Disneyland Is Not Just The Happiest Place On Earth It's The Most Hashtagged Place In America, Says Playpicks By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger There is little question that California is one of the most scenic places on earth – the dramatic coastline of Big Sur, the wide beaches of Southern California, the deserts and even mountains – make it a place … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Why La La Land Should Not Be Your Top February Vacation Spot
Rain Won't Go Away In Los Angeles This Winter By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger If you're looking for a warm weather and sunny place to travel to this February, don't come here to Los Angeles. In an unusual weather pattern, we are being washed away by unprecedented rain. Literally. As I write this, a large part of Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu is … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Get Me Back On A Sailboat In The Virgin Islands
BVIs, Beach Bars, Rum & Tropical Music Are Always Calling Me By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger We raised the sails in Tortola And dropped a hook in Jost Van Dyke Killed our pain at the Soggy Dollar, Foxy's and the Paradise... – Eric Stone, "Sunsail" I was going through some photos of previous PubClub trips when I ran across pictures of me on a … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: San Francisco Should Not Charge For Driving On Lombard Street
A Better Solution To $10 Fee On This Popular Tourist Attraction By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger I really enjoy visiting San Francisco but this new proposal ticks me off: county transportation officials are considering charging people to drive on Lombard Street. San Francisco County Transportation Authority officials are considering charging as … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: A Different Kind Of Super Bowl Sunday
No Redondo Beach 10K Or Beer Garden But It's Still A Fun Party Day By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger For year, I have had a routine on Super Bowl Sundays. First, I would wake up early (there has to be a special occasion for me to do this, by the way), put on my running shoes and head to King Harbor Marina in Redondo Beach, CA. There, I would … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Super Bowls Need To Be Held In Warm Weather Destinations
Fans Deserve Sunshine & Palm Trees, Not Frigid Temperatures By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger Atlanta. Minneapolis. New Jersey. Detroit. Brrr, Detroit! These are all recent host cities of the Super Bowl. Heck, build a stadium in International Falls, Minn., where – as I write this blog post it's minus-13 degrees and that does not … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Volunteers Needed For California’s 2019 Poppy Season
Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve Seeks Workers By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger With all the rain Southern California has had to start 2019, this is setting up to be a banner year for wildflowers, and it may be the best in years for people to visit the California poppy fields. But it you want to be a part of it, then become a … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Scratching My Head To Find A Fun & Cheap Destination
It's Getting Harder And Harder To Find Budget Travel Locations By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger A friend of mine is looking to get away for a few days and asked me for some recommendations the other evening. He was interested in a casual place where he could hang out, have a few drinks with some lively people and not spend a lot of money. In other … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Where To Go To Escape The East & Midwest Freezing Weather
Key West Has USA's Best Weather This Week By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Writer If you're in the Upper Midwest and East Coast of the USA in the middle of winter – where the week I'm posting this it's supposed to drop to minus-20 in Chicago, minus-30 in Minneapolis and minus-35 Detroit – and are checking airline schedules on where to go to get out of that … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Chicago & Midwest US To Get Blasted By Cold Weather
Detroit To Reach Minus-30 With Minneapolis At Minus-35 Degrees By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger If you're traveling to Chicago the week of the end of January/first of February, don't pack your swimsuit. In fact, pack everything thick and heavy you own, for an arctic blast is hitting the Upper Midwest section of the United States that will plunge … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: TSA Agents The Heroes During Government Shutdown
Possibly Disaster For Travelers Avoided With Temporary Resolution By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger It is not very often that I feel like saluting a TSA agent. I appreciate it when the smile at me instead of yelling things like "GET OUT YOUR I.D. EMPTY YOUR POCKETS, REMOVE YOUR LAPTOPS" and so forth when I'm going through airport … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Los Angeles Finally Returns To Normal California Weather
Winter Rain Storms Give Way To Warmth And Sunshine By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger If you're planning a winter trip to Los Angeles and Southern California, then you will be glad to know that – for the time being, at least – we are back to our normal weather pattern. After 10 days of rain, the sun is out again and the temperature is warm. It's in … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: What To Do & Where To Get Photos When It Snows In Paris
Instagrammable Scenes Are All Over The City Of Lights By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger It snowed in Paris. While that may seem like a fluke, it's really not that unusual. In fact, when it happens fun things happen in the City of Lights. The Eiffel Tower, while closed during these times, looks like a winter wonderland. Being there is a true … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: With 24 Hours & The 500, Daytona Beach Races Into 2019
Sports Car Racing & NASCAR Beat The Beach These Two Weekends By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger While most cities ease into a New Year, Daytona Beach, FL, goes into it full throttle. This small beach town in the northeast part of the Sunshine State hosts two major motorsports events within a few weeks the end of January and the beginning of … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Filmmakers Parking It In Park City For Sundance Film Festival 2019
It's Movies, Music & A Party By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger Normally during the winter, Park City, Utah, is full of people blasting down white-power slopes on skis and snowboards. But for one week week of January each year, the chair lifts and ski runs are nearly empty (so if you want no lift lines, it's a great time to go there). Instead … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Don’t Cry New Orleans, The Mardi Gras Parades Start Soon
Saints Fans Will Recover In Time To Party By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger Sure, New Orleans. Losing the chance to play in Super Bowl VIII on a blown non call by an official stinks. I know how much you love your Saints. Heck, I was in the Superdome to start the season to experience it for myself. But a reason to celebrate is just around the … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: The Sun Is Finally Out And I’m Stuck Inside With A Swollen Knee
Dealing With An Injury; Glad I'm Not Traveling Now By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger This blows. After two weeks of non-stop rain, the sun is finally out here in Los Angeles. But instead of being outside, riding my bike on The Strand through South Bay Beach Cities, having lunch out on a sunny deck and joining friends for sunset, I'm stuck inside … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: My Hometown Of Knoxville Is Hosting The Miss Tennessee Pageant
One Crowning Achievement For A Place I Once Called Home By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger I'm so proud of my hometown. Not only is it the home of the University of Tennessee, the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame – as well as having one of only three college football stadiums at the water, an incredible amount of … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Why I Don’t Mind It When It Rains In L.A.
Sunny Days & Coastal Sunsets Are On The Horizon By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger I don't like it when it rains. The only time I want getting water poured on my head is when I'm in the shower. Not when I walk outside. With rain, there's not really any outdoor activities, I have to drive with the top up (and I'm really a top-down kind of … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: AFC Championship Weather In Kansas City May Be Below Zero
Arctic Blast May Make This One Of Coldest Games In NFL History By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger If you're a Kansas City Chiefs fan, you've got to be a real diehard to attend Sunday's AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots. Either that or consume a lot of "adult warmth" at the frigid tailgate party because it could be zero degrees – … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: With The New Jewel Changi Airport, Why Go Into Singapore
With All These Amenities And Activities, It May Be Difficult To Go Into Town By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger The day may have finally come when an airport has so many amenities and activities, it may no longer be desirable to go into the city it actually serves. And what I've seen of the new Jewel Changi Airport, that could well be the case. It … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: New Orleans Hosting NFC Championship Game
Saints Play Rams And It's Going To Be A Party By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger Who dat!? It's the Saints and the city of New Orleans, which are hosting the NFC Championship game on Sunday, Jan. 20, against the LA Rams. And it's going to be a party like Mardi Gras in the Big Easy. If you want a fun destination to travel to the third week of … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: The Skiing Experience At Ski Resorts Like Mammoth Mountain
Being Single Other Tales From The Slopes By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger Down the hill I go, weaving through less skillful mountaineers and blasting puffs of powder on fallen snow victims. Racing, racing to the end, leaning through the final gate like I'm in the Olympic finals. Up I rise out of my aerodynamic crouch and out go the hips to slow my … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: It’s Always Time For A Trip To A Tropical Destination
In The Island State Of Mind Thanks To Radio TropRock By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger In contemplating what to write for today's travel blog, I decided on this topic because I was listening to Radio TropRock, which you can listen to on-line or right now by hitting the player button on PubClub.com. The station was playing a song by Eric Stone about … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Learning How To Ski At Mammoth Mountain Resort
Hitting The Slopes – Quite Literally – Until One Beginner Skiers Tip By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger When the PR company I just joined invited me to go on their annual ski trip to Mammoth Mountain, I was both thrilled and a bit apprehensive. First of all, I had only been on the job a week and they were inviting me on their retreat. That was … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: How I Got Peanuts On My Flight
Allergies Be Damed; I Want My Favorite Airline Snack By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger Take THAT peanut allergy people! In sheer and total defiance of the airlines pulling peanuts from the snack offerings on flights (and in some cases replacing them with pretzles, uggg) I ate peanuts on a plane during a recent trip. I did this because I want … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Why I’m Not A Big Fan Of A Wet Climate
Rain Puts A Real Damper On Traveling To Fun Destinations & Events By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger I'm sitting inside PubClub.com's World Headquarters in Southern California and looking at rain drops fall during a damp day. It's not a very exciting scene. And it suddenly occurred to me that I don't like this kind of weather. Okay it did … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Several Days Of Winter Rain Forecast For Los Angeles
When LA Weather Becomes Like Portland I just got depressed looking at the 10-day weather forecast for Redondo Beach, CA, which is one of the Beach Cities in Los Angeles. Instead of the typical 70 and sunny, it showed the following: "cloudy, AM rain, PM rain, AM showers, cloudy, mostly cloudy. Only one day did it show "sunny." One of out 10!? In Southern … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: The End Of Living On The Strand In Hermosa Beach (For Now)
Escalating Los Angeles Real Estate Prices Changing The Culture Of The Beach Cities By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger And now, the end is near And so I face the final curtain... – Frank Sinatra I've been singing these lyrics from Frank Sinatra's song "My Way" quite a bit lately because the end is near – well, actually it's here – for another era … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Santa Clara CA A Strange Destination For College Football Championship
Levis Stadium A Bad Fit For Alabama-Clemson IV By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger A destination hosting a major sports title game is supposed to be a place worthy of the teams, fans and players. One that is fun, warm and marketable from a tourism standpoint. Santa Clara, CA, in January is none of those things. Yet it is the host town for the … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: No Cell Phone Zones At Resorts
Incentives Being Given For Putting Down Smart Phones By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger First we go forward, then we take a step back. When smart phones became prevalent, hotels and resorts welcomed them like a big tip. After all, guests posting the "look where I am" photos on social media was great – and free – publicity. Why post pictures yourself when … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Why Do We Make New Year’s Resolutions?
Cheers And Happy New Year From PubClub.com! By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger It's the New Year, and at some point at the end of the previous year (usually during New Year's Eve parties), people make resolutions for how they will improved their lives during the next 12 months. It could be eating better, exercising more, being more kind to other … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Goodbye To 2018 – It Was Good While It Lasted
I'm Ready For The New Year 2019 By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger Thank you, 2018. Thank you for being a part of my life, for bringing me some fun moments and great memories, for presenting new opportunities and for letting me go back to places and events I have enjoyed so much in past years. I throughly once again enjoyed the Hermosa Beach … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: A Report From The Airports During New Year’s Eve Weekend
Airports, Planes & The Dollar Taxi From TYS To DFW To LAX By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger This is a blog post about my airline travel between Christmas and New Year’s with personal experiences and observations about the airports, the airlines, the airplanes and my fellow travelers. I flew on American Airlines from Knoxville, Tennessee (TYS) to … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Don’t Forget New Year’s Day When Making NYE Party Plans
Why New Year's Eve Should Not Be Your Only Destination Consideration By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger When making your New Year's Eve plans – particularly if you are choosing a destination to travel to for NYE – don't forget one critical element of having a great time. New Year's Day. It's interesting that will all the planning, preparation and … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: A Fun Miami New Year’s Eve Orange Bowl Memory
OB Parade Character Makes For A Memorial NYE By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger They used to hold an Orange Bowl parade in Miami. Held on New Year's Eve, the night before the big game, it was a South Florida tradition for 62 years. And I went to it once. I had an aunt and uncle who lived in Miami and one year as kids, our parents took us to spend … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Why New Orleans Is My Top New Year’s Eve Destination
A Big Time In The Big Easy For NYE By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger With all the great places to be for New Year's Eve, one stands out above all others to me. New Orleans. It's not New York City, it's not Sydney and it's not on a tropical beach, but NYE in the Big Easy is a big time. And I'll tell you why right here. First of all, it's New … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Flying Back After The Christmas Holidays
A Post-Holidays Return To Airplanes & Airports By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger I made it home for the holidays. Without incident or any delays, either. But now that Christmas has come and gone, I have to return to where I live, and that means a return to airports and airplanes. To lines and crowds and TSA agents and fellow passengers, some … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Merry Christmas Day From PubClub.com!
Thoughts & Memories From A Child To Today By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger Santa Clause no longer comes down the chimney at our house. He no longer drinks the Coca Cola and cookies we put out for him as kids. Nor does he leave cool gifts under the tree like a sled – yeah, a sled! – games or my favorite team's football uniform I loved to … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Surviving A WordPress Guttenberg Scare
After A Brief Panic, A Return To The Classic WP System By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger It was a late afternoon on the day before the winter solstice and I had just posted an article on PubClub.com. I got up to refill my water glass and when I returned, something strange had happened – the post I had just made looked odd in WordPress and … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: My Top Travel Resolutions For 2019
More Traveling Is At The Top Of This List By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger With the New Year come new resolutions and I usually don't make them – after all, what am I going to say, that I want to "live better," "go on a diet" or something that will only occur in one's mind – but I'm breaking my tradition this year. I'm making this list of my top five travel … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: A Bloggers Conference Aboard The USS Iowa WWII Battleship
A Great Day At A Famous Los Angeles Attraction By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger Okay, this was really cool. I was on the battleship USS Iowa in a conference room. In the same room where officers and admirals held high-level war strategy meetings in WWII, the Korean War and later a pre-Gulf War skirmish. James Hill of MenWhoBlog.com, Greg … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Christmas Shopping At The Mall
An American Holiday Tradition By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger I went to the mall the other day. This is unusual for me because I could not recall the last time I was in a mall. It was Christmas season and the place was buzzing with activity. People were all over the place shopping and walking around the place. I found this pleasantly surprising because … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: In Knoxville Tennessee For The Christmas Holidays
Always A Warm Reception In A Cold Climate </center By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel BloggerI'm back in my hometown for the holidays. While I live in California now, I was raised Knoxville, a mid-sized city in East Tennessee, home of the Tennessee Valley Authority (where my dad worked) and the University of Tennessee (where I did not attend). It's … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: A Report From The Airports During Holiday Travel
A First-Hand Experience Of Flying Home For Christmas By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger With so many people traveling for the Christmas holidays, I thought I would provide a first-hand report of my experience of going home to see my family. This is everything I experienced and also things I observed from TSA security to the airports to the airlines, … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Traveling Home For The Christmas Holidays
Airports, Airplanes, Crowds & Cold Weather – But A Warm Greeting The good news is that I'm going home for Christmas to see my family. The bad news is I have to fly to get there. My family is in East Tennessee and I'm in Los Angeles. East Tennessee is a wonderful place to be for Christmas – the Smoky Mountains are festive, houses in neighborhoods all over the … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: The USA’s Top Holiday Gingerbread Displays
Historic Hotels Features Life-Size Replicas and Edible Villages It's been a while since my holidays have included the smell of gingerbread. While I like the scent, it's not something I necessarily miss and I'm not quite sure why it's not around as much as when I was a kid. I recall it walking into the house party of some of my parents' friends and my family and … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: My Vision Of What It’s Like At European Christmas Markets
Shopping, Food, Mulled Wine And Schnapps By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger By being a travel blogger, I'm exposed to a lot of things people talk about when traveling and what tourism boards like to promote, and this time of the year I keep hearing about the Christmas markets in Europe. Every country has them and, from what I can gather, so does … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: I Like Free Parking During The Holiday Season
L.A.'s Beach Cities Offer A Nice Christmas Present For Shoppers By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger I was in Redondo Beach, California, looking for a spot where I could park for free to go for a meeting (hey, when I know there's free parking somewhere I don't like paying for it, let alone worrying about a meter expiring) when I saw those familiar white … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: My First Time Using The Waze Navigation App
Finding My Location While Also Cursing CalTrans By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger I used the Waze app for the first time the other day. Normally I'm averse to using apps for travel and navigation because I don't like computers and systems doing things for me that I can do or figure out for myself. I don't need or want a crutch because I'm an … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Lunch With Pacific Ocean Views In El Porto, CA
A Surfer's Haven Hangs On In LA's South Bay Beach Cities By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger I had lunch in El Porto the other day. It was a beautiful and sunny afternoon and I had just dropped off a friend after running and errand with him. I had a sandwich with me and was trying to figure out where I would eat it on my way to a meeting when I … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: A Night Dreaming Of Traveling In Switzerland
Fête des Vignerons Winemakers Festival Highlights 2019 Events By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger There were photos of the Matterhorn, a castle, people cycling through the beautiful countryside, wineries on a hill by a lake and Swiss wines being poured at the bar. I was at a Tourism Switzerland event for Los Angeles travel writers at Moraga Estate, a … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Manhattan Beach Holiday Fireworks 2018 Another L.A. Party
The Sensational Show Goes On Again In This South Bay Beach City By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger The house parties were rocking (some reserved, some wild), Joe's Band was playing, people were dancing, The Strand was full of onlookers and the people were hanging out and sitting in beach chairs along the main street. Quite a bit of libations were … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: It’s Holiday Boat Parades Season
These Floating Parties Are Great December Destinations When Traveling By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger When people talk about doing travel during December, they look forward to seasonal shopping – I'm not much of a shopper but I even enjoy it, in the right places that set a scene for the season – Christmas parties and, if in Europe, Christmas … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: See What Happens In LA After It Rains
A Brilliant, Gorgeous Sunset Settles Over Southern California By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger I spent much of the day driving around Los Angeles in a steady rain which occasionally turned into a downpour. It was a rare ugly day, the kind were you just want to get your tasks over with so you can be back home where it's dry. But this is Los … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: LA’s Big Holiday Events Weekend
Boat Parades, Pub Crawls & Manhattan Beach Fireworks By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger It's party time in Los Angeles Holiday style. A city as big and diverse as Los Angeles so, too, are its holiday events. And there is no bigger time for it than the second weekend of December. There are so many fun party happenings it's impossible to … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Ski Resorts Are Open For 2018-19 Season
Skiing, Snowboarders & Ski Apres By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger There's one benefit to winter and cold weather – ski resorts in the Northern Hemisphere are open all over the world. This is fun in the sun of a different kind, of cruising (or blasting) down runs on skis or a snowboard, of cramming into warm "huts" for lunch and the … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Wine & Another Perfect California Sunset
Hangin' Loose In Hermosa Beach By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger It was a quiet Monday and my day was winding down when a friend messages me saying she was in the area. My reaction was immediate: "Come on over! I have wine." A few minutes later, we were on the deck, having some wine and just enjoying a late Southern California afternoon. The … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: My LA Weekend Getaway To The High Desert
Lancaster, CA, Has More Than You Think For A Quick SoCal Road Trip By Kevin Wilkerson, PubCub.com Travel Blogger Well, I missed the singing cowboy. I'm not quite sure how; I was with our group of fellow travel writers and bloggers at the Antelope Valley Indian Museum and apparently did not hear an announcement that the cowboy was singing by the campfire. If … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Why It’s Hard To Get Into The Holidays Spirit In L.A.
Warm Weather, Sunshine & Santas In Shorts Make Los Angeles A Unique Cecember Destination The sun is out, the temperature is 70 degrees, people are playing beach volleyball on weekends instead of jamming into shopping malls and Santa Claus wears shorts. There's no snow (unless you drive to the mountains!), no central location to gather with others, no sense … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: This New American Airlines Boarding Policy Is Nuts!
People With Nut Allergies Allowed To Board Planes Early By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com These airline policies regarding peanuts are driving me nuts! First of all, they took away my peanuts. I can't even get them on Southwest, which created clever advertising campaigns around the slogan "were you can fly for peanuts." And now, one airline is allowing … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Why NYC Holiday Season Is A Bucket List Event
Visions Of New York City As A December Destination Are Dancing In My Head By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger They just lit the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center the other day. It seems like such a cool thing, and even tho I was not there for it, or have never even been to it, to me it signals the start of the holiday season. One of these days, … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: European Arcades Have Different Meanings To Americans
A Travel Shopping Education In Bern, Switzerland By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger During a trip to Switzerland, the fine folks at Swiss Tourism were telling me what to expect when I went to the capitol city of Bern, and one of the things they pointed out that were popular among tourists were the arcades. "Cool!," I thought. I was a solo traveler … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: What’s This, Rain In Southern California!??
A Couple Days Of The Weather Blues By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger I know they song says it never rains in Southern California in the summertime, and we're not in the summertime now, but it's not supposed to rain in Southern California in November or December, either. Yes as I'm sitting here, late November heading in December, rain is pounding … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Missing The SEC Championship For A Trip To Lancaster, CA
Writer's FAM Trip Trumps Alabama-Georgia Game By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger Blame it on the singing cowboy. Yes, a singing cowboy. And let's face it, how often does one get to spend time with a singing cowboy? That, and a few other factors, have led me to miss watching my alma mater, #1 Alabama, play in the SEC Championship game with a … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: In Seventh Heaven At The Whistler-Blackcomb Ski Resort
Atop The Mountain's Biggest & Best Thrill Hill By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger We were skiing on a "bluebird day" as the Canadians like to say, enjoying the spectacular Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort when my local friend Phill announced that "we're going to Seventh Heaven!" Heck, I thought I was already in it. But, as I was about to learn, … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Oops, I’m Staying In A Gay Hotel In Phuket, Thailand
How I Became A Startled Traveler In Patong Beach By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger As I rode in the van from the airport, I wondered which part of Patong Beach my hotel was located. It was my first visit to Thailand and I wanted a place within walking distance of the main nightlife area, known as the walking street.. I had gone to Airbnb to find a … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Bird Scooters Overrunning Downtown San Diego
New Transportation Gadget Is Popular – And Annoying To Pedestrians By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger A friend and I were walking down 4th Ave., in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter when all of a sudden we were startled and nearly run over on the sidewalk. It was not by an out-of-control car, but by a Bird scooter. "Oh, another one of THOSE damned … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Snow Is Only Good When I Travel To It
It's No Winter Wonderland For This Transplanted Californian By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger Let it snow, let it snow! Well, only when I travel specifically to get to snow. I like snow and enjoy snow sports, skiing in particular. I love ski resorts and ski towns – in particular ski apres, which is like a lively Happy Hour at another place – and … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Spending Thanksgiving Weekend In Hawaii
Would You Believe There Is A Christmas Parade In Waikiki Beach!? By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger A few times, myself and a couple of friends have spent Thanksgiving Weekend in Hawaii. We're all single and there's not much going on here in the Los Angeles South Bay Beach Cities where we live that time of the year, so why not head off to a tropical … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Happy Thanksgiving From PubClub.com!
Giving Thanks For All The Positive Things In Life (And Now Please Pass The Turkey) By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger Let's take a serious moment here to pause for, well, a moment. I'm writing this for Thanksgiving Day in the USA, and wanted to take a moment to give thanks for all the great things I have in my life. Hey, not everything is perfect; … [Read more...]
Thanksgiving Top Party Places for Singles: College Campuses
By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Nightlife Blogger When its Thanksgiving Week in the USA, it's also Rivalry Week. That doesn't mean you are battling your friends or relatives for the last helpings of white turkey meat at the dinner table, but rather that the college football season has reached its we-hate-that-school point in the season. And it makes college campuses … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Driving Scenic I-5 From LA To San Diego
Hitting The Highway Past Camp Pendleton & Along The Southern California Coastline By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger It will never go down as one of America's great scenic drives – it's a freeway, after all – but Interstate 5 from Los Angeles to San Diego is a pretty piece of roadway. Once you speed past the "El Toro Y" as it's called (the 405 … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: It’s Thanksgiving In America And That Means…
Commercials, Shopping, Eating, Drinking & Football All Part Of This November Ritual By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger It's Thanksgiving week and if you're not from America, you might assume this means it's when Americans spend time with family and friends giving thanks for all the things we have and are grateful for in our lives. And, in part … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Why I Love Traveling By Train
The Most Relaxing Mode Of Transportation By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger Perhaps it's because I'm from America – and not New York or Chicago, about the only cities in the USA where people use public transportation on a daily basis – but I love riding trains when traveling. There's something so, well, European about it. I would not exactly call … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: A Weekend In San Diego (And Loving It!)
Dynamic Gaslamp Quarter Is The Place To Start Your SD Fun Trip By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger The kid came back to the candy store. San Diego was calling, the excellent Wine + Food Festival the excuse, tho I never need an excuse to visit this fun city. I once lived there for a too-short amount of time (about three months) in the heart of the … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Long Beach, CA Needs To Do Something About Its Parking Fees
The Pike & Shoreline Drive Lots Add Big Expense To Restaurants & Entertainment Tab By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger I had lunch in Long Beach, CA, the other day. And it cost me $9 to park. Adding to the frustration was the fact the sign said $7 and noted that area restaurants validate the tickets. Which the restaurant did, so I … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Seeing Movies & TV Show Film Shoots In L.A.
La La Land Comes To Life And What It's Like Behind The Scenes By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger A lot of tourists visiting Los Angeles go to Hollywood Blvd, to the Walk of Fame and on studio tours at places like Universal Studios and Warner Bros. But did you know you can also see the actual filming of movies, TV shows and commercials taking place … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: In Praise Of The Manhattan Beach Holiday Open House
Annual 'Window Shopping' Event Starts The Season In LA's South Bay By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger I'm not normally much of one for window shopping, but when drinks are involved, well it's a different story. It is those drinks that brings out myself, as well as a couple hundred other single people in the Los Angeles South Bay Beach Cities (along … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: It’s San Diego Wine + Food Festival 2018 Week
Two Grand Events Highlight This Top Annual Happening By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger There is special excitement in the air this week. While some people are preparing for Thanksgiving, others are having a feast – as well as a treat – in one of America's greatest cities. It's the San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival, and its annually held on … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: A Choppy Sailboat Ride From Catalina To Los Angeles
Sailing Isn't A Lot Of Fun In These Conditions By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger On the mainland, the wind was whipping so hard windows were rattling and the Pacific Ocean waves were exploding into the jetties protecting the Southern California harbors. The beaches were not only empty, it was far too windy for even the daily die-hards to be playing … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: It’s The Holiday Season ALREADY!?
Get Ready, America, For Black Friday, Cyber Monday And The Same Car Ads By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger The last time I turned around, it was the middle of the summer and I was basking on the beach and attending fun events like Smackfest. Then suddenly it was the fall college football was on TV, and now we're almost to Rivalry Week, and as I look … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: The Pain Of Booking A Flight Home For The Holidays
In This Case, Getting There Is Not Half The Fun By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger I love going home for the holidays. Spending quality time with the family that I only get to see about once a year, having mom cook for me – and do my laundry! – and watching Alabama basketball games with my dad, who is also an Bama grad, are all parts of the fun. The … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Visiting Nashville, My Home State’s Capitol City
Inside The Honky Tonks & More Fun In Music City By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger I'm originally from Tennessee – Knoxville to be precise – but I had never really spent any time in our state's capitol city. So one time, on my way back home to visit my family from where I now live in Los Angeles, I decided to stop in Music City. American … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Oxnard, The Often-Forgotten California Coastal City
Channel Islands Among The Things To Do In This SoCal City By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger There are so many cool places to visit in California – especially along the coast – that it's easy to forget about a few of them. That one reason why the Oxnard Oxnard Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) has published a new visitor’s guide to the … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: A Great Press FAM Trip To Central California
Wine Tasting, Hearst Castle & Welcoming Cayacos By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger The first thing I wanted to know about traveling to Cayacos, CA, was how to pronounce the darned place. After much inquiry from locals and failed attempts to learn it, I finally got it right. It's "Ki-YUK-us." Why I was there in the first place was because a … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Southwest Airlines To Begin Hawaii Flights In Early 2019
Tickets Prices Could Drop When SWA Says 'Aloha' To The Islands By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger Southwest Airlines will begin its service to the Hawaiian Islands "early next year," Chief Operating Officer Michael G. Van de Ven told shareholders during a conference call in October. That means SWA will have flights to Hawaii the first quarter of … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Aboard The USS Iowa For Dr. Robert Ballard’s ‘Lost At Sea’
Famous Explorer Shows Off His Explorations Of Famous Shipwrecks By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger There he was, standing in that familiar navy blue jacket chatting with a couple of people as casually as everyone else at the mixer. Dr. Robert "say, is that the Titanic!?" Ballard was on board the USS Iowa, the famed World War II battleship that's … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Let’s Make Daylight Savings Time Year-Round
In Southern California, Sunsets Before 5 Are Way Too Early By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger The sun drops below the Pacific Ocean and another Southern California day transforms into nighttime. It's a beautiful scene and it's repeated almost nightly along the coast of the Golden State, but at certain times of the year there's one problem: it … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: San Diego Is The Place To Be This November
SD Beer Week, Diner En Blanc & Wine & Food Festival Are Top Fun Events All Month By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger Looking for a fun place to travel to in November? I suggest packing the bags and heading to San Diego. Beyond all the obvious attributes of this perpetually sunny city in Southern California, it has three major events that … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: LA’s Smallest Halloween Haunted House
A Los Angeles House Of Horrors In Hermosa Beach By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger I did not have to travel far for this daily blog post. In fact, all I had to do was walk into the living room. And when I did, I walked into the smallest haunted house in Los Angeles. My roommate is a decorating diva – even herself; she easily won a local bar's … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Riding E-Bikes In Winterthur, Switzerland
Fun City Transportation On A Powerful Bicycle By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger We arrived in another pleasant town in Switzerland as part a tour group – by train, which I loved – and were immediately taken to a bike shop in the train station. There we were not just given bikes, but e-bikes. I was in heaven. We were in Winterthur, about an hour … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: America’s Top 25 Most Haunted Historic Hotels
Get Spooked At These Spooky Places To Stay In The USA By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger Here’s something really interesting to keep in mind if you’re a fan of Halloween. It’s a list of the Top 25 most haunted historic hotels from Historic Hotels of America. I’ve been to one of them, the Hollywood Rosevelt. I stood for several minutes in front of a … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Hotels & Tourist Spots Need To Alert Travelers Of Inconveniences
Hiding Construction, Strikes And Other Elements Can Ruin The Guest Experience By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger A friend of mine in Hawaii objected to me posting this story about a hotel workers strike affecting bars and restaurants and guest services in Waikiki Beach. She works in the tourism industry and said while it's true there's a strike, it … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Well I Did Not Win The Mega Millions Lottery
Winning Numbers Are 5, 28, 62, 65, 70 and Mega Ball 5 (But Not Mine) By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger Gosh darn it. I did not win the Mega Millions lottery. And the record-setting 1.6 billion that came with it. The winning numbers were 5, 28, 62, 65, 70 and Mega Ball 5, My numbers were 14, 21, 25, 38, 52 and Mega Ball 6. Not even … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: South Carolina’s Hammock Coast Recovers From Hurricane Florence
Area Between Charleston & Myrtle Beach Welcomes Back Visitors By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger Here's something good to see: South Carolina's Hammock Coast has announced that it's back open for business after Hurricane Florence. The Hammock Coast is made up of five coastal – Garden City, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield, Pawleys Island and … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Why Flight Attendants Are Such Great Resources Of Information
Why I'm Not Always Up In The Air When Knowing Good Places To Eat & Drink By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger Here's your PubClub.com travel tip of the day: Talk to flight attendants for great tips on places to eat and drink! Okay, that's it for this daily post. See ya at the next one! Well not quite, but my journalism teacher always told me to … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Is This Wine Tasting Road Trip From Hell??
Chose Your Traveling Fiends Wisely – Even In Paso Robles By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger I feel sorry for my roommate. She is traveling from Los Angeles to Paso Robles for wine tasting in one of California's great wine tasting regions. Paso Robles is known for its robust reds – Pinot Noir in particular – and it is the area featured in the … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: A Big Cheers To Wine Destinations
It Can Always Be #WineTime, Even In The Most Obscure Places By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger I'm always a believer in immersing yourself into the culture of a place you are visiting, and when that culture involves wine, then I'm having a good time. Wine travel can be anywhere relaxing with a wine bar. It doesn't have to include a vineyard or a … [Read more...]
Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Why I’m Not Much Into Visiting Museums When Traveling
Looking At Paintings And Sculptures Not Among My Things To Do By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger One of the big attractions for several travel destinations are museums. But not for me. I don't particularly care for them, don't seek them out and rarely visit them. Particularly ones dealing with artwork; I don't really understand a lot of the … [Read more...]