here in the UK than it is in America.

I did, of course, tell you months ago that today would be the exact day that we would be coming out of lockdown in the UK (except for Scotland, doh!).

And not just in the last couple of weeks but as long ago as April 21 Wuhoo Wuhan.

Still, when all is said and done I would still prefer to be in the Oo Es of Eh today than anywhere else.

As big an Americanophile as I am I have never managed to time it so that I am there on the Fourth of July, nor for Thanksgiving either but I aim to put that right as soon as I can.

My Travel professional friends are projecting 2021 as the year when travel to America will have begun… and see what I’m doing there giving them the slogan…. We’ve Begun in ’21.

So have a nice day and my gift to you is these American dreams courtesy of our pals, the Travel providers:

American Holidays http://www.americanholidays.com has instilled some much needed confidence with their ‘Book with Confidence’ and ‘Travel with Confidence’ initiatives.

And they have backed that up with an expanded portfolio of itineraries to the West Coast, Deep South, Canada, Road Trips and Mexico.

Something for everyone

Now some say the West is Best http://www.visitcalifornia.com and https://disneyland.disney.go.com My Weekend With Marilyn and Stair Wars.

While others that it’s the Beautiful South https://www.deep-south-usa.com and The Promised Land, The Story of the Blues and The King of Kings – Jim Murty’s TravelTravelTravel.

And you can make a great Road Trip out of either and any number of zig-zags across the continent.

Canada has been in full flow all week as they celebrated July 1 with a virtual Canada Day and Irish landmarks went red in unison. And don’t think they’ve stopped because it’s now the American national holiday.

Deal me in!

American Holidays also bring you Mexico with a bit of Miami Fort Lauderdale and Miami – a tale of two sittings and https://www.miamiandbeaches.com thrown in which is always the best way.

Here’s something to get your teeth into for ’21:

Miami and Mexico, February 2021: Spend three nights in hip Miami, taking in Little Havana, South Beach and Miami Beach before kicking back and enjoying seven nights all-inclusive in Mexico. From €1849pp.

Attraction Tickets (http://www.attractiontickets.com): These are the guys to go with for Disney, either in Anaheim or in Orlando https://www.disneyworld.co.uk and http://www.visitorlando.com. Also see Aaawlando… Orlando, the rollercoaster capital and Why I love The Donald.

And they have a Disney and Universal Combo Ticket for £757 for adults and £727 for a child. And you’ll have a wizarding time too or you can Eat My Shorts… See off Voldemort, then for a beer at Moe’s and https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us.

For glitz-seekers America is all about New York www.nycvb.com and Las Vegas www.lvcva.com and Tour America know it. As well as all the other great offers they have they can give you.

Hit The Strip in Vegas, from Sunday, January 31-February 4 is from €435pp, based on two adults for four nights sharing one room at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino.

While they’re confident that they can get you over to New York before the year is out.

The Carvi Hotel is from €546pp, based on four adults for four nights, Tuesday, December 1-4.

See http://www.touramerica.ie and Strip… the light fantastic and Old New York: Hamilton.

Where is your favourite place in America? Let us know and we’ll share.

America, Countries, Culture

May the froth be with you

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And today may be the day I watch my first Star Wars film… or not.

Today, Star Wars Day… ‘May the Fourth be with you.’

Genius marketing and branding and George Lucas and Star Wars do it better than anybody which is why the franchise is worth $40m.

Which leaves Harry Potter and James Bond in the Ha’penny Place.

It was a marriage made in the heavens then when another global superpower in entertainment popped the question to Star Wars.

Where’s Princess Leia?

Chewy, but not Leia. Photo by Craig Adderley:

I was the envy of every amateur Ewok then when I was invited out to Anaheim https://disneyland.disney.go.com to attend the opening of the Star Wars park in Disneyland.

I’d liked to say that I was excited to meet Princess Leia but I didn’t have that rush of excitement a Star Wars superfan would have.

And there were hundreds of them in the special reception party that got to enjoy Galaxy’s Edge… https://www.google.ie/amp/s/jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/2020/03/23/stair-wars-4/amp/.

Now lockdown is almost made for Star Wars https://www.starwars.com nuts who will be fixed to the screens today playing with their light sabres (Steady!)

Heck, they probably do it every day anyway.

One ring to bind us all

The book of knowledge

Which is all good (it gets you out of the dish-washing) and we’ve been known to do it ourselves.

The Son and Heir has been bingeing on Lord of the Rings which has always been our thing.

From when I would read him a chapter of The Hobbit over the phone from my workplace as a kid.

And when it came to taking him to the film his Mum made a cloak for him and felt feet and sent him out in curly wig and ring.

We were the only ones dressed up in the cinema!

Potter gold

The Ghost Bus

You won’t be out of place if you get into part at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/universal-orlando-resort/the-wizarding-world-of-harry-potter/hub.

I used to damn Harry with faint praise.

While it was Daddy’s Little Girl’s thing I felt it was derivative of my fave Lord of the Rings.

But one foot in the Wizarding World will change your world for ever… Aaawlando… Orlando, the rollercoaster capital and See off Voldemort, then for a beer at Moe’s

Our heroes

Butterbeer of course

We all need a bit of fantasy in our lives just now so whoever your hero is…

Luke Skywalker, Frodo, Harry or even Aslan, and this year I got out to see where The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe was filmed in the Czech Republic https://www.npcs.cz/en.

Then May the Fourth be with you.