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Mindy Kinsey |
This travel issue is an organic thing that grew from any number of
serendipitous ideas: Kelly Dean sent me some photos of his new studio store,
Chris Herrington told me how many countries his Hard Rock Café bears
are in, Boyds opened a new barn store, and I ran into the Estes Ark people at
Toy Fair. Steiff built a new museum, Anna Koetse went to Russia, Nancy
Tillberg sent a bear to New Zealand, and Christine Pike told me about her
favorite bear places in England. I got to thinking about summer roadtrips and
how, when I was a kid, I didn't really believe places like Paris, Niagara
Falls, and Egypt existed because I hadn't seen them for myself. (Egypt is
still hypothetical in my world.) And I decided that teddy travel and
destinations would be a great theme for an issue.
It turns out that my idea was bigger than my magazine. There are so many
great bear places here and around the world that it's impossible to cover them
all in one issue. I had to cut a number of stories and shelve a bunch of
ideas (they'll be popping up in issues later this year and next). Please know
that this is just the tip of the iceberg; there are many fabulous places
awaiting discovery out there.
In fact, I hope you will help my research by writing to me about your
favorite teddy bear destinations—the stores, shows, museums, tours, or
what-have-you that get you out of your house and into the world. What do you
like about them? What unique or funny experiences have you had? What great
"extras," such as restaurants, shops, or attractions, have you found along the
way? Where do you stay, what do you eat, and who have you met? We will
incorporate some of your feedback into a new series of regional teddy travel
guides that will appear periodically over the next several issues.
In the meantime, I'll be out and about in the world all summer long. I'm
going to try to incorporate a bear stop into all of my summer travels, whether
they are personal or professional. There's a world out there to explore, and
I'm curious.
See you there!
Mindy Kinsey
Editor in Chief
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