Topics Include:
Stephanie was recently watching part two of CNN's “Black in America”. A group of young people from a Salvation Army Center in New York City were sent to South Africa to learn about the experiences of children their own ages in impoverished communities. The America children were not from affluent backgrounds but all came from loving families and a supportive community. In South Africa they saw children their own age raising younger siblings and struggling each day to find food and clean water. The programming stressed the importance of young people traveling.
Stephanie quotes the famous Mark Twain statement from his 1869 travel book “The Innocents Abroad”:
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime”.
LuAnn Herring joins “Travel with Stephanie Abrams” to discuss Africa Connect, an organization she founded with her husband Bob Herring to help people in Africa through fostering personal relationships. Stephanie was first introduced to LuAnn through her work with the Calvary Chapel of the Berkshires. LuAnn and her family have been traveling to Kenya since 2004. They were invited by a friend to visit the country and witnessed firsthand the difficult circumstances in which children were living. The family became invested in making a difference. LuAnn's youngest daughter was only 17 at the time but has been consistently committed to the organization's efforts. LuAnn affirms that it is very important for young people to visit countries abroad.
LuAnn's most recent trip to Kenya was January through mid-April, 2009. The Africa Connect team had been forced to cut their 2008 trip short due to the riots that followed the 2007 presidential election of incumbent President May Kibaki. His win was widely believed to be due to electoral manipulation. Returning in 2009, the Africa Connect team visited a refuge camp at Mount Elgon. The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) were living without food, medicine or medical care. The team was able to bring some relief to these people but LuAnn says the situation was devastating.
Africa Connect's primary work is in Tuwani, a slum in Kenya. They strive to make the lives of a group of about eighty children better. They improve sanitation systems, work with the families to provide resources and give an opportunity for the children to grow and learn in a way that many would take for granted. More recently Africa Connect has sought to branch out to other organizations. Its ultimate goal is not to try and fix everything with money but rather help connect people in the western world with people in Africa in order to make communities more sustainable. LuAnn says that it is possible for the communities to access additional resources around them and that there are facets of poverty that can relieved. She says that Africa Connect does not seek to impose a western belief system but rather work with Kenyans that have the same mindset and ambitions. There are currently 105 students at the school Africa Connect established.
Team members of Africa Connect could not fly commercial airlines to the Kitale, Kenya in the past because of the dangers involved. They would instead fly into Nairobi and then drive nine hours over decrepit roads. There is now a short flight service available within country called Fly540. It allows the Africa Connect team to fly into Kitale from Nairobi.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=437
For more information visit http://www.africaconnect.org or http://www.africaconnect-neema.com
The historic Dromoland Castle Hotel and Country Estate is located west of Limerick City in County Clare, Ireland. It is a short drive from Shannon Airport and also close to Bunratty Village, home to 15th century Bunratty Castle. The original Dromoland Castle was built in 1543 and is the ancestral home of the O'Brien Clan, a royal dynasty founded by High King of Ireland Brian Boru whose history is documented back to the 10th century.
Dromoland Castle Hotel is situated on 410 acres. The proprietors are constantly investing in the property and making stylistic changes. The hotel has a spectacular ambience. Guests are able to feel at home at the hotel while still enjoying the amenities made available to them on the property. Though the hotel operates on a five star level it still maintains a country hotel atmosphere. The hotel is traditional but not stuffy and offers many activities and programs on site.
The property's golf course was originally constructed in the 1960's but has been completely revamped within the last three years. €5 million euros was invested in the development of the course. US golf architect Ron Kirby and the late world renowned, Irish golfing legend, J.B. Carr collaborated on its construction. Kirby has also worked on projects with Jack Nicklaus, Garry Player, and Arnold Palmer. He helped design the Old Head of Kinsale, one of the most popular courses in the world, with a team comprised of Paddy Merrigan, Liam Higgins, Eddie Hackett, Haulie O'Shea and J.B. Carr. The Dromoland Castle Golf Course is a par 72. John Hehir, the Director of Sales for Dromoland Castle, states that the course is “not easy but very scenic”.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=438
For more information visit http://www.dromoland.ie
Travelers 411 Contest of the Week:
“Travel with Stephanie Abrams” listeners can enter to win a two night stay at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco. To be eligible for selection you have to be a registered user at http://www.travelers411.com. Users need to then start a new thread in the California forum found in the US destination category. The thread must have the title “I want to go to San Francisco”. Contest ends Thursday August 6, 2009. Winners will be announced on air as well as be notified by email.
Click here for more information on this contest.
Click here for the list of all contests.
Fun Facts:
Mount Elgon is an extinct volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya and has the largest circumference of any mountain in the world.
Golf Architect Ron Kirby is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts's Stockbridge School of Agriculture.
The founder of the Massachusetts Agricultural College, Levi Stockbridge, has no affiliation with the town of Stockbridge, Massachusetts in Berkshire County. However, the town of Stockbridge, Georgia is named after him. Stockbridge, Massachusetts was named after Stockbridge in Hampshire, England.
Guests Include:
LuAnn Herring, Co-founder, Africa Connect.
www.africaconnect.org
John Hehir, Director of Sales, Dromoland Castle Hotel and Country Estate, Fergus, County Clare, Ireland.
www.dromoland.ie
www.discoverireland.com/westcoast
Topics Include:
At the top center of the Sabrams.com main page is the Traveling Pet icon, a paw print that links to Fido Friendly magazine articles written by Stephanie and information about “pet welcoming” hotels. Stephanie has learned about another pet friendly enterprise, Pet Airways. The company has been in the planning stages for the last few years and began taking reservations in April, 2009. The first scheduled flight was on July 18, 2009.
The operation currently flies to New York, Washington DC, Denver, Chicago and Los Angeles and is planning to reach 25 cities in the US and Canada within the next two years. The planes used by Pet Airways are Beechcraft 1900's that have been specifically designed to transport pets. The passenger seats and overhead bins have been removed from the crafts in order that the plane can accommodate pet carriers in a comfortable fashion. The pet carrier gives enough room for the pet to stand and move around in. The owner is required to specify their animal's height and weight before arranging the fare. A seat belt secures the pet carrier in the plane and a pet attendant checks in on the pets every 15 minutes. Each flight takes up to fifty pets.
Pet Airways will board pets up to 72 hours before the owner's flight. If the owner's flight is delayed or canceled, representatives will stay with the pet in the Pet Airway's lounge area until pick-up. Many people choose the service when they want to travel with a pet but it is also useful for people who are relocating or are adopting or rescuing a pet. Pet Airways currently only allow dogs and cats on flights but are expanding their service to accommodate other household domesticated animals. There have been many requests by passengers for birds. Pet Airways receives consistent input from customers on their facebook fan page.
Pet Airways has the best interests of the pets in mind. They do not fly non-stop so as to allow for potty breaks during the travel. Attendants will feed the pets at the owner's request as well as administer medicine during transit if necessary. Unlike commercial airlines Pet Airways has no restrictions on transporting pets during extreme weather conditions. The company is also looking to participate with programs designed to rescue animals and facilitate adoptions as well as to transport search and rescue animals.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=439
Click here to visit the www.travelers411.com Pet Boarding Services forum.
For more information visit http://www.petairways.com
InsureMyTrip.com offers one-stop shopping experience for people interested in travel insurance. Jim Grace, President and CEO of InsureMyTrip.com returns to “Travel with Stephanie Abrams” to discuss how the average consumer can protect themselves against the possibility of airline bankruptcy. Airlines and cruise lines are working on thinner and thinner margins and this puts the customer at risk. There is coverage called financial default protection. If the airline you booked a trip with were to go bankrupt and you missed a cruise as a result, you would be covered for all travel affected by the airline's financial default. To be eligible for this coverage you must purchase the policy between seven and twenty one days after your initial purchase of the trip. The only way to protect your travel investment from end to end is with travel insurance.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=338
For more information visit http://www.insuremytrip.com
Guests Include:
Alyse Tognotti, Director of Communications, Pet Airways.
www.petairways.com
Jim Grace, CEO, InsureMyTrip.com.
www.insuremytrip.com
Topics Include:
Stephanie was in Los Angeles, California at the end of March to judge the American contestants for Queensland Tourism's Best Job in the World. The contest was created as an unconventional recruitment process to find someone to live on the Great Barrier Reef for six months and promote the island to a global audience. Over 35,000 people sent in video submissions. Ben Southall, a 34-year old man from Petersfield, Hampshire, England won the contest in May and is now living in a villa on the island with his girlfriend while writing a travel blog about the experience.
The Great Barrier Reef is a snorkeling and divers heaven but it can easily be enjoyed by non-swimmers. Visitors can take scenic flights, aquatic submersions or enjoy the reef from view of their accommodations. There are several hundred islands in Queensland and 25 island resorts. It is possible to sleep on a pontoon (a flat-bottomed boat) out on the reef for an experience called “reef sleep”. The lower portion of the pontoon is lit at night to allow for nighttime viewing. This very special reef education program is only available to six people at a time.
Queensland is famous for its five World Heritage Regions. The Daintree Rainforest is over 100 million years old and is thought to be the oldest continuous living rainforest in the world. It lays adjacent to another World Heritage Site and one of the natural wonders of the world, the Great Barrier Reef at Cape Tribulation. Other programs in the area let visitors hand feed kangaroos.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=440
For more information visit http://www.destinationqueensland.com
The Cairns Colonial Club Resort is in the northern part of Queensland within 2 hours driving distance of two World Heritage Sites, the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. Guests can rent their own car to drive through the rainforest or take one of the many tours that is provided at the Daintree. The resort has 345 guest rooms spread over 11 acres (44,000 square meters) of tropically landscaped grounds. Rooms are not air conditioned but are naturally bright, breezy and airy. Paolo Gambino, Director of Sales & Marketing, Cairns Colonial Club Resort says guests are the number one priority at the property.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=441
For more information visit http://www.cairnscolonialclub.com.au
The annual Milwaukee Irish Fest, the world's largest Irish festival, is taking place August 13th through August 16, 2009. It is a celebration of Irish culture, music and history with contributions by Irish, Irish-American and Celtic entertainers. The waterfront venue of the festival is within easy walking distance of the prestigious Pfister Hotel. Stephanie refers to the Pfister as a posh kind of “grand-dame” hotel reminiscent of properties found in London and Paris.
Joe Kurth, General Manager of the Milwaukee Pfister Hotel, joins “Travel with Stephanie Abrams” to discuss other attractions in the city. Milwaukee recently hosted a series of events including the Milwaukee Air and Water Show, German Fest, Italian Fest and Summer Fest. During her last trip Stephanie visited the Milwaukee Public Library which contains a heritage room, part of the Wisconsin Library Heritage Center. She found documents dating back to the 1800's. Stephanie was able to trace her own grandfather's records. He lived in the city in 1905 and she found his home telephone number from that time.
The Milwaukee Art Museum is only a two block walk from the Pfister Hotel. The Pfister houses its own expansive Victorian art collection and launched an artist-in-residence program in April. Local artist Reginald Baylor is the first artist-in-residence and he gives guided tours of the art found in the hotel. Baylor works with acrylic on canvas and draws influence from the pop art era as well Classical Victorian styles. The Pfister's artist-in-residence program is a member of the international Alliance of Artists Communities.
Joe Kurth is offering “friends and fans” of Stephanie Abrams a special room rate at the Pfister during Irish Fest. The nightly rate is $159 USD not including taxes. Stephanie will be broadcasting live from the lobby of the hotel during the festival weekend.
Travelers411 Directory Listing:
Visit the Travelers411 Pfister Hotel Directory Listing
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=442
For more information visit http://thepfisterhotel.com or call 414-390-3800.
Fun Facts:
Queensland is the only state in Australia that legally allows visitors to cuddle a koala.
August 19, 2009 is “Bronze the Fonz Day” in Milwaukee. The event includes the official bronzing ceremony of the statue erected to commemorate fictional television character Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzarelli. A parade will be led from downtown to Miller Park and a free Fonzie baseball card will be given to each fan attending that night's Milwaukee Brewers game. The dedication ceremony is closed to the public.
The Milwaukee Public Library's Richard E. and Lucile Krug Rare Books Room contains autographed letters from Charles Dickens, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Liszt, Otto von Bismarck, Solomon Juneau and Billy Mitchell.
Guests Include:
Shana Pereira, Regional Director Americas, Tourism Queensland, Australia.
www.destinationqueensland.com
Paolo Gambino, Director of Sales & Marketing, Cairns Colonial Club Resort, Cairns, Queensland, Australia.
www.cairnscolonialclub.com.au
Joe Kurth, General Manager, The Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
www.thepfisterhotel.com
