http://cptv.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ypmwebcontent/Bruce/RLSG-56-2012-0826.mp3
The goal of the Real Life Survival Guide is to explore common mistakes by sharing advice and expertise, and this week I decided to to focus on the summer ritual known as “the vacation”.
For this week's conversation, producer Cindy Gerber and I invited Sarah Kyrcz, who’s just back from Martha’s Vineyard, daddy and serial entrepreneur Ryan Duques, broadcaster and devoted single parent Matt Scott, and travel writers Eric Lehman and Kelly Monaghan.
We met up at a beautiful vacation spot right in our own back yard, The Madison Beach Hotel, where we munched on tasty appetizers and enjoyed the incredible views of Long Island Sound!
Sarah Page Kyrcz is a freelance writer based in Madison. Her bi-weekly column, "Moms' Talk" - designed to address issues that affect parents, neighbooods and the community at large - ran on eight local Patch sites in Southeastern Connecticut. When she is not writing she is spending time with her two active teenage daughers and her husband
Ryan Duques is the proud father of two little girls who are the 5th generation of the family to live in Madison. Duques is the co- founder and managing partner of TutaPoint.com, an online education company that provides live tutoring and test preparation live and online. Previously Duques was co-founder and co-publisher of Shore Publishing Community Newspapers which published 16 weekly newspapers.
Ryan is very active in his community, serving as trustee for the E.C. Scranton Memorial Library in Madison; vice president and treasurer for Vista Vocational, Inc.; and a commissioner for the Town of Madison's Economic Development Commission. He is the past president of the Madison Chamber of Commerce.
Eric D Lehman is a travel and history writer, and Director of Creative Writing at the University of Bridgeport. He dabbles in many genres, and has been published in a wide variety of journals and magazines, from the International Henry Miller Journal to Antiques Trader. His books on Bridgeport, Hamden, and A History of Connecticut Wine are available from The History Press.
His latest books include A History of Connecticut Food and the Insiders Guide to Connecticut.
Matt Scott is a washed up broadcaster. Seriously.
Since 1995, he's been a likeable, and somewhat irreverent weatherman. He's worked from West Virginia to Boston, recently on WTNH in Connecticut.
Now, he's recovering from all that. He still delivers sassy (and sometimes odd) forecasts on social media, on the not-yet-award-winning "Meteorologist Matt Scott" fanpage on Facebook, and @themattcast on Twitter. He occasionally appears on Cablevision's News 12.
His latest project is "Matt Scott Productions", which takes old school broadcasting, moving it onto new platforms. As creator of "Twivia", he has launched Twitter's first Trivia game show (follow it at @twiviact).
Kelly Monaghan is a travel writer and publisher. His company, The Intrepid Traveler, specializes in guides to the family-friendly attractions of the Disney Parks, Orlando, and Central Florida.
He has written "After Disney: The Other Orlando" and the Home-Based Travel Agent Success Course, a home study course for those who want to make travel an integral part of their lifestyle.
The Madison Beach Hotel features "...33 guest rooms [that] overlook the water and feature a furnished balcony where you can enjoy the view".
The Wharf Restaurant is located inside the hotel, where "...guests and locals alike love our extensive menu featuring farm-to-table cuisine made from seasonal, locally sourced ingredients.
My sincere thanks to John, Eric and John for hosting us, and to our wonderful guest editors for their wit and insights!
