Myths, Legends and Southwest Stories

The Greater Phoenix Convention and Visitors Bureau has put together a whirlwind tour of some of Phoenix-area visitors' favorite sites. Last night our opening dinner was hosted by the Talavera Restaurant at the Four Seasons Resort - Scottsdale at North Troon.

Featuring contemporary American cuisine, Talavera offers tequila tasting in their wine cellar. Our dinner started with a salad of seasonal greens mixed with fresh pear, candied onions and pecans. I chose the 14 oz. Bone-In Short Rib first rubbed in a spicy chipotle and then plated in a pool of creamy polenta. "Who needs a knife?" asked Troy Petenbrink, a writer from Washington, DC. The tender meat, garnished with healthful honeycomb from local hives, just fell on my fork and melted in my mouth. "The honeycomb cuts the spiciness of the dish," explained Chef Mendez table-side.


Although the property is only nine years old, a recent face lift saw the addition of a dramatic fire element framed by glass and positioned for both indoor and outdoor diners to enjoy. The restaurant is appropriately decorated in the palate of the blooming desert. The breathtaking night-time views of the city and Pinnacle Peak make for a romantic -- and dramatic -- dining experience.

That's me with Kim Cole, Director of Public Relations for the Four Seasons Resort. Thanks, Kim!
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Stacey Wittig of Wittigwriter is a marketing strategist and Flagstaff travel writer.

Avoid this Internet Marketing Mistake

Internet marketing expert Peter Geisheker has been involved in Internet marketing since the world-wide-web began. I love reading his newsletter.

From his experience helping clients build successful websites, he's learned what works and what does not work when selling on the Internet. One of the biggest Internet marketing mistakes, Peter says, is

"Letting your webmaster write the text for your website.
This is another huge mistake that companies make. On nearly a daily
basis I get a call from a company that has spent a fortune building
a website and they cannot understand why they are not generating
any sales. My first question is, who wrote the text for your
website? In nearly every case they tell me their webmaster wrote it.

Why is it a mistake to have your webmaster write your website
marketing text? Here is a hint-- webmasters are programmers, NOT
marketing professional who know how to write text that sells. If
you want your website to generate sales, you must hire a person who
is an excellent copywriter and knows how to write words that make
people want to buy! Would you hire your webmaster to write a
display advertisement for you? Of course not! Then why on earth
would you allow them to write the text for your website? By having
your webmaster write the text for your website, you are ensuring
your website will be an awful sales tool. To solve this problem,
hire a marketing professional to write the text for your website."

Peter Geisheker, CEO
The Geisheker Group, Inc.
"Innovative Marketing for Innovative Companies"
http://www.marketing-consulting-company.com
(920) 471-1638

New Year Traditions from Across the Globe

Ok, so what is it? What is your favorite tradition to bring in the New Year? Our family celebrates with man-sized portions of pork and sauerkraut. Perhaps we eat so much because we fear that the new year may be bringing in shortages. A good excuse anyway.

I recently heard that it is good to eat pork for New Years because pigs are always poking around and facing forward. (You want to meet the New Year head-on... or should I say, snout first.) You definitely don't want to start out the New Year with a lobster dinner, as they are known for scooting backwards. No 'two-steps-forward-and-one-step-back' in 2009!

What is your favorite New Years Eve or New Years Day ritual? Kissing at midnight? (Augh, the sauerkraut breath...) Add a comment now and share it with us!