Resort Maps Franchisee, John McClain, to Appear on HGTV 1
"Chatsworth Native to Appear on HGTV"
written by: Jamie Jones
You may recognize John McClain from his days hosting infomercials on Charter Media.
McClain, a Chatsworth native and 1993 graduate of Murray County High School, will return to television on Saturday on the HGTV program “First Time Design.” The program, which airs at 2:30 p.m., shows McClain spending four days and $7,500 to completely make over a master bedroom for a family in Los Angeles.
McClain works with acclaimed interior designer Vern Yip, but producers made it clear that McClain had the final say on all things design. Yip, the host of several HGTV programs, serves as a “mentor.”
“After everything was over, I was like, ‘Oh, wow! I just had the main judge from ‘Design Star’ helping me,” the 34-year-old McClain said. “I had him ironing curtains, I had him hanging things up on the wall. If you’re going to be in the room, you’ve gotta work. The funny thing is, he said he’s totally used to it. He was very down to earth and very helpful.”
McClain found information about the show audition online. According to the posting, producers were looking for untrained, amateur interior designers for a new program. McClain submitted an eight-minute video. A few days later, show representatives asked for photos and more information. Soon after, they asked if he could be in Los Angeles in two weeks for filming. McClain now lives in Orlando, Fla., and owns a Resort Maps advertising franchise. His flexible work schedule afforded him the chance to jet to L.A. and spend four days on set. Thirteen people will appear in separate 30-minute episodes.
The days of filming were “enjoyable — in the beginning,” he said. Even for a person used to being in front of the bright lights, McClain said the constant presence of the cameras began to wear on him.
“There was a camera in my face every single moment of the day,” McClain said. “When I came out of the restroom there would be a camera waiting on me. It was non-stop filming. Basically, I had to talk the entire time. I’m being filmed and being asked, ‘What are you thinking? What are you feeling? What’s on your mind? What do you plan on doing?’ When I walked into a store, I had to narrate that I’m going to a home improvement store to get paint or I’m going to get furniture. On top of all the daily filming, I had a diary cam in my room so every time before I went to bed and every morning as well I had to talk to the camera.”
Despite such rigors, McClain said the show was a hugely positive experience. He said his “passion and hobby” is interior design. He hopes his appearance on HGTV will propel him into a career in the field — and possibly his own show. There is some drama built into the HGTV show. While McClain wants to incorporate Moroccan-inspired colors into the family’s home, the family members are hesitant to stray from their neutral color scheme.
“There are a lot of ups and downs in my episode,” McClain said. “I watched their DVD, and they watched my DVD, and I tried to figure out what they like, what their styles are. They were all over the board with the different designs that they wanted. I had to try to hone in on what I thought they wanted. When I got there, I did my presentation and they’re not that into it.”
Without giving too much away, McClain says it all worked out in the end.
Much of McClain’s family still lives in north Georgia and they will be tuned to HGTV Saturday afternoon. He plans to have a viewing party in Orlando and friends throughout the country will be watching.
Along with several other people who might recognize him from his days in Dalton.
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Romantic travel. What to pack and plan for romantic winter getaways.
WAITSFIELD, VERMONT…
When it comes to romantic getaways, what’s more important: where you go or what you do? While it’s difficult to argue the inherent romance offered by a tropical vacation or cruise or a ski lodge or remote cabin up in the mountains, sometimes what you pack or that spontaneous little side trip can enhance the intimacy of a romantic getaway.
As the creator of more than 90 customized travel maps across the United States, England, Costa Rica and Puerto Rico, Resort Maps believes travel is about the journey as much as the end destination, particularly when it comes to romantic getaways. Says Peter Hans, president of Resort Maps Franchise, Inc., “If you reflect on the great trips in your life, some of the best times occur on spontaneous little side trips. In fact, for many people, those side trips end up being more memorable.”
So, what sort of things can you do make your journey more memorable? Hans suggests:
· Renting an automobile instead of using your everyday car. If the temperatures allow it, rent a convertible and ride with the top down.
· Follow the signs – if you see a sign advertising something that sounds interesting, e.g. homemade ice cream store, stop in.
· Take plenty of breaks – often times on a road trip, you’ll pass bridges, bodies of waters, shops, etc. that look interesting but you keep going. For your romantic journey, stop and smell the figurative roses and explore those places. Even pulling over on a country road to literally smell the roses or share an intimate moment can be a trip maker.
· Plan a detour – do a little research on the area where you’ll be driving through and see if there’s anything of interest that could make for a nice little surprise.
While these spontaneous trips or adventures can serve as very tasty appetizers, you still want to enjoy the main course, your destination, as well. To do that will require some forethought.
Some romantic items you may want to include in your packing are:
· Tea lights or scented candles – remembering the matches or lighter.
· Luxury bubble bath.
· Massage oil.
· Music: an MP3 player and speakers or a CD player and CDs with your favorite love songs.
· Rose petals to scatter in the bed.
· Romantic notes to leave on each other’s pillow.
“The beauty of a romantic getaway is that it really can be anything you want it to be, anywhere you want it to be,” said Hans. “By following just a few of these ideas, you can create a trip that you’ll be talking about with your grandkids—perhaps once they are adults.”
Resort Maps are colorful, hand-drawn maps of resort towns and cities. Free to area visitors, each map advertises restaurants, accommodations, retail stores, factory outlets, recreation and attractions, real estate and other local services. Each advertiser is represented with a display ad surrounding the map, including a color-coded grid locator and a building drawn, highlighted and labeled making it easy to locate. With landmarks prominently displayed, Resort Maps are an easy and fun way to find your way around town whether you are visiting, new to the area or you just want to know what’s happening around your town.
For more information on Resort Maps or to inquire about ownership of a Resort Maps franchise, please visit www.resortmaps.com or call 802-496-6277.
About Resort Maps
Headquartered in the Green Mountains of Vermont, Resort Maps has been creating and publishing advertising maps in the northeastern U.S. since 1986. In 1993, Resort Maps expanded its reach by creating a franchise model for distribution of its colorful, hand-drawn maps of resort towns and cities. Today, that network of franchises has grown to over 90 Resort Maps in publication in the US and the UK, with several more in the process of being published. More than 20 million Resort Maps will be printed and distributed in 2009.
For more information on Resort Maps and/or the franchise opportunity, visit www.resortmaps.com or call 802-496-6277.
Resort Maps franchises serve cities and towns in California (Carmel, Monterey), Colorado (Boulder, Breckenridge, Cherry Creek, Colorado Springs, Denver, Eagle River, Estes Park, Fort Collins, Summit County), Delaware (Bethany Beach, Rehoboth Beach), Florida (Clearwater Beach and Gulf Beaches, Cocoa Beach, Daytona Beach, Melbourne, New Smyrna Beach, St. Augustine, Tarpon Springs), Georgia (Savannah/Tybee Island), Maine (Bar Harbor/Acadia, Boothbay region, Camden-Rockland, Kennebunkport, Kittery, Portland, York-Ogunquit), , Maryland (Annapolis, Eastern Shore, Ocean City, Solomons Island, St. Mary’s County), Massachusetts (Berkshires, Chatham-Orleans, Falmouth, Hyannis-Yarmouth, Martha’s Vineyard, Newburyport, Plymouth, Sturbridge, Worcester), Michigan (Traverse City), New Hampshire (Franconia/Notch Region, Hampton Beach, Hanover/Lebanon , Keene, Lakes Region, Mount Washington Valley, Portsmouth), New Jersey (Barnegat Bay, Cape May, Hoboken/Jersey City, Hunterdon, Lambertville , Long Beach Island, Ocean Grove, Point Pleasant, Princeton, Sandy Hook), New York ( The Hamptons, Lake George , Lake Placid, Saratoga Springs), North Carolina (Asheville, Brunswick County, Hendersonville , Outer Banks, Salisbury and Rowan County, Sandhills, Wilmington,), Pennsylvania (Bucks County, Chestnut Hill, Delaware River Valley, Gettysburg, The Main Line), Rhode Island (Newport, Providence), South Carolina (Charleston, Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach), Tennessee (Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge), and Vermont (Addison County/Brandon, Barre/Montpelier, Burlington, Killington/Rutland, Mad River Valley, Manchester, Mount Snow, Okemo, Smugglers’ Notch, Stowe, Waterbury/Richmond, Woodstock/Quechee) —as well as towns and cities in England (Chicester, Lewes, Windsor), Costa Rica (Escazu and Santa Ana) and Puerto Rico (Vieques, Culebra, San Juan).
Your New Travel Guide, Tom Wright, Purchases Resort Maps Franchise in Melbourne, Florida
MELBOURNE, FLORIDA AND WAITSFIELD, VERMONT…
Resort Maps, creator of more than 90 customized travel maps across the United States, England and Puerto Rico, recently announced Tom Wright as the new owner of their Melbourne, Florida operation.
Resort Maps are colorful, hand-drawn maps of towns and cities, distributed free to area visitors at rest and travel information areas as well by advertisers. The Best of Melbourne Map highlights local attractions, restaurants, accommodations, retail shops, real estate and other services in the greater Melbourne area. Each advertiser on the map is represented with a display ad surrounding the perimeter of the map, including a color-coded grid locator and their actual building drawn, highlighted and labeled, making it easy to locate.
“With more than 33 miles of unspoiled beaches in and beautiful weather most of the year, you really can’t go wrong in Melbourne,” said Wright. “Resort Maps helps to point out the many places to explore and things to do in the area, including the Eau Gallie Arts District and Historic Downtown Melbourne.”
The Best of Melbourne map offers a real treasure trove of things to do for people vacationing in the area or just down for a day or two. Resort Maps free ‘souvenir style’ maps can be found not only at the local advertisers’ shops but also at many non-advertiser locations throughout Melbourne.
These same colorful maps can also be found on-line at www.resortmaps.com. Here you will find interactive maps of all 90+ resort areas to choose from. These interactive maps allow the viewer to read a description of each business as they scroll over each building and to connect to the website of the business for further information.
For information on how to advertise on the upcoming Melbourne map, you can call Tom Wright at 321-243-0449 or email at tomw@resortmaps.com.
Resort Maps began creating and publishing maps in the northeastern U.S. back in 1986. In an effort to continue the company’s growth and simultaneously maintain the quality of the product, Resort Maps became a franchisor in 1993. Since adopting the franchise model, Resort Maps has grown steadily to more than 90 maps distributed across 20 states as well as towns and cities in England and Puerto Rico.
“We publish over 20 million maps per year in more than 90 cities and towns for a good reason. Our maps are fun, easy-to-read and they really do make you want to stop and see some of the local attractions before heading to the next part of your trip. Our advertisers like them for that very same reason,” said Peter Hans, president of Resort Maps.
For more information on Resort Maps or to inquire about ownership of a Resort Maps franchise, please visit www.resortmaps.com or call 802-496-6277.
About Resort Maps
Headquartered in the Green Mountains of Vermont, Resort Maps has been creating and publishing advertising maps in the northeastern U.S. since 1986. In 1993, Resort Maps expanded its reach by creating a franchise model for distribution of its colorful, hand-drawn maps of resort towns and cities. Today, that network of franchises has grown to over 90 Resort Maps in publication in the US and the UK, with several more in the process of being published. More than 20 million Resort Maps will be printed and distributed in 2009.
For more information on Resort Maps and/or the franchise opportunity, visit www.resortmaps.com or call 802-496-6277.
Resort Maps franchises serve cities and towns in California (Carmel, Monterey), Colorado (Boulder, Breckenridge, Cherry Creek, Colorado Springs, Denver, Eagle River, Estes Park, Fort Collins, Summit County), Delaware (Bethany Beach, Rehoboth Beach), Florida (Clearwater Beach and Gulf Beaches, Cocoa Beach, Daytona Beach, Melbourne, New Smyrna Beach, St. Augustine, Tarpon Springs), Georgia (Savannah/Tybee Island), Maine (Bar Harbor/Acadia, Boothbay region, Camden-Rockland, Kennebunkport, Kittery, Portland, York-Ogunquit), , Maryland (Annapolis, Eastern Shore, Ocean City, Solomons Island, St. Mary’s County), Massachusetts (Berkshires, Chatham-Orleans, Falmouth, Hyannis-Yarmouth, Martha’s Vineyard, Newburyport, Plymouth, Sturbridge, Worcester), Michigan (Traverse City), New Hampshire (Franconia/Notch Region, Hampton Beach, Hanover/Lebanon , Keene, Lakes Region, Mount Washington Valley, Portsmouth), New Jersey (Barnegat Bay, Cape May, Hoboken/Jersey City, Hunterdon, Lambertville , Long Beach Island, Ocean Grove, Point Pleasant, Princeton, Sandy Hook), New York ( The Hamptons, Lake George , Lake Placid, Saratoga Springs), North Carolina (Asheville, Brunswick County, Hendersonville , Outer Banks, Salisbury and Rowan County, Sandhills, Wilmington,), Pennsylvania (Bucks County, Chestnut Hill, Delaware River Valley, Gettysburg, The Main Line), Rhode Island (Newport, Providence), South Carolina (Charleston, Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach), Tennessee (Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge), and Vermont (Addison County/Brandon, Barre/Montpelier, Burlington, Killington/Rutland, Mad River Valley, Manchester, Mount Snow, Okemo, Smugglers’ Notch, Stowe, Waterbury/Richmond, Woodstock/Quechee) —as well as towns and cities in England (Chicester, Lewes) and Puerto Rico (Vieques, Culebra).
On A Map Quest- Resort Maps to produce "Best of Key West" Map, Advertising Opportunities Available
KEY WEST, FLORIDA AND WAITSFIELD, VERMONT…
Resort Maps, creator of more than 90 customized travel maps across the United States, England, Costa Rica and Puerto Rico, recently began work on the first edition of a map of Key West, Florida. Resort Maps are colorful, hand-drawn maps of resort towns and cities, free to area visitors.
The creation of the Best of Key West Resort Map will show what the area has to offer by highlighting local attractions, restaurants, accommodations, retail shops, real estate and other services in the greater Key West area. Each advertiser on the map is represented with a display ad surrounding the perimeter of the map, including a color-coded grid locator and their actual building drawn, highlighted and labeled, making it easy to locate.
These same colorful maps can be found on-line at www.resortmaps.com. Here you will find interactive maps of all 90+ resort areas to choose from. These interactive maps allow the viewer to read a description of each business as they scroll over each building and to connect to the website of the business for further information.
“You think Key West and you think Jimmy Buffet and Ernest Hemingway and that’s all part of Key West, yet there are many other wonderful places to see and things to do here,” said John McClain, Resort Maps franchise owner. “The new Key West map offers a real treasure trove of things to do for people vacationing in the area or just down for a day or two. Our free ‘souvenir style’ maps can be found not only at the local advertisers’ shops but also at many non-advertiser locations throughout the area.”
For information on how to advertise on the upcoming Key West map, you can contact franchise owner John McClain by e-mail at john@resortmaps.com or by phone at 305-433-8442.
Resort Maps began creating and publishing maps in the northeastern U.S. back in 1986. In an effort to continue the company’s growth and simultaneously maintain the quality of the product, Resort Maps became a franchisor in 1993. Since adopting the franchise model, Resort Maps has grown steadily to more than 90 maps distributed across 20 states as well as towns and cities in England, Costa Rica and Puerto Rico.
“We publish over 20 million maps per year in more than 90 cities and towns for a good reason. Our maps are fun, easy-to-read and they really do make you want to stop and see some of the local attractions before heading to the next part of your trip. Our advertisers like them for that very same reason,” said Peter Hans, president of Resort Maps.
For more information on Resort Maps or to inquire about ownership of a Resort Maps franchise, please visit www.resortmaps.com or call 802-496-6277.
About Resort Maps
Headquartered in the Green Mountains of Vermont, Resort Maps has been creating and publishing advertising maps in the northeastern U.S. since 1986. In 1993, Resort Maps expanded its reach by creating a franchise model for distribution of its colorful, hand-drawn maps of resort towns and cities. Today, that network of franchises has grown to over 90 Resort Maps in publication in the US and the UK, with several more in the process of being published. More than 20 million Resort Maps will be printed and distributed in 2009.
For more information on Resort Maps and/or the franchise opportunity, visit www.resortmaps.com or call 802-496-6277.
Resort Maps franchises serve cities and towns in California (Carmel, Monterey), Colorado (Boulder, Breckenridge, Cherry Creek, Colorado Springs, Denver, Eagle River, Estes Park, Fort Collins, Summit County), Delaware (Bethany Beach, Rehoboth Beach), Florida (Clearwater Beach and Gulf Beaches, Cocoa Beach, Daytona Beach, Melbourne, New Smyrna Beach, St. Augustine, Tarpon Springs), Georgia (Savannah/Tybee Island), Maine (Bar Harbor/Acadia, Boothbay region, Camden-Rockland, Kennebunkport, Kittery, Portland, York-Ogunquit), , Maryland (Annapolis, Eastern Shore, Ocean City, Solomons Island, St. Mary’s County), Massachusetts (Berkshires, Chatham-Orleans, Falmouth, Hyannis-Yarmouth, Martha’s Vineyard, Newburyport, Plymouth, Sturbridge, Worcester), Michigan (Traverse City), New Hampshire (Franconia/Notch Region, Hampton Beach, Hanover/Lebanon , Keene, Lakes Region, Mount Washington Valley, Portsmouth), New Jersey (Barnegat Bay, Cape May, Hoboken/Jersey City, Hunterdon, Lambertville , Long Beach Island, Ocean Grove, Point Pleasant, Princeton, Sandy Hook), New York ( The Hamptons, Lake George , Lake Placid, Saratoga Springs), North Carolina (Asheville, Brunswick County, Hendersonville , Outer Banks, Salisbury and Rowan County, Sandhills, Wilmington,), Pennsylvania (Bucks County, Chestnut Hill, Delaware River Valley, Gettysburg, The Main Line), Rhode Island (Newport, Providence), South Carolina (Charleston, Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach), Tennessee (Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge), and Vermont (Addison County/Brandon, Barre/Montpelier, Burlington, Killington/Rutland, Mad River Valley, Manchester, Mount Snow, Okemo, Smugglers’ Notch, Stowe, Waterbury/Richmond, Woodstock/Quechee) —as well as towns and cities in England (Chicester, Lewes, Windsor), Costa Rica (Escazu and Santa Ana) and Puerto Rico (Vieques, Culebra, San Juan).