By Cinders Travels
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The podcast currently has 34 episodes available.
Today, on the Locals Know Best podcast, I’ll be speaking with Tom Potter about all of his favorite outdoor adventures in a town you may know as one of the most picturesque Alpine-style villages in the United States, Leavenworth, Washington!
I’m very excited for this episode because Leavenworth has always been in the back of my mind as an excellent fit for this podcast, and even more so for one of our holiday episodes.
Leavenworth is not only incredibly jam-packed with outdoor activities, it boasts tons of holiday cheer to boot!
We will, of course, talk a bit about the holiday season and how it affects and influences this Christmas-loving town. But Tom also does a fantastic job explaining why Leavenworth is so much more than an adorable Bavarian town engulfed in holiday lights!
About Tom Potter (Aka: T-Pot)Tom is a local Leavenworth entrepreneur.
When he first arrived in the area, he spent several years working in the bars and restaurants throughout the village to fund his recreational habits.
During that time, he inadvertently found himself planning vacations for people, so they wouldn't waste a minute of their stay.
Eventually, The T-Pot Experience was born, an all-inclusive trip planning service he operates that focuses on bringing you the best of the best of Leavenworth.
With this host and concierge service, he helps visitors make the most of their time in the area, specializing in unique experiences based around outdoor recreation, food, wine, and scenery.
Learn more about Tom Potter and how to plan Leavenworth excursions with him at thetpotexperience.com.
What We Cover in This Episode"Come to Leavenworth to enjoy the mountains, enjoy the recreation here, get a little taste of Bavaria. It's a unique gem in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains of Eastern Washington. As you pull into town, you'll just be amazed by how they've stuck to the Bavarian theme, and the mountain access is about as good as I've ever experienced."
Tom Potter
Links to Places Mentioned in this Episode How to see the Leavenworth, WA Holiday Lights from Anywhere:We love our listeners! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave me a comment below and let me know about your favorite part!
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Today, on the Locals Know Best podcast, I’ll be speaking with Kristan Vermeulen about how to make the most of a day outdoors in Portland, Maine.
Join Kristan and me as we visit Portland, Maine, during both the off and on-season, eating tons of tasty treats along the way! Activities we discuss in this episode include hitting the water in multiple vessel options, skiing, dog sledding, oyster shucking, hiking, and more!
About Kristan VermeulenKristan is originally from Maryland and was a Director of Public Relations for the Department of Defense for six years while living there.
However, a full-time job opportunity, as well as her husband, ended up bringing her to the great state of Maine, and she hasn’t looked back since!
She now runs her own public relations business and is also the host of a podcast called Makers of Maine, which has recently expanded into Makers of the USA.
On her podcast, she interviews various makers and small business owners, including artists, glass blowers, potters, woodworkers, fashion designers, and more.
And as a publicist, she has featured her small business clients on national media outlets, including Forbes, Health, Real Simple, Redbook, TODAY, Good Morning America, and FOX Business News.
In both roles, she’s had to quickly learn what Maine means to outsiders and locals regarding the attractions and lifestyle it offers, which has swiftly turned her into an authority on both Portland and Maine as a whole.
Throughout this episode, you’ll notice that her background in the great outdoors, public relations, and podcasting has uniquely set her up as an expert on why the area’s entrepreneurial spirit goes hand in hand with adventuring in and around Portland.
Learn more about Kristan and her podcast Makers of the USA.
What We Cover in This EpisodeThe ongoing saying of Maine in general: it’s the way life should be. And I truly believe in that statement, because it is a place where you can go and see everything in terms of environment and outdoors, from, you know the sailing, being on the water, to going and hiking, to canoeing down the Allagash or you know skiing at a ski resort close by, or go dog sledding. It is a way for folks to see life and this world so differently. … Like if you want to go and travel, you could do it right in your backyard. Like, you don’t have to go to Europe. You don’t have to go to the Bahamas. You can come right here to Maine. So I would say that. Come to Maine to experience the way life should be.
Kristan Vermeulen
Links to Places Mentioned in this Episode Where to Stay in the Portland, ME Area:We love our listeners! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave me a comment below and let me know about your favorite part!
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Today, on the Locals Know Best podcast, I’ll be speaking with Michelle Stelly about how to make the most of a weekend at Mount Rainier National Park!
In this episode, Michelle and I will first discuss Washington’s three beautiful national parks. Then, we’ll backpack, hike, and snowshoe throughout all four seasons in Mount Rainier National Park, as well as touch on a few of the surrounding areas.
We’ll be sure to see tons of epic waterfalls, lakes, and fire lookouts along the way, and of course, also have plenty of opportunities to view the incredible Mount Rainier!
About Michelle StellyMichelle runs The Wandering Queen, a travel blog to help fellow women adventurers travel the globe.
She’s a Texan-Panamanian who is passionate about adventure travel, as well as an expert on all things hiking, backpacking, and camping.
Michelle has been to 23 U.S. National Parks and has a goal in life that is very similar to my own, to inspire and help get people outdoors!
Learn more about Michelle Stelly at TheWanderingQueen.com.
What We Cover in This EpisodeThere’s so many epic hikes there. Mount Rainier is just fantastic! It’s my favorite mountain in the world. Even if you don’t go hiking, you can still just enjoy a day in paradise, having a family picnic with these amazing views. The waterfalls there are some of my favorite in the whole state. I feel like this is the perfect outdoorsy getaway with just outstanding views. I’m honestly gonna keep on going to it for years upon years.
Michelle Stelly
Links to Places Mentioned in this Episode Where to Stay in the Mount Rainier National Park Area:We love our listeners! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave me a comment below and let me know about your favorite part!
If you’ve been enjoying the show, please also consider leaving me a review in Apple Podcasts. It’s super easy; click here and go to “ratings and reviews.” I read and appreciate every single one! Each review helps new listeners find the podcast. Thank you!!
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Today, I'll be speaking with Cecilia and Scott Fix about how to spend a fantastic day outdoors in Alexandria, Virginia.
Join Cecilia, Scott, and me as we start off our day, waking up in a spooky spot. Then we continue adventuring outdoors via boating the Potomac and geocaching. All while also appreciating old architecture, waterfront parks, art installations, Cherry Blossoms, and all of the best eating and drinking Alexandria has to offer along the way.
About Cecilia and Scott FixScott and Cecilia are a travel blogging married couple who travel both locally and internationally. They have an insatiable desire for outdoor adventure, not necessarily just in the adrenaline junkie sense of the word, but for anything exciting and new. Cecilia has a background in humanitarian work, a Master's degree in International Development, and has served as a Peace Corps volunteer for 2 years in Cape Verde, giving her a keen interest in human relationships and connectedness. Scott has a background in physics and math. His love for travel is driven more by an intense curiosity to discover the history and theories of why things are the way they are. Together Scott and Cecilia have climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, scuba-dived in the Philippines, safari'd in Tanzania, and slept in a yurt in the mountains of West Virginia. But it's their love for "micro-adventure" that has led them to many of their new favorite experiences, including geocaching, camping in their backyard, sleeping in treehouses, and exploring haunted and abandoned locations.
Learn more about Cecilia and Scott Fix at lovicarious.com or on Instagram.
What We Cover in This EpisodeThere are very few places in the U.S. that you can go to that genuinely feel old, that you can look around and there's unique architecture. There's something unique about the town. I think a lot of places in the U.S. either tend to look the same or look very modern. Alexandra is someplace that definitely looks historical and it's that way, because it genuinely is.
So that history mixed with little bits of Modern cuisine, modern culture, with live performances, and pop up boutiques, it's a nice mixture of old and new.
Scott & Cecilia Fix Links to Places Mentioned in this Episode Where to Stay in Alexandria, VA:We love our listeners! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave me a comment below and let me know about your favorite part!
If you’ve been enjoying the show, please also consider leaving me a review in Apple Podcasts. It’s super easy; click here and go to “ratings and reviews.” I read and appreciate every single one! Each review helps new listeners find the podcast. Thank you!!
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Today, on the Locals Know Best podcast, I’ll be speaking with Jon Taylor about how to make the most of an outdoorsy trip throughout the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska.
This episode is sure to put you under the spell of the north. Join Jon and me as we enjoy the Kenai peninsula as an adventure-loving local would!
Our discussion is chock full of outdoor experiences, including sea kayaking, flying ourselves to epic fishing locations, hiking, and fat tire biking the beach! Also, as you would expect, there’s tons of mountain, glacier, bear, and Alaskan National Park chat along the way!
About Jon TaylorJon is a pilot, traveler, musician, and the Creative Director for the Strategic Marketing Agency known as Divining Point.
He started his career as a commercial photographer. During that time, he discovered the camera often unlocked access to some of the most beautiful places.
His talents include brand strategy, photography, videography, and graphic design for businesses in multiple industries.
He is known for his vision and creative eye, which give him the ability to conceive stunning visuals and rich storytelling that are sure to evoke emotion from the viewers.
Also, being a pilot, Jon gets to go where no roads will take you, which, turns out, is actually most of Alaska!
He has a lot of passion for hiking, camping, biking, bourbon tasting, and snow machining, and he says he’s married the most beautiful Alaskan that’s ever emerged from the snow.
If you’ve ever dreamt of exploring Alaska like a local, don’t miss this episode! He does an incredible job of explaining why Kenai is the perfect place to home base from for all of your future Alaskan adventures!
Follow Jon on Instagram and learn more about Kenai, Alaska at ILoveKenai.com.
What We Cover in This EpisodeThe real draw for Alaska wasn’t necessarily the mountains or the bears or the moose or the rivers. It was the people. As a very independent people, they consider themselves the most independent in America, and that’s debatable, but really, I mean, they’re furthest away from everybody else, and there’s certain self reliancy, but with that comes a certain dependence on other people. And so you’ll never be turned down if you need help.
Jon TaylorI tell anybody that’s planning to live in Alaska, don’t be afraid to just put yourself out there because everybody’s waiting for you.
Jon TaylorSo when people are going to be going to Alaska, they’re planning a vacation, a lot of times they’ll send me a quick message. Hey, got any tips, any plans, anything. And I always tell them the same thing. You’re going to land in Anchorage, and as you are starting your descent (flying up from the lower 48) look out the window. It’s absolutely beautiful. And then you land in Anchorage and all those beautiful things you saw when you were landing, that’s all down on the Kenai peninsula. That’s where it’s at.
Jon TaylorIn Alaska, there is a very high possibility that things won’t go the way you planned. Alaska does want to kill you. So you have to come prepared for that. And don’t just wander off into the wilderness. Stay on the trails, hike with a friend, bring your bear spray. Even if you have a GPS beacon, even for the easy trails, just bring it because I’ve had too many friends that have had very close encounters. So, my suggestion is, play it safe. If you’re going to hike in Alaska, it’s not like hiking in other places. … I think that sometimes there’s an effort to say, you know, come to Alaska it’s for everybody, and it is. But I think it’s also important to say, come to Alaska and please be careful. This isn’t like your normal tour of Carlsbad Caverns, where you’ve got a tour guide, and you’re riding in a Jeep. This is a serious place where serious things can happen. And that’s why you should come here in the first place because you’re actually getting the real experience of nature.
Jon Taylor Links to Places Mentioned in this Episode Kenai, AK Area Itinerary Destinations Mentioned in the Episode:We love our listeners! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave me a comment below and let me know about your favorite part!
If you’ve been enjoying the show, please also consider leaving me a review in Apple Podcasts. It’s super easy; click here and go to “ratings and reviews.” I read and appreciate every single one! Each review helps new listeners find the podcast. Thank you!!
Follow Cinders Travels on Facebook or Locals Knows Best Podcast on Instagram for Locals Know Best updates.
Today, I'll be speaking with Sam To about how to make the most of an outdoorsy trip to Flagstaff, Arizona.
Join Sam and me on a “choose your own level of adventure” summer day! Options range from hiking, biking, and swimming, to car touring and leisurely taking in Flagstaff’s beauty from up in the treetops.
About Sam ToSam works on the COVID-19 response team for the state of Arizona in a position that is 100% remote from home, which she has found to be pretty fantastic!
She lives with her husband, Will, her daughter, Lucy, and dog Pop.
Lucy is 1-year-old and has already joined them on numerous day trips, camping trips, and vacations all over Arizona! She’s even gone paddle boarding with them!
While Sam loves to spend time outdoors playing disc golf, hiking, kayaking, and sledding, she also equally enjoys beer tasting, pizza, and vegging on the couch while binging tv!
It quite honestly sounds like the epitome of balance to me!
In this episode, she does a great job of explaining why Flagstaff is the perfect place for all of those activities and more!
Connect with Sam about Flagstaff on Instagram!
What We Cover in This EpisodeThe smell of the pines, the sound of the wind through the trees. I don’t think that you could experience that anywhere near us. This little gem of a town in the middle of all of these giant forests in Arizona, I think, is the biggest surprise. It’s a nice little treat, in the middle of the mountains, surrounded by desert.
Sam ToIt’s a nice little community that you get to feel a part of when you come to visit. It takes you to a different place, whether you live here or whether you’re just visiting. I think it’s just cozy all around.
Sam To Links to Places Mentioned in this EpisodeWhere to Stay in Flagstaff, AZ:
We love our listeners! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave me a comment below and let me know about your favorite part!
If you’ve been enjoying the show, please also consider leaving me a review in Apple Podcasts. It’s super easy; click here and go to “ratings and reviews.” I read and appreciate every single one! Each review helps new listeners find the podcast. Thank you!!
Follow Cinders Travels on Facebook or Locals Knows Best Podcast on Instagram for Locals Know Best updates.
Today, I’ll be speaking with Laura Grier about all of her favorite outdoor adventures throughout Western Los Angeles. We’ll primarily focus on the span along the coast between Marina del Rey and Malibu, including stops in Venice, Santa Monica, Culver City, and Topanga.
And then, before wrapping it all up, we’ll also be taking a quick second-day trip over to Catalina Island!
Join Laura and me as we paddle, bike, jeep, hike, wine taste, and even take an extra day island adventuring all in West LA!
About Laura GrierLaura has lived in Venice Beach and Los Angeles for 20 years.
Living abroad from a young age and working for the CIA at age 18, Laura turned her life of travel, adventure, and exploration into a profession as a photojournalist.
She has been to all 7 continents through her work, shot weddings in over 15 countries, and has even been called the Indiana Jones of Adventure Travel Photography.
Laura was also featured on Discovery Channel UK’s “20 Richest People in the World List,” – highlighting people rich in life experiences.
Passionate about mentoring, women’s education, photography, and travel, Laura leads travel workshops and expeditions and serves as an ambassador for sustainable travel brands like Lokal and Impact Travel Alliance.
The most satisfying work so far in Laura’s career has been during the last 8 years with Novica, National Geographic’s global artisan catalog that represents artisans from around the world who are practicing “Vanishing Arts.”
With NOVICA, Laura has especially fallen in love with the culture and people of Peru.
Currently, Laura has joined forces with Pats Krysiak to create Andeana Hats, a sustainable fashion company that sources alpaca wool hats hand-made by Quechua women in the Sacred Valley of Peru.
The mission of Andeana Hats is to invest in women’s skills, empowering them to continue their vanishing crafts by connecting them to global marketplaces and supporting their leadership to increase their income and transform their communities.
Learn more about Laura Grier (and see more of her beautiful photography) at LauraGrier.com and learn more about Andeana Hats at AndeanaHats.com.
What We Cover in This EpisodeAnd then, as you get older, like 30 plus, usually people sort of migrate west to the beach, which is just a little bit more relaxed, like flip-flop lifestyle.
Laura GrierAnd then the entire hike is just all the way up this red rock road to the top of the mountain with incredible views. And it’s just, it looks like you’re on a different planet, like parts of it. And it doesn’t look like Los Angeles at all, and it’s all wooded and rocky formations, and it’s such a beautiful hike.
Laura GrierThe greatest part about living on the westside is that we have the best outdoor activity that people come from all over for, which is the beach. And I take it for granted at times because I live literally on the beach. Like I can walk out barefoot and be on the sand and, you can hear people like cheering at sunset for the sunset. Like it’s actually an event that people want to sit and watch.
Laura GrierWhat I love about Los Angeles is that there’s all these hills and canyons. And there’s all these windy mountain roads that are stunning. And there’s hidden forests and canyons and like overlooks and waterfall hikes and all kinds of things that are literally 15 minutes out of the city. So I think that’s the part that people don’t realize. They like want to jam in all the city stuff, and I think you definitely need more time to see the natural wonders.
Laura Grier Links to Places Mentioned in this Episode Where to Stay in the West Los Angeles, CA Area:We love our listeners! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave me a comment below and let me know about your favorite part!
If you’ve been enjoying the show, please also consider leaving me a review in Apple Podcasts. It’s super easy; click here and go to “ratings and reviews.” I read and appreciate every single one! Each review helps new listeners find the podcast. Thank you!!
Follow Cinders Travels on Facebook or Locals Knows Best Podcast on Instagram for Locals Know Best updates.
Today, I’ll be speaking with Sam Starns about all of her favorite outdoor adventures around the North Umpqua area, with notable stops in Roseburg, Oregon, and Crater Lake National Park.
Join Sam and me as we wake up and watch the sunrise in Crater Lake National Park. Then, we proceed with a packed day, full of paddling, hiking, exploring countless waterfalls, soaking in hot springs, fishing, and even mushroom foraging. Lastly, we wind down with a glass of wine in the “new Napa Valley” – Roseburg, Oregon.
About Sam StarnsSam is an adventure elopement photographer who takes stunningly beautiful photos.
She’s also the author of the book “Elope Your Life” and a TEDx speaker.
As an elopement expert, she travels the world, empowering others to elope in wild and beautiful places.
Sam grew up on a ranch, working in and exploring the great outdoors.
She also used to be a park ranger, as well as a naturalist on a whale-watching boat.
Currently, she home bases out of her hidden gem hometown — Roseburg, Oregon.
Due to its rugged mountains, countless waterfalls, and easy access to Crater Lake, she considers the area one of the most beautiful places the Pacific Northwest has to offer!
And she’s not wrong! If you love waterfalls, you’re going to love this episode because this area is chock full of them!
I know from experience that the sheer amount of waterfalls that can be seen in this area can be very overwhelming!
Sam does an excellent job of divulging which ones are worth your time and which ones are not.
Learn more about Sam Starns and her adventure elopements at SamStarns.com, from her Elope Your Life book on Amazon, or from her TEDx talk on YouTube.
What We Cover in this Episode
I really think that Roseburg and the surrounding area is just sort of an untapped potential for outdoor exploration.
Sam StarnsSo there’s this little bit of almost like a vortex in Oregon where people don’t realize that we’re here. … We’re the gateway to Crater Lake, along with Medford. We’re the two main ways from the west to get there. And there’s a whole highway and a whole mountain range that you’re exploring.
And not only that, our food scene has grown. We have so many amazing breweries, and we’re constantly growing in that respect. We are the new Napa Valley and the new Willamette Valley. We have award-winning wineries here.
And we have the North Umpqua trail, which is known for hiking, known for biking. Famous people, celebrities come up here to bike. And then, we’re two hours away from the Crater Lake rim.
And we just have so many things here that people don’t realize that are within easily a day’s drive of each other. So, you can easily spend multiple days here and still not see everything.
Sam StarnsI would say a decent amount of people come for wine, or they pass through to go to Crater Lake, and they don’t realize how many waterfalls are out there. It’s definitely a stop along the way, or people just tootle on pass it on I-5 going to another destination, and they just don’t realize everything that’s here.
Sam StarnsI think sunrise at Crater Lake is the absolute coolest thing because you have less people around, and you are seeing the first rays of light on that day.
Sam StarnsSo one of my favorite things to do is to go along the North Umpqua Highway, which is Highway 138, and check out all of the waterfalls. Well, maybe not all, cause there’s a lot of them! But check out a lot of the waterfalls and some you probably have seen on Instagram or in travel magazines.
Sam StarnsThe reason I tell people that the North Umpqua and the Roseburg area, and Crater Lake is a must-see is because, number one, you’re not going to have those crowds like you do at places like Yosemite or very modernized, commercialized places like Bend. It’s beautiful, but now there’s a ton of people. So if you’re wanting to get away from crowds but still see that beauty, this is a relatively undiscovered and untrafficked part of Oregon.
And then, on top of that, it’s so rugged and so beautiful. I have never seen a mountain peak aside from like the Matterhorn that looks like Mount Thielsen. And it is just so, so beautiful. We have such an amazing, concentrated selection of waterfalls that you’re bound to find something that you love. And it’s within not even a half a day’s drive of day drinking at a winery.
I think that’s really the best of all worlds.
Sam Starns Links to Places Mentioned in this Episode Where to Stay in The North Umpqua Area:We love our listeners! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave me a comment below and let me know about your favorite part!
If you’ve been enjoying the show, please also consider leaving me a review in Apple Podcasts. It’s super easy; click here and go to “ratings and reviews.” I read and appreciate every single one! Each review helps new listeners find the podcast. Thank you!!
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Today, I’ll be speaking with Mel Harrison about all of her favorite outdoor adventures around Livingston, Montana.
Join Mel and me as we spend a winter day cross-country skiing, dog sledding, snowshoeing, hiking, skiing, and ice skating all around Livingston, Montana.
Then, in the end, we’ll also dive into a few summer-weather outdoorsy activities, including fishing, floating, and hiking, that can be enjoyed in the Livingston area!
About Mel HarrisonMel is an expert on Montana and Yellowstone outdoor recreation and has spent years exploring both for work and pleasure.
She and her family are unschoolers who have shaped their life to include year-long travels, overnight rafting trips, weekly hikes with their homeschool group, backpacking into the wilderness, cross-country skiing, and more.
At TravelingMel.com, Mel writes about her family’s adventures in Montana and worldwide.
She has also authored two guide books focusing on hiking and skiing in the Greater Yellowstone area.
Learn more about Livingston, Montana from Mel’s website: Traveling Mel
What We Cover in this EpisodeAnd as having only lived in Livingston for 20 years, we’re relative newcomers. People would not consider us locals who’ve lived here, you know, generations.
Mel HarrisonLivingston has a great community. We love the people here. We love… it’s eccentric. There are some quirky folks out there. But that’s really what makes it pretty fun too.
Mel HarrisonAnd the other thing that I’ve really realized from traveling all over the world and other places … there aren’t a lot of places that have kind of the wilderness that we have here. Where you can go into the mountains and not see anybody or see any sign of humans other than the trail or a sign for kind of a long time. And I just haven’t found places like that on our travels. So that kind of always… the wildness of it, always brings me back.
Mel HarrisonThat’s a good point, though, that I usually try to bring up is that there are a lot of places where you won’t get cell service. And so you need to download your Google Maps, and you need to come ready to be a little bit self-sufficient. I mean, it’s not the wild west out here, but you can’t always get what you want right away.
Mel HarrisonAnd there’s just a really outdoors mindset here … most people who live here, not everybody, gets outside. Because I mean, what else are you going to do? Right. There’s some great restaurants. There’s a couple of small galleries. There’s a great art community here in Livingston, too. But really, if you don’t get outside, you would just go crazy here. Winters are long, and if you weren’t outside enjoying them, that’d be kind of brutal, in my opinion.
Mel HarrisonSo for such a small town of 7,000 people or 8,000 people, it’s pretty foodie, and there’s a lot of artists, you know, they say it’s where Cowboys and artists meet.
Mel HarrisonAnd a lot of times, what we’ll do is maybe we’ll ski for a few hours and then come back to the car or somewhere nearby, and we’ll have a fire … and then just kind of hang around the campfire in the snow for another couple hours.
Mel HarrisonI can’t imagine skiing somewhere that had lift lines. I kind of forget that that’s even a thing, but yeah, no lift lines.
Mel HarrisonThat Pine Creek trail I told you, it is kind of popular, but I think I sometimes forget that what I think is a lot of people on a trail might not seem like a lot of people on a trail if you’re coming from somewhere else. You know, if I see other people on the trail, it seems like too many other people on the trail, which is not, you know, which is crazy.
Mel HarrisonThis historic downtown of Livingston is beautiful. Once you see it, you’ll realize that, oh, I’ve seen this in other ads and commercials and things like that, because it’s so iconic with this western downtown, big mountain in the background, the neon signs, and we just have such a great community. And like I’ve said a couple of times, you know, there’s all these artists and cowboys and writers and foodies, you know, chefs and it’s this combination of all these interesting people, creative people, in this big outdoor setting that inspires it all.
Mel Harrison Links to Places Mentioned in this EpisodeWe love our listeners! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave me a comment below and let me know about your favorite part!
If you’ve been enjoying the show, please also consider leaving me a review in Apple Podcasts. It’s super easy; click here and go to “ratings and reviews.” I read and appreciate every single one! Each review helps new listeners find the podcast. Thank you!!
Follow Cinders Travels on Facebook or Locals Knows Best Podcast on Instagram for Locals Know Best updates.
Today, I’ll be speaking with Kristen Glazer about how to make the most of a day outdoors in Northfield, Minnesota.
Join Kristen and me as we spend a late summer / early fall day hiking, boating, and kayaking.
Then, in the end, we’ll cover a few winter-weather outdoorsy activities, including skiing, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing, that can be enjoyed in the Northfield area as well!
About Kristen GlazerKristen is a Minnesota-based travel writer.
She is also the founder of Expedition Kristen, a website that is chock full of thoughtful itineraries to help readers plan their next day trip or overnight stay while in Minnesota.
She started the site as a way to share her passion for the state and inspire readers to travel to and appreciate some of the state’s best-hidden gems.
Kristen lives a very active lifestyle and constantly explores the great outdoors via hiking, biking, kayaking, skiing, cross country skiing, boating, and snowboarding!
She also has a Masters of Science in Marketing, along with 10+ years of marketing communications experience.
Currently, she lives in the Twin Cities with her husband, Nic, and her giant Newfoundland, Ole.
Learn more about Minnesota from Kristen's website: Expedition Kristen
What We Cover in this Episode"Northfield is a really special town. Just to start off, I want to brag about Northfield for a minute here cause they've won a lot of awards. So they've won number two for Best Small Town in the Country by Livability. They've won number one best place for a Well-Rounded Retirement by Money. And they've won Top 50 Most Beautiful Small Towns in America by Country Living. And I think that that really captures it. It's a very quaint, just adorable, sweet little town on a river, two great colleges, close by state park, super, super affordable. It's super great for young people. There's a lot of huge companies here; Target, Best Buy, General Mills, 3M. Some of which we've actually both worked for. So there's a reason why it's won so many awards, and there's a reason why we lived there because it is really just a wonderful town. It's a great place."
Kristen
One of the big reasons that I've stayed here is Minnesota as a whole, but also, very specifically, Northfield is super affordable. Plus, I love being outside. I love the amount of outdoor parks here. We do a ton of hiking. We have kayaks, and I do cross country skiing and snowboarding. And it's just really wonderful.
Kristen
I always thought that it would be really amazing to live and work in New York City and be a young working woman. And I quickly found that it just wasn't exactly right for me. And although I like working in that exciting energy, I really need to get out of it when I'm done with work. And I really need to be in some quiet and some nature on the weekends and evenings. So the balance wasn't quite right for me in New York. So I love how easy it is to be in the Twin Cities, have access to amazing culture, restaurants, museums. And then you can so easily get outside of that and be in nature.
Kristen
I love to travel. I love to be outside and be active, and it's what I do naturally. So I started this blog, ExpeditionKristen.com, to just really share my love for Minnesota. It's heavily focused on outdoor things that you can do in Minnesota. … So it's a way for me to share my love of Minnesota and to help other people find some of the hidden gems that this, I think, very underrated state has to offer.
Kristen
I love that Minnesotans just like completely embrace winter, and that's how you get through it. People go ice fishing, and hunting and cross country skiing is really popular. And they'll have tons of different festivals on the frozen lakes. Ice hockey, golf events on frozen lakes, kite festivals. … So it's like, if you just have the right clothing and the right attitude, it's fine.
Kristen
For such a small little town, there's actually a lot of options for coffee and bakeries and all that kind of stuff. My first choice, though, is this place called Tandem Bagels. And the reason is because of their bagels. So I do have to admit, being a New Yorker, I am a little bit of a bagel snob. And tandem bagels is amazing. Easily they have the best bagels anywhere in Minnesota that I have come across. So I'm an everything bagel kind of girl, and it's like, they do it right.
Kristen
I keep using the word quaint, but that's exactly what it is. It's an adorable little town on the river with two beautiful colleges. In the summertime, there's farmer's markets. Which, I love going to those. They have live music and a lot of local vendors selling baked goods and crafts and homemade woodwork, and all kinds of really cool things. There's so many wonderful family-owned farms around town where you can pick blueberries or strawberries or pumpkins and apples. And there's a great yoga studio and a couple of breweries. I'm also a knitter, and there's a family-owned yarn store in town and an independent bookstore. There's just so much personality, and on top of all of it, you know, it's only 45 minutes away from Minneapolis, and it's super affordable. And they actually have excellent public schools. So it just is this all-around wonderful place, and it really, it really has it all!
Kristen
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