The year was 1984. Rally was all the rage. Danger was mainstream. And carcinogens weren't exclusively advertised by the rumble of tailpipes. Also in 1984, Porsche was developing a legend, but it was behind schedule: The 959 wasn't ready when David Richards, the orchestrator of the Porsche-Rothmans deal, wanted to go rallying. So, along with […]
The post Sunday Cinema: Snow Dancing in a Porsche 911 SC RS appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
1. Jewel or Juice in Kailua
Their acai bowls are simply delicious. Ingredients are fresh, organic and local when possible. My favorite is the Deluxe Acai Bowl, which is topped off with local banana, strawberries, blueberries, shredded coconut, organic granola and of course, honey! Its close proximity to beautiful Kailua Beach makes it a perfect stop pre- or post-beach day. In addition to their acai bowls, their smoothies are the best on the island – from fruit and veggie blends to creamy delights like my favorite – taro haupia; they’ve got it all. Lastly, their bowls are affordable compared to some other spots on the island. If you’re in Honolulu/Waikiki, they have a location in Kaimuki on Waialae Avenue. ~ Kira Chong Tim, Klick Communications HI.
2. Honolulu Coffee Company
I work in downtown Honolulu so this place is convenient, consistently delicious with fresh bananas and granola, and always served with a smile. It's simply done and a great way to start any day in Hawaii. ~ Nathan Kam, President, Public Relations Anthology.
3. Hale‘iwa Bowls
Hale‘iwa Bowls is a roadside stand on the North Shore that serves up delicious, organic and fresh-from-the-local-farm bowls of fruit, honey and granola with the option to add on heaps of your other favorite toppings. And, it’s just a few minutes’ walk to the beach park to sit and enjoy your acai with a view! ~ Alison Croyle – Director of PR for Hawaiian Airlines.
4. Diamond Head Cove Health Bar
A favorite location for acai connoisseurs and those looking for a healthy bite, Da Hawaiian’s acai bowl is a must try at Diamond Head Cove Health Bar. Da's delicious bowl includes acai fruit, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, bee pollen and a scoop of Pai'i'ai Waiahole Waikane (Hawaii Moi Taro.) Granola and toasted coconut flakes are also added for extra magic! ~ Michelle Edwards, Director of Public Relations at Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina
5. Diamond Head Cove Health Bar
I’m an acai bowl connoisseur and this is my favorite spot on Oahu! I love the Mana Cove Bowl, it’s double acai topped with organic granola, blueberries, strawberries, banana, bee pollen and honey. ~ Dara Lum, Communications Director, Halekulani Corporation
So there you have the best spots to get an acai bowl on Oahu. Are any of these your favorites or do you have another recommendation?
The post 5 Best Places to Get an Acai Bowl on Oahu appeared first on Johnny Jet.
Football fans are finalizing their Super Bowl 50 party plans, which will undoubtedly include copious amounts of heart-clogging edibles and liquids that might be confused for beer. At the same time, Audi is tapping its foot in anticipation. The automaker will air a 60-second Super Bowl spot in an effort to get the attention of those cod-lager-swilling football fans watching the game next weekend. […]
The post Audi Wants To Say Something, And Will Spend $10M To Do It appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
I've seen it all, including Sandra Bullock waiting for Matthew McConaughey plane side at midnight, before their relationship was public.
Natalie sitting next to Billy Corgan
The other day, my wife and I both got upgraded to first class on our LAX to Chicago flight, thanks to my Executive Platinum status on American Airlines (you have to fly over 100,000 miles a year on American Airlines to earn Executive Platinum). We couldn’t get seats together but were able to sit across the aisle from one another in the first row of first class. What’s funny is that just before the flight attendants closed the door, I leaned over to Natalie and told her I bet she’d have a celebrity sitting next to her since they usually like seat 1A (it’s 3A on some of American’s planes) and they are usually the last to board. Sure enough, a minute later, Billy Corgan from the Smashing Pumpkins sat down next to her. He was a cool guy but we didn’t ask him for a picture.
One of my best celebrity stories was when American Airlines invited me to try out their helicopter service from Manhattan to JFK and then fly to L.A. After landing, I went into the Admirals Club to get a better picture of the helicopter. As soon as I turned around, I bumped into one of my old friends from Connecticut, who was a bigwig on Wall Street. He said he was flying out to L.A. for a meeting, then returning the next day with his team. He asked where I was sitting. I saw his nice business class ticket and said with a slight frown, "Just a few rows from you." As we were walking out of the club, he said, "Look, there’s Debra Messing." My friend predicted she would be on our flight. I joked, "Yeah, she’ll probably sit next to me." I knew my friend’s thought: Sure — keep dreaming! Like she’s flying coach? I didn’t tell him I had a first class ticket. You should have seen his reaction when he got on the plane and saw you-know-who sitting next to Debra Messing. It was priceless!
BTW: When I boarded that plane, Debra was sitting in my seat, 1A. When I said, “Hey, you’re in my seat!” she said with doe eyes, “Do you mind if I switch with you? I’m in 1B.” I kindly obliged but that gives you an idea how much celebrities like sitting in the first row window.
Another time, I saw Jennifer Lopez take 1A and right after takeoff, she reclined her lie-flat seat, put the blanket over her head and slept the whole LAX-JFK flight.
Surprisingly, the big stars don’t always have someone traveling with them so if you want to sit next to one of these people, your best bet is booking 1B on flights to and from LAX and JFK, though I’ve seen them on random flights as well. Once I sat behind Sharon Stone on a flight from Pittsburgh to Erie.
Good to know: Celebrities are usually either the first person or the last ones on the plane and they are usually escorted, which is a dead giveaway.
Below is my photo gallery of just a few of the celebrities I’ve sat next to or near. Note: Most of the time, I didn’t ask them for a picture since it didn’t feel right. As you can see from my picture with Keanu Reeves, that was one of the times I shouldn’t have asked him.
Related:
–More Celebrity Photos
-I Flew with Ed Begley Jr., Possibly the Greenest Person Alive
The post Want to Sit Next to A Celebrity On Your Next Flight? Sit Here! appeared first on Johnny Jet.
Want to know how to travel in style, just like the pros? We check in with frequent fliers to find out how often they fly, their favorite destinations and what they never leave home without.
David Steward
Name: David Steward
Occupation: CEO ShermansTravel & Publisher of ShermansCruise
Hometown: Orange, TX
Residence: New York City and East Hampton, NY
College: Cornell University, University of Chicago (Grad)
College major: BS Psychology, MBA Finance & Marketing
Website: shermanscruise.com & shermanstravel.com
Twitter: @ShermansTravel & @ShermansCruise
Facebook: ShermansTravel & ShermansCruise
Pinterest: ShermansTravel & ShermansCruise
Instagram: shermanstravel & shermanscruise
YouTube: Shermans Cruise
Short bio: David H. Steward is a leader in brand-building and turnaround across multiple platforms, including digital marketing and content, e-commerce and traditional media. He currently serves as CEO of ShermansTravel Media, a leading online and mobile publisher of top travel deals and advice for value-oriented travelers. He is also excited to lead the launch of ShermansCruise, a new editorial and deals site that is targeted to travelers who are interested in cruising.
Prior to ShermansTravel, Steward served as CEO of F+W Media, a $200M private-equity backed niche consumer media and e-commerce company. Earlier in his career he led a dramatic turnaround of a $200M direct marketer and was instrumental in building and redeveloping three of America’s top media brands: People Magazine, Martha Stewart Living (as COO) and TV Guide (as CEO). His leadership, analytical, financial and creative skills propelled these brands into profitable new directions.
Steward has been honored by Advertising Age as one of their "Marketing 100" and by the American Advertising Federation with the Advertising Hall of Achievement Award. Steward holds an M.B.A. in Finance and Marketing from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and a B.A. from Cornell University. He lives in New York City and East Hampton, but is happiest when traveling—both nearby and far away.
How often do you fly? A couple of times a month.
How many countries have you been to? 42 and counting.
How many continents have you been to? 6
Earliest travel memory: Roadtrip with my brothers and sister in the back of my parents’ station wagon.
Favorite American city: New York. It's been my home for the last 30+ years and has the most amazing collection of people who also call it home.
Favorite international city: A hard call. My heart votes for Paris, my stomach votes for Lyon and my soul votes for Chiang Mai.
Least favorite country: Haven’t found one yet, but I haven’t seen anything attractive about North Korea.
I have no desire to go to: North Korea.
Friendliest people in the world: Balinese. We were in Bali during the terrorist attack in October 2002 and the Balinese were so lovely.
Country with the meanest immigration officers: Bahamas.
Favorite World Heritage Site: Angkor Wat and nearby temples.
Favorite airline: Still looking…
Favorite aircraft type: Pilatus (it’s better to fly private!).
Aisle or window: Aisle, though I like a window when I am sleeping.
Favorite airport lounge: Original Concorde lounge. British Airways. JFK.
Favorite U.S. airport: Saarinen’s TWA terminal, JFK.
Favorite international airport: Any of the new terminals in China—Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing etc.
Favorite hotel: Begawan Giri (now COMO Shambhala Estate), Ubud, Bali.
Favorite cruise line: Still sampling!
Favorite travel credit card: Amex Platinum.
Favorite island: St Barths—the epitome of relaxed chic!
Favorite beach: Flammandes, St. Barths.
Favorite fancy restaurant: Maison Troisgros, a dining revelation!
Favorite hole-in-the-wall: Clam Bar, Napeague.
Favorite bar: Lindt dark chocolate with a touch of sea salt (I’m not a drinker).
Favorite fruit: Fresh organic strawberries grown by my partner, Pierre.
Favorite food: Anything unexpected and innovative from the kitchen of a chef. Love to be surprised and delighted.
Least favorite food: Overcooked meat and vegetables.
Drink of choice (in the air and on the ground): Sparkling water with a splash of cranberry or a good cup of coffee.
Favorite travel movie(s): The James Bond films. I’ve been watching them in chronological order and there are so many great locales.
Favorite travel show(s): Parts Unknown. Anthony Bourdain just inhales the cities he visits.
Favorite travel book(s): I love to read a book about where I am next traveling to so most recently that was “Empire’s Crossroads.” But I also just finished a couple of Burma titles for an upcoming trip at the end of 2016.
Right now I am reading: Cruising and Cruise Ships 2015. (Still learning!)
Top 3 favorite travel newsletters/magazines/blogs: Afar, CN Traveler, Travel & Leisure.
Favorite travel website(s)—besides JohnnyJet.com, of course! ShermansCruise, ShermansTravel and GoSeek.com.
5 things you bring on a plane: Battery backup for my iPad and iPhone, Bose noise-cancelling headphones, carrots, almonds and fruit to snack on, plus a couple of movies from iTunes store.
What do you always seem to forget? To pack light!
What do you like least about travel? Connecting flights.
What do you want your loved one to buy you from an airport Duty Free store? Cashmere scarf.
Favorite travel app(s): WhereTo, Waze, Google Maps, Kindle, Yelp!, Uber.
Most embarrassing travel moment: See worst travel moment below.
I’m embarrassed but I haven’t been to: Berlin.
Worst travel moment: Arriving at El Al JFK for a trip to Tel Aviv with a cancelled passport.
What’s your dream destination? Everest Base Camp.
Favorite travel charity: Nature Conservancy—Offset your Carbon Footprint. A nice way to help offset the impact on travel on the environment and five metric tons is only $75.
Best travel tip: Rimowa luggage—buy it! It’s so light and strong and holds so much.
The post Travel Style: David Steward appeared first on Johnny Jet.
The automotive and tech blogs are aflutter Saturday with news that Elon Musk has gobbled up another chunk of Tesla stock — this time at a discount. Musk exercised and held a stock option this week that saw the multi-billionaire increase his ownership of Tesla Motors by 532,000 shares. In total, those shares are worth over $101 million […]
The post So Musk Now Owns 22 Percent of Tesla, But Does It Matter? appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Each Friday, we feature a reader-submitted tip as our Travel Tip of the Day. This week’s tip comes from reader Amy G of Portland, OR, who says:
"The currently strong US dollar presents an opportunity for US residents who live within driving/train range of Canada to save significantly on Europe and other international airfares. I've been pricing trips for fun—and am seeing tickets prices often halved or more when I price them out of Canada. It's worth checking out, especially for groups of three or more traveling together. The savings really offset the extra travel required. And I'm looking at it as an add-on vacation to explore a Canadian city. :) Canadians have done this for years. Now it's our turn!"
A really good tip—and I've mentioned before, Canada is a great value right now so an add-on vacation is another great idea. Thanks, Amy!
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Tried this tip? Let me know in the comments!
Have your own tip? Email it to whitney@johnnyjet.com!
Want to see more tips? Click here for all 603!
Want even more travel tips? Subscribe to the Daily Travel Tip newsletter! All you have to do is sign up for the weekly newsletter by filling in your email address and checking the Daily Travel Tip box in the top-right corner of the homepage.
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The post Reader Travel Tip of the Day: Consider Flying Out of Canada appeared first on Johnny Jet.
Ballast Point Watermelon Dorado, the brewery's imperial IPA brewed with watermelon, releases in bottles this week.
The brewery has been taking a few of their tried and true offerings, and nuancing them with everything from pineapple to peanut butter cups. Recently (or forthcoming) releases include Pineapple Sculpin, Grapefruit Sculpin, & Habanero Sculpin, and Mango Even Keel.
This week, Ballast Point Watermelon Dorado is available in 12 ounce bottles in the San Diego tap room. National distribution will follow in February.
This Double IPA is not one to back down from big flavors. Mash, kettle, and dry hopping blend to create a huge hop profile that is balanced with a blast of watermelon.
Ballast Point Watermelon Dorado is a 12 ounce bottle and draft offering. 12 ounce cans are expected later this year.
Style: Imperial IPA (w/ Watermelon)
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft. 12oz Bottles
Release: Late-January, 2016
The post Ballast Point Watermelon Dorado released appeared first on Beer Street Journal.
… well, nobody. Allow me to explain. After nine months of running TTAC more or less solo, with the exception of Aaron's stewardship on the daily-news side of things, I've realized it's time for a change. For starters, I'm tired. Working 60- and 70-hour weeks for nine months straight is not healthy for anyone. At the […]
The post In Which We Bid Farewell to The Newsbot and Replace It With … appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
After 853 posts, No. 854 will be my last. Or, at least, my final scheduled story for now. Over the past year, I’ve gotten to know TTAC, its readership, fellowship, authors, contributors, editors and the B&B. Among the thousands of words that I’ve written that have reached your eyeballs, there are only three that come […]
The post Thank You and Goodbye appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
After 67 years, production of the iconic Land Rover Defender ends today. It's an amazing feat that the Defender has lasted this long. It was a utilitarian vehicle developed at a time when going off-roading meant just going. It helped Europe rebuild after World War II. And it explored Africa, where often the Land Rover was the first automobile ever […]
The post Four Weeks in Africa with the Land Rover Defender appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
The last Land Rover Defender rolled off the line Friday at the Solihull, UK facility, according to the automaker. The wildly uncomfortable, loud and grandfather to all Land Rovers will live on, albeit in name only — the next-generation Defender is already in the works. The final Land Rover Defenders shared two common parts with […]
The post 2,016,932 Land Rover Defenders Have Been Built So Far, And Then This Last One appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Nissan announced Friday that it would recall about 870,000 Altimas for faulty hood latches, the third time the automaker has recalled the cars since 2014, according to Reuters. The affected models are 2013-2015 Altimas, whose secondary hood latches could rust and be ineffective at keeping 20-some square feet of sheet metal from blocking your view […]
The post Nissan Recalling 870,000 Altimas for Faulty Hood Latches, Again appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
We discussed the general process of repairing a salvage car a few weeks ago and one commenter asked about airbags. Joe Btfsplk writes: How do you deal with deployed airbags? Are used parts allowed to be used in salvage vehicles? This seems to get little attention in the article. Dealing with deployed airbags in modern cars […]
The post Ask Bozi: How Are Deployed Airbags Repaired? appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
I wish I had $100 for every time someone told me their rare car was going to shoot up in value. If I did, I would invest it in the stock market, which is something that actually might shoot up in value. Their rare car, of course, will stay behind, largely due to the old […]
The post Doug Drives: No, Your ‘Rare' Car Isn’t Going To Shoot Up In Value appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Last week I offered you, the man or woman in the street, a chance to own a "TEXAS EDITION" badge at my expense. I asked you to tell me what you'd do with such a badge. After an exhaustive selection process consisting of me having a couple shots of Ketel One Citroen and picking shit […]
The post Here Are the ‘Winners' of the ‘TEXAS EDITION' Badges appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Did you ever have to find a way to survive and you knew your choices were bad, but you had to survive? Irving Rosenfeld, "American Hustle" The rental car lottery is a funny thing. Some days you win; other days you end up having your olfactory receptors assaulted by an invisible army of plastic-forming chemical fumes. Faced […]
The post 2016 Hyundai Veloster Rental Review appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Yes, dear readers, I do read the comments. I try and chime in when I can, but I have a day job that doesn't always allow me to monitor, refute, or verbally flog every remark, even when warranted. Wednesday, prolific commenter CoreyDL noticed a blurple Acura CL lurking behind my beloved Gallic pile of rust. […]
The post Digestible Collectible: 2003 Acura CL Type S appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
A lawyer for Volkswagen said in court that the automaker would buy back cars that it can’t fix in time, the first admission from the company that some of its cars may not be fixable, according to the New York Times. Volkswagen lawyer Robert Giuffra told a court last week during hearings related to the class-action […]
The post Volkswagen Lawyer: Automaker May Buy Back Unfixable Cars appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
United B787 Dreamliner
United Airlines just announced that it will begin daily nonstop flights between its San Francisco International Airport hub and Singapore’s Changi Airport beginning on June 1, 2016 (westbound), subject to government approval. United will be the first airline to offer nonstop service between San Francisco and Singapore, and this will be the only nonstop service to the U.S. from Singapore.
Singapore Airlines used to offer nonstop service from Los Angeles and Newark with the latter being the longest commercial flight in the world. I was on the inaugural SIN-EWR flight in 2004, here's my story.
United will use the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, to operate the service. Measured by distance, the San Francisco – Singapore service will be the longest scheduled 787 flight operated by any airline and the longest scheduled flight operated by any U.S. carrier, at 8,446 miles.
Flight Schedule
Flight UA1 will depart San Francisco at 11:25 p.m. daily, arriving in Singapore at 6:45 a.m. two days later (all times local). The return flight, UA2, will depart Singapore’s Changi Airport at 8:45 a.m. daily, arriving at San Francisco International Airport at 9:15 a.m. the same day. Flying times will be approximately 15 hours, 30 minutes eastbound and 16 hours, 20 minutes westbound.
By using the new nonstop flights between San Francisco and Singapore, customers will be able to save up to four hours’ journey time each way, as compared with the current United one- stop service and competitors’ schedules.
Singapore Schedule Changes
With the launch of nonstop San Francisco – Singapore service, United will terminate service between Singapore and Tokyo/Narita effective June 2, 2016 (eastbound). However, United customers in Singapore may continue to choose to fly to Tokyo/Narita by using daily flights on ANA, United’s trans-Pacific joint venture partner, and to make connections at Narita to many cities in the U.S. on multiple flights operated both by United and ANA. United will maintain its daily service between Singapore and Hong Kong.
Onboard Products and Services
The Boeing 787-9 aircraft operating the new San Francisco – Singapore service will have a total of 252 seats – 48 in United BusinessFirst and 204 in United Economy, including 88 Economy Plus seats with added legroom and increased personal space.
The post United Airlines to Operate Longest Scheduled Flight appeared first on Johnny Jet.
Westbrook 5th Anniversary Chocolate Raspberry Imperial Stout has just sporadically hit shelves across the brewery's distribution network.
One thing is for sure, the brewery love their birthday releases. That's where Westbrook Mexican Cake got its start. Westbrook 5th Anniversary Chocolate Raspberry Imperial Stout is a 10.5% alcohol by volume imperial stout, brewed with raspberries, vanilla beans and coco nibs.
We're talking boozy dessert here.
A couple of tasting notes to throw at you. After drinking this one last night, a few of the Beer Street Journal readers mentioned waiting/cellaring before trying this beer. Essentially hoping an aspect of the beer (like the raspberries) would fade a bit from the flavor…. At this point, you don't really want this beer do you? The beer you have in your fridge right now is exactly as the brewery intended it. So… drink in the boozy bit of berry laden deliciousness in front of you. Don't wait.
Westbrook 5th Anniversary Chocolate Raspberry Imperial Stout is available now in limited quantities in 22 ounce bottles.
Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Vanilla Beans, Raspberries, Cocoa Nibs.)
Availability: 22oz Bottles. Limited.
Release: Late-January, 2016
10.5% ABV
The post Westbrook 5th Anniversary Chocolate Raspberry Imperial Stout (DRINK NOW) appeared first on Beer Street Journal.
An Illinois sheriff knows a barn find when he sees one. According to the Northwest Herald, McHenry County Sheriff’s Deputy Mike Stadler spotted an old parade Chevrolet Caprice with 4,000 miles gathering dust in a shed and decided to bring it back into service. The 20-year-old, LT1-powered police cruiser — which sports none of […]
The post Sherriff Resurrects 20-year-old LT1-powered Chevrolet Caprice appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Today’s tip couldn’t be any simpler: Clean your camera lenses and phone’s camera lens to ensure that your photos are as clear and crisp as possible. Check out the photo I’ve posted above to see what a difference this makes!
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Tried this tip? Let me know in the comments!
Have your own tip? Email it to whitney@johnnyjet.com!
Want to see more tips? Click here for all 601!
Want even more travel tips? Subscribe to the Daily Travel Tip newsletter! All you have to do is sign up for the weekly newsletter by filling in your email address and checking the Daily Travel Tip box in the top-right corner of the homepage.
If you already subscribe to the newsletter, fill in your email and check the Daily Travel Tip box in the same top-right corner of the homepage and you’ll receive an email with a link to update your JohnnyJet.com preferences. On that page, just click the Daily Travel Tip box and Update Profile and you’ll have Johnny’s best tips, straight to your inbox each day. And don’t worry—it’s easier than it sounds!
The post Travel Tip of the Day: Clean Your Camera Lens appeared first on Johnny Jet.
Guess what, enthusiasts? The automakers are lying to you. See that red tire? It may as well be a giant red X written across your hopes and dreams of a small, nimble, rear-wheel drive coupe. The Opel GT Concept is just that — a concept. And it isn't the first time GM has pulled this […]
The post Every Rear-wheel-drive Coupe Concept from GM is Vaporware appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Want to know how to travel in style, just like the pros? We check in with frequent fliers to find out how often they fly, their favorite destinations and what they never leave home without.
Jill Lena Ford
Name: Jill Lena Ford
Occupation: Artist/Entrepreneur
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pa
Residence: Pittsburgh, Pa
College: Northern Arizona University
College major: Bachelor of Fine Art, Masters Art Education
Website: JillLenaFordArt.com
Twitter: @JillLenaFord
Facebook: Jill Lena Ford Art
Pinterest: Jill Lena Ford Art
Short bio: Jill Lena Ford is a world-traveling artist best known for her self-developed style of abstract art called “Organic Mixed Media.” Collecting natural elements of the Earth—from volcanic sands of the Hawaiian islands to rose petals from a bush in Morocco—Ford incorporates these natural materials onto her canvases, which she also paints with acrylics and oils, turning a two-dimensional painting into a three-dimensional homage to the place from which the materials originated. The artist is a storyteller who uses her canvas to convey emotions about the cultures and landscapes she has experienced as a world traveler.
Recently returning to her hometown roots of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to make her home, she previously lived on Hawaii’s Kauai island and has traveled to the far ends of the Earth on her quest to find inspiration from various countries, and include their exotic landscapes into her artworks.
The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native earned a Bachelor of Fine Art in 2001 and a Masters degree in Art Education in 2006 from Northern Arizona University. Her works have been shown in galleries and exhibitions held throughout the country, and her murals have been featured internationally in places such as India, Morocco, Thailand, and Belize. Jill spends her time near her hometown of Pittsburgh, where she continues to create her artwork and embrace the beauty of nature. If you can’t find her there, she is probably out trekking the globe gathering new inspiration.
How often do you fly? It varies, but always at least a few big trips a year.
How many countries have you been to? 24
How many continents have you been to? 4
Earliest travel memory: Growing up, my father worked for the airlines and we traveled a lot so my whole childhood was a travel memory. I would say my earliest memory was a family trip to San Diego when I was about four. We went to Sea World and I got picked out of the crowd at a show to pet Shamu and I was so excited. And then we roller skated to the Mexican border and went to Tijuana!
Favorite American city: San Francisco, Honolulu, Pittsburgh.
Favorite international city: Bangkok.
Least favorite country: I don't think that it exists!
I have no desire to go to: There really is nowhere that I would not want to go to—anywhere new intrigues me! I suppose any war-zone territory would be the only place I'd shy away from going to.
Friendliest people in the world: Laos. They are so welcoming in a shy and sweet kind of way with warm and gentle hearts.
Country with the meanest immigration officers: USA. Hands down. Philly in particular.
Favorite World Heritage Site: Angkor Wat. It's just amazing to see the ancient architecture, the carvings and the way time and nature has embraced it. I love how the fig trees wrapped their roots around the temples and have become a part of it over time.
Favorite airline: Delta's customer service is great, Virgin is fun and fresh, and Hawaiian has the friendliest air service.
Aisle or window: Window. I love cloud-watching and seeing the world pass by below. I've seen some pretty epic sunsets from the plane window. It also is a great place to rest your head for naps.
Favorite U.S. Airport: Honolulu. There is nothing like coming off of that jet way into the open air terminal with the tradewinds blowing, Hawaiian music on the speakers and the scent of plumeria in the air.
Favorite international airport: I don't really have a favorite, they sort of all blend together. I do recall having a fun layover in Tokyo's Narita Airport. They had great food and lots of interesting things to look at to keep me occupied.
Favorite island: I'm such an island girl…I love them all! For raw beauty: Long Island in the Indian Andaman Islands. For the people: Gili Meno in Indonesia. And for living on: Kauai, Hawaii.
Favorite beach: Another tough one! Top 3: Mahalapu'u on Kauai, Botramine in southern Morocco, and Lani Kai on Oahu.
Favorite hole-in-the-wall: We stumbled across a local pub on the backstreets of Paris. Literally a hole in the wall, it was about as big as a large closet and I don't even think it had a name. At closing time they locked up and let us all stay inside and drink until the wee hours of the night. It was full of locals and we made friends with everyone. I don't think we bought ourselves a drink the entire night!
Favorite bar: I don't really have a favorite bar. I like visiting different ones, especially the local spots.
Favorite fruit: Mango.
Favorite food: Coconut fish curry-extra spicy! And sushi…I love sushi.
Least favorite food: I don't eat meat so anything with beef, chicken etc. I don't touch.
Drink of choice (in the air and on the ground): Vodka tonic with a lime, red wine and I'm a big sangria lover too.
Favorite travel show(s): I don't really watch TV. I guess any travel documentary. And I really do love Anthony Bourdain, he cracks me up!
Favorite travel book(s): "The Alchemist," "Shantaram."
Top 3 favorite travel newsletters/magazines/blogs: I don't really follow any regularly. I like National Geo Travel, Islands and any inflight magazines.
Favorite travel website(s)—besides JohnnyJet.com, of course! It depends on where I am going and what type of trip, but I usually will refer to Lonely Planet and Bootsnall and then get lost for hours in Google searches on the destination I am going to. I like to book online tickets with OneWorldTravel.com or Cheaptickets.com and Airbnb is great for unique accommodations.
5 things you bring on a plane: Snacks, socks, sweater/sweatshirt, iPod, eye mask.
What do you always seem to forget? Time! The hour, the day, the week, the month…at times even the year. It's one of the best parts of traveling…being so immersed in the moment that you lose track of all time.
What do you like least about travel? There's nothing that I don't like about traveling but I suppose a side effect of traveling that can be tough is being away from my loved ones at home, and not being able to share those amazing experiences with them first hand.
What do you want your loved one to buy you from an airport Duty Free store? Chocolate and perfume. I'm a chocoholic—the darker the better! And I love perfumes and trying all of the different fragrances. I always come out with a new favorite. I once almost missed my flight while on a layover in Madrid because I lost track of time in the duty free perfume shop there.
Favorite travel app(s): I don’t really venture into the world of apps!
Most embarrassing travel moment: On my first trip to Thailand I walked around thinking I was saying the Thai word for "beautiful," only to find out two months into my trip that I was pronouncing it wrong and was actually saying a local swear word. Looking back, it made sense why I was getting such shocked and perplexed looks from all of the locals when I spoke it to them.
I’m embarrassed but I haven’t been to: Italy. My grandfather was born there and we still have family in the countryside of Naples. I have no idea how I have not made it there yet. It's high on the to-do list!
Worst travel moment: My bag was stolen in Laos which contained all of my money, ATM/credit cards and my passport. I was lucky enough to have a travel companion at the time who lent me money to hold me over for a few weeks while I waited in the capitol for the embassy to reissue a passport and for my new ATM/credit cards to be sent. It was early on in my traveling days and I learned a lot from that experience and how to travel smarter. It also worked out in a way because I spent a lot longer time in Laos than I had initially planned to, and because of that I was able to really absorb and fall in love with the country and its culture. Its still one of my favorite countries to this day.
What’s your dream destination? Tahiti. And I am scheduled to go there at the end of this year!
Best travel tip: Let your journey unfold naturally. Do some research before you leave and have loose plans, but once you get there just follow your intuition and be spontaneous and open to everything. Let the journey bring you unique experiences and introduce you to amazing people. If you can let go and allow the flow to take you, your trip will be nothing short of magic and you will have experiences that far exceed anything that you could have planned or expected. Also, venture into the local culture. Get off the beaten trail, meet and spend time with locals, try their foods and traditions, learn some words in their language, ask questions, share and learn with them. It will open up your mind and heart and take you deeper into your travels. You will cherish those memories forever.
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Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne on Wednesday said the automaker would rely more heavily on profitable Jeeps and Rams in North America and Europe to help its business remain profitable in other sagging areas and regions. “We are not of the view that this industry is facing an impending demise,” Marchionne said before announcing […]
The post Dart, 200 On The Way Out; Wrangler Truck, Wagoneer On the Way In appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
More news: L.A. Times | N.Y. Times | USA Today | CNN | Skift | BBC
EVEN MORE NEWS:
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Honda announced earlier this month that it intends to lease its Clarity fuel cell vehicle at the end of 2016 in California for just under $500 per month. Is this good news or bad?
If you compare the 5-seat Clarity to the 4-seat Toyota Mirai, the monthly lease price is about the same. Ten years ago the naysayers were crying that nobody will ever be able to afford a hydrogen car because they cost more than $1 million to produce (and at that time they did).
Five years ago the Chicken Littles of the world were squawking that no one will ever be able to afford a hydrogen car since they cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce (and at that time they did).
Fast forward to today.
With the same information about the Clarity costing $500/ month to lease, a Negative Nancy over at Autoblog has stated that "Honda Clarity proves hydrogen future always costs $500/month".
And, wait, there's more. With the same information as stated above a Debbie Downer at Car and Driver has written an article titled "The High Price of Hydrogen: Honda Clarity Fuel Cell Will Sticker for Nearly $60K".
It’s no secret that hydrogen haters have been around for decades. And, over time, many of them have skidded off the road under the weight of their own faulty arguments. Unfortunately there are some vocal hydrogen buzzkills that still remain who try to spin good news into bad in an effort to convince water lovers everywhere that the glass is half empty when it is indeed half full.
References
http://www.autoblog.com/2016/01/21/honda-clarity-hydrogen-costs-500-month/
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy has released its Greenest and Meanest cars for 2016 — and it's bookended by vehicles from Daimler. That, Europe wants to open up ECU code, Bosch says "You wouldn't understand, so why bother?" and GayWheels takes aim at a possibly tasteless German Opel advert about, erm, rear-ending … after the […]
The post TTAC News Round-up: Green and Mean for '16, EU Wants to Inspect ECUs, and Opel is Anti-rear-ending (In The Worst Way) appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
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In the war for ever-lucrative pickup truck money, conspicuous consumption is key. General Motors’ latest salvo in the pickup arms race has mudders, LED lamps, a spray-in bedliner and the letter “X” in its name, jack. GMC announced Wednesday that it would sell this spring a Sierra 1500 All Terrain X package, which is derived […]
The post Pickup Buyers Will Pay for Anything: GMC Sierra All Terrain X appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
2016 Chicago Travel and Adventure Show
Greetings! If you're following me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and/or Periscope, you know that I was just in Chicago to speak at the Chicago Travel and Adventure Show over the weekend.
Upgraded to first
The trip started out great since Natalie and I both got upgraded a couple of days before our flight, thanks to my Executive Platinum status on American Airlines (you have to fly over 100,000 miles a year on American Airlines to earn Executive Platinum). We couldn’t get seats together but were able to sit across the aisle from one another in the first row of first class.
Natalie sitting next to Billy Corgan
Guess what celebrity my wife sat next to?
What’s funny is that just before the flight attendants closed the door, I leaned over to Natalie and told her I bet she’d have a celebrity sitting next to her since they usually like seat 1A (it’s 3A on some of American’s planes—I think the ones without lie-flat seats). Sure enough, a minute later Billy Corgan from the Smashing Pumpkins sits down next to her.
Are you Johnny Jet?
What’s even crazier is that midway through the flight, a lady came up to me and asked, “Are you Johnny Jet?” My wife looked at me like, “Are you kidding me?” As she tells it, she was literally sitting next to a rock star when her husband got noticed. It was pretty flattering, to say the least.
BTW: Billy was a cool guy and when I asked him where to eat in Chicago, he recommended Grace restaurant.
Airport to hotel
The flight time to Chicago was only three hours and 24 minutes but they have a new runway where taxi-ing takes over 20 minutes. To get into the city, we took uberX. The drive to our hotel was 18 miles, took 29 minutes and cost $30.52. I love how Uber gives you all that data.
Related: 10 Uber Tips That Will Totally Improve Your Next Experience
Thompson Chicago Hotel room
Thompson Chicago
We stayed at the 247-room Thompson Chicago Hotel (21 E. Bellevue Place). It’s in the Gold Coast, which is a great area of the city since it’s not smack in the middle of the action but just on the edge so it feels part urban, part suburban. It’s just steps from Michigan Avenue and the high-end boutiques on Oak Street.
You can tell the hotel is stylish and happening from the moment you walk in. My wife’s really into design so she really dug British design icon Tara Bernerd’s eclectic style, especially the urban industrial bones of the hotel lobby.
Though she didn’t find their bed as comfortable as I did, I liked everything about the hotel except for the fact that one of the two elevators wasn’t working. We were told that it was going to take a few months to get them both up and running but I don’t know if I believe that since the one that wasn’t working worked on our way out.
Nico Osteria in Thompson Chicago
Nico Osteria
Attached to the hotel is the restaurant Nico Osteria. Chef Erling Wu-Bower's specialty is Northern Italian and seafood. According to one of my local buddies, it’s a very popular place to go for lunch and dinner. They also have a really unique room service where guests can order a multi-course meal and it will be served just as it is if you were dining in the restaurant. Instead of having the waiter bring everything up at once, they deliver it course by course. It’s brilliant! I’m not sure why other hotels don’t do the same. Their food is really good but for breakfast I recommend walking 20 steps directly across the street to The Original Pancake House.
Carmine's
Carmine’s
I needed to work on my presentation for the Chicago Travel and Adventure Show so we just wanted something quick and easy to eat the night we landed. The hotel concierge said that on Saturday nights, it’s not easy to get a reservation at the last minute. They asked what kind of food we wanted and we said southern Italian. They recommended Carmine’s (1043 N Rush St; 312-988-7676), which was half a block away and the hotel concierge got us in. The food was solid. I had the chicken parm ($27) and Natalie the square homemade pasta. It was so much food that we each only ate half and then took a doggy bag to go. We ended up giving it to a homeless guy hanging out next to a Starbucks just down the street.
2016 Chicago Travel and Adventure Show
Chicago Travel and Adventure Show
Sunday was the big day: The 12th annual Chicago Travel & Adventure Show, which was the reason I was in town. It was being held in the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, which is close to O’Hare Airport (ORD). We took an UberX out there and showed up nice and early so I could get settled in. I called in to Leo Laporte’s show The Tech Guy before taking the stage at 2:45pm. I spoke on the main stage after Rick Steves and Pauline Frommer so I had big shoes to fill and fortunately I think I succeeded since my wife said so and they asked me to speak at another show (details coming soon!).
BTW: My topic was How to Travel Like A Rock Star Without Breaking the Bank and how fitting was it that we had a bonafide rockstar sitting nex to us on the way to Chicago?
Gogo's office in Chicago
Monday
After the show, I went to the hotel to watch the end of the Patriots vs. Broncos game and then walked to my cousin’s house for dinner. On Monday, Natalie and I had a number of meetings, including with our friends at Gogo who took us to another great Italian restaurant called Bar Siena in the West Loop.
BTW: My tip for buying Gogo’s in-flight Wi-Fi is to do so in advance on their website. It’s a lot cheaper than on the plane. We ended the day by having dinner in the hotel’s restaurant with our friend Kendra Thornton and her husband.
Chicago to LA on AA
Tuesday
We had breakfast across the street with my buddies Bob Sirott and Marianne Murciano at The Original Pancake House. Afterwards, we jumped in an UberX to ORD. It cost $30.89, which included a $1.20 Safe Rides Fee, a $0.50 Chicago Surcharge and a $5 City of Chicago Airport, McCormick Place, Navy Pier Surcharge.
Related: 10 Uber Tips That Will Totally Improve Your Next Experience
We ended up getting upgraded again, which really made the trip feel like a dream. This time, the only seats available were window seats so I sat in 3A and Natalie in 4A since I prefer the bulkhead and she prefers to keep her bag by her feet. Now, I’m plotting out ways to get more American miles so I can fly 100,000 miles in 2016, keep my status and continue flying up front.
BTW: If you are interested in the tips from the presentation I gave in Chicago, you can find many of them here:
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