Hot Air Ballooning, Cruising and Sleuthing!

Debbie Mientus and Chris Sommers with Talkin' Tourism
host Gary Guertin.

Now, Radio Man and History Lady know just about everything you need to know about the sport and adventure of hot air ballooning!  Guests Debbie Mientus and Chris Sommers were very knowledgeable about their passion. Here is just a little about what we learned:

• Despite being a hot air balloon pilot, Chris is afraid of heights…go figure. 
• Chris has flown through every state in the country except Alaska and Hawaii.  
• We also know why hot air balloon flying in the Bahamas isn't done and what happened a number of years ago when someone organize a “Bimini to Ft. Lauderdale” balloon race!  

Hopefully after this show you will definitely want to add a ride in a hot air balloon to your “bucket list”.

Lisa Higgins and Gary Smith from AAA Auto Club South
gave great insider information on cruising and a
Slueth's Mystery Day Trip to Orlando.

For those who are interested in learning the very best deals on cruises and tours, Gary Smith and Lisa Higgins from AAA Auto Club South definitely whet the appetite for taking a cruise. Besides cruising, Lisa, who is in charge of domestic travel, also gave us some great information on the Sleuth’s Mystery Day Trip to Orlando scheduled for Tuesday, February 28. This trip is being organized by AAA. Visit the AAA Auto Club South website for more information.

And for you Bahamas lovers, it's true! Bimini Sands Resort and Marina is now offering free five-day dockage under certain special conditions. If you missed the details, you can still pick them up by listening to last week's show.

Download the January 24, 2012 Talkin' Tourism show---Hot Air Ballooning, Cruising, and a Slueth Mystery Day Trip to Orlando.

See you on Friday with another edutaining hour filled with tourism news and tidbits you won't want to miss!

Up, Up and Away....in My Beautiful Balloon!

A lot is going on in the world of tourism for this week’s show. Want to get “up in the world”?  We do, so this week we will meet Deborah Mientus and Chris Sommers, owners of High On You Balloon Team, which is based in Port St. Lucie, FL and Allentown, PA. I know that many of us are in awe of this unique sport and adventure.  Floating high above the hustle and bustle of everyday life at the whim of the wind. Talkin’ Tourism loves uncovering the usual and not-so-usual things to do, places to go and people to meet.  Listen in if you want to learn more about this Treasure Coast adventure.

The sailfishing has been fabulous but, a Treasure Coast visiting fisherman has a great fish story. We have the details on a 510 pound swordfish that was recently caught in Treasure Coast waters.

The Department of Transportation recently put a new policy in place that will now eliminate all of those “hidden charges”.  Lean what protections this policy will provide air passengers. For those who travel on the ground, whether the price of gas will top $4.00 per gallon this summer is probably on your mind. We'll have the expert’s opinion for you.

AAA Auto Club South representatives Gary Smith and Lisa Higgins will be in the studio to share information about AAA's upcoming Annual Cruise & Tour Show slated for February 2 and the Sleuths Mystery Dinner Day Trip to Orlando coming up February 28. Listen in for all the details on these two fun events and more.

In addition to the topics and guests above, your hosts Gary and Robin will also touch upon some of the following:

• Is there a new oceanfront hotel coming to Martin County?  
• Is the St. Lucie Inlet dredge project ready to roll?  
• Where can you keep your boat in the Bahamas for FREE for 5 days and what’s the catch?

All this and more on today's show, coming to you live on WPSL 1590 AM or www.wpsltv.com at 10:05 a.m.! Hope you can join us, and the coffee pot is always on!

Holiday travel, sailfish bites, and Florida's top destinations for Christmas travel

Show host Gary Guertin with
AAA Auto Club South  travel
representative Gary Smith.

The studio was jumping with activity Friday morning. Upon arrival, show host and co-producer Gary Guertin discovered the “committee boat” (the radio location where tournament sailfish catches are recorded )  for the Pirates Cove Sailfish Classic was three feet from the broadcast desk as the first day of fishing was underway—surprise! Unlike the slow bite experienced the week before during the Finest Kind Quickie tournament, indications before showtime (with 30 releases since 8 a.m.) was the sailfish bite had picked up considerably. One hour later, just as Talkin' Tourism was wrapping up, the total had grown to 46! Thanks for the mid-show on-air update Committee Boat Capt. Beth.

Moving to the main topic, special guest Gary Smith, a travel representative with AAA Auto Club South, jumped in providing lots of great holiday travel information. There is no doubt that despite the tough economy, millions of people will be taking to the highways, byways and skyways during the holiday season. 

First up was the importance of driver safety and the Tow to Go Program, which is a  partnership between AAA and Budweiser. This program has definitely made an impact on driver and roadway safety. Gary Smith also educated show hosts and guest on the current complexity of air travel, baggage fees challenges, cruise opportunities, great places to visit in Florida during the holidays, and a whole lot more. 

Other sidebars included: (1) the top three wishes of holiday travelers; (2) what inconveniences travelers will endure to save money; and, (3) what Florida cities were in HomeAway's top five (of ten) list for Christmas travel (and guess what, co-host Robin Hicks-Connors has seen them all!).

Hope you enjoyed another informative and entertaining edition of Talkin' Tourism. If you missed the show, no worries! You can listen to or download the December 2 Talkin' Tourism show here.

See you next Friday!

Travel wise--It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

With the holidays here, the topic on a lot of peoples minds is certainly holiday travel. By land, sea or air, people will be heading off to see family and friends or to take a great holiday vacation. Millions around the world will become tourists, at least for a little while.

To explore holiday travel in more detail, this week  AAA Auto Club South Travel Specialist Gary Smith will join us in the studio. What will we cover? For starters here are a few topics---How far on average will people be traveling by car? Will the price of gas have an impact on the number of people traveling this year? What about airline prices? 

With so many people traveling by car, Gary Smith will also discuss AAA Auto Club South’s Driver Safety Program. The Treasure Coast certainly attracts its share of holiday visitors. What activities and events are in store for visitors planning to spend time on the Treasure Coast? This should be an information packed show for those planning to hit the road this holiday season and even for those choosing to stay closer to home.

With the sailfish tournament season underway, Talkin’ Tourism is following the results of this Treasure Coast tradition. With the Finest Kind Quickie now in the history books, the Treasure Coast Championship Series is gearing up for kick-off. Do you know what winning boat has ties to the Bahamas Billfish Championship? Listen in today and you will learn all about those amazing Flahama connections.

See you later this morning (Friday, December 2) at 10:05 a.m. on WPSL 1590 AM or streaming live at www.wpsltv.com.

Pet travel and safety tips for motorists and motorcycle enthusiasts

Exotic bird expert Jason Shane with Gary Guertin.

 Pets were definitely the big topic on the show with Jason Shane, owner of Birds on Safari, as our special guest. With birds being one of the most popular pets in U.S. households, it was very interesting to learn what lengths Birds on Safari goes to ensure the feathered critters their customers board at the shop are made to feel “right at home” while the “bird parents” are off on a trip. From special diets to toys to time out of the cage, boarding pet birds is more of an art than a science. 

Jason with special guest co-host Ed Griffith.

Special guest co-host Ed Griffith
shared his motorcycle "history" this week
with listeners.

Are you considering taking your pet bird out of the country? In addition to “bird talk,” Gary and special guest host Ed Griffith shared some insights about what you should know about air travel with your pet. Did you know that some species of dogs and cats are definitely NOT suitable candidates for flying below cabin? And, do you know what questions you should ask your airline of choice before making arrangements to fly your beloved dog or cat? If not, you'll definitely want to listen to the October 14 edition of Talkin' Tourism.

Planning on cruising to the Bahamas this winter or spring? Well, it is pretty straight forward process if you want to take you dog or cat with you. We walked through the step-by-step process required by the Bahamian government to allow your pet to enjoy the Bahamas too. Here's the permit application link referenced during the show, and here's The Island of the Bahamas Importation of Pets link with more information.

After the "pet talk," discussion moved on to Biketober Fest. Thanks to AAA Auto Club South, we shared some safety tips for motorists and motorcycle enthusiasts, as well as details on Biketober Fest, which just finished up in Daytona Beach, Florida.

For locals, as well as folks planning to visit the Treasure Coast over the next several months, there are a host of great events coming up--from air shows and Pineapple Festivals to those celebrating the Treasure Coast's bootlegging and Florida Cracker history, and Talkin’ Tourism covered them all. 

Don't forget we invite listener submissions so send us your travel related photos, videos and reviews so that we can share them here on our blog or on the Talkin' Tourism Facebook page.

See you on Friday morning for another edutaining tourism filled hour!

From parrots, dogs and cats to motorcycle mamas!

Biker Bird Squawker!
Photo courtesy of Mr T in DC@flickr.com.

Millions of people travel each year whether for business or leisure purposes. We also know that millions of people have pets of all kinds. So, what are the options for pet care when you are away? To put pet ownership into perspective let's look at a few numbers. The top five pets in the world are cats, dogs, fish, small mammals and birds. The average number of such critters in U.S. households are; 2.45 cats, 1.70 dogs, 12.86 fish, 3.0 small mammals and 2.5 birds.

Talkin' Tourism host Gary Guertin (aka 'Radio Man') and his wife Misti, having five Amazon parrots in their household and as well as having traveled with their flock to the Caribbean, thought this topic of "pet travel" and "planning for your pets when you travel" would be of interest to Talkin’ Tourism listeners. After all, pets are an important part of our families.

Jason Shane, owner of Birds on Safari will be joining Gary and Robin to share his expertise on all of the various options available to pet owners for the care of their pets when having to travel. Many people also have the need to travel with their pets. Whether it is a road trip, boat trip or by air, there are many tips that can make the trip easy on the pet as well as the pet owner.

October brings pumpkins, goblins, a change in weather and an annual event many enjoy here in Florida:   Biketoberfest in Daytona Beach, Florida. This international award-winning event attracts motorcycle enthusiasts from across the U.S. and Canada. And, it was designated a Southeast Tourism Society Top 20 Event for October in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007. Event promoters expect 125,000 riders this year. WOW! With this influx of motorcycle enthusiasts, AAA Auto Club South has provided some great statistics about motorcycle safety that all of us should all be aware of and we'll covering on the show.

From birds, dogs and cats to motorcycles, local events and happenings, once again we have an informative and fun show in store.

See you Friday morning at 10:05 on WPSL 1590 AM or www.wpsltv.com.

Here's a real life Biker Bird we thought you might enjoy viewing. Warning: some language may not be suitable for general audiences.

Vacation planning, travel trends, and HOT Memorial Day Venues

Jody Clifford, Talkin' Tourism
co-host Robin Hicks-Connors and
Gary Smith ready to talk tourism!

On Friday’s show, our listeners learned what is new and exciting at the Maritime and Classic Boat Museum, as well as the travel trends for the approaching Memorial Day Weekend.

Jody Clifford, executive director of the Maritime and Classic Boat Museum, ran through the museum's summer schedule of exhibits and shared what day of the week you can get in for free! Talk about a great deal! The museum is definitely on the move with plans underway for the 3rd annual Real McCoy Rum Runner event, which is slated for November 18. An new venue has been secured. If you missed the show, download the audio to get the inside track on the new location and to hear more details on this not-to-be-missed event.

Gary Smith, a AAA Auto Club South travel professional, was a wealth of information on the travel services America Automobile Association provides. Folks, AAA is not your grandfather's Oldsmobile any longer. For those of you who have not recently investigated the range and scope of travel services they provide, check it out. When you do, you just may become a member if you aren't already.

So what are the Memorial Day Weekend travel trends? We can’t say here (because we want you to download the show) but it definitely has something to do with water! If you are planning to travel for the long weekend, check out the top eight Memorial Day Weekend get-away locations according to Oyster.com to find out if your destination made the list. Here's a hint:  the top eight range from Jamaica to Miami to the Bahamas.

If you are taking a stay-cation for Memorial Day or this summer and are looking for suggestions on where spend a little time locally, the show covered lots to see and do right here on the Treasure Coast.

Jumping across the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas, Gary covered the results of the Bahamas Billfish Championship after the completion of the first two legs, and let’s just say there are definitely Treasure Coast connections.

To hear all the details, download the show HERE.

We'll see you all this Friday from the Abaco Inn on Elbow Cay in beautiful Abaco, Bahamas! More details to follow.

Memorial Day Deals and Maritime Updates.

Where will your family be spending Memorial Day weekend?
Photo credit: aboutalltravel.com

This week we catch up with Jody Clifford, the executive director of the Maritime and Classic Boat Museum, to explore what's new and to talk about the early planning stages of the now infamous "Rum Runner" party. (Remember, time flies when you're having rum.)

Also, with Memorial Day weekend—the official start of summer—just around the corner, Gary Smith, a travel professional with AAA Auto Club South, will join us to share holiday travel trends across the U.S and Florida. Some of the questions the Talkin' Tourism team plans to ask is will the price of gas impact travel, what are the alternatives, will stays closer to home be popular, and are there deals out there we should know about, and if yes, how do we find them?

We'll also cover the top eight resorts to visit for the Memorial Day Weekend, as reported by Oyster.com, a travel industry web site specializing in reviewing resort properties from the viewpoint of the visitor, not the property.

And, of course the regular Treasure Coast and Bahamas features will be in the mix to keep you in the know about what’s happening in tourism around the region.

"See you" at Sailfish Marina!