Teacher’s Travel Promise Fulfilled, 40 Years Later

by Chris Owen on

Lucky students can recall one or two teachers from their academic career that stand out as truly motivational. That motivation can come in a number of ways too. Some engage us with thought-provoking discussion. Others insist on the best from us. A very few plant seeds that take root in our young minds and will blossom later in life. I had the pleasure of having one that hit all that and more.

In 8th grade Social Studies class we had a teacher with a love for travel and world history. Mr. Hoobing’s passion was so intense that when studying ancient Rome, students were required to hand-draw renderings of iconic structures to exact scale.

Over the course of the semester there were probably a dozen of those drawings, many of which were rejected if not totally accurate. But by the end of that grading term, most students had a greater understanding about what it took to build them so long ago, when modern construction techniques had not even been thought of.

On the last day we would spend with Mr. Hoobing, finals were done. Summer, high school, college and the rest of our lives were ahead of us. Summer was of interest to all – the rest of our lives, not so much. Mr. Hoobing made us an unusual offer on that last day of class, one that we would most likely forget all about.

The deal was this: “promise me that sometime in your life, you will visit one of those places you drew and I will raise your grade for the semester by one letter grade.”I remember every hand in the class instantaneously going into the air to take him up on that offer. What did we have to lose? How would he ever know if we did or did not go to Rome to see the Pantheon or Coliseum?

This week I made good on that promise, visiting Rome for a day, stopping to touch not one but several of those structures.

The drawings are long gone, lost in probably the fifth or sixth move I made after leaving home. But along the way, between then and now, the seed Mr. Hoobing planted 40+ years ago survived.

Walking down the cobbled streets of today’s Rome, it was as though I had been there before. The exact memories of life in ancient Rome were a bit fragmented but I felt very familiar with the area I had learned about so long ago.

Thank you Mr. Hoobing.




[Photo/Video- Chris Owen]

Classic Travel Writing: Jack Kerouac’s ‘Lonesome Traveler’

by Sean McLachlan on

While blogs take up most of my travel reading these days, every now and then I like to dip into an old classic. So on a recent flight to Washington DC to attend the Gadling bloggers summit, I read “Lonesome Traveler“ by Jack Kerouac.

This slim volume contains eight stream-of-consciousness essays in the style you’d expect from one of the leaders of the Beat Generation. For example, the author tells a friend:

“Deni the reason I followed the ship all the way 3,200 miles from Staten Island to goddam Pedro is not only because I wanta get on and be seen going around the world and have myself a ball in Port Swettenham and pick up on gangee in Bombay and find the sleepers and the fluteplayers in filthy Karachi and start revolutions of my own in the Cairo Casbah and make it from Marseilles to the other side, but because of you, because, the things we used to do, where, I have a hell of a good time with you Den, there’s no two ways about. . .I never have any money that I admit, I already owe you sixty for the bus fare, but you must admit I try. . .I’m sorry that I don’t have any money ever, but you know I tried with you, that time. . .well gaddam, wa ahoo, shit, I want to get drunk tonight.”

When you have a monologue like that, you know you’re in Kerouac territory. The posts range from his time hanging out with William S. Burroughs in Tangier to his jobs as a fire watcher and on trains and boats.

Sometimes the best travel writing is that which takes you back to a place you love, in my case old New York City before its seedy heart was cleaned up and dulled. Kerouac takes us on a tour of all the crazy Times Square spots where the Beats used to hang out while a cavalcade of oddballs passes by. Through all this blur of activity Kerouac wonders, “Why does Times Square feel like a big room?”

Wow, yeah! Times Square does feel like a big room, even fifty years later when I hung out there. That broad open space enclosed by four walls of skyscrapers with all the people coming and going has a strange homey, interior feel to it. A good travel writer can put into words what you’ve always felt about a place.

And Kerouac is a damned good travel writer. “Lonesome Traveler” is filled with quotable one-liners about booze, sex, solitude, trusting strangers, nature and just about everything else. The one that perhaps best sums up the Beat mentality is actually by Gregory Corso, who in the New York sequence says, “Standing on the street corner waiting for no one is Power.”

Not a bad summary of the attractions of travel.

‘Scratcher’ Travel Map For Visual Boasting

by Pam Mandel on

“A map of the world begins with all the land masses having a brassy sheen, but that metallic surface scratches off like a lottery ticket to keep track of your travel destinations.“

Like you don’t want one. I want one and I’m neither a compulsive list maker nor one of those “I’ve been everywhere, man” people.

The “Where I’ve Been” Scratch Map Travel Edition is $25.00 on Fredflare.

21,000 Places To Drink Beer

by McLean Robbins on

We like travel, and we like to drink. Knowing where to drink when we travel is often a critical component of trip planning. Welcome the newest version of RateBeer, now aggregating more than 21,000 user-generated spots that sell beer, brew beer, or make their business around the “B” word.

Divided into brewpubs, breweries, bars, stores and restaurants, you’ll find the frothy stuff in dozens of countries across multiple continents. You’ll also see the user rating.

It’s the perfect tool for the booze-seeking traveler.

Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re off to pop a cold one.

Escorted Travel Adds Value With Private Experience

by Chris Owen on

When travel planning calls for first-class accommodations, airfare, and guidance along the way, travelers often use a travel agent to help. Commonly accepted advice is to use one that specializes in the method of travel or destination you choose. Better yet, use one that offers escorted tours for an immersive experience like no other.

In China and Asia, Wendy Wu Concierge is a premium service offering luxury vacations custom built by destination specialists and the traveler to create a personal and unique experience.

“As one of the world’s leading specialists in travel to China and Asia, we’ll listen to every ambition and aspiration to provide a private experience that meets specific interests,” says Wendy Wu Concierge on their web site.

Going first-class all the way has more benefits than one might imagine including:

  • Partnering with only the finest hotels, like Peninsula, Shangri-La properties, St. Regis and Banyan Tree hotels, ensures the highest levels of comfort and service.
  • Insider access includes a diplomatic airport transfer where clients are welcomed at the arrival gate with baggage assistance and fast-track service through immigration and customs.
  • A global partnership with Cathay Pacific with direct service from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and New York, to Hong Kong with onward connections to over 18 cities across China with its sister airline Dragonair.
  • When travel calls for a cruise, Wu uses 124 passenger Yangzi Explorer, ideally equipped to host special groups.

A huge difference between going it on our own or using a service like Wendy Wu Tours is that professional, private guides escort travelers to each destination.

Along for the entire journey, guides provide a high level of service and attention to detail.

There’s a higher than average price to pay for this level of service but its a price that those who rabidly look for flawless arrangements and the best experiences are happy to pay.



Photo via Wendy Wu Tours