Go Away With ... Bob Bowman
A. When the USA swimming team goes to compete, we get bagfuls of pins that say, "USA Swimming" and whatever country the Olympics are being held at. We hand them out to volunteers and fans and everyone really loves them. It's fun to be able to ask people if they'd like a pin. You don't think you'll run out of these, but you can run through them pretty quickly. I first met (South Korea's swimming champion) Park Tae-hwan in Athens when he was a teenager and again in Beijing, where he did really well. When we were leaving, he gave me several gifts to share with our team. I didn't have anything for him and felt really horrible. But, I don't think he expected anything. He was just so gracious and nice.
Q. Are you an adventurous eater on the road?
A. I don't eat the most adventurous things, but I do eat the local cuisine as much as I can. Interestingly enough, though, my favorite place in Sydney is Sailors Thai. It's recognized as one of the best places for Thai. That's about as adventurous as I get. I don't really like super spicy food.
Q. Which Olympics that you attended stands out as your favorite?
A. The one I enjoyed the most and really felt like I had the best experiences was the London Games (in 2012). It was just fantastic. I loved the people there and the environment. The accommodations we had there were second to none. In terms of the entire package, it was everything the Olympics should be.
Q. What untapped destination should people know about?
A. Delaware. Rehoboth is where the adults go. The college kids go next door to Dewey Beach. I like to go in the winter. It's absolutely gorgeous and I enjoy the solitude.
Q. How do you handle things on trips when things go wrong?
A. I travel so much that I've just learned to roll with it. Whatever happens, it'll be resolved. If I'm traveling with kids who haven't traveled much, I try to direct their attention to something else to occupy their minds -- read that book you've been meaning to. Go to that gift shop and get something for your mom. Buy a snack for the plane.
Q. If you could offer one piece of travel advice, what would it be?
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