The Kawarau Jet Skims the Beautiful Lake and Rivers

Queenstown is the big Kahuna when it comes to New Zealand tourism. Nearly everyone who comes to the big wide open South Island spends some time here in this adrenaline filled rockin' little town. We got a chance to see some of the spectacular scenery here from the water, zipping across Lake Wakatipu on the Kawarau jet.

These monster boats, with two engines and 700 horsepower, were developed in the 1960s by a Kiwi named Hamilton, and have become synonymous with Queenstown's adventure culture. But it's not the boat, nor the 360 degree swooping turns that excited us. It was the scenery and the clear aqua water of the lake and the Shotover River.

The banks are devoid of any spec of litter, the ducks are the only movement, and there are very few other boaters to get in the way of this high speed craft. As usual, we were piloted by a handsome and friendly Kiwi, who we learned had to have 100 hours of instruction to get behind the wheel of this speedboat.

It was a perfectly clear day and the upper end of the lake was like a mirror. I can't wait to show off the video of this trip in the cafe, where patrons will wonder just where in the world these glorious images were captured. I'll be happy to tell them that's a part of my favorite travel destination.

New Zealand, it never disappoints.

A Million Dollar View from a Wooden Hot Pool

Last night we were picked up by a friendly English gent and taken to Arthur's Point to one of the newer and nicer attractions of this adrenaline-fueled town by the lake. Instead of bungy jumping or skydiving, we opted for soaking at Onsen Hot Pools, which provide wooden tubs, total privacy, and sweeping views of a curve of the Shotover River and the beautiful untouched mountains for miles all around.

Tony Williams and his wife Mitsi Morikawa were inspired by the soaking tubs in her native Japan and hence came the name, meaning hot pools. They could have opened up right in Queenstown, (which would have been much easier to find) but instead choose a location perched on a hillside with each of the six pool rooms affording this million dollar view. A garage door can be opened once you're warm in your tub and you get the experience of the open air all around your wooden deck as you turn up the jets.

Tony's dad told us that few locals ever come out to these pools; they consider them a tourist thing. Plus, as Janelle here at the Dairy said, staff in any one of these places gets offered free skydiving, jetboating, bungy jumping and all of the other adventures. We kicked back in the swirling warm waters and watched the southern hemisphere slowly darken as night fell. Wow, wouldn't you come out here if you lived here? Maybe if we did we'd be the only locals who are regulars!

The Fuzzy Antlers of Caged Deer at Walter Peak Farm

We boarded the TSS Earnslaw, a vintage steamship built in the early 1900s, for a journey across sparkling Lake Wakatipu this morning, in the company of about 40 mostly German visitors. Despite the tendency for Germans to speak better English than Americans, the group still relied on their translator to get the gregarious sheep farmer's jokes, which were ribald and never ending.

Our destination was at the near end of this W-shaped long lake, the Walter Peak High Country farm. Here, more than 25,000 sheep, a herd of red-haired Highland cattle and other livestock are raised. They also have herds of deer, one male with fuzzy giant antlers looked like something Dr. Suess would have drawn. Beside the farm house are dramatic steep cliffs, which the sheep make their home for part of the year.

Places like this appeal to the corny tourist in us all, patting the fuzzy horns, giving a bottle to a thirsty little lamb, and watching Storm, the amazing border collie run the sheep around with deft precision while obeying his master's whistle calls. Lindsay told us he'd been here since the 1970s, and even today, the only practical way to get to town is by boat...otherwise it's a 2 1/2 hour long slog around the mountains.

The farm uses a diesel generator to power the whole operation, and I asked Leslie if they'd considered solar or wind power instead. "That's a good idea," he said, but like other Kiwis I met on this trip, it seems that these alternatives haven't gotten as much traction here as they have in other countries. My sense is that in a few years alternative energy like wind and solar will be huge here.

There Used To Be No Sign on the Bunker's Door

The last time I was in Queenstown was back, my God, before 9/11. It was January 2000, and I passed the new year on board the Air New Zealand plane heading here for what would be only my second press trip of my career. Then I was traveling with a group of rowdy 18-35 year olds, who had signed up for a group trip with Contiki. They were all keen to go bungy jumping, skydive, do the jetboats and float down the roaring Shotover River on rafts. We did that. It tipped over, and I had the scariest moment of my life. But worse was the drive up that winding, terrifying road to get to the place where the rafting began.

Now we're back in Q-town, nine years and many trips in between. The town of about 10,000 is filled with twenty-somethings, all prowling the very clean and neat streets in search of beeer and adventure. We visited a bar I had been to back then...called The Bunker. In 2000, there was no sign, you had to know where to find it. The current owner, Cam, told us that back in the day, there were many more locals who inhabited his cool little hole in the wall bar in Cow St. so food wasn't as important, they were there for drinking.

A sign at the bar said 'we serve doubles unless asked otherwise.' He explained that in NZ, a drink is 1/2 ounce, so just about every bar serves what they call 'doubles.' Cam said the town has changed a bit, it's spread out and now there isn't the big regular crowd of locals who bring him business. Many have moved out into neighboring towns, so he's more reliant on visitor business. They serve up a fabulous wild rabbit risotto today, along with other fine meats and good wines.

Queenstown has changed, but it's still one of the most stunning towns by a lake you'll ever see. The light bouncing off the foothills and behind that, the dramatic peaks of the Remarkable Mountains, makes this a perfect place for shooting beer and car commercials. Great to be back.

Wine, Art & Wilderness....Kiwi Style

Yesterday I (Cindy) did something surprising ....I realized and admitted that New Zealand is surpassing Italy as my favorite place. It's not just the beautiful, rugged scenery, the perfectly prepared and apportioned meals, nor is it the history or the art. Travel is about the people you meet. The shared experiences, the glimpses into each others' lives. So far Kiwis rule!

The realization struck during my outing with Noel Kennedy of Wine, Art & Wilderness Tours. Noel has a background in landscape design, land conservation and the wine business, and brings it all together as a tour guide in Nelson, a haven to artists and vineyards. The lifestyle and climate appeal to the artists, while the soil, sun and ocean breezes provide the right setting for superb local wines.

Noel works with small, family operated wineries that are able to provide an educational experience to guests. After an al fresco lunch at The Mapua Boatshed Cafe, we sampled Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and a stand-out Merlot Rose at the Kina Beach Vineyard, and finished out the day by visiting local artist Brian Strong, who paints striking landscapes filled with historical symbolism.

Noel's contacts with the local wineries and artists offer his clients a personalized tour and experience you're unlikely to get on your own. Add in his knowledge about all things Nelson and it's a day you'll not soon forget!

Noel is an easy going, unassuming guy who comes out with the most amazing facts and information...he's a walking encyclopedia of knowledge of New Zealand's plants, geology, local history and especially the wine business. He shares it passionately and by the end of the day I felt like family. That's what it's like here.

Today I'm off to visit with a local couple who share my passion of all things retro, as in 1960s design. It was arranged by Amanda Read of Southern Wilderness who hiked with us a few days ago. When she learned of my retro interest she called her friends and.... poof! I'm invited for a visit to their home. Look what the universe provides.... more and more Kiwi friends at every turn!

I love Italy but New Zealand ROCKS!

If You've Got a Problem, Just Do a Number 8

After an invigorating mountain bike ride down steep and grassy slopes, Dave Judson took me to his favorite Nelson pub, the House of Ales, for a refreshing beer with a citrus flavor. There he told me a story about when he came to Canada and did a number 8.

Number 8 is an expression here that goes back to the earliest settler's days. It was the number 8 wire that you used to make fences, and this useful wire was used for all sorts of fix-it jobs and hacks. So if a Kiwi is 'doing an number 8,' he's using a coat hanger for a car radio antenna or coming up with some other clever way to make something work.

Dave's friend's young son was hitting baseballs and a stray ball took out a neighbor's window. Like any good citizen, Dave promptly went to find the boy's father, and intended to walk over to the house and tell him of the damage. When they got there, the man had called the police, much to Dave's chagrin. "Why did you call the cops? We are the ones who broke the window, so there's no need to involve them," he said.

But the neighbor told him, he didn't know what happened, and so he did what he did. Dave was amused by this, and promptly offered to number 8 the problem. He drove to the store, bought the silcone, fixed the pane and then fixed the broken blind mechanism beside it. The Canadian was stunned. "How did you know how to fix that??" he stammered, offering to pay Dave for his time.

"I'm a Kiwi," he said, "we just know how to do stuff like that."

Denuded NZ Hillsides Shock the Tourists

New Zealand's main industries are fishing, forestry, horticulture and most important to us, tourism. That's crucial for a visitor to keep in mind as we travel the South Island and see the clearcut sections of hillsides, denuded right down to bare earth, which are such a common site here.

Many people make their living from those trees, so my first reaction, which is to be shocked, must be tempered with a little dose of reality. Clearcutting is a stark contrast to what some would prefer, selective harvesting. It would certainly look nicer if they could just remove some of the logs and leave other trees standing on those hills. But as Dave Judson of Biking Nelson and I rode mountain bikes beside a barren hillside, he told me some facts about the operation, which gave good reasons for this style of timber harvesting.

The timber is planted just like rows of crops, uniform plantings of the most hardy and fast-growing pine trees that they can genetically engineer in the forestry labs here. After the trees are stripped of branches, the litter is collected into rows and left to decompose. Then thousands of four-inch seedlings are hand planted on every denuded hillside. The trees are taken to Nelson's harbor where they are shipped either to a nearby lumber mill in Richmond, or overseas. Some of the wood goes to Japan's largest paper company, Sumitomo, and some of the wood that's left over is cut up for firewood and donated to seniors.

Ryan Kelly, a guide who took us to the Heaphy Track, said that it makes sense to use the timber in this way. Since the clearcutting is only done in these swaths, often right next to unusable stands of Beech that don't get cut down, it's good use of the land. It also cuts way down on the potential for wildfires since dead wood and brush won't pile up in the forests the way it does in our Western states.

A bigger threat than logging in NZ's huge parklands are proposals to allow mining for iron ore, chromite and gold, which would really destroy these beautiful lands. So far most of the very green citizens here reject that notion...but Australia's wealth comes mostly from its vast mines so if they really wanted to increase the GDP, mining is the quickest answer.

He Sheared Enough Sheep To Pilot a Heli

Dion Edgar told us that it costs about $100,000 to complete training to become a helicopter pilot. He spent many years saving up money from shearing sheep at $3.00 each in the windy Falklands, Scotland and New Zealand. "You can do 300 or more sheep per day," he said, "it adds up."

In front of us was a shiny red Eurocopter chopper that seated five plus the pilot. We were about to set off in a ferocious windstorm to fly up to Heaphy Track to hike one of most beautiful hiking trails ever created.

Watching the gusts flatten Dion's windbreaker as he readied the craft out on the landing pad, I admit, I was a bit nervous. One of our guides, Amanda, nudged me as we were just about to take off, needling me for my trepidation...apparently these gusts are no match for our turbocharged European designed, eight-year old heli, one of a fleet of 40 owned by HeliPro., a pilot owned company based in Wellington.

We went straight up, and then zoomed out over the Prince Charlotte sound toward the distant snow capped peaks. Below us we could see large swaths of clear-cut mountains, and next to them the smaller trees which had been planted in their place.

Even much of the tall tree forests were uniform in height, an indication they'd been planted in rows, to be harvested in 15-20 years.

We cruised at about 50 mph at 2000 feet, then climbed up to 6500 feet when we hit the mountains, the green tops giving way to more jagged peaks, which our guide Ryan said were called the Dragon's Teeth. Over there, he pointed, was where a few of Lord of the Rings scenes were filmed. We cruised with few clouds and perfect visibility below, yellow markings of roads crossed some of the logged mountainsides, and then there were none.

After about 20 minutes we popped down next to a sturdy structure with a tin roof, called Perry Saddle Hut. Inside are bunks, tables, a stove and faucet, but no trash cans. Everything that comes in is coming out with you. Twenty-four hikers can stay here for the night.

These huts were built in the days when hunters sought out white tailed deer to try and capture their tails. Then they realized they were a valuable meat they could sell, and intrepid Kiwis used to build crude landing strips on these jagged mountains to pile carcasses on fixed wing aircraft and bring them to market. The pursuit came to a crescendo when the price of a breeding mare reached $2000, and helicopters were used to swoop down and try and net them live to be taken to a breeding farm. It was big money, but it was before Dion's flying days.

After an 8 kilometer hike through a leafy canopy, and then out into the most ferocious wind I've ever experienced, we made it to a second hut, and while we hummed the MASH theme song, Dion again appeared over the horizon to swoop down and bring us back to Nelson. Behind us a menacing plume of smoke was billowing out from a faraway forest...soon Dion would be heading that way to dump water on the fire from this same chopper.

Between Picton and Nelson NZ

Trust the Chef: Daniel Monopoli Keeps It Simple

Some of Daniel Monopoli's best food memories come from his Italian grandmother's kitchen, at their family summer house on the beach. One particular memory is a succulent veal flank cooked on a George Forman grill drizzled with a Sorrento lemon and some chili. Simple food appeals to this young chef, who's made a name in just a few months by opening the Boat Shed Cafe on the waterfront in Nelson.

We sat with Daniel on his night off, as the restaurant revved up for another busy shift. He talked about his new idea, called "Trust the Chef," that brings out five or six mystery dishes, so that everyone is eating throughout the evening. "It's not for everyone," he admitted. But Daniel likes the share and sample way of eating, despite the fact that here in New Zealand, locals often expect a full plate with the requisite meat, starch and veggies. He likes the movement and the idea that lots of different dishes arriving one after the other allows a more relaxed flow and promotes conversation.

We asked him about the way he does business, and he told us that he puts the whole staff on salary, despite the ebbs and flows of summer versus winter. "That way they know they'll get the same salary all year, and it keeps the turnover very low." Everyone in the kitchen is on the same team, everyone cleans and he's flattened the hierarchy. Despite the legendary belief that no one in NZ likes to tip, he believes that it's only fair to throw in some extra for great service. He pools the tips including the lowly dishwasher.

He has fond memories of a visit to America where he passed through Austin Texas and bought a 1965 Chevy Caprice. He drove it to California and shipped it back to Nelson. Time spent in Thailand gave him a keen appreciation for presenting food simply, and letting a great piece of fish work its magic without a host of piled up garnishes and heavy sauces.

He can be tough on his fishmongers, demanding the peak of fresh and only stocking 3-4 kilos of each. They run out but while they're available they're as good as they can be.

Greytown's Glad the Railroad Came Back

Greytown, New Zealand is the perfect place to putter. Walking up and down the main street, we discovered a bevy of tastes and saw the skills of many Kiwis who have chosen to leave Wellington for the charms of this appealing town, that was settled in 1854, the country's first planned inland town. It was going to be the provincial capital but a river flooded and the railway passed the town by.

The good news is that the railroad is back, coming through nearby Woodside, and offering many city residents convenient transport to avoid driving steep mountain roads and gliding easily into the city center from this food lover's paradise.

Riding Through the Vineyards, Tasting Peppercorn Chocolate

Today we drank in new tastes, sights and sounds...and began with an early morning train ride from Waterloo Station in North Wellington up to the Wairarapa district, a foodies paradise dotted with artisan craftspeople who create great tasting wines, olive oils, jams, fruits, and chocolates.

The 90-minute train ride took us to Greytown, the kind of place couples love to wander and pop in and out of shops and cafes. It's the kind of town Cindy and I enjoy exploring, and our first stop was at the Main St. Deli where an assortment of New Zealand olive oils waited to be tasted. Susan McLeary, of Zest Food Tours, a devout foodie, showed us around the town. Her goal is to take visitors behind the scenes and she introduced us to Odell Sugrue, who has 25 hectares of olives and infuses the oil with lime, mandarin and lemon, and sells them here in Wairarapa.

Like many ranchers here, she realized that the market for sheep and beef wasn't sustainable a few years back so they planted olive trees from cuttings 14 years ago. Many of the farmers who grew apples and other fruits have ripped out their orchards, the market price is just not worth using the land that way.

Then it was time for chocolate. How about smoked paprika, lime chilli, pink peppercorn or sea salt flavors? These and many more are all found at Schoc, 'real chocolate for real people,' where these varieties can be tasted and they also have bars made from cocoa from Ghana, Ecuador, Papua New Guinea and Grenada. The flavor is much deeper and richer than milk chocolate, it was fun trying to figure out which off-beat flavor we can taste among the familiar cocoa bean.

From chocolate we moved on to....gin. Andrew Wright is one of the former cider makers up here who now make something more profitable. He and his partners distill gin and he showed us the nine ingredients: Juniper berries, kawa kawa leaves, cardomom, licorice, lemon, orrice root and casawa bark that they infuse to give their gin its unique flavor. It was early but we did sip some of his fine concoction, as a group of five local moms nursed their babies in unison out on the hotel's deck.

But enough of this eating. It was time for a bike ride. For this we connected with Gretchen Bunny, who started March Hare cycling just a few months ago. She provides maps and a simple route where people can bike through vineyards and taste the wines at five local vineyards. Our trip included a picnic by a stream and a stop at the Wee Red Barn, where they make strawberry wine and had a giant pig with an army of week-old piglets ferociously suckling.

Riding through the vineyards, looking up at the gorgeous green Tararua mountains, and meeting these friendly Kiwis, who all work in businesses that focus on great tastes was hard work, and when we got on the train, we closed our eyes for a spell. It is great to be back here in New Zealand, where people really do have their eyes on the things that truly matter and taste so damn good.

A Second City Where Arts and Dining Come In First

Logan and Brown are the two last names of a pair of famous chefs known far and wide in Wellington, a city of about 180,000 where arts, culture and especially food are at the top of their game. The pair opened in a converted former bank building on Cuba Street, the downtown's most lively thoroughfare lined with cafes, clubs, art galleries and of course more fine restaurants. In 2009, Logan Brown was voted the restaurant of the year by Cuisine magazine for all of NZ.

We joined Rebecca Mitchell, a city marketing manager, and Stacey Turnbull, who curates and promotes City Gallery, at a table at Logan Brown and we talked about what makes this second city the center of arts and culture in New Zealand. "There is more professional theater and art galleries, plus lots of live music here, helped by the two universities and a population that loves eating out and going out very much," they told us.

Rebecca, 26, confessed that her budget for fine dining and fun is high consuming most of her paycheck, and in fact that is the topic that's on many people's minds here these days. The cost of living is going up while many employers have signed contracts with no raises for up to three years.

Thing are expensive here--takeaway coffee is $3.50 or $4, wrapped sandwiches are $8-10, and a special dinner menu at Logan Brown's bistro is $49.50 per person. The dishes, like the turkey confit, meltingly delicious meat on top of savory squash, and a side of tiny 2" portobello mushrooms, combined with the ambience of the intimate octagonal building's interior was lovely.

It was a Monday night, and the place was filled up with locals eating and drinking and sitting at the bar that's made of glass and filled with living sea creatures like crayfish. "Some people joke about Welliwood, a silly name that began when mega-director Peter Jackson began his series of blockbuster movies that seemed to include half of the city as extras.

More excitement is promised when Jackson begins filming The Hobbit at the Weta studios next to the ocean in Seatoun neighborhood. Despite the big names, the director cherishes the low-key nature of his fellow Wellingtonians, and that's why he keeps making great movies right here, in New Zealand's second city.

You Can Come Home Again...To Villa Margarita

One common refrain heard time and time again is, 'well see you again, we've gotta get together again, let's make plans to do this again' but how many times do you really do that?

The complication of geography, meeting great people in faraway countries makes you know full well you'll never set eyes on them again. Still, we say this, and sometimes, rarely, it comes true.

Cindy and I have just settled into Villa Margarita, where we stayed during our trip to North Island NZ in 2007. One of the trip's highlights was a long night with a warm and fun couple named Mark and Margarita Owen, who run this guest house set high on rolling hills with views of Cook sound and sweeping views of green mountains. When we began planning this trip, we asked that this spectacular lodging be included and here we are.

Meeting Mark at the airport, it felt so great to be back here with them and to catch up with his busy life with Margarita and their three daughters. The eldest daughter Carly had just finished an acting gig in The Bridge to Terabitha in 2007, and now, Stephania the youngest takes her turn in the upcoming film of the Alice Seybold novel, The Lovely Bones. Wow, two young actresses under one roof.

Our day today will take us to Wellington's Te Papa Tongarewa New Zealand Museum and tonight to an acclaimed restaurant called Logan Brown. Tomorrow we'll enjoy the Villa's Cuban Food, and the hospitality of these dear friends. It's great, great to be back in this green and pleasant land.

Auckland's Domestic Terminal --Kiosks Aplenty!

We're en route to Wellington and are waiting at Auckland's new and improved domestic terminal. After the 13 hour flight, it was nice to get out into the air, and we followed the blue trail from the international terminal over here to domestic departures. 

Outside we passed some lovely spring flowers, abloom in purple and white, a reminder that a new growing season is just starting here as we rake our leaves and pile up firewood in New England.  

Auckland's domestic terminal has been remade in the same style as many new airport terminals around the world...three giant banks of kiosks dominate the entryway, you just go right to the machine and begin swiping and getting what you need, instead of that imposing bank of people sitting behind counters and giant snaking lines. It makes a lot of sense since really, nobody needs to wait in line when online ticketing makes the whole process streamlined.

We can't wait to see Mark and Margarita of Villa Margarita who we enjoyed meeting so much two years ago when we stayed with them. This time we don't have to worry about getting lost since Mark is meeting us. We'll look forward to seeing the improvements they've made since we last were here!

Off to My Favorite Land, Far, Far Away

We are off, tomorrow at 6 am, flying to Los Angeles and then tomorrow night, to Auckland and then Wellington New Zealand. It has been a day of packing and trying to remember everything, and accepting that things won't get done but will upon our return on Dec 3.

One of the things on the itinerary that excited me the most was Nelson Helicopters. We'll soar in a chopper over mountains and land up there, and hike our way down. We will also take a ferry across the strip of ocean that divides the north and south islands. Sometimes it's rough but our friend Gabrielle assured us that sometimes it's not. An adventure, no doubt!

The trip is full of meetings with ordinary and interesting Kiwis, and Cindy will have a full day of activities visiting with Maori craftspeople. I'll meet some journalists and we'll both bike and kayak quite a bit while on the South Island.

There isn't a place that I can think of that makes me more excited than the land of the Kiwis. Follow along and meet them with me. This blog will also be featured on the newzealand.com website where our updates will be posted under 'latest features' beginning on Monday.

If You Think Our Bloomin' Onion is Bad, Try This

I ordered a burger at the Outback Steakhouse in Orlando. A meal voucher had spat out of the Delta self check-in when my flight was delayed, and I took it to this temple of gastronomy to see what I could get. In tiny print down at the bottom, my server showed me that I'd only be getting $7 worth of refreshment. "No medium rare" said the cheerful server, "only well-done burgers here. It's an airport thing." I guess the TSA prohibits consumption of burgers that aren't overcooked.

He asked me if I'd like a shot with that beer, no thanks I said. Then I had to persuade him that I was perfectly fine with a mere 12 oz beer and I could live without the giant 22 ouncer that's "just three dollars more."

I glanced down at the menu that included a photo of the notoriously fattening 'blooming onion.' It is spikey and breaks apart so you can dip the crispy fried onion pieces into more fat, a white sauce. "Oh, that's nothing, hey that one below it, the Aussie cheese fries, are 2800 calories. " Wow I'm glad I missed both. Just to keep me thirsty, my chicken sandie came with fries that were pre-salted, it was hard to enjoy them.

I'd hate to think that people might assume that food in Australia is anything like this. I spent a week in Melbourne last year and never ran across anything as fattening as Outback. I do remember that everything on the menu was pricey, and that if you ordered a glass of wine they'd always ask you if you'd like to taste it first. But no bloomin' onion, and especially no 'oil cans' of Fosters. People love salads and in the stadiums the beers are low alcohol, so you can buy as many as four at a time.

Nobody likes Fosters that I met, they treat it a little like we'd look at an old Miller Lite or a Schlitz. No thanks.

Advice for Hotel Owners About Social Media

I got a lot of good advice for hotel owners today, in a meeting of travel bloggers and tweeters. The question was posed, 'who are some great examples of companies who 'get' social media in 2009?

Elliot Ng, a founder of the large content site UpTake.com, brought up a few non-travel examples, like the 2008 Obama campaign. It wasn't that it was new, it was that the scale was unprecedented. So many people involved, and a recent Facebook poll got more than 3 million people saying they voted for and still support President Obama.

Which travel companies, we were asked, really get it? JetBlue and Southwest got props for their clever Twitter presence, covering each and every complaint quickly and efficiently. But Continental looks like a lumbering stupid gorilla. They've been on Twitter for months yet have only posted 288 times...and what they do post on the Twitter include photos of the CEO posing in front of a plane, instead of relevant and topical information.

Another blogger complained about PR firms sending him press releases without ever bothering to visit his website, so there is no fit...nobody wants to get releases that are irrelevant, do they?

Wendy Perrin, Conde Nast's consumer news editor, suggested that hotels need to concentrate more on the destinations where they are located, and not just on the hotel's amenities and perks. People are going to a place, not just to a hotel, so they would be better off bragging about the great South Florida weather or the proximity to Wrigley Field rather than how soft and plump their pillows are.

Another consensus: hotels and resorts should always answer negative reviews, and respond quickly to anyone who has a beef. Another tip: Hotels should suggest to guests who are happy with their stay to post a positive review. Hey, no harm in asking!

Finally, Ng suggests a really strong social media strategy. Try to develop 1000 devout followers who will be your 'fan boys.' He cited Apple as one company that withstands any online assault because their fans are rabid...they respond quickly and forcefully. Develop your own army by building fanatic fanboys who will do the same for you.

Among the Copycats, Some Real Innovators

Up on stage at Phocuswright yesterday, dozens of travel start-ups vied for our attention, and like the Greek chorus offstage, we bloggers tapped away making comments and asking questions on Twitter. I found myself focusing on the main question of 'what's actually new here?' when so many of the present ideas seemed to be pretty much the same thing.

A few start-ups were basically the same concept that had been tried years before. One in particular was very much like the winner of the innovator's prize a few years ago, an application that could be used to plan road trips. That winner went out of business a year after he won.

But there were notable exceptions, that really caught my attention. One was an iphone application called EveryTrail, and Joost Schreve wasted no time in getting it going for us to see. Instead of using power point like everyone else, he just began using the actual tool on his phone. It creates a map of a place where someone has been, and you can pop in photos of things you did, so you can share the walk, or the drive with your friends. So far they've compiled a database of more than 200,000 trips from 140 countries. Many in the audience downloaded the app to their phones, always a good sign.

Another stand-out was called localyte, which offered local opinions of places travelers could visit. They have amassed a cadre of 40,000 local experts who can speak about where they live, and more than 1000 new reports are uploaded every day. Doug Renert told us that he has about 700 experts in Barcelona, so that anyone who goes to the site can get insider type information from one of these people.

After a Slew of Geektalk, Luggage Was a Relief

After a long line of technical booking solutions and web analytics providers at the Phocuswright conference,I was glad to hear about a less technical travel topic...luggage.

Luggagetag.com allows the customer to design a luggage tag using nice looking photos, graphics, unique fonts and even family photos. Like the programs that allow you to design business cards on line, this systems lets you put text on the luggage tags with customized designs.

The CEO, Richard Warther, calls it a 'cloud sourced' automated site that allows people to move type around and create their tags on top of images. No humans need to be involved, all of the typing is done by the traveler on the website.

He's pitching this to companies with online booking capabilities. Instead of using the airlines paper tags, they sell them for six for $13.95 and split the revenues. So for each luggage tag, the website publisher or tour operator makes $6 and the company makes $6. Plus they can brand the tags so they have a company logo as well as the customer's name.

But their business isn't just about luggage tags. Some time this year, RFID tags can be embedded into luggage tags, and by using a special USB key drive, a consumer can put into the computer when they are booking, which puts the destination info and even your cellphone number on the tag. For now, the airlines don't want to spend the money on putting the tags into the labels they put on bags so this part isn't moving ahead yet. His model is the EasyPass or Fastlane pass, used in vehicles.

So this company is offering two things: a simple way to create a durable nice looking luggage tag, and some day, to make that tag capable of finding your lost baggage. They've got a ways to go to get airlines on board, but it's intriguing and I think the most interesting idea I heard so far today.

ChampionsGate Welcomes Me to Sterile Orlando

I'm excited to again be at Phocuswright, where I'll meet up with dozens of friends I've made in the on-line travel business and catch up with bloggers and other people who make this business so exciting. I walked up to the security desk at Bradley and got a surprise as he examined my license...by God it expired on my birthday. But I was able to board my plane, which flew down here to Orlando half empty, and now I'm in my hotel room groove. I always have the same rituals in hotel rooms around the world...set up my 'office,' hang up my shirts, turn on the TV and settle into my home for the next three nights.

Orlando is still as sterile as a hospital....we dropped off passengers at a gigantic hotel complex called Gaylord that was festooned with white lights...which looked weird since to me, you don't put those things up until after Thanksgiving. But the hotels are huge and so spread apart that once I'm here, well, I can tell I won't be leaving this Omni 'Champions Gate' until I fly home on Thursday.

I'm happy to report, just in time for this show, that GoNOMAD has launched a really nice new airfare, hotel and car rental search engine, and that you'll now be able to search the biggest on-line travel agencies for all of these things on one easy to navigate page. Going somewhere in the next few months? Give our new engine a try, I'd love to hear what you think.

Art Tatum Never Sweated, and So, Wasn't Loved

Art Tatum is a childhood memory, his piano playing was always a part of my dad's very important music collection. Music experts consider Tatum to be the most admired jazz pianist who ever lived. In yesterday's WSJ, Terry Teachout discussed just what it is that makes someone memorable, famous and loved...and it's not their talent.

Teachout writes that Tatum's problem was that he refused to reveal himself. Besides knowing that he liked baseball and enjoyed Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, the few interviews that the jazz great ever gave just didn't say much about him. Like an accountant tapping his numbers into a calculator, Tatum just made it look easy. He didn't have a painful story to tell, he wasn't a man who faced terrible circumstances and bounced back, no, he simply played the piano better than anyone who ever played jazz.

It's a fascinating idea, that to become famous, you've got to let people in. Simple virtuosity "is an insult, a tactless reminder of human inequality that can only be forgiven when the artists makes clear through visible effort how high a price he has paid for his great gifts. Tatum was too proud to make that concession, he did all his sweating offstage."

So the centennial of this the greatest jazz pianist who ever played will not be noted, not celebrated, and will simply not make the news. For a taste of what Art Tatum could do, play this this video.

I Blew an .07, By the Grace of God, and Went Free

My late night ambitions have been proven weak lately. I've contemplated going out on weekend nights, but have found reasons to stay in. Last night we dined in Northampton with another couple who at 9:45 were eager to get over to the Iron Horse for a 10 pm show.

No way we would follow in their shoes....just thinking about staying up past midnight in a club exhausts me, and I can just see myself nodding over, my head bobbing while the music that I paid to hear plays in the background.

It takes a little getting used to, this accepting that my life now exists between the hours of six am and about 10 pm. After that, hey, I just don't really wanna be out there.

I read in the paper about a woman I know who is an upstanding citizen, teacher, and not what I'd consider a big drinker. She got popped for DUI and now faces that terrible littany of hassle: from having to get a ride the long way to work each morning, to facing huge cost increases for insurance, to the scorn inevitably that will be heaped on her for making a poor choice, beginning with that dreaded 'marked lane violation.'

I once had a similar brush with the law...weaving back to the Youth Hostel in Martha's Vineyard in 2000, pulled over and faced those terrible blue lights. After an ordeal involving handcuffs and a wait in the station, I blew a .07, and walked out a free man. But that bullet dodge was long ago, and so, tonight it's unlikely that I will be going out in my car after drinking. It's just too much of a possibility and too much of a bummer if it did actually happen.

Why Google Rules the World

Why does Google have such power over us? Well, how about getting an email like this, where they multiply what they are giving you by eight, and automatically adjust your account with their bonus....wow!

Google storage update: More space for your photos and email

Hi,

We wanted to let you know about some exciting changes to your Google paid storage plan. While storage costs have dropped naturally in the past few years, we've also been working hard to improve our infrastructure to reduce your costs even further. On Tuesday, November 10th, we increased the size of each of our tiers to make storage even more affordable and accessible. For the same $20.00 per year, you’ll now get 80 GB, 8 times as much storage as before. Your current plan will be automatically upgraded and your new quota will automatically show up in your account in the next 24 hours.

We hope you’ll like the extra space, but if it’s more than you need you can always change your storage plan or renewal preferences for next year in your Google account settings: www.google.com/accounts/purchasestorage. Feel free to visit our Help Center for more information.

Thanks,
The Google storage team

What Makes a Great Professor? Here are Three

The Cherry Award provides a $200,000 prize to whomever is judged to be America's best college professor. The WSJ last night ran a story about three candidates for this award, sponsored by Baylor College. It focuses on the really important part of teaching in college which has been overshadowed by the institutions' focus on publishing. Three top professors are in the running:

Elliott West teaches American history at the University of Arkansas. In his class, the students are rapt as he speaks without notes, and doesn't ask for audience participation. He advises: never underestimate the power of dead air. Ask a question and simply wait for an answer. People will squirm and eventually somebody will try. He carries a coffee cup that instead of liquid is full of candy...a good answer will get a piece.

Edward Burger teaches math at Williams College. He has his students rolling in the aisles as he proves, mathematically, that an infinite number of monkeys at an infinite number of typewriters could produce 'Hamlet.' Burger says that emphathy is the key to good teaching. Since much of the math that students learn has little value after college, he focuses on 'the 10 year question...what will my students retain from my class 10 years after they graduate?' So he emphasizes how to think mathematically.

Roger Rosenblatt teaches at Baylor and is a former commentator on PBS's Newshour. He could be doing any number of other more lucrative things, but he likes his students and takes them seriously. He suggests that the most important thing for a young professor is to learn their subject well. "The best professors he had in school 'worried about their subjects in front of us,' almost as if they were thinking aloud....lost in thought.' That made Rosenblatt realize he had a truly engaged and smart professor.

The story detailed that in today's academia, more than 72,000 academic publications came out last year, soaring more than 400% in the past half-century, while more and more classes are taught by adjunct faculty and grad students.Universities subsidize the writing by giving reduced teaching loads to faculty members who publish.

That's Mrs Frisbie to You!

John Bemelmans Marciano tracked down the people whose names stand behind words in the English language. His new book is called Anonyponymous, meaning that nobody ever heard of them despite the fact that things and places are named after them. NPR had a story about the book this morning.

Take Mrs Frisbie, who used to bake pies somewhere in Connecticut. Yale students used to take her pie tins and toss them, and since her name was indented into the tins, they called it frisbie. Later the Whammo Company invented a flying disc they called the Pluto platter. It wasn't selling.

They found out about Mrs Frisbie and renamed their toy a Frisbee, and got a patent. There was once a man named Leotard, and in order to help sell more tickets to dance recitals, he wore the body-hugging outfit that today every girl in dance class wears.

There was also someone named Shrapnel, a Frenchman named Guilotine and even an Arab from whose name we get the word algorithm:Abu Al-Khwarizmi. Another guy was named Etienne de Silhouette, and he was a French finance minister. His namesake pieces of art were cheaper to make than an entire portrait. So his legacy will always be those shadows pictures, because he was notoriously cheap.

Parking Wars: Now That's Drama!

I write a blog for some people I know who run an airport parking website. Although most of my posts aren't about parking itself, last night I stayed up late and watched A&E and found a show about parking which was quite interesting. It's called Parking Wars, and chronicles the daily routines and tribulations of parking meter maids, parking office workers and the people who are in charge of the big bad boot.

The boot squad consisted of a 40-ish dweeb with a weak chin and a younger black woman who ride around together. She pulls up the scofflaw vehicle's addresses on a laptop, and he wields an automatic wrench to quickly affix that dreaded yellow boot to the offender's car. Of course, they hope that the boots are in place before the owners show up, since that's when the action starts. There's always a litany of reasons why they shouldn't be booted. One guy ran up shirtless, saying that he was a veteran of the Gulf war, and that he hadn't worked in months...a good story but the boot was affixed so the booter told him "sorry once it's on there I can't get it off."

Another man threatened to saw off the boot with the hacksaw he had in the back of his work truck. For this, the Boot Squad quickly dialed a tow truck, hey, he who threatens the booters gets towed. Even though the slender, angry man tried to recant his threat, there went his truck full of tools to the pound.

Increasingly reality shows like this prove to be far more entertaining than scripted dramas. What could be more compelling than looking through that bulletproof glass and listening to the heartwrenching reasons why people don't have updated insurance and why it's a travesty that their cars are now locked up?

In another street scene the show's producers played up the sparks between a coy meter maid and a studly violator. Animated hearts popped up on the screen, showing that they both were hoping that after the ticket, they'd get each other's phone number. But she walked away, saying he lived in Florida and she lived in Philly, so why bother?

The New Health Insurance Bill Explained...Simply

My favorite newspaper the WSJ, which of course tilts to the right, presented a quick summary of what is actually in the recently passed health care bill. Below are some of the points the article makes, for those of us whose eyes glaze over these kinds of details I think it is enlightening. You'll see here it isn't as crazy or bad as pundits and the far right are saying.

The uninsured are the biggest winners in the new bill. Beginning in 2013, the government will offer subsidies to low and middle income Americans while expanding Medicaid to cover more of the poor. Families earning $29K a year would not have to pay more than 1.5% of this on health insurance.

For the insured, most would see their out-of-pocket expenses capped at $5000 a year for individuals or $10,000 for families. Children could stay on their parents insurance until age 26. Nobody could be denied for pre-existing conditions. People who earn more than $500K a year or families making $1 million a year would pay a new 5.4% tax on top of income tax.

Small employers with less than 25 workers and average annual salaries of $40K would get tax credits, and employers with less than $500K in payrolls would be exempt from being fined if they don't offer insurance. Big employers would have to pay a fine of 8% of their payroll if they offer skimpy coverage or no coverage.

Big drug companies would lose $125-150 million over the next decade with lower government payments, but would gain business because many more people would fill prescriptions. Insurance companies would have to abandon some of their most profitable practices, like charging older customers more than twice as much as younger ones.

Hospitals would no longer have to give away so much free care, since more Americans would have insurance. Doctors would get an influx of newly-insured patients and a new incentive plan would aim on cracking down on frivolous malpractice suits.

From the looks of it, I think we're on to something fantastic here...I don't see all of the things that Republicans and Glenn Beck are yelling about. It's about time we moved ahead with something like this.

Breaking It to the Kids Always Sucks

Last night I watched the much awaited season-ender of Mad Men, and I relished every one of the 48 or so minutes of this show set in 1963. While all of the cigarette-smoking cast who sip brown liquid all day long kept in 1960s character, one scene was especially poignant to me.

That was when Don and Betty Draper decide to divorce, and have to have that dreaded family meeting to tell their cute little kids what is going on. This scene was written beautifully, with the older of the kids, the girl, storming off in a whirl of rage, disappointment and fear. The little boy clinging with his legs wrapped around dad, hoping to keep him from moving out of the house to that hotel struck hard at the heart of this scene. Sadly, it's been replayed millions of times across the ages between any family that's ever experienced the trauma of divorce.

I thought about that time in 1990 when I too, had one of those discussions, and we had to tell my little cherubs that I too, was moving out and that our family would be splitting in two. Though I was faithful to my end of the bargain, supporting my kids and never wavering in holding up my end of the deal, it's a tough thing to do, and no one doesn't feel guilty about it. Today I am happy to report that we all survived, and despite the financial challenge, I never regret what it cost.

If They Choose Not to Vaccinate, It Makes it Worse

Jenny McCarthy is a well-known celebrity who once posed for Playboy and is married to mega-rich actor Jim Carrey. While most of the public knows her for her looks, she has a cause that some believe is very dangerous to the rest of the public. She's among a growing movement of people who believe childhood vaccines cause autism and are pushing others to reject vaccinating their children.

Dr. Paul Offit was the subject of an article in Wired this month, he is the frequent target of the anti-vaccine crowd's angry wrath. They claim Offit is in the pockets of drug companies, and despite the mountain of pro-vaccine evidence presented in the story, still insist that the country's autism explosion can be blamed on thimerosal and other chemicals in the vaccines.

A sidebar showed a gallery of other celebs who are lined up against childhood vaccines...from Don Imus to Joe Scarborough, Robert Kennedy Jr and Senator Joe Lieberman. But there is a bigger problem, since clusters of disease outbreaks like measles, mumps and pertussis can be created when even as few as two percent of kindergartners refuse the vaccines. In other words, their choice becomes other people's problems, since vaccine effectiveness weakens significantly if there are large pockets of unprotected kids mixed with protected kids.

The story included another sidebar entitled "How to Win an Argument about Vaccines," and here the facts show that since 2001, thimerosal hasn't been included in vaccines, and that aluminum (another anti-vaccine bugaboo) is perfectly safe in small doses. Further, 12 scientific studies have proven the safety of measles/mumps/rubella vaccines.

Listening to the Jazz, I Could Feel Gfld Eclipsing Noho

Everyone showed up; the whole gang of Friday regulars were on the scene in 'Hamp last night, gathered at the very hip Mama Iguana's to share end of the workday tales and catch up on news. But Joe told us he had to leave at 6:20. Why? Because he was heading north to the Next Cooler Place and had a dinner date.

Northampton for years has been the defacto meeting ground for those of us who live up north in Franklin county. We don't have the cool bars and trendy eateries up here, so we have to head 20 miles down 91 to catch up with that kind of action. But tonight I sensed a shift, a seismic shift, from the south to the north. Greenfield has become cooler than 'Hamp.

To bring the point home, you must join the throng at Hope and Olive, set on a sidestreet in this town. We entered and grabbed a corner table, and drank throwback beers...'Gansett anyone?
I had only savored one beer down south and rallied to drive these twenty miles north, to join these friends at this crowded, sprawling restaurant, with tables tucked in sides and nooks and lots of room. Dinner came later, a plate of striped bass, and for others, tiny plump quail with delicious tiny drumsticks.

Half way through this sumptous spread, the music began, the band was called Bok Choy. A man played a compact silver cornet, another played keyboards, a familiar face from the cafe manned a stand-up bass, and a fourth player swished brushes on drums. Good old fashioned jazz, as Bill described it, 'cool California,' like Chet Baker. The tunes were smooth, the players were talented, and I took out my phone to Twitter kudos to the web. No doubt about it, with a big cool place like this, with its unique menu, saavy servers and genuine easy parking, Greenfield has slipped ahead of 'Hamp.

I just wish there was a bistro like this in Deerfield, the world needs and wants more places that take these kinds of risks, offer this creative a menu, and find jazz players as good as this to liven it all up. Come up here on a Tuesday night and it will still feel packed and popular...despite Greenfield's reputation as a backwater, it's surely on the map these days.

Everyone on the Subway Stared in Shock at the Sneeze

When I was traveling down to New York on Sunday, a man on the subway suddenly sneezed--he yelled in a high-pitched wail as he did so--so loud that the entire car looked over at him with shock. It was funny, such a loud noise popping out of someone all of a sudden, and at the next stop he left with a red face. Most of the people on the No. 1 train downtown had just run the New York City marathon, one guy had a medal around his neck, and others wore sponsor-issued ponchos and held bags of runner's swag.

Sneezing has become the new faux pas, as we enter an early flu season with lurid tales of Swine flu deaths and schools closed due to so many cases. I was chastised by a fellow travel webmaster when I coughed uncovered in a meeting; now I am careful to use my elbow and worry about leaking out germs even with this precaution.

I've spent the past few weeks in a house with tiny sick kids, and I'm sure I've shared way too many germs traveling in airplanes, buses and subways. Last night I bundled up with a thick sweatshirt and sweatpants to ward off chills; I feared for the worst today but so far...not that bad. I hope to avoid the worst of it all and am on the hunt for a flu shot to keep the really bad stuff at bay.

Southwest's Green Plane Saves Fuel and More

The Green Plane is Southwest's newest initiative in a company-wide effort to save money and fuel.

OUr friend Johnny Jet flies about 150,000 miles a year and takes fastidious notes of every mile in the air. He recently wrote about Southwest Airlines media day where they unveiled a new plane that will clean up the way airlines do business.

From the nose to the tail, this 737, the airlines only model, will be much greener.It starts with the little things: they've replaced those awful styrofoam cups with eco-friendly paper ones with built-in sleeves to keep the cup from burning passenger's hands..

The plane is equipped with NextGen satellite-based navigation, which means flying more direct routes and emitting less CO2.

The plane's carpet is made of recycled materials, they have lighter fake-leather seats which save 2 pounds per seat.They even use smaller lifejackets to save weight.

They use Pratt and Whitney's eco wash system which removes grime from the engines in an environmentally safe way that saves fuel and makes the engines last longer.

In other news, the conpany's CEO told him flat-out that Southwest won't be charging for bags this year, or even for a second bag. Let's keep our fingers crossed on that.

We're Not Worthy....Ok, I Guess We Are

When I stepped into our two-connected-rooms-with-a-living-room-in-between here at the Kimberly Hotel, I thought, why, we're mere travel editors...are we worthy of these luxe New York City digs? Of course we are, I said again, quickly coming to my senses.

It's tough being a travel writer, especially having to spend the night at such sumptous hotels as this, but hey, we're here to share cool lodgings with our readers and so, I point to exhibit A as the first piece of evidence. That would be this beautiful terrace that has a bird's eye view of the iconic pointed windows atop the Chrysler Building. Boy that's beautiful.

I discovered another pretty cool little part of this suite...a tiny kitchenette tucked away in the side of our living room. In the bedroom there is a Sony Dream Machine where I popped down my iPhone and began playing my tunes right away. We're off tonight to a penthouse apartment where our dear pals from a tourism board have invited us to come and have Chinese.

We met with a bunch of old friends at today's Visit Europe media exchange, and firmed up connections and plans for many travels throughout 2010.

As usual, the city has quickened my pulse and made me feel as alive as I can be...glad to be here at the Kimberly and glad to be in the most exciting city in the world, the Big Apple.