Vacation Mavens Travel Podcast (Kim Tate and Tamara Gruber)

Kim just came back from her third cruise of the year and her first small-ship cruise on Windstar Cruises. TL;DR, she loved Windstar and small ship cruising! In this week's episode Kim dishes on everything you need to know about small ship cruising on Windstar.

Plus, hear about her pre-cruise excursions from Reykjavik including a small group Golden Circle tour with Hidden Iceland and hot springs experiences at the Sky Lagoon and Blue Lagoon.

Note: Kim was hosted by Windstar Cruises for purposes of her review. All opinions are her own.

Highlights of the Windstar Cruise experience:

• Small staff with personalized service
• Easier to make connections with fellow cruisers
• Very large cabins with a sitting area, walk in closet, and large bathroom
• Dining options
• Observatory lounge

OTHER EPISODES YOU MAY ENJOY

• Princess Alaska Cruise
• Holland America Caribbean cruise
• Barge and river cruising through France
• Off-the-beaten path in West Iceland
• Iceland family travel tips

Barcelona is a great city to visit with kids and Nancy from Enchanting Barcelona Tours shares her favorite spots and tips on visiting Barcelona with kids on this week's podcast episode.

 

ON THE PODCAST

00:30 - Kim and Tamara chat about Kim’s trip to California

16:25 - About Nancy Daum Dailey

18:20 - Tips for families traveling in Barcelona

18:40 - Barcelona vs. Madrid

20:28 - Spanish in Barcelona

22:07 - How many days to spend in Barcelona

23:54 - Size of Spain

24:38 - How to travel in Spain

25:53 - Must see spots in Barcelona

29:27 - Outside activities for kids

31:05 - Where to stay

34:17 - Recommended sit down restaurants

36:03 - Best time to visit

38:10 - Best place to take a family photo

39:40 - Tour guide or not?

44:00 - Favorite travel gear

45:57 - Tip of the week

49:40 - WINNER of Kim’s book!

ABOUT NANCY DAUM DAILEY

Nancy is originally from Maryland, but has lived in Spain since 1994.  She led educational trips for young people throughout Spain & Portugal for 8 years before launching her own company, Enchanting Barcelona Tours, in 2011 specializing in kid focused tours & experiences.

TIPS FOR VISITING BARCELONA WITH KIDS

• In comparison, the atmosphere of Barcelona is like San Francisco, Boston or Paris, while IN Madrid the atmosphere is more like New York City.
• A good combination with traveling to Barcelona would be to go to Costa Brava which is a coastal region of Spain.
• Comparative to US states,  Spain is slightly smaller than the size of Texas.
• The high speed train is a great way to get around Spain from city to city.
• Once you are in a city be prepared to walk a lot. Though for kids you may want to look into bringing a scooter with you. Your kids will be less tired of walking and it will add some fun to the journey.
• There are places to rent bikes and ride along the boardwalk, as well as parks to visit and Europe's oldest amusement park.
• Mid-July to August tends to be the hottest time of the year. But in the summertime there is light until about 10:00 PM, and with should a long day you should plan to spend 1 to 4pm inside or at the pool or beach to save your energy for the rest of the day.

BEST PLACE TO TAKE FAMILY PHOTO

In Front of one of the Gaudi buildings or the fountain in the park are great places for a family photo.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Nancy likes to wear black a lot and will not travel without her ‘Camper’ shoes, which are a Spanish brand. They are lightweight and you can walk around in them for miles!

TIP OF THE WEEK

Using Coffee Break Spanish was a great way to learn specific areas of the language. Like greetings, ordering at restaurants, etc.

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035#

You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

If your vacation budget is being squeezed, you are not alone. This week we tackle the topic of affordable vacation destinations (that you can hopefully take this year or in the near future) with Tim Leffel, author of "The World's Cheapest Destinations." Plus, we share some of our favorite black family travel content creators and commit to bringing more diverse voices onto the podcast.

 

ON THE PODCAST

00:30 - Recommended black family travel bloggers

05:17 - Talking with Tim Leffel

07:20 - What makes a cheap destination

09:10 - US budget destinations

14:05 - Covid cases in other countries

15:35 - Budget places in other countries

20:50 - Tips for saving money

25:30 - Thoughts of what is to come

27:50 - Where Tim wants to go first

29:53 - Tim’s Favorite Travel Gear

33:20 - What’s next for Vacation Mavens

ABOUT TIM LEFFEL

Tim Leffel is an award-winning travel writer, editor, and blogger. He publishes five online magazines and blogs including Perceptive Travel, the Cheapest Destinations Blog, and Hotel Scoop. He is the author of several books including Travel Writing 2.0, A Better Life for Half the Price, and The World's Cheapest Destinations, now in its fifth edition. He is a member of NATJA and SATW and is North American Conference Director of the Travel Bloggers Exhange Conference (TBEX).

Follow Tim on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

TIPS FOR TRAVELING ON A BUDGET

• Visiting a place where the cost of living is cheaper ends up being a bit cheaper if you are going to take a vacation there. If the cost of living is cheaper that means dinners, admission prices and even room costs tend to be lower than your home country or city.
• Just checking out smaller cities in the US rather than going to a big city like NYC or Chicago can help save you on the budget. There is still a lot to offer in smaller cities including museums, waterparks, aquariums, etc. Smaller cities are also usually easier to get around being that they are not as crowded.
• In other countries there are different regions that are budget friendly for families In Europe there are two great budget areas; one in Eastern Europe and one in the Balkans. The Southeast Asian countries are pretty close together and easy to get to, making this area a backpacker favorite. South America also has some great budget friendly areas to visit.
• Malaysia is one of these budget areas that doesn’t get thought about often, but it holds a lot to explore. The roads are easy to travel, the food is cheap and good and you don’t have to worry about the water, it is safe to drink.
• There are some destinations like Iceland or Canada that if you have had them on your bucket list some places are offering cheaper prices than normal and the exchange rate is really good. You should definitely look into these destinations if you have wanted to go there at all, this might be your opportunity to take that trip at a lower price that you could have before. (Just keep in mind that the Canadian border is closed until at least the end of July and, while Iceland is reopening on June 15th, you need to get tested either before you arrive or on arrival or be subject to a 14-day quarantine.)
• It may be tougher for families but the more you leave yourself open the options of making the trip trip cheaper increases. Travel dates are a big cost change if you are more flexible. Having kids in school makes this harder to do but it is definitely something to keep an eye on when your kids are younger and you are more capable to pull them out of school.
• You also want to think about high travel times for different destinations. Peak season for travel is going to be different in different countries and destinations. This will make your trip cheaper if you are able to go at a non-peak time.
• Other kinds of accommodations and travel options can make a big difference in your budget.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Tim loves to wear either ExOffico or CragHoppers clothing. He has tried out a bunch of different brands of gear and loves how well these brands have held up over the years. He will also almost always choose something that is quick dry and he can wash it in the sink if he has to. He has recently been wearing some Prana items because he likes the comfort and how they look.

If he is going anywhere that he thinks might be busy, he will wear pick-pocket proof pants to keep his items safe. As for socks, he loves his Darn Tough socks that are very durable and comfortable to wear and are made in the USA. For shoes he likes a lot of different kinds but Sanuk’s are the best for compact travel. They are comfortable and they are also easily compressed and can fit nicely in your bag for travel, no matter what kind of bag you have.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Travelers to follow:

Heather Greenwood Davis on Instagram

Montoya from The Spring Break Family Blog

Monet from The Traveling Child Blog

Karen from The Mom Trotter Blog

Tim’s Travel Books

Stuffed Suitcase - Budget Vacation Worksheet

Stuffed Suitcase - Budget Planner

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email at podcast@vacationmavens.com. You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

What do you do when you get that dreaded alert on your phone or when your listing on the board of departing flights turns red? This week Kim and Tamara give their past tips as road warriors for what to do when your flight is delayed or cancelled, including how to be prepared for the inevitable.

ON THE PODCAST

00:30 - Talking with Kim and Tamara

01:10 - Planning ahead

08:05 - Flight apps

12:10 - Tips for a delayed flights

21:52 - Connection issues

28:50 - Airport hotels

32:35 - Rental car

33:58 - Cancellation issues

40:03 - Coming up next/safe travel wishes

TIPS FOR FLIGHT DELAYS AND CANCELATIONS

• When picking your flights when you are going on a cruise or even a train ride that have set boarding times, you should really think about giving yourself a good buffer in case you have any issues getting there. For example, if you book a flight that has an arrival time of 12pm and you have a boarding time for your cruise at 3pm, that only really gives you under three hours to get all of your luggage, get a taxi or car to the port than unload all of your luggage and board the ship. If you have even just one hour delay on your flight that can cause a lot of issues and unnecessary stress before you take a vacation. Imagine how you would feel if your flight ended up getting canceled!
• It is recommended that you book an overnight stay in the place that you are shipping out from so that you will just need to worry about getting to the port for boarding.
• Looking into flights that are nonstop can also help out with delay issues since you don’t have to worry about catching connector flights.
• When you are going on a flight make sure that you download the airline app and are logged in before you even get to the airport. If you haven’t logged in in a long time you might not remember your password and you have to reset. Doing this at the last minute might cause you some aggravation if you can’t just get right on when you need it at the airport. You should also look for the text notification options and sign up for that so that you will get notified of any delays right to your phone.
• If your flight gets delayed you should think about heading to a lounge. Lounges are more accessible then they used to be. If you have certain credit cards they can give you access to certain lounges. You can also sometimes pay for a day pass. If that is your plan for if you have a long delay, as soon as you find out if your flight is delayed you should head right there to beat the possible crowd that will try to get in.
• There is always the chance that your flight will get rerouted due to weather or other issues. In a situation like that, you really need to stay calm and think about what your next step is.
• Make sure to check your gates when you have connecting flights. Even if you checked before you boarded your first flight they do tend to change. This will help for when you get off of the plane, you will already know where you will need to go. You should also look to see a map of the airline that you are flying into so that you know which way you are turning as soon as you walk out. Depending on the airport there is usually a map in the back of the flight magazine! Otherwise you may be able to find a map on the app or airline site if you are able to get on it before they open the doors.
• If you need to book an airport hotel due to cancelations, you might want to look for places that offer airport shuttles so that you can avoid having to pay for and wait for a taxi as well as a place that offers free breakfast. Especially if you have a morning flight, you might want to be able to grab something quickly.
• You should also make sure that the shuttle is 24 hours so that if you have a really early flight or a late arrival you will still be able to get the shuttle and not have to pay for a ride to and from. You may also want to call the hotel that you booked and let them know when you would be getting there. You don’t want to be arriving really late and have them mark you as a no show and give away your room.
• Make sure you have easy access to all your travel information including the name of the hotel you booked, the times for your arrival and departure, your gate numbers, and your flight number.
• Check with your rental car company if you are arriving late to let them know that your flight was delayed and when you would be possibly arriving. You should also find out how late the desk is open. You don’t want to assume the desk is open 24 hours and have your flight arrive really late and no one is there to give you your car.
• If you have certain membership plans with the car rental company you may not even need to let them know that you will be late because they will hold it for you for so many hours after your booked pick up time. You should also make sure that you get the name of the person you talked to and note the time that you called in case there is any issue when you get there. This way you can tell them who you spoke to and what they said.
• If your flight gets canceled, depending on the type of ticket that you booked you could be pushed to the bottom of the list and end up waiting days to get booked on a new flight. You should try to call or go to a desk to rebook your flight as soon as you can, to see what they can do, even to see if they can get you on a flight to a different location that may be in the same direction but a  different airport, so that you are at least getting somewhere quicker.
• While waiting in line at the customer service desk, jump on the app or the phone to see if you can get service faster that way. Also tweeting the customer service of airline may help.
• Having travel insurance can really come in handy in these situations, they may not be able to cover everything but it is possible that you can get some coverage for the extra money that you have spent.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Allianz TravelSmart

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email at podcast@vacationmavens.com. You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

Sometimes we want to avoid technology when we travel, but other times tech can actually make travel easier and more enjoyable. Stay tuned this week as we chat with Scott Tharler, The Family CTO, to get his recommendations for family travel.

About Scott Tharler

Married with three children, Scott Tharler is a gadget expert with over 20 years of experience writing consumer technology columns for Club Life Magazine, Gear Patrol, Maxim, Fodor's Travel, American Airlines and many others. He’s performed live gadget demonstrations on TV and radio, as well as for public schools and libraries, and at private companies and retreats. And this past fall, Scott launched The Family CTO, a new kind of gadget site to help you enhance your digital lifestyle with fun, practical gadgets.

To hear the latest episode of The Family CTO podcast, just ask your smart speaker to “play The Family CTO podcast.” Or find and stream the show on your preferred podcast platform. If you’d like to see all sorts of helpful tech solution roundups, reviews and buying guides—or ask Scott a gadget-related question—head over to TheFamilyCTO.com.

You can also follow Scott on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.

Travel Tech Recommendations

This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission.

• RoadTrippers is great for discovering roadside attractions and local recommendations.
• AllTrails is helpful to find hiking trails and read reviews and see pictures from real people.
• GasBuddy is helpful for finding gas stations, especially those that have cheaper prices.
• Scosche FrescheAir portable HEPA air filter is great for getting rid of odors on long road trips.
• The Calm App is helpful for providing sleep sounds or helping you get to sleep at night when in a new place (or at home)
• For road trips, it helps to have a reliable stand for your phone, especially if you are using it for GPS. Scott recommends the GoDonut, which is a little round phone or tablet stand.
• Iottie is a dash or windshield phone mount with Amazon Alexa built in.
• Wilson Electronics WeBoost is a cell signal booster for cars.
• Eggtronic Power Bar is a battery that allows you to wirelessly recharges two phones and a watch at once.
• QuietOn Sleep Earbuds offer active noise canceling to drown out noise when trying to sleep in a hotel room.
• Loop Earplugs are not electronic, but they naturally attenuates concerts and loud noises and are also good for sleeping.
• Bringing along a Roku Streaming Stick+ or an Amazon Fire stick will help provide entertainment in the hotel room if the TV has a port that you can plug into.
• Nomatic accessories such as the wallet and Navigator Tech Organizer are useful for storing cords and accessories.
• Twelve South AirFly Pro is a 2-way Bluetooth headphones adapter for connecting two headphones / AirPods to one device.
• Puro Sound Labs has volume limiting Bluetooth kids’ headphones.
• Pictar Pro Grip is a smartphone grip, charger, and remote shutter which is great for using your phone as a camera.
• Insta360 Go 2 is a tiny action cam
• Western Digital My Passport Wireless SSD is a small wireless drive for storing extra photos. You can put the SD card from your camera into it and it will automatically back up your photos. And because it is wireless you can share it with others.
• SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive USB Type-C is a good back up for Android phones and the SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive Go is good for backing up iPhones.
• Inrix Driving App is a good traffic monitoring app that if you plan ahead, you it will tell you the best time to go and during your trip, it shows you the best route.
• ScottEVest offers great tech-oriented travel clothes with lots of pockets.
• SkyHour lets you donate or save money toward flight time.
• ACBC offers zip travel shoes for men that lets you change out the top of the shoe.
• Link Flip-shoes is a topless, no thong flip flop.

[00:00:00.120] - Kim Tate

Gadgets and gizmos galore today, we're talking about family travel tech.

 

[00:00:16.760] - Announcer

Welcome to Vacation Mavens, a family travel podcast with ideas for your next vacation and tips to get you out the door. Here are your hosts, Kim from Stuffed Suitcase and Tamara from We3Travel.

 

[00:00:31.640] - Tamara Gruber

So Kim we're both back from our road trips.

 

[00:00:34.100] - Kim Tate

And I don't know why I'm cheering that. I kind of want to be back on it.

 

[00:00:39.020] - Tamara Gruber

Don't tell your husband that. But I'm wondering, we were going a long time. You were gone a long time. Did you find any, like tech or apps or things that you found really useful on this trip?

 

[00:00:51.620] - Kim Tate

Yes, I actually have some good things to mention. And so this is perfect timing. I think I'll start with the app thing because there are two apps that I use tons.

 

[00:01:01.010] - Kim Tate

And the first one was called Road Trippers. And we've talked I think we've talked about road trippers in the past. And I know you and I did a giveaway of a road trippers plus membership, which I think is pretty affordable. It's I want to say twenty four dollars a year, if that sounds right. I don't know if that sounds right to you.

 

[00:01:18.380] - Kim Tate

So they actually gave me a complimentary one to try out. And so I thought, OK, I'm planning this massive trip. And we went basically from the Oregon coast all the way down the coast of Northern California and then kind of ducked inland and went down to stay at a friend's guest house for a while. And so I planned the whole trip with this road trippers plus.

 

[00:01:37.310] - Kim Tate

And I absolutely loved it. It was cool. I think using the app is better. At first I started just using it on my desktop, like on through a Web browser, and once I installed the app, using on your phone is way easier, but it just helps you, you know, map your route and find little that kind of like roadside attractions.

 

[00:01:57.230] - Kim Tate

But there's some really cool stuff on there. And like there was this one part where it was like a scenic byway. And I thought, oh, that's cool. So I added it to my itinerary. And then I looked on alltrails and found a hike to go with it. So that's the other app I used was on this trip. A lot that I recommend is all trails, but yeah. So Road Trippers Plus was just cool because it people can also add photos.

 

[00:02:18.230] - Kim Tate

And so you really get a sense of like because one was like the largest totem pole and I thought, well that's pretty cool, like my girls might like that. But then when I looked at the photos I was like, yeah, it seems kind of like a cheesy tourist stop.

 

[00:02:29.330] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah. Like you've been to Vancouver.

 

[00:02:31.520] - Kim Tate

Yeah, exactly. Like so so we skipped that, you know. So that's the idea is that it has some of those things. But also, you know, I finally decided on this trip, I wanted to do a drive thru tree and so I went and I got to see like what the drive through. There was three of them that are kind of the main ones that I know about. And I looked at the pictures and then also read the reviews and what people said. And it helped me decide that, like, OK, we're going to do this one that's in Klamath.

 

[00:02:55.940] - Kim Tate

And so I really liked it for that sort of stuff because it is user generated content. So I loved that there's reviews about the spots and, you know, sometimes there's good photos and you really get a feel for it.

 

[00:03:07.160] - Tamara Gruber

So that is what I like about all trails. You know that you can really get a sense of what you're going to see and how hard it is and things. And then, yeah. So it's nice to see it has that kind of community because I haven't done the plus a pro version, but I did look at it on my desktop when I was planning my trip, but then I ran out like the free version only has like so many stops or something.

 

[00:03:26.150] - Kim Tate

Yeah. Yeah.

 

[00:03:26.840] - Tamara Gruber

But I did see like we were going to drive past the what's it called. The Oh gosh. What's that movie. The baseball movie with Kevin Costner. Field Dreams. we're going to drive past that site. So I was like, oh Glenn. Like what else are we going to be in this corner of Iowa to, like, drive past that? Would you want to go? But then it turns out they were closed in March.

 

[00:03:44.540] - Kim Tate

Oh, no, that happened to us. We wanted to go to the Martinelli cider tasting that we've done before, actually. And I was like, oh, I'm going to add that on there. But yeah, they were closed. They're not doing it right now. So I was like, oh, bummer.

 

[00:03:56.060] - Kim Tate

But anyways, yeah. So I definitely if you're looking for new app, I think road trippers and paying for the plus, like Tamara said, you get to have as many stops as you want and so you can use it if you just want five stops and so you can get a feel for it and then you can really decide.

 

[00:04:12.110] - Kim Tate

But using the app, like if you're doing planning on your iPad or your iPhone is the key. So that was the one thing.

 

[00:04:17.960] - Kim Tate

And then, like you already said, all trails is huge. And I actually use that. It was so cool because we found we were driving through Oregon and I realized kind of the timing. It was a nasty, nasty day. And so the day I was going to do this big and didn't stop, it was gross. It was so windy and gross.

 

[00:04:35.270] - Kim Tate

And I said, well, there's no point in us going because we're just going to be cold and miserable. And so then the next day, I was looking that night on trails and trying to find hikes, you know, along this stretch we were going to be doing and I found a dune, you know, a dune hike. And it was this random, like I never would have known where it was. It was like John P. Duganhim trailhead or something like that.

 

[00:04:58.940] - Kim Tate

And I wouldn't have known to go there. And sure enough, it was a tiny parking lot, probably ten cars. And we parked and we we hiked maybe a quarter of a mile in.

 

[00:05:07.520] - Kim Tate

And then all of a sudden we came out to this amazing, huge, like massive felt like the Arabian desert sand dunes. So awesome. Yeah, and if it wouldn't have been for all trails and just kind of looking and like you said, you know, being able to see the photos that people have submitted and really getting a feel like I like all trails because it shows you like the actual route and it gives you the distance.

 

[00:05:29.490] - Kim Tate

So you can see like, oh, it's a loop, it's not back and it's just it works really well. And then it has a really cool, like getting there section for most of the trails, not all of them. And it helps you.

 

[00:05:39.870] - Kim Tate

Like I said, it helped me go OK, right after the city. I need to kind of be looking because there's this campground. It's the turns right after that. Yeah. Yeah.

 

[00:05:48.360] - Tamara Gruber

So that sounds fun. So any other tech or apps that you used?

 

[00:05:52.560] - Kim Tate

Yeah. So another app, one more app. And then I have one tech thing. So another app that I loved was called Gas Buddy and I've heard of that before and I know I used it in the olden days like when it first came out, but I actually got it again and I found it really useful on a road trip because I actually ended up using Costco gas stations a lot.

 

[00:06:10.140] - Kim Tate

And same with Fred Meyer because we're Costco members. And like at one place, we saved 30 cents per gallon by just driving a mile down the road and going to a Costco instead. And so, you know, I mean, it's not always worth it, but at 30 cents a gallon, it saved us about five or six bucks. So it was worth the little one mile down the road type thing.

 

[00:06:28.440] - Kim Tate

But I think gas buddy's just great because you can really see that, oh, in this city, should I fill up now where our hotel is or should we get on the road for an hour and then fill up? Because I'm I kind of like to keep my gas really full, especially when I'm traveling on my own. Yeah. I'm like, once it gets below a half a tank, I'm like, okay, keep my eyes open, you know, where's where's the next gas fill up?

 

[00:06:48.000] - Kim Tate

I'm going to do so anyways. But yes, a gas buddy was good. And then the one piece of tech that I absolutely loved and like full disclosure, these guys sent me this item by skosh and I got it from CES, which took place virtually in January.

 

[00:07:02.340] - Kim Tate

It's called The Fresh Air HEPA Air Purifier. It's an air purifier that's like a cylinder. So it almost is like a coffee tumbler type thing. And it actually fits perfectly like in a cup holder in a car.

 

[00:07:14.190] - Kim Tate

And I was wondering, I'm like, OK, how much use are my going to get on this? But we're going on a road trip. So I said, sure, send it to me, I'll try it out.

 

[00:07:20.820] - Kim Tate

And it was so useful for these days of like eating in the car, because I will admit we ate McDonald's a couple of times and then one time we actually got like fish in the car, like fish and chips and coleslaw, and we're eating it in the car. And even though you throw the garbage away, your car still kind of stinks. And I turn this thing on after we would eat. And it really worked like it was amazing. And then the next morning, because almost every day for me, I have a really sensitive nose.

 

[00:07:46.140] - Kim Tate

And so. Yeah. So you know how you park in the hotel and like, you don't really notice it because you've been in the car the whole day.

 

[00:07:51.750] - Kim Tate

But then you go sleep in the hotel and then you come out the next morning, you open your car and you're like, OK, yeah, it smells like fish or McDonald's or whatever. I did not experience that on this trip at all. And so I think this thing really helps. So anyway, that's my one piece of advice

 

[00:08:05.220] - Tamara Gruber

We ate in the car a ton also because it was just safer and I told Hannah, she's going to turn into a chicken nugget because they're going to start, like, calling her Nugget. I think we had more fast food in those two weeks than we've had like the last two years. It was crazy, but it's just easier and honestly, like it felt safer, like some of those kind of things. So, yeah, usually I would love to do all the local stuff, but we didn't this time, so I could have used that for sure.

 

[00:08:30.540] - Kim Tate

Yeah, it's and I mean it is, I think it's, I think it's ninety nine dollars so it's not cheap, cheap. But if you do spend a lot of time in the car, I was, I was impressed with it. I felt like it worked. So I'm just thinking also like after picking up kids from athletic practice might be good.

 

[00:08:46.080] - Tamara Gruber

Definitely. Yeah, for sure. So I remember even when we were we were talking a couple of years ago about that road trip that you took out West with like a bunch of teenagers near like.

 

[00:08:56.910] - Kim Tate

Yes. Their feet. Yes. Yes, I remember that. Yeah. Perfect timing for, like, you know, summer road trips with teens.

 

[00:09:05.130] - Tamara Gruber

Well, those are definitely good recommendations. I would feel like we didn't use nearly as much, although I will say that I lived with the Calm App because I needed that to for background noise, for sleeping.

 

[00:09:18.510] - Tamara Gruber

And I also tried I think we're going to talk about this when we get into our interview. But I did just get some air pod pros and they're supposed to be noise canceling. But let me tell you, it's not quite enough to block out my husband's snoring. And the other thing is I didn't realize how short their time frame was because I used to have, like, the Bose sleep buds and they would last night. So these like go, they stop, they run out of battery at like six hours or so.

 

[00:09:44.220] - Tamara Gruber

And so I would find myself like waking up and then I would take them out and I would like put them in the, you know, in the charger and like just like kind of like doze a little bit, hold it in my hand for a while. Then when, like, it always seemed the time of morning when Glenn got really loud.

 

[00:09:58.440] - Tamara Gruber

So then I would put him back in for like another hour or so, like I need to charge these things. But the calm app at least, you know, like, well, it does do some calming. I actually enjoy it for sleeping, but I like the this kind of the sounds that they have.

 

[00:10:12.120] - Tamara Gruber

So, yeah, that was really my only thing, although I definitely need. Those little tinier, you know, earplug things that go in the ear, yes, these things definitely still hurt as a side sleeper.

 

[00:10:23.400] - Kim Tate

So, yeah, I, I couldn't handle that because like you said, I'm a side sleeper, so.

 

[00:10:28.950] - Tamara Gruber

Well, I know that Scott has a lot of other recommendations for us, so why don't we jump over and start chatting with him and find out what other tech he has to recommend.

 

[00:10:45.960] - Tamara Gruber

So today we're here with Scott Tharler, and he's a gadget expert with over 20 years of experience writing consumer technology columns for Club Life magazine gear patrol Maxim, Fodor's Travel, American Airlines and others. He's also performed live gadget demonstrations on TV and radio, as well as for public schools and libraries.

 

[00:11:03.900] - Tamara Gruber

And this past fall, Scott also launched the Family CTO, which is a new kind of gadget site which helps you enhance your digital lifestyle with fun and practical gadgets. So welcome, Scott.

 

[00:11:14.340] - Scott Tharler

Hey, thanks for having me here.

 

[00:11:16.110] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah, it's nice to talk to a gadget guy because I think, you know, I know Kim has reviewed quite a bit of gear in the past, you know, on her website. And I come from a tech background. So I think we both have that in our brains, which is probably why we started podcasting together, too.

 

[00:11:32.820] - Kim Tate

Yeah, I'm excited. I've always kind of been an early adopter, too, which my husband hates because he he never buys the first iteration of something. He always waits a little longer. And I'm sort of getting into his line of thinking, but I still like having the brand new gadget.

 

[00:11:46.860] - Scott Tharler

Well, there's something nice about having something that helps you out when you need it most. And I'm so into travel tech because that's it's the whole reason I got into gadgets. It's when you want something to help you enjoy stuff more or you want to make sure that you're connected and whatever that means to you, tech can help you on your trip.

 

[00:12:07.980] - Tamara Gruber

So before we jump into some specific tech recommendations, can you tell us a little bit about, like, your family and how did you get into tech as a career?

 

[00:12:17.740] - Scott Tharler

Sure, well, I'm married with three kids, they are 10, eight and four, which is they are interesting ages. I think every age is an interesting age, but those are interesting as they're starting to get to those preteen and teen years.

 

[00:12:32.410] - Scott Tharler

I got into gadgets, I guess I was always into watches. I first started getting into watches, probably when I was about my kids' age. I was like eight or ten and I had a fancy watch that could not only digitally tell you the time, but the seconds. And it had an alarm like that's what passed for fancy back then. And from there that was like my gateway drug to gadgets. I had watches that could tell you the temperature, that had a calculator that played games that could dial the phone.

 

[00:13:04.540] - Scott Tharler

And it's very funny now because I don't even wear a watch now. But watches were kind of how I got into it because I just love the idea of always having some tech with me.

 

[00:13:13.960] - Kim Tate

That's cool. I was always jealous. I was not a Swatch kid. I wanted a Swatch, but my family couldn't afford one. So when you speak of watches, I kind of have these flashbacks to my nervousness of people who own the Swatch watches. And I remember playing Snake on a couple watch I had at some point.

 

[00:13:34.300] - Scott Tharler

Yeah, there's definitely some Swatch envy out there, but I, I still look at watches. I'm jealous of my kids because now their watches have cameras and stuff built in and apps and they're listening to music from them and stuff like I literally couldn't have even dreamed of back then.

 

[00:13:51.940] - Kim Tate

So we know that Tamara and I, we love tech and we're definitely into it. And so we're definitely excited about this and helping our listeners learn a little more about maybe some cool travel tech.

 

[00:14:02.650] - Kim Tate

So outside of your phone, what do you think is the best tech gadget that somebody could bring with them when they're traveling?

 

[00:14:10.500] - Scott Tharler

You know, it's a tough one because there's so many, you know, on some level, I'm I'm almost disappointed if I don't get stopped going through TSA because it's like, dude, I have so many things with me, I'm going to say something disappointing. My most favorite gadget is just my brain, because I am always thinking, like, OK, what am I going to be doing?

 

[00:14:31.380] - Scott Tharler

How am I going to be using this? And so what winds up happening is there's not just one special gadget, but I take a lot of time to pack cords and adapters and accessories to make sure that I have what I need so that if I'm in the car, you know, OK, we're going to be renting a car. So I'm going to want to bring a car adapter so I can charge my stuff in the car or I want an audio, Jack, so I can make sure that if I want to play something from the TV in this place that we're staying at, that I can play it on this.

 

[00:15:06.060] - Scott Tharler

So it tends to be more functional stuff. And I start packing. My wife will say, like, oh, are you packed already? I'm like, yeah, yeah. I just need to throw some clothes in a bag. Like I always have trousers.

 

[00:15:20.910] - Scott Tharler

It's always electronics first because I really it's like when you pack you think, what am I going to be doing? I'm going to be going hiking. So I need comfortable shoes, comfortable socks and a water bottle and a hat. I do the same thing, but I think I want to make sure that my water bottle has a sensor on it to tell me that I'm drinking enough water. And given that we're going to be hiking, I'll probably want to bring a three hundred and sixty degree camera so that I can take pictures of everything around me and really get some great panoramic shots.

 

[00:15:50.820] - Tamara Gruber

So you're not a minimalist, I think is what you're saying when it comes to to travel?

 

[00:15:55.980] - Scott Tharler

I, I try to be I'm in theory. Well, when I'm packing, I'm not a minimalist. I have all sorts of redundancy when I'm packing. But when I actually go out. Yeah. I don't want to be schlepping around. You know, if we're at a waterfall in a state park, I want to be enjoying the waterfall. I don't want to be fumbling through my bag looking for just the right stand or just the right camera, just the right anything. It's important to know when to put your gadgets down and actually just enjoy where you are.

 

[00:16:25.730] - Kim Tate

Yeah, I think that's a great point.

 

[00:16:26.930] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah, and there's only so much you can fit in your bag, I always find, like I finally ended up selling my drone because I found I was always trying to bring, like, a tripod, my camera, the drone, all the cords, your laptop, you know, like ever your GoPro for the actual shots and too much stuff.

 

[00:16:45.090] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah. But anyway, I thought it would be helpful if we kind of break it down into different kinds of travel when we're talking about family travel and see, you know, maybe some of your recommendations for that type of environment, you know, what will help us in, you know, different types of travel environments. So maybe we can start with road trips since a lot of people are doing those right now. Do you have any tech gadgets that you would really recommend for people going on a road trip?

 

[00:17:08.120] - Tamara Gruber

And I say this, Kim and I are both, you know, have big road trips coming up, so.

 

[00:17:12.720] - Scott Tharler

So the first one I mentioned is a car adapter. There are plenty of ones where there are very small ones that can charge to a USB like a regular if you have your charging cord with you and they can do a USB, see if you have that kind of a device. So I would look for something small that can charge multiple devices at once.

 

[00:17:34.020] - Scott Tharler

And then also I think stands are important things that hold your phone or your tablet in place. I just got this really interesting one called a go donut, and I do not like the name of it, but it is actually it's like four inches across. I'm actually holding one right now and it's like the size of a donut. And then it has these slits in there that allow you to put your phone or tablet at different angles. And so you could put this on, say, the armrest and then everybody in the back seat is watching something.

 

[00:18:05.640] - Scott Tharler

So that's cool. There are other ones out there that are more they would keep it more secure. So if you're bouncing all over the place, you don't have to worry about it going. This is I mean, it's pretty steady, but there are other things that I bring along that are more like a clamp that clamps on to one end and then it clamps your phone into place.

 

[00:18:24.180] - Kim Tate

Yeah, I've seen those that, like, clamp onto the headrest and then lock in the phone. And I've always felt like those were a little safe, you know, nice. A little bit of a safety in case there was an accident or something. You don't have this projectile flying around.

 

[00:18:35.580] - Scott Tharler

Yeah, you don't. You want as a rule, you want like the fewest number of things flying around the cabin. So there's actually one there's a company called Iotti and I'll send you a link and we can put it in the show notes. But they have this it looks sort of like a charging stand, but it's a suction cup that goes to an arm and holds your phone in place. And it actually has Alexa built in. And so you have your Amazon smart assistant with you in the phone, in the car, and then you basically just tell in the app, the Alexa app, that you want this to work.

 

[00:19:12.060] - Scott Tharler

So I know that whenever we go someplace, we go to an Airbnb or a hotel or whatever, the kids feel like they're more at home. If Alexa is there and I'm not going to bring the Alexa speaker everywhere we go, but it's nice to know if you're in the car, you can say, hey, Alexa, how far are we from the nearest restaurant or whatever? And it's a it's a hands free thing. So you don't have to worry about, you know, fumbling with your phone or your tablet while you're driving.

 

[00:19:40.140] - Tamara Gruber

I wish I had something like that when my daughter was little and she would just ask so many questions when we were driving. And I was always like, why don't you write that down in your notebook and we'll look that up when we get home because mommy didn't know the answers.

 

[00:19:53.610] - Scott Tharler

Yeah, there are so many ways of passing the time. And I think, you know, I think gadgets are one way, but I like the fact that my kids are getting old enough that we can do all sorts of fun word games and math games and more of like the kind of things that I would do as a kid to pass the time when I wasn't we didn't have phones or anything like we didn't even read in the car. It was just sort of playing games.

 

[00:20:17.910] - Scott Tharler

And so there's part of that. But for people who do use their phones and tablets a lot, it's good to have something like we boost, which is basically it boosts your cellular. So if you're going to be driving and getting, you know, a change of scenery, you could be going through some parts that you're only getting one or two bars. And so it's good to know that you have connectivity. And so there are things that are it's either a stand that you put your phone in or it could be something that boosts several devices, like whatever devices are in the car so that you always have cellular service.

 

[00:20:53.700] - Scott Tharler

And I think that's a good one for people who are thinking about road trips. That's really cool.

 

[00:20:58.680] - Kim Tate

Yeah. Especially as since so many of us rely on our phone GPS and you have those little moments where it's like, I can't find you any longer and you're driving along hoping that you're not going to miss a turn. Yeah, yeah.

 

[00:21:09.810] - Tamara Gruber

It looks like you're driving through outer space or you're off the road.

 

[00:21:14.640] - Kim Tate

Anything else about road trips?

 

[00:21:17.130] - Scott Tharler

Road trips are interesting because it's not like when you're flying, you think I want to bring the fewest number of things possible and things need to be light. When you're bringing stuff on a road trip, then that's when I would think about bringing a drone instead of, you know, a different camera. So there are drones that sometimes I'll bring a drone along.

 

[00:21:39.390] - Scott Tharler

It's not like an always thing. But I do think that there's some things that you think like, oh, I'll I'll just put this in the back and then if I use it, it's OK. Coolers are a good example. Actually, it's funny because they're not really super techie, but I started to write a piece about Cooler's because I love the the family CTO is all about the lifestyle and like, what are you doing? What problem are you solving?

 

[00:22:02.760] - Scott Tharler

And there are a lot of different colors. And I didn't know until I did the research that in this article I'm going over like ten different kinds of cooler's. So, for instance, you might have a backpack cooler if you're going hiking, you might have something where it's more about the kind that you put when you're rolling onto the beach. So you want to make sure it has good wheels that go in the sand or there might be a different kind that does better for ice retention if you're going out camping.

 

[00:22:29.900] - Scott Tharler

And so it really depends on the kind of trip. And so for all of these gadgets, it's thinking about what are you going to do and how can the technology serve you rather than how do I get 100 gadgets into my car? It's really thinking about the the purpose of the gadgets.

 

[00:22:47.780] - Kim Tate

Yeah, I think you have to think also quickly about Coolers. We have like a little mini fridge for cars. That's supposed to be like a cooler. But we've realized it's really a pain in a way because it's really hard to open the door unless you keep a cushion kind of around it. So you can't pack the car as tight as you'd want, whereas if you have one that opens from the top, you could just open it and grab something out of it.

 

[00:23:08.090] - Kim Tate

And then when they started inventing the car light, I don't know, I'm so old. I just noticed a cigarette light adapter. But whatever that's called and the 120 volt or something in the back, those worked so well because he could plug those fridges right in the back. But we still have older cars and so we don't have one of those. But when we've rented cars on a trip, it's been nice to be able to plug directly in back there instead of having a big cord going all the way up to the front.

 

[00:23:33.380] - Scott Tharler

Yeah, and they have some now. There's a company called Go Son that has essentially the ice list cooler and it's solar powered. So you can not even have to worry about that. You can charge it up beforehand and then use solar to just keep it going if you're especially if you're out camping and stuff like that and you have some sunshine.

 

[00:23:52.250] - Kim Tate

That's awesome. Oh, well, what about for hotel rooms and vacation rentals, you know? And I have a few of those coming up. So any products that you think, you know, we mentioned the Alexa, but anything else you think maybe makes it feel a little more comfortable tech wise?

 

[00:24:08.820] - Scott Tharler

Yeah, I mean, tech wise, the first two things I always think of are basically power and audio or power and entertainment.

 

[00:24:17.520] - Scott Tharler

So for power, I have this thing here called the Egg Tronic Power Bar, and you can't see it because we're on a podcast. But it's essentially like it looks like a bar that's about the size of a maybe a thicker version of like a big remote control. And then there are three spots on it. And it's essentially a battery that you can wirelessly charge like two phones and a smartwatch on at the same time. And I love that because I don't want to have to start worrying about where am I digging for outlets.

 

[00:24:48.360] - Scott Tharler

And I'm not going to bring the same dock that I have by the side of my bed. You know, I don't want to start worrying about that. And so it's nice and portable and it's a big battery. So it is going to charge like three things and and be good. What's another one? I think for entertainment stuff, you could bring a streaming stick. So like a Roku or an Amazon fire stick. Those are fun to bring because it's little.

 

[00:25:14.220] - Scott Tharler

And if you're someplace where either they don't have a lot of TV or you get stuck on a rainy day, you can sort of plug in your streaming stick, whatever it is, into the HDMI port of the back of the TV and then give it power. You do have to remember to bring your remote. I've done that where I forgot to bring the remote. But if you do that, then essentially it's like you're bringing your entire collection of entertainment like you never, never in the old days would you have brought like a DVD player and a remote and three hundred DVDs.

 

[00:25:46.440] - Scott Tharler

But this you're just bringing bringing something that's like the size of a USB drive and you basically have all your movies. So I like the idea of doing that. It just has to connect to whatever the the Wi-Fi is.

 

[00:25:59.250] - Kim Tate

And my girls actually we've forgotten remotes before, but they'll use their phones. So I guess at least with the Amazon fire, it has an app that you can use as a remote on your phone.

 

[00:26:07.980] - Scott Tharler

So, yeah, and that's a great backup. I've actually had to do that with the Roku before. So as long as as long as your phone is on the same Wi-Fi network as the streaming stick, then that's a great workaround.

 

[00:26:20.400] - Tamara Gruber

It's funny, my daughter just asked me the other day, I think the Grammys are going to be on on a certain night or some awards show that she went to watch while we were traveling.

 

[00:26:28.560] - Tamara Gruber

And she's like, do you think the hotel will have CBS? They are so used, like only doing streaming kind of stuff they don't even know, like regular TV?

 

[00:26:38.700] - Scott Tharler

Yeah, yeah. I my kids are growing up in a very interesting world where, like, if they can't listen to the exact song that they want or watch the exact movie that they want. Right. Then, then they're just befuddled. Like, why can't we? Because in the olden days we had to wait for things like we had to wait for a commercial.

 

[00:26:57.450] - Scott Tharler

And then when The Wizard of Oz comes on once a year, you see it. You don't just say, like, you know, play Wizard of Oz and then it just shows up.

 

[00:27:04.200] - Kim Tate

Yeah, we actually just had that last night where we were going to watch a movie and, you know, they were ready to just rent it for three bucks. And I was like, well, let me just check and see if it's on anything, because we have all these services and then we also pay for Comcast. And sure enough, it was free on Comcast through like Fox Channel or whatever. And they were like, oh, but it has ads and commercials, mom. I'm like, too bad we're going to take advantage of this like free streaming and not pay three bucks for it.

 

[00:27:33.990] - Kim Tate

But they're just so like they just expect that they can just get it. And it's kind of funny. And we also happen to pay for Spotify, even though we already pay for YouTube music because they like Spotify and all their friends are on Spotify. And so I don't know. This tech tech world is when you have teenagers, it becomes a another level.

 

[00:27:54.180] - Scott Tharler

Yeah, I mean, you were talking about swatches, I remember there was a thing when I was in junior high school of that people would have these jackets that could pack into themselves and it was like fold up jacket and everybody had it.

 

[00:28:08.160] - Scott Tharler

And so, you know, that's one thing if you're buying like a 30 dollar jacket, but then there's like headphones and laptops and phones and there's so much stuff that teenagers are going to want to have that that seems overwhelming to me. So that's sort of what I'm bracing for. So you mentioned if you go to a vacation house or a rental or something like that, one of the things you might not be used to are the sounds that are going on.

 

[00:28:32.160] - Scott Tharler

And so I like to bring they're either passive or active noise canceling earbuds. And by passive, I mean it literally is just an earplug. And there's a particular brand called Loop that I like. And then for active, that's more of what you're used to for noise canceling. But these are tiny. There's a company out of Finland called Quiet On and they're so small that they fit into your ears and you can actually sleep with them on and they will last the whole night.

 

[00:28:58.950] - Scott Tharler

And it makes a big difference if it is canceled out snoring and other environmental sounds that I just didn't want to hear that help me sleep better on vacation because you want to be you want to be actually awake to enjoy your vacation. So it's nice to to be fully rested.

 

[00:29:14.450] - Tamara Gruber

I'm gonna have to look those up because I think I've talked about on the podcast before, I used to use the Bose sleep buds and then the battery stopped working and then the company recalled them actually because they couldn't get the battery to work and actually refunded me, even though it was I had had the product for a year. And I've been wanting them to come out with a new one. I think they did just come out with a new one. But then I also just recently finally gave in and got the Apple AirPods that are noise canceling.

 

[00:29:39.870] - Tamara Gruber

So they're not as small. So obviously not as comfortable, but they at least are multipurpose. But those sound those aren't great because that is always my issue is snoring and definitely any hall noise. When you're in a hotel like I can't stand when people walk by, like late at night making lots of noise or you're near the elevator or the ice machine, you know, something like that. Yeah.

 

[00:29:59.460] - Scott Tharler

Or people that don't realize that, like after 10:00 p.m., maybe just don't stand in the hallway talking. They're actually other people who are families who might want to get to sleep. I always feel like such an old person saying that. But, you know, we just paid to come down here, stayed at Disney Resort and we're going to be going before the park opens. So maybe get back into your room and have that conversation.

 

[00:30:19.900] - Tamara Gruber

That's why I hate when you either know that there's a wedding there because, you know, there's going to be the drunk people coming back late or when there's some kind of sports sports team tournament, it's those kids are going to be like, we're running up and down the hallways.

 

[00:30:31.180] - Tamara Gruber

Yep, yep. So we talked about kind of in the hotel room where vacation rental. We talked about in the car. I know it's been a long time since we've flown. We're probably a lot of us, maybe not everybody. But, you know, what are some things that you would recommend to use on a flight to make it more comfortable or more enjoyable?

 

[00:30:50.040] - Scott Tharler

Well, you know, I said that I am very much into the adapters and the cables and everything, but I don't want to be reaching into my bag until like a rat's nest of stuff to try to get at whatever I'm getting at.

 

[00:31:03.420] - Scott Tharler

So I like having an organizer that's just four cables and little accessories like that. There's a great company you probably know about them called Nomatic. And it's that the last part of it is spelled like automatic. So Nomatic has great suitcases and bags. And I just discovered that they have some other sort of everyday carriers, like a wallet, a very minimalist wallet that just carries your cash and cards in with this little material, as you can imagine. And then they have this thing that they just call their travel organizer.

 

[00:31:35.220] - Scott Tharler

That's exactly for what I just said. So it carries spare batteries and earbuds and memory cards and all your wires and things so that when you you know that you want to take something from that out, you can just pull out one thing, open it up, and there you have it. So I like that. You know, the old thing used to be, like you said, Bose, like everybody, you would walk down the aisle and you could just see like 20 different people wearing Bose headphones.

 

[00:32:01.140] - Scott Tharler

And those are great. But it's not it's not the first thing I think of. I think of like, are my kids going to be set? And I'm not necessarily going to get them three hundred dollar headphones. So I like the idea of getting them their own headphones. There's a company called Puro that makes great kids' headphones that are actually stylish and they are a volume limiting so they can't crank it up over eighty five decibels, which can cause hearing damage.

 

[00:32:29.250] - Scott Tharler

So I love Puro headphones for that.

 

[00:32:32.190] - Scott Tharler

And then the most important little accessory you can have sometimes, especially if you have two kids, is a splitter, but they actually make them. Now there's a company called 12 s that make something called the Air Fly Pro and it's basically a Bluetooth adapter. And so it works both ways. So way number one is that if you plug this into the armrest or sometimes they have like an audio jack in the back of the headrest, you plug this in and then you can have two different sets of Bluetooth earphones listening to that same audio, whatever that is. So that's a great thing to stop fights for 90 minutes.

 

[00:33:13.830] - Kim Tate

But it actually works important because I can't tell you how many times I've seen people bring Bluetooth headphones on a flight without their, you know, the cord that all the Bluetooth come with. But they forget the cord because they're just used to using Bluetooth and then they have the seatback entertainment for like a long international flight and they can't do anything that they have to ask for.

 

[00:33:32.250] - Kim Tate

One of the pay five dollars for the cheap, you know, dollar store earbuds from the airline.

 

[00:33:37.770] - Tamara Gruber

I still have like a JetBlue survey in my little travel kit, because for Hannah, I've had to do that a few times.

 

[00:33:43.090] - Scott Tharler

Yeah, yeah. It's awful. And these actually this 12 South product I just mentioned, there's another kind of Bluetooth adapter, which is it can take wird headphones and make them Bluetooth so it works the other way. So if you have your favorite wired headphones or earbuds or whatever, you can plug those into this and then it can be Bluetooth to whatever your phone or whatever is the source of playing the music. Cool, and I'll give one shout out of something that happened to me is, you know, wireless earbuds are so popular and like air pods, they actually have like little and this is not techie, but I don't know what you would call it.

 

[00:34:23.460] - Kim Tate

It reminds me of like glasses holders like that. You would keep on a pair of glasses to be able to hang there. But I had an earbud in and I was kind of falling asleep and it popped out of my ear. And then I'm like looking all over the floor for this earbud that just fell down. And, you know, it's not a good you don't want to be digging around for a earbud on the floor of an airplane.

 

[00:34:42.660] - Kim Tate

So just a heads up that if you are using earbuds, it might, you know, see if you can look into any that have a some kind of like especially it works with the airports. I know where you can keep them together. So if one pops out, you don't. It's attached to the other one.

 

[00:34:56.910] - Tamara Gruber

Still, I feel like that's why they make the announcement now. Like if you lose something, don't you know, like call your flight attendant or something. Yeah.

 

[00:35:05.430] - Scott Tharler

Yeah. I don't want to be digging around on the floor for anything that's I don't know. Everybody has their own thing with germs in most places like around my house, if something falls on the floor, I will pick it up and eat it. That's fine. But there's certain floors where I just go like I don't even like walking around. Hotel room floor is like without socks on. So I don't know.

 

[00:35:28.650] - Kim Tate

I hear you there. Well, why don't we move on and just quickly chat about photography? Because a huge part of travel is taking photos. So I know this can go down a huge you know, it could be an episode on its own, but just, you know, kind of top level. Do you have any favorite gear that you like to bring on family vacations for photography? Yeah, definitely, there are a bunch of different factors, I won't go into drones because we talked about that.

 

[00:35:54.430] - Scott Tharler

I think one thing is most people don't even think about bringing a traditional camera, you know, like the old school camera. And so if you're going to be using your smartphone, then there are a couple of things that you can do to make it even better. There's a company called Pictou that has something called the they're pro grip, that it does a few things. First of all, it looks like sort of half of a camera. And so it looks and feels like you're holding a camera.

 

[00:36:23.770] - Scott Tharler

So it's not you don't have to do that weird thing where you're like scissoring your your pinky and your pointer to try to hold your camera when you're taking pictures. But it actually will charge your phone while it's in there and it has some actual real life buttons on there. So you can do things like bring up a different mode or zoom in or actually take the picture by clicking a button, which is nice because then you don't have to, like, look away and fumble and touch your screen.

 

[00:36:50.770] - Scott Tharler

So having something like that is fun. Another thing if you're going to be using your phone is a gimble. Have you guys ever used a gimble when shooting photos or videos? Yeah, we've. Yeah, yeah.

 

[00:37:03.280] - Kim Tate

I own the Osmo pockets but and then the Osmo mobile too so.

 

[00:37:11.290] - Scott Tharler

Yeah. So like that's the DJI product. A lot of these drone companies realize they're making things that allow the drones to be steady and take great pictures. Hey, why don't we make everybody's picture study. So I would recommend having a gimble with you.

 

[00:37:26.090] - Kim Tate

I think for video mainly like if you're shooting video is what I've noticed on that. So, yeah, kind of my go to for that.

 

[00:37:32.890] - Scott Tharler

There's sort of something nostalgic like when you picture, if you picture like your parents, your grandparents like, oh, remember those pictures we took from Bermuda in the fifties? You picture it being kind of shaky. So there's something nice about it. But if you plan on watching something for more than like two minutes, like you really don't want shaky video. So it's nice to just get rid of that. Another thing that's good to have is if you're going to be taking a lot of pictures and videos, that's going to take up a lot of memory.

 

[00:37:57.160] - Scott Tharler

And so it's good to have a back up of memory. And so Western Digital makes a product that's basically like a wireless drive. It's about let's say I have it here. It's like about six inches by six inches and maybe an inch thick. And you can take if you do have a camera that you're shooting off of, you can take the memory card from that, put it in, and it will automatically back up your pictures. And it's a wireless drive, meaning that you can then everybody on their own phones can load up the app and see whatever pictures or video you shot from that.

 

[00:38:34.180] - Scott Tharler

So you could actually have a bunch of videos that are just on there. And then if you're waiting at the airport, you could be everybody could be looking at pictures and watching them and talking about them on their phones and stuff.

 

[00:38:45.580] - Scott Tharler

So I like having a way of backing up stuff so that I don't lose pictures that I've taken. I guess another one would be there's a company called Insta 360. And I actually just talked about this product called the Go on my podcast, and it's like the size of your pinky. And they just came out with the go to just this week. And it's so small that I read somewhere that it weighs the same as six pieces of paper. Like, it's super duper small and this is the kind of thing that you could wear and you can program it to just take pictures like every 30 seconds or every whatever.

 

[00:39:26.620] - Scott Tharler

And so it's a great action cam because it actually does it uses some software to do some stabilization optically. And then it's just also good because there are a lot of fun effects.

 

[00:39:40.360] - Scott Tharler

You can do slow motion, you can do time lapse. So like if you want to see, you know, it's kind of pretty to see a time lapse picture of, like the clouds going by along the beach in Hawaii or seeing a sunset or just seeing the rush of people in a city. So there are a lot of different fun effects that you can do and they make it really easy to edit stuff. And so it's a great little camera.

 

[00:40:01.540] - Scott Tharler

But really, the secret sauce is the editing. It's so easy to make really fun effects and it's just a new way. Instead of like, you know, in the old days, you take a picture, you print it out, you look at it like that's all there is to do with it. This there's so many different ways of sort of making your memories into a more of a multimedia experience. So I like their stuff. So what does that look like?

 

[00:40:24.850] - Tamara Gruber

I'm just trying to, like, picture how small it is. Is it you like clips on?

 

[00:40:30.320] - Scott Tharler

Yeah, so they have different mounts and clips, the one that I have, the original one is it has a magnetic back. So you would put like the magnetic back one little piece of it under your shirt and then this on your shirt on their website. They show people literally like it's on a sweatband or on a hat. You can clip it on there.

 

[00:40:48.410] - Scott Tharler

So it's more of like your eyes, your perspective, but it is tiny. And so there is sort of a conundrum with with having tiny tech. Like you just said, the last thing you want is to have a couple hundred dollar action cam falling on the floor of your airplane and then you don't know where it is or that you lose it in your Airbnb or wherever you are. So they have some some really good accessories that help you mount it to different places because they want you to be mounting onto your bike or your car or whatever so that you can take some interesting shots.

 

[00:41:22.060] - Tamara Gruber

Kim, all I can think about is how many how much photo editing you're doing to, like, straighten the horizon.

 

[00:41:27.140] - Kim Tate

Yeah, exactly. Yeah. It sounds like it's like stitching together and so

 

[00:41:35.210] - Scott Tharler

yeah, it'll stitch it together and then it's all this artificial intelligence stuff that you basically upload this stuff and it says, OK, I will tell you what your best shots were or I will put together a montage of like all the coolest video that you did. So that's that's what makes it really cool, I think. Yeah.

 

[00:41:56.180] - Tamara Gruber

But otherwise it sounds a little bit overwhelming. I'm just thinking back to back in the day when we would all come back from a trip and make like a photo book, you know, like how many of those photo books did we actually do? And, you know, like kind of I know I gave up on them in about twenty fifteen or something like that.

 

[00:42:13.010] - Tamara Gruber

But so that's we've certainly covered a lot so far. I'm just curious. We've talked a lot about hardware, but do you have any favorite travel apps that you like to use when you're planning?

 

[00:42:23.990] - Scott Tharler

You know, I'm so boring when it comes to that. I really just use Kayak to to look at what the best flights are because I just love the granularity of being able to say, you know, I want under this price range with no red eyes going through these airports. But for these dates, I tend to book hotels on Priceline. And because I do, I've become like a VIP gold. And so I just like the express deals. And if I what I like about Priceline is that you can get a good rate, but it it really rewards flexibility, which most travel does like.

 

[00:42:59.780] - Scott Tharler

And so if you don't have to stay in an exact place at an exact time, you just know, I want to be somewhere near Charlottesville because we're going to go on the Skyline Drive. And so, you know, within twenty miles you can find something that is a good deal. So I like those you know, there actually some apps I've used. You're talking about road trips. There's one called INRIX. That is a it's basically a traffic monitoring.

 

[00:43:26.960] - Scott Tharler

And I know other people use Waze or just Google Maps. It's sort of built in. But INRIX, I found if you say I'm going from here to here, it's the most accurate way of doing real time updates to say actually based on traffic, we think it would be best if you went this way. And then it has another interesting thing where you can slide the timeline. So it would say like, OK, it's three thirty, but what if we left at four and it will use whatever fancy eye is out there thinking of what's going to happen with the traffic to say, you know, if you go at three thirty, it's going to take you an hour. But if you go at four, it's only going to take you thirty five minutes.

 

[00:44:04.580] - Scott Tharler

So I kind of like that. Other than that, I think there's there actually some interesting things that are more like programs that I found. My daughter is currently in the fourth grade and apparently that's a magical age because there's a program that the government has called every kid outdoors where they get like a free pass to every state park or every national park. Every national park. Yeah.

 

[00:44:27.920] - Kim Tate

And so and they actually expand it to fifth graders this year as well because of the shutdown last year.

 

[00:44:33.410] - Scott Tharler

Yeah, and that's great. And there was another thing here I happened to be in in New York. And they have there's a program called Ski in New York where fourth graders can ski for free. So it's a golden time to be nine or ten years old. Like, there's all sorts of fun things, but I think it's just a matter of sort of looking out there and seeing what cool programs happen to be out there. The the only thing that I don't know if you've heard of, there's a site out there called Sky Hour.

 

[00:44:58.250] - Scott Tharler

Have you heard of that one? Sky Hour our is an interesting one.

 

[00:45:02.210] - Kim Tate

I know you can imagine what it does, but.

 

[00:45:04.010] - Scott Tharler

Yeah, yeah. No, it's like you when you recently had I think her name is Danielle from the the thought card, she was talking about saving up for trips. It's actually something to help you save up for trips, but it's something where people can help out. And the basis of it is that you pay for hours of flight, you're not paying for distance. You're not paying for like this is how much it is.

 

[00:45:25.790] - Scott Tharler

You literally I think it's something like, you know, it's sixty dollars. For an hour of flight and so you can start to do the math and realize, like if you're going to Florida or California, that might not make sense, but actually going to Europe, that's not that crazy. Like, it's not that crazy that you would pay for, you know, five or six hours to certain places in Europe. And so if I know you're going on a trip, I could say, hey, Kim, I'm going to donate an hour to your trip and then either other people add more hours to that or you just pay whatever the differences.

 

[00:45:58.930] - Scott Tharler

But it's basically good on any airlines. You're just paying for something that then gets instead of transferring points into a flight, it's if you have the right number of hours that turns into a flight. So I just thought that was an interesting spin on things I hadn't seen before. That's really cool.

 

[00:46:15.430] - Kim Tate

Yeah, I was thinking it was going to be I know there's websites that'll show you like the Sunrise and Sunset Times for specific locations so that you can do it. So I was thinking when you said Skaara, that was what I was doing. It was. But that sounds way cooler. And I think that would be really good. I was thinking to my graduation trips type thing where, you know, you can say, hey, donate an hour of flight time or something.

 

[00:46:36.010] - Tamara Gruber

That's pretty cool.

 

[00:46:37.010] - Scott Tharler

Yeah, but it's also that factor, like you're saying with your other guest, where you get to see it building up. So you get to see, oh, cool, I have this much towards my trip and it's not just like maybe I'll get to go on the trip or maybe I won't. Right.

 

[00:46:51.280] - Tamara Gruber

Right. You know, that's really neat. It makes you think of like when people get married and they register where you can kind of donate towards their honeymoon or something like that, it'd be another neat way to use it.

 

[00:47:01.720] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah, exactly. Well, we've certainly have talked about a lot of things, but we have a question for you that we ask all of our guests. And I imagine that you're is still going to have some kind of tech angle to it since you talked about water bottles of sensors and all these kind of things. But do you have any favorite brand of clothing or, you know, what do you wear when you travel?

 

[00:47:23.800] - Scott Tharler

I definitely do. And I think the first one is called Scotte Vest. And I am I am not the Scott and Scotte Vest. It's actually a friend of mine, Scott Jordan, that I've known for 20 years. And I love his stuff because it started off as just being literally like a fishing vest with a bunch of pockets in it. But it's grown to be shirts. I'm actually wearing a what they call their camping shirt now. It's it's like a nice short sleeved button down shirt.

 

[00:47:49.210] - Scott Tharler

They have pants and shorts and dresses. They even have a mask nowadays. But all of their stuff is based on not just having a lot of pockets, but bringing your tech with you. And I know when I'm going on a business trip, if I have the blazer, they have like a sport jacket with a lot of stuff. It literally saves me like a carry ons worth of stuff that I can put in there. And so I have cords and batteries and a lot of the stuff that I talked about, I will have in specific pockets in that.

 

[00:48:19.390] - Scott Tharler

So I'm a big fan of Scotty.

 

[00:48:21.280] - Tamara Gruber

Best you can tell your friend Scott that I also own two of the long cardigans that they have for women with those big, deep pockets.

 

[00:48:29.650] - Scott Tharler

Cool. Yeah. I mean, they they really have expanded. They have I guess they never got into shoes, but they have underwear. There's all sorts of stuff like if you want to for some reason, if you want to be walking around your hotel room and your underwear, but you also want your phone with you, then they've got you covered.

 

[00:48:46.370] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah, I'm really picturing the pocket, you said.

 

[00:48:50.210] - Scott Tharler

Yeah, there's there's all sorts of fun ways that could go. But but basically I, I always have something. I always have like one or two things with me that are like it's usually like a polo shirt and a t shirt or, you know, like a camping shirt and a t shirt that have these pockets built in. And it's just it's nice. And it's also I think people nowadays are more accepting of the fact that you're going to have tech with you, but you still don't want to look like you're schlepping around a bunch of stuff.

 

[00:49:18.610] - Scott Tharler

So it's good at hiding the fact that you have definitely.

 

[00:49:22.150] - Kim Tate

I agree. Yeah.

 

[00:49:23.380] - Scott Tharler

The other one that I tend to bring with me, it's an Italian shoe company called ACBC and it stands for anything can be changed. And basically these are these you might have heard of these. They're like zip up shoes. And what I mean by that is that you bring along like one pair of soles and then you zip the tops off like and right here I'm actually holding them in my hand. And so if you're hiking during the day and you're walking around another part of the day and then at night you're going to be going to some nicer event or just going out to a nice dinner, then you could basically have just three sets of the tops that you zip on to the bottom and it takes up way less space.

 

[00:50:04.480] - Scott Tharler

You know, like when I go to the annual Consumer Electronics Show, I could have five pairs of shoes, but it takes up not that much more than just one or two pairs of shoes in my bag.

 

[00:50:15.550] - Tamara Gruber

Oh, that's really neat to look into, though, because I've not heard of it, I am familiar with, like the women's flip flop brand that has where you switch out like the top, you know, the thong part, but interesting.

 

[00:50:26.840] - Scott Tharler

Oh, it's funny you mention that actually, because there's a new company that I just I know you guys are fans of Oofos, but there's one that I just found out that they're based out of Israel and it's called Link. And they have what they call flip shoes. And they're like flip flops, except for they don't have the top part, just like the bottom part only. And so the bottom part goes like around your foot and hugs your foot and then you don't your front two toes don't have to grip on to the thong for dear life that like your foot, you walk out of your shoes.

 

[00:50:59.630] - Scott Tharler

So those look really cool. I haven't tried them yet, but they look really amazing.

 

[00:51:04.090] - Tamara Gruber

Sounds like modernistic space agey.

 

[00:51:06.910] - Scott Tharler

Yeah. Yeah, definitely.

 

[00:51:09.100] - Kim Tate

Well, Scott, why don't you tell our listeners where they can find you online? Because I know a lot of this tech they're going to want to kind of see and you probably have a lot of reviews and pictures. So where can they find you?

 

[00:51:19.570] - Scott Tharler

So the company is called the Family CTO. And of course, we have channels on Twitter and Instagram and Facebook. There's a podcast you can look up wherever you listen to podcast, you can look up the family CTO. But really, the website is the great launching pad. So if you just go to TheFamilyCTO.com, then there are links to all of that stuff.

 

[00:51:41.960] - Tamara Gruber

Well, we will link to all of that in our show notes, as well as a lot of the products that you mentioned today. And so I know I'm going to be Googling a lot of things after this interview and looking things up. So I hope that our listeners found it very helpful. And I really appreciate you coming on and sharing all your knowledge. You have gone much deeper than either Kim and I think I've ever done into a dove into this, you know, family travel tech.

 

[00:52:06.350] - Scott Tharler

Oh, it's my pleasure. I love talking about it. And thanks for having me on the show.

 

[00:52:14.030] - Tamara Gruber

So we're back. And I just wanted to give a shout out to one of our listeners, Lee. He wrote in because he was listening to the episode that we did with Nate from Room Steals about tips for finding hotel deals. And I know that Nate was asking us recommendations for comfortable men shoes, and we didn't really have a lot to tell him. So anyway, Lee recommends Cole Hahn. He really loves those. And he said that their souls were actually made by Nike, which I did not realize.

 

[00:52:37.530] - Tamara Gruber

So that explains why they're a little more comfortable. So guys that we've been ignoring, sorry about that. And we have some more recommendations for you. So thanks, Lee, for giving us an email and and giving us your tip.

 

[00:52:50.300]

Yeah, that's a good tip. I actually, you know, my husband has a very Cole Hahn working shoes that, you know, are kind of like loafer style.

 

[00:52:55.940] - Kim Tate

So I should have thought of that. But anyways, well, we appreciate you guys joining us and you will want to tune in again in two weeks because we are going to be talking about a really popular destination that a lot of people are thinking about, and that is the Grand Circle Road trip through the big five of Utah and the Grand Canyon. So join us then.

 

If you love Italy and Greece, you are going to love today's destination! Tamara shares her two-week trip with her husband to Croatia. They visited Dubrovnik, Korcula, Hvar, Split, Zadar, and Istria for a mix of relaxation, food, wine, history, and cultural exploration.

Croatia is a lovely country to visit because it is very clean and one of the safest countries to visit in the world.

Unfortunately, it is also surprisingly expensive. It isn't the "cheaper" Italy. You can see a full Croatia budget breakdown. Istria was less expensive than other parts of the country.

Tamara's itinerary included:

• 3 nights in Dubrovnik at the Rixos Premium
• 1 night in Korcula at Aminess Hotel Korcula
• 3 nights in Hvar at the Beach Bay Hvar Hotel
• 1 night in Zadar at Hotel Bastion
• 4 nights in Istria at the Hotel Meneghetti

You can find her full Croatia itinerary for couples here.

It is best to fly into one city and fly out of another. For example, fly into Dubrovnik and out of Zagreb. To get around in the southern Dalmatian region and islands, you can ferry hop to different islands. To visit the northern part of the country, it is best to rent a car.

Another option is to take a small ship cruise or yacht charter to explore the coast and islands that way.

Other Episodes You May Enjoy

• Tamara's anniversary trip to Greece
• Couples trip to Piemonte, Italy

FAMILY CAMPING TIPS

•  Start with car camping where you can drive to your campsite
• Look at your state park website for the First Time Campers program
• Use GetOutfitted.com to rent gear for the first time to try gear out
• Join a backpacking group or guided hike through a gear store to get started
• Take kids when they are young so they are used to being outdoors and not intimidated, but if they are babies it is more work than reward
• Families with toddlers and preschoolers might want to use a portable crib to have a clean place for kids to hang out
• Start with a two-night trip, possibly close enough to home so you can abort early if needed, but setting up and breaking down is time consuming so you want to have a full day to enjoy yourselves
• When camping in an RV, you can be closer together because you have more insulation from sound and privacy
• For car camping, look for walk-in sites where you have a parking spot but you walk a bit in to the campsite so you feel a little more isolated
• Look for where the showers, sinks and dumpsters are so you can choose your spot wisely
• Private campgrounds are more resort-like with pools, playgrounds, etc
• State parks and national park campgrounds might feel more "outdoorsy"
• What to bring: tent, sleeping bag, pad/cot, shoe organizer to hang with kitchen gears or a camp kitchen, rope to hang up towels/clothes, welcome mat to wipe off shoes before going into the tent, lots of garbage bags, plastic tote boxes to bring gear when car camping, frozen water bottles, and headlamps
• Favorite camping meals: fajitas, soup, chilis, hamburgers, steaks, breakfast burritos and other grill items
• Prep your food in advance and bring them in ziplock bags
• Set up a trail mix bar so everyone can design their own trail mix
• Favorite activities: scavenger hunts, campground bingo, ranger-led activities, geocaching, bikes/scooters

Kim and Tamara recently visited Lisbon and Cascais in Portugal and share their experience and tips live from the Martinhal Chiado in Lisbon. 

ON THE PODCAST

00:30 - Talking with Kim and Tamara

01:03 - Live podcast video uploaded to YouTube

02:14 - Why they are in Portugal

04:16 - TAP Airlines

05:55 - Stopover app

06:22 - First hotel in Lisbon

08:25 - Fado (Portuguese music)

10:50 - Tuk Tuk tour

11:34 - Walking around

15:40 - Watch for pickpockets

19:10 - Sintra day trip

23:38 - Credit card/ATM tips

28:56 - Quinta da Regaleira

33:44 - Martinhal Lisbon Chiado Family Suites

36:35 - Tour of Tamara’s room (video)

41:20 - Sardine shop

42:25 - Time Out Market

45:06 - Belem day trip

49:50 - Shout Out!

50:40 - Fountains in Lisbon

54:35 - Visiting Cascais

58:28 - Martinhal Lisbon Cascais Family Resort Hotel

1:08:30 - Speaking English

TIPS FOR VISITING PORTUGAL

• Kick off your visit with a tuk tuk tour, just be forewarned that it will be bumpy and there is a lot of getting in and out so not great for small kids.
• Lisbon is known as the City of Seven Hills. Which means there is a lot of walking uphill on the cobblestone roads. Though people have been seen with kids in strollers you may want to think about waiting until your kids are a little older and taking it slow or possibly carrying your kids in a pack.
• A funicular is a great way to get up hill, but expect to wait a while.
• Be aware of your surroundings when you are walking around. If you have traveled to other cities you should already be aware of the possibility of being pickpocketed.
• If you decide to take a day trip to Sintra and are not comfortable driving on narrow winding roads. You should look into taking a train or even hire a driver.
• Make sure to wear good walking shoes to walk around on the cobblestone roads. Especially if you take a trip to Quinta da Regaleira. Parts of the outdoor paths can bet a bit muddy and slippery.
• May through September seem to be the busiest time for tourists to visit Lisbon.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Podcasts on YouTube

TAP

Tuk Tuk Tours

Tivoli Palácio de Seteais Sintra Hotel

Quinta da Regaleira

Martinhal Lisbon Chiado Family Suites

Time Out Market

Pasteis de Belém

Martinhal Lisbon Cascais Family Resort Hotel

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, orGoogle Playand leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035#

You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcaseand We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebookor Twitter. Thanks for listening!

This week on the podcast, Kim fills us in on her summer family vacation to Olympic National Park and Mt. Rainier National Park in her home state of Washington.

ON THE PODCAST

00:30 - Talking with Kim about her recent vacation

02:50 - Olympic National Park

08:08 - Waterfall Hikes

10:45 - Where to stay

23:20 - Mount Rainier

29:38 - How long to spend

34:15 - National park pass

35:44 - Final tips

TIPS FOR VISITING OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK & MT. RAINIER

• The main visitors' center for Olympic National Park is on the northern end of the park by Port Angeles. Since all of the visitor centers are closed due to the pandemic things are a bit different than they normally would be. They do however have park rangers there that have trail maps and Junior Ranger booklets, who are willing to answer any questions that you may have. Other National Parks may have different offerings so you may want to look that up before heading out.
• If you make this a longer trip you can even take a ferry into Victoria, Canada from Port Angeles. Unfortunately right now due to Covid they have canceled all sailings until November 30, 2020. If you are planning a trip after that, check out the website for Black Ball Ferry Line for updates on their status.
• If you like hikes and wild flowers you should definitely check out the Hurricane Ridge hike in Olympic National Park. When you get to the summit you can see great views of the mountains and you can actually see into Canada.
• Marymere Falls is another great waterfall hike and you can take a swim in Lake Crescent while you are there. Or if the water is too cold you can enjoy a nice lunch by the lake.
• The Woodland Inns is a great little place to stay while visiting the park. They also have a great contactless system setup for checking in/out. Since they are individual cabins they will give you a code to a key box and they will text you the code and make sure that you have everything you need before you get there.
• Visiting Mount Rainier has some great hikes but depending on the weather you might not see much of the mountain.
• The parking lots in Mount Rainier fill up really fast so if you plan on visiting you may want to get an early start.
• You should also keep in mind that there is not much in the way of food when you go to Mount Rainier so bring a lunch and snacks.
• Also make sure that you go in with a full tank of gas.
• Keep in mind that when you are planning a trip anywhere right now, you should think about also planning on food options and do some research on what places offer or if they are even open. This is one thing that you never really had to worry about before Covid but now it can cause you and your family some unnecessary stress.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Hoh Rain Forest Walk

Woodland Inns

Tree of Life

Lake Quinault

Mount Rainier National Park

Epic Olympic National Park Itinerary - Stuffed Suitcase

How to get a National Park Pass - Stuffed Suitcase

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email at podcast@vacationmavens.com. You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

It is time to get in the mood for the holidays! Our picks for the best holiday destinations on the East and West Coast (and a few in between), will get you into the holiday spirit.

ON THE PODCAST

00:32 - Talking with Kim and Tamara about holiday travel

03:34 - Tamara’s tips for the holiday in NYC

05:59 - Christmas festival in Leavenworth WA

07:40 - Wassailing weekend in Woodstock VT

09:27 - Holiday in Hawaii

11:05 - St. Augustine FL

12:26 - Vancouver Island Holiday

15:00 - Airlie Gardens in North Carolina

16:19 - Parade of boats in California

17:42 - Gaylord Opryland Hotel Country Christmas

19:58 - Holiday at Coeur d'alene resort

21:30 - Holiday at Hershey Park

24:11 - Disneyland Holiday

27:29 - Indiana, PA - Christmas tree capital of the world

29:07 - Bellevue WA Snowflake lane

30:40 - Annapolis chocolate binge festival

32:08 - Illuminate SF

33:35 - Philadelphia

35:50 - Denver, Colorado

37:35 - Local holiday events

39:00 - Great Wolf Lodge in the winter

41:14 - Dude ranch and lodge winter packages

46:30 - Give away!!

BEST HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS

• New York City is very crowded for the holidays but it is worth it because it is such an iconic christmas destination. You will want to visit Rockefeller Center to see the big Christmas tree and ice skating rink but it is less crowded in Bryant Park. Be sure to check out the Christmas markets, see a show, and look at the themed department store windows!
• Leavenworth, WA has been themed as a Bavarian village. The whole town has strict design codes so all of the stores all have wood panelling and signage. They do a huge Christmas festival including a Christmas lighting and a nutcracker museum.
• Woodstock, VT is very picturesque and looks like the classic winter scene. They have an annual Wassailing Weekend at the beginning of December with carriage rides and Victorian-dressed riders.
• Christmas in Hawaii is actually a great holiday destination. There are different events that happen on the different islands. If you check with your hotel you may also get a chance to see a surfing Santa!
• St. Augustine Florida is the oldest city in the US. For the holidays they have a Nights of Lights celebration that runs from the end of November to the end of January. They also have trolley and carriage rides, guided walks and the Regatta of Lights, with colorfully decorated boats.
• Butchart Gardens in British Columbia does a 12 days of Christmas installation. So you can walk through beautiful light decorations for all twelve days.
• Hershey Park in Pennsylvania opens up part of the park with decorations and lights. Also, not far from the park they the Hershey Sweet Lights, which is about a two-mile drive thru of lights and decorations display.
• Indiana, PA is the Christmas tree capital of the world and has a ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ festival that runs from the week of Thanksgiving through the week before christmas. You can take a hayride and visit a christmas tree farm. This is a great small town that does Christmas in a big way!

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting

Nutcracker Museum

Wassaling Weekend

Honolulu City Lights

Nights of Lights

Regatta of Lights

12 Days of Christmas Installations

Boat Parade of Lights in California

Coeur d’alene Resort Holiday

It’s a Wonderful Life Festival

Chocolate Binge Festival

Illuminate SF Festival of Light

Great Wolf Lodge Podcast

Holiday at Great Wolf Lodge - We3 Travel

Holiday at Great Wolf Lodge - Stuffed Suitcase

Christmas on the East Coast

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If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035#

You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

Kim and Tamara are back from 10 days in Ireland and giving listeners the 411 on their trip. Tune in to hear about their adventures in Dublin, County Wicklow, Waterford, Kilkenny, Belfast, Derry, and the Coastal Causeway. Plus, Game of Thrones fans will love to hear about some of the filming destinations and experiences in Northern Ireland.

ON THE PODCAST

00:30 - Talking with Kim and Tamara about adjusting from jet lag

03:07 - Driving in Ireland

07:10 - Guinness Storehouse tour in Dublin

11:36 - Dublin attractions

19:38 - County Wicklown in Ireland's Ancient East

25:50 - Wexford

28:04 - Waterford

34:50 - Kilkenny

40:40 - Waterford Greenway

47:00 - Game Of Thrones boat trip

58:20 - Belfast

1:10:10 - Causeway Coast

1:16:28 - Giants Causeway

1:19:50 - Derry

1:27:30 - Final Tips

TIPS FOR VISITING IRELAND

• Ideally when visiting Ireland you would self-drive or hire a driver so that you can stop where you want and take your time exploring areas.
• The roads can be a little challenging and narrow, especially if you aren't used to driving on the left. You could definitely rent a car and drive around to explore more than the area you fly into. But when renting a car for your family you must keep in mind that the bigger the car the harder it will be in some areas to get around.
• Touring the Guinness Storehouse is a lot more than just seeing the beer being made. There are four restaurants and two bars. They will teach you the correct way to pour a Guinness and there is also a spot where you can get a picture of you on the head of your beer.
• Dublin is a young city in terms of population and a very walkable city to explore.
• The Ancient East area of Ireland is not far from Dublin and there is a lot of history in the area.
• Glendalough is an area with monastic ruins and two lakes that is very popular with visitors.
• There is a famine ship in Wexford and in Dublin. You really learn a lot by visiting just one of these ships but if you have a chance to tour both, you can see the differences and compare the stories and conditions.
• Waterford is Ireland's oldest city dating back to the vikings. There is much more to Waterford than the crystal. Though if you visit the Waterford Crystal there is a style that is only made for Ireland, so if you are going to buy a piece of crystal you should get that as it will be unique.
• Jerpoint park in Kilkenny has some great places to explore. There is an apple orchard that makes different products out of their apples. There is also a glass blowing studio that you can visit.
• Waterford Greenway is a really pretty biking trail, and if you continue you can explore Mount Congreve Gardens which is a very beautiful garden that has a lot of different walking paths.
• North of Dublin in the Boyne Valley, you can take a Game of Thrones boat tour with Boyne Boats.
• Game of Thrones fans should also visit Castle Ward for the Winterfell Experiences. You get to visit the area that is the backdrop for Winterfell in the beginning seasons of the show. You can dress up in the costumes and try out archery and axe throwing and maybe even meet a dire wolf.
• Downtown Belfast is very safe and walkable, with restaurants and bars. You wouldn't know about the Troubles that tore the city apart unless you visit the Peace Wall or the Catholic or Protestant neighborhoods.
• In the Titanic Quarter in Belfast, you can visit the Titanic Museum and the Titanic Hotel.
• Until September 2019, there is also a Game of Thrones touring exhibition in Belfast where you can see costumes and props used in the show.
• The Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge is in a gorgeous area. Keep in mind that they will close the bridge depending on the weather. You also need to stop at the first little booth to get you ticket for the bridge. They will not sell them at the entrance to the bridge.
• Giant’s Causeway is another beautiful site. Give yourself plenty of time to walk along the coast and there is even a path to walk up towards the cliffs and see another view of the coast.
• Derry is a walled city that has two sides that has a bridge that crosses to both sides called the Peace Bridge. There is some really great food all throughout the city.
• Make sure you leave extra time for the security in the airport when traveling through Dublin. There will be two seperate security areas that you will have to go through to get back to the US.
• Make sure to pack and wear layers throughout your trip. With the temperatures changing through the day you will want to shed or put layers back on.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Episode 19 - Ireland Family Travel Tips

Guinness Tour in Dublin

The Davenport Hotel

The Morgan Hotel

EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum

Killruddery House

Glendalough

Brooklodge

Dunbrody Famine Ship

Granville Hotel

Jerpoint Glass

Pembroke Hotel

Mount Congreve Gardens

Mount Juliet Estate

Grand Central Hotel - Belfast

Titanic Museum Belfast

Ulster Museum Belfast

Titanic Hotel

Bushmills Inn

Trim Castle

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, orGoogle Playand leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035#. You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcaseand We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebookor Twitter. Thanks for listening!

Tamara is just back from a trip to Greece and she tells us all about this dream vacation. Find out what it is like to travel to Greece right now -- plus what to do and where to stay in Santorini and Naxos!

ABOUT OUR SPONSOR – ATLAS OCEAN VOYAGES

Today’s podcast is brought to you by Atlas Ocean Voyages. 

If you have ever dreamed of cruising to Greece or Egypt, now is the time to book! Atlas Ocean Voyages just introduced its expedition ship World Navigator. This small ship, luxury vessel is built for adventure in a sustainable, energy-efficient manner. 

Perfect for adventurous families or multi-generational groups, its compact size and small guest count of fewer than 200 passengers, means a higher space to guest ratio and more intimacy and personalized service.

From August through September 2021, World Navigator will sail 7 separate 12 night itineraries to Greece and Egypt. And its small size and agility means she can dock in smaller ports, avoiding large crowds and getting a more authentic experience. And this summer, arrivals in Greece do not coincide with any other cruise ships in port!

Bookings are all inclusive, including both airfare and excursions. The ship’s facilities and protocols reflect state of the art public health guidance. With stringent public health protocols followed by staff and crew with pre-boarding and pre-embarkation PCR testing provided for all passengers. Social distancing will be maintained with small group shore excursions.

Atlas welcomes travelers to ‘come back to something brand new’      To learn more, please visit www.AtlasOceanVoyages.com and we thank them for their support.

2021 Trip to Greece Tips

• Greece reopened to USA citizens this springs. Visitors need to either be fully vaccinated (all shots + 14 days) and have a vaccination card OR show a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of boarding the plane. These are reviewed at check in for your flight.
• Visitors also need to fill out a Passenger Locator Form more than 24 hours before arrival. The Greece government will then send you a QR code after midnight on the day of your arrival that you need to show at Customs on your arrival. You need to show the receipt of submission or QR code when you check in to your flight.
• Masks are required in airports, planes, trains, ferries, ferry ports, busses, and taxis, as well as indoors.
• You also need to complete health forms before going on ferries or boats and either be vaccinated or take a test before going on a ferry.
• Vaccination cards will also be checked when you check into hotels.
• To return to the USA, you need to take a PCR test within 72 hours of your flight departure. There are public clinics available to get tested but appointments may be required and hours are limited. Tamara's tests on Naxos were 60 euro per person.
• You can also order Binax Now tests from Abbott Laboratories online. Just make sure they are the ones approved for travel and include online monitoring of the test as that is what is needed for re-entry into the USA.
• On Santorini, Tamara stayed at the Canaves Oia Epitome, which is a new property from the Canaves brand, and it is a luxury hotel located about 10 minutes walk from Oia and Ammoudi Bay. They booked the honeymoon suite with private plunge pool.
• Elements Restaurant at the Canaves Oia Epitome offers an amazing Degustation Menu and it was a top dining experience.
• Santorini is a very popular destination and Oia is the most famous town. When you visit, be sure to go into town early in the morning to avoid crowds.
• Tamara also had a chef's tasting dinner at Lycabettus in Oia but felt it wasn't worth the price.
• Santorini Wine Trails does half or full-day wine tours in Santorini. All tours are private right now.
• Ammoudi Fish Tavern is a fun restaurant right on the water in Ammoudi Bay with great views and fresh fish.
• Tamara also did a photo shoot with Nikola from Flytographer and got some great photos.
• Book ferry tickets in advance of your trip
• Note that you should arrive at the ferry port early to figure out where to queue up.
• Boarding the ferry can be chaotic so listen closely for when they call your boat and note that the same ferry makes multiple stops at different islands so it isn't like there is a separate boat for each island.
• It helps to arrange transportation for airport and ferry pick ups so you don't have to wait in a long line when you arrive. We used Welcome Pickups on Santorini and Athens.
• On Naxos, Tamara stayed at the Virtu Suites boutique hotel on the beach in Agios Prokopios.
• Naxos is a much more affordable than Santorini -- dinner for two costs only about 40 euro at many local tavernas.
• Tamara booked a full day private boat tour and snorkeling with Naxos Sailing. They also offer small group trips and have a variety of itineraries.
• The boat tour stopped in Paros and Tamara took a cab to Naoussa, the main town, which is really beautiful and filled with shops and restaurants.
• Tamara and Glenn also took a full day wine, cheese and island tour with Eleni from Philema Food Tours.
• In Naxos Town many people visit Apollo's Temple or the Portara for sunset but you need to get there early to get a prime photo spot.
• In Athens, Tamara stayed at the Hotel Grand Bretagne, which she was able to book using Marriott points. The rooftop restaurant, where breakfast is also served, has beautiful views of the Acropolis.

Full Episode Transcript

[00:00:00.060] - Kim Tate

Today, we're taking a European journey to the Greek islands.

 

[00:00:15.900] - Announcer

Welcome to Vacation Mavens. A family travel podcast with ideas for your next vacation and tips to get you out the door. Here are your hosts, Kim from Stuffed Suitcase and Tamara from We3Travel.

 

[00:00:30.870] - Tamara Gruber

Today's podcast is brought to you by Atlas Ocean Voyages. If you've ever dreamed of cruising to Greece or Egypt, now is the time to book. Atlas Ocean Voyages just introduced its new expedition ship, The World Navigator. This small ship luxury vessel is built for adventure in a sustainable but energy efficient manner. It's perfect for adventurous families or multigenerational groups. Its compact size and small guest count of fewer than 200 passengers means a higher space to guest ratio and more intimacy and personalized service.

 

[00:01:00.750] - Tamara Gruber

From August through September 2021, World Navigator will sail seven separate 12 night itineraries to Greece and Egypt, and its small size and agility means she can dock in smaller ports, avoiding large crowds and getting a more authentic experience. And this summer, arrivals in Greece do not coincide with any other cruise ships, and port bookings are all inclusive, including both airfare and excursions.

 

[00:01:22.590] - Tamara Gruber

The ship's facilities and protocols reflect state of the art public health guidance, with stringent public health protocols followed by staff and crew. With preboarding and pre embarkation PCR testing provided for all passengers, social distancing will be maintained with small groups shore excursions. Atlas welcomes travelers to come back to something brand new. To learn more, please visit AtlasOceanVoyages.com, and we thank them for their support.

 

[00:01:48.330] - Tamara Gruber

Kim, I have to say after just coming back from Greece, now is such a good time to go that if people could still book a cruise for later this summer or the, you know, the fall, it would really be a great time to go.

 

[00:02:01.560] - Kim Tate

I can see that I was following along on your stories. I think a lot of people are just unsure about all the you know, I guess in some ways you'd say loopholes and things you have to think about when you're traveling. And so it might be the perfect time for summer in Europe.

 

[00:02:16.230] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah, it's definitely not as crowded. And people are very eager to welcome you back. And, you know, luckily, especially with Greece, the emphasis that they've put on vaccinating people in hospitality and on the islands and plus the fact that everything is outside it makes you feel so much more comfortable. So definitely a good time to go. But otherwise, if you can't go this year and you've dreamed about a cruise either to Egypt or the Greek islands, then check out Atlas Ocean Voyages for small ship luxury cruising.

 

[00:02:48.060] - Tamara Gruber

Sounds like a great way to go because it includes all your excursions and everything else. At least you know exactly what it's going to cost you.

 

[00:02:54.660] - Kim Tate

Yeah. And as we've already said, the small ships are really the way to get a more intimate experience with the destination. So you're not being dropped off on huge piers.

 

[00:03:03.390] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah, exactly. When we took our ferry back, I saw maybe one or two cruise ships that a couple of the islands that we stopped out on the ferry back to Athens. But those were mostly like small ships as well.

 

[00:03:14.070] - Tamara Gruber

So, yeah, cruising is coming back. We saw on our flight back to JFK, like one whole section in the back seemed to have those little celebrity bags. So it's nice. Yeah, well, that's exciting. And I think it's great if people want to look at kind of that new journey. And like you said, there's still a whole month of August left for the summer. So if you've got some free time to make an impromptu vacation plans, then the Atlas Ocean Voyages might have a good deal for you to jump on.

 

[00:03:43.800] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah, and if you want to explore Greece by land or at least to the islands, then I can give you some tips, because that's what we're going to be talking about this episode.

 

[00:03:53.460] - Kim Tate

I cannot wait to hear about your trip. It seems like you guys really enjoyed your time together. And, you know, for an anniversary trip, it seems like it it just checked all the boxes for you guys. So I'm looking forward to sharing with our listeners everything that you guys did and what you learned. And we should just get right into it.

 

[00:04:11.580] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah, definitely. It was one of those trips where I was prepping myself as we were driving down because we had to drive to New York and we flew from there just so that we could get a direct flight to Athens.

 

[00:04:23.550] - Tamara Gruber

So since our other flight was canceled, we wanted to not have to worry about transiting through another European country and worrying about what their entrance requirements were and such. And so we're driving down and I said to Glennn, like, look like something is going to happen, like not everything is going to go smoothly.

 

[00:04:41.010] - Tamara Gruber

You know, that's always the case, but especially right now, like, we need to prep ourselves like I've had in my mind, like this dream trip for two years now. Right. And that's like dangerous, you know, when you are putting so much like, you know, hope and everything into this trip that you've thought about for so long and especially, you know, as we're used to traveling. But, you know, after two years of not a lot of travel, it's like it gets even more focus, you know, for you.

 

[00:05:04.510] - Tamara Gruber

I'm like, something's going to go wrong. And it just ended up like, you know, OK, there are a couple, like, little bumps, but thankfully, like, nothing huge happened. And it was just it was just so nice. Still be in a different place, you know what I had said, like, I need a change of scenery. If we can't go to Greece, like we're going somewhere that has palm trees or something, like I needed a change of scenery and then it just it was beautiful, but it was everything is outdoors and we just.

 

[00:05:33.430] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah, you had to put on a mask when you were in, like, you know, a cab or something like that. But we just didn't worry.

 

[00:05:38.770] - Tamara Gruber

And it was really amazing.

 

[00:05:40.450] - Tamara Gruber

And I think it was like the combination of those couple of things of like feeling really normal and being in a new place and just having this amazing time.

 

[00:05:50.260] - Tamara Gruber

And and we you know, it was a splurge trip for us. So I booked, you know, some luxury hotels. And just like being that back in that experience. And you think about like what we talked about in our last episode about how like for the services and the hotels and stuff right now, you know, because of staffing, I like to be back in like what felt like a very normal travel experience was it was just amazing. It really is awesome.

 

[00:06:13.570] - Tamara Gruber

It really was so good. And I look yeah, I look at the pictures and I'm like, you can just tell, like, our smiles, like we're just happy.

 

[00:06:21.670] - Kim Tate

Yeah, exactly. That's what I got that sense from. Just everything that I was watching and following and seeing. It was just seemed like you guys had had a really great time. So why don't you start us, you know, for the people who are wondering, why don't you explain what you did before to be able to get to Greece, you know, so they just know what the requirements are maybe. And then walk us through your itinerary if you want or however you want to present it.

 

[00:06:45.960] - Tamara Gruber

Definitely. So, yeah, there's definitely a few things to know about going to Greece right now. I mean, they were one of the first European countries to open up. So what they require is you either need to be vaccinated, fully vaccinated, which includes the two weeks after your second dose or your one dose if your one dose person like I was. And you also need you know, if you don't have that, then you need to show a negative test PCR test within the last 72 hours.

 

[00:07:14.110] - Tamara Gruber

And you show that when you arrive at the airport, when you're checking in in the U.S. and the other thing that you need to do is complete a passenger locator form and you need to do that. You can probably would be emailed it from your airline carrier, but otherwise you can find it on like the Greek website.

 

[00:07:32.710] - Tamara Gruber

You need to fill that out before 24 hours before you leave. So, you know, at least a day before you leave, you fill that out and it has all your information, your passport information, all that kind of stuff. But also look where you're going to be staying.

 

[00:07:44.950] - Tamara Gruber

You know what places you're visiting, all of that. It's an online form. You you submit it and then you get a receipt that it's been submitted and that's what you show when you get to the airport to check in.

 

[00:07:59.020] - Tamara Gruber

Then when you arrive in Greece, it's kind of weird because they email you a QR code, but they only email it to you like after midnight the day of your arrival. So we were doing like an overnight flight. So it's like we couldn't show it at the airport when we arrived because we don't have it yet. But we showed it at the airport I'm sorry, when we arrived in New York. But when we arrived in Athens, luckily they have free Wi-Fi in the airport.

 

[00:08:23.800] - Tamara Gruber

Just connect and then you get the QR code and you show them as you're coming into the customs area for Athens.

 

[00:08:30.550] - Tamara Gruber

So that's really it. It's pretty simple, really. There are some other things to think about just in terms of, you know, traveling right now. Like if you're going on a ferry, you need to show your vaccination card or your test, but you also need to complete like a health form, you know, like one of those like you haven't had these symptoms, you know, that kind of stuff. And they give you a QR code for that.

 

[00:08:56.200] - Tamara Gruber

Of course, I can talk later about like the whole ferry boarding process. And it's such like a madhouse. They don't actually check that.

 

[00:09:02.110] - Tamara Gruber

But, you know, technically, you need to do those kind of things, too. So there are some things.

 

[00:09:07.900] - Tamara Gruber

And when we checked into each of our hotels, they checked our vaccination cards.

 

[00:09:11.620] - Tamara Gruber

So, you know, you keep that information handy. We had to do one for a boat that we went out on for the day. We had to show the vaccination card and fill out a health form for that as well. So I guess either a vaccination card or a negative test. Yeah, but then within three days, does it have to be within three days so we can keep repeatedly testing while you're there if you're not, you know, because we're vaccinated. That's something that you would look into if you have younger children that couldn't be vaccinated or something like that. Yeah. Something to ask. And then, of course, to come back to the US, everyone right now needs to have a negative PCR test.

 

[00:09:48.940] - Tamara Gruber

So when we arrived, I had already figured out what we were going to do to make sure that it was possible. Otherwise I would have bought those Abbot Binax Now test to bring with us.

 

[00:10:04.990] - Tamara Gruber

So they have two different Abbott ones. This is I guess good to know. Like there's one that you can buy just in like a CVS or something. That that does not qualify for overseas travel.

 

[00:10:15.310] - Tamara Gruber

Because it needs to be monitored, but they have another one that you can order online, I think it's one hundred and fifty dollars that includes like multiple tests.

 

[00:10:24.220] - Tamara Gruber

And what you do is you self administer it, but you do it like you get in an appointment with a doctor, like over Zoom. Right. And watch, you know, that you're doing it so that they can verify, you know that to you.

 

[00:10:36.700] - Tamara Gruber

So, yeah, that's a separate one. You have to order online and that's actually an option. But luckily for us, we were able to get to our second island of Naxos. We our hotel helped us arrange an appointment at a clinic there. We just it could take up to 24 hours before we were getting our results. So we did on Friday for a Sunday morning departure. And we had our results by Friday evening. And it cost us only 60 euro per person.

 

[00:11:03.400] - Tamara Gruber

If they came to the hotel and did it for us, it was going to be like a hundred and twenty euro per person. So that's what we did.

 

[00:11:08.950] - Tamara Gruber

But just one thing to note about when you are traveling and you're looking to go to a local clinic for your way back, the hours are very limited. Still, like the one that we went to is closed on Saturdays. So, you know, you needed to plan that into your time window. But then some of them will be open, like for a few hours in the morning or a couple hours in the afternoon. But it's not like all day or, you know, you know, 24 hours.

 

[00:11:31.600] - Tamara Gruber

So you need to definitely plan ahead with that. But overall, like, it was pretty easy. I definitely think the the most challenging part is, you know, just the long flight, you know, frankly, like, I've never had a mask on for 16 hours before. And that is true. You know, that was a really long time because we had to deal with our long flight. You know, you have your time in the airport, the long flight on the way there.

 

[00:11:54.490] - Tamara Gruber

We then had like a three hour layover in the Athens airport and then another flight to Santorini, because our itinerary was to have three nights in Santorini, five nights on Naxos, and then one night in Athens for our return. So when we arrived, we wanted to not have to spend time in Athens, but get right to our destination just because we didn't have we just didn't have a lot of time. If I had two weeks, I would definitely spend more time like in Athens.

 

[00:12:19.900] - Tamara Gruber

So we had that flight, you know, and then the cab ride from the airport to our hotel. So, you know, that's that's a long time, you know, to be in your mask. I definitely switched up my mask like midway. Yeah. About getting this thing kind of stinks after a while, you know. Yeah.

 

[00:12:36.490] - Kim Tate

Are they not doing food either? So do you have to kind of make sure you're packing your own food and then are you able to eat it.

 

[00:12:41.620] - Tamara Gruber

They do do food, yeah.

 

[00:12:42.770] - Tamara Gruber

So we had our flight was Delta from JFK to Athens. We did have a bit of a scare that we weren't going to make our flight because we gave ourselves five hours to get to New York and it should take three hours. But it ended up taking like five and a half. And we parked in like an economy pre booked online. So then we had to take an air train over to the airport. And we were so nervous that, you know, we started off so relaxed, like we have plenty of time. Then we were so nervous that we weren't going to make it, but we got there. It was kind of chaos in the JFK Airport because it's just super busy. And, of course, you know, everyone, not everyone had all the information they were supposed to have right now.

 

[00:13:25.360] - Tamara Gruber

And then that takes a little bit of a longer time. But we got triggered as we were boarding.

 

[00:13:29.920] - Tamara Gruber

We got on luckily, they were serving food because we our plan was to go to a lounge and have a meal and, you know, take some, you know, some time. We didn't have that. So we were getting on to the plane with a bag of chips and some trail mix for like a ten hour flight. So, yeah, luckily they serve food and basically, you know, they make announcements, of course, when you board just the same way they would in the US.

 

[00:13:53.560] - Tamara Gruber

And while you're eating, you can lower your mask. And then it's kind of like after they do their meal service, they're going around being like mask up, like making sure everyone was still lingering, you know, that they're lifting the mask. But I will say, and I've said this before, like with us travel, that if I was not vaccinated, I would not be comfortable going because there are a lot of people that, you know, it's an overnight flight, it's dark.

 

[00:14:20.080] - Tamara Gruber

People are kind of lowering their masks as they're sleeping. And on those kind of overnight flights, the flight attendants aren't up and down the aisles as much checking. So I think, yeah, you definitely see some like if they saw someone, they would say something, but they weren't being super proactive with. Checking often is I say, you know.

 

[00:14:40.840] - Tamara Gruber

But that's not the case in the ferries and in the, you know, Athens airport, it seemed like, you know, much more strict. And on the ferry, someone went around regularly like, you know, talking to people and even having a little confrontations with people. So if that's something that's worried, I know I've gotten a lot of messages. I don't want to linger on this too much because there's a lot of really good stuff to talk about.

 

[00:15:01.900] - Tamara Gruber

But, you know, I've gotten a lot of messages from people, like asking how comfortable I was. And I want to say, like when I was in Greece, I felt extremely comfortable. I really, really did.

 

[00:15:10.900] - Tamara Gruber

You know, we had masks on in the cabs, but everything else. Is really outside, you know, like it's it's amazing how much everything is outside, I came back and I'm like, oh, right, restaurants have indoor dining, but we don't want to do that, you know? So it's it's very comfortable in that way.

 

[00:15:28.320] - Kim Tate

Great. So you made it to Santorini. That was your first stop. So what sort of things did you do there?

 

[00:15:34.440] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah. So in Santorini, Santorini is a very crowded like over tourist island. It's really expensive, but it is very, very beautiful.

 

[00:15:44.820] - Tamara Gruber

And so I knew that we wanted to only spend a few nights there because they didn't have the budget to spend a long time. And I have to say that this year is such a great time to go because it still seemed a little crowded at times and it was picking up like throughout our stay seem to increase. But they were telling me, all the locals are telling me that it was only about 20 percent of the 2019 numbers. So it's definitely like an over tourist destination.

 

[00:16:12.600] - Tamara Gruber

And I had an opportunity to visit when there weren't that many people there, which made it like absolutely amazing.

 

[00:16:18.460] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah, we stayed like one of the main towns is called Oia. And it is it's an essential that everybody sees in the pictures. Exactly.

 

[00:16:30.130] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah. Yeah. So I really wanted to stay there again. This was our milestone anniversary, a birthday trip. So it was a splurge, something that we'd saved up for for a while.

 

[00:16:40.620] - Tamara Gruber

So I had booked us three nights at a luxury hotel that called the Canaves Oia Epitome. So this brand, the Canaves, they have, I think three or four properties that are well known, luxury properties, most of them are right in the town. This one is brand new and it is just about a ten minute walk outside of town, kind of like down the hill. But we love the location and I loved the property. It was gorgeous.

 

[00:17:07.740] - Tamara Gruber

I had booked us a honeymoon suite with a plunge pool. So big splurge on the suite. We've never spent this much on a hotel. I will admit, you know, definitely like a huge privilege here.

 

[00:17:17.580] - Tamara Gruber

But we walked in and so it was like you kind of opened this one door. You go up some steps and there's like our patio with our plunge pool to loungers, picnic table, a little bench. And then you go into the room from there.

 

[00:17:32.340] - Tamara Gruber

And we walked in and we were just like, wow, like this. It's just so nice to go back to, like a luxury hotel and have this beautiful place and beautiful, you know, setting. And it was just it was so nice. Like, I'm so glad that we had that splurge. They do have other they have some other spaces for families. And there actually I saw a number of families, both with teens and with like toddlers are smaller, like elementary school age.

 

[00:18:01.770] - Tamara Gruber

So there are other types of rooms, some larger, some smaller. So that was my big splurge. At one point, Glennn was like, how much was this place? And I'm like, I'm not going to tell you. This was one where I was like, I want to book this, you know, and surprise you. And so we we really, really enjoyed that, like, kind of sitting out by the our little plunge pool.

 

[00:18:22.500] - Tamara Gruber

But then they also have, you know, the property has like a really nice infinity pool and it overlooks the water. And you get really beautiful sunset views there, which, you know, in this part of Greece, like some some of the views, some of the places will face a caldera. So you'll get really pretty hues and color, but you don't see the actual sunset. So this is the sunset and it's like ten minute walk up to town or they can shuttle you and like a ten minute walk down to Ammoudi bay, which is where are the sunset catamarans go out.

 

[00:18:55.620] - Tamara Gruber

And it's just like there's a lot of cool fish restaurants. So I thought the location was fabulous.

 

[00:19:01.110] - Tamara Gruber

The service was amazing, the food was great, the breakfast is included. And it's one of those things where you can order as much off the menu as you want. You know, like you order a la carte and then they're like, oh, do you want fruit? Do you want this? Like the one day that I had breakfast, I like pineapple juice. And so on their menu, they had grapefruit and orange juice. And I was like, oh, do you have pineapple juice?

 

[00:19:22.440] - Tamara Gruber

And they're like, we can do that for you. And they came out, they had like blended a fresh pineapple for me.

 

[00:19:28.770] - Tamara Gruber

And the the food was just it was fantastic. Like everything was so good. And our first night there, like we were exhausted.

 

[00:19:35.280] - Tamara Gruber

Right, because we had this five hour drive. Then we had, you know, a ten hour flight, three hour layover, half hour flight, you know, so we got there and I saw those lounge chairs by our plunge pool. And I'm like, I am taking a nap right there. And so we kind of just like napped in the sun for like an hour or two was somehow like it. Just something about the excitement of the first day of your trip where you just like kind of have the adrenaline to keep going, right?

 

[00:20:01.320] - Tamara Gruber

So that little nap was like all I needed. I usually plan for something like this for our first day to just have dinner close to the hotel where we're staying. So I had booked dinner at the hotel. The hotel has two restaurants, one is like fine dining, one is casual. I had booked us at the fine dining restaurant and so we ended up having like a degustation menu, like a chef's tasting menu, seven courses. And so you would think we would be like way to jet lag to like appreciate it.

 

[00:20:31.580] - Tamara Gruber

But I will tell you, this is one of the best dining experiences of our lives. And we still go back and we're like, is it because we were just so happy to be there? Or is it just like that first night? You have nothing to compare it to.

 

[00:20:44.120] - Tamara Gruber

But it was really just wonderful because the service was so it was just so perfect.

 

[00:20:49.160] - Tamara Gruber

It wasn't crowded because it was primarily just people at the hotel. So, you know, we were outside. We are overlooking this beautiful infinity pool and the sunset and, you know, our tables were all spaced and our server was just so sweet. Like every time I was, like, really enjoying a dish. And I would compliment her and compliment the dish. She would get almost like a giggly, you know, like she was so pleased with how much we liked it.

 

[00:21:17.480] - Tamara Gruber

And it just like that shows like how much like it means to them to, like, present and prepare like something that someone's really enjoying, you know, like that kind of hospitality where it's not just like a you know, like a process, like a routine. You know, it was just like a lot of it added a lot of enjoyment. And the the food was just it was fantastic. It was so, so good. So, you know, another huge splurge for us.

 

[00:21:41.090] - Tamara Gruber

But like, if you stay there and I actually had like three people, I think like or more messaged me on Instagram saying that they had either already booked it or they were booking it for the fall, like that particular hotel and asking about the restaurant. So I definitely think it's the it's a luxury hotel. And the price point is just slightly below the places that are in town. So it made it you know, it made it fit with my budget.

 

[00:22:07.400] - Tamara Gruber

You know, it was already a splurge budget, but. Yeah. So anyway, that's what we did the first day. And then the next day, again, I didn't want to like over because I really wanted to make sure that this trip was like some exploration, but a lot of time for like relaxation and doubt and just time to enjoy it and soak it in. You know, I didn't want us to be like, go, go, go.

 

[00:22:26.300] - Tamara Gruber

And we also didn't want to be around a lot of other groups or people. So we did things, you know, like more on our own or privately.

 

[00:22:33.560] - Tamara Gruber

So the next day we decided to walk into town and I thought we're just going to maybe, like, wander around for a little bit. But it was so charming. And so we were just like going down all these side streets and I'm taking like a million pictures and we just loved it.

 

[00:22:47.810] - Tamara Gruber

And it was so quiet at first. Like in the beginning, the streets were like empty when we got there, probably like ten thirty.

 

[00:22:54.500] - Tamara Gruber

And the streets were so empty. And everyone says, like, go super early in the morning, but I'm like my first day. I'm not getting out there like 6:00 a.m. you know, that's not my idea of a vacation. And then it got like a little busier, like closer to noon. But I think if you're going on a regular year, you probably really have to get there early to avoid the crowds. That's why it's kind of nice to stay right in that area, because if you're traveling from another part of the island, of course, you're not going to get there, you know, quite that early.

 

[00:23:19.820] - Tamara Gruber

Right. But it got really hot, definitely. People ask me about the weather, too. It was probably in the high eighties, like maybe low 90s the entire time we were there. I mean, I loved it.

 

[00:23:30.470] - Tamara Gruber

Like it was it was the kind of weather where I could go out every night in a sundress and not have to bring a sweater, you know, just like, wonderful. And it was, you know, the sun was strong.

 

[00:23:40.940] - Tamara Gruber

So you would like a little break from it or take a swim. But it wasn't I didn't find it oppressive. Apparently earlier in that week, there was you kind of what's been typical Europe right now is the end of June, early July for the last few years has had like an extremely high heat wave. So they had temperatures well above one hundred for a few days. But then, like I said, when we were there, it was kind of more normal summer.

 

[00:24:03.300] - Tamara Gruber

But still, we needed a place. We needed a little break. And their lunches are a little bit later. They're still like at one point we stopped and we just Glennn had, I think, like a beer and I had a smoothie and we just sat at a place where we're having this beautiful view. And then we walked around some more and then we had this amazing lunch. I like this salad with grilled shrimp and like, everything was like so wonderful.

 

[00:24:24.050] - Tamara Gruber

And all I could think was like years ago when I was a picky eater, I was like, oh, I could never do I could never go to Greece because I don't like and I like this like at the time I didn't like feta, now I love feta.

 

[00:24:34.970] - Tamara Gruber

I still don't like olives. And I didn't eat as much fish. But it is like the food was amazing. All the food that I had was really, really good and I did not have a problem with that at all because I for a long time ago I was like, I'm gonna have to do it on a cruise so that I like the food, but I've expanded my palate. So we had a wonderful lunch. Like there's just so many places that have beautiful views or cute courtyards.

 

[00:24:58.520] - Tamara Gruber

And it's just we had a lovely time and it reminded me a lot of the Amalfi Coast in Italy and in Capri, except the shops there aren't like the big designer shops. It's more like, you know, there's there's a lot of touristy kind. You know, now knickknacks and T-shirt kind of things, but then there's some more local shops, and so I liked that. You know, sometimes when you go to places and you see all these, like really upscale designer shops and like, well, first of all, I can't afford to shop there wherever I see them.

 

[00:25:30.650] - Tamara Gruber

And like, if you can get that at a city, like, near you, like, why do you need it like on vacation? You know, I'd rather find, like, more of the local kind of authentic things. Like we stopped into a gallery and I totally was ready to buy art until I realized we missed a zero on the on the painting price. But yeah, we just had a really lovely time. We went back and we sat by the pool and then we went back into town that night and we did another tasting menu at this place called Lycabettus, I'm sure mispronouncing it.

 

[00:25:59.150] - Tamara Gruber

But it's named that after a place in Athens that also has a beautiful viewpoint. But it basically is a restaurant like on a cliff side. So you pay more to sit on this like promontory that sticks out into the caldera. And you have this great view. Of course, Glennn was like, so where it is like, am I going to be nervous? And we had to go down all these steps to get to it.

 

[00:26:24.500] - Tamara Gruber

He was like slowly going down the steps and the the hostess kept turning and looking back. And I'm like, we're OK, you know? But I will say, like, that place was crazy expensive, which we knew it was going to be, because it's definitely very like this is one of the most beautiful places to have a meal or whatever. But I didn't think it was worth it. So I wouldn't say to do it like the food was good, but it was much more like it came out very quickly and it was like everybody near us was getting the same thing at the same time.

 

[00:26:54.950] - Tamara Gruber

And it just didn't have that personal feel to it. And for like a gas station menu was a lot of like phone this and, you know, like very I don't know, kind of it was inventive, but it also felt very like it's probably been done a lot, you know. Oh yeah. Yeah, yeah. So I mean, but it was still we had a beautiful view. We wandered around town afterwards and it's just so nice.

 

[00:27:13.550] - Tamara Gruber

We sit as we're sitting there because we probably had like an eight thirty reservation, like, you know, the sunsets. And then so things start to have that beautiful glow and then the lights start to come on. And then by the time you leave, it's like all lit up and it's just, you know, like really, really gorgeous. I really fell in love with, like, that part of Santorini. But, you know, someone asked me, like, how long should you stay in Santorini?

 

[00:27:35.750] - Tamara Gruber

And I said, well, I think at least three nights, you know, maybe two nights if you've already, you know, been in Greece. But really, it depends on your budget. Like, how long can you afford to stay there because the food's expensive, like everything is definitely pricey.

 

[00:27:49.700] - Tamara Gruber

So our last day on Sunday, we ended up we had booked a half day wine tour with Santorini wine trails, and we did that. All the tours that they're doing right now are private. So, you know, we basically visited a vineyard and then Santorini is probably most well known for their wine, their white wine. And so we went to, I think, three wineries and did different tastings and tasting. We had like some local cheese or one thing I totally fell in love with was the tomato paste, because like Santorini is known for tomatoes, too.

 

[00:28:25.520] - Tamara Gruber

And you think about tomato paste like that, you would buy at the store, come to where the little can and you just like your lasagna or something like that. Like this was it was like you just want to spread it on bread. It was amazing. You know, I definitely had a great time on that tour. We learned a lot. You know, it's just the kind of thing that we like to do. Again, this trip was very oriented towards couples, you know, as I apologize, or people like looking for family, you know, kids, things to do because we were very focused on things that we love to do.

 

[00:28:56.390] - Kim Tate

Well, that still sounds awesome. Sounds like a gorgeous splurge. And I'm sure there's plenty of people listening that don't have kids are looking for an anniversary trip or, you know, some kind of luxury luxury time. So I think it's good.

 

[00:29:08.840] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah.

 

[00:29:09.800] - Tamara Gruber

And then our last night, we walked down to Ammoudi bay and we watched other sunset catamarans go out and man, those things were packed. Those were crowded.

 

[00:29:17.900] - Tamara Gruber

And then we had dinner down there at a Ammoudi Fish Tavern, which was it was just a great you know, it's very touristy feeling, but it's just it was like such fresh fish. The guy was like, no, no, come over to that, because I was asking, like, what is this type of fish like? And he's like, come look. And I'm like looking at it is not going to help me know how it tastes like, you know, he kept trying to like, you know, like, look at this one and we'll cut it this way.

 

[00:29:44.810] - Tamara Gruber

He'll do this. But, you know, it's very fresh.

 

[00:29:47.390] - Tamara Gruber

So, you know, that was that was a lot of fun. And I didn't mention. But if you follow on Instagram, you've probably seen.

 

[00:29:52.730] - Tamara Gruber

But we did a Flytographer photography shoot that morning before we did the wine tour. So that was a lot of fun to

 

[00:30:00.770] - Kim Tate

those turned out so well. And I'm happy with the dress you chose. It looked perfect.

 

[00:30:05.240] - Tamara Gruber

Thank you. And thank you. Yes. For your advice. I was going back and forth, but I'm like, you know, I just feel comfortable in this one. And I think, like, you know, Glennn is a pink shirt. It'll kind of go together and yeah, we worked with Nikola and he did a fantastic job. And he did so many different, like locations. We're like really fast, which is good because, like, I didn't think about poor Glenn because it was a lot of like edges. Edges.

 

[00:30:33.540] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah, exactly. I did at one point he was just like, I need a break. I, I'm sitting this one out, take some pictures of her on her own. But, you know, we had fun. It was it was really nice. So it's just something that it's just such a good memory. Like I know I will look back at those photos and like always smile, you know, I was they'll bring back such happiness.

 

[00:30:56.520] - Tamara Gruber

It's nice to have photos of the two of us because frankly, I don't know. We have some from our wedding, like, yeah, I have a lot of that.

 

[00:31:03.210] - Kim Tate

So he did a great job also of posing you guys. I mean, they were definitely nice anniversary shots. And I think that was part of it is some of the looks and the poses were great. So it wasn't just being in a beautiful area. I mean, they really were engaging of the two of you and good, good representative representation of your relationship.

 

[00:31:22.210] - Tamara Gruber

So, yeah, no, I agree.

 

[00:31:23.970] - Tamara Gruber

It was it was really it was very nice. And so I'm happy to do that and tip for anyone that wants to do something like that for a future trip. What I do for photographer is every Black Friday they have a sale and I buy a gift certificate like gift card for that sale and then I'll just use it whenever I book for a trip. So little money saving tip there.

 

[00:31:47.270] - Kim Tate

If it's that smart, is it? So it's like a gift card or whatever. And then you can. Yeah.

 

[00:31:51.840] - Tamara Gruber

And then I get a code or whatever you apply.

 

[00:31:53.670] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah. Yeah.

 

[00:31:55.320] - Tamara Gruber

So and that one I had a credit from, we had booked for Paris and twenty twenty that we didn't do and so I wanted to use it. I didn't know how long they were going to keep that credit valid and I didn't know when our next family trip would be. So my kids do this so.

 

[00:32:09.600] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah but so that kind of wraps up Santorini. And then the next day we were taking a ferry over to Naxos, which is one of the largest of the Cyclades Islands. And it's you know, but it's quieter and it is a lot less expensive. I know that our friend Eric from Travel Babo has gone there a lot with his family. And, you know, so I decided to do that as our second island.

 

[00:32:32.860] - Tamara Gruber

It would have been nice if we had a little more time to maybe squeeze in one other island. But, you know, that one was good. We did five nights. I think a lot of people will do like Santorini. Well, maybe they'll do Mykonos, but Mykonos is very much like a young party island. I'm like, yeah, I'm too old for that. And it's super expensive. Or they'll do Crete, but Crete is huge. And so you could do like your whole vacation.

 

[00:32:54.150] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah. Just on Crete. Yeah. So yeah, this felt like a good mix for us to have like one more of the famous ones and one of the slightly less visited ones. So we took the ferry and I'll just like a few words about taking the ferries in Greece just because it was new to me. And now I know. And if I had known what to expect, I may not have been so stressed out.

 

[00:33:12.420] - Tamara Gruber

But we got to the very port early. But it's just open. There's no like docks that have names of where to go. So we went into like the siege at office, which was the ferry that I had booked.

 

[00:33:24.000] - Tamara Gruber

We had filled out our forms and also done our mobile boarding passes. We had all that like on our phones, but we weren't quite sure where to go when we got there. So I went to the office. They're like, oh, just go to like this building like Terminal four. So, OK, so we go in there and we're sitting there and I hear different people talking around me and they're like, oh, we're going to make a noise, we're going to Athens.

 

[00:33:43.740] - Tamara Gruber

So I'm like, OK, so there's multiple boats. So we have to like, really listen for like when our boat is coming right. And the time is getting closer and closer and closer and the place is really filling up and everyone's talking and it's just like loud and you can't hear a thing. And then I hear some guy like all the way at the end of the hall, like coming in and shouting like anyone going to want, you know, and you're like, what was that?

 

[00:34:06.870] - Tamara Gruber

So there's like nothing on the loudspeaker to like. No. You know, which boat are they announcing? Should I go out? Do I not go out like what's going on? And then finally I hear them say, like Paros and I hear them say things.

 

[00:34:20.280] - Tamara Gruber

And so I'm like, oh, OK, that's not us. That's not us. And then finally, it seems like everyone is just walking and going. So I'm like, we should just go. Like, I was going, yeah. So as we get out there, the boat is coming in and I realize it's a huge boat. This boat is going to all those islands. It's not like there's one boat to meagerness, one boat to Paris, one boat to Athens.

 

[00:34:43.320] - Tamara Gruber

So I'm like, oh, OK, I get it now. But so you're in this giant, like heard and then they are running a few minutes late, which they often are. And so like the boat is not even like docked yet and you know, the gangplank is down, people are ready to walk off and they're like hurting us. They're like, go, go, go, go, go down. You, you know? And I'm like, you know, I have my you know, we have our luggage.

 

[00:35:07.230] - Tamara Gruber

Of course, I have my phone out to show, like the boarding pass. And I think I'm have to show like my health form and my boarding pass and like all this stuff. And the people are streaming off the boat and and, you know, we're like streaming on at the same time and the people are in the back almost with, like, cattle prods, like, go, go, go. And I hear the captain go in like, we got to go.

 

[00:35:26.710] - Tamara Gruber

We got to leave. We got to leave my. Oh, my God. Like, what are they going to do, like leave people, you know, we're barely on the boat. And the thing is coming up and they're pulling away and we're it's just like you're in the hold of the boat with, like, the cars. And there's like these racks where you can put your luggage and some of them are labeled with certain islands. But, you know, people are just throwing their luggage up on racks and like you're running out of space.

 

[00:35:51.910] - Tamara Gruber

So Glenn's like putting it up on the top thing. And then there's this huge, like line to get up the stairs, you know, but it's like very bouncy at this point. So you're, like trying to keep your balance, but there's like a catch point because that's where you then have to show, like, your boarding pass. They never checked the health forms, you know, and then we get up there and then finally they're like, OK, these are your seats.

 

[00:36:11.650] - Tamara Gruber

And we sit down.

 

[00:36:12.160] - Tamara Gruber

We're like, oh, OK.

 

[00:36:14.200] - Kim Tate

Like, that was very stressful. How long ago, right? Was it?

 

[00:36:17.560] - Tamara Gruber

It was. I think I was like about an hour and a half to go from Santorini to Naxos.

 

[00:36:22.900] - Kim Tate

What do they do with the people who don't have their boarding?

 

[00:36:25.120] - Tamara Gruber

I know. Exactly. And they start from like they stopped at another island like Ios, I think first, you know, and so I don't know. I don't know. Do they like I have no idea what you put your kind of don't want to put your bag in first either because like how do you get your bag out then these racks of everybody and throwing their bags on top. And I believe that they wait there for a while. They'll let you get your bag.

 

[00:36:50.590] - Tamara Gruber

so then we're sitting there and you hear and it's, you know, how things are. At least they had a loudspeaker on the on the ferry. And the ferry is very much like, do you actually hear it, though? It's probably like what you're used to with your ferries where, you know, you have assigned seating. It's more like airplane seating, like, you know, like you have seats.

 

[00:37:07.330] - Kim Tate

We don't run out here in Seattle. It's open seating.

 

[00:37:10.790] - Tamara Gruber

So, yeah. So we had assigned seating and I was like, there's a concession bar. So it's more like, you know, it's, it's a big, you know, it's a big boat.

 

[00:37:17.410] - Tamara Gruber

There's multiple tiers.

 

[00:37:18.790] - Tamara Gruber

So there is a loudspeaker, there's like TVs playing but they're in Greek. I don't know what's going on in them. And they're making the announcement first in Greek, but then in English. But I tell them, you you cannot understand it. It's just Charlie Brown. Yeah. And so we're just like, what?

 

[00:37:33.010] - Tamara Gruber

You know, what was that?

 

[00:37:34.000] - Tamara Gruber

What was that? And like, luckily we had seen as the boat was coming in, there was like one of those leg things where it was like Ios, Naxos, Paros, and it gave like the order. It seems like we're going to be the second one. Just remember where the second one, you know, but they're like, oh my, please report to whatever.

 

[00:37:50.770] - Tamara Gruber

So basically, like before you get to your island, they're calling you to go down to the hold and that's where you grab your luggage. Yeah. So then we grab our bag.

 

[00:37:59.920] - Tamara Gruber

But even then, like, it got stuck on, like there was like a net up there and like the wheel was stuck and we're like, oh, I got to get it out, you know. And then we're, you know, standing there and again, like it's like the thing is barely coming down. Stop, drop and roll.

 

[00:38:12.280] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah, like, go, go, go, go.

 

[00:38:15.040] - Tamara Gruber

And then the cars are coming off and they're like, get out of the way. And I'm like, oh my God. Like, what am I supposed to do? This is crazy. But one thing I will say is when you arrive at an island by ferry or by plane, it's really helpful if you have your transportation already arranged because there are not a ton of taxis on these islands. So we saw people like waiting a really long time for a taxi.

 

[00:38:37.510] - Tamara Gruber

So I had used I read about it online somewhere, but it's called Welcome Pickup's. It's like a little bit like an Uber, but you arrange it ahead of time and it worked seamlessly. They weren't on Naxos, but it worked in Athens and it worked in Santorini, you know, where we walked out of the plane in Santorini. And there's a guy holding a sign, you know, Gruber, and we get right in and go. And that's how it was when we arrived in Naxos.

 

[00:39:00.730] - Tamara Gruber

Although I didn't use that service, it was like through the hotel. But it was just so nice to be like, oh, here's a guy. You know, we do that we like just super long line to try to find a taxi. And, you know, so that was really great. I would definitely recommend using the welcome pick ups because the hotel in Santorini was going to arrange something. I think they were going to charge us maybe like seventy five euro.

 

[00:39:21.580] - Tamara Gruber

And then I booked through this and it was like less than 50 euro. So I'm sure it's even cheaper if you got a taxi. Sometimes it's like you're already spending that much money. It's like, do you really need to save twenty five bucks or whatever?

 

[00:39:38.170] - Tamara Gruber

Then that's how a lot of like when we were in Naxos, we the main town is called Naxos Town or Chora, I guess like what I've learned is that on the islands there's one town and all the others are villages, you know, so you have to like get to a certain size. And then all the main town is called like or something like that. And but it's also just called Naxos.

 

[00:39:56.620] - Tamara Gruber

So so we were about fifteen minutes south of there, like on a beach called Agios Prokopios. I always like switch the key in the P and so you could take a bus like back and forth. But we were like, yeah, I'll just take a taxi. But, you know, like, it's it is a little bit more so I can see why people would like to stay in town, but I really loved our location. So we stayed at a place called the Virtu Suites.

 

[00:40:30.980] - Tamara Gruber

Maybe they have a dozen rooms or so. They have different ones. We didn't we didn't go with the top of the line there. I just looked like a Seaview suite. So it was just like basically you walked out of our room and the pool was right there. But I love this hotel again. It was really new. Like they opened, I think late 2019.

 

[00:40:51.880] - Tamara Gruber

So then they were closed most of last year.

 

[00:40:55.090] - Tamara Gruber

And so there, you know, they are back and they were like, please leave us a review. Or if you like, we need, you know, we need to get the word out and like don't you worry. Yeah. I'm going to like let them know. So we, I loved it. Like everything was all these natural materials. It was like rope and wood. And, you know, it's just like a very, very nice style, very comfortable style.

 

[00:41:16.990] - Tamara Gruber

The service was wonderful. It wasn't I don't even know if all the rooms were filled. Definitely not when we got there, because we got there on a Monday, I felt like at first. We might have been like one of the only ones in the place. The room was pretty large, you know, it was just it was just so nice like you.

 

[00:41:32.230] - Tamara Gruber

We walked out of our room, you know, two steps.

 

[00:41:34.930] - Tamara Gruber

There is the pool, you know, ten steps. We're at the restaurant, which is like open area, restaurant, bar facing the street. And then you go across the street and there's the beach and the beach is gorgeous.

 

[00:41:46.840] - Tamara Gruber

And they have you know, they have loungers with umbrellas. And all you have to do is a hotel guest just have them reserve it. They give you a form the night before and the reserve you loungers down in the front. And then if those don't fill up, then like people can come and pay to stay at the other ones, you know, and they can bring you drinks and food and stuff. And so it was the and the beach was beautiful.

 

[00:42:09.850] - Tamara Gruber

The water was like fairly calm, whereas up by town, like there were a lot more waves. It was rougher. Like that's where people like surf and windsurf.

 

[00:42:17.260] - Tamara Gruber

So I thought it was great even for families, you know, like it. And it was it was fun because someone had said like, oh the yeah, the because the beaches in Santorini are like rock.

 

[00:42:28.990] - Tamara Gruber

So they're like, oh no. Naxos has really good beaches there. It's like silk. And I'm like, OK, they haven't seen, you know, some beaches because that was not like Florida. Well, it was it was not rock. It was more like, you know, what I'd have here in the in the Northeast, like, you know, coarse sand and then, you know, maybe some rock, like as you are getting into the water.

 

[00:42:51.400] - Tamara Gruber

And then it kind of drops off fairly quickly. And then it's super, super soft, like there is no seaweed, no shells.

 

[00:42:57.130] - Tamara Gruber

Like it was just really beautiful.

 

[00:42:59.470] - Tamara Gruber

You could go out, you know, and just kind of float or swim. And you had a pretty good current. Glenn tried to swim a little bit and it was it was tough.

 

[00:43:06.700] - Tamara Gruber

But, you know, you can just float and just like, you know, enjoy and relax. And the water was clear and, you know, a couple of fish swimming around. It was just it was really, really beautiful. Like, I was like, why am I in the Caribbean like this water? It was so turquoise. It was really beautiful and quiet. there were families. They would play like beach games and, you know, kids around. But it was it did not feel super crowded at all, like especially if you were out there in the morning. I think I posted some pictures and you can see there was like no one in the water. It was just it was beautiful, really, really beautiful. So I loved where we stayed.

 

[00:43:40.720] - Tamara Gruber

The town right where we were staying was smaller. So it was basically like a couple of beach shops with like beach bags and bathing suits and stuff like that.

 

[00:43:50.200] - Tamara Gruber

Maybe one boutique shop where I actually bought something and a few restaurants, you know, there were there were a few like attached to hotels. There were a few like right on that beachfront road and then a couple of others, but like very, you know, authentic and good food.

 

[00:44:07.000] - Tamara Gruber

You know, like we had our two dinners that we did. There were forty euro total and we had an appetizer to like giant entrees that we couldn't finish, I think. Well, the one place they brought us a free dessert, two drinks, like I was like forty euro versus Santorini. So it was it was really very affordable there. Even the hotel restaurant, which was really good, was not overpriced, you know, for anything. A hotel restaurant is always going to be a bit more.

 

[00:44:35.380] - Tamara Gruber

So we loved it there. I would definitely recommend looking at staying there. Like I said, it was very comfortable, great service.

 

[00:44:42.520] - Tamara Gruber

And, you know, the distance from town was a little bit of a challenge, like we did take a taxi back and forth a few times. But it depends like if you're planning on renting a car or if you're going to, you know, just spend time on the beach, like you don't necessarily need to be going back and forth every day. Yes, I really enjoyed it. And then our first sounds nice.

 

[00:45:03.010] - Kim Tate

You know, first full day there, I had arranged for us to charter a private sailing on a sailboat. It was something that we had done. When we were in Italy one time and it was like one of my best travel days ever, so like, I really want to do this and we just didn't want to do like we wanted. I felt like we're in the islands, like, how do you not get out on the water and see it from the water?

 

[00:45:25.360] - Kim Tate

And like that felt like part of the experience. But I didn't want to do like a big group thing. Like, it just wasn't comfortable with that.

 

[00:45:31.900] - Tamara Gruber

So, yes, I had booked it through Naxos Sailing and the guy, the Captain George was like he was such a character, so funny.

 

[00:45:40.960] - Tamara Gruber

So I don't know, like, sarcastic, like just he was great. But he also like, you know, he really took care of us and he had like another guy that was kind of like apprenticing for him, helping out too. But we went out for the whole day and we went first to it. So basically, like from Naxos, you can see the island of Paros. So we went over to Paros and then there's some small, like a smaller island off of Paros called Antiparos And so there was an area there where we were snorkeling or is like definitely popular. You could see like a number of boats coming out to do snorkeling there. There are a couple like yachts sitting there. It was a little bit rough. It reminded me a little bit of when you and I were in Key Largo and we went, oh, yeah, yeah. So not as seasick, but like, remember when we got in there and we're like, really bobbing around like the water bobbing like this.

 

[00:46:37.390]

Like I went in and I'm going to I'm you know, I'm just not comfortable in the water. It's, I've never like the water, I don't enjoy swimming. I don't like going under the water. Snorkeling is fine because I can stay on top. But then when you're like bobbing around and then like a wave is coming and like water went down my snorkel. So then I'm like coughing and they're like, just blow it out. And I'm like, no, I'm done.

 

[00:46:55.000] - Tamara Gruber

I'm out of here. So, Glenn, you know, he did a little bit more and I just, like, hung out in the boat. But, you know, the water is beautiful, is great.

 

[00:47:02.680] - Tamara Gruber

Then we went over on Paros.

 

[00:47:04.930] - Tamara Gruber

There's like a sea cave that you can snorkel into, but the top of the cave has a big hole in it. So you had, like, the stream of light, like coming into this cave. So it's like a really neat experience. So we pulled up to there. But because it's like a fairly big sailboat, he couldn't get super close.

 

[00:47:20.200] - Tamara Gruber

So you'd have to, like, swim over and he gives you like a noodle and stuff, you know, because, like, I'm not a super strong swimmer, but I, I was like climbing down to get into the water and I just looked at it and I'm like, no, I'm not doing it. I'm sorry. Like, I'm just not I don't because I, I remember when we were in Italy, we I swam through this like grotto and like on the other side I had Hannah and stupidly, we didn't have like life jackets or noodles with us.

 

[00:47:45.010] - Tamara Gruber

And we were both getting tired. And I pulled her up on to some rocks and some guy had to like, help me get her back to the boat. So I'm like, no, I just don't think I can swim that far. Like, I don't think I'm that, you know, I'm comfortable. So Glenn went with, like, the other guy on the boat and I just hung out on the boat and he loved it. He thought it was great, but it just wasn't something like like, again, I'm just not a very good swimmer.

 

[00:48:06.370] - Tamara Gruber

So then from there went to like a small fishing village on Paros and we could stay in, like, hang out and have lunch there and go to a beach there. We're going to be there for like three hours. So it gives you time to like explore Paros. That's the reason I booked this particular tour, because I felt like, oh, this gives us a way to, like, see another island without having to, like, worry about the ferry schedule.

 

[00:48:29.860] - Tamara Gruber

So we decided to go and take a cab to the main town and I always mispronounce this one too. But it's like Naoussa. We had to wait a really long time for a cab. So again, like if we had arranged it ahead of time, it would have worked much better because by the time we finally got there, we only had like a little over an hour and we needed to eat some lunch too.

 

[00:48:59.380] - Tamara Gruber

Like I would have I would have had lunch while I was waiting if I had known it was going to take that long. And they're like, oh, it's going to be ten minutes and it was going to be half an hour. And then suddenly, like an hour later, we're still like waiting for the cab. But that town was gorgeous.

 

[00:49:12.490] - Tamara Gruber

It was so charming. I know again, Eric has posted some pictures from there in the past, but it was I fell in love with that town and I'm like, we have to come back and we have to stay on Pario so that we can explore more of this town.

 

[00:49:24.430] - Tamara Gruber

It just felt like there were just so many shops. There's so many, like in the old town, like so many little alleyways and restaurants and things to explore. Just looks so cute. But we had kind of a quick lunch quick, a little walk through, and then we had to take the cab back.

 

[00:49:37.990] - Tamara Gruber

And then from there we sailed back to Naxos and I just kind of like chilled out. And it was it was a great day.

 

[00:49:46.420] - Tamara Gruber

So, you know, again, a really fun thing to do, whether you do it private or they do, you know, small groups, you know, and he has a bunch of different tours he does on sunset catamarans. So actually, he gives you a DVD with the photos because he has like an underwater camera. So he takes photos all throughout the trip. Then he gives you a DVD.

 

[00:50:04.990] - Tamara Gruber

So the next day when we were in town, we stopped by the boat to get the DVD and he was like, oh, someone like already reached out to me that said that, you know, they heard. About it from you, and they booked a trip with us. I'm like, oh, that's amazing. You know, so because I don't think he I mean, we paid for everything on this trip like nothing was sponsored or comped. So I didn't even always even mention that to people.

 

[00:50:25.670] - Tamara Gruber

So I don't even know if I don't think he's very savvy when it comes to Instagram. I don't think he knew that I tagged, you know.

 

[00:50:32.000] - Tamara Gruber

Oh, yeah. He was probably just like, wow, this is great, you know? Yeah. So that was a great day. I'm sorry. I'm just like going on.

 

[00:50:41.600] - Kim Tate

What do you have one more day, though?We have one more days because for five days there. Yeah I do. I was thinking three days but three days with was Santorini and then. Yeah.

 

[00:50:49.820] - Tamara Gruber

OK, so if you guys want to stick with me I will tell you a couple other things to do in Naxos, which we just had such a great time with one of them.

 

[00:50:57.260] - Tamara Gruber

The next day we did a full day tour with Philema Food Tours. They do a lot more too and so it's run by Eleni and she has a driver as well. So she does like Half-Day tours and Full-day tours. But it's not like your typical walk around a town and do a food tour. This was very much like a full island experience, which is what I wanted.

 

[00:51:25.820] - Tamara Gruber

Like, we we decided not to rent a car and drive around. And so I thought, well, why not do a tour that kind of combines seeing some of the island with some of the other things that we love. So we booked it was a cheese, food, wine, an island tour. So the first thing we did was we went to do someone's home that their cheesemakers. So it was and a couple that, you know, this is what they do.

 

[00:51:50.930] - Tamara Gruber

They make cheese in their kitchen. So Naxos is really well known for like a couple of different kinds of cheeses. So cheese is definitely something that you'll hear a lot about in Naxos. And so it was like a hands on thing. Like first we met them, we saw the goats where they get their milk. You know, I like the whole thing. We went into their kitchen. They had this amazing spread of homemade food. So one thing, if you do this tour, do not have breakfast first.

 

[00:52:15.020] - Tamara Gruber

We made that mistake because she made all of these like homemade like zucchini things and tomato things and just fed and like, no, not feta. It would have been their cheese. So just so much food.

 

[00:52:26.960] - Tamara Gruber

And then we helped them make cheese. So they showed us how they make cheese. I helped stir it. I helped need it, you know, like put it through the thing like it was such a fun experience to get to do that, to get to like, learn about their cheeses, but then actually get hands on and do it and just meet this couple like, you know, they've you know, they're kind of living out there with not a lot of people around.

 

[00:52:50.600] - Tamara Gruber

They were so excited to have us and host us.

 

[00:52:53.180] - Tamara Gruber

And it was just a really, really lovely experience.

 

[00:52:57.170] - Kim Tate

And then, yeah, I think it's so cool how you you do a great job at finding these, you know, kind of unique experiences and figuring out what to book. So you're not just going somewhere and then wandering in the town, which can be good too. But I mean, it's nice that you kind of search for these unique things. Yeah.

 

[00:53:14.690] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah, it's definitely what we love.

 

[00:53:16.670] - Tamara Gruber

And so then after that, we went to a little village. There's apparently only seven people that live in this village full time. But there's a potter there that's like, I don't know, fifth generation Potter or something like that. So we had a little demonstration from him of, you know, making some pottery look through his shop. He showed us all these different pieces. Of course, we ended up buying some. You didn't have to, but, you know, but it was nice.

 

[00:53:39.590] - Tamara Gruber

And those are the kind of things, too, though, that, like, I do kind of love to buy because it's like you're really supporting this person, you know, like you're supporting like that local economy. So much like it's not just in a store. It's like, you know, I'm going to remember the person that made this and the story behind it and all of that.

 

[00:53:57.560] - Tamara Gruber

So we did that. And then we went to a town where they're famous for making these. There's a distillery there for this alcohol that's made from cetron leaves. So I thought it was going to taste a little bit like Limoncello. Yeah, but it is it is so strong and I am not like a spirits or alcohol person. So, like, we did a little Citron tasting there. And then I was I chose the one that was like the mild one, you know, the less strong.

 

[00:54:25.670] - Tamara Gruber

And then she's like, do you want the other? I'm like, no, that's OK. But in this town it's called like Chalki. Ah, it's, it's everything also is spelled like so many different ways. And eventually I'll get a blog post up with all of this and then I can link to that in the show notes.

 

[00:54:39.710] - Tamara Gruber

But it is known it was like a very it was like a lot of aristocrats, like way back in the day in the now has a lot of artisans. And so one thing I did buy, there was some place mats because I met this woman that she showed me like her loom where she and weaves everything. And so I bought these ones and like traditional Naxos colors for our kitchen. Oh, yeah. And they were only like ten euros. So it was good.

 

[00:55:03.260] - Tamara Gruber

But that town was just so lovely and cute. And then we went to this other town. I'm not going to pronounce it right either. It's like Aperinthos or something like that. And it is all marble. So like all. The streets are like white stone marble because it's Naxos is known for its marble quarries, and so this town is, you know, has that history and we had an amazing meal there. And our guide introduced us to a couple of the very local to that particular village dishes.

 

[00:55:32.890] - Tamara Gruber

And it's interesting because like we learned, you know, it's kind of like most countries when you travel around, like one region is known for this kind of food, that kind of food. And so here you have like a microcosm of that, because it's like this one island has like different villages that are known for different things. And then we're looking at a menu and Naxos town, we're like, oh, that's that dish that comes from this village, you know?

 

[00:55:54.550] - Tamara Gruber

So it was like it was just so nice, I think, to have that experience with the full day, like with a local guide. And she just told us so much about, like local culture and just, you know, it was just really great to kind of have that experience. And I will also say, like, so it can be kind of mountainous and we traveled around, you know, around the island. And so you're going on a lot of, like, curvy kind of roads.

 

[00:56:19.870] - Tamara Gruber

Traditionally, I would get very carsick. So I was worried about that. And because even just going from our place to the ferry in Santorini, I got like super sick feeling so that on the whole way on the ferry, I was feeling like motion sickness because I already started that way.

 

[00:56:35.040] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah, but she uses a driver. She has this nice van and she uses a driver that used to drive like big busses. And she knew that Glenn was scared of heights and she knows that I get motion sick. And so she asked him to, like, drive accordingly. And so he took like all those switchbacks and things like nice and slow.

 

[00:56:52.900] - Tamara Gruber

And it made such a huge difference on my because my brain wasn't constantly being like, you know, bounced around in a way.

 

[00:57:00.400] - Tamara Gruber

So it it made it so much better. It was really like I was I was kind of amazed because I thought, oh, boy, what am I going to do? Like I have to take Dramamine and then I'm going to be, you know, knocked out.

 

[00:57:10.600] - Tamara Gruber

But we had then some time to kind of wander around this village and then we kept driving. We did a couple of like a little photo stops at different points, you know, like viewpoints and things. And then we finished at a vineyard. So it's really funny because, like, Naxos has this history that goes up back like literally millennia, you know, of these vines that have been around for so long. But there's no actually actual wineries on Naxos.

 

[00:57:38.680] - Tamara Gruber

So they tend to like take all of their grapes and combine it and then almost like let it ferment a little too long. And so they're the wine they serve is like their house wine, like in their whole like people tend to use like their own little vineyards just for wine that they make for themselves and for friends. And then the restaurants have like their little house wine.

 

[00:57:58.510] - Tamara Gruber

And it it's really strong.

 

[00:58:00.550] - Tamara Gruber

It tastes like almost like an alcohol, you know, like I mean. Yeah, I mean, it's like maybe like a port or something like.

 

[00:58:06.090] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah.

 

[00:58:06.760] - Tamara Gruber

You know, it's a little more and that's definitely a high percentage alcohol and stuff. So it's not the kind of wine that I would usually drink, but this one vineyard he's trying to use like all these local grapes, but actually make like a refined, you know, nice wines from it.

 

[00:58:22.750] - Tamara Gruber

So we were able to do like but he takes all of his grapes, like in a refrigerator truck over to Santorini and uses one of their, like, wineries to make the wine. But he we did a vineyard tour and then a tasting with him.

 

[00:58:35.710] - Tamara Gruber

And it was just so great. Like, what a great way to end the day. Right. Like, we had this really fun, wonderful day. And then we're ending, you know, in the vineyard, we're having wine. We're just getting into, like, the great conversations. And he owns a wine bar in town that we ended up like going to the next day. And he really focuses on these like small Greek wines. And so it's just like one of these experiences where you just you're learning a lot.

 

[00:58:58.660] - Tamara Gruber

We built on what we learned about Greek wine when we were in Santorini. You know, it was really nice. And then at the end, you know, then we come back and we're like, ready for a nap. But it was such a great day. So I would really, really recommend, if you go to Naxos, like try to book her.She's not like having multiple guides. And so I know our friend Kirsten had mentioned that when she went to Naxos, she had tried to book with them, but they were already full. So it's something definitely to plan ahead if you are interested in doing that. But I'm happy for them like that. Tourism is coming back. She had kind of said like last year, you know, our last year is a bust. Obviously, this year she thought things are going to be bad.

 

[00:59:38.110] - Tamara Gruber

But then, like over the last couple of weeks, things had really picked up a lot.

 

[00:59:41.800] - Tamara Gruber

So, you know, it's good to see that they're making it. But she's you know, everyone is also like, very thankful for us like that. Were there that when you book them, you know, so so it was it was really good. And then honestly, the next day, the next couple of days, we hung out at the beach, we walked around town, we went to get our covid tests.

 

[01:00:01.480] - Tamara Gruber

And then we, you know, explored town a bit. And I will say, like Naxos, town is not as charming as the main town on Paros, but it is fun to explore. It's very easy to get lost in. This labyrinth of the old old town kind of streets and Glenn was like, we saw this before. It's like, what kind of things? Or like, how do we find our way out? We felt like little, you know, like mice, you know, finding our way out.

 

[01:00:25.120] - Tamara Gruber

But it was nice. You know, we had another wonderful meal for our last meal. And one night we did walk out to one of the things that Naxos is known for is they have you see it right when you come into a port, it's like a big it looks like a big doorway. It's Apollo Temple or Portara.

 

[01:00:42.750] - Tamara Gruber

So it's very well known that people go there. You know, you can go there for sunrise, you can go there for sunset. It's really, really busy at sunset. But after a full day at the beach, I was actually having major issues with my eyes because they have such sensitive eyes and even they had like sunglasses and a hat on, like just the sun exposure and the wind and everything. Like, my eyes were terrible. Like I had to lie down for like an hour with my eyes closed.

 

[01:01:10.050] - Tamara Gruber

I use like half a bottle of drops, like it was just so much like pain in my eyes that I'm like, I don't even know if I'm going to be able to go out tonight, you know? So we finally we ended up going out, Glenn, and I'm like, you have to kind of like lead me by hand. And then by the time we went to that wine bar and by the time we finished there, I was feeling like a little bit better.

 

[01:01:28.740] - Tamara Gruber

So we decided like last minute to walk over and see sunset there. So it's not like there are people that get there early and set up with a great location and all that. We kind of like just walked up and I'm like holding my phone or camera, like above people's heads to kind of take a picture. But it was it was beautiful and like, you know, yeah, it was crowded, but it was outside and honestly, like, the wind was going so strong.

 

[01:01:52.170] - Tamara Gruber

I'm like, well, it's just blowing everything right past me, you know, like I'm not going to worry about about it being crowded or anything and and even like that kind of crowd, it's it's still it was manageable. Like there's places to walk around and walk away, you know, it wasn't it wasn't like a crazy like packed in kind of crowd. And then we had dinner. So yeah, we had a wonderful stay.

 

[01:02:14.280] - Tamara Gruber

And then the last day we had we didn't have to go to our ferry until like one thirty and our hotel agreed to let us do a late checkout. So we went to the beach in the morning. We hung out, came back, we took a shower.

 

[01:02:27.360] - Tamara Gruber

Then we get to the port, you know, like an hour early because they told us, oh, you don't get there like fifteen minutes early. I'm like, oh, that makes me nervous, you know?

 

[01:02:34.320] - Tamara Gruber

So we got there, I think maybe like forty five minutes early. And as we're going, the taxi driver, they have this really cool app where they're able to look up like where the different ships are and they're like, oh you're your ship is is running about like forty five minutes late because it had been getting windier all throughout the week so that the Greek islands are known for this, the melting army winds and so that pushes back the ferries can't go as fast, you know, things like that.

 

[01:03:00.030] - Tamara Gruber

So it definitely affects things.

 

[01:03:01.980] - Tamara Gruber

And that's why we had to switch our sailing day to like the very first day that we arrived, because that was going to be the best day, you know, from a wind perspective. Like we didn't want to be out there when it's super, you know, choppy.

 

[01:03:14.040] - Tamara Gruber

So we get to the port and we're like, OK, well, we're already here. So we just like when we had a quick lunch, then we get over to the to line up for our ferry and we're like the last ones in line, at least like this one was marked. So it was a little bit and we knew what to expect. So we're like, OK, we're just going to stand in this line and but we're out there in the sun, you know, and we ended up standing there for an hour and a half because our ferry was so late.

 

[01:03:38.160] - Tamara Gruber

But we didn't have that app to be able to look up and be like, when is it coming? And ferries come and go. So much so you see one on the horizon. You're like, is that us? We're like, no, it's not us that's going somewhere else, you know? So by the time we finally got to Athens, it was late. And my plan was to try to go to the Acropolis and see the end, like just not with a tour, but just like quickly it'd be like, hey, I saw it.

 

[01:03:59.790] - Tamara Gruber

But it was it was going to be close by the time I got there. But luckily, we stayed at a hotel called the Hotel Grand Bretagne.

 

[01:04:11.430] - Tamara Gruber

It is a Marriott property, though. Oh, nice. So it's a luxury properties part of the luxury collection, but so we used points to book it. So we're very happy about that. We had a little balcony where we could overlook the parliament building. We saw the changing of the guard that happens there and then their rooftop, which is where they do their breakfast.

 

[01:04:31.260] - Tamara Gruber

That's included.

 

[01:04:32.940] - Tamara Gruber

You can see the the Acropolis Hill in the pantheon and things from the rooftop. And so I had booked us dinner there at the rooftop hotel. Just figured that would be a nice view, like Sunset View. And also we did that and it was you know, it was great view. But then I decided like afterwards, like, hey, let's a little take a little walk through the Plaka neighborhood, which is like this bustling, like, you know, restaurants, bars, you kind of area.

 

[01:04:58.530] - Tamara Gruber

So we when we did a little like walk around that and then came back, you know, around midnight and the next day we flew home. And that was such a long flight because it's like ten hours and forty five minutes, I think, on the way home.

 

[01:05:11.280] - Tamara Gruber

And it's actually the longest flight I. I've ever been on, and then we got to New York and we had a quick dinner at this place that we love near JFK, but then we had to drive home. Yeah. And, you know, so by the time we got home, it was what was for us five o'clock in the morning. Yeah. So we had been up, you know, like almost twenty four hours. And I was like I, I was OK, but I just couldn't sit still.

 

[01:05:38.620] - Tamara Gruber

Like I'm glad Glenn was driving home and I'm like twisting and turning in my seat. I'm like I just can't sit it any longer.

 

[01:05:44.740] - Tamara Gruber

Like it was, it was a long travel day, but I think it was kind of good that we got home at like ten thirty at night or so because then, you know, we're able to go to bed and go to bed and kind of get up and be on that regular schedule. Yeah. So, yes, the jet lag on the way back was about it. It wasn't too bad. And actually I found myself for like the first time in my life being tired at like 10 p.m..

 

[01:06:06.030] - Kim Tate

So nice.

 

[01:06:07.210] - Tamara Gruber

So yeah, that only lasted a week. Now I'm back to my normal but yeah.

 

[01:06:11.520] - Kim Tate

Yeah. So it's it's a great trip. That sounds like you guys had such a good time. And like I said, I had some really unique experiences that kind of let you get a real feel for Greece and what those islands are known for. So that's exciting. Yeah, you can definitely see how people keep going back and back and back to other islands and stuff because, like, there's so much so many islands. And even like on Naxos, there are some Greek temples or ruins or things that I would have liked to go see.

 

[01:06:37.470] - Tamara Gruber

But if we had one more day, like I would have either rented a car or gotten a guide to do that kind of stuff. But like I said, we didn't want to be going, going, going so. Right. I know a lot of people will write like things to do. And I'm like, well, I can't really write the things to do. But I, I feel like what we did was a really nice balance of of things.

 

[01:06:56.340] - Kim Tate

I think that's important. I you know, we'll talk about my recent trip and I purposely booked it to not be go, go, go. Because Paul does not enjoy those kind of vacations. And it really starts to get, you know, when we're doing a job as a blogger and we have to get the things to do. And, you know, we've been on press trips that you go, oh, you're here for an hour, and then you go somewhere else for an hour and you visit like four things during the day and you can't really get a solid feel for anything, but you've got a long list of things to do.

 

[01:07:25.830] - Kim Tate

So, yeah, it's it's interesting. Like vacationing versus just getting information is different. Yeah. Yeah, definitely.

 

[01:07:35.250] - Tamara Gruber

Well I guess if everyone stays tuned the next time we will get to talk about your trip. Yeah, definitely. And I know that you will be putting out articles so people can always go check We3travel.

 

[01:07:46.770] - Kim Tate

And of course the vacation mavens dotcom show notes for Tamara's information about all about her trip and those some of those unique experiences I'm sure she'll be sharing about and all those things that I couldn't pronounce next time.

 

Does watching Crazy Rich Asianshave you thinking about a trip to Singapore? This week Marianne Rogerson from Mum on the Move and author of Singapore with Kids, joins us to share her experience living in and visiting Singapore.

ON THE PODCAST

00:32 - Talking about Kim’s holiday travels

05:48 - Talking about Tamara’s holiday travels

09:30 - Future travels

15:37 - Talking with Marianne

18:40 - Lay of the land

21:25 - How long to stay

23:12 - When to go to Singapore

24:40 - Hotels in Singapore

27:34 - Top things to do

30:40 - Gardens by the Bay

32:16 - Local culture

37:52 - Changi Airport

38:43 - Local foods to try

44:13 - Best place to take a family photo

45:19 - Marianne’s favorite travel gear

46:38 - Marianne’s upcoming trips

47:56 - Follow Kim and Tamara

ABOUT MARIANNE ROGERSON

Marianne Rogerson writes family travel blog Mum on the Moveand is co-founding editor of family travel website Little City Trips. Marianne lived in Asia for 11 years and so her blog focuses heavily on Asia and Australia travel. Her latest book Singapore with Kidshas recently been released on Amazon. Follow Marianne on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitterand Instagram.

TIPS FOR VISITING SINGAPORE WITH KIDS

• Singapore used to be more of a stopover destination where people acclimated to Asia before moving on to Thailand, Indonesia, or other points in Southeast Asia.
• Now Singapore is becoming more of a stand-alone destination, or at least a place where people are spending more than a day before moving on.
• You could easily spend a week in Singapore and it makes a great "intro to Asia" destination because everyone speaks English and there is so much to do with kids.
• Singapore weather can be pretty fickle. But since it is tropical you could have a beautiful sunny morning then an afternoon thunderstorm, which will clear up by the evening.
• November into December tends to be a bit more rainy, but for the most part stays the same all year round.
• Sentosa is known as Singapore’s playground. There are a lot of things to do as a family.
• Download the app for Grabwhich is the Uber in Singapore.
• Don’t leave your hotel without bringing an umbrella of sunscreen!

BEST PLACE TO TAKE FAMILY PHOTO

Marianne suggests heading to the Merlion Statue which is located in Marina Bay.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Marianne is simple in her gear but she loves to wear her J Brand jeans with her Niketrainers and a comfortable hoodie.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Snowflake Lane - Washington

50 Things To Do in Singapore With Kids

The Best Family Friendly Hotels in Singapore

The Best Child Friendly Restaurants in Singapore

What To Pack For Singapore

Shangri La - Singapore

Gardens by the Bay

Changi Airport

Singapore with Kids - Book

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If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, orGoogle Playand leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035#

You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcaseand We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebookor Twitter. Thanks for listening!

Have you heard of voluntourism? It is the trend toward adding a service element to your travels as a way of giving back to communities. You can even take it a step farther by planning a service trip. This week we chat with Sasha Forbes on her recent experience with her daughter on a service trip in Bangladesh.

ON THE PODCAST

00:30 - Talking with Kim and Tamara about their upcoming 100th episode

04:20 - Talking with Sasha

08:28 - What got Sasha interested in service trips

10:07 - Education program with Bangladesh

13:22 - Visiting Bangladesh

15:34 - Run through of their trip

23:07 - Brothel visit

24:25 - Explaining the seriousness to a child

25:44 - Maya's reaction to the volunteer trip

27:50 - The impact of service trips

30:35 - Timing and budgeting for their trip

33:28 - Travel clinic costs

35:06 - Finding an organization to support

38:50 - Kim’s volunteering experience

40:18 - Me to We

41:06 - Other organizations

44:52 - Travel gear

47:47 - Shoutout!!!

ABOUT SASHA FORBES

Sasha is a wife, mom, and self-employed ASL interpreter who lives in the suburbs of Washington, DC. She adventures in every way possible - Couch Surfing, family Disney cruises, camping, adults only all-inclusive resorts, hostels, business, etc. Follow Sasha on Instagram.

TIPS FOR PLANNING A SERVICE TRIP

• You should not only do service, but to make it something you're passionate about so that it becomes an ongoing habit.
• If you feel strongly enough about something you can find an organization to support, whether it is nearby or far away, that can make an impact.
• When you find an organization that you feel passionate about and would like to do more, be sure to do research on the organization before you decide to invest, either if it is a donation of you time helping or even money towards the cause. Use Charity Navigator to see how much of the money donated goes to the cause.
• Contact the organization directly and ask to speak with the founders or management team.
• Make sure your participation will not create an additional burden or financial obligation for the organization.
• Budget for a visit to the travel clinic, immunizations, and visas if your trip involves travel to a third-world country.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Tech Savvy Mom

Episode 76 - Talking is Tech Savvy Mom

The Charge by Brendon Burchard

Me to We

Charity Navigator

Speakup for the Poor

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, orGoogle Playand leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035#

You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcaseand We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebookor Twitter. Thanks for listening!

Texan Rebecca Darling from R We There Yet Mom? gives us the inside scoop on exploring Austin with kids. She dishes on where to stay, what to do and all the amazing food in Austin. Rebecca gives tips on the best place to view the Congress Avenue bats emerging out from under the bridge at sunset, where to get the best BBQ and how a trash collection can be a fun tourist stop.

ON THE PODCAST

ABOUT REBECCA DARLING, R WE THERE YET MOM?

VISITING AUSTIN WITH KIDS

• Tom's Coffee Shop with a set up a Tom's shoes and a back yard garden
• Austin Murals
• Cathedral of Junk

WHERE TO STAY IN AUSTIN

WHERE TO EAT IN AUSTIN

Rebecca recommends:

• Franklin BBQ -- great BBQ but really long waits and there are many other options
• Salt Lick BBQ in Dripping Springs
• Matt's El Rancho -- Tex-Mex that really caters to the kids with face painting, balloon animals...
• Home Slice Pizza on South Congress -- NY-style pizza with dough balls for the kids
• Hopdoddy -- unique burgers

BEST PLACE TO TAKE FAMILY PHOTO

• Greetings from Austin Mural -- on South First and Annie
• I Love You So Much Mural -- on South Congress on the side of Joe's Coffee house
• Zilker Park field with downtown Austin and the Congress Avenue bridge in the background
• Hike up Mount Bonnell and on the northwest side you overlook Lake Austin and the downtown is behind you

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

TIP/APP OF THE WEEK

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

On this episode, we are joined by Nedra McDaniel from Adventure Mom, who is passionate about having attainable adventures at every stage of life. We are sharing some of our favorite places to go for Spring Break in the USA. You can follow Nedra on her blog, and on social media as @adventuremom on Instagram, Facebook, and others.

Expedia recently shared some travel trends for 2024 showing that March is the most expensive month to fly, so if your spring break is in March, you may want to consider a road trip! If you are looking for a cheap airfare, use Google Flights from your airport and put "anywhere" as the destination so that you can sort by price.

Spring Break Destinations

• Florida Keys - is not oppressively hot and humid like it is in the summer. Hawk's Cay in Duck Key is a great location for families. You can take a day trip to Key West and enjoy a wide variety of water sports. Plan a Florida Keys road trip: https://we3travel.com/florida-keys-roadtrip/
• Daytona Beach / New Smyrna, Florida - "You have grown up and Daytona Beach has too", it is no longer a party spring break destination but very family friendly. You can go pedal kayaking, climb the Ponce Inlet lighthouse, eco boat tours, see manatees, Daytona racetrack tour, and you can drive on the beach. See more things to do at Daytona Beach: https://adventuremomblog.com/things-to-do-daytona-beach-and-ponce-inlet-fl/ and some of the themed attractions in Daytona: https://adventuremomblog.com/racing-themed-attractions-in-daytona-beach-fl/
• Caribbean Cruises - some leave from Florida and some visit Florida ports of call. Just keep in mind that the cruise ships, especially the pools and kids clubs, will be crowded during prime spring break weeks. Read about Kim's spring break onboard Holland America last year: https://stuffedsuitcase.com/review-caribbean-cruise-on-holland-america-nieuw-statendam/
• Washington D.C. - Spring break is often Cherry Blossom season and a popular time to visit. For some museums you can arrange timed-entry tickets and many of the Smithsonian Museums are free. D.C. has a great metro system so that you can stay further out to save money and use the Metro to get around. See Tamara's Washington D.C. itinerary: https://we3travel.com/washington-dc-itinerary/
• Gatlinburg, TN - Smoky Mountains National Park is free and offers plenty of hiking, be sure to drive or bike Cades Cove Loop, there are also quirky adventures like zorbing, alpine slides, mountain coasters, treetop adventure courses, and Hillbilly Golf. Plus there are so many themed restaurants and shows, along with Dollywood theme park. See Nedra's suggestions for unique adventures in the Smoky Mountains: https://adventuremomblog.com/unique-adventures-try-smoky-mountains/
• Phoenix / Scottsdale - spring break is also spring training for Major League Baseball and you can get great ticket prices to watch games in the Cactus League. There are also world-class spas, great brunch spots, and hiking. In the spring the desert is in bloom and beautiful. Scottsdale getaway: https://stuffedsuitcase.com/scottsdale-girls-weekend-itinerary/
• Las Vegas - you can use Las Vegas as a base and then explore some of the national parks in the area. It is especially good if you can do Bryce, Zion, and the Grand Canyon midweek and explore the city on the weekends. The Pinball Museum and the Neon Sign Museum are fun and for older teens, try a food tour. See tips for hiking the Narrows: https://adventuremomblog.com/hike-the-narrows-for-an-incredible-adventure-at-zion-national-park/. See more unique adventures in Vegas: https://adventuremomblog.com/7-unique-bucket-list-adventures-in-las-vegas/. And ways to explore from Flagstaff: https://adventuremomblog.com/grand-canyon-beyond-from-the-flagstaff-koa-holiday/
• Little St. Simons Island, GA - for families looking for a unique all-inclusive here in the US, Little St. Simons Island is a private island and nature reserve off the coast of Georgia and it is perfect for nature lovers. See Tamara's review: https://we3travel.com/little-st-simons-island-all-inclusive-resort/
• Southern California - the weather is great and there is so much to do. Huntington Beach is great if you want to learn to surf. San Diego has the zoo and museums. Plus there are the theme parks. It is also a good season for whale and dolphin watching. See Kim's Southern California itinerary: https://stuffedsuitcase.com/one-week-southern-california-itinerary-disneyland/
• Destin, Florida - you can go online and find adventure packs with moms who can consult with you on things to do. You can bike on 30A, go paddle boarding, or go indoors at the underwater-themed bowling alley. Learn more about the adventure packs: https://adventuremomblog.com/why-families-love-destin-fort-walton-beach-adventure-packs/. See more things to do in Destin: https://adventuremomblog.com/things-to-do-destin-florida/
• Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama - also on the Gulf of Mexico not too far from Destin, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach has that same gorgeous white sand, blue-green water, and calm surf. There are tons of fun activities, great food, and cool, family-friendly beach bars. See more things to do in Orange Beach: https://we3travel.com/things-to-do-in-orange-beach-and-gulf-shores-alabama/

 

Related Episodes

• Kim's Holland America spring break cruise
• Southwest Grand Circle road trip
• Kim and Tamara's trip to Oceanside, California
• Kim and Tamara's Florida Keys trip
• Las Vegas with kids
• Kim and Tamara's trip to Scottsdale, Arizona

Kim recently took her two girls to Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando for a mother-daughter getaway. Hear more about her trip, learn some strategies for using Lightning Lane, new rides, new theme parks coming, and comparisons between the parks.

It was hot, humid, and rainy in the afternoons, but they still had a fun time exploring all the parks. Luckily, Universal Orlando has more indoor rides that help on rainy days.

Updates from Walt Disney World

• Tron in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom - it is like riding a motorcycle but on a roller coaster track. The ride is fabulous but really short.
• Splash Mountain is now Tiana's Bayou Adventure - this is a two-by-two flume-like ride that has been redesigned.
• Disney now has Lightning Lane Multi Experience and Lightning Lane Single Experience. With the Multi Experience, it works on multiple rides and as soon as you tap into one ride, you can request the next Lightning Lane. You want to purchase and prebook your first ride in advance. Single Experience is where you can buy a Lightning Lane time slot for individual rides like Tron or Rise of the Resistance.
• Disney's Lightning Lane experience is better than Universal's Express Pass because they load people from that lane faster.
• Disney has also changed their rules around their Disability Access service and made it much harder to obtain a pass. Keep this in mind if you have children with special needs and have used that service in the past.
• Tip: If you want to stay at one of the Deluxe hotels on property, you can stay by renting Disney Vacation Club points. (Riviera has Skyliner access) See Kim's article on renting and using DVC points.
• Disney is building a new ride in the Avengers Campus and they are getting rid of the Tom Sawyer Island and Riverboat in Magic Kingdom to create Cars Land.

Updates from Universal Orlando

Note: Universal Orlando hosted Kim's family for this part of the trip.

• Kim stayed at the Loews Sapphire Falls, which is a Moderate property and does not include the Express Passes. The Sapphire Falls is within walking distance to the parks and guests get one hour early entry.
• Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure still has very long lines.
• The nice thing about the Universal Express Passes don't require you to book any times online, so it is less stressful to manage. However, many people have these passes because they are staying at the premium hotels and the lanes load slowly so sometimes you don't save a lot of time (sometimes only about 10 minutes of time savings).
• There is a Universal Express Unlimited Pass that lets you ride a ride in the Express pass lane as much as you would like, without limits.
• Universal Orlando is building a whole new theme park in 2025 called Epic Universe. It is going to be further away from CityWalk and the other parks or hotels. It will also have another portion of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Ministry of Magic. There will also be two premium hotels and a How to Train Your Dragon land.

 

Other Episodes You May Enjoy

• Disney Vacation Club tips
• Choosing a Disney World hotel
• Walt Disney World tips
• Universal Orlando's Volcano Bay
• Universal Orlando insider tips

We are back from our girlfriend getaway to El Paso, Texas and we have so much to share about our experience. This was a great destination for a girl's trip for active ladies that also love shopping, wine and good food.

ON THE PODCAST

00:32 - Talking with Kim and Tamara

06:29 - Hotels in El Paso

10:05 - Enjoying the food

21:08 - Exploring El Paso

22:15 - Cowboy boot factory

26:30 - Downtown street art

27:35 - Wine tasting

30:32 - Golfing experience

33:55 - Visiting a copper mine

39:22 - ATVing in red sand

43:48 - Aerial tramway

VISITING EL PASO

• El Paso is famous for their cowboy boots. Lucchese has a factory in El Paso where you can take a tour and learn everything that goes into making cowboy boots. The drawings and designs, the colors, the material. All of the thought that is put into each hand made boot. After visiting the factory there are three different outlets where you can buy their boots in El Paso.
• There are some great murals in the downtown area, which is not super busy and it is not hard to find parking.
• If you are even a little bit interested in golf, El Paso has a brand new Topgolf facility. You rent a bay and you take turns hitting the ball into nets which will electronically calculate your points. The facility is also a bar and restaurant and has great food. Keep in mind the prices will go up later in the day and on the weekends.
• In Franklin Mountain State Park you can tour a copper mine. If you are claustrophobic you may be a bit uncomfortable in the beginning since you have to crawl through a small hole but once you pass that there is plenty of room inside of the cavern.
• Wine lovers can go wine tasting at Zin Valle or cross into New Mexico at La Viña.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Salt + Honey

Los Bandidos De Carlos & Mickey's

L&J Cafe

Cattleman’s Steakhouse

Topgolf

Franklin Mountain State Park

Tour a Copper Mine

Aerial Tramway

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035# You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

It is the five year anniversary of the Vacation Mavens podcast! To celebrate, we are talking about one of our favorite topics -- wine (and travel)! This week we are joined by Mary Jo Mazanares, from Traveling with MJ, to talk about how to go wine tasting and some of our favorite wine regions.

About Mary Jo Mazanares

Mary Jo is an avid traveler with over 16 years of digital publishing experience. She publishes at Traveling with MJ with a focus on value luxury travel, luxury for real people, not celebrities, and is currently working on Secret Seattle, to be published by Reedy Press in 2021. She and her husband Tony own Leeward Media, LLC, and publish six travel and lifestyle sites. You can follow Mary Jo at @travelingwithmj on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Wine Tasting and Wine Travel Tips

• If you are new to wine tasting, it helps to start with smaller wineries where you will get more personalized service because they aren't as busy rushing around and serving other customers.
• Don't be afraid to tell the pourer that you are a newbie and let them help you choose which wines to try. They will often ask some questions about what you like and then get feedback on what you taste to go on from there.
• When doing virtual wine tastings, you also want to keep it to a small group where you can have a more intimate conversation. See more about MJ's virtual wine tastings with Washington wines or get ideas for other virtual wine tastings.
• When going wine tasting for a day, make sure you either hire a driver or set a designated driver.
• If you are going to be just sipping and tasting, not drinking the full pour, you can probably get to three to four wineries a day. However, if you really want to leave yourself time to take a tour or really engage with the staff, two to three might be a better number.
• If you are tasting with someone else, you may be able to share a pour.
• Don't be afraid to use the dump bucket for wines you don't enjoy or if you just don't want to drink too much.
• If you drink a full tasting pour each time, by the end the wines might blend together and you may have a harder time differentiating between them and identifying what you enjoy.
• In some regions like Walla Walla, the downtown have a number of tasting rooms within walking distance to each other, making it easier to visit a few without needing a designated driver. You can also find this in Napa, Carmel, Sonoma, and Santa Rosa.
• Be sure to plan who and when you are going to eat during your wine tasting day. Either make a lunch reservation or plan a wine and food pairing tasting. Many wineries will also sell charcuterie boards that you can enjoy with your tasting or after.
• Three big things to consider when doing a tasting are how does the wine look? How does it smell? And how does it taste?
• For looks -- swirl the wine, hold it up to the light, see how it clings to the side of the glass, is it dark/light/opaque?
• For smell, put your nose in the glass and breathe in. Can you pick up any particular aromas? Does it change over time or after you swirl?
• For taste - take a small sip and see how it feels on your tongue and your palate. Give some time to see what flavors might linger or where it hits you in your mouth. Taste again after a few minutes to see if it has changed at all.
• To learn a bit more, you can purchase a wine wheel (this is an affiliate link. If you click and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission.)
• Just remember that wine tasting and wine preference is a personal thing and there is no "best wine" just the best wine for you.
• Favorite wine regions:
  • In Europe, MJ is a fan of Tuscany and sangiovese-based wines
  • In Northern California, MJ loves downtown Napa
  • Her home state of Washington is MJ's favorite, especially Walla Walla
• If you are planning a trip to Tuscany, Tamara had a terrific wine tour with Tuscan Organic Tours.
• It is nice to know what varietals wine regions are known for and plan a trip based on wines that you enjoy. It will also help to have that knowledge before you do tastings.
• Oregon is well-known for Pinot Noir.
• Wineries in the south tend to specialize in sweeter wines or whites.
• The Finger Lakes region in New York is known for Dry Reislings.
• The South of France, including Languedoc and Provence, are known for rosé, among others.
• Don't be afraid to try something new when you are traveling, especially if that is the dominant varietal in the region. It can be very different at the source from what you may have had at home.
• When you are traveling, you can't always ship home. Some wineries are limited to certain states where they can ship and some countries, like France, charge so much that it just isn't worthwhile. So you may want to leave some space in your luggage to wrap up a couple of bottles and bring them home that way.
• Keep in mind that your tastes will change over time. It is a journey and the object is to enjoy it along the way. Just be willing to experiment.
• Wine tastings can range from free to $30 per tasting, depending on the region and the winery.
• Typically if you buy a bottle or a certain dollar amount, your wine tasting fee will be credited.
• If you ask questions, show interest, and build a relationship with the pourer, they are likely to share some wines that aren't typically on the tasting menu because they see true interest.

Full Episode Transcript

[00:00:00.120] - Kim Tate

Cheers to five years. Today, we're talking about wine.

 

[00:00:16.100] - Announcer

Welcome to Vacation Mavens, a family travel podcast with ideas for your next vacation and tips to get you out the door. Here are your hosts, Kim from Stuffed Suitcase and Tamara from We 3Travel

 

[00:00:31.100] - Kim Tate

Tamara. Happy Anniversary podcast partner. Woohoo! Five years we've been doing this together. We're so lucky.

 

[00:00:39.530] - Tamara Gruber

We're so lucky that we found each other and that we've, you know, managed to pull this off for five years. And we've developed such a special friendship through it. And I'm so glad I'm very thankful for you. I'm thankful for our podcast listeners. It's just been a great experience.

 

[00:00:54.050] - Kim Tate

I agree. I think it's funny because our podcast, if any of you, our fellow podcasters, you'll know it's you know, we'll be very upfront, there's not a lot of money in podcasting. But Tamara and I always say there's just something about getting to chat with your best friend weekly and have people listen to you and get to know you. And, you know, when you guys email us or message us on Facebook or on Instagram, it means so much to us.

 

[00:01:17.810] - Kim Tate

It makes us happy. We'll take screenshot and share it with people. And it's really good. So it's nice that we've created kind of a little community here and it means a lot to us.

 

[00:01:26.780] - Tamara Gruber

And can you just imagine this last year? I know we're doing fewer episodes a month. But if I didn't have you to reach out and talk to, it would have been even worse this past year.

 

[00:01:37.400] - Kim Tate

Agreed. It's great. I mean, technology is so awesome that even though we've been separated by a country, we're still going strong.

 

[00:01:45.020] - Kim Tate

We just need to get back to our trips because we've had some pretty epic trips. And I know today we are going to be talking all about winetasting, kind of some tips and then also a few destinations. But, you know, I thought it'd be good time before we get talking to Mary Jo all about some of our, you know, memorable trips together, maybe to celebrate our five years. I'm sure a lot of our longtime listeners will have heard of most of these, but might be kind of fun. Do you have any trips that stand out to you?

 

[00:02:13.310] - Tamara Gruber

Well, you know, the nice thing is that all of them have involved some wine. But, you know, I love when we go wine tasting together because while we may have very different opinions or tastes, I should say in some things like you love coffee and I hate the smell of it, you know, you're an early riser and I'm a late riser. But like we we seem to hit the similar notes when it comes to wine.

 

[00:02:35.510] - Tamara Gruber

I'm so glad that we're both like, no, no, we want the dry. We don't want the sweet. No, we don't want to oaky Chardonnay. Like, there have been things like that.

 

[00:02:43.430] - Tamara Gruber

And I've always been very impressed by your wine knowledge when we do go to tastings and it always makes for like a nice conversation with whoever's pouring or if we get to talk to the winemaker. And so you're very good travel partner when it comes to visiting wineries.

 

[00:02:58.520] - Kim Tate

Oh, that's so nice. I have actually the same feeling about my experience with you because I feel like we're kind of on the same level of awareness and we both enjoy the same things. And so I agree. I think that's funny. I just had this funny trip memory pop up and this will show people like how much we love wine and being like with each other. We took a trip to Clearwater, Florida for a conference and Tamara got in earlier than me and I was letting her know that I was like in the Uber almost at the airport or I mean, almost at the hotel. And she ran out to some like I don't even remember where you went.

 

[00:03:32.750] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah, a grocery store.

 

[00:03:34.400] - Kim Tate

Yeah. It was like she's like, I'm getting a bottle of wine. We need to chat. And so literally, I came in from, you know, the airplane and everything, and we popped open a wine and poured ourselves a glass and sat down. And it was an awesome start to just kind of a, you know, a work trip with your best friend is pretty awesome.

 

[00:03:51.050] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, we've tasted wine in Texas. Remember Texas.

 

[00:03:57.830] - Kim Tate

Grapevine. Right. That's I mean, literally called Grapevine for a reason.

 

[00:04:02.300] - Tamara Gruber

It was funny because I remember being I don't know if we were together at this part of the trip, but I was at one place where we're doing a tasting and everyone got super excited about, like the chocolate tasting red wine, I'm like, oh, yeah, no, that's OK.

 

[00:04:18.380] - Kim Tate

It is funny about the South because that was that experience that we had in New Mexico with El Paso as well. Was it was what was it like? Chili flavored that was really bad.

 

[00:04:29.330] - Tamara Gruber

And that was the one where I'm like, OK, I could have a glass of this or like a half a glass. But I'm not like going to have more than one. I was actually just talking to some friends recently and I had said, like, clearly I will admit that I'm not usually a person to have one glass.

 

[00:04:47.470] - Tamara Gruber

And so therefore if I'm going to have more than one glass, it's going to have to be something that I want more than one glass of, because we have this winery that's kind of down the road from us. And I made the mistake of going there when I first moved in here, not knowing that it was all like fruit wine and we were the only ones in there tasting. So I felt really bad to just like walk out that.

 

[00:05:06.950] - Kim Tate

Yikes. Yeah. I'm not into the flavored wines. Like the grapes have enough.Well I guess they flavor, I mean there are flavored wines, people add stuff

 

[00:05:15.920] - Tamara Gruber

But I do like that New Mexico one though because it was the we had a chance to talk to the wine maker, the wine he was from Chile. And so he kind of said like, look, this is not like I also make these like big Chilean reds. But I also I do this to satisfy, like, you know, a slice of our audience, like he knows where he is and what people are looking for. But then he also kind of did some of the wines that he loved, too.

 

[00:05:41.540] - Kim Tate

Yeah, well, and I was also remembering when we were in Santa Rosa and we got to do I love the wine tastings that go along with like food or snacks with it. And I think that's really fun. And I know Paul and I did one of those in Northern California, I guess it was more close to central California as we were leaving the redwoods once. And it's kind of fun to see how much it can really change the flavor of stuff. So, yeah, it was a fun experience with you.

 

[00:06:05.300] - Tamara Gruber

Glenn I did one of those in Mondavi once and it was, you know, completely different, you know, when he's like, OK, you know, have a bite of this now taste it again. We're like, whoa, totally different. Although I did learn when we went to where was it, Kendall Jackson together the year. You're not quite as into cheese as I am.

 

[00:06:23.390] - Kim Tate

Yeah, no, I'm not a cheese person and I shouldn't be really a dessert person either.

 

[00:06:27.580] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah and I have lactose issues, but I still love them.

 

[00:06:31.310] - Kim Tate

But yeah, I don't.

 

[00:06:32.770] - Tamara Gruber

What is wrong with, you know, cheese and dessert, this is why you stay healthy.

 

[00:06:36.860] - Kim Tate

Yeah. I don't know, I yeah. I'd much rather eat a bunch of vegetables or nuts

 

[00:06:41.630] - Tamara Gruber

But yeah I'm like bring me the fried stuff in the cheese.

 

[00:06:45.320] - Kim Tate

There's some fried stuff I like but yeah. So I think you know, some of those memories are so awesome. I'm excited that we've had five years of experiences together

 

[00:06:54.920] - Tamara Gruber

So we'll have to talk to Mary Jo and get some ideas and where we're winetasting next. Maybe it's up by you.

 

[00:07:01.700] - Kim Tate

I definitely think. Yeah, we definitely need to. Washington wine tasting. I also would love to do the Willamette Valley in Oregon. I've never really spent time there and I think we're due for a trip there. But I know somewhere I'm definitely due for a trip with you. And that is Italy, because you know a lot about Italian wine and I know very little. So and I also would love to go get a champagne tasting and learn more about champagne. So I have some international wine tasting trips I need to do with you.

 

[00:07:29.330] - Tamara Gruber

Well, let's talk to Mary Jo all about wine tasting and hopefully we can inspire some of our listeners to plan their next trip.

 

[00:07:36.350] - Tamara Gruber

Sounds great.

 

[00:07:45.930] - Tamara Gruber

So this week, we're here with Mary Jo Manzanares, and she is an avid traveler with over 16 years of digital publishing experience. You can see her traveling with M.J. where she focuses on value luxury travel, which is luxury for real people, not celebrities, and is currently working on Secret Seattle, which is going to be published by Readers Press in 2021. Congratulations on that. And she actually publishes six different travel and lifestyle sites. So welcome, Mary Jo.

 

[00:08:13.380] - Mary Jo Mazanares

Welcome. I'm so glad to be here.

 

[00:08:16.050] - Tamara Gruber

Well, we are always happy to talk about wine because we probably have been enjoying a little too much of it in the last year. But it's nice when you cannot just, you know, knock it down in, you know, but you're actually doing it with a purpose. And that's one of the things I always love about wine tasting when we are traveling. And even some of the virtual things that are available now is to to really sit back and enjoy the experience.

 

[00:08:40.830] - Tamara Gruber

And I know that you've actually hosted a few virtual wine tastings over the last year. And so we thought it'd be nice to talk to you.

 

[00:08:49.010] - Mary Jo Mazanares

Well, it's always nice to talk wine with friends.

 

[00:08:51.680] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah, I wish we were drinking it right now, but it's a little bit early, is a little early for you. But before we get into it all, I have to ask, do you have a favorite varietal?

 

[00:09:01.850] - Mary Jo Mazanares

Well, OK, so this is like asking a parent to choose their favorite child and every winemaker will tell you their favorite is the one that's currently in their glass. So with those caveats in mind, you know, I'm a fan of the big reds, so I lean toward the the cabs and the merlots that are big and juicy. And when you take that first sip, they just explode in your mouth.

 

[00:09:27.320] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah, I like those too. Sometimes I'm just like, really in the mood for, like, I'm all back or something, actually.

 

[00:09:32.000] - Mary Jo Mazanares

With a good steak.

 

[00:09:33.110] - Tamara Gruber

Yes, of course.

 

[00:09:35.420] - Kim Tate

Sounds amazing. So we thought we would kind of talk to you and just, you know, winetasting is such a huge part for Tamara and I when we travel. We love it. And neither of us have amazing you know, we don't have credentials, we're not experts, but we've come to realize that you can enjoy wine even if you aren't an expert. So what do you think for people who are kind of considering wine tasting or wine region or visiting wineries near them?

 

[00:10:01.300] - Kim Tate

What tips do you have when they choose, like what wineries to go into or try a tasting at?

 

[00:10:07.750] - Mary Jo Mazanares

I think it's really easy to start with smaller wineries. It just feels a little bit less intimidating. And you really have that direct connection with whoever happens to be running the tasting room. Sometimes it's the winemaker or a family member of the winemaker.

 

[00:10:25.120] - Mary Jo Mazanares

And just there's nothing wrong with saying I'm a newbie at this. I don't know what I like. I don't know what I don't like. And they are generally thrilled to help you with that path of discovery.

 

[00:10:37.810] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah, I have found that sometimes people gravitate towards like the name brands. And whenever you go into those, it's like a factory in there. You know, it's very busy. The pourers don't have time to really spend with you. It's kind of really here's our five. You know, here's my little recitation of what the description is. But when you go into those smaller ones, I end up like spending a lot of time and usually a lot of money, but it's so fun.

 

[00:11:06.040] - Tamara Gruber

And those are the ones where, you know, if you really enjoy something, they're always like, you know, if you like that, let me show you this, too. And it gets you know, it just turns into a whole experience.

 

[00:11:15.760] - Mary Jo Mazanares

And it's it's not it's a journey, not a destination. And sometimes that means finding that you don't like a whole bunch of stuff, a whole bunch of flavors that just don't suit you. And then you find the one that you just love.

 

[00:11:31.630] - Mary Jo Mazanares

And the one thing I found visiting small wineries is when you meet the winemaker or the family and there's the winery, dog or cat, there's something about falling in love with the experience that I think has a direct influence on how you feel about the wine.

 

[00:11:47.590] - Kim Tate

Oh, 100 percent absolutely agree.

 

[00:11:50.140] - Kim Tate

I think you gave a great tip about look for those smaller wineries, because I you know, it's the same thing I've had some of the best experiences have been when either I'm almost all alone in there or, you know, there's one person pouring for when people come in and it's just it feels more focused on you versus the larger ones that are going to attract a lot of people. You know, like you said Tamara, it's almost like you're on an assembly line and you got them running and they're like, OK, which one are you at?

 

[00:12:17.920] - Kim Tate

And they don't even remember where your tasting is at and they're just pouring you another one. And so I think I think that's a good tip because like you said, you can kind of end up in this relationship and really discover things you wouldn't have considered before. And I think when people are starting out with wine tasting, that's one of the, you know, most, I guess, joyous parts of it is when you discover a varietal or you discover something and you can actually put words to it and go, oh, yeah, OK, that's what I like. That's what I don't like. And I think that's cool.

 

[00:12:47.710] - Mary Jo Mazanares

And I think when you visit a smaller winery, or especially one that's not really busy, it's it is about a relationship, as you said, and you have that time to actually enjoy and learn and taste. And that's just all part of the experience. Yeah.

 

[00:13:04.930] - Tamara Gruber

And, you know, I'm just kind of thinking and transitioning of the to the virtual world that some of us are in now. And I think it goes hand in hand, like I joined the virtual wine tasting. I think it was like through wine enthusiast. And, you know, of course, there's thousands of people. You're just listening in. You're not actually interacting. And it was more about like, let's use this celebrity name to try to get a lot of attention. And sell a lot of wine. And it wasn't as much about what are we really tasting. You know, it was more about like, let's just impress you with this, like, name and back story. So I think it must go hand in hand, like when you're doing the virtual tastings where you can get a little bit more of an intimate experience.

 

[00:13:48.490] - Mary Jo Mazanares

Well, and I've kept my virtual tasting small. I don't want more than ten people because that does simulate if you were actually at the winery and you have direct interaction with the winemaker to ask questions and get information. So I've really enjoyed keeping it far more intimate than that because that's the experience I prefer. Now, that's not for everyone. I get it. But I really do prefer small, intimate group when I'm enjoying my wine.

 

[00:14:16.150] - Kim Tate

Yeah, I think the virtual wine tastings have become, you know, kind of a really neat thing that has evolved because of, ah, you know, what am I trying to say because of the pandemic, because it wasn't as popular then. But some of these wineries have done amazing things where, you know, you can order the wine, you know. Three bottles, six bottles or whatever, and they'll ship it to you and you, you know, sit down one night and you can taste it with the winemaker.

 

[00:14:42.840] - Kim Tate

And again, like you said, Tamara, the smaller wineries, sometimes you're almost one on one with the winemaker, and it's really fun. So I highly recommend people who are interested to look into that. And it's a great way to support an economy, you know, that's definitely struggling, especially Mary Jo. You and I know on the West Coast, our wineries are really, you know, they need our help as much as possible. So I think it's a great way for people to buy and help them out. I mean, I think people need to realize that there are a lot of great virtual opportunities.

 

[00:15:13.470] - Kim Tate

But let's start and consider that in the future we are all able to travel again and we are going to be going on a wine tasting trip.

 

[00:15:21.810] - Kim Tate

Why don't you start with some tips like how many wineries should you plan to visit a day? Because, yeah, you don't always consider that the big question.

 

[00:15:31.320] - Mary Jo Mazanares

And first of all, I think any time you talk about alcohol, you have to make really clear that, you know, don't drink and drive, have a designated driver, all of those kind of things, because that's just part of the prudence of wine tasting.

 

[00:15:47.340] - Mary Jo Mazanares

I usually can do three, sometimes four.

 

[00:15:52.170] - Mary Jo Mazanares

However I taste, I don't drink. And I think that you need to decide if you're going to taste, which really means, you know, taking a few sips of a variety of wines or if you're going to actually enjoy a full pour for my husband and I, you know, if we will, one full pour of a taste is more than enough for both of us to decide if we like it or not.

 

[00:16:16.380] - Mary Jo Mazanares

Plus dump in the bucket so so we can do three, four if they're if we really have to. But any more than that, it just all blurs together. And we don't know what we've tasted and what we'd like to what we didn't like.

 

[00:16:32.230] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah, I agree. We've sometimes done that where it's like, you know, OK, this one I think I really want to taste my own if we have different opinions. But other times we will sometimes split a tasting flight and and do it that way, although I will say, you know, a good plug so that you're both enjoying it and you can do whatever you like is he could hire a driver? Definitely. I mean, we've done some wine tours, actually.

 

[00:16:54.220] - Tamara Gruber

We did a wine tour in France and one in Italy. And it was just amazing. You know, it's just so nice to have it all taken care of for you because they're also making the appointments and setting everything up in advance for you.

 

[00:17:06.120] - Mary Jo Mazanares

Well, you know that you you want to totally indulge and drink a full pour of several at several locations, just find some that are close together and easily walkable from one to another. If you're in an urban setting, you can like downtown Walla Walla. You can easily walk from tasting room to tasting room. And you don't need to worry about driving if you're going someplace farther, farther out than you do need to think about either an Uber or a car and driver for the whole time.

 

[00:17:34.590] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah, I like that idea that some of the towns, you know, we'll have tasting rooms. So some of the times the wineries will have their own tasting room at the vineyard. But like in town, they'll have a little tasting room. And I know, like in Carmel we did that we had like a little wine passport and we just kind of walked around town. And that was it was great. But sometimes I definitely love that winery experience.

 

[00:17:54.360] - Mary Jo Mazanares

And downtown Napa, it has the same thing. You can taste a number of the tasting rooms downtown rather than drive out to the wineries, which are so spread apart.

 

[00:18:04.200] - Kim Tate

Yeah, and I think another thing to consider is food during that time. And, you know, if they offer any charcuterie boards and things on that line, it's always good to make sure. Do you balance a little bit of food with the drinking?

 

[00:18:16.140] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah. Like you can schedule a lunch or you can do a you know, like you said, sign up for a food and wine pairing kind of tasting or cheese and wine.

 

[00:18:25.140] - Kim Tate

Like you and I did when we were in Sonoma. I was remembering that when we went they had a big Mary-Jo, they had a big festival. What was that? It was like the Winemaker's Awards. I can't remember the name of it now in Santa Rosa. And Tamara and I, it was nice, you know, to Uber from her hotel over.

 

[00:18:42.300] - Kim Tate

And while we we certainly drank a lot that night and they had an Uber back.

 

[00:18:49.020] - Tamara Gruber

Not as much as some of those, not as much as some of the people.

 

[00:18:51.480] - Kim Tate

It was funny. I mean, people watching at that event was quite you know, you walked in and everything seemed normal, but by, you know, two hours in, it was quite the show.

 

[00:18:59.880] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah. Once I saw some some shoving going on, I'm like, yeah, it's time to go.

 

[00:19:05.370] - Tamara Gruber

Well, I mean, that's kind of covers, you know, some things to think about when you're planning a, you know, planning your day, when you're planning a wine tasting day. But when you're actually, you know, sitting down or standing up to taste your wine, do you have any tips or someone like what should they look at? What is your method for tasting wine? You know, what should they be looking for in terms of like taste or appearance or, you know, just without getting too fancy? But I think a little bit of understanding, you know.

 

[00:19:35.500] - Mary Jo Mazanares

Well, everyone will tell you that there are three things to consider when you're doing a tasting are, you know, what does it look like? What does it smell like? How does it taste? And that's way oversimplifying the whole science and art of wine tasting.

 

[00:19:51.370] - Mary Jo Mazanares

But I try to follow that at a novice to intermediate kind of level.

 

[00:19:56.920] - Mary Jo Mazanares

I mean, I look at what it looks in the glass. I swirl it. I put my nose deep into the glass and see what it smells like. What does that what does that do to my senses?

 

[00:20:06.850] - Mary Jo Mazanares

And then I sip and I have never been able to master that art of somehow breathing in and sipping and making that noise as you're tasting. I mean, I can't do that.

 

[00:20:20.500] - Mary Jo Mazanares

I give that up to the experts and the Soms who really know what they're doing. I just take a sip and see what that first sip feels like in my mouth and what my reaction to it is. And then I take my second sip to really see how it it lingers on the palate.

 

[00:20:36.760] - Tamara Gruber

You know, it's funny, my husband does that little gargle kind of thing. I'm like, I can gargle mouthwash without choking. So that's not going to happen.

 

[00:20:45.400] - Tamara Gruber

But I really like to do that, you know, nice, good sniff and like, see what I'm picking up then and then see like when you taste it, are you catching those same things, you know, are you tasting something different? And then it's really, truly amazing how much wine changes, you know, when it's had time to breathe or if you just had something else on your palate. Sometimes I love doing those tastings where it's like, OK, take a taste now, take a bite of this and taste it again. You're like, oh my gosh, it's a completely different thing. You know, it makes you realize, like, the differences there.

 

[00:21:18.900] - Mary Jo Mazanares

And we found that when we started doing some tastings and wanting to learn a little bit more about it, we purchased a wine wheel and I think we just got it from Amazon or something. And to help us identify what we were tasting. And the other thing we learned was there are some flavors I will never be able to recognize because I don't know what they are.

 

[00:21:42.300] - Mary Jo Mazanares

And some people just can't taste certain things and some people can.

 

[00:21:46.770] - Mary Jo Mazanares

I always pick up the leathery, earthy mushrooms, the smoky kind of flavors and wine, and my husband rarely notices those.

 

[00:21:57.420] - Mary Jo Mazanares

He picks up the dark cherries and the stone fruit. And those are just really sort of, you know, I don't even notice. So it's like, yeah, yeah, there they are. So very much it's a personal thing, which is why there's not really a best wine. It's just the best wine for you.

 

[00:22:14.400] - Kim Tate

Yeah, I think that's a good thing to consider. And I mean, I think people will learn that as they taste. And the more you do it, you'll soon start to see like, oh, you know, that's a that's a lighter in appearance. You know, maybe that's a pinot noir, you know, and OK, this is the color I'd expect from it versus OK, now they're pouring me a, you know, Malbec. And it's going to look very different. And and I think, like you said, it's fun, I mean, I love when I smell wine and then I taste it. I love those moments when it's not what I expect because I'll pick up, you know, a lot of that. Earthy, leathery, very. Yeah. Earthy tone in the smelling. And then I'll taste it. And it's so jammy on my tongue and I'm like, whoa, that was not what I was expecting at all, you know? So it's kind of funny how you can have those experiences.

 

[00:22:59.250] - Tamara Gruber

I always love, like the blind taste test, too, you know, when they do like the black glass or something. And and you need to to guess and I know some people are doing that with virtual wine tastings, too, but it adds like that fun element to it and almost like little competition element. You know who got it right? My husband, he's he loves wine.

 

[00:23:16.110] - Tamara Gruber

And he I think one of the first times he went to Napa, he was like, this is what I would like to do when I retire is like go work in one of these places. So he actually he has gotten is like level one WSET, but then he never had time to go pursue number two. And I was it sounds terrible, but he now that we've been home so much, I'm like, oh, if only you could have done it online. Like now you have all this time to do it because before he's always traveling and never able to, you know, go to the actual class.

 

[00:23:47.430] - Tamara Gruber

But he it's funny, he doesn't have the same palate that I do, not just in differences of taste, but he has a lot of trouble picking up on some of it. And I always pick on him. I tell him it's because he drinks so much coffee. It's like deaden his taste buds. But who knows? Like, people are like you said, they're just very different.

 

[00:24:03.660] - Mary Jo Mazanares

Well, you can do a couple of levels of the WSET at home because I was looking into it thinking, well, you know, I've always wanted to do it, but with travel, I've never been able to make the commitment maybe I should do it for from home so it can be done.

 

[00:24:20.160] - Tamara Gruber

I'm going to have them look into it because, you know, it's it's been his dream. He's wanted to do it. And so we'll see. Maybe now would be a time to to get that next level.

 

[00:24:28.770] - Kim Tate

I have a friend who retired and she's a pourer in a local little winery here in Washington State. So she loves it. It's fun because she gets to say social and she works very part time hours and just enjoys it.

 

[00:24:41.880] - Mary Jo Mazanares

So, yeah, well, and it's not uncommon with family owned wineries that you'll have multiple generations working at the the winery, whether it's doing the book, serve the tasting room or or some of the consumer facing activities. So it's a multigenerational.

 

[00:25:01.470] - Kim Tate

Yeah, I think that's fun when you you sit down on some of those, like you said, the smaller wineries, and you find out like, oh, you're the winemaker. Oh, OK.

 

[00:25:09.390] - Kim Tate

Is it totally different than when it's just you're just a hired hand who's pouring and, you know, isn't as emotionally connected to the wines as a winemaker is.

 

[00:25:20.610] - Kim Tate

Well, we've talked about kind of some tips for what people should look for and taste and what you know, let's imagine that we're all ready to book a wine trip and we're all safe to travel again. Do you have some favorite wine regions that you just love traveling to?

 

[00:25:37.430] - Mary Jo Mazanares

Oh, now you're just going to be breaking my heart.

 

[00:25:40.800] - Kim Tate

No, I mean, we've got to come in again. We'll just, you know, pretend we're going to be imagining where we're booking our next trip.

 

[00:25:48.990] - Mary Jo Mazanares

Oh, well, I think I'll give three of my favorites. So I'm not offending too many people in Europe. I'm really a fan of Tuscany dominantly because I like the big super Tuscans Brunello Sangiovese is.

 

[00:26:05.160] - Mary Jo Mazanares

And that's just, you know, where to go to the source. And I just I just loved wine tasting there. And we always wind up shipping wine home. So, you know, a. It's also a very expensive trip, so in Europe, that would be one of my recommendations outside of Washington because my home state is obviously my favorite. I really like downtown Napa. And the reason is that you can stay close in, you can walk everywhere.

 

[00:26:34.960] - Mary Jo Mazanares

You don't need a car. It's easy to get to from a variety of airports, San Francisco, Oakland or Sacramento, the latter. I think it's the easiest to fly in. And you can really get a lot done both tasting and having fun without having to have a car and worry about driving.

 

[00:26:53.550] - Mary Jo Mazanares

And there's some great wines there and locally. Oh, it's hard to choose a favorite, but my favorite locally here in Washington would probably be Walla Walla.

 

[00:27:03.570] - Mary Jo Mazanares

The given that they have several different districts, you can really focus on a district without having to do too much driving and really get some great flavors plus there downtown. So if you stay close in to downtown, you don't have to drive everywhere. So those would be my three recommendations.

 

[00:27:24.930] - Tamara Gruber

Well, I'm going to give a little plug and a shout out to someone that we had a great time with when we were in Tuscany a couple of years ago, and that's Tuscan organic tours. So they focus on like small, organic, biodynamic type of wineries.

 

[00:27:37.290] - Tamara Gruber

And we worked with their owner, Giacomo, and it was like one of the best days of our lives. It was so, so wonderful. Like all the little like family run kind of wineries that we visited had an amazing lunch in a tiny village, you know, learned so much about kind of the local agritourism. And, yeah, it was fantastic. So if anyone is going to go to Tuscany, definitely check them out.

 

[00:28:00.390] - Kim Tate

I think one of the things, Mary Jo, that you mentioned that I think is good for people to realize, especially I mean, people who are not novices will know this, but for people who are kind of not as into it, but want to get into wine tasting, it's good to know that a lot of times regions definitely have certain varietals or certain wines that they're known for.

 

[00:28:19.470] - Kim Tate

And so if you know that you really like, you know, bold reds, then a Tuscany trip might make sense.

 

[00:28:25.530] - Kim Tate

And of course, Tuscany, I mean, they've got everything. But, you know, you might want to choose based on wines you really like, whereas, you know, Tamara and I, it's kind of funny to even mention this, but we were in El Paso and they drove us over the border. And do you even remember where that was to in New Mexico? Yeah, but I mean, I don't remember the winery. But anyways, they drove us over the border to New Mexico to do a wine tasting.

 

[00:28:49.380] - Kim Tate

And it was very you know, Tamara and I are not into sweet wines. And they were a lot of sweet whites. And part of the reason they said, you know, they're down south and people are really, you know, they're craving a kind of cold and quenching drink as opposed to, you know, if you live in the north, a big, big red isn't that big of a deal because you're not going to be in sweltering hot weather.

 

[00:29:10.770] - Kim Tate

So I think, you know, that's something to keep in mind when you're planning a trip or thinking of doing a trip that's going to do some wine tasting is figure out maybe what that region is known for. I mean, there are areas, of course, all over California and Washington state, even we've become quite, you know, known what used to say Oregon would be the home of Pinot Noir. But, you know, some regions definitely have a few varieties, but it's a good thing to keep in mind.

 

[00:29:36.840] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah, definitely. I mean, we you know, I'm thinking here on the Northeast, you know, in New York state, the Finger Lakes very well known for their dry Rieslings, like their German style dry Rieslings. And just thinking about when we were in the south of France, like the Languedoc in the Provence, very well known for their roses, you know. So definitely that's something good to keep in mind.

 

[00:29:59.460] - Tamara Gruber

And I find, like a lot of the newer regions that are still developing, you know, their vines are not as old. So, you know, the flavors are probably going to still continue to develop. But a lot of those regions tend to kind of have a sweet and a dry like tasting menu.

 

[00:30:16.860] - Tamara Gruber

Even I think they know that their audience is, you know, may be new to it as well. And so they're like, well, what do you like? And they kind of direct you one path or another.

 

[00:30:26.430] - Mary Jo Mazanares

The other thing that we found is that certain choices that we might avoid at home that we try on when we're traveling are totally different now and we're predominantly red wine drinkers. But at home, we would never go buy a bottle of Chablis. It is just not anything that would ever occur to us.

 

[00:30:47.610] - Mary Jo Mazanares

We were on a barge cruise in France and actually went to Chablis and visited the Chalbis' there. Totally different experience. Not at all. But we would find here at home, at the store. So, yeah, you have to be willing to to do a little bit of experimenting when you travel and and realize that things aren't necessarily the same when you're at the source. As when you're you're in your home region.

 

[00:31:15.600] - Kim Tate

That's such a good point. I was just going to quickly say, like Chardonnay, California chardonnays, I would normally run screaming from the brand before they put a California Chardonnay in front of me. But, you know, it's kind of fun because as they've evolved, you know, the tasting rooms have learned because some winemakers are like, OK, we want to reclaim Chardonnay for California. And they'll be like, no, you have to taste this. It's not your traditional California Chardonnay.

 

[00:31:37.470] - Kim Tate

And sure enough, they've you know, it's not as oaky and buttery. They put it in a steel barrel and stuff. So it's just kind of fun to, like you said, to be able to do a tasting because it can you wouldn't want to spend, you know, thirty bucks on a bottle when you're trying something out. But yet, if you're at a tasting, you you know, it's a minor fee to just try something.

 

[00:31:58.350] - Tamara Gruber

That's one of the things I love and miss about travel, too, is that, like you said, Mary Jo, like you're in a particular region, they're known for something. And maybe it's something that you didn't think you like or maybe something you never heard of before and you would have never ordered because you had no idea what it was.

 

[00:32:14.550] - Tamara Gruber

But when we were in France, I fell in love with the Picpoul de Pinet. It's like a white wine that has like a lot of minerality in it, you know, because it comes from the coast and I just. Now, I'm, like, obsessed with it in the summer. I'm like, let's get oysters and Picpoul, you know, like it makes me so happy when I can find it at home. But it just brings back those travel memories to, you know,

 

[00:32:35.510] - Mary Jo Mazanares

You have to go back and send some home.

 

[00:32:38.510] - Tamara Gruber

You know, I will say when we talk about shipping home, when we were in Tuscany, it was very easy to ship home a lot of times if you bought enough, they included the shipping. They took care of the shipping. It was all good. It was not outlandish.

 

[00:32:51.440] - Tamara Gruber

When we were in France, the wine was so cheap, but you could not ship it home like nobody shipped. And if you tried to find, like, one that shipped, it was going to definitely cost as much as the wine. And so it really made it not worth it.

 

[00:33:04.130] - Tamara Gruber

It was so disappointing because we found so many that we fell in love with. So now, you know, we just made sure we brought back a list to our local wine shop and, you know, try to get them to get what they can. A lot of these smaller wineries just don't distribute that much, you know. So it's enjoy it while you're there.

 

[00:33:19.880] - Mary Jo Mazanares

I guess, to you know, when we find a small winery that we always figure we'll put a bottle in our our checked luggage coming home and we've never had a problem with breakage. Yeah. And then if there's someplace that'll ship, we try to take advantage of that. But you're right, some of the small places, they're just mom and pop operation, then you just have to grab it and be willing to carry it home.

 

[00:33:43.380] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah, exactly. Or carry it and drink it the next day.

 

[00:33:50.210] - Kim Tate

So do you have any final wine tasting tips that you could share with our listeners if they're considering, you know, getting into wine tasting and checking this whole, like, passion of ours?

 

[00:34:01.790] - Mary Jo Mazanares

Well, yeah. I mean, it's it's a journey. And what I like 10 or 15 years ago is not what I like now. And that's because I've explored and learn new things and leave your preconceptions at the door. Don't bring them to the bottle and be willing to try something, even if you think you won't like it, because you know you might be right. It might be. Oh yeah, no, don't like this one.

 

[00:34:27.620] - Mary Jo Mazanares

Or you might be pleasantly surprised, but generally speaking, you will still learn something sometimes the path to finding your favorite wine or your favorite wine for the week or the month, it's just learning what you don't like.

 

[00:34:41.600] - Mary Jo Mazanares

So my biggest thing is just be willing to try to experiment and, you know, don't be a jerk. Don't try to impress people with everything that you know or think you know about wine. Just it's community. It's family. Just go and have a good time.

 

[00:34:56.240] - Kim Tate

That's a really great advice. Yeah, I was going to also mention for people who are novices with this, maybe we could also talk about really quickly pricing so people understand, like, you know, you buy a wine tasting, but normally that's credited if you buy a bottle.

 

[00:35:11.750] - Kim Tate

So what do you see as the average tastings that you're used to?

 

[00:35:15.350] - Mary Jo Mazanares

I mean, well, right now it's just all over the board. And I think that it changes based on the region in California. When I started wine tasting there, it was always free. And there may be a fee if you were getting a premier, you know, wine or something from, you know, the seller that was more spending. Now, pretty much every place is is fee based around Washington. You know, it's really hit or miss.

 

[00:35:46.550] - Mary Jo Mazanares

Some places are fee based. Some are not. Sometimes it's rebated against the wine if you buy it. Sometimes it's if you buy three bottles, they'll rebate it. It really is all over the board.

 

[00:35:57.380] - Mary Jo Mazanares

And during covid, I think the the differences in what people are doing is even greater. So just just check the wine winery or the wine tasting rooms website and hopefully they'll have have updated it.

 

[00:36:12.380] - Mary Jo Mazanares

But if I'm going to spend, you know, more than a nominal amount, it it has to be one superb tasting. I know there were a few tasting rooms in California that were charging twenty five dollars for a flight of three wines and yeah, that's that's it.

 

[00:36:30.110] - Tamara Gruber

It better be tasting real premium wines and that better be the reserves.

 

[00:36:34.770] - Mary Jo Mazanares

Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

 

[00:36:37.100] - Mary Jo Mazanares

Or they're their club wines or something. Limited edition. Absolutely agree.

 

[00:36:41.970] - Kim Tate

I would say I mean, most often I see five five dollar tastings is kind of pretty common, especially in Washington. But like you said, sometimes they're not even going to charge it and especially the smaller ones are just so happy to talk to you. And then you almost always end up finding something you like and walking out of there with a bottle. So it works well.

 

[00:36:59.940] - Mary Jo Mazanares

But I've what I've found is, is that sometimes when you're talking with them and they really know that you're interested and you want to make some purchases and you want to learn more, you know, they break out some stuff that maybe wasn't on the tasting list or they add something in because you're not there just to get that cheap drunk on.

 

[00:37:18.420] - Mary Jo Mazanares

You're actually there to learn about them and and to discover something.

 

[00:37:22.590] - Tamara Gruber

Exactly.

 

[00:37:23.400] - Kim Tate

I think that's a good tip. I think the good that, you know, pulling that out a little more is make a relationship with the person doing the tasting with you, you know, actually be interested, actually try and learn. And like you said, I think, you know, you might be surprised by some stuff that you might get a sneak peek at.

 

[00:37:39.750] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah. Ask them questions. You know, talk about how you you know, what you're thinking of the different ones. Like, definitely it's I've seen that happen many, many times because they just get excited and they're like, yeah. And you would like this one.

 

[00:37:51.870] - Kim Tate

Yeah. Great. Well, we will wrap up and ask you our question that we ask all of our guests, and that is, what do you wear when you travel? Do you have a favorite brand of clothing or shoes or anything? That's a go to travel gear item for you?

 

[00:38:05.490] - Mary Jo Mazanares

Well, I'm a comfort girl, so I want I want comfortable clothes. Nothing too short, too long, too tight. So I, I tend to pretty much stick with, you know, leggings and an oversize top. And I'm not particularly brand loyal in that regard. If I know that I'm going to be doing a lot of walking, you know, my feet are where I probably pay a little bit more attention. I really like Skechers. They give me lots of support. They have a variety of styles from a true trail or walking shoe to something that I can easily wear yet cobblestone streets in in Europe without standing out. So I'm all about the comfort.

 

[00:38:48.660] - Tamara Gruber

We are right there with you.

 

[00:38:49.890] - Kim Tate

Yeah, I was going to say Tamara and I are with you.

 

[00:38:52.290] - Mary Jo Mazanares

Good. Well, can you remind our listeners where they can find you online anywhere in lots of places, but maybe give a few.

 

[00:38:57.930] - Mary Jo Mazanares

I'll give you my primary sites. I met traveling with MJ that's traveling with MJ Dotcom. And you can find me at all the social channels at traveling with MJ as well. Great. Thank you so much. Oh, ladies, it's so good talking wine, and I just can't wait till we can get together and do this in person.

 

[00:39:17.260] - Kim Tate

I agree, especially, you know, now that we're we're semi local, so once we can socialize it, be easy for you and I to meet up and Woodinville or something and do some tastings, pick a winery.

 

[00:39:26.860] - Mary Jo Mazanares

I'll meet you there. Yeah, sounds good.

 

[00:39:29.080] - Tamara Gruber

You guys can face time, me in. Sounds good. Well, enjoy. Thank you so much.

 

[00:39:39.010] - Tamara Gruber

OK, so we are back and I just want to give a shout out to one of our listeners, Heather Hill. She sent in a message. We were talking about places to go this summer that were good for the outdoors. And she had suggested Michigan, which I've actually thought about a lot, because there's so many places there that you wouldn't really think that you're in the northern part of the country.

 

[00:39:57.820] - Tamara Gruber

You know, the water is so beautiful or there's sand dunes. You know, there's just so much there. So she had mentioned the national parks and Mackinac Island and Traverse City. So I may not be pronouncing that entirely correctly, but so that was, you know, a suggestion. And she also was looking for some episodes about other kinds of vacation rentals. So we're going to look into that as well. But I just want to say thank you, Heather, for writing in to us and for giving us the suggestion.

 

[00:40:25.330] - Kim Tate

Yeah, that's a great one. I know Michigan's really popular with, you know, like cabins and lake getaways and stuff. So it sounds like a good episode we should check out.

 

[00:40:36.100] - Kim Tate

Well, if you guys are joining again in two weeks because we're still on our biweekly schedule, we are going to be talking all about tips for finding hotel deals. And we've got something kind of cool interviewee.

 

[00:40:48.340]

Talk to you then.

 

Tamara heads to Tucson, Arizona frequently since her daughter Hannah is now a junior at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Kim and Tamara first experienced Tucson together at a Family Travel Association Conference, but since Hannah started school Tamara has visited a number of times.

While many of her activities are centered around the University of Arizona, she has taken time to explore more of the area.

A few tips for visiting Tucson:

• Visit in the summer for lower prices but expect dry temps over 100 and it can also be monsoon season with short heavy rain storms and flooding
• Avoid May graduation, August move in, Parent weekend in September or October, the Mineral & Gem Show in February, and big football or basketball games to find better availability for hotels
• If you want a resort hotel with a pool, you are better looking at some of the hotels in the foothills versus downtown
• You need to rent a car if you want to stay at a resort and explore the area
• It is about 2-2.5 hours from Phoenix if you want to fly into there instead of Tucson or combine the two destinations

Favorite hotels:

• Best for families: Westin Paloma
• See Tamara's picks for the best places to stay in Tucson
• Favorite for couples: Hacienda Del Sol
• Best near campus: Graduate Tucson
• Best downtown: Home2Suites by Hilton

Things to do in Tucson:

• Saguaro National Park
• Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum
• Sunset at West Gate Pass
• Night sky star gazing at Mt Lemmon Windy Point or Kitt Peak
• Hiking in Sabino Canyon
• Pima Air and Space Museum
• Horseback riding at White Stallion Ranch / Cowboy Cookout at Tanque Verde Ranch
• Old Town Tucson
• Shopping along Fourth Avenue
• Enjoy Mexican food
• See more things to do in Tucson
• Great brunch spots in Tucson

Other Episodes You May Enjoy

• Scottsdale
• Tempe, Arizona

Thinking about planning a cruise with your family but not sure which cruise line is best? Amber from Global Munchkins shares her best tips on cruising with kids including picking a boat, planning your activities, and packing for a cruise.

ON THE PODCAST

00:30 - Kim’s girlfriend getaway

08:03 - Wine tasting experience

11:58 - Talking with Amber Mamian

16:54 - Favorite Cruise Lines

21:27 - How to Pick a Cruise

25:42 - Cruise Excursions (or not)?

28:00 - Cruise Ship Waiting for you!?

31:00 - Tips for Booking a Cruise

34:50 - Tips for Cruising with Kids

39:56 - Things to Pack

41:34 - What does Amber wear when she travels

44:26 - Tip of the week

46:05 - SHOUT OUT 

ABOUT AMBER MAMIAN

Amber Mamian is a freelance writer, family travel expert and founder of GlobalMunchkins.com. She is also a mom to five amazing kids through both birth and adoption and crazy passionate about finding deals that allow her to continue her luxury travel lifestyle with kids in tow. You can follow Amber's travels on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

TIPS FOR CRUISING WITH KIDS

• Disney Cruise Line is great for younger kids but Amber (and Kim's) new favorite is Norwegian Cruise Line. They have great food and excellent activities for families. With a lot of kids, it is a great idea to book adjoining cabins.
• Looking at the activities and the ship layout is a great way to narrow down what cruise to take. Not so much the destination, especially when traveling with kids.
• The newer ships have the best options when it comes to activities for the kids and the whole family.
• When it comes to excursions you can either book through the line or through a third party. It is best to look these things up beforehand. Cruise Critic is a great site for finding both. You will save lots of money booking third party, but take care to check the reviews before booking.
• Cruising with kids can be nerve racking for the first time. Rest assure, it is safe and outside of the possibility of motion sickness, your kids will have a lot of fun.
• Be sure to pack some cash for tipping at the kids club on the ship.
• For that very first day of the cruise be sure to take a carry on bag with sunscreen, swimsuit and things like that, because your luggage will take awhile to be put into the rooms and for the rooms to be open. This way you will be able to utilize the pool and est. Most people don’t think of this so the pool is pretty empty.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

According to Amber and her family, ‘Rainbow Sandals’ are great sandals that don’t hurt your feet.

TIP OF THE WEEK

If you going on a cruise you can use an ‘over the door’ shoe organizer. Everyone will get a row to keep their flip flops, lanyards, ID card, sunscreen, est.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Vivo 53 in Bellevue, WA

Efeste in Woodinville, WA

Global Munchkins

Cruise Critic

5 Things Families will Loved about the Norwegian Cruise Getaway

5 Reasons Disney Cruise Line Rocks

Extras to Add to Your Cruising Packing List

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035# You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

If you are ready to hit the beach, head to Virginia Beach, where there is something for everyone. This week we chat with Brianna Simmons, from The Casual Travelist, about her hometown of Virginia Beach and all it has to offer families.

ON THE PODCAST

00:30 - Talking with Kim and Tamara about the beach

06:20 - Tamara’s upcoming trip

12:20 - Talking with Brianna

14:25 - How Virginia is doing with Covid-19

15:57 - Different sections of the beach

18:06 - Hotel vs. Beach House

19:45 - Activities

22:29 - Favorite Restaurants

24:40 - When to go

25:36 - Where Brianna wants to go next

26:48 - Brianna’s Favorite Travel Gear

28:20 - Coming up Next

ABOUT BRIANNA SIMMONS

Brianna Simmons is a travel blogger at the Casual Travelist where she balances her love for travel with a full time career as a physical therapist. Whether you’re getting away for 2 days or 2 weeks she aims to show you how to make the most of your vacation days.

Follow Brianna on Facebook and Instagram.

TIPS FOR VISITING VIRGINIA BEACH

• Virginia Beach has a beach experience for just about everyone. The main area is a resort area, which has a three-mile long boardwalk, making it a very family-friendly place to visit. During the summer they usually have music acts and a lot of other activities going on. This is also the area where you can find most of the hotels.
• If you are looking for a place quiet, you can always visit the Chesapeake Bay area, which is great and has calmer waters.
• Sandbridge is another area that is relaxing, located at the very northern tip on the Outer Banks.
• Depending on how long you are staying and where, renting a beach house is a great way to vacation at Virginia Beach.
• Going to the beach may be the main reason why you are visiting the area but there are definitely some other activities that you can do on your trip. For instance there is a really great Aquarium that also offers dolphin wildlife cruises during the summer months. They also offer whale watching cruises during the winter months.
• If you want to stay outdoors there are some different state parks you can explore and even camp if you are feeling adventurous. In Chesapeake Bay there is First Landing State Park that has some great wooded or water trails and also offers some camping areas. Around Sandbridge there is False Cape State Park, but you will have to hike or bike there since you can not drive to the park.
• Holiday weekends are usually very busy. Make sure to check the weather when you are planning your trip, as the days get closer you want to prepare yourself if it ends up being rainy. Being that the beach is on the East Coast you want to keep in mind the chance of hurricanes.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Brianna loves to wear her comfortable clothes, which includes a pair of leggings from American Giant paired with a Marine Layer t-shirt. As another layer she loves to wear her Daisy Wrap from Eddie Bauer that goes with everything.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Where to Eat in Virginia Beach

Beach Packing List - Stuffed Suitcase

Hilton Garden Inn - Virginia Beach

The Cavalier Hotel

Virginia Aquarium 

Commune Restaurant

Bay Local Eatery

Lolly’s Creamery

Casual Foodist

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email at podcast@vacationmavens.com. You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

The Florida Keys is a perfect road trip destination for families, or friends. This week Kim and Tamara talk all about their recent trip to the Florida Keys and Key West, with stops in Key Largo and Key West.

ON THE PODCAST

00:30 - Talking with Kim and Tamara about their time in the Florida Keys

02:31 - Getting to and around the Keys

10:45 - Key Largo - Baker’s Cay Resort

17:35 - Playa Largo Resort

23:00 - Islamorada

30:45 - Driving to Key West

38:20 - Stock Island

42:44 - Places to eat

50:58 - Food Tour and Boat Tour

58:15 - Sunset Celebration

1:02:00 - Island Adventure Tour

1:09:30 - Coming up next

TIPS FOR VISITING THE FLORIDA KEYS

• Keep in mind when you are planning your trip to the Keys that you are going to be driving down through different Keys, you will run into quite a bit of traffic since you will mostly be driving through one lane roads and small beach towns with lights and little shops.
• The Baker’s Cay Resortin Key Largo is a great resort for families or friends. They have great views and while the beach and pool are not close to each other to enable you to easily go back and forth, they are both very nice. This resort offers a complimentary glass of champagne at sunset every night, nicely decorated public spaces, and offers water sport adventures that you can easily access on their dock.
• Playa Largo Resortbeach seems to be a bit narrower and part of this you can only access they water by a set of stairs. They also offer a special treat of marshmallows you can roast on bonfires at sunset. The resort pool is nicer than Baker's Cay and right on the beach.
• If you are at all interested in feeding fish, a great area to visit is Robbies on Islamorada. They have a restaurant is called Hunger Tarpon and you can pay a fee to go out on the docks and buy a bucket of fish to feed the tarpon. Just go early because the parking lot gets very full. Robbies also offers a bunch of different water sports.
• Driving from Key Largo to Key West will probably take you about five hours with a few stops, including lunch.
• The Perry Hotel on Stock Island is a bit outside of downtown Key West, but offers free parking and a shuttle downtown. You can also rent scooters and you will find that you will be able to find decent parking with them.
• Parking in Key West is challenging. For a car, you will find that there are a lot of residential only parking spot that you could get ticketed if you there. The lot parking can also get a bit expensive as well.
• Key West Food Toursprovided a fabulous tour around the area. The tour guide Rose was fantastic!
• Mallory Square offers a sunset celebration that starts about an hour before sunset and they have performers to watch as well as bars you can go and have a drink that are all right around the square. You should keep in mind that people will stake out spots to see the sunset early on, so you may want to get there early and do the same otherwise you will be behind a crowd and you will need to hold your camera up over others to get good shots.
• The Fury Island Adventure Touroffers a fantastic experience where you can snorkel, walk around a sandbar, kayaking, and even paddle board. This tour offers a great variation of activities all in one great boat trip.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Planning a Trip to the Florida Keys with Kids - Episode 122

Baker’s Cay Resort by Hilton

Calusa Restaurant at Baker’s Cay

Playa Largo Resort

La Marea at Playa Largo

Hunger Tarpon

Bahia Honda State Park

Reef Friendly Sunscreens

No Name Pub

Perry Hotel

Matt’s Stock Island Kitchen

First Flight Island Restaurant and Brewery

Kermit’s Key Lime Pie Shoppe

Blue Heaven

Bagatelle

Key West Food Tours

Sebago Watersports

Mallory Square

Hogs Breath Saloon

Island Adventure Tour

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, orGoogle Playand leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035#. You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcaseand We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebookor Twitter. Thanks for listening!

Instead of doing all the talking, this week we have invited some of our listeners to share their tips on travel based on their recent summer vacations. We get real insights from fellow travelers on visiting Montreal and many National Parks including Death Valley, Arches, Olympic, and Cascades.

ON THE PODCAST

00:32 - Talking with Kim and Tamara

01:40 - Talking with Harmony Skillman from Momma to Go

02:09 - How long to visit Montreal

02:36 - Where she stayed

03:50 - Top things to do and see in Montreal

08:26 - Final tips for Montreal

09:33 - Harmony’s favorite travel gear

10:58 - Talking with Michelle Thompson

11:52 - How long to spend in Arches National Park

12:34 - Where Michelle and her family stayed

14:23 - Favorite things to do

20:55 - Top tips for visiting the Arches

23:06 - Michelle’s favorite travel gear

24:00 - Talking with Jessica Noland about Death Valley

24:30 - When to visit Death Valley and how long to spend

26:57 - Where you could stay

29:08 - What to do and see in Death Valley

33:57 - Jessica’s favorite travel gear

35:15 - Talking with Martha Gitiha about Washington State

37:04 - How long to spend in each National Park

38:26 - Where to stay at the parks

39:50 - When you start booking your trip

40:40 - Top sights to see

46:18 - Tips for visiting the parks

48:19 - Martha’s favorite travel gear

50:34 - Talking with Kim and Tamara about what is coming up!

LISTENER TIPS

• If you are planning a trip to Montreal, it is recommended to plan at least five full days to explore the area. Any less and you may feel like you didn’t have enough time to visit everywhere you wanted to.
• If you are visiting in the summer, be sure to be aware of when things are closed during the week. Towards the end of August some attractions like Six Flags were not open during the week anymore.
• If you are planning to visit attractions while in the city you may want to look into the Attraction Pass which includes 28 attraction, metro and bus fare, and is good for 72 hours.
• Montreal is very advanced when if comes to paying with credit card. In Harmony’s case her family never needed to exchange money.
• If you are planning a trip out West and are interested in visiting the Arches, spending a couple days is a good amount of time to explore if you are solely interested in the Arches. But if you are interested in going four-wheeling or visiting the surrounding area as well you should plan to spend more than two days.
• If you would like to see the Delicate Arch which is a Utah landmark and is used on their license plates, be aware that it is a long hike with no shade. To get around this, Michelle and her family started there hike at around 5:30pm which worked out perfectly. Michelle also recommends that when you are getting a picture standing below the arch to hold hands and spread out!
• When visiting Arches National Park keep in mind that there are no food vendors of places to eat. So plan ahead and pack snacks to carry with you and maybe even a cooler in the car that has lunch and other food depending on how long you are planning to explore.
• Also keep in mind that the restrooms are minimal so when you see one you should use it because you don’t know when you will see the next one.
• When planning a trip to Death Valley you should try and plan your visit in early spring, late fall, or the winter time due to the high temperatures.
• If you really want explore Death Valley you should plan on spending at least a few full days there. There is so much to do and see, so you won’t run out of things.
• Be sure to bring food with you to the park because there isn’t much inside of the park and what there is may be closed. So make sure if you are planning to eat in the park to check the hours or bring food with you.
• If you are planning to visit one or even all three of the national parks in Washington State, you should plan for at least three days in each. Though Olympic National Park you could spend much more.
• Camping in the National Parks in Washington State. You need to book at least six months in advance for campsites. If you are planning to stay in cabins of other lodges inside of the parks you will need to book your trip about a year in advance. So keep this in mind when you are planning your trip.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Harmony recommends dressing comfortably and though her family didn’t have a good daypack she suggests using one to carry around snacks and other necessities. She will be looking for her own before her next trip.

Michelle loves to wear her Chacoshoes. She also loves to use her Smart Flaskwater bottle that came with a carrying case that straps across her body.

Jessica loves to wear her Lululemonleggings especially when taking a flight because they are so comfortable. She will pair that with a t-shirt and loose fit button up shirt and a pair of tennis shoes.

Martha loves wearing her Columbiasandals along with Kuhlpants, which keep her comfortable and cool.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

AC by Marriott in Montreal

Attraction Pass Montreal

Montreal post on Momma To Go

Arches National Park

Fairfield Inn and Suites Moab

The Inn at Death Valley

Planning your visit to the Death Valley

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, orGoogle Playand leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035# You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcaseand We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebookor Twitter. Thanks for listening!

 

ON THE PODCAST

00:32 - Talking with Kim and Tamara

01:40 - Talking with Harmony Skillman from Momma to Go

02:09 - How long to visit Montreal

02:36 - Where she stayed

03:50 - Top things to do and see in Montreal

08:26 - Final tips for Montreal

09:33 - Harmony’s favorite travel gear

10:58 - Talking with Michelle Thompson

11:52 - How long to spend in Arches National Park

12:34 - Where Michelle and her family stayed

14:23 - Favorite things to do

20:55 - Top tips for visiting the Arches

23:06 - Michelle’s favorite travel gear

24:00 - Talking with Jessica Noland about Death Valley

24:30 - When to visit Death Valley and how long to spend

26:57 - Where you could stay

29:08 - What to do and see in Death Valley

33:57 - Jessica’s favorite travel gear

35:15 - Talking with Martha Gitiha about Washington State

37:04 - How long to spend in each National Park

38:26 - Where to stay at the parks

39:50 - When you start booking your trip

40:40 - Top sights to see

46:18 - Tips for visiting the parks

48:19 - Martha’s favorite travel gear

50:34 - Talking with Kim and Tamara about what is coming up!

LISTENER TIPS

• If you are planning a trip to Montreal, it is recommended to plan at least five full days to explore the area. Any less and you may feel like you didn’t have enough time to visit everywhere you wanted to.
• If you are visiting in the summer, be sure to be aware of when things are closed during the week. Towards the end of August some attractions like Six Flags were not open during the week anymore.
• If you are planning to visit attractions while in the city you may want to look into the Attraction Pass which includes 28 attraction, metro and bus fare, and is good for 72 hours.
• Montreal is very advanced when if comes to paying with credit card. In Harmony’s case her family never needed to exchange money.
• If you are planning a trip out West and are interested in visiting the Arches, spending a couple days is a good amount of time to explore if you are solely interested in the Arches. But if you are interested in going four-wheeling or visiting the surrounding area as well you should plan to spend more than two days.
• If you would like to see the Delicate Arch which is a Utah landmark and is used on their license plates, be aware that it is a long hike with no shade. To get around this, Michelle and her family started there hike at around 5:30pm which worked out perfectly. Michelle also recommends that when you are getting a picture standing below the arch to hold hands and spread out!
• When visiting Arches National Park keep in mind that there are no food vendors of places to eat. So plan ahead and pack snacks to carry with you and maybe even a cooler in the car that has lunch and other food depending on how long you are planning to explore.
• Also keep in mind that the restrooms are minimal so when you see one you should use it because you don’t know when you will see the next one.
• When planning a trip to Death Valley you should try and plan your visit in early spring, late fall, or the winter time due to the high temperatures.
• If you really want explore Death Valley you should plan on spending at least a few full days there. There is so much to do and see, so you won’t run out of things.
• Be sure to bring food with you to the park because there isn’t much inside of the park and what there is may be closed. So make sure if you are planning to eat in the park to check the hours or bring food with you.
• If you are planning to visit one or even all three of the national parks in Washington State, you should plan for at least three days in each. Though Olympic National Park you could spend much more.
• Camping in the National Parks in Washington State. You need to book at least six months in advance for campsites. If you are planning to stay in cabins of other lodges inside of the parks you will need to book your trip about a year in advance. So keep this in mind when you are planning your trip.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Harmony recommends dressing comfortably and though her family didn’t have a good daypack she suggests using one to carry around snacks and other necessities. She will be looking for her own before her next trip.

Michelle loves to wear her Chacoshoes. She also loves to use her Smart Flaskwater bottle that came with a carrying case that straps across her body.

Jessica loves to wear her Lululemonleggings especially when taking a flight because they are so comfortable. She will pair that with a t-shirt and loose fit button up shirt and a pair of tennis shoes.

Martha loves wearing her Columbiasandals along with Kuhlpants, which keep her comfortable and cool.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

AC by Marriott in Montreal

Attraction Pass Montreal

Montreal post on Momma To Go

Arches National Park

Fairfield Inn and Suites Moab

The Inn at Death Valley

Planning your visit to the Death Valley

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, orGoogle Playand leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035# You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcaseand We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebookor Twitter. Thanks for listening!

 

Atlanta is home to such family-friendly attractions as the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca Cola, and Olympic Park, but there is so much more to see and do in Atlanta. Join us as we talk to Lesli Peterson from 365 Atlanta Family to get her best Atlanta travel tips.

ON THE PODCAST

00:31 - Talking with Kim about her recent road trip

09:23 - Talking with Lesli about Atlanta

13:57 - Must dos in Atlanta

16:49 - Walking tour surrounding MLK

17:59 - Off the beaten path

22:32 - Hotels in Atlanta

25:22 - Favorite places to eat

28:25 - Ways to save money

29:55 - Best place for a family photo

33:20 - Final Atlanta tips

34:55 - Favorite travel gear

37:25 - Tip of the week

ABOUT LESLI PETERSON

Lesli Peterson is Owner, Editor -in-Chief & CEO of 365 Atlanta Family.  She made her way to Atlanta over 20 years ago, after living in Germany, Japan and six U.S. states. She relishes the discovery of obscure, offbeat and unwonted places, and she will chat up any willing stranger to uncover a new secret locale. After 18 years in software development, Lesli bailed on the corporate scene. She now serves as the Family Travel Ambassador for Georgia, and freelances for several publications in addition to writing at 365 Atlanta Family. When she’s not traveling, she’s hiking in the mountains or checking out Atlanta’s culinary scene, whiskey in hand.

Lesli has two kiddos (Cooper and Elliot) and two bonus teens, and she’s happily married to her soul mate. Follow Lesli on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Atlanta Travel Tips: Places to Visit in and Around Atlanta

• If like to visit museums, there is a great natural history museum called the Fernbank Museum. They have both indoor and outdoor areas and they also offer free parking.
• If you go downtown to city center you can also visit the Western Hemisphere's largest aquarium, the Georgia Aquarium. Nearby you will find the Centennial Olympic Park, the Children’s Museum, and much more.
• If you like a great burger there is a place called Googie Burger that is located in Centennial Olympic Park. Be aware that this is an outdoor burger joint where you order at a walk up window. They also serve wine and beer.
• If you like to visit historic locations, there is a great walking tour to visit locations surrounding Martin Luther King Jr. You can see the the church he used to preach in, his house, and plenty more!
• If you have some extra time and like the outdoors, you can head to the mountains for some great hiking.
• There is a place called the Hike Inn. You can only get there by a five mile hike. You may also get the opportunity to talking with hikers that are on the Appalachian Trail.
• Another place to visit is Blairsville that has some great waterfalls if you would like to explore those.
• There is also a great Atlanta movie tour if you are fans of the Walking Dead.

BEST PLACE TO TAKE FAMILY PHOTO

The Atlanta Beltline is a great place for photos. You can get a great city backdrop as well as a outdoor art exhibit. The Jackson Street Bridge is also a great place to take a family photo, especially those that are Walking Dead fans because you can see a view of the city where the Walking Dead was filmed.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Lesli oves her Adventura clothing, that are made from organic material and is very breathable.

TIP OF THE WEEK

For long road trips it may be a great idea to get a USB adaptor to charge all your devices.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

101 Free things to do in Atlanta

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035# You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

 

 

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission.

 

What is green and blue and volcanic all over? This week on the podcast, Kim and Tamara are joined by Katja Gaskell from Globetotting.com to talk about their recent trip to the Azores in a continuation of our Portugal coverage. The Azores are an archipelago of nine Portuguese islands in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean and they are a unique blend of the landscapes of Hawaii, Ireland or Wales, and Iceland with the culture of the Portuguese mainland. Hear what makes these islands so special, and what you need to know before you plan a trip to the Azores.

Disclosure: Our trip was hosted by EPIC Travel, a boutique travel agency specializing in arranging custom itineraries in Portugal and Morocco. EPIC’s in-country travel planners have close relationships with hotels, guides, drivers and tour operators and can design the perfect trip for your travel style and interests. EPIC focuses on adventure and cultural experiences to allow you to have a deeper and more epic journey. If you book with EPIC Travel and mention that you heard about them on the Vacation Mavens podcast, you will receive a VIP Welcome Gift on arrival.

Tips for Visiting the Azores, Portugal

• The Azores are nine volcanic islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean that are part of Portugal
• You can fly direct from Europe on Ryan Air and some other airlines, or you can go through Lisbon via Tap Airlines and utilize the free layover offering
• From the USA you can fly direct from Boston on Azores Airlines/ SATA Airlines and starting May 2022 United will offer direct service from Newark
• The largest island is São Miguel and the main city where the airport is is Ponta Delgada (PDL)
• São Miguel is a unique mix of landscapes and the island is very well maintained and beautiful
• The Azores are a real adventure destination for adventure tourism
• There are currently not a lot of restaurants and hotels for tourists, so you really need to plan very far in advance and be flexible with your plans. It also helps to stay at a hotel with a restaurant
• You should plan a trip six to nine months in advance
• The weather can be volatile where you experience many seasons in a day, but the water stays warm thanks to the Gulf Stream and it doesn't get terribly cold in the winter
• Summer is the ideal time to go, but also the busiest
• Plan on spending at least three to four days in São Miguel, more if you want to take part in some more of the adventure activities
• If you plan on visiting multiple islands with a full Azores trip, plan on 10 to 14 days in total
• A trip to the Azores is a sightseeing and active vacation, and not a resort-based, relaxation island vacation
• Other Azores islands to visit include Pico, Sao Jorge, Faial (which are very close to each other) and Terceira
• If you are not comfortable driving through small towns with narrow streets or along cliffs then you may want to take a private tour with a driver/guide
• Some roads get washed out due to rain or storms that cause mudslides
• Guides will also be able to check apps and weather to see what conditions are like in different places and can adjust on the fly
• Best places to see in Sao Miguel include:
  • Caloura (fishing village)
  • Sete Citades (blue and green lakes)
  • Furnas (thermal activity and hot springs)
  • Ribeira dos Caldeiroes (waterfalls)
  • Ponta da Ferraria (cliffs and lava beach)
• There are many adventure activities on Sao Miguel, perfect for adventurous families and families with teens including:
  • Coasteering
  • Snorkeling
  • Cliff diving
  • Canyoning
  • Kayaking
  • Surfing
  • Dolphin and whale watching tours
• Where to stay on Sao Miguel:
  • Azor Hotel in Ponta Delgada is convenient for access to the airport and town, with nice spacious rooms, nice views, and a great restaurant, but it is better to get outside of Ponta Delgada if possible
  • Furnas Boutique Hotel is in Furnas and has a nice spa, hot springs, and pools heated by geothermal activity. There are activities on site and the hotel staff is extremely friendly and personable, but the rooms are on the smaller side.
  • Santa Barbara Beach Resort is an eco-resort located above a nice swimming and surfing beach. There are different types of suites with kitchenettes, spread across different buildings, some of which have a shared infinity pool
• To visit the Azores, we needed a separate negative PCR test within 72 hours of departure. You need to complete a locator form and upload your test results and these are checked upon arrival at PDL. Masks are also required indoors everywhere when we visited.
• To get inspired for future travel, watch 14 Peaks on Netflix and read Around the World in 80 Trains by Monisha Rajesh

 

It is National Parks Week April 16-24, 2016 and all U.S. National Parks are offering free admission. Join us as we talk about our favorite National Parks and chat with author and former Park Ranger Erin Peabody to get the inside scoop about planning a visit to Yellowstone National Park.

ON THE PODCAST

0:32 National Parks Week is April 16-24, 2016

2:54 National Park Passport

3:29 Junior Ranger Program

5:00 100th Anniversary Badge

6:55 Kim's visit to Yellowstone National Park

7:49 Welcome Erin Peabody, author of A Weird and Wild Beauty: The Story of Yellowstone, the World's First National Park

12:23 Junior Ranger program at Yellowstone National Park

16:04 Artists in Yellowstone

17:15 Travel journals for kids

17:30 Intro to A Weird and Wild Beauty: The Story of Yellowstone, the World's First National Park and a history of Yellowstone

21:15 How long should you spend in Yellowstone

22:45 Must do experiences in Yellowstone

28:55 What to wear in Yellowstone

31:00 Where to stay in the park

33:15 Best place to take a family photo

34:05 Erin's favorite travel gear

35:33 Book giveaway!!

36:10 App of the Week -- National Parks by REI

37:18 Thanks to Jessie for the review on Stitcher!

37:40 Join us next week as we talk about Bucket List Travel with Eric Stoen from Travel Babbo

ABOUT ERIN PEABODY

Erin Peabody is a mother, author and former park ranger. Her latest book, A Weird and Wild Beauty: The Story of Yellowstone, the World's First National Park, is written for readers 12 and up and tells the exciting story of how Yellowstone became our first national park. This uplifting American story should delight lovers of nature, adventure and travel, and debuts just in time for the National Parks' 100th birthday. You can learn more at erinpeabody.com.

Erin has an eight year-old daughter and lives with her and her husband in Ohio. Erin and her husband have both been Park Rangers and met in Yellowstone. She worked as an interpreter or educator in Yellowstone, giving Park Ranger programs at the Visitor Center.

 TIPS FOR VISITING YELLOWSTONE

• Plan to spend at least 4-5 days in Yellowstone
• Know that you will be driving around 45 mph and may get stuck in traffic jams when animals cross the road
• Plan your accommodations well in advance (6 - 12 months to stay in the park)
• Erin's favorite places to stay are Old Faithful Inn and the Lake Hotel
• Ask where the best places to see wildlife are
• Visit in the early morning and evening to see wildlife
• Bring binoculars for wildlife viewing
• Wear a good hat and sunglasses (corded are great)
• Wear comfortable boots, layers, and a good, all-weather shell
• Don't forget your bug spray!

MUST DO EXPERIENCES IN YELLOWSTONE

• Geysers, mud pots, sulphur cauldrons and other thermal features with the most famous being Old Faithful
• Grand Canyon of Yellowstone along with the two waterfalls and hikes along the rim
• Climb into the canyon
• Yellowstone Lake
• Norris Geyser Basin
• Mammoth Hot Springs (also where the largest elk population lives)
• Hayden Valley and Lamar Valley see wildlife

BEST PLACE TO TAKE FAMILY PHOTO

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

WIN A COPY OF THE BOOK!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

APP OF THE WEEK

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

This week, Eric Stoen from Travel Babbo chats with us about Orlando's hottest new attractions, Universal Orlando Resort's new Volcano Bay waterpark. We get into the details on what to expect when you go, our favorite rides and food, and where you should stay.

ON THE PODCAST

00:32 - Talking with Kim and Tamara about waterparks

13:17 - Eric Stoen from Travel Babbo

16:35 - Universal Orlando BlogSquad

18:27 - Eric’s experience at Volcano Bay

20:43 - Getting chairs at the waterpark

24:30 - What is the TapuTapu wristband

30:49 - Eric’s favorite rides/slides

32:54 - Foods at Volcano Bay

34:22 - Top tips

40:37 - Favorite hotels

43:42 - What can you bring into Volcano Bay

45:38 - Places for a family photo

46:55 - Eric’s favorite travel gear

50:16 - App of the week

ABOUT ERIC STOEN

Eric Stoen is a writer and photographer specializing in family travel, based in California. His goal is to encourage everyone to take their kids to unique destinations, and he provides first-hand information through travelbabbo.com to make it easier for people to plan those trips. He’s traveled with his three kids to forty-six countries and seven continents, with each of his kids getting to choose any destination in the world every year for a one-on-one trip. Follow Travel Babbo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT VOLCANO BAY

• Volcano Bay is very popular so you can expect crowds. It is important to get there early.
• Volcano Bay has a lot of different areas where there are chairs. You can also reserve chairs and cabanas but these book up very quickly so you will need to book ahead with plenty of time.
• The TapuTapu wristband can be used to check in to lines and will vibrate when you are next. If you link the wristband to the app and to a credit card you can also use it to make purchases.
• Staying at a Universal Orlando Resort hotel you will let you get into the waterpark one hour earlier than the regularly admitted customers. Cabana Bay has a private entrance to the park, but you must show your room key so this entrance is only for guests staying at an on site hotel.
• If it is possible you should bring your own towels into Volcano Bay. They have places for you to purchase or rent them but this will just add more cost to your trip.
• You are not allowed to bring in coolers, but you can bring in water bottles and food in plastic containers (no glass) if you have a food allergy.
• While the TapuTapu will help reduce the amount of time you spend in line, don't expect no lines.
• Think about what rides to do first because there can be very long lines for popular rides and you can only check in to one ride at a time (plus the AquaCoaster.)

BEST PLACE TO TAKE FAMILY PHOTO

The best place for a family photo would be right at the start of the park with a backdrop of the Volcano. It is also a good idea to take your family photo when you get there. Once you take your picture you can put you camera in a locker and enjoy the rest of your day.

APP OF THE WEEK

Be sure to download the Universal Orlando app and take advantage of the great features this provides including syncing with the TapuTapu wristband and Volcano Bay.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Eric’s post on his Volcano Bay experience

Tamara’s must read tips for Volcano Bay

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035# You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

Fall is here and that means it is time to start thinking about holiday travel! If you have ever dreamed of visiting the European Christmas markets, then you need to hear these ideas and tips from Sarah from Family Backpack. This episode just may get even Scrooge in the holiday spirit!

ON THE PODCAST

00:30 - Talking with Kim about her recent trip to California

06:18 - Kim’s next trip to Barbados

08:39 - Upcoming trips in October

13:24 - Talking with Sarah

16:44 - Cities Sarah visited in Europe

18:28 - How far in advance to start planning

21:50 - Dates for Christmas markets

23:30 - What to expect at these Christmas markets

25:23 - Sarah’s favorite markets

27:07 - Other things to do around the markets

32:10 - Tips to visit Christmas markets

35:09 - Glühwein

36:45 - Handmade merchandise

38:53 - Best place to take a family photo

40:14 - Sarah’s favorite travel gear

45:16 - Previous Holiday Episodes/Posts

ABOUT FAMILY BACKPACK

Our presenting sponsor is The Family Backpack, a time-and stress-saving tool for parents researching and planning family vacations. The Family Backpack has researched and curated over 2,000 posts from over 200 blogs to provide parents the best of family travel content from over 600 destinations worldwide – all in one easily searchable place. Whether trekking around your own city, road tripping with your kids or flying around the world, visit TheFamilyBackpack.comfor itineraries, tips, packing lists, tons of travel inspiration and more!

ABOUT SARAH WILSON

Sarah Wilson is a writer and the Director of Travel Communications at The Family Backpack. Sarah loves to travel and explore with her husband and 3 girls - both around their hometown of Nashville, TN and around the world! Follow Sarah on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.

TIPS FOR VISITING THE EUROPEAN CHRISTMAS MARKETS

• Plan your trip early if you can.
• In bigger cities the markets will start late in November but some will end before Christmas.
• Be sure to look up when markets are open so than you can plan your destinations accordingly.
• Look at other things to do in the area. For instance in Baden-Baden, Germany you can visit one of the many spa locations and enjoy a relaxing experience. They have spas for just men, just women, both genders, and families.
• A Christmas market in a big city would be a great place to start off your trip since you could spend days.
• Traveling with kids, you should try giving them a budget to for them to spend at the markets you are visiting. You could also give them a separate budget for gifts to each other.
• Each market usually has a unique handicraft item that they are known for, especially in the smaller towns.
• Dress warm but don't worry if you forget your gloves and hat, you can always buy something handmade there!

BEST PLACE TO TAKE FAMILY PHOTO

With the holiday lights and trees, any market can make a great family photo. If you can get a good one at night with all the colored lights, that would make for a great family photo. Some of the locations you may actually be able to find a frame that you can stand in with your family that has the name of the city or town you are in.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Sarah loves to wear her Waypoint Goods travel scarf, which are themed after cities, but they have a hidden zipper pocket that you can hide your passport or phone or even some money! She also loves her On the Go 247 bag, which are developed for traveling moms, and are very versatile.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Mony’s Tacos

Episode 02 - Visiting San Diego, California

Waypoint Goods

On the Go 247

Episode 077 - Top Holiday Destinations for Families

Episode 082 - Visiting London with kids

Christmas Hotels

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, orGoogle Playand leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035# You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcaseand We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebookor Twitter. Thanks for listening!

 

Budget is often cited as a top reason why families don't travel. Given how many of us are having our budgets squeezed right now, how can we start to save for a future trip? This week we talk to Danielle Desir from The Thought Card podcast and get some insights on turning your dream vacation into a reality.

About Danielle Desir

Danielle Desir, and she is an author, blogger, podcaster and Founder of The Thought Card, which is an award winning affordable travel and personal finance blog and podcast, empowering financially savvy travelers to make informed financial decisions, travel more, pay off debt and build wealth. She's also the co-producer of Millennial Wealth Builders, a three time grant funded audio docu series highlighting women of color building wealth.

Follow Danielle on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. You can also subscribe to her podcast, The Thought Card or purchase either of her books:

•  Affording Travel: Saving Strategies For Financially Savvy Travelers
• Planning Local Trips During A Pandemic 

Tips for How to Save for Travel

• Start with creating a monthly household budget so you are tracking how much you spend (and how much you can spend) in different categories
• Sit down at least quarterly and review your budget to see where you might need to adjust
• Create a wants versus needs list and see what you can take off of your wants list and do without
• Streaming services, gym memberships, ordering in using delivery services...these are common expenses that can be reduced
• Create a separate bank account that will be your travel fund, so you it isn't intermingled with money that you use to pay bills or daily spending
• Look for a bank account that you can open with little or no money to start, that doesn't charge a lot of fees or have a lot of restrictions, such as with Charles Schwab or Ally online banking
• See Danielle's tips on why you need multiple bank accounts
• Take a look at your top three expenses. Usually you can't reduce your housing expenses but can you reduce your transportation expenses (especially now when more of us are working from home) or food expenses (avoiding expensive delivery services, cooking more, etc.)
• Automate as much as possible using direct deposit, including contributions to your travel fund
• Danielle recommends the Digit app. It will automatically take a set amount out of your account everyday and put it into different funds that you set up for different expenses (such as travel)
• Have your family buy into your savings plan and name your bank accounts for that specific trip you are saving for to give everyone an incentive to save for that purpose
• Make sure you educate your kids about how to manage a budget and talk about spending decisions
• Think about what you value when you travel to determine where to spend your money. For example, do you prefer to have a better hotel experience or more money to spend on activities but you don't need a luxury air experience
• To find affordable airfare, Danielle recommends SecretFlying.com for finding cheap deals online
• Signing up for airfare deals emails lets you establish a baseline of flight costs to particular destinations, so you know whether or not you are getting a deal when you are ready to book, as well as helps you find those special deals that you can jump on when available
• TheFlightDeal.com and The Points Guy also offer daily flight deal emails.
• For hotels or package combination deals with flights, hotels and activities, Danielle recommends TravelZoo. TravelZoo is especially good when looking for deals to China. They have a Wednesday top 20 list
• Gate 1 Travel also has a weekly deal list every Monday and they do both independent travel and packaged group trips
• You can often find good deals even in expensive locations if you travel off season
• Lisbon and Mexico are very affordable international destinations
• Traveling locally is also a great way to travel now and you can save money on transportation
• If you are using an Airbnb or vrbo now, be sure to start looking about 4-5 months earlier. Fees and rates have increased recently because of demand and cleaning costs
• Local hotels, especially in towns/cities that don't usually cater to leisure travelers are very affordable right now
• For those traveling locally, be sure to check each state's travel and quarantine restrictions

Full Episode Transcript

[00:00:00.120] - Kim

Here's some tips for filling up your piggy bank for your next trip.

 

[00:00:15.730] - Announcer

Welcome to Vacation Mavens, a family travel podcast with ideas for your next vacation and tips to get you out the door. Here are your hosts, Kim from Stuffed Suitcase and Tamara from We3Travel.

 

[00:00:30.550] - Kim

Tamara, we are fast forwarding through 2021. Some of us knew it wouldn't be a big reawakening. But I can't even believe that we're in February. So have you been thinking about travel? Do you see hope on the horizon? Are you making any plans yourself?

 

[00:00:48.580] - Tamara

Well, I'm definitely thinking about it. It's kind of all I can think about because otherwise I'm just so bored. You know, the other day was Groundhog Day and it feels like that. Like every day one of my friends had texted me and saying, like, how are you doing? And I'm like, you know, same old, same old.

 

[00:01:05.290] - Tamara

She's like, pretty much like work, work out, cook, eat, TV, sleep, repeat. But I'm starting to think about it. I've started to look into a couple of things I think I have mentioned before that like our Greece trip, but I doubt it's going to happen.

 

[00:01:19.900] - Tamara

So I'm trying to come up with other kind of backup plans and we're still kind of hoping that we can go look at some colleges this spring. So we're looking into that and booking things tentatively. Everything is like, if things are going well, so I guess it's written in pencil, not in pen.

 

[00:01:39.940] - Kim

Yeah. I felt all excited. We, you know, attended a conference recently, virtually, of course. So our listeners don't get shocked. But it was just nice to talk about travel again. But it really it made me excited and I would love to plan a trip for spring break and do something. But I'm kind of torn on, you know, will California like, we've done the road trip to California, a few spring breaks and it's always such a nice trip and I'm tempted to do that again. However, California right now doesn't want people from out of state and even people in state are not supposed to go without like 100 some miles from their house.

 

[00:02:21.400] - Kim

And so I'm kind of torn on do I make plans or because I'm kind of tired of canceling stuff, it's it's almost discouraging. So I'm almost in a holding pattern.

 

[00:02:31.000] - Kim

I thought about booking a Lake Front Cabin or something on Airbnb, where for spring break we could just go and relax and bring Sophie and just kind of get out of our space. But we you know, we have this nice backyard now and some of our space, we live on a lake. And so, I mean, we're not on the lake, but we're, you know, very close.

 

[00:02:52.510] - Kim

So it seems kind of stupid to spend money to go have kind of a lifestyle that we already sort of have. And yeah. So I'm just torn. I guess I don't really want to cancel anything. I don't know what to book. I don't I still don't know. I probably need to just make a tentative plan of doing something in state, even if it's a weekend getaway, just kind of having a hotel stay again. It was so nice when we did that for Christmas. We went to one of our local hotels and did a shopping trip and just kind of stayed in the hotel. And it was it was nice. It was nice just to get out of our house for a little while. But yeah, I guess the cancellation is holding me back.

 

[00:03:27.910] - Tamara

I brought that up to Hannah recently. Like, what about doing like a staycation at a hotel? And she's like, well, it's like dumb to spend the money. And part of me feels like, yeah, you know, I would like to save it for like real travel. But on the other side of the coin, like, I do know that it's just been so long that you forget. But I do know that every time we have gotten away, you know, even for a weekend, we always look at each other and we're like, we feel like we're so far away. Like we feel like everything changed so much. Like, you know, it's just so nice to have that change of scenery. So I do think we're all craving it right now. But it is definitely a cost consideration, right.

 

[00:04:06.580] - Tamara

Because like you said, do you want to still do those fun things when they come up? And I know the episode we're talking about today with Danielle is all about how to save for a trip. And so spending on things you don't need is probably not the advice, but sometimes mentally you do need it. But I mean, as we're looking into different things, I'm definitely seeing like a trend in terms of pricing. Like we're looking at doing this road trip to visit some colleges. And there we would be staying close to the college and, you know, more like in a city or small town kind of thing.

 

[00:04:41.230] - Tamara

And those hotels are actually really affordable because there's just not a lot of that kind of tourism happening right now, you know?

 

[00:04:49.750] - Tamara

So I've even been like, well, if we do this, I want to book a suite because I want to have space. Like, I don't want to feel like we're on top of each other, but I also want to have a place where we can bring food in and eat because, you know, it's still going to be cold.

 

[00:05:02.920] - Tamara

And so we're not really doing outdoor dining, but we're not going to want to do much indoor dining unless something has a very low capacity, you know?

 

[00:05:10.810] - Kim

And a place where the microwave is helpful because we are in a hotel that had a. And it was nice to get the food and take out and bring it back, but, you know, every once in a while you'd want to heat it up and we didn't have it.

 

[00:05:22.040] - Tamara

So, yes, I found that actually for what I thought would be the cost of a regular room, I can get a suite, so that's good. But then when it comes to summer, I'm looking at doing something that feels more resort, like more, if we can't go to Greece, I would like something. I know it's not going to be Greece, but can it be something like nice? And I think you know me. You know that I don't really love the big high rise hotels and that type of thing because I want something a little bit more intimate, more personal, has more character or whatever.

 

[00:05:56.410] - Tamara

and also like now in times of covid, like, I don't want to have to always be in an elevator, in a hallway or a crowded pool area or like any of that kind of stuff, like I want more like open air. So I found a couple of places that I absolutely fell in love with in the Florida Keys. But oh my God, the price like it is insane. So it was one of those moments where I've always told Glenn, don't show me things that I can't afford. I don't want to look at houses that I can't afford, and I want to look at cars that I can't afford. I don't want to look at clothes that I can't afford.

 

[00:06:27.220] - Tamara

And there's also some things where it's like even if you could afford it, like there are times where I've gone to, like, shopping for a store and I'm like, I'm sorry, but I am not spending 100 dollars on jeans.

 

[00:06:37.840] - Tamara

It's just not like I grew up so frugal that it's like really hard for me to, like, spend on certain things. And I am more willing to do it on like travel. And I look at it, I said, look, I want something special. Like we gave up, you know, our special trip last year. We're probably giving up this year. I still want to do it in the future.

 

[00:06:55.240] - Tamara

But can we have something special like not just we went away for like four days, but like, can it be to a special place, you know, to try to find that in an environment that feels safe, knowing that this summer is still, you know, all the protocols are still going to be in place. Like whether or not we will be vaccinated is still a big if. And so they're still going to be a lot of travel and safety concerns. And, you know, I wanted to feel special, but I can't spend two thousand dollars a night. I mean, it's just insane.

 

[00:07:24.850] - Tamara

Every time I look at things, I'm like, are there really that many rich people in the world like? And then I realized, there are.

 

[00:07:32.320] - Kim

yeah, obviously. So I mean, I'll never forget the time that I spent five hundred dollars for one night at a Disneyland hotel and I thought that was just stupid. I felt like an idiot then. But it was important for me to have the extra hour and make the most of our time and stuff.

 

[00:07:46.960] - Tamara

I feel like sometimes I'm willing to do it like it gives you enough pleasure. It it provides something that you're really looking for, you know, and I would I would even spend, you know, a good amount more than that, but not two thousand dollars a night.

 

[00:07:59.810] - Tamara

And then have to buy food, you know, food and drink and everything else on top of that. And so all I can say is if anybody just won the lottery, look up little Palm Island in Florida and you'll be very happy. And I found another place that looked really good, too. It's called Bungalows Key Largo. They look pretty good.

 

[00:08:15.970] - Tamara

It's like an adult, only all inclusive in Florida because we're just trying to stay where can we get that tropical feel without necessarily leaving the country and having to deal with, like, all the bubbles and testing and, you know, just all the kind of hassles for a fairly short trip.

 

[00:08:31.280] - Tamara

So anyway, I'm still searching and maybe using some of Danielle's tips will help me, you know, continue to save, although I don't think I'm saving quite that much.

 

[00:08:42.160] - Kim

Yeah, well, maybe she'll inspire you to realize that you don't need the 2000 night hotel that you know. I know. But now I've seen it. I definitely think that Florida is probably attracting a lot of those kind of, you know, snow escapers right now. So I'm not surprised to hear that there.

 

[00:09:01.240] - Tamara

This is because I'm looking for July, everybody's making plans. Everybody wants to make it now. Well, and I think the other tip is like, you really do need to plan in advance. The reason I want to book something now is because for those things that if you want what you want, like, so does everyone else.

 

[00:09:18.670] - Kim

I think that's a good tip. Well, let's talk to Danielle and hopefully she can inspire us all to put away a little bit of savings so maybe we can splurge on something that's safe and fun for this summer.

 

[00:09:28.780] - Tamara

Sounds good.

 

[00:09:38.030] - Tamara

So this week, we're here with Danielle Desir, and she is an author, blogger, podcaster and Founder of the Thought Card, which is an award winning affordable travel and personal finance blog and podcast, empowering financially savvy travelers to make informed financial decisions, travel more, pay off debt and build wealth. She's also the coproducer of Millennial Wealth Builders, a three time grant funded audio docu series highlighting women of color building wealth. Welcome, Danielle.

 

[00:10:03.950] - Danielle

Thank you so much for having me.

 

[00:10:06.230] - Tamara

We're always excited to talk to another podcaster here. And we focus so much on family travel that sometimes we forget we need to get out of our little family travel bubble and talk to some new people, too. So I know you have a very interesting, back story when it comes to paying off debt, building wealth and traveling while you're doing it.

 

[00:10:26.220] - Tamara

And I think this is a time, especially so many families are struggling right now, given everything we've all been dealing with for the past year and trying to afford a vacation when the time is right is definitely a challenge. I think now is the time maybe to start thinking about strategies and ways for that. So that's why we want to talk to you today. But before we jump into that, can you tell us a little bit more about your own personal journey?

 

[00:10:51.200] - Danielle

Sure. So I would say that I have a love for travel at a really young age. And I also grew up in a family where money was talked about all the time. So it wasn't a secret. My mom was very transparent about how to save, how to spend. I even remember seeing her student loan with so many zeros at the end, like a really young age, so that that love of travel and that love of, I guess, the love of money or appreciating money and understanding, using it as a tool came early on. Now, my family, every summer we would go to Haiti.

 

[00:11:28.010] - Danielle

That's where my family's from. And that's where I would spend all summer there with my grandparents running around with the chickens and the farm and learning the culture, the food, speaking the language. So, I mean, since I was like five years old, so I was about 15 when it kind of became uncool to, like, leave your boyfriend back home for the summer. So that's really like my back story of like how travel has been a really big, integral part of my life since I was really young.

 

[00:11:53.990] - Danielle

And money, again, was talked about all the time. Now, I would say when I got to high school, I started to see travel as being uncool. It was taking me away from my friends.And like I mentioned, my boyfriend at the time. And I was I was really hanging out with my friends and I was really friend focused. So I gave up travel. It really just the left it alone until I got to college and travel emerged again.

 

[00:12:21.530] - Danielle

But now it was like, it's the cool thing to do. Everyone was going on spring break trips and, you know, study abroad programs. And unfortunately, at the time my study abroad, I couldn't study abroad on a financial aid package. I had a ton of scholarships that helped to put my costs down for school, but they weren't going to cover studying abroad. So I had asked my mom, I said, Mom, listen, I would love to go to spend a semester in Paris. Is that possible? And she was like, of course I would do anything that I can. And that was great. But the back stories that we were losing our home to foreclosure. So a part of me felt so guilty that my mom couldn't even keep the lights on. Right. We're about to lose our house. And here I would be gallivanting off in Paris.

 

[00:13:08.480] - Danielle

So I made the decision that I wasn't going to study abroad, but I made also the vow to myself and a promise to myself, which ultimately has helped me become the traveler I am today, that once I graduated from college, graduate from grad school, I would work really hard to be able to save and prioritize travel in my life. So that vow now, like almost ten years later, has been something that kept me grounded. I went on my first trip in 2014. My had graduated in 2011, so it took me three years to, like, get out to save enough funds.

 

[00:13:46.280] - Danielle

But it started off with saving twenty five dollars every two weeks when I actually did get a job so that twenty five dollars every two week transformed into a week long trip to Paris in 2014. And then every single year I just try to learn more about being a savvy traveler, saving more money, you know, going on more trips. And here we are in twenty, twenty one.

 

[00:14:09.470] - Tamara

That's nice. It makes me think of like growing up, we really didn't do any travel and we were just visiting family and I had such a passion for travel and stuff like travel posters on my walls. And my first real trip was to Mexico with like a school class in high school. And I think my mom, like, actually cashed in an insurance policy so that I could go on that. So, yeah, I've had my own little journey to being able to travel, but it means so much and you can make it happen.

 

[00:14:38.240] - Kim

I agree. I was kind of in the same situation. My family did not have a lot of money growing up and there was travel wasn't really anything a part of it. The most I traveled was for like a softball tournament to a nearby city. And I think I went from Kansas, Oklahoma once for a tournament. And then I remember taking one epic trip to visit family in Southern California in like fifth grade. And that was kind of a big you know, that was a big deal for me.

 

[00:15:02.270] - Kim

But once I got married, I was like, OK, travel is going to be a part of our life. And so I kind of started planning and getting into it more. But it's interesting how it can, you know, like you have this passion even if you didn't experience it as a kid.

 

[00:15:15.770] - Danielle

So, yes, I totally agree. One of my dreams when I was a little kid was to go to Disney World, I'm sure, as a lot of kids have that goal. And it wasn't until I was, you know, 22, 23 that I actually ended up going to Disney. And I make fun of my mom now. I was like, mom, like, you never took me to Disney. We could laugh about it now. But I'm at the point now where it means so much more to me that I can take my mom and Disney when I have the finances to do that.

 

[00:15:45.200] - Danielle

So I think sometimes when you are growing up and you may not have the ability or maybe maybe like for me, I was going to Haiti every single summer, which was a part of travel, but I also did dance lessons. I also did like so many extracurricular activities. So I think when it comes to like family saving and prioritizing and travel, there are a lot of other things that may come before travel. So as an adult, I feel so much like more equipped to to make it work.

 

[00:16:15.680] - Kim

Yeah, exactly. Well, I know that there's probably a lot of people right now and then in in the grand scheme of things that feel like they can't afford to travel. I know I've had people say to me, like, how do you afford to take so many trips? And of course, being a travel writer now, they don't ask that as much. But when we first started traveling all the time, they would ask that all the time.

 

[00:16:35.390] - Kim

So what do you think are some top budgeting tips that you would give for people who, you know, want to travel but don't see how they could financially do it?

 

[00:16:45.650] - Danielle

So I know that budgeting is a bad word for a lot of people. It's the B word that everyone tries to avoid. But I definitely see budgeting as empowering because who set your budget? You do, right? Like, of course, we all have limitations based off of our income, but we have the ability to dictate how our money is moved around and where it gets allocated to. So no one seeing your budget as a tool that's going to be that you're going to use to really determine what your future is going to look like.

 

[00:17:16.160] - Danielle

Another thing I want to say is that when it comes to budgeting, I really like to sit down, I would say on a quarterly basis, especially after and during the pandemic, like right now, it's a good time to reassess and to do of wants versus needs list. So out of all of your expenses for the month, what are the things you absolutely need to survive versus the things that are nice to have?

 

[00:17:38.450] - Danielle

And the easiest place, if you're looking to save more for travel is to reduce from the wants list. So things that maybe maybe nice, maybe not. Maybe you have Hulu, Netflix and HBO. Maybe you don't need all three. Right? Maybe you just need one of them. So that that needs versus wants list is really, really powerful and it can help you to remove some unnecessary expenses. Like for me, I've been doing a lot of jumping rope at home, which has significantly reduced my gym costs. But I was paying for my gym for like the last six months because I just kept it on autopilot.

 

[00:18:15.260] - Danielle

So this is the time to go through. What are you spending your money on and what are things that, OK, I no longer need. Maybe that was my old life and now I can move on and and make sure you capture that and put it towards your travel savings.

 

[00:18:28.940] - Danielle

So my third tip is to create a travel fund. So a travel fund is simply a separate account that's devoted solely to your travel savings.

 

[00:18:37.430] - Danielle

There's a number of reasons why you want to do this, because no one at a glance you can see undistracted how much money you have available to go on a trip. That is very empowering. And also you're not commingling with other funds. So just being able to see it separately is really helpful.

 

[00:18:54.950]

There are a lot of online banks right now, for example, like if you're in the U.S., Ali or Charles Schwab, actually have a blog post on my Web site that recommends about three different big accounts that where you could open up a bank account for no money, you know, little to no money compared to brick and mortars, a lot of them have like maintenance fees and minimums and and it has all these and restrictions.

 

[00:19:20.360] - Kim

So, yeah, I was just chiming in again, one of those tips of those online, don't they? Also, a lot of times the ATM cards work well, like overseas and things. There's not fees on those as well. So that's another like travel perk. If you have your travel fund in a in one of those, then it also works for helping you get cash if you're overseas. Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to add that is another little thing.

 

[00:19:46.550] - Danielle

And also, realistically speaking, like you're not necessarily going to be needing to run over to your brick and mortar to take out money on a consistent basis when it comes to your travel fund. It's usually going to be maybe a couple of times a year. So an online bank is just a great way to have some buffers and a little bit of a boundary and a space from just being able to go to your brick and mortar and take money out like willy nilly whenever you need to.

 

[00:20:09.800] - Danielle

So I definitely think a travel fund is just a just a great budgeting tip.

 

[00:20:14.450] - Danielle

And last but not least is to really take a look at your top three expenses. So for a lot of people, that's shelter like your housing costs, which is primarily fixed, like if you can't house hack or anything like that, like your housing is fixed. Transportation is another category that I've seen that I have significantly reduced since the pandemic. I'm not commuting as much. I'm not really driving that much. So that has been a place where I can funnel money into my travel fund and other goals and food.

 

[00:20:45.200] - Danielle

Food is a huge category, especially if you're like using insta cart, which I've become addicted to recently. So those are my my budgeting tips that's to get you started, really prioritizing, figuring out the things that you need versus the things that you want and try to funnel as much money as you can toward your travel savings.

 

[00:21:09.860] - Tamara

I mean, I love that you have these concrete tips because just the idea of putting it in a separate fund and watching that grow, it's such an incentive. You know, like when you see something, whether it's like in your business or whatever it is, when you see it growing, it's just I don't know. It's almost right now Kim knows this. I'm like lacking for positive, like a feedback loop in my life right now.

 

[00:21:32.480] - Tamara

And so even like a little thing like watching my bank account grow would be like, yeah, I'm doing it and feeling good. So I love that. I was also just thinking that my credit card expires or will renew, you know, next month. So I need to sit down with my bill and go through and see what's automatically billed every month, because you know how I will then stop being automatically billed, because your expiration date came up and I thought this is going to be a good time for me to look at it and figure out what things do we really not need.

 

[00:22:01.760] - Tamara

You know, because sometimes just looking at that bill, you skim it. But, you know, if you're not looking at every line item and realizing how much that that adds up, it's a good exercise to kind of go through every now and then just to say, hey, do I really need this? Do I really need that? But, you know, those are some great budgeting tips.

 

[00:22:18.710] - Tamara

But I'm wondering when it comes to actually saving for travel, do you have any other ideas? You know, how do you take the budget and make it a reality?

 

[00:22:29.030] - Danielle

So once you've identified areas where you can start funnelling into your travel fund, I would highly recommend to automate as much as possible. And I think you referred to this year, like, I just want to set it, forget it and just watch it grow.

 

[00:22:42.470] - Danielle

And that's so powerful, being able to dictate where money is going to go and not having to actually think about it. So I try to best as possible. I have a direct deposit automation since I have a 9:00 to 5:00 employer. Even if you're a freelancer, you can still do like a bank transfer every so often except the frequency. But that's been really helpful. So throughout the entire pandemic, I've been fortunate enough where I did not even touch that automation at all. So now I have a stash of cash to pull from to go on that bigger, bigger trip one day when we can travel because it's been automated. So automation really allows you to just kind of let things happen in the background.

 

[00:23:27.260] - Danielle

Now, one of my favorite apps to help me save a little bit extra cash for travel is digit. So digit is a auto saving app. There is a small monthly fee, but for me, it's been able to pay like it's paid for itself, just one little automation it's been able to pay itself. But what it does is that every single day it takes maybe a little bit like a couple of cents out of your account to a couple of dollars out of your account every single day.

 

[00:23:56.720] - Danielle

Or you could also say whenever you're swiping your card, you could really determine how frequent you want it. And it just stashes it for you and you could determine what type of goals you want to have. So I have a mini travel fund goal. I have a mini shopping spree goal. So all of these automation's happening in the background is actually in twenty nineteen. When I went to Disney for a week, I didn't even look at my travel fund because I just pulled from digit. I was like, oh there's just all this cash sitting there like I did even I literally did not even feel it. And if you're worried like oh my gosh, are they going to overdraft my account? They do have stops in place, which prevents that from happening. So and you could even say, listen, pause this until X, Y, Z, which is helpful.

 

[00:24:41.780] - Danielle

So in addition to my travel fund, I also have like this digit stash I pull from, which has been been awesome. And then the last tip I have when it comes to money saving tips for travel is having family buy in. So getting your family involved in the process of planning a trip, saving for travel from start to finish, getting them involved as early as possible. One of the things that I like to do is I like to name my bank accounts with my with my husband. And that allows us to both say, OK, what is it that we're both really excited about for our next trip?

 

[00:25:20.870] - Danielle

And we named that account and we we both collectively try to work on that goal together. And then when we're going to plan the trip, all that hard work we can celebrate. I just think it's really great to not only the practical tips, but also just getting your family involved as much as possible with the planning process.

 

[00:25:39.000] - Kim

We've always kind of said that with family travel, especially like with getting kids involved in it and, you know, excited about the destination, giving them a little control over it. And I think when people you know, when you when you combine the enthusiasm and the focus, it can make a difference. And I think that's a good tip. And that digit sounds really cool. Like I remember in the old days I don't remember which bank account would let you round up. So every time you would swipe your card, it would round up and that money would go into a savings account for you. And so it's really it's a really clever way of just kind of I think automating it, like we've mentioned, is a huge factor so that you're not feeling like it's costing you something to put the money away.

 

[00:26:20.850] - Tamara

It makes me feel like going and looking at how much is in there would be like when you find the 20 dollar bill in your pocket, they forgot you had there, you know.

 

[00:26:29.310] - Danielle

Or like when you're doing laundry and then you find that money in your pocket, like, oh, my gosh.

 

[00:26:35.970] - Kim

And I think my girls have experienced that recently, you know, that we have savings accounts for them. And I started giving them the savings account like their statements and then being able to see that, like, interest does add up, even though it's so minimal now. But that's, I think, seen how interest accruing and all that works is very motivating for a lot of people.

 

[00:26:56.730] - Tamara

And I feel like even when you make a decision, like I know I always try to talk to Hannah about things like when I'm making a decision, I'm like, well, you know, I just feel like that's too much money to spend. And I'll explain why, you know, kind of explain the rationale behind it.

 

[00:27:10.260] - Tamara

And you know why making the choice that I am and maybe what that then allows us to do, you know, versus if we did, you know, X, Y, Z all the time, you know. So I think having those conversations, like you said, Danielle, like your mom was very open with you, I feel like it's really important to kind of it's an education, too. And it's really important to educate our kids about how to manage their money.

 

[00:27:31.560] - Kim

Yeah, I totally agree. So, Danielle, do you have any, you know, top you mentioned digit is one of your favorite apps, but do you have any other tips or apps for finding travel deals? So once you've saved money, maybe, how can you get a good deal on your vacation?

 

[00:27:47.010] - Danielle

Yes, this is my favorite part about both parts of my favorite parts, because that's what I think makes up a financially savvy traveler, is not only being able to accrue enough money to go on a trip, but also to be able to spend it as wisely as possible. But value based spending.So it's really like, what are you valuing and making sure that your spending aligns with that versus just spending frivolously.

 

[00:28:12.960] - Danielle

So just to just to really think back in terms of what is a financially savvy traveler for me, prior to the pandemic, I was I was cornering the cheap flights market like that was that was me that I was finding the cheapest deals ever.

 

[00:28:31.980] - Danielle

And it was just so exciting. And this goes back to the Value-Based Spending Idea, because for me, I just want to arrive safely at a destination. I don't really care that much for luxurious comforts in the air, but everyone is different, right? If you prioritize your your flight experience and you may not necessarily prioritizing your hotel or accommodation. So everyone has something that they're prioritizing. For me, it was not airfare. So that's where I focus my energy on trying to maximize like just spend as little as possible.

 

[00:29:04.830] - Danielle

So some of the sites that I I look at when I'm thinking about cheap flights and I'm going to also offer some sites as well, that's more general travel planning because a lot of people are not flying right now. One of my favorite is secret flying. So secretflying.com is a free website which offers daily flight deals every single day, which is really helpful from all over the world. So I would sign up for their free newsletter and everyday they will send you a couple each day.

 

[00:29:35.160] - Danielle

And this is important because it's helping you to establish a baseline for your flight costs, which is important because you want to be able to know when you're maximizing and when you're finding a really good deal. Not everything that comes across your desk is a good deal. But how are you going to know that if you're not using data, making a data driven decision?

 

[00:29:54.120] - Danielle

So I would use websites like Secret flying to just really understand, like, OK, to Europe baseline, how much do I expect to spend? And then I'm always looking for like that below average costs. So secret flying is a good one.

 

[00:30:07.620] - Danielle

The flight deal is fantastic they are another free web site that again offers you daily deals, which is helpful. I really like to keep an eye on. The PointsGuy also has been really helpful. They have a daily deal section. Those are more for like the flights now.

 

[00:30:25.440] - Danielle

I really love Travelzoo. So Travelzoo dot com. They have a weekly Wednesday top twenty list now prepandemic make those deals were amazing.

 

[00:30:36.510] - Danielle

Those deals were amazing. And I'll give you like a quick example of the deal that I found there. The deal, one of the deals that I will never forget is I found a 299 dollar deal, a ten, ten day all expenses like flights, hotels, some food to China, China.

 

[00:30:53.980] - Kim

Yes, I saw that my my husband and father in law did that deal.

 

[00:30:58.980] - Danielle

Yes. I mean, there there are some pros and I believe that's its own episode. There's a lot of with that.

 

[00:31:03.600] - Danielle

There you go. Yes, you're right. It is. It's own episode. It's its own episode. We'll put an asterisk on that for everyone who also wants to go book that there's an Asterix.

 

[00:31:12.090] - Danielle

Yes, there's a lot of Asterisk on that. But it was a deal that I spotted through Travelzoo, which is incredible. So Travelzoo not only offers flights, but sometimes they offer hotels or combined packages. So that's a free newsletter that I highly recommend to.

 

[00:31:28.620] - Kim

Some other hotel deals are amazing, unlike luxury, you know, nice four and sometimes five star resorts. They they offer some great deals.

 

[00:31:36.660] - Danielle

Exactly. Exactly. And then the last website that I really like is gate one travel. So gate one travel. They have not only independent trips where they pretty much like book your flight and they book your hotel, but they also run tours, too. So you could have like the full fledged experience where you have a tour guide and all of that and they have a weekly deal list every Monday, which they've actually reinstated since the pandemic. And it's just good to see like they have frequently like a thousand dollar deals to Dubai or other other really cool destinations. So I'm really all about signing up for all the free newsletters and keeping an eye out to see what's happening.

 

[00:32:17.370] - Danielle

And then, you know, being able to not only couple that with the finances and then book it and go and love that, especially it does.

 

[00:32:26.010] - Tamara

When you see a lot of those deals, you kind of get a sense for not just like what that base price, you know, is what is a good deal, but also just. What are some of the destinations that come up a lot for deals, because there are certain places that you'll see pop up like kind of over and over and you're like, OK, so I know if I want to go there, I'm going to be able to find a deal. I just need to hold out and wait for it. You know what I mean? And I really like your point about prioritizing. It's one of the things that Kim knows that we really like to enjoy local food. We're kind of foodies. And so we will spend a lot more on food when we're in a destination than some other people.

 

[00:32:59.600] - Tamara

So it's one of those things when I'm looking at, you know, like my overall budget, I'm like, well, we spent this, but you may not need to, you know, like, there are other options. So like you said, it all depends on what is important to you. So it sounds like you probably have found a lot of your kind of budget trips through some of these deals and such.

 

[00:33:21.250] - Tamara

But through your travels, have you found some destinations that you feel are more, you know, kind of favorite budget destinations, like places where people kind of should keep an eye out? Because if you're looking for a budget deal, you're apt to find one?

 

[00:33:35.920] - Danielle

Yeah, I think it depends on the time of year. So I would frequently go to Ireland. I've been to Ireland twice in January because I found years apart the same or similar price deals to go to Ireland, to go to Dublin. So I it's funny because Dublin in Ireland is not necessarily the cheapest, the cheapest places to go do. And it's interesting because I the places I love to visit are actually some of the most expensive in the world. So Iceland. I love Iceland, I love Bermuda, I love Ireland.

 

[00:34:08.500] - Danielle

These places are not necessarily cheap, but again, it's all about like the expenses and how you spend there. But in terms of my own personal experiences, I found Lisbon, Portugal to be affordable, especially as a European destination. I found that pretty affordable. I also found Mexico to be affordable as well, which has been really helpful. And let's see if there's any other. China was also very affordable as well.

 

[00:34:39.690] - Kim

Tamara and I were in Lisbon and, you know, so that's great. And we were actually been in Ireland together, too.

 

[00:34:46.060] - Kim

So I can remember in Lisbon, we had that like five euro lunch. That was a lot of food.

 

[00:34:51.340] - Tamara

Yeah, I was thinking of that. I think Tamara and I both realized that in some ways Lisbon is extremely affordable as a European destination. Like even there are tourist attractions that you go to are still like priced fairly well.

 

[00:35:06.550] - Danielle

Yes, there's a couple, actually, a family, a family that they're on YouTube. They're called Our Rich Journey. And they recently moved to Portugal after retiring early and being financially independent. And it's just really interesting to hear why. Like, why did they pick Portugal out of all the places in the world? So, yes, definitely. I definitely agree. Lisbon has really great food beaches. So many great things to do at a at a really good price.

 

[00:35:35.320] - Kim

So we've covered, you know, kind of some big destinations and definitely places for a lot of our listeners that they would be putting off right now. But, you know, one of the hot topics I think right now for a lot of us is kind of local travel, you know, sticking around your own backyard or maybe, you know, around your own region. Do you have any tips for families that might be thinking of exploring around them that you think could, you know, be beneficial from a savings standpoint?

 

[00:36:03.040] - Danielle

Yeah, last summer was, for me, the Great Awakening, because I realized, like, OK, travel's changed completely for me. I'm no longer flying. So I did a lot of more road trips and I live in the Northeast. So I visited towns or cities like between four and five hours away from home. One of the things I personally think that's important is to really think about if you prefer to stay at a hotel right now or if you prefer to stay at an Airbnb, each of them have their own pros and cons.

 

[00:36:37.780] - Danielle

If you want to be necessarily like, let's say, secluded or you prefer to be like in a more remote location, then you have a lot of more options with Airbnb. Now, the problem with Airbnb is that there's so much more expensive now. A lot of hosts actually have higher fees, the cleaning fees. That has been astronomical. So if you are thinking about going on a, you know, more local trip or road trip, definitely start looking at Airbnb early. I would say anything from like four to five months early just to start to see, OK, what are price trends? Is it even affordable to stay at an Airbnb or do I prefer to stay at hotels? Now, in the countryside, a lot of hotels are offering really deep discounts. So a lot of financially savvy travelers are telling me that staying at a luxury hotel is like the most affordable it's ever been, right, because the capacities are down. The demand is down, which means prices are down, which is really helpful. So that I think is is number one is really great.

 

[00:37:45.970] - Danielle

I think for the majority of all the money saving tips and ideas I was sharing before are all relevant, like using digit and making priorities in your budget and and getting your family involved. These are all things that regardless of the destination or the type of travel they could, still going to be beneficial.

 

[00:38:05.050] - Danielle

Some other tips I would just share for those who are thinking about local travel. The thing about it right now, especially what I've discovered from last summer, is that each state has its own restrictions. Each state has its own quarantine. Or I mean, there's 50 states and each state is different. So really making sure that before you set out and go looking at what the state requirements, not only the state that you want to visit, but also your state as well, because some states are actually fining folks if you're not like being compliant. So that that's really helpful. And I would also say look at the tourism board website.

 

[00:38:42.560] - Danielle

So tourism boards are going to keep you up to date with what's going on. And that's one of the places I actually look for for the most important information.

 

[00:38:51.520] - Tamara

And sometimes they have deals to like sometimes they might have like a pass or, you know, sometimes some of their attractions. If you book online, you get a little discount. So Kim and I always talk about like looking at the tourism board website. And it's amazing. Kind of the I don't know, it's very helpful just to figure out what's there, but it's just helpful, you know, also finding some of those little deals and things that you may not have known about, like which restaurants offer kids eat free or which, you know, might have a Monday half price wine night or something like that, you know?

 

[00:39:23.500] - Tamara

Well, you've given us a lot to think about. And I love that a lot of your tips have given us some apps and things, too, that we haven't necessarily talked about with some of our other guests. But we do have a question that we ask all of our guests, and that is, what do you wear when you travel? Do you have a favorite brand? You know, any particular go to travel outfit?

 

[00:39:43.750] - Danielle

I would say I'm more of obsessive over footwear, so I really, really want to make sure that I have something comfortable with my feet. So I usually go to with vans. I like that their slip on that they're super comfortable and that I can just be more relaxed in them. No high heels for me, no high heels.

 

[00:40:04.210] - Tamara

I'm with you there.

 

[00:40:05.470] - Kim

Yes. So Danielle, why don't you tell our listeners where they can find you online?

 

[00:40:11.500] - Danielle

Well, thank you again so much for having me. It was really fun chatting all about traveling money. You could head over to thought car dotcom. That's my affordable travel website. I also have the thought card podcast, which is my Affordable Travel and personal finance podcast. And I actually have two books that I think would be relevant to today's conversation. So the first book I have is called Affording Travel Saving Strategies Financially Savvy Travelers. And another book I published recently is planning local trips during a pandemic. So I think those two books would be really great to take the next step.

 

[00:40:52.810] - Tamara

So thank you again for being on and chatting with us and looking forward to following your future travels. And I need you to tell me which luxury resorts in the Northeast are offering discounts, because I'm telling you, all the ones I've been looking at are way beyond my price range.

 

[00:41:07.360] - Danielle

You know, it's so funny. I've been sticking to Airbnb, so I've been hearing rumors that they're cheaper. But I just prefer Airbnb out. They have been out in the cabin. So the countryside

 

[00:41:18.280] - Tamara

We've done some of that. So I'm looking at something for the summer. I'm like, oh, man, I know the hotels are hurting, but these prices are outrageous. So I'm going to keep dreaming on that one for a bit. Keep dreaming and keep saving.

 

[00:41:31.000] - Kim

Now, if you keep saving, maybe something, then sign up for some emails. You never know what I'll fall.

 

[00:41:34.690] - Danielle

You never know. You never know.

 

[00:41:37.390] - Kim

Thanks so much, Danielle. It was great chatting with you.

 

[00:41:39.490] - Kim

Thanks so much as always. Thanks for joining us. For another week of vacation mavens next time, which is two weeks away, we're going to be celebrating something big. It's our fifth year anniversary of Vacation MAVEN's. We are five years old, so we are celebrating in a manner that, you know, truly is fitting for Tamara and I, for those of you that know us, we are going to be talking all about wine tasting and wine tasting tips.

 

[00:42:05.410] - Kim

So I hope you will join us in two weeks and we will talk to you again soon

 

[00:42:10.510] - Tamara

Come raise a virtual glass with us to celebrate and look forward to it and send us a picture. Yeah, definitely. Say cheers to us.

 

We recently did a podcast talking about some of our favorite Walt Disney World hotels, but today we dig deeper into the accommodation options at Disney through the Disney Vacation Club. Our friend Amber from Global Munchkins joins us to share her best Disney Vacation Club tips and how to use DVC points to fund family travel. 

ON THE PODCAST

00:32 - Talking with Kim about her OARS trip

03:50 - Kim’s water rafting experience

08:43 - Bringing your own food

09:28 - Bathrooms on the water rafting trip

17:35 - Talking with Amber

18:53 - What is DVC?

20:35 - Where can you use your points?

21:20 - What is RCI?

22:05 - Staying at a DVC

23:35 - Point ranges

26:25 - DVC resort setups

28:30 - Housekeeping or not?

28:52 - Perks of being a DVC member

31:17 - Maximize your point usage

35:42 - Tips on the resale market

39:35 - Tax benefits

40:00 - Amber’s favorite DVC properties

41:15 - Final DVC tips

45:10 - Favorite travel gear

47:10 - App of the week

ABOUT AMBER MAMIAM

Amber Mamian is a freelance writer, family travel expert and founder of GlobalMunchkins.com. She is also a mom to 5 amazing kids through both birth and adoption and crazy passionate about finding deals that allow her to continue her luxury travel lifestyle with kids in tow. Follow on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

DISNEY VACATION CLUB TIPS

• You can use DVC points at Disney resorts in Florida, Hawaii, California, and South Carolina.
• DVC members also have access to a concierge collection of upscale hotels, and members are  connected to RCI so they can exchange points and stay anywhere in the world!
• RCI is like a timeshare exchange program where you can swap timeshares with other people through other timeshare companies.
• You do not need to have DVC membership to stay at a DVC property
• When you are a DVC member you need to make sure that you take advantage of the other perks that come with membership. For example discount tickets, VIP events, advance movie screenings, percentages off of meals at some restaurants, etc.
• Make sure to look at what your dues would be for your home resort.
• You can rent more points or borrow points from the future to pay for a more upgraded experience now.
• When you are purchasing a resale property make sure to look at what the current dues and the annual dues are and you should also make sure that they have points to use now.
• You can purchase your points online and over the phone. You do not need to purchase the points in person.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Amber loves to wear her Nike shoes to go along with her athletic wear!

TIP OF THE WEEK

In the summer everyone loves spending time outdoors so you can take advantage and find your favorite star gazing app to learn more about the universe, like Sky View or Sky Walk.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Global Munchkins

DVC rental store

DVC request

The Timeshare Store

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If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035# You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

Have you ever wanted to visit Australia? This week we talk about the Land Down Under with native Erin Bender about what you can fit into a two-week trip to Australia -- if that is all you have. We cover a sample itinerary, what to do with kids in Melbourne, Sydney and the Great Ocean Road. Plus, we learn about fairy bread, Vegemite, and where to find those adorable koalas and kangaroos.

ON THE PODCAST

1:00 Shout out to Lance for giving Vacation Mavens our first review on iTunes!

1:20 Kim talks about her recent trip to Phoenix including hot air ballooning

4:40 Spring training with the Cactus League

8:20 Eating in Phoenix -- Hilton at Squaw Creek

9:55 Erin Bender from Travel with Bender

13:02 Nomadic travel challenges

15:00 Australia in two weeks

17:00 Getting from place to place in Australia

21:00 Koalas and kangaroos

21:30 Must try Australian foods

24:00 Four days in Sydney

25:20 Driving Great Ocean Road

27:00 Phillip Island and Fairy Penguins

27:45 Where to find koalas and kangaroos

28:45 Best place to take a family photo

29:30 Surviving the long flight to Australia with kids

31:30 Favorite travel outfit or gear

33:35 Tip of the week

ABOUT ERIN BENDER FROM TRAVEL WITH BENDER

Erin is the driving force behind the world’s leading family travel blog, Travel With Bender. With her husband and 2 young children (ages 6 and 7), she’s been on a nomadic journey since 2012 across 64 countries and counting. Most recently she is touring the US on the #motherofallroadtrips.

Erin and her husband were both born in Australia and have been together for 18 years. Erin and her husband Josh took a seven-week round-the-world trip pre-kids and loved traveling so much that they decided to embark on a nomadic lifestyle when her kids were two and three. What was going to be a six-month journey has turned into four years of travel.

Erin and her family are currently in Orlando and will be traveling through the U.S. for a few more months, but she took time out of her busy schedule to tell us about her native land -- Australia. While she suggests spending at least a month in Australia, she shares a two-week itinerary that covers a few of Australia's highlights. You can follow their travels on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or Snapchat.

TWO-WEEK AUSTRALIAN ITINERARY

Erin recommends flying into Brisbane on the Gold Coast and starting with four-nights in Queensland where you can see some of the best islands in the world, including the Great Barrier Reef and Whitsunday. In Brisbane, you will also find many amusement parks and attractions.

She would then spend four nights in Sydney, taking in sights like the Sydney Opera House and a walk across the Harbour Bridge. The Sydney Aquarium is also a highlight for families with kids. Ferries around the harbour are also a great way to get a view of the city.

Next, she would do four nights in Melbourne, including two nights driving the Great Ocean Road to see the Twelve Apostles rock formations. (Note: there are not Twelve Apostles, but the water is magnificent and the formations are quite beautiful.) If you get a bit further to see the great Australian "bite" with wonderful cliffs and views. Also, near Melbourne you can go out to Phillip Island to see the Fairy Penguins. At dusk, the penguins come from the ocean to their homes on land. You can sit in the grandstands to watch this phenomenon.

Finally, finish up with a trip to see Uluru or head over to western Australia and visit Margaret River, one of the best surfing destinations in the world.

 MUST-TRY FOODS IN AUSTRALIA 

WHERE TO FIND KOALAS 

BEST PLACE TO TAKE A FAMILY PHOTO

Erin recommends taking a photo with the Sydney Opera House in the background. If you are clever, you can manage to get the opera house and the Harbour bridge in the same photo. In Darling Harbour, walk on the lower level on the way to the opera house and you will be able to get both.

TIPS FOR FLYING WITH KIDS

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Summer vacation is almost here and we are getting ready for the busiest summer travel season ever! Be sure to pack your patience, your travel insurance, and these travel apps. In this episode we talk about some of our favorite travel apps that we are using lately for road trips, plane travel, and international travel.

Travel Apps to Download this Summer:

• Flight Aware - helps you track to see where planes are and their status
• Airline apps - send you alerts for delays, help you rebook easily, download mobile boarding passes, can sometimes track luggage, inbound flights, or provide information on airport lounge locations and status
• Mobile Passport Control - for international travelers that don't have Global Entry
• Apple Find My Device with Apple AirTags or alternatively use Tile or similar trackers for checked bags
• Roadtrippers - helps you plan road trips and find things to stop at along the way
• GasBuddy - helps you find gas stations and the most affordable gas
• Welcome Pickups - arrange airport transfers or other transportation in 256 locations worldwide
• Daytrip - sightseeing city to city transfers with stops along the way
• Hotel apps - allow you to chat with the hotel, digital check in and check out, and sometimes select room, get a digital key, manage entertainment, and other services
• Card Pointers - helps you manage all your various credit card offers and helps you decide which card to use where and when and maximize your special offers
• Global Blue - helps you manage your VAT refund forms
• Stasher and Bounce - helps you find places to store your luggage, which is great if you are staying at an Airbnb or stopping somewhere along your way but need luggage storage
• Going - great for finding flight deals

Other Episodes You May Enjoy

• What to know about airline fees
• Best credit cards for travel
• Favorite places and travel products
• Best hotel loyalty programs for families
• Tips for finding hotel deals

Follow Kim at @stuffedsuitcase on Instagram

Follow Tamara at @yourtimetofly on Instagram

It is Black History Month and the perfect time to honor the Civil Rights heroes by planning a trip through the South. Today we talk to Mia Henry from Freedom Lifted about which civil rights sites to visit, how to plan a trip, and what to expect along the way. If this type of trip isn't on your radar, be sure to listen to hear why it should be and the powerful impact it can have on you and your kids.

ON THE PODCAST

00:32 - Talking with Tamara about her Civil Rights road trip

08:08 - Talking with Mia Henry

12:03 - Top Civil Rights destinations

20:47 - Sample Itinerary

22:30 - Combining your trip

28:52 - Touring on your own vs. with a guide

36:27 - What age to take your kids

38:30 - Books and Documentaries

44:25 - Mia’s favorite travel gear

47:30 - Thank You!!!

ABOUT MIA HENRY

Freedom Liftedhosts customized Civil Rights tours for groups through the Deep South. They work with students, teachers, and large family groups to plan and lead educational experiences to Alabama, Mississippi and more places connected to the movement. For more information, see  www.freedomlifted.com.

Follow Mia on Facebook, Instagram, Youtubeand Twitter.

TIPS FOR VISITING CIVIL RIGHTS SITES

• If you are thinking about visiting some civil rights sites, here are six must visit places to add to your itinerary.
  • National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motelmay be the first item on many lists, but you may think about making this a last stop on your tour of civil rights sites. This site really pulls moments of the Civil Rights movement together.
  • Equal Justice Initiativehas opened some new sites in Montgomery, Alabama, like the Peace and Justice Memorial which honors more than four thousand documented lynchings across the country, along with the thousands more that are undocumented. There is also the Legacy Museumthat really lays out the context of the black freedom struggle.
  • Edmund Pettus Bridge is a national monument that symbolizes the pain of Bloody Sunday but also the triumph and beginning of the Selma to Montgomery March (or the 5-Day March).
  • The Rosa Parks Museumis fantastic for families to visit. With the guided tour you will learn facts about how collective action was at the core of the Montgomery bus boycott.
  • The Fannie Lou Hamer gravesitein Mississippi is a favorite. She was a leader in the Mississippi Democratic Party. She famously testified at the Democratic National Convention in 1964.
  • The Whitney Plantationis a great site to visit so that you understand the long freedom struggle in the country and the history of slavery.
• If you are planning your trip around civil rights sites, you should make sure to have at least four days to spend exploring and visiting these national sites.
• You may think about making a trip to Alabama or maybe just starting there. You could spend a day in Birmingham, a half a day in Selma, a day and a half to two days in Montgomery. All of these areas are within an hour and a half of each other so you could easily visit them without changing where you are staying.
• Unless you have at least a week you shouldn’t try to combine Memphis and Alabama. Due to the distance, you will be spending a lot of time of your trip driving if you did combine them. You could combine Memphis with Mississippi by spending some time in Memphis first and explore some music related places first, like the Stax Museum. Then move onto some site in the Mississippi Deltalike the BB KIng Museumor the Fannie Lou Hamer gravesite. Then you could head to the new Mississippi Civil Rights Museumwhich is a massive museum and the first Civil Rights museum in Mississippi.
• If you would like to get a first hand account of the Civil Rights Movement, you can look into Civil Rights Movement Veteranswhich is a website that has a list of all the people of the movement that have registered with them. These people are willing to meet and talk to groups or you can just click through the list and read their stories.
• You may want to think about visiting some of these historic sites in a tour group rather than alone because there are some places like the 16th Street Baptist Churchwhich usually only opens for groups.
• If you are traveling with children you may want to think about whether they are old enough to really understand and respect the events of history they will be learning about. Though you may decide your child needs to be older to visit these sites, around 12 years old is a good age for some. This is an age they may be starting to learn about this in school so it would be great for them to get more in depth information and see the historic sites first hand rather in photos.
• Depending on the age of your kids you should look into having them read some books on Civil Rights or even watching some documentaries as a family so that you all can get a little more informed before taking your trip.
  • If you are going to Mississippi you should watch the documentary Freedom Summer.
  • For visiting the Delta and Memphis you should watch The Murder of Emmett Till.
  • You should definitely watch Selmabefore you take your trip and walk across the bridge.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Mia loves to wear Eileen Fisher Crepepants and a pair of Crocsin the summertime. Since she the temperature is constantly changing and the bus temp can fluctuate she like to make sure she has layers including scarves.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

15 Civil Rights Sites

Civil Rights Road Trip

National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel

Equal Justice Initiative

Peace and Justice Memorial

Legacy Museum

Edmund Pettus Bridge

Rosa Parks Museum

Fannie Lou Hamer gravesite

Whitney Plantation

Stax Museum

Mississippi Delta

BB KIng Museum

Mississippi Civil Rights Museum

Hidden History Tours

Civil Rights Movement Veterans

Self-Guided Tour Resources

Pies from Nowhere

Eyes on the Prize

Freedom Riders

Freedom Summer

The Murder of Emmett Till

Selma

Soundtrack for a Revolution

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If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, orGoogle Playand leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035#. You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcaseand We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebookor Twitter. Thanks for listening!

Do you want to visit the City of Stars? Laura Gibbons from Let's Go, Little One takes us on a trip to Los Angeles and tells us where to stay, what to do, and some of her favorite places to eat with kids. Plus, catch up with Kim and Tamara's recent visit to Clearwater, Florida.

ON THE PODCAST

00:30 - Talking with Kim and Tamara about the TMS Family Travel conference in Clearwater, FL

04:44 - Clearwater Beach

06:24 - Clearwater Marine Aquarium

11:22 - Where to stay in Clearwater, Florida

17:40 - Introducing Laura Gibbons

24:38 - How long should you spend in LA?

27:20 - What areas to stay in

28:45 - Hiking up to the Hollywood sign

30:23 - Beaches in LA

33:43 - Getting to the beaches

34:45 - Museums in downtown LA

37:11 - Theme parks in or around LA

38:50 - Outdoor adventures in LA

41:27 - Laura’s favorite hotels

44:43 - Laura’s favorite restaurants

50:19 - Money saving tips

53:14 - Where to take a family photo

54:43 - Favorite travel gear

58:40 - Tip of the week

1:00:55 - Giveaway!! ends November 30th

ABOUT LAURA GIBBONS

Laura Gibbons lives and works in Venice Beach, CA with her husband, son, and dog. Her family of four loves to travel as often as possible (yes, even the dog) and create memories everywhere they go. Let’s Go, Little One is her way of sharing tips and encouraging other families to get outside and share adventures together! Follow Laura on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.

THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN LOS ANGELES WITH KIDS

• Hollywood Walk of Fame is a great way to explore the city and there is no cost to see the stars!
• If you like to be active, you can hike up to the Hollywood sign. The hike takes around 45 minutes and is great for you kids. You will see a lot of locals that hike the trail.
• The Grauman's Chinese Theatre is in a great area where you will find street performers and other memorabilia. This theatre is used for a lot of movie premieres.
• You can spend an entire weekend in Santa Monica and Venice beach areas and you will not run out of things to do. The Santa Monica Pier is cool and has a Ferris wheel at the end, along with other rides and attractions. There is also an arcade and a bunch of restaurants to choose from.
• Venice Beach is a bit more accessible from the boardwalk and you can find restaurants actually on the beach. There is also a street called Abbot Kinney Blvd. where there is a lot of shopping and more restaurants to choose from.
• Like any other city you will find a lot of great museums and exhibits to visit. Including the LACMA, (Los Angeles County Museum of Art), which is free for anyone under the age of 17.
• Depending on where you are in LA, Disneyland is about an hour outside of LA, and is a big item for most kids to visit.

BEST PLACE TO TAKE FAMILY PHOTO

Laura recommends the Santa Monica pier as a good place to take a family photo, in front of the Ferris wheel. Also if you end up in Beverly Hills, anywhere with the Beverly Hills sign is a pretty iconic thing to have in your family photo.

 

TIP OF THE WEEK

Go City Card has a program for Los Angeles package deals. You have the option of building the package with different items and tours.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Westside of LA

Grauman's Chinese Theatre

Hollywood Walk of Fame

Abbot Kinney Blvd

LACMA

Au Fudge

The Butcher’s Daughter

In N Out Burger

Cafe Gratitude

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035# You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

With states across the U.S. entering some phase of reopening, Kim and Tamara tackle the  topic of summer travel. What will be open, what should you expect if you travel, and what are the best trips to think about right now? Tune in.

ON THE PODCAST

00:30 - Talking with Kim and Tamara

01:15 - Finding travel information

02:00 - Florida

11:08 - Flying

16:00 - States that are doing well

20:08 - Rentals

24:02 - International travel

29:20 - Reopening plans

31:50 - What to do locally

TIPS FOR NAVIGATING REOPENING TRAVEL

• The information coming to you today is current as of May 27th. Location changes and regulations for travel are changing daily.
• Keep in mind that some locations have 14-day quarantine requirements for visitors coming from other states. Some states are state specific for these quarantines. For instance Florida is checking license plates specifically for New York and New Jersey.
• If you are planning to take a trip outside of your state for the summer, you may need to do a lot more research to make the trip happen. With information changing almost daily you may want to think about keeping to your own state in regards to summer plans for this year.
• As states are opening up, restaurants, hotels, beaches, etc. are limiting capacity. Some hotels and restaurants will only be opening at 50% capacity.
• Keep in mind that if you plan on flying somewhere some airlines are blocking the middle seat and having to change their schedules around a lot more than usual. You will need to be a bit more flexible than you normally would.
• You can also expect new procedures and long lines at the airport as more people start traveling.
• Flexibility with airline cancellations is coming to a close. Some airlines that were previously offering free cancellation or changes have stopped as of May 31st. So you need to keep this in mind when you are planning to take a flight somewhere. You may not be able to get your money back if you decide against the trip or find out new information regarding the place you are going that you don’t want to risk.
• Listen to more information about National Parks on our previous episode 164. In this episode you will get some useful information regarding what is happening with different parks and where to find the most updated information as places are being reopened.
• If you plan on renting a house somewhere, make sure you bring a good amount of supplies with you. You don’t know what you will be able to find when you get there. The grocery stores might not be as replenished as you would think. You will also be buying up supplies that the locals need as well.
• International travel will be more difficult. Some areas may be opening for tourists but only allowing certain countries to come in. You will need to make sure to do a lot of research on where you could be allowed and what their regulations for quarantine are. A lot of things are still up in the air and are changing almost daily.
• If you have a specific state that you would like to go to you can try googling what that state's reopening plans are. Some states have sites dedicated to what they are doing about reopening and maybe even dates for when things are happening. Keep in mind that though some states may be reopening for their citizens that does not mean that they are allowing travelers from out of state.
• Take this opportunity to explore the area around your house or town. You may not have known that there was a great hiking trail a mile from your house. Or maybe even a drive in theater in the next town over. You can use this time to explore around your own area, maybe even find some new regular places to visit.
• Tamara also wrote a post about where to go this summer and some safe travel tips.

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email at podcast@vacationmavens.com. You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

 

This summer is definitely bringing back the great American road trip and one of the most beautiful is an Oregon Coast road trip. On the podcast, we talk with Jessica Baker from Boundless Bakers, about the time she spent on the Oregon Coast and she fills us in on the best places to stop, must see towns, and side trips to take along the way.

ON THE PODCAST

00:30 - Talking about future road trips

07:20 - Talking with Jessica Baker

09:25 - How long to spend in Oregon

10:20 - Where to fly into and out of

11:30 - Where to stop

22:20 - Where to stay

25:40 - Day trip locations

27:25 - Driving around

29:20 - Final tips

31:00 - Jessica’s Favorite Travel Gear

32:50 - What's next for Jessica and her family

33:45 - Coming up next on Vacation Mavens

ABOUT JESSICA BAKER

Jessica Baker is a full-time mom, wife, and RVer. She and her husband, two young kids, and three cats have been traveling North America full-time for the last year and a half. Jessica has contributed to RV travel blogs such as CampingWorld.com and DoItYourselfRV.com. Follow Jessica on Facebook and Instagram.

TIPS FOR PLANNING AN OREGON COAST ROAD TRIP

• You can spend anywhere between a long weekend and a full week exploring what the Oregon Coast has to offer.
• If you are coming from the East Coast or even just farther than a drive away from Oregon’s coast, then fly into Portland and rent a car. You can then either fly back out of Eugene, or make the return loop via the highway.
• The natural beauty of the Oregon coast is what draws visitors to explore. As you are making your way down the coast here is a list of cute towns and attractions to visit along the way.
  • Cannon Beach - is a little touristy that has a great food and if you are a Goonies fan this town should definitely be on your list.
  • Depoe Bay - this town is known for whale watching. It may be tiny but it is a lot of fun.
  • Newport - has great seafood and harbor. If you are interested, this is a great place to do your own fishing. You need a license but it is not expensive to purchase.
  • Florence - is also a fishing town and is north of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, which covers forty miles of dunes. You can rent equipment and ride around the dunes!
  • Hug Point is a really great location to visit, but you have to keep in mind when high and low tide are since you could potentially get stuck where you don’t want to be. It is a great spot for exploring the tide pools and water caves that are along the point.
  • Devil's Punch Bowl is another area where you need to watch the tide times. If you are adventurous, during low tide you can hike down into the bowl and explore the inside before the tide comes back in.
  • Cobble Beach is made up of little black volcanic rocks and when the water runs over it, it makes a really unique and beautiful sound.
• It is highly recommended that you make this a camping road trip and even rent an RV if you want. If not you can stay in Cannon Beach, which has a bunch of little hotels. You can also try Newport as that is a bit larger and has a number of different places to stay.
• There are a few places within four hours of the coast that can make a great day trip:
  • Tillamook has a lot of dairy farms and it is a great place to visit and try some different cheeses and ice cream.
  • Crater Lake is a gorgeous sight to see, and if you have time to explore it, you should add this into your itinerary.
  • The Columbia River Gorge is another great area to visit whether you make it a day trip or spend a few days there. It is close to Portland and could be a good stop to make before you make your way to the coast.
• Driving around Oregon is not too difficult, especially if you stay on Highway 101. You will feel comfortable driving even if you are towing or driving an RV. Just don't be surprised if you lose cell service from time to time.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Jessica recommends wearing plenty of layers when visiting Oregon. She loves her Columbia windbreaker as an outer layer. She also likes to wear a pair of convertible hiking pants. That way she can unzip them into shorts if she gets too hot. She also likes to pair this with a pair of Keen shoes.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Boundless Bakers

Our Top 5 Oregon Coast RV Parks ($50 off RV rentals button on this page)

Northern Oregon Coast

RV Rentals (coupon here too)

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email at podcast@vacationmavens.com. You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

NYC is a classic family travel trip. This week we talk about our top tips for visiting New York City with kids with travel expert Carol Cain from Girl Gone Travel, including where to stay, what to do and how to plan your trip.

ON THE PODCAST

00:34 - Tamara and Kim talking about NYC

05:40 - Tamara’s tips on visiting NYC

10:10 - Talking with Carol about NYC

14:40 - Favorite neighborhoods to visit

17:30 - Airports to fly into New York

18:44 - More of Carol’s favorite neighborhoods

22:15 - Hotels Carol recommends

25:05 - Getting around the city

31:32 - Must dos for first time NYC visitors

34:37 - Food tours

36:50 - Favorite restaurants

42:57 - Money saving tips

45:43 - Best place to take a family photo

48:38 - Final tips for visiting NYC

49:50 - Favorite travel gear

54:11 - Favorite apps

ABOUT CAROL CAIN

Carol Cain is the writer and photographer behind the travel site GirlGoneTravel.com. She left a career in public relations before venturing into the world of travel blogging in 2008 and is often speaking on ways to improve brand and blogger relationships as well as raising awareness for increased diversity in media. Follow Carol on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

TIPS FOR VISITING NYC WITH KIDS

• Using the subway is a great way to get around the city while saving money. New York City uses a Metro Card system which has a bunch of different packages that you can use. For families it would be a good idea to get a card with 10 rides on it, which you can use for multiple people by swiping the card at the turnstile and passing it back to your next family member!
• You can also get a subway map for free at one of the main kiosks. They are also starting to add in digital maps in the subway stops, that show the tracks and stops.
• For first time visitors that want to see the iconic parts of New York, you should visit Midtown Manhattan. You will see Central Park, Hell's kitchen, the Theater District, and more that are all in walking distance.
• A great way to start your first time in NYC would be to take a walking tour or just any type of tour. You will get a sense of where you are while learning some historic facts about the city.
• Right next to Penn Station is a new high end food court. This is a great idea if you have a family that like different things, the kids can get a sandwich or burger while you have say Japanese cuisine.
• If you are flexible with your time and the show  you can go to the TKTS booth in Times Square to get discounted Broadway show tickets.

BEST PLACE TO TAKE FAMILY PHOTO

There is a park on Riverside Drive on the west side of Manhattan along the Hudson River that is a great spot. The sun sets there and the boat docks are really pretty. Another great spot is Top of the Rock, which offers a great view of the Empire State Building. You can also go online a schedule a time to go and just go right up without waiting.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Carol is very much a Skechers girl. She also loves her Lands End cargo pants.

APP(s) OF THE WEEK

Best Parking and Icon Parking are both a good way to save on parking. You can check and reserve spots in parking garages. Having a NYC Subway app is really helpful. History Here is an app by the History Channel that uses your location and give you a lot of historic insight into where you are. Eat St. Is an app that helps you find food trucks!

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Local Fun in NYC on Girl Gone Travel

Don Peppe restaurant near JFK airport

S’mac

Discount Ticket Booth

NYC Tourist Apps - We3Travel

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035# You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

 

With the holiday gift giving season almost upon us, we thought it would be a good time to talk about our favorite travel tech. Leticia Barr from Tech Savvy Mama joins us to share her tips and choices for travel technology for families.

ON THE PODCAST

:30 Tamara & Kim's favorite travel tech

2:50 Tamara is getting the iPhone X

4:11 Kim is going back to the iPhone 8 Plus

5:55 Kim loves Google Photos

7:15 Kim uses AT&T and Tamara uses Verizon

8:00 Phone cases and waterproofing

12:00 GoPro vs Drones

13:30 GoPro battery issues

16:30 Introducing Leticia Barr

24:04 Kid-safe headphones

27:30 Tablets

29:00 Buy used

31:00 Noise cancelling headphones

33:00 Avoid too much blue light

34:30 Downloading shows to watch offline

36:00 Borrow ebooks and audiobooks from the library

39:20 Kindle Unlimited

40:10 Downloading content via mobile apps

43:00 Plugged In and Common Sense Media

44:47 Favorite tech

49:30 Label everything

50:27 Favorite apps

58:30 How to be a conscientious traveler

1:01 Tips for the week

1:03:30 Giveaway (Amazon Echo Dot)

ABOUT LETICIA BARR

Leticia is the founder of the award winning Tech Savvy Mama, a site that helps parents navigate parenting in the digital age. She uses her experience as a former teacher and technology specialist for a large DC Metro area school system to share new technology and educational resources, including her passion for hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) activities and learning through travel.

Since 2012 Leticia has been traveling to Haiti to visit artists who work with the Artisan Business Network (ABN). Her first trip was out of curiosity and a deep desire to want to get to know the country beyond what was being reported on the news after the 2010 earthquake. She’s visited Haiti each year since then and loves sharing the stories of artists and the importance of providing sustainable jobs to Haitian artists all over the country through a fair trade model.

Leticia has been an Iris Award nominee in the category of Philanthropic Work of the Year for her work in Haiti and enjoys the distinction of having been Parents Magazine's Editors' Pick for Best Tech Blog, Babble's Top 100 Mom Blogs, one of the 50 Top Twitter Moms by Babble, and Mom.me's 50 Favorite Mom Bloggers. Despite being tech savvy and relying on her social media networks for philanthropic ventures, she is also a fan of unplugging to spend time with her husband, 2 children, their overly enthusiastic Yellow Labrador, and backyard chickens.

To learn more about Leticia and her trips to Haiti, read the stories on her blog, view her photos on Flickr, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook.

FAVORITE TRAVEL TECH

• Make sure you have kid-safe headphones that have volume control (such as iFrogz or CosyPhones)
• For tablets, invest in the best case possible (such as Otterbox)
• Amazon Kindle Freetime lets you limit the time kids spend in different applications
• Buy a used device to save money and then it isn't as upsetting if it breaks
• Noise cancelling headphones are great for flights (such as Califone)
• Be careful not to spend too much time using devices with blue light as it can damage eyes
• Download shows in advance to watch offline (Netflix, iTunes, Amazon Prime, etc. -- some require you to download via the mobile app, not through the browser on the laptop)
• YouTube Kids can be watched offline (YouTube Red is a good investment for families)
• Kindle Paperwhite is good to avoid carrying books but look into borrowing ebooks from your public library
• Kindle Unlimited gives you access to ebooks for a monthly fee
• Use Common Sense Media and Plugged In to see the recommended ages and gauge appropriate content
• Label your devices and cables using Mabel's Labels
• Create playlists for destinations you are visiting with YouTube videos to prepare kids on what to expect
• Look for local apps such as National Parks

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Leticia loves the Bose quiet comfort noise cancelling earbuds, a Belkin surge protector, Ventev charging cables and Ventev Powercell 10000 charger and her Kindle Paperwhite. Leticia also loves the Scottevest Lucy black cardigan with large deep pockets and Tieks flats.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Make your phone battery last longer by turning on low battery/battery saving mode. You can also put your phone into airplane mode and make sure you don't have apps running in the background. Go into your settings and make sure that most apps are only using location services while you are using the app, not always, as this will really run your battery down.

GIVEAWAY

Since we are talking about tech, we are giving away one Amazon Echo Dot to a lucky listener! Just head over to the Vacation Mavens Facebook page and leave a comment on our pinned giveaway post before November 30, 2017 to be registered to win. Sorry, this one is only open to those in the United States!

 

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035# You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

Have you ever considered renting a houseboat? This fun type of vacation rental is a great way to socially distance! Find out what it is like to stay on an "RV on the water" and get houseboat rental vacation tips from Jessica Averett, from Bring the Kids, on this week's episode.

ON THE PODCAST

00:30 - Talking with Kim and Tamara

05:25 - What’s happening with school

07:24 - Talking with Jessica

09:05 - Where to take a houseboat vacation

10:38 - What to expect

16:10 - What to look for in renting a houseboat

19:00 - Tips for planning your trip

21:50 - Price

23:45 - What is the water like

26:50 - What to pack

28:44 - Jessica’s Favorite Travel Gear

ABOUT JESSICA AVERETT

Jessica Averett is an adventure loving mom to 5 kids. She and her family have a serious case of wanderlust and are constantly exploring to find the best travel experiences for families. You can follow her writing and adventures at Bring The Kids.

Follow Jessica on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

TIPS FOR RENTING A HOUSEBOAT

• It is really popular to have a houseboat vacation on large lakes. Most people will rent a houseboat through the local marina.
• Staying on a houseboat is like staying on a big RV on the water
• The houseboat moves at about 6 miles per hour on the water because they are so big, so don’t plan on traveling far if you have a short vacation time.
• A typical time on a boat is usually four days to a week. You can then spend your time stopping at a few places or just dropping anchor wherever.
• Surprisingly you do not need a boating license to rent a houseboat. Most places will just require you to be 21 years or older.
• It is fun to rent other boats or water toys to take along. This is so you can get to shore faster or just ride around off the houseboat. This could be anything in between floaties and kayaks or jet skies and a small craft.
• Since towing will make your houseboat go even slower, if renting a motor boat, it makes sense to have someone else drive it ahead of the houseboat when going to a different location.
• For smaller water toys like kayaks and floaties, the roof of the boat is flat so you can just tie them off up there for when you are moving around.
• If you are going with younger kids, you might really want to look into getting a houseboat that has a slide off of the roof.
• You will also need to think about how many people you want to sleep. A typical houseboat sleeps up to 8 or 12. Given that number if you are going with a larger group some of you can actually camp on shore in tents, while some stay on the boat for the night.
• One big tip for going on a houseboat vacation is to go with another family. This will make your trip more fun to hang out with friends. Plus if they have kids around the same age they can hang out together and have others to have fun with. This will also make it easier on the adults having a few more people to drive the boat.
• The price of renting a houseboat mostly varies on the kind and size of the boat that you are renting. For a three or four day trip you will probably be looking at around $2,000.
• Keep in mind that you can still get some choppy water on a lake depending on the size and the weather.
• Make sure you pack plenty of sunscreen and aloe because someone will end up with sunburn since you are spending all of your time on the water. You should also think about bringing a line or rope with clothespins, so that you will have an easier time drying all of your swim suits and towels.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Jessica loves her pair of Columbia pants along with a pair of Chaco sandals.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

House Boating Rentals

SunBum

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email at podcast@vacationmavens.com. You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

We are back from our summer travel and packed a whole lot into a one episode recap! We apologize in advance for some audio difficulties on this one, especially after taking so long to get it live. Thanks for hanging in there with us!

On this episode we cover Tamara's summer trips to:

• Nantucket (read her 3 days in Nantucket itinerary)
• New Brunswick, Canada (Road trip itinerary, places to stop on the Fundy Parkway, and tips for visiting Hopewell Rocks)
• Prince Edward Island, Canada (3 day PEI itinerary)
• Sailing on the Schooner Heritage Maine Windjammer
• Walking holiday on Hadrian's Wall Path

And Kim shares about her adventures:

• Mediterranean cruise on Costa Cruise Lines (One Day in Rome Itinerary)
• Gorilla trekking in Uganda
• Alaskan cruise on Holland America
• Graduation trip to Disney World and Universal Orlando (How to Save Money at Disney World)

Happy New Year! Kim and Tamara are catching up on New Year's resolutions and Tamara shares an update on her trip to London and best tips for visiting London with kids.

ON THE PODCAST

00:32 - Talking with Kim and Tamara

03:18 - Holiday football fan rivalry

06:57 - Hamilton in London

07:35 - Flight experience for London

09:23 - Royal Garden Hotel

10:33 - Princess Diana

12:58 - Athenaeum Hotel

15:13 - Things to do in London

18:33 - High tea experience

19:37 - Warner Brothers - Making of Harry Potter

22:47 - Tour of the British Museum

25:19 - Car and driver tour

26:58 - Holidays in London

29:35 - Favorite food spots

33:35 - Tip of the week

35:30 - Giveaway Winner announcement!!

WHAT TO DO IN LONDON WITH KIDS

• Seeing the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace is a unique experience. The ceremony takes place at 11:00 on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, weather permitting. Then in the summer the ceremony is performed daily. Keep in mind that you should get there early in order to get a good spot to watch the ceremony.
• You can save a little bit of money if you get tickets in advance for the London Eye. The tickets are for a certain time, but you can skip the line.
• If you are a Harry Potter fan you should make some time to visit the The Making of Harry Potter at the Warner Brothers Studio. This is the location where a lot of the sets still reside from shooting. You can also learn about how things were done. This is definitely a full day adventure and the tickets can sell out a few months in advance. There are also different tours you can take in London and see different locations that were in the movies.
• Enjoying a meal at a local pub is a must do in London. Though keep in mind if you are traveling with kids it may be best to go during the day. The pubs get packed with the after work crowds. Turning the pub into more of a bar scene with the patrons drinking and smoking. Not to say that there won't be drinking and smoking during the day, but less so, it is a pub after all!

TIP OF THE WEEK

This week's tip is related to London. You should definitely look into purchasing an Oyster Card.  These cards are what you use for the Tube and you can load it when you order the card. Then if you need to add more to the card for you transportation you can do this at any newsstand or even in the station. These cards max out a 6 pounds a day so even if you travel past that 6 pounds you will not be charged more for that day.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Glam Rock Tea

The Making of Harry Potter

British Museum

British Tours

Dishoom

Visiting England Podcast - episode 30

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035# You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

What is more classic than the great American family road trip? Today, Shannon Entin from 100 Routes Across America dishes about her favorite family road trips, including one that was coast-to-coast. We also chat about our best road trips tips, how to pack for a road trip, our favorite road trip gear and best road trip apps. 

ON THE PODCAST

:50 Tamara gets a new car

2:55 Kim's road trip from Seattle to Disneyland

3:50 Tamara's road trip from San Francisco to Cambria, CA

9:10 Seattle to Missouri

9:37 Talking road trip with Shannon Entin

10:17 Tamara & Shannon's adventures flyboarding

11:15 Shannon's ski season - Utah and Steamboat Springs, CO

12:30 Denver to Moab & Arches National Park to Ogden, UT

13:15 National Parks in the winter

14:30 Shannon's favorite road trip

17:45 How to plan a road trip

19:13 How much drive time per day

20:15 24 hours in a car with kids

22:18 Road trip horror stories?

24:38 Road trip packing tips

25:53 Planning tips

26:00 Roadtrippers.com

27:16 AroundMe app

28:00 Car maintenance tips

31:00 Car cooler

32:15 Driving Route 20 / Lincoln Highway

33:15 Shannon's favorite travel gear

33:40 LUG travel bag

34:40 App of the week -- iExit

35:25 Next week -- talking Australia with Erin from Travels with Bender

About Shannon Entin from 100 Routes Across America

Shannon Entin is a New Jersey-based travel writer closing in on 50, but adventuring like she's 20. She's a homeschooling mom who loves skiing, running, hiking, and road trips, and she shares her family's travels and adventures at 100RoutesAcrossAmerica.com. You can also find Shannon on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Shannon and her family, including two kids, have taken numerous cross-country trips. Each winter, she takes a road trip out west to spend a few weeks skiing. She tends to plan everything out in advance, including stops and accommodations along the way.

Shannon's Favorite Road Trip

Shannon's favorite road trip was from her home in New Jersey to Lake Tahoe and then out to San  Francisco. Along the way they stopped at many quirky roadside attractions, like Cadillac Ranch in Texas, where cars are buried in the sand and you can spray paint them. They also toured pueblos in Mexico and stopped at the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam. That trip took about twelve days on the way out and eleven days on the way home. They took a northern route on the way home, stopping at Yellowstone and Mt. Rushmore.

Shannon's Road Trip Tips

1. Plan ahead -- Shannon maps out where they are going to go, where they will stay and what they will see along the way in advance.
2. Count on only doing half of what you have planned -- you need to be flexible when on a road trip so as much as you have planned, recognize that you are going to have to skip some things along the way.
3. Share the driving if you can and push through for longer days when you can to leave more time for other stops.
4. Pack smart -- Shannon recommends packing a small bag with just what everyone needs for the night when traveling a long distance with an extended stay at the end. However, if making multiple stops along the way, Tamara and Shannon both find you end up needing to bring everything in each night.
5. Do laundry on the road so that you can travel light. Think about what you need and cut it in half.
6. Use Roadtrippers.com to plug in your destinations and it will show you attractions and points of interest along the way.
7. Pack a map! Sometimes the GPS doesn't work or you are out of cell coverage.
8. Find local places to eat using the Roadfood book or TV Food Maps app.
9. Keep an emergency kit with extra water, jumper cables, kitty litter, windshield wiper fluid and other necessities.
10. Bring a cooler -- Tamara recommends bringing a small cooler for drinks, snacks and to keep food cool when visiting attractions. Kim and Shannon both recommend a plug-in travel cooler like the Road Trip Cooler" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Wagan cooler.

Shannon's Dream Road Trip

Shannon would like to drive Route 20, which is also known as the Lincoln Highway, which covers the length of the country and passes through many small towns along the way. She would also like to road trip through the Pacific Northwest someday.

Favorite Travel Gear

Shannon loves her LUG travel bag because it has a lot of pockets and fits everything that she needs to squeeze in for her road trips.

App of the Week

Shannon likes using the app AroundMe to find stores, gas, and restaurants wherever they are.  Tamara recommends iExit, which shows what services and restaurants are available at rest areas and off exits on major U.S. Interstates.

Mentioned in the Podcast

• Seattle to California Road Trip
• California Coast Road Trip
• Mobile Apps for Road Trips
• Notes from the Road
• Route 66 Attractions
• A Day in Monterey, CA

Like what you hear? Remember to subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher and leave a review!

Travel is roaring back and before you jet off on spring break, here are a few things you need to know about flying. Tamara and Kim break down which airlines charge fees for baggage, carry on bags, seat assignments, and more. Be prepared and know what to expect before you book your next flight!

• Airfares are pricey this year with increased demand and increase fuel prices
• When booking airfare, keep in mind that you have 24 hours to cancel from the time of booking with U.S. carriers with no change fees and for full refunds
• Pay attention to the type of airfare that you are buying so you know what the limitations of that fare might be (such as no changes, no carry on baggage, no seat assignment, etc)
• Always look at what the airlines charge for checked or carry on bags. Southwest is one of the only airlines that includes checked bags, unless you have airline status or an airline credit card
• For airlines that charge for checked bags, it can be hard to get your carry on bag on board if you are in a later boarding group. However, they can gate check your bag for free but often you will need to go to the baggage carousel to pick up your bag
• Some airlines offer a baggage guarantee that they will have your bag out within 20 minutes, which often it takes that long to get off the plane and to the baggage claim
• It is worth buying a luggage scale to make sure your bag is not overweight (usually 50 lbs for a checked bag but some budget airlines like Spirit and Frontier have a 40 lb maximum)
• When flying budget airlines, you should pay for your bags when you book the airfare because it gets increasingly more expensive later in the process
• Many budget airlines actually charge more for a carry on bag than a checked bag
• Some airlines like Easyjet let you buy additional weight for checked bags
• Most US airlines will include a carry on bag unless you book a restricted fare (usually labeled Basic) and all include a personal item that can fit under the seat in front of you
• Carry on bags do have size limits so you can't usually expand it or it won't fit in the sizer
• For some budget airlines, you can get a deal if you buy the ticket at the airport (in advance of the flight)
• Budget airlines also charge you to print a boarding pass so either use a mobile boarding pass or print it yourself at home
• Many airlines are charging for seat selection or at least charging for premium seating positions towards the front of the plane or aisle/window seats
• Especially for family travelers, if you want to sit together you should really purchase seat assignments, especially since so many flights are completely full these days and there is very limited options for switching seats
• You should definitely select seats at booking. If no seats are available together you can try to call the airline and see what they can do. Sometimes they reserve the back row for families
• You can usually upgrade to premium class seats that would have extra legroom and better location within the plane
• When you pay for seat assignments, that is per segment, which can really add up for a connecting flight
• Some airlines also offer early boarding upgrades. If you really need to get your carry on bag on board, it can be worth it to pay for early boarding. This is also usually a perk for those that have airline status or the airline credit card. Many times the premium seats (leg extra legroom seats) come with early boarding
• If you have a tight connection, it makes sense to pay for a seat close to the front of the plane
• If you don't have a carry on bag, then it makes sense to wait until the end to board, especially if you have an aisle seats
• Recently many airlines have gotten rid of change fees, but not all so make sure you look first before booking. Just keep in mind that they may not charge a fee for changing your flight but you do have to pay the difference between the two flights
• Cancelling flights usually means you are getting a credit with a certain amount of time to use it, you won't get your money back
• Usually you don't have to fly by the expiration date, you just need to book by that date (but double check the rules)
• Alaska, JetBlue, Delta, and sometimes Southwest are known for friendlier staff than United and American
• Many airlines offer in flight entertainment but you need to bring your own device. Some have seatback entertainment, like Jet Blue that has movies and live Direct TV, but they aren't reliable and you need to bring your own headphones, which sometimes need an adapter for the headphone jack
• There isn't always consistency between the in flight experience
• JetBlue gives a good snack selection. American only serves the Biscoff cookies. Some airlines offer snack boxes for sale
• Some airlines offer WiFi for a fee but it isn't reliable or strong enough for streaming and others offer free texting (like JetBlue or Southwest)
• Budget hotels do not provide entertainment and they also charge for all drinks or snacks, including water
• If you are able to achieve status on a particular airline you can get things like upgrades based on availability, lounge access or reduced charges for lounges, early seating, and free checked bags. There are usually levels that offer increased perks

One of the trickiest things about planning a Hawaiian vacation is picking an island! This week, we chat with Mary Solio from The World is a Book about her favorite islands and give our tips for visiting Maui, Oahu, and The Big Island.

ON THE PODCAST

00:31 - Kim and Tamara talking about Maui

13:25 - Talking with Mary about Hawaii

16:56 - Where to stay on the Big Island

18:34 - Mary’s favorite things to do on Big Island

22:33 - Helicopter tours

23:08 - Boat tours from Hilo

24:40 - Volcanoes National Park

29:40 - Favorite areas of Oahu

31:58 - What to do on Oahu

40:45 - What to do in Maui

41:20 - Best beaches

42:39 - Where take a family photo

46:05 - What Mary likes to wear when she travels

47:55 - Tip of the week

ABOUT MARY SOLIO

Mary lives in San Diego, California with her husband and two kids, who are 14 and 11. She was born in the Philippines, grew up in the U.S. territory of Guam, and believes all those years of island fever ignited her serious case of wanderlust. She currently works full time as a database developer and computer programmer. She writes about the family'’s travels along with tips and guides on her blog, The World Is a Book. She is also a family travel writer for Hilton Hotels and Resorts' Hilton Mom Voyage site. The family loves cruises, castles, National Parks, and museums, from art to quirky. Follow Mary on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.

THINGS TO DO IN HAWAII

• Mauna Kea is the highest point in the state of Hawaii. If you plan on going up to the summit you need to pack for winter weather. The rangers of the park also recommend that kid should be fourteen and up due to the altitude changes. You can also go up to the visitors center which is not all the way to the summit but sits above the clouds, so the view is great.
• If you have the money to splurge, taking a helicopter tour is a great way to so see lava and waterfalls around the Big Island.
• There are plenty of places to go snorkeling in the ocean. You can see some beautiful creatures underwater.
• Get up close and feel the heat of the lava flowing into the ocean by taking a boat tour. But Please be safe! Lava is always changing and can be unpredictable.
• Volcanoes National Park is open 24 hours. You can stay at the lodging inside of the park right by the visitors center. There are a lot of great things to see but pack for layers because some areas will cold while others are warm. There are also a lot of places that are kind of wet. Be sure to wear closed toed shoes because you will be walking on some areas where it is lava rocks.
• There is a lot to do in the Kohola area that houses the Disney Aulani Resort. It is a little bit quieter, less hectic and congested.
• Hiking up to Diamond Head is a great place to see beautiful views. And it is perfectly fine to hike with toddlers.
• If you have never been to a luau before, you should definitely check out the Polynesian Cultural Center because you get a glimpse into their culture and there is dinner and dancing.

BEST PLACE TO TAKE FAMILY PHOTO

On Oahu, the best place to take a family photo is right on Waikiki beach with Diamond Head in the background or in front of the Byodo-In Temple, which is a really pretty Japanese-style temple. Then on the Big Island inside Volcanoes National Park is great for many different kinds of shots.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Mary likes to be comfortable when she travels in her ‘Columbia’ travel pants. She usually wears black tops and brings her flip flops and her ‘Converse’ sneakers without laces.

APP OF THE WEEK

Hawaii does have Uber! But you should definitely look into renting a car. There are a lot of things to see that are within driving distance.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Boat Tour

Disney Aulani Resort

Polynesian Cultural Center

Byodo-In Temple

World is a Book's Hawaii links:

http://www.theworldisabook.com/25889/national-park-sites-hawaii-the-big-island

http://www.theworldisabook.com/25637/tips-for-visiting-hawaii-volcanoes-national-park-with-kids/

http://www.theworldisabook.com/24312/free-things-to-do-in-oahu-with-kids/

http://www.theworldisabook.com/18219/oahu-with-kids-snorkeling-hanauma-bay/

http://www.theworldisabook.com/18123/oahu-with-kids-visiting-north-shore-hawaii/

http://www.theworldisabook.com/18073/oahu-with-kids-byodo-in-temple-hawaii/

http://www.theworldisabook.com/11297/maui-with-kids-5-fun-and-free-attractions/

http://www.theworldisabook.com/1847/haleakala-national-park-with-kids/

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If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035# You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

Today, we are thrilled to announce the launch of Vacation Mavens. In our very first episode we tell the story of how Vacation Mavens was formed while kayaking the back canals of Fort Lauderdale. Vacation Mavens will cover destination guides, family travel tips, and ideas for parenting on the go.

Each week, co-hosts Kimberly Tate from Stuffed Suitcase and Tamara Gruber from We3Travel, will chat with leading parenting and family travel experts to cover deep-dives into family-friendly destinations and all the expert travel tips we can gather. You'll hear about our latest travels and we will share our tip or app of the week. You’ll get the inside scoop on travel itineraries, destination recommendations, ideas for traveling on a budget, and tips for traveling with kids of all ages, interests and needs. From cruises, Disney and all-inclusives to destinations as exotic as Bali, China and Peru, we’ll cover it all and how to make the most of every family vacation.

ON THE PODCAST

:39 How the Vacation Mavens got started

2:35 What we are going to talk about

4:25 About Tamara from We3Travel

5:58 About Kimberly from Stuffed Suitcase

8:55 How we travel

9:34 Where Tamara traveled in 2015

11:20 Where Kim traveled in 2015

12:35 2016 Travel outlook

15:35 What to do in Rhode Island

18:53 What to do in Seattle

22:04 What topics we are covering next

22:16 Traveling hacking...coming next!

23:20 Tip of the week -- create a master packing list

25:50 What we wear when we travel

28:30 How to subscribe and get in touch

About Tamara

Tamara is a marketing consultant, mom, travel writer on We3Travel, and Family Travel Advisor for Ciao Bambino. On We3Travel, she provides tips, reviews, destination information and sample itineraries to help make family vacation planning easier. She travels with her daughter Hannah, age 11, and husband Glenn. When not traveling, she is home in Rhode Island planning her next trip.

For families visiting Rhode Island, Tamara recommends a visit to Newport or attending Waterfire in Providence. Tamara's family had a busy travel year last year, including Quebec City, California, Alabama, Iceland, Virginia, Montreal, Vancouver and Orlando. Her plans for 2016 are still in the works.

About Kimberly

Kimberly writes about family travel and life between trips at Stuffed Suitcase. She provides tips and ideas to help make it easier for families to travel. Her traveling companions are her husband Paul and daughters Lizzy, age 11, and Mia, age 9. Kimberly is originally from Kansas but lives in Seattle with her family. She recommends that when families visit, they take a ferry ride for amazing views of the city skyline and Mt. Ranier.

Her husband is originally from Canada so they often travel to Edmonton to visit family. Last year, she also visited Turks & Caicos, San Diego, Kansas City, Fort Lauderdale, and Louisiana. This year she has an exciting year ahead, starting with a work trip to Arizona for the Cactus League spring training.

Favorite Travel Gear

• Tamara loves her Anatomie travel pants because they are so comfortable, flexible, lightweight and fast drying.
• Kim has fallen in love with LuLaRoe leggings in all colors and patterns.

Tip of the Week

Kim also shares a tip on creating a master packing list to solve that problem of constantly forgetting something. Here are links to some of her packing lists:

• Packing List for Families
• Kids Packing List

Mentioned on the podcast:

• Quebec City
• California
• Alabama
• Iceland
• Virginia roadtrip
• Montreal
• Vancouver
• Universal Orlando
• Turks & Caicos
• Newport, RI
• Providence, RI
• Seattle, WA
• Captiva, FL

We really hope you will stick with us, subscribe via iTunes or your podcast player or choice, and, if you like what you hear, leave a review.

If you are interested in being interviewed on the podcast, you can apply here.

This week, we are wrapping up our Turkey trip recaps and Tamara fills us in on her visit to Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the lesser-known city of Izmir.

Episode Highlights

• Izmir sits on the Aegean Sea and Ephesus is a popular cruise port for cruises visiting Greece and Turkey.
• There are also a number of religious sites that attract religious travelers and pilgrimages.
• One site near Ephesus you can visit what is believed to be the last house that Mary, mother of Jesus, lived in before she died.
• Bodrum is more of a beach resort but Izmir is a city based on the sea.
• You can fly into Izmir, which is about 1.25 hours from Istanbul airport and the airport is about 20 minutes outside of the city.
• Izmir is a good home base for exploring the region in a hub and spoke manner.
• You should plan to stay three to four days in this region.
  • 1 day in Ephesus
  • 1 day in Izmir
  • 1 day in Urla (fishing village, small artsy town, and wine route)
• Ephesus is a UNESCO Heritage site that has Ancient Greek and Roman ruins. The site is immense and there is so much that isn't excavated. So much is very well preserved. The Library of Celsus is a highlight. It is worth paying extra to see the houses with mosaics and frescoes.
• It is recommended to visit Ephesus with a guide and you need at least two to three hours.
• There is a lot of walking so you need comfortable shoes and it can also get very hot so you want to go early or late and wear a hat and sunglasses.
• In the summer it stays open until 10 pm at night so you can visit while it is cooler.
• Selcuk is a cute town nearby where you can go for lunch.
• The Izmir Marriott is right on the waterfront and has a rooftop pool, restaurant, and nice rooms and location.
• In Izmir you can:
  • Walk or bike along the promenade along the coastline
  • Visit the Ancient Agora of Smyrna
  • Spend an afternoon exploring the bazaar
• Should season is going to be better because the heat in the summer can be brutal
• Izmir is also known as a place to buy wedding dresses
• Read more about Tamara's time in Izmir and Ephesus: https://we3travel.com/izmir-turkiye-3-day-itinerary/

Related Episodes

• Istanbul
• Cappadocia

There is so much to know when visiting the Grand Canyon with kids and LiLand Pang from Trekaroo shares where to go, how long to stay and tips for your trip.

 

ON THE PODCAST

00:30 - Tamara’s time in Italy

10:33 - Talking with LiLing Pang about her time at the Grand Canyon

14:38 - Road trip

15:42 - North Rim vs. South Rim

19:33 - Drive between both Rims

20:55 - Best time to go

22:07 - Lodging around the Canyon

25:00 - Mule ride down into the Canyon and other activities

30:40 - Grand Canyon in a day or spending more time!?

32:50 - Safety tips

35:10 - Family photo spot

35:26 - Horseshoe Bend

36:05 - Favorite gear

27:33 - App of the week

41:44 - Giveaway from National parks episode

ABOUT LILING PANG

LiLing Pang is the Founder and CEO of Trekaroo. The Trekaroo website and iOS App is powered by a community of real families sharing their inside scoop on kid-friendly adventures. Savvy traveling families use Trekaroo to connect, get honest recommendations, build custom trip guides, and store a record of their family’s adventures.

Find out more on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

TIPS FOR VISITING THE GRAND CANYON WITH KIDS

• There are two main areas for visiting the Grand Canyon -- the North Rim and the South Rim, and they are a few hours drive apart by car. Most families visit one or the other.
• Some of the sites you have seen pictures of are actually outside of the National Park For example, the iconic sky walk is actually just outside of the park.
• The North rim gets a fewer visitors because there aren't as many viewpoints or places to stay, and it is harder to get to.
• The South Rim a lot more popular, and the better choice for those who have not been before.
• The drive to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas is about a six-hour drive, but you can also fly into Phoenix.
• Spring and the Fall are the most beautiful times to go to the Grand Canyon when considering the weather.
• Keep in mind when booking where to stay: a lot of the lodging options in the park don't have air conditioning.
• Hiking the Canyon is a great way to see the earth's history with the layers of different rocks and dirt.
• Make sure to come prepared with supplies like sunscreen, water, the right shoes, etc.
• The East and the West of the canyon are not run by the national park service, they actually rest on tribal lands.

BEST PLACE TO TAKE FAMILY PHOTO

Yaki Point and an Mather Point are both popular places to take a family photo.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

LiLing is a big fan of ‘Keen’ shoes, which she brings on every trip.

APP OF THE WEEK

If you have an iPhone you can download the Trekaroo app.

Uber is not allowed in Italy so ‘App Taxi’ is a great app that operates just like Uber, but with official taxis.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

El Tovar Lodge

Bright Angel Lodge

Trekaroo website

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035# You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

This week, Kim and Tamara chat about one of the United States' prettiest white sand beaches (that most people don't know about!) Find out why the Alabama beaches should be on your family vacation radar.

ON THE PODCAST

00:33 - Talking with Kim and Tamara about white sand beaches in Alabama

02:07 - Towns along the coast

03:57 - Differences between the two beaches

08:06 - Adventurous experiences

11:38 - Tamara’s dolphin and sunset cruise

15:25 - Ziplining experience

16:13 - Bike riding in Gulf State Park

17:00 - GolfQuest Maritime Museum

18:55 - Favorite food places

32:45 - Tip of the week

TIPS FOR VISITING THE ALABAMA BEACHES

• Orange Beach and Gulf Shores Alabama have beautiful white sand beaches and are not well known outside of the south.
• Dauphin Island is another one of the popular beaches in the area.
• Orange Beach has more high rise rental properties and a lot of restaurants. Gulf Shores is more laid back with surf shops, mini golf and other things like that.
• Sunset cruises are better when you are trying to see dolphins. They are more active in the evening and during the day, the sun light makes it hard to see them and get good photos.
• GulfQuest Maritime Museum is a bit far from the beach areas, but if you are looking for a indoor activity to do if it's raining or you just need to get out of the sun for a day, this is a great place to go. The museum itself is laid out similarly to an actual ship. Instead of being called floor one, floor two, est. they are named deck one, deck two, etc.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Laura’s Vacation Rentals and Young's Suncoast Rentals are the rental agencies that we have used to find great places to stay in the Alabama beach areas.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Sail Wild Hearts

GulfQuest Maritime Museum

Laura’s Vacation Rentals

Young's Suncoast Rentals

We3 Travel Alabama Posts

Stuffed Suitcase Alabama Posts

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035#

You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

We have reached the point in staying at home when we are really missing travel. To get the experience of traveling at home and fighting back boredom, this week Kim and Tamara interview two tour operators and a winery owner about the virtual experiences they offer.

Angelo from LivItaly shares the innovative and engaging ways his tour guides are sharing their subject matter expertise (and humor!), while Rachel from Devour Tours talks about her company's free and paid cooking demonstrations and classes. And we chat wine and virtual wine tasting with Chris from Benziger Family Winery.

ON THE PODCAST

00:30 - Sponsor - Comrad Socks

00:50 - Talking with Kim and Tamara

08:20 - Talking with Angelo from LivItaly

11:35 - LivTalks

20:50 - Where Angelo is heading first

23:30 - Talking with Rachel from Devour Tours

30:50 - What’s going on in Spain

32:15 - Where Rachel is heading first

33:33 - Talking with Chris from Benziger Family Winery

37:47 - Wine Wednesday

40:10 - Private Happy Hour

43:50 - Where Chris is heading first

45:17 - Up next for Vacation Mavens

ABOUT OUR SPONSOR

This episode is sponsored by Comrad Socks. Comrad compression socks are an essential no serious traveler should board a flight without — at least on LA-NY or transoceanic segments — and makes a major difference in how your legs and feet feel during the flight, upon arrival, and the next day. Their aim is to make the best, most stylish, comfortable version of what’s traditionally been a boring but useful product—and that’s why travel customers that already know and wear compression are getting excited about. Receive 20% off your first using discount code VACATIONMAVENS.

ABOUT ANGELO CAROTENUTO FROM LIVTOURS

Angelo Carotenuto is born in Italy from an American mother and a Neapolitan father. After attending public Italian school up until the age of 18, he moved to the United States of America to attend Occidental College in Los Angeles. He pursued his BA in acting and also studied at the London Dramatic Arts perfectioning his art. He often loved to take his friends and family members around, proud of his cultural heritage and at ease in front of crowds.

Angelo worked for companies of all sorts of shape and form, creating an outstanding CV and receiving thousands of 5-star reviews on TripAdvisor and other social channels. He then realized that there was a niche of tourism that needed more attention. A segment of people that were actually looking for authentic emotions and that valued their dream of coming to Italy as extraordinary and needed to pursue every aspect they had ever dreamt of: food, wine, art, culture, soccer, fashion, ferrari, etc. He then founded LivItaly Tours with the intent of creating services that matched people’s dreams of Italy and that allowed them to authentically experience all of them, however and whenever they wanted, a la carte, throughout their vacation.

Along with this, knowing that nobody dreamt about following a flag, in large groups, and having dirty headsets in their ears, he decided that even the most traditional of tours, needed to be an experience and opted to cap small group tours at max 6 people and offer private tours, all at competitive pricing.

The mixture of the two ingredients: the quality of the tours and the variety of the offer, made LivItaly a leader in the Italian industry. With the help of Kristin, his wife, they brought LivItaly to be recognized internationally and partner and collaborate with the most infallible businesses of the world.

LivItaly’s wide range of offers also include truly fantastic family tours and activities in almost every corner of the peninsula. Activities dedicated to provide entertainment to all family members, give the parents the ability to trust and relax while touring and making sure children go back with fond memories of their time in Italy.

After years of providing excellent service to clients in Italy, LivItaly recently expanded to Paris, London, and Spain under the LivTours umbrella.

Follow Angelo on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

LIVTALKS

The LivTours team has recently revealed LivTalks, a series of online events that bring the world to "visitors", even when we can't travel. Each session lasts approximately 45 minus and starts with an interactive and entertaining discussion between Angelo and a local guide, followed by questions and answered.

Upcoming topics include:

• Best moments in Italian soccer
• Ostia, the cradle of an empire
• World War II: Facism, Jewish Persecution, and how Italians saved them
• Climbing the Dome of St. Peters from home
• Michelangelo and the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel

ABOUT RACHEL SCHNEIDMILL FROM DEVOUR TOURS

Originally from New York, Rachel also called Washington DC her home for eight years where she worked in marketing roles across a variety of industries before moving to Spain two years ago. She has a serious (but fun!) interest in wine and is currently enrolled in the Spanish Wine Scholar program.

Rachel has been working at Devour Tours for the last eight months and loves everything about her company; from its mission to help connect local culture to tourists, to the amazing group of people who work there. Devour Tours is based in Madrid and operates across eight cities in Europe, offering food and wine tours that represent each city.

Follow Rachel on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

DEVOUR TOURS

Devour Tours offers a number of different free and paid Online Experiences from Facebook Live cooking sessions to virtual cooking classes. Devour Tours has also put together a virtual Cookbook from their favorite guides.

Upcoming online experiences include:

• Pair wine and cheese like a Parisian
• Cook pasta like a Roman
• Discover England's history through 10 dishes
• Cook a Medieval recipe
• Discover Portugal's history through 10 dishes

ABOUT CHRIS BENZIGER FROM BENZIGER FAMILY WINERY

Still in high school when the Benziger family moved from White Plains, Chris finished his senior year in wine country. He went on to earn a degree in marketing from the University of San Francisco while spending summers, weekends and every spare moment working at the winery. He officially joined the Benziger Family Winery in 1993 as a Brand Manager. In addition to sales responsibilities, Chris also oversees the home ranch and its many farm related duties, i.e. shepherding the Benziger flock of sheep and cows, tending to the estate vegetable and fruit trees, and producing the Biodynamic preparations for all our vineyards. Chris feels that the only way to communicate the quality of the wines he promotes is by having the soil from the vineyard in which he’s endorsing under his nails. The best impression a winemaker can leave on his wines are his footprints in the vineyards.

Follow Chris on Facebook and Instagram.

BENZIGER WINERY

Since visitors can come to the winery right now, Benziger and their sister winery, Imagery Winery, have introduced Wine Wednesdays every Wednesday on Instagram Live at 4pm PDT. Join in to learn or taste along by getting your wine for Wine Wednesdays from Benziger.

Upcoming Wine Tastings include the following:

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email at podcast@vacationmavens.com. You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

The Channel Islands is one of the most unique, but also one of the least visit, National Parks in the United States. This week we chat with Travis Timmons of the So How Was Your Trip? podcast about his family's recent trip to Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands.

ON THE PODCAST

00:30 - Sponsor

01:14 - Talking with Kim and Tamara

03:28 - Talking with Travis

07:30 - How long to spend

10:10 - Taking a boat to Channel Islands

12:20 - What to do on the Islands

17:50 - Animals on the island

22:10 - Other things to do in the area

32:05 - When to go

34:40 - Travis’ favorite travel gear

35:50 - Coming up for Travis

ABOUT TRAVIS TIMMONS

Travis and his family tell stories about places that people go. That varies from full time travel all the way down to a weekend road trip. He is the host of the So How Was Your Trip? podcast. Follow Travis on the So How Was your Trip Podcast and Instagram.

TIPS FOR VISITING THE CHANNEL ISLANDS & SANTA BARBARA

• You should make sure that you give yourself at least three to four days to visit and explore the Channel Islands National Park, Ventura, and Santa Barbara. 
• If you are traveling with kids that are a bit older and like the outdoors, you should really think about camping overnight on the Channel Islands.  After the last boat leaves, which could be around 6pm depending on the season, you will have the island almost to yourselves. You just have to pay a small fee in order to stay on the island and there are limited services and facilities so you need to pack in and pack out.
• In order to get out onto the Channel Islands you will need to book a boat ride through Island Packers. The prices will change depending on the season, so make sure to check on that if you are trying to budget and plan in advance. The boat will make stops at the four different islands and you will get off the boat when you get to the island that you want to visit.
• There are great kayak tours on the islands, as well as some great opportunities for snorkeling. For information and booking you will need to go to Channel Island Adventure Company. You can also find some great hiking trails.
• You will also need to keep in mind that if you plan on visiting the Channel Islands, whether it is for the day or overnight, you will need to pack food and supplies. There are no cafes on the islands. 
• Reagan Presidential Library is only about 30 minute away from Ventura. So if you like history at all and need a break from being outside, this is a really nice place to visit.
• You can also have some fun with a day on the beach or even just a relaxing afternoon.
• Black Sheep restaurant in Santa Barbara offers a chef's tasting menu that is great for a date night.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Travis loves to wear his Old Navy Sweatpants when he travels. Especially loves that they have zippers on the pockets to keep his wallet and phone in place.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Channel Island National Park

Island Packers

Channel Island Adventure Company

Reagan Presidential Library

Shoreline Beach Cafe

Black Sheep Restaurant

Handlebar Coffee Roasters

The Funk Zone

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If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035#. You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

 

Whether it is for the holiday card or your walls, we all love getting great family photos to capture our travels and memories. Professional photographer Kristen Duke shares her tips on getting the best family vacation photos.

ON THE PODCAST

00:34 - Kim’s recent travel to New Mexico

03:58 - Petroglyphs vs. Pictographs

06:40 - Future plans and past trips to Jamaica

12:08 - About Kristen Duke

14:10 - Say No to Auto

14:50 - Camera gear to bring on your travels

17:35 - Recommended SLR cameras for family’s

19:00 - Point and shoot or not?

19:55 - Choosing a good spot to take a family photo

21:30 - Being mindful of your background

25:00 - Getting the kids to participate

30:30 - Final tips for your family travel photos

32:50 - Getting your photos out of your computer

35:40 - Kristen’s favorite travel gear

38:57 - Tip of the week

ABOUT KRISTEN DUKE

Kristen Duke is a portrait photographer and family lifestyle blogger based out of Austin, Texas. Raising 4 kids, she loves to share tips on how to bring your family closer together through travel adventures, favorite meals, home projects, and making sure people are taking family pictures wherever they go. Find her on the web at Capturing Joy, or you can find out more on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

TIPS FOR TAKING FAMILY PHOTOS

• Say NO to Auto is a book written to help people understand the basics of shooting in manual settings.
• Sometimes the lenses that come with your kit are not the best. Have a good lens is important for taking great pictures.
• The best camera positions for family photo would be eye level or birds eye view.
• If you are in the sun make sure that your camera is in the sun as well, that is the best way to avoid having your background being blown out.
• Change it up. It's always great to have a variety of poses, not just everyone standing and smiling
• Incorporating your kid's ideas is a great break up in your photos. It will also help with getting the family to participate.
• Getting your photos up on the wall or in an album is a great reminder of your fun times.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

‘Tieks’ flats are very colorful and slightly more on the dressy side but the are comfortable enough for walking all day on your vacations.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Flytographer is a website that will put you in contact with photographers where you are going to take professional photos.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Kristen’s London family pictures 

How to take your own family pictures

Say No to Auto

Chatbook

Flytographer

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035#

You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission.

Want to know what is coming at Disney resorts around the world in 2019 and beyond? Kim and Lesli are just back from the Disney Social Media Moms conference and have the full scoop. We apologize for Tamara's audio on this episode, we aren't sure what happened but at least Kim and Leslie do most of the talking.

ON THE PODCAST

00:30 - Intro

01:04 - Talking with Lesli and Kim

01:30 - Disney social media mom’s conference

04:12 - Motion sickness

05:03 - Lesli’s first Disney World experience

08:57 - New Star Wars attractions

09:32 - New themed hotel

11:41 - Disney bounding

13:56 - Immersion of Galaxy’s Edge

16:02 - Toy Story land

17:27 - Disney Skyliner

19:11 - Mickey's first attraction

20:28 - New Animal Kingdom show

21:58 - Future Epcot changes

23:22 - Disneyland updates

24:43 - Pixar fest

26:05 - New disney movies

31:55 - Art of Marvel hotel

33:44 - Black Panther meet and greet

35:10 - Lands not coming to the US

36:19 - Coming to Hong Kong Disney

ABOUT LESLI PETERSON

Lesli Peterson is Owner, Editor -in-Chief & CEO of 365 Atlanta Family.  She made her way to Atlanta over 20 years ago, after living in Germany, Japan and six U.S. states. She relishes the discovery of obscure, offbeat and unwonted places, and she will chat up any willing stranger to uncover a new secret locale. After 18 years in software development, Lesli bailed on the corporate scene. She now serves as the Family Travel Ambassador for Georgia, and freelances for several publications in addition to writing at 365 Atlanta Family. When she’s not traveling, she’s hiking in the mountains or checking out Atlanta’s culinary scene, whiskey in hand.

Lesli has two kiddos (Cooper and Elliot) and two bonus teens, and she’s happily married to her soul mate. Follow Lesli on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

NEW AT DISNEY

• Coming soon to both Disney World and Disneyland will be Galaxy's Edge which will be a Star Wars land.
• There will also be a new Star Wars hotel opening which will create a complete immersion experience. It will be like you are being transported to a remote trading port on the edge of space. You will experience the story and characters come to life.
• A Toy Story land will be coming this year to both Disney World and the Shanghai Disney Resort. Though the Shanghai park will be opening first in April while the other will be opening at the end of June.
• The new Skyliner will connect you to Hollywood Studios and Epcot from the Pop Century Resort, the Art of Animation Resort, the Caribbean Beach Resort, along with the Riviera Resort. This will take you over the parks which allows you to get a birds-eye-view of the area.
• Future changes to Disneyland, besides Galaxy’s edge, will revolve around Pixar. Paradise Pier is being redone into a pixar themes sections wich will go along with the Toy Story Midtown Mania.
• A new hotel will be coming to Disney in Paris called the Art of Marvel Hotel. It was explained that Tony Stark would definitely stay at this hotel. Seems like it will be more of a luxury hotel with its feel of walking right into Tony Stark’s high rise.
• There will be two themed lands that will not be coming to the U.S. In Tokyo Disneyland, they will opening a Beauty and the Beast land. Tokyo Disney will also be opening a Baymax ride, which if you don’t remember is the helper bot in the movie Big Hero 6.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Movies Anywhere

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If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035#

You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

 

If you have ever thought about a family dude ranch vacation, this episode will give you everything you need to know. Colleen Hodson from the National Dude Ranchers Association gives us the scoop on different types of ranches, how to pick a dude ranch that is best for your family, and some of her favorite ranches for families. We also cover how much a dude ranch trip costs and what to pack.

ON THE PODCAST

ABOUT COLLEEN HODSON, NATIONAL DUDE RANCHERS ASSOCIATION

• There are three types of dude ranches: resort ranches, traditional ranches, and working ranches
• Traditional ranches focus primarily on riding, working ranches are small and you are more involved in the operations of the ranch, and resort ranches offer other amenities like spas and gourmet dining
• Working ranches are best for kids 12 and up
• Traditional ranches and resort ranches typically have children's programs
• You don't need experience horseback riding to enjoy a dude ranch, lessons are provided
• Most ranches offer nighttime activities like line dancing, cookouts, etc.
• Use the Dude Ranch Association website to research ranch options, starting with location and type of ranch
• You can call the ranch you are considering to see if they know the ages of other kids coming that week to try to find a good match for your family
• Think about the closest airport and research the flight availability and costs
• Dude ranch vacations are all-inclusive of food and activities and range from $1400-1800 per person per week during peak season and child rates are available
• The typical dude ranch vacation is a week, but all have a minimum of a three-night stay
• What to pack: boots with a heel, a brimmed hat, jeans, sweatshirts, sunscreen, bug spray, casual clothes and shoes (hiking boots, sneakers)
• The ranch will provide water bottles
• Wrangler jeans are best because the seams are on the outside of the leg
• Repeat business is 60 percent and many families book when they leave so plan a family dude ranch vacation at least six months in advance if you are going during peak season
• Some ranches offer different lodging options from a lodge hotel-like stay to cabins or larger houses for big groups

DUDE RANCHES

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

TIP OF THE WEEK

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

If you are planning a trip to Paris with kids, why not get tips from someone who has gone half a dozen times in the last few years! This week we are chatting with Michelle Millett, a Francophile and experienced family travelers about visiting Paris with (and without) kids.

ON THE PODCAST

00:30 - Talking with Kim and Tamara

05:40 - Talking with Michelle

10:38 - How long to spend

12:03 - Where to stay

21:35 - Top sites to see

31:33 - Structuring your days in Paris

37:09 - Day trips

39:15 - Transportation

40:46 - Restaurants

45:16 - General tips

59:55 - Best Place for a Family Photo

52:02 - Michelle’s Favorite Travel Gear

54:14 - Michelle’s Top Tips for Traveling

58:50 - Where Michelle is going next

59:22 - Kim and Tamara’s upcoming travels

ABOUT MICHELLE MILLETT

Michelle Millett is a wife and mom of 2 boys aged 11 and 15.  A devoted Francophile, who although a late bloomer to international travel, has been making up for loss time in the last 4 years.  Lover of high jinx and shenanigans whether near or far. 

TIPS FOR VISITING PARIS

• If you only have a few days to spend in Paris you can definitely cover the highlights. If you don’t want to spend your whole week of vacation in Paris you can pair your trip with other area in Europe.
• There are 18 neighborhoods of paris. So depending on what you want to get out of your stay is how you can determine which to stay in.
• Keep in mind that nothing is really far away so you can stay in a neighborhood on the outer edge and still go into the city and visit the Eiffel Tower, museums, est.
• If you are taking a train into the city you may think about staying in the area of your train station, just so that it will be easier to get to and from your hotel.
• If you want to be able to travel around by just walking, you should think about stay closer to the center of the city.
• A good fact to know is that if a hotel has a three star or higher rating, it has to have air conditioning.
• Just so you know Airbnb is getting harder to find in Paris due to restrictions.
• If you really want to visit the Louvre and you are traveling with kids there is a program called THATLouthat has a scavenger hunt for families to even compete with other families if you wanted.
• The Louvre also has a late night on Wednesdays that can be less crowded that during the daytime.
• Right by the Eiffel Tower there is a place you can get a boat ride along the Seine River. If you plan your day out right you can go up and see the Eiffel Tower and than when you are done get a boat ride on the river.
• Make sure to get your tickets in advance if you want to go up into the Eiffel Tower. Getting them in advance will save you from waiting in the long lines that there will be.
• They usually start selling ticket 90 days in advance. This doesn’t mean you have to get them that early but depending on the time of year that you are visiting the quicker these tickets will sell out.
• Tuileries Garden is very beautiful area, there is this path that leads you to the garden that has trees on either side and shops all along the way.
• Angelina Parisis known for its rich and creamy hot chocolate. They also have pastries, tea, coffee and other treats. If you like hot chocolate this is a must do stop for you and your family.
• If you have more time in Paris and want to take a day trip or two here are some close areas that are great to visit such as Versailles or Reims.
• Reims is the region of champagne so you can see more of a country area of France and do some champagne tasting.
• Fontainebleau is similar to Versailles, but is lesser known and is not nearly as busy as Versailles.
• If you are traveling with kids and have a stroller. You need to keep in mind that there are a lot steps and if you had planned on taking the subway/metro there are no escalators or elevators if you bring the smallest stroller you have, that will help you navigate easier.
• Paris has really great food and a really good variety. Theres is really no bad food places in Paris. You find that while there are a lot of options for sit down dinners there are also a lot of places where you can just grab some quick food and keep exploring the city.
• Make sure you say Bonjour! when you are going in anywhere and Au revoir! when you are leaving places. 

BEST PLACE TO TAKE FAMILY PHOTO

Any photo with the Eiffel Tower in the background is a great shoot!

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Old Navyleggings in black are Michelle’s favorite because you can dress them up or down, and she pairs them with her Converseslip on sneakers or a pair of boot. She also likes layer to keep warm but still cool by shedding layers.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Paris Perfect

THATLou

Tuileries Garden

Angelina Paris

David Toutain

Paris by Word of Mouth

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, orGoogle Playand leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035#. You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcaseand We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebookor Twitter. Thanks for listening!

 

Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine...there is nothing quite like fall in New England. This is the time when the foliage is at its peak, the air is crisp and the apples are crisper. What a perfect time to visit for hikes, festivals, and scenic drives. Get the inside scoop with Vermonter Dana Freeman from Dana Freeman Travels.

 

ON THE PODCAST

00:40- Tamara’s trip to Cape Cod

06:10- Marriott Hotels partnering with Ted Talks 

11:55- About Dana Freeman

14:50- Best time to go to Vermont

16:36- Fall Festivals 

20:15- What is New England anyway?

21:10- Sightseeing suggestions

30:00- Avoiding the major crowds 

32:07- Best place to take a family photo

33:40- Apple to iPods

34:15- Favorite Travel Gear

41:10- SHOUT OUTS 

ABOUT DANA FREEMAN

Dana Freeman is an entrepreneur, freelance journalist, and the editor behind Dana Freeman Travels. On her blog she provides reviews of destinations and hotels around the world. Dana specializes in Vermont, Skiing, Family Travel, Luxury Travel and Adventure Travel. You can follow Dana on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. 

ENJOYING FALL IN NEW ENGLAND

• Best time to travel to Vermont is mid-September to mid-October during peak foliage season. November in Vermont is known as ‘Stick Season’ because the leaves are gone and there isn't any  snow yet.
• Fall Festivals start in the beginning or middle of September. 
• The Keene Pumpkin Festival is on October 22nd, they light up hundreds of pumpkins. Rhode Island also offers the ‘Jack O'Lantern Spectacular’ at the Roger Williams Zoo in Providence.
• Take advantage of events that are at different ski resorts. They have mountain coasters, ziplining, gondolas, mountain biking, etc.  
• Stowe Pinnacle trail in Vermont is a great spot for hiking. The summit is an amazing view, you can see Mount Mansfield, the Waterbury Reservoir and the Worcester Range.
• If you have little kids Mount Philo is a great trail to hike, located in Charlotte, Vermont. It has a road that all the way to the top, so if you have a stroller you can go up that way.
• Check out the Happy Vermont site for scenic roads to travel on.

BEST PLACE TO TAKE FAMILY PHOTO

If you want beautiful scenery and lots of color, the best place for a family photo is from the top of a mountain. Whether you take a hike or get up some other way, you can have the colorful mountains behind you as a backdrop.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

If you are heading to Vermont, Dana recommends Clarks shoes and Darn Tough socks, which are made in Vermont and last forever!

TIP OF THE WEEK

AAA is good for more than just discounts. Members get free maps, tour books and customized route plans, which are so fun for kids to flip through and track your roadtrip in the car.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Find and Go Seek Vermont

Happy Vermont

Fall Fun Harvest Festivals

Annual Fall Foliage Festival

Events In Vermont's Northeast Kingdom

Cape Codder Resort Review

10 Ways to Enjoy Fall Foliage in the Northeast

Scenic Routes in Vermont

Apples to Ipods Event in Vermont

Red Jacket Mountain View Resort

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035# You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

Cruising is making a comeback and this week we talk to couples travel and cruising experts Dan and Mikkel Woodruff to learn about their recent cruise experience.

About Dan and Mikkel Woodruff

Dan and Mikkel are a husband and wife team who write about couples travel and cruising (with a focus on small format cruises) around the world. Their adventures take them as far away as Southeast Asia, to the Arctic Circle in Norway, around the United States and close to home in Raleigh, North Carolina. You can find their travel stories at SometimesSailing.com or SometimesHome.com.

What to Expect When Cruising in 2021 and Beyond

• Norwegian Cruise Lines has announced that it plans to keep its 100 percent vaccination requirement indefinitely
• The Center for Disease Control has announced that in January it will be lifting cruise requirements and after that the guidelines will be dependent on each cruise line's individual rules
• During COVID, cruisers should expect to wear masks inside and for capacity to not be at 100 percent, giving a little more elbow room around the ship. Cruises may allow booking at 100 percent capacity, but they aren't yet fully booked.
• Some countries in Europe may require N95 masks to be worn (and these may be provided by the cruise line.)
• You will see even more hand sanitizing stations throughout the ship or more hand washing stations, especially on large ships
• Most cruise lines currently require all adults to be vaccinated and children to be rapid tested prior to boarding. Now that younger children can be vaccinated, this may change. Vaccination is especially required for small ship cruising.
• Once off the ship, you need to follow local rules. In many European countries you need to show your vaccination card to eat indoors or to enter shops/attractions. Some require both a photo ID and your vaccination card.
• Make sure you carry your actual vaccination card, because in some places a photo of the card is not acceptable.
• Cruising feels very safe right now when you know everyone on board is vaccinated and many ships have large scale testing capabilities or even do rapid testing in ports
• Most cruise lines have plans in place on where you would be housed and quarantined portside if you tested positive while onboard
• Travel insurance is always a good idea but make sure you understand what is offered through the cruise line and see if you need additional insurance to cover the flights or pre or post-cruise stays
• The cruise lines have a health and safety tab that outlines exactly what to expect during the cruise
• If you are departing from a foreign country, make sure you understand the entrance requirements for that country, which may include a negative test and a passenger locator form in addition to a vaccination card. You can also find this information on the embassy website
• Before booking, make sure you understand the cancelation policies or what would happen if the cruise line had to reschedule your sailing. Many cruise lines are offering Future Travel Credits (FTCs) and some will offer 125% credit if they have to reschedule.

• When it comes to new ships and itineraries, Kontiki Expeditions is offering a new small ship cruise that will cruise along the coast of Ecuador (not the Galapagos), and will focus strongly on the people and the culture. This is a great cruise to take in the winter because of the location along the equator
• American Queen Voyages will be cruising the Great Lakes and some of the American rivers like the Snake River and the Mississippi. They are also coming out with expedition ships in Alaska and will be doing the Inside Passage and incorporating First Nations culture
• The Emerald Azzurra and Sakara super yacht will be sailing in the Red Sea and off the coast of Africa and the Seychelles
• The Disney Wish megaship is also launching in 2022
• The Celebrity Beyond is a new large ship launching in 2022
• Virgin Voyages is an adult-only cruise line launching soon
• Many cruise lines, including small ship cruises are looking to attract multigenerational travelers. A-Rosa is a UK-based small ship cruise line that offers European river cruises and a new ship coming in March 2022 is very focused on families.

For more information on small ship cruising, give episode 154 a listen.

Tamara is just back from a bucket list trip to Peru with her daughter and she shares all about her lodge-to-lodge trek with Mountain Lodges of Peru and tips for visiting Cusco and Machu Picchu.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

• Tamara “won” this trip as part of an auction that benefits the Adventure Travel Conservation Fundthat takes place each fall
• When visiting Cusco and the Sacred Valley, it is best to give yourself 3-4 days to get used to the elevation prior to hiking (Cusco is at about 11,000 feet)
• You can take Diamox or acetazolamide (prescription) to help prevent altitude sickness
• Coca tea and coca candies help you with altitude but it also has caffeine so it can disrupt your sleep
• Machu Picchu and Ollantaytambo are at a lower altitude so ideal you would start there and work your way up
• Peruvian food has a lot of rice, quinoa, and potatoes. For proteins there is beef, pork, chicken, alpaca, and a specialty — guinea pig! The portions are also very large.
• You shouldn’t drink the water (even to brush your teeth) and consider avoiding salads, veggies, and fruits that are rinsed in water
• Tamara and Hannah took a 5 day trek with a small group of six people and one local guide with Mountain Lodges of Peru.
• The trip was perfect for those that like to hike but don’t want to camp. It includes a mix of cultural activities and hikes but you stay at nice lodges.
• Some activities included visiting an alpaca museum, a ceremony with an Incan priest, enjoying dancing and music with locals at a weaving cooperative, visiting local markets, exploring Incan ruins, and having lunch at local homes.
• You need to bring your own hiking poles and need to pack in a light duffel bag or backpack
• The rainy season is typically November – April and they typically close the Inca Trail in February. However, this year was worse than usual because of El Niño.
• For the most part you can use credit cards but it helps to have some Peruvian Soles (or some US Dollars) to tip guides, pay for bathrooms, and purchase from local vendors and markets.
• For the first two nights in Cusco, we stayed at the Andenes Hotel, which was affordable, nice, and great traditional architecture. On our return, we stayed at the Palacio del Inka, which is a part of the Marriott Luxury Collection (which we booked via points.)

RELATED EPISODES:

• Machu Picchu with kids
• Galapagos with kids

If you want to teach your kids some early American history, there is no better place to start than the birthplace of the American Revolution...Boston. But there is so much more to do on a visit to Beantown and this week we interview local Leah Klein to get her tips on visiting Boston with kids.

ON THE PODCAST

00:39 - Talking with Tamara about Boston

03:15 - Boston CityPASS

05:30 - Favorite things to do in Boston

10:11 - Talking with Leah about Boston

13:30 - Must do things in Boston

16:09 - Good age for the Freedom trail

16:45 - The Tea Party Ships & Museum

18:05 - Activities on the water

19:25 - Planning a longer trip to the east coast

22:45 - Best way to get around

24:43 - Where to stay in the city

30:55 - Leah’s favorite restaurants

36:20 - Money saving tips

38:18 - CityPASS

39:33 - Best place to take a family photo

41:28 - Favorite travel gear

44:20 - App of the week

44:48 - WINNERS for Lonely Planet book giveaways

ABOUT LEAH KLEIN

Leah lives across the river from Boston, in Cambridge where she raises her family. She is always looking for the next thing to do in the city or on her next family trip. Leah writes about food, family, and city living. Follow Leah on Twitter and Facebook.

TIPS FOR VISITING BOSTON WITH KIDS

• The Freedom trail is 2.5 mile red line that goes past a lot of historical sights. It walks you through some of the events that happened in the beginning of the American Revolution.
• CityPASS covers the Aquarium, Boston Museum of Science, Harbor cruise, you can also go up to the top on the Prudential building.
• If you are traveling with young kids, you should definitely visit the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum.
• If you have in the middle school and up range, you may want to check out doing the Freedom Trail with their phone app or even a Harbor cruise.
• Fenway Park is a great mix to get a little bit of sports and history.
• Salem is easy to get either by driving or by taking the ferry. Even if you are not interested in the history of witches, there are plenty of other things to visit and explore in the area.
• Lawn on D is a great place to hang out, with a lot of activities and events.
• The North End is great for pizza, canoles, gelato, etc.

BEST PLACE TO TAKE FAMILY PHOTO

Taking a picture with the Make Way for Ducklings sculpture is cute. If you like a more water related, any of the pedestrian bridges have great backdrops of the water.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Leah has a rule when she travels, no jeans and no workout shoes. They are bulky to pack and make packing harder. She likes to wear her ‘Sarah Campbell’ pants, which is a local designer. Pairing them with ‘Three Dots’ or ‘Splendid’ tops that are made of really comfortable fabric.

APP OF THE WEEK

Freedom Trail app

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum

Fun Things to do in Boston in the Winter

Bewitched by Salem, but not why you think

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035# You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

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Planning a family trip to Ireland can be daunting but Jody from Ireland Family Vacations is an expert. This week she shares her itinerary ideas and top Ireland family travel tips on the podcast. Imagine staying in a Irish castle for Halloween and enjoying a full Harry Potter experience...sign us up!!

ON THE PODCAST

:40 Kim and Tamara's top international travel tips

9:21 Jody Halsted from Ireland Family Vacation

15:02 How long to stay in Ireland

15:22 Sample Ireland itinerary

22:19 Best way to get around Ireland

23:44 Renting a car in Ireland

24:50 Jody's favorite castles

29:02 Top Ireland family travel tips

31:49 Must try Irish foods

34:01 Where to take a family photo

36:20 Favorite travel gear for Ireland

41:35 App of the week

45:00 Stay tuned next week when we talk about Family Camping

ABOUT JODY HALSTED

Jody Halsted has been traveling across Ireland for over a decade with her own children, discovering the most family friendly sites and activities on the tourist trail and off. Dedicated to Ireland family travel, her website Ireland Family Vacations, provides exceptional advice for a magical Ireland vacation. For families looking for a perfectly tailored Ireland vacation, Jody offers Ireland vacation coaching, working with your family to help you choose the perfect lodging, destinations, and activities to fit your budget, interests, and expectations.

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL TIPS

• Get an international driver's license from AAA if you are renting a car
• Sign up for SMART Travel enrollment program to get alerts when we you are traveling overseas
• Purchase "cancel for any reason" travel insurance
• Alert your bank and credit card companies in advance to let them know about your travel plans
• Get foreign currency from your bank in advance
• If heading to Europe, make sure you have a chip and pin card
• Check with your bank to see if they have partner banks in the country you are traveling
• Get a credit card that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees
• Turn off your data and voice roaming and look into either international plans, use WiFi or get a MiFi device
• Press and hold 0 to get the + sign to call internationally

SAMPLE IRELAND ITINERARY

Plan on staying at least 10 to 14 days. If possible, fly into Dublin and out of Shannon so you aren't backtracking and it is very easy to fly in and out of Shannon. Then plan on doing a loop through the South.

• Spend two days exploring Dublin
• Head down to Kilkenny with a stop enroute in the Wicklow mountains
• Then either go into Cork or go over to Killarney where you can find the Ring of Kerry and Dingle with three days in either
• Then head to the northwest and the Cliffs of Moher and Shannon

IRELAND FAMILY TRAVEL TIPS

• Don't drive in Dublin, take the bus from the airport into town
• Fly out of Shannon airport if you can
• Stay at least two nights in each location when traveling with kids
• Ireland is the size of Indiana, but you still can't see and do everything you want to do in 10 days
• Print off a map of Ireland to see how far it is from place to place and to help you plan your route
• Rent the smallest car you can because the roads are very narrow
• In Ireland you will need to purchase a collision damage waiver on your car rental
• The Office of Public Works has a family pass that will get you into many sights across Ireland
• The Dublin Pass includes transportation into the city and places like the Guinness storehouse, the Dublin Zoo, as well as museums and castles
• If you plan on visiting the Cliffs of Moher and Bunratty Castle in the same day, you can get a dual ticket on the Shannon Heritage website
• Be sure to try the Irish Breakfast, black pudding (blood sausage), and some of their hyper-local, naturally-grown foods
• Visit the Cliffs of Moher and major sites in the afternoon after the tour buses have left

BEST PLACE TO TAKE FAMILY PHOTO

Jody recommends Cliffs of Moher, O'Brien's tower, Bunratty Castle, or Malahide Castle as they all offer beautiful backdrops. For the Cliffs of Moher, the best time to visit would be is the afternoon after the tour buses have come and gone and the sunset is gorgeous.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Jody does a lot of hiking in Ireland so she recommends Keen hiking boots and Keen sandals for water sports. She also likes the Molly ScotteVest jacket, which is great for layering with lots of pockets. She also uses convertible pants because they dry so fast. Also bring layers like a light wool shirt and raingear, but it generally doesn't get colder than 50 and higher than 72 degrees.

APP OF THE WEEK

If you are traveling overseas, we recommend using Google Translate. You may also want to download a phrasebook app that works offline and if you want to learn some language before you go, check out Duolingo.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

10+ Tips for Traveling to Europe

10 Tips for an authentic Ireland vacation

10 of the best castles to visit in Ireland

A magical stay at Ashford Castle

Dromoland Castle

A Royal Stay at Knappogue Castle

Buying an OPW Heritage Pass

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035#

You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

Utah hit the jackpot when it comes to National Parks...Bryce, Zion, Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef...but how can one see them all? Allison from Tips for Family Trips shares her sample itinerary for seeing all the parks in 10 days and her top tips for visiting Utah's National Parks.

ON THE PODCAST

ABOUT ALLISON LAYPATH

PLANNING A TRIP TO UTAH'S NATIONAL PARKS

• Plan on staying at least 7-10 days if you want to hit all the National Parks (Bryce, Zion, Arches, Canyonlands and Capitol Reef), at least two weeks if you want to hit the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley
• Salt Lake City is the main airport hub to fly in and out of, but you can also fly out of St. George or Moab
• There is a 5-6 hour drive between the three triangle corners of Salt Lake City, Moab and St. George
•  You could do Arches and Canyonlands OR Zion and Bryce on individual weekends
• For a one week itinerary, start in Salt Lake City and spend the first day driving.
  • Day 2: Zion National Park
  • Day 3: Bryce National Park (can do it in a ½ day)
  • Day 4: Capitol Reef National Park (very diverse and not as crowded)
  • Day 5: Arches National Park (the hike to the delicate arch is short but uphill and crowded so going off season is best)
  • Day 6: Canyonlands National Park -- this park is in three different sections and the Island in the Sky district is perfect for families, especially the White Rim Overlook
  • Day 7: Drive back to Salt Lake City
• If you are just spending one day per park, you will just see the highlights and do one bigger hike
• Stargazing tourism is popular in Bryce and Capitol Reef National Parks
• Some lesser-known gems include Goblin Valley State Park, Snow Canyon State Park, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary
• Zion and Arches can get very crowded during the high season and it is best to go early. Those parks also get over 100 degrees in the late spring and summer
• January and February are great times to go to Canyonlands because they are dry and in the 40s during that time
• Fall break in Utah is in October on a Thursday and Friday so the parks will be very busy during those days
• Spring break is usually the last week of March or first week of April
• Parks are crowded from April - August
• If you want to camp inside the park, you should book at least a few months in advance

BEST PLACE TO TAKE FAMILY PHOTO

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

APP OF THE WEEK

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

So many of us are dreaming about a tropical escape right now, but is it possible? This week we talk with Amber Mamian, from Global Munchkins, about her recent family trip to Hawaii. Find out what to expect in terms of testing, travel restrictions, and hotel and activity protocols when you are visiting Hawaii during COVID.

About Amber Mamian

Amber Mamian is a family travel expert, founder of Global Munchkins, and ambassador for Oprah Magazine who resides in Southern CA with her husband and 5 children. You can follow her family's adventures and more on Instagram at @global_munchkins and on her site GlobalMunchkins.com.
Get Amber's guide to planning a Hawaii vacation here.

What to Expect when Visiting Hawaii During COVID

• The state of Hawaii currently has a 14-day mandatory quarantine for visitors.
• However, you can bypass this quarantine if you have a negative test within 72 hours of your arrival. But note that Hawaii only accepts tests from certain companies so you need to do your research regarding testing in your area to determine how you can get a test before your trip, and whether or not you will get the results back in time.
• You can find the information you need about required testing on HawaiiCOVID19.com/travel.
• Amber had a good experience with an at-home testing kit and processing from Vault Health. You take your saliva-based test at home in front of a doctor or nurse on Zoom and then overnight them the kit and you have the results in 24 hours.
• You also need to fill out a mandatory Hawaii travel and health form before you arrive.
• After submitting your forms, you receive a user account with the state of Hawaii. There you can upload the PDF of your testing results.
• Once you have submitted your testing results, you are given a QR code to show on your phone when you arrive, checking in at the hotel, and whenever asked throughout your trip.
• If you do not have a negative test upon arrival, you have to do the full 14-day quarantine, even if your results come in during that time.
• Some airlines, such as United, will make you show your negative test results to board the plane.
• Delta is currently still keeping the middle seat open but we aren't sure how long they will keep that in place.
• When you arrive at the airport they will check every person's QR code and contact tracing form.
• For hotel check in, every adult may need to be present to show ID and your QR code.
• Restaurants adhere very strictly to the rule of only five people at a table, so even if you have a large family, you cannot sit more than 5 people together.
• Once you are there, Hawaii doesn't have a lot of visitors right now so it is easy to social distance when on the beach or taking hikes.
• The Disney Aulani has done an excellent job of explaining safety protocols, providing signage and sanitizing stations throughout the resort, and guests were very good about complying with those protocols.
• The five person rule was also enforced at the pool, where no more than five people from the same family/household could sit together.
• At some resorts in Waikiki, pool usage is restricted to certain hours with reservations required.
• You will likely need to show your QR code when visiting attractions or doing activities outside of your hotel.
• It is helpful to use sites like Yelp to read up on which attractions and restaurants are still open and their hours and protocols.
• Don't be surprised to find many restaurants closed or require reservations.
• It is helpful to stay in a villa or a place with a kitchen so you can prepare some of your meals.
• Be sure to stay on top of updates in the time leading up to your trip
• Make sure you research your state's travel restrictions and quarantine requirements on return.
• Also make sure you read your cancellation policies for everything you book because things can change quickly.
• Amber loves the swimsuits and travel clothes from Albion Fit. She also loves blazers from Chicos.

Read the Episode Transcript

[00:00:00.150] - Kim

Dreaming of a tropical escape? Find out what it's like to travel to Hawaii right now.

[00:00:16.930] - Announcer

Welcome to Vacation Mavens, a family travel podcast with ideas for your next vacation and tips to get you out the door. Here are your hosts, Kim from Stuffed Suitcase and Tamara from We3Travel.

[00:00:31.750] - Kim

Tamara, it is the New Year. So happy New Year.

[00:00:34.540] - Tamara

Happy New Year. Yay! We all made it to 2021.

[00:00:37.690] - Kim

Yeah exactly. Is it going to be better? Like let's hope, let's hope that 2020 is in the Blinder's, right?

[00:00:44.020] - Tamara

Yeah. Yeah. I mean it has to be at some point. Right. Like it may not be immediately better but we're going to get there. Yeah, definitely.

[00:00:50.800] - Kim

Well the vaccination news is certainly hopeful and good. So hopefully that's a good signal for all of us that we are all going to get back to traveling soon. And I know that today we're going to be talking about a pretty awesome destination that I think a lot of people are probably dreaming about, especially since when we're recording this, it's winter for most people. So I know that I'm dreaming of warm weather at this time of year.

[00:01:13.600] - Tamara

There's a foot of snow out my window, so I'm definitely dreaming of warm weather right now.

[00:01:18.830] - Kim

So we're going to talk to Amber all about Hawaii. She and her family took a little trip there, and it definitely looks different right now. There's a lot of regulations. And, of course, everyone's going to take their own consideration on whether they're comfortable traveling and what that looks like for them and their family. But we just wanted to give you guys an insight into what Hawaii travel looks like right now with the regulations about covid. But in the meantime, if you are dreaming of more Hawaii destinations, I think Tamara has some of our old episodes that she's going to give a little mention of.

[00:01:51.130] - Tamara

Yeah, definitely, because this episode is very much focused on what it's like to travel right now. And if you are just new to traveling to Hawaii and you want to have some more of a background on maybe some of the different islands and what it's like at the different hotels, if you go back to Episode 75, we talked to both Kim and Kristi Marcelle about the Disney Aulani, and we went into some very detailed descriptions about what that resort is like. And that's what Amber is going to talk about also. And if you go all the way back to Episode 55, we talked to Mary from The World is a book about Hawaii. And we were talking about, I think primarily Maui and the Big Island and Oahu. So I guess we still need to do an episode on Kauai at some point, right?

[00:02:37.600] - Kim

Yeah, we should have been there. It was a short trip, but I have been there.

[00:02:42.010] - Tamara

That's definitely where I want to go and when I would return to Hawaii. But anyway, yeah, let's chat with Amber and see what it it was like to be there now.

[00:02:58.850] - Tamara

This week, we're here with Amber Mamian. She is a family travel expert, founder of Global Munchkins and an ambassador for Oprah magazine. She lives in Southern California with her husband and her five children. And you can follow her family's adventures and more on Instagram at Global_Munchkins or on our site at Global Munchkins.Com. So welcome back to the podcast. Amber.

[00:03:19.520] - Amber

Thank you so much for having me. I'm so happy to be back.

[00:03:22.240] - Tamara

I know it's been a really long time. Last time we talked to you, it was about cruising, I think maybe Disney cruises, but it certainly has been a long time since any of us were cruising, so. And in some ways, it's been a long time since any of us have traveled. But you have traveled recently to one of your favorite destinations. Now, I know you guys being on the West Coast go to Hawaii pretty often. But this year it looked a little bit different. So I was hoping that we could talk to you to learn a little bit more about what is it like to go to Hawaii now? Like what does it take to get there? What are the requirements? And really what is it like on the ground, you know, for someone that is considering a trip? So can you walk our listeners through, like, what are some of the testing requirements that are necessary to visit Hawaii right now?

[00:04:06.200] - Amber

Absolutely. So the good news is once you are there, it's fantastic. Their numbers are really low. It felt very safe the whole time to get there. It's a little tricky. You just have to kind of do your homework and your research. Currently, the state of Hawaii has a 14 day mandatory quarantine. However, you can bypass that if you do, if you take a negative covid test and 72 hours before your departure, it's important to look because the state of Hawaii only accepts tests done from certain companies.

[00:04:36.180] - Amber

So you do have to go on to their website. It's Hawaii covid-19 dot com forward slash travel and everything's listed right there. But basically, you get your test done 72 hours before departure. And we went through a company called Vault Health, which I highly recommend.

[00:04:50.660] - Amber

It was an at home saliva test, which was really easy on all of us, including my youngest, who's seven. You do the saliva test in front of it like a doctor or nurse on a zoom, and then they overnight the test kit back to the company and they have your results back in 24 hours. In our case, which was amazing because we're able to upload those results before we ever departed. And then beyond the testing, you're also required to fill out a mandatory state of Hawaii travel and health form.

[00:05:17.990] - Amber

And it's for every member of the family, which was a lot because there's seven of us adults are required to fill out their own forms. But I was able to fill them all out for the kids. And once you have those done, you have like a user account from the state of Hawaii. And when you get your results back from your testing, you actually upload that PDF right to that website or with your user, you know, your account, I guess I should say.

[00:05:38.330] - Amber

And once that's uploaded, they email you a QR code and that is like your ticket of gold. You know, when you land, you're going to need your QR code. I mean, you're going to possibly need it for the resort. You stay at activities you do. So you definitely need, like your your QR code golden ticket. That's what I'd call it.

[00:05:57.120] - Kim

Great. And can I just mention, is it true, though, that Kaui is one of the islands, they actually have have been able to opt out, so they still require a mandatory 14 day quarantine? Is that correct?

[00:06:08.400] - Amber

Yes. And thank you for saying that. And you also you cannot island hop either. So, like, you know, we were planning on going to Oahu and Maui instead. We only travelled to Oahu because we would have had to either do another 14 day quarantine when we got to Maui or we would have had to retest again while we were in Oahu.

[00:06:26.430] - Tamara

That's really good to know. And I think it's really interesting that you used that private company, because I know with cases on the rise, like testing, not everywhere is it's not possible everywhere to get testing if you're asymptomatic or just for travel anyway. But even if you can, there's not really guarantees of how quickly you're going to get it back. And I can't even imagine making that investment and then not getting a test back in time.

[00:06:52.170] - Amber

And there's a new law, and I probably should have looked that before we talked, but my cousin traveled on her honeymoon. It did not. Her husband got his test results from CVS and before the flight, and she didn't they only had to quarantine in the hotel for a day or two. But since we've been I was told by the hotel that now the state of Hawaii, if you do not have a negative test upon arrival, you have to do a full mandatory 14 days instead of waiting for your test results, come in a day or two.

[00:07:22.020] - Kim

 I heard that as well. And I also heard that I think somebody said CVS might be actually opting out or they're not allowed anymore, but I'm not sure on that. But check that out. So definitely make sure you know who to use. And then I've heard lots of horror stories where they say it'll be back in a certain amount of time, but the people are still like they're ready to fly out and the results aren't back yet.

[00:07:44.430] - Amber

So, yeah, I mean, we went with a really big group and we all used Vault health. I think there was 14 of us total because it was my brother and his family and my parents and all of our tests came back within twenty four hours from Vault Health. So, I mean, we were really impressed with their service grade.

[00:07:59.850] - Kim

So beyond just now that everyone knows what the requirements are, what was your experience going navigating like the airport and then your in-flight experience, of course, your West Coast, Southern California. So your flight time is probably only what, like three and a half hours? But what's the experience like?

[00:08:17.130] - Amber

Yeah, it's like five or six hours. Yeah, it's still quite a long flight. So in flight I was really nervous like a couple of days before. We haven't flown since, but it was our first flight and I did like that everybody on the plane most likely had a negative covid test. My mom flew united and they had to show their covid test just to get on the plane.

[00:08:40.620] - Amber

And so that made me comfortable. And then once we were on the plane, I was really impressed. We did switch airlines. We originally with one airline that stopped doing the middle seat being open. So we switched to Delta and paid a little bit more just to have that comfort of knowing the middle seats would be open and we'd have a little bit more space on the plane. So I do appreciate the Delta did that. The planes were spotless and I did talk to Delta and they sanitized the entire flight before every single departure. And then they wipe down all the seats and sanitize in that way.

[00:09:11.430]

And then when you board the flight, they give you another Purell wipe to wipe down your seat yourself. So between all of that I felt pretty good on the flight. I know that they change their air filtration systems often, they said even more often than they are required to. I talked to them about their testing program. I was really impressed with that. For all of their employees, they're able to do even the rapid test in the lounge at the airport at LAX, which I liked.

[00:09:37.710] - Amber

And, you know, it's funny to be on a flight, honestly, and have you know, I was worried about the kids having to wear masks the whole time and it ended up not being a big deal at all.

[00:09:46.690] - Tamara

That's good. I mean, hopefully by now people are kind of used to it, although that's a long period of time, especially if you're trying to, you know, take a drink or have a snack, you know, quickly or something like that.

[00:10:00.820] - Amber

I was so nervous, we had the regular mask and then I had bought the clear, like shield. So when we were eating, I had the kid, I just pulled those out and so when they would have the mask off, I would let them have the face shield. That way they could still be somewhat protected. But on the flight home, I guess we felt so comfortable we didn't use them, to be honest.

[00:10:18.420] - Kim

That's good to know. And did you, I'm assuming did you pack your own snacks because they aren't doing or are airlines still doing like drinks and snacks service?

[00:10:27.570] - Amber

So I can only speak for Delta because that's all I've flown since covid. But what they gave you is a Ziploc bag. It had a Cheezits in it. The cookies, I can't think of what they're called the you know, the cookies they always have on planes, the bottle of water and a single use Purell. That was it for the entire flight. So we definitely knew that going into it. They email you and Delta stays in contact and is very upfront about the fact that there's not going to be those services.

[00:10:52.410] - Kim

So we were able to pack enough snacks to be fine.

[00:10:55.650] - Tamara

I think I'd have to pack a whole backpack full of water bottles.

[00:10:59.550] - Amber

Yes, we did.

[00:11:00.720] - Amber

We definitely did pack a lot of water because they give you, like, those little bottles to like it is about a teeny bottle. And they did pass them out.

[00:11:08.700] - Amber

I mean, they pass out water several times. But I do normally drink just so much water on a plane that I had to pack, you know, several water bottles, which you have to buy after you enter the terminal.

[00:11:21.270] - Tamara

So it sounds like once you have your QR code and it's your golden ticket that you're able to get into pretty much everywhere. But are they doing any additional screenings like temperature checks or forms or anything like that, like when you check into your hotel or go to restaurants?

[00:11:36.000] - Amber

It depends, I think, on each place. So when you land, it it seems kind of funky, like you were waiting a really long line, almost like you're going through like a customs. And they check each family's QR codes and they have to check that. You filled out that form from the Travel Hawaii, which has all of your contact tracing, what resort you're going to be at. All of your information is there.

[00:11:55.980] - Amber

Once they double check that, then you're free to leave. Same kind of thing, though, when you show up to the hotel, just a little bit like extra steps. Like I think they needed to know our flight home. We again had to show the QR code. They needed to see each adult. We arrived really late at night and I was in the car with the kids waiting and I thought my husband could just check in, but they needed to see each adult in the party and have ID and your QR code.

[00:12:16.890] - Amber

So I think you just have to be ready to have to show those forms, especially with every adult. It seems like they need to check every adult. The only other thing that we saw when we went out at restaurants, especially being a larger party, being there with my brother and my family, even my own family, to be honest, because we're seven is the only allow groups of five at like restaurants so that they were very strict about almost every restaurant we went to.

[00:12:39.060] - Amber

We were never able to sit together. They said the state of Hawaii could get them in trouble. And so, you know, obviously a very respectful but I think it's important for people to know in advance because I had my kids been younger ages, it would have been really difficult for us to have, you know, all of seven of us at one table and one.

[00:13:06.710] - Tamara

Meanwhile, teens are probably like, yeah, we're fine. We're fine.

[00:13:10.110] - Amber

Yeah, it was pretty much the teens at one table and our younger seven year old with us.

[00:13:16.060] - Kim

So beyond everyone's getting tested before they come in and then the basics of just wearing masks when you're outside and around others and social distancing and cleaning things like that, is there anything else that maybe feels different or seems different about Hawaii vacation right now?

[00:13:31.600] - Amber

Honestly, no, we had such an amazing vacation, it was such a huge breath of fresh air, I think we're pretty used to all those mandates now. That's the way we're living at home.

[00:13:40.480] - Amber

So to have to do that there didn't feel too awkward. And it was just, you know, the initial getting through the airport, there was a little bit different and nerve wracking once we were there. It felt really good. And there's a lot of open space in Hawaii where and it's very empty right now. So we'd be at beaches where there was hardly anybody there and definitely nobody within, you know, I mean, 20 or 30 feet of us.

[00:13:59.920] - Amber

So in those situations when we were hiking and stuff, we take our masks off if we were alone. So it felt really good to us.

[00:14:07.430] - Tamara

That's nice. It's good when you can feel, you know, like you are having a vacation, you are having something that's a break from the norm, I guess.

[00:14:17.030] - Amber

I mean, it definitely felt like a complete vacation. We didn't want to come home.

[00:14:23.110] - Tamara

So I know you say to the Disney Aulani, which is one of your favorite hotels, we had recently talked to Rob Taylor from two travel dads and he talked to us about what it's like to go to Walt Disney World right now and what a good job they were doing. So I'm hoping that you had the same experience at Aulani. But what was your experience like? Was it something where you were feeling very comfortable, where the things you think they could be doing better?

[00:14:44.500] - Amber

I thought that Aulani did a fantastic job. I mean, one of the reasons we chose to stay at the Aulani was because we had heard so many positive things about the way that they were doing things at Disney World. And we're big fans of Disney and we've been to Aulani. several times. Everybody at the resorts seemed to be not even have to have the rules be enforced. I think that at check in they let you know what the rules were there signs around everywhere and hands sanitizing stations are throughout the resort.

[00:15:08.170] - Amber

And thankfully, all the guests seem to just comply. So it's not like I was in a situation where I saw people having to, you know, be scolded or anything for not wearing masks. It just seemed like people were respecting each other. And I did speak with other guests who stayed at other resorts in Waikiki who were telling me that at their resort, the pool had like, you know, hours where they had to make a reservation to go to the pool and that it was a little bit more strict.

[00:15:33.340] - Amber

Once you're out at the Aulani, if you're in the pool area, you don't have to have your mask on. All the chairs are spaced within six foot distance. So there is that gathering rule again. So for my family, a little complicated because you can't have more than five people together in a group. So for larger families, I think, you know, that's something to pay attention to. But I think most families are probably about the size of five people.

[00:15:57.310] - Kim

And are they doing a lesser occupancy rate? We've been to the Aulani and the chairs are normally completely full on a sunny afternoon. So are they is doing an occupancy decrease so that there aren't so many people at the pools?

[00:16:16.480] - Amber

Yes. So there is an occupancy decrease and I cannot remember what it is,  but it is a reduced occupancy. And like you said, normally Aulani is very, very crowded. It it was very empty. You could you know, you didn't have to, like, run down to reserve chairs in the morning. There would be good seats available if you strolled into the pool area around two o'clock in the afternoon.

[00:16:36.040] - Amber

I did notice that it seemed like locals come in on the weekends. So if I was choosing to stay there I would definitely try to book a more of a midweek stay like a Sunday through Thursday stay just to avoid that crowd. We decided to leave the resort on those days to avoid having it crowded. But it still was less of a crowd than I was used to at Aulani.

[00:17:01.520] - Tamara

Now, what about when you went off property? Were there things that you had to keep in mind there, like did you need to make advance reservations or were there additional protocols that were in place there?

[00:17:12.320] - Amber

So we did several activities, including a cage dive with sharks, which they did check our QR code. And we also visited Waimea Valley, which is like a like a nature center. And they both of those places checked our QR codes before allowing us in. And they obviously made sure that all the normal restrictions of mask mandates and social distancing were told to us before we entered. But other than that, things seem to be pretty normal. We did try to keep in touch with what was going on as far as like on Yelp and stuff, trying to see what restaurants were open because some places have limited hours and some places were just closed completely.

[00:17:48.560] - Amber

I think that food was probably a tougher challenge than activities.

[00:17:52.910] - Kim

Yeah, that's what Tamara and I have noticed. You know, all the trips we took this summer is the restaurants and dining is the hardest part about travel right now just because, like you said, some restaurants haven't been able to keep their doors open, which is limited, the options that are open and then others are, you know, operating at 50 percent or something. And so getting, you know, the mass of people in and out is just really hard.

[00:18:17.500] - Tamara

So is a little side chat about what the heck with a shark cage dive?

[00:18:22.860] - Kim

I can't believe I'm ignoring it. I'm ignoring it and ignoring it.

[00:18:27.200] - Amber

It's in a cage. I was really nervous and I almost canceled before we went. I it was all my brother. He's the thrill seeker. So he wanted to do it. And then my husband, because they become competitive, and then I have an 18 year old son who has to prove himself when the guys are doing something. So I felt like I better go and make sure everybody's OK because I would have had a harder time sitting out, I think.

[00:18:53.690] - Tamara

Especially if you're like on the boat and you're looking down and seeing, like, fins circling your loved ones.

[00:18:58.730] - Amber

Right. Right. I mean, it's like I'd rather just be in it with them, but it ended up not being scary really at all.

[00:19:04.550] - Amber

And I know that it still is definitely, you know, a risk hopping into that cage. But it didn't feel as scary as I thought it would.

[00:19:10.850] - Kim

Well, the you guys weren't in, like, South Africa, right? You know, like the, you know, Great Barrier Reef, where it's like great whites, you know, bull sharks.

[00:19:20.240] - Tamara

It's like on our honeymoon we were in Bora Bora. And one of the things that we had signed up for was a shark and ray feeding. And my husband, who loves to dive, is just like, oh, they're just black tip reef sharks. And I'm like, they're sharks. Their face looks like sharks. Like when they're swimming right at you, it's a shark. And that's all you can think about.

[00:19:36.710]

And I remember the night before I am was cancelled, I was up like all night. I was terrified. And then it was no cage, you know, it was just like we kind of made a line, like behind a rope, kind of like you're snorkeling and it's like made a line and then they feed them right in front of you. So the sharks come and they swim like directly at your face. And it's like last minute they turn and they go back and oh my goodness, I lasted for like a couple of minutes and I'm like, I'll be in the boat.

[00:20:07.820] - Tamara

OK, well you're brave. I just had to ask about that.

[00:20:12.290] - Amber

So I'll get to food.  I was going to say one of the reasons we chose to stay at Aulani was we stayed in their villa, which has a small kitchen. And so we're able to stock up at Target before we got to the hotel. So we were able to do some meals, you know, within our little hotel room, which was super convenient and highly recommend, like maybe Airbnb stays or something like that, or resorts with kitchens would be nice right now.

[00:20:40.520] - Kim

If people don't know about Aulani, it's actually about would you say it's about forty minutes away from Honolulu, from the airport.

[00:20:46.730] - Amber

Yeah, I guess depending on your travel, because it's like kind of a suburb of sorts.

[00:20:50.810] - Kim

It's called javelina, but there's like a Costco right there too nearby.

[00:20:55.250] - Kim

And so it's it's definitely convenient if you can splurge for those kind of villa. I think that shopping and having food that you can make in your room is a definite plus right now. So I have an awkward question that I've heard some talk about it in some travel groups. But did you feel like there was any kind of negative vibe from the locals towards tourists that you know?

[00:21:27.890] - Kim

I know that it's kind of a double edged sword. It seems like Hawaii really wants the money that tourism brings. However, I know a lot of locals are kind of stressed and don't want tourists coming to their island and putting them at risk. So did you have any weird vibes that you felt like the locals weren't welcoming?

[00:21:41.870] - Amber

So we personally didn't. And I don't know if it would be, you know, whether or not you're following, you know, the restrictions and being respectful, like because to us, people were more than grateful to have a say. I like the small restaurants where, you know, over accommodating. They were, you know, making sure that they cleaned everything and thanking us. And so I had. Kind of the exact opposite, so it's probably just hit or miss, depending on who you run into, I guess.

[00:22:07.200] - Tamara

Yeah, that's good, I mean, it's it is a difficult challenge, I think it's a challenge for any tourism area and really every state to, you know, in that you need the economic boost that tourism brings.

[00:22:19.740] - Tamara

But, you know, it brings along some risk, too. So it's good to hear you weren't, you know, met with kind of open opposition, but more open arms.

[00:22:29.340] - Tamara

Well, since we have you on the podcast, we've talked about Hawaii on a few other episodes, but maybe we can just quickly get some of your thoughts and some of your favorite, you know, things to do in Hawaii and stuff. But do you have a favorite island? I know this time you went to Wahoo, but do you have a favorite overall?

[00:22:46.130] - Amber

It is such a hard question, I think, of why all the Hawaiian islands that I've been to or to just Kauai, Maui and Oahu Island, Kona are amazing.

[00:22:53.840] - Amber

I really like Oahu. I think that it's great. It's got that iconic North Shore and some big resorts. And if you're looking for more of the hustle bustle, it's there. But Maui is probably my ultimate favorite. It's just more relaxed than North Shore, less populated. And I love the road to Hana. That's really cool. Yeah, I've been to I still haven't been to the big island, so that's kind of the one I want to get on my bucket list.

[00:23:17.020] - Kim

But I've been to Oahu, Maui and Kauai, and I just love Oahu because I kind of I do like all the resort hotels, but I think the Kaanapali Beach area on Maui can bring that. And like it's like you said, kind of it's it's a little lesser, you know, a little more stepped back, which is kind of nice. And the road Hana is pretty awesome.

[00:23:38.440] - Amber

Right. And then Kauai is like so lush and beautiful, but it's like I feel like even more deserted. Kona is like the big island. It was a trip to me because it's more volcanic. So I remember getting off the plane and being like, it's all black. Yeah. And there's goats like mountain goats like where's the kitchen? Where's the palm trees? I was really confused. You drive up to the resorts and you'll find the beaches there. But that one is definitely different. Very different. But you can see a live volcano, you know. Right.

[00:24:05.620] - Tamara

The only time I've been to Hawaii, we did the Big Island, mostly because we wanted to see a live volcano. But I had the first, you know, thought when I first got off because I'm like, hey, where's all the lush, you know, like this? But then we did Maui, too, and we definitely found it there. But I loved both. And I would just love to go back to now I need to do Kauai and Oahu.

[00:24:25.990] - Kim

So do you have any other favorite hotels in Hawaii that you stayed at or because like you said, Oahu for family is Aulani certainly is a nice draw. So any other favourite hotels for your family?

[00:24:37.270] - Amber

I Think that the best contender for Aulani to me is Grand Wailea in Maui, they have like interconnecting slides in the world, only water elevator. It's absolutely incredible.

[00:24:47.770] - Kim

Yeah, they are pretty nice there.

[00:24:49.000] - Kim

We stayed at the Sheraton, I think, and they have like a sister property now. I can't even remember it. And they have like all these pools that run throughout the resort and stuff.

[00:24:58.900] - Kim

And I've heard Grand Wailea has a similar kind of just the expansiveness of the pools and the grounds are really fun to explore, right?

[00:25:07.850] - Amber

Yeah, it's great for families.

[00:25:10.720] - Tamara

Well, what about some of your other favorite things to do with kids, maybe we can just touch on a couple in Maui and Oahu, since those are your top islands.

[00:25:19.810] - Amber

I mean, we go to Hawaii really to, like, turn off and relax. So a lot of times we just hit the beach and surf and boogie board and then go like hiking and snorkeling. I think in Maui, like I said, the road to Hana is really great. It wasn't really great when my kids were like four of them were really young and I didn't love it. But as they've gotten older, that's a really fun trip.

[00:25:39.430] - Amber

And obviously getting to North Shore and Oahu, we always see sea turtles and it's, you know, so fun to watch those incredible surfers surf there, too,

[00:25:48.880] - Kim

and get some shrimp you got for Giovanni's shrimp truck

[00:25:53.140] - Amber

or Macky's you know, it's like a big rivalry.

[00:25:55.680] - Amber

So you got to, I guess, eat from both and then choose, which is the one that you're going to support

[00:25:59.710] - Kim

and then get some Massimo's shaved ice afterwards.

[00:26:02.860] - Amber

Exactly. Yes, that is exactly what you need to do.

[00:26:06.890] - Kim

Cool. So do you have any final tips for listeners who are considering a visit to Hawaii during these times of covid anything to keep in mind that they should be aware of?

[00:26:17.920] - Amber

I think just do your homework, make sure you stay on top of updates, because unfortunately things do change, you know, as numbers change. So I think that way you're just prepared, you know what's going to happen. Make sure that you talk to the resort before you go so that you know what their policies are as far as, you know, the pool and stuff like that, activities that you're going to be doing.

[00:26:35.180] - Amber

So you have proper expectations when you get there. And then I mean, I know like sponsorship with Vault health, but I just was so impressed with them. I keep telling everybody about their services.

[00:26:46.720] - Tamara

And then I guess I think it's probably important to make sure when you're doing that research about Hawaii to understand your home state, you know, and if they have, you know, travel restrictions, I mean, luckily, Hawaii is the one state that whose numbers aren't going up as much.

[00:27:00.640] - Tamara

So maybe they're not on your travel restriction list. But, you know, to know if you have to quarantine when you get back or anything like that,

[00:27:06.670] - Amber

that's a really good point. And I think all of that, yeah, I was going to say, like California just went on lockdown now. And I think also a cancellation policies. A friend of mine had booked Kauai and was having trouble with their Airbnb, canceling that trip after California had a lockdown. Hawaii now has restrictions, not letting people in. So I think just, you know, making sure that you go in fully aware, like really make sure you're reading everything, asking questions.

[00:27:29.830] - Amber

I think it's important right now because travel can be done.

[00:27:32.440] - Amber

It's just a little bit more work.

[00:27:34.940] - Kim

Yeah, and just like you said, I know Delta has promised to keep the middle seats empty, I think through March and I know Alaska is through January, they're keeping their middle seats empty. And they are I think those those statements come with an Asterix, though, sometimes like if the flight ends up canceled or sold out or I don't know how that works, but it's definitely something to keep in mind also is getting their things to research and be aware of good will.

[00:27:59.450] - Tamara

We have a fun question for you. And I always think of things I don't know you may not want me to say a fashion icon, but you're always very stylish. And so I would love to hear from you what some of your favorite brands are. What what do you like to wear when you travel lately?

[00:28:14.600] - Amber

I've really loved Albian Fit, and it might be because I just did, you know, Hawaii. But their travel clothes are ones that I've had for years and they, like, don't go out of fashion. So I love it because I can just add a couple of pieces and, you know, it changes that the outfit I like to do those capsule wardrobes. And I think because they sell really high quality basics that are good for travel that they're kind of my go to.

[00:28:34.190] - Amber

And their swimsuits, honestly, are the best fitting swimsuits I like the most comfortable in those.

[00:28:39.530] - Tamara

Oh, that's nice. I love places that you can go to where you don't need to bring like so many extras and you like jackets and things like that because then you can fit more in your bag, you know.

[00:28:50.390] - Amber

Yes. I want it so easy. Yeah. One of my favorite outfits I always see you in Amber that you always pull off so well. It's just like a T-shirt with a blazer

[00:28:58.580] - Kim

and you wear the cutest little blazers. And every time I try to look for like a cute, like t shirt blazer combo, the Blazers are always like too long or too structured. So I don't know. I'll have to ask you later where you where you find your cute little khaki colored beige blazers.

[00:29:13.550] - Amber

I get them at Chicos. Everyday I get teased, but I always find, like, super cute like wraps. I think they call those ones like Rhona's or something like that. I might be saying it wrong, but those and blazers at Chico's and you can usually find them on sale too online.

[00:29:27.950] - Tamara

Thanks for your tips. That's great. So maybe we can just remind our listeners where they can find you online. And I imagine with California's recent lock down that you're not going anywhere anytime soon. But, you know, at least they can follow you online and you always post so much from your adorable family.

[00:29:46.670] - Amber

So there's still some trips because that's what I did. I decided to give away trips all through twenty, twenty one. And the travel is good through like twenty, twenty two. So, you know, somebody can travel someday since I'm but some are twenty, twenty one.

[00:30:02.840] - Amber

Right. People can follow us at global underscore munchkins on Instagram and then global munchkins dot com online.

[00:30:11.200] - Tamara

Perfect. Well, thanks so much for being on to share your recent experience with who I am glad that you guys had a wonderful time. I'm glad that you came back relaxed and ready to face whatever the next few months bring.

[00:30:22.570] - Amber

Right. Yeah. Thanks so much. Thanks so much for having me. Yeah. Thanks so much, Kim.

[00:30:29.910] - Kim

Well, thanks for joining us for another week here at Vacation MAVEN's. And you definitely want to tune in next week. What are we going to be talking about Tamara?

[00:30:36.610] - Tamara

We are going to be talking to someone who's going to teach us how families can fly free and that includes to Hawaii.

[00:30:42.940] - Tamara

And you can do that just within a few months.

[00:30:45.520] - Tamara

So, yeah, tune in, because I think we're all thinking about how to make our budgets stretch and still keep our travel dreams alive. So tune in on the next episode. Talk to you then. Bye bye.

Nothing like starting off the new year with a bucket list destination! This week we chat with Keri Hedrick, from Family Travel in the Middle East, about visiting Egypt with kids. We dig into what you need to know -- is it safe? how should you book? when should you go? and more.

ON THE PODCAST

00:30 - Talking with Kim and Tamara

04:11 - Talking with Keri Hedrick

06:25 - How long to spend in Egypt

09:05 - Getting around Egypt

15:50 - Visas/Money/Safety

21:50 - Tour companies

23:15 - Highlights of Keri’s last trip

27:10 - How to dress

28:35 - Keri’s favorite travel gear

29:10 - Keri’s upcoming trips

31:30 - Shoutout!

ABOUT KERI HEDRICK

Keri is a British-Australian mum of three who has been based in the United Arab Emirates for the past seven years.  She founded the website Family Travel in the Middle East to remove misconceptions about the region and encourage family explorers with inspiring stories and practical information. She also runs a personal family travel blog Our Globetrotters and is the co-host of the City Travel with Kids Podcast.

Follow Keri on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

TIPS FOR VISITING EGYPT

• The best time to visit the Middle East would be between October and April, though Christmas to New Years tends to be the busiest. Going just two weeks before the holidays, you will have a lot less tourists to deal with.
• Depending on the locations you would like to visit, you could need anywhere between 3 -14 days to visit Egypt. You can easily visit Luxor and Cairo in three to four days. If you plan on traveling along the Nile you could spend about a week seeing all of the highlights. Then if you plan on really exploring the country you will need 12 - 14 days.
• Traveling around Egypt by air is often easiest and the main airline is EgyptAir. Be prepared for a lot of security in the airports. You will need to take everything out of your bags and you will be thoroughly checked before being permitted on a flight.
• Another travel option is to catch an overnight train or even a short cruise along the Nile and visit different temples and other landmarks.
• Keep in mind that when you are negotiating any kind of price, whether it is for a tour or just buying a souvenir, that you want to be very clear on if you are talking about US Dollar or Egyptian Pound. There is a big difference and you don’t want to be stuck paying more than you thought going in because of a misunderstanding.
• Be very mindful of your tipping. Anyone that helps you at all expects a tip.
• There are a lot of different kinds of security all around Egypt. Everywhere you go you will have to walk through metal detectors or you will see bomb sniffing dogs.
• Don’t drink the water! You will see warning signs everywhere.
• You will find that tour companies can be very restrictive with their dates and if you have younger kids you will find it hard to book boat trips and things like that, so you may be better off finding an experienced travel agent or working with a local company to plan a custom trip.
• When visiting a temple, it is really great to take a tour with an Egyptologist that can explain what the hieroglyphics mean.
• Make sure dress a little more conservatively. Women and girls should have knees and shoulders covered. It is also a great idea to bring a shaw or light jacket with you in case you go anywhere that you need a bit more coverage. You should also make sure that you are wearing closed toed shoes when walking around. This is more for the dust and grime that your feet will end up covered in with sandals rather than being conservitive.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Keri loves to wear looser cargo pants that offer some air flow if the heat of the Middle East along with her casual Skechers.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

7 Day Egypt Itinerary

Is Egypt Safe for Travel

Egypt Nile Cruise

Best Time to Visit Egypt

Egypt Packing List

Bakseesh Tipping Culture in Egypt

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email at podcast@vacationmavens.com. You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

Disneyland is decked out for the holidays. But before you grab your tickets, there are some things you should know about visiting Disneyland during the holidays. This week Leslie Harvey and Kim share their recent experience with Disneyland's holiday celebrations.

ON THE PODCAST

00:30 - Talking with Tamara about her trip to Arkansas

09:15 - Presenting Sponsor Rosetta Stone

10:05 - Talking with Leslie Harvey

11:35 - What to expect to see in Disneyland at the holidays

15:11 - When the holiday season starts at Disneyland

16:31 - Crowds

17:27 - When is the best time to go

19:40 - Extra cost events

23:09 - Shows and fireworks

25:10 - Tips and things to know

28:25 - Seasonal food in the park

30:36 - Disneyland app

32:13 - Hotels for the holiday

35:03 - What not to miss in Disneyland

37:11 - What not to miss in California Adventure Park

40:25 - Leslie’s favorite travel gear

41:46 - Where Leslie is heading next

SPONSOR: ROSETTA STONE

Are you planning an international trip next year? Now is the time to start learning a new language with Rosetta Stone. The Rosetta Stone language learning system prepares you to use your new language skills in the real world. Rosetta Stone uses visual cues and its Dynamic Immersion system to develop practical conversational skills.

With an emphasis on speaking, you will feel confident using your new language skills when traveling abroad. This holiday season, why not gift your family (or yourself) a three, six, 12, or even a 24-month subscription for as little as under $11 per month!

You can learn on the go with the Rosetta Stone mobile app with features like downloadable lessons for learning offline and an audio companion for environments where you can listen but not speak aloud.

Visit RosettaStone.comto sign up today.

ABOUT LESLIE HARVEY

Leslie Harvey writes the family travel blog Trips With Tykesand also co-hosts the Disney planning podcast Disney Deciphered. Follow Leslie on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

DISNEYLAND HOLIDAYS TIPS

• If you are planning on visiting Disneyland for the holidays, the best time seems to be in early December and during the week if you can. There seems to be a good lull in visitors at this time after the decorations are first put up and when holiday school breaks start.
• The Sip and Savor Pass is a great idea for families that plan to try several different food items. You recieve 8 tickets for different food items and you don’t have to use them all in one day. But try to plan what you use your tickets for to get the most value out of your tickets.
• Due to the weather, shows and fireworks can be cancelled so try not to plan your entire visit on these events since there is a possibility that they could get cancelled.
• Be sure to check crowd calendars when you plan your trip. If you do decide to go during peak season be sure to get there as soon as the park opens (or earlier) because they will close entry to the park if they reach a certain capacity. This can happen as early as mid-day in some seasons.
• The Disneyland app is a great help and you should make sure at least one of your party has it downloaded. The app will tell you when rides are closed, even if only temporarily. This can save you a long walk to a ride you would like to experience when the ride was closed down.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Leslie loves her Skechers GO walks and a pair of North Face Aphrodite pants.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

The Preacher's Son

Oven and Tap

21c - The Hive

Complete Guide to Holidays at Disneyland

Episode 17 - Disneyland Travel Tips

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Playand leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035#

You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcaseand We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebookor Twitter. Thanks for listening!

This week we tackle on of this year's most popular road trips -- the Grand Circle road trip in the Southwest USA. And we have the perfect guest! Anne Howard from Honeytrek shares her insights and tips after having spent weeks in this region over multiple trips.

About Anne Howard

Anne is the co-founder of the couples adventure travel blog HoneyTrek and co-author of the books Comfortably Wild: The Best Glamping Destinations in North America and National Geographic's Ultimate Journeys for Two. Since 2012, Anne and her husband Mike have been traveling full-time across the seven continents and have road tripped from Baja to The Arctic Circle and 50 US States in between.

Mike & Anne Howard left on their honeymoon in January 2012...and never came home. They created HoneyTrek.com to chronicle their journey across all seven continents and help people mobilize their travel dreams. Their story of the World's Longest Honeymoon, savvy tips, and blog have been featured in hundreds of international media outlets—from USA Today to Lonely Planet.

Firm believers that love and travel make the world a better place, they authored Ultimate Journeys for Two—National Geographic's bestselling couples travel guide. To write their newest book, Comfortably Wild, they bought a vintage RV (aka Buddy the Camper) and traveled 73,000 miles across 9 countries to find the best glamping experiences in North America. Along the way, they fell in love with RVing and have made Buddy their full-time adventure mobile.

They've taken their 1985 Toyota Sunrader from the tip of Baja Mexico to the Arctic Circle of Canada and 50 US states in between. As full-time nomads and travel journalists, the Howards are always on the hunt for off-the-track destinations, uncommon adventures, and the human stories that make each place so special.

Follow their adventures at www.HoneyTrek.com or on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can also see a gallery of photos from their Grand Circle Road Trip on Facebook.

Tips for Planning a Grand Circle Road Trip

• The Grand Circle road trip is the loop of national parks and monuments in the Southwest including the Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, Arches, the Grand Canyon and many other national monuments, tribal lands, and state parks along the way.
• Trying to hit the six big National Parks, you need at least two weeks to adequately cover the Grand Circle road trip.
• You want to leave time to stop at roadside shops, restaurants, photo opportunities, etc along the way.
• Utah has such amazing landscapes but also has many dinosaur fossils.
• To start the road trip, fly into Las Vegas.
• Sometimes camping or RVing in the parks sounds ideal, but it can get hard to find campsites in the national parks so sometimes staying in hotels or other lodging can actually be better.
• Keep in mind that big RVs aren't able to go in some areas of the national parks and driving a large RV on the small roads or fitting into parking lots can be a big challenge.
• If you are renting an RV to do the Grand Circle road trip, stick to an RV that is 27' or smaller. The ideal size is probably 22 feet.
• From Las Vegas, it is only a three hour drive to Zion National Park (versus four hours from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon.)
• From Zion you will go to Bryce along Highway 12, which is a gorgeous scenic drive.
• You will also pass by Escalante National Monument, which is massive and you want to leave some time to explore.
• You will then go to Capitol Reef, then Arches National Park, before heading down to the Grand Canyon.
• Don't just follow Google Maps, which will just route you the fastest way.
• After Canyonlands, leave time to go to Bears Ears National Monument, which is underrated but is a sacred destination for various Native American nations and you will have an opportunity to see cliff dwellings and petroglyphs and it is not crowded at all.
• You will also want to leave time on your trip down to the Grand Canyon to swing through Monument Valley and the Navajo nation's lands and tribal parks.
• Just 15 minutes or so away from Monument Valley is Goosenecks State Park. It has a double loop in the river, which is a much better photo opportunity than the popular Horseshoe Bend and it is inexpensive and not crowded. It is a true hidden gem!
• Beyond the national parks, look for other types of public lands -- national forests, Bureau of Land Management land, etc.
• To find public lands and campsites, you can use iOverlander and UCPublic CG Ultimate Campgrounds app. But please leave reviews and share useful information to grow these communities.
• Don't miss hiking the slot canyons of Spooky and Peekaboo Canyons in Escalante National Monument. It is a tough road to get there and one is a more technical hike, but doable for kids and well worth the effort. They can get very narrow at points, sometimes no wider than a foot.
• A more family friendly hike between Bryce and Escalante is Willis Creek Slot canyon. Keep in mind that this could be icy in the winter. This is also much easier to get to.
• Escalante Yurts is a great spot to glamp when you are in this area.
• Make sure you hike a slot canyon while in Utah.
• You can also plan other adventures, like canyoneering in Orderville Slot Canyon near Zion or off-roading in Moab, where there is some of the best off-roading in the world, or do a scenic flight over Canyonland and Arches.
• Bryce also has astronomy rangers and you can do full moon hikes twice a month.
• Some big adventures need permits, such as hiking the Narrows.
• Try to do the national parks midweek and state parks on the weekend to try to avoid some crowds.
• This can also be a good winter road trip when it isn't as crowded and it can be beautiful in the snow, but not everything may be available.
• Spring is another great time because there is more water running, more flowers, and it isn't as hot as summer.
• These areas are warmer during the day and can get colder at night, so be prepared.
• In Arches, if you can't do the whole park because you are pressed for time, make sure you hike Devil's Garden with the largest concentration of arches.
• Zion isn't that large and doesn't take too long to do.
• Canyonlands is huge, and there are also two separate entrances, which makes it almost like two separate parks. The Island in the Sky in the north end near Moab is actually hours aways from the Needle section. The Needle section is actually less traveled and very lovely.
• Make sure you spend time understanding the Native American history for all of these places. When you are traveling in the Needles section of Canyonlands, Newspaper Rock is a quick stop but it has two thousand years of history in petroglyphs. (Note: this was recently horribly and thoughtlessly defaced.)
• The Butler Wash Ruins in Bears Ears is another great place to see amazing cliff dwellings from the 1200s (similar to Mesa Verde in Colorado.)
• Glamping is a great way to experience the outdoors and this area including Under Canvas, which is usually just outside of the national parks, and Wunder Camp, which has a series of camps near national parks but at a lower price point. Be sure to buy Anne's book, Comfortably Wild: The Best Glamping Destinations in North America , for more glamping suggestions.
• If you need to skip something, you can miss the full 18-mile scenic drive in Bryce as the best parts are at the beginning and it is an out and back drive and not a loop.
• Be careful about hiking down the Grand Canyon as you have to hike back up and it is a tough hike and plan accordingly with time, water, and energy.
• This is a good trip to buy a National Parks Pass.
• It would also be useful to buy the Secrets to the National Parks and Scenic Highways and Byways books for the trip.
• Anne also covers a lot of the southwest, including Moab and a southwest road trip section, in her book Ultimate Journeys for Two.
• When visiting this area, make sure you pack a good wide brim sunhat to block the strong sun and layers to deal with the changing temperatures.
• Anne recommends Asolo hiking boots for women and men, as well as Kyodan leggings with pockets.

Full Episode Transcript

[00:00:00.060] - Kim Tate

Stay tuned, because today we're circling around the southwest.

 

[00:00:16.090] - Announcer

Welcome to Vacation Mavens. A family travel podcast with ideas for your next vacation and tips to get you out the door. Here are your hosts, Kim from Stuffed Suitcase and Tamara from We3Travel.

 

[00:00:31.000] - Tamara Gruber

Hey, Kim, I've missed talking to you.

 

[00:00:33.580] - Kim Tate

I know it's crazy. I feel like we just got done saying, like, we're back and now we are. We had another break.

 

[00:00:39.430] - Tamara Gruber

So it's you know, we've gone to these every other week episodes for a while because we weren't traveling. And now I think we're going to start traveling, which makes it hard find time to record. But in the meantime, we've gotten some feedback from our listeners. And I thought we should maybe take a little bit of time before our interview today just to share a little bit of the feedback, because I always love it when our listeners come back with some advice and some recommendations of their own.

 

[00:01:08.060] - Tamara Gruber

So I thought it would be great to share.

 

[00:01:09.700] - Kim Tate

Yeah, definitely. I love knowing that people are actually listening to us because I really like you and I just love talking to each other and it's kind of fun. But to actually know that people actually care and like us, it's awesome.

 

[00:01:21.400] - Tamara Gruber

I know we say it all the time, but we really, really do get a big smile on our face every time we get, you know, one of these kind of comments or emails or messages. And it just, you know, definitely makes us happy to know we aren't just talking into the void. But I wanted to share about our episode, probably a month or two now ago, we talked about some of our favorite hotels in Florida with Joella.

 

[00:01:43.330] - Tamara Gruber

And I got a message from David and Karen from family boarding pass, and they had some to recommend also. So I thought I would share those because I feel like it is prime vacation planning time right now. And I know that hotels, especially in Florida, getting really booked up. So they had recommended the Pink Shell Hotel, which is in Fort Myers Beach and also the Hilton in Clearwater. And there's lots to do around there. You can walk to beach locations and they also have additional activities like kayaks and bike rentals.

 

[00:02:12.610] - Tamara Gruber

And I know that they gave one other recommendation for old Key West, but unfortunately, that part of the message got cut off. And so, you know, thanks, guys, for sending that in. I always love finding new hotels that people that are like me have tried and liked. So check those out if you're looking for a stay on the west coast of Florida, the summer.

 

[00:02:32.860] - Kim Tate

Yeah, I definitely feel like hotels are kind of people seem to be really into resort vacations right now, and I think it's just they're starting to get ready to branch out a little more. But organizing tours and with some things being closed down, hotels are definitely getting some good travel. I am going to share something because speaking of hotels, we recently had Episode one eight five and we talked to Nate from Room Steals and we actually had a listener, pint sized mommy who left us a message on our Instagram post about it, saying that she used her Room Steals to book a hotel and she saved four hundred and forty five dollars.

 

[00:03:08.980] - Kim Tate

And so she thanked us for that episode. And I think that's cool like we were talking about. It's fun to know that we're actually helping our listeners, too.

 

[00:03:16.360] - Tamara Gruber

So it's a reminder to go back and use that too because, you know, I, of course, like added the extension and then said, I'm not always using chrome. A lot of times I do my searches either on my phone or in Safari. And so I need to go back and try to use that because I am trying to book some things, you know, in the next couple of weeks. So maybe I can get a deal, too, because.

 

[00:03:36.850] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah, Elisa, that's amazing. I mean, 440 dollars. That's that's substantial.

 

[00:03:42.400] - Kim Tate

Yeah, it is. And you know, one of the cool things, you know, we had originally when we were talking to Nate, I wondered about if it defaults to a specific room taken, families might be stuck. But I actually tried it out myself when I was looking at some hotels for a trip that we're planning coming up. And you can actually click through and then you can see different room types and the pricing that they found for those different room types.

 

[00:04:03.220] - Kim Tate

Even so, it's not like you're just buying one room or one price and you just get stuck with whatever room. So they still have the ability to choose a specific room, which was cool. But just so everyone knows, it only works on like aggregator sites like Expedia and stuff like that. It doesn't work if you just go to like Marriott Dotcom. So the idea is that it's it uses those aggregate bulk pricing sites.

 

[00:04:27.730] - Tamara Gruber

Interesting. Yeah, it's good to know. Yeah. And I also wanted to give a shout out to Patty from following the magic on Instagram. She has been a follower for a bit and she gave us some feedback that she really loved the episode that we were talking about my road trip because remember how I went on and on and I felt like it was so long. And so she was like, no, no, I love listening to you guys, you know, share about your travels.

 

[00:04:48.310] - Tamara Gruber

And so I just want to say thank you. I definitely appreciate that. And I know that those always tend to get a little bit even higher downloads than some of the other episodes. And so we are traveling again. And so you'll hear more of those coming up. But that Patti, thanks for that feedback.

 

[00:05:04.420] - Kim Tate

Yeah, we loved hearing that. And it's so funny to actually have her message that because it made Tamara and I both look and we're like, yeah, when you look at download numbers, which with podcasting, you don't get a lot of statistics, but you can definitely see download numbers and then listening time and Tamara and I have both have noticed that you guys seem to like when it's just us rambling on like nonsense. So that's good to know. But we also wanted to take a moment to reach out to you guys and tell you that we're thinking about doing a mailbag episode.

 

[00:05:33.520] - Kim Tate

And if you're a podcast, avid podcast listener, you probably have heard of this where the episode will just be filled with questions from our, you know, listeners. If you guys have a question about maybe you're planning a trip, you need advice, maybe you want Tamara and I to look at a specific destination and help you pick a hotel, maybe you need help with an itinerary or destination ideas, any of that. We would love to hear from you and help you do some travel planning or give you some travel tips.

 

[00:06:00.160] - Kim Tate

So if you have any thoughts or questions for us, send us an email at podcast@VacationMavens.com, or you can always reach out to us on social media @stuffedsuitcase or @we3travel or even @vacationmavens and send us a message. So just let us know and we would love to hear from you and be able to do an episode all about our, you know, our listeners questions.

 

[00:06:23.860] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah. And if we don't have the answer, we may know someone that does or will read it in. One of our listeners may tune in for the next episode to try to give us some answers. So it's the great thing about the community. But in the meantime, we're going to be talking about a really popular road trip. I feel like especially this year, I feel like everyone that I know seems to be planning a trip out here. But a lot of our listeners have also asked for an episode for us to talk about the grand circle through a lot of the Southwest, the Utah parks and some of Arizona.

 

[00:06:54.190] - Tamara Gruber

So we're going to be chatting with Anne Howard, who has spent so much time in this area. And this was an interview that I absolutely loved because she just had so many great tips to share. So definitely stay tuned.

 

[00:07:05.770] - Kim Tate

Yeah, we already love Anne and her enthusiasm about this subject will come through in this episode. So I hope you guys enjoy.

 

[00:07:21.840] - Tamara Gruber

So this week, we're here with Anne Howard and is the co-founder of the couples adventure travel blog, Honey Trek, and also the coauthor of books Comfortably Wild The Best Glamping Destinations in North America and National Geographic's Ultimate Journeys for Two. Since 2012, Anne her husband, Mike, has been traveling full time across the seven continents and have a road trip from Baja to the Arctic Circle and 50 United States in between. So Anne, you've been everywhere. Where are you right now?

 

[00:07:48.870] - Anne Howard

We are in San Miguel de Allende Mexico.

 

[00:07:51.660] - Tamara Gruber

Oh, I've heard such good things about that area.

 

[00:07:54.170] - Anne Howard

Yeah, it's always hard to leave. The camper waits and long term storage somewhere randomly outside of Sacramento, but I'm sure it'll be fine because you got to mix up your adventures domestically, internationally. So we'll be back to the camper in about two months.

 

[00:08:07.500] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah. What is the campers name, Buddy?

 

[00:08:09.450] - Anne Howard

His name is Buddy. Yeah, buddy. The camper. Good old buddy.

 

[00:08:13.980] - Tamara Gruber

Well, you took our you took Buddy on a big road trip. I mean, you've taken Buddy on many, many road trips. But one that I know a lot of our listeners have been asking about is the grand circle road trip is kind of a I'm not exactly sure where and when it got that name, but I've been hearing it kind of pop up in all kinds of chat groups and Facebook groups and things. It seems to be on everybody's radar this year.

 

[00:08:36.690] - Tamara Gruber

So I was hoping maybe you could tell us a little bit about what exactly is a grand circle type of Southwest road trip? What does it include?

 

[00:08:45.570] - Anne Howard

Yeah, the grand circle. I mean, conveniently, many of the most amazing national parks of the Southwest are in a sort of natural loop. Zion, Bryce Canyon lands arches and the Grand Canyon all connect. But what makes it even grander is that there are many national monuments, state parks, Navajo tribal parks that that actually follow this route as well. So it's as grand as you want it to be. And in reality, we've actually done it over the course of two years, really many years.

 

[00:09:20.340] - Anne Howard

We've done many of these parks many times. And then a certain point we're like, wait a second, we just did the Grand Circle Road trip. And because it doesn't need to follow such a linear path, but in its classic sense, it's hitting those big five national parks. But we really encourage people to take as long as they can. And rather than really rush and think about it is like a bucket list thing, like I must do it all in one loop.

 

[00:09:43.500] - Anne Howard

It might be two different trips for you. And that's OK. I'd actually prefer people break it up into two trips because I'd hate to see race by all these other fabulous things just to have it be a check on your bucket list.

 

[00:09:57.110] - Kim Tate

Yeah, totally, I know we talked to I can't remember who our guest was, I want to say, Alison, it was perhaps a while back like it was one of our first episodes. So we'll have to link in the show notes to that episode. But she had mentioned, like, how amazing many of the Utah state parks are and that they can have a lot less of the crowds and offer some of the same amazing scenery. So I agree with what you're saying.

 

[00:10:19.920] - Kim Tate

Like this type of thing isn't maybe to be rushed through and split it up a little and decide, you know, take it in parts maybe. But it is a lot of ground. Yeah, definitely. It's a lot of ground to cover.

 

[00:10:37.550] - Anne Howard

I missed one. So it's Zion, Bryce Capital, Reef, Canyonlands, Arches and Grand Canyon. So six are technically on there. But like I said, there's so many more wonderful national mountains, the state parks along the way.

 

[00:10:48.710] - Kim Tate

Yeah, of course. I think Grand Canyon throwing it in there throws off the big five. That is Utah's big thing. Yeah, it is. It really is. All you tell you.

 

[00:10:56.150] - Kim Tate

Yeah. So do you think how many days, you know, if they are going to try and do it as the grand circle, you know, how many days do you think they. I'm I'm sure you guys are going to say two months, but somebody is going to try and do it with a standard vacation allotment. How many days do you think they need to adequately make the grand circle trip?

 

[00:11:15.110] - Anne Howard

I would say really two week minimum if you could. But every anything is possible, right? You could do all the parts and just, you know, one day I think it's nicer to be at them two days each. There are some sometimes was more significant travel days. You have to realize you're not going to do all of Zion one day and then all of the other because you're going to be you need to actually get between those places, those you happen to be closer than the others, but it's hard to get from Canyonlands to Grand Canyon.

 

[00:11:43.640] - Anne Howard

So that's you have to buffer in a little bit of extra time. And you just you know, that is always the serendipity of a road trip, is you never know what you're going to find along the way so that having those those stops and when you see them incredible photo stop, a fun rock shop, a neat roadside restaurant, you don't want to squander those things.

 

[00:12:00.590] - Kim Tate

Mm hmm. Yeah. There's nothing worse than being on a road trip. And, you know, like because I've experienced this, unfortunately, where you're like, sorry, we don't have time to stop. And like, you actually start skipping like turnouts. Yeah, no, we're not going to get a snack there because we have to get to this hotel and it's almost dark. And, you know, the office closes at ten and that's just miserable.

 

[00:12:20.090] - Kim Tate

You don't you don't want that life.

 

[00:12:21.890] - Anne Howard

Yeah, totally.

 

[00:12:23.390] - Tamara Gruber

I feel like especially that part of the country, you know, for many of us, it's just such a different landscape. It's such a unique place that you do want to stop. Like, would I usually want to stop at a rock shop? No, probably not. But I don't know if I've really seen a rock shop, so maybe I do want to stop.

 

[00:12:39.740] - Anne Howard

You do want to stop at at rock shop. Utah particularly has incredible history and not just geologically, but also dinosaurs. I mean, you'd stop at a rock shot. You're like, I'm pretty sure that's a Tyrannosaurus Rex femur in this guy's backyard. Like, are you serious right now? Like, there's some crazy roadside things to see, especially when it comes to rocks and bones and probably a lot of crafts, too, right?

 

[00:13:06.080] - Anne Howard

For sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

 

[00:13:08.300] - Tamara Gruber

So I guess the point is, like, where do you start? Do you typically would you fly into Phoenix, would you fly into Vegas. Like what is if you're not driving buddy, you know, where do you usually start?

 

[00:13:20.510] - Anne Howard

And even though it seems like we have an advantage because we do have a camper, we actually have have done this road trip in many ways. So while we love RV and can sing those praises, we've also done it as traditional road trips where we stayed in camping camps and some of the historic park lodges. So I think it's actually just as cool a trip either way. So don't feel bad if you don't have an RV if you wanted to try it.

 

[00:13:43.220] - Anne Howard

I think it's an awesome way to do it. But it's also really tricky to camp in national parks. They fill up fast. They're crowded, like sometimes camping in RV and national parks is not the way to go. So I think you could do it whichever way makes you happy, because there are so many charming lodging options and they're not massive distances. So you it's you're going to get to your destination before sunset and check into a into a camp or a hotel.

 

[00:14:11.030] - Anne Howard

So it doesn't have to be that way, even though I am a fan of RV. But I would say if you are going to fly in and rent a car or rent an RV, flying into Vegas just makes a lot of sense. If you from from Vegas, it's like under three hours to Zion and there's plenty of cool things. One, there's Vegas is its own phenomenon. So if you want to spend the night there just for fun, it's it's a great kid friendly place as well.

 

[00:14:33.860] - Anne Howard

But then you to get to Zion in under three hours versus if you came from Phoenix is more like four hours the Grand Canyon. And it's just kind of a slog and it's like Vegas ready for that road trip and you know, people are coming for it. So I that would be my recommendation.

 

[00:14:49.010] - Kim Tate

That's some great advice. And I think, you know, one other tidbit about that is I'll never forget being in Yellowstone and seeing the campers and even though they. Parking for RVs. You know, it seems like sometimes the stress for those guys getting in and out of some of those turnouts, especially when you're looking at the bison further, you know, in Lamar Valley, there was times where you just couldn't get in there. And that's kind of disappointing.

 

[00:15:12.640] - Kim Tate

So I see what you mean about maybe RV's aren't the best for national parks.

 

[00:15:16.170] - Anne Howard

Also that also small, big RV's are not the best for national parks. There are length restrictions on many of these like wonderful winding roads that you want to be on. So if you are going to rent an RV, like keep it under twenty seven feet, we think the smaller the better. We think the perfect size of twenty two because yeah. You'll get boxed out of certain opportunities because of your length.

 

[00:15:36.750] - Kim Tate

Well so we talked about flying into Vegas. You think that that's a good one. So does that mean then you're like there's a certain direction that you take the loop or a certain order that you hit the hit the six parks.

 

[00:15:46.480] - Anne Howard

Yeah. I mean, from there you're going to go to to Zion and then you're going to then is Bryce one of the Highway 12 is absolutely gorgeous, like going along that way. But then as you're going to also be passing through Escalante National Monument, which is massive. So you want to give that some extra time, if you can, before heading into Capitol Reef, then Canyonlands. And then I had my map up and then my computer crashed.

 

[00:16:12.270] - Anne Howard

And I don't have my map in front of me right now.

 

[00:16:14.230] - Kim Tate

And I think it's Arches.

 

[00:16:16.020] - Anne Howard

Then Arches, then Canylonlands. And then down to Grand Canyon. But then once again, you're going to pass through if you're going to go just the straight Google map, fastest way they're going to have you skip major things. You also have an opportunity from Canyonlands to go through Bears Ears National Monument, which is totally underrated. It is an incredible sacred destination for various Native American tribes. So incredible opportunities to see cliff dwellings and petroglyphs.

 

[00:16:43.110] - Anne Howard

And it's not traveled at all. So that's a gem. We actually lived in that area of Utah for two months doing a house that taking care of lots of turkeys and chickens. So and we lived we actually took care of a house for two park rangers. So they knew all the best places. And we had an incredible time. And then once again, they might want to speed you just to get to take the fastest highway. No, you should certainly take the very slight detour to go through Monument Valley, which is the Navajo Nation.

 

[00:17:10.740] - Anne Howard

So, no, that's not a national park. But the equivalent of a Navajo national park is their tribal parks for Monument Valley. The highly recommend that before just racing down the Grand Canyon.

 

[00:17:22.140] - Tamara Gruber

I once drove through Monument Valley at sunset. And it was so magical. I mean, this area is not an area that I've had a chance to explore very much. But I did once, as I've told I think on the podcast before, I had to drive from San Diego to New York City after 9/11, and we were like, it was me and my boss, because we were stranded there.

 

[00:17:42.990] - Tamara Gruber

And we were like, if we're going to drive this way, we're going to see one thing. And so we decided to stop at the Grand Canyon and we basically had lunch, took a couple of pictures and then drove through Monument Valley up to Moab that night. But it was I think it was also that time that I was there that to see nature so beautifully and then the sun, it just it was kind of like a healing type of moment.

 

[00:18:03.690] - Tamara Gruber

But that area, I think a lot of people do kind of skip over and it's yes, definitely beautiful.

 

[00:18:09.030] - Anne Howard

And then actually one of our favorite, totally underrated state parks. I swear no one goes there. It is. And it's right next to to Monument Valley with like a 15 minute detour is called Gooseneck State Park. So everybody knows what Horseshoe Bend looks like. Right. It's probably the screensaver on your Windows PC right now. It's like that look like it's an arch with a river going around this peninsula. And it's stunning. Well, gooseneck is that Horseshoe Bend Times, too.

 

[00:18:36.990] - Anne Howard

So it's a double loop around two peninsulas with this snaking river, Red Rock, turquoise water. It is absolutely stunning. And it's five bucks to go and a million dollar photo op and you can camp there and no one's there that night and they barbecue pits and the whole thing. So that's that's a fun extra that I feel like I wouldn't have known without the help of my Utah Park Ranger friends.

 

[00:19:00.090] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah. And I feel like especially now, like this year, I think is going to be a little bit insane when it comes to going to a lot of these national parks. I mean, I've already seen arches tweeting almost every day that by like ten, eleven they're full. You know, it's something that people are going to get to really plan in advance and hopefully really look for those other kind of opportunities. But I feel like between the desire for everyone to be outside but still travel this year domestically and then Instagram, you know, the fact that, like now I see so many people are talking about, like, I want to go to Goblin or I want to like these different places that I had never heard of until Instagram.

 

[00:19:37.170] - Tamara Gruber

Right. So everyone's trying to get that photo op. Everyone's there at sunset or sunrise or, you know, the craziness of it. And I just, you know, I couldn't stand crowds before. So now I'm probably going to have, like, what's the phobia for crowds? I don't know.

 

[00:19:49.110] - Anne Howard

But that's why I also because that's I feel similarily about national parks and that's why we discovered public lands. For every national park, it's that's like the most protected designation of public lands, but then it it definitely eases up and opens up from there. So I highly encourage people instead of thinking I have to stay at the the National Park campground, look at the surrounding public lands. That means National Forests, Bureau of Land Management, land, and that's all wide open and it's usually free.

 

[00:20:20.500] - Anne Howard

So and there are no crowds and there are some some wonderful apps to find that kind of thing. I Overlander is a great app to find public lands, one of our favorite, which I will share, even though Mike is sort of territorial over it. But I do. I will share it if that you are one a good steward of the land and two, you leave a review because that's what this app lacks, is the community element of like people saying, hey, watch out for the pothole on the right or o sounds.

 

[00:20:49.240] - Anne Howard

That is even better over here. I Overlander has that. But the app and I'm, I tell you, UCPublic CG, which is Ultimate Campgrounds app, is an incredible, incredible resource to discover public lands and camping opportunities. It's like five dollars for the app and it's so worth that. So that is a great way to kind of get out of the fray of summer like the the national park traffic.

 

[00:21:13.690] - Tamara Gruber

So I know you don't want to give up all of your secrets, but since we're talking about these more off the beaten path parks and things that we should see, do you have a few others that you would recommend? That would be if you are looking for alternatives to some of the national parks or even if you can do a longer trip to add in there?

 

[00:21:32.440] - Anne Howard

Yeah, I mean, Escalante, national monument is massive and one of the coolest hikes ever. It's a challenging road to get out there and it's a kind of a typical hike. But I also did it with some friends and they had their little kids with them and they were having the best time ever. So I've seen, like, kids age seven do it. I've seen dogs do it. But please don't bring your dog. It's way too complicated for that.

 

[00:21:53.290] - Anne Howard

But Utah has amazing slot canyon. So no matter what, you can't leave Utah without hiking a slot canyon to the technical one I was describing. It's actually two that come together called spooky and peekaboo canyons. And it's sometimes it's only as wide as a foot. It's crazy. So a slot canyon, basically these sort of sheer walls that have been carved by a river or an erosion over time. And they kind of create this magical play of light and it's like a little bit of rock scrambling.

 

[00:22:23.410] - Anne Howard

And and it really is a full body experience. And it's totally magic for those. That's a more challenging version, another one that is super cool and very easy and family friendly. And just kind of on your way between Bryce and Escalante is called Willis Creek Canyon. Funny enough, we did it with my mom and we were staying at Escalante. It's a great camping camp. That's a really wonderful base for your trip. She's like, oh, do definitely do Willis Creek.

 

[00:22:54.070] - Anne Howard

And she didn't she didn't really mention that it might be frozen. So we were like ice skating there and well, still kind of through the river at one point. But it's only no matter what, it's only like four inches deep. So in the summer, that's going to feel really good. It's a waiting. You're wading through the water at very, very shallow levels. You're not going to worry. That swept away. And then it's maybe like a mile and a half and then, oh, it's like amazing.

 

[00:23:19.180] - Anne Howard

Slot Canyon appears at the end and it's not very crowded and it's it's really special. And that's like an easy detour, peekaboo and spooky or like a life experience and a drive and of itself, but very cool. So do slot canyon no matter what in Utah. Also like this is the land of true adventure. Do a do something big. Don't you see, I love hiking, but you have opportunities to try new things. So maybe it's doing canyoneering in Orderville slot Canyon near Zion or maybe it's doing a four by four trip in Moab because they have some of the best rock off roading in the world.

 

[00:23:57.700] - Anne Howard

Maybe it's doing the scenic flight to kind of get a sense of the geology from above what you can do for many places. But there's a great one that kind of loops over both canyons and arches that you could do another fun things if you can time your trip or with the full moon. Bryce does they have their astronomy rangers and you can do full moon hikes two nights of the month. So and that's a totally unique way to see the park.

 

[00:24:25.420] - Anne Howard

So, yeah, mix it up, try new adventures, be it hiking, getting a boat at some point, strapping yourself in for some canyoneering or hopping in four by four and challenge yourself to do something new.

 

[00:24:38.400] - Kim Tate

Yeah, I think that's great tips and kind of fun to think beyond, just, you know, like let's look for some fun hikes. You know, it is the adventure and there are soft adventures, you know. You know that you don't have to be, you know, jumping out of an airplane to have some adventures. Yeah.

 

[00:24:53.880] - Tamara Gruber

It's perfect for our teens too right Kim?

 

[00:24:56.190] - Kim Tate

Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. I mean, I could see it being much better to kind of having teenagers if you have. They always like to have something unique that's cool and that they can brag about with friends. It's not just we went on a hike so. Yeah. Any other, you know, a must see attractions or experiences you think. I mean we've talked a lot in the past about, you know, we've talked about the Grand Canyon, the big five, house boating even on Lake Powell.

 

[00:25:20.610] - Kim Tate

But do you think there's any highlights that are certainly not to be missed? You've talked, of course, about, you know, getting beyond the beyond the standard, but what do you think are some of the must dos for that area?

 

[00:25:31.600] - Anne Howard

It was good to know that some of these truly iconic things like, say, for example, hiking the narrows, which is up around the Virgin River, is an amazing experience. But it needs a permit. So it's not a big deal is you need to know that certain big adventures need permits, not too many. But like, that's one of the most Instagramable things ever. Why? Because it's that popular. And as a result, you now need a permit.

 

[00:25:54.450] - Anne Howard

So don't let that deter you. But at the same time, like not, everything's always going to be available to you. I think to avoid some of this rush in general, though, is to know what days of the week you're going to like, maybe get your your national parks midweek and your state parks on the weekend and also your time of year. I think we chat about season later, but time of year is going to make a big difference about what things are available to you.

 

[00:26:19.650] - Anne Howard

We actually loved doing these this road trip in the winter when, like, no one's around and you know it like seeing like the red hoodies embrace of the blanket of snow or the layers of the Grand Canyon like feathered with white. It's an unbelievable. So I wouldn't rule out I don't want my neck to rush to do it this summer when it's the hottest. Like you can hurry up. Actually, spring is a great time to do it. And spring and winter, our favorite times to go to beat some of the crowds and actually see some more unique things.

 

[00:26:47.880] - Anne Howard

More water runs in the spring. More flowers come out in spring.

 

[00:26:51.780] - Tamara Gruber

I'm really glad to hear you say that about winter because there's been so many times where we've talked about doing it as like our we have a spring break in March. That's two weeks. And we're always like, is it going to be too cold or not? And dances are usually we'll head off somewhere internationally, but obviously not now. But is that what we were actually thinking, like, well, hey, maybe next year we can try to do it for March break.

 

[00:27:15.660] - Tamara Gruber

So if it if it's going to be nice in mid-March, it's still pleasant, you know, where you can still access everything. That sounds ideal to me.

 

[00:27:24.360] - Anne Howard

Yeah. And most of these areas like heat up during the day, they might drop in the morning at night, but it's usually pretty much always hiking weather. You disappear, maybe dress a little. And we actually saw the Grand Canyon in a blizzard, a straight blizzard. And but we had we actually had booked a room at the Bright Angel Lodge on the rim. Actually, that not that was luck. That happened to be one room left. And we took it and we woke up to just the sunniest Grand Canyon, all fluffy white.

 

[00:27:49.980] - Anne Howard

It was absolutely unreal. So I was like, what a benefit. We had seen the Grand Canyon the summer. I was like, wow, you can't beat winter. This is unreal. So, yeah, don't let nature deter you all year round is actually quite good. I'd say summer is probably the least desirable time to go. But hey, if that's what your schedule allows for kids, vacations, whatever, if you can make it work.

 

[00:28:09.400] - Kim Tate

Are there any do you think there's any, you know of the hikes of I mean I'm thinking about of course, Big five a little bit, but were there any hikes that you feel like you have to get there early or do you have to make time for this one? Because the the views are just epic? Or do you or do you feel like maybe there's a hike in, say, because I've seen like Bryce, it looks very different than arches, you know?

 

[00:28:32.610] - Kim Tate

So do you are there any that you're like, yeah, take your time, make sure you do get out and see this or anything like that.

 

[00:28:39.960] - Anne Howard

I see. Well, I mean, say in arches like hiking the devil's garden, if you can't do the whole park, what you know, if you're really crunched for time. Well, Devil's Garden has the largest concentration of natural arches in the world. So, like, that's some place to prioritize. But, you know, all of these parks, like our like Zion isn't that big a place. Arches isn't that big a place. Canyonlands is a massive place.

 

[00:29:04.200] - Anne Howard

And actually, Canyonlands is good to know that it's not one entrance. You actually it's almost two totally separate parks. So know that in your planning that the island in the sky in the north end near Moab is like hours away actually from the other end. The needle section, the needle section is actually less traveled and a really lovely and actually I'd say in general and needles is a good place to do this, but throughout is make sure you spend some time understanding, like the Native American history that goes with all of these places, because, of course, the geology says.

 

[00:29:38.220] - Anne Howard

Eye popping, but really there's there's incredible narratives from various, you know, from ancestral Pueblo ones to the more contemporary Navajo who are who hold these places as sacred and who left their mark in their own way. So like, say, for example, when you're driving the the long road needles to get to the section of Canyonlands newspaper Rock is a quick little stop. But you could certainly miss it if you're not paying attention. And it shows petroglyphs dating back two thousand years and starting with ancestral lines.

 

[00:30:11.910] - Anne Howard

But then, like other groups have layered on and layered on so called newspaper because like literally like kind of putting the news as time goes on on this rock. So it was incredible concentration of petroglyphs that actually are go pretty close to print. So it's very interesting the how different groups, you know, what they're what their symbols were and and spending some time learning about that also on the ancestral puebloan and sort of Native American history of the area.

 

[00:30:42.180] - Anne Howard

Bear Ears there's one place called there's many places, but the Butler Wash ruins is very easily accessible just off the road. And that's where you get to see amazing cliff dwellings from like the twelve hundreds. So it's so cool to see almost like a city in the rocks and in Mesa Verde National Park is an example of that in Colorado, the canyon all the way to Colorado on this trip. We'll know that you can also do it in Utah.

 

[00:31:05.730] - Kim Tate

That's fabulous tips. I think that's good. And I think that's what more people need to be willing to do to help with the overcrowding that we're experiencing in our national parks is you know, I appreciate you guys being such a great voice for that of recognizing, like you said, the heritage of these lands and then also, you know, getting beyond just the borders and the national park entrance and looking for the stories that are around those areas, too.

 

[00:31:28.110] - Anne Howard

Yeah, absolutely. And one thing another way to kind of beat the crowds. And I will shamelessly plug that. We we wrote a book about camping and but it's because we're really passionate about this way to experience the outdoors. And I think particularly when it comes to this sort of everyone checking the same camp or the national parks or trying to be at the historic lodge, they offer great opportunities to places to look into. Under canvas is the most known, but they've kind of built their model about finding the public lands and building their beautiful safari tents just outside the national park.

 

[00:32:05.050] - Anne Howard

So you can get that serenity again. They are more they are higher end or I'd say a higher price point, rather. But another really amazing company who's doing something similar at a more at a lower price point. Equally awesome is called Wunder Camp. And they have a series of camps that are around some of these national parks to where they're setting up tents and helping you kind of set up so that you could be they had various programing. So it could be you're doing the cooking or they're doing the cooking.

 

[00:32:35.460] - Anne Howard

But that's that's a great way to be outdoors. And, yeah, I think I just think life is such a cool way to get in touch with nature and have that serenity and meet the crowds and try something different.

 

[00:32:46.650] - Tamara Gruber

Yeah, I agree. Kim and I have both stated under canvas what can you've been outside a glacier and Yellowstone and I was outside of Mt. Rushmore. And I love that experience. I mean, I've never been drawn to camping as much because I love my bathrooms and things like that. So I really like this kind of in-between world of camping. And it it's just such a unique experience that even if you don't do it for the your entire trip, just to do it for a few nights and have that experience, it really it makes things stand out.

 

[00:33:14.850] - Tamara Gruber

It's very memorable, certainly much more memorable than, you know, staying at the Holiday Inn or whatever. So. Yeah, yeah. So, you know, we've talked a lot about some of the off the beaten path things. And I feel like one of the things that I know I struggle with and I think a lot of people do is letting go of something like, you know, everyone does this and you feel like this pressure like this.

 

[00:33:38.580] - Tamara Gruber

Well, I have to get that picture, too. How can I come back from this trip and not have a picture of Horseshoe Bend or, you know, like some of these things, like you feel this pressure of like, I must do all the things and I'm just wondering, like, what are some of the ones that people feel are so like, you have to do this. You have to do the narrows or, you know, something else that you would say, you know what?

 

[00:33:58.950] - Tamara Gruber

You really don't have to like you're not going to be missing anything. It's OK if you let that one go. Are there any that you think maybe are worth leaving off the list and to be able to fit in some of these other great experiences that you've talked about?

 

[00:34:12.430] - Anne Howard

You know, like, say, for example, we were we showed my mom part of the Grand Circle, actually, we did the complete grand circle with her over the course of two trips and then we wanted to pack and that a lot that day and went to Bryce. And I really need to do the full 18 miles. It's in it's an in and out, so it's not a loop. So you're making the choice to go all the way out that way and turn around like the best of us, really on the front end.

 

[00:34:37.060] - Anne Howard

So not just because it's not fabulous and you have all day go for it and you're going to it's going to get less crowded as you go. There is a benefit to completing, but that's one small example of like, you know, you don't need to do the full thing to feel like you've achieved the goal. And also knowing that when you hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, you need to hike back up. So be very aware of how that it's going to make your body feel because you probably haven't hike straight down and then straight up to that degree ever in your life and you are going to feel it.

 

[00:35:08.980] - Anne Howard

So not to say you can't do it, but know that you might just be really sore. And once whatever you do, it's hot and it's you need to be packing your own water and to plan for life pretty extreme. So it's it's more than a mile deep, but it's a mile like you've never experienced before switchbacks. So it's more than a mile. So. Yeah. So really weigh in your mind if you need to go to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and plan accordingly, because it's going to take you all day and you might with kids, you don't want to be stuck in the dark and not make it back in time.

 

[00:35:41.230] - Anne Howard

So take that with a real cautionary tale.

 

[00:35:45.390] - Kim Tate

Yeah, that's a great tip, so we will wrap up and just ask if there's any final tips that you think people should consider. I was just thinking, you know, when you were talking that maybe this is a perfect kind of trip to make sure that you look into maybe buying a annual national parks pass, but maybe also Utah State Parks pass as well. I don't know if they offer it, but might be kind of a good idea. But do you have any tips for families that are thinking of planning this Southwest Grand Circle Road trip?

 

[00:36:12.120] - Anne Howard

Yeah, mean, I think it's just so great the national parks pass with 80 dollars. And if it just inspires any other trip in your year, it's certainly worth buying because it encompasses like hundreds of sites that gets you in for free. And it's just 100 percent do that. And it spurs our park system, which I think is great. Utah State Park Pass is actually a really good tip. I can't tell you specifics on that, but probably worth it.

 

[00:36:35.190] - Anne Howard

And we are big fans of the book, two National Geographic Books, one that's called Secrets to the National Parks and another one that is the scenic Highways and Byways book, which covers the Southwest in great detail, much less the entire country. We reference that book every time we take a big drive. It's fantastic. And then actually we wrote two books, so Ultimate Journeys four two that's published by National Geographic as well. We we love the Southwest and we have various sections.

 

[00:37:06.930] - Anne Howard

We go in super detail on MOAB, which is the home of of Arches and Canyonlands, and then we have a different Southwest road trip. Sections of that could be a great resource for you and also supports us. And it's a really great book. And and then, as we said comfortably, while others are glad book, which has got a lot of SWS options to.

 

[00:37:24.590] - Kim Tate

Perfect. We'll definitely link to those in the show notes. Thanks, guys.

 

[00:37:28.850] - Tamara Gruber

So now for maybe an easier question, I don't know. But it's a question that we ask all of our guests, and that is, what do you wear when you travel? It's hard for you because you guys are always traveling. But so maybe we should focus it on the Southwest. What would you recommend? What is your go to gear when you're doing one of these kind of road trips?

 

[00:37:47.000] - Anne Howard

Oh, my God, you need good hat. You need some strong sun, some incredibly strong sun. You need that, like wide brim, full ball caps. Not going to cut it like you need a proper sun hat. And yeah, knowing that the temperature swing is massive from morning to night. So, yes, layers being key. And I'm not a close person really. It's hard for me. I like, you know, since I literally drive with my closet, I have all things with me at all times.

 

[00:38:15.860] - Anne Howard

So like I've become a terrible packer because like I always have everything with me. But yes, it's a hot place and, you know, hydrating and some coverage and all that is like more important than ever.

 

[00:38:26.780] - Kim Tate

Do you have any favorite, like, shoes that you guys like to wear that works well for various rock shopping and hiking?

 

[00:38:35.090] - Anne Howard

Yeah, I mean, these are a little heavier, but I think they look cool without looking. They don't. They are they're heavy duty. Then they look and they're kind of like Mike, even worse is like jeans and it still looks good. A solo makes a really great, sturdy hiking boot that's actually like not so clunky and aesthetically pleasing. So that's that's great. They have women's and men's. So in the market for any boots I'm probably will get well is the next round.

 

[00:38:58.370] - Anne Howard

And I have these leggings that I swear by because now I'm discovered leggings can have pockets and I really just want like carry all my stuff, like to put a phone in my pocket, a little bit of money as needed. And even your car keys like without having to feel like you're jingling, jangling and things are being knocked around. Is this brand called Kyodan? And they are so soft and they have deep pockets. So I kind of tend to wear those when I hike.

 

[00:39:30.450] - Kim Tate

Great, that sounds awesome, thanks so much for joining us and why don't you let our listeners know where they can find you guys online and follow along on your adventures?

 

[00:39:39.090] - Anne Howard

Yeah, thanks so much. Has been really, really nice to you podcast. So we are we are we I say we my husband Mike and I with our couples travel blog is called Honey Trek. So Trek, like a long walk around the world and we are all over the place, but it's at Honey Trek across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, wherever you like to hang out. And Honey Trek is also sort of the hub of our our nine years on the road and glamping tips and road trip.

 

[00:40:07.080] - Anne Howard

We have a lot of road trip content in general, and it's also where you can get signed copies of our books for gifts or for your own collection.

 

[00:40:15.600] - Tamara Gruber

That's perfect. Thank you so much. We'll link to those in the show notes and you know where you're going to be after Mexico.

 

[00:40:22.110] - Anne Howard

We bought a one way ticket. I don't want to be in Mexico where the camper is parked in Northern California. So, yeah, I mean, the trajectory. Might we kind of follow the seasons to we are going to probably head more north. Check out the far reaches of Northern California, which I think most people don't get to. Maybe check out Lassen Volcanic National Park, and the sort of the wild north of California and maybe into Idaho.

 

[00:40:47.070] - Tamara Gruber

Good. Well, have safe travels and thank you again.

 

[00:40:50.580] - Anne Howard

Yeah. Thanks so much.

 

[00:40:55.800] - Tamara Gruber

We are back and thanks again for listening. And if you do have any questions for us or, you know, travel advice that you need, just a reminder to send in a message, a podcast@vacationmavens.com or talk to us on social media.

 

[00:41:09.390] - Kim Tate

And in the meantime, tune in in another two weeks, because I'm going to be sharing all about my Oregon to California coast road trip and sharing kind of some of the things we did along the way. So stay tuned for that. Can't wait.