On the Saturday, February 5th, 2011 edition of The Travel Guys… Today we're joined by friendly competitor and long-time travel friend Wayne Setness of Setness Tours. Wayne has recently returned from escorting a trip to Dubai and has quite a few stories to share! Speaking of international travel, have you ever wondered just what happens to all those tourists traveling abroad when a crisis breaks out like the one currently happening in Egypt? As tour operators, we're faced with these situations all too often. Today, we'll go behind-the-scenes to learn how modern travel companies help ensure your safety and get you home as quickly as possible when the unthinkable happens while on tour. Finally, Daniel with sports-empire.com will be checking in from the Super Bowl in Dallas, TX. The big game starts just a short time after our time on-air ends, so there's sure to be quite a bit going on. Can't wait to hear about it!
Traveling Through Dubai
If you've never considered adding Dubai to your bucket list, we think it's about time you do. Wayne Setness of Setness Tours joins us today to talk about a recent trip he took through this exotic destination with a group of travelers. Wayne has assured us he has quite a few stories to share and more than a few tips for anyone interesting in making Dubai a part of their travel plans this year! To view more amazing photos from their trip (like the one to your left), check out their Dubai Photo Gallery.
www.setness.com
Escaping Egypt
If you've been watching the news at all lately, then you're very well aware of the current situation going on in Egypt. You know about the political strife, you've seen the riots in the streets and you've probably figured out that it's not exactly the place to be if you're on vacation right now. What you DON'T know is what to do if you already ARE currently in Egypt on vacation right now.
Phil Otterson, of the Cragmont Baron Group, has made it his job to know exactly how these situations should be handled. Phil has been helping businesses in the travel industry develop crisis prevention and management solutions for a long time. He's seen just about every situation you can imagine. Today, he'll be joining us in studio to talk about what goes on behind the scenes when you're out on tour and disaster strikes. It's a fantastic interview and a real treat for anyone who's considering a visit to exotic destinations.
Your Week in Sacramento
Barb Hennelly (aka Tenacity Jane), of the Sizzling Siren's Burlesque Experience joins Michelle in-studio this week to introduce this week's list of things to do in Sacramento! As always, you can learn more about anything and everything going on in Sacramento by visiting www.sacramento365.com!
Dance: Romeo and Juliet
Come see the Sacramento Ballet and their performance of "the world's greatest love story." Enhance your enjoyment of the performance by joining Ron Cunningham 45 minutes prior to curtain for an informal and entertaining inside view of the show! Community Center Theater Feb 10-13, Thurs-Sat 7:30pm; Sun 2pm www.sacballet.org
Festivals: Chinese New Year Celebration
Come celebrate the Year of the Rabbit at the Chinese New year Celebration. Enjoy Lion Dance and Martial Arts, music, singing and dance performances, vendor booths, children's games and ballroom dancing. Sacramento State University Union Saturday, Feb 12 noon-11pm www.cnyca.net
Kids & Fam: I Heart the Sacramento Zoo Day
Bring your valentine to this special day organized by the Sacramento Zoo teen volunteers. There are valentine-themed animal enrichments, talks and activity tables. Fun things include scented valentine cards for the lemurs and a special piñata celebrating Val-lynn-tine the giraffe's sweet 16th birthday. Sacramento Zoo Sunday, Feb 13 9am-4pm www.saczoo.org
Nightlife: Art Mix: Love & Lust
Celebrate all that's hot in February. Write love letters and poems with the Sacramento Poetry Center, take the "couples in the collection" tour, hear from a panel of local artists about what "turns them on," enjoy all night beats from DJ Mike Colossal and take in a performance from the Sacramento Sizzling Sirens Burlesque Experience. Crocker Art Museum Thursday, Feb 10th 5pm-9pm FREE with museum admission www.crockerartmuseum.org
The Rudest City in America
In yet another one of those utterly suspect readers' polls that never fail to grab attention, Travel + Leisure magazine has anointed (drumroll, please) Los Angeles as America's Rudest City, beating out everybody's favorite in-your-face burg, New York.
The dubious honor comes as part of the magazine's annual America's Favorite Cities survey, in which it asks readers to rate 35 cities on 54 mostly subjective qualities. (Last fall, the magazine enlightened its readers about where to find America's Most and Least Attractive Locals. Memphis got hit with the ugly stick. Charleston, S.C., ranked purtiest.)
In the perceived rudeness realm, it's not surprising that congested cities in the nation's northeast corridor rank high on the list. New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Boston and Baltimore landed in the top seven.
Following are the top 20 in descending order.
Weigh in below on whether you think T+L readers got it right. 20. Anchorage 19. Houston 18. Providence 17. Santa Fe 16. Seattle 15. Chicago 14. San Francisco 13. Memphis 12. Phoenix/Scottsdale 11. Atlanta 10. Dallas/Fort Worth 9. Orlando 8. Las Vegas 7. Baltimore 6. Boston 5. Washington 4. Miami 3. Philadelphia 2. New York City 1. Los Angeles
On the Sunday, January 30th, 2011 edition of The Travel Guys… Join us for another exciting week on The Travel Guys as Mark flies across the country for a doubleheader-style trip to Broadway. Two spectacular shows, tons of snow and a whole lot of stories. Next, we'll be joined by the Capitolaires Men's Choir to introduce us to their singing valentines and upcoming cabaret show. Finally, have you ever wanted to own an island? Well we found a guy who bought one and gave it back. Learn about the man who lives in a lighthouse on today's episode of The Travel Guys!
Your Week in Sacramento!
Michelle will be joining us once again to talk about events and shows coming up this week in Sacramento. On the docket for Your Week in Sacramento is: The Jewish Film Festival (2/5-2/6) www.sacjff.org www.thecrest.com 13th Annual Sacramento Free Museum Day (2/5 1oam - 4pm) www.sacmuseums.org First Saturday African American Art Tour Call 916-613-0099 Visit them on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=175147372517472 "Reasons to be Pretty" at Capital Stage (runs through Feb. 20th) www.capstage.org Vijay Iyer at the Mondavi Center for Performing Arts (2/2 - 2/5) www.mondaviarts.org
Broadway, Doubleheader style
Having just returned from a trip to New York to check out a few shows on Broadway, Mark will be sharing a brief review of the shows. Given the inorbanint amount of snow New York received while he was there, I'm sure we'll be hearing a few snow-stories as well! To read more on Mark's recent trip to New York, you can check out "Giving my regard to Broadway...Doubleheader Style!" on the Sports Leisure Travel Blog.
Capitolaires Men's Chorus
The Capitolaires Men's Chorus will be joining us today to talk about their exclusive Singing Valentines. Need a special gift for that special someone this year? Check them out online at http://www.capitolaires.org/!
Charity Island - Why one man bought an island and gave it back!
Have you ever wanted to buy an island? Us too. Well today we'll hear from a man who bought an island and decided to give it back! It's an interesting story and an even more interesting place. Check them out online at www.charityisland.net.
TripAdvisor Releases List Of America's Dirtiest Hotels
Topping the list is the Grand Resort Hotel & Convention Center in Pigeon Forge. The survey's ratings are based on cleanliness. 87% of more than 200 viewers were unhappy with the hotel. A spokesperson for the hotel said they were taking the ratings seriously and have begun to restore the property. They have a new CEO and most of the old staff are gone. The rest of the top 10 properties are:
2. Jack London Inn, Oakland, Calif
3. Desert Inn Resort, Daytona Beach, Fla.
4. Hotel Carter, New York, N.Y. It was crowned "dirtiest hotel" in 2009, and the former Times Square tenement has been on TripAdvisor's list five times in six years.
5. Polynesian Beach & Golf Resort, Myrtle Beach, S.C.;
6. Atlantic Beach Hotel, Miami Beach, Fla.
7. Rodeway Inn, Williamsville, N.Y
8. Super 8 Estes Park, Denver, Colo.
9. Palm Grove Hotel and Suites, Virginia Beach, Va.
10. Econo Lodge Newark International Airport, Elizabeth, N.J.
Piano Stairs!
Posted Friday, January 28th, 2011 When I left the Hilton on 42nd Street at 1:30pm, it was snowing heavily. Wow, I thought. Eight blocks in this mess to the theater. Theater on the Square is a smaller venue, on the round, adjacent to the Gershwin Theater on 50th St. off Broadway. It took about 20 minutes to navigate the snow. Not too difficult when it's fresh you know. I shook off my coat, stomped my shoes and settled into my seat.
When you enter the theater for the performance of Lombardi, youcan't help but notice there is a different feel. For the first time in memory, people were taking pictures in the lobby, which is covered with Green Bay Packer memorabilia and pictures of Coach Vince Lombardi, the man who made the Packers a legend.
The show was brilliant, a look at a fascinating man, the players he coached and the times they lived in (the play takes place in 1965). As a sports fanatic who has a moderate interest in football, I was absolutely mesmerized. 90 minutes later, I had wiped tears from my eyes twice, laughed a hearty laugh a number of times and learned a lot about The Coach. It was one of the best investments of an hour and a half in recent memory. If you are a football fan over 45, you simply must see this show.
When I left the theater, the snow had stopped. The air was crisp. The walk home over eight blocks was a little tougher, as the snow was coated in ice. Time for a cup of soup, a quick look at e-mail and a nap at my hotel before the evening half of my entertainment doubleheader.
By 7:15pm, the snow had returned with a vengeance. Except now is was freezing rain. The theater was...you guessed it, eight blocks again. (How did I manage that twice in one day?) With the sting of the rain in my face and the sidewalks becoming increasingly slick, I was glad I'd brought my gloves, boots and winter scarf.
At the Winter Garden Theater, the curtain was about to go up on Mamma Mia! While I've seen this show many times, I love the music and I don't care if it's the corniest story since Oklahoma...it works. It still works, nearly a decade after it moved into the Winter Garden after Cats! finished its record-setting run. The songs of Abba, the story of a young girl trying to discover which of three men is her father before her wedding is light and fun. The audience still loves the show, after it's been in every theater and on every screen in the country. Because it's Broadway. It's spectacular. It's the best of the best. And I love it all.
When they threw open the doors after the show, a winter wonderland appeared. It had snowed several inches while we were inside, and now, New Yorkers were presented with an interesting challenge. No taxi cabs were in sight. The look of panic on many faces was unmistakable. I made my way back home on foot, through Times Square, dusted with a fresh blast of white powder. It was so beautiful the eight blocks flew past. New York has never looked better.
God, I love Broadway.
******
For more on my Broadway doubleheader, and my thoughts on the controversial Spiderman show I saw Thursday evening, listen to The Travel Guys, Sunday at 2pm on KFBK 1530AM.
On the Saturday, January 22nd, 2011 edition of The Travel Guys… Welcome back to another exciting year of The Travel Guys! We've got quite an episode planned for today and we hope you enjoy it as much as we have. First, we'll be hearing from Mark about a recent trip to Key West, FL, where he enjoyed the sunshine and sunsets for 10 days with fellow Sports Leisure Travelers. Next, Clayton Whitehead tunes in to introduce us to one of his favorite places in the world. Finally, we'll be checking in back home with your weekly Sacramento update from Arts & Business Council representative Michelle and an exciting silent film opportunity from Cecil.
Today's episode is brought to you by traveloregon.com, you're one-stop-shop for everything you need to know about visiting the exciting state of Oregon. If you're a long-time listener of The Travel Guys, you already know that Oregon holds a special place in Mark's heart. We highly recommend it makes the top of your bucket-list this year!
Coming Up in Sacramento...
This is a new addition to the Travel Guys, and one we're hoping to bring back every week. We live in a great city, surrounded by some pretty amazing attractions that people from all over the country enjoy traveling to. I think it's high time we start enjoying them a bit more, ourselves. To that end, Michelle from the Arts & Business Council has offered to introduce us to just a few of the local attractions going on this upcoming week! We're thrilled to have Michelle as a part of our show and can't wait to hear what she has to share!
For more information on the Arts & Business Council, you can visit them online at www.sacabc.com. Also worth a look is this site dedicated to things to do in Sacramento: www.sac365.com. This is an excellent resource for upcoming shows, events or local attractions!
Sacramento French Film Festival
This is not your typical silent film show. The folks over at the Sacramento French Film Festival (SFFF) have really outdone themselves this time, and we can't wait to share what they have in store on-air. For more information on the Festival, check out their website at www.sacramentofrenchfilmfestival.org or click here for more info on the 2011 French Film Festival here in Sacramento.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CzQgBwD6bU
Butterflies, Sunsets and Drag in Key West, FL
Key West doesn't often make it onto the bucket list of many Californians, and we feel it's about time that changed. As Florida's paradise, Key West offers an experience you'll find no-where else. Key West Butterfly Conservatory One Human Family
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?fbid=10150124925120861&id=12272540586…
Savannah, GA with Clayton Whitehead
Road Reporter Clayton Whitehead is currently on his yearly sabbatical in Savannah, GA; where he'll be taking the day off to introduce us to this real southern treat! Savannah is one of Clayton's favorite places on the planet, so he's sure to have quite a few stories and local attractions to share! My guess is that a few of those stories probably involve a cocktail or two...