Robert Payne

Sure was great to be back out West with good friends in spectacular places.

Even in the winter months, there are plenty of great opportunities in Charleston, South Carolina for catching fish either on the fly or with a spinning rod. A friend and I caught about 15 of these redfish. Good times!

  In the days leading up to departure to Sayulita, Mexico, I had purposely repressed any potentially misguided excitement. Reason:I had no clear indication as to whether it would be one of those propped up touristy towns, or one that has actually preserved some semblance of authenticity? I’ve been to a few other places in [...]

Conveniently located next to the Blue Ridge Parkway and just 8 miles from Waynesville, North Carolina stands the quaint and majestic 100-year-old Balsam Mountain Inn. Sporting 50 bead board rooms complete with claw foot tubs and a decidedly mountain cottage-style feel, reservations include breakfast and as much rocking in the rocking chair as you desire. [...]

Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Award for “Top City in the U.S.” recently went to my hometown of Charleston, South Carolina. Stephen Colbert accepted the award on behalf of THE City.

Just back from Boston. Charming city with much more to do than I had time for, unfortunately. But I did manage to trek the Freedom Trail, which is a must for any first-time visitor. The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile red-brick walking trail that leads you to 16 nationally significant historic sites, every one [...]

Pawleys Island is such a charming place. Toys like stand up paddle boards, surfboards, kayaks, sailboats, and even a slack line only enhance the experience. Want your own slack line? Check out Gibbons. Easy to set up, not so easy to style the traverse. Check out the whole picture set.

Visited some friends in Atlanta and hit up a Braves game at Turner field. Loved the energy of the hardcore fans. They swung their hatchets and cheered like there was no tomorrow. Not sure exactly what these guys were up to though?

Was recently in Phoenix, Arizona for the Suburban Newspapers of America Fall 2011 Conference. It was nice to catch up with clients and visit with a few new prospects. Newspapers are exploring Groupon-esque and Daily Deal strategies to further monetize their existing web presence and corresponding connection to their local communities. There were some interesting [...]

My own little motivational poster to remind me of what I saw at first light yesterday morning. Good times!