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.

Travel Writing Family Style

I can be a strange but wonderful thing to see your son’s byline. It recently was checking out GoNOMAD after a few weeks on the road in Italy and Brazil and there it was, Colorado by Chance St John. I actually was just reading the story and liking it when I saw it was by Chance, I forgot he went, my schedule is tough enough to follow. He has done several other pieces for us at GN but I really thought this his best. He will soon be done with college and I often wonder what road he will take. I smile thinking that it was my dad and his love of traveling that was past on to me. I guess that those trips to Mexico when Chance was a little tyke may have kept the shuffling feet moving. I also love that Max’s daughter, Kate and Steve’s daughter Sarah also do pieces for us. There really is a family feeling at GoNOMAD and that goes for all of the steady writers and bloggers. I hope that someday I will see another St John getting bylines perhaps for generations.

Ghost Hunting in Montana, a Spell in Prison

Awhile back I did a ghost hunting trip through Montana in the midst of October. I got a chance to relive the experience yesterday on my Around the World Travel Radio Show segment. In fact all the segments were on the ghost theme, pretty scary stuff. On my trip we got to spend a night in the old Territorial Prison of Montana, near Deer Lodge. Riots, murder and mayhem played a big part of life behind the stone walls of the prison. Names like Turkey Pete and George Rock will long be remembered on Halloween nights. The GoNomad story and radio segment might make a nice touch to your celebration tonight, sleep tight!

French Alps, Cool Picts on a Hot Day

The last thing I like to do before sending a piece on to GoNOMAD is check out photos taken while at the destination. With the heat and humidity having been on high the last few days pictures of the French Alps were soothing, in the reach of AC anyway. Often pictures also help me to remember details that I might have missed. The radio spot on Around the World Travel Radio is on the archives and the printed story will be soon.

GoNOMAD's Senior Travel Editor, Traveling Home

I am in perfect airport position back here in Düsseldorf, thanks to the best airport hotel I have ever stayed in. When I checked in back at the Düsseldorf, Maritim I found a letter from the manager telling me to enjoy the executive floor and feel free to make the mini bar my own. I was back in room 757 and rapidly fell into my routine, sauna, hot bath and blogging. First though I wondered through the perfect Düsseldorf Airport, tonight I may just walk the few feet across and dine there, it is after all the best airport I’ve seen over the last few weeks.

I like to joke and on any given travel day say, “another day in the office”. It has been an amazing spring and I am so grateful! In the last few weeks I have traveled by snowmobile in Lapland, gone on safari in Kenya, skied the French Alps, toured Düsseldorf and Hamburg. The flight delays, mugging and great friends met have exceeded any expectations. I wasn’t sure if having my face carved up due to skin cancer had anything to do with my ambitious undertaking but I can assure you that sitting still isn’t in my makeup. I am looking forward to getting down to my real home office and putting it all down. I miss you Lil and thanks for understanding, Max the stories will flow. Memories make the man, lucky for me I just made some new ones .

New York Times Travel Show, Taking Chances

I had fantastic feelings working on getting ready for the NY Times Travel Show today. I also cleared out some old framed photos and came across a little book I saved from the days when the Dillon and St. John families used to head up to the Mt. Washington Hotel to party at Wayne’s World with Wayne and Sue Presby. I haven’t seen either couple lately even though the Dillon’s live a scant 6 miles down the road. Fortunately I do talk with them via phone often.

We headed up to New Hampshire when our kids were small and we seemed not as busy with endeavors, or perhaps things we feel we have to do. I have just finished framing some photos of hawksbill turtles taken recently in the SVG. I have Mary Chapin’s I Take My Chances playing and a fire going. I seem to follow my life’s path by looking at pictures taken and books found. Tonight Lil is with some of her students at a poetry program in NYC and I am feeding a fire and preparing mentally for GoNomad’s first Times Travel Show, I like taking my chances, I always have.

Going on a 105 Day Honeymoon with Brian and L

I got an email today from my nephew, who is also one of my favorite people on the planet. He was wondering how I was handling recouping at home. Well, I told him I was snapping photos today during the major snow storm. He knows that I have about a 2 week shut down at home life span. Drew knows me well and was glad to read on the blog that Lapland is in my future. He has recently begun a career in finance in San Francisco and has settled in well with his finance Beth.

He also sent me a blog that is being done by some of his friends that are on a 105 day honeymoon trip via cruise ships. What a great experience Brian and L are on, all over the world. What a way to begin a life together! The Bonvivant Traveler blog is fantastic and filled with observations from all around the world, much like Kelly Westhof and her husband under took, and her blog is called ER and can be found on GoNOMAD. Kelly was one of our original winners of travel grants we did awhile back, she used the money well and her are stories fantastic. Now in my final recoup I will get to travel again with Brian and L's blog, keep on trucking, I will, up to travel amongst the Sámi. Before that we from GoNOMAD have a huge NY Times Travel Show coming up next weekend.

Johnny Jet and South Africa

I got to admit I am a Johnny Jet video fan, love the parade of pictures mixed with great tunes. His latest is from his trip to South Africa and memories of one of one my best trips flooded back as I watched it. I had a ball in South Africa and want to return again some day soon. I have had the pleasure of traveling with Johnny in Morocco and Southern France, we usually are the last up but glued to our computers, me with a wine and Johnny with water. When flight problems occurred coming home from Morocco and I almost couldn't board the plane, the guy was willing to hang until problems were solved, rare in this occupation of ours. I have had trouble posting the links so copy and paste the Jetster’s latest and go way down south. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz66-a6HaIE

Sony and Ginger in Oslo and Helsinki

As Max and I are prepping for our trip to Sweden, two of GoNomad’s best are right now exploring Norway and Finland, expect some great articles about Scandinavia coming out on GoNOMAD soon. The effervescent wordsmith and trained eye, Sony Stark is cruising around Helsinki and writing her witty blog Cross That Bridge as she does. Ginger Warder is holed up in Oslo checking out all that there is to see and do in her tasty way, check out Traveling Food.

The NY Times & GoNomad.com. a Winner

It was a thrill to read the NY Times Travel Section today and see the GoNomad logo in the Grey Lady about the upcoming Travel Show, Feb. 29-March 2. 2008. We are Media Partners for the first time this year. Max and I with help from Cindy, Lil, Sony, Paul, Joe and others have been in other shows in NYC but we have reached another level. For years Max and I would set up a booth and all of us would be talking in scratched throats after packing up our booth to head home, a wave to Cindy and Max as his packed car left the auditorium was a tradition for Lil and I.

Better yet is reading some great articles about Columbia, Morocco, Puerto Rico and Portugal, all of which we have covered over the past year. Awhile back we were named as a site to see by the NY Times, we still are.

The LA Times Keeping Jen Leo Busy as a Bee

Her smile is 1000 watts and her energy catchy and I found her again. I am talking about Jen Leo a traveling gem. Jen is now blogging for the LA Times, giving travel info. My first contact with her was back when she was working in the office of Traveler’s Tales books and I got a few stories published with them. Then I got hooked on her Written Road blog one of the very first popular blogs. Her series of books for TT were big and mostly due to her diligence. I got to interview her for GoNOMAD awhile back and she was a pleasure to interview. Congratulations Jen good running into you again.

Doing Travel Radio, Love Around the World Travel Show

Doing travel radio is a gas but doing it for Around the World Travel Radio is just fantastic. I now get to hear my segments and watch video streamed from the studio, a great touch. AWTR has been California’s primo travel radio show since it began in 1998 and primo host Arthur von Wiesenberger is the one big reason! I never realized that Arthur gets so into it, even donning a Panama hat for my Puerto Rico piece.

The show originates in Southern California and airs on AM 1290 KZSB three times. From there it spreads like wildfire, especially in Australia. Arthur and Richard Mineards have a travel radio show that will be the standard ,listen from anywhere and then go.