From when I last posted we made our way to the beautiful Hoi An. This was after a 13 hour night train from Nha Trang our last stopping point Luckily Yasmin and I slept most of the way so wasn't too bad. We arrived in Hoi An after a short coach journey from the station at about half one and headed straight into town. This riverside town is beautiful and best known for it's tailors who can whip u

After years as a writer you'd think I be more entertaining on my travel blogs especially capturing the sturm und drang' that always happens with travel too lazy these days apparently. Sorry.Thursday July 1 2010We got a bit of a late start leaving the bank payday at quarter to 11. Beginning odometer 2786 miles. We went up 26 via Johnson City to Bristol and up 81. Lots of trucks o

The weather in Vegas was worse than Phoenix. I think temperatures went well past 44 degrees on all of the days I was there. The dry heat really does take the wind out of your sails and the desert breeze doesnrsquot provide much relief during the afternoon. I think a hoborsquos booze burp would be more refreshing than that blasted desert breeze. The endless asphalt and lack of shade forces you

Mykonos is crazy A definite party island. We stayed at the mykonian mare hotel in Agios Stefanos. The hotel was lovely...pretty much a white contemorary villa. The decor was beautiful and the pool was even better. We arrived here on Thursday and the first thing we realized was that this was one windy island Mykonos is all about partying and having a good time whether it's laying out at the be

July 15mdashI stayed at the Family Camp at Tinker Air Force Base the last couple of days and called my cousin John Conner to let him know I was here. He came by and picked me up for dinner in Bricktown which is the new shoppingentertainment area in Ok City. The hotel for our family reunion is located there so I got to see where I will be. I had chicken fried steak at an old brewery which ha

After being surrounded by so many ants in our last bathroom and Greg feeling worse we were definatly happier heading back to Chiang Rai and being close to a hospital if needed we go to Laos in a few days time and thats not a place you really want to be needing doctors Chiang Rai felt comfortable and like home We visited the hill tribe museaum which was pretty eye opening and I was able to g

This morning we are going to see where Mum lived with Aunty Rene and Oma and Opa Irsquom so excitedSo off we head with Carmen the Garmin leading the way. As we get close and turn off the main road suddenly we are driving in laneways so we park in the first empty spot we see cowards and walk the rest.We head to Strobloemstraat straat means street and hunt for Mumrsquos house.The street

Saturday July 3rd Had breakfast in room then headed out to Farragut North and Metro Center to see about getting a Metro senior pass but the Sales office was closed until Tuesday. Just got farecards for planned trips for this day. Needed to change trains anyway to go to the Intrsquol Spy Museum. Itrsquos kind of spendy and we werenrsquot overly impressed with it. Had a longish wait to

We travelled by train from New York's Grand Central Station to the small town of New Hamburg in the Hudson Valley. It was just under 2 hours and the scenery alongside the Hudson River was spectacular.Why New Hamburg Well our friends Art and Gillian live in nearby Wappinger Falls and they asked us to get ff the train there rather than in Poughkeepsie. It made life much easier and before long we w

Tuesday July 6th We went back to Nat Geo spent a fair amount of time checking out the DaVinci models watched a family of four two teens not be able to figure out one of them that DGS worked right away. Ransomed out the car 45 for the 4 nights I think he charged for 3 days had paid 5.00 upon parking on Friday much cheaper than the hotel charges. Repacked and tried to drive

Today me and my Dad went to the Anchor River on the Kenai Peninsula to fish for salmon. The night before we read through the regulations and found the river is only open for fishing a few days a year so we wondered if it was going to be busy. When we got there there were heaps of people on the river Then we drove down near the river mouth were there were a few pools with a bit more space. We sa

I'm writing this July 25th Chinese time because I was too tired last night to write it but its from yesterdayWe had an awesome touring day yesterday. I woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep so I went down to find the hotel's gym. No one really spoke English but I could say enough for them to figure out what I wanted. I'm understanding more and more and more Chinese. We eat in the ho

Salut Soo.. as you can see from the previous entry that it has been a busy busy day and after the fireworks at the Eiffel Tower we didn't get back home until 2 in the morning. The lines for the metro were so long and very icky. But afterwards we had a very good 6 hour sleep before embarking on Le Grande Tour de Paris First off The Arc de Triomphe Like in the movies the arc d

25710 was washing windows in a flat on eric street cottesloe. they had racks of clothing and the boy was trying them on. i said what about this new flag design. the mother the son and the manager all like it. seems the lad of eighteen started as a school project at fourteen what now is 'ocean zone' label. they're going to put flag on board shorts and market it. i've been looking for these peop

July 24 2010Today we drove through the Big Horn National Forest Big Horn Mountains. Stopped at Shell Falls then kept on driving. Stopped in Sturgis SD for the night. Enjoy the Pics. We hop to be home by Tuesday or Wednesday.

De Versalles a Chateau of Versailles .... medio siglo ...Una jornada larga .. 600 am a 200 am. Por supuesto que estamos super cansados ...Visita al palacio de Versalles .. todo el dia .. historia patria sobre reyes y reinas ... Luis XIV XV XVI Maria Antonieta Don Delfin y Delfina .... Pinturas .. pinturas en los techos de los cuartos reales .... jardines ... Le Grand Canal ... Cminar .. cami

Javier and Carmen were sneaky this morning and snuck into our area in the inner city with their cars to pick us up sneaky sneaky So the plan was to get loaded up with our gear and get out really quick before the police saw them.That was the planhellipEverything was all prepaid so all that was left to do was pay for one bottle of water and bolt. But then the hotel tried to charge for breakfast

We were a little worried because we got some rain yesterday and today started out with a thick cloud cover. But as the day progressed the cloud cover burned off and it turned out to be a perfect day to tour the islands of Lake Titicaca. Lake Titicaca is unique in that it is the highest navigable lake in the world3812m. It stretches for 8300 sq km and borders two countries Peru and Bol

Blurry Lights of Times Square, Photo by Greg Wesson

The Travel Blog Exchange 2010 Conference (TBEX10) may have come and gone (in a blur), but it surely has not been forgotten. By deliberately waiting two weeks before sending out this discussion question, it gave everyone’s mind time to separate the “wheat from the chaff”. Though only three replies were received, they are definitely well worth the sharing.

Each of you contributes to the travel blog industry (if I may label it as such) from different aspects and different points of view. Given that, what was the biggest “nugget” of information you brought away with you? (Sorry, can’t include your own responses during the panels for those of you who were part of said panels.)

Gary Arndt

Everything Everywhere

The one thing I took away is that we are still in the second inning of how this is all going to turn out.

The one thing I took away is that we are still in the second inning of how this is all going to turn out. Old institutions are dying faster than new ones are being created. Advertisers still are clueless and unsure of how to advertise online. Most PR people still don’t know how and why they should work with bloggers. Traditional writers are trying to figure out how to use social media. Bloggers are still figuring out what works in terms of business models.

Anyone who says they have the answers is lying. I’m guessing this might all look different when we meet again in Vancouver…. And, totally different again the year after that.

Pam Mandel

Nerd’s Eye View

I was completely taken with Don George’s “five senses” approach to writing. I loved thinking about this as I walked back from TBEX in the sweltering New York heat. In the morning, when I left our short-term digs and stood on the street corner, I noticed how it smelled just a little bit fishy and then. I looked up at the sushi bar across the street. Of course back home, I’ve been hyper-aware of sound, identifying an early morning annoying bird as a Goldfinch and noticing how, when the house painters next door rattle their ladders, it makes almost exactly the same noise our mailbox makes when the postman delivers the mail. This reminder of the sensory was like finding something lost that I loved.

“Oh, my trip is so damn special!” and really, it is, but if, as writers, we can’t make it special for our readers, we’re not doing our job.

I also thought Spud Hilton’s remark about how the story should not be about YOUR trip, it should be about your READER’S trip was an excellent way of keeping our vanity in check. It’s easy to think “Oh, my trip is so damn special!” and really, it is, but if, as writers, we can’t make it special for our readers, we’re not doing our job. There’s a reason vanity is one of those deadly sins and I fear, at times, that bloggers can get bogged down in it. Spud’s simple statement — make it be about your reader! — is a compact and unforgettable directive that I can take to the keyboard every time.

Barbara Weibel

Hole In The Donut

I’m actually glad you waited two weeks to ask these questions, because I also needed some time for things to “crystallize.” So here goes:

At first I was tempted to say that interacting with my “tribe” face-to-face was the most valuable aspect of the conference…

It is difficult to distill TBEX down into a single best nugget of information. At first I was tempted to say that interacting with my “tribe” face-to-face was the most valuable aspect of the conference, but there was one other bit of information that had a big impact on me. I vividly recall being told last year by people at TBEX that it was very hard to be successful in the personal travel narrative genre. I considered changing the direction of at HoleInTheDonut.com or writing SEO maximized articles, but in the end just decided to stick with my intensely personal travel narrative style and continue to focus on quality writing. This year, the message was completely different. Time and again I heard from panelists that readers seem to be shifting away from consumer-type travel writing and seeking more personal travel narrative. So, in addition to leaving TBEX this year with a wealth of smaller tips that will make my blog even better, I also now feel comfortable that I am (finally) doing a lot of things right.

© Gretchen for TravelBlogs, 2010. |
The Wheat from the Chaff |
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Post categories: Panel Discussions
Post tags: Conference, New York City, TBEX10, Travel Blog Exchange, travel blogging, travel writing

What do you do when you’ve witnessed the “seedier” side of your chosen profession? Well, if you ask James Cole, you formulate a new plan. You pack it in, pack it up and head out on an adventure. J.C’s Australian Daydream is a collection of his writings and photographs taken while traveling around his home country. He’s just relaunched his site so stay tuned for lots of good stuff.

© Gretchen for TravelBlogs, 2010. |
J.C’s Australian Daydream |
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Post categories: Blogs
Post tags: Australia, overland travel, photography, road trip