Omi Salevea of the McDowell County Tourism Development Authority in the Blue Ridge Mountains, shares why outdoor recreation is important in preserving natural landscapes and for protecting culture and heritage. And why it's good for your body too! One of my favorite places to get outdoors is in Old Fort, a small town not far from Asheville in McDowell County, NC. It's a mountain town in the way the Pisgah National Forest and the Blue Ridge Mountains surround this beautiful place.  And...

Enock Glidden is an accomplished outdoorsman and is found adventuring every season of the year. Born with Spina Bifida, Enock has learned to do things differently than others and shares how attitude is everything. Also on Speaking of Travel, discover why collaboration and meaningful relationships provide a framework for inspiration. Guest Mark Collins, Partnerships Manager for RomanticAsheville.com, builds strategic partnerships and combines responsibility, sustainability and safety into one...

The Speaking of Travel And Leave No Trace TV Series with Richard Crawford, host of the popular TV series, Leave No Trace, continues with new stories and tips to help change your life for the better and see sights so rich in wonder they will take your breath away. In this, the first episode of the new year, discover Ricky's backstory...  How does a small boy from Paisley, Scotland, end up traveling the globe? And have the opportunity to visit some amazing places that life has to offer? What...

Real Asia Founder Nick Wang and Associate Nina LaFerla share their passion for Asia and its diverse cultures with US teachers and students and create ways to utilize travel as a means to deepen the understanding between us and the destinations we visit.  Nick has extensive business relationships with Chinese schools, companies, and NGOs and has been leading Real Asia to help many schools across the US with their faculty-led study trips. Nina is a devoted educator whose engaging,...

Tess Vigeland is a longtime journalist and podcaster. And she is an avid photographer who shoots mainly landscape photos around the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Tess shares how sometimes wanderlust shows up and she just must go. It's been more than five years since Tess returned from her time abroad and she describes what it's like to go so long without real international travel and why she's super excited to get back out again. Tess is a wanderer and her upcoming trip to Portugal is no...

Jane Adams, former director of Partnership Relations with Jane Fortune and Advancing Women Artists,  a non-profit organization that was dedicated to rediscovering, restoring, and exhibiting works by women artists found in Florence’s Museums and State deposits, shares how she is continuing to raise awareness about forgotten artists and reclaim their rightful place in history. Jane explains how meeting Jane Fortune and Advancing Women Artists led to one of the most recent examples of lost art...

The Asheville Art Museum is an example of how museums engage, inspire and enlighten communities. Museum leaders Kate Faulkner and Neal Page share how the Asheville Art Museum transforms lives through art. When I’m visiting new places, I like to prepare my options for what to see and do. And one thing always on my agenda is going to a museum. Usually more than one. And why not? Museums are community centers and always make you feel good. Even smarter! And most likely there is a museum near you...

Italy looks like a high heeled boot and Puglia is the heel of that boot. Mark Gordon Smith, founder of Private Italy Tours, shares how the eclectic history of Puglia left an imprint on what we see today. I’d fallen in love with Italy a few times before I traveled with Mark Gordon Smith, and it’s no wonder people love traveling with him. He could be the ambassador to Italy. He knows this country like the back of his hand. Or should I say the heel of the boot! Travelers new to the region...

The Speaking of Travel And Leave No Trace TV Series with Richard Crawford continues, highlighting the importance of conservation, sustainable travel and eco-tourism. And sharing what the new year has in store. This is the best time to catch up with Season One of Leave No Trace TV and Ricky shares the details so you can tune in and enjoy.  And he provides some updates on Season Two and where you can watch some fun trailers. And Ricky shares how traveling and seeing the world inspires him. And...

Maria Grazia Marini, Director of Tourism for Ravenna, Italy, shares why this special city, once the capital of the Western Roman Empire, is today a blend of ancient mosaics, Roman architecture, and Dante magic. I was recently in Italy and among the many places I visited, one of my favorites was the beautiful city of Ravenna. It is impossible to forget the incredible number of historic sites, remarkable buildings, museums, and churches, as well as an important list of UNESCO World Heritage...

Justin Belleme, founder of the JB Media Group and publisher of Romantic Asheville.com and Tina Kinsey, VP of Marketing, PR, and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport, share how they are working to shape this region’s future growth. Justin is a travel industry leader and provides strategic direction and expertise in the travel and tourism industry. He shares his recent experience at a sustainable travel conference called Tourism Cares: The Power of Partnership Stewardship...

Lisa Jansen, a traveler and writer based in New Zealand, spent almost five years living in a camper van traveling around New Zealand. Lisa shares her experience and what inspires her to travel unconventionally.  Lisa embarked on a life-changing adventure when she left her successful corporate career at 33. Her mission was to discover life beyond the conventional paths of marriage, parenthood, mortgages, and corporate life.  Discover how these five transformative years spent as a nomadic...

Larry Olmsted is an award-winning journalist and bestselling author who has published many intriguing books and thousands of articles for major newspapers and magazines worldwide over the past 25+ years.  And he personally broke or set three different Guinness World Records, in skiing, golf and poker. It's no wonder he was named one of the “10 Most Extreme U.S. Journalists” by the Society of Professional Journalists and Travel Writer of the Year by the State of Mississippi. Larry shares why...

The Speaking of Travel And Leave No Trace TV series continues. Host Richard Crawford is in Australia editing the epic Season Two of the popular Leave No Trace TV show with producer and cameraman, Ben Alcott. Ricky and Ben share where they are today in the editing process of Season Two of Leave No Trace TV and what they do in creating the show. And they share how traveling to all the continents this year changed their lives. Also, Ricky and Ben offer advice to anyone who wants to do...

Fede Vargas was born in Mexico and raised in Canada. He’s a former adrenaline-driven sales exec who is now on a purpose-driven podcasting journey and the creator and host of the popular podcast My Most Authentic Life. Fede shares how he connects with people choosing to live courageously and inspire and empower us to create the life we truly want to explore with self-compassion, self-care, and humility. His podcast was inspired and born because of his own transformational journey while living...

Jan Schroder is a travel writer and editor for close to 25 years and shares how she began her career. Jan provides advice for people who want to be successful travel writers and also reveals some useful travel tips. For many years, Jan was the managing editor of a travel magazine and a freelance travel writer for well-known outlets including Fodor’s, Orbitz, Global Traveler and International Living. Today she focuses on writing and producing the monthly digital publication The Travel 100,...

Speaking of Travel takes us into the private world of two maestros of the kitchen who share their passion for community with stories and inspirations to reveal what helped them become modern culinary legends. Chef Erica McCier, also known as Chef Trudy, is the owner and executive chef of Indigenous Underground restaurant in Abbeville, SC. Chef Erica’s indomitable spirit, talents in the kitchen, and penchant for showcasing local ingredients have earned her a place on the 2023 roster of South...

Amit Jaipuria, founder of Postcard Travel Club, is connecting luxury travelers with boutique hotels and tours that advance responsible tourism and shares why storytelling helps make travel a force for good. When you put people who live in and care about destinations at the center of travel content, their innate joy in sharing their stories and their passion for place says it all. Amit shares the importance of storytelling in promoting responsible tourism and how Postcard is helping users...

Travel is known to change you. Surrounding yourself with different cultures, different people and different outlooks on life are bound to change all of us a bit.  That’s one of the greatest things about traveling as a whole - apart from tasting the different cuisines of course! We are on a constant learning curve as we venture from our comfort zones.   The Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace Series with Richard Crawford continues. Richard is the host of the popular TV series Leave No Trace TV...

Speaking of Travel is celebrating our 10-year anniversary by revisiting classic Speaking of Travel conversations from our first decade, like this one with Pico Iyer, essayist and author, best known for his travel writing and one of the most revered and respected travel writers alive today. Pico brings an understanding of the beauty and wisdom of cultural differences and shares how an emerging global culture benefits your travel adventures how we can all be more mindful travelers. For over...

Marcy Berra shares her travel stories and reflects on travel memories spanning many years and many countries. Marcy explains how to immerse yourself in the local culture by connecting with the people, history and food.  Listening to Marcy's stories fuels imagination. She has the courage to open herself up to taking risks and making changes. She is flourishing and adapting her strength to help make travel memories for her family.  Marcy shares some clues into what travel teaches us and how...

Travel insurance continues to be one of the most confusing aspects of the travel experience. Ben Camille is a foremost travel insurance expert and founder and CEO of Travel Defend, the leading insurance broker. Ben answers questions and shares tips on how to know what to look for to travel smarter. Ben is an entrepreneur and shares how his businesses begin and develop into leading industry leaders. If you're wanting to begin a business, find out from Ben how he does it. Smart travelers plan...

The Speaking of Travel and Leave No Trace TV series continues with host Richard Crawford and director and camera person, Ben Alcott. They share tips for safety and health while traveling and what’s coming on Season Two.  You can now 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. Ben and Ricky share Season One highlights and what stood out most and when we will be seeing Season Two. Also, they...

Ukrainian-born pianist Inna Faliks shares her new book, "Weight in the Fingertips: A Musical Odyssey from Soviet Ukraine to the World Stage,” a memoir of her adventures in music and her hopes for tomorrow. Inna shares what it was like growing up in Odessa, studying in Chicago, and teaching in Los Angeles. Her poignant, beautiful story about love and hope includes the special people in her life who supported her growth and desires, her own “love story," and how the war in Ukraine and her own...

Mark Gordon Smith, founder of Private Italy Tours, shares the current state of travel to Italy. Find out how hotel costs in Italy are changing and which websites you can use to find competitive fares and techniques to negotiate directly with airlines. Mark also shares where visitors are going in Italy to avoid crowds and large cities, the new itinerary services offered by Private Italy Tours, and their newest tour addition in 2024 to Trentino Alto-Adige. Also on Speaking of Travel, Tina...