Entries by Betty Stark

It’s Time to Rethink Your Approach to Travel Procurement

It was a mid-morning break at a National Business Travel Association (NBTA) conference in Tampa, Florida, and I was comparing notes with Terri Payne, the director of corporate purchasing at GSI Commerce Inc., a global company with US headquarters in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, Terri’s home base. GSI, with over 5,000 employees worldwide, provides e-commerce […]

Good food: Options before you board your flight

Toss out the phrase “airline food” and you’re likely to be confronted with groans, blank stares, or derisive comments about the half-ounce of pretzels and three ounces of diet pop that are standard fare on most flights up to three hours. Unless you’re flying up front, you’re better off considering other food sources before you […]

Luggage: Easing the hassle

Seasoned business travelers make every effort to travel lean, boarding flights with only carry-ons, but that’s not always possible, especially for extended-stay trips. Leisure travelers, too, might want to consider these emerging alternatives to the angst of waiting for bags at the luggage carousel or schlepping bags to a hotel after landing:

The Weight of Wisconsin

Most of us who call Wisconsin home can come up with a significant list of reasons why we love it here. Wisconsinites are friendly. The scenery is diverse and exceptional. Our cities are culturally and intellectually rich. We have big-city amenities without the big-city price tag. There is an almost endless variety of activities and […]

In Search of Nirvana On the Island of Java

Frankly, I had expected more than this from Buddha. I was teetering at the top of the Eighth Wonder of the World.  My journey to Indonesia had been long and the heat of the Javanese plains was oppressive. I expected at least a subtle arc of light when our fingers touched, a brief flash of […]

Social Media for Business Travelers

Fifteen-or-so years ago when Facebook king Mark Zuckerberg was probably still in high school, I shared a luncheon table in San Francisco with fourteen other hotel guests who had agreed to take part in a “community meal.” My lunch partners didn’t know me, and I didn’t know them.  Our paths would likely not cross again […]

Historian with a Mission Brings Ancient Turkey to Life

The pewter gray sky, awash with early morning mist, did nothing to dampen our spirits as we left the sprawling city of Antalya on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. Our search for antiquity would take us northwest into the imposing Taurus Mountains, through fragrant pine forests, steeply upward along twisting switchbacks, then nose-diving in sharp descents and […]

Guatemala is a Tapestry of Religious Beliefs and Artistry

The rough-hewn stone steps to the whitewashed Church of Santo Thomás were covered with stacks of pottery, wood carvings, towering piles of richly-colored textiles, and perfect flowers. Graceful calla lilies, gladiolas, flame-colored feathery ornamentals and exquisite roses in tight-budded bunches perfumed the warm morning air. At the top of the steps incense billowed from low […]