. . . Sometimes accidental
I've been MIA for a while, and the last week I had a perfectly good excuse.
I was in New Jersey visiting a friend (and planned a weekend in New York to see theater and other friends,) when she and I went for a walk. My friend was planning a dinner party for me and another friend so we walked to a fruit and vegetable market a few blocks away.
To make a long story short, I fell. I fell flat on my face. Literally. I didn't break anything, but fell on my nose. A week later it is still swollen, red, scabbed over and my eyes have gone through every shade in the purple color order.
This happened at 11:30 in the morning, I spent three hours in the ER and flew home later that night. The looks on the faces of my fellow passengers were telling and I think I have some better understanding of the Elephant Man now.
I lost my theater tickets and time in New York City, but am so grateful that I am not going through the throes of a broken limb or nose or teeth, and so grateful to my friend for attending to me, that I can't waste time on self pity.
It was a ghastly week, but it could've been worse.
I could have stayed and enjoyed Hurrican Irene.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
Travel is . .
. . . Doing well
In a time when costs for most things are sky high, when the stock market goes south and the country's financial ratings slip, cruise line business seems to be going great guns. In today's Sun-Sentinel newspaper I read an article about Carnival Corp. and plc building three new ships. Two will sail under Carnival's AIDA brand flag and one for Costa. The cost is just under $800 million for the Costa ship and $1.3 for the AIDA vessels.
Yes the cruise business seems to be good.
Espcially at the high end. I recently wrote a story about premium cruise ships and had several public relations people tell me the vessels are going out full. People are booking expensive, luxury cruises.
While gas prices hover around $3.80 a gallon and masses moan, more and more folks are
clamboring aboard cruise ship for a sea-going vacation.
A travel agent friend told me she is booking luxury holidays for couples in their 20s and 30s as well as retirees. Premium cruises are full and mass-market sailings are also doing extremely well.
It is an interesting (and interesting doesn't always mean good,)time all the way around: in politics, entertainment and business most certainly. The travel biz is no exception - certainly not in the field of cruises.
In a time when costs for most things are sky high, when the stock market goes south and the country's financial ratings slip, cruise line business seems to be going great guns. In today's Sun-Sentinel newspaper I read an article about Carnival Corp. and plc building three new ships. Two will sail under Carnival's AIDA brand flag and one for Costa. The cost is just under $800 million for the Costa ship and $1.3 for the AIDA vessels.
Yes the cruise business seems to be good.
Espcially at the high end. I recently wrote a story about premium cruise ships and had several public relations people tell me the vessels are going out full. People are booking expensive, luxury cruises.
While gas prices hover around $3.80 a gallon and masses moan, more and more folks are
clamboring aboard cruise ship for a sea-going vacation.
A travel agent friend told me she is booking luxury holidays for couples in their 20s and 30s as well as retirees. Premium cruises are full and mass-market sailings are also doing extremely well.
It is an interesting (and interesting doesn't always mean good,)time all the way around: in politics, entertainment and business most certainly. The travel biz is no exception - certainly not in the field of cruises.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Travel is . . .
. . .Right now? H O T.
I spent three days in Indianapolis last week, making plans for a convention I am chairing for Society of American Travel Writers in September 2012. I walked through meeting venues, explored parks and museums and ate at a few of the many fine restaurants the city offers.
One of the little luxuries, after professional development, networking, and of course sightseeing for story/photo materials in Indy we will offer as an incentive, is an opportunity for a few of our members to get a massage at the utterly charming and elegant Evan Todd Spa in the Conrad hotel in downtown Indianapolis.
I test drove a massage, chosing three Chakras: No. 3, Grounded, No. 4, Harmony and No. 6, Insight. Whether or not I buy the whole concept, whether I am now grounded. harmonious or have more insight is probably debatable. I know that after two heavy-duty days of trekking through Indy, I was thoroughly relaxed, had an incredible massage and felt great.
Indy is a great midwestern city. As a former midwesterner but a long-time South Florida resident I found their obsession with the heatwave humorous. For years people have said to me "how can you stand Florida in the summer?" and I have said we just do, we go from air-conditioned homes to air-conditioned cars to air-conditioned stores, etc., etc. And actually, it felt 10 degrees cooler when we landed in Fort Lauderdale.
After my friend picked me up I had to ask him to lower the air conditioning. I was too cold!
Incidentally, an article in the Sun-Sentinel the other day noted that Fort Lauderdale has the lowest travel-related taxes of the top 50 destination in the U.S.
Come on down.
I spent three days in Indianapolis last week, making plans for a convention I am chairing for Society of American Travel Writers in September 2012. I walked through meeting venues, explored parks and museums and ate at a few of the many fine restaurants the city offers.
One of the little luxuries, after professional development, networking, and of course sightseeing for story/photo materials in Indy we will offer as an incentive, is an opportunity for a few of our members to get a massage at the utterly charming and elegant Evan Todd Spa in the Conrad hotel in downtown Indianapolis.
I test drove a massage, chosing three Chakras: No. 3, Grounded, No. 4, Harmony and No. 6, Insight. Whether or not I buy the whole concept, whether I am now grounded. harmonious or have more insight is probably debatable. I know that after two heavy-duty days of trekking through Indy, I was thoroughly relaxed, had an incredible massage and felt great.
Indy is a great midwestern city. As a former midwesterner but a long-time South Florida resident I found their obsession with the heatwave humorous. For years people have said to me "how can you stand Florida in the summer?" and I have said we just do, we go from air-conditioned homes to air-conditioned cars to air-conditioned stores, etc., etc. And actually, it felt 10 degrees cooler when we landed in Fort Lauderdale.
After my friend picked me up I had to ask him to lower the air conditioning. I was too cold!
Incidentally, an article in the Sun-Sentinel the other day noted that Fort Lauderdale has the lowest travel-related taxes of the top 50 destination in the U.S.
Come on down.
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