For the past two months, some of you may have noticed ads for companies such as cruise lines appearing on my site. That’s because in November, I signed a contract with my old employer USA TODAY to join their Travel Alliance. How does that work? According to the official release put out today: “This...

Attention travel bloggers: Looking to inject a little activism into your routine? Then Passports With Purpose, an annual fundraiser organized and promoted by a diverse group of travel bloggers, is looking for you! Last year, the group – led by Debbie Dubrow of Delicious Baby, Beth Whitman of Wanderlust...

I’m packing, again. No news there. In the past six months since I’ve left USA TODAY, I flung myself full force into the out-of-a-suitcase life of a travel writer. And hell yeah, it’s been fun. I went on two small ship sailing cruises throughout the Caribbean, dined at four-star Michelin...

I spoke at PRSA Travel & Tourism conference in Aspen last week, as part of a panel entitled “Reaching Key Influencers Where They Live (Online).” I felt lucky to be included in that definition. Of those of us on the panel, which included Kara S. Williams of The Vacation Gals, Johnny Jet...

So what do you do when you run a small-town pharmacy with a name that instantly inspires smirks and giggles? If you’re Katie Butt, the third-generation owner of Butt Drugs in Corydon, Indiana, you embrace the joke – and allow masters of viral video to come in and make a commercial. Rhett...

My relationship with “PR people” has morphed throughout the years. On newspaper city and suburban news desks, where I spent the first 14 years of my career, we called them “flacks,” derogatory meaning intended. To a news reporter on deadline, a PR person was, if not the enemy, then certainly...

Today I spoke on a conference call with public relations professionals organized by Bulldog Reporter, a group that sponsors advanced PR training. The topic was how to pitch to travel publications, especially in light of current economic conditions. My co-panelists included representatives from the LA...