76-Second Travel Show: ‘What travel teaches’

At the New York Times Travel Show last weekend, I learned that Lonely Planet’s Guide to Travel Writing author Don George is a failed poet, Sree Sreenivasan of Columbia University believes it’s impossible to be a ‘thought leader’ in social media YET, the New Yorker’s Susan Orlean doesn’t prepare before traveling, you can hire a sleeper boat to go down the Erie Canal at 7mph (I really want to do this), Quebec-bound cruises from New York City now stop at Îles de Madeleine, and that Intourist — Russia’s tourism board — still doesn’t seem to care much for travelers or travel writers.

I also learned if you leave your favorite pen by the free muffins, Nina of the Javits Center will find it and return it to you with a smile when you ask.

In the company of so many travel experts, I thought I’d ask a few what travel teaches us.