Ringing in a wintery January 2025, after a December 2024 trip with Eurail.
Happy New Year! First, in the midst of the horrible wildfires impacting Los Angeles, let me start by sharing links to ways for donating funds or other items to those in need.
It’s weird to start a new year, too, under these circumstances. 2024 was an up-and-down year for me in both my professional and personal lives. I did get to see more of New York State (Finger Lakes and the Mohonk Mountain House) and crossing off Arkansas by heading to Little Rock for a conference.
I also visited Grenada for the first time and I returned to Rochester to watch the Solar Eclipse.
I returned to Rochester, New York, to witness the Solar Eclipse.
As for 2025, I’m off to a small start, with IMM NYC as my first big event. But I’m also trying something different. As each year is ushered in, I have friends who approach the new year by either creating vision boards or picking a focus word. I’m trying my hand at the latter.
My focus word is… focus. I want to continue my work but also focus more on what I want to accomplish this year. And I’ll get started on that vision board soon.
This travel contest is about bringing American workers to our neighbor to the north – Canada! And its name ties into taking a snow day, perhaps something adults haven’t taken in quite some time.
The tourism board, Destination Canada, has partnered with Air Canada to offer a national “SnOOOw Day” giveaway, encouraging burnt-out Americans to ditch work, unplug and find respite in Canada’s winter wonderland.
From now through December 20, 2024, you can enter to win one of 50 pairs (50) of two economy, round-trip flights from anywhere in the United States to anywhere in Canada for travel between January 2025 and March 2026. Winners will be notified in January 2025.
Enter to win via the website, www.snowdaycanada.com. The website also features an “Out of Office” (OOO) message generator, to help craft an envy-inducing auto-reply message that lets their coworkers know they’re off enjoying an epic snow day in Canada.
The “SnOOOw Day” giveaway is open to residents of the United States ages 21+. The winners will be selected from a random draw. Good luck!
With each holiday season, I put together holiday gift guides often for Forbes, and it’s always fun to learn about various products and services fitting with certain topics.
I was to do another holiday gift guide relating to cheese kits but sadly it got cut. However, I didn’t want to see all the interesting PR recommendations that I received go to waste. I love cheese, and I have done some work for The Cheese Professor, so I hope you enjoy this holiday gift guide on “cheeses of the world” kits.
This gift box features five cheeses that weigh in at about two and a half pounds and can serve between 18–20 people, which is great for a holiday gathering. They are: Comté Cheese and Brebis d’Ossau Mountain Cheese from France, Brabander Goat Gouda Cheese from the Netherlands, Parmigiano Reggiano from Italy and from Ann Arbor, Zingerman’s Mini Brie Cheese. The assortment comes packaged in a wooden gift crate alongside a loaf of sourdough bread.
If you haven’t been to Wisconsin, you definitely should go. Among other things, Wisconsin is known as a cheese producing state and this basket by Wisconsin-based Uplands Cheese is said to be a limited edition product!
This box is described as containing one of Uplands seasonal, spruce-bound Rush Creek Reserve cheeses, together with crackers, fruit preserves and candied pecans.
As another suggestion for sampling Wisconsin cheese, this gift set sold through Fromagination in Madison, Wisconsin is packed with locally-produced products,.
This gift set includes four award-winning Wisconsin artisan cheeses: Pleasant Ridge Reserve (the most award-winning cheese in the world), Hook’s Five-Year Aged Cheddar, Dunbarton Blue and Bleu Mont Bandaged Cheddar.
It also is stocked with three 6-ounce jars of preserves (Cranberry Relish, Pear with Honey & Ginger, and Fig with Black Tea), an 8-ounce can of Fortune Favors candied pecans, Winter Wheat Crackers, Wisconsin Rye Crackers, Cranberry Crisps and dried Wisconsin cranberries. The gift set version with meat includes Finocchiona, Spanish Chorizo and Wisco Old Fashioned Salami from Underground Meats.
I went on a road trip through much of Oregon last year and I started from Oregon’s coastline near Tillamook Bay. I stumbled upon Tillamook while driving around and made a legal U-turn to get to this massive visitor center run by this farmer-owned dairy co-op. They’re known for their cheddar cheeses and various ice cream flavors, and they were both amazing to try.
Other items include Rustic Bakery Crackers (from Northern California); Chukar Cherry Quartet (from Washington); an Olympia Provisions Summer Sausage (at 12 oz and also from Washington); a large, premium wooden cutting board; and a Swissmar Cheese Knife.
Murray’s is an NYC institution as the staff at this cheese shop can give solid advice on all things relating to cheese. It has a satellite location within Grand Central Terminal’s Market and a location in Queens’ Long Island City neighborhood. Its flagship is within Manhattan’s Greenwich Village neighborhood.
Among other gift options, Murray’s Cheeses Of The World Sampler is a popular item. This collection of our best-selling cheeses includes varieties from Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, and the United States. It’s like serving the world on a cheese platter!
On a past work trip to Utah, our media group stopped in Salt Lake City, where we learned how this city has a lot of associations with chocolate. And, of course, let’s not forget about cheese.
Olive & Cocoa, which is based in Salt Lake City, has a gift option featuring four Utah made cheeses. They are: Hatch Chile Beehive Cheese, Teahive Beehive Cheese, Promontory Beehive Cheese, and Barely Buzzed Beehive Cheese.
Their Olive & Cocoa Gourmet Cheese Tasting also is packed with crunchy and sweet accoutrements, including gourmet crackers, a fig and nut wheel, and vanilla honey. A serving board and knife are also included. It is packed within a hand crafted wood crate with ribbon.
Tell me. What’s your favorite cheese or do you have a favorite cheese shop?
Swimply is seeking a Chief Pools Officer. Photos courtesy of Swimply.
It’s already Memorial Day Weekend 2024. Where has the time gone?
As the official start of summer rolls in, one activity is heading to be pool. It can be the one at your hotel or in your community or at one’s home!
Speaking of pools, I received a PR pitch involving Swimply, a rental space platform that launched in 2021. When it first came out, Swimply was described as an AirBnb for pools in that pools were its first offering. Now it includes others such as courts for tennis, pickleball or basketball and even homes.
For summer 2024, Swimply is offering a contest where the company is conducting a nationwide search for a Chief Pools Officer. If you enjoy swimming, social media and sunbathing on a Tuesday afternoon, this seasonal position is a high dive into your dream career: traveling to and reviewing pools in all 50 states, and getting paid $100,000 to do it.
Swimply’s first-ever Chief Pools Officer will test out pools across the U.S.
According to a media release, Swimply’s first-ever CPO will cannonball into as many Swimply pools as possible from July to September. The role includes a splashy compensation package worth up to $100,000, which includes a $50,000 base payment to cover efforts, travel expenses, floaties, and roadtrip snacks, and up to $50,000 in performance bonuses based on content engagement and the number of pools visited throughout the term.
Swimply’s Chief Pools Officer will have a tough job to do!
As sent in the PR pitch, job responsibilities include:
Document the experience. Produce engaging social media content, including Instagram Reels, TikToks, and YouTube vlogs, that showcase the journey of becoming the preeminent expert on the best pools across America, in real time.
Share the Swimply love. As a Swimply evangelist, represent the company in media interviews and at events, spreading the word about the fun and convenience of booking through Swimply.
Curate expert guides. Be swimmingly successful in promoting the best spots to cool down this summer through “Best of” lists and guides that highlight the most eclectic, quirky, and epic pools across the country.
Host pool parties. While on the road, host pop-up pool parties in cities across the country.
Have fun. Most important is to enjoy the best of what Swimply has to offer, and share the fun and adventure with its community.
Submissions are open now through June 15, 2024. For more details on the role and how to apply, visit this weblink.
Are you going to enter or at least spend time by the pool this summer? Post a comment below.
A total solar eclipse was seen on August 21, 2017 above Madras, Oregon. It swept across a narrow portion of the contiguous United States from Lincoln Beach, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina. A partial solar eclipse was visible across the entire North American continent along with parts of South America, Africa, and Europe. Photo Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignan
If you’ve been following the news, you know that the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse is happening on Monday, April 8.
This celestial wonder has garnered “eclipse fever” as a must-see event. Its Path of Totality is going across parts of Mexico, the Continental U.S. and Canada. There are stores on just about every aspect, from schools having early dismissals on April 8 to places holding events for observing it. There are even those making a trip out of seeing it, heading to locations mapped along its Path of Totality.
I’m heading up to Rochester to see the Solar Eclipse and to see more of this region in New York State. I visited this city for work in 2022.
Are you going to view the eclipse as well? Let me know if you are, or not, in the comments section below.
Days Inn by Wyndham is holding a Solar Eclipse-related contest involving you and a friend! Photo courtesy of Days Inn by Wyndham
The 2024 Solar Eclipse has become not only an astronomical anticipation but also a cool tourism promotion. The eclipse is to happen on April 8, with its path to be visible within parts of Mexico and Canada and certain states across the continental U.S. They include Texas, Indiana, New York, Ohio and Maine.
My work inbox has been receiving a lot of Solar Eclipse related pitches and this one involves a cool contest for you and a buddy.
Days Inn by Wyndham is seeking two adventurous BFFs to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to capture the 2024 total solar eclipse from a private helicopter—and receive $10,000 cash.
The hotel brand is said to have more than 260 Days Inn properties in the path of totality from Niagara Falls to San Antonio. A PR pitch on the contest said that the “chosen Sun & Moon duo will experience a best-seat-in-the-house, 360-degree view of the peak total solar eclipse from a helicopter and share their experience on social media.”
Days Inn by Wyndham has a number of properties along the path of the 2024 Solar Eclipse. Photo courtesy of Days Inn by Wyndham
In return, as fully described in this pitch, they’ll receive:
$10,000 cash payday ($5,000 per Sun-tern).
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to watch a total solar eclipse from a private helicopter.
Paid hotel room for two guests.
Photography course with an expert.
Travel stipend to cover airfare, ground transportation and meals.
Wyndham Rewards® Diamond level membership.
A suitcase full of Days Inn swag.
A glowing recommendation from a Days Inn by Wyndham executive upon successful completion of the internship.
Here’s how to enter. You have to be a duo to do so.
Applicant pairs can visit DaysInn.com/suntern by March 5, 2024; the portal closes on this date. Here, they have to submit the following criteria: a 200-word written entry, an original sun-filled photo, and photo of their duo. Submissions are open now through March 5, 2024. One entry per pair is permitted.
Are you going to be watching the Solar Eclipse? Making a trip out of it? Let me know in the comments below.
I fulfilled a lifelong dream of visiting Egypt through booking a trip with G Adventures.
2023 has been a rocky year for many people I know, and December hasn’t been easy for those employed in media either. I hit some bumps but I also reached some peaks.
Over the course of this year, my workload was fairly steady. I was still able to write for publications that I have contributing to for a few years now. I had some projects end, due to their completion, but new leads came about.
With travel, I was fortunate to visit some new destinations this year and return to places that I had visited previously. Most of these trips resulted from tourism board invites but one was to fulfill a childhood dream that I saved and paid for via installments through a tour company.
Where I Traveled
I drove across Oregon this summer. This photo was taken at Ecola State Park.
Let’s start from the beginning, in January 2023. I attended IMM NYC, a travel conference that I try to attend every year. Not only does this conference bring together all sides of the travel marketing and media industry but it also gives me a chance to catch up with friends and colleagues.
I will be at IMM NYC 2024.
I returned to New Orleans, where I stayed at and wrote about The Eliza Jane hotel. I also went back to Seattle, where I penned about its diverse food scene for Livability, and Helsinki, where I’m still pitching about this cool Finnish city. (Read my post about arriving in Helsinki in March 2020, right as the global pandemic emerged).
I also sailed with Viking again, this time through France on a cruise from Lyon to Avignon. And it was nice to have gone back to Canada. I traveled to Vancouver for the Travel Classics conference, which is another travel media event, and then I later came back to our neighbor to the north to see Calgary and Edmonton.
I got to go back to Helsinki in 2023, two years ago having to leave the city early.
New places this year were many, and I’m very fortunate to have gone to them through work. They included Minot, Fargo and Grand Forks in North Dakota; Anchorage, Alaska; Baltimore; Traverse City, Michigan; Wichita, Kansas; the Lake George area of New York State; and Chattanooga, Tennessee.
I also did an extensive road trip in Oregon. Outside of the US, I visited Aruba and got to experience different facets of this island.
I have some pitches that I’m waiting back on and hopefully will do so in the new year. Eds and outlets: if these destinations are in your scope of coverage, please reach out.
What I Wrote
Taking in the beauty of the North Coastal Trail from Anchorage, Alaska.
Along with the clips listed, I landed new projects with books. I researched and wrote a chapter for a travel guidebook coming out in April.
Right now, I’m updating some chapters for an NYC guidebook publishing next fall. The start of 2024 will be about me venturing around some of the city’s neighborhoods.
I also got more into copywriting, by working two different agency projects. One involved all things about New York State and, the other, visa entry requirements. I got to also write again for Smithsonian Magazine and VinePair.
My 2024 Goals
I was surprised by what I could see and do in Traverse City, Michigan.
I’m looking to take some courses to further my writing and improve my video and photo taking. I’d also like to do more with copywriting. I have two assignments due in January but I’m open to taking on new projects going forward.
I do have some US travel planned in the spring, and I’m saving and planning for a trip to Scotland this summer. I’ve been waffling on getting my NYC tour guide license, as I’ve been bad about studying for my test. So my aim is to finally get it done.
Black Friday sales have been starting early this year, so much that you might want to grab them as soon as you can. And don’t forget about Cyber Monday and Travel Tuesday sales, too.
Here’s a list of various Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales I’ve found via email pitches or online.
FLTO Travel
Tour Companies
Gate1Travel‘s Black Friday sale now through November 24 has promo codes to save percentages on booking trips at certain cost levels. For example, if you spend $1,000, then you can apply the promo code, “BLCKFD100,” to save $100. The deal is valid only on new bookings created November 21 – 24, 2023; one reservation per person. Book online only on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 23.
G Adventures has a Cyber Sale with savings of up to 30 percent off various trips. Various discounts will apply to 445 trips on sale, to destinations across Asia, the Americas, Africa, New Zealand and Australia, Antarctica and Europe.
Context Travel is offering 15 percent off all their experiences, including private and small group tours.
On Black Friday, EF Go Ahead Tours will offer select discounts of up to 20 percent and lightning deals of up to $1,000 off per traveler. The company, which had a month-long sale, will also have deals on Cyber Monday.
For The Love of Travel (FTLO Travel) is currently offering up to $200 off all of their 2024 itineraries from now until November 30. FTLO Travel curates group trips around the world and caters specifically to solo travelers between 25 and 39.
CIE Tours is offering savings of up to $600 this Black Friday on more than 20 guided vacations to Ireland, Britain, Iceland, and Italy. Booking is now through November 25, 2003 for all 2024 departures with no blackout dates. During Cyber Week, save up to 15 percent per couple for travel starting from June 1 through August 31, 2024. Book online November 26 through December 2, 2023.
Hurtigruten Norway
Cruises
Quark Expeditions is offering up to half off select Antarctic 23/24 voyages via their Black Friday Sale, which ends November 27.
Oceania Cruises‘ Best-Ever Black Friday Sale has savings of up to $5,400 per stateroom on more than 100 global voyages in 2024. It’s valid on bookings made between now and December 5, 2023.
Norwegian Cruises’ Black Friday sale is promoting 50 percent off all their cruises, with free unlimited open bar and airfare plus $250 free with CruiseFirst.
Hurtigruten Norway is offering up to 50 percent off on almost all sailings with the Original Coastal Express, and North Cape Express, for travel during January 1 and April 31, 2024. Travel between May 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025, has discounts of up to 35 percent off, including the Svalbard Express. Booking window is now through November 30.
From now through December 5, travelers who book a cruise on Celebrity Cruises can get 75 percent off a second guest as well as up to $300 in onboard credit for nearly all itineraries through April 30, 2026. The Black Friday sale includes sailings on Celebrity Ascent, set to make her debut in December 2023 with her maiden voyage from Fort Lauderdale.
Airlines/Booking Sites/Travel Guides
American Airlines
Priceline’s holiday savings became available in three waves now through Cyber Monday.
Their Black Friday dealsinclude 30 percent or more at over 10,000 hotels across 80-plus countries. They include a $100 resort credit with select Mexico and Caribbean hotel bookings, 20 percent or more off top ski destinations and 60 percent or more off select Las Vegas Hotel Express Deals. Priceline’s Cyber Monday Flash Deals will be available to the first 500 customers.
The Bermuda Tourism Authority’s Cyber Sale rewards early bookings through December 1, 2023, with savings up to 40 percent off on accommodations or free night staysat a range of hotels and resorts.
Expedia members can get 30 percent or more on select hotels when they book by November 29, 2023 and travel by the end of 2024 (conditions vary).
Campspot, an outdoor adventure and camping booking platform, is having Black Friday through Cyber Monday discounts of up to half off bookings for certain campgrounds. The platform is also having Black Friday exclusive discounts of up to 25 percent off.
Lonely Planet is offering 30 percent off their titles, with the code “EARLY30.”
MedJet will offer Cyber Monday pricing online only on November 27, on individual and family members for Medjet Assist and Medjet Horizon. Discounts apply only to new regular annual memberships, and exclude Short-term and Diamond memberships (ages 75+).
Priceline is having a big Black Friday hotel sale, with savings of 30 percent or more at over 10,000 hotels across 80-plus countries. Also, save 10 percent on any hotel, rental car, or flight deal with the code, “BFCM10” and 10 percent off Priceline Experiences with the code, “EXPERIENCES10.”
Hotels
Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort
IHG Hotels & Resorts’ Cyber Sale encourages members to use the IHG One Rewards mobile app to get 20 percent off global bookings, to saving up to 40 percent off at more than 40 participating all-inclusive Iberostar Beachfront Resorts, and several other incredible offers.
The promotional rate is valid only for bookings made from now through November 28 in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, Latin America and Caribbean and across other regions.
Bookings must be made at least three days in advance of your check-in date. Reservations are final and require full prepayment for the entire stay at time of booking. Payment is non-refundable. For more details, follow @IHGOneRewards on Facebook and Instagram.
Graduate Hotels’ Cyber Monday deal offers 50 percent off stays at all properties from November 27, 2023 through March 31, 2024. Book between November 27 and December 1, 2023.
Virgin Hotels is offering guests 30 percent off through 2024 with booked stays now through December 31, 2023. Additionally, five percent of proceeds from direct bookings made on Giving Tuesday will be donated to Feed America.
Margaritaville is offering discounts at various properties plus with Margaritaville at Sea.
The latter is offering a two-night getaway for two to The Bahamas starting at $89. Sail aboard the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, and receive 30 percent percent off of Specialty Dining, Beverage Packages, Shore Excursions, and Signature Packages. Valid on sailings through 2024; book now through November 26, 2023.
The Margaritaville Resort Times Square will have 30 percent off standard rooms and up to 50 percent off suites and premium or deluxe rooms, with a stay for two or more nights. Available for stays through November 30, 2024, but book by December 2, 2023.
Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort is offering stay savings of up to 20 percent of bookings between now through November 28 for stays by June 30, 2024.
Margaritaville Beach House Key West has rates up to 35 percent off select room types on stays through September 2024. Book between November 24-28, 2023, for stays beginning November 24.
Participants in Visit Finland’s “Masterclass of Happiness” will stay at the Kuru Resort.
Hi all. Yes, it’s been awfully quiet on here but I wanted to share with you this cool contest from Visit Finland.
Visit Finland, the country’s tourism board, is putting on a contest involving a “Masterclass of Happiness,” which coincides with Finland’s continuous stance as being the world’s happiest country by the World Happiness Report. Apparently, Finland has been awarded this title for five consecutive years!
I’m super late on posting this contest but the deadline for applying for a slot for the “Masterclass of Happiness” is Sunday, April 2, 2023. I’m sorry; I had a lot going on in March.
While staying at Kuru Resort, participants will work with expert coaches.
Here’s more about the contest. The offering will consist of a four-day masterclass, which will be held at the luxe Kuru Resort, in the Finnish Lakeland region of Finland, in June 2023. Ten chosen participants from around the world will arrive in Finland on June 11 and depart on June 16.
The masterclass will be entirely free of charge for the chosen participants. They will be advised by coaches of the Masterclass that are leading experts in their various fields. They will help guide the participants towards a balanced way of life that promotes happiness the Finnish way.
Also, Visit Finland will also cover the participants’ travel expenses to and from Finland.
Airbnb is booking a recreated stay at Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment. Credit: Tara Rice
Fans of “Sex And The City” might have already heard of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity — the chance to book an Airbnb stay in a recreated version of Carrie Bradshaw’s New York City brownstone.
And the listed price is far lower than the city’s apartment rental prices!
The Airbnb booking is in timing with “And Just Like That…,” the upcoming HBO series on the next chapter in the lives of Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), Charlotte York Goldenblatt (Christine Davis) and Miranda Hobbs (Cynthia Nixon).
Carrie’s fictional apartment will be available for two, one-night stays for up to two guests on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 12 and 13, 2021 for only $23 a night.
This “SATC” inspired stay will be available for two guests. Credit: Kate Glicksberg
“Sex And The City” fans interested in reliving the original series can request to book these stays beginning Monday, Nov. 8, at noon ET at airbnb.com/sexandthecity. Bring along your “Mr. Big,” Aidan, Steve or Harry or your bestie with you as your plus one.
This special Airbnb rental’s low price tag reflects the 23 years since Sarah Jessica Parker made her debut as the show’s famous advice columnist and fashionista with a hefty shoe collection. In fact, the lucky guests will get a virtual greeting at check-in from Carrie. I mean, SJP, herself.
Sarah Jessica Parker will say hi to the guests in a pre-recorded video. Credit: Tara Rice
They will also get:
The opportunity to descend the steps of her brownstone and stroll the streets of Manhattan (splash from a city bus not included);
Cosmopolitans for a toast;
An onsite but socially-distanced concierge for the duration of your stay;
The chance to admire and play dress-up in Carrie’s iconic closet, complete with her favorite looks (like the Patricia Field tutu she wears in the show’s opening credits), designers, and of course, shoes!
However, those who request to book this stay must currently live in the United States and are on their own for getting to New York City. Plus there are taxes and fees. You know NYC can get costly.
Play dress up while staying at this Airbnb in NYC. Credit: Kate Glicksberg
While in the city, guests have to adhere to New York City and New York State guidelines in relation to the current pandemic. So bring extra masks and your vaccination card or a saved photo copy if you’re wanting to have a night out on the town. Note: if you’re not vaccinated, please read up here beforehand on how that could impact your trip plans.
Airbnb is also closely monitoring New York City infection rates and government policies, and will offer the booking guest a $1,000 USD Airbnb travel credit if it becomes necessary to cancel the stays.
She Is Going Places 