Nov
17
California Coast North
November 17, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Karen Misuraca’s new iPhone/iPodTouch/iPad app, California Coast North, has been released by Sutro Media. From beaches to historical sites, restaurants to lodgings, parks, events, recreation and more, this is the ultimate guide to daytripping and vacations along the world-famous coastline. More than 200 detailed listings with Google maps and 1,700 color photos. $2.99 (with free updates for life!). Check out the new app and post a review here.
Nov
17
Baja’s Backcountry
November 17, 2010 | 1 Comment
Laurie Weed wrote the October cover story “Baja’s Backcountry” for Highways magazine, with photography by Jak Wonderly.
“For a taste of our recent Mexican adventures-by-camper-van, check out the October issue of Highways. We spent several happy days exploring the Sierra de la Laguna biosphere in Baja del Sur. This article maps out easy trails to our favorite oases: a 30-foot waterfall, a series of deep green pools at the bottom of a gorge, and an arroyo that rambles through a wide, shallow canyon.”
You can register for a free guest pass to read the full article online.
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
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
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
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
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?
Jun
28
| June 29, 2010 | ||
| 6:00 pm |
The Mechanics’ Institute will host a panel discussion Tuesday evening, June 29 at 6 p.m.: Bay Area writers will discuss the dramatically changing directions and paradigms of the book publishing industry. Explore traditional publishing routes and take advantage of innovations like e-books, self-publishing, social media, and the Web. Panelists include writing coach Lisa Alpine (leader of the Self-Publishing Boot Camp), travel writer/journalist Laura Fraser (All Over the Map), internet to print scientist/writer Ransom Stephens (The God Patent) and Twitter to print author Matt Stewart (The French Revolution).
MODERATED by: Constance Hale, book editor and author of Sin and Syntax.
Jun
28
| July 15, 2010 | ||
| 12:00 am |
Photo: Creative Learning
Here’s an organization that’s working to promote peace by supporting American volunteerism in mostly-Muslim parts of the world. That’s a cause worth supporting!
And they have announced an essay contest and a video contest. If I had done anything that qualified, I’d definitely enter this contest. The prizes are real ($2,000 for the 1st place video; $1,000 for the first place essay) and my guess is that there won’t be a huge number of competing entries. Deadline is July 15, 2010.
“America’s Unofficial Ambassadors
Jun
28
Future of Freelancing
June 28, 2010 | 1 Comment
I didn’t make it to the Future of Freelancing at Stanford, but the website has already posted conference highlights. Also, here are links to blog posts about the conference:
- David Page’s post on Matador
- C-Monster.net‘s take
- The Writing Coach’s tips from the conference
- More TK (the post is titled Writing for the Screen)
And a perspective on writing for free, this one from Advertising Age.
Check out the comments after the articles, too.
Jun
28
Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Commission
June 28, 2010 | 4 Comments
How is it that the country of Bhutan came to have a Gross National Happiness Commission? What is happiness, how do they measure it, and what do they do to make their people happier? Hear answers from Karma Tshiteem, Secretary of Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Commission.
Jun
26
Book Passage Travel, Food & Photography Conference
June 26, 2010 | 1 Comment
| August 12, 2010 12:00 am | to | August 15, 2010 12:00 am |
Time to make your plans for the 19th Annual Book Passage Travel, Food, & Photography Conference. It promises to be better than ever this year, with inclusion of food writing classes and panels, as well as expert advice and instruction for travel writers and photographers. The conference runs from August 12 to 15, 2010. Call Book Passage in Corte Madera (800-999-7909, ext. 239) for more information or to register.
From the website:
The Book Passage Travel Writers & Photographers Conference covers
Jun
26
Get Carried Away
June 26, 2010 | Leave a Comment
This looks like a great idea for visiting out-of-towners: Carried Away offers small, customized tours of the San Francisco Bay Area. “Book an unconventional outing with Carried Away and experience San Francisco and the Bay Area in a completely new and different way. Each outing is designed to surprise and delight. We want you to have fun and feel great – to have the best day ever.”
You’re guaranteed lots of personal attention from Carried Away founders Vikki and Dianne, long-time Bay area residents who are known for knowing — and going! Introductory pricing is good through August, 2010.
Jun
26
Thanks to Gayle Keck over at Been There Ate That for sending this link to a Matador article titled “10 Words and Phrases We Never Want to See in Travel Writing Again.” Test yourself: guess what they are before you click.
Jun
26
Create A “Foodoir” — Inspired Marketing
June 26, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Here’s a press release from Conran PR that’s an example of inspired marketing: an author and a resort have teamed up to offer a themed “package” experience in the Caribbean. I hope the promotion is a big success:
Create A “Foodoir” Of Your Own at Cap Maison
“The Spice Necklace Experience” Package
May
24
Rita Golden Gelman and friends
May 24, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Bestselling author Rita Golden Gelman will launch her newest book, Female Nomad and Friends: Tales of Breaking Free and Breaking Bread Around the World on June 1, 2010. In the book, 41 authors tell their stories of adventuring around the world; more than 30 international recipes are included. You can download a PDF of the first chapter here.
More info here about Rita’s virtual book tour.
Rita is currently spearheading an initiative called Let’s Get Global (a project of U.S. Servas, Inc.), a national movement designed to bring the gap year to the United States.
May
24
Jim Benning talks travel writing
May 24, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Jim Benning, cofounder and coeditor of worldhum.com, will be talking about travel writing on both coasts this summer. will deliver a talk and discuss writing on a panel at Travel Blog Exchange’s two-day travel blogging conference, TBEX ‘10, June 26-27 in New York City. In August, he’ll be in the Bay Area at the Book Passage Travel Writers & Photographers Conference in Corte Madera.
Apr
28
Oddly, the blog associated with OnlineDegrees.net includes some entertaining and instructional resources, like these lists of 100 Creative Ways to Excite and Inspire Young Readers, 100 Essential Cheat Sheets for Doing Business Abroad, and 100 Novels that let you Travel the World without Leaving Home.
Apr
28
Fluent in 3 months
April 28, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Traveling soon to a country where you don’t speak the language? There are many helpful posts on Benny Lewis’ FluentIn3Months.com, “a how-to guide and story of becoming fluent in any language quickly. After over seven years of travelling and learning languages I have picked up quite a lot of short-cuts, unconventional learning techniques, and a pretty good mentality that has hugely helped me to learn these languages, and earn the title of ‘polyglot’. This site is for sharing these tips so that others may also live their dreams of being able to speak other languages!”
Posts include these:
Apr
28
From Ridiculously Extraordinary by Karol Gajda come these 21 reasons you should quit your day job and travel the world.
Apr
28
Costa Rican cuisine and more from Lenny Karpman
April 28, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Did you know there are no lemons in Costa Rica? Would you like an authentic recipe for Costa Rican Christmas tamales (which you may eat, by the way, at any time of the year)? Looking for the best restaurants in Costa Rica? Look no further than Lenny Karpman’s new website.