Issue IV: April 2025

A Tribute to My Father

Who Sparked My Wanderlust

This issue is dedicated to my father, Robert L. Ackerman, who inspired my lifelong passion for travel. A true citizen of the world, he passed away on March 9th at the age of 99, leaving behind a legacy of curiosity, courage, and adventure.

Thanks to my father, my childhood unfolded idyllically in an oil compound beside a refinery at the edge of the Arabian Sea (or Persian Gulf, depending on which shore you are on).

We dove for polished cowrie and olive shells, hooked colorful fish on homemade poles with safety pins and string, rode fiery Arabian horses (and docile donkeys), dug up ancient pots and shards from civilizations long covered by shifting sands, and traveled worldwide.

My teenage years were shaped by life in southwestern Iran—a place so hot that eggs could be fried on the sidewalks. As fascinating as Iran was, with trips to Isfahan, Shiraz, the ruins of Persepolis, and the biblical Daniel's tomb in Susa, after seven months, I was happy to leave Iran's "Lord of the Flies" international school with my sister for a girls' boarding school in central Pennsylvania. On our Christmas and Summer breaks, we continued to explore Iran with our family.

When I was in college in Pennsylvania, my family moved to England where my father designed a helipad on the largest oil rig in the North Sea. From there he bachelored it to Southeast Asia.

My father retired to join my mother and brother in the lush woodlands of western Pennsylvania. This was his family home since the 1930s, and it became his most cherished destination. Those quiet, green hills and woods held his heart.

Through his stories, I glimpsed a vast and intimate world—his memories of growing up in Pennsylvania, travels around the globe, and navigating the dramatic changes of the 20th century.

I loved traveling with my parents. Several times a year, we flew from our remote Middle Eastern outposts to visit family—my grandparents and cousins in England and my grandmother in Pennsylvania.

Sometimes, we’d take the scenic route: through Lebanon, Greece, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. When I was 11, we circled the globe—flying from Saudi Arabia to Thailand, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, the Fiji Islands, the United States, and finally England before returning to Saudi Arabia.

That early exposure to the world—its beauty, strangeness, and humanity—is a cherished gift from my father.

Spotlight on Travel

ETIAS Travel Authorization for US, UK, and AU Citizens: What You Need to Know

If you dream of a trip to Europe next year, now is a good time to read this post. Click Here.

Rick Steves On the Hippie Trail

Rick Steves' latest book is out. I didn't know there were so many Rick Steve fans. Click Here for my report on his sold-out address in San Rafael, CA, in March. I will review the book in my next newsletter.

Journeys in Travel Literature

My latest book review is on The Way of Wanderlust: The Best Travel Writing of Don George. This is immersive travel at its best. George’s evocative, poetic writing style takes us on adventures, engaging our senses so we feel each place as if they were there. I felt the paralyzing, white-knuckled terror he felt while climbing the steep cables on Half Dome in Yosemite. I saw the enormous grey whale approach his Zodiac. He takes us to many places: Africa, Greece, Jordan, Japan, France and more.

If you buy this book from my online Bookshop, a portion of the purchase price will go toward helping independent booksellers.

Interesting Travel Links

This Tool That Will Tell You Exactly How Much an Airline Owes You When Your Flight is Canceled or Delayed (Afar)

7 Countries Where Your Dollar Goes Furthest (Afar)

New Crackdown Over Euro Notes in Europe Could Rip Off The Unaware Travelers (Frommers)

My Trending Travel Posts

Travel Advisories

Travel The Four Corners runs realtime Ticker News from the U.S .State Department Advisories. Check out Travel Resources.

The Bahamas

Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution)

This advisory was updated to reflect crime, swimming-related risks, and information on traveling with firearms and ammunition. Most crime occurs in Nassau and Freeport on New Providence and Grand Bahama islands. Boating is not well-regulated. Injuries and deaths have occurred. Sexual assaults by jet ski operators have also been reported. Sexual assaults have occurred on and near downtown Nassau beaches. Shark attacks have led to serious injuries and death. Read more.

Kuwait

Levels 1, 2 and 4 (Do Not Travel)

Kuwait, an increasingly popular destination for Westerners and a country with stiff laws against alcohol and drugs, has an overall Level I advisory. Two areas within Kuwait are marked Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) and Level 4 (Do Not Travel).

Level 2: Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh Neighborhoods -- The Kuwaiti police report that the neighborhood of Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh near the Kuwait International Airport is a high-crime area.

Level 4: Desert Area North of the Mutla’a Ridge and Near the Border with Iraq – Desert areas and some beaches north of the Mutla’a Ridge still have unexploded bombs, shells, and landmines left over from the 1990 Gulf War.  Avoid areas that are “off the beaten path” and do not touch or move objects in that area.  They could explode.  These locations are not clearly marked, or the signs might be difficult to understand. Read More.

Serbia

Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution).

Level 2 includes not answering your door at your hotel/residence unless you know who it is.

Staying alert in locations frequented by Westerners, and staying extra vigilant when visiting banks or ATMs. Read More.

Write to me if you have questions or suggestions for new travel features on Travel The Four Corners.

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