The Sunday Round-Up | August 1, 2021

Good morning! Can you believe the date today? It feels like just a week ago I asked you if you could believe it's July 1st? Time is just flying and I'm not even traveling. 

Speaking of traveling ... after our successful first real family trip in over a year back in June, my wife and I began making travel plans pretty much each week to go somewhere. But once the Delta variant started to take hold in the USA, we canceled our plans since we have two little unvaccinated kids. 

5 Reasons I’m Not Going to Canada When the Border Opens And Why You Might Want to Reconsider Too
Yesterday, I published a piece about the 5 reasons we're not going to Canada when the border opens to vaccinated American travelers on August 9. As most of you know, we've been counting down the days until we could visit to see Natalie's much-missed family, who she hasn't seen since December 2019. But in the end, we decided it wasn't the right time for us.

The article must have been picked up by another outlet because I was bombarded with comments on the article, most of them negative. I might have to change the title of the article to 6 Reasons I'm Not Going to Canada because, based on the comments, Americans are not welcome! Just kidding - the comments don't represent the majority of wonderful Canadians but I found it quite interesting to read what they had to say (although many of them seemed to miss the point entirely). Check out the story and the comments here. What do YOU think?

Olympics
If you've been watching the Olympics like me, then no doubt you've seen some incredible games and even commercials. This one by Toyota makes me cry each time. Wow! And speaking of the Olympics, I penned this post about Simone Biles, mental health and travel.

Today's Travel Tips
This Beach Pillow Is The Accessory You Never Knew You Needed
With August here, now's the time to hit the beach before the summer ends. With two little kids, I'm rarely able to relax at the beach but if you can, I suggest bringing this ridiculously comfortable beach pillow. These pillows, made exclusively for the beach and pool, are a great idea. Where were they five years ago? If you don't have to chase kids around or are looking for a great gift idea, here's how to get one.

The PeaPod Prestige Travel Bed Makes Life Easier For Parents 
You might not be able to relax anymore but you can make sure your little ones sleep well with this awesome travel bed, which is perfect for both indoor and outdoor use, like at the beach. Check it out. 

12 Things In Travel You Need To Know Today
— Yesterday's TSA checkpoint numbers 
— 2 travelers to Canada gave false COVID vaccination information. They were each fined almost $20K.
— A cruise passenger who assaulted two men during a drunken brawl at a buffet was sentenced to 21 months in jail
— Rep. Madison Cawthorn tried to board plane with gun; could face fine, status loss
— Lufthansa offering economy customers option to book a whole row for cheap
— Proof of vaccination while traveling? Here’s what experts say
— Tokyo Olympics: Georgian athletes have accreditation revoked for 'sightseeing' 
— 'HIGH VOLTAGE': Utah police crack down on people swinging from hammocks on power lines
— The California dream is dying
— Mom dies weeks after son takes her on the trip of a lifetime
— Worried about traveling with unvaccinated kids? 6 questions answered on how to manage the risks 
— Space tourists fly at their own risk - nobody is regulating their safety. Experts say ticket-holders are accepting their role in an 'experiment'
— Thailand reports daily record of new coronavirus cases and new deaths
Read it all here in today's travel news round-up as well as the 84 other top travel news stories from this past week!