A trip to Gregory Town, Eleuthera in the Bahamas, summer travel tips, and travel rituals

Indeed the pineapples were sweet last week as special guest co-host Ed Griffith and Jensen Beach, Florida Chamber of Commerce executive director Ron Rose provided a marvelous recap of their experience at the recent Pineapple Festival in Gregory Town, Eleuthera. Amazingly, the Sister City relationship between Gregory Town, Eleuthera and Jensen Beach, Florida has been in existence for 21 years! This down home event, celebrates Eleuthera’s roots as a major pineapple producer and an island rich in Bahamian culture and history.

Ed and Ron focused on many details that made the trip so great, but the conversation always came back around to the extreme hospitality displayed by Eleutherans everywhere the two went.

The rest of the show was devoted to a random group of interesting and fun topics including a list of retailers and merchants who are helping travelers with the price of gas, what vacation destinations in the U.S. are the “coolest” (in more ways than temperature), what are some peculiar PDR’s (personal travel rituals) that some travelers perform, and last but not the least important, nine thrifty travel tips to help stretch your travel budget.

As always, it was great to have Ed in the studio and always a pleasure to share some time with the one and only Ron Rose.

The show's audio file will be posted as soon as it is available. See you all next week and thanks for listening!

The sweetest pineapple in the world: Eleuthera, Bahamas!

Taking some time off from being a tourist (recent visit to Nassau and shows from Abaco, Grand Bahama twice, and Heathcote Botanical Gardens), Talkin’ Tourism will be back in its home studio at Sailfish Marina, Stuart, Florida. Joining Radio Man this week will be special guest co-host Ed Griffith, the general manager of the Courtyard Marriott-Hutchinson Island.

Ed had the opportunity to visit Gregory Town Eleuthera, Bahamas for the town's annual Pineapple Festival and Talkin’ Tourism wants to hear all the details. This is particularly big news since a major Treasure Coast “connection” exists between Jensen Beach, Florida and Gregory Town, Eleuthera; these two towns have shared a 20-plus year Sister City relationship. Pass the pineapples (or BOOM pineapple wine) please!

Ed and Gary, will touch upon a number of topics that you will find of interest including;

• How merchants and retailers help make a difference on the high cost of gas. We all need a little help in easing this burden of the cost of travel!
• Nine thrifty travel tips. Who doesn’t need “thrifty?"
• How to get the most happiness out of a vacation. Isn’t that what vacations are all about!
• Hot tips for Travelers: The coolest, most overlooked vacation destinations for the summer. Definitely need a break from the summer heat…but where?
• And, a look at personal travel rituals (PTR). Do you have one? If you do, and are willing to share,  email us at talkintourism@gmail.com  and we'll share your PTR with our listening audience.

And, to round out the hour, expect all the usual Bahamas info and Treasure Coast happenings.

Join us this Friday at 10:05 a.m. on your radio dial at WPSL 1590 AM or catch the live stream from your computer at www.wpsltv.com

See you Friday morning!

Rum Running, Pineapple Rum and Lots of Laughter!

Rum Runners, pineapple rum, fundraisers, lots of laughs and nautical flea market were all topics of lively conversation and laughter this week!

Leading off the show, Maritime and Classic Boat Museum executive director Jody Clifford gave listeners the scoop on the museum’s origins, current happenings, and future vision for a new facility at Indian Riverside Park in Jensen Beach, Florida. As the show photos attest, if you have a “thing” for old boats and nautical memorabilia, put the Maritime and Classic Boat Museum on your "must see" list. 

With the cause well established, Chris Cooke gave the scoop on the upcoming Real McCoy Rum Runner Party. This 'spirited event' will be the talk of the town. Food, fun, entertainment and plenty of rum will ensure a good time by all attendees. Wrapping up the weekend will be a super Nautical Flea Market and Classic Boat Show. Committee member Julie Lentine described what to expect. Boating and marine enthusiasts, as well as their families, will enjoy this special day at Indian Riverside Park!

With the Jensen Beach Pineapple Festival on everyone’s radar screen, what could be better than having seven visiting Eleutherans in the studio to share their perspective on Gregory Town, Eleuthera’s 20 year Sister City partnership with Jensen Beach, Florida! Lead Junkanoo’er Avian Morley headed up the conversation with his love of the Treasure Coast. Glenda Johnson, senior executive with the Eleuthera Ministry of Tourism, shared her impressions of 20 years participation in the event. Did you know there is a Jensen Beach Travel Club in Eleuthera? Max will tell you all about it. There are even Eleutheran high school students here that will spend time with the music students at Jensen Beach High School during their stay. And folks, those are just the highlights!

Download the November 5th show and share in the fun, good times and great information that made this show truly special.

Pirates, Planes, Pineapples and Party!

As we begin to approach autumn, the calendar begins to fill quite rapidly with events and festivals for enjoyment by locals and visitors alike. Not wanting to get behind the proverbial eight-ball, this week Radio Man and History Lady talk fun, fun and more fun.

Back from Eleuthera, (be sure to check  out the Free Companion Airfare promotion) Radio Man and Talkin' Tourism on Florida’s Treasure Coast (and Beyond) would be remiss if we did not talk about the Jensen Beach Pineapple Festival. Slated this year for November 5-7, this year’s event marks te festival's 23rd anniversary and 20th anniversary of the Sister City relationship with Gregory Town, Eleuthera, home of the original Pineapple Festival. Ron Rose, executive director of the Jensen Beach Chamber of Commerce, will discuss planned highlights for this year’s event.

One of the most popular events over the last ten years has been the Stuart Air Show, whose lead sponsor had been the Visiting Nurses Association of Florida. The big change this year is that the Road to Victory Military Museum is now the lead sponsor. This year’s dates are November 13-14. What, if any, changes are in store this year for this fabulous event?

The Treasure Coast would not be the “Treasure Coast” if it were not for our history of pirates, blunder and wenches. The Treasure Coast Pirate Fest, will be sailing into Downtown Stuart, Florida September 10-12. This festival will certainly please every scallywag, buccaneer, privateer and matey.

Like music? Ron Hart, the self-appointed Cultural Ambassador to Downtown Stuart, will share his excitement about “Rockin’ Riverwalk” coming in October for the winter season.

Tune your radio dial to WPSL 1590 or your computer's browser to www.wpsl.com at 10 a.m. for Treasure Coast fun and more on this week’s episode of Talkin' Tourism on Florida’s Treasure Coast (and Beyond).

Gatorade on a Q-Tip and Art Masterpieces with Bugs

From Talkin Tourism Show Photos

Getting back together again after their travels, History Lady and Radio Man picked up like they had never been apart. Something that is bound to happen when you have close to 75 shows under your belt…or perhaps it is just talent!

With Ed Griffith in the studio, recounting his recent trip of Eleuthera with the Jensen Beach gang, it was interesting to hear the Talkin' Tourism Team actually talk about their experiences as tourists, each in a different country. So, who was the man who proposed to Robin and what do Marie Antoinette and Robin have in common? What were Ed’s reflections on his first visit to Eleuthera and is the Jensen Beach 'Sister City' relationship with Gregory Town alive and well? Are “Nature’s Little Secrets” (the British Virgin Islands) keeping any secrets about Gary and Misti’s trip to Tortola? All this and more when you download the show.

The main event was the return visit of Dr. Noble, Director of Public Exhibits at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Always a wealth of information, Dr. Noble carefully explained the uniqueness of the new exhibit entitled CSI: Crime Scene Insects. The discussion was fascinating. While this type of forensic analysis did not have legal credibility in the U.S. until the 1960’s, it has been practiced in China for over 1,200 years. How was a murder in China that long ago solved? Is it an exhibit that children will enjoy? Absolutely! Who would have ever thought that you could 'paint with maggots'! And what about our cold winter? The outdoor butterfly exhibit which houses 2,000 butterflies had to make adjustments, which they did. Believe it or not, they moved many of the butterflies into their indoor breeding areas and allowed the patrons to feed the butterflies. The butterflies food of choice? Gatorade on a Q-Tip!

It just gets better and better every week, so if you missed the show download and listen now. If you have not been to the blog in a while, check out the amazing photos of the two shows broadcast from the British Virgin Islands. You will want to travel to paradise and have a cheeseburger in paradise!

Until next week, Talkin' Tourism on Florida’s Treasure Coast…signing off!

What do CSI Insects, French Men, Pineapples, and the Caribbean have in Common?

From Blogger Pictures

Talkin' Tourism on Florida’s Treasure Coast will be talking to three experienced tourists who have recently completed three different international experiences at nearly the same time!

Getting their act together after time apart, show host Gary Guertin and co-host Robin Hicks-Connors are rejoined after a couple weeks away. Robin’s sojourn to Paris will lend some ”Je ne sais quoi” to the show. So who did propose marriage? How many croissants can you eat in a day? Is the French onion soup really that good?

Radio Man (aka Gary) and the rest of the Talkin' Tourism team headed to Tortola, British Virgin Islands for their semi-annual get-a-way. What adventures happened while they were visiting “Natures Little Secrets?” Do they have their own secrets? Was it a problem being held captive in the Caribbean due to the Spirit Airline Strike? What is the hottest bar in Road Town, Tortola? What is the magic of Foxy’s on Jost Van Dyke? Added into the mix will be Talkin' Tourism special guest host Ed Griffith. Ed accompanied the Jensen Beach contingent that tripped down to Gregory Town, Eleuthera in the Bahamas to join its sister city for its annual Pineapple Festival. What was it like? This will be the first time that Radio Man, History Lady and Don “Edwardo” Gilbert will be in the studio at the same time!

Joining the crew for the main feature of the show will be Dr. Doug Noble, PH.D, Director of Exhibits, Public Programs and Assistant in Museum Administration for the Florida Museum of Natural History, which is located in Gator Town--Gainesville. This will be a second Talkin' Tourism guest appearance for Dr. Noble. "Wow’ed" by the hospitality of the Treasure Coast on his first visit, Dr. Noble wanted to come back to the Treasure Coast and share his excitement about a brand new exhibit opening at the museum--CSI: Crime Scene Insects. This exhibit delves into the mysterious world of crime solving insects! With many TV shows focusing on crime scene investigation, the CSI: Crime Scene Insects exhibit uses hands-on activities, educational panels, and mock investigations to show visitors how maggots, flies and beetles help solve crimes every day. You will want to travel to Gainesville to see this one!

Tune in tomorrow at 10 a.m. to hear the show live. If you're on the Treasure Coast, tune your radio dial to WPSL 1590 AM. If your outside of the radio broadcast area or if you prefer to listen in via the Internet, you'll be able to listen to the live audio stream by visiting http://www.wpsl.com/.

See you tomorrow!