Thursday Flakes: Wine Regions, Sustainable Travel and Reclining Seats

I’ve taken six flights since the last Thursday Flakes. Two Tuesdays ago it was Mexico City to Juarez then crossing the border for El Paso to Dallas and Dallas to Columbus. Then on Monday it was Columbus to Nashville, Nashville to Cancun and finally Cancun to Mexico City. Late arrivals and early morning flights but everything worked out.

I came back to the United States for my brother’s wedding was on Friday morning at the beautiful Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I have to admit it was a great location for a wedding. We got to walk around afterwards and there were so many beautiful, flowers, plants and trees everywhere. Wedding or not, it’s an incredible place to visit.

Now I’m back in Mexico again. Next wedding is my cousin’s in Miami 4th of July weekend.

What’s your favorite wine region in the United States? What about favorite wine region in the world? Do you recline your seat on a plane? When was the last wedding you attended? Have you ever been on a safari?

Feel free to answer and discuss these interesting questions in the comments below.
Anyways onto Flakes…

Trey Palmer NFL Draft Scouting Report | Football | Corn Nation

In Palmer’s sole season with Nebraska he quickly established himself as the Huskers’ go to receiver catching 71 passes for 1,043 yards and 9 touchdowns. Palmer continued his upward trajectory with a solid Senior Bowl while also turning in the fastest 40 yard dash time for any receiver at the Combine. As the draft approaches, here is a look at my Trey Palmer NFL Scouting Report.

Nebraska Football Spring Preview: Tight Ends | Football | Corn Nation

It is populated by one transfer and five redshirts who bring varying levels of potential and recruiting service recognition. Their experience also varies from Arik Gilbert’s substantial playing time as a freshman at LSU to minimal time on the field for a couple players to no playing time at all yet for others.

Fully Healed, Brian Buschini Is Hopeful to Meet Brook Berringer’s No. 18 Standard | Football | Corn Nation

“It’s super tragic but also the impact he had you can tell just how powerful of a person he was on and off the field,” Buschini said on Tuesday. “That’s a person I aspire to be like. I want to have a good impact on the team and in the community by being faithful with what the Lord has given me and trying to be the best man that I can be day in and day out, kind of like he was.”

Padding the Stats: Thoughts on the End of the College Basketball Season | Basketball | Hail Varsity

The college basketball season came to an end this week as first LSU on Sunday then UConn on Monday cut down the nets in the women’s and men’s championships, respectively. Neither championship game was particularly compelling as the Tigers and Huskies were both in firm control of the game most of the way outside of a brief second half surge for each of the runner-ups, but there’s still a lot to dive into.

Will Walsh Overcomes Injuries and Earns Rotation Spot | Baseball | Omaha World-Herald

The 21-year-old left-hander will start Sunday’s series finale at Michigan, completing a rapid ascension from preseason role player to perhaps stabilizing the back of the NU weekend rotation midway through the regular season.

Nebraska’s Summer Camp Schedule Includes Friday Night Lights, Fullback Camp | Football | Lincoln Journal Star

Rhule’s summer slate kicks off with a 9th-12th grade camp on Sunday, June 4, followed by camps the next Saturday and Sunday. There will also be a pair of specialized camps offered on June 10 and June 13, with specialists (kickers, punters and long snappers) getting the chance for specific instruction before the focus turns to fullbacks three days later.

My Journey Abroad | Swimming and Diving | Huskers.com

As far back as I can remember, swimming has played a significant role in my life. My mom was a competitive swimmer and joyfully shared her love for the sport with my siblings and me. Each and every night, when my dad would get home from work, we would all head down to our neighborhood pool. In those hours spent in the water, I not only learned the strokes and mastered the basic fundamentals of swimming, but more than anything, I uncovered a passion.

Huskers Partner With Vet Tix For Military Appreciation Weekend | Baseball | Huskers.com

The Nebraska Athletic Department has partnered with Vet Tix to provide tickets to all branches of currently-serving Military and Veterans, including immediate family of troops KIA at the home series against Northwestern on April 14, 15, and 16. Special festivities to honor active duty military personnel, Veterans, and families of military members will take place throughout the weekend at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park. Nebraska Athletics has provided 100 tickets for each of the Husker games on Friday and Sunday and 200 tickets for Saturday’s contest.

Disney World Announces Plan to Invest $17 Billion Over Next Decade | Travel | Travel Pulse

According to Click Orlando, Disney CEO Bob Iger unveiled during a shareholder meeting that the company plans to invest over $17 billion in the Florida theme park, a move that will create an estimated 13,000 new jobs directly and thousands indirectly. The improvements will “attract more people to the state and generate more taxes,” Iger said.

How To Tell if a Travel Company Is Really Following Sustainable Practices | Travel | Travel Pulse

A survey conducted by Booking.com in 2022 revealed that 81 percent of global travelers want to travel sustainably, and 50 percent say recent news about climate change has influenced their decision to make more sustainable travel choices.

US Passport Processing Times Extended Again Amid ‘Unprecedented Demand’ | Travel | Travel Pulse

Wait times, it wrote, are now typically taking 10 to 13 weeks from the time an application is received (not including mailing time, which could tack on a couple of weeks to the process). Even expedited processing, for which you’ll pay an extra $60, is currently averaging seven to nine weeks.

7 Airline Stopover Programs to Stretch Your Airfare in 2023 | Travel | Conde Nast Traveler

To get the most out of a stopover, look for a program that offers other complimentary perks, too. The best stopovers include free or discounted hotel stays, savings on sightseeing tours, museums, restaurants, and more.

These US Cities Have the Highest AirBnb Fees | Travel | Travel + Leisure

Atlanta has the highest average fee added onto the nightly rate at a whopping 48 percent. That was followed by Phoenix at 47 percent and Fort Myers Beach, Florida, at 46 percent. The study looked at 32,000 listings in the 100 most popular Airbnb markets for rentals in July 2023. Overall, customers are responsible for an average of 36 percent in fees added to the listed nightly rate, with the average cleaning fee coming in at $160.

New Mexico Is Hiring ‘Professional Bear Huggers’ | Travel | Travel + Leisure

To apply for the job — bear hugging and all — applicants must have earned a Bachelor of Science degree from an accredited college or university in biological sciences, police science or law enforcement, natural resources conservation, ecology, or a related field.

10 Ways to Stay Safe No Matter Where You’re Traveling | Travel | Lonely Planet

Travel always involves a bit of uncertainty. And there will always be location-specific warnings to observe depending on where you’re going. The good news is there are several proven precautions you can take ahead of time and while traveling to stay safe and navigate any unexpected catastrophes when away from home. Here are 10 tried-and-true methods to dodge danger and maximize your enjoyment of practically any destination.

The USA’s Best Winemaking Regions | Travel | Lonely Planet

We’ve looked to Lonely Planet’s new edition of Wine Trails to adapt these ideas for a wine-touring weekend to remember. For these seven regions in the USA create not only standout wines, but lasting memories, too.

Gabon Aims to Become Africa’s Off-the-Beaten-Path Safari Destination in 2023 | Travel | Lonely Planet

This former French colony is one of the most biodiverse destinations in the region, with 13 national parks protecting 11 per cent of the country’s nature and wildlife. For the adventurous traveler looking to get off the well-trod safari circuit, Gabon delivers extraordinary wildlife to spot. Gorilla trekking is possible in Loango National Park.

The Filipino Islanders Who Weave Their Dreams | Travel | BBC Travel

For more than 300 years, women residing around a turquoise lake have woven textiles from visions they say were bestowed to them by a goddess in their dreams.

Chicha: The Banned Drink of Colombia | Travel | BBC Travel

Villainized, stigmatized and still officially outlawed, the indigenous beverage chicha has been making a comeback.

Jackson Heights: The Neighborhood That Epitomizes New York | Travel | Travel Pulse

Travelers may go to Central Park or Times Square to see New York City, but there’s no better place to feel the city’s DNA and understand how it started than here.

New feature for reclining seats?