Experience the World From Home
Virtual Museum Tours
You can experience some of the world’s most famous museums from the comfort of your couch thanks to technology. Explore the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, the Guggenheim, or many other museums here and here.
Context Conversations
Our partners at Context Travel are now offering Context Conversations, 90-minute seminars with scholars where you discover more about a destination or museum. You can select the date and time for your seminar here, and then enjoy learning and conversation from home.
Read a Book
Let your imagination soar as destinations come to life in the pages of a book. Our team has shard their favorites in the four editions of the Brownell Book Club, plus we have another list of other must-reads below.
- Brownell Book Club: First Edition
- Brownell Book Club: Second Edition
- Brownell Book Club: Third Edition
- Brownell Book Club: Fourth Edition
- Brownell Book Club: Fifth Edition
Watch a Movie
Just like a book can take you to a different place, so can movies! Take a break from the news, and relax while watching one of our suggested travel-inspiring movies.
For hours and hours of viewing pleasure we've got some great options for you, compliments to my colleague, Marion McDonald, our resident movie guru. She shares a roundup of all-time favorite movies based on location below.
- A Good Year – Russell Crowe’s stressed out financier character trades the daily grind of the London Stock Exchange for a more peaceful existence when he finds love and happiness in the arms of Marion Cotillard in beautiful Provence.
- French Kiss – Adorable Meg Ryan and a down-on-his-luck Frenchman, Kevin Kline (whose accent is pretty authentic!), fall in love as they chase her ex-fiancé from Paris to the French Riviera – pretty magnifique!
- The Longest Day – This movie is an absolute MUST for anyone longing to visit the D Day sites of Normandy.
- Under the Tuscan Sun – Innumerable trips to Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast have been inspired by this this true story of Frances Mays’ quest to find herself after a devastating divorce.
- Letters from Juliet – A 40 year old love affair is rekindled after a scenic road trip from Verona through Tuscany, which is especially poignant when you know that in real life the actors actually met that long ago and were eventually married after a reunion many years later!
- A Room with a View – This Merchant and Ivory masterpiece brings back the romantic era of travel with Florence as its scenic backdrop.
- A Little Romance – A captivating story of two young kids who run away from Paris to Venice on a quest to kiss at sunset under the Ponte dei Sospiri (Bridge of Sighs).
- Mamma Mia – Set on the lusher Ionian Sea side of Greece, this movie would make anyone want to drop everything and run off to the Med!
- Sound of Music – To this day, Salzburgers are grateful for the huge boost to tourism this 50-year old movie has had (that stunning opening scene high up in the Alps is an all-time favorite).
- Doctor Zhivago – Though it paints a picture of a troubling time in Russia, this intriguing David Lean masterpiece has prompted many a journey to the country, although most visitors would rather avoid those painfully cold winters Yuri and Lara endured!
- The English Patient – From the sweeping aerial vistas of the Sahara Desert to the candlelit scenes in the centuries old Tuscan church, this romantic movie almost makes you want to step back into time as a World War II army nurse!
- Out of Africa – There is no way to measure the impact this one film must have had on safari tourism to East Africa!
- Lawrence of Arabia – Though it is supposedly set in Saudi Arabia, most of the movie was filmed in Morocco and Andalucia, Spain, and stunning cinematography punctuated by an amazing musical score garnered this epic a Best Picture Oscar!
- The Spy who Loved Me – Though this James Bond movie is hardly deserving of a place alongside these other cinematic heavyweights, how many viewers added the Great Pyramids of Egypt to their bucket lists as a result of this film?
- The Descendants – Who could resist the combination of George Clooney and that gorgeous scenery on the north shore of Kauai??
- South Pacific – Though it was supposedly set in French Polynesia, this Rodgers & Hammerstein classic offers stunning scenery set to an incredible score!
- A River Runs Through It – Who wouldn’t be inspired to go try their hand at fly fishing in this gorgeous part of our country (especially if it means you could do it with Brad Pitt!)?
- Up! – This beautiful animated Pixar masterpiece really struck a chord about putting off our travel dreams, although the old man finally gets a chance to see the world, albeit without the love of his life. The animations of the Brazilian jungle and Venezuela’s Angel Falls are stunning and really draw the audience in.
- We could go on and on listing movies with incredibly scenic backdrops that could transform you from your living room sofa to every corner of the earth, but we won't for the sake of space here. But, just a few more movies that feature incredible landscapes, scenery and cinematography include Passage to India; Eat, Pray, Love; The Lord of the Rings; Smilla's Sense of Snow; and Into the Wild, to name a few.
Taste the World
Just because you can’t have pasta in Italy right now doesn’t mean that you can’t bring the flavors to your kitchen. Some of our partners – and Brownell Travel's Executive Vice President, Meg North, share recipes for cocktails, appetizers, entrees, and more!
- Copper Bullet from Canaves Oia
- Mediterranean G&T from the Haymarket Hotel in London
- Spicy Cucumber Margarita from Rosewood Mayakoba
- 8 Famous Hotel Dishes and Drinks You Can Recreate at Home
- A Taste of Greece – recipes from our partners at Eclectic Greece
- A Taste of Italy – recipes from our partners at IC Bellagio
- El Diablo cocktail from the One&Only Palmilla
- Meg’s Paella
- A Taste of Rocco Forte – recipes from our partners at Rocco Forte
- Caribbean Cookbook – recipes from our partners at Ritz-Carlton
- A Taste of Europe – recipes from our partners at Park Hyatt & Andaz
- The Hemingway
The past several weeks have been unprecedented and extremely challenging for us all. Personally, it has been difficult both emotionally and financially as the travel industry has taken a particularly substantial hit as borders have closed and travel has come to an abrupt halt.
I founded my travel business 4 1/2 years ago so I could pursue a business that brings joy to so many people's lives. I am so fortunate to be affiliated with Brownell Travel, and I am extremely grateful for their support to me and my colleagues through this difficult time to ensure that we have accurate non-biased information that we can share with our clients, and to direct us to resources that can, hopefully, help us bridge the financial gap that will will have to endure until it is safe again and people feel comfortable to travel.
Without amazing global partners, with whom we have worked tirelessly to bring clients safely home from abroad, move trips and calm fears, we would not have been able to take on this enormous task. They have graciously reduced or waived cancellation policies and fees, worked with us to reschedule and rework itineraries, all at substantial financial cost, and we are forever grateful to them for their professionalism and expertise while dealing with this worldwide crisis.
I have been so blessed to have built an incredibly wonderful and loyal client base, one referral at a time, so many of whom have had to cancel or reschedule their dream trips with family and/or friends, move wedding dates, postpone honeymoons, graduation celebrations, special anniversaries and personal and professional milestones. You have been gracious, patient and flexible with your plans, time and money and I truly appreciate the trust you have placed in me to plan and manage your most precious asset - your leisure time.
Who would have thought we would have as much time on our hands as many of us do these days as we hope to weather this crisis with our families', friends', clients' and colleagues' health and well-being intact, while we shelter in place and do our best to minimize the damage?
I am grateful for my friends and family, who have been supportive and have listened to me express my fears about the current unknowns, who have watched as I went from working seemingly endless hours creating memorable experiences for my clients to wondering when travel can safely resume again. They have listened for hours as I recounted the trips that have been put on hold for months, and in some cases years, and I am thankful to have had them to lean on.
This necessary slowdown has been a good time to focus on what is important and embrace the time to spend with my family, friends, colleagues, and clients (even if we are not actively planning travel). While it has been a very challenging time, I look forward to better times ahead when I can get back to my passionate desire to deliver amazing and unique experiences through travel.
It is a privilege and a pleasure to navigate this breathtaking, unpredictable world of ours with you. Always remember that I am your advocate in the face of this pandemic. We will get through this together and move beyond the current situation to explore the spectacular destinations this beautiful world has to offer.
In the meantime, stay safe, stay home. I'll be here when you are ready.
Boundaries may divide, but travel unites. Let's save travel and tourism together.
All my best to you,
Joanne
THANK YOU FOR READING MAXIMIZING MOMENTS!
Joanne Smith
Luxury Travel Advisor
SMITH LUXURY TRAVEL
(860) 799-0460 (office)
(914) 420-7729 (mobile)
www.smithluxurytravel.com
joanne@smithluxurytravel.com
"My goal for each client is for them to
return home feeling better than when they left,
with memories to cherish."
MAXIMIZING MOMENTS is a periodic newsletter that is designed to help make your
precious travel time more memorable – in many ways.
An Independent Affiliate of Brownell Travel
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