Topics Include:
Joe Kurth, General Manager, The Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
www.thepfisterhotel.com
Travel Expert Stephanie Abrams and the "Travel With Stephanie Abrams!" Radio Show enjoy the beautiful weather and Irish festivities with Joe Kurth, General Manager of The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Stephanie is in Milwaukee for the 2010 Irish Fest and has already marked her calendar with the dates for next year. Irish Fest is a celebration of Irish culture and includes 17 stages of music, dancing, lectures, arts and crafts, and even one-act plays. Stephanie saw "Sister Bernie's Bingo Bash" and says it left the audience rolling in the aisles with laughter. She also saw a drumming performance by Different Drums of Ireland and says it brought her spirit to life and tears to her eyes.
Besides Irish Fest, Milwaukee also hosts a Bastille Day celebration, a 10-day Summer Fest that's the world's largest music festival, Italian Fest, German Fest, and African American World Fest, says Joe. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Irish Fest. "The city is a jewel in the Midwest," he continues. "It's a 90-minute run from Chicago and there are easy, direct flights from New York, Los Angeles, Boston, and Washington, D.C. Of the 100 national airports in the U.S., Milwaukee has the cheapest airfare on average."
Milwaukee's airport is just 10 minutes from downtown. Once visitors arrive downtown, where The Pfister is located, they're just a few blocks from Lake Michigan, within walking distance of the repertory theater and ballet, and a short cab ride from Brewers baseball games. This year, Stephanie finally visited the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Pabst mansion, built by the family of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer fame. There are even restaurants and a spa within The Pfister Hotel itself.
"We hear again and again that people come here with no idea what to expect and leave with a friend for life," says Joe. "This isn't a city that rolls up its sidewalks at five o'clock. It's a clean and safe city with a great downtown." Stephanie agrees, adding that this makes Milwaukee the perfect location for Irish Fest. "You get a similar feeling when you go to Ireland," she says. "You arrive knowing no one and leave feeling that you left your family behind."
Related Photo Galleries:
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2125
Travelers411 Directory Listing:
Visit the Travelers411 Pfister Hotel Directory Listing
For more information visit www.thepfisterhotel.com
John McGiver, Writer, Actor, Comedian, Radio Personality, Morning Radio Show "Dave and Carole", WKLH FM 96.5, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
www.johnmcgivern.com
Travel Expert Stephanie Abrams and the "Travel With Stephanie Abrams!" Radio Show tour Milwaukee, Wisconsin with native son John McGivern. John is a comedian and actor who appears on Milwaukee's #1 rated morning radio show, Dave and Carole on WKLH-FM 96.5. "I go in once about every 10 days for four hours and just talk about what's going on in our wonderful city," John explains.
"People who actually show up in Milwaukee are blown away," he continues. "We're the 26th largest city in the U.S. People are always surprised by that, but there are 1.2 million people in the Milwaukee area. We have miles of coastline on a beautiful lake, beautiful neighborhoods, so much history and so much to do. We have an incredible spring, a beautiful summer, fall that people talk about forever, and we don't really have to talk about the winter."
John was raised on the east side of Milwaukee as one of six children in an Irish Catholic family. "I moved away in 1978 to Atlanta and Chicago. I spent about 10 years in Los Angeles before coming back to Milwaukee in 2001," he explains. "I'm so thrilled to be back in my hometown and near my family." John was originally on a very different career path; at 12 years old he went to St. Lawrence Seminary in Mount Calvary, Wisconsin. "It's in a part of the state called the Holy Land," he says. "There's all these little villages—Calvary, St. Anna, St. Peter, St. Cloud, and New Holstein, or 'Holy Cow.' But the seminary didn't stick, so I became a comedian instead."
Visitors can contact John for a personalized tour of Milwaukee. "Call me when you get here; I'm in the phone book," he says. "From the airport, I'll take you on 794 until we reach the Hoan Bridge, where you can see Lake Michigan and great views of the city. We'll go on an architectural tour of the bungalows, the Washington Heights neighborhood, homes on Newbury Boulevard. We'll drive through Bay View, Riverside, Sherman Park, River West, make our way through the Third Ward and then I'll impress you with the downtown."
Related Photo Galleries:
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2126
For more information visit www.johnmcgivern.com
Jim Fricke, Curatorial Director, Harley-Davidson Museum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
www.h-dmuseum.com
Travel Expert Stephanie Abrams and the "Travel With Stephanie Abrams!" Radio Show start their engines with Jim Fricke, Curatorial Director of the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In addition to its main galleries, the museum is hosting an Evel Knievel exhibit in its 8,000 square foot temporary exhibit gallery through September 6, 2010. "This is our first major temporary exhibit," Jim says. "We plan on having something different every year to keep people coming back."
He emphasizes that you don't have to be a biker to enjoy the Harley-Davidson Museum. "I moved out from Seattle specifically to work here," Jim explains. "I came from a pop music and culture museum. I finally got my motorcycle license last year, but I don't have a bike yet." Stephanie agrees, saying that her favorite part was the exhibit of celebrity motorcycles, featuring bikes that belonged to Elvis, Evel Knievel, and even Liberace.
"We try to tell both the story of the Harley-Davidson company—which is a great American success story—and put it in the context of Milwaukee's history," Jim continues. "When the company started, Milwaukee was an industrial center, and Harley-Davidson has kept them on the map." The museum includes one of every model from every year the company has produced bikes. Visitors can also see a recreation of the shack behind the Davidson home that served as the company's headquarters and manufacturing center during its first three years.
Related Photo Galleries:
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2127
For more information visit www.h-dmuseum.com
Sandy Smith, C.S. Lewis Literary Tours, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
www.belfastvisitor.com
Travel Expert Stephanie Abrams and the "Travel With Stephanie Abrams!" Radio Show step through the wardrobe with Sandy Smith of C. S. Lewis Literary Tours in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Sandy conducts tours of Belfast sites associated with the author and his family. "Many people are not aware that C. S. Lewis was born in Belfast," says Sandy. "The tour is an opportunity to see the house where he was born and see how Lewis first encountered the lion, wardrobe, lamppost, and other elements of the Chronicles of Narnia books."
"The wardrobe," Sandy says, "was delivered one day to the family house, where they were unable to get it through the door. The author's grandfather, Richard—a famous shipbuilder in Belfast—had the idea to remove a piece from the top. So young C. S. and his cousins played inside the wardrobe. The idea stayed with him, and the wardrobe later became the vehicle to get to the imaginary world of Narnia."
Sandy recently appeared at Irish Fest 2010 in Milwaukee and conducted lectures on C. S. Lewis at the Milwaukee School of Engineering's summer school. Travelers in Northern Ireland can find out more about his literary tours at the Belfast Visitors Centre. Stephanie also suggests that Narnia fans visit Belvedere House in County Westmeath. "They do a visit to Narnia, where you climb through a wardrobe and come out on the other side in Narnia," she explains. "It's quite a wonderful experience."
Related Photo Galleries:
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2132
For more information visit www.belfastvisitor.com
Colm Croffy, Director of Operations, Association of Irish Festival Events (AOIFE), Ballinasloe, County Galway, Ireland.
www.aoifeonline.com
Travel Expert Stephanie Abrams and the "Travel With Stephanie Abrams!" Radio Show welcome Colm Croffy, Director of Operations for the Association of Irish Festival Events (AOIFE), based in Ballinasloe, County Galway, Ireland. AOIFE is a not-for-profit network of over 450 festivals in Ireland that promote Irish culture, arts, and hospitality. In November 2010, AOIFE will host the fifth annual gathering of Irish festival producers from the U.S. and Canada. Producers will meet for 4 days at the Carlton Shearwater Hotel in Ballinasloe, County Galway, and at the University of Limerick.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2130
Related Photo Galleries:
Related Links:
Stephanie recently posted photos of her latest trip to Ireland. Click here to see pictures from Galway Bay, the unveiling of the Frank McCourt bust, and the 2010 Ireland Tourism Conference.
For more information visit www.aoifeonline.com
Fun Facts:
How can you identify a Harley-Davidson motorcycle with your eyes closed? They say "potato potato potato" when they run.
Richard Lewis, grandfather of author C. S. Lewis, was a Belfast shipbuilder who built a Titanic—not the famous Titanic that sank in 1912, but a ship called the Titanic that ran from Dublin to Glasgow from 1888 to 1929 and stayed far away from icebergs.
One three-way intersection in Pennsylvania's Amish country has signs for Blue Balls, Intercourse, and Paradise.
Guests Include:
Joe Kurth, General Manager, The Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
www.thepfisterhotel.com
John McGiver, Writer, Actor, Comedian, Radio Personality, Morning Radio Show "Dave and Carole", WKLH FM 96.5, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
www.johnmcgivern.com
Jim Fricke, Curatorial Director, Harley-Davidson Museum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
www.h-dmuseum.com
Sandy Smith, C.S. Lewis Literary Tours, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
www.belfastvisitor.com
Colm Croffy, Director, Operations, Association of Irish Festival Events (AOIFE), Ballinasloe, County Galway, Ireland.
www.aoifeonline.com
Topics Include:
Dr. Tim Campbell, Director, The Saint Patrick Centre, Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland.
www.saintpatrickcentre.com
Travel Expert Stephanie Abrams and the "Travel With Stephanie Abrams!" Radio Show enjoy Irish Fest in Milwaukee with Dr. Tim Campbell, Director of the Saint Patrick Centre in Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland. Stephanie is proud to call herself an honorary Friend of Saint Patrick and is pleased to have Tim on this side of the Atlantic representing Northern Ireland.
"We have only two problems with tourism in Northern Ireland: getting people to come in the first place and then getting them to leave," Tim says. The Saint Patrick Centre and its U.S. branch, the Friends of Saint Patrick, organize a Young Ambassadors Program that gives young Americans a chance to live in Northern Ireland and experience both Irish culture and a different part of the world. "Every year, there's one young ambassador who doesn't want to go home," says Tim. "The program is now in its third year—and spreading to more cities—and we already have several people who are living in or planning to live in Northern Ireland."
While at Irish Fest, Tim and Stephanie have enjoyed the cultural activities, historical information, and sightseeing booths. "Aer Lingus is here, selling tickets faster than they can move," says Stephanie. One of her particular favorites was the Celtic canines. "I met Irish wolfhounds, Irish water spaniels, and Irish setters, and didn't want to leave," she says. "They have agility trials, plus food everywhere you look and plenty of places to picnic." She was also very impressed by percussion group Different Drums of Ireland. "They play drums associated with both traditions [in Ireland] so they sound twice as good," Tim jokes.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2131
For more information visit www.saintpatrickcentre.com
Charles Plunket, Estate Manager, Belle Isle Estate, Enniskillen, Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.
www.belleisle-estate.com
Travel Expert Stephanie Abrams and the "Travel With Stephanie Abrams!" Radio Show meet up with Charles Plunket, Estate Manager at Belle Isle Estate in Enniskillen, Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Stephanie was at Irish Fest 2010 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin when she ran into Charles, a previous TWSA! guest. This is his first visit to Irish Fest and Charles says he's very impressed and particularly excited about the emphasis on Northern Ireland this year.
Belle Isle Estate in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland is a working estate on an island. "We have a farm and we're trying to put it back the way it was," Charles explains. "We just got a load of hens; we're trying to be as natural as possible. We also just opened a cookery school, which is going extremely well at the moment." The school is run by Chef Liz Moore, who is from County Monaghan and has been at Belle Isle for six years.
The estate has 8 guest rooms in its main castle and several more self-catering apartments and cottages. The accommodations are open year-round and Charles invites listeners to come any time. Since the Belle Isle dinner table can seat 28, Stephanie suggests taking over the estate for a wedding, family reunion, or even a business meeting. "I remember the peace, sense of quietude, beauty of the grounds, and the comfort of the bed—it was like getting into a big marshmallow," she says. Charles promises that other visitors will be equally spoiled during their stays.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2128
For more information visit www.belleisle-estate.com
Wallace Lawson, Chief Operating Officer, Titanic Foundation, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
www.titanic-foundation.org
www.gotobelfast.com
www.discovernorthernireland.com
Travel Expert Stephanie Abrams and the "Travel With Stephanie Abrams!" Radio Show learn more about the Titanic's Belfast connection with Wallace Lawson, Chief Operating Officer of the Titanic Foundation in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The foundation was established to create a major tourist attraction in Belfast to celebrate the spirit and story of how the Titanic was built, according to Wallace. There are several activities planned for 2012, both in Belfast and elsewhere, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Titanic sinking at 2:20 AM on April 15, 1912.
The Titanic Foundation is building an attraction in the heart of Belfast's shipbuilding industry: at the head of the slipways, near the office where the Titanic was first sketched, and 500 yards from the drydock where the ocean liner was actually fitted out. There are plans to restore the historic buildings on the site and even display a tender, the SS Nomadic, that ferried passengers from shore to the Titanic.
"Our building will tell the story of the Titanic, starting in 1870 and through its building to its demise," Wallace explains. Unlike many Titanic exhibitions in the U.S., he says, "we are not a museum, so we're not artifact-based." Instead, the attraction will follow a dozen people and their roles in the Titanic's construction and voyage over 9 galleries. The exhibit will also link to feeds from Professor Robert Ballard's research on the ocean floor where the ship rests. Links to the ocean floor will provide visitors with context, according to Wallace.
"If you go to a museum and see a suitcase that came from the bottom of the sea, it's just an item on display—there's no context. With our links to Professor Ballard, you'll see the artifacts there and the detritus around," says Wallace, "and understand the tragic loss of both the ship and the people." The exhibit will also place the Titanic in the context of Belfast's history. "The Titanic endeavor gave rise to Belfast as a leading city for shipbuilding, rope, linen, and tobacco," he continues, "and the White Star Line and its major ships: the Titanic, Olympic, and Britannic. It's also a story about the people of Ireland—the whole 32 counties, not a divided Ireland."
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2129
For more information visit www.titanic-foundation.org and www.gotobelfast.com and www.discovernorthernireland.com
Related links:
The Addergoole Titanic Society commemorates 14 townspeople who saved up to book passage on the Titanic, 11 of whom went down with the ship.
Guests Include:
Dr. Tim Campbell, Director, The Saint Patrick Centre, Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland.
www.saintpatrickcentre.com
Charles Plunket, Estate Manager, Belle Isle Estate, Enniskillen, Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.
www.belleisle-estate.com
Wallace Lawson, Chief Operating Officer, Titanic Foundation, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
www.titanic-foundation.org
www.gotobelfast.com
www.discovernorthernireland.com
Topics Include:
Alison Metcalfe, Vice President Marketing, Tourism Ireland, USA.
www.discoverireland.com
Travel Expert Stephanie Abrams welcomes Alison Metcalfe, Vice President of Marketing for Tourism Ireland, to the "Travel With Stephanie Abrams!" Radio Show. Both Stephanie and Alison are in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the 2010 Irish Fest. "This is my first visit to Irish Fest, and it really brings to life Irish heritage through music, theater, and other aspects of our culture," says Alison. "It gives you a taste of what's on offer on the island. If you like what you see in Milwaukee, you're going to love what you find in Ireland."
What makes Ireland such a special destination? "It's the people," Alison answers. "We have fabulous scenery and great history, heritage, and culture. But it's the opportunity to engage with people that really makes it unique. A trip to Ireland is as much about what you don't plan as about the things you do plan—the fun unplanned episodes and the people you meet along the way. It's about the craic, about having fun and engaging with the locals."
Stephanie mentions that many people have the impression of Ireland as a destination strictly for golfers, a place that gets boring "after you drive past the grass and sea cliffs." "People look at the island and think it's not that big; you can drive around very quickly," Alison agrees. "But whether you're interested in castles, hiking, walking, great food, scenery, cooking, cycling, learning Irish, or, of course, golfing, there are so many different things to do. We want people to go where Ireland takes you; there's a custom itinerary waiting for you." She offers a very warm welcome to North American visitors coming to Ireland to discover their roots.
Alison reminds listeners that Ireland is quite close to the Midwest and eastern U.S. and particularly affordable right now. "There has never been a better time to go," she says. "The value on the ground is better than ever and the welcome has never been warmer. It's a five or six hour flight; if you're leaving from the East Coast, you can get to Ireland quicker than you can get to the West Coast of the U.S. Whether you're heading over for 4 or 5 days or a full two week vacation, there are great deals out there now and fabulous airfares from the end of August 2010 through early 2011."
Travelers may want to plan even farther ahead. Alison recommends the Dublin Theater Festival and Galway Arts Festival, both annual events, as well as the 2011 Solheim Cup at Killeen Castle Golf Resort in County Meath and events in 2012 for the 100th anniversary of the Titanic sinking. "When the Titanic left Belfast, it was in good shape!" she says. "We can't speak for what happened afterwards." And looking further into the future, Derry [Londonderry] has just been named the UK's city of culture for 2013.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2135
Travelers411 Directory Listing:
Visit the Travelers411 Tourism Ireland Directory Listing
For more information visit www.discoverireland.com
Joe Kurth, General Manager, The Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
www.thepfisterhotel.com
Travel Expert Stephanie Abrams and the "Travel With Stephanie Abrams!" Radio Show are broadcasting live from The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where they talk with Joe Kurth, General Manager of The Pfister. This year, the historic hotel in downtown Milwaukee celebrates 117 years. "We've seen several generations get married in the hotel," Joe says. "It's so nice to see an individual moment turn into a lasting memory. It's not just that we're clean and safe—you need that in every hotel. Clean, safe, and 'wow' is another thing, and The Pfister has that 'wow' factor in spades."
Although Stephanie is rushing off to Irish Fest a few blocks away, Joe suggests a Sunday brunch in the Rouge Ballroom or a session in the hotel's WellSpa for a more relaxing visit. "Festival season is a great time to be here, though," he says. "Whether you're German, Italian, Irish, Native American, African American, or anything else, there's something for you. We're a great hotel on a Great Lake and look forward to seeing you here."
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2125
Travelers411 Directory Listing:
Visit the Travelers411 Pfister Hotel Directory Listing
For more information visit www.thepfisterhotel.com
Jeanenne Tornatore, Director of Consumer Public Relations, Orbitz, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
www.orbitz.com
Travel Expert Stephanie Abrams and the "Travel With Stephanie Abrams!" Radio Show talk hotel guarantees with Jeanenne Tornatore, Director of Consumer Public Relations for Orbitz. Stephanie recently noticed that Orbitz was running an Open Beach Guarantee. If a beach within 20 miles of a customer's destination is closed due to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, Orbitz will offer a full refund on unused hotel nights.
Stephanie thinks this is a great service that will give peace of mind to consumers wondering whether to travel. "Our hotel partners were really starting to see the effects of the oil spill, and customers had questions about whether the oil would spread to a particular beach by a particular time," Jeanenne explains. "So we've been trying to educate consumers on facts—what's open and what's closed. The vast majority of Florida beaches are open, clean, and beautiful."
The Open Beach Guarantee covers customers who have booked hotel rooms through Orbitz at one of 250 participating hotels. They can check the Orbitz website for daily updates on beach closures and find out if their hotel is affected. "The guarantee goes into effect when a government agency declares a beach closed or dangerous," Jeanenne explains. "We're not the experts here; we're looking to local governments to make that declaration. If the beach is within 20 miles of a participating hotel, we will reach out proactively to impacted customers and ask if they would like a refund on their unused hotel nights."
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2134
For more information visit www.orbitz.com
Bill Miller, Senior Vice President Strategic Partnerships, CheapOAir, USA.
www.cheapOAir.com
www.cheapOstay.com
Travel Expert Stephanie Abrams and the "Travel With Stephanie Abrams!" radio show discover affordable airfares to Milwaukee and Ireland with Bill Miller, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships for CheapOAir. All fares quoted are round-trip, taxes and fees not included, for travel from October 2, 2010 through October 9, 2010.
Bill starts off with fares from Milwaukee: to Miami, $175; to Orlando, $165; to Las Vegas, $222; to Los Angeles, $192; to Cancun, $355; to Dublin, $503; and to Shannon, $606. Other fares to Ireland include New York City to Dublin for $379, New York City to Shannon for $467, Dallas-Fort Worth to Dublin for $424, Dallas-Fort Worth to Shannon for $605, Los Angeles to Dublin for $659, and Los Angeles to Shannon for $717.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2133
For more information visit www.cheapOAir.com and www.cheapOstay.com
Travel Tips:
Enter RADIO 20 in the promotional code box at CheapOAir for $20 off your purchase.
Fun Facts:
'Craic' (pronounced 'crack') roughly translates as 'good conversation' from Irish.
Guests Include:
Alison Metcalfe, Vice President Marketing, Tourism Ireland, USA.
www.discoverireland.com
Joe Kurth, General Manager, The Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
www.thepfisterhotel.com
Jeanenne Tornatore, Director of Consumer Public Relations, Orbitz, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
www.orbitz.com
Bill Miller, Senior Vice President Strategic Partnerships, CheapOAir, USA.
www.cheapOAir.com
www.cheapOstay.com
