Hotel-Friendly Meals

February 24, 2017Posted in Food & Drink, General TipsWritten by Victoria1 Comment

Traveling is always fun and exciting, but dining out can take a large bite out of your wallet (pun intended!). Trying new restaurants is always a great way to experience new places and cuisines, but when you want to save money (or not spend it!), what do you do? On most of your multi-day trips with Starr, you will have either a microwave and a small fridge in your room or even a small kitchenette. While microwaveable meals can be quick and convenient, they aren’t always the healthiest options. Here are some meal ideas for when you’re in your room and the hunger-bug strikes!

If you have a small kitchenette in your room, it will most likely come equipped with standard pots and pans. In this case, you can make:

One-pan pasta! We all know that we can use pasta from a jar, but this delicious recipe from Martha Stewart is fresh, healthy, and ready in under 30 minutes!
Sweet and spicy baked honey sriracha chicken. This recipe is better than take-out and is still ready in less than 30 minutes! Boil some rice to go with it and you just made one incredible meal in your hotel room.
Classic grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. You can spice up your grilled cheese by using pepperjack cheese. To give it a little more flavor, slice a tomato and throw some spinach on it. Yum!

If you only have a microwave and small fridge to work with, that’s okay too! You can still have some scrumptious meals without the mess of pots and pans.

Cold-cut sandwiches with a side of fresh veggies and fruit.
A cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store can go a long way!
Chicken wraps! These are a go-to for me at home or when traveling. I take a wheat wrap, spread some hummus on it and add rotisserie chicken, grape tomatoes, and spinach. It’s so good!
Chicken salad: mix with enough mayo to coat and add in your favorite ingredients like celery, chopped nuts, and quartered grapes. Or try these recipes for Italian Chicken Salad, or Vietnamese Chicken Salad. Chicken tacos: mix with enough salsa to coat, microwave for one minute and add your favorite taco toppings
Garden salad and baked potatoes. If you poke holes in the potato and toss it in the microwave for about 7-8 minutes, you’ll have a baked potato in less time than it would take to cook in the oven! You can do the same thing with sweet potatoes too. (Did you know that peanut butter adds a great flavor to sweet potatoes?)

Remember, you can easily bring these ingredients from home. They don’t take up a lot of space and you can keep them cool in an insulated container.

Meal time should never be a stressor, especially when traveling! Whether you resort to a simple peanut butter sandwich or try something new like the sriracha chicken, do what appeals most to you. If all else fails, there’s always take-out!

Top 5 Reasons to Attend an Industry Convention

February 3, 2017Posted in Conventions, General TipsWritten by Sandy BorowskyLeave a comment

ABA Marketplace Business Floor — This is the entrance to the business floor where literally millions of dollars of travel business is booked through 1 on 1 meetings with travel buyers and sellers

I just returned from the American Bus Association Annual Marketplace #ABACleveland and although it started on a Saturday morning and lasted 4 full days, it was worth it and here’s why:

It’s all about networking.
Meeting people in your industry is very valuable. Sharing “war” stories and successes is a wonderful thing because you may adopt an idea to your business that works! Or, you might have been thinking of an idea that didn’t work for someone else – this is a way to avoid making mistakes! Building a network also helps increase your business. Industry friends are more likely to refer your company. Worse case scenario: you build friendships to last a lifetime. Case in point I sat next to someone on a FAM tour many years ago and not only do we both use the other’s company (his a tour planning company and mine a charter bus tour company), now we call ourselves friends and will always have a special connection.
Get away from your office and think big.
Being stuck at our desk day after day sending and responding to emails and managing the day-to-day grind often doesn’t allow us to “step outside” and generate business building ideas. Being away from your desk on a business trip allows you to be creative and brainstorm (with yourself or others) ways to improve your business. On this last trip, I developed two new bus tours that I am very excited about sharing with my customers.
Visit a destination you may not have otherwise visited.
Who knew I would love Cleveland as much as I did! The people were friendly, the city was clean, and the food was phenomenal. My hotel and the Convention Center were brand new, built for the 2016 Republican National Convention. Some surprise destinations I have visited and enjoyed were Branson, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Colorado Springs and so many more. After visiting new destinations, I use the information I learned to help me plan future bus trips.
Learn the newest developments in your industry.
Here I am attending a “Women In Buses” seminar. Another great avenue to network and learn at the same time.

Even though I get emails (and snail mail) from lots of organizations and Travel Partners, I am not always “in the know” about the latest innovations and trends. Attending an industry convention allows me to learn the latest and greatest things I need to know to improve my business and make it run efficiently. I can’t always assume that I know what’s going on in and around the charter bus and tour industry but attending conventions and industry events keeps me abreast and “in the know.”
Take the opportunity to thank your Travel Partners.
We do lots for our Travel Partners but there are so many out there that are doing wonderful things for our company and our guests. Thanking someone over email is one thing but thanking them in person brings it to a completely different level. I like the personal interaction and being able to put a smile on someone’s face.

So next time a convention alert pops up and you are thinking you’re too busy or don’t have the budget to attend, think about those benefits and maybe, just maybe, you’ll change your mind.

Sandy Borowsky, VP Marketing

Supporting Our Veterans on Veterans Day

November 11, 2016Posted in General TipsWritten by Shana Dattilio1 Comment

November 11th is a time to show support and gratitude for our military veterans. This year, consider taking action beyond the simple “thank you” post on social media to offer support on a deeper level.

Here are three ways to support our veterans. Find one that speaks to you and take action this month.

Donate: Support our veterans with a donation. Find one that feels right and reach out to offer whatever you can – every little bit counts. Here are a few favorites recommended by a close veteran friend:
1. Disabled American Veterans – DAV is a nonprofit charity that provides a lifetime of support for veterans of all generations and their families by assisting veterans with benefit claims, connecting them with meaningful employment, and providing other resources to ensure they have the opportunity to participate in the American Dream their sacrifices have made possible.
2. Iraq and Afghanistan Vets of America – IAVA provides valuable resources and empowers veterans to connect with one another, fostering a strong and lasting community.
3. Fisher House Foundation – FHF is best known for a network of comfort homes where military and veterans’ families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment.
4. The American Legion – is the nation’s largest wartime veterans service organization, committed to mentoring youth and sponsorship of wholesome programs in our communities, advocating patriotism and honor, promoting strong national security, and continued devotion to our fellow service members and veterans.
5. The Veterans of Foreign Wars – fosters camaraderie among United States veterans of overseas conflicts, serves our veterans, the military and our communities, and advocates on behalf of all veterans.
Serve: If you can’t donate money, donate your time. Just as our veterans have served our country, be of service in your local community. Volunteer your time to support your local veterans. The DAV offers a wide range of opportunities for individuals who want to make good on the commitment we’ve given our nation’s heroes. Volunteer your time to better your community. All For Good and Volunteer Match offer ways to find volunteer opportunities.
Listen and learn: One of the greatest gifts we can give any human being is the opportunity to be seen and heard. Reach out to a veteran in your community on a more personal level and offer a connection. Honor them. Listen to their story. Foster compassion and empathy by learning about their lives. The American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress has a project called Veterans History Project, a program that “collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war.” Story Corps, an organization whose mission is to “preserve and share humanity’s stories in order to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world,” has a a branch called the Military Voices Initiative. This initiative serves to provide a platform for veterans, service members, and military families to share their stories. Their belief: “In doing so we honor their voices, amplify their experiences, and let them know that we—as a nation—are listening.”

Our veterans deserve our care and our compassion. This November, reach out to support them.

Do you have more suggestions? Share them in our comments section.

Picking the Perfect Pair: Wine & Dine

September 23, 2016Posted in Food & Drink, General TipsWritten by Victoria2 Comments

Wine is a wonderful way to complement nearly any meal. From seafood to steak, to the most decadent of desserts, a nice glass of something red or white can complete your entire dining experience. But do you know what pairs best with your entrée?

Here are some tips for picking the perfect pairing:

Light to Dark:

Experts say that you should always drink “light to dark.” This means that with appetizers, such as cheese or salad, start with a light dry white wine. Examples of this could be Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or Albarino. Light dry whites also pair well with fish.

Your sweet white wines, such as Riesling, Chenin Blanc, or Moscato (my personal favorite), pair best with soft cheeses, carbs, cured or smoked meats, and desserts. Rich whites, like Chardonnay or Oaked Whites, go together with roasted veggies, carbs, rich fish (like crab/lobster) or white meat. If you prefer something sparkling, like champagne, the taste is best suited with appetizers or with fish.

All of your standard red wines pair best with meat, as they embody a fuller, richer taste. A light red wine like Pinot Noir can easily go with rich fish as well, like crab or lobster, and can also pair with chicken. For your red meats and cured or smoked meat, your best bet is to go with a deeper red (a medium or big red) like Merlot, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Zinfandel.

Finishing off your wines with big flavor are the dessert wines – Port and Tawny Port, Sherry, or Lake Harvest. These wines naturally pair well with dessert, cured and smoked meats, or carbs.

Pairing by Flavor:

If you’re more interested in pairing by flavor, with items such as pasta, which typically boasts of tomato-based red sauces, then look for a versatile wine like Pinot Noir. If your dish has a bit of a spicy kick to it then you might prefer a red wine like Sangiovese.

When all else fails and you find that your dish has a variety of flavors and cannot figure out which wine would go best, consult your waiter’s opinion. They are usually very knowledgeable on these pairings as well and will be happy to help you find the right wine for your meal. Often times, a restaurant may even offer a tasting to help you see if the wine suits your preference.

For further consideration, I highly recommend this chart to help you better decide your pairing. Happy tasting!

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General Tips

Here are some tips for picking the perfect pairing:

Light to Dark:

Pairing by Flavor:

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