WORLD FOOTPRINTS

Singer/actress/author Gloria Loring joins World Footprints to talk about her music collaboration with son, R&B artist Robin Thicke, travel and her book, "Coincidence is God's Way of Remaining Anonymous".  Gloria also dishes on her life past life as Liz Chandler on daytime's Days of our Lives.

Jazz artist Rene Marie credits many women, including Eartha Kitt, for her life's direction and musical influences.  After her abusive husband of 23 years gave her an ultimatum to quit singing or leave--she chose to leave and begin her professional music career at the age of 42.  Rene reflects on her life journey and how a trip to Germany helped her recognize humanity's common bonds.

According to Rockin' Dopsie, Jr., a person who doesn't feel the rhythm of Zydeco has no soul.  We revisit an interview we did with Dopsie, Jr., aka the "Mick Jagger of the Marsh", during one of our many broadcasts from New Orleans' French Quarter Festival.

You'll also hear what Rio de Janeiro is doing to prepare for the Olympics and what the area has to offer to travelers at all other times.

For additional resources visit this showpage on WorldFootprints.com.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial lies along  the center line of leadership that extends from the Lincoln Memorial to the Jefferson Memorial on Washington's National Mall.   At 30 feet in height, the sculpture of MLK on the "stone of hope" is 11 feet talller than the statues of Lincoln and Jefferson. 

In honor of Dr. King's birthday, we will revisit our coverage of the dedication of his Memorial in 2011.  Over a decade in the making, October 16, 2011 marked the official dedication of this historic Memorial in Washington, DC and the 16th anniversary of the Million Man March.  However, the original dedication date was set for August 28, 201, the 48th anniversary of King's "I Have A Dream" speech.  But, an earthquake in the mid-Atlantic and the untimely visit of Hurricane Irene forced a delay in the official ceremony.  Nonetheless, World Footprints covered all of the dedication events from August through October and today's show shares interviews from celebrities and news makers who participated in the celebrations.  Ambassador Andrew Young, Lalah Hathaway, Reverend Jesse Jackson, Rabbi Israel Dresner, and former Secretary of State Madeline Albright will offer their thoughts and memories about Dr. King. 

From the official dedication we’ll share music and remarks on the National Mall from Archbishop Desmond TuTu, Stevie Wonder and America's first African-American President, Barak Obama.  From our perspective, watching President Obama walk past the Inscription Wall at the MLK Memorial to the dedication stage to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was incredibly powerful.

Kenya is called the "Heart of Africa" and is considered to be the cradle of civilization.  With history that rich and a diverse community of tribes and natural resources, Jacinta Zioka from Kenya Tourism, says that everyone should visit her country at least once in their lifetime. 

For action-adventure author James Rollins, his travels, adventures and interests play a critical role in the development of his thrillers.  In his new book, The Bone Labyrinth, James used his training as a veternarian to explore the question of human development and intelligence.  He takes us to mankind's next leap and presents the question of our fate as a species.

Accordingly to Saturday Evening Post contributor, Todd Pitock, we can learn a lot about American history through understanding the progresssion of whiskey.  Todd takes us along America's multi-state Whiskey Trail and gives us a history lesson between sips.

American history can also be understood through the perspective of our Founders homes, accordingly to author Myron Magnet.  In his book, "The Founders at Home:  The Building of America" Myron says that the architectural styles of our Founders reflects their social consciousness and their ideals for America's future at the time.

We walked along the floor of the New York Times Travel Show (#NYTTravelShow) and spoke to representatives from Sri Lanka and Belize.

Imagine paradise where your senses explode with a banquet of color, or scents and flavors exicte, or where you experience exotic tranquility.  That is Martinique. 

We enjoyed some planteur punch as we sat on a lovely Martinique beach with Muriel Wiltord from La Martinique Tourism who explained more about the island, it's unique culture and history and why Martinique is unique from other Caribbean islands. 

During our visit to the island we were treated to some wonderful accommodations including Hotel Bakoua--the very first tourist hotel on Martinique.  Hotel Bakoua is a former family home that was built in a colonial architectural style. 

We also visited the luxurious  Cap-est Lagoon Resort and Spa on the east coast of Martinique.  The tropical oasis is tucked away on a garden on the edge of a lagoon that overlooks a coral reef in the Atlantic Ocean. 

One of Martinique's more powerful attractions is the Anse Cafard Slave Memorial.  This memorial was completed in 1998 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the emanicipation of slaves in the French West Indies.  The memorial is comprised of 20 eight-foot tall looming statues bearing brooding expressions of loss and mourning. 

The historic Habitation Clément tells the story of Martinique's creoles, its agricultural and industrial heritage.  Rhum Agricole was born at Habitation Clément and that it boasts the culture of an ancient Créole sugarcane plantation with rich French West Indian history.

Tis the season with the gift of holiday music.  As you enjoy the musical selections from around the world, please accept our gratitude for your support of World Footprints over the years.  We appreciate you inviting us into your home and for joining us as we embrace our common humanity.  We wish you peace, love and joy (and lots of travel)  and we look forward to sharing exciting journeys and inspiring interviews with you in the coming year.   

The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of love and of generosity and of goodness. It illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world's busy life and become more interested in people than in things.

          --Thomas S. Monson

...and to all...a good night.

With more than 200 songs to his credit and multiple film scores, Frank Stallone has distinguished himself from movie-star brother Sylvester.  His road as a musician was difficult despite his brother's fame but he found ways to stay relevant and reinvent himself.  Frank says that traveling has played an important role in his development as a person and an artist.

Travel Channel's "Bizzare Foods" host Andrew Zimmern has traveled the world to experience some of the most unusual looking foods that many of the world's people depend on for their survival.  In spite of the entertainment value of eating things that appear grossly unappetizing, Andrew bridges culturals and displays a more serious side to his adventures.

Travel writer Pauline Frommer, daughter of budget travel guru Arthur Frommer, is helping to build on the legacy that her father started in the 1950s.  She has developed her own line of travel guide books and continues to cohost the Frommer's Travel Show with her dad.  Pauline joins us to offer some valuable travel advise.

Patricia Schultz is the author of the "1000 Places To See Before You Die" series.  She tells us how she selected the "must-see" places for her global and North American books and she also offers some sage travel advice.

We will also shine a destination spotlight on the U.S. Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos.

Veteran travel journalist David Yeskel has seen the evolution of Las Vegas over the decades.  From its humble beginnings as "sin city" to the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas has survived the odds of a failing economy and multiple attempts to reinvent itself to become a burgeoning metropolis with 2 million residents.  But the city has also maintained a small-town feel for its residents amidst the bright lights and glamour.  David will offer a different perspective on Las Vegas as well as offer some essential travel tips that can maximize a visit to the city.

Jacksonville, Florida has its own take on sun and fun beyond the amusement parks.  From beaches and parks to a compelling history and deep traditions, Jacksonville is full of surprises. Patty Jimenez of Visit Jacksonville takes us on an exploration of Jacksonville and its many treasures.

Wisconsin congers-up many images; most prominently, beer, brats and cheese but it is a quintessential American midwestern state.  We met Kristina Rosenbergs and Carla Minsky at the Travel Media Showcase recently where they shared some some surprising and interesting things that Wisconsin has to offer.

The Czech Republic came into being after a non-violent democratic revolution in 1989 known as the "Velvet Revolution".  This event subsequently dissolved the former country of Czechoslovakia and forced the creation of two new states--Slovakia and the Czech Republic.  In the two decades since then. the Czech Republic has established itself as a destination that blends the old and the new in an eco-friendly country that offers something for everyone.  Czech Tourism's Jiri Duzar joins World Footprints to share the history and treasure of the country known as "the land of stories".

World Footprints returns to New Orleans for our signature broadcast from Jackson Square for French Quarter Festival! During this broadcast we'll introduce you to All-Star musicians, Trumpeter Connie Jones and Clarinet player Tim Laughlin. Connie & Tim grace the cover of this year's French Quarter Festival poster.  We’ll also hear from French Quarter Festival Executive Director, Marci Schramm, about the newest attractions that visitors will experience this year. As we all know, New Orleans is a foodie’s paradise and there is a new restaurant in town called Sylvain.  We’ll have a chance to talk with the proprietor Sean McCusker about some of his hottest recipes and unique cocktail menu.   In keeping the food theme going we’ll enjoy a conversation with Liz Williams from the Southern Food and Wine Museum.

National Geographic International (now FOX) producer, Dawn Drew, has been to India more than 100 times and she recently spent three months filming around the country.  Dawn says that each visit to India offers something new and that travelers should go beyond the iconic attractions for an authentic travel experience.  We'll also talk about the state of Goa--the popular resort that you may not have heard of.

Actress Stefanie Powers, best known for her role as Jennifer Hart in the television series "Hart to Hart", leads a double life, one in front of the camera or on stage and the other as a chamption for animal preservation and protection.  She started both interests at an early age.  When she was 15 years old she took to the stage but her love and protection of animals started with a rat named Petey much earlier.   Stefanie helped create the William Holden Wildlife Foundation in memory of her long-time partner and she supports animal conservation efforts of several other organizations.  Stefanie also continues her craft on camera and the stages around the world.

Friendly Planet Travel is a popular group tour operator that we first became acquainted with during a trip to South Africa for our honeymoon.  We discovered the amazing price points that Friendly Planet offered for a great value.  Apart from the competitive tour prices, the mission of Friendly Planet and its backstory reflects courage, love, luck and transformation.  We spoke to founder, Peggy Goldman, about how travel helped her heal and reinvent herself following a divorce and loss of her son.

It took one trip during college for the travel bug to bite Janna Graber.  Her first international trip inspired an award-winning writing career, television appearances and countless travel experiences that she could only dream of.  Janna has written for more than 40 publications and she's published three books.  Her latest, A Pink Suitcase, offers 22 tales of women's travel and the internal and external journeys they experienced as they explored the world.

The multi award-winning CBS reality show, The Amazing Race, has been entertaining audiences since 2001.  The show was created by partners Eleise Doganieri and Bertram van Munster as part of a bet.  Viewers have traveled around the world vicariously through The Amazing Race teams as they race for the $1 million grand prize.  As part of World Footprints' "Best Of" series we are sharing our interview with Executive Producer Bertram van Munster who joined us a few seasons ago to share his travel experiences and give us a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the making of his Emmy-winning show.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has four Trusted Traveler programs that it oversees.  Each program offers specific benefits defending on a traveler's needs.  Steve Redlinger from DHS joins us to explain the three programs under the Customs and Border Protection Agency that benefit international travelers.