Our affiliate travel season is about to start which means this is by far my favorite part of the year. Going around the country to visit with affiliates and prospect stations gives us a great chance to tell everyone about our programming face-to-face, but as a side benefit we get to see parts of the country that normally we never would have had a chance to see. Mind you, I hate the fact that I go through places like Nags Head, North Carolina or Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in a business suit, but every now and then we get to enjoy the cities we visit.
Every year I think our affiliate reps could write a book with stories concerning their trips. My most vivid memory from last year has to be the time I spent on a beautiful highway in western North Carolina/Eastern Tennessee. After finishing my meeting in Bryson City I was well on my way to the Asheville area for my last meeting of the day. I had been on the road before and wanted to take a different and more scenic route to Asheville. I knew that my next meeting was two hours away and that my GPS device was screaming at me to stay on the same path. However, there was a sign pointing to a route going through the mountains that beckoned me saying that Asheville was only 90 some miles away. I listened to my inner Robert Frost and took the road less traveled. What a mistake, I ended up getting extremely lost on a very narrow two lane highway that was reminiscent of a roller coaster. By this time it was me and a ton of joy riding motor-cyclists. I had no cell phone or GPS service and because the road had so many twists and turns I couldn’t find a spot to turn around.
I was mad! I had an important affiliate visit to get to and I was kicking myself for trying to be adventurous. For literally twenty minutes I kept going and going without finding a single spot to turn around and grew furious because I couldn’t call the GM at my next meeting to let them know I couldn’t make it. Finally, at some point I just said to heck with it. I knew I was going to miss the meeting and I was smack dab in the Smoky Mountains. My attitude changed immediately. I turned the windows down, threw in a CCR CD and enjoyed a beautiful sunny day in North Carolina (or maybe it was Tennessee at the moment). Once I finally made it back to the road I was supposed to be on my cell phone coverage and GPS system came back and I called my next appointment in Asheville asking if I could re-schedule. I’m glad I finally took advantage of this unplanned excursion and the road I was on will go down as one of my most favorite I have ever been on.
Below are just a few of my other favorites that I’ve had over the years:
Favorite city: Enterprise, OR – This quaint town with a population of just under two thousand is located in a beautiful area of north-eastern Oregon. Felt like I could touch the mountains when I was there and the people I met were incredibly friendly.
Favorite affiliate visit: Elizabeth City, NC – Went sailing on the Atlantic Ocean with the General Manager in 2002. Neat story here, the GM signed up with the Tar Heel Sports Network the year before and she did so well selling the local spots that she used her commissions to buy the sail boat we took out. If any of my affiliates want to top this experience during one of our meetings this spring/summer, please feel free to do so.
Favorite car accessory: GPS device – Not sure how business travelers ever went around the country without this device. I used Map-quest print outs when I first started traveling and can’t believe I never got into an accident trying to figure out exactly where I was.
Favorite restaurant: Subway – It’s pretty easy to pack on a few pounds when you’re on the road. We normally don’t get to our hotels until after 8 p.m. and most of the time it is just easier to go by a fast food place.
As we begin our travels, I look forward to finding some new favorites along the way only this time I’ll listen to my GPS device.