Hello, this is Kelley Thompson again, bringing you the latest edition of InSite.

This week we have been hip-deep in Prep Traveler, our youth travel pub. I'm very excited about the upcoming Fall issue, ferreting through hundreds of emails to try and find the best information we can for amateur sports and youth performance groups.

There are really two reasons for this excitement. One is that preptraveler.com is undergoing an extreme makeover as we are implementing "wiki" technology to create a true community for youth group travel planners. Come September, the site will have information on every group-friendly city in the country, including links to thousands of Places 2 Play, Places 2 Stay, Places 2 Parade, Places 2 Dine and Places 2 Have Fun for groups.

With this website, you can actually edit the information, adding comments and commentary to the mixture. This way, people who are considering a new destination don't have to rely solely on the CVB to tell them what's going on.

The other component I really love is that the print edition of Prep Traveler will feature more editorial information on the destinations you love to read about in our regional New & Noteworthy sections. This section is where you can read in detail about Myrtle Beach's upcoming Hard Rock Theme Park and tons of other great activities.

If you're already receiving Prep Traveler, great! If you're not but wish you were, sign up now to receive the Back-to-School edition, coming out in September to align with the release of the new website.

Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this issue of InSite!

Kelley

Washington D.C. is an amazing reflection of the nation it represents. As the capital city of a country which is the biggest "melting pot" in the world, it truly does offer visitors a glimpse of American culture and subcultures at their finest.

Leaders from all over the world convene in this city to discuss business and politics, as well as to socialize. As a result, you can find activities, restaurants, and attractions that not only provide insight and education to those who visit, but also offer a cultural experience unlike any other. Discover a variety of dining options that satisfies tastes across all palates. Where else can you sample Ethiopian cuisine, catch a Washington Nationals baseball game, and walk along the Potomac while the cherry blossoms are in bloom, all in one afternoon?

If you want to get high rankings for a special search term then you have to optimize a web page for that search term. In addition, you have to get many links from other web sites that point to the optimized web page. But, getting the right links to your web site is the key to high search engine rankings, and in most circumstances, a web page with 50 inbound links can have better rankings than a web page with 500 inbound links if they are the right links.

If your web page cannot be found in the top 10 results for your keyword, then you should analyze the linking structure of the top ranked web pages in your category to see how they are achieving success. Unfortunately, it is difficult and time-consuming to analyze the linking structure of the top ranked web pages.

For that reason tools such as the Top 10 Inbound Link Optimizer are helpful. It tells you in plain English sentences what you have to do to optimize the links to your web site.

According to recent Gallup poll in USA Today, 27% of those polled are somewhat afraid to fly and 9% are very afraid. For every fearful flyer, at least one other person feels the impact of this fear.

Statistics don't tell the whole story behind being the flying partner of a fearful flyer. Let's say you manage to convince your fearful flyer to travel with you. Much to your surprise, the rational person you know on the ground morphs into an extreme flyer- extremely obnoxious, extremely anxious or extremely drunk. Now imagine how many relationships are jeopardized by fear of flying.

Like it or not, voice mail is going to be around for a while. At least until a bunch of "propeller heads" come up with a new gizmo designed to make our lives easier by apparently making our lives more frustrating. Email also has a future from my point of view, although it often falls under that same category of the love/stress relationship. I still find it incredible that I can communicate with somebody halfway around the world in a matter of seconds and attach a photo that was taken seconds before, knowing my recipients will be critiquing my message instantly.

Rounding out the "big three" pet peeves in America, I'll throw in the ubiquitous cell phone, although I am not quite sure what ubiquitous means. But the genius of telephony and my associated comments will have to wait for another article. Today, I'm talking about the throw-back-to-the-pony-express, first-class letter.

Good old-fashioned envelopes complete with return addresses and a glued-on rectangular piece of colored paper to make it all work. You want something read, send a letter. You want some response, send a letter. You want to indicate to your reader that you put a little thought and effort into your hair-brained idea, send a letter.

Nashville has reinvented itself to become the Music City. Many forms of music now dominate the tourism industry and play a big part in Nashville's image here and overseas as the Country Music Capital of the World.

Plan a group trip to see the first Musicians' Hall of Fame and Museum. After your stop at the museum, enjoy a NashTrash Tour that dishes out the dirt on popular country music legends. Follow through to the end, where a two day itinerary is scheduled for you to have a great experience in Nashville for group tours.

With light sabers in hand explore the Star Wars: Where Science Meets the Imagination exhibit at the COSI in Columbus, Ohio. Beach bums rejoice on Cancun's newly restored powder-white sand beaches. Or ride along on the new Expedition Everest attraction at Walt Disney World Resort.

Come take a look through Gate 38 for what's new, noteworthy and not so ordinary.