FROM THE EDITOR
Bob Rouse
Editor
101 Prosperous Place, Suite 350
Lexington, KY 40509 USA
+1.859.264.6548
[email protected]
I RECEIVED A WALL CALENDAR in the mail. A printed
calendar from a manufacturing company. In a large envelope with stamps. That’s only slightly more modern than
a triceratops driving up to NTA headquarters in an Edsel.
Don’t get me wrong; I really like printed, mailed
material—magazines, for example. But most of my correspondence comes via email these days. My calendars, too,
operate in the electronic realm (magically synced, at that). So
the arrival of a ginormous printed calendar delivered by snail
mail is an anomaly. But it’s a welcome one.
It means that 2017 is really here. I can hold it in my hands.
I can turn the pages and see what day my birthday lands on
this year. (Easter Sunday, whaddya know?) I can flip through
the months and look up family birthdays and anniversaries;
I can check on the major holidays. Yep, all the familiar dates
are there. And each month is topped with a giant picture of an
event or landmark or scene somewhere in the Midwestern U.S.
I hadn’t heard of the Lions Club Car Show and Swap Meet
in Morris, Illinois (August), nor of the “patriotic bears” standing woodenly along Route 36 in central Missouri (July—natch).
But I know about new years.
I know the opportunities they bring. And the hope for
happy days and moonlit nights.
2017 will be a big year for NTA. Two editions of Travel
Exchange, right? The first one is in St. Louis (as we might
have mentioned along the way). You know it’s coming, but
you’re sure to learn some new details—and maybe see some
old friends—in the special section starting on page 30. You
can also gather
some tips for successful
business appointments; four convention veterans
pass along advice on page 20.
I’m captivated by the photos of Edinburgh in the City
Spotlight, assembled by Gabe Webb, starting on page 26.
And the section on the U.S. West that Pat Henderson put
together—starting on page 56—makes me want to hop in the
car and head out.
Before I go, I’ll need to check my new calendar. And if I do
drive west, I need to find those Missouri bears holding flags
out there on Route 36.
Happy 2017,
January Courier Destination Index
Alaska 22, 63, 66
Massachusetts 22
Arizona 24–25, 75
Michigan 74
California 62, 67
Nevada 56
England 68
New York 74
Ireland 68
Oregon 58
Kansas 75
Scotland 26–28, 68
Kentucky 23
Washington 60–61, 64–65
4
January 2017
On the cover:
“The Runner” strides in front of the
Old Courthouse and the Gateway
Arch in downtown St. Louis, site of
Travel Excha