Go See Do Explore

In this episode, Ashleigh and Christopher share their best tips for saving money while traveling so you can keep exploring the world without breaking the bank.

Don't get your heart set on one destination or timeframe. Being flexible allows you to find the best deals and values.

"We usually have a couple of places in mind...and a range of dates in mind. And we do some combination of airfare searching, hotel searching...to really zero in on the right place and the right time."

Airfare fluctuates a lot. Watch prices and pull the trigger when the time is right instead of impulse booking.

"Just do some searching and know what you should expect to pay for that route for those dates."

Vacation rentals through sites like Airbnb can save you money compared to hotels, especially for groups.

"We've had lots of great experiences in rentals and other kinds of non-traditional situations."

Factor in all airline fees, hotel fees, etc. when comparison shopping to understand the real total cost.

Pignoletto is a white wine grape native to the area around Bologna. It was recently discovered through DNA profiling to be the same grape as the Grechetto!

In big cities, rental cars can be more hassle than they're worth. Consider public transit, walking, and ride shares instead.

Packing carry-on only saves money on fees and reduces the hassle of schlepping big bags around.

Camping can put you steps away from destinations at a fraction of hotel prices. If you don't have camping gear, consider renting it from REI or borrowing from a friend or neighbor.

"We pay $35 a night instead of $350 a night in high season."

Cruises can be very cost-effective ways to see multiple destinations in one trip.

Determine an overall budget and daily spending budget to understand costs and avoid overspending.

Key West is a historic and beautiful island destination with Hemingway and Truman history, beaches, and amazing seafood and Cuban food.

"It holds a special place in our heart and I would love to go back."

In this episode, hosts Ashleigh and Christopher share their top 10 favorite meals from all their travels. They each countdown their personal top 5, and also discuss some honorable mentions that didn't quite make the top 10 list.

Ashleigh's #1 pick is the Jäger schnitzel at Oslander, a German restaurant in Fredericksburg, TX. She describes it as pork schnitzel covered in a hunter style bacon and mushroom red wine sauce. She says it's one of the best things she's ever eaten.

Christopher's #1 pick is Lolita, a modern Mexican restaurant in Boston. He talks about the fun atmosphere, good food and drinks like the complimentary granita they bring you.

Ashleigh's #2 pick is Ramen Tatsuya in Austin, TX. She says it was her first time having real ramen, and it's still the best she's ever had. She describes the rainy day they went there when visiting Austin.

Christopher's #2 pick is La Parrilla, a restaurant located at the Kiosks in Luquillo, Puerto Rico. He describes the outdoor food stall setting right on the beach. La Patrona had great Puerto Rican food like mofongo and other dishes served in pineapples.

Ashleigh's #3 pick is Ponto Final, a restaurant in Lisbon located right on the Tagus River with views of the 25 de Abril Bridge. She made a reservation there for her birthday. The seafood was great but the ambiance is what really made it memorable.

Christopher's #3 pick is Japadog in Vancouver, which serves Japanese-inspired hot dogs. He explains the fusion of Japanese flavors on hot dogs, and how it was started by Japanese immigrants to Vancouver. They went there because of a reference to it on the TV show Psych.

They take a break to talk about the Carignan wine from Texas they are drinking. They discuss the warm weather appropriateness of certain lighter red wines.

Ashleigh's #4 pick is Monteverde, an Italian restaurant in Chicago. She raves about the in-house made pastas and pistachio pesto gnocchi. She mentions it's hard to get a reservation there.

Christopher's #4 pick is Terry Black's BBQ in Austin. He talks about their delicious brisket and sides like mac and cheese. It's one of their go-to spots whenever they visit Austin.

Ashleigh's #5 pick is Ja Se Sabe, a restaurant in Furnas, Azores where they cook traditional stews in the volcanic thermal springs. She describes the incredible experience of eating there after touring the hot springs.

Christopher's #5 pick is Suerte in Austin. He describes it as Mexican-inspired but with its own modern twist. He mentions dishes like pistachio guacamole that demonstrate the clever fusion going on there.

They discuss some other favorites that didn't quite crack the top 10 lists, like the Terra Restaurant at Frenchman's Bay in Maine, Moderno Churrascaria, and more.

Locate your passport and make sure it's valid several weeks or a month before any big trip. Christopher almost couldn't find his passport right before a trip they had planned to Canada.

Travelers Ashleigh and Christopher dive into the benefits of traveling with only a carry-on bag and share tips for packing light. They discuss clever packing strategies, minimizing liquids, and how doing laundry on the can help get the most out of a small bag. The hosts also spotlight their recent trip to San Francisco, where they rode cable cars, ate Mission-style burritos, and stayed at the tech-forward Citizen M hotel.

• Checking bags takes more time at the airport and makes transportation like trains more difficult.

• Find dry versions of toiletries when possible.

• Rode the cable cars and walked along Fisherman's Wharf.

The hosts try Ooba, an experimental "brut red" wine from Modales winery in Michigan's small Fenville AVA. Made from native grapes, it has funky, natural flavors that would pair well with club soda in a spritzer.

In this week's episode of the Go See Do Explore podcast, hosts Ashleigh and Christopher share their best tips for improving your travel photography.

Ashleigh recommends doing some Google image searches of the places you're visiting before your trip. That way you'll know where the iconic photo spots are when you arrive.

Christopher emphasizes the importance of being familiar with your camera's settings and features. Practice using it before your trip so you can operate it quickly when trying to capture fleeting moments.

Ashleigh tells a cautionary tale of running out of charged camera batteries at the start of an Alaskan cruise. Always have spares on hand!

Christopher suggests investing in a good all-purpose travel lens with a wide focal range. This allows you to be prepared for photographing both near and far objects without needing to change lenses.

Christopher's tip for better composition is to simplify the frame and focus on one primary element that captures the essence of the scene.

Ashleigh says to try shooting from non-eye-level angles - up high or down low. This can lead to more dramatic and unique perspectives.

Modern cameras and phones can often capture sharp low-light shots without a tripod, according to Ashleigh. They're usually not necessary for daylight travel photography.

Christopher makes the case for doing basic edits like cropping, color correction, and straightening to make your images pop. This can be done easily on both computers and phones.

While golden hour light is ideal, Christopher says compelling travel photos can be captured at any time of day. Overcast skies also offer opportunities for great shots.

Ashleigh strongly recommends printing your best travel shots for framed photos, gallery walls, and photo books. Services like Shutterfly and Mixbook make this easy.

Ashleigh's final tip is to make sure you enjoy the moment and don't just view the trip through your camera lens. The memories matter more than the photos.

Wine Break: The hosts sample Lambrusco wine from a can, which they find drinkable but not amazing. They look forward to trying higher quality Lambrusco on an upcoming trip to Italy.

In this episode, the hosts discuss recent changes in the U.S. airline industry regarding fees and regulations. Frontier Airlines announced their "New Frontier" initiative which includes eliminating change and cancellation fees when purchasing fare bundles, being more transparent with pricing, and improving customer support. This comes as the Department of Transportation cracks down on "junk fees" and pushes for greater transparency from airlines.

Frontier introduced new fare bundles - Economy, Premium, and Business. The bundles come with different seat selections, baggage allowances, and no change or cancellation fees. To get no change/cancellation fees, you must purchase a bundle. The Business bundle gets Frontier's new "Upfront Plus" seats, which are similar to European-style business class with extra legroom and middle seats blocked.

Frontier is now emphasizing the no change/cancellation fees, but you only get this if you purchase a bundle. Spirit also just changed their policy - no fees if you change/cancel 60+ days out, $119 fee within 6 days. Spirit now has one of the best cancellation policies in the U.S. airline industry.

These changes are in response to pressure from the U.S. DOT to eliminate "junk fees" and be more transparent. The DOT wants fees for bags, seat selections, changes/cancellations to be disclosed upfront along with airfare. Refunds for cancellations must also be processed faster. This applies to all airlines. The legacy carriers have filed a lawsuit against this, claiming it is unnecessary and will confuse consumers.

The hosts try the sparkling wine Neon from Mawby Winery in Michigan. It's made from the hybrid grape Cayuga White and uses the Charmat method. They discuss the winemaking process and flavors.

The hosts share about a 12-hour layover they had in Iceland. They got a rental car and toured the Reykjanes Peninsula. Highlights included seeing the landscape, geysers, and having the "best fish in the world." They regret not seeing the Blue Lagoon but look forward to returning to see more of Iceland.

In this episode, Ashleigh and Christopher discuss their favorite apps for travel planning, transportation, outdoor adventure, tourism, dining, and communication.

• Road Trippers and iExit - Help plan road trips

• Ultimate Campgrounds - Discover campsites on public lands

• Freetour.com - Free walking tours

• Revolut - Multi-currency payments

Ashleigh and Christopher try ginjinha, a Portuguese cherry liqueur from Lisbon. They recommend looking for it at Total Wine.

Amtrak is a publicly traded, for-profit company funded by the federal and state governments. It is an unusual public-private partnership for the U.S. Amtrak runs long-haul scenic routes as well as regional routes. The long-haul routes run primarily from Chicago west on freight rail lines and have a reputation for being frequently delayed.

There are three classes of service on Amtrak's long-haul routes:

• Coach - Regular train seats with more legroom than an airline.

Sleeper car tickets include meals in the dining car. Coach passengers can pay extra to eat in the dining car.

The California Zephyr runs daily from Chicago to Emeryville (San Francisco Bay Area) in 51.5 hours. It runs through:

• Rocky Mountains in Colorado

Major cities along the route include Chicago, Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake City, Reno, and Emeryville.

We traveled in a roomette sleeper cabin. The roomette was very small but comfortable. Sleeping was challenging due to the motion and noise of the train. The food in the dining car was quite good overall.

We had a 3.5 hour delay in Colorado due to engine trouble but enjoyed the scenery. The route through the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada was spectacular.

The communal dining was pleasant and we enjoyed chatting with fellow travelers. The observation car was a great place to relax and enjoy the views.

Positives:

• Comfortable, relaxing way to travel

Negatives:

• Very expensive compared to flying

• Pack light - space is very limited

This episode's wine break featured Red Door wine from Door 44 Winery in Wisconsin. Located on the Door Peninsula jutting into Lake Michigan, Door 44 makes high-quality wines despite Wisconsin not being known as a wine region.

Always put your devices in low-power mode before traveling. Have chargers, cables, and backup batteries readily available. Take every opportunity to charge devices while in transit.

On this episode of Go See Do Explore, Ashleigh and Christopher share their top 10 places they would like to return to and reminisce about past travels from onboard the California Zephyr from Chicago to California. Shoutout to the Lou Mongello and the WDW Radio Show for inspiration for this episode. 

Some of the links below are affiliate links and as such, we earn a small commission from purchases that allow us to continue telling our stories without costing you anything extra. 

Christopher's first choice is Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park in Maine. He feels like he didn't get enough time to hike all the trails and see everything he wanted to when they visited in 2019. Ashleigh agrees and suggests bringing their kayaks to explore the ponds and lakes.

Ashleigh's first pick is the Black Hills of South Dakota. When they spent a week there in 2022, she feels like they only scratched the surface. She wants to dig deeper into Custer State Park and see more of Badlands National Park. She also suggests camping in Custer State Park next time.

Christopher's second choice is Traverse City, Michigan. It's an easy drive from their home in Michigan, but he loves the natural beauty and wineries. He says it feels like home. 

Ashleigh surprises Christopher with her second pick of Washington, D.C. They only spent one day seeing the monuments when they were in college. She wants to see the cherry blossoms in spring, explore the Smithsonian museums, and sample the international cuisine.

The hosts take a wine break, as is tradition on their train journeys. They are drinking a Malbec from William Chris Vineyards in the Texas Hill Country. They discuss the growing Texas wine industry and how it produces unique wines from warmer climate grapes like Tempranillo and Albarino.

Christopher chooses the Valle de Guadalupe wine region in Baja California, near Ensenada, Mexico. They discovered it on a cruise excursion last year. He loved the beautiful scenery, excellent wine, and olive groves. It's harder to access from the U.S. but he has an elaborate plan to return.

Ashleigh picks the island of St. Maarten in the Caribbean. She fell in love with the French side of the island, especially the seaside village of Grand Case. She reminisces about an incredible meal at a restaurant called Nice SXM, where she first discovered her love of pesto.

Christopher chooses Toledo, Spain for his fourth destination. He loves how old and historic it is compared to cities in the U.S. The friendly locals, fun restaurants and the ability to explore at night when the day tourists leave make it special. He tells the funny story about their meal being served in a cocktail shaker.

Ashleigh is shocked Christopher didn't include the Azores islands of Portugal on his list. They only got a small taste on a cruise shore excursion, but loved the tea plantation, geothermal cooking, mineral springs, and the beautiful scenery of places like Lagoa do Fogo.

Christopher picks Puerto Rico as his final destination. He explains all of the reasons he loves it - the beaches, rainforests, history of Old San Juan, and the food and culture. He even looks at real estate listings there frequently. Ashleigh agrees Old San Juan is one of her favorite cities.

Ashleigh closes her list with the Douro Valley wine region of Portugal. She wants to take the scenic train from Porto through the valley and spend more time in the countryside and wineries.

Ashleigh recommends the book Wine Trails of the U.S. and Canada by Lonely Planet. It has guided them to excellent wineries during their wine travels everywhere except Michigan. Christopher suggests they should write a Michigan wine guidebook.

In this episode of Go See Do Explore, hosts Christopher and Ashleigh continue their Michigan bucket list, sharing must-see destinations in the eastern lower peninsula of Michigan. Click here to read Ashleigh's recent post about the Motown Museum. To read more about the Michigan Bucket List, visit GoSeeDoExplore.com. 

For this Michigan-themed wine break, Christopher and Ashleigh drink a Merlot from Hickory Creek Winery in Buchanan, MI. Christopher talks about liking Hickory Creek for its unique and interesting wines that push boundaries.

Christopher and Ashleigh share their tip to seek out local, independent coffee shops when you travel. They've discovered unique spaces, drinks, and experiences they'd never find at big chains. Some of their favorites include Fairgrounds in Milwaukee, G&B in Los Angeles, River Road Coffee & Popsicles in Cocoa Beach, and Café Lareño in Lares, Puerto Rico.

In this episode of Go See Do Explore, hosts Christopher and Ashleigh share their tips for traveling while working remotely. They discuss how to take advantage of time differences, arrange your work schedule around travel, and choose accommodations and transportation that enable productivity on the road.

• Go west to start work early and have afternoons free or go east to have mornings free

Christopher shares his experience working remotely while on a transatlantic cruise. He recommends choosing cruise ships with Starlink internet if possible, as it is higher quality than traditional satellite internet. Be prepared for periods with no internet access while at sea. Using VoIP apps for meetings can help manage lower bandwidth for video calls. He also suggests bringing a travel router to securely share bandwidth and access content. While cruise ship internet is notoriously bad, remote work is definitely possible with the right planning and expectations.

Christopher and Ashleigh highlight vinho verde from Portugal during their wine break. Vinho verde means "green wine" and is a young, slightly effervescent white wine made in northern Portugal. It is inexpensive, refreshing, and lower in alcohol. The hosts fell in love with this quintessential Portuguese wine during their recent trip and recommend seeking it out.

In the destination spotlight, Christopher and Ashleigh discuss the highlights of Sintra, Portugal. Located just an hour train ride from Lisbon, it makes for an easy and popular day trip. The main attraction is the colorful Pena Palace and its surrounding gardens. Other sites include the Moorish Castle ruins and Quinta da Regaleira estate. The hosts recommend staying overnight if possible, as there is more to explore than can be seen in a day.