Journeys With Stephen

Tag: vacation

  • Why go to a travel show?

    Why go to a travel show?

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    Have you ever considered a trip to India? What about a cruise through the Mediterranean? Do you dream of going on a safari in Africa or maybe hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon? How would you decide? Who would you ask? Where do you even start? The answer is to attend a travel show, where hundreds of experts are gathered together to help you begin your research.

    You will come home with a head full of ideas and a bag full of glossy brochures. It’s low pressure. It’s entertaining. It’s informative. It’s a day of fun!

    [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Rock climbing Travel Show” src=”https://journeyswithstephen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Rock-climbing-Travel-Show.jpg” alt=”Rock climbing Travel Show” title_text=”Rock climbing Travel Show” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” text_font_size=”14″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

    In the U.S., my favorite is the Travel & Adventure Show. Held on a Saturday and Sunday in some major market convention centers, they are just the ticket (and tickets are cheap). In 2016, the show is in San Diego, Chicago, Dallas, Washington DC, Los Angeles (Long Beach), SF/Bay Area, and Philadelphia. A complete rundown can be found at travelshows.com.

    First, this show features hundreds of exhibitors across a wide range of interests and geography, from the Taiwan Tourism Bureau to Himalayan High Treks to the Zulu Nyala Game Reserve.

    Second, you can listen to keynote speakers, such as Samantha Brown, Patricia Schultz, Pauline Frommer, and Rick Steves, as they share their travel insights

    Third, there are performances from cultural to culinary – dance and music groups to cooking demonstrations from notable chefs.

    [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Folklorico dancers Travel Show” src=”https://journeyswithstephen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Folklorico-dancers-Travel-Show.jpg” alt=”Folklorico dancers Travel Show” title_text=”Folklorico dancers Travel Show” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” text_font_size=”14″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

    Fourth, there are activities for you, which range from rock climbing to zip lines to Segway riding.

    Finally, there are prizes, show-only specials and other travel giveaways.

    The same company runs all the Travel & Adventure Shows. But some U.S. cities have their own travel shows, such as New York and Boston. You will have to do your own research to see if there is one in a big city near you.

    Of course, the U.S. isn’t the only country to get in on this act. For example, the International Tourism and Travel Show in Montreal covers three days in October. And ITB Berlin claims to be the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show. These bragging rights are backed up some 10,000 exhibitors from 185 countries for this 5-day show for both the trade and public.

    A rather exhaustive list of worldwide specialty shows can be found at world-tourism-exhibitions.com. It is a great place to begin your search.

    So what have we learned from the celebrity speakers so far?

    [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Samantha Brown – Stephen Henson” src=”https://journeyswithstephen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Samantha-Brown-Stephen-Henson.jpg” alt=”Samantha Brown – Stephen Henson” title_text=”Samantha Brown – Stephen Henson” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” text_font_size=”14″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

    Shown above is the always enchanting and affable Samantha Brown, from the Travel Channel. She is someone I could listen to for hours. Why? Her speeches are always fresh and full of wide-eyed stories from the road. She really embodies all that is magical about travel in a down-to-earth manner.

    Some of Samantha’s messages this year:

    The most memorable travel is never in the must-sees, always in the mundane.

    Her two pillars when on a trip are 1) go for a walk and 2) create a ritual. After viewing artwork and monuments and history to the saturation point, she likes to just ramble – to take two hours and go for a walk. No expectations, except to encounter the local people.

    Samantha creates a ritual by doing the same thing every day – her way of settling into a new place. In her case it is often to visit the same coffee shop every day, eventually striking up conversations.

    I will have to agree that the absolute best travel memories for me involve people more than places; the special connections you make in an otherwise foreign environment.

    [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Patricia Shultz – Stephen Henson” src=”https://journeyswithstephen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Patricia-Shultz-Stephen-Henson.jpg” alt=”Patricia Shultz – Stephen Henson” title_text=”Patricia Shultz – Stephen Henson” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” text_font_size=”14″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

    I met Patricia Schultz, shown above, for the first time. She is the celebrated author of the best-selling “1,000 Places to See Before You Die.” She talks with passion about her love for Italy (she is half Italian, half German) and especially Venice. Who would disagree?

    Patricia’s speeches this year remind us to try new locales – not just Prague and Budapest, but Romania; not waiting for things to “settle down” before venturing to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv; seeing both St. Petersburg and Moscow; exploring Africa.

    [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Pauline Frommer” src=”https://journeyswithstephen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Pauline-Frommer.jpg” alt=”Pauline Frommer” title_text=”Pauline Frommer” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” text_font_size=”14″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

    Pauline Frommer, pictured above in a pensive moment, is sort of travel royalty. Her father is Arthur Frommer, who practically invented the travel guidebook, and who, at age 86 is still quite the traveler. Pauline now runs the Frommer’s publishing empire, but is as approachable as she is smart.

    Her speeches are always a wealth of information, based on research done by the company:

    The best airline search engines for finding low fares are surprisingly, skyscanner.com and momondo.com.

    The best site for hotels is hotelscombined.com, followed by trivago.com, and Agoda.com for Asia.

    Rivercruising.com is the place for comparing those kinds of cruises.

    To simplify travel insurance, check out squaremouth.com and insuremytrip.com.

    [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Pauline Frommer on stage” src=”https://journeyswithstephen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Pauline-Frommer-on-stage.jpg” alt=”Pauline Frommer on stage” title_text=”Pauline Frommer on stage” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” text_font_size=”14″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

    Peter Greenberg, the Emmy award-winning investigative reporter and CBS News Travel Editor also spoke at the show I attended, but unlike Samantha, Patricia, and Pauline, I didn’t get a chance to speak with him. He gives a no-nonsense speech about travel though, and delivers a lot of detailed advice on how to do battle with the airline and hotel industry.

    You should allow a half-day just to listen to these celebrity travel speakers. You will come away much smarter.

    Samantha Brown cited a study by projecttimeoff.com that found 4 in 10 American employees finished the year with unused time off. It resulted in 429 million unused days off. The rest of the civilized world thinks we’re crazy. They’re right. Get out there and travel! A travel show is a great place to get started.

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  • Why not take a staycation?

    Why not take a staycation?

    Staycations are harmonious with our philosophy of “Upscale Travel on a Budget.” Why?

    If you realize that the greatest extra expense incurred on a trip is transportation (airfare, rental car, etc.) and lodging (hotel, Airbnb), then on a staycation you have eliminated both of those from your budget.

    helicopter 12 apostles australiaSo why not go upscale and spend some of that money like a luxury-minded tourist who is visiting your area? Eat at your finest or hippest restaurant or book a private room for friends and family. Take the private tour at your zoo or art gallery. Buy premium seats at the stadium or arena or theatre. Take a helicopter ride over your city. Do the things you would love to do on a distant trip, paid for with the money you saved in travel and lodging!

    One of my jobs is to host people who are traveling to where I live, Southern California, and to my “adopted home” of Beijing, China. I have learned so many fascinating places to visit locally just by researching and then takingdisneyland california stephen henson others there. Some questions asked to me and my answers:

    • “The best view of the CBD in Beijing must be from the highest point, 88 floors up in the World Trade Center, right? No! It is from the bar just above the lobby of the Park Hyatt, where your view includes the tallest building.”
    • “The best time to visit Disneyland is in a middle of the day, after the morning rush, right? No! The crowds just continue to build as the day goes along. You need to be a part of that morning rush, arriving before it opens.”
    • “The best time to visit Griffith Park Observatory is on a nice, sunny morning, right? No! For the views back at Los Angeles you will be looking into the sun. Go just before sunset to see the city in both daylight and at night.”
    • “The best place to stay for Los Angeles would be downtown in the heart of the action, right? No! In this driving metropolis, it is better to stay in Santa Monica, within walking distance of the beach, fine shops and restaurants. Then drive around L.A. for events, theatre, sightseeing.”
    • “The best section of the Great Wall to visit is Badaling, because it is closest to Beijing, right? No! That is where the big tour buses go. So, is it Mutianyu? Well, even that is getting crowded. Now we go early to the reopened, rustic Simitai section. And it’s still an easy day trip from Beijing.”great wall of china simitai

    The point is, you know your home area. You can explore it the way an expert, private tour guide would. And pretend that you are on an upscale vacation while you are doing it!

    I suggest you start by making a list of things to do and places to see in your area from the perspective of an out-of-town traveler. There are many websites that offer staycation ideas to get you started. For example, I was surprised that so many tourists come to Orange County for whale watching, something that I, as a local, haven’t done in years. Why not? Why do I sometimes forget that San Diego is only an hour or so down the freeway? I could visit there on a day trip as a toursan francisco victoriansist and then drive back to my lovely “vacation” home at night. I could do the same with Palm Springs, Big Bear Mountain, Catalina Island or Malibu. Draw a daytime driving radius from your hometown and play the same game. You may be surprised at the staycation ideas within reach.

    Here’s another advantage to a staycation. I’m betting that your apartment or house is bigger and nicer than a hotel room. I think it has more amenities even than a hotel suite (they don’t want to wash towels every day either). Well, on a staycation, that home is what you are coming back to each night. Pretend you have rented your own home from Airbnb. How much would it have cost you to stay there? Look how much money you are saving every night. Spend it on something upscale during your staycation. Or save it for the next out-of-town trip. Either way, you win!