Bobbie Hasselbring www.realfoodtraveler.com, Harbors magazine, MotorHome magazine, Oregonian, Northwest Travel The Chocolate Lover's Guide to the Pacific Northwest and The Chocolate Lover's Guide Cookbook Portland Oregon

My work in tourism includes the opportunity to host the many travel writers visiting my area. The journalist I remember most was Bobbie Hasselbring, but not for good reasons.

We hosted her on a group press trip, on which she continually made snide, judgmental remarks to the other writers. She repeatedly went out of her way to criticize others. This harmed the group dynamic on the trip, and I fielded several complaints from others on the trip. She was constantly offended by almost all conversations at dinner.

Among other incidents: between courses at a long dinner, two of the journalists, both adults, excused themselves to go outside to smoke. The pair went to a designated smoking area approximately 100 meters from the restaurant.  We were inside, completely unaffected by their smokers, and they returned before the next course. After the two left the table, Hasslebring followed them outside to the smoking area to lecture them about smoking for several minutes. They asked her to return inside, but she continued to lecture them, and made very personal remarks.

At the conclusion of the trip, when the writers were exchanging pleasantries and business cards, Hasselbring quickly walked away without any speaking to anyone.

I mentioned Hasselbring to a colleague in another city who had also hosted her on a group press trip, and the same thing happened there.  The journalists on the trip eventually had a nickname for her: Bobbie Bummer.

Before I invited Hasselbring on the group press trip, she made me promises for coverage in the publications for which she writes. She did not keep those promises, and the aforementioned colleague had the same experience.

It must be difficult to be a writer who encounters Hasselbring in her work as a managing editor for HARBORS Magazine as well as www.realfoodtraveler.com. Among other media outlets, Hasselbring has written for The Chocolate Lover's Guide to the Pacific Northwest and The Chocolate Lover's Guide Cookbook. How ironic that such a sweet subject is covered by a woman with a sour attitude toward life and other people.