Sep
28
Travel writing, Westie-style
September 28, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Travel writers and photographers Laurie Weed and Jak Wonderly (yes, they both do both) are back from nearly six months in Mexico. The lived and traveled in a VW Westie, and by the end of the trip had become experts at setting up camp. Here’s how.
Sep
28
Travel Writing and Photography in Jordan
September 28, 2010 | 2 Comments
| February 6, 2011 | to | February 16, 2011 |
Petra Treasury © John Montgomery
Award-winning travel writer Diane LeBow and award-winning photographer John Montgomery will lead a travel writing and photography workshop in Jordan from February 6-16, 2011. Tour coordinator Alena Bartoli, an American and a Yale graduate, has lived and worked in Jordan for several years.
More info about the Jordan Tour is on the downloadable PDF. A $200 discount is available for travelers who register before November 1.
Sep
28
Photography class
September 28, 2010 | Leave a Comment
| October 2, 2010 | to | October 3, 2010 |
Jak Wonderly is offering a photography workshop on October 2nd and 3rd in Petaluma, California, and has just a couple of spots still open. If you or someone you know is interested in deepening skills with a digital SLR camera, this is an excellent opportunity.
Jak’s website shows examples of his photography, and some of his beautiful animal portraits are here.
Sep
28
Paraprosdokian
September 28, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Paraprosdokian sentences—my literary lesson for the week. (Thanks to Dad for forwarding this email, which is making the rounds.)
A paraprosdokian (from Greek meaning “beyond expectation’) is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to reframe the first part. It is frequently used for humorous or dramatic effect, sometimes producing an anticlimax. For this reason, it is extremely popular among comedians and satirists.
- I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn’t work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness.
Sep
3
Fam trip for qualified writers
September 3, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Phyllis Stoller extends an invitation to qualified journalists, bloggers who cover spas, and women’s lifestyle and budget travel writers for two press trips to the Ixtapan Spa Hotel and golf Resort in Mexico. Dates are October 18-22 or Nov 18-23, 2010.
“Ixtapan Spa Hotel and Golf Resort, spamexico.com, is located 65 miles SW of Mexico City and 35 miles from Toluca, Mexico in the mountain village of Ixtapan de la Sal. It is a 220-room spa and fitness resort known for value and inclusiveness. We have been featured in budget travel, spa, women’s lifestyle and fitness press.
Sep
3
Embrace and Celebrate: Don George on TBEX
September 3, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Even if you missed TBEX (Travel Blog Exchange) in New York a couple of months ago, you can still feel the fun reading Don George’s Five things I learned at TBEX. Hint: Don’s eternal good humor and optimism shine through, and yes, blog posts can transport.
TBEX [20]10 was sold out. TBEX11 will be in Vancouver, BC, on the weekend of June 11-12. Preregistration is sold out; regular tickets will be released on September 5th.
Sep
3
San Francisco Waterfront travel app coming soon
September 3, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Suzie Rodriguez and I (Laurie McAndish King) are developing an iPhone app about the San Francisco Waterfront. We’re having great fun doing this “work” as we write about some of our favorite places and discover hidden gems. One of my favorites so far is the public amphitheater pictured here; it’s made from recycled automobile hoods!
We expect the app to be available in a month or so; in the meantime, here’s a link to the Facebook page we set up to let people know what we’re up to and gather ideas about the best places to include. We’d sure appreciate it if you’d visit the page and “like” us. Thanks!
Sep
3
Solas Awards deadline is September 21
September 3, 2010 | Leave a Comment
| September 21, 2010 | ||
| 12:00 am |
The Solas Awards are an annual competition to find the best writing being done about the world today. The Travelers’ Tales editors will choose winners in 21 categories ranging from adventure to humor, from destination to memoir, and everything in between. The grand prize category has cash awards of $1,000, $750, and $500; all other category winners receive a certificate and a copy of the most recent edition of THE BEST TRAVEL WRITING or THE BEST WOMEN’S TRAVEL WRITING. Plus, winners may be published in Travelers’ Tales books. Check out BestTravelWriting.com for details.
Sep
3
Travel Bloggers Show in Orlando
September 3, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Thanks to Ed Hasbrouck for letting us know about the upcoming Travel Bloggers Show in Orlando, September 11-14, as well as TBEX11, which will be in Vancouver, BC, on the weekend of June 11-12, 2011 (tickets will be released on September 5th).
Ed will be giving two presentations (I’d love to hear both!) in Orlando: “one session for travel bloggers on Working with travel marketers and p.r. agencies, and a reciprocal session for travel agencies, suppliers, and p.r. agencies on How to work with travel bloggers.”
Sep
3
Needs reviews of smart phone apps
September 3, 2010 | Leave a Comment
From Saul Tarasoff at GPS My City: We’re about to launch a new travel article section on our website and are willing to pay authors $50 apiece for quality articles outlining the use of smart phone travel apps.
Sep
3
Track local weather at U.S. airports
September 3, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Thanks to Alan Ruffalo for this link to a NOAA map that lets you mouse over areas of the US to learn current weather at local airports: temp, relative humidity, dew point, wind speed and direction, cloud cover, visibility, precipitation, more.
Sep
3
PhotoPhilanthropy: Change the world, one photo at a time
September 3, 2010 | Leave a Comment
| October 1, 2010 | ||
| 12:00 am |
From the American Society of Media Photographers: PhotoPhilanthropy promotes and connects photographers with non-profit organizations around the world to tell the stories that drive action for social change. The PhotoPhilanthropy website provides a space for photographers, photo enthusiasts and non-profits to come together for collaboration, inspiration, and action.
Each photographer whose work is accepted receives a page on our website and exposure to a growing audience of concerned and committed global citizens.
Sep
3
10 publications for your travel writing
September 3, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Here’s a blog post listing 10 publications for your travel writing; it includes contact and submission info, current as of early July, 2010.
Sep
3
Peace Corps visits Marin County
September 3, 2010 | Leave a Comment
| September 14, 2010 | ||
| 6:00 pm | to | 8:00 pm |
The Peace Corps will be 50 years old in 2011. What better way to celebrate than to volunteer?
Become a grassroots entrepreneur in one of 77 countries as a Peace Corps volunteer. RSVP now and come to this Marin County orientation session to start your journey:
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
6:30PM to 8:00PM
Fairfax Library
2097 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard
Fairfax, CA 94930
Contact: Peace Corps San Francisco Regional Office:
(510) 452-8444 or sfevents@peacecorps.gov
Sep
3
NYT reviews travel books
September 3, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Thanks to Denise Woleben for this link to a New York Times review of recently released travel books. From staycations to “foodoirs” (foodies’ memoirs), from vampire bats to cherry blossoms, Book Review editor Alida Becker suggests good summer reads (there’s still time) and dispenses such important tidbits as the fact that coconut water has the same electrolyte balance as blood, which is why it’s good for curing hangovers. Who knew?
Mar
29
I’ll be teaching at the 26th annual Central Coast Writers Conference on September 17th and 18th, 2010.
March 29, 2010 | 1 Comment
| September 17, 2010 | to | September 18, 2010 |
Fellow travel writer Diane LeBow and I (Laurie McAndish King) will teach three classes at the 26th annual Central Coast Writers Conference on September 17th and 18th, 2010. Class descriptions are below. Registration info is here. If you register before July 29, the conference is only $129—a real bargain. And the Inn at Morro Bay is offering a good deal as well.
Travel as a Basis for Creative Writing and Publishing: a 3-part series