So after we left Key West we made our way to Big Pine Key, home of the endangered Key Deer and probably the most rural island in the keys. We stayed at a bed and breakfast called the Barnacle. We almost hit two giant lizards (and I mean giant) on the way there so watch your speed through the island. We pulled up and it looked like something out of Willie Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. I was skeptical at first but it turned out to be a great hidden location.

Our room was unofficially called the “crow’s nest” and it was certainly one of a kind. Our shower was actually outside and you could see the ocean from the doorway. The owners, also not natives to Key West, welcomed us into their B&B and told us to make it our home. For dinner, we drove to a grocery store and bought some pre-marinated meat and pre-made sides to cook in the main kitchen. I sat outside on the Barnacle’s private beach and watched the sunset while several Key Deer came up to see what we were cooking. It was so nice to not hear any traffic for once. We spent the rest of the night looking at the stars.

For those of you who have always thought of the Florida Keys as an island world where the only thing that matters is what time the bar opens, I have some news for you- you are absolutely right.  The Keys really are heaven on earth and are a perfect getaway for any couple- if you know how to travel them right.

There are two basic methods for traveling the Keys.  The first: fly all the way to Key West, stay there for you’re entire stay and do nothing but tan and drink (don’t worry, the tanning and drinking aren’t excluded from the second method).  The second: fly into Miami, rent a car and work your way down the keys island by island.  And of course, get a tan and bar hop as you do it.  I used the second method when I visited the Keys over my spring break and it was so much better than the typical “college” getaway to Key West.  So, in a couple of installations, I’ll give you my recommendation on where to go and what to do in the Florida Keys.

My boyfriend and I planned this vacation with a low budget- so keep in mind that while what we did was fun, it wasn’t the Ritz…but who cares?!  We flew (on AirTran) into Ft. Lauderdale on a Thursday morning and caught a cab from the airport to an Enterprise station about 5 minutes away.  Flying on a Thursday and taking a $10 cab ride to the car rental agency probably saved each of us around $300.  We asked for a car around the size of a Ford Focus and got upgraded for a Ford Escape Hybrid for no extra cost.  I have to say that the hybrid was really good on gas and made the 4 hour trip to Key West quite comfortable.  We hit a grocery store and the gas station and were on our way.

Once we got into Key West we checked into Alexander Palms Court where we would be staying for the next three days.  This is an excellent resort for people traveling on a budget.  It’s on South Street which is two blocks from the quiet end of Duval.  Our room was private and clean, the heated pool was relaxing and we got a complementary breakfast each morning until 10:00am.  Plus, the manager, a cool guy from Queens named Landon, made all of our dinner and attraction reservations.  He was the perfect person to help us get into the Key West state of mind…and believe me- Key West really is a state of mind.  The way he put it, “The only thing that happens on time in Key West is the sunset…so relax.”

First full day in Key West: we went to Fort Zachary Taylor State Park to hang out on the beach.  A little known fact about the Keys- they’re not known for their beaches.  Most of them are coral beaches which means the sand is rough and prickly.  Fort Zachary Taylor is one of the few beaches with actual sand on it.  It was $6 for two people in a car and you could exit and re-enter the park all day.  I’d recommend bringing your own lunch.  We wandered to Mallory Square for the Sunset Celebration and then for a late dinner we ventured off Duval to a restaurant called Seven Fish.  This place was so tiny, if we didn’t know it was there we never would have found it.  However, it had the juicest Mahi we’ve ever tasted.  Highly recommended.

2nd full day:  We did a little shopping in the morning and then made our way to the marina for a snorkeling cruise on the Caribbean Spirit.  For $35/ person we got about 2 hours of free drinks and snorkeling.  The water wasn’t as clear as it is in Mexico- but the reef (the 3rd largest living coral reef in the world) was beautiful.  We even saw a giant sea turtle!  Relaxing on the boat with the crew was also a great way to hear some of stories from the natives.  Most people in Key West are people who lost or left everything behind and started an island life.  After hearing stories from one crew member in particular, I really believe that there are still pirates in the world.  For dinner we grabbed pizza and started our pub crawl.  It was Key West’s St. Patty’s Day celebration and so two blocks of Duval were closed to traffic.  The open container law isn’t really enforced there and people were literally partying in the streets as we made our way to Fat Tuesdays and, of course, Margaritaville.  Kenny Chesney was in town playing a free concert at Sloppy Joe’s bar.  Who would have thought? 

Last day: we visited the Southernmost Point in the U.S. and found mile marker 0 and the end of Route 1.  Then it was off to our next stop in Big Pine Key.  Some suggestions for Key West however:
1. It’s expensive.  Food, drinks and attractions will wipe you out so manage your budget wisely.
2. Wherever you say, make sure it’s within walking distance from the night life.  Cars don’t mix well there.
3. Leave yourself time to go exploring.  It’s a laid back place- don’t micromanage every minute of your time.

Check back soon for tips on visiting the other Keys!

The first thought that came to my mind when I visited the Ten Tenors website (www.thetentenors.com) was “wow these guys are hot!” After all, they’re Australian. These ten strapping lads offer more than good looks, however. The group, as you might imagine, features tenors who specialize in a variety of genres including classical opera and contemporary rock ‘n’ roll. On their website you can listen to them perform a rendition of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody as well as sample songs from their new album Here’s to the Heroes. Each of the members has the polish of a solo performer- I call it Josh Groban meets Luciano Pavarotti. Put ten of them together and you’ve got a great show.

If you’re interested in seeing them, the group is coming to the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, NJ on March 13th at 7:30. Tickets are extremely reasonable for a world-class act. Group discounts are also available. Go to sovereignbankarena.com for ticket info.

I figured it’s about time that I introduced you to my favorite artist of all time: Marc Broussard. I’d like to classify him as a blues/soul artist but his music has covered so many genres that he’s pretty much impossible to stick in any one category.

Check back for more info (including bio, tour dates and more), but for now check out some of his music. It’s time we brought the blues to NJ.

How do the Tipping Point theories apply to internet campaigns?  Well…the world wide web does seem to represent the epitome of connectedness.  Look at blogging even- when I publish this post it will immediately be available to thousands, millions of internet users worldwide.  What better way to make one of my own ideas (or favorite restaurants) tip?

At the same time, however, I think Gladwell is asking us to be careful to avoid immunity from the internet.  As he mentions in his afterword, we become immune to messages if we are constantly inundated with the same advertising over and over.  I think Gladwell would urge us to rely on connectors, mavens and salesmen to pass messages along via the internet.

So on Tuesday I saw the premiere of Edward Albee’s new play: Me, Myself & I at McCarter Theatre in Princeton. Essentially, a senile mother has named her identical twin boys Otto (otto and OTTO) and after 28 years still cannot tell them apart. The dramatic action starts off with OTTO telling his mother that he wants to become Chinese and that his brother no longer exists. The story goes on with otto trying to find proof of his existence through his various relationships. It’s an absurdist piece that is seemingly nonsensical and yet, gets at the heart of what it’s like to never really know yourself until you look in the mirror.

Tyne Daly played mother and was absolutely phenomenal. She was charismatic and dynamic…her eyes ran the gamut of emotions. Amazing and hilarious. I’ve been urging people to see the show for historical purposes if nothing else. When else do you get to see the world premiere of an Albee show where the principle character is played by an actress like Daly?

Not to mention student tickets are only $12

When you read The Tipping Point you can’t help but believe that certain influentials are the key to “tipping” trends. Watts, on the other hand, presents a very different idea of what makes epidemics spread. Trends aren’t about influentials at all. They’re about everyday people like you and me who aren’t necessarily connectors with huge social networks.

So who wins? It’s clear that there is considerable disagreement over which strategy actually spreads the word. But what I’m wondering, is why does it have to be one way or the other? From what I understand, the one thing that Watts and Gladwell do agree on is the importance of context. So why can’t is be possible to evaluate the environment and then decide whether key influentials or multiple everyday Joes are needed to start the trend. Maybe I don’t understand the concept yet, but I do think it’s necessary to have some level of flexibility in your campaign strategy. The world is no longer black and white.

On a lighter level- I went to a great restaurant this weekend in New Hope, PA called 90 Main. The decor was minimal with plush reds and blacks. Intimate setting ideal for two people and the chocolate fondue was to die for. Check it out if you’re looking for something classy and different.

So I’m about 2/3 of the way through The Tipping Point and I am still amazed at how it can make so much sense and no sense at all at the same time.  The power of context make so much sense when you see it applied to historical events (like crime in NYC..who would have thought…).

Yet, it makes so much sense that I begin to wonder why it’s taken people so long to catch on.  Are we really that out of tune with ourselves that we can’t see how our environment affects us just as much as other people do?

Have to admit…it’s also making me eager to try it out on my own. My family has lived in or near Trenton for probably more than 70 years.  You drive through historic Trenton and see remnants of what used to be a lavish and totally desirable place to live.  I read about graffiti in the subway system and wondered if a few coats of paint and some litter pick-up would help to encourage my urban neighbors to take pride in their city…it really was beautiful once.

From what it looks like, Scott, Center & Jackson all say that effective marketing and PR is all about changing behavior.  It doesn’t matter what you think about a certain product or organization; what matters is that you actually do something that you wouldn’t have done previously.  I also really like Scott’s idea of the web-enabled marketplace of ideas.  Now people can get their ideas out to millions of people and get instant feedback.  In retrospect, it seems like the marketplace of ideas never really existed before the internet was around.   Oh, and I also liked getting up in class to demonstrate audience segmentation.  I’m a visual learner so acting it out helped me understand the concept better.   

I have to admit, I’m not too keen on blogging yet.  I’ve found that people usually misuse them and vent their personal issues, thinking no one they know will ever find out. However, reading Scott’s book is starting to change my mind on the whole blogging thing.  I can totally see how blogs can be used as an effective tool for reaching niche audiences.  I think it’ll be interesting to see what types of feedback I’m going to get when we really start to discuss some deeper issues.