Tours to Go

I am becoming increasingly interested in audio tours that can be downloaded and brought with on an iPod, cell phone, or GPS unit. I remember one my dad had of the section of I80 from Auburn to Truckee in California. It was fantastic and we listed to it repeatedly. Here are some of the more recent ones I've found.



Discovery Audio: they seem to offer a wide array of downloadable tours. I'm not sure about production values.



Audyssey Guides: I bought their CD on Boston to research my Walking Boston book and loved the high quality and interesting narration.



Walk Talk Guides: these are mostly in Europe and provide an interesting business model.



Visual Travel Tours: Multimedia tours for the iPod.



Have you used any of these? Do you know of any others that are great? What about cell phone tours or tours specific to museums or other places of interest? What do you look for in an audio tour?



Please jump into the conversation below. I know there are a number of readers interested in your thoughts on this one, and I'll be monitoring this closely all week.

Book Expo Recap

BEA RECAP




For those outside the book publishing world, Book Expo of America (BEA) is the annual gathering of book publishers, book sellers, librarians, authors, editors, and hangers-on. It’s where deals are struck, buzz is created, and the schmoozing oozes. As you can imagine, this year’s version was a bit subdued compared to previous years.

As I wandered the rows of publisher booths at the show on Friday, I noticed a few things. First, I did not see very many new books. I had been hearing rumors of publishers shelving almost entire seasons of new releases until the economy gets better, but it really struck me here. In the past, many booths had stacks and stacks of pre-release books and galleys. This year, it was easy to navigate my way through the crowds without bumping into books.

Secondly, and I fully applaud this move, there were three stages right on the expo floor, where authors and influencers gave interviews, talks, and presentations. Much of this was about how to use Twitter and social networks to promote content. Not necessarily books, but content.

This brings me to my final observation. It seemed to me that everyone at the show was waiting to exhale – waiting to see what comes next. I firmly believe that there will be a need for good content: wonderful stories, engaging nonfiction, thrilling poetry. And I think everyone recognizes that the book as we know it is quickly evolving to other, more electronic forms. The big question is what this will do to our reading and writing styles? I look to the music industry where the notion of an album is evolving in the face of iTunes. Audiences are getting used to only paying for the content they want.

What do you see happening? What are you willing to pay for?

Hit the Road With Academic Ambassadors

Academic Ambassadors
Academic Ambassadors is a wonderful service for academics and non-profit traveling professionals. For more information, read this article at Wandering Educators

Academic Ambassadors President, Adam Siegel

The Best of Baseball

Ahh, the best of local baseball: extra innings, a late game-winning dinger, and an all-team conference on the mound:

Sustainable Travel and Wandering Educators

Wandering Educators has posted my review of Code Green. Check it out for my thoughts on sustainable travel: http://tiny.cc/36Kk8.

Wandering Educators Celebrates a Year!

It is remarkably appropriate that I am writing this post from an eco-lodge in Costa Rica, for this is exactly the type of cultural and educational travel endorsed by Wandering Educators, who are celebrating their first anniversary today with lots of new features (including my review of Otalo, the vacation home rental supersite) and wonderful giveaways. Hint, hint, look for all the Roaring Forties Press titles, including both of mine. Comment throughout the day and you'll be sure to come up with something fantastic.

Looking for good Costa Rican literature

I am thrilled to be headed to Costa Rica next week to explore sustainable and meaningful travel (I'm also writing a book review of Lonely Planet's Code Green -- stay tuned at www.wanderingeducators.com), and am looking for suggestions on Costa Rican literature to bring. I am interested in novels, poetry, drama - engaging nonfiction -- you name it!

Thanks -- I'll send you a postcard!

Twitter / Home

Twitter / Home: "NewUrbanismGood mag,@streetsblog show a livable street emerge before your very eyes.More contexts needed, contest will generate them. http://is.gd/r8XF"

About the Precipice

On the eve of my fortieth birthday, I am thinking about the path I want to take for the next forty years. I am crossing my fingers for the wonderful luck, love, and happiness that I've enjoyed for the first forty (minus that haircut in 7th grade and the time I backed into my girlfriend's car while trying sneak her out of her house).

Watching Spring come in...slowly

I'm looking out at the backyard ice rink, which, like many of our glaciers, has lost about a third of its ice. But unlike with global warming, I'm not that sorry to see the ice go.

On the other hand, there is free skiing this Wednesday at Okemo if you bring three non-perishable items of food. Maybe King Winter can hold out for another week or two. Snow in the first two weeks of April is not out of the question.