Throughout the week, our team shares articles they’ve stumbled upon which may interest our readers, even if they might not otherwise merit a full post. Here are some of the posts we found interesting this week: Crowded Amex Lounges, canceled cherry blossom festivals, flying is cheaper than ever, and most Amish parts of America.
American Express Centurion lounges are getting overcrowded. (To be honest, all lounges are struggling with this, to an extent.) Digital waitlists help make the experience a little better, managing wait times to get in, but once you’re inside, there’s the problem of finding a place to sit. There are sometimes reserved sections for Black Card members so that at least the elite of the elite have somewhere guaranteed to sit. But the word on the street is these aren’t typically monitored, so some are choosing to ask for forgiveness instead of permission. Have you dared sit in the super elite Black Card member seating? If so, did you get away with it?
Cherry blossom festival near Tokyo canceled due to overtourism
Speaking of overcrowding, some communities in Japan are canceling their usual cherry blossom festivities, which would be coming up in the next few weeks. (Tim got to experience the cherry blossoms last year, staying at the Conrad Tokyo during the visit.) With more than 10,000 visitors a day during the cherry blossom festival season, Fujiyoshida City, for example, has recognized an impact on the day-to-day lives of locals. Traffic and trash have made the experience more and more unfavorable. At least this year, they’ve decided it’s not worth it. This idea of overtourism is becoming a recurrent theme, as popular European destinations have also begun to lose patience with tourists. What’s behind this saturation of tourists? Well… the next article may have some insight.
Then vs. Now: The Evolution of Airfare Costs Over the Years
This fascinating article breaks down just how affordable air travel has gotten since its origin. Yes, seats have gotten ridiculously uncomfortable with an average economy class seat pitch of around 31 inches, but a traveler in 1941 was paying exorbitant prices compared to modern times. A flight from LA to Boston, for example, would have cost around $4,539.24 in today’s money. Not only that, it would have taken 15 hours with 12 stops along the way. In 1978, things changed with the Airline Deregulation Act, which ended the era of government-regulated airline prices. Since then, prices have primarily gone ever downward (even when fuel prices increased). It’s hard not to speculate that this is a big contributing factor to issues of overtourism.
10 Maps of the U.S. That Will Blow Your Mind
I’ve featured articles like this before…but I just had to share this one too. Why? Because of the “Amish population by County in 2025” map, of course. Many of you may already know that I grew up Mennonite, and that many of my relatives (including most of my aunts, uncles, and my paternal grandparents) were Amish. Few understand just how unique a culture the Amish are (or in what way they’re unique). It’s not just butter churning and milking cows like people tend to think – there are a thousand quirks that you just don’t understand until you spend a day in the community. Even the simple act of grocery shopping will give you a taste of it. I grew up in the one very dark green county in Ohio on the map of Amish counties. And my mom’s family is from all the dark green patches within Pennsylvania – so I have had about as much Amish influence as a non-Amish person could have. If quirky subcultures or slow-paced agricultural living interest you, Holmes County, Ohio, is actually worth a visit. But don’t plan on doing much while you’re there. Go when the weather’s nice and drive back country roads, stopping at every roadside flower vendor or basket maker you see. If you see a sign for some strange collection of services and products like broom-making, fabric, and “dry goods” outside of a building that otherwise looks like a garage or shed, pop in and see for yourself the interesting world of Amish commerce. Or pop in to Walnutcreek Cheese for ice cream and weird bulk grocery items (like the tiny marshmallows that come in Lucky Charms…without the Lucky Charms…or eggs pickled in redbeet juice.) Or just visit our Walmart to see the horse hitching post in the parking lot. And of course, visit the impressive Keim Lumber. Or if you’re particularly curious, head to the Mount Hope live animal auction. The itinerary isn’t going to be wildly exciting, but it will be culturally interesting.
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