It was big, it was bold, it was Out There last night as Paul McCartney played center field in Seattle’s Safeco Field. For its first major concert held in the stadium, you could hardly go wrong with the legendary Sir Paul, who last played Seattle eight years ago. What can you say about a musician who has held audiences in the palm of his hand for over 50 years. And who, at 71 years of age, can still headline a show for two and a half hours (including two encores). Oh sure, there were a couple of times his voice showed the age (Yesterday), but there were ten times more that he delivered in spades. I jumped on buying tickets early (thank you Amex Gold card advance ticket option), grabbing field seats in the middle section. The seats were 32 […]
Read MorePostcard from Seattle: Summer in the City
I’ve spent most of today in downtown Seattle, glued to a chair in front of my keyboard. But – it’s time to knock off for the weekend and enjoy the evening at the Paul McCartney concert at Safeco Field. How are you kicking off your weekend?
Read MorePostcard from Mt Fuji
In the pre-dawn glow, Mt Fuji peeks through the clouds. It’s waiting for me.
Read MoreBy the Numbers: June 2013
It’s June! And that means summer, even here in Seattle. This is one of the very best times of the year to be in Seattle and every year I promise myself to spend more time exploring this great part of the world I live in. And, it seems, every summer I sent just as much time traveling as before. Oh well, there’s always July! Here’ where my travels took me in June: YYZ/ORD/SEA – 2,154 miles SEA/PDX/OGG/OAK/SEA – 5,710 miles SEA/HNL/OAK/SEA –5,762 miles SEA/ORD/SEA – 3,436 miles SEA/NRT – 4,762 miles Total miles flown in June: 21,844 miles Total hotel nights in May: 11 Year to Date Miles flown 2013: 137,805 Hotel nights 2013: 67 Photo credit: personal collection
Read MoreBy the Numbers: May 2013 Travel
May was a fairly typical travel month for me. Nothing major, just routine travel. Let’s take a look: HNL/SEA – Returning home from Travel Weekly’s Hawaii Leadership Forum at the Royal Hawaiian Resort – 2,680 miles SEA/OAK/LIH/SEA/SAN/SEA – 7,939 miles SEA/SJC/OGG/OAK/SEA/ORD/SEA – 9,513 miles SEA/KOA/SJC/SEA/SFO/SEA – 7,134 miles SEA/ORD/YYZ – 2,154 Total miles flown in May: 26,740 Total hotel nights in May: 13 Year-to-Date Miles flown 2013: 115,961 Hotel nights 2013: 57 Photo credit: personal collection
Read MoreRolling Along in Antwerp Belgium
I rolled into Antwerp by train, like many visitors to the city, arriving at the city’s ornate Central Station. I’d heard that the station was impressive, it makes the most beautiful list often enough, and the stone, iron, and glass architecture didn’t disappoint. I’ll let the architectural community argue over the appropriate style of the station, and I’ll just appreciate the dome and the turrets, the marble and the glass, and the gold. The Central Station was completed in 1905, and although it has been refurbished and expanded a couple different time, the station’s opulence has not been diminished. Today the station has four levels and 14 tracks that connect Antwerp with the rest of the country and the rest of Europe. Does it look somehow familiar? Perhaps you’ve seen the Sound of Music flash mob video Belgium is one […]
Read MorePostcard: Downtown Seattle Skyline
I’ve lived in the greater Seattle area most all of my life, and during that time I’ve seen a lot of changes in the downtown skyline. No matter which direction you’re looking, there’s always something to catch your eye.
Read MoreGuest Appearance on This Week in Travel
Last week I joined the This Week in Travel team of Chris Christensen, Gary Arndt, and Jen Leo to talk about all things travel – and, of course, TBEX (Travel Blog Exchange) coming up June 1-2 in Toronto, Canada. Take a look.
Read MoreBy the Numbers: April 2013 Travel
April’s travel plans were sidelined a bit by a nasty little allergy attack. I’m a chronic allergy sufferer, and although I usually manage to keep my sinuses clear and my ears unblocked, I know better than to fly when I can’t do it. Pain or a blown eardrum just aren’t worth it. So here’s where I did go this month: SEA/SAN/BOS/SAN/SEA – 7,183 miles SEA/ORD/SEA – 3,436 miles SEA/HNL – 2,680 miles (Headed off to Honolulu to speak at Travel Weekly’s Hawaii Leadership Forum at the Royal Hawaiian Resort) Total miles flown in April: 13,299 Total hotel nights in April: 5 Year-to-Date Miles flown 2013: 89,221 Hotel nights 2013: 44 Photo credit: personal collection
Read MoreInterview on the Travel Bloggers Podcast
While I was at ITB Berlin last month, I sat down for an interview with Gary Bembridge of the Travel Bloggers Podcast. Along with me, was Rick Calvert, CEO of TBEX and the CEO and co-founder of New Media Expo. Set in the midst of the world’s largest travel trade show, it was a busy and noisy time, but I always welcome the opportunity to talk about TBEX, to talk about travel blogging and its future, and to talk about travel. Take a listen.
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