Travel Today with Peter Greenberg

This week, Travel Today with Peter Greenberg comes from Guayaquil, Ecuador as we update all the relief work being done in the country in the wake of their devastating earthquake this past April. Joining me will be the President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, as well as many of the volunteers and organizations helping to rebuild the many communities hit hard by the quake. That includes the project directors from All Hands Volunteers(hands.org), a great NGO building temporary housing for the thousands of displaced Ecuadorians. Also some shout outs to the Americans who came down to help, including Aaron and Taylor Berke (shown here building temporary bamboo housing). There's all this and more as Travel Today with Peter Greenberg comes from Guayaquil, Ecuador.

This week, Travel Today with Peter Greenberg comes from IPW, the largest international meeting of travel industry leaders in the U.S. Joining Peter will be Sally Jewell, U.S. Secretary of the Interior, who talks about the national park centennial, as well as some of the hidden parks in the system. George Aguel, President and CEO of Visit Orlando, shares a report on the aftermath of the shooting tragedy and its impact on travel and tourism in America’s most visited destination. Also dropping by is Billy Nungesser, Louisiana’s Lieutenant Governor, and Kate Denis, Senior Director of Project Time Off, offers a sobering look at the number of vacation days Americans DON’T take each year. There’s all of that and more, as Travel Today with Peter Greenberg comes from IPW in New Orleans.

This week, Travel Today with Peter Greenberg comes from Surf City USA at the new Paséa Hotel & Spa in Huntington Beach, California. Joining Peter will be Dean Torrence, co-founder, co-lead singer, and co-writer of Jan & Dean, discusses the history of the group, from its early years to the newly evolved Surf City AllStars, along with how he trademarked the iconic name “Surf City USA.” The legendary PT Townend, world surfing champion, talks about the upcoming 40th anniversary of pro surfing, as well as what changes have come to the sport, and the future of surfing in the 2020 Olympics. Chris Epting, historian and author of Huntington Beach California, shares a story about Rock n’ Roll legend Elvis Presley and his connection to Huntington Beach, along with what many may find surprising about Surf City’s ten miles of uninterrupted coastline. Diana Dehm, executive director of the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum, talks about the surfing legends who call Huntington Beach home and how the museum highlights the surf community and culture. There’s all of this and more as Travel Today with Peter Greenberg comes from Surf City USA at the new Paséa Hotel & Spa in Huntington Beach, California.

This week, Travel Today with Peter Greenberg comes from the Sandos Playacar Beach Resort & Spa in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Joining Peter Greenberg will be USA Today’s Rudy Garcia on the history of Playa Del Carmen; Lisa Wright, an American expat (and blogger) living in Playa del Carmen, shares her secrets of the destination; and Sonya Vargas from Mi Amigo de la Calle talks about this very special shelter for dogs, and their adoption process for people visiting Playa del Carmen and how you can volunteer on your next trip there. There’s all this and more as Travel Today with Peter Greenberg comes from Sandos Playcar Beach Resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.  

This week, Travel Today with Peter Greenberg comes from The Montage Beverly Hills. Joining Peter will be Beverly Hills writer and historian Robert Anderson; Iron Chef host Geoffrey Zakarian talks about the opening of his new restaurant at the hotel; Tammi Fuller, founder of Campowerment, discusses the camp’s approach to well being; and Beverly Hills Fire Chief Ralph Mondell shares his picks for the best hidden food spots. There’s all of that and more as Travel Today with Peter Greenberg comes from the Montage Beverly Hills.

This week, Travel Today with Peter Greenberg comes from The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois. What an appropriate place to broadcast from in the midst of a presidential election year. There are so many lessons to learn just by going through the museum and library. Joining me in the state capital will be Mayor James Langfelder, as well as Dr. James Cornelius, curator of the museum with untold stories of the President who shaped so much of American history. Even Fire Chief Barry Helmerichs reports on his favorite places to eat when he's not out on emergency calls. There's all this and more when Travel Today with Peter Greenberg comes from the  Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

Attention Parrot Heads! This week Travel Today with Peter Greenberg comes from Hollywood, Florida at the Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort. Joining us is Mike Boyd, who talks about the need for transparency from airlines regarding the value and use of frequent flyer miles. Roger Dow, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, weighs in on the Zika virus as well as the continuing battle of “open skies” and how Gulf airlines such as Emirates, Qatar, and Etihad and now, even Turkish Airways, have the ability to fly nonstop almost anywhere in the world. Wil Shriner, T.V. Director, Actor, Comedian (and now Florida resident), shares some of his favorite things to do in South Florida, and talks about his friendship with Jimmy Buffett, which developed when they worked together on the film Hoot. Arlene Satchell, Journalist with the Sun Sentinel, discusses how the expansion of the Ft. Lauderdale Airport has brought international service to the city. Carlo Sernaglia, Brand Concept Chef for the Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort, talks about the research he did to develop the menus for the resort’s restaurants and the surprising difficulty he’s had finding good, fresh, locally-caught fish (and then, how he’s found them). Of course there’s no difficulty, however, finding a cheeseburger in paradise. There’s all that and more as Travel Today with Peter Greenberg comes from the Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida.  

This week Travel Today with Peter Greenberg comes from the legendary Queen Mary, in Long Beach, California, Commodore Everette Hoard shares great stories of the ship and its celebrated passengers. Keeley Smith, Executive Editor of the Long Beach Post, discusses how Long Beach was often seen as a blue collar town, and how that reputation is changing. Sue Ann Robinson, The Long Beach Museum of Art Director of Collections & Exhibitions, reveals the museum has more artwork created by female artists than most in the country. Sasha Kanno, President, Farmer & Founder of Farm Lot 59, explains how she created a small farm in a large city and how she works with chefs from local restaurants to deliver farm-to-table cuisine. Stephanie Ervin, Content Editor for PeterGreenberg.com and Long Beach resident, discusses our hot destinations in 2016 and facts about Long Beach  visitors might find surprising.

This week's Travel Today returns to one of our favorite destinations for what has become an annual radio ritual: Wales. We’re broadcasting from the castle in Cardiff (one of more than 600 in Wales) and we’ll talk about the new U.S./Cuba agreement to establish scheduled air service between the two countries and provide an update on Paris after the November 13 attacks. Henry Harteveldt, Industry Analyst for Atmosphere Research, details some elements shaking up the travel industry, such as fragmentation that creates more choice for consumers and independent hotels offering more competitive prices. Simon Calder, Editor-at-Large for The Independent, will give us his very special take on the local history and culture, as well as the reason he keeps going back to Wales. Dai Smith talks about the history of coal mining and what turned Cardiff around (hint: he’s the head of the Arts Council) and what makes Cardiff one of the fastest growing cities in Europe. We’ll explore Welsh food with Sian Bassett Roberts (everything from small batch cheese and lava bread to the legendary welsh cakes). There’s all of that and more as the Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio Show broadcasts from the castle in Cardiff.

This week’s Travel Today with Peter Greenberg comes from the Phocuswright Conference 2015 in Hollywood, Florida. The Phocuswright Conference has built a travel symposium consisting of over 1500 attendees from all over the globe. Attendees can be described as today’s travel, tourism, and hospitality industry’s most influential leaders, visionary thinkers, and innovators around the world. Not to be overlooked are the brightest 35 leaders in the travel industry who are under the age of 35 and take part in the Young Leaders Summit during the conference. Here to speak with Peter Greenberg about the event is Tony D’Astolfo, the Phocuswright Managing Director, who will speak about all the trends taking place during this year’s Phocuswright Conference. Adam Goldstein, the Co-Founder and CEO of Hipmunk is also joining to discuss how Hipmunk works and can work to any traveler’s advantage. All this and more on this episode of Travel Today with Peter Greenberg. 

This week’s Travel Today comes from the Epicurean Hotel in Tampa Bay, Florida. Situated along Florida’s Gulf Coast, Tampa Bay is a city surrounded by bodies of water, and there are more than 100 tributaries that flow into Tampa Bay. Partially thanks to the port and international airport, Tampa Bay has a rich culture, history, and a diverse population. Joining us to speak about the ethnic diversity of the city"as well as give insight into its association with cigars"is author and journalist, Wallace Reyes, Ph.D. Then, Owner and Executive Chef of the award-winning restaurant Edison, Jeannie Pierola, talks about the progression of Florida’s food scene in the last ten years. Joining us is contributing journalist to the Tampa Bay Times, Sharon Wynne, who talks about why Tampa is a great place to visit, both because it is walkable and because it is an easy drive to the beach. There’s all of this and more when this week’s Travel Today podcast comes from the Epicurean Hotel in Tampa, Florida.

This week's Travel Today with Peter Greenberg comes from one of the cooler hotels on the planet"Quirk Hotel in Richmond, Virginia. Originally a dry goods store, the Quirk Hotel is not only a great restoration project but also an amazing art gallery. Joining Peter will be Chris Semtner, Curator at the Edgar Allan Poe Museum, will fill us in on the connection of Edgar Allan Poe and his ties to Richmond"as wells as what one can expect when visiting the museum. Then, Maureen Egan, Author and Co-Owner of the Real Richmond Food Tours, will discuss how the “capital of confectionary” ties in with Richmond’s food scene and Karrie Peifer, Editor and Senior Food Writer for Richmond Times-Dispatch/Richmond.com, will report on the busy Richmond restaurant scene. There’s all of this and more on this week’s Travel Today with Peter Greenberg.  

The Edgewater is an historic hotel originally opened its doors in 1948. Once a destination for Hollywood celebrities and dignitaries, this Madison staple went through a major renovation that was completed in September 2014. As a highlight, they have created an outdoor space to make the hotel and its lakefront views more open to the public. Chef Joe Heppe, the new Executive Chef of the Statehouse at The Edgewater, dishes about the culinary scene in Wisconsin"a truly farm-to-table destination"and how the Statehouse is incorporating that original foodie culture into its new menu.