Last week, we talked about how to get your bike ready for riding season. This week, we'll talk about what you need to do in order to get yourself ready.
It's probably been a few months since you've been for a ride, so you have to expect to be a little rusty at first. Don't just throw leg over and head out on that big trip -- spend some time to make sure that you're back up to speed first.
Over the last few months, frequent travelers have been getting a lot of bad news when it comes to loyalty programs.
We are used to hearing about the declining value of frequent flyer miles, and the increasing difficulty we have redeeming them. That's old news.
But now we are starting to see hotel programs make similar moves.
March Madness is in full swing and the lucky teams that are still left in the hunt have all eyes toward Atlanta, Georgia. Yes, the Georgia Dome in Atlanta will host the NCAA Final Four tourney and fans of college basketball far and wide will be flocking to the "Peach State".
Of course, there's plenty to do and see if you happen to visit Atlanta, Georgia during the tournament or even after the final whistle blows. Take a look at what Atlanta has to offer!
Under normal circumstances getting issued a citation is nothing to smile about but not anymore. Best Western has launched a clever new campaign on Facebook that allows you to issue a vacation citation.
I am sure you know someone who needs sometime away, perhaps your boss, your best friend or even yourself. The program, which is connected to Best Western Rewards, allows you to select from a list of your Facebook friends and you can customize the reason you are issuing them the citation, an official declaration that you are encouraging them to getaway!
Monday, March 11th marked the 7th annual Business Travel Summit in Toronto, held once again at the Board of Trade. The annual event that is coordinated by Best Western has become a barometer for corporate in travel in Canada. I was honoured to once again be the moderator for another engaging discussion from a very impressive panel.
This year's panel included Summit veteran's Dorothy Dowling, Best Western's Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing as well as Tanya Racz, President of the GBTA (Global Business Travel Association) for Canada. The panel also included two rookie's Brian Robertson, COO of Vision 2000 Travel and Michael Koetting, Executive Vice President of Supplier Management for Concur and Trip It.
The Best Western Indie Films series visits Linda Thurrott and her Bainbridge Island hotel, located in Washington state. Caring truly comes from the heart and Linda and her staff make sure every guest experiences that level of caring and hospitality. See the story of Linda and her team as they go above and beyond in caring for their guests, community and also for one another.
Every hotel has its own story, take some time to get to know Linda and her hotel.
Motorcycling hit a significant milestone last month. The American Motorcyclist Association's Board of Directors elected Maggie McNally as its first female chair. The AMA has been in existence for 89 years, representing the wide range of motorcycling. McNally, an AMA Board Member since 2009, is from Albany, New York. According to her bio on the AMA website, McNally is "an avid motorcyclist and is a Motorcycle Safety Foundation RiderCoach. In addition to her motorcycling activities, McNally is active in Albany's Irish-American community, as an Irish 2000 Music and Arts Festival board member, Albany St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee member and an assistant instructor at the Farrell School of Irish Dance."
Our main goal for spring break is to get some sun. Our family hasn't been anywhere warm and balmy in over a year, and most of our summer was spent freezing in foggy, cold San Francisco. Our skin seems to be turning the color of Elmer's Glue and we desperately need to soak up some rays!
But with me being five months pregnant and our budget being incredibly tight, far-flung tropical destinations like Tahiti, Barbados, and even Hawaii, are out of the question.
There are a lot of good reasons why Rome is one of the most visited cities in the world. Not only is it home to the Coliseum, the Pantheon, and Vatican City, but it's also offers some of the world's most celebrated works of art. The Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica and countless museums showcase paintings and sculptures by history's most famous creative figures such as Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci.
With St. Patrick's Day approaching, there are two things you need to be ready: Stylish green apparel and somewhere lucky to show it off. Here are a few suggestions for a charmed vacation.
Twitter can be overwhelming for time-pressed business travelers. Who has the time to sort through the millions of travel-related tweets?
Finding truly useful business travel information can be as tough as finding that free drink coupon at the bottom of your carry-on bag.
To help you out, here is a list of some of the top Tweeters when it comes to business travel. (Listed in alphabetical order)
Do you ever wonder what is really happening inside your engine when you pull in that clutch lever and stomp your heel down on the shifter? I'm going to try to shed a little bit of the light of knowledge into that dark space, with the hope that a little bit of understanding will help you ride better.
I'm no mechanic -- I've proved that with several projects on my poor old Sportster, Manny. But I have learned that if I don't force anything, and if I take the time and read all of the directions, I can figure out a few things. I still leave the big projects to the professionals, but I got tired of seeing mechanics rubbing their hands together with glee every time I pulled in to the shop for a minor repair. I decided to gain a basic understanding of how my motorcycle works -- so now when a mechanic says "Seems like we might need to tear this down and get a look at the dogs," I know that he isn't referring to fence removal.
Sometimes referred to as the Echo Boomers, there is a group of travellers who are starting to really influence the travel and tourism industry. Millennials are a demographic cohort that follows Generation X and although many disagree about their exact age, in Canada the label is used for those born between 1983 and 1999.
From a travel perspective we are talking about those in their twenties and they have some very distinct characteristics:
Always on the lookout for what I call "road art," I was delighted to come across an exceptional display of major works in New Mexico. It's road art on water tanks, and there are examples all over the state. Not only are they exciting, they're also easy to look at, especially from a senior standpoint, because you don't have to get out of your car to examine them due to their enormous size.
A prime example is in Los Lunas, where a huge city water tank is adorned with two painted-on snarling tigers. There's one on the east side and another on the west, and all the space in between is filled with black and orange stripes, which is the way a tigered tank should look. The big felines honor the athletes at Los Lunas High School because the tiger is the school mascot. The tank is highly visible from I-25 on the north edge of the city.
The Harley-Davidson lineup consists of five families of motorcycles: Touring (FLT), Softail (FLS), V-Rod (VRS), Sportster (XL) and Dyna (FXD). Touring is the workhorse; Softail is the pretty one; V-Rod is the hooligan; Sportster is the kid brother. Dyna is the middle child -- sometimes forced to struggle for attention, but truly remarkable in its own way.
The distinguishing feature between the families is the frame. Dyna frames are formed from tubular steel, and like the Touring, V-Rod and Sportster frames, are designed to accept twin external rear shocks, attached to a double-sided swingarm. A Softail frame harbors a single, hidden rear shock, giving the appearance of a rigid suspension.
Tell Us and Enter for a Chance to Win a $250 Best Western Travel Card!
Have you been working late nights at the office? Are you so busy these days you can barely catch your breath? If you, or someone you know, deserves that hard earned vacation - we want to hear about it! Share your reason for awarding that vacation and you will be automatically entered for a chance to win a $250 Best Western Travel Card!
Limit one entry per person. Must be 18 years of age or older and a resident of the US or Canada to be eligible to win. Winner will be randomly selected from all entries posted in the comments below. Winner will be announced via comment post on youmustbetrippin.com after winner is verified. Contest ends Mar 31st.
We continue our showcase of the Best Western Indie Films series with the story of Best Western hotel owners, Vicki and Nick Massad, and how their family cares for their guests. We hope you are as inspired as we were upon hearing how they rebuilt their hotel from a hurricane and left a lasting legacy for future generations.
Every hotel has its own story, take some time to get to know Vicki and Nick Massad and their hotel.
Finally a morning without frost on my motorcycle -- but today is the day that I head home. Oh, well. I've got the perfect excuse to return to Nevada later in the year: Undiscovered country. I'm still eager to ride up to Ely, and I really want to take that ride across the state on US-50, "The Loneliest Road in America." Carson City beckons, and then there's the whole northern part of the state that I didn't even plan to touch on this ride.
There are lots of ways to make a vacation great. But, one way to guarantee it is to go somewhere known to be "Great". Here's some information on how to plan your trip to see some of the world's truly greatest locales!
As most of us are still hitting the "defrost" button every morning when we jump in the car... or watching airport workers blast the plane with de-icing fluid... Americans are starting to think and dream about vacation, and finding some balance in their lives. Last week, the New York Times opined about our frustrations with finding balance.
Have you taken a meaningful break lately? One where you could truly "get away from it all?" There is increasing evidence that the pressures of work and the proliferation of new tools like smart phones and tablets are making it tougher to truly let go. For example, a new survey by Best Western reveals most Americans (62%) feel that work frequently keeps them from relaxing while on vacation.
A friend of mine asked me this week about arranging a trip to Montreal this summer and whether it made sense to take the train. My initial reaction was no, but it really got me thinking and I have to admit I have really changed my tune.
Admittedly my default answer is to fly and if that isn't option than I guess we are driving. The train hasn't traditionally been on my radar screen.
We know it is a big world out there with lots of places to see and experience.
Best Western's You Must Be Trippin' travel blog offers travel tips, ideas and
feature destinations to make your next trip a success. We are also interested
in where you've been tirppin' and invite you to share your travel ideas, tips
and destinations with us. For your next trip, stay at Best Western, Stay with
people who care.SM
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