FFF: World’s best destinations for solo traveling
Wanting to self-indulge and find your inner self? Many people prefer traveling alone so they can see a country’s true colors the way they want to see it. Instead of having someone telling you what they want and don’t want to do check out these awesome places to travel solo and decide on your own!
From Aukland to Zurich, we take a look at some of the places to fly solo…
- Taipei, Taiwan- You can do just about anything in this Asian city! From shopping at the night markets to taking a hiking trip right in the city. Crime is low in this country and not too costly.
- Portland, Ore- Don’t want to travel internationally? No worries, Portland lies on the West Coast of the United States. Start by taking a food cart tour and finish with a walk through Forest Park. You can’t go wrong with this nature and food loving state!
- Toronto- Walk through the city or visit one or all of the eight islands Toronto has to offer. Want to do more shopping? Check out the St. Lawrence Market which rumor has it is one of the best in the world!
- Rio De Janeiro- Whether you want to see your favorite world cup team play or visit the gorgeous mountains, Rio is a view to see! Rio has several pristine beaches, rainforests near the deep blue sea and much more.
- Dublin- Visit this historic town on an empty stomach! Known for its delicious foods and every beer you can think of at the Guinness Storehouse. Whether you love to enjoy good food or love to learn new history, this place is the spot to be!
Dublin ranks in the top 26 places to visit if you are traveling alone!
Solo traveling is amazing for many reasons. You get to meet new people, really get to know a country and maybe a little about yourself. Check out more about these countries and other countries good for solo traveling at http://www.buzzfeed.com/laraparker/best-places-for-solo-travel.
Book your solo flight at GSP and bon voyage!
-The Terminal
Construction Update: Thomas Creek Grill and RJ Rockers Flight Room are OPEN!
Exciting news from GSP! RJ Rockers Flight Room and Thomas Creek Grill are officially open for business at GSP, so the next time you fly through GSP, come hungry!
RJ Rockers Flight Room is offering three brand new special sauces made with their most popular beers. We can’t pick a favorite, so try them all and let us know what you think! These “craft concoctions” top off their yummy appetizers, salads, wraps, and main course meals – check out the menu for more offerings!
Next time you’re in Concourse B, stop by RJ Rockers Flight Room and get ready to get down with these special sauces and grab plenty of napkins!
Concourse A is now home to Thomas Creek Grill, so on your way back from your destination, stop by to try their Palmetto Pretzel Bites served with their very own “Up the Creek” white Cheddar beer sauce…it’s delicious! And make sure to try “The Clucker” the next time we fly to taste the new Dockside Pilsner Mustard. With so many choices, it looks like we are going to be flying a lot more often!
You can’t go wrong at either one of GSP’s newest concourse restaurants.
Wishing you tasty travels!
- The Terminal
FFF: Allergy Friendly Airlines
Sometimes it is hard to understand how scary having an allergy can be unless you have one! In the United States, an estimated 50 million people suffer from allergies. This can make people allergic to things like peanuts and tree nuts especially leery of flying, but good news – airlines are becoming more allergy sensitive, and some even have the certification to prove it!
Swiss Air Lines is the world’s first certified allergy-friendly airline. SWISS is committed to keeping their flights as allergy-free as possible. The air conditioning on their flights filters out pollen from outdoors and animal hair from pets on board. They also check to see there no air freshening materials with the potential to aggravate the respiratory tract are released onboard.
That’s not all, their lavatories are equipped with hypoallergenic soap for sensitive skin. If you have a food allergy you can book a special meal that suits your needs before you fly! Also, their galleys are stocked with various lactose-free and gluten-free products. It doesn’t get any better than that, allergy folks!
Many airlines have allergy policies that do not allow peanuts in any of their meals. You can also request to sit in an allergy-friendly zone or request not to be served certain foods.
Check out different airlines allergy policies at http://allergicliving.com/2010/08/30/comparing-airlines/. You can also see more about Swiss Air Lines at https://www.swiss.com/za/en/various/allergy-friendly-airline.
Happy (and allergy-free) travels!
- The Terminal
Vendor Highlight: The Traveling Storytellers
This month, we take a departure (pun intended) from our regular construction vendor video to introduce our readers to one of our unconventional partners. Today’s vendor highlight features the Traveling Storytellers, a full-service digital studio based in Greenville. The Traveling Storytellers tell the story of their client through countless mediums, including design, photography, brand strategy, web development, film, video and animation.
For WINGSPAN, the Traveling Storytellers are creating a time-lapse video of the glass façade installation, and are also filming several short movies that tell the behind-the-scenes story of construction projects along the way. Matt Ayers and Sam Windell were a lot of fun to interview, and took the opportunity to be on the other side of the camera to tell us about their role in WINGSPAN and more about their company.
Visit the Traveling Storytellers’ Facebook page to learn more about their current projects, and watch other vendor highlight videos on http://www.elevatingtheupstate.com/ under the Development Page. And, be sure to keep an eye out for our glass façade time-lapse video coming soon!
Happy travels!
- The Terminal
FFF: Top 10 July 4 destinations
We want to wish everyone a safe and happy Fourth of July, and to celebrate, we are taking a look at the top ten celebrations from across the country! Here is a look at a few of our favorites, and you can read the full article on Coastal Living’s website here. In no particular order, here are some of the most patriotic parties around:
- San Francisco, California- Buzzing with live music, Pier 39 features more than 10,000 fireworks and many restaurants to enjoy a great meal. San Fran also has sea lion sightings and street performers to entertain you every day!
- Navy Pier, Chicago- Hang out at the fireworks show at the historic Navy Pier, 150-foot Ferris wheel or on the 50 acres of shoreline. You can’t miss out on this festival vibe celebration over beautiful Lake Michigan!
- Honolulu, Hawaii- Looking for a more tropical vacay? Say aloha to 10,000 people celebrating along the shores of Ala Moana and Waikiki. The Ala Moana Center is one of the world’s largest outdoor shopping centers. What better way to celebrate than great shopping and awesome fireworks?
- Myrtle Beach, South Carolina- Gather with thousands of South Carolinians and visitors on the sandy shores of Myrtle Beach! Watch the free Fourth of July Boat Parade in Murrells Inlet or grab a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants.
- Rockaway Beach, Oregon- Celebrate any way at one of the largest celebrations on the northern Oregon coast! With more than 10,000 viewers for the fireworks, a parade, bake sales and wait for it… Dachshund races! (We don’t know about you but this one sounds like a wiener.)
- Jekyll Island, Georgia- Party Island style with thousands of people during free festivities. Yes…FREE; start with the sea turtle release at Great Dunes Park then the firework show at your RV or tailgate in addition to many more activities!
Next time you are debating on what to do on the fourth, buy your ticket at GSP to have one memorable celebration!
Happy travels and a Happy Fourth of July,
-The Terminal
Flying for the Fourth? Leave the fireworks at home
As we near another July 4th holiday weekend, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) wants to remind all airline passengers that no fireworks are allowed in any luggage. The FAA has stated that passengers can be fined up to $75,000 for packing fireworks in carry-on or checked luggage. Although the holiday is an exciting time for celebration, this is a very serious concern. So when packing your bags, remember to leave your fireworks at home! You can always purchase your fireworks when you get there.
Learn more about what the FAA has to say about traveling with fireworks here.
Have a happy and safe Fourth of July!
- The Terminal
Construction update: a look inside RJ Rockers Flight Room and Thomas Creek Grill
Walls are coming down this week to reveal some of our most anticipated vendors – RJ Rockers Flight Room, Thomas Creek Grill and Hudson!
Passengers in Concourse B will notice that the construction wall is already down, leaving a clear view of the nearly finished RJ Rockers Flight Room. Look closely in the image below – can you see the artwork along the back wall? It is an aerial photo of GSP!
Just like the City of Spartanburg RJ Rockers Flight Room is located on the north end of the airport, in Concourse B. Can you guess what this amazing piece art in RJ Rockers Flight Room will be?
Not to be outdone, Thomas Creek Grill will feature a 30-foot mural, created by none other than South Carolina’s own Sean Williams Art. Can you believe the mural is almost done?
Not far behind Concourse B, the construction wall on Concourse A is scheduled to come down this week. Just like RJ Rockers is on its hometown’s side of the airport, Thomas Creek Grill is representing Greenville in Concourse B, located, you guessed it, on the south end of the airport.
Construction continues and the finishing touches are being made to Concourses A & B concessions so passengers can enjoy these new offerings by mid-July. Stay tuned to the blog for the latest construction updates, and happy travels!
-The Terminal
FFF: New inflight maps entertain the ‘are we there yet?’ crowd
New “geo-entertainment programs” are popping up, showing travelers up to the minute information about their current location.
This year, Singapore Airlines started trialing Hidden Journeys, a new program that delivers information to passengers in real time. The interactive maps include nature photography, destination guides and fun facts, and might soon be a portal to make purchases like renting cars or booking hotels rooms. Hidden Journey maps feature content curated by The Royal Geographical Society with IBG and was developed by software company Airborne Interactive.
“I think people just love to know where they are, and what’s down there. It’s quite a simple thing, really,” says Ben Jarman, the project manager for Hidden Journeys.
New routes are being added all the time on Hidden Journeys, and but more airlines have started to tap into the interactive map market. Other trendsetters include Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, who launched Betria Interactive’s new FlightPath3D moving map, which doubles as a destination guide complete with recommendations for restaurants, hotels and city tours.
“The goal is to entertain, educate and engage the passenger, and put richer information into their hands,” says Betria president Boris Veksler.
This new technology doesn’t get you to your destination any faster, but it sure makes the ride a lot more interesting!
Happy travels,
-The Terminal
Let there be light! In the terminal that is…
Natural light has begun to flow into the baggage claim and ticketing area of our terminal, and GSP passengers can now enjoy our glass façade from inside the terminal! As the glass façade continues to progress, construction crews have been taking down the temporary construction walls inside the terminal that separated travelers from the glass installation. Now travelers can begin to see the beautiful results of WINGSPAN as the new façade brings our beautiful campus into full view for passengers as they travel.
The steel installation for the curbside canopy and the covered walkways is now complete and just waiting for its own glass to be installed. The curbside canopy and the covered walkway will be finished once the terminal glass façade installation is completed mid-July.
Enjoy the view!
-The Terminal
FFF: Ease your fear of flying
If you get nervous about flying, you’re not alone! At least one out of every six adults has a fear of flying. In fact, it’s so common that the fear of flying is also known as aviophobia or aerophobia. All airplanes are designed and built to withstand far more stress than occurs in normal flight, including ordinary and extraordinary turbulence. In fact, ninety-nine percent of turbulence injuries are from unfastened seatbelts or falling luggage.
James Wysong, author of “The Air Traveler’s Survival Guide,” has worked as a flight attendant with two major international carriers during the past fifteen years and has some advice to allay any anxiety about air travel. Wysong recommends being upfront about your fears with flight staff and to avoid caffeine prior to air travel to lessen possible tension.
Other suggestions include keeping yourself distracted by reading a book, watching a movie, doing a crossword puzzle or listening to peaceful music to keep your mind off of the flight. Check out more tips and the full article here!
Remember to sit back, relax, and enjoy your flight.
Happy travels!
- The Terminal