Letter Rip
We love letters. Maybe it's because our grandmas always used to
tape a quarter to our birthday cards when we were little, and we
now have this Pavlovian thing going on. Regardless, we want to hear
from you. Sing our praises, bust our chops, or just tell us what's
on your mind. Send your thoughts to
editor@americanwaymag.com.
Yo!
Free Stuff
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Daniel Gadish is the latest winner of our
Favorite Letter Giveaway. Want a chance to win something? Write us
a letter!
In our December 1 issue, Daniel Gadish revealed his ingenuity and
immodesty by sharing his brave solution to unexpected rules at a
public
swimming pool in
France. For his efforts, Daniel gets
Samsung's Helix XM2go
Satellite Radio with
MP3, as well as six
months of service from
XM Satellite Radio. The XM2go is portable
and offers the full capabilities of satellite radio and MP3 music
in one, storing MP3s, WMA files, and XM content, so you can take
all of your favorite audio with you wherever you go. Visit
shop.xmradio.com. Want to win something
cool like this yourself? Drop us a line sometime.
LOCATION IS EVERYTHING
Until early 2005, I was a regular passenger on American Airlines
because of proximity (it was the only airline operating out of
Dubuque, Iowa). With my mobilization to U.S. Northern Command in
Colorado Springs, I've had the opportunity to utilize many other
airlines (and to read their in-flight magazines).
With an average of eight to 10 days on the road each month, I've
learned that my use of AA because of proximity was really use of
the best. I'm now an
AAdvantage Gold member, and I always seek out
AA flights first. I find the staff to be professional and friendly,
and the overall service is outstanding.
One of the first actions I take on each flight is to seek out the
newest issue of American Way. Often, I feel as if I'm walking the
streets or tasting the food discussed in your magazine. I'm a
regular user of postcards while on the road, so the cover line
["Postcards from the Edges of NYC"] on Maggie Gyllenhaal's trip
through
New York City ["Hiding in Plain Sight," November 1] caught
my eye; her take on New York was highly enjoyable.
I had never really thought about a possible trip to
Scotland, but
traveling to Edinburgh ["The New Face of Edinburgh," November 1]
sounds like a great trek through history and an opportunity for
adventure. Thanks to the entire
American Airlines team!
Colonel Robert Felderman, Dubuque, Iowa
Dear Robert: We believe everything happens for a
reason, and we're glad that your travels put you in a situation
that enabled you to do some comparative shopping. If you indeed
visit Edinburgh, we'd love to hear your consumer report on that
trip as well.
BLACK OUT
I read
Sherri Burns's editorial on the BlackBerry [October 1], and
I agree with her conclusions. During weekends, my BlackBerry stays
in my desk. When somebody needs my response to an important e-mail,
they call my home or my mobile phone. I am a latecomer to the
BlackBerry, and I find it discourteous when someone talks to me
with their head inside the Berry. By the way, I had to sit at
National Airport for two hours (waiting for my luggage) and decided
to e-mail you from my BlackBerry.
Cesar Silva, San Antonio, TexasDear Cesar: We’re glad to know that, like Sherri, you’ve realized it’s okay to go dark sometimes. We’re almost sorry her experiment made her less dependent on the BlackBerry. We were set to charge her a dollar (per staff member) each time she used it in a meeting. We would have been rolling in the dough!ADVENTURE ISLANDCongratulations on your reports of out-of-the-way destinations. The
Ecuador and
Brazil stories were very interesting, and I was particularly happy to read about
Robinson Crusoe Island [“Strange, Surprising Adventures,” September 15]. My family and I (including three children under the age of 10) visited there in 1975. At that time, chickens were on the runway, and there was only one car on the island: a broken-down jeep near the “terminal building,” which was actually a wooden shack. On our way to town, the fishermen stopped the boat several times to pull up a line laden with rock salmon — nine on one line! And yes, we ate a lot of lobsters — for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Our return flight was delayed because of rough seas. We couldn’t get to the airstrip, so the little plane had to return three days later. Robinson Crusoe Island was promoted as “a paradise, a place of ecstasy and oblivion.” For us, it was a place of adventure.
Horst Cerni, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsDear Horst: Your trip in 1975 certainly sounds like a grand adventure. Loose chickens, rough seas, a tiny plane — you could give Indiana Jones a run for his money.