Editor's Page

Greetings,

Have you ever heard these expressions used during a packaged tour? "If you're late, we'll go without you?" "If you miss the bus, you're on your own."
For me, the last time was the last time!

With a little research, you can design your own custom vacation. Although Convention & Visitors Bureaus or Chambers of Commerce don't pay me for advertising, they can be a great source of information. Obviously, they tend to sugar-coat the attractions of their areas, but you'll learn to filter out the hype. Don't forget, attractions such as Disney World, Bush Gardens, and the famous Biltmore Estate have their own Public Relations (PR) departments. If the person you speak to seems confused by your inquiry, it may be because some organizations call it their "Marketing Department."

It might pay to cheat a little, and check a tour guide's printed itinerary, then make your own private arrangements-- probably cheaper.

Plan ahead. Perhaps you can check out videos at your local library about your proposed destination.

Read magazine and newspaper articles about the destinations.
What did the writer accent? Was it the beautiful sunsets, and lovely gardens? Was it the gltter of the nightlife? What restaurant/s did the writer mention? Did the writer's "favorite" meal sound something like poetry? Was the "romantic" evenings a little like a paragraph from a Harlequin novel? Of course the proper choice of words help make up good writing, a good writer knows how to give a reader "a feeling of place" as described in writing circles.
One of the best compliments for a writer is when a reader comments, "I really felt as though I were there." We strive for that quality of writing among our "Stable" of writers. They are all members of the Pegasus Writers Stable organization.

One more useful fact. Truly "Professional" travel writers will not jeopardize their reputation by commecializing the slant of their articles. Even when the writer was part of a free press trip, the writer will report on what he or she saw or did, and re-tell the experience.

Hopefully the material you read in The Carefree Traveler Magazine will be enlightening for you.

Sincerely,

Dick Servis,
Editor,
The Carefree Traveler Magazine