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American Morning
Interview with Mark Orwoll
Aired June 27, 2002 - 07:46 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: If you ask Americans where they want to spend their summer vacation, two-thirds have no doubt. They know. They want to go to the beach, and that is according to the 2002 National Travel Monitor. But not just any beach will fulfill all summer fantasies.
Here to tell you how to find the beach of your dreams is Mark Orwoll, the managing editor of "Travel and Leisure" magazine. Someone has to have the job of going to the beach for his job.
MARK ORWOLL, "TRAVEL AND LEISURE": It's tough, but I'm willing.
KAGAN: I've got to say...
ORWOLL: Good morning.
KAGAN: Good morning. This speaks to me. There is no place that I am happier than on the beach. I love the beach.
ORWOLL: Absolutely. I grew up in Southern California...
KAGAN: So did I.
ORWOLL: ... just my formative years spent next to Lycro Station (ph) number three for -- oh, I have great memories of it all.
KAGAN: Absolutely. OK, but now, let's talk about going to other beaches besides in California.
ORWOLL: Sure.
KAGAN: One word for you: Hawaii.
ORWOLL: Hawaii fills everybody's fantasy of a tropical destination. The beaches in Hawaii -- well, of course, the most famous being Waikiki Beach with the outrigger canoes, the surfers.
KAGAN: A little crowded and touristy, though.
ORWOLL: It is indeed.
KAGAN: Yes.
ORWOLL: But you know what? There are five main islands in Hawaii, each one of them has a different appeal. A lot of people will spend a couple of days on one island, a couple of days on the next. Finding a great hotel is a lot harder than finding a great beach in Hawaii at a good price.
KAGAN: Well, you mentioned the word, "spend."
ORWOLL: Yes.
KAGAN: When you come to Hawaii, spend, and we are talking some big bucks.
ORWOLL: And you know, over the years past, it has been really hard to get a good deal. The decline in Japanese tourism has helped the average traveler, though, because hotel prices have gone down. I'm going to recommend that before you book a hotel, go on to hotels.com and check out what they have, and you won't have a problem finding hotels for less than $100 a night...
KAGAN: Really?
ORWOLL: ... three and four star hotels. For example, the Park Shore Waikiki, $65.95 a night for the room. Over on the big island, there is the Ohana Keauhou Hotel, a beach resort, $95.95, a whole slew of them. You don't have to go to hotels.com. There are a lot of other places to check it out. But there are deals to be had in Hawaii.
KAGAN: Well, now, there are other things -- other issues for Hawaii. For a lot of people, they think that is just too far away. I only have a week, a few days, so I want to stay closer. What about Florida?
ORWOLL: Oh, Florida is a great destination.
KAGAN: Yes.
ORWOLL: In fact, in so many -- the AAA has come up with a survey that said that it tops the wish list for most American travelers, going to Florida. And whether it is going to be the West Coast beaches, the quiet Gulf side, or the Gold Coast beaches from Miami Beach up to Palm Beach, or the American Rivera up on the panhandle, a wide variety of beaches, great deals.
ORWOLL: Look for package deals when you are going to Hawaii, Daryn. I'm going to tell you, for example, I went on to Expedia...
KAGAN: But include the air fare, the car, all of it.
ORWOLL: That's right. Pack it all in together. At the very least, the air fare and your hotels. And that would be, for example, at expedia.com, I found a deal from New York -- you can find it from your own hometown.
KAGAN: OK.
ORWOLL: New York to Miami, including three nights at the Deville Hotel (ph) -- this is one of the grand old Miami Beach hotels -- $292, that's per person. And you know, you can get different hotels from your own destination. Get a package deal. I went on to Expedia. You can go anywhere.
KAGAN: Even at this time of year, there are deals to be had.
ORWOLL: Indeed. You are -- you have two choices now. Either travel at the last minute, book at the last minute, or book way in advance. It's when you are booking four and five and six weeks ahead where you're not going to get great deals right now.
KAGAN: Now, some people think about Florida in the summertime, and they think it's about as hot as this studio is this morning. And let me tell you, that's pretty darn hot. So people want to head north and go to really cool destinations. Are there some great places...
(CROSSTALK)
ORWOLL: Well, I am going to tell you one of the most family- friendly destinations up in the New England area is Nantucket Island. It's called the Far-Away Island. It's off the coast of southeast Massachusetts. It's sort of a little more down home, a little less formal, not quite as sheik as say Martha's Vineyard, its sister island.
KAGAN: Right.
ORWOLL: But...
KAGAN: Not one of these kind of chic...
(CROSSTALK)
ORWOLL: No, no, no.
KAGAN: Yes.
ORWOLL: This is cut-off jeans...
KAGAN: Where only the fabulous people go.
ORWOLL: Cut-off jeans and flip flops is the way you want to dress there on Nantucket. I am going to recommend also that you leave your car at home, because this is a place that it has a network of bike paths.
KAGAN: Oh, that's fun.
ORWOLL: You can go from Nantucket town to all of the beaches on a bicycle. It's going to be a real family-oriented, old-style vacation. There is a place called the Harbor House Village Hotel. Now, the rate is $325 a night, but in celebration of the recent renovation, they are going to offer you the fifth night free, which is a 20 percent discount if you average that up.
KAGAN: Yes. And by then, you can't afford to eat dinner. ORWOLL: Well, you know, that is a place where you can live on hot dogs and popcorn. It's OK in Nantucket.
KAGAN: So your basic point is no matter how far you are, no matter where you are in the U.S., there is an affordable beach that you can get to this summer.
ORWOLL: Wherever, the West Coast, the East Coast. If you want to just get on a plane for an hour-and-a-half, you can get a great beach, no question.
KAGAN: You have inspired me to grab the bad paperback and the beach chair and just kind of head out to the sands -- appreciate it.
ORWOLL: Oh, I'll be right behind you.
KAGAN: Absolutely. Mark Orwoll from "Travel and Leisure," thank you so much...
(CROSSTALK)
ORWOLL: All right. You're welcome.
KAGAN: ... for just a few minutes.
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