Vacation Mavens Travel Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

After nearly a decade behind the mic, we're wrapping up the Vacation Mavens podcast with one final episode. Over the years, we've shared travel stories, destination inspiration, and countless tips to help families and moms plan memorable adventures. In this farewell episode, we take a moment to reflect on our journey and to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has listened, shared feedback, and traveled along with us.

Podcasting has changed a lot since we started nearly ten years ago, and as the space becomes more crowded, we've realized that it's time to focus on new ventures. Both of us are now working as travel advisors, helping clients plan the kinds of meaningful trips we've always loved talking about here. It's bittersweet to step away, but we're excited for what's next — and so grateful for the community that's supported us.

Stick around for some laughs, too, as we share behind-the-scenes stories from our favorite travels together. It's a fun and fitting way to close this chapter of Vacation Mavens and celebrate all the memories we've made, both on and off the road.

Thank you for being part of our journey — and for making the last ten years such an adventure.

Dreaming of Alaska? In this episode of Vacation Mavens, Kim and Tamara take listeners beyond the traditional cruise routes to discover one of Alaska's most beautiful — yet often overlooked — national parks. Kim shares her experience visiting Kenai Fjords National Park, including her stay at the secluded Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge on Fox Island and a breathtaking boat tour through glacier-filled fjords. Whether you're planning an Alaska cruise or looking for a unique land-based adventure, this episode is packed with inspiration and practical advice for exploring Alaska's wild beauty.

Episode Highlights:

• Why Kenai Fjords National Park deserves a spot on your Alaska itinerary — a stunning fjord-filled national park near Seward that many travelers miss.
• How to get there: Fly into Anchorage and drive about two hours to Seward, where most Kenai Fjords adventures begin.
• Where to stay near Seward: Kim overnighted at the Windsong Lodge — a comfortable, lodge-style hotel popular with campers and cruise guests.
• Don't miss: Resurrection Coffee in Seward, a charming café housed in an old church (arrive early — the weekend line can stretch 30 minutes!).
• The Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge experience:
  • Located on remote Fox Island and accessible only by boat.
  • Just eight guest rooms, creating an intimate and unplugged stay.
  • Welcoming staff greet guests with local juice and take care of all luggage.
  • Lodging includes meals, activities like painting and nature walks, and optional upgrades such as sea kayaking tours.
• Relaxation and reconnection in nature: Guests can unwind with activities like:
  • A wood-fired sauna and cold plunge in the fjord.
  • A sound bath meditation session with singing bowls.
  • Painting classes overlooking the cove.
  • Optional kayaking tours spotting puffins, sea stars, seals, and even a porcupine on the island.
• Tips for visiting the lodge:
  • Plan for limited cell service and Wi-Fi — it's a true unplugged getaway.
  • Bring a portable battery pack, since cabins have minimal outlets.
  • Be patient with the shower temperature and remember: it's a wilderness lodge, not a luxury resort.
  • Cabins are cozy and rustic but the chef-prepared meals are outstanding, with fresh, locally inspired dishes and personalized service.
• Included experience: A 5–6 hour Northwestern Fjords Boat Tour, featuring:
  • Up-close views of glaciers calving into the sea.
  • Stellar sea lion colonies, puffin nesting sites, and eagles.
  • Possible humpback whale sightings (best from June–July).
  • A fun "glacier margarita" made with real glacial ice.
• Best time to visit: May through September — but book early since space is limited and repeat guests often return year after year.
• Why this makes the perfect cruise add-on:
  • Ideal for unwinding after a busy Alaska cruise.
  • Offers a chance to experience "the real Alaska" — far from the crowds.
  • Great for couples, families, or anyone craving quiet time in nature.
• Travel planning tips:
  • Book Alaska cruises early for the best cabin choices and pricing.
  • Be aware that Seattle and Vancouver hotels will be scarce in July 2026 due to the World Cup.
  • Anchorage hotels also fill quickly — plan ahead if you're extending your trip.
• New resource for travelers: Kim announces the release of her Alaska Cruise Guidebook, filled with practical advice on choosing cruise lines, excursions, and packing tips for Alaska travel.

Tamara is just back from a 5-night Galapagos Islands cruise on board the Galaxy Yacht. She was hosted on this trip by Galaxy Expeditions but all opinions are her own.

Galaxy Expeditions operates a number of yachts in the Galapagos and also can arrange for land travel in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. The Galaxy Yacht has eight cabins for a maximum of 16 passengers.

• You need to fly to the Galapagos from either Quito or Guayaquil in Ecuador (1.5 - 2 hours)
• At the airport before leaving the mainland, you need to purchase your tourist card and have your luggage inspected and zip tied to protect the islands from bringing in invasive species
• A delegate from Galaxy Expeditions met her at the airport to walk her through the process
• Once you arrive in the Galapagos, you need to pay an entrance fee to support the National Park ($200 per person) and they reinspect luggage, which takes about an hour on arrival
• You then meet your group and take a bus to the port where you load onto zodiac boats to get to the yacht
• A 5-night cruise was a nice amount of time to reach many of the islands and see a ton of wildlife but longer would be more tiring and could get a little repetitive
• Most of the cruises in the Galapagos are 16-32 or maybe 50 passengers
• If you are prone to motion sickness, you will feel it, especially at night as they moved from place to place
• The engines are also loud so bring ear plugs or a sound machine to help drown it out
• I'd recommend bringing Dramamine or seasickness meds as well as sleep aids
• On board, there were two solo travelers, a few couples and a mother-daughter duo from Germany, Switzerland, Spain, and the USA
• The food was really good and breakfast was usually a buffet and lunch was a buffet or served and there were usually two options for a dinner entree
• They also served light snacks and fresh juice or tea after excursions
• Excursions and meals are included (alcohol is not)
• Excursions start early and stay busy all day. The first excursion of the day is usually at 6 - 7 am
• There are typically two hikes per day and one to two snorkeling excursions per day
• They provide wet suits and snorkel gear on board
• The week started busy and got a little less so towards the end, which was appreciated
• Tamara saw sea turtles, fish, penguins, frigate birds, blue, red, and brown-footed boobies, sea lions, iguanas, and Galapagos tortoises
• There is a naturalist guide on board that leads every excursion and provides so much information about the wildlife and ecosystem
• The islands Tamara visited on Galaxy Yacht itinerary C are: Santa Cruz, North Seymour, Bartolome, Santiago, Genovesa, South Plazas, and San Cristobal

• Land-based trip to the Galapagos
• Mother daughter trip to Machu Picchu
• Atacama desert in Chile

Can you just picture yourself relaxing under a palm tree on a beautiful beach with a tropical drink in your hand? When you are ready to plan a vacation to the Caribbean, get ideas on the best islands and resorts from Caribbean Expert Sarah Gabbadon Greaves. Just keep in mind that some reopening plans have changed or rolled back for Americans since we recorded this episode. Please always check the latest regulations before planning a trip -- this is a good time to use a travel agent that is up to date on travel restrictions.

00:30 - Talking with Tamara about her Florida trip

12:45 - Talking with Sarah

15:00 - Open Islands and regulations

21:25 - Islands to visit

27:38 - Visiting from a cruise

30:50 - Beaches for families

34:43 - Active adventures

40:58 - Getting out

44:30 - Places to stay

52:50 - Final Tips

57:32 - Sarah's Favorite Travel Gear

Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon (aka JetSetSarah) is a travel writer, on-screen host and self-described "Carivangelist," who goes to the beach and beyond to share the culture, lifestyle and personalities of the Caribbean with the world. Based in Miami, she creates content for outlets including Travel + Leisure; Islands.com; AARP; Essence magazine; the U.K.'s Telegraph and Canada's Globe and Mail newspapers. Sarah is also jetsetter-in-chief at JetSetSarah.com where her passions – travel, style and fitness – meet.

Follow Sarah on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.

• The Caribbean has surprised the world with how well it is doing with respect to the virus. As of June there have only been 16,000 cases. The islands of Anguilla, Saint Barts and Nevis have all been declared Covid free.
• The islands of Saint John, Saint Croix, Saint Lucia, Jamaica, Antigua and Saint Barts are all open. They are expecting to open the islands of the Bahamas, Grenada, the Dominican Republic, Aruba, Puerto Rico and Turks and Caicos soon. (Although some have since been closed to Americans -- please check updates!)
• Each island that is open has different regulations in terms of safety. There was a time when one could just hop on a flight and explore a different island on a whim. Now you will need to plan ahead and find out exactly what is needed for each specific island. Some might need proof of a negative test that was done within three days while others say that they will test you as soon as you arrive, or even both.
• If you are planning a trip soon to the Caribbean make sure to budget extra money if you end up in a situation where you need to quarantine for 14 days. Though quarantining in the Caribbean may not be so bad. Certain islands have quarantine hotels where you can't leave the hotel, but you are allowed to go from your room to the beach!
• You should also keep in mind that if you have to get tested at an island it will cost you roughly $100 each person. They can not afford to test for free.
• When it comes to choosing an island, if you are looking for the total package, Jamaica is the island for you. Great food, great people and direct flights onto the island, especially if you are coming from the East Coast of the US.
• The Grand Cayman may not have any all inclusive resort, but they do have some great hotels. This is a really great family island to visit. They have very pristine waters and it is actually where scuba diving was invented.
• They don't expect cruise ships to start visiting the Caribbean until possibly the fall. Even when they do start the ships will be at 50-75% capacity. They will also most likely be shorter, three to four night cruises and include stops on private islands. Cruising can be a great way to see a few islands in one trip and then decide on places you want to go back and explore more fully off the cruise.
• Doctor's Cave Beach in Jamaica is really beautiful and well maintained.
• On Turks and Caicos there is a beach called Bambarra Beach that may seem a bit tricky to get to since you have to take a ferry and drive a bit. But when you get there you will realize it was worth the travel. The water is crystal clear and stays about knee deep for about a quarter mile out! There are no places to eat on this beach so you need to pack a picnic, which may be the only downside for some.
• On Grand Cayman there is a beach called Smiths Cove that is about a twenty minute drive from Seven Mile Beach. It is pretty small, but very relaxing.
• Jamaica has some really great mountain biking trails in the Blue Mountains. Dunn's River Falls is a must do for visiting Jamaica. You will take a hike with a group that leads you to the top of a 600 foot high waterfall. Not recommended for children under seven.
• Saint Lucia has great hiking on a volcano called Gros Piton. You can also tour the drive-in volcano, which collapsed long ago. Your guide will tell you all about it. Right next door there are sulphuric mud pits that are supposed to be very healing.
• If you are staying at an all inclusive resort don't be afraid to get out and really take in the culture. If you are not sure where to go it is always helpful to ask the front desk or your driver, but a really great person to ask is someone on the house keeping staff. They seem to have really great recommendations and they are coming from their own experiences not just off a list they may be paid to promote.
• Staying on a private island is not cheap but so relaxing! If you have the money to splurge on a vacation a private island stay may be for you.
• There are so many islands in the Caribbean, all with different languages, music, culture and more. If you have never been, look around and find one to visit! If you have been to an island, don't think that you have been there, done that. Find a different one to explore and enjoy!
• December through April tends to be the busiest for travel. So if you can, try to plan your trip just outside of these months.
• Like the US tipping is expected and though you don't really need to worry about exchanging money or credit cards too much it is good practice to keep some cash handy for tipping.

Sarah loves her style and fashion. Her travel uniform is a pair of G-Star jeans along with a graphic T and her Adidastrack jacket. Then she will pair that with a pair of Adidas sneakers.

Caribbean Travel

Atlantis Submarines

Atlantis Bahamas

Baha Mar

Grand Cayman Ritz Carlton 

Petit St Vincent - Private island resort

Fowl Cay Villas - Private island resort

Compass Cay Marina - Private island resort

What to pack in your carry on

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!

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.

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

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.

• 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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

• 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.

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.

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)

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!

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.

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

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.

• 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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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

• 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.

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!

Wondering what is in store for the National Parks this summer? The Vacation Mavens chat with John Tillison, a former park ranger and publisher of the Park Ranger John website, to get his take on planning a visit to the National Parks in 2020 and what to expect. Plus we talk about virtual Junior Ranger programs that you can do at home.

00:30 - Sponsors - COMRAD Socks and Moon Travel Guides

00:56 - Talking with Kim and Tamara about summer plans

03:40 - Talking with John Tillison

04:30 - What is happening with National Parks right now

06:30 - What to expect this summer

11:55 - Junior Ranger Program

19:30 - Virtual Tours

23:05 - Parks to visit

29:55 - Where John wants to go first

30:35 - John's Favorite Travel Gear

33:20 - Coming up next

This episode is sponsored by Moon Travel Guides.

What's the best way to explore the world's greatest cities like a local? On foot! Leave the tourist traps behind and discover local favorite spots in cities like Paris, Rome, New York, and Amsterdam with the City Walks series from Moon Travel Guides, which now includes a brand-new guide to Tokyo! As the pocket-sized companion to Moon Japan, Moon Tokyo Walks is the ultimate way to experience Tokyo's infectious energy and futuristic charm at your own pace, without missing a beat. Visit moon.com or your favorite bookseller to grab your guide.

This episode is also 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.

John was a Law Enforcement Park Ranger for 20 years before starting Park Ranger John. The goal of Park Ranger John is to share the things I learned while working and living in parks. I want our readers to have the best experiences possible in the parks they visit.

Follow John on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

• As the National parks start to open you may see different rules and regulations for each park depending on the crowds that they are getting. Some parks may only be available for scheduled visits rather than just showing up.
• Crowd control has always been a top priority for National Parks and you will see that this is still a fact as the parks are slowly re-opening. Make sure that you are contacting the right people to find out what each park is offering as they start to open up again, whether it is a visitors center or the local Park Rangers. Facebook and Twitter have been a really up to date source of information for what is going on for each of the parks.
• The Junior Ranger Programs are a really great source of learning for a bunch of different age groups. The way the program works is that you would find a ranger at a visitors center or contact station and ask about the program. They will give you a booklet and throughout the day you will go through the visitors center and learn some of the history of the park. Then you will go out into the park and do some activities. Once you do the worksheets in the booklet you will take it into the ranger and take a pledge and receive a Junior Ranger Badge. This is not something that you can do in five minutes. You will need to make sure that you are getting the booklet as soon as you get there if this is something that you want to do for your visit.
• You can also earn a Junior Ranger Badge virtually. Different parks are offering some other virtual learning tools right now that kids can take advantage of. Just visit John's site for information on the Junior Ranger Programs so that you can learn at home.
• You can look up National Park webcams and just look around at different parks at home.
• The average National Park visits is about 3 - 4 hours, usually between the hours of 9am and 4pm. So if you want to visit at a less busy time you should keep that in mind when planning your visit. The first couple weeks of June or the very end of August also tend to be less crowded due to school openings and closings. Unfortunately that won't necessarily be the case for this year!

John loves his Zamberlan boots because if his feet aren't happy he is not happy! He also likes to wear layers because it is easy to dress up or down, and clothes that dry quickly.

Junior Ranger Programs

"Virtual" Parks

National Park webcams

2019 Least Visited National Parks

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 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.

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

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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

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

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:

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!