Speaking Of Travel ®

Gabriele is a PhD student from Italy studying Finance in Oklahoma. Over the past four years, he has learned a thing or two from traveling around the United States.“I try to avoid the touristic places,” Gabriele said. “I try to walk around the city and meet locals. That’s the best way to discover a city, to feel the atmosphere. Wherever the atmosphere is right, step in those places and look around and talk to people.”Gabriele came for a conference, but spent his free time exploring Asheville. “The few things I’ve seen here in Asheville, they’re all beautiful,” Gabriele said. Beautiful city, great people, very friendly. It was a great experience.”Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Arielle is headed home to New York and she likes to strike the balance of cute and comfortable.“I like to get travel size makeup,” she said. “Whether it be mascara, my lashes or just some quick lip gloss. You have to look good when you travel. You don’t know who you’re going to see on the plane.”Arielle likes the customer service she receives at AVL. “It’s very intimate,” she said. “United lets me know when things are delayed or on time. I enjoy it because the customer service is nice here. I know that I can get checked in… and go through the process pretty quickly.”Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Stephanie Pace Brown is a travel and tourism professional and director of the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (BCTDA). Stephanie talks about how she began in the tourism industry and what travel means to her. Since travel was part of Stephanie's professional education early on, she believes travel changes with the stages of your life. She also discusses how the BCTDA promotes Asheville to visitors, and how they keep it real to connect visitors to local businesses. Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Tina and Geoff Kinsey and their four boys love to travel and share their favorite family adventures. Each of the boys are named after special places and feel a connection to these places, even unseen. Over the years, they have shared their most memorable family adventures when they have pilgrimaged to the name places. Find out what it means to Bryce, Blake, Tim and Lucas to have been named after different locations that are special to their mom and dad and how they have all bonded around their travel experiences. Plus learn some great travel tips on how to create a family vacation that works for you.      Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Melissa Reardon, editor-in-chief of WNC Magazine and her husband Ryan Reardon, the director of the Asheville Music School, love to travel. After serious planning for a trip to Spain, they covered some epic ground, hitting nine cities in 2.5 weeks by doing three in-country flights, two car rentals, one train, and a grand finale at the Las Fallas Festival in Valencia. Find out how they did it with months of advance planning and an 11-page Google doc!    Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Darren Nicholson of Balsam Range and Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters tell us about what life is like as traveling musicians and break down some perceptions of what it is like on the road. Darren is the founding member of Balsam Range (2018 IBMA Entertainer of the Year) and travels the world. Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters were on a European tour to England, Scotland, Ireland, Spain, and The Netherlands this past summer and both Darren and Amanda talk about travel, food and life as a road warrior! Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Since 2003, award winning journalist/photographer Mark File of RomanticAsheville.com has provided travelers the opportunity to make the most of a visit to Western North Carolina and makes a difference by contributing back to the region. Each year, RomanticAsheville.com gives back in paid and in-kind sponsorships to 200 non-profits in tourism, arts, heritage and environment. From the annual Giving Calendar fundraiser for land conservancy to special campaigns to restore trails or buy fire equipment to fight wildfires, Mark is making a difference and enriching so many. In this episode, Mark fills us in on the 2019 Giving Calendar and why land conservancies are so important. He also shares info on where we can find some great protected places to visit this winter.Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

In late 2015, Tess Vigeland embarked on a remarkable journey. Home now, she talks about her lessons learned, the logistics of travel, the experience of being an expat and her midlife philosophical journey. Tess visited 20 countries in two years and eight months, finishing up with her time abroad in Maldives, Australia, Brunei, Singapore, Cambodia, Indonesia and South Korea. Find out what Tess misses about her life in Bangkok and what she's enjoying now that she's back stateside.    Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Linda Williams is passionate about living in community and brings her communication skills from the Living in Community Network in Sarasota FL. Find out how to decide if this is your type of lifestyle, how to get started in shared housing, how to find perspective housemates, what the benefits and challenges might be, how to downsize, and where to begin exploring your path to living more in community. Linda herself winters in Sarasota and spends her Asheville summers in a series of different home sharing arrangements.      Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Chef and food writer James Beard said: “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” Taking those words to heart, Katie Button and Felix Meana create food experiences to unite people. Katie & Felix are the husband and wife partners behind Katie Button Restaurants in Asheville and Cúrate Trips, the culinary travel expeditions to Spain and Portugal. An intimate conversation around the table about community, food, travel, sustainability, preservation and collaboration. Yummy! Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

It’s beginning to look and feel Like autumn in the mountains of Western North Carolina! And while the Great Smoky Mountains are beautiful at any time of year, there is just something magical about the seasons changing and the weather becoming crisp and cool. And if you're looking for the best of the mountains in one place, head to Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park. General Manager Mary Jaeger-Gale shares info about hiking trails, fall and winter specials, photo contests and more. Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park is located a short, lovely drive south of Asheville and you’ll find the most beautiful scenic vistas, hiking trails and rock climbing adventures. It’s truly one of the area’s most popular attractions.  Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Dan and Jen are making their way to Phoenix, Arizona, for a family event. Both Dan and Jen travel for work and they have figured out the secrets to packing like a pro. “Pack for the security line to get in and out as quickly as you can,” Dan said. “Make sure you have liquids handy at the top of your bag… and reduce the number of electronics that you carry on with you.”Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Tom is off to Germany for an eight-day bike trip. Touring the country by bike leaves little room for excess when it comes to packing, and Tom understands the key is packing only the necessities. “I packed once and then I cut it in half,” Tom said. “People don’t need all that they pack.” Tom loves starting his travels at AVL. “Every chance I get I come out of Asheville because it’s small,” Tom said. “These guys actually know me. I travel a good bit, and it’s easy. Lines are almost not existent and I love the friendly mountain people.”Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Drayton is a customer service representative for United Airlines. After working with an airline for 17 years, he knows all the tricks to traveling with ease. “Have your ID available,” Drayton said. “If you are traveling internationally, you must make sure you have your passport.” Drayton loves working at the Asheville Regional Airport. “I like the customers, working with the public and interacting with people is what I love to do most,” he said. “Some travel a lot and you get to see their faces a lot and you know them personally.”Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Natalie and her family can’t wait to begin their family vacation! They're flying from the Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) to Tampa to kick off their cruise to Cozumel and the Grand Cayman Islands. Natalie’s children enjoy the perks of traveling with family. “They love traveling with their cousins,” Natalie said. AVL helps Natalie start her vacation as quickly as possible. She said, “I love that it is so close to us, and that it has direct flights.” Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

April and three-month-old Carter are making the trip back home to Orlando after visiting with family here in Asheville. With family in California and a six-year old at home, she knows the ins and outs of flying with kids. Traveling with a baby can be daunting, but April has some great tips for moms on the move. “We usually go to the dollar store and get a bunch of little items – they don’t even have to be toys – maybe calculators or boxes with things in them," April said. "I find the best way to keep him occupied is to have anything that he hasn’t seen before, lots of snacks, let him engage with other kids on the flight and explore.” For April, flying out AVL makes all the difference. “I love going out of small, nice airports. It makes traveling with kids so much more convenient and less stressful.”Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Beth and Randy Fluharty are active hikers so taking a vacation usually includes some hiking adventures. They talk to us about why you should consider taking a hiking vacation and discuss various ways to go about it and what advantages and disadvantages might look like. Is it better to participate in an all-inclusive package or do a self-guided tour? Find out what to look for in picking a touring company and whether the tour matches your personal hiking level. Beth and Randy are a wealth of info on hiking vacations and you'll be ready to grab your backpack and get on the trail!   Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Kelly McEnany is Chair of the Behavioral Sciences department at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (AB Tech). She also serves as AB Tech’s Global Education Committee Chair and Coordinator. She and her team develop global programming and encourage students to pursue the study of foreign languages and international travel. Kelly regularly presents at conferences on topics of curriculum infusion, global and local connections, and creating viable partnerships to benefit students. Find out how she and her colleagues are helping to change the way students view the world and make change happen for the better by breaking down stereotypes and opening their minds. Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Hemp is one of the oldest crops and has been used for paper, textiles and fiber for thousands of years around the globe. Hemp is grown as a renewable source for raw materials and is incorporated into thousands of products. Its seeds and flowers are used in health foods, organic body care, and so much more.Join Franny Tacy of Franny's Farm, the first woman to grow hemp in North Carolina and Dayna Reggero of The Climate Listening Project, as they explain the benefits of hemp, not only for health-related reasons, but also for the environment around the world. And find out how you can become involved in this grass-roots movement! Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Gabriele Marewski is a 64 year-old adventurer who knows the difference between being fully alive and just existing. She helps us process how to let go of our fears and create the life we want to live. Gabriele began traveling in 1969! Find out how she started her adventure lifestyle, why she loves solo traveling and where she's heading next. Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.