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.The few locals who were there were queued up at Tutu's, the fastfood operation in the park's main building.It was lunchtime and Tutu's was turning out burgers and dogs, along with that ubiquitous Hawaiian staple called plate lunch (usually fish or meat accompanied by two icecream scoops of gooey rice), shave ice (as they call the Hawaiian version of South Philly's water ice), ice cream and cold drinks.In a large, highceilinged room connected to the refreshment facility, an aerobic exercise class was in full kick.Elsewhere, there were showers and restrooms providing pre and apresswim amenities.A long grassy strip across from Tutu's was sprinkled with concrete picnic benches and, beyond, a threefoot retaining wall dropped down to the black sand of the beach.The beach is on Hana Bay, a lovely horseshoeshaped body of water that, on the day we visited, was as placid as a bathtub, the water nearly as warm.We had donned bathing suits under our clothes before leaving our hotel—a good practice whenever driving around the islands; there are just too many beautiful beaches to be sampled in Hawaii—so were prepared to sample Hana Bay.First, though, we bought cold drinks, sat on the retaining wall, and let our senses collect themselves after the overload of the Hana Highway.The gentle lapping of the water on the sand, the uninterrupted view out to sea, were the perfect antidote to the visual feast and nervejangling experience of the twisting Hana Highway.Looming over the tranquil bay is Kauiki Head, a 400foot cinder hill that legend holds was the home of the Hawaiian demigod Maui.It is also notable in more recent history, as the birthplace,Page 304in 1768, of Queen Kaahumanu, the favorite wife of King Kamehameha I, who united the Hawaiian Islands in 1810.When we finally peeled off our street clothes and strolled into Hana Bay, the water proved to be every bit as welcoming as it looked—just cool enough to be refreshing, warm enough to be wonderfully comfortable.We swam around for a while, seemingly having the whole of Hana Bay to ourselves.(Snorkeling is reportedly very good in the bay's calm waters but, regrettably we had no equipment with us.) Floating on my back, looking up at ironwood treecovered Kauiki Head to the left and the redroofed houses of Hana as they marched up the hill to the highway on my right, I pitied the thousands of Hana Highway travelers who had made the drive but had failed to detour to the beach park.Out of the water, we let the sun and a gentle breeze dry us (we remembered to wear swimsuits but neglected to bring towels) as we lunched on a few of Tutu's specialties at a beachside picnic table.By that time, a few folks had taken to the beach and a couple of people were in the water.From what we could tell, that was the average midweek, midafternoon crowd at the park in January.A glance at my watch told me it was time to get back into the rental car and retrace our route.We weren't eager to leave this wonderful place, but we were even less eager to drive the Hana Highway after dark.Besides, we still had some film left in the camera.(Severson, 1998, p.T1)Writing the Travel ArticleThe single most important step in writing a good travel story is preparation.Although taking the trip and writing the story may seem important, these steps cannot be as successful without laying groundwork before leaving home.The biggest reporting assets writers have in travel journalism are the telephone and the fax machine.Use them often.They can offer the basis for a good story and save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run.Do not forget the mail as well.When and where you need information but are not in a big hurry for it, send a fax or call for background information, such as press kits.GetPage 305on mailing lists of public relations firms that represent the travel industry.You will soon have more information than you need.If you plan to get into travel writing, either for a magazine or newspaper, start a set of reference files.Organize them as you see fit, but try to put information you collect in some system so it can be found quickly when needed.One easy approach is to begin an alphabetic system based on destinations and attractions.You could also begin a set of files on servicerelated topics that is organized by subject.Keep a telephone number file, too.To get you thinking about what goes into reporting and writing a travel story, here are some suggestions for a good start: 1.Call sources ahead of time.When you decide you will do a story, call or write sources at the locations several weeks (if it is domestic) or several months in advance (if it is foreign) to gather advance information.Call tourism offices that are usually governmentoperated and governmentsponsored.The best possible help on foreign sources are the domestic offices of government travel bureaus.Many are located in major metropolitan areas and ports of entry such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and Washington, DC.2.Contact local business organizations.These include chambers of commerce and convention bureaus.These organizations can provide economic reports to give you a better feel for the area.They can also give you the best information about hotels, motels, restaurants, and transportation.Often they also have information about historical sites, popular places to visit, and more.3.Use visitors' bureaus.Popular vacation and resort locations will have sophisticated visitors' offices and will be eager to help you before your trip.These persons can also arrange tours once you arrive.4.Use sources at your hotel.Do not forget the hotel or motel where you plan to stay.Many times the management of these places will offer help in advance if you request it.5.Go to the library.Check out books about the areas you will visit
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