On the Saturday, October 9th, 2010 edition of The Travel Guys… Sports Leisure Vacations takes lucky travelers on one of the most memorable Route 66 tours around - learn more here.There are few things more satisfying than gassing up the car and hitting the road, and what better road to hit than Route 66?! It’s our 7th journey across the Mother Road of America as a company, and we’re thrilled to take you along with us for some exclusive interviews along the way. Where do we start, you ask? How about the world’s largest rocking chair. That’s right, even the Guinness Book of Records agrees, this thing is HUGE. Next up, meet Dawn of the Rock Cafe in Stroud, but you may know her better as Sally, from the hit Pixar movie Cars. Finally, we’re joined by John Weiss, famous author of several books on the historic road. Plus, we've found someone to watch over your home while you're out exploring that long highway. This is definitely not an episode to miss for all you highway fans out there, so sit back, turn up the radio and enjoy the ride!
House Watching by HowtoClean.com
Jeanne from HowtoClean.com joins us today to talk about her unique house watching service. We spend a lot of time out on the road, and one thing we're constantly worrying about is what's going on back home while we're away. Are the lights turned off? Is the mail picked up? Are the pets fed? There are a million things to consider. Jeanne has developed a great service that allows you to put your mind at ease while she takes care of everything until you return! She also tweets house cleaning tips at http://twitter.com/HomeEcJeanne
Route 66
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Worlds Largest Rocker
Located in Cuba, MO, this giant rocker is just one of many reasons to visit this little town, which is also home to tons of amazing murals. Check them out and learn more by visiting their site at www.cubamomurals.com!
Music from the Road
On the Saturday, September 25th, 2010 edition of The Travel Guys… We have quite a week in store for everyone as we bring in Rob Stewart of KVIE’s Rob on the Road for an update on where he’s been and what’s he’s been up to. You won’t believe some of the new travel stories he has in store for us! Next, it seems like everywhere we turn there’s a new breaking story about bed bugs all across America. Today we’re going to do our best to get to the bottom of what’s going on, why it’s going on, and what it means for travelers (more than you might think!) Jon Holloway of packinglight.net will be joining us once again to share some great products you can use to avoid the little critters while you’re out on tour. Finally, many of us over at Sports Leisure Vacations have been humming the tune to “Going to the Sun Road” ever since David Walburn performed it for us at this years Tour Preview Day. For those of you who caught the Walburn fever alongside of us (and even for those of you who didn’t!) we’ve rustled up a music video of one of David’s other songs. Check it out below. All this and more on this weeks edition of The Travel Guys!
Rob on the Road
Always a welcomed guest, Rob Stewart will be joining us to discuss some of his most recent travel adventures while filming his hit show “Rob on the Road” for local PBS station KVIE. You can checkout all of Rob’s adventures by heading to his site at www.kvie.org/robontheroad.
Bed Bugs!
Seems like they’re everywhere these days, and we’re going to devote a little bit of time to finding out why. Next, Jon Holloway from Holloway Travel Outfitters and packinglight.net joins us to discuss some great new products you can use to avoid the little critters while out on the road. We’ve included some links below for anyone interested in picking some up. Jon has been helping out both Sports Leisure Vacations and our travelers for a long time now, we can’t recommend him enough for all your travel needs!
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Rest Easy Bed Bug Spray
Rest Easy is an all-natural, non-toxic spray designed to kill and repel bed bugs and other small insects. It comes in a convenient, travel friendly 2 oz spray bottle and gives off a delightful cinnamon scent when used (so you won’t feel like you’re sleeping in a bug bomb!).
Check it out here!
Avenger Bed Bug Killer Luggage Spray
While Rest Easy is helping you avoid the bugs in bed, Avenger was designed to keep them out of your luggage, clothes and eventually back home (Yikes!). All you do is spray your luggage before you leave any hotel room, and again once you arrive at home. Doesn’t really get any easier than that.
Check it out here!
After Bite
Didn’t take our advice and utilize one of Jon’s products above? Not a problem, we’ve still got you covered. After Bite was designed to alleviate the itch and swelling that occurs after you receive a bite. Best of all, it’s not just for bed bugs! It also works on flies, flees, no-see-ums, chiggers and more!
Check it out here!
David Walburn
Those of you who attended Sports Leisure’s Annual Tour Preview Day this year will remember seeing David entertain us with a brief selection of his Montana music. Those of you who weren’t able to make it, you’re in for a real treat. David usually performs inside Montana’s spectacular Glacier National Park, where Mark met him while escorting a group of travelers. We’re proud to introduce him to both our travelers and listeners here on The Travel Guys. Check out his music video below, and follow the link to see more of his music and even purchase some CD’s if you’re interested. We're giving away two free autographed copies of David’s CD. To win, simply fill out the form below and hit send. We’ll be selecting two winners at random!
[contact-form 3 "Montana Music Form"]
David Walburn’s Site
Odds’n Ends What Are the Top Shopping Cities in the US? Top Ranking Cities: Destination preferences vary by inbound market but the leading destinations for travel are well defined. The top 25 cities visited and shopped by International Shopping Travelers,based on survey commissioned by Taubman Centers and Shop America Alliance LLC in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce/ (DOC/OTTI) and conducted by Mandala Research are as follows. (Multiple responses were allowed)
1. New York
2. Los Angeles
3. Las Vegas
4. Orlando
5. San Francisco
6. Honolulu
7. Miami-Fort Lauderdale
8. Chicago
9. San Diego and Washington, D.C.
10. Houston
11. Boston
12. Buffalo
13. Atlanta
14. Phoenix
15. Dallas-Fort Worth and Seattle
16. Tampa
17. Philadelphia
18. Detroit
19. Fort Myers-Naples, Fla.
20. West Palm Beach, Fla.
21. Denver
22. Portland, Ore.
23. Baltimore
**Duplicate destinations on the same line indicate that the same percentage of International Shopping Travelers surveyed, selected those cities. METHODOLOGY. The study was commissioned by Taubman Centers and Shop America Alliance LLC in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce/ (DOC/OTTI) and conducted by Mandala Research, to serve as a benchmark of behaviors and psychographics among shopping travelers from the top five inbound tourism markets to the United States. The study was conducted among approximately 350 travelers in each of the top five inbound markets to the U.S. (Canada, Germany, Japan, Mexico and UK) for a total of 1,760 completed surveys. Each respondent had visited the U.S. in the past 12 months, had spent a minimum of $250 on shopping and had a minimum household income of $75,000.
On the Sunday, September 12th, 2010 edition of The Travel Guys… Just a short while ago, there was a huge victory in the travel industry that really didn’t receive all that much attention in the media. Congresswoman Doris Matsui, representing California’s Fifth District, joins us to discuss her Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act. This recently-passed legislation helps make cruise lines fully responsible for their passenger’s safety for the first time. Also joining us this hour is Laurie Dishman, a constituent of Matsui’s, who helped bring this issue to light after she was sexually assaulted on a cruise ship and asked Matsui for help. Finally, Mark discusses just a few tricks he uses when trying to get your way with airlines.
Congresswoman Doris Matsui Rep. Doris Matsui joins us for a discussion on what the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act means for both the cruise lines and passengers. We’ll talk about the new safety measures that will be taking place on-board your next cruise and the new standards that cruise ships are being held to. In addition to this, Matsui discusses the forces that came together to make this legislation possible.
On the Sunday, August 29th, 2010 edition of The Travel Guys… John from 101 Cafe joins us to talk about their upcoming Annual Woody Drive, Theresa Crieg talks Carolina Opry with Road Reporter Clayton Whitehead and Kacie Smith joins us from SYTA. Fresh off the heels of our Mystery Spot Contest, we'll be offering 2 free tickets to see Willie Nelson in concert at Iron Stone Vineyards.
Theresa Crieg from the Carolina Opry
Theresa Crieg from Calvin Gilmore Productions, producers of the fantastic Carolina Opry are joining us on-air today to talk about their show. Clayton frequents the show as part of Sports Leisure's Colorful Carolina Coast vacation.
Check out the Carolina Opry Here!
Sports Leisure Vacations Tour Preview Day
We’ll be having our annual Tour Preview Day on September 11th, with three showtimes available. The event features entertainment, light refreshments and the announcement of our upcoming travel schedule! Click here for more information and the chance to reserve your spot online. These usually sell out fast, so reserve your spot ASAP!
Students Galore, courtesy of SYTA
Every year, Sacramento plays host to thousands of students from across the country as part of their annual SYTA travel convention. Kacie Smith joins us to talk about why they're here, what to expect, and why it's a really awesome opportunity for Sacramento.
Learn more about SYTA here
Happy Birthday Mira Loma High!
A very special happy 50th birthday to Marks old stomping grounds, Mira Loma Highschool. Learn more about their birthday bash here.
Check This Out!
From time to time, we happen across content that we find interesting, but just don’t have enough time to mention on-air. Check out some of the links below to articles/stories/whatever else that we found interesting this week! Seat 2b talks about the best airport dining options across the country Our friends over at 101 Cafe have been featured in a beautiful painting by Scott Prior What Are America's Top 10 Aviation Attractions? The online travel site that specializes in user generated content, TripAdvisor®, has announced its list of the top ten aviation attractions in the U.S., based on traveler ratings and TripAdvisor flights experts. The list, with each selection prefaced by TripAdvisor’s tagline, follows: Cruising in the Capitol: National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C. Wings on the Water: Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum, New York, New York Back to the Beginning: Wright Brothers National Memorial, Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina Travelers Take Flight: National Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, Florida Piloting the Prez: Museum of Flight, Seattle, Washington Planes, Planes, Everywhere: Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona If You Build It, They Will Come: Boeing Aircraft Factory Tour, Everett, Washington Historic Hangars: Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Hawaii Just Look Up: Gravelly Point Park, Arlington, Virginia (Located just north of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport) Wooden Wonder: Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, McMinnville, Oregon Profile of US Family Travelers: 90% have Facebook page. The newly-released Ypartnership/Harrison Group2010 Portrait of American Travelers provides a fresh look at the changing travel habits and preferences of family travelers. More specifically, the survey examines the travel behavior of Americans with an annual household income of more than $50,000. “Family travel” is defined as any form of leisure travel that includes children. Fully 44 percent of all leisure travelers took at least one “family vacation” last year. The incidence of family travel is significantly higher than the incidence of households with children (roughly one-third). This difference may be attributed to the growth in multi-generational travel as a result of the aging population. Click here to view a quick profile of American travelers from YPartnership.