Today we’ll embark on an around the world race with skipper Donald Lawson, we’ll journey among the people of the rainforest with Maya Roads author Mary Jo McConahay and we’ll explore what it means to be an ethical designer in the fashion house of Aidah Fontenot.

Skipper Donald Lawson is making history on the water.  He is one of just a few African-American professional sailors who holds the titles skipper and captain and is working towards breaking barriers in the sport of sailing.  Donald Lawson anticipates becoming the first African American sailor to race around the world solo but his first stop will be on World Footprints. before he embarks we’re going to try to convince him that he must take this adventure radio crew with. 

As a young woman studying Spanish in Mexico in the 1970s, Mary Jo McConahay fell in love with the haunting beauty and mystery of the rainforest.  Determined to experience the jungle firsthand, Mary Jo traveled solo through the beautiful wild region that spans southern Mexico and northern Guatemala.  That first trip was the beginning of her life’s work and adventures in Central America.  Mary Jo’s newest book, Maya Roads: One Woman’s Journey Among the People of the Rainforest, draws upon three decades in Central America’s remote and dangerous landscapes where she traveled, lived, and worked as a war correspondent.

Aidah Fontenot wears many artistic hats.  With over 16 years of experience and training, she continues to raise the bar in the artistic genres of fine art, photography, graphic and fashion design.  Aidah is most recognized as an ethical fashion designer.  Her Aidah Collection supports a “green mission” to empower women and protect the environment.  The collection is handmade locally with natural and recycled materials and many designs have been spotted on the red carpet.

Travel around the globe with World Footprints today as we go to Namibia, the Mediterranean and Detroit.

First stop…Namibia with Dr. Laurie Marker, Founder of the Cheetah Conservation Fund.  Since 1990, Dr. Marker has pioneered new ideas in cheetah conservation and has formed cooperative alliances on behalf of the cheetah that have never before been possible. She is recognized around the world as one of the leading experts on cheetahs, both in the wild and in captivity. 

Then we’ll journey to the Mediterranean with travel author and TV host Rick Steves.  Rick is on a mission: to help make European travel accessible and meaningful for Americans.  Rick just returned from two Mediterranean Cruises and he joins us to talk about his newest guide book, Mediterranean Cruise Ports, and the art of travel.

Finally, Detroit is a city that has not been portrayed favorably in the media (except on World Footprints) so we were surprised to meet someone who left his Fortune 500 employer to move to Detroit for the purpose of showing the city in a different light.  Philip Lauri is the Founder and Director of Detroit Lives! and he join us to share why Detroit is a vibrant place to live and discover.

As travel experts we know that understanding new languages play an important part in the travel experience. But what about the journey of marriage?  World Footprints talks to best selling author Dr. Gary Chapman about his book, “The 5 Love Languages” and he’ll walk us through the different languages that every couple should know.  This book has been on the New York Times bestsellers list for the last 20 years, and has now been translated in 40 different languages.  Dr. Chapman joins World Footprints to talk about his experiences teaching new love languages around the world.

Then, we’ll introduce you to Colin Salisbury, founder of Global Volunteer Network.  He  joins us to talk about how his organization is connecting people with communities throughout the world.

Finally, you’ll meet Eric and Christi Grab, a great adventurous couple who took a break from corporate America to circumnavigate the world in a 43 foot trawler powerboat.  Eric and Christi spent two years visiting 100 places and 34 countries around the world.  Hear how they did it, and why they chose to travel via boat with limited boating experience.

Greater and greater ships are launched every year. With the sinking of the Costa Concordia in Italy, the size of these giants raises many questions, including security. Can megaships deal with the consequences of a serious accident? Does size matter?

For several years, companies have invested in building megaships, ever larger. The symbol of the trend is the Oasis of the Seas of Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, the largest cruise ship in the world: 60 m long, 9 m draft, 220,000 tons, 18 decks, 30 bars and restaurants, 90,000 m2 of carpet, 7,000 pieces of art, 2,300 tons of water in swimming pools …  Its enormous capacity is 5400 passengers and 2165 crew members! (more…)

Survivors from a luxury cruise ship that ran aground and tipped over, leaving at least three dead, dozens injured and 69 people still unaccounted for, describe a chaotic evacuation, as plates and glasses crashed and they crawled along upended hallways trying to reach safety. (more…)