Welcome to the new Travel section.
It used to be that when people found out I critiqued restaurants for a living, invariably the next question was, “What’s your favorite restaurant?”
But now that my answer to, “What do you do for a living?” is that I’m a travel editor, the next question rarely is, “Where’s your favorite place to visit?”
In fact, it rarely has anything to do with the “where” at all. More often, it involves the “how,” as in “How often do you fly?” Or the “when,” as in “When do you think the best time to go to Barcelona is?”
Sometimes they want to know the “why” or the “who,” such as “Why is United always late?” Or “Who do you like for hotel deals on the Web?”
“Where” is usually way down the line, long after we’ve established the ins and outs of how I do this travel thing.
The gentleman sitting next to me in 10B in economy class on a flight to Chicago recently made crystal clear what people expect from the travel editor.
When he found out my occupation, my seatmate, flying into the Windy City for a high school reunion, not only began to scrutinize my every move, he – I’m not kidding – started to write things down.
Everything I did from that moment on became What a Travel Editor Does While Traveling, and he became more inquisitive than, well ,a journalist.
“Why doesn’t the paper send you first class?” he demanded to know (OK, the editors can stop laughing now). I told him, perhaps a bit defensively, that I think it’s important to experience all the options regularly (and if anyone ever wants to send me first class so I can experience that, I’m game …)
Then he wanted to know why I ordered ginger ale (um, because coffee and cola dehydrate, but I still wanted the sugar buzz?), and if I had picked my aisle seat on purpose (yes, because drinking ginger ale means I’m going to have to get up at some point, and I hate climbing over people …)
He wrote down that I use Paper Mate Liquid Expresso Pens (the Xtra Fine Point, very smooth, no leaks) and which travel magazines I had brought along, including Condé Nast Traveler, Budget Travel and American Cowboy, which I didn’t have the heart to tell him was far more about sweaty guys in tight jeans than where I would be visiting in the West.
It was then that I realized this gig is going to be considerably different from the business of restaurant reviewing.
Travel writing has to be about far more than simply telling you where to travel and pointing out the pretty parts. It has to be about helping you get there, sharing the inside information, telling you what’s new and different, and giving you as many details as possible.
Which is why we decided to send Travel in a new direction.
The changes start with the cover. Each week we’ll tell you about new or updated hotels, restaurants, cultural events, attractions, nightclubs and shopping opportunities around the globe.
We’ll also stick closer to home more often, with enhanced regional travel coverage on the cover, as well as inside, with an expanded section on events happening in the state and more notes on bordering states’ activities. And look for an increase in stories on outdoors and adventure travel.
Many of you already have been reading Robin Chotzinoff, our columnist who started writing Out There two months ago. Each week she travels somewhere in the Four Corners and beyond and reports on her findings, everything from small mom-and-pop B&Bs to inner tubing in Lyons and llama hiking in the high country.
International hotspots will continue to get attention, too, but our bigger packages will be more consumer-oriented, packed with information you can use now: deals, travel tips, locals’ secrets.
On Page 2T, check out our new reviews of gear and travel books, a website of the week, and a weekly dream destination that few can afford but many will drool over.
Paper Trails will continue, but the concept has received a facelift. Turn to Page 8T to see the new format. Readers tell us they want you to share more details about your experiences. So take a Travel section on your next trip, have your photo taken, answer our questions, and one day your face may appear in these pages too.
After 17 years of wonderful Hikes of the Week, Dave Muller’s popular package has been revamped, as well. Filling Muller’s big hiking shoes is Dave Cooper, author of “Colorado Scrambles: A Guide to 50 Select Climbs in Colorado’s Mountains.” Cooper will offer a Hike of the Week alternating with bike trails and rock climbing routes, and in the winter, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and ice climbs.
We also will provide more industry news and analyses, from airline strikes to hotel pricing comparisons, with an eye toward getting you the best bargains.
And keep your eyes peeled for the periodic cover feature “Urban Adventure,” which will find your favorite Denver Post critics and reporters traveling to major cities to report on dining, art, theater, music and more.
As we share the how, when, why and who to get you where you want to go, our goal is also to entertain you as we journey. Thanks for joining us on this new adventure in Travel, and be sure to keep in touch along the way.
Travel editor Kyle Wagner can be reached at 303-820-1599 or traveleditor@denverpost.com.
