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Are You Going to the Winter Olympics?

T-minus 14 days until the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Vancouver, British Columbia, is getting ready to shine in the international spotlight, but I won’t be there. Will you? As a broadcast journalist, I had the incredible opportunity to cover the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. However, I’ve never attended the Winter Games. It’s a travel dream of mine that I don’t know when will come true. Still, the dream is alive for more than 500 athletes and coaches, almost 11,000 members of the media and nearly 350,000 visitors, who are expected to descend upon the stunning city on the … Continue reading →

Summer Family Road Trip—-Indiana and Georgia

If your family road trip takes you to Indiana or Atlanta this summer here are a few attractions you might want to make a pit stop at: INDIANA People are going bananas at Michigan City’s zoo… and now you can get in on the action too. As you might have guessed the hoopla centers around the zoo’s monkey exhibit. According to zoo officials, a spider monkey recently used a garden hose to scale the wall of a moat at the facility and took off for town. However, the agile animal’s escape was short-lived as he got caught at a nearby … Continue reading →

Summer Travel—What’s New in D.C., Las Vegas and Atlanta

WASHINGTON, D.C. The National Mall is sporting a new look these days. A real temple has been constructed at the popular tourist site as part of the 42nd annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival, which this year includes a celebration of the culture of the little-known Kingdom of Bhutan. Event organizers say carpenters from the Himalayan kingdom traveled to Washington to help build the authentic Bhutanese lhakhang, or temple, along with other examples of Bhutanese architecture. Once it is complete the temple will be one of the largest traditional buildings ever erected on the Mall. The exhibit, “Bhutan: Land of the Thunder … Continue reading →

Great Travel Deals at Rustic Retreats

I wouldn’t consider myself someone who enjoys roughing it. However, when I lived in Atlanta there were times I got tired of city living and longed for a nature escape. If you are live amidst urban chaos then you too might benefit from some rural R&R in a scenic pastoral setting. And if you act now you can take advantage of some great deals being offered by various rustic lodgings throughout North America. Take a look: Vermont Nothing says peace and quiet than the bucolic charms of southern Vermont and the award-winning Deerhill Inn. The property is decorated in what … Continue reading →

Where to Spend Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Other Vacation Options

In three days the United States will honor Martin Luther King Jr. on what would have been the civil rights leader’s 79th birthday. Festivities marking the occasion are planned throughout the country with larger celebrations taking place at major civil rights landmarks. Organizers of this weekend’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations expect an attendance boost because of the presidential primaries and the way his legacy has played a role in the campaign. In addition, this year marks the 40th anniversary of King’s death. “Remember! Celebrate! Act! A Day On, Not a Day Off,” is this year’s theme for various … Continue reading →

How Water Woes In Georgia May Affect Your Travel Plans

If you are planning to visit the Southeast region of the United States be warned—-much of the area is experiencing severe drought conditions, especially the state of Georgia. Which means your travel plans could be affected by the state’s efforts to conserve water. Visitors to the area will notice water conservation efforts at a variety of popular tourist attractions including the Georgia Aquarium, home of the world’s largest fish tank. Because of the drought, staff members at the always-crowded Atlanta attraction have been forced to empty some of its water displays. For example, a lake in the atrium is now … Continue reading →

Traveling To Tennessee

In 1996 I was driving alone from Wisconsin to Atlanta, Georgia. I had just gotten a job field producing and reporting for a news agency that was documenting the Summer Olympics from start to finish. I was thrilled about my new gig, but far less enthused about making the long drive with all of my belongings by myself. Regardless, the road trip proved to be quite eventful and extremely educational. It was on this trip that I would experience what life was like in Tennessee (if only for a couple of days). My first visit to the state was brief … Continue reading →

A Swampy Good Time

It’s not everyday that you hear a neighbor say they are headed to a swamp for a vacation. But, that’s exactly where the couple that lives across from us is headed for the next 10 days–the Okefenokee Swamp. Sounds romantic, right? Truth be told, the swamp, located in Southeast Georgia, is a popular tourist destination. It is technically a scenic wetland and at 403,000 acres, the swamp is one of the largest wildernesses in the eastern United States. Some guidebooks say there are places in the swamp that have yet to be explored. (With that much space I’m not surprised.) … Continue reading →

Another Reason To Visit Atlanta

Regular readers of this blog know I have been very outspoken about my love for “The City Too Busy To Hate.” I got my first taste of Atlanta, Georgia in 1996 when I moved there to cover the Summer Olympic Games, and as the saying goes, the rest is history. From the people (expect for some drivers who got upset with me for driving too slow on the Perimeter—I was going 82 m.p.h.) to the parks, the museums to the food, the zoos, and all of the other family friendly attractions, Hotlanta is hard to beat. If you have never … Continue reading →

Travel Tidbits: No Men Allowed, Celebrating Coke, and Unhappy Hybrid Drivers

NO MEN ALLOWED You’ve heard of single sex dorms… well how about single sex hotels? Okay, how about single sex floors in hotels? That’s what you’ll get when you visit a new Marriott hotel being built in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The entire 19th floor of the hotel will be off limits to men. In addition, a lounge at the hotel will also be restricted to females only when the hotel opens for business in September. Why the segregation? A Marriott spokesperson says that more than half of all business travelers that stay at their properties are women and many expressed … Continue reading →