Speaking Of Travel ®

People began traveling to Jackson County to beat the heat in the 1790s. Guests Nick Breedlove, ED of Jackson County tourism and Brett Stewart of Outland Hospitality in Cashiers, NC, share why this region is the place to cool off.There is so much to see and do in Jackson County. With charming small towns like Balsam, Cashiers, Cullowhee, Dillsboro, Glenville, Sylva, Tuckasegee, Webster, and Whittier, the area is filled with lots of fun and enjoyable activities from hiking and fly-fishing to artist galleries and historic sites. Nick shares why people began traveling to the mountains to beat the heat in the late 1790s and brings the story back to modern day with the same perspective and why people beat the heat by traveling there today. Brett shares what it was like growing in Cashiers and provides a local perspective of what it was like in the 80s and 90s. He explains what is bringing people back to Jackson County today and why they are creating new entrepreneurship businesses. Outland’s projects include Hotel

Neil Weinstein dedicates his life to helping solve some of the world’s biggest challenges. But it wasn't always that way. Neil shares what it was like growing up in a family that never traveled and how he eventually found his wanderlust. He explains how he transitioned his career to international development, where his job is travel. Over the years he and his wife Annette have lived and worked in Cambodia, the Republic of Georgia, and Myanmar. Together they started Education First Cambodia, which empowers smart, poor Cambodian women to study at university and become future leaders.Neil explains the importance for young people to travel in the developing world, how to go about changing careers, and how to get involved in international development work.He also shares why adaptability, flexibility and being able to roll with the punches is important while traveling and when working in other cultures that are different from the US and very different from each other.A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel. 

For author Sierra Godfrey, living abroad as a child opened her eyes to the greater world and made her appreciate change. Sierra shares how her love of finding home and transformation helped create uplifting stories.Sierra is a Santa Cruz, CA, native and her love for her hometown comes through in her debut novel, A Very Typical Family. Her forthcoming  novel, The Second Chance Hotel, is set in Greece where she lived with her mother when she was a young girl.For Sierra, writing is where she discovers home and what home is. She shares how her love of travel and the memories of her adventures have inspired her to create interesting characters. And how writing as a woman helps her come to terms with her own feelings and dreams. A must read! Also on Speaking of Travel, for all you dog lovers out there, Jeff Krider & Patti Moore of Barkwells, a unique, dog-centric place in Western North Carolina, share why their small, peaceful community of vacation guest homes is the perfect destination for dogs and the people

Sometimes a journey back into family secrets becomes so riveting, you can't help but be transported. For author Dominic Smith, his newest novel, Return to Valetto, transports readers to a near-abandoned town in Umbria, Italy. Dominic shares a story rich in history, resilience, and courage.  Dominic explains the book's connection to Italy and how his research evolved during his travels to become historical fiction. This memorable, engaging and moving story is filled with a kind of magic taking readers to another time and place that is a combination of real and imagined.Also on Speaking of Travel, Mary Tantillo founded Dolci di Maria after creating delicious desserts inspired by Italian pastries for her children with allergies to gluten and dairy. Today she designs decadent desserts for people with specific dietary needs and lifestyle choices that everyone can enjoy. And Justin Belleme, founder of the JB Media Group and publisher of Romantic Asheville. Com, shares new information about how brands are

Matt Willey is an artist with a love for honeybees. He's the founder of The Good of the Hive Initiative, a global art project with a radical mission of bringing people together through art, bees and conservation. The bee and her hive are his symbol, but the project is about much more than bees.Matt shares his background as an artist and why he's now painting 50,000 honeybees in murals around the world. Matt's mural paintings convey a story much bigger than honeybees and he explains the existing relationship with them. And what does this all mean to Matt personally as this is unfolding? Find out what's new at The Good of the Hive and his continued mission, film, book, more community engagement, and even adding species. "My mission is to get people curious again about everything. Not just pollinators, it's about each other." Most importantly, Matt shares ideas on how we can all  make a difference. Tune in. Only on Speaking of Travel. Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel!

Gerry Ellis is the founder and director of the nonprofit GLOBIO, which he launched in 2001 after a 20-year career as a wildlife-environment photographer/filmmaker traveling the entire planet.At GLOBIO he continues to travel leading up the organization's filming and media programs in the wilds of Africa and Borneo to bring the plight of great apes and primates into view.GLOBIO is a global awareness nonprofit that creates environmental films and podcasts, and provides support to conservation organizations around the world. They share their stories globally, while educating the public about shared environmental issues. Gerry explains how travel became a dominant part of his life, both professionally and personally, and how travel influenced his travel thinking, from packing, fitting into other cultures, and why he thinks about the world as the place he calls his backyard. Gerry is co-creator and host of Talking Apes Podcast. Through his three decades of travel around the planet to document apes, he has met

Amit Jaipuria is a serial entrepreneur with over 20 years’ experience founding startups across diverse industries. He is also the Founder and Chief Innovation Officer at the Postcard Travel Club where he’s building a social network of mindful travelers interested in promoting mindful travel through storytelling.Amit shares why traveling mindfully becomes a better way to travel and its role in self-growth and personal transformation. And he explains how storytelling and community help create a positive and meaningful travel experience.Also, Amit shares how the Postcard Travel Club is fast becoming a global community interested in immersive travel experiences, self-growth and personal transformation. By sharing local stories, Amit hopes to inspire more people to travel with empathy and understanding and create more sustainable and inclusive practices from their travel experiences.Postcard Travel Club's mission is to build a global database of local travel stories, believing that these stories are key to un

Palmer McIntyre, Director for the North Carolina Year of the Trail, shares how the celebration of outdoor recreation in NC showcases the state’s beautiful landscapes, provides healthy recreation, and stimulates local economies. She also works for the Piedmont Land Conservancy, a regional land trust in the Triad area.Palmer explains why and how the 2023 NC Year of the Trail was created by an effort led by the Great Trails State Coalition and supported by the NC General Assembly. Today, the NC Year of the Trail is the largest statewide celebration of trails and outdoor recreation in North Carolina history. Discover how and where to experience trails and why it is important to spend more time outdoors. Also on Speaking of Travel, there is one particular trail in NC found way up on top of Beech Mountain you will not want to miss. Travel over the rainbow to the yellow brick road and celebrate Land of Oz's annual Autumn at Oz Festival - one of the world’s largest Wonderful Wizard of Oz events. Sean Barrett, ar

Erinn Dearth and Dan Beckmann created Letters From Home in the style of USO dances with a witty, modern edge. Their performances are funny and heartfelt and they share stories from their recently completed “Letters From Home 50 States Tour.” They traveled to every state of the country focusing on what unites us as a country, rather than what divides us. “It kind of makes people think and appreciate the freedoms they’ve been given,” Dan said. “The family of veterans often get teary-eyed and moved. Which we love, because that’s why we’re doing it. It’s very rewarding.”Discover how Erinn and Dan embrace the power of positive thinking, attitude and effort as they sing and dance their way into the hearts of heros. Also on Speaking of Travel, find out how to really build bridges and develop partnership frameworks with Mark Collins, Partnerships Manager for RomanticAsheville.com. Mark shares some tips on how to build a successful travel partner network. And, as passenger numbers climb in air travel, airports are mov

The Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace Series with Richard Crawford, host of the Popular TV series, Leave No Trace TV, continues to help us learn to travel in ways that won't limit our future generations' ability to explore the world. On this episode of the Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace series, Ricky is busy finishing up Season Two of the popular Leave No Trace TV series and in Australia with the show’s director and cameraman, Ben Alcott. Ricky and Ben share updates on where they're going and how they choose each destination. Discover how to be an obsessive environmentalist and the importance of reducing our individual carbon footprints and find ways to make trips more sustainable, like where to go, what to pack, and how to decide getting there. And good news! You can watch all episodes of Leave No Trace TV, Season One, on Tubi, the leading free, premium, on-demand video streaming app, and on Bingenetworks.tv.Tune in on Speaking of Travel. Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visi

Rachel Durchslag shares the challenges and obstacles she had to overcome while trekking some of the world’s most magnificent mountain ranges, along with her new sense of inner joy. Her new book, “While I Walk,” is Rachel’s personal journey to becoming a better person. The book is part trip guide to some of the best hikes in the world and part travel-log of Rachel’s personal journey to becoming a better walker... technically, spiritually, and mentally. Rachel shares how she first fell in love with hiking and what made her decide to hike the world's most beautiful hikes. And discover what it is about solo hiking and travel that truly move her. Rachel opens up to what struggles she faced while abroad and how have they helped her grow.Also on Speaking of Travel is Craig Honeycutt, Secretary of the Board of Directors of Friends of Jockeys Ridge to share how Jockey's Ridge State Park on North Carolina’s coast was saved from destruction and how the Friends of Jockey’s Ridge nonprofit organization was estab

Namrata Patel is an Indian American bestselling author of contemporary fiction. She shares how travel informs and enriches her stories and why perseverance pushes her to keep writing and traveling. Her critically acclaimed debut novel, The Candid Life of Meena Dave, examines diaspora and dual-cultural identity among Indian Americans, multi-generational tensions tied to assimilation, and historical awareness of Indian American achievements. Her newest novel, Scent of a Garden, tells the story of a perfumer in Paris who is forced to return to her California roots in an exhilarating novel about family, self-discovery, and taking risks. Namrata has lived in India, New Jersey, Spokane, London, and New York City and currently calls Boston home. Also on Speaking of Travel, if you’re feeling the wanderlust to travel on a big bucket list trip, Toby Brown, Owner and Safari Coordinator with Sights Of Africa and Owner and Adventure Coordinator with Terra Forma Adventure, shares why Africa, Peru, and Ecuador are worthy ad

Richard Crawford hosts the popular TV series, Leave No Trace TV. And together with Speaking of Travel, he creates a series highlighting the importance of conservation, sustainable travel, and eco-tourism. Ricky shares stories from places he explored for Season Two and how he goes about getting it all together along with his photographer and producer, Ben Alcott. On this segment, Ricky explains why sustainability is an important tool in the battle against climate change and other social, environmental and economic challenges.Also, we all know travel is sometimes challenging. Discover how things can go wrong when you travel and why being mindful is more important now than ever. And with many bucket list destinations under his belt, Ricky explores what he has gained about the world.  And he provides us with updates on where Leave No Trace TV is going next. So many new adventures, and more bucket list places, are in store!You can watch all episodes of Leave No Trace TV, Season One, on Tubi, the leading free, prem

Sahara Rose De Vore is a wellness travel coach and founder of The Travel Coach Network, a global community of travel coaches. She shares why travel coaching is reshaping how travel is viewed today. There is more depth to why people want (or need) to travel and Sahara explains how travel coaches help identify motivating reasons for a trip while helping set specific intentions for the transformation, feeling, and changes the trip provides.The Travel Coach Network is home to the world's first and only growing database of travel coaches who specialize in a wide range of niches and areas of expertise. Discover the many ways travel coaches can plan and book trips and help work through stepping out of a comfort zone, learning how to create and manage a budget, and using travel as a tool to thrive in personal life, work-life, and beyond.Also on Speaking of Travel is Kasey Hotchkiss, owner of Asheville Detours and co-owner of Blue Ridge Wine Tours, to share fun opportunities in Asheville to get to know the whole

For award-winning actor and humanitarian, Gary Sinise, 9/11 was a game changer. After playing Lt. Dan, the ravaged Vietnam vet in the Oscar-winning 1993 movie Forrest Gump, Gary recognized there were still deep wounds for the veterans of the Viet Nam war. His focus shifted from self to service. Gary said, “It set the stage for working with the wounded after that terrible day. I couldn’t sit back. I wanted to let our service members know they were appreciated."Bobby George, Director of Outreach for the Gary Sinise Foundation, shares how the foundation began and all they are doing today. Bobby explains what inspired his own desire to give back to those who serve and sacrifice for our country and his role as Director of Outreach. Also, discover why supporting veterans and first responders is so important to Gary and some of the ways his foundation strives to help these heroes. And how you can help, even one person at a time.Get to know the people who are protecting you right here on Speaking of Travel. Than

Dawn Barclay, a veteran travel reporter, the mother of two “challenging” children, and the author of “Traveling Different: Vacation Strategies for Parents of the Anxious, the Inflexible, and the Neurodiverse," shares how she created her travel bible based on interviews from over 100 mental health professionals, special needs parents, autism allies, advocates, and certified autism travel professionals.  Dawn's advice can help soothe the travel hiccups of any family wanting to have adventures with their loved ones on the autism spectrum or with invisible disabilities like ADHD.Discover important tips about starting small, introducing the concept of travel, and having mini-experiences. Find out how you can create the child-centric vacation by doing your due diligence, finding out safety measures, and so much more. A very important show about a very important topic. If you can understand the differences that ASD brings to a family, you can make a difference by supporting a family affected by autism. Thi

Vic Isley, a traveler, foodie, music lover and a farmer’s daughter from North Carolina, shares her journey from growing up on a tobacco farm to becoming a leader in the travel and tourism industry. Over her 28-year career, she’s represented destinations including the island of Bermuda; Washington, DC; Tampa Bay, Florida and Durham, North Carolina.  Seasoned leaders bring benefits to their team and the entire organization. Vic shares a timeline of the evolution of destination marketing and destination management and explains the role of a destination marketing organization. Also on Speaking of Travel, Mary Rose Ridderbusch-Shearer, guest experience manager for the North Carolina Arboretum, the most stunning and peaceful place to enjoy Western North Carolina's beautiful surrounding natural environment, shares a history of the Arboretum and a sampling of the many incredible programs and exhibits. There's no better place to meet friends and explore for hours. Find out more! Tune in right here on Speakin

Heidi Walters, Senior Director of Partner Marketing for Visit North Carolina, shares how the state is championing sustainable travel by working together to preserve the natural beauty of North Carolina.Thousands of people flock to North Carolina every year from all over the country and the world because there are so many reasons to love this state. Heidi provides an update on the tourism recovery green initiatives and how markets are emerging to grow the industry. She also shares how sustainability and stewardship help to protect North Carolina's outdoor spaces and how international travel to the state remains strong and steady.Also on Speaking of Travel, discover how writer, counselor, authenticity and intuition guide, Beth Orr, found the courage to move forward on her own journey when her grandmother inspired her to travel the world to search for her most authentic life.Tune in! Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can beco

A professional stand-up comedian, a TV host, an actor and a podcast host walk into a bar. And what do you know? It’s Mike Siegel himself. Mike’s main passion is travel. He has produced video and written travel content for countless websites and hosts his own travel-themed podcast, “Travel Tales Podcast.” Mike shares his personal travel history and some of his favorite places.And not all of his travel experiences are great. Some are low and some are bad. Find out some tips to prepare you for the adventure ahead (spoiler... laughing works!). Mike lets us in on some travel hacking and money-saving tips too and describes what the future of travel, tourism, blogging and social media could look like.What is travel to Mike Siegel? You won't want to miss this special episode of Speaking of Travel. Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Thea Duncan, founder of Doing Italy, shares insights into moving to Italy. Find out what it is like to live in Italy and what to consider when moving there. Doing Italy offers private consultations and group coaching so you can dive into just about everything you need to know about moving to Italy. Thea shares insights into the Italian job market and what you need to know about real estate if considering buying an Italian home. Discover what it is actually like living in Italy vs visiting and some of the the first things you should consider when relocating to Italy. Also on Speaking of Travel, Whitney Williams, founder of TEFLPros, a high-quality online certification, shares all you need to know about how to teach English as a foreign language. If you are passionate to experience another culture, or perhaps you just love to travel and enjoy helping others realize their dreams, maybe consider becoming an English teacher in a foreign country. Find out all you need to know right here on Speaking of Travel. Tune