Tourists ask the silliest questions -- so should travel writers

by Flo Conner
 

When we put on our serious face, we tell people that there are no stupid questions. Okay, we all know that’s not true. There are stupid questions, and it seems tourists aren’t exempt.

According to the Travel Industry Association of America (TIAA), the trade group in Washington, DC, these are the funniest questions asked by tourists:

-- Does the sun set here every night?

-- Are the Amish in season now?

-- Why is the "Closed for Cleaning" sign on the restroom?

-- Is that the same moon we see in Vermont?

-- At what time of the year are the fewest Californians here?

-- I've heard about the jazz funerals in New Orleans. When can I go to one?

-- How many miles of undiscovered caves are there?

-- If it rains, will the fireworks be held inside?

-- How come all the famous battles were fought in national parks?

--(Wife): Aren't these the most spectacular ruins you've ever seen, dear?
(Husband): Yeah, but what I don't understand is...why'd they knock 'em all down?

I may not ask such silly questions, but I do ask a lot of basic questions when I go on a trip – because those are the ones I know my readers will want answered. They want to know the basics: how, when, where, what, why and who. Once those basics are out of the way, I go for specific information that will provide readers with an insider look at the destinations they’re interested in.

Whom do I talk to? Usually, I talk with anyone I come into contact with -- PR folks, clerks, locals, shopkeepers, teachers, tourists -- you get the idea. After a while, I find that I start getting the same answers over again, but that helps me figure out which are the best – and most accurate – answers.

As a travel writer, I will often have a whole list of questions I want to ask when I’m doing an interview, but I often ditch them in favor of following the flow of the conversation and my curiosity. When I see someone light up in response to a question or comment I make, I follow that thread to see where it leads.

I also like to find unusual interview subjects. It might be the strange guy in Key West with a huge iguana on his shoulder or the old man in the Cairo bazaar who’s selling nickel candy. I’m looking for colorful stories, hard-to-find information or their opinion.

Just last week, I was kayaking down the French Broad River outside of Biltmore Estates and I asked my river guide what most surprised her about this part of North Carolina. She didn’t hesitate: “This is the third oldest river in the world.” Astounded, I asked her how she – or anyone – could know that. “Easy – the French Broad flows north, which means it was here before the Appalachian Mountains,” she told me. “Since they’re the oldest mountains in the world, that dates the French Broad as one of the oldest rivers.” That’s a piece of trivia not in any information I've ever seen and one that I will use in my Biltmore article.

Hmmm....it must be true, then. There are no silly questions. Just the ones you don't ask.