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.

Facebook for Travel Editors and Writers

Once again Max Hartshorne has dragged me into this century kicking and screaming, similar to years ago when he suggested doing this blog. This time it is Facebook and I love it! To become friends with traveling people like Keith Bellows, Peter Greenburg, Christopher Elliott, Rudy Maxa and Rolf Potts is amazing. Sure I know they really don’t need another editor/writer as a friend but still they accepted my hand, at least symbolically.

More amazing is the ability to keep up with writers that really are friends, even though we have met face to face. I can finally see where Johnny Jet is before his newsletter. I can find out when David Farley is having a reading at Lolita’s in NYC or if Sean E Keener is on the East Coast. I would have put links on all the names but instead look me up on Facebook and I will fill you in. I always am looking for friends.

Gridskipper, Budget Traveler, World Hum and Other Ways to Spend a Snowy Day

I got to love a snowy day because I get to float around the sites and blogs of traveling folks. I can tell when Gridskipper has posted links to my blog on their site; hits go up like a roman candle. Same for Budget Travel, World Hum, Tim Leffel and Johnny Jet, and a host of others and I will be linking some more great sites here soon. It truly is a small world we all work within. Tonight I would especially like to thank Gridskipper, such a cool site with info any traveler would use. Max and I discussed much of what we will talk about at our seminar at the NY Times Travel Show this year; you all deserve to be given a shout out on my handout. Time to put on the snow suit and dig out, the slopes of the Catskills will call soon.

Going to a New Country, Poland

Prophetically I mentioned in yesterday’s blog that invites pop up and you never really know where you will be a few days down the road. I always have a bag on the bedroom floor ready to go. Well thanks to the Jetster a.k.a. Johnny Jet I will be in Budapest and then Warsaw, Poland. I have hade the privilege of traveling with JJ several times over the years and the guy is a gentlemen. My thoughts go out to JJ’s brother who had to cancel due to medical reasons and wish him speedy recovery.

On this trip I will be staying in two hotels from the MaMaison Group a company that has several properties in what is some times called, “New Europe”. The former Eastern European countries are still a bargain compared to the,”Old Europe”, where a cup of coffee can run around ten bucks. I have read about MaMaison recently and after checking out their site, I am thrilled to experience the five star bastions of civilized living. The Chopin Vodka tasting also fits me well, at least I now know where I will be next week.

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

Flying with Johnny Jet

You would think that going on travel writing trips that you would run into the same people over and over again. That usually isn’t the case, sure on occasion you re- hook up but often it is new faces. One guy I have met on several trips is Johnny Jet and it has always been fun. His enthusiasm is catchy and his interest in traveling huge.

His camera is always clicking and he puts together some awesome videos that can be found at his site and You Tube. I am in two of them Fes Morrco and Opio France. As Johnny would say, “Check it out”.