Fifty Four and There is so Much More, Past Mid- Field

I had a very strange thought today as I drove around Kingston; I tried to grow up here, never happened. I just never grew up! I have however expanded my world quite a bit. For some reason after I heard about some criminal getting sentenced to minimum twenty years, I bummed. I am fifty four and twenty years from now, well figure it out. I have gone beyond the half way line, packed a lot in though, wouldn’t have changed a thing. That thought really drove the bad mojo away, I got some great destinations coming up and a list of great people met on the road as well as here. I have tasted the best the world offers and not in a cell. By coincidence while working tonight the song Twenty Four and There is so Much More by Neil Young played on my computer, seemed like not long ago I heard it for the first time.

The Kimberly Hotel in NYC a Suite Deal

Things look sweet from a suite on the Kimberly Hotel’s 22nd floor, stepping out onto a balcony in NYC’s Eastside is a rarity. Pair that in with a spacious 2 bedroom suite done in style and you may be humming, My Way, like Frank Sinatra. The spa tub and bathroom flat screen TV is a great way to start your evening; the hotel’s location is perfect for those who want ease in reaching the best of NYC. The feel is intimate and private and the Kimberly a wonderful match to the Big Apple.

Ritz Carlton in Shenzhen China, WOW!

I am a true hotel freak; I love checking them out and see many in the course of a year. One of my new favorites is the Shenzhen Ritz Carlton in China. The huge living room and super large work area was such a plus. The roomy balcony over looking the pool and city, perfect for a place to sip a strong coffee from the machine in room.

One of the best meals of my trip was the Chiu Chow cuisine from the hotel’s Xingli Restaurant, the Cantonese specialties sublime and setting calm and elegant. One great feature of their Spa was the treatment rooms with complete privacy. If I were Dorothy I would be clicking my heels to return right now!

Meeting of Online Travel Minds at M. Silver and Associates in NYC

It was a pleasure sitting in the conference room of M.Silver PR this morning, six of the best online travel publishers as company. It was a face to face of those who love traveling and getting the word out. Some were old friends like the charming and decent dude Johnny Jet; the Jetster has always done me great! Hard working and thinking Tim Leffel the engine for this meeting another old bud was there. The maestro and online pioneer, Sean Keener was also in the mix. Of course my oldest pal and big boss Max Hartshorne was across the table.

I finally got to meet Greg Hubbs; his dad Clay was the first man to publish my very first article years ago. New also to me were Mike Richards and the Hobo, Andy Graham and great to do so. All of the sites are as different and diverse as the people I met, the common ground being travel. For us old timers it was an amazing feeling as we all recalled the days when online was travel publishing’s bastard child. That has changed and this prodigal son felt right at home! Check out the links and thanks to M.Silver for understanding that changes are constant.

The Tribe Gathers at the Herrick Guest Suites

Tonight I am in a apartment that is headquarters for Max and me during the VEMEX gathering, speed dating for travel writers and editors to Europe. We have a sweet apartment on Hudson Street in the West Village.No cooking though the place has everything you would need is there, out the window the full moon shines with NYC skyline, full moon and meeting other travel writers the aim. Love the place, Herrick Guest Suites.

Rasputin, Devil or Mystic

Raving mad, total lunatic or dumb as a fox, forget Bill’s intern and Bush’s madness, they pale compared with Rasputin. The basement room in the Yusupov Palace where he was poisoned then shot was a highlight of St Petersburg for me. His body was dumped in a canal and an autopsy showed he drowned. He was a debaucher, drunk and for awhile controlled Russia. The book Nicholas II: The Last Tsar by Edvard Radzinsky is a favorite book of mine, I bought Rasputin: The Last Word by the same author at the palace. A super read! The picture of me with the book was taken by buddy Lisa Sonne.

Home in the Country, Witticism Runs Rampent in the Hudson River valley

I walked to the country store this morning in the foggy Hudson Valley Oct. haze, cold and damp brings fog. As I filled my coffee cup, I was asked by the locals here in my little hamlet of Cottekill where I was recently! I regaled my stories for the boys of eating snake in China and borsht in Latvia. I told about the pits outside of Vilnius where 90% of the Jews in Lithuania were shot in mass killings. So one old boy said, “Not a good time huh”? Hard to call what I do a good time, interesting for sure. I tried to explain that it is not all Cracker Jacks and peanuts, life isn’t.

I truly live in one of the art creating places found in the lower 48, but I do love meeting those whose lives have been spent here, the witticism is comforting. If a leaf falls let it, might fall on deaf ears elsewhere. I however know exactly what is meant. I have lived in the big cities before but the vibe after that makes Jake cool… He can tell I am beat, I am!

Ritz Carlton, Guangzhou and the Fabulous Lai Heen Restaurant

It is all about Asia tonight, sparked by memories of a recent visit to the amazing Ritz Carlton, Guangzhou. One of the best things about my visit was a memorable meal in the lai heen room. The many courses were matched by various teas; they have close to a hundred different types. The large spinning center table was filled with delicacies that will long be remembered.

Cantonese cuisine is said to be the finest China, it certainly was well represented at lai heen, Dim Sum delight. One of my favorite things about Ritz properties is the fantastic dining venues, a rarity in the hotel world.

Jet Lag Blues, Wouldn't Change a Thing

For a long time I have never fought off the Devil called jet lag, the curse of travelers. Four continents in the span of a few weeks has apparently broken that chain of good luck, inevitably the pay back comes, like a velvet glove striking the skull. Still the bizarre blue and grey skies here in the Hudson River Valley keep the spacey blues at bay. The chance to actually cook my own meal and flick through channels is an undeniable pleasure; I am off the stage for a bit. The motley colored maple leaves clinging to my boots add sparkle to the wide pine planked floors as I dump firewood into the pine box. The glow of a warm fire reminds me that I am back. Duties simple and plain are the order of the day; New Guinea is in the future, simple pleasures please.

Great Company in Latvia, Lithuania and St Petersburg...

It is a small world we travel writers live in, three from this trip I met in Kenya a bit back. It sounds wonderful to truck around the world, care free, seeing amazing things. It is but the group you’re with makes all the difference in the world. This recent blitz through Lithuania, Latvia and St Petersburg was a wonderful experience, made so by traveling with great people.

I had my old buddy Lynn O’Rourke Hayes to keep me moving and smiling, such a pleasure! Peter Guttman was there to help me with my fascination of shooting pics, no better teacher than this award winning magician with a camera. The always up beat Lisa Sonne kept those moments of despair at bay, the smile always a delight. The one new face also was such a pleasure, Norma Davidoff, anytime or place, you were such a nice surprise. To all of you, many thanks!