The first thing I thought when I met Kitti Baker and Lana Pike, was, these women know how to have fun! And, as our conversation progressed, I saw deep affection and friendship with bonds firmly cemented by time and travel. Kitti and Lana travel together \u2013 exploring Europe and other overseas destinations, while sharing laughter, adventure and the occasional scary moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Originally from Augusta, Georgia, Kitti\u2019s former husband brought her to Myrtle Beach in 1970 where he developed the city\u2019s Hilton Hotel. Today, she is the owner of Green Jacket Hospitality, which hosts groups to the Masters Golf Tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lana is a hometown girl from Loris and moved with her family to Cherry Grove when she was in 5th grade. After college she went to work for Duke Power Company and there met her former husband. The couple moved first to Charlotte, but eventually moved back \u201chome\u201d to Cherry Grove. When Lana tells you about her life, she adds, \u201cThat\u2019s Chapter 11 in My Book,\u201d a long running joke about her autobiography that she is sure she\u2019ll get around to writing someday!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The two women were introduced by a mutual friend and have been friends every since. One day, 25 years later, over a cocktail, Kitti said to Lana, \u201cI want to go to France \u2013 do you want to come?\u201d Lana agreed and the two have traveled together ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI do the research and planning,\u201d Kitti began. \u201cBut I always include something that both of us want to do.\u201d From age 10 to age 13, Kitti lived in Europe with her mother and stepfather who was in the military. \u201cMy mother was the one who taught me to travel on a budget.\u201d Kitti has gone back and forth to Europe many times with friends, but says she and Lana have the most fun. \u201cWe\u2019re kind of like a Thelma and Louise in the safe zone!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe most important lesson you can learn in life is to be flexible,\u201d Lana said. \u201cKitti and I think out of the box \u2013 we have freedom when we travel. If we like a place, we stay a little longer and if we aren\u2019t impressed, we move on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I turned 16, I got my driver\u2019s license and my mother, who never drove, immediately had me driving to Arkansas,\u201d said Kitti after telling me she is always the driver during their trips. \u201cIf you put me in a car, I can drive it anywhere. I\u2019ve driven in Rome, Paris, Los Angeles, and New York City.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lana is very glad to let Kitti take the wheel. \u201cOnce I had to drive around a parking lot in France while Kitti ran inside. I thought I was going to have a heart attack!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kitti told me she and Lana have made three major trips. The fourth was supposed to have been this year, but was cancelled. \u201cI wanted to go to the Passion Play in Germany,\u201d Kitti told me. \u201cI\u2019ve been trying to get there since I was a child in 1960.\u201d The traveling duo is already planning to go in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lana and Kitti know how to make the most out of every trip and make every dollar count. \u201cWe travel on a budget \u2013 but we don\u2019t miss out on anything \u2013 we just know how to make it work. Some people don\u2019t know how to look for good prices. You have to be aware.\u201d Kitti continued, saying, \u201cMost cities have a big red bus \u2013 buy a three day ticket and get on and off as much as you like. Go to galleries and museums on free days or off times.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd make sure the wheels work on your luggage,\u201d Lana laughed, speaking from experience. \u201cI once had to buy a piece of luggage in Barcelona.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes things get a bit dicey, but taking risks has always paid off for Lana and Kitti. They were traveling in France, and Lana knew a hotel she thought they\u2019d like. \u201cI can get by in German and Italian, but not French, but Lana had been to France and studied French, so she thought she could handle it.\u201d Laughing, Kitti remembers this great adventure. \u201cWe were looking for our hotel and got lost. Lana was asking questions, but we couldn\u2019t find it. We finally found a Moroccan man who spoke English who led us to the place Lana knew, but it was closed. It was late, dark and we were tired.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lana jumped in and continued. \u201cOur Moroccan friend took us to a traveler\u2019s hotel, one mainly used by men. It was not at all what we were used to \u2013 there were communal bathrooms, and it was a scary place.\u201d Then she cracked up laughing, saying, \u201cWe had a sink in the room, and Kitti said she would use that sink rather than use that bathroom during the night!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI slept with my money belt and all my clothes on,\u201d Kitti chimed in. \u201cAs soon as daylight came, we paid and left! They were actually very nice to us. Our car was safely locked up, but the hotel was near an airport and was used by a lot of different people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But, sometimes great adventures start with misadventures. Kitti and Lana checked in to their original hotel in Aix, de Provence, that morning and invited their Moroccan friend to meet them at a caf\u00e9 for coffee as a way of thanking him for his help. \u201cHe invited us to his home for dinner,\u201d Lana began. \u201cWe thought about it, but decided this was an adventure we shouldn\u2019t pass up.\u201d The two women went to his home, which was a small one-bedroom apartment he shared with his wife and three young children, the oldest of whom was learning English. \u201cThis child would tell us to stand up and we would stand up and dance. It was so funny.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere were so many dishes of beautiful food that I am sure his wife spent all day preparing,\u201d Kitti said, as the story continued. \u201cI remember hoping they hadn\u2019t spent their entire week\u2019s food budget on a meal for us, but it was an evening I\u2019ll never forget.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lana and Kitti ended the story by telling me that meeting people and learning about different cultures are what make a trip special. \u201cI still like seeing churches and museums as well,\u201d Lana added. \u201cYou never realize how different life is in another country. It really makes me appreciate my home and family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTravel enriches my life allowing me to experience other cultures,\u201d Kitti began. \u201cI love to meet people from other countries, and experiencing a bit of their lives helps me learn to respect, understand, and appreciate their world. It allows me to see I am only one in a big world that we are all sharing. I love sharing not only what we have in common but celebrating our differences.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I asked how these two friends managed to get along so well while traveling and to please share any advice. \u201cIt\u2019s not pleasant to travel with people if you don\u2019t work well together,\u201d said Lana. \u201cAnd always consider energy levels. Some people can\u2019t walk as much as others. Share that information ahead of time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou have to be flexible,\u201d Kitti interjected. \u201cNothing ever goes as planned \u2013 in life or in travel. Talk about your expectations and especially talk about finances.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTravel gives you insight into what other people\u2019s lives are like, and it changes you as a person,\u201d Lana said as we continued what had become a very enjoyable conversation. Lana and Kitti immediately make you their friend. In our short time together, I knew I had met two very special people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The travel planner, Kitti, jumped in with some great advice on how to get the most out of a trip. \u201cI check months in advance for flights. I always book a long flight going over and take a full day in a different place \u2013 it\u2019s like an extra bonus, even if it\u2019s not on our agenda.\u201d Kitti books hotels for the beginning and end of their trips, but leaves room for flexibility. \u201cI read books and references about the places we want to visit, but I always allow extra time. We may have one or two hotels selected, and sometimes I book in advance and sometimes not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMake a plan and then narrow it down,\u201d Lana agreed. \u201cWe always make sure the other gets to see and do what she wants to do. We\u2019re already thinking about a trip to Champagne country in France because we didn\u2019t make it there last time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kitti and Lana have both traveled extensively in the United States as well, but Kitti doesn\u2019t mind traveling alone in the States. Lana, however, does not enjoy solo travel!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cKitti is honest, trustworthy, fun, well-read and travel savvy,\u201d said Lana when I asked her what makes her friend such a perfect travel companion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLana is lighthearted \u2013 I love that,\u201d Kitti said. \u201cShe\u2019s considerate of me and everyone \u2013 I love her, she\u2019s my best friend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe love each other and we\u2019re the \u2018bestest\u2019 of friends!\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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