International Living Interview - How to get your first travel article published

 GETTING YOUR FEET WET: HOW TO GET YOUR FIRST TRAVEL ARTICLE PUBLISHED

 Interview with Chicago Workshop Attendee Shelley Huskey

 TRWTT: Hi Shelley. You attended our Ultimate Travel Writer’s Workshop
 in Chicago last month. What attracted you to that event and the idea
 of travel writing?

 SHELLEY: I’m an Environmental Manager by profession and have been
 working in the environmental field for about 13 years. My husband and
 I are now empty-nesters. With our youngest son finishing up his final
 year in college in Chicago, I had been thinking a lot about how I want
 to spend the next half of my life when I read about the travel writing
 workshop. Travel writing sounded more like fun than work, so I
 decided to give it a shot. American companies tend to only provide a
 few weeks of vacation each year, but most of us need a break before we
 are entitled to take it. A freelance travel writer sets their own
 hours. I like the sound of that.

 TRWTT: Can you tell us a little bit about the article you wrote and
 where you got it published? Was it the article you worked on in class
 at the event in Chicago?

 SHELLEY: Yes, it was the article I worked on in class. I like to stay
 active and enjoy bike riding. So when I went to Chicago, I took my
 bike and decided that if it was nice, I would ride it to the travel
 writing class along Chicago's lake front. Since we had to come up
 with a story during the class, I decided to write about the awesome
 bike path along Lake Michigan. I titled it "Bike Chicago's Lake Front
 for Free!" When I got home, I sent it to the editor at my local paper
 and she responded within a few days to say she’d like to publish it.
 The article then came out on my birthday. What a great way to
 celebrate!

 TRWTT: Was this the first article you tried to write and publish or
 have you tried before?

 SHELLEY: This was the first time I tried to get published. I wrote
 another article about a vacation in Fort Myer's Beach Florida, but I
 haven't done anything with it yet.

 TRWTT: Are you hooked? Do you think you’ll do this again?

 SHELLEY: Most definitely! I purchased a copy of Writer's Market per
 Steenie’s suggestion at the workshop. I also created a spreadsheet to
 keep track of which publications I send my articles to and when I sent
 them. I sent this same article off to a couple of other local
 publications, too. One turned it down and the other I haven't heard
 from yet.

 TRWTT: If you could take your travel writing anywhere in the world,
 where would you go?

 SHELLEY: Costa Rica in Central America... From what I have read, it
 seems like a paradise anytime of year. From there, who knows; I have
 a long bucket list.

 TRWTT: Any other advice for those just starting out?

 SHELLEY: Give it a try. I did. And you just might get hooked! 

A weekend filled with good, affordable wines from Illinois.

Many people gathered in Matthiessen State Park this past weekend to sample some of Illinois’s best wines at the Vintage Illinois Wine Festival.  A few girlfriends and I entered the fenced in area, we were handed a wineglass for sampling, a passport to log our favorites, and a handful of tickets for a $15.00 fee, a small price to pay for so many taste options.  As a veteran, I immediately purchased more tickets in advance, because with several friends and 25+ wineries, there was so little time and much to sample.  This wineglass has a sample line where your glass will only be filled to unless you are buying a full glass from the wine vendor.  First order of business, belly up to the bar, I mean tent of course, to check out the options.  Every winery had their own unique way of posting and describing their wines.  Some just had a hand-out; some were posted on a dry erase board, while other’s had elaborate colorful leaflets to display their award winning vintage.  There were reds, whites, and every shade in between.  A newbie may start out with a sweet or semi-sweet.  While a long time wine connoisseur may go directly for the dry wine in the color of their choice.  Don’t stop at just the reds and whites; there were plenty of fruit wines to choose from at this wine event, including peach, blackberry, raspberry, apple, and elderberry just to name a few.  To add to the atmosphere, several bands and an orchestra entertained the crowd, all that I heard were excellent this year.  Food and water was also available for purchase.    

A few of our favorites were August Hill, found right there in Utica IL.  The Muscato was our top choice from this Winery.  It was a dessert wine that was crisp, fruity, and fresh tasting.  Don’t expect a regular size bottle here; this award winner bottle is only 375 ml.   It is worth every drop too, purchase price $10.00.  Another purchase was the dry white Chardonal.  This is a refreshingly dry wine with a complex mixture of aromas and flavors.  This bottle is your typical 750 ml, purchase price $16.99.  Drop in on this winery to check out the reds too.  This is a well-established winery with a tasting room that is elegantly decorated in a more modern decor, well worth the stop when you are passing through on scenic highway 178.

Another similar wine that we all enjoyed was the Muscat Canelli from Galena Cellars.  This semi-sweet gold winning wine was fruity with a hint of peaches.  No after taste here, only crisp and clean tasting, it could be pared with strawberries, cheese, or shrimp with mushrooms and broccoli according to their web site.  Also easy on the pocketbook, purchase price $13.50.  I am visualizing a fall or winter road trip to this scenic Illinois countryside.  Pair this winery up with a ski trip and you have the makings of a fun weekend. 

A sweeter red wine that we all enjoyed was Maria’s Sangria from Prairie State Winery.  It was packed full of flavor, pair it with frozen grapes or pineapple chunks.  The label claims to enhance your social gatherings, which made me laugh.  I couldn’t argue with that statement, purchase price $12.99.  Another favorite was the Cattelman’s Red.  This dry red wine pairs well obviously with your choice of red meat, purchase price $12.99.

    

The pamphlet from Von Jakobs Vineyard stated uncork the good life, which is how we all felt when we tasted their yummy sweet red wine called Country Red.  This is a perfect blend of foch, chancellor, and chambourcin grapes.  Another red wine favorite was American Chambrocin, a bit mellower than most dry wines.  This dry wine is a medium bodied dinner wine.  The website states pair this wine with your favorite chicken, fish, or pasta dish.  This vineyard can be found in southern Illinois.  It is one of the wineries on the Shawnee Hills wine trail, purchase prices $11.00 and $12.24 respectively.

If you venture down to the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, don’t miss Blue Sky winery!  It is in my opinion one of the best this state has to offer with that “old world charm.”  My all-time favorite purchase is their sweet Concord wine.  This Concord grape taste lingers well after the last sip.  Pair it with your favorite fruit, purchase price $11.50.  Another one we would recommend from our wine trip this weekend was the dry white Chardonnay Silver.  Not your traditional buttery Chardonnay, this wine is a medium bodied wine, purchase price $14.00.   

   

At the Massbach Ridge tent, one of my friends skipped the tasting from this winery altogether.  She knew what she wanted and went directly to the side of the tent to the bottle purchasing area.  Her favorite was the Massbach Reserve, a dry red wine.  It is a full bodied, oak aged wine made from foch and fontenac grapes.  She has a more evolved palate from living in Germany for a few years in her youth.  This wine still is affordable, purchase price $18.00.

Check out the Decanter here in Decatur for some of these wines or their websites directly.

Web sites:

http://www.vintageillinois.com/index.cfm

http://www.augusthillwinery.com/

http://www.galenacellars.com/home.asp

http://www.prairiestatewinery.com/

http://www.vonjakobvineyard.com/

http://www.blueskyvineyard.com/

http://www.massbachridge.com/

(Noteworthy tip:  Pair your white wines with white meat/fish and red wines with red meats to enhance the flavors.)   

#2 The Travel Writer set up and next opportunity

Today I spent some quality time setting up my expense and income spreadsheets, good information I got of my Writer's Market book.  So far, my Travel Writing expenses far outweigh my income.  No surprise there.  Good thing this is just practice for retirement.  I did get an interview published through International Living, which created my first item of income noted in my worksheet.


Next weekend is the Vintage Illinois Wine Festival located in Matthiessen State Park, in LaSalle County Illinois.  I hope to do some writing about a few of my favorite wines and wineries.  Maybe I should pitch an idea to the local newspaper to see if they are interested.

#1:

First attempt at travel writing and the article was published on my birthday...what a great present!!!

Bike Chicago’s Magnificent Lake front for Free!

By:  Shelley Huskey

While visiting Chicago for a conference, I was lucky enough to find one of the City’s best kept secrets, Chicago’s Lakeshore bike path.  It is an inexpensive way to see the City.  There are no access fees or long lines.  On one side of the path, boats can be found in all shapes and sizes in the lake or docked at Burnham or Monroe Harbors.  On the other side of the path is the magnificent Chicago skyline.  From the southern end of the path, the landscape changes with each mile.  An unexpected waterfall at McCormick Place is the first of many surprises on this trek.  Other noteworthy icons include Soldier Field, Adler Planetarium, and the Field Museum.  The City’s famous Grant Park, is next.  If you care to veer off the beaten path, take a photo of Buckingham Fountain.  Just north of Grant Park is Millennium Park, which contains some of the area’s best free art exhibits.  Back to the bike path and you’ll cross the famous Chicago River.  Up next, is the number one destination in Chicago, Navy Pier.  It offers boat rides, shopping, eateries, and bars.  There are a multiple of food options along this bike path.  Stop for a refreshing snow cone, hot dog, or take in a local café along the way.   Need a break?  Sit a spell and rest at one of the local beaches.  Fishing is also possible.  As you ride further north, the landscape changes to accommodate more organized group sports, where tennis, volleyball, baseball and soccer fields are the norm.  There are even dog parks found along the way.  The path runs north and south all along Lake Michigan.  The bike path is open all year round and is the ultimate way to see this magnificent City free of charge.  For more information check out http://chicagobikes.org/pdf/lakefront_trail061608.pdf