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.