Talking travel with Patricia Schultz, author of “1000 Places to See” (plus book giveaway)

by Jerry Guo on

Patricia Schultz is a well-traveled woman. She single-handedly launched the mini-industry of travel list books with her 2003 #1 New York Times bestseller, 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler’s Life List (Workman), which has sold more than 2.8 million copies and translated into 28 languages. Since then, she’s written a sequel, 1,000 Places to see in the USA and Canada Before You Die, produced a Travel Channel show based on the concept, and was named (as of this week) by Forbes as one of the 25 most influential women in travel.

She was recently a panel member for ABC’s Good Morning America, a judge in selecting the 7 New Wonders of America, and a seasoned writer for Frommer’s, BusinessWeek, “O”prah, Islands and Real Simple. Her next book of the series is in the works.

BONUS

Her publisher, Workman, has kindly offered to give away five book copies and two calendars of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die to Gadling readers (shipping included). See the end of this interview for details on how you can win.

What was life like before your eight-year odyssey in writing your first 1000 places book?

I have had a great life – a wonderful, though travel-limited childhood (unless the Jersey Shore counts), followed by high school near my home town in the mid-Hudson Valley when friendships with the Latina students opened my eyes and ears to their exhuberant language, music and customs. Then 4 extremely impressionable years at Georgetown University, whose international climate and student population opened up my world – for the first time I understood something of the exciting possibilities that awaited anyone armed with curiosity and conviction. I would have majored in “Travel” – but they didn’t quite offer that. I needed to be creative in mapping out the future I wanted, and took a gap year (well, many) to see something beyond academia.
Fast forward to my mid-30s, and I was writing for magazines and travel guides such as Frommer’s, Access and Berlitz (despite needing a trust fund to supplement paltry pay checks) and dividing my time between Europe and NYC.

Have you always had an itch for travel?

Yes, in a modest although real way. My earliest memory ever is from the summer when I was four, and we took off in the family clunker of an old station wagon for Atlantic City. I wandered off the family beach blanket to explore a world of sun and sand – it was pretty intoxicating to feel so untethered and as if the world was mine! It felt to me (and probably to my mother who had mobilized every life guard on duty) that I was gone for hours, though they tell me it was just a few minutes. (The following summer, we never made it past the end of our driveway because the gas tank fell off. I cried for a week.)

How many countries would you say you’ve visited?

I have always found this a curious question, as I – unlike legions of travelers who like to collect countries and tick them off – have never really counted. I mean – what do you count? Early this spring when we were driving down Croatia’s gorgeous Dalmatian Coast and passed through a snippet of Bosnia Herzegovina for a few kilometers? Do I get to check off Bosnia Herzegovina? When we walked across the bridge to spend a few hours in Zimbabwe when visiting Victoria Falls in Zambia? A 3-hour layover for refueling in Cape Verde when en route to South Africa?

I suppose I have always given more thought to the countries I haven’t visited. Of those I have visited, I never really feel like I’ve had the luxury of saying I’ve “done” it – never having the time to give it the attention it deserves. Should someone really check off China after a 10-day, 3-city tour? Or say they’ve visited Australia if all they’ve seen is Sydney? Imagine the foreigners who feel they’ve experienced the US after a long weekend in Disneyworld!

What is your travel style?

I like to mix it up – car, train, plane, it’s all good. I always travel light, but if it is an easy and direct-flight trip where extra clothes will come in handy, I bring stuff I know will never get worn (this was in the era before the airlines started charging for every piece you lugged behind).

I love family-owned B&Bs, though pinch-me white-glove hotels that ooze with history and celebrity status feed my fantasy – if only for loitering in the lobby or a stop for high tea or a brandy at the bar. I love cities, but know that the countryside is where you’ll usually grasp a truer sense of place.

I travel a lot solo, though sometimes with my significant other Nick or my best girlfriends or my sister Roz and her family – some destinations lend themselves to different traveling-companion dynamics. I need the freedom of independent travel, though organized trips with small groups can work best for destinations such as my recent and awesome trip to Bhutan with Asia TransPacific Journeys.

I generally hit the ground running, attempting to see the maximum possible – when will I pass this way again? – but know that sometimes just staying put in one place can promise an experience that trumps all others. The simplest moment can be the richest memory. A moment of people watching in the Moscow subway can rival an afternoon at The Hermitage in St Petersburg. Experiencing food can run from extravagant unfasten-your-belt-buckle tasting menus by world-class chefs, to a self-styled picnic with fresh and artisanal ingredients from the day’s local market.

Do you take any guide books with you?

Much of the excitement in making a trip for me is the research I do beforehand and I usually buy 3 or 4 (sometimes twice that) guidebooks and see what the different authors have to say. I’ll bring one with me, never more than two – and I sometimes just pull out the pages or chapters if it is a short trip to one destination only – why schlep the whole book?

Contest details

  • To enter, simply leave a comment below telling us one of your own personal place to see before you die.
  • The comment must be left before Monday, June 30 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
  • You may enter only once.
  • Seven winners will be selected in a random drawing.
  • Five random winners will receive a copy of 1000 Places to See Before You Die, the book (valued at $19.95) and two random winners will receive a copy of 1000 Places to See Before You Die, the calendar (valued at $12.95)
  • Click Here for complete Official Rules.
  • Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.

Summer pies and roadside stands

by Jamie Rhein on

Oh, my pies. Over at Intelligent Travel, I found out that yesterday was National Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie Day. That’s a national day worth celebrating. Instead, there I was at Twist O’ the Mist in Niagara Falls eating a butter pecan ice-cream cone, not knowing I that I should have been on a strawberry-rhubarb pie hunt.

The best strawberry-rhubarb pie I know of is at Wallkill View Farm Market right over the bridge out of New Paltz, New York. Oh, I can see it now in the glass case on a shelf among others. Forget the blackberry, cherry or peach. What I’m after is the strawberry-rhubarb as soon as I pull into the parking lot. A whole pie with the hint of the sugary sour of strawberry and rhubarb juices that have bubbled up through the flaky crust. I buy at least one every summer. Sometimes, I buy two–or three. It depends on how many people I am visiting on my summer trips back to New Paltz where I lived through 8th grade and high school.

Wallkill View Farms was a smaller fruit stand back in my high school days. Since then, it has grown into an upscale roadside fruit and vegetable stand that has expanded into baked goods, gourmet offerings and flowers. Every inch of the produce and products are lush and gorgeous.

Another great place to find pies of any kind is at the Green Market at Union Square in Manhattan. Farmers and bakers, many of them from upstate New York and elsewhere, come into the city on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, turning the park area into a garden of earthly delights with pies and more–much more.

Then there’s major pie country in Holmes County, Ohio, where you’ll find the largest population of Amish in the United States. Head to towns with names like Charm, Mt. Hope and Berlin and stop at any Amish stand you happen across. The pie version I snap up here are fried pies. These are in between a pie and a turnover. There is strawberry-rhubarb, but the apricot is mighty fine as well. Actually, they’re all good.

How to get tickets to Late Night with Conan O’Brien

by Justin Glow on

So, you want to get tickets to see Conan O’Brien before he ups and moves to Los Angeles to take over Jay Leno? Better hurry — by this time next year, the Late Show in New York will be a thing of the past (unless you really like Jimmy Fallon or something).

But, as you’ll soon find out, scoring said tickets can be tricky. Don’t fret, though — Gadling is here to guide you through the process.

HOW TO GET TICKETS

Tickets to see a live taping of Conan O’Brien are, no doubt, some of the hardest to score in all of New York City. But don’t let this dissuade you; with the right amount of planning, persistence, and spring in your step, you won’t have a problem. First, the gritty details: Tickets are free, and can only be secured over the phone by calling (212) 664-3056 — no websites or fax machines allowed. You can request a maximum of four tickets, and everyone in your party must be over 16-years old. Finally, you can only requests tickets once every six months.

The first step in the process is figuring out exactly when you’ll be in the Big Apple. If you’re a local, you can skip this part for obvious reasons — but if you’re visiting, don’t bother trying to get tickets before you have your trip planned and know the exact dates in which you’re available.

Once you know when you’ll be in the city, then you can move on to the next step. Tickets are (sometimes) released on a daily basis, typically about a month to three before taping. I say “sometimes” because there’s no obvious schedule for if and when they’ll be releasing tickets. For instance, the recent writer’s strike threw the ticket system way out-of-whack, and even though I had been calling every day since February, I wasn’t able to get tickets for the May 23 taping until early May. But other reports online claim tickets are released as far in advance as three and four months. There really is no rhyme or reason as to when tickets for particular days get released by NBC; some days you will call and they won’t be releasing any, other days they will releasing for a single day only, and to make it even more confusing, sometimes they release a week or two at a time. So to be safe, plan on calling every day, Monday through Friday, for at least three months before the date you want to attend. Make it a part of your morning ritual: wake up, brush your teeth, pet your cat, make coffee, call the ticket offices, take a shower, go to work. It only takes about 10 seconds to dial, realize they aren’t releasing tickets for your time frame, and hang-up. This is the single most important part of the process, so don’t get lazy!

Once the ticket line is actually open and booking for your particular date, you’ll be given the option of connecting with an operator who will get your information. Be prepared to give them your full name, home address, phone number, email address, and number of tickets requested. They will give you all the pertinent details, including the date and time of taping, when to show up, and a confirmation number (which you should, of course, write down). Then you’ll receive an email (above) with all the details outlined, along with instructions on what to do on the day of the taping. Print this email and don’t lose it, because you’ll need it later!

DAY OF HOW-TO

Congratulations! You were diligent in the ticket-getting process — you called everyday without fail — and now you’ve got your tickets secured with a confirmation email to prove it. You’re ready to attend your first taping! Now what?

Shows typically tape at 5:30 PM EST, and your confirmation email most likely says you should show up no later than 4:15. However, if you want to get a good seat, show up much earlier than this. This is because you don’t simply flash your email and walk into the studio — there’s a strange, convoluted process you must go through before the taping begins. First, you exchange your confirmation email for a ticket and wristband. Make sure your entire party is present, each with their own photo ID, and head towards 30 Rockefeller Plaza [see map]. The best entrance to use is directly behind the giant, gold statue of Prometheus (when facing the front of it — see this photo) sunken below the main walkway. Once inside, head directly up the stairs to the left and on to the mezzanine level. There may be a sign saying the stairs are for “tenants only,” but you can ignore this and head up regardless — any place off limits to tourists will be blocked by multiple security guards. (If you feel uncomfortable or lost, ask one of the friendly guards at the front desk where to go for Conan.) Once upstairs, keep your eyes peeled for a sign with Conan’s giant, cartoon head — there should be a few NBC employees hanging out in the area with clipboards. Present your confirmation email and photo ID, and they’ll give you and the rest of your group a wristband and ticket and tell you to show up downstairs at exactly 4:15.


Not my arm

If you look on your wristband and/or ticket, you’ll notice that you have either a hand-written letter or number somewhere on it. This is your place in line. I’m not 100% positive about this, but I’m pretty sure (and it makes logical sense) that the sooner you arrive to pick up your wristband and ticket, the better seats you get. The seats aren’t assigned, per se, but the order in which you check-in and receive your wristband is. The first 26 groups to get their wristband are given a letter. For example, since the group I was with was the 4th to arrive, we were given the letter “D.” After each letter of the alphabet is taken, they switch to numbers. So if you want to sit up close, make sure you arrive early enough to get a letter. This is because when it’s time to enter the studio, they split the groups up into two (letters and numbers) and line you up in alphabetical order if you have a letter, obviously, and in numerical order if you have a number.

The letter and number system is also designed to keep people from bum-rushing the studio to get good seats. Once you have your ticket and wristband, you already have what determines your position in the line to enter the studio. Therefore, you don’t need to wait around 30 Rock any longer — you can take your wristband and ticket and go to lunch, and not worry about showing up any earlier than the time you’ve been told. In fact, if you do show up earlier, they’ll tell you to “go walk around for X more minutes,” until it’s time.

For reference, the show I attended started at 4:30 — an hour earlier — so we were required to be there no later than 3:15. We showed up about 2:00 and got a “D” wristband and ticket, which means only three other groups arrived earlier than we did. Then we walked around for an hour, and went back to the stairs leading up to the mezzanine level. Don’t worry about figuring out where this is at — the folks giving out wristbands will tell you exactly when and where you need to be. Plus, there will be about 150 other people waiting around too; you can’t miss it!

WHAT TO EXPECT

Like I mentioned earlier, when you show up at the requested time, the ushers will split you into two groups: letters and numbers. Then you each head up a set of stairs and queue in alphabetical or numerical order. Once in line, the ushers explain two very important rules:

  • No cameras allowed. If you have one in your bag or purse, that’s OK, but you can’t take it out of your bag once upstairs. If a security guard even sees a camera, they will confiscate it, so don’t even try. Apparently, “the inside of the studio is copyrighted” — exact words from the gentlemen explaining the rules — and it’s illegal to snap shots of anything once in the studio.
  • Cell phones must be turned completely off. Not on sleep mode, not on silent or vibrate — OFF. The signal sometimes interferes with the wireless microphones, so they must be completely powered down. If you’re an on-call doctor, or can’t live without your cell phone for a few hours, you might want to reconsider going to a taping, because they were very serious about this rule.


After nodding your head and pretending to listen, you’re off to the studio; They take the letter groups first. You walk back down the stairs, through a couple of hallways, and into an airport-like security line. They have a metal detector to walk through, so you need to take anything metal out of your pockets and place them on the tables as you walk through. Ladies, your purses will be opened up and looked into. If you’ve got a sweater on, you must take it off — even if it’s tied around your waste. The line goes quick, though, and before you know it your ushered into an elevator with roughly 15 other people and heading upstairs. When you arrive on the studio floor, a few interns will be waiting to welcome you with a free Conan O’Brien “Audience Member” t-shirt — XL of course — and then you’re off to find a seat.


That’s me on the left!


Seating is open for the most part, but there is an usher who will point you in the general direction of where he wants you to go. There are some obvious places to sit if you really want to see yourself on television. In general, the closer to the front, the better chance you have. But you don’t need to be in the front row — we were in row 4 and you could see us well enough that even my parents caught a few glimpses of us from the comfort of their couch. (No offense, Mom and Dad!)

To better illustrate where you should try to sit if you want to be on TV, here’s a rather poor blueprint of the theater I made from memory. (Keep in mind: it’s not to scale!)



The red squares (which don’t represent individual seats, of course) are the best areas to sit, while the gray areas represent mostly-safe areas if you don’t want to show up on-screen. If you’re looking to interact with Conan, or even the guests for that taping, the best place to sit is in the first five-or-so rows on either side of the aisle. You’re less likely to be on camera in the first two rows near the band, but the band gets featured occasionally and there’s a good chance you’ll show up during those times.

THE SHOW

Once the entire audience has entered the studio and found a seat, the entertainment begins. There are flat-screen TV monitors sprinkled throughout the audience, and they quickly come to life with a 10 minute reel of Conan highlights over the years. This proves to be a great way to get the audience warmed up and laughing, and even if you’ve never seen an episode of the show before, you’ll be laughing. It’s a great way to prepare everyone for what they’re about to experience.

After the highlight reel ends, the warm-up comedian, Brian McCann, comes out and starts the show. If you’re a fan of Conan, you’ll recognize him from many of the post-monologue skits. Brian works the crowd for another 10 minutes or so, interacting with audience, cracking jokes, and answering questions. He’s a pretty funny guy.

This is where things can vary. After Brian’s introduction, he tells the audience that Conan wants to come out and talk before the show begins. Based on other reviews online, I’m not convinced this happens every time, but it seems to be somewhat regular. But for our show, Brian introduces Conan, who files through the double doors on the right (near “not to scale” on my map above) and up into the audience to shake hands before grabbing the mic and talking for a while. He gets the audience laughing, of course, and talks about the upcoming show before introducing the band. Max Weinberg was still out on tour, unfortunately, but backup drummer James Wormworth was there to take the brunt of jokes from Conan.

The rest, however, shall remain a mystery — what fun would it be if I gave it all away? Just know that after Conan exits the stage, the real fun begins. So sit back, relax, and reflect on all the hard work you put in to get there while you wait for the show to start.

A few more things to consider:

  • Go to the bathroom first, as there’s nowhere to go once you’re standing in line waiting to enter.
  • You can’t bring food or drinks in the studio.
  • Plan on the taping lasting roughly two-and-a-half to three hours, from the time you’re waiting in line to enter, until you’re done.
  • Feel free to interact with the show from the audience (they encourage it), but too much interaction means you’ll have a scary looking security guard staring at you for a majority of the show to make sure you don’t cause any problems.
  • Have fun!

Ode to Sidney Pollack: Travel where his movies were made

by Jamie Rhein on

Sidney Pollack died of cancer yesterday. When I heard the news, along with feeling sad about his death, I flashed to a certain restaurant in Hurley, New York that’s one of my favorite “when I go back home for a visit ” eateries,although it’s changed hands since Pollack used it as one of the settings for Tootsie.

The Hurley Mountain Inn where Dustin Hoffman bellied up to the bar with Charles Durning has been serving up family fare for years. My mom always headed here with friends for the spaghetti and meatballs. The last time I was there, my son was happy playing video games without the money to actually have them do anything.

Hurley is near Kingston in the Hudson Valley and the restaurant is worth the drive. Nothing fancy, but you’ll feel like you’re in a place that means something to the people who eat there. Along with Hurley, if you do a Sidney Pollack film tour of the world, you’ll see a lot. Consider these alone and you’ll be busy:

  1. Sketches of Frank Gehry–Pollack followed Frank Gehry around with a camera and captured the architectural genius found in the Vitra Museum in Germany, Maggie’s Centre, the Guggenheim in Bilbao, and the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.
  2. Out of Africa–The Africa scenes were filmed in the Ngong Hills in Kenya. The Denmark scenes were in Surrey, England.
  3. The Electric Horseman–For the gorgeous scenery seen in the film, head to Zion National Park and other places in Utah. For the rest, head to Las Vegas.
  4. The Way We Were–Bask in a bit of opulence at Ballston Spa, New York and in front of The Plaza Hotel in Manhattan.

Happy birthday, Brooklyn Bridge

by Jeremy Kressmann on

As a New Yorker, I sometimes tend to get a bit jaded about the incredible sights all around me. Times Square might be cool to visitors, but to me it’s nothing but gaudy neon and schlocky souvenirs. United Nations? Pretty neat, but quite a headache when you’re trying to get to work on the East Side and some diplomat’s motorcade makes you take the “long walk” to the office.

But then today, I noticed that it was the 125th anniversary of the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge and I had to take pause. The Brooklyn Bridge is probably my favorite New York landmark – not only for the breathtaking views you get when you walk across it, but also for its historic importance to the city and to American innovation in general. First opened on May 24th, 1883, the 6,000 foot long bridge was considered one of the greatest American engineering marvels of its time. It is perhaps a fitting tribute that the bridge is still fully operational today, transporting pedestrians and vehicles much as it did when it first opened 125 years ago.

If you happen to be in New York this evening, take a stroll down to the old bridge and check out the festivities, which include fireworks, a new lighting scheme and even a U.S. Navy flyover. And if you can’t make it, make sure to stroll across it the next time you’re in town. It’s definitely worth the trip.