This week’s broadcast of the Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio Show comes from the JW Marriott Minneapolis Mall of America located in Bloomington, Minnesota. As the world’s most visited attraction, the mall itself welcomes over 40 million guest every year. With four out of every 10 of those visitors being from out of town, this new hotel is no surprise. Joining us to speak about the Mall and city is Mayor Gene Winstead, who can recount the time in Bloomington before and after the mall’s construction.
Then, we talk with Scott McCartney, Travel Editor for The Wall Street Journal, who feels airplanes should do away with life vests. As proof of their inefficiency, only four passengers who were on the US Airways Flight 1549, or more commonly known as the “miracle on the Hudson,” wore their life vests correctly. Everton Clarke, Executive Chef of Cedar + Stone, Urban Table at the JW Marriott Minneapolis Mall of America, describes his Gouda mac and cheese, which is made with locally sourced products. There’s all of this and more when the Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio Show broadcasts from JW Marriott Minneapolis Mall of America.
Click here to listen to the show, streaming live from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. EST on Saturday, February 6, 2016. Call in with your travel questions at 1-888-88-PETER (1- 888-887-3837) or email peter@petergreenberg.com (Write “Ask Peter” in the subject line).
Scott McCartney, Travel Editor for The Wall Street Journal, debates whether airplanes should have life vests and how they can potentially do more harm than good. He also commends Delta for leading the way in performance, which prompted other airlines to increase their service quality.
Wendy Perrin, Founder of WendyPerrin.com, explains how travel alerts are not the same as travel warnings and they do not mean you have to stay home. They are meant to encourage increased caution, not discourage travelers from going to those locations.
Andrew Zimmern, American television personality, chef, food writer, and teacher, has called Minneapolis home for the last 25 years—partially because he loves being a part of the entertainment industry but doesn’t want to live in New York or Los Angeles. He also talks about his recent trip to Colombia and the revitalization of the country.
Andreas Marks, Curator of Japanese and Korean Art Japanese and Korean Art Department Head and Director of the Clark Center at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, describes how MIA came to have the largest collection of Japanese Art in the Western world. He jokes that many people think Minnesota only has snow, but Minneapolis also has a thriving art scene.
Bryan Tyner, Minneapolis Fire Department Assistant Chief of Administration, shares his favorite spots to eat that you won’t find in the guide books. He feels the biggest surprise for visitors to the city is they don’t realize how vibrant it is before they get there.
Everton Clarke, Executive Chef of Cedar + Stone, Urban Table at the JW Marriott Minneapolis Mall of America, unveils his strategy of not just creating food for hotel guests but for locals as well. He has been with Marriott for 19 years and appreciates how there is now an emphasis on hotels providing good food.
Anne Banas, Deputy Editor for BBC.com Travel, dives into all things whisky and some of the surprising locations around the world now distilling their own brands.
Mayor Gene Winstead, Mayor of Bloomington, Minnesota, explains how the Minneapolis–St. Paul Airport is its own entity and not part of any city. He also talks about how even though major sports teams do not play in Bloomington any more, the Mall of America more than makes up for that in terms of bringing people to the city. In just over 20 years, the Mall of America has become the most visited attraction in the world.
Beth Blair, Author of the Unofficial Guide to the Mall of America, says that because of the mall’s immensity people are always stopping to ask her for directions. She also discloses some of her top stores in the mall and how easy it is to get to from the airport.
By Darra Stone for PeterGreenberg.com
