south sea travel agency

• French Polynesia

Where your wildest dreams become "everything I hoped for” moments

• Cook Islands

Unlock a world of beauty beyond imagination

Traverse astounding landscapes—absolutely effortlessly

• New Zealand

From sea to summit, explore without limits

Savor “island life”—as the islanders do

Award-Winning Specialist in South Pacific, Australia, & New Zealand Travel

Adventure Awaits

Design Your Custom Dream Adventure

French Polynesia—Bora Bora, Tahiti, Moorea, & beyond

Number of islands: 118 (across 6 archipelagos)

Miles of coastline: 1,569

Languages spoken: Tahitian, French, English—many islands have their own dialects or languages

Climate: Tropical—tempered by tradewinds

• Dive among massive manta rays and reef sharks in the glass-clear lagoon at Bora Bora
• Taste poisson cru —a Tahitian-style salad of fresh tuna in coconut milk—in Pape’ete
• Wander through the daily market at Cook’s Bay, Moorea, beneath the shadow of the shark-tooth-shaped Mouraroa mountain
• « Previous
• Next »

The Cook Islands

Number of islands: 15

Miles of coastline: 75

Languages spoken: English, Cook Islands Maori

Adventures:

• Dive into the remote lagoon at Aitutaki—and perhaps bump into migrating humpback whales
• Taste a splendid spread of fresh-caught fish and vegetables cooked in an underground oven during a traditional umukai feast on Rarotonga
• Wander across a nearly deserted white-sand beach fringed in palm trees at One Foot Island, fulfilling a castaway fantasy

Number of islands: 8,222

Miles of coastline: 37,118

Languages spoken: English, Aboriginal

Climate: Varies from tropical to semi-arid desert

• Dive through one the most mesmerizing wonders on earth—the Great Barrier Reef—along Australia’s stunning Queensland coast
• Taste smoky sausage and lamb chops cooked on the grill during a festive “barbie”
• Wander right up to the base of hulking Uluru, a sacred site for local Aboriginal people—and one of the largest monoliths in the world

Number of islands: 600

Miles of coastline: 9,404

Languages spoken: English, Maori

Climate: Varies from subtropical to temperate

• Dive into the cool, clear waters of Whale Bay along the Tutukaka Coast—one of the country’s most astounding, and secluded, bit of coastline
• Taste the flavors of traditional Maori cuisine during a hangi feast in Rotorua, where food is steamed for hours in an earthen pit
• Wander to the edge of northern New Zealand at Cape Reinga, where the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet at a dramatic, windswept point

Number of islands: 333

Miles of coastline: 702

Languages spoken: Fijian, English, Hindi

Climate: Tropical

• Dive among the vibrant, hypnotic soft coral at Rainbow Reef, Taveuni—once the bain of sailing ships
• Taste a Fijian curry that tempers fiery spice with the sweetness of coconut milk and plantain
• Wander between the thatched-roof huts and friendly faces at Navala Village in the Nausori Highlands as you learn more about indigenous life

#ArtOfTravel

Follow The Art of Travel on Instagram

Get Started

Build your island fantasy today.

Schedule your complimentary consultation call with The Art of Travel — it’s time to turn your travel dreams into reality:

Become an Art of Travel Insider

Join our e-newsletter to get Kleon’s insider insights and on-the-ground dispatches from the world of luxury island travel.

Destinations

• Custom Itineraries
• Questionnaire
• How It Works
• Terms and Conditions
• News + Blogs

Get In Touch

• [email protected]
• 888-294-3598
• Sunny San Diego
• Reserve your complementary consultation call

The Art of Travel’s CA Seller of Travel #2023946-40.

Specialties

Explore experience enrich, we excel in designing unique adventures for travelers who desire personalized service. .

First-time cruiser? Seasoned traveler? We navigate the overwhelming amount of information to plan the perfect travel experience for you.

With more than 50 cruise lines, over 300 ships, and more than 20 river cruise companies, we match our clients to the travel experience which best fits their needs, style, and goals. Sound Of The Sea Travel prides itself on providing personal service. We spend time getting to know our clients and what matters most to them. For us, it’s about relationship building, earning trust, and providing outstanding service.

Travel Services

Highlighting some of my personal favorites: Curaçao, Alaska, and river cruising on the Danube. 

As humans, we dream. as travelers, we fulfill those dreams. to help you both dream of future vacations and fulfill your wanderlust, we bring you this edition of escape. on the following pages, you will find a parade of luxurious travel experiences, from boutique cruise ships and immersive tours to all-inclusive resorts and regal transatlantic voyages..

DOWNLOAD NOW

35   pages of travel inspiration in Escape, the magazine 

I’m danielle fellin bunzel.

Travel is the greatest teacher. The world is your classroom. Prior to my career in the travel industry, I inspired young people as an educator. For over 20 years I encouraged students to dream big and convinced them that, with hard work, they could make their dreams come true. It’s time to make your travel dreams come true. You’ve invested your time in career, family, and hard work. It’s time to create memories that will last forever. Your adventures to different countries and continents will become part of your family’s lore. My parents recently traveled to Egypt in their early 80’s. We treasure the pictures of them standing in front of the pyramids! The grandchildren still brag about it! My parents would tell you, “Don’t wait! Life is for the living.”

Take the trip! You deserve it!

Your personal travel advisor, travel is an investment in life-changing experiences.  .

Our goal is to know you and your travel dreams, so that we can make them your reality.

EXPLORE SPECIALTIES

Wildlife photography in the Galapagos or the Serengeti? Ancient ruins in Cambodia or Egypt? Tropical escapes in the South Pacific? Wine tours in Europe? Penguins in Antarctica? Island-hopping in Greece? We are ready to plan your next adventure!

In addition to bucket-list travel destinations, we plan travel for:

Milestone Celebrations (Retirement, Anniversaries, Birthdays, Graduations) Family Trips; Reunions Romantic Getaways Affinity Groups (Yacht Clubs, Friend Groups, Wine Groups, Book Clubs) Solo Women Travelers

GROUP TRIPS

EXPLORE TRIPS

We would be delighted to plan a trip for your group or to have you join us on one of our group adventures!

Collect your boating buddies! Grab your girlfriends and escape! Get the whole extended family together! Gather those college friends! Reconnect with your loved one! Invite your favorite neighbors! 

You’re ready to go! Who will share your excitement as your travel companions?

Kind words from clients.

"We were part of a boat trip that Danielle planned and hosted on the Canal du Midi in France. She is so organized and we appreciated her great communication. We especially loved the private tour and dinner at a local vineyard and the small group tour of Carcassonne. We will definitely work with Sound Of The Sea Travel in the future."

- Rob and Mary B Pennsylvania

"Danielle was so helpful in our trip planning for our recent Mediterranean cruise. Her recommendations completely transformed our visit into a trip of a lifetime. Danielle is amazing at matching our personalities to the experiences we were looking for, so thoughtful and easy to work with! Highly recommend!

- Bob and Melissa C. Washington

ON THE BLOG

Floating through Friuli-Venezia, Italy

Boating through beautiful alaska, sisters snorkel in curacao.

EXPLORE THE BLOG

 We would love to design your next adventure on the water!

Sound of the sea travel is a viking certified expert,  schedule your complimentary consult call..

SPECIALTIES

FREE RESOURCE

© 2023 SOUND OF THE SEA  |  SITE TERMS   |  PRIVACY POLICY  | T&C's

SITE DESIGN BY GIRLBOSS DESIGNER

Sign up for our email list for insider news

Connect on social.

• Travel Specials
• Meet Our Staff
• Affiliate Programs
• Travel Inspiration
• Book With Confidence
• REAL ID Act
• Travel Insurance
• Booking Information

Sand & C Travel, Inc.

Trust your precious vacation with our travel professionals, your precious vacation begins here.

Your vacation is precious.  It is an investment in time and money and is a rare chance to get away, relax and explore our incredible world.  So you want to make sure it is planned right to truly be precious moments.  You want to be confident that the destination, itinerary and accommodations will meet your expectations. Now more than ever you want to be confident in booking your next badly needed vacation.  Whether you prefer to travel on a cruise, escorted land tour, resort vacation or river cruise an experienced travel consultant will help make that trip of a lifetime a reality without the frustrations of doing it alone.   And, with Sand & C Travel, in addition to expert, objective advice, you usually secure exclusive extra amenities such as shipboard credits, transportation, agency discounts and/or use of our power convertors when traveling overseas.  Plus, with our wide array of group space blocked with various cruise lines you will get even more added value for your next cruise vacation!  We offer the personal service of a  family-owned travel agency combined with the buying power of a national travel retailer.   You are getting professional travel planning with more value than you can get booking direct on your own.  So let us help you make your precious travel dreams come true!

Dedicated to helping our clients travel better, our experienced agents are passionate about sharing their industry knowledge and first-hand insights.

SEE THE WHOLE TEAM

Charles Rosenberg

Elaine Baron

Your information will only be used to connect with this travel specialist

Featured Video

Cruising is getting easier!

Join our mailing list, agency specialties, preferred suppliers.

Air/Sea International Travel  serves their clientele with expert advice , unforgettable experiences , and exclusive perks and upgrades . We are a proud member of Virtuoso , a network of the world's finest travel agencies and advisors. Air/Sea provides access to a virtual worldwide network of top vendors creating a customized itinerary with you , the traveler, in mind. Air/Sea understands what you need to feel comfortable and offers you the ultimate luxury experience. Air/Sea is proud to have been serving the Memphis and the Mid-South since 1975.

It's time for a getaway...

Find your advisor.

Our expert travel advisors will curate a uniquely perfect experience for you. 

Plan Your Dream Destination

Explore the endless opportunities for your next adventure.

Testimonials

We've been serving the travel enthusiast since 1975. Hear what our clients have to say.

South Seas Adventures

Location & Hours

Suggest an edit

7171 N 63rd St

Longmont, CO 80503

Serving Longmont Area

You Might Also Consider

Ambassador Passport & Visa Services

Rikki K. said "I was shocked to find my passport was nearing expiration and I am booked to leave the country soon! Ambassador services was great! I received my passport in a couple of weeks plus she retook my terrible pharmacy passport photo and…" read more

in Passport & Visa Services

Foothills Limousine

Christine C. said "Foothills Limousine service was outstanding! 8 of us went out to dinner to celebrate a big birthday. The only way we could all ride together without driving was to hire a limousine service. I had a hard time finding one that could…" read more

R Travel Adventures

Mother & Daughter Duo who turned their travel obsession into a travel profession. We are here to help with all of your travel needs! Take the stress out of vacation planning by letting us handle all of the details for you! read more

in Travel Agents

About the Business

Business owner information

Business Owner

At South Seas Adventures, a Colorado-based independent travel agency, we specialize in travel and tourism in the South Pacific. Our goal is to provide the best travel experience for you and your family. When it comes to finding the perfect luxury honeymoon packages, our travel agents have decades of experience. Some of our specialties: - Romantic Honeymoon Packages - Bora Bora Vacation Packages - Fiji All Inclusive Resorts - Overwater Bungalows The South Seas is home to some of the most romantic luxury honeymoon packages, including Fiji, Bora Bora, French Polynesia, and more. These islands offer some of the best luxury honeymoon packages for those looking for quite, romantic spots and those looking for sunny adventures. Let us know exactly how we can help you find the perfect honeymoon package. …

Ask the Community

Ask a question

Yelp users haven’t asked any questions yet about South Seas Adventures .

Recommended Reviews

• 1 star rating Not good
• 2 star rating Could’ve been better
• 3 star rating OK
• 4 star rating Good
• 5 star rating Great

Select your rating

Overall rating

My girlfriend and I decided randomly to take a trip to the South Pacific. Try googling South Pacific Islands and see what you get. We found that the sites were overwhelming and confusing. We didn't know what island would be best for us, where to find a real deal exclusive package that wasn't a scam etc. Figuring out the time difference with flights alone was insane. Thank you South Sea Adventures! This travel agency, based in CO, helped us plan our trip for free- well we are sure they get a kick back from the places they reccomend but still. All of the employees, including our agent, Tree, (yes that is her name), have actually been to all of these islands and resorts. That is a huge factor when asking questions. In the end we settled on Fiji, specicially Taveuni, which seems to have all of the things that we asked for at a decent price- especially considering how far away it is! If you are thinking about a trip to Fiji, Bora Bora, Tahiti etc I def. reccomend South Sea Adventures. The place loses one star only because sometimes Tree did seem a bit put out by our questions - like once she had our business she didn't go out of her way as much but still a good place I think. I will report back post-trip!

When we initially contacted South Seas Adventures, we weren't sure if we wanted Tahiti, or Fiji, or something else. Tree helped provide options that were within our budget. We ended up going with Tree (we had talked to 3 other travel agents) because she was the only person who had actually BEEN there. That mattered to us when planning a trip that was so far away and a region of the world where we had never been. We ended up with Matangi Island in Fiji. We absolutely LOVED where we went and were VERY well taken care of there. I would use this travel agency again! There was a mix-up with flights and we were supposed to be at the resort for 7 nights, but because of this confusion it was only going to be 6. We got a free upgrade at the resort and Tree arranged for a hotel in Nadi the night we were stuck there. Feel free to message me if you have more questions!

My wife and I just came back from an amazing trip to Fiji. Fiji is truly beautiful. Our trip was booked through South Seas Adventures. What a great help they were. I booked this trip with Tiffany Hans. Tiffany is great! Her knowledge, professionalism and expertise made my trip arrangements easy, fast and helped my make the right decisions. If you ever want to go Fiji (or anywhere in the South Pacific), I highly recommend Tiffany and South Seas Adventures for your travel needs. Tiffany Hans http://www.south-seas-adventures.com/ 866-873-6118

My Fiance and I were trying to find a great deal at a resort in the south pacific, and somehow in our search we got hooked up with South Seas Adventures! Cindy is our travel agent, and has helped us so much! In this day & age it's hard to know what you are getting yourself into when you go through an online company. Cindy was quick to answer our questions and help us with our concerns, it really made us feel like we were sitting at her desk...even though we are in CA and she in CO. A trustworthy source if you ask me. I usually book everything myself, but it was nice to have someone else to take care of the booking details for me. The airline canceled our departure flight about a month ago, and Cindy was quick to call and give us our options, and make the necessary changes to our itinerary. Thanks Cindy!

My wife and I wanted to have our wedding and honeymoon in the south pacific but didn't want to have too many people or huge resorts on the island to spoil the natural beauty of the location. Tree was our travel agent, she turned us on to the Cook Islands and after a bit of research we were hooked. Tree helped us plan our flights form LAX to Rarotonga and the transfers to Aitutaki. We had an amazing time, it was the one trip I have been on where everything was better than I had anticipated. Everything was in place, there was nothing for us to fix or worry about . Tree even found us a local wedding planner who arranged our wedding on an uninhabited island just off shore. We will be calling Tree for our next vacation out of the country. Thanks Tree!

3 other reviews that are not currently recommended

Other Travel Services Nearby

Travel N Relax

Offering Fully Customized Romance and Celebration Travel; Family & Group travel; Disney & Universal Destinations; Ski Trips and River & Ocean Cruise Vacations! read more

in Travel Services

Globe Getaways

Steve A. said "What a great way to plan travel and book travel! Our family was looking for a last minute destination during the holidays and felt frustrated that we could not find any suitable beach places to escape the heat. We contacted Amy with…" read more

People Also Viewed

Dream Weaver Travel

Natural Habitat Adventures

Weaver’s Dive & Travel Center

One Way Adventure

Gold Key Travel

Brent Mahaffey - Dream Vacations

Flatirons Scuba and Travel

Cohica Travel

Boulder Travel Agency

My Best Friend Went

Best of Longmont

Things to do in Longmont

People found South Seas Adventures by searching for…

Tour And Travel Agency Longmont

Browse Nearby

Restaurants

Other Places Nearby

Find more Tours near South Seas Adventures

Find more Travel Services near South Seas Adventures

Related Cost Guides

Town Car Service

Suggested Searches

• Climate Change
• Expedition 64
• Mars perseverance
• SpaceX Crew-2
• International Space Station
• View All Topics A-Z

Humans in Space

Earth & climate, the solar system, the universe, aeronautics, learning resources, news & events.

NASA, Global Astronomers Await Rare Nova Explosion

NASA Scientists Take to the Seas to Study Air Quality

NASA to Change How It Points Hubble Space Telescope

• Search All NASA Missions
• A to Z List of Missions
• Upcoming Launches and Landings
• Spaceships and Rockets
• Communicating with Missions
• James Webb Space Telescope
• Hubble Space Telescope
• Why Go to Space
• Commercial Space
• Destinations
• Living in Space
• Explore Earth Science
• Earth, Our Planet
• Earth Science in Action
• Earth Multimedia
• Earth Science Researchers
• Pluto & Dwarf Planets
• Asteroids, Comets & Meteors
• The Kuiper Belt
• The Oort Cloud
• Skywatching
• The Search for Life in the Universe
• Black Holes
• The Big Bang
• Dark Energy & Dark Matter
• Earth Science
• Planetary Science
• Astrophysics & Space Science
• The Sun & Heliophysics
• Biological & Physical Sciences
• Lunar Science
• Citizen Science
• Astromaterials
• Aeronautics Research
• Human Space Travel Research
• Science in the Air
• NASA Aircraft
• Flight Innovation
• Supersonic Flight
• Air Traffic Solutions
• Green Aviation Tech
• Drones & You
• Technology Transfer & Spinoffs
• Space Travel Technology
• Technology Living in Space
• Manufacturing and Materials
• Science Instruments
• For Kids and Students
• For Educators
• For Colleges and Universities
• For Professionals
• Science for Everyone
• Requests for Exhibits, Artifacts, or Speakers
• STEM Engagement at NASA
• NASA's Impacts
• Centers and Facilities
• Directorates
• Organizations
• People of NASA
• Internships
• Our History
• Doing Business with NASA

Get Involved

• Aeronáutica
• Ciencias Terrestres
• Sistema Solar
• All NASA News
• Video Series on NASA+
• Newsletters
• Social Media
• Media Resources
• Upcoming Launches & Landings
• Virtual Events
• Sounds and Ringtones
• Interactives
• STEM Multimedia

Amendment 19: D.18 Euclid General Investigator Program: Names must be omitted from References.

PACE Celebrates National Ocean Month With Colorful Views of the Planet

Hubble Examines a Barred Spiral’s Light

NASA Astronauts Practice Next Giant Leap for Artemis 

Former Astronaut David R. Scott

Space Station Research Advances NASA’s Plans to Explore the Moon, Mars

NASA Mission Flies Over Arctic to Study Sea Ice Melt Causes

Webb Finds Plethora of Carbon Molecules Around Young Star

Solid State Quantum Magnetometers—Seeking out water worlds from the quantum world

C.12 Planetary Instrument Concepts for the Advancement of Solar System Observations POC Change

The Big Event, 2025

Black Hole Week

Amendment 20: F.20 MOSAICS Seed Funding formerly SMD Bridge Program Seed Funding Final Text.

ARMD Solicitations

Winners Announced in Gateways to Blue Skies Aeronautics Competition

NASA, Industry to Start Designing More Sustainable Jet Engine Core

B.10 Heliophysics Flight Opportunities Studies Correction

Tech Today: Measuring the Buzz, Hum, and Rattle

Artemis Generation Shines During NASA’s 2024 Lunabotics Challenge 

NASA Marshall Engineer Receives AIAA Honors Award

Meet the Simunauts: Ohio State Students to Test Space Food Solutions for NASA

Diez maneras en que los estudiantes pueden prepararse para ser astronautas

Astronauta de la NASA Marcos Berríos

Resultados científicos revolucionarios en la estación espacial de 2023

Nasa invites media to watch agency’s break the ice lunar challenge final phase.

Beth Ridgeway

• Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA will announce the winners of the final phase of its Break the Ice Lunar Challenge on Wednesday, June 12 at Alabama A&M University’s (AAMU) Agribition Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The challenge aims to develop new technologies that could support a sustained human presence on the Moon by the end of the decade.

Media and the public are invited to watch the six finalists test their robots in live competitions. Opening remarks from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center leadership in Huntsville will begin at 8 a.m. CDT on Tuesday, June 11. Teams will compete from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day during the two-day event, with the winner announcement at 5 p.m. in a ceremony on June 12 at the Agribition Center.

Media interested in covering the event should confirm their attendance with Jonathan Deal by 3 p.m. Monday, June 10, at [email protected] .

Each team will focus on mastering two components during the two-day event: excavation and transportation. Six identically sized concrete slabs, measuring about 300 cubic feet, will be placed inside the arena for the finalists’ robots to dig. The slabs will have qualities like the icy regolith found in permanently shadowed craters at the Moon’s South Pole. A gravity-offloading crane system will apply the counterweights on the excavating robots to simulate the one-sixth gravity experienced on the Moon.

Each team will have one hour to dig as much material as possible or until they reach the payload capacity of their excavation robot. Up to three top-performing teams can test their solution inside one of NASA Marshall’s thermal vacuum chambers, which can simulate the temperature and vacuum conditions at the lunar South Pole.

Outside the Agribition Center, challenge teams will take turns on a custom-built track outfitted with slopes, boulders, pebbles, rocks, and gravel to simulate the lunar surface. This volatile surface will stretch approximately 300 meters and include several twists and turns for more intermediate handling. Each team will get one hour on the track to deliver a payload and return to the starting point. Times, distances, and pitfalls will be recorded independently.

After this event, the first-place winner will receive $1 million, and the second-place winner will receive $500,000.

The awards ceremony will be livestreamed on Marshall YouTube and NASA Prize Facebook.

Since 2020, competitors have worked to design, build, and test icy regolith excavation and transportation technologies for near-term lunar missions that address key operational elements and environmental constraints. The six finalists who succeeded in Phase 2: Level 2 of the challenge were announced in December 2023 .

On Earth, the mission architectures developed in this challenge aim to help guide machine design and operation concepts for future mining and excavation operations and equipment for decades.

Located a few miles east of the AAMU campus, the Agribition (“agriculture” plus “exhibition”) Center is managed by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System with support from AAMU and its College of Agricultural, Life, and Natural Sciences.

The Break the Ice Lunar Challenge is a  NASA Centennial Challenge  led by the agency’s  Marshall Space Flight Center , supported by NASA’s Kennedy Space Center  in Florida. Centennial Challenges are part of the  Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program  led by NASA’s  Space Technology Mission Directorate  and managed at NASA Marshall. Ensemble Consultancy supports the management of competitors for this challenge.

Learn more about Break the Ice.

Jonathan Deal Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.  256-544-0034   [email protected] 

Related Terms

Centennial Challenges

Explore More

Discover Related Topics

Break the Ice Challenge

NASA Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

• Local Media Release

Chicago CBP hits the road for Global Entry applicants

CHICAGO– U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Chicago have taken the initiative to alleviate the backlog of Global Entry applications from the pandemic and are traveling to different sites allowing those passengers who are conditionally approved to complete their interview on the spot.

Chicago Global Entry Mobile unit first started doing these community outreach events in 2016. They started these events based on feedback from travelers who would go to O’Hare to complete their Global Entry interview. They mentioned how great it would be if CBP could do these events at their company for other employees. Initially CBP did these events with local corporations and universities, but word spread quickly, and the events grew in 2017.  CBP conducted 15 events totaling 1,722 interviews, along with one travel show. Two of those events were conducted in different states, Iowa, and Indiana, and another four were in lower Illinois to include the University of Illinois.

“The officers assigned to the Global Entry Mobile team are thinking out of the box helping travelers complete their interviews, especially as many are planning upcoming trips,” said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Director of Field Operations, Chicago Field Office. “Being able to visit smaller locations that don’t have a Global Entry office, saves our customers time and money. They can complete their last step so they can start enjoying the benefits of Global Entry.”

In 2018 and 2019 CBP conducted 61 mobile events in Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, and South Dakota completing an astounding 7,532 interviews for conditionally approved Global Entry members. Things slowed down in 2020, 2021, and 2022 due to COVID, but CBP still conducted three events and over 220 interviews. In 2023, with many passengers wanting to travel, the mobile unit again deployed conducting 18 events and a whopping 5,976 interviews, their largest number of interviews in one year.

“Companies ask us to do an event at their location because it boosts the worker’s morale and it shows upper management cares about the employees,” said Matt Weimer, Chicago Mobile Global Entry coordinator. “And the reason we conduct events in other states, is because some states don’t even have enrollment centers or only one for the whole state and appointments are hard to come by.”

This year the mobile team is back on the road and has already done 17 events and completed 2,288 global entry interviews, with plans to do more. To find out where the next event is visit @CBPChicago on X.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is America's frontline: the nation's largest law enforcement organization and the world's first unified border management agency. The 65,000+ men and women of CBP protect America on the ground, in the air, and on the seas. We facilitate safe, lawful travel and trade and ensure our country's economic prosperity. We enhance the nation's security through innovation, intelligence, collaboration, and trust.

Become a VIP Client - Click Here to Join Today!

803-526-4289

• Why Use a Travel Advisor
• Our Process
• Referral Program
• Our Business Partners
• Honeymoons in St. Lucia
• All Inclusive
• Luxury Travel
• River Cruise
• Ocean Cruising
• 2025 Sailings
• Group Travel
• Family Travel
• Golf Vacations & Groups
• Iberostar Golf Vacations
• Travel Insurance
• Newsletter/Magazine
• Travel Blog
• Facebook Groups
• Travel Resources
• Top 7 Wedding Guide
• Beach Wedding Guide
• First Time Cruise Guide

Welcome aboard, Sun Bums! We're Sea & Sun Travel, your top-notch guides for premium travel and romantic getaways with a splash of fun. Since our launch in 2021, we've dedicated ourselves to designing unforgettable journeys where joy, adventure, and romance converge in the most breathtaking destinations.

Our vibrant team of travel enthusiasts excels in creating one-of-a-kind experiences for our clients. From amazing honeymoons to anniversary celebrations that'll make your heart skip a beat, our romance experts are like your personal travel Cupids. Dreaming of a destination wedding? Whether it's a barefoot ceremony on a pristine beach or under a blanket of stars in a remote setting, we sprinkle a bit of Sea & Sun magic to make your wedding day uniquely yours.

At the heart of our offerings is the promise of premium indulgence. Think serene beachside resorts, exclusive river cruises, and thrilling safari adventures that bring you face-to-face with the wild majesty of Africa. Our specialists are committed to ensuring every aspect of your trip is seamlessly orchestrated, offering an elevated experience that dazzles and delights.

We believe in making the extraordinary accessible. Our safari gurus, for instance, are magicians at curating wildlife encounters that are simply breathtaking. Imagine enjoying a serene sunset as the wilderness comes alive around you – that's just the beginning with us.

Whether you're a travel aficionado or just starting to explore the world's wonders, we're by your side. Our team is adept at designing trips that blend thrilling adventures, premium comfort, and those unforgettable 'wow' moments. We take care of the details, so you can focus on soaking up every second of your adventure.

Looking to conquer your bucket list? We're here to make it happen. From enchanting European escapades and Caribbean retreats to overwater bungalows in the Maldives and voyages to the icy frontiers of Antarctica, we turn your dream trips into reality, making every journey extraordinary.

As your dedicated specialists in premium travel and romantic escapades, we're not just about planning vacations; we're about creating memories that linger long after your tan has faded. So, why wait? Reach out to us, your fellow Sun Bums at Sea & Sun Travel, and let's embark on your next adventure. 

It's time to embrace the journey of a lifetime and let us be 'Your Passport to the Next Unforgettable Adventure !'

Meet the Sea & Sun Travel Agency Team

 At Sea & Sun Travel Agency, we believe that behind every great travel experience is a team of passionate and dedicated travel professionals. Allow us to introduce our remarkable team, ready to make your travel dreams a reality. 

April Robbe, CEO and CVO

Indulge in unforgettable romance with april robbe, your certified romance travel advisor.

Allow us to introduce April Robbe, co-owner, Chief Executive Officer and certified romance travel advisor, who will orchestrate your most enchanting and memorable journeys.

April's love affair with travel began at the age of 18, igniting a passion for exploration that has taken her to over 10 stunning Caribbean islands. Her expertise and firsthand knowledge of these paradisiacal destinations ensure that your romantic escape is nothing short of extraordinary.

Specializing in destination weddings, including planning her own, April is a master at crafting unforgettable moments of love and celebration. From coordinating wedding packages to seamlessly managing groups of over 50, she flawlessly executes every detail, leaving you free to bask in the joy of your special day.

For those seeking a blissful honeymoon, April's dedication to creating amazing experiences shines through. With her extensive knowledge of luxurious Caribbean all-inclusive resorts and European destinations, she curates tailor-made honeymoons that exude elegance and romance.

River cruises and customized European itineraries are among April's areas of expertise. She will guide you through the picturesque landscapes of Europe, curating immersive experiences that transport you to the heart of each enchanting destination.

As your dedicated romance travel advisor, April provides high-level personal services, ensuring that your journey is relaxing and seamless from beginning to end. With meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to excellence, she goes above and beyond to exceed your expectations and create a truly magical experience.

Immerse yourself in the world of romance and travel, where each moment is filled with love and wonder. Contact April Robbe today and let her passion for romance and expertise in travel weave together to create an unforgettable journey, leaving you with cherished memories that will last a lifetime.

Discover the epitome of romance, luxury, and extraordinary adventures with April Robbe, your trusted romance travel advisor.

Specialties

April is a recognized Romance Travel Specialist with the Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Specialist Association (DWHSA). This specialization enables April to craft enchanting and unforgettable experiences for couples, ensuring that your destination wedding or honeymoon is nothing short of extraordinary.  April is currently taking her Certified Travel Associate course with The Travel Institute and is expected to become a CTA by Spring 2024.

Furthermore, April's commitment to excellence is exemplified by her certifications from all of our preferred land-based suppliers. This wide-ranging expertise allows her to provide you with a portfolio of extraordinary options, ensuring that every aspect of your journey is meticulously crafted to perfection.

Destination & Travel Specialties:

Destination Weddings & Honeymoons

Women-Only Travel

Caribbean/Mexico

River Cruises

French Polynesia

Contact April

Phone: 803-526-4289

Email: [email protected]

Mike Robbe, COO (CTA, CCC)

Discover the world with mike, your trusted certified luxury travel advisor.

Are you ready to embark on a journey that will transport you to the pinnacle of luxury and adventure? Look no further, because Mike Robbe , co-owner of Sea & Sun Travel Agency, Chief Operating Officer and certified luxury travel advisor, is here to curate your most extraordinary travel experiences.

With a lifelong passion for exploration and a jetsetter's spirit, Mike has been globe-trotting since the tender age of 4. His passport boasts stamps from over 30 countries, and he continues to chase breathtaking destinations with unbridled enthusiasm.

Specializing in premium & luxury travel and cruising, Mike's expertise lies in crafting amazing experiences that bring your wildest dreams to life. Whether it's an opulent European escapade, an African safari, a tropical paradise retreat, or a luxury cruise, he leaves no stone unturned in curating an unforgettable experience that caters to your unique preferences.

Bucket list travel? Consider it done. Mike is your guide to ticking off those once-in-a-lifetime experiences that have been lingering in the depths of your imagination. From amazing game drives seeking the Big 5 in Africa to walking with penguins on the White Continent, Antarctica, he transforms your dreams into tangible realities.   

Mike's proficiency in premium and luxury cruising offers an ocean of possibilities, from intimate river cruises along historic waterways to majestic voyages across the high seas aboard amazing cruise lines. 

Let Mike Robbe be your trusted advisor, orchestrating a relaxing and seamless travel experience that exceeds all expectations. Embrace the world of luxury, adventure, and unforgettable moments.

Unlock the door to unparalleled travel experiences by reaching out to Mike today. Your extraordinary journey awaits.

Mike is not only a Certified Cruise Counselor (CCC) with the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), he has received the designation Certified Travel Associate with The Travel Institute, one of the travel industry's most recognized certification programs. He is also a recognized Romance Travel Specialist with the Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Specialist Association (DWHSA). This specialization enables Mike to craft enchanting and unforgettable experiences for couples, ensuring that your destination wedding or honeymoon is nothing short of extraordinary.

Additionally, Mike holds the title of a Luxury Travel Specialist certified by The Travel Institute and is a recent graduate of CLIA's Luxury Cruise Travel Certificate Program. These designations showcases his in-depth knowledge of luxury travel trends, destinations, and experiences. When you work with Mike, you can expect a level of sophistication, refinement, and opulence that is tailored to your unique preferences and desires.

Customized Itineraries - Honeymoons

Maldives & Seychelles

African Safari

River Cruising

Premium/Luxury Ocean Cruising

Expedition Cruising

Caribbean & Mexico

Middle East

Sports Travel

Private Aviation & Yacht Charters

Contact Mike

Email: [email protected]

Our Travels

Grand Teton National Park

Buy a gift card for your future travel plans or give a friend or family member a gift.  Order yours today!

Some of Our Certifications

Ethical travel advisor pledge.

 This badge certifies that our agency has agreed to the Ethical Travel Agent standards of practice. When you work with this agency, you may rest assured you are working with someone who will treat your vacation with the highest standards of care. 

We agree to the following guidelines: 

• Our agency will always apply payments directly to my clients’ trips 
• Our agency will always provide a detailed invoice and copy of the vendor’s client confirmation within 7 days of payment. 
• Our agency will always require a credit card authorization form along with appropriate documentation as required by the vendor. Otherwise, our written/memorialized communications will serve as sufficient authorization for any purchases. 
• Our agency will always protect clients’ personal information in every way reasonably possible Our agency will always provide clients with contact information for my host agency or agencies so they can verify my identity. 
• Our agency will always, upon request, release any bookings directly to the vendor. 
• Our agency will always maintain all required licensing, legal, and contractual obligations as it pertains to my travel business. I will provide clients with said information upon request. 
• Our agency will never represent myself as a travel insurance expert. I will offer clients general information and a copy of the proposed policy for review. I will defer to the proposed insurer for detailed information. 
• Our agency will, in all communications and advertisements, convey the Seller of Travel Numbers of my host agency so long as my contract with them is valid and I have not breached any contractual or legal obligations. 
• Our agency will always provide clients with accurate information regarding our experience and training. 
• Our agency will endeavor to direct clients to the following resources in the event of a mishap in our business interactions: To email us and call us at the contact information we provided at the time of the booking regarding any issues they may have. We will make sure to provide any records we have of previous contacts and will ask the client to do the same for clarity. If we fail to respond within 14 days of a financial transaction, clients have been directed to contact the following: US! We may have just missed an email or voice mail.  The attorney general and/or any additional appropriate governing bodies of the state my agency is in Better Business Bureau. 
• Our agency will address any issues or concerns regarding any transaction with all relevant documentation within 7 days of a client’s request for same. 
• Our agency will maintain current, within 7 days of change, contact information including current legal name, address, email, phone, and other necessary personally identifiable information with my host and any local, state, administrative bodies, and/or federal entities as required by law, policy, or contractual obligation.
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service
• Terms & Conditions

Sea & Sun Travel Agency, LLC

168 Hwy 274 #302, Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (Mail Only)

For Your Luxury Travel Needs Visit Our Luxury Division - Robbe Luxury Travel

Florida Seller of Travel Ref. No. ST15578 - CST 2090937-50 – Washington UBID No. 603189022 - Iowa Registered Agency No. 1202

Copyright © 2023 Sea & Sun Travel Agency, LLC - All Rights Reserved.

This website uses cookies.

We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.

Join the Sea & Sun VIT Club for Exclusive Travel Perks!

 Unlock a world of exclusive benefits, special promotions, and expert travel tips by becoming a Very Important Traveler (VIT) with Sea & Sun Travel. Sign up now and start planning your next unforgettable adventure with ease and style! 

• [email protected]
• (808) 951-9800
• 50 S. Beretania Street, Suite C-211B, Honolulu, HI 96813

About Our Company

Air & Sea began in 1998 as a full service Travel Agency registered in Hawaii. We specialize in international group escorted tours and customized individual travel. Our tour directors are friendly, knowledgeable, service-oriented professionals with many years of experience. Our specialty is Asia tours: China, Japan, Korea, India, and Southeast Asia. We also offer group tours for Hawaii residents to Europe, South America, Africa, and Oceania. We have recently added cruises to our list of tour offerings.

Contact Info

• 50 S.Beretania St,#C-211B, Honolulu, HI 96813

SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER

Copyright © Air & Sea Travel Center 2022.All Right Reserved.

Website Designed & Developed by Webmaster Services Hawaii

How to plan your summer vacation to South Carolina’s Sea Islands

Jun 5, 2024 • 8 min read

Plan the perfect summer vacation in the Sea Islands with this step-by-step guide © Raquel Lonas / Getty Images

Amid inland  South Carolina 's year-round bliss – in  Charleston , Columbia and Greenville – the state’s shoreline particularly pops come summertime.

South of Myrtle Beach and stretching to the Georgia state line where Savannah awaits, you’ll find South Carolina's Sea Islands, a stretch of islands each with their own unique ambiance and summer flair.

Your options include the family-friendly and golf haven of Hilton Head, the historic downtown of Beaufort and more secluded options for bird-watching and fishing galore. As you finalize your Palmetto State summer itinerary, there are some key logistical must-knows to truly soak it all in. Here’s the scoop on South Carolina's Sea Islands.

First time in South Carolina? Here's everything you need to know before you go

Step 1: Pick a home base

Hilton head island.

Vibes: Consider this your island destination for staying occupied yet tranquil. Hilton Head is renowned for white-sand bliss, a small-town core and big-time resorts. This is the best option for a family vacation, too, with plenty of quirky activities spanning zip-lining its marshes to an extensive go-kart track, all of which you can find at Adventure Hilton Head  and other island spots.

Do: Hilton Head is a golfing destination with nearly 30 courses island-wide. Sea Pines Resort is a top pick, with three courses within its confines, including Harbour Town, which hosts the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage tournament. Otherwise, plop on a beach – Coligny Beach is fully equipped with restrooms, gazebos and benches for a seamless experience.

Stay: The Sweetgrass Inn at Hilton Head Health puts wellness front and center with daily health retreats, nutrition workshops and, for longer stays, a weight loss track, if desired. Beach House is laid-back, with an on-site tiki hut and recently renovated pool.

Eat: Hit Skull Creek Boathouse for a sunset and, within its on-site Dive Bar space, fresh sushi selections. Nectar Farm Kitchen has southern coastal fare down to an art, with sweet potato pancakes and hearty-portioned chicken and waffles.

Folly Beach

Vibes: A 20-minute drive south of Charleston, this is where residents of “the Holy City” head to unwind in the summer. The southern hospitality and general friendliness of Charleston oozes into its beachy neighbor, where locals trade in their bowties and pastel dresses for swim trunks and swimsuits. Its ocean’s edge is dotted with surf shops – like McKevlin’s and Ocean Surf Shop – with a spot known as the Washout being where veteran surfers flock for swells.

Do: For surfing newbies, take a lesson with local mainstays like Isla Surf School or Shaka Surf School , the latter of which hosts kids' summer camps and a Saturday surf and yoga class for women. Folly Beach has a unique saltwater creek and coastal marsh landscape – you can learn all about it and hunt for some shark teeth along the way with a Charleston Outdoor Adventures eco tour .

Stay: For views, each room at the Tides Folly Beach comes with a view of the Atlantic Ocean. Its on-site BLU Beach Bar & Grill has a tiki bar and one-of-a-kind vistas of the Folly Beach Pier which juts into the ocean next door. Regatta Inn is the island’s luxe bed-and-breakfast option, with a daily breakfast spread and golf cart shuttle to the beach.

Eat: Folly Beach is loaded with beach bars with fare and booze that run the full spectrum of no-frills to fancy. Lowlife Bar has a daily brunch from 10am to 3pm with a memorable Maryland-style crab cake, chicken and waffles and a pimento cheese plate. Three blocks off the beach, Jack of Cup Saloons serves up craft brews and sake with a variety of Indian and Asian-inspired dishes.

Edisto Island

Vibes: Approximately 50 miles southeast of Charleston, this island is dotted with beachside rentals on stilts, stately plantation abodes and stunning beaches. This is a more relaxed vibe compared to Hilton Head or Folly Beach, with plenty of quirky entertaining things to keep you occupied. An example – and not for the faint of heart – is the Edisto Island Serpentarium , with habitats for a variety of snakes, alligators and turtles.

Do: Edisto Beach State Park is arguably the hot spot for collecting shells in the state. Botany Bay is a marshy, bird-watching paradise where shorebirds, wild turkeys and egrets abound. This is a quiet spot for a sunset cruise, too, with Botany Bay Ecotours being a go-to operator.

Stay: Vacation rentals are the norm here. A conglomerate of rentals owned by Wyndham on the southwestern tip of the island offers the most options in a singular place. For golfers, there is a course – the Plantation Course – in the middle of the complex.

Eat: Cute and homegrown are the general culinary vibes on the island. McConkey’s Jungle Shack serves up wings, burgers, wild rum punch concoctions and a famed local sweet tea. Sea Cow Eatery is an intimate diner that’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner (minus Monday when it closes at 2pm). Regardless of what time of day it is, keep an eye on its ever-changing homemade pie selections.

Step 2: Book your accommodations

Vacation rentals abound along South Carolina’s coast. In general, individual owners or operating entities open up summer reservations either a year in advance or six months in advance, though it may vary. VRBO, AirBnb and HomeToGo are statewide favorites for rentals. Additionally, you may want to check the state’s tourism website for additional sanctioned options as well as local chambers of commerce.

Across the board on South Carolina’s sea islands, there are options for plopping it at a resort, within a vacation home or at a bed and breakfast and making memories solely on-property. If you’re looking to keep antsy guests or kids occupied, Hilton Head boasts the most things to do. Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort is perhaps the best of all worlds – quietly tucked on the northern edge of the island, exuding a casual vibe with a water slide and within minutes of shopping at Shelter Cove Harbour .

Traveling the US with kids? Here are our top tips for families

Step 3: Plan your days

Hilton Head is considered a fishing utopia, where spot-tailed trout, flounder, grouper and even sharks abound. Hilton Head is one of the largest breeding grounds for sharks on the East Coast and, yes, you can fish for them, too. You’ll need to charter a fishing boat – ideally with a captain, too, to make it seamless – and for that FishingBooker is trusted and up-to-date.

Beyond the islands, three city visits may be easily pinned to any South Carolina sea islands itinerary. Savannah, Georgia is within a 45-minute drive of Hilton Head Island – saunters through its brick public squares and along its boutique-filled main drag, Broughton Street, are musts. Charleston – closest to Folly Beach – is a cobblestone street wonderland, with a waterfront park overlooking Charleston Harbor and Fort Sumter making for a city-meets-tranquil reprieve. Beaufort – located between Hilton Head and Edisto – is on Port Royal Island and has a historic district worthy of a day trip. Its museum selections span the quirky (check out  the Kazoobie Kazoo Factory ) to the reflective – the Beaufort History Museum showcases more than 500 years of history with exhibits on plantation culture, the Spanish American War and more.

Step 4: Choose the best places to eat in South Carolina’s Sea Islands

In Hilton Head, the blue crab reigns supreme – crack some at Hudson’s Seafood House on the Docks , with vistas of Port Royal Sound and periodic live music. Otherwise, fresh seafood is the way to go along the coast with shrimp and grits, a lowcountry boil and seafood salad being menu norms.

The island towns are also home to some memorable mom-and-pop grocery stores with curated, South Carolina-bred items. Bert’s Market on Folly Beach has it all; stop by for pimento cheese, boiled peanuts and a visit to the deli counter. Palmetto Dunes General Store on Hilton Head Island is a haven for fresh fried chicken and soft-serve ice cream, among other grocery staples.

Step 5: Getting there

Two international airports generally serve as home bases for journeys to these parts. Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport is within a 45-minute drive of Hilton Head and more remote adventures in Daufuskie Island. Charleston International Airport is within 30 minutes of Folly Beach and approximately 2 hours north of Hilton Head. Hilton Head Island Airport also offers select domestic flights.

For train travel, Amtrak has a major station in Charleston, with a smaller operation in Yemassee, South Carolina – a taxi ride from the train station to the islands is the seamless option from there.

Step 6: What to pack

Check ahead of time to see what your hotel and/or vacation rental supplies in terms of beach items – they can vary drastically. Depending on what is provided and how much you’d like to pack, it may be wise to bring a cooler, snorkeling gear, goggles, water sports gear and water floats with you. Otherwise, during the summer months, count on using sunscreen, sunglasses, sun protective clothing, sandals and – in swampy areas – insect repellant, daily. Fortunately in the home bases we’ve outlined in (Step 1), souvenir shops sell all of the aforementioned, but count on paying a premium.

Explore related stories

Mar 25, 2021 • 7 min read

Georgia's coastline is surprisingly short, but its beaches are wonderfully wild, and memorably unique and shell-sprinkled. Here's a guide to the best.

Jun 6, 2024 • 7 min read

Jun 1, 2024 • 7 min read

May 26, 2024 • 6 min read

May 7, 2024 • 7 min read

Apr 29, 2024 • 11 min read

Apr 24, 2024 • 11 min read

Apr 19, 2024 • 10 min read

Mar 15, 2024 • 10 min read

Feb 16, 2024 • 6 min read

Get smartphone savvy the easy way: Join our seven-day email challenge to receive helpful tips each day.

AARP daily Crossword Puzzle

Hotels with AARP discounts

Life Insurance

AARP Dental Insurance Plans

AARP MEMBERSHIP 

AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal

Get instant access to members-only products, hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.

• right_container

Work & Jobs

Social Security

AARP en Español

• Membership & Benefits
• AARP Rewards
• AARP Rewards %{points}%

Conditions & Treatments

Drugs & Supplements

Health Care & Coverage

Health Benefits

Staying Fit

Your Personalized Guide to Fitness

Get Happier

Creating Social Connections

Brain Health Resources

Tools and Explainers on Brain Health

Your Health

8 Major Health Risks for People 50+

Scams & Fraud

Personal Finance

Money Benefits

View and Report Scams in Your Area

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide

Free Tax Preparation Assistance

AARP Money Map

Get Your Finances Back on Track

How to Protect What You Collect

Small Business

Age Discrimination

Flexible Work

Freelance Jobs You Can Do From Home

AARP Skills Builder

Online Courses to Boost Your Career

31 Great Ways to Boost Your Career

ON-DEMAND WEBINARS

Tips to Enhance Your Job Search

Get More out of Your Benefits

When to Start Taking Social Security

10 Top Social Security FAQs

Social Security Benefits Calculator

Medicare Made Easy

Original vs. Medicare Advantage

Enrollment Guide

Step-by-Step Tool for First-Timers

Prescription Drugs

9 Biggest Changes Under New Rx Law

Medicare FAQs

Quick Answers to Your Top Questions

Care at Home

Financial & Legal

Life Balance

LONG-TERM CARE

​Understanding Basics of LTC Insurance​

State Guides

Assistance and Services in Your Area

Prepare to Care Guides

How to Develop a Caregiving Plan

End of Life

How to Cope With Grief, Loss

Recently Played

Word & Trivia

Atari® & Retro

Members Only

Staying Sharp

Mobile Apps

More About Games

Right Again! Trivia

Right Again! Trivia – Sports

Atari® Video Games

Throwback Thursday Crossword

Travel Tips

Vacation Ideas

Destinations

Travel Benefits

Outdoor Vacation Ideas

Camping Vacations

Plan Ahead for Summer Travel

AARP National Park Guide

Discover Canyonlands National Park

History & Culture

8 Amazing American Pilgrimages

Entertainment & Style

Family & Relationships

Personal Tech

Home & Living

Celebrities

Beauty & Style

Movies for Grownups

Summer Movie Preview

Jon Bon Jovi’s Long Journey Back

Looking Back

50 World Changers Turning 50

Sex & Dating

Spice Up Your Love Life

Friends & Family

How to Host a Fabulous Dessert Party

Home Technology

Caregiver’s Guide to Smart Home Tech

Virtual Community Center

Join Free Tech Help Events

Create a Hygge Haven

Soups to Comfort Your Soul

AARP Solves 25 of Your Problems

Driver Safety

Maintenance & Safety

Trends & Technology

AARP Smart Guide

How to Clean Your Car

We Need To Talk

Assess Your Loved One's Driving Skills

AARP Smart Driver Course

Building Resilience in Difficult Times

Tips for Finding Your Calm

Weight Loss After 50 Challenge

Cautionary Tales of Today's Biggest Scams

7 Top Podcasts for Armchair Travelers

Jean Chatzky: ‘Closing the Savings Gap’

Quick Digest of Today's Top News

AARP Top Tips for Navigating Life

Get Moving With Our Workout Series

Washed Away

As more older Americans move to the coasts, rising seas are wiping out their homes — and retirement dreams.

Debris of the Fort Myers Beach Fishing Pier in Florida, destroyed by Hurricane Ian in September 2022

By Craig Welch

Photographs by Jesse Rieser

A Retirement Nightmare

Martha Shaw was ready. As forecasters in September 2022 warned of a storm bearing down on Florida’s Gulf Coast, she grabbed a blanket and her cane, stuffed a suitcase with clothes and loaded a kennel for her toy poodle, Andre, into her silver SUV. Shaw, who had just turned 84, had been through this before. Hurricane Charley in 2004 had damaged the roof and siding on her mobile home in Fort Myers. But inside, everything had stayed dry.

This time, Shaw planned to drive inland to a rest stop on Interstate 75, sleep in her car and return the following morning. But as warnings about Hurricane Ian grew more dire, she realized her plan was unsafe. In the pelting rain, she drove instead to an emergency shelter lined with cots and watched out a window as the Category 4 monster raged.

Ian’s storm surge pushed water inland from the Gulf of Mexico, flooding coastal areas including Fort Myers. Joe Guerra/TMX/Getty Images UGC

Ian’s winds approached 150 miles per hour, churning up a massive 14-foot storm surge. Water roared inland. Flooding overtopped houses, crumpled bridges and drove boats across roadways. More than 60 people drowned in the storm — some in their cars, others in their attics. Watching a small part of this disaster unfold, Shaw felt she was floating outside her body. “I was numb, in limbo,” she later told me, her voice cracking. “I didn’t know how to feel.”

A resident of Sunshine Mobile Village in Fort Myers captured this view of Ian’s floodwaters. Courtesy Barbara Verity

When the skies finally cleared and a friend drove Shaw back to the plot she owned at Sunshine Mobile Village, Shaw couldn’t believe her eyes. Half a mile inland from Fort Myers Beach, Ian had pushed fetid water nearly to her ceiling. The place was uninhabitable.

I met Shaw, 85, last September, a year to the day after Ian hit. I liked her immediately. She’s tall and funny, with an open smile, a big laugh and the quiet confidence of someone who spent her career ruling elementary school classrooms. When I asked about the storm, she sobbed briefly, so I apologized. “Oh, you didn’t upset me,” she said, graciously. “I mean, that’s how it hits me: in a little wave.”

Retired schoolteacher Martha Shaw at the site of her former residence

Stories like Shaw’s have always been part of living in coastal areas. But today those stories are growing more common, especially for people over 50. Flooding of all kinds is increasing along much of the nation’s shoreline. Due to rising sea levels tied to climate change, high-tide “nuisance” flooding now occurs three to nine times more often than it did 50 years ago, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). At the same time, hurricanes are getting stronger, bringing more rain and creating surges that push farther inland than ever. This means more damaged property, more shattered and lost lives.

And increasingly, the people in harm’s way are older. Between 1970 and 2022, the number of people over 65 living in counties along the country’s East, West, Gulf and Great Lakes coasts rose 159 percent. Over the same period, the percentage of younger people living in those areas actually dropped.

Water doesn’t discriminate by age, of course. In the devastating floods that hit Southern California in February — caused by a record-setting “atmospheric river” of rain — people of all ages lost power , lost their homes. Nine lost their lives. But the impact of flooding specifically on older people is “often underappreciated,” says Anamaria Bukvic, a Virginia Tech assistant professor who studies that impact. Even minor floods can be disastrous for this population, preventing access to food, medicine or emergency care; shutting off power, heat or air-conditioning; or draining limited savings . People with mobility or cognitive issues may live in dwellings not designed for big floods. Some people can’t — or won’t — evacuate. If they do, relocation may trigger anxiety and loneliness.

“Their whole world is often right in their home — that’s their whole life,” says Erin McLeod, who runs Senior Friendship Centers in Southwest Florida. “And they wonder: If they leave, will they be able to get back? Will that home still be there?”

Fort Myers Beach, located on a barrier island, is still recovering from the 2022 storm.

As a journalist who specializes in climate reporting, I’ve tracked our changing planet for much of my adult life. Over decades, I’ve seen scientists fine-tune their ability to link emissions from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas to the changes we see all around us, including flooding. Not everyone is comfortable with this, but the evidence keeps growing stronger. Last year was the Earth’s warmest since NOAA’s recordkeeping began in 1850, and the last 10 years were the warmest 10 on record.

The Sunshine State has one of the country’s highest percentages of citizens over 65 — and 1.8 million properties facing substantial flood risks.

I know the damage this change has wrought. In 2017, just weeks after Hurricane Harvey dumped up to 40 inches of rain on Houston, several of the nation’s top experts told me that excess warmth had increased Harvey’s torrential rains. Since then, NOAA scientists have published research highlighting another factor: Thanks to atmospheric warming, tropical cyclones, including Harvey, have been moving more slowly since the 1950s, allowing them to linger longer and deliver more punishing blows. Research also showed that up to half of the 106,000 properties damaged by Harvey’s floods would have been spared if the climate had not been changing.

More than 18 months after Hurricane Ian, debris like this disabled boat is still in evidence.

So, wanting to understand the burdens hitting older people on the coasts, I made my way to two of the hardest-hit regions in this nation: New Jersey and Florida’s Gulf Coast.

In five counties across New Jersey, at least half of people 65 and older live in flood zones. In Cape May, one Category 2 hurricane could be enough to flood half of older residents’ homes.

The Sunshine State, on the other hand, has one of the country’s highest percentages of citizens over 65 — and 1.8 million properties facing “substantial” flood risks. Fully 99 percent of dwellings in Naples, for example, have a 1 in 4 shot at being flooded during the span of a traditional mortgage.

Shaw’s neighbors Barbara and Dave Verity are in the process of rebuilding their home at ground level.

That danger is only growing. Every major scientific body, from NOAA to the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, has concluded that flooding risks will keep ticking up. As polar ice caps in Greenland and Antarctica melt, for example, and oceans absorb heat and expand, global sea levels have risen at least 8 inches since the 1880s. Roughly half of that increase has come since the early 1990s. And that rate is accelerating.

A few inches of sea level rise may not sound like much, but those few extra inches can make rivers overflow their banks, levees give way, or floodwaters enter a business or home. Just look at Charleston, South Carolina. Through the 20th century, Charleston faced at most 35 floods a year. But coastal waters there have risen more than the global average, and in 2019 the city saw 89 floods. “When I moved here 20 years ago, no one was talking about climate change or sea level rise,” says resident Susan Lyons, 80.

But in 2015, monster rains and an extra-high “king” tide let 3 feet of water pool in the crawl space under Lyons’ house, which is two blocks from the Ashley River and eight from Charleston Harbor. She spent thousands of dollars fixing duct work. Floods returned in 2016 and 2017, when Lyons helped to found a grassroots local group to press city officials to take flooding seriously. As her group pushes for drainage improvements and other flood preparations, she says, “I’m just a senior anxiously waiting for the next storm.”

The Veritys’ bedroom was still a work in progress in March of this year.

Martha Shaw surveyed the damage after Hurricane Ian. Her home looked like a dollhouse ransacked by an angry child. An oak spinet piano was flipped on its back. Floodwaters had ripped the mattress from her bed, tipped over bookshelves and crushed her jewelry box. Her heavy drop-leaf dining table had floated into her living room. A muddy waterline smeared a print of the Madonna hanging on a wall.

Sunshine Mobile Village in March 2024; many destroyed homes have been cleared and not yet rebuilt.

Shaw was shattered. She felt she’d done everything right. As a teacher in San Bernardino, California, she’d been careful with her money, so when she retired in 2002, she was able to move to Florida and pay cash for her home. She was a single woman, living alone, but she knew where everything was — her puzzles, her Christmas ornaments, her Hummel figurines. Every morning, she and Andre would meet two neighbors and their dogs , Otis and Rocco, near a bench by a tree. It had been a terrific life, but it seemed to be over.

The days that followed came as such a blur that Shaw felt as if they were happening to someone else. A nephew and volunteers came by and saved what they could, including figurines and a few clothes, which she salvaged by scrubbing them with vinegar and dish detergent. But most of Shaw’s pants and blouses looked and smelled as if they’d been stored for weeks in a ditch. She tossed them, along with her furniture. Looters made off with her generator, her mother’s silver— and an engraved pistol her father, a highway patrolman, had received as an award for valor.

Sunshine Mobile Village shortly after the storm; the waterline in Shaw’s living room cuts through framed artwork on the walls.

Within weeks it became clear that Shaw’s home could not be saved. She couldn’t even step all the way inside the house; the carpet was too dangerously slick for her unsteady legs. Below the carpet, the floorboards were weak and waterlogged — neighbors feared they’d collapse. Mold had taken root and smelled so vile and toxic that Shaw wore two COVID-19 masks, even in the doorway.

It didn’t take long for panic to set in. Shaw was paid up on her homeowners insurance, but it didn’t cover floods. Since water had never entered her home before, even during previous hurricanes, she’d let the flood policy lapse. That’s not uncommon, especially because the cost of flood insurance has been going up. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), through which most people buy flood insurance, is in debt to the U.S. Treasury from paying out claims. So, under pressure from Congress, the agency has raised rates to better reflect the costs of flood damage claims. That has driven hundreds of thousands of homeowners to drop coverage, according to a 2022 analysis by Politico’s E&E News. In fact, less than one-third of the 1.8 million households in counties in Ian’s path had flood insurance at all.

CONTENT CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT

Shaw was eligible for some assistance from FEMA, but not enough to rebuild her home. Like thousands in Southwest Florida, she was stuck. Volunteer crews moved her to a huge new shelter inside an old Sears store, but she had to house Andre with the other pets at the building’s far end. Shaw could visit him only when an aide found a wheelchair and the time to push her there.

She learned that rules to protect homeowners during future floods meant any new building in Sunshine Mobile Village would need to be elevated. Given her cane, that meant adding an expensive elevator. Even with homeowners insurance — which paid for the wind damage but not the water damage — and grants, she’d need a mortgage and, during construction, a place to live, for which she’d owe rent. It slowly dawned on Shaw that if she rebuilt, she’d be out hundreds of thousands of dollars for a life that weeks earlier had cost her almost nothing. She felt overwhelmed. By late fall of 2022, workers at the shelter were trying to nudge her into assisted living, but she didn’t want to live in a group setting. Shaw considered living in her car. Even if her place was gone, this area was still her home. Where else was she supposed to go?

Shaw could feel herself shutting down and giving up. All day at the shelter, she sat and did puzzles. Then one day, she recalls, “I finally said, ‘You’ve got to get out of the chair. ’ ”

Joe Prigun sits on the site of his former home. Prigun had hoped to fix flood damage from Hurricane Ian himself.

Or You Can Live in Your Car

Not far from Shaw’s old neighborhood, Joe Prigun had tried riding out Ian at home. He’d quickly found himself standing on a bathroom sink, neck-deep in rising water, worried about running out of air. He escaped through a window and huddled on his roof until rescue crews zipped by in an airboat. When we spoke last September, a year later, he was living in an apartment in a former Ramada Inn that FEMA had rented for flood survivors.

Prigun’s home was damaged beyond repair and had to be demolished; he is now living in a hotel room provided by FEMA. Courtesy Joe Prigun; Jesse Rieser

Prigun had been trying repair his home because he knew FEMA wouldn’t let him stay at the hotel forever. Since he’s on a fixed income, and reputable contractors had more lucrative options than taking on clients for whom money’s tight — “the good ones don’t want to hear that, when they can be working on million-dollar homes,” he told me — he was doing much of the work himself. But at 71 he can’t do what he once could. “I’m not going to get up on a ladder or on a roof,” he says. “There’s a limit.” After we spoke, though, Lee County determined that the house had been too damaged by the storm to save and ordered it demolished.

I met Jose Guzman, 71, in Fort Myers’ Harlem Heights neighborhood while he cooked dinner on a charcoal grill in his carport. Guzman had been living in his low-slung ’80s ranch home for a quarter century. Four miles from the coast and a mile and a half from the Caloosahatchee River, he, too, had never once been flooded — until Ian. The 2022 storm filled Guzman’s house to his thighs and turned his neighborhood into a lake. He opened the front door and showed me inside. A year later, his furniture was still pushed into a circle in the middle of the living room as he slowly repaired the floors and walls.

Jose Guzman had lived in the Harlem Heights neighborhood in Fort Myers for 25 years before he experienced his first flood.

Danielle Lisiecki, 61, also thought she had life figured out. She had taught nursing at a community college outside Chicago until retiring in May of 2022. She and her husband, Mike, 64, paid cash for their dream retirement home on a Cape Coral lot on the Caloosahatchee. Lisiecki and her husband had saved and invested well; a financial planner had calculated that they could live 40 more years without running out of money .

During Ian, 150-mile-per-hour wind gusts and just 6 inches of floodwater upturned their lives. The water destroyed the drywall, flooring and electrical system in the Lisieckis’ home. The repairs cost more than half of the structure’s value, triggering rules requiring the 45-year-old house to meet new building standards, which would require elevating the home. “It’s a complete teardown,” a furious Lisiecki told me. Before Ian, she’d been happily adapting to the rhythms of life on a fixed income. By 2023, with a temporary rental and a new mortgage, she was back to working again.

Still, in real ways, the Lisieckis were lucky. The vast majority of the 150 Floridians who perished because of the hurricane were over 65, many because they lost access to supplemental oxygen or kidney dialysis machines. Untold numbers of Ian victims still lived in their cars more than a year later. As of January 2023, homelessness was up 70 percent from the year before in Fort Myers’ Lee and neighboring Collier and Charlotte counties. Even a year and a half after the storm, a residential community in Cape Coral that was once home to 132 members, many of them older adults , would be down to 82. “We still have 50 residents homeless or living with family, or living on the couches of friends,” one of them told a local television station. Martha Shaw’s two closest friends were forced to move away.

Everyone Still Wants to Live at the Jersey Shore

Twelve hundred miles to the north, Jody Stewart intends never again to be surprised by a storm. When I visited coastal New Jersey, Stewart took me for a ride in her red Corolla, motoring around Little Egg Harbor, a marshy, working-class township of homes backed up to canals, north of Atlantic City’s glittering skyline. Stewart, 66, is pint-size and frenetic, with an ex-smoker’s rasp and a former bartender’s wizened charm. She wanted to show me how much had changed since Superstorm Sandy swamped this region in 2012. But she kept interrupting her train of thought with angry outbursts about what she saw around us.

Mystic Island is defined by canals that residents use for boats.

Stewart’s husband, Bill, 73, a builder, had bought their bungalow here in Mystic Island in 1996 for $52,000; he and Stewart married in 2002. She sold bait and tackle — live minnows and crab — at the local marina and made extra money cleaning houses. Their home had been their nest egg. “Our plan had always been to retire, sell it and move away,” she says. Stewart had flood insurance but wasn’t prepared for Sandy, which hit one October night in 2012. Floodwaters peaked at 43 inches in her living room. All of her furniture save one antique was destroyed. Silt from the sea coated every surface. “I remember the horror of seeing the bottom of the ocean everywhere — even on my kitchen countertops,” she says.

Jody Stewart at the Little Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, home she shares with her husband

Those, like Stewart, who saw more than half of their home’s value wiped out were required to elevate their structures to avoid future floods. But many who had slightly less damage just fixed things up and sold. Post-flood, the real estate market had exploded, for elevated and ground-level properties alike.

On every street during our drive, Stewart pointed out houses on pilings, a dozen feet off the ground, right next to spiffed-up bungalows still flush with the pavement. A real estate website listed one cute 780-square-foot ground-level cottage at $375,000. “Yeah, figure that one out,” Stewart smirked. Another had been bought by a retiree who told her that Mystic Island would never flood again. “Good luck, then,” she said, with a dismissive wave. “Everyone wants to live at the shore, and they want to own a home.”

The home of Fran Baronowitz of Ventnor City, New Jersey, was flooded during Superstorm Sandy in 2012; she rebuilt it at a higher level to prevent flooding.

Instead of retiring, Stewart now works to pay the bills she accumulated rebuilding her life. As a staff member with the New Jersey Organizing Project, she helps other flood victims from around the country unravel the bureaucracy they confront after disasters. But to her dismay, Stewart may now be better positioned to move than ever: The value of her home has ballooned. She’s struggling to decide what to do. “Part of me still really wants to leave,” she confides. “Morally, I wonder, though, How could I sell this house and let someone else go through this? ”

Stewart has earned her skepticism. Two days before our drive, I’d taken an elevator several stories up to a grassy patio amid the sparkling glass of Atlantic City’s Ocean Casino Resort. Kimberly McKenna, interim executive director of Stockton University’s Coastal Research Center, had been helping me understand the region’s flooding problems. Atlantic City sits on a barrier island, Absecon, and has battled water for a century by dredging canals, reworking drainage systems, adding sand to beaches and building up bulkheads. But the city has never fully mastered the situation.

Kimberly McKenna, interim executive director of Stockton University’s Coastal Research Center, inspects a tide pool in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

McKenna nodded toward the boardwalk at one of the region’s oldest landmarks — a steel pier packed with amusement park attractions. Below it was an instrument that helped explain why the city can’t get out ahead of its water problems: a tide gauge. Installed a dozen years after the pier opened in 1898, the gauge has helped researchers track sea levels as they’ve risen at twice the national average. (In part that’s because land here has been sinking since the last ice age.)

The impacts are noticeable. The nonprofit communications group Climate Central reported that roughly $8 billion of Sandy’s $62.7 billion in damages incurred in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut could be attributed to the portion of sea level rise brought about by warming temperatures. Those changes helped surge-driven floodwaters reach 71,000 more people. Nuisance floods in Atlantic City, which came less than once a year in the 1950s, now happen, on average, eight times annually. Rutgers University researchers project that in 2030, the area could see up to 75 days a year of flooding. Jacques Howard, Atlantic City’s director of planning and development, wrestles with these issues regularly. A state government program called Blue Acres has bought and destroyed 1,100 repeatedly flooded homes statewide, including 18 in a community adjacent to Atlantic City. But city officials aren’t “all that enthusiastic” about the prospect of flood-prone properties being demolished, Howard told me. The city is $375 million in debt. “When we lose properties, we lose a percentage of our tax base,” he says. And that leaves less money in the coffers to clean up the mess after the next big storm — a storm Howard knows is coming.

Michael Savarese, professor of coastal geology, climate resilience and preparation at Florida Gulf Coast University, took our reporter on a tour of Hurricane Ian damage.

Nothing but Stress and Worry

What does all this mean for older Americans who have spent their lives in coastal areas — or who may be dreaming of a seaside retirement? It means facing the reality that floods are in their future.

What AARP Is Doing

When a storm is looming: AARP’s state offices are able to quickly reach members with critical warnings and safety information. Our offices can also help local governments consider the needs of older adults, including those in residential care settings, in the lead-up to a storm.

In the aftermath: AARP helps with immediate and long-term relief efforts. After Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017, staff and volunteers distributed more than 7,000 bags of groceries to older people in the affected areas. And when Hurricane Ida struck Louisiana in 2021, AARP Foundation granted more than $1 million to local relief organizations serving older adults.

During ongoing recovery: AARP’s Community Challenge grants fund local projects to restore flood-damaged areas, among other projects, and prepare for future emergencies. In Gulfport, Mississippi, for example, three grants have helped reclaim and revitalize areas that were devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Before the next one: AARP’s policy team works at the national, state and local levels to advocate for increased disaster preparedness, such as ensuring that long-term care facilities have generators. The AARP Disaster Resilience Tool Kit for local leaders outlines steps community leaders can take to be prepared — and to qualify quickly for FEMA funds when a significant weather event occurs.

Michael Savarese, a professor of coastal geology, climate resilience and preparation at Florida Gulf Coast University, spent one morning showing me Hurricane Ian’s path. We toured Sanibel Island, where waves had washed onto the second story of beachfront condos. We drove through working-class Dunbar, a dozen miles from the coast but adjacent to the Caloosahatchee River. There, even one year later, some homes had furniture stacked outside.

When Savarese pulled onto Estero Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach, Ian’s legacy was overpowering. In between open-air restaurants and construction crews rebuilding motels, lot after lot of waterfront properties sat vacant, some piled with gravel and cement rubble, most cleared to their sand-strewn foundations. Flapping tarps exposed kitchen appliances in gutted pastel-colored homes. “So that’s what’s left of the pier there,” Savarese said, waving at a row of concrete pilings stretching into the water.

Driving along Estero Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach in March

And yet people still want to move here — perhaps, in part, because the public isn’t always given clear information about what’s at stake. More than one-third of U.S. states, including Florida, don’t require flood history disclosure in real estate sales. (New Jersey was another, until the state passed a law in 2023.) Nationally, maps identifying at-risk regions are out of date, don’t account for intense rains and haven’t kept up with climate threats. Nearly 6 million properties nationwide face legitimate flood dangers not identified on official documents, according to an analysis by the First Street Foundation. FEMA itself conceded that Hurricane Ian’s floodwaters “extended far beyond” mapped areas and exceeded projected heights by several feet. Property owners need not live in flood zones to buy coverage, though without a designation, they’d have little reason to suspect they might need it.

Sooner or later, though, we’ll all face consequences. Damage costs from hurricanes and floods after storm surges are projected to grow faster than the U.S. economy, increasing up to eightfold by 2075, according to an estimate by the Congressional Budget Office. Research last year led by economists at the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund suggested that American homes at risk of flooding already are overvalued by $121 billion to $237 billion. (Scientists have dubbed it the “flood bubble.”)

Hurricane damage at the Neptune Resort and a retail space at Times Square in March, Fort Myers Beach

In the meantime, at least nine homeowners insurance companies in Florida have gone belly-up or left the state in recent years. By Ian’s one-year anniversary, those that remained had declined roughly 29 percent of claims. 

And while Jody Stewart’s New Jersey neighborhood is currently booming, credit ratings agency Moody’s projects that the largest population losses due to climate change over the next 30 years will occur in these five states: Arizona, Delaware, South Carolina, New Jersey and Florida. At some point, in other words, the bubble will burst, and there’s no telling when that will be.

Rather than wrestle with hard choices regarding how, and even whether, to rebuild, many policymakers focus on short-term recovery.

International efforts to limit greenhouse gases might potentially slow future sea level rise, but they can’t reverse what is already happening. And at the local level, the construction of new drainage systems and barriers to protect coastal communities comes at a cost — and with no guarantees. In Salisbury Beach, Massachusetts, in March, a group of property owners pooled their money and spent some $565,000 to build a high sand barrier between themselves and the sea. A few days and one storm later, the 1.5-mile-long man-made dune was flattened.

Rather than wrestle with hard choices regarding how, and even whether, to rebuild homes and infrastructure to withstand rising tides, though, many policymakers focus on short-term recovery. And while Savarese believes the need for long-term planning is urgent, he says he understands the leaders’ focus on recovery. “They are admittedly in a rush to put things back together,” he says. “Their economies are suffering; people have lost property and loved ones.”

The Fort Myers Beach Fishing Pier and damaged waterfront, as seen from the Gulf of Mexico

Among people who know the costs and risks of living near the shore, many are willing to bear them. At the shelter, when Martha Shaw came out of her funk and weighed her options, she decided to make her way home. What good was having saved her whole life, after all, if she didn’t use what she’d socked away to get back on her feet?

“I prayed and prayed and prayed,” she says. Then she secured a special hurricane-victim low-interest U.S. Small Business Administration loan, found a contractor and took steps to start rebuilding. A real estate agent found her a temporary rental 12 miles north of her razed mobile home.

We visited in the tiny living room of the rental, a boxy cottage across from an assisted living center on a street with no sidewalks. The place had come furnished and Shaw, with biting humor, started introducing me to the items that weren’t hers, which, it turned out, was almost all of them. She loves the sun, but we sat with the shades drawn because the drafty windows let out too much cold air, and Shaw was worried about money.

It hasn’t been an easy road. Her rental is in a part of town she barely knows. Her neighbors are nice but pretty quiet, and given her mobility issues and temporary status, she has struggled to forge strong bonds with anybody. Her driveway, dusted with gravel near the road, makes collecting the mail feel a bit treacherous. It’s why she decided not to get a newspaper delivered.

Shaw and her dog, Andre, in front of her nearly completed new home, on pillars at the site of her previous house

Shaw misses gazing out at the pink and white flowering plumeria trees that once towered above her old home. She longs for the daily company of her old neighborhood pals. And she misses an old feeling: not worrying about money. In addition to building a new house on cement columns, she had to pay truckers to haul off post-storm garbage and she is paying to keep her lot mowed. Still to come: shopping for replacement furniture

“I’m literally losing hair,” she told me, laughing. “And that’s nothing but stress and worry.”

Near the end of our visit, Shaw said that just one week before the storm hit, she had installed her last hurricane window — the 11th, in her mobile home’s sunroom — “and I paid them in cash,” she said, conspiratorially. I found that so maddening and ridiculous, given what she’d been through, that I laughed. And then I apologized.

Once again, Shaw waved off my apology.

Smiling, she said, “I mean, I laughed, too.”

Craig Welch has been reporting on the environment and climate change for more than a quarter century, including eight years with National Geographic . A former fellow with the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University, he lives with his family in Seattle.

More From AARP

How to Prepare for a Natural Disaster

Earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and wildfires are all events that you can't control

How to Recover from a Natural Disaster

What you need to do after a disaster strikes

Extreme Weather Is Killing Mostly Older Adults

Some local disaster planning shows promise but deaths from Hawai‘i wildfires continue this trend

• Travel Specials
• Travel Inspiration
• Travel Resources

Aloha, Seven Seas Travel, Llc

Travel better with us, your extraordinary vacation begins here.

No matter where in the world you want to go, we can help get you there. Our experienced travel advisors will take the time to answer your questions and listen to your ideas, before making expert recommendations that fit your budget. We believe extraordinary vacations begin with careful planning; that's why we are devoted to ensuring our clients always have the best possible experience — both before they leave and while they're away.

What makes us special?

Personal Service

Featured Video

Benefits of Distinctive Voyage

Join our mailing list.

Dedicated to helping our clients travel better, our experienced agents are passionate about sharing their industry knowledge and first-hand insights.

SEE THE WHOLE TEAM

Romona Newton

Cheryl Heffel

Your information will only be used to connect with this travel specialist

Agency Specialties

Preferred Suppliers

Immersive Vacation Experiences for your Next Adventure

This edition of Escape brings you experiential travel journeys designed to help you gain a deeper understanding of local culture, history, natural wonders, people and cuisine. Read on and let your mind wander around the globe. When you’re ready to turn these experiential travel dreams into reality, you can rely on our agency. Here are just a few of the adventures you can read about:

• Four Engaging Experiences Around the World for the Best Spot of Tea
• Cruising the Mississippi and Columbia Rivers from the Eyes of Three Riverlorians  
• Transformative Journeys and Destinations  
• Traveling with Purpose  
• Safaris 101  

CERTIFICATIONS & AWARDS

(828) 233-5877

World News | US-built pier in Gaza is reconnected after…

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on X (Opens in new window)

Daily e-Edition

Evening e-Edition

• Latest Headlines
• Environment
• Crime and Public Safety
• Transportation

SUBSCRIBER ONLY

World news | us-built pier in gaza is reconnected after repairs, and aid will flow soon, us central command says.

FILE – The image provided by U.S, Central Command, shows U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary), U.S. Navy sailors assigned to Amphibious Construction Battalion 1, and Israel Defense Forces placing the Trident Pier on the coast of Gaza Strip on May 16, 2024. A U.S. built temporary pier that had been used to deliver additional humanitarian aid into Gaza was damaged by rough seas and has temporarily suspended operations. That’s according to three U.S. officials who spoke to The Associated Press on Tuesday. (U.S. Central Command via AP)

These images released by Maxar Technologies show the newly completed pier in the Gaza Strip on May 18, 2024, top, and the remaining section of the temporary pier on May 29, 2024. A string of security, logistical and weather problems have battered the plan to deliver desperately needed humanitarian aid to Gaza through a U.S. military-built pier. Broken apart by strong winds and heavy seas just over a week after it became operational, the project faces criticism that it hasn’t lived up to its initial billing or its $320 million price tag. (Satellite images ©2024 Maxar Technologies via AP)

FILE – This image provided by the U.S. Army shows trucks loaded with humanitarian aid from the United Arab Emirates and the United States Agency for International Development cross the Trident Pier before arriving on the beach on the Gaza Strip, May 17, 2024. A string of security, logistical and weather problems have battered the plan to deliver desperately needed humanitarian aid to Gaza through a U.S. military-built pier. Broken apart by strong winds and heavy seas just over a week after it became operational, critics complain that the project hasn’t lived up to its initial billing or its $320 million price tag. (Staff Sgt. Malcolm Cohens-Ashley/U.S. Army via AP, File)

A U.S. Army landing craft is seen beached in Ashdod on Sunday, May 26, 2024, after being swept by wind and current from the temporary humanitarian pier in the Gaza Strip. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

By LOLITA C. BALDOR and TARA COPP (Associated Press)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military-built pier designed to carry badly needed aid into Gaza by boat has been reconnected to the beach in the besieged territory after a section broke apart in storms and rough seas, and food and other supplies will begin to flow soon, U.S. Central Command announced Friday.

The section that connects to the beach in Gaza, the causeway, was rebuilt nearly two weeks after  heavy storms damaged it  and abruptly halted what had already been a troubled delivery route.

“Earlier this morning in Gaza, U.S. forces successfully attached the temporary pier to the Gaza beach,” Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters by phone Friday. “We expect to resume delivery of humanitarian assistance from the sea in the coming days.”

Cooper said operations at the reconnected pier will be ramped up soon with a goal to get 1 million pounds (500 tons or 450 metric tons) of food and other supplies moving through the pier into Gaza every two days.

The pier was only operational for a week before a storm broke it apart, and had initially struggled to reach delivery goals. Weather was a factor, and early efforts to get aid from the pier into Gaza were disrupted as civilians desperate for food stormed the trucks that aid agencies were using to transport the food to the warehouses for distribution.

However, before it broke apart the pier had been gradually increasing aid movement each day. Cooper said Friday that the lessons learned from that initial week of operations made him confident higher levels of aid throughout could be attained now.

The U.S. Agency for International Development said in a statement it was working with other U.S. government colleagues and humanitarian partners on the ground in Gaza to ensure that aid from the pier “can safely and effectively resume movement, which we expect in the coming days.”

A large section of the causeway broke apart May 25 as heavy winds and high seas hit the area, and four Army vessels operating there went aground, injuring three service members, including one who remains in critical condition. The damage was the latest stumbling block in what has been a persistent struggle to get food to  starving Palestinians  during the 8-month-old  Israel-Hamas war .

The maritime route for a limited time had been an additional way to help get more aid into Gaza because  the Israeli offensive in the southern city of Rafah  has made it difficult, if not impossible at times, to get anything through land routes, which are far more productive. Israel’s Rafah military operations and military strikes in northern Gaza had also temporarily halted U.S. airdrops of food.

Cooper said Friday the U.S. also expects to resume those airdrops in the coming days.

President Joe Biden’s administration has said from the start that the pier wasn’t meant to be a total solution and that any amount of aid helps.

After the May 25 storm damage to the causeway, large sections were disconnected and moved to an Israeli port for repairs. In addition, two of the U.S. Army boats that went aground during the same bad weather near Ashkelon in Israel have been freed.

Two other Army boats two beached onto the Gaza shoreline took on a lot of water and sand and the Israeli Navy has been helping with the repairs, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said.

Biden, a Democrat, announced  his plan for the U.S. military to build a pier  during  his State of the Union address  in early March, and the military said it would take about 60 days to get it installed and operational. The initial cost was estimated at $320 million, but Singh said earlier this week that the price had dropped to $230 million, due to contributions from Britain and because the cost of contracting trucks and other equipment was less than expected.

It took a bit longer than the planned two months for installation, with  the first trucks carrying aid  for the Gaza Strip rolling down the pier on May 17. Just a day later, crowds overran a convoy of trucks as they headed into Gaza, stripping the cargo from 11 of the 16 vehicles before they reached a U.N. warehouse.

The next day, as officials altered the travel routes of the convoys, aid finally began reaching people in need. More than 1,100 tons (1,000 metric tons) of aid were delivered before the causeway broke apart in the storm, Pentagon officials said.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the Israel-Hamas war at  https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war .

More in World News

World News | Israeli strike kills at least 33 people at a Gaza school the military claims was being used by Hamas

World News | In France, D-Day evokes both the joys of liberation and the pain of Normandy’s 20,000 civilian dead

Putin warns that Russia could provide long-range weapons to others to strike Western targets

National News | Biden will mark D-Day anniversary in France as Western alliances face threats at home and abroad

Earth has recorded 11 straight months of record heat: Updates on 2024 heat records

Record highs in air and ocean temperatures were set in April, continuing a monthslong trend that's expected to place 2024 among the five warmest years in modern history.

For the 11th month in a row, global air temperatures hit a new monthly record high in April, and the average temperature for the past 12 months also set a new record. The summer beginning in the northern hemisphere isn't expected to offer much respite.

Federal scientists warn temperatures across most of the nation are expected to be warmer than normal this summer.

The global average surface air temperature in April was 59 degrees, a quarter of a degree warmer than the previous high, set in April 2016, the Copernicus Climate Change Service said in its latest monthly update. Its findings use billions of measurements from satellites, ships, aircraft and weather stations.

A similar streak of months with temperatures above previous records occurred in 2015/2016, during a period with a strong El Niño, the climate service said.

Also over the past 12 months the global average temperature was:

• 1.3 degrees warmer than the 1991-2020 average.
• Nearly 3 degrees above the estimated average for the pre-industrial period, 1850-1900.

Across the lower 48 states in April, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported:

• Average temperatures were warmer than average, but not record-setting.
• It was the 12th warmest April in the nation's 130-year climate record.

The increasing temperatures are strongly reflected in the world's oceans. April was the 13th month in a row that global sea surface temperatures between 60 degrees latitude south and 60 degrees latitude north have been the warmest on record for the month, Copernicus reported.

More than 27% of the world's oceans were at least 82.4 degrees in April, the highest on record for any month, based on a data analysis from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, shared by Brian Brettschneider, an Alaska-based climate scientist, on X this week. Sharp upward trends have been detected in temperatures in both the Mediterranean and Black Seas.

Sea surface temperatures in the eastern tropical Pacific are returning toward neutral conditions since El Niño peaked earlier this year, said Carlo Buontempo, director of the climate service. But he added that while natural cycles come and go, "the extra energy trapped into the ocean and the atmosphere by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases will keep pushing the global temperature towards new records."

That increase in greenhouse gases is illustrated by monthly monitoring of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's observatory at Mauna Loa in Hawaii.

On May 8, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego reported the average concentration of CO2 in March was 4.7 parts per million higher than recorded in March 2023. Not only does it set a new record high, but it also shows the pace of CO2 addition to the atmosphere by human activities is increasing, according to Scripps.

“We sadly continue to break records in the CO2 rise rate ,” said Ralph Keeling, director of the institution's CO2 Program. “The ultimate reason is continued global growth in the consumption of fossil fuels.” As a greenhouse gas, CO2 in the atmosphere increases the Earth's ability to trap heat.

That increase in the rate of in the rate of CO2 accumulation is happening faster than it did during a previous period of rapid growth when the 2016 El Niño was fading, Scripps reported.

March hits another record high

Temperatures across the globe hit another monthly record high in March , rising to 2.43 degrees above the 20th century average. 

That average is now seemingly a distant memory. The last March where global temperatures were cooler than average was in 1976, when Gerald Ford was president and "All The President’s Men" was raking it in at the box office.

March was the tenth month in a row that global average temperatures were the hottest month on record, says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The March average barely edged out the previous record high set in March 2016. 

Given the temperatures for the first three months of the year, it’s virtually certain 2024 will be one of the world’s top five warmest years on record globally, NOAA reports. The agency sees a 55% chance the year could be the warmest in the 175-year record . 

Across the nation, March was the 17th warmest on record , and no monthly state records were set. However, six states experienced their second warmest average temperatures for the first three months of the year: Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Vermont and Wisconsin.

Daily average ocean temperatures around the globe continue to trend higher than previous records. Scientists say that’s increasing the risk of a more active hurricane season in the Atlantic .

NOAA reported on April 15 that a global coral bleaching event has taken place over the past year. 

In Australia, the Reef Authority confirmed on April 17 that extreme bleaching – when more than 90% of coral cover on a reef has bleached – has been observed in all three regions of the Great Barrier Reef for the first time. The accumulated heat stress from above average water temperatures has reached the “highest levels to-date,” said the Authority, Australia’s official source for reef monitoring. 

Record-breaking start to the year

Nearly three months into the new year, 2024 is carrying on where 2023 ended, with a litany of broken weather records that include higher air temperatures, warmer oceans and higher tides .

That leaves the world's weather organizations and scientists concerned about the degree to which things continue to be so much warmer than normal – and searching for reasons to explain why that is the case.

As the United Nation's World Meteorological Organization released its annua l report for 2023 on March 19, Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said it's "sounding the Red Alert to the world."

“Never have we been so close – albeit on a temporary basis at the moment – to the 1.5° C lower limit of the Paris Agreement on climate change," Saulo said.

1.5° C: This number will shape Earth's future as the climate changes. You'll be hearing about it.

In February, the global average temperature was 3.1 degrees above the estimated pre-industrial average, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, the European Union's earth observation program.

The global average temperature was also the highest on record for the 12-month period ending in February, Copernicus reported. It was more than 1.2 degrees over the 30-year average for 1991-2020 and 2.8 degrees over the estimated pre-industrial average

Although these global averages are above the 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit threshold set in the Paris Agreement, it's not yet seen as exceeding the goal, because that is based on a long-term, consistent average rather than a measurement from any single month or year.

Still, it's cause for alarm, U.N. officials said in March.

“Sirens are blaring across all major indicators,” said the U.N.'s Secretary-General António Guterres. “Some records aren’t just chart-topping, they’re chart-busting. And changes are speeding-up.”

It’s normal for some weather records to be broken. What isn't so normal is the proportion of them related to warmer temperatures or the degree to which the new records shatter previous records by a long shot. 

For example, in Quillayute, Washington in March, a weather station reported a daily record high of 80 degrees, smashing its previous record for the day by 16 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Seattle.

Record ocean temperatures

Scientists continue to be astonished and alarmed by warmer temperatur es across the world’s oceans between the 60 degree latitude lines. 

"We're just trucking along," said Andrew Pershing, vice president for science at Climate Central.

"We still don’t quite know exactly what’s driving that and that’s worrisome to just have this big of a signal in the ocean," Pershing said. "We expect the oceans to be warmer but this is really, really significant."

On March 10, the globe’s daily average sea surface temperature briefly jumped to a new record high of 70.16 degrees, according to a chart kept by the Maine Climate Reanalyzer, using NOAA data.  

“We’re now at one year and counting of shattering the previous records for ocean heat," said Brian McNoldy, a senior research associate at the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science at the University of Miami. According to model projections, he said, the warmer-than-normal ocean temperatures "look likely" to continue over the next few months in the North Atlantic.

The temperature anomaly is even higher in the region of the Atlantic where most major hurricanes develop. For the first two months of the year, water temperatures in the region averaged nearly 3 degrees above normal over the previous century, blowing past a record previously set in 2010 by a full degree, according to NOAA. 

Given a potential La Niña pattern in the Pacific and the warmer ocean temperatures, it doesn't bode well for the Atlantic hurricane season that begins June 1.

Warmest winter on record

What stands out to Pershing about this winter was the scope of the warming in the Upper Midwest. “If you're somebody who grew up around the Great Lakes or you grew up in the kind of icy and snowy conditions in Wisconsin and Minnesota, that just was gone this year, and that's a huge change," he said, both psychologically and economically.

NOAA reported:

• The three-month meteorological winter that ended with February was the warmest on record for the globe and the contiguous United States .
• Eight states saw their warmest winter on record: Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Vermont and Wisconsin.
• Ice coverage across the Great Lakes reached a historic low of 2.7% on Feb. 11. 
• An additional 26 states saw one of their top 10 warmest winters. Two dozen saw one of their top 10 warmest Februarys. 

February made nine consecutive months of record warmth

"February joins the long streak of records of the last few months,” said Copernicus director Carlo Buontempo. “As remarkable as this might appear, it is not really surprising as the continuous warming of the climate system inevitably leads to new temperature extremes."

• The lower 48 states saw the third warmest February on record with an average temperature of 41.1 degrees, 7.2 degrees above the 20th century average. 
• The average temperature in the U.S. in February was 37.6 degrees, 5.4 degrees above average.
• Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin each had their warmest February on record.
• Global average ocean temperature for February was 1.8 degrees above last century’s average, almost four-tenths of a degree higher than the previous record temperature anomaly for the month, set in 2016, according to NOAA data. 

Record heat is still puzzling scientists

Scientists don't fully understand why temperatures are up so much more than projected.

"It’s humbling, and a bit worrying, to admit that no year has confounded climate scientists’ predictive capabilities more than 2023 has," wrote NASA climate scientist Gavin Schmidt in an opinion piece in the journal Nature.

Atmospheric greenhouse gases are responsible for part of the increase, Schmidt said.

• Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere continued to increase last year, reaching an annual average of 421.08 parts per million at the Mauna Loa Observatory, according to NOAA data.
• In February, the CO2 reading was 424.55 parts per million, up more than four parts per million from last February.

These other factors may be playing a role, but Schmidt said they don't fully explain the surge in temperatures:

• Lingering impacts from the eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano in Tonga in January 2022.
• Increased solar activity.
• Regulations adopted in 2020 that required ships to begin using cleaner fuels in 2020.

Schmidt called for improved and faster data collection to help answer questions.

In general the 2023 temperature anomaly "has come out of the blue, revealing an unprecedented knowledge gap" since satellites began offering comprehensive views of the Earth's climate system, he said. "If the anomaly does not stabilize by August – a reasonable expectation based on previous El Niño events – then the world will be in uncharted territory."

"We need answers for why 2023 turned out to be the warmest year in possibly the past 100,000 years," Schmidt wrote. "And we need them quickly."

NASA's new PACE mission is expected to begin providing data later this year and should be invaluable, he said.

Glacial concerns

After significant losses last year, scientists remain concerned about the world's glaciers and sea ice.

“Climate change is about much more than temperatures. What we witnessed in 2023, especially with the unprecedented ocean warmth, glacier retreat and Antarctic sea ice loss, is cause for particular concern,” said Saulo, the WMO secretary-general.

The WMO reported:

• Last year, the global set of glaciers used for reference suffered the largest loss of ice on record since 1950, driven by extreme melt in western North America and Europe.
• Western North America suffered record glacier mass loss, at a rate five times higher than rates measured for the period 2000-2019.
• Glaciers in western North America have lost an estimated 9% of their 2020 volume over the past four years.
• Antarctic sea ice extent was the lowest on record, with an end-of-winter maximum extent at 1 million square kilometers below the previous record.

605.846.0580

Want to get away...we've got you.

Let our team of travel designers make your next trip a breeze. From big moments like your Destination Wedding to little moments like your kids seeing the ocean for the first time, we are here to help! Our diverse team allows us the ability to plan all the details of family vacations, honeymoons, corporation incentive trips, family reunions and destination weddings. You’ve got a trip, we’ve got YOU!

Destination Weddings From dreamy wedding photos at sunset to a party that your guests will always remember. Family Vacations Let's make memories that last a lifetime. From beach days to Disney dreams and everything in between. Honeymoon From beachfront butler rooms to romantic dinners on the beach, we can help pick the perfect place to celebrate your marriage in style. Corporate Incentive & Meetings Wow your clients & employees with amazing locations & activities that celebrate a great year in business. Call Now Contact Us Curated experiences just for you!

From weddings to celebrations to relaxing getaways – we can help you plan the PERFECT trip.

Preferred Destination Wedding Resorts

Playa hotel & resorts.

Cancun – Playa Del Carmen – Los Cabos – Puerto Vallarta – Jamaica – Dominican Republic

Secrets & Dreams Resorts

Riviera Maya – Cancun – Cabo San Lucas – Puerto Vallarta – Dominican Republic – Jamaica

Sandals & Beaches Resorts

Jamaica – St Lucia – Bahamas – Antigua – Turks & Caicos – Grenada – Barbados

Hard Rock & Unico Resorts

Rivera Maya – Puerto Vallarta – Cancun – Dominican Republic- Cabo (Coming Soon)

Excellence Resorts

Riviera Cancun – Playa Mujeres – Dominican Republic – Jamaica

El Dorado & Azul Resorts

Riviera Maya – Playa Del Carmen – Cancun – Dominican Republic – Jamaica

Honeymoons & Anniversary Celebrations

Let Sun & Sea Travel Co spoil you while you celebrate the big moments. We love being able to pair our couples with the perfect resort & room category to create memories that will last forever!

From Rivers to Oceans, Let’s Sail Around the World

Cruises are a great way to vacation with friends and family groups. Today’s cruise ships offer something for everyone, with trips to destinations like Mexico, the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, and more. Our Cruise Specialist can help you plan a trip the whole crew will enjoy!

We have partnered up with the following brands to make sure your river or ocean cruise is an amazing experience:

• Royal Caribbean
• Virgin Voyages (adults only)
• Celebrity Cruises
• Disney Cruisline
• AmaWaterways
• Viking Cruises
• Regent Seven Seas
• Riverside Luxury Cruises
• Explora Journeys
• Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection

Disney magic on land or by sea!

Let our Disney specialists take the stress off your next family vacation. Whether you want to take a trip to Disney World, Disneyland or take a Disney Cruise, we share all our tips & tricks to add extra magic to your experience.

It’s never to early to begin exploring the world!

Make memories that will last a lifetime. We love working with families of all sizes. From character experiences to large multi-bedroom suites that can hold all your teens, let us find the perfect experience for any age group.

WE HAVE THE EXPERIENCE

Sun & sea travel co are your experts in beach vacations.

But you don’t have to take our word for it. Check out our awards & credentials we’ve received from top brands in the travel industry and local organizations.

Our Credentials

• Sandals Resorts Gold Agent
• Funjet Vacations Top Waves Agent
• Hard Rock & Unico Platinum Agent
• Karisma Resorts Diamond Level Agency
• Hyatt Inclusive Collection Inclusive Icon
• Aberdeen Reader’s Choice Best Travel Agency 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
• Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce Abby Award Winner

We Are Sandals Resorts Specialists!

Find out why so many use Love to Travel for their Sandals Tropical Getaway and why we’re one of the largest Sandals agencies in the Midwest! Take advantage of great prices right now! We’ll show you how you can reserve a trip with confidence!

Did you know our pricing with Sandals is exactly the same as it would be booking it directly with them. You get our support throughout the entire experience…from helping you choose the right island, resort, suite, excursion recommendations and best flights…plus 24/7 support while you travel! We’ve personally been to every Sandals resort!

Click on your favorite Caribbean island, to explore our favorite resorts!

Why book your vacation through sun & sea travel co vs diy.

Find out why so many use Sun & Sea Travel Co for their Sandals & Beaches Tropical Getaway! Take advantage of great prices right now. We’ll show you how you can reserve a trip with confidence.

Ahoy Sailors, Cruise with Virgin Voyages

Sail the seas on the only Adults-only cruise line with Virgin Voyages. From Michelin star chefs to more luxury inclusions than any other cruise line, VV is truly the best way to cruise.

Meet Our Travel Dream Team

Becah Fliehs

Beach & cruise vacation specialist.

Areas of expertise: Groups, All Inclusive Resorts, River Cruises & Hawaii

• tel:6053801711
• [email protected]
• https://calendly.com/becahltt

Heather Kleffman

Beach vacation specialist.

Areas of expertise: Caribbean & Mexico All Inclusive Resorts

• [email protected]

Jessalynn Strauss

Cruise specialist.

Areas of expertise: Alaska cruises, Caribbean cruises, European cruises, Transatlantic cruises

• tel:9195999793
• [email protected]

Kristan Morris

Disney specialist.

Areas of Expertise: Disney World resorts & tickets, Disneyland resorts & tickets

• tel:6052128737
• [email protected]

Nicole Wagner

Areas of expertise: Hawaii, Belize & Costa Rica

• tel:2623651847
• [email protected]

Erica Warren

Areas of expertise: Destination Weddings & All Inclusive Resorts

• tel:7086423666
• [email protected]

Concierge Team

We also have a concierge team who can help you with any behind-the-scenes needs you may have!

Stacy Braun

Client support specialist.

Amy Krueger

Administrative specialist, common questions.

Thinking about booking your own beach vacation? Here’s reasons why you should book with Sun & Sea Travel Co instead:

• Destination and resort recommendations based on your preferences using our 10 plus years of experience focusing exclusively on Tropical Destinations
• Easy to understand insurance and cancelation options
• Direction and guidance on the destination and resort entry requirements
• Assistance with the best flight options and private airport transfers to resort and back to the aiport
• Low deposit requirement at the time of the reservation
• Recommendations on excursions to consider, dining options, etc.
• Notification to our resort contacts prior to your arrival detailing the specifics of your trip (what you are celebrating, room preference, etc.)
• Personalized travel document packet mailed to your home or emailed
• 24/7 support while you travel ​ We are here to answer all your questions with a simple phone call or email!
• Ocean Cruises
• River Cruises
• Costa Rica ‌

" * " indicates required fields

6E US Hwy 12 Suite A, Groton SD 57445 M-F 9-3 pm by appointment

Security Alert May 17, 2024

Worldwide caution, update may 10, 2024, information for u.s. citizens in the middle east.

• Travel Advisories |
• Contact Us |
• MyTravelGov |

Find U.S. Embassies & Consulates

Travel.state.gov, congressional liaison, special issuance agency, u.s. passports, international travel, intercountry adoption, international parental child abduction, records and authentications, popular links, travel advisories, mytravelgov, stay connected, legal resources, legal information, info for u.s. law enforcement, replace or certify documents, before you go.

Learn About Your Destination

While Abroad

Emergencies.

The highest priority of the Bureau of Consular Affairs is to protect the lives and serve the interests of U.S. citizens abroad.   Across the globe, we serve our fellow citizens during some of their most important moments – births, adoptions, medical emergencies, deaths, arrests, and disasters.

Country Information

Crisis and disasters, other federal agencies, different types of travelers.

Cruise Ship Passengers

Faith-Based Travelers

High-Risk Area Travelers

LGBTQI+ Travelers

Older Travelers

Travel Safety - Race and Ethnicity

Enroll in STEP

Subscribe to get up-to-date safety and security information and help us reach you in an emergency abroad.

Recommended Web Browsers: Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome.

Learn about your destination

Make two copies of all of your travel documents in case of emergency, and leave one with a trusted friend or relative.

External Link

You are about to leave travel.state.gov for an external website that is not maintained by the U.S. Department of State.

Links to external websites are provided as a convenience and should not be construed as an endorsement by the U.S. Department of State of the views or products contained therein. If you wish to remain on travel.state.gov, click the "cancel" message.

You are about to visit:

Gaza hostage rescue latest: 210 killed in operation, Hamas says; medics give update on freed Israelis

Israel announced it had rescued four hostages on Saturday in an operation that took place in Gaza. The Hamas-run health ministry says 210 people have been killed by Israeli operations in the area of the rescue.

Saturday 8 June 2024 17:02, UK

• Israel-Hamas war

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

• Four hostages rescued by Israeli forces - what you need to know
• Watch: Hostage being reunited with her father
• Number of Palestinians killed in area of rescue rises to 210 - Hamas
• Doctor gives update on condition of four rescued hostages
• Israel confirms soldier died during rescue
• Hamas suggests it could take more prisoners
• Who are the rescued hostages?
• Rescue 'a miraculous triumph' - Hostages Forum
• Analysis: Celebrations in Israel but it's only breathing space for Netanyahu
• Live reporting by Jess Sharp  and Josephine Franks  

By Dominic Waghorn , international affairs editor

Of all the images on 7 October, among the most harrowing were of Noa Argamani being dragged into captivity by gun toting thugs on the back of a motorbike, her face wrought with anguish, her boyfriend led away helpless by other armed men.

Her rescue is hugely cathartic for Israelis, offering hope that their military, despite all its setbacks, can perhaps save more.

Her boyfriend remains unaccounted for, but Noa's apparent good health and that of the other liberated Israelis is reassuring too, though we cannot be sure what mental or other unseen trauma remains from their ordeal.

The rescue is some relief for Israelis after months of unremittingly bad news out of Gaza. 

But, it may make the chances of more being released through negotiations less likely. 

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been under unrelenting pressure to be more willing to a ceasefire deal that would bring more hostages home.

That pressure will have been redoubled tonight had his war cabinet partner and political rival Benny Gantz resigned as threatened over the lack of a day after strategy for Gaza. He's decided for now to postpone that move.

But Netanyahu is still infuriating the US government.

President Biden last week said he had every reason to believe that the Israeli prime minster was prolonging the war to save his political skin. Quite the damning indictment from Israel's closest ally.

He is under pressure to make a ceasefire happen. The diplomacy towards that end has failed for several reasons. Hamas has been unyielding in the conditions it has set for agreement.

Israel believes that military pressure is the best way of breaking their enemy. And Netanyahu's far right coalition partners oppose such a deal.

They want the campaign to continue until Hamas is completely destroyed, and many among them also fantasize about the resettlement of Gaza by Israel.

A ceasefire deal could see Netanyahu's governing coalition fall apart. He has wanted to avoid that at all costs. Now that military efforts to rescue the hostages appear to be paying off, he may have less reason to pursue the diplomatic alternative.

The families of the four freed hostages are speaking to journalists in Tel Aviv. 

The mother of 21-year-old Almog Meir Jan thanks the Israel Defence forces for returning her son, saying she was "so excited to hug him today". 

"There are still 20 hostages in Gaza and we want a deal now. We want them to come back home as soon as possible," Orit Meir adds. 

"Thank you for the army, thank you for the government, thank you for everyone." 

She also says it is her birthday tomorrow and her son's return is her present. 

 Photos have started to emerge from the area of Nuseirat in the middle of Gaza. 

Videos, which have not been verified by Sky News, have been shared online showing people with severe injuries. 

The Israel Defence Forces has confirmed it carried out a hostage rescue operation in the area this morning, bringing home four Israelis that were captured during the 7 October Hamas attacks. 

The Hamas-led government has said at least 210 Palestinians were killed during the operation, and a further 400 were wounded. 

Here are some photos of the aftermath: 

The Israel Defence Forces has released footage claiming to show today's hostage rescue. 

Sky News has not verified the clip. 

It appears to show a helicopter flying overhead as several people run below. 

The Israeli Air Force said: "Earlier today, the Air Force took part in the complex operation to rescue the four abductees: Noa Argamani, Almog Meir, Andrey Kozlov and Shlomi Ziv.

"Attached is documentation from the dramatic rescue moments." 

An Israel Defence Forces source has provided Sky News with some more details about where the four rescued hostages were found earlier today. 

There had been some suggestion that they were being held by civilians, but the source confirmed they were "surrounded by armed militants and guards". 

"They were held in residential buildings in the midst of civilians population, surrounded by armed militants and guards in the streets and near buildings," the source said. 

"As far as I know, they were all Hamas operatives. Sounds convenient for Hamas to say that they are not after the hostages were rescued." 

The rescued hostages have been reunited with loved ones after nine months apart. 

We're just getting some photos from Shiba hospital, where Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov and Shlomi Ziv have been taken for check-ups. 

Hamas has suggested it could take more hostages following the rescue of four Israelis earlier today.  

The Hamas-led government has said at least 210 Palestinians were killed during the mission around Nuseirat refugee camp. 

In a statement posted on Telegram, the militant group described the operation as a "horrific massacre against innocent civilians".

It said that while Israeli has announced "the release of a number of its prisoners in Gaza", its fighters still hold the "largest number" and could take more. 

"It will not change its strategic failure in the Gaza Strip, as our valiant resistance still maintains the largest number in its possession, and is capable of increasing its yield of prisoners, as it did in the recent heroic capture operation that it carried out in the Jabalia camp at the end of last month," it said. 

"Today, they confronted the aggressing occupation forces and clashed with them valiantly over a period of hours in the Nuseirat camp and the Central Governorate, and they increased their terrorist soldiers and officers, the killers of children and women."

It also called on the international community to "put more pressure" on Israel to pull out of Gaza. 

"We call on our Arab and Islamic peoples, and the free people of the world, to put more pressure and escalate the movement denouncing the aggression and genocide in Gaza, and we call on the international community and the United Nations to take a real stance on these prolonged crimes," it said. 

Israeli's prime minister has addressed the media outside Shiba Hospital in Tel Aviv, where the four people rescued from Hamas captivity earlier today are being treated. 

Benjamin Netanyahu says his soldiers have "performed in an unmatchable way" and he is committed to getting all hostages released. 

He says the Israel Defence Forces have acted in the "most valiant and moral way". 

"We expect Hamas to release them all, but if they don't, we will do whatever it takes to get them all back home," he adds. 

"We shall prevail." 

At the Elysee Palace in France, Joe Biden has appeared alongside Emmanuel Macron at a news conference. 

The US president briefly speaks about Israel's hostage rescue operation, saying: "We won't stop working until all the hostages are home and a ceasefire is reached." 

Outside Shiba hospital in Tel Aviv, the doctor who has been tending to the four rescued Israeli hostages has been giving an update on their condition.

Noa Argamani, 25, Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40, were rescued in an operation by the Israel Defence Forces earlier today. 

The doctor says they have been reunited with their families in a "very very emotional moment" and they are still being examined in the hospital. 

He does confirm all four are in a "stable condition", but adds they will be treated as needed over the next several hours. 

"I'm praying together with the rest of the Israeli nation and I think with the whole world for the return of the captives that are still in captivity. We are ready to receive them and look forward to their return," he adds. 

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free