Rundown for the Week of January 22, 2000
The Rush of the Rapids
Though most guidebook writers come home eventually, there are people in the
travel industry who stay on the road practically all year long, chasing the
seasons from continent to continent. Rafting guides are a good example. A
special breed of traveler, these folks spend much of the year in the
outdoors, sleeping in tents, cooking at campfires, and following the water,
as they say, wherever it's running. Typical salaries range from $10-20,000
a year, depending on tips and how many weeks they work. It's clear they're
not in it for the money, so why do they do it? We spent some time along the
Green River in eastern Utah and asked that question of 27-year-old Rebecca
Brown, who started guiding eight years ago and hasn't stopped paddling
since.
A Skater's Paradise
My staff in L.A. cracks me up whenever they complain about the weather...they
get cranky when the mercury drops below 70! For the rest of us in the real
world, winter is cold, slippery and it seems to go on forever. Some people
hibernate. But others, like visitors to Ottawa, Ontario, try to make the
best of it. As the Great Lakes Radio Consortium's Karen Kelly found, Ottawa
is home to the longest skating rink in the world.
The Genesis of Vacation
Reading from the first book of the Travel Bible. Hear how The Vacation was
created by the almighty travel agent in the sky.
Vacationing: Nunnery Style
A monastic retreat isn't for everyone, but sometimes it's worth trying
these things just for the pure adventure of it. The Savvy Traveler's Judie
Fein is always up for a new experience, so she decided to give it a try.
Obviously she wouldn't be allowed to stay at Mt. Athos, so she found a
place closer to home and sent us this postcard from a retreat in Arizona.
Unpacked: An Interview with Tony Wheeler
Each year scads of Lonely Planet writers hit the road to report on the
travel scene all over the world. The out-takes -- the stories that didn't
make it into the guides, danger, disaster -- all the good stuff -- are the
subject of a new Lonely Planet book called Unpacked. It's a
collection of short stories that may leave you wondering if travel writers
are eligible for battle pay. When Tony Wheeler stopped by recently, we
asked him what inspired this book.
Deal of the Week
Entertainment Discounts
Question of the Week
Friends on the Road
Travelers' Aid
Monastery Lodging
Rudy's View
The "Typical" American
Culture Watch
Northern Lights
Next Week
Don't forget to hop on board next week because we're going to take you on a
special tour of Rudy's hometown: Washington D.C. You see, there really are
two Washingtons. One's for tourists, with museums and Memorials. The other
is for a different kind of insider: people like Ellington and Fitzgerald,
Dunbar and Hughes. Rudy will give you the grand tour.
Then, a deeper investigation as we try to figure out what that stuff is
that flight attendant serve you during the course of your trip:
"Actually on board we look at food as a form of entertainment. They look
forward to that meal, that's something to break up their flight."
Well, it's good to know they don't look at it as food. The grill marks on
chicken and more appetizing adventures during next week's journey with The
Savvy Traveler.
Cassette Copies
If you want your very own copy of The Savvy Traveler, order an audio
cassette. It's easy. Just call 303-823-8000. The price is $15.
Rudy Maxa's Traveler Newsletter
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