Roger Dow of the U.S. Travel Association introduces the Vote Travel bus
International Pow Wow is a travel trade show where destinations across the USA get to promote themselves to international journalists, with a few domestic travel writers, like myself, thrown into the mix.
America gets a brand name, a theme song and a new tourism website
On Monday, Brand USA, unveiled DiscoverAmerica.com (its new website) and "Land of Dreams," a theme song written by Roseanne Cash designed to evoke a feeling about what America represents. A free download of the song is available on the website's home page. (Brand USA was created by Congress in 2010 to promote travel to the United States, which had declined after September 11, 2001.)
It's likely that DiscoverAmerica.com not only will attract foreign tourists but will also help Americans discover new destinations both across the country and in their own backyard. Visitors can "Explore" by clicking on pictures, searching by States, Territories or major cities as well as using filters (including Beaches, History, Natural Wonders, Shopping and Great Drives) to sort possibilities. For those that prefer to daydream by reading travel journals, there are reports of road trips made by three international visitors. (Hopefully, at some point some female travelers will be able to contribute and perhaps an American or two.)
By providing an email address to the DiscoverAmerica.com site, users can save info into a "suitcase." I found several items on the website that I wanted to save into a suitcase but couldn't. I wanted to find out more about the Indianapolis Zoo and save that to my suitcase, but I could only save info about the Indianapolis 500. (Although Los Angeles, Honolulu, New York, Dallas and Las Vegas are listed under major cities, Indianapolis and Houston aren't.)
The good news is that it's easy to click through to the website of a state such as Indiana. When I reached the Indiana website, however, I had to hunt for a page with a link to the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association website.
President Obama addresses International Pow Wow attendees
Good news for Chinese and Brazilian Visitors
President Barack Obama addressed the International Pow Wow delegates by videotape, stressing the importance of international tourism to America and the efforts we are making to expedite the Visa process while protecting our borders. Wait times for Visas for Chinese and Brazilian visitors that once took weeks is now often accomplished in days. And visitors from 36 countries, including Britain, France, Switzerland, Spain, New Zealand and Australia, aren't required to have a Visa.
Next year, International Pow Wow is set for Las Vegas. Presentations from Las Vegas made delegates eager to blow on some dice long before June 2013.
Two showgirl ambassadors for Las Vegas
Elvis was alive and well and inspiring "Viva Las Vegas"
Performers from Cirque du Soleil's "Mystere"
dazzle at a luncheon
Molly demonstrate crab position using two Three Minute Eggs at
Tadasana International Yoga & Music Festival
When I stopped by the Tadasana International Yoga & Music Festival this afternoon, I expected to snap a few pictures and then take off. But I wound up spending a few hours there wandering through the eco marketplace and peering in various yoga classes. I foolishly arrived without my yoga mat, plus I learned that you are actually supposed to schedule your classes. Here are a few scenes from the first day of the festival.
If you can make it to the festival on Saturday or Sunday, it will be well worth your time. I'd recommend spending the entire day because the admission is $99 per day. But there are slews of activities and a variety of vendors are there with interesting products. The Yoga Beauty Bar had several paraben free body products on display including COOLA (a great locally made sunscreen) and Olie Biologique (which uses argan oil, rose hips and other natural ingredients to heal and moisturize skin). Founder, Linda Alixe Thompson, says that Olie Biologique facial products are used by both men and women.
yoga beauty bar is a pop up store that carries organic body products
Additional vendors include: Three Minute Egg (oval yoga props [rather than blocks]), Hard Tail (with 20-50% savings off their amazing yoga wear), Jade Yoga (yoga mats), Mamma Chia Vitality Beverages, EOS Earth Friendly Products (dish, laundry and hand soaps), Kevita, Whole Foods, Eco Vessel, Yoga Hitch (an innovative strap to carry your mat that can double as a yoga strap or towel) and Simply Straws (lose the plastic straws and carry your own sipper). Simply Straws has a promotion where you can earn a free straw by taking their pledge against plastic straws (and sharing it via Facebook or Twitter). Beyond O2 Alkaline Water was supplying free water in several areas.
And for travelers looking for budget accommodations within the yoga community, OmStays is making its debut at TadasanaFest. People can join as a yoga student or yoga teacher, and OmStays helps connect you with a yogi where you're heading. Although men are welcome too, one of OmStay's goals is to help women travel on a shoestring. At a glance, it struck me as a cross between Airbnb (which acts as an intermediary) and couch surfing with a yoga component. Cost to stay at OmStay pad is $15 plus gratitude.
Founder of Simply Straws, Cyndi Sladics
A simply straw can help you sip at the San Diego Wild Animal Park
where plastic straws are forbidden (dangerous to animals)
Steve offers samples of Mamma Chia's vitality drink.
Guests could buy bottles or a case for a discounted price.
Alycia Monet Denham created Yoga Hitch to carry her own mat while she's also managing her toddler .
Like its inventor, Yoga Hitch can multi-task by serving as a towel or a yoga strap when you're in class.
When: Saturday and Sunday, April 21 and 22 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Tadasana is even offering a free 30 song download of the Music of Tadasana through YogiTunes (provided you give YogiTunes your name, email address and zipcode).
That title may be unfair to condoms, because a broken condom can lead to new life whereas an oil spill leads to death and destruction for wildlife and people. If there's a problem when Shell drills in the Arctic Wildlife Reserve in Alaska, the Inuit Eskimos will suffer if Bowhead whales perish (because these whales are a food source for the Inuits).
In 2000, the State of Alaska sponsored a test to see if a spill could be cleaned up in the Arctic. As you can see from Oceana's YouTube video clip below, the test was a total failure.
The 2000 North Slope Broken Ice Trials proved that booms and skimmers do not work in ice. Booms and skimmers are among the tools Shell plans to deploy in the event of a spill.
On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil explosion occurred off the coast of Louisiana causing the BP oil spill in the much warmer waters of the Gulf of Mexico. In Feb. 2011, a Norwegian tanker spilled oil in the icy fjords off Oslo, Norway. So why isn't the U.S. government isn't telling Shell "You can only drill in the Chukchi or Beaufort Seas if you prove you can clean up a spill."
Chuck Clusen, Director of Alaska Project for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) described for me the risks and ramifications for both humans and wildlife if Shell has a mishap in the Arctic.
Although Shell has invested in equipment that can be immediately deployed if there's a spill, there is a very limited window of time to clean up a spill in the chilly Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, environments that are already showing stress from climate change (with incidents of polar bears drowning trying to swim from ice pack to shore and small young male Pacific Walruses being smothered by older male walruses due to the receding icepack and limited room on the beach.
But the major problem with any spill is that the water is so cold and winds can be so powerful that there is a Response gap where you can't effectively clean up oil due to ice in the water or winds that cause waves to be too high.
"Between July 1 and Oct. 31 (the other eight months, the seas are frozen over), the so-called response gap is three to five days of each week. So at best you have four and on average as little as two days. Oil does break down to a degree fairly quickly when you can no longer skim or burn it. You can't skim oil a week or more after a spill. World Wildlife Fund did some calculations: it's impossible during those four summer months between 44-84% of the time. In Beaufort drilling, they can drill up to end of Oct. - if there's a blow out at end of work period - there's insufficient time to drill a cap relief well. Then oil freezes into/under the ice - ice moves hundreds of miles all around the arctic -Ice could drag liquid oil underneath it too-- could still be oozing," says Clusen. If oil is carried long distances in the ice, then next summer, when when the ice cap melts, oil is all over the place.
If there is a spill, we better hope it happens in the Chukchi rather than the Beaufort.
Clusen says that Shell must stop drilling 38 days before the Chukchi Sea freezes (where between 5500 and 25,000 barrels a day could spill). But there's no such limit in Beaufort where the risk in a spill is 5500 to 16,000 barrels. The Capping stack, Shell's principal strategy of controlling a leaking well is being built in Seattle, but Clusen says it won't be tested with real oil. "The real question is whether a capping stack can work as well in the Arctic. The drill rig in Gulf of Mexico had motors on all sides --no mooring lines with anchors. Two drill rigs that Shell would use in the Arctic would be moored," says Clusen, adding that trying to get around and through mooring lines without getting tangled up is pretty challenging because there's not a lot of room to maneuver.
"There's so much we don't understand about it how the ecosystem works, the niches for each animal, etc." says Clusen, adding that we also don't know how the noise from drilling and the vessels will affect the whales and other wildlife.
In the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico, "a lot of oil stayed in the water column, which means that cleaning up the surface (even if possible) does not prevent potential ecological damage," says Clusen. The Bowhead whales are a special concern because they feed in the shallow waters where Shell will be drilling. In the event of a spill, if there's oil in the water column it will gum up the baleen filters in the mouths of Bowhead whales. Even if there's no spill, if the drilling drives the Bowheads further out to sea, the Inuit Eskimos may lose a principle food and culture source.
Shell's oil exploration will occur in a known denning area for female polar bears and within the migration route of the Bowhead whale. (Belugas and grays also pass through the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas). "A spill in this area could be deadly and oil the coastline of the Arctic Refuge Barrier Islands. This is key habitat for polar bears as well. The Arctic Refuge Coast is the highest density denning area for female polar bears on shore in the American Arctic. In Beaufort and Chukchi Sea - in fall they tend to come from Eastern Beaufort Sea in Canada - come in Camden Bay along the shore of the Artic national wildlife refuge - then they loop further out in north and west around the Chukchi lease area where Shell plans to drill four exploration wells in the next couple of years. Again, a spill as the result of this exploration could be deadly to Bowhead whales," says Clusen.
So whether you are rooting for polar bears, whales, us or the earth, what's the harm in the U.S. government demanded that Shell prove it can clean up a spill? If there's a problem, any spill will make the Exxon Valdez or BP oil spills look like minor mishaps. The Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil into the ocean. The Gulf of Mexico spill released 200 million gallons of oil. This means that every 5 days, an oil spill the size of Exxon Valdez was released into the Gulf of Mexico, and this spill is over 18 times the size of predecessor.
Following the BP oil disaster, Oceana.org reported that 21 years after the Exxon Valdez spill, Alaskan waters are still recovering, and many beaches and coastal areas are still contaminated with oil. Many species (including sea otters, killer whales, clams, mussels) are still recovering, and some haven’t recovered at all (the Pacific herring and pigeon guillemot) (See: Exxon Valdez and Long-term Recovery after a Spill).
To urge the government to take action or to learn more, visit the NRDC website (and watch a video message from Robert Redford about the wildlife imperiled by Shell's plans).
Two visitors from Sacramento. (All photos by Terry Gardner)
Last December I visited San Francisco because I had heard it may be the most dog-friendly city in America. I met a woman from Sacramento who was walking her dog along Market Street. She and her husband visit San Francisco every four weeks to get their hair cut, and their dog always comes along. She said most shops are dog-friendly, especially Nordstrom and Bloomingdales.
Since I was dog-less in San Francisco, a friend from Oakland brought her pitbull Bob into town so we could all visit Chrissy Field together.
For my story on the best dog parks in San Francisco, please visit: DogWonderful.com. DogWonderful.com is a new website that launched last October. It's devoted to both helping dog lovers find dog-welcoming destinations and helping them snag deals on airfare, hotels and vacation packages. One reason I write for DogWonderful is that 10% of the commissions and fees earned through travel bookings on the site are donated to two non-profits that help dogs, NEADS and Red Rover.
If hearing a ukelele or a slack key guitar strummed rekindles memories of Hawaii, on Sat. Feb. 11, you may find yourself transported to your favorite Hawaiian island.
From 1:30-3:30 p.m. in Manhattan Beach, 2012 Grammy® Award nominees George Kahumoku Jr. and Daniel Ho will present a special pre-Grammy Slack Key concert.
The performance will be preceded by a morning guitar, ukele or social media workshop followed by lunch with the artists. Special musical guests will be Tia Carrere (who won a Grammy in 2011 with Ho for Best Hawaiian Music Album), Keoki Kahumoku and Kimo West (Weird Al's guitarist who contributed to Apocalypse, Weird Al's 2012 nominated CD).
George Kahumoku Jr.’s Wao Akua - Forest of the Gods (Regional Roots Nominee) and Daniel Ho’s E Kahe Mālie (Pop- Instrumental Nominee) are the 2012 nominated CDs.
Three pre-concert workshops will be offered:
Guitar instruction with George & Kimo
Ukulele instruction with Daniel & Keoki; and
Internet marketing 101 with George's social network specialist, Elliot Prestwich (because some musicians may need more tips on tweeting than strumming).
Daniel Ho and Tia Carrere (photo: Shane Sato)
When: Saturday, Feb 11, 2012
Where: Manhattan Beach Community Church
Address: 303 South Peck Ave, Manhattan Beach CA 90266
Option 1: Ukelele, Guitar or Social Networking Workshops: 10:30-11:45 + Lunch with the artists noon-1pm + Concert Package ($47 adv/$55 door)
Option 2: Concert only 1:30-3:30 matinee ($22 adv/$25 door)
Tickets: www.Kahumoku.com or 800-838-3006 ext 1 (Brown Paper Tickets)
Flight VX 882 - mood lighting doesn't help when a baby's crying
Happy Holidays. It's that time of year when adults without children find out how loud a crying baby can be. And passengers with grown children suffer wailing baby flashbacks.
Last summer on a Virgin America flight to Dallas, I learned that mood lighting doesn't help if five babies are onboard, and three are crying.
Last night on Flight 882 from LAX to DFW, I spent the first hour of the flight annoyed about the restless toddler who keep touching me and my belongings. His Mom kept failing to keep him out of "my space." Initially, I tried to block out his noise by cranking up the sound in my headphones, while praying the flight attendants would give him food, drink or a sedative to quiet him down.
But the minute I engaged his Mom in conversation, my anger dissipated. Her two-year old son was named Landon. That morning her husband and young Landon's Daddy had shipped out to Afghanistan. She fought back tears as she told me that this was his first deployment since they had started their family. Although she blamed Landon for misbehaving, I think he was picking up on his Mom's distress about his Daddy.
At that point I looked at little Landon and realized he was essentially spending the flight as a human carryon with no seat to call his own. He preferred the floor to his Mommy's lap. She paid $8 for him to watch "Cars" and ordered a meal hoping to get him to settle down.
Our flight initially encountered turbulence, so in-flight service seemed to get a late start. When his Mom rang a flight attendant to ask about the meal she had ordered for her son, the flight attendant said they would get to him soon. Although she was pleasant, she didn't grasp the fact that the kid might calm down and stop making so much noise if he received food and drink.
I finally got up, walked up the aisle and asked for some apple juice for the kid next to me. The flight attendant quickly poured it for me, and it seemed to settle Landon down a bit. It was another 10 to 15 minutes before his meal arrived.
I wish Virgin America's RED entertainment system let parents note urgency for food. Since she ordered a kid's meal, you would think that the flight crew might realize the kid's meal might be for a noisy child.
If you're flying over the holidays and sit next to a young child, I'd recommend engaging the kid or the parent so that you may feel compassion rather than annoyance if wails break out in flight.
I hope all the airlines will consider serving kids food and drink first, so that all the passengers can have a more peaceful, quieter flight.
My only baby pictures tend to be snapped at zoos, since I live with two quiet cats.
Pictured: Jamie, a giraffe born at the Dallas Zoo last summer. (Photographs: Terry Gardner)
Disclosure: My flight to Dallas last night was complimentary. I'll be flying back on Southwest to write a comparison piece about flying both to/from Dallas.
Beyond seeing glorious drag queens, gingerbread houses and enjoying the San Francisco Symphony, I met a few animals in San Francisco: the furry kind at Macy's SF SPCA adoption, chocovores (and chocoholics) on a Gourmet Food Walk and merry makers on a caroling cable car. These are just a few of San Francisco Travel's 49 holiday things to do.
Macy's helps the SF SPCA find dogs and cats homes for the holiday
Macy's SF SPCA Adoption window at its Market Street location
As of Dec. 15, 195 cats and dogs had been adopted since Thanksgiving.
Paisley is a puppy that is up for adoption.
As of Monday, Dec. 19, 224 dogs and cats have been adopted. This is the 25th year the SF SPCA has offered holiday pet adoptions from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day. Krista Maloney, a spokesperson for the SF SPCA, told me that it's the seventh or eighth year that Macy's has generously offered window and floor space to help pets find homes.
If you're visiting San Francisco and don't have a home to offer, Maloney says that they are still looking for volunteers to help out -- especially between Dec. 26 and New Year's Day. "Volunteering involves collecting donations and greeting the public, and shifts are only about two hours each," says Maloney. For more info, visit: sfspca.org/holiday
This kitty needs a home in the Bay Area. (I encouraged my friend, Dick Jordan,
to adopt a canine or feline, but his cat rules a one cat household.
Gourmet Food Walks or walking for chocolate (and other treats)
We sampled three delicacies from Recchiuti Confections in the Ferry Building
Although I went on a Gourmet Chocolate Tour during my holiday visit, the chocolate tour is available year round from Gourmet Walks. Over the three hour tour, I learned about the painstaking labor involved in growing and harvesting the fruit of the cocoa tree and was offered more samples of chocolate than I could eat. You also have opportunities to buy chocolate during the tour, and many of the vendors offer Gourmet Walks guests a 10% discount. I bought some tasting samples to give my family a chance to have a chocolate experience over Christmas.
Until I took the tour with Nicole, I never had any idea that tasting chocolate could be as complex as wine tasting. . . without the hangover. (Since I was sampling chocolate confections that are at least 70% chocolate, I didn't experience any sugar hangover. In contrast, a Hershey's bar or common chocolate bar usually contains 10% chocolate and 90% sugar.)
The next time you unwrap a piece of gourmet chocolate, look at it, sniff it, snap it (unless it's a truffle) then taste it. It helps if you inhale as you are tasting the chocolate. I hope to edit and post video from my lesson soon.
During the holidays, Gourmet Walks has a Holiday Lights and Chocolate Tour that includes tea with macaroons. Throughout the year, Gourmet Walks not only offers chocolate tours but foodie tours in Japan Town and downtown Napa. My chocolate tour began at the Embarcadero and ended at Union Square.
A foodie tour is a great way to see the city while you educate your palate, delight your tastebuds and tighten your waistband.
At Leonidas, we sipped Belgium hot chocolate followed by a tasty sample.
Although I only had a chance to do an abbreviated version of this, it's great fun to hear Christmas carols while seeing the holiday lights of San Francisco from a cable car.
The carolers I met were very friendly. Happy Holidays!
