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CNN Live Today

Interview With Steve Millburg

Aired July 14, 2003 - 11:54   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: Well, for those of us who need a little bit more shelter than that, you're thinking about a little beach vacation, Mother Nature couldn't careless about your plans for a beach vacation. So what if you planned everything according to your issue of "Coastal Living" magazine? What do you do if Claudette or some other nasty weather is threatening to ruin your trip? Let's ask Steve Millburg. He is the senior travel editor for "Coastal Living." Steve, good morning.
STEVE MILLBURG, SENIOR TRAVEL EDITOR, "COASTAL LIVING" MAGAZINE: Good morning.

KAGAN: What do you do? You planned all year. This is the week you're going to be on the Texas coast.

MILLBURG: One of the things you need to do is to know what the cancellation policies of the resort or the airline, all of the people that you're going to be spending money with are. For example most hotels or resorts have a 24-hour cancellation policy. So if you call and cancel more than 24-hours before the start of your trip you won't be out money.

KAGAN: OK.

MILLBURG: With the airlines, you might have to pay a $100 fee to apply the cost of your ticket to a later ticket. But, you know, if you are going to be at the very least wet and miserable for your vacation, it is worth it.

Another thing to look into is trip cancellation insurance.

KAGAN: Right.

MILLBURG: Especially if you have a lot of upfront fees. Like you if are going on a cruise there's you have to make a lot of upfront payments. Trip cancellation insurance is a really good idea then. And it's pretty reasonable. It will cost you roughly $50 for the first $1,000 worth of coverage and goes down as coverage goes up from there.

KAGAN: And then maybe a good idea's to start dreaming about your beach vacation for next year and hope you have some better luck.

So let's look at some ideas. Let's take a cruise real quickly around the U.S. Let's start in the northeast. In New Jersey, what beach are you recommending there? MILLBURG: New Jersey, I love the Wildwoods. It's in the southern end of the Jersey shore. It's famous for what they call "doo-wop" architecture. All the motels were built in the '50s and '60s with just wonderfully over the top garish architecture. Neon and plastic palm trees. There's a great boardwalk there. A lot of taffy stands and t-shirt shops, that sort of thing. There are three amusement piers with roller coasters and other rides.

The beach is the widest in the country. I mean it is literally several hundred yards wide. People complain that they have to walk so far across the sand to get into the water.

KAGAN: Let's head south...

MILLBURG: Yes, we should all have...

KAGAN: Yes, exactly. That's a terrible problem to have.

What about the southeast, Cumberland Island? This a very famous...

MILLBURG: Cumberland Island, Georgia. It is the biggest barrier island in Georgia. It's the last island in the southern Georgia, just north of Jacksonville. And it's a real contrast to the Wildwoods because it is a nature area. Almost all the island is a national sea shore. The Park Service controls access. So it's just you and 18 miles of beach. It's beautiful beach.

KAGAN: Sounds wonderful.

MILLBURG: Now Miami Beach, a little farther south, is great for people watching but for a real getaway Cumberland Island is wonderful.

KAGAN: Let's head to the Gulf, not the part that will get hit by Claudette. So maybe a little bit further east.

MILLBURG: Actually further east, I think the best most beautiful sand in the world is the Florida and Alabama Gulf beaches. It's just beautiful, white sand. It's like powdered sugar.

My favorite stretch is the Florida Panhandle and into Alabama. You have party beaches like Panama City. You've got quiet beaches like Mexico Beach. My favorite is Saint Joseph's Peninsula State Park, near Apalachicola, seven miles of that beautiful white sand. You've got deer that just wander around paying no attention to you. There are dunes to hike in. And it also faces west so you get great sunsets.

I've got to mention also, on this stretch of beach, my favorite dive beach bar anywhere.

KAGAN: OK, might as well get it in.

MILLBURG: It's the Flora-Bama. It's on the Florida-Alabama line near Pensacola. If you arrive by parachute, you get a free pitcher of beer. KAGAN: All right. We want to tell you folks not leave after that, but that's a good tip.

And just so I understand, it's your job to live at the beach and write about it for your magazine.

MILLBURG: I go to the beach for a living.

KAGAN: That is a good gig.

MILLBURG: There are worse ways of making a living.

KAGAN: Steve Millburg, thanks for joining us and thanks for the tips.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired July 14, 2003 - 11:54   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, for those of us who need a little bit more shelter than that, you're thinking about a little beach vacation, Mother Nature couldn't careless about your plans for a beach vacation. So what if you planned everything according to your issue of "Coastal Living" magazine? What do you do if Claudette or some other nasty weather is threatening to ruin your trip? Let's ask Steve Millburg. He is the senior travel editor for "Coastal Living." Steve, good morning.
STEVE MILLBURG, SENIOR TRAVEL EDITOR, "COASTAL LIVING" MAGAZINE: Good morning.

KAGAN: What do you do? You planned all year. This is the week you're going to be on the Texas coast.

MILLBURG: One of the things you need to do is to know what the cancellation policies of the resort or the airline, all of the people that you're going to be spending money with are. For example most hotels or resorts have a 24-hour cancellation policy. So if you call and cancel more than 24-hours before the start of your trip you won't be out money.

KAGAN: OK.

MILLBURG: With the airlines, you might have to pay a $100 fee to apply the cost of your ticket to a later ticket. But, you know, if you are going to be at the very least wet and miserable for your vacation, it is worth it.

Another thing to look into is trip cancellation insurance.

KAGAN: Right.

MILLBURG: Especially if you have a lot of upfront fees. Like you if are going on a cruise there's you have to make a lot of upfront payments. Trip cancellation insurance is a really good idea then. And it's pretty reasonable. It will cost you roughly $50 for the first $1,000 worth of coverage and goes down as coverage goes up from there.

KAGAN: And then maybe a good idea's to start dreaming about your beach vacation for next year and hope you have some better luck.

So let's look at some ideas. Let's take a cruise real quickly around the U.S. Let's start in the northeast. In New Jersey, what beach are you recommending there? MILLBURG: New Jersey, I love the Wildwoods. It's in the southern end of the Jersey shore. It's famous for what they call "doo-wop" architecture. All the motels were built in the '50s and '60s with just wonderfully over the top garish architecture. Neon and plastic palm trees. There's a great boardwalk there. A lot of taffy stands and t-shirt shops, that sort of thing. There are three amusement piers with roller coasters and other rides.

The beach is the widest in the country. I mean it is literally several hundred yards wide. People complain that they have to walk so far across the sand to get into the water.

KAGAN: Let's head south...

MILLBURG: Yes, we should all have...

KAGAN: Yes, exactly. That's a terrible problem to have.

What about the southeast, Cumberland Island? This a very famous...

MILLBURG: Cumberland Island, Georgia. It is the biggest barrier island in Georgia. It's the last island in the southern Georgia, just north of Jacksonville. And it's a real contrast to the Wildwoods because it is a nature area. Almost all the island is a national sea shore. The Park Service controls access. So it's just you and 18 miles of beach. It's beautiful beach.

KAGAN: Sounds wonderful.

MILLBURG: Now Miami Beach, a little farther south, is great for people watching but for a real getaway Cumberland Island is wonderful.

KAGAN: Let's head to the Gulf, not the part that will get hit by Claudette. So maybe a little bit further east.

MILLBURG: Actually further east, I think the best most beautiful sand in the world is the Florida and Alabama Gulf beaches. It's just beautiful, white sand. It's like powdered sugar.

My favorite stretch is the Florida Panhandle and into Alabama. You have party beaches like Panama City. You've got quiet beaches like Mexico Beach. My favorite is Saint Joseph's Peninsula State Park, near Apalachicola, seven miles of that beautiful white sand. You've got deer that just wander around paying no attention to you. There are dunes to hike in. And it also faces west so you get great sunsets.

I've got to mention also, on this stretch of beach, my favorite dive beach bar anywhere.

KAGAN: OK, might as well get it in.

MILLBURG: It's the Flora-Bama. It's on the Florida-Alabama line near Pensacola. If you arrive by parachute, you get a free pitcher of beer. KAGAN: All right. We want to tell you folks not leave after that, but that's a good tip.

And just so I understand, it's your job to live at the beach and write about it for your magazine.

MILLBURG: I go to the beach for a living.

KAGAN: That is a good gig.

MILLBURG: There are worse ways of making a living.

KAGAN: Steve Millburg, thanks for joining us and thanks for the tips.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com