From NY Times Travel Writing Seminar to Twitter and Facebook

In giving our NY Times Travel Show seminar I got to admit I also learned a lot, I have been dragged into the present. I joined Facebook, Twitter and Slide.com yesterday so it has been a day of learning. Max first got me blogging about 5 years ago reluctantly; he can testify that I am a true addict now. About now he is probably chuckling knowing that an online monster has been created! I am ready to swim with the fishes!

Back to NYC and the French Tourism Event, Camera in Hand

The bags are repacked for the French Tourism event tonight at the Tribeca Grill and the chance to visit with my number one Francophile friend Katherine Johnstone and her cohort Jessie is going to be great. After looking through my pictures taken in NYC during the NY Times Travel Show a visit to socialize will be a nice change of pace.

I thought the picture of the 937 billion dollar bail out on Fox’s neon reader was more interesting when added to the cab ad for Flash dancers. The other picture is of an attendee at the comic show also at the Javitts Center this weekend. I am bringing my camera back to NYC; you never know what pops up in NYC.

Intelligent Travel, National Geo Traveler, Great Stuff

National Geographic Traveler has a blog Intelligent Travel that is great to read and filled with info, it is no secret that I am a huge fan of the magazine. I would have to recommend that if you are really a travel buff a subscription is a must. I rarely make such statements like this but in these tough days of publishing I felt I must. Meanwhile take advantage of their great blog and keep up on travel trends and tips, it is well done! If you happen to live near NYC stop in to the NY Times Travel Show, Max and I will be giving a seminar on Travel Writing Saturday at 4:30.

Shang Dining During the NY Times Travel Show

I don’t know how Max does it between keeping GoNOMAD and the Café running but he once again surprised me. He arranged for us to try out a new restaurant in NYC during our stint at the NY Times Travel Show in Feb. I received a bit about Shang in the mail a few days ago, pulling out the menu frequently and rubbing my hands together in anticipation.

Yesterday the NY Post did a piece about three new restaurants opening up in NYC recently despite the free falling economy. The article was called, Bad Timing, Good Dining by Steve Cuozzo. The name chef at Shang is Hong Kong born Susar Lee, a titan once based in Toronto. Lee went head to head with Iron Chef’s Bobby Flay that ended in a draw, good enough for me. Till Feb I will just take out the menu and change my mind a few hundred times. Shang 187 Orchard St (Thompson LES Hotel) 212 260-7900

Travel Writer, Quinn &Co. Melissa Braverman and Queensland Tourism

I’ve just gone through a bit of reading of Travelwriters.com in preparation for the New York Times Travel Show presentation that Max and I will be giving, last years worked well. Often many of the posts are questions about press trips, etiquette and getting invited amongst other questions. It is going to be part of my shtick, how to get and maintain connections in the travel press world.

I have just come back from a fantatic trip to Queensland that was organized by a great PR firm named Quinn & Co. and a new friend, the account rep Melissa Braverman. She was a perfect host and very competent. Such behind the scene planning goes into making a trip work for both writer and place reps. She done good! Better yet she got my name from one of my favorite people in the European Travel Board circuit. Produce and be nice works, and has for close to fifteen years and 80 countries. Understand all sides of the business and do your best to get along, leave the ego home, we all have them. Kudos to Melissa, Queensland Tourism and Quinn & Co. for a job well done, for more insight checkout Melissa’s blog, learn as much as you can.

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.