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CNN SATURDAY MORNING NEWS
Interview with Patricia Schultz
Aired September 27, 2003 - 07:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: It may be awhile before the cradle of civilization makes it back up on the must-see list, but hopefully somewhere down the road, Baghdad will one day be a vacation spot.
The year's summer vacation clearly history, but now the perfect time to plan your next adventure.
A new book is out, "1,000 Places to See Before You Die." It is full of ideas on and off the beaten path.
Joining us now, Patricia Schultz, who is the travel guru who wrote the book, joining us from New York.
Thanks very much for getting up with us this morning. We appreciate it.
PATRICIA SCHULTZ, AUTHOR, "1,000 PLACES TO SEE BEFORE YOU DIE": (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
CALLEBS: And one thing we should point out, in compiling this book, this isn't something you just took pictures from of places you think, This would be neat. You've been to, what, almost four out of five of all these places that you've listed?
SCHULTZ: I'd say, yes, absolutely.
CALLEBS: Wow. What was that like? And tell us about what you think a couple of the staples are that you really have to see.
SCHULTZ: Well, that's such a loaded question, and it's so dependent, really, upon the individual. But the beauty of the book is that it's so user-friendly. Wherever your inherent interest has always been, if Italy is your passion, if you're a wine buff, if it's architecture or if it's design, really, in a minute you can find myriad possibilities.
The USA has become so popular, maybe, as -- because of the aftermath of 9/11, or because we have such a wealth of beauty in our back yard. Europe, Italy, for 2,000 years has been a destination of tourism.
So it would depend on the individual. South America, I think, is so underrated. I just came back from Machupichu for...
CALLEBS: Wow. How was that?
SCHULTZ: ... the first time (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Oh, it was breathtaking. It was beautiful. And 11,000...
CALLEBS: Little winded after that climb?
SCHULTZ: Excuse me?
CALLEBS: A little winded after the climb, were you, to get up?
SCHULTZ: The idea is to take the train. And then once you get there, it's really a stroll in the park. It is -- you fly into Cusco (ph), which is 11,000 feet, and then you actually descend into Machupichu, which is 9,000.
But the beauty of the Andes at any altitude is something that takes your breath away.
CALLEBS: That is stunning.
Let's talk about some of the more exotic places a bit later. But you touched on North America, and in the wake of 9/11, I remember reading a story that RV sales and rentals have gone through the roof.
SCHULTZ: Absolutely.
CALLEBS: Are there really some nice places tucked away that the average person may not think, I really need to see this?
SCHULTZ: You know, even the ones that aren't so tucked away or obscure are no less remarkable. A lot of the travel cliches are cliches for a reason. They merit a visit. They're unrivaled. They're the only thing of their kind.
One of -- speaking of RVs and road travel, the Pacific Coast Highway that, if you start out at L.A. and you head north to Big Sur...
CALLEBS: Wow, yes.
SCHULTZ: ... at 1,000 feet above the Pacific, it's remarkable. William Randolph Hearst's 115-room cottage weekend getaway at San Simeon.
And then I think less known is the Oregon coastline, if you continue north past San Francisco. The Oregon coastline is no less remarkable, and...
CALLEBS: Well, quickly, can -- let's sort of change gears, and tell us about some of the more exotic places. And there are some that are going to raise a bit of controversy, right?
SCHULTZ: The book never was meant to have any political undertones or certainly not to encourage controversy.
The bottom -- the common denominator for all of these places are that they're places that should move you, the -- it's -- you know, travel, for me, was always education, a classroom without walls. And is Brno (ph) my favorite place in the world? Yes, it's on my short list. If controversy gives you hesitation, then there are 999 other places you might feel more comfortable visiting.
CALLEBS: Well, 1,000 places, we could spend 1,000 hours talking about this. The book is out now. Thanks very much for coming in. Best of luck. And I hope it does get people off the couch and to see some great things out there.
SCHULTZ: And to get going. Thank you. Thanks.
CALLEBS: Patricia Schultz, thanks very much for joining us.
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