travel stories

Podcast #193 — Making the Most of Miles; Nashville vs Nash-Vegas

Weather delay bar tab got me rethinking the economics of airport lounge memberships. Continuing to plan travel but focusing on making the most of the miles we accumulated on credit cards during the pandemic. And comparing Nashville’s music scene: Nash-Vegas honky tonks vs the smaller, eclectic off-Broadway scene.

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Podcast #192 — New Year Travel Planning Tips; Gin Conquers the World

Are people going back to their old travel planning ways? Should you book direct with travel providers or use a 3rd-party? Unpacking Southwest’s cancellation chaos. Gin goes global with a local twist.

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Podcast #191 — My Notes on Italy and Split, Croatia

Comparing long-distance drive times between gas and electric cars, and ChatGPT’s travel tips with mine; Talking about another Real ID delay, and my travel notes from Positano, Rome, and Split, Croatia.

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Podcast #190 — My Travel Tech Stack; Imbibing for Introverts

Tracking lost luggage with AirTags; what’s changed in my travel tech stack; talking with Jeff Cioletti, author of the new book “Imbibing for Introverts”, about the art of drinking alone

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Podcast #189 — Why We Travel; When The First Flight Isn’t Best

Lots of different voices – listeners adding to our list of travel tips, Dr. Sheldon Jacobson on why one of our tips isn’t always right, and Patricia Schultz on her new book “Why We Travel”

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Podcast #187 — Moving to a Non-Hub Airport; What Makes A Great Taproom?

The last episode recording in Chicago before we relocate the TravelCommons studios, and our lives, down to Nashville. We close out our threads on in-flight mask mandates and hotel housekeeping, and critique an academic paper about the moral hazard of frequent flier elite status. I talk through the changes I’ll have to make when flying…

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Podcast #184 — Figuring Out Stealth Travel Inflation

In the travel world, what goes up — rules, fees, prices — often stays up. It’s the ratchet effect and it’s a theme running through this episode. Inflation is on everyone’s mind, and so we dig into travel inflation, comparing today’s prices with pre-pandemic levels. We also talk about US passport renewals ahead of the summer vacation season, and some good Cuban food in Louisville and a questionable food trend in London,. All this and more – click here to download the podcast file, go up to the Subscribe section in the top menu bar to subscribe on your favorite site, or listen right here by clicking on the arrow on the player.

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Podcast #183 — COVID Test Anxiety; Michelin Food Adventures

No travel since the last episode, but lots of travel planning. Are we making our way back to pre-COVID travel planning patterns? Omicron has lots of people worried about testing positive and getting stuck abroad. Michael Giusti of InsuranceQuotes.com talks about how travel insurance can help. A blogger’s brutal review of a Michelin-starred restaurant where we…

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