Emily Thompson, Executive Director of The Coalition to Protect America's National Parks was our first guest, followed by Claire Fahy, a reporter for the New York Times, who gave tips on how to protect yourself when ordering and using Lyft, Uber or another ride share app.

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This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel at the Link below:

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Jason Cochran, author of Frommer's London, discussed the newly opened parts of the Houses of Parliament that visitors can see, London's brand new Vagina Museum, a blockbuster show at the Victoria and Albert, tours of abandoned Underground stations and more. Then the New York Times Seth Kugel unpacked a major fail by Delta Airlines, with some useful lessons on what travelers need to know when things go wrong.

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This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel at the Link below:

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Rolando Pujol, author of the just released book "The Great American Retro Roadtrip: A Celebration of Roadside Americana" was our guest, and he discussed the history of the motel (turning 100 in 2025), roadside "Giants" you must see, Googie architecture, and more.

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This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel at the Link below:

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Jeff Bogle, author of the new book "Street Cats & Where to Find Them: The Most Feline-Friendly Cities and Attractions Around the World", was this episode's guest.

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This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel at the Link below:

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In this special episode, we’re bringing you a story from the acclaimed series Hidden Trails of Oregon, hosted by award-winning travel writer Aaron Millar.

Join Aaron as he visits the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute, owned and operated by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indians. Through the voice of Indigenous leader Bobbie Conner, you’ll discover the powerful, often untold history of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla peoples—whose ancestral lands stretch across Eastern Oregon.

This immersive journey weaves together sound-rich storytelling, historical insight, and the living traditions of a community determined to ensure their culture endures. It’s a profound look at the Oregon Trail from a perspective too often left out of history books, and a reminder of the resilience summed up in the words: Cháwna mun na’ámta – We will never fade.

Listen to the full Hidden Trails of Oregon series:

On Spotify

On Apple Podcasts

Plan your own journey to Oregon:

Travel Oregon

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This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel at the Link below:

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PBS host Mickela Mallozzi told us about her adventures in Indonesia, Taiwan, New Zealand, Southern Italy and elsewhere, and also discussed what the future holds for her Emmy Award winning show "Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi".

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This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel at the Link below:

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Andrea Sachs, travel reporter for the Washington Post, discussed the 5 boatable, walkable and wonderful trails added to the National Trails system this June. Then Shafik Meghji, author of the new book "Small Earthquakes: A Journey Through Lost British History in South America", talked about why Welsh is still spoken in Patagonia, what the heck the Falklands War was about, and other ways the UK has been entangled with the continent over the centuries.

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This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel at the Link below:

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Daniel Stables, author of the new book "Fiesta: A Journey Through Festivity," discussed fascinating, travel-worthy festivals in Italy, Thailand, Scotland, Nevada and elsewhere—and what they tell us about what it means to be human.

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This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel at the Link below:

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Pauline's daughter Veronica Stewart-Frommer, lead singer of the band Melt, came on to discuss her recent 100-mile hike through some of the most majestic areas of France, Italy and Switzerland

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This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel at the Link below:

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Dylan Thuras and Cara Giaimo, publisher and author of the new book "Atlas Obscura: Wild Life" came on to discuss exploding ants, Devil's Hole pup fish, tent-making bats, Morimo moss balls, and the other extraordinary flora and fauna you might consider traveling to see.

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This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel at the Link below:

Smart Travel Podcast