January 16: Live from the San Diego Travel & Adventure Show

Podcasts

Segment One: Show Preview Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris
Segment Two: Executive Chef Garth Blackburn, “Taste Texas” and Sub-Zero Wolf, Dallas & Houston, Texas
Segment Three: Cathy Hung, Deputy Director, Taiwan Tourism Bureau, L.A. Office
Segment Four: Collier Cook, Vice President, Activities, Santa Catalina Island Company”
Segment Five: Dona Richard, St. Martin Parish Tourist Commission, Louisiana
Segment Six: Candy Krajangsri, Marketing Officer, Tourism Authority of Thailand
Segment Seven: Suzanne Baird, Ventura Visitors & Convention Bureau
Segment Eight: John Golicz, CEO, Unicomm, The Event Producer

The 3rd Annual Travel & Adventure Show returns to the San Diego Convention Center in Hall B the weekend of January 16th and 17th. “The SoCal Restaurant Show” is broadcasting live from the Show this Saturday morning, January 16th from 10:00 a.m. to 12 Noon. Planning your next vacation has never been easier.

We’ll be joined by knowledgeable representatives from both incredible domestic and international travel destinations. We’ll be discovering Texas, Taiwan, Catalina, Cajun Country Louisiana, Thailand and Ventura. Food tourism will always be part of the tasty conversation.

In conclusion, John Golicz, CEO of Unicomm, the event’s producer, joins us with a preview of what’s in store for the rest of the weekend in San Diego. There are upcoming Travel & Adventure Show weekends in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area.

All of this and lots more absolutely incredible deliciousness on Saturday’s show!

Garth BlackburnChef Garth Blackburn (our guest) is the Executive Chef for Taste Texas TV and Sub-Zero Wolf. He’s hosting the Taste of Travel Theater at The Travel & Adventure Show.

Born in Lubbock and raised in Houston, Chef Garth has a passion for all things Texas and that certainly includes stellar sources for seasonal ingredients. His parents’ home cooking got him started in the kitchen, and he really fell in love with food as a member of the U.S. National Cycling Team traveling and tasting his way through 30 different countries.

After graduating culinary school, he went on to cook at several acclaimed Houston restaurants, cheffed it up in catering, and also cooked full time for a star NBA family.  Currently he is Executive Chef at Sub-Zero Wolf running two state-of-the-art culinary centers in Dallas and Houston.

In addition, Chef Garth shares his passion for great Texas food sources weekdays on Taste Texas TV with his co-host Amy Kushnir.

Taiwan the Heart of Asia“Chances are if you’ve traveled to Taiwan, it’s been on business. And there’s a very good chance that you’ve hurried in and out of Taipei as fast as your business allowed. At least this was true for me until Michael, a Taiwanese business associate, invited me to his son’s wedding and to join him and his wife, May, on a trip to see more of their country. My week in Taiwan was so enriching that I was moved to share the top reasons why you are depriving yourself of an unforgettable travel and cultural experience if you don’t take time to see more of this fabulous island the next time your business takes you to Taiwan.” Renee Farrington

Taiwan is Beautiful
“It is best seen from the windows of a speeding limo,” once announced a friend upon returning from the capital. But that was long ago, and Taipei is not Taiwan. The countryside outside the dynamic capital is filled with an amazing variety of the most beautiful and dramatic scenery in Asia. In a short period of time you can go from tropical beaches and spectacular sea-skirting cliff roads to awe-inspiring mist-shrouded peaks, warm hot springs, and tranquil soul-satisfying lakes.”

Savor a Moveable Feast at a Taiwanese Table
To its aboriginal, Chinese, Japanese, and European occupiers and immigrants over the years, one of the most compelling attractions of Taiwan has been the fertile land, producing an abundance of foods and, in more recent times, world-renowned tea. This foodstuff fecundity, enjoyed in a variety of appealing culinary styles and settings, is a source of pride for the Taiwanese and a great boon to the hungry visitor.

On the east coast we ate seafood selected from tanks at the front of a harbor-side restaurant, and in a small family-run cafe we tried a special soup recommended in posted newspaper articles supporting the claim of its healing properties. In Tainan we sat on tiny wooden stools to savor soup at the 100-year-old noodle shop called Du Siao Yue Danzai Noodles, established by a fisherman for income during the times of the year when he couldn’t fish.

At Michael’s home I relished a rich bowl of shrimp soup, one of 200 bowls his mother made for friends and relatives to pass on the good fortune of the wedding. And at the new home of the bride and groom, where they posed next to their bed in full wedding attire, I shared a cold soup of what looked like shocking-pink bubblegum balls (made from glutinous rice) to “bring sweetness to the marriage.”

Cathy Hung from the Taiwan Tourism Board joins us to Go Taiwan.

Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce and Visitor BureauThink you really know the  contemporary Catalina? Catalina is not your Grandparents quaint island vacation getaway anymore. There is everything from zip lines to back country nature tours available. Food walking tours, too. There is even a vineyard on Catalina now.

Michelle Warner, Program Manager from the Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau joins us with the update.

St Martin's ParishCajun Country Louisiana is next on the travel menu. Joining us is Dona Degatur Richard from the St. Martin Parish Tourist Commission.

With the distinctive designations of “Gateway to the Atchafalaya Basin,” “Home of Longfellow’s Evangeline” and “The Crawfish Capital of the World,” St, Martin Parish is a place like none other. See for yourself, and experience the difference!

St. Martin Parish is located in south-central Louisiana; its parish seat is St. Martinville. It has a population of 52,160 (2010 US Census Bureau) and is 739.9 square miles in size.

Over one third of St. Martin Parish’s 52,000 inhabitants are Cajun, and the area certainly boasts large African-American, white Creole, and Creole of Color communities.

From the Bayou Teche to the Atchafalaya Basin, St. Martin Parish is a picturesque and bountiful region. Rich in agricultural, visitors are taken through sugar cane fields, low-lying swamp land, and rolling lands of beauty. Majestic live oaks, draped with moss, are scattered along roadways. Bald cypress trees and their unique stumps abound.

Tourism Authoirty of ThailandYour travel dollars go far in Thailand and the gracious hospitality there always impresses. Ben Fleming, Marketing Manager, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Los Angeles Office, is our guest for a virtual visit to Thailand.

Ben Fleming is a Marketing Manager at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Los Angeles office. The TAT Los Angeles office is responsible for promoting travel from the United States and South America to Thailand through travel trade partnerships and consumer marketing.

Thailand’s tourism should generate 2.41 trillion Baht in revenue this year, revised upwards from an earlier projection of 2.3 trillion Baht. Of that total, 1.56 trillion Baht will come from international markets and 0.85 trillion Baht from domestic travel.

In 2015, Thailand tourism generated 2.23 trillion Baht of which 1.44 trillion Baht came from international markets and 0.79 trillion Baht from the domestic sector.

Ventura County CaliforniaGet into Ventura…

“A place that embodies a casual soul and unexpected allure, Ventura is a vibrant town that checks stress and pretense at the door. Its artistic culture, enduring history, and privileged locale is crazy-inviting, very much alive, and refreshingly human. Come here. Stay here. Love it here.”

Ventura’s dining scene thrives thanks to Artisan chefs setting up eateries that celebrate California’s abundance of fresh local seafood, produce and eclectic fare. With wine country in their backyard, acres and acres of fresh crops grown locally, and multi-cultural influences, it’s no wonder Ventura and its restaurants have been popping up in publications like Gourmet, Sunset and Westways.

Suzanne Baird with the Ventura Visitors & Convention Bureau is out guide.

Travel and Adventure ShowWe’re live at in Booth 222 (IFWTWA) at the 3rd Annual Travel & Adventure Show at the San Diego Convention Center. The show continues on Sunday in Hall B from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

This year’s event features a larger expo hall, with more travel destinations and expanded content and seminars. America’s favorite Travel Show series is sure to spark your wanderlust. Consider it the trip you take before your trip!

The Travel & Adventure Show matches travel enthusiasts with the top travel providers from around the globe to craft custom experiences that turn your ordinary get-aways into extraordinary vacations creating lasting memories for years to come. From Mammoth Lakes to Malaysia, Fiji to Florida, you will browse a huge variety of travel providers, and experience culture-rich demonstrations from your dream destinations.

Interact with thousands of domestic and international destinations and travel experts that can help you plan your next vacation, customize your trip, and give you the expert, inside knowledge you need to “travel like a local”.

John Golicz, CEO of Unicomm, the event’s producer, joins us with a tempting preview of what’s in store for the rest of the Weekend.

The Travel & Adventure Show is in Los Angeles (Long Beach Convention Center) on February 27th and 28th and then travels north to the San Francisco Bay Area on March 5th & 6th.

Podcasts

Segment One: Show Preview Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris
Segment Two: Executive Chef Garth Blackburn, “Taste Texas” and Sub-Zero Wolf, Dallas & Houston, Texas
Segment Three: Cathy Hung, Deputy Director, Taiwan Tourism Bureau, L.A. Office
Segment Four: Collier Cook, Vice President, Activities, Santa Catalina Island Company”
Segment Five: Dona Richard, St. Martin Parish Tourist Commission, Louisiana
Segment Six: Candy Krajangsri, Marketing Officer, Tourism Authority of Thailand
Segment Seven: Suzanne Baird, Ventura Visitors & Convention Bureau
Segment Eight: John Golicz, CEO, Unicomm, The Event Producer

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