Speaking Of Travel ®

Australian singer/songwriter Katie Cole is not afraid to rock the boat with the stories she tells, the emotions she shares and the subjects she covers. Katie’s emotion comes from a real place and people all over the world can relate and ultimately find themselves moved by her emotional honesty. Katie tells us about her epic 2019 world tour with the Smashing Pumpkins and how her life will never be the same. While she was in Europe she also embarked on a two week tour opening up for Billy Corgan in various countries, joining him during his set. Wow! And that's not all. They also played a month of shows in America and Canada. Last year Katie visited a total of 19 countries! She is living the dream! And is an inspiration to us all.  Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

James Ziskin discusses his newest novel, Turn To Stone, a 1960s-era locked-room mystery taking Ellie Stone to Italy, a seemingly idyllic setting, which in this case has sinister undertones. The story puts an inventive twist on Boccaccio’s Decameron and takes the reader on a richly-imagined and entertaining journey to Florence and the Tuscan countryside. Jim's books have been finalists for the Edgar, Barry, and Lefty awards. He worked in New York as a photo-news producer and then as director of NYU’s Casa Italiana before spending 15 years in the Hollywood postproduction industry, running large international operations in the subtitling and visual effects fields. He also spent four years in India and speaks Italian and French. Turn To Stone is the seventh in the Ellie Stone series and a must read!  Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

If you love sparkles, smoothies and rock-n-roll, you’re going to love Taraleigh Weathers. With her desire to maintain the magic of live music every day, she helps guide you to rock your most healthy self. Taraleigh does songwriters retreats, retreats with musicians for their fans and curated getaways for live music-loving friends who want an intimate and bonding experience. Live music is what makes her tick which is why she works with people who are in love with live music and want to tune into their best selves. Taraleigh and her husband run a retreat center in Vermont called This Wonderful Place where they put on their own retreats and events as well as host others. With her training and schooling, she's skilled at using her unicorn magic to guide you to rock your most healthy life with her blog and online coaching programs. Check her out at rockinglife.com Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy travel

Sisters Katie and Nancy Moore take us along their journey of travel, education, adventure, cheese and cider, culminating in their tours to a region with deep roots and a thriving local food culture. Katie is the executive director of the WNC Cheese Trail, and she and Nancy combined their education and travel experience to create an exciting tour to Northern Spain. The WNC Cheese Trail was started by a small group of local cheese makers who wanted to be sure people learned about the amazing cheese being made in Western North Carolina. The Trail’s mission is to promote the production and sale of WNC artisan cheeses, facilitate consumer education, and encourage tourism to the region to benefit member producers. They also feel strongly about the preservation of farmland and the important role small cheesemakers play in that preservation. Highlights from their tour of Northern Spain includes meeting local food producers and entrepreneurs, the geography  going from central Spain to the northern coast and learning t

Steve Henderson, a Vietnam War vet and Marybeth Burns, a board member of the Blue Ridge Honor Flight, explain how Brothers Like These provides healing for vets through the arts and creative writing. The Blue Ridge Honor Flight is honored to partner with The NC Veterans Writing Alliance Foundation to present Brothers Like These, a staged reading by Vietnam War Veterans who perform their own written stories through poetry, prose, and nonfiction essays. These stories of selfless service and unimaginable courage unite us in our shared humanity. It’s an enduring testimony to their sacred sense of community, love and brotherhood. Established in 2006, Blue Ridge Honor Flight’s mission is to transport America’s veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials dedicated to honor the sacrifices of themselves and their comrades.   Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Ida and Bernie are heading home to Washington, D.C., after a quick trip to Asheville for Ida’s birthday. Bernie travels regularly for work, and he picked up a few helpful tips along the way.“I’m always trying to stay hydrated,” Bernie said. “It’s healthy for you, and it helps if you’re going to be on long flights. Bring your own stainless steel, reusable water bottle. [Then you] have… the ability to fill up your canister with filtered water, so you’re not having to buy plastic bottles.”Flying out of AVL was the perfect way to end Bernie and Ida’s Asheville adventure. “It’s very clean, and everyone is helpful and friendly,” Ida said. “The TSA agents were great getting us through with our luggage. It’s been 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.

Desiree is New York bound for business. She travels regularly for work and leisure, so this frequent flyer knows her way around AVL.“I am always ready to just get home,” Desiree said. “So, I park on the highest [level of the] parking deck. I know exactly where my car is and can find it without forgetting.”Desiree knows that flying AVL means flying home, and she loves the ease and familiarity of the Asheville Regional Airport. “I really love… the new parking deck. [It] is really helpful getting in and out,” she said. “I also appreciate the designated pre-check lane. For people like me, it is everything. I’m always able to come in, have a little bit to eat or do some email before my flight. It’s an easy-to-navigate airport.”Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Diana is kicking off an overnight trip to Orlando for a holiday party, and Asheville’s nonstop flights help her travel with ease. As a flight attendant, Diana is a pro when it comes to making her way through an airport. “I think passengers don’t realize that they can bring an empty bottle through security and, on the other side of security, fill that bottle up with water,” Diana said. “That way, they can stay hydrated on the plane. That’s super important when traveling.”Diana loves the convenience and easy connections at AVL. “I live five minutes from the Asheville Airport,” she said. “I’m able to park my car, hop right through security and hit a nonstop flight. The different destinations out of Asheville are very convenient for me.”Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Lance is on his way to Orlando to visit family and friends back home. He currently lives in Waynesville, and he’s no stranger to flying in and out of AVL. He says preparation is the key to stress-free travel.“Pack as soon as you can,” Lance said. “Don’t do it last minute. Just try to relax. Grab a coffee, and just chill.”Lance enjoys the simplicity and efficiency of traveling through the Asheville Regional Airport. “It’s a smaller airport, so you can just walk right in and get through security fast,” he said.Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Jen Stevens is the author of the Ultimate Travel Writer’s Program and Executive Editor of International Living. Over the years, Jen has taught hundreds of folks with no prior travel writing experience to get paid to travel. Discover how to travel the world and get paid for your stories and even travel for free. Jen explains how you can get paid to travel and why now is the best time to get into travel writing. And you don't need an English degree! Find out how you can combine your interests and expertise with travel writing, whether it's knitting, skydiving, eating or hiking. And, if you take photos, learn why it's a great way to make even more income. Find out more at www.greatescapepublishing.com Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Nicole Will and Sue Ann Fisher, owners of Asheville Wellness Tours, have created a network of local health and wellness practitioners and craft experiences to encourage connection with ourselves, others and nature. Discover what led them to Asheville and the creation of Asheville Wellness Tours and why they've chosen this niche market of wellness tourism. Nicole and Sue Ann share some great wellness travel tips and explore Asheville's wellness history from the past to the present. Find out how their network of health and wellness experts are carefully curated to include the best of the best so you are guaranteed the most memorable 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.

Timmy and Susana have a passion for performing, teaching and entertaining with family concerts and educational school programs. But life as a touring artist sometimes includes the good, the bad and the strange. Traveling for them is a way of life and brings smiles to so many, but some odd things do happen on the road! Timmy and Susana delight us with stories and songs guaranteed to bring a smile to your face! Ever heard the one about Fellini the Flea and his circus antics? Tune in for an enchanting show! Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Mark Gordon Smith, founder of Private Italy Tours, shares why falling in love with Italy is easy. Italy is more than pasta and wine. With historic cities, beautiful coastlines, endless history and the nicest people, one visit is just not enough. Mark has traveled across Italy for over 35 years and presents small group tours of Italy through its most beautiful and inspiring regions. Find out how to discover the art, the history, the food, and the people that are Italy. It you’ve ever thought of traveling to Italy, learn from an expert all there is to see and do and make your dream trip come true. 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 Hayes-Raitt is a full-time traveler and house sitter, journalist and inspiring public speaker. Kelly shares her travel stories and how she discovered house sitting as a flexible way to live and write. For the past decade, Kelly has cared for other people’s homes and pets in far-flung places like Maputo, Mozambique and Ya’an, China, as well as fabulous cities like Hanoi, Paris, Singapore, Berlin and even London during the Olympics. In 2003, she reported live from Baghdad just weeks after the U.S-led invasion. In an effort to put a human face on U.S. foreign policies, she’s written about her experiences in refugee camps in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. Kelly’s work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and several local newspapers, as well as in several anthologies and literary journals. Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Robert and Scott are The Cerny Brothers, an Americana duo based in Nashville. Their inspiring music is born from traveling and meeting fans on the road in diverse cities and rural areas all over the US. The brothers grew up in the heartland of Illinois, but after college we went to L.A. and had a completely different experience. For Robert and Scott, touring allows them the opportunity to meet all sorts of people. Their new album, Looking For The Good Land, was recorded in Nashville and is a collection of powerful working-class rock that moves with the spirit of John Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen, and Tom Petty. Rolling Stone named the band a “New Americana Artist You Need to Know” in 2019.  Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

The Speaking of Travel + Climate Listening Project Series with Dayna Reggero recaps conversations with experts from around the world on how to find common ground and connect climate change stories with discovery. We understand climate and weather are important factors in our decision-making around travel. And this year we shared new and challenging opportunities for those involved in climate change and how it relates to travel. Our goal is always to focus on hope and to help you be more prepared as you make your travel plans.  Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Chris Webber, Development Manager of Make-A-Wish® in Central & Western NC, explains how the gift of a wish helps transform the lives of children with critical illnesses and ways we can help make dreams come true. Find out the Make-A-Wish®  history, hear some inspiring travel wishes and ways you can get involved. The Make-A-Wish® Foundation has tens of thousands of volunteers, donors and supporters helping grant wishes of children diagnosed with a critical illness. You can be one of them!   Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Madeleine Besson is a French singer, songwriter and artist. Her new EP, “In The River,” showcases her soulful and blues-flavored style and is creatively immersed with original songwriting and vocalizing. After developing her musical talents as a multi-instrumentalist while just a young child, Madeleine spent her early years touring the world on movie sets and theaters with her artistic parents. This all led up to her beautiful 2014 debut record, “Blossom” that she recorded in Europe after having developed her skills as a live performer. She shows the full range of her musical abilities with songs about departures, destinations and the lessons learned along the way. Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Yolanda Robertson is the owner of Savored Moments Travel and is a travel-planning expert who helps family, friends and groups deepen their connections through well-planned, savory travel experiences. For most of her adult life, she was a single mom who struggled to find time for herself, and it was often difficult to find the quality time to connect with her children. Now that her children are grown, she has found the best way to connect with them and others is through her passion for travel, wine, and food. She started Savored Moments Travel as a way to share her love of travel planning and to orchestrate culinary experiences with not only her friends and family but yours too.  Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

The Speaking of Travel + Climate Listening Project Series with Dayna Reggero continues with special guest, Veronica Butcher, joining us from Mothers and Others for Clean Air (M&O). M&O is a unique partnership of leading public health and child advocacy organizations working to advance public policy to improve air quality and fight climate change in order to reduce the effects of air pollution on public health, especially children’s health. M&O works to reduce pollution from transportation and other sources and promote clean renewable energy sources, energy-efficiency and conservation.To unite new partners and to have more of an impact, M&O is expanding throughout the Southeast and now has staff in both Georgia and North Carolina.M&O and its partners are working to reduce pollution from coal-fired power plants, cars, trucks, building and industrial energy use, and promote clean renewable energy sources, energy-efficiency and conservation.Veronica Butcher has over 19 years of advocacy and po