Haines, Gross and the Possibilities of “Interactive Travel”

In an interview with New York Times Frugal Traveler columnist Matt Gross I posted yesterday, we talked about the possibilities of “interactive travel,” including the lure of a journey dictated in real-time by online readers. “I would love to do that,” Gross responded. “It would be interesting to see what would happen in less traveled places like Central Asia. How many readers know a really good barbershop in Tashkent?” We’ll have to wait for that, but right now the Boston Globe’s Tom Haines is on an interactive journey, albeit on a smaller scale. He’s on a five-day trip through New England in search of the new, steered by the readers of his newspaper.

Haines has been to, among other places, a new musuem and an Islamic clothing seller, and he’s heard the expected grade-school level jokes.

Since Aug. 13, we’ve fielded hundreds of submissions from you all about where I should go. Today, Leroy became the first to answer “Tell Tom Where to Go” with this: “Go to” H - E - Double Hockey Sticks. (Can’t write it like Leroy, as we’ve rules here at Boston.com.)

So that’s a new idea.

Of course, I won’t be asking Leroy for directions. Leroy’s hometown, as he entered it on the site? “Lisbon, Spain.”

Okay. So it’s a work in progress. We’ll be sure to find out what Haines thought of his journey when it’s complete.

 

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