Louisiana Road Trips Magazine

Can't believe it's been this long since we've chatted!

2009-10-31T22:03:00.002-05:00

Gosh, time flies. Seems like I just posted yesterday! So much has happened. We just published our 61st issue of LRT with the Nov issue; Sunny Meriwether has joined us as a sales rep; and we even received fan mail from Nova Scotia! How's that for a brief update?

Each year I keep thinking we should combine the Dec and Jan issue but as we get closer to that time, I decide against it. However, we (especially "I") could use a break from the hard deadline of a monthly publication. We'll see what happens....

Hope you're surviving all this rain! My yard has a pond in the lower section behind the barn. Wondering if this will increase my property value? ha As with most things in Louisiana, we do nothing in moderation.

Happy Halloween! I've got an idea - let's try to ignore Congress this year and have a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas as well! That'll tick 'em off for sure!! LOL

2009-08-18T08:59:00.002-05:00

It's been a while since I've been here but I'm baaaack!! lol First of all, has this been the most miserable summer we've had in a long time with the heat? I haven't been able to grill out, lay in my hammock, or do much else outdoors other than mow and water. But on the flip side, I think even more people are staying indoors and reading LRT because we're getting more emails and calls praising our efforts than I can keep up with!! And that's definitely a good thing.

I was fortunate enough to spend a couple weeks in Montana recently and spoke with several tourism officials in that state. Their income is primarily generated through agriculture and tourism so I picked some great ideas for LRT. I'm always looking for ways to improve our publication.

So how did you like that August cover with the hot air balloons? It's one of my favorites. Perfect summertime fun. Well, time to get back to work on the September issue. Be back soon!!

July 4th Weekend

2009-07-05T18:12:00.003-05:00

I never get tired of hot dogs and fireworks! How 'bout you?

While spending time with good friends celebrating the 4th, several mentions were made about LRT and the useful information it contains. I beam like a proud mom when someone goes out of their way to compliment me on our most entertaining publication.

Although we've endured some interesting times in our 5+ years in business, I do realize we're very fortunate to have survived the latest shakeout. Seems every month I pick up another publication (regional or national) only to read about how they're ceasing publication, consolidating issues, or merging with another magazine. My heart aches for them because I know how much work and energy goes into print but I also understand how these tough economic times are taking a toll on this industry. No one ever said it would be easy but for the most part, it sure is fun!!

Oh, we got fan mail from an online reader in England this week!!! Watch for it in the Backtalk segment in the August issue.

2009-06-01T16:47:00.003-05:00

Ok, summer is most definitely here! It was 94 degrees yesterday with a heat index of 97. And this was at 6:45pm!! YUK. That's all I have to say about that.

Been thinking a lot lately about Louisiana and the talent cultivated here. From what I've seen firsthand, we produce some of the most genuinely gifted artists, craftsmen, musicians, writers, and entrepreneurs in the south, and possibly the country! It's really unbelievable what our residents can create, as featured in previous LRT articles focused on some of these individuals. Louisiana may not be as economically astute as some other states but what it lacks in the corporate environment, it more than makes up for in creativeness. Maybe necessity is the mother of invention (as it was with me and the creation of LRT) and if so, we should salute her. It's time to take care of our homegrown talent with encouragement and support. Buy local and help promote small businesses, like ours! The payback will be well worth the effort.

Hired a new sales rep!

2009-05-18T22:09:00.002-05:00

YIPPEE!!! We finally found her!

I ended up going through a writers website based in New York City to hire someone living in Houston, Texas to sell ads for Louisiana Road Trips Magazine! LOL Go figure... Even though so many people are out of work in these tough economic times, it's been a struggle to find a qualified and motivated individual that actually wants to work in a sales position. But it was worth the wait. Visit our website at www.la-road-trips.com after June 1st to meet Renee and see for yourself!

In the meantime, we've received so many compliments about those precious little girls that graced our May cover. They were photographed holding hands and crossing the street in downtown Lake Providence on LA Delta 65, a lead story. I get so excited about our cover photos. Heck, I get excited about every article inside those covers each month. I just can't say enough about our contributing writers except I love 'em all! Together, I think we put together a top quality publication. And best of all, our readers agree.

It's been a long time....

2009-04-04T20:23:00.003-05:00

Hey again! I had no idea so much time has passed since my last blog post. I did spend 10 days on vacation in Montana during this time then came home to all this springtime pollen and got a nasty sinus infection. That kept me down for several days and I really got behind in my work but we did indeed meet our deadline and the April issue is out now.

We pushed the envelope with this issue and included a POLITICALLY FUN-CORRECT segment that included several great articles. Under the guise of April's Fools and IRS Tax Day, we figured this was the ideal time to try this out. And guess what? Our readers LOVED it!!!!! I'm getting e-mails every day and even phone calls about how they really enjoyed our spin on the current political/economic situation. Whew...I was worried about offending some people but it seems we slid through with rave reviews. If you haven't seen this issue, check it out at www.la-road-trips.com and let me know what you think.

We're currently working on the May issue and am also putting together a few surprises for our loyal readers. As tempted as I am to blab right now, I'll try to keep it secret a little longer. I need to get back to work so enjoy the weekend and I'll make myself a note to blog more often than I have been doing.

March issues goes to print

2009-02-19T06:45:00.002-06:00

It's been a whirlwind month, this February! And with only 28 days, I'm feeling pressured to overbook each one on my calendar.

One of our contributors, Dennis Stewart, recently had a book published. Called A Life of Trial and Error, it's a compilation of numerous articles you may have read in LRT. Dennis is just sooo funny and doesn't mind laughing at himself, as he does quite often in this book. Look for details in the March issue. It's a great gift and a must for your reading pleasure. Dennis reminds me of the late Lewis Grizzard, one of my all-time favorites, so of course I jumped to get the first one. Well, after his mother of course, who's his biggest fan and promoter.

Festival season will kick off in Louisiana in a major way in March. Pick up that issue of LRT and you'll know what I'm talking about. Did you realize we have over 400 festivals each year? That's more than any other state/country in the entire world! Now that's a claim to fame I'm proud to report.

Let me get this issue to the printer today and I'll be back soon.

2009-01-22T16:11:00.000-06:00

Another day, another week, another year....Time is passing so fast that I'm already making appointments for 2010. There were days in the late 90's that I didn't think I'd live to see 2010!! ha

Just got the February issue, our 52nd, to the printer a couple days ago. I'm so pleased with the cover shot and without question, the content. It's always a pleasant surprise to see the final work of our contributors with each month in print.

Today, I'll get started on the March issue. Unlike most magazines that work from an editorial calendar, we are forced to sometimes 'wing it'. In Louisiana, festivals can get cancelled at the last minute due to hurricanes and such while businesses open and close as quickly in these economic times as an alligators snap! A preplanned schedule of content just doesn't work here. As frustrating as it can sometimes be, I have to admit that I love the spontaneity and knee-jerk decisions that have to be made. It's great fun to pull all this together like a gigantic puzzle and get that same sense of satisfaction when it all comes together. Gotta run!

What a wonderful Christmas!

2008-12-28T21:30:00.002-06:00

The Christmas season was absolutely beautiful this year, maybe because economic conditions forced people to spend less and enjoy the reason for the season more. What a great concept - someone should market that!! LOL

The January issue is at press and should be back in a few days. I can't wait to get it on the street because people really look forward to the BEST OF winners voted on by our readers. I sure enjoyed reading all the nominations to see where folks like to eat, sleep, and play in Louisiana.

Christmas is such a magical time of year. Not only did I get to take a few days off to visit with friends, I hired a truly delightful new sales rep. I'll be introducing her in the next blog post. She's as excited as I am about LRT and together we plan to take this publication to the next level. Stay tuned!!

Preparing BEST OF 2008 issue...

2008-11-30T13:59:00.003-06:00

Where does the time go? The December/Christmas issue is already on the streets and we're working feverishly on January's. We have been sorting through all the BEST OF 2008 nominations and votes in anticipation of announcing the winners in January. I always enjoy this process because it's interesting to hear about places other people patronize. Several new categories were added this year, such as best live music, best river, best scenic drive, etc... Lots of folks have written in nominations for unlisted categories like 'best fried chicken'. And for those of you who wrote in LA ROAD TRIPS for BEST MAGAZINE and listed me as BEST EDITOR, I really want to thank you! LOL Seriously, it's always a great issue and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Gotta get back to work...

The perks of being a writer...

2008-11-10T18:42:00.004-06:00

I just spent a short weekend in Murfreesboro, Arkansas fly-fishing with professional instructor/guide Jeff Guerin and now I feel ready to tackle the world! This was strictly research for an article (ha!) that'll appear in the December issue. Here's a sneak preview... "After a couple (ok, several) hours of casting in the beautiful Little Missouri River, I landed a whopper – a 4 lb. 19” rainbow trout. You probably heard me shout with glee from your house as it was exhilarating to be standing in this crystal clear water surrounded by golden and orange leaves gently cascading down on the river. We were even graced with the presence of a bald eagle soaring nearby. Even if I hadn’t caught that monster fish, the gentle breeze blowing across the water and the sounds of nature engulfing me made it worth the drive. It was, after all… THE PERFECT DAY... About ten years ago I discovered that fly-fishing forced me to forgo multi-tasking, set aside deadlines and errands, and to simply live in the moment. The challenges of the last few years had sidelined me from enjoying these simple pleasures but this weekend put it all back in perspective for me. Being incorrigibly impatient and goal-oriented, I realized I sometimes just need to wet a line to get back in sync with what’s really important..." Hope you enjoy the entire article, with photos, including one of me and my fish!

Entering our 5th year with Nov 08 issue...

2008-10-20T20:30:00.003-05:00

How 'bout that? Times flies, especially when you have such a hard deadline! LOL I was just thumbing through past issues and was amazed at the ground we've covered in four years. It's almost overwhelming to think of the people we've met and the places we've been during that time, and even more exciting to consider what's ahead.

Each month, my e-mailbox is filled with kind words and praise about the magazine. Home subscriptions are steadily increasing as well as requests from businesses wanting to be a drop-site for LRT. Thanks to everyone who enjoys our work. It's the ultimate compliment!

October issue is on the streets...

2008-10-03T13:22:00.002-05:00

With the help of some great folks that work with LRT, I'm able to spend a little more time in Montana while they deliver the latest issue of the magazine throughout the state. What a relief! It's tough gig meeting such a hard deadline every four weeks. Rain or shine, sick or well, dog tired or just plain lazy...deadlines don't wait. About 95% of the time, I so excited about articles in the upcoming issue that the stress just motivates me more. However, that other 5% leaves me daydreaming of the mountains and wishing I was there. I'll be home soon, pushing hard to meet another deadline and wondering again where the time goes. But from the feedback we get, we're doing something right because LRT just gets better with each issue. Let me know if you agree.

Another issue off to the press...

2008-09-24T20:11:00.002-05:00

The October issue goes to the printer tomorrow morning. It's always such a relief to get the magazine proofed and completed. It's even sweeter this month because I'm leaving tomorrow for vacation! Headed to the mountains... Each month my heart swells with pride when I consider all the wonderful people involved in getting LRT published. We're fortunate enough to have some of the best contributors around! Hope you enjoy the October issue...

Welcome to the LRT blog!

2008-09-18T18:18:00.000-05:00

Hey folks! I suppose we're making progress as I am now a blogger. As Editor of Louisiana Road Trips Magazine, I spend a lot of time researching road trips, upcoming fairs and festivals, and artists and craftsmen around the state. We work so hard bringing you all these great articles and selling ads to pay the bills that I sometimes overlook including tidbits of information that I had planned to share with our readers. Now with the blog, I can pass these along to you in almost 'real time'. I look forward to your participation and hope you enjoy it!