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Meet the Springsteen Fans Who Created Tours That Bring the Star's Legend to Life

Sean O'Neill photo
Sean O'Neill
Bruce Springsteen Springsteen performing with drummer Max Weinberg behind him, on the Magic Tour stop at Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Florida, August 15, 2008 source Craig ONeal wikipedia

Photo Credit: Bruce Springsteen performing with drummer Max Weinberg behind him, on the Magic Tour stop at Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Florida, August 15, 2008. Celebrity tourism isn't new, but these two have certainly carved out a unique niche. Wikipedia / Craig O'Neal

Skift Take

While celebrity tourism isn't new, these two guides have certainly carved out a unique niche in covering Springsteen's origins at the Jersey Shore. Small and genuine experiences like the tours they offer may outperform generic, mass-market offerings during the travel sector's recovery.

Jean Mikle and Stan Goldstein met at the office copy machine while working in 1988 at the same newspaper, the Asbury Park Press. The two reporter colleagues bonded over being fans of Bruce Springsteen. They began offering tours about Springsteen and the Jersey Shore's rock history about a decade later. Goldstein (who has seen Springsteen perform 400 times) and Mikle (who has seen "only about 200 shows") hope that the artist's new album, which drops October 23, will help revive their sideline business. This year's pandemic prompted travelers to cancel all but a few tours since February. That was despite the guides observing precautions, such as wearing masks and keeping the windows down when doing a driving tour. The idea for the tours was born to run when Mikle and Goldstein went with another friend to see Springsteen and the E Street Band in London in 1999. While in London, they took a Beatles history tour. One stop was the famous Abbey Road crossing, a photo of which became the iconic cover of the

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