Cities
Favorite Road Cities
Aug 25th
Last week, I wrote about my recent trip to Houston, which included talking about travel with several baseball players and coaches. Steve Grande, media relations coordinator for the Houston Astros, was a tremendous help in GT gaining access to the field.
When discussing their favorite cities to visit during the baseball season, some of our interview subjects immediately picked their hometowns. Mets manager Jerry Manuel named Atlanta, and Astros infielder Geoff Blum picked San Diego. While I can’t argue with that logic (family, friends and home-cooked meals), I really tried to get everyone to go beyond.
Future Hall of Famer and Astros coach Jeff Bagwell said he liked Chicago because the people are so nice. Astros manager Brad Mills agreed with Chicago and added it is a very clean city.
Astros All-Star outfielder Hunter Pence thought for a few seconds and named Chicago as his favorite. He mentioned the food and fun available there. Fellow Astros All-Star outfielder Michael Bourn agreed with Pence on all fronts.
Matt Lindstrom, who started his career in Florida and joined the Astros this year, also said Chicago, and his reason was simple. He loves Gibson’s Steakhouse.
Astros outfielder Jason Michaels continued the Chicago trend, but listed San Francisco and Houston as other favorites. Michaels said he was grateful for baseball, because it allowed him to spend time in so many great cities.
Astros coach Jamie Quirk likes Boston and New York. Quirk noted the history, the beauty and, of course, the food.
We switched to the other side of the field, and got more love for Chicago from Mets outfielder Jeff Francouer. Frenchy said Chicago because the day games allow the players to see the city at night. He added the restaurants in Chicago are great.
Mets infielder Mike Hessman took a more practical approach when he mentioned San Francisco and Philadelphia. Hessman says he loves playing in those ballparks.
Mets coach Razor Shines gave us the surprise of the day when he said Montreal (although they no longer house a baseball team). Shines talked about the friendliness of the people and the beauty and class of the city.
I always find it interesting to hear the thoughts of these well-traveled people. I hope you do, too.
– John Wroblewski, distribution specialist
Wish I Was There
Aug 11th
My fellow Global Traveler staffers have been writing about the NBTA (National Business Travel Association) convention in Houston. Unfortunately, I am not there this year, although I will be in Houston later this summer.
I have attended several NBTA conventions with GT over the years. They all have involved work, of course, but I also had a lot of fun and got to experience a lot of interesting things.
The most important part is the work, which at GT always involves fun anyway. It has been really motivational to see the various GT people working the booth, discussing ads, contemplating future editorial features and meeting other business associates. Seeing the energy and synergy reminds me of how exciting working at GT really is.
I have also enjoyed quite a few food and beverage choices at the conventions. One year, I had a delicious cold pea soup. It was so good, I shamelessly asked for another cup. I have also had samples of many different airline meals like chicken kebobs and California rolls.
I have tasted a lot of beverages, too. I have tried foreign beers and wines, relaxation teas and interesting energy drinks. Not all were great, but I am glad to have tried them.
Away from the convention, I have enjoyed touring around the host cities. In Boston, we took in a Red Sox game at historic Fenway Park. In Chicago, we enjoyed an after-convention party at the InterContinental Hotel on the Magnificent Mile.
Houston is one of my favorite cities (even with the heat). It’s a great choice for the NBTA convention. I hope my GT friends get to enjoy it as much as I do. I also hope it is still standing after my GT friends leave.
I am sure everyone is having a good time at the NBTA. Although I am not physically there, I am there in spirit with them, and I look forward to reading more stories here and hearing more when we next speak.
– John Wroblewski, distribution specialist
Obey the Law
Jul 30th
I recently received an email from Skyscanner.com, listing the 10 most unusual laws to watch out for while traveling around the world. Some of them were interesting, so I decided to share a few with you here, the perfect light fare for a summer Friday. Enjoy your weekend and remember to obey the laws, no matter how wacky they are, when traveling for business or pleasure!
1. In London, it’s considered an act of treason if you place a stamp bearing an image of the Queen upside down. Be careful how you place those stamps on postcards home.
2. In Paris, be careful of getting too caught up in the romance of the city. It’s against the law to kiss your mate on any railway throughout the country.
3. In Mexico, should you decide to go on a bike tour, don’t lift your feet off the pedals. That’s illegal.
4. In Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia, the durian fruit is known for its strong aroma. It’s banned from many places because of the smell, so be careful where you choose to bring the fruit.
5. In Singapore, chewing gum is completely banned, so don’t forget to pack your breath mints!
– Kim Krol, eFlyer editor, circulation and public relations executive
Two Hundred Blogs!
Jul 18th
Yesterday my husband had gone online to read my blog when I heard him exclaim, “Hey, tomorrow’s will be your two-hundredth blog!” I had to come see for myself that indeed, the “categories” column indicated that there were currently 199 entries under “Patty’s blog”. For nearly two years, virtually twice a week (I’ve had a few days off), I’ve written the weekend blogs for Global Traveler. Those have added up quickly, but I’ll be the first to admit that coming up with new topics which might be of interest and at least somewhat travel related hasn’t always been a breeze.
I remember when GT editor in chief Lisa Matte asked me to take on this role, and I was completely mystified as to why I, perhaps the least-traveled staffer and one of the newest, would be asked to take on the assignment (aside from the obvious — that few would want to interrupt weekend fun with a writing assignment). I was nervous and concerned that I wouldn’t have much to contribute, but I decided I’d have to give it a try. My ego certainly wouldn’t be terribly wounded if Fran or Lisa, after getting a sample of my efforts, decided maybe I wasn’t really cut out for this kind of thing. I also decided that at the very least I could give readers and my fellow GT staffers a picture of the world through my perspective, living in a small city/town in the Pacific Northwest (I’m currently the only one working for Global Traveler west of the Mississippi). And now, here we are 23 months and 200 blogs later.
While I’ve shared a bit about the sights and events unique to my corner of the country, I’ve also been able to relate stories from trips abroad to Europe and New Zealand and jaunts across the United States and to cities like New York and Chicago. I’ve discussed insights into the world and its people that travel has revealed to friends and loved ones on their journeys. Sometimes I’ve been spurred to comment on a travel-related news item or world event, and occasionally I’ve shared more intimate snapshots of people and situations which have touched my life. Sometimes I’ve got a clear idea of my subject matter for upcoming blogs, but just as often Friday night or Sunday morning arrives and I say to myself, “What the heck can I write about this time?!”
I really have no idea who (besides my immediate family, whom I harass mercilessly with “Have you read my blog yet? What did you think?” each week) reads what I write. I just try to present a bit of information, an interesting story or one thought-provoking idea with each blog I post and hope it reflects well on GT and all the great people who work here and complements the wealth of information they provide to travelers. On to the next 200 blogs!
– Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor
