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“Outstanding Company: The spirit of relationship building is at the core of Club travel. Our travelers tell us the opportunity to meet and build friendships with other members from the Bay Area is the highlight of their journey.

“Unparalleled Access: The Club’s global network allows our travelers unique opportunities to meet high level people, from artisans and naturalists to academics and dignitaries. We have been able to offer our travelers:

• A look at global warming with Tom Brokaw in the Russian Arctic
• Dinner and conversation with some of the top journalists and politicians in China

“For more than thirty five years, National Trust Tours has been offering life enriching programs that explore the traditions and cultures of the world, placing a special emphasis on the roles of art and architecture.
Our travelers enjoy:

• Eighty five distinct and diverse itineraries from which to choose.
• Exclusive access to significant private homes, collections, castles and fascinating people
• Expert study leaders, local guides and a professional staff
• Superior lodging in luxurious surroundings.”

“Our Travel Program places participants in the context of specifically chosen natural environments. Teaching, understanding and conservation are our goals.

“For over 30 years Academy scientists have led tours for Academy members all over the world, from local areas such as the Pacific Northwest, Alaska and the Great Lakes to such far flung destinations as Papua New Guinea, Antarctica, Borneo, Burma, China, Tibet, Bhutan, Africa, and India.

“The average group size is around 18, including the Academy leader plus the tour operator representative and highly skilled local guides.”

“The goal of AMNH Expeditions is to present educational travel programs that reflect past and current areas of interest and exploration by the American Museum of Natural History. The tours provide a combination of study, adventure, and leisure activities.

“From the flaming cliffs of the Gobi Desert to the blue icescapes of Antarctica, AMNH Expeditions offers unique programs to extraordinary destinations, unparalleled access to world famous sites and people, and the exceptional educational content that is provided by an international network of scholars, world leaders, community members, friends and partner institutions.Your participation helps to support the Museum’s mission to discover, interpret, and disseminate—through scientific research and education—knowledge about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe.”

“For 35 years, Smithsonian has tapped its resources, developed unique travel itineraries, and assembled the experts for the sole purpose of providing exciting educational travel experiences. As the largest, most diverse museum-based educational travel program in the world, our commitment to excellence is unrivaled. Smithsonian Journeys is a product that exemplifies our dedication to discovery. We invite you to join the adventure.”

Academic Travel Abroad specializes in educational travel tours abroad.  Academic Travel Abroad appreciates that there is always more to learn while traveling, even in the most tried and true, popular educational travel destinations.  Aside from our explorations of lesser- known corners of the globe, we have honed the art of putting a new spin on familiar treasures. Explore the possibilities of educational travel and browse our tours to learn more, meet our valued partners and travel the world as no one else has.

“High Country Passage (HCP) designs custom enrichment travel programs to destinations worldwide. HCP creates and leads tours for many leading academic, museum, and membership institutions. Our itineraries offer unique introductions to the world’s most fascinating places, and in-depth, expert-led study programs on topics such as natural history, archaeology, art, and anthropology. By focusing on educational travel for limited-size groups, and specializing in small ships and exclusive access to special events and people,

The Cultural Explorer: “Get to know a Zulu family, watch artists at work, donate to a country school project, listen to orphaned children talk about their lives, or shiver in your Land Rover at the sight of an elephant thundering towards you. Our unique trips introduce you to the real South Africa.

“For us, it is all about giving you an authentic, unforgettable travel experience. That means you don’t just pass through. You will meet the people from all walks of life, spend time in their homes, learn their cultures, witness the problems, and view their challenges and hopes

“On a Mountain Travel Sobek trip, you’ll discover a bounty of untold pleasures: the exhilaration of achievement as you stretch yourself and the boundaries of your horizons; the deep personal enrichment that comes from encountering the planet’s diverse people and wildlife; and the sheer fun that comes from being “out there.”

“If diversity of adventure is what you are seeking, Boundless Journeys has trips to satisfy your most imaginative spirit. Offering worldwide adventure tours, featuring experiences ranging from wilderness treks to cultural journeys, we always find the hidden gems of each destination. Small group or private itineraries, memorable accommodations, and expert local guides define the signature Boundless Journeys adventure travel experience.”

Here’s a link to the WordPress HELP section that includes lessons o:

• Introduction to Blogging
• First Steps with WordPress
• Design and Layout
• Creating Individual Pages
• Using Images
• and lots more

Please grant me the favor of occasional shameless self-promotion: The book (Hot Flashes 2: more sexy little stories and poems) I co-edited, along with Linda Watanabe McFerrin, is featured in a YouTube video. Please help us spread the link far and wide, as an experiment in virtual book promotion. We all want to learn to do that, don’t we?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAtQwhQ2HvQ

February 11, 2009
7:00 pm	to	9:00 pm

Michael Shapiro is teaching a six-week travel writing workshop as part of the Skywriters Series this winter in San Francisco. Classes meet from 7 to 9 p.m. on six successive Wednesday nights and class size is limited to eight people, $595. Follow the link for more details or to sign up.

The Essence of Travel Writing: Feb. 11 – March 18, 2009

Michael Shapiro, a contributor to National Geographic Traveler and author of A Sense of Place, offers an in-depth course in the art of the travel story. Shapiro will discuss the elements of a successful, modern travel story: connections with local people, dialogue, and anecdotes that show rather than tell.

January 19, 2009
6:00 pm	to	9:00 pm

CREATIVE WRITING
SAN RAMON CAMPUS
Diablo Valley College
1690 Watermill Road
San Ramon, CA 94582

Instruction includes: memoir, travel and personal essays; poetry; short stories, & dramatic monologue

·        Learn basic and advanced techniques
·        Share your writing with friendly, supportive writers
·        Practice the art and craft of revision

English 222—9062 ~ Creative Writing
Monday Evenings 6:00—9:00 pm
January 19—May 18, 2009
Prerequisite: Eligibility for English 122 via
DVC assessment test or a college degree
Creative Writing satisfies CSU, UC requirements

Justin Francis, managing director at responsibletravel.com said, “I hope to start a positive and forward thinking debate around the future of tourism, in the media and among travellers too. I look forward to reading what people have to say on this crucial topic.”

Francis has written the lead article for the magazine predicting the following trends and coining new terminology:

From Lakshman Ratnapala’s President’s Message, November 12, for the Foreign Travel Club of San Francisco: “The United Nations, in its latest measure of the health of the global travel industry, announced today that tourism has started to slow down sharply since the middle of this year, reflecting the deterioration of the world economy and loss of consumer confidence. After a sound start to the year with tourist arrivals, worldwide, averaging 5.7 % from January to April, growth fell below 2% since then because of fears of recession and squeezed travel budgets. The forecast for next year, 2009, is for an even worse performance.”

“Every city has its own character and appeal, but the character of Venice seems especially alluring,” writes Traveler columnist Don George in his latest Trip Lit entry on Venice for Lovers. “Partly it’s because the city is so ethereal, a place of palace, bridge, and dome but especially of water and the kind of weightlessness that shimmering mirror-surface confers. Partly it is the play of grandeur and decay, testament to man’s highest ideals and the mortal mutability at their base. And partly it is the separateness of the place—a lagoon-city rustically cut off from the mainland yet home to exquisite art and industry, a place that in its very singularity can feel like a fairy tale or a dream.” To continue reading about Venice for Lovers, as well as other travel literary picks, check out this month’s Trip Lit column.

Thanks to John Montgomery for sending the link to Ozmo: Ozmo is the easy and convenient way to license content on the web. When you see the Ozmo link on content, users know it’s legal and creators know they’re getting paid for their work. It’s a win-win for buyers and sellers.

March 20, 2009 12:00 am

to

March 22, 2009 12:00 am

Thanks to Connie Hale for forwarding this information: Join us today on the Web site for the 2009 Nieman Conference on Narrative Journalism, where we are posting information about the March 20-22 event. More than 50 star speakers and 800 mid-career journalists will gather in Boston to celebrate the art of storytelling in every format and every medium.

This year’s theme — Telling True Stories in Turbulent Times — refers both to the stories we write and the changes in our industry. The three-day weekend provides a rich array of sessions to build skills, interact with experts, expand horizons, and learn innovative approaches to writing at a time when many newsrooms struggle to nurture the narrative journalist.

By Karsten Weide, posted on Webguild: More than half of U.S. consumers with Internet access use social networking services (SNS), such as Facebook and MySpace, and penetration will continue to grow. According to a new study from IDC, consumers are also spending ever-greater amounts of time on SNS, a fact that has advertisers drooling over the opportunity represented by SNS. IDC found that consumers who use SNS also tend to visit the services often and spend a lot of time per visit. More than three quarters of SNS users visit at least once a week, and no less than 57% visit Read more

November 5 press release:  Washington, DC – Roger Dow, President and CEO of the Travel Industry Association (TIA), today released the following statement on President-elect Barack Obama’s historic victory:

“America’s travel community congratulates President-elect Obama and pledges our support to the new Administration as it tackles two of the most daunting challenges facing America today: improving the U.S. economy and strengthening America’s image in the international community. Travel is uniquely positioned to address both of these challenges.

December 13, 2008
6:00 pm	to	10:00 pm

Fine art photography exhibition by members of Sacramento’s The Focus Group, featuring the diverse photographic imagery of 13 prominent Sacramento photographers: Marc Longwood, Hal Hammond, Dave Brooks, Ron Busselen, Randy Snook, Janine Mapurunga, John Swain, Donald Satterlee, Richard Tolmach, John Palmer, Hope Harris, Gene Kennedy and Mike Powers.

Free reception open to the public on Saturday, December 13, 2008 from 6-10 p.m.

Location: Beatnik Studios
2421 17th Street (17th and Broadway)
Sacramento, CA  95818

Show is up now through December 23, 2008.
Monday-Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday, 6-9 p.m.

Thanks to April Orcutt for forwarding this article from the Huffington Post. It was posted by Andy Borowitz on November 18.

Obama’s  Use of Complete Sentences Stirs Controversy: Stunning Break with Last Eight Years

In the first two weeks since the election, President-elect Barack Obama has broken with a tradition established over the past eight years through his controversial use of complete sentences, political observers say.

Millions of Americans who watched Mr. Obama’s appearance on CBS’ “60 Minutes” on Sunday witnessed the president-elect’s unorthodox verbal tick, which had Mr. Obama employing grammatically correct sentences virtually every time he opened his mouth.

From Linda Walsh: When visiting another country it’s quite common to get the impression that the locals are being rude to tourists, but is this a fair stereotype to assign an entire country? Did you ever stop to think that maybe the tourist is the one being rude? Etiquette is not a universal code, and it changes quite drastically among cultures. For example, if you want to enjoy a trip to Paris without experiencing the “unfriendliness” you have been hearing about, you must understand that what’s polite in the US is not necessarily considered good etiquette in Paris. Hostelworld.com recommends avoiding these common mistakes made by tourists in Paris:

Press release: Context, the network of scholars who lead critically acclaimed walking tours in New York and several European cities, announce the launch of 2 ½- and 8-day packaged tours to Rome, Naples, Florence, Venice, London, Paris, Sicily and Istanbul. The first trips will run in April, 2009.

As with their daily walking seminars in cities around the world, Context will strictly limit group size on each trip to no more than six or eight people. Instead of relying on a single trip leader, Context will apply its model of scholar-led walking seminars to these packages: Groups will be passed from expert to expert throughout the trip depending on the specific site, museum, or topic in order to take advantage of the specialized, in-depth knowledge contained within the Context network.

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• Upcoming Events

  • March 9, 2010:
    • Travel Writing 101 Workshops, Buenos Aires (all day)
  • March 17, 2010:
    • Travel Writing 101 Workshops, Buenos Aires (all day)
  • April 1, 2010:
    • SATW Foundation Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition (12:00 am)
  • April 30, 2010:
    • Gold Rush Writers Conference (all day)
  • June 13, 2010:
    • Writing Class in Abruzzo, Italy (all day)
  • June 18, 2010:
    • Future of Freelancing: Making Good Money by Telling Great Stories (all day)