Travel Connections

Have you been on a cruise to Alaska?

Welcome to a very special episode of Travel Connections. Why is it so special? Well, it's because I am interviewing my daughter, Alex Karlen. Alex and I took our very first ocean cruise on the Celebrity Edge. And I thought, who better to tell the story and add her colorful insights than my exceptional and clever daughter? We have not traveled together in quite a while, and I was thrilled she could clear her calendar to come with me!

Her fantastic husband, Brent, took care of their four-year-old twins while she and I embarked on our unique Alaskan Adventure.

In her work world, Alex is a Director and Branch Manager for the Pacific Northwest in the creative space. She is a fantastic baker, an excellent home cook, and a voracious reader when she has any spare time.

You will hear us talk about Ann and Steve Teget. Ann and Steve organized this special group of guests for a Friends of Postcard Jar Cruise. They are experts on cruising and have written a lot about it on their website, Postcard Jar. They are my go-to people for cruising.

I was curious if I would be a good fit for an enormous, 3,000-person ocean liner, but this incredible ship was perfect for me to see if we liked it. We loved it! The ship design was over the top incredible, the service was top-notch, and Alaska—oh wow. Nature on such a grand scale is a sight to behold. And the cruise embarked from our hometown of Seattle! It was kind of a no-brainer!

• What is it really like on a Celebrity Edge Cruise to Alaska?
• Alex and Suzanne pro-tips!
• All of the amenities on The Celebrity Edge
• What is a flair bartender?
• Why Alaska is a MUST-see!
• Details of the Spectacular Dawes Glacier!

Let me know what you think about cruising! Have you been to Alaska? I'd love to hear about your experiences.

Essential links in this episode:

Postcard Jar - Fantastic news of cruises and travel by Ann & Steve Teget

Travel Connections Podcast

Adventures of Empty Nesters

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Suzanne Stavert

Adventures of Empty Nesters

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Adventures of Empty Nesters

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Are you looking for a couple of ingredients for a successful summer trip? Welcome to this minisode or mini-episode. Do you have 8 minutes? In this quick episode, we catch you up and provide a few bite-size bits of travel news!

I share some fun information, and you can check out the highlights below:

1. I'm catching you up on my fantastic cruise to Alaska with my daughter Alex. I'll give you some highlights and let you know that I am creating a special episode devoted to the cruise, which will be published on July 26th.
2. Our podcast team is taking a mid-season hiatus because everyone is traveling simultaneously! We will reconnect later this summer.
3. I share my summer travel plans with you!
4. I offer three summer travel tips for a happy vacation. Make your plans early, as it is crowded everywhere!

• Look for personal travel connections
• Be patient - Seriously, this is a must!
• Learn to pivot

This quick and "newsy" episode is a speedy highlight travel reel. We will take our travel break and see you on July 26th with a brand-new regular format episode.

Safe travels, friends!

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Suzanne Stavert

Adventures of Empty Nesters

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Suzanne's Amazon Shop

Today's guest is a very special someone and my personal Travel Connection. She is the queen of embracing life even when it is really hard. I met her not too long ago, in September 2023, while I was a host with Tuscan Women Cook in Tuscany. You may remember from a prior episode my interview with Coleen Kirnan, the owner of Tuscan Women Cook.

JeriLynne Clifford and her husband Scot were part of a group participating in a week-long immersive experience in Tuscany. We learned cooking techniques from the local Italian nonnas or grandmas, sampled delicious local ingredients, and visited other neighboring towns.

Meeting this special couple was a treat, but what you don't know is that we learned prior to their arrival that JeriLynne and Scot's house burned down while they were traveling in Italy. Lightning struck the house, and they lost absolutely everything.

Embracing life with gratitude even through the tears

Understandably, our first encounter was during probably one of the more difficult times of her life. Impossible to imagine, right? However, she was gracious and inspiring and I couldn't believe how engaging they both were. The entire week was a tremendous success and the two of them fit in with the group seamlessly. JeriLynne talks about how Italy was instrumental in the start of the healing process for them.

JeriLynne is known as The Hill County Bon Vivant and has been a tastemaker for as long as she can remember. She was 16 when she catered her first wedding and continued to cater full and part-time throughout her life. She first realized her love for adventure in food, entertaining, and traveling when she started planning family vacations and events.

In this episode, she shares her personal (and inspiring) saga and then gives us the delicious details of her new weekly subscription, Mastering the Ease of Home Cooking. Every week, she shares a new menu, recipes, and a grocery and prep list to help you be successful in the kitchen.

• How to move forward when tragedy happens
• Living with gratitude
• What is a bon vivant?
• How Italy helped start the healing process
• What the arches in her new home will mean to her
• What is the secret to success in the kitchen
• The importance of learning to pivot
• What is Mastering the Ease of Home Cooking?

For all of the details of JeriLynne's new business Mastering the Ease of Home Cooking - Click HERE!

Important Links:

The Hill Country Bon Vivant

Mastering the East of Home Cooking

Other episodes featuring Italy:

Travel to Tuscany Stories From the Heart - Angela Correll

The Italian Cooking School of Your Dreams - Coleen Kirnan

Travel to Italy Today - Alice Salvagnin

Hello, and welcome to another fantastic episode of Travel Connections. My special guest today is Cindy Greenstein, also known as The Points Mom; she will share with you several brilliant opportunities you may not have known existed. After this interview, you will be excited to dive into your current credit card capabilities and create rewards and travel possibilities. I am so inspired.

Let me tell you a little about Cindy. During her more than 20 years of marriage, Cindy Greenstein, also known as (The Points Mom) has used credit card points to travel the world while rarely paying for airline flights and hotel rooms. Some of her five-figure family travel savings include trips to Aspen ($26,000), Greece ($23,000), and London ($15,000). Cindy, an attorney and former certified public accountant, founded The Points Mom to share her credit card rewards program expertise with family, friends, and small business owners who don't have the time to learn how to maximize their points.

• Why did Cindy Greenstein create The Points Mom?
• The benefits of accumulating points and miles
• The benefits of a flexible reward card
• What is a multiplier, and why is it important
• The advantage of traveling during the nonpeak seasons
• How you can save BIG money through these programs - SAVE MONEY ON TRAVEL!

This episode is enlightening and will absolutely help you begin your credit card rewards journey. I learned so much and have already implemented her suggestions! This episode is so packed full of great information that you may want to listen twice!

Important Links!

The Points Mom

Instagram: ThePointsMom_

Facebook: The Points Mom

Travel Connections Podcast

Adventures of Empty Nesters

Instagram:

Suzanne Stavert

Adventures of Empty Nesters

This is a fun, informative episode. It came about because two weeks ago, I did a road trip episode called Our Epic Road Trip in Arizona. In it, I talked a lot about what we did specifically and gave you the details of where we stayed and what activities we enjoyed. Sharing this itinerary was so successful and well-received that I thought I'd do one more.

Spending time in such a fabulous city like Seattle is always a fun experience. Several years ago, I shared a blog post on my blog, Adventures of Empty Nesters, titled A Girls' Trip Itinerary in Seattle. It has become one of my most popular posts, sparking the desire to create another satisfying itinerary. Interestingly, this time, the adventure was shared by three men and me. This recent visit is still fresh in my mind, and I'm thrilled to share it with you. The best part? The entire day's itinerary is within a short walking distance, offering unique experiences at every turn, making it an easy and fun day of exploration.

Itinerary:

• Space Needle
• Lunch at The Bar Chihuly Garden and Glass
• Visit Chihuly Gardens and Glass
• Museum of Pop Culture - Also known as MoPop
• Day extension:
• Olympic Sculpture Park
• Tilikum Place

The episode offers some great history about the Seattle Center and some excellent logistical tips, like starting your day early and parking in the lot adjacent to the Space Needle.

Seattle offers so much! Here is the link to The Girls Trip Itinerary. All of these suggestions can be combined with other activities.

Check out my other episodes featuring other destinations like Whidbey and Camano Islands, and the Skagit Valley, which are only a short drive from downtown Seattle.

Travel Connections Podcast

Adventures of Empty Nesters

Instagram:

Suzanne Stavert

Adventures of Empty Nesters

Other episodes mentioned:

A Girls Trip to Seattle

Our Epic Road Trip in Arizona

Whidbey Island: Orchard Kitchen with Chef Vincent Nattress

Camano Island: Discover Regenerative Travel

Skagit Valley: Featuring Chef Christy Fox

Welcome to today's episode devoted to our epic road trip in Arizona. Don't miss the links at the bottom! If you would like to go straight to the highlights and links to restaurants and activities just scroll on down!

This episode was not originally on the editorial calendar. But to be perfectly honest, I planned such a fantastic itinerary for this Spring Training, great food, beautiful landscapes, Grand Canyon Adventure, that I had to share it with you. Imagine us just sitting together over a cup of coffee or a craft cocktail and you saying, "So, how was your trip to Arizona?"

I am kind of embarrassed to admit that we had never been to Sedona or the Grand Canyon, but I soon learned that many of you hadn't either! Now you will have an itinerary to use as a base for your next epic road trip in Arizona!

Every detail of the itinerary went perfectly! We are always open to learning about new places to visit, and we used several suggestions from various sources to create this long weekend vacation.

• Spring Training do's and don'ts - "Hot" Tips too
• Fantastic restaurants
• A new to us hotel that was once a private home
• Learning to navigate rain while traveling
• A spectacular chapel built in the red rocks of Sedona
• A distillery with postcard views that will blow your mind
• Seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time during a light snowfall - Epic!

Important Links:

Travel Connections Podcast

Adventures of Empty Nesters

Instagram:

Suzanne Stavert

Adventures of Empty Nesters

Phoenix:

Tratto

Pizzeria Bianco

Mastros Ocean Club

Royal Palms Hotel

Sedona:

L'Auberge de Sedona

Mariposa

Dahl and DiLuca

Redwall Distillery

Wildflower

Pink Jeep Tours

Chapel of the Holy Cross

Welcome to another episode of Travel Connections. Once again, we hit a home run with our next guest. Aurora Echo lives on Whidbey Island, WA, and owns a delightfully successful business called Wildly Beloved Foods.

It's interesting; Aurora only validates that every time I visit Whidbey Island, WA, I meet someone new who impresses me. I am once again reminded of how exceptional this destination truly is. My husband and I have visited the island many times, rain or shine, during the summer or while the snow is falling. It is located only about an hour north of Seattle, depending on traffic and ferry wait time. We absolutely love it.

Whidbey Island and the people who live there are so fascinating that you will find that we have created several podcast episodes in which I have interviewed many intriguing guests who all live on the island. What better way to share a destination than to tell the story through the locals who live there?

Recently, I had the opportunity to meet a powerhouse of a woman who created her own business out of necessity and from a passion for culinary adventures. Aurora Echo created Wildly Beloved Foods, where she makes delicious pasta with healthy, organic ingredients. The minute I met her, I knew she had to come on the podcast and tell her story. It's just too good! Her tenacity and strength to overcome many challenges and succeed to where she is right now inspires me!

• How passion and tenacity helped to create an organic pasta business
• Why organic food matters- What is the 'Dirty Dozen'?
• Aurora shares sage advice about starting a new business
• How does Whidbey Island fit into the success of Wildly Beloved Foods?
• What are some of the challenges that female business owners face?
• Why is environmentally friendly packaging important to Aurora?
• Suggestions for a trip to Whidbey Island, WA!

Website:

Wildly Beloved Foods

Travel Connections Podcast

Adventures of Empty Nesters

Instagram:

WildlyBelovedFoods

GoWhidbeyCamano

Suzanne Stavert

Adventures of Empty Nesters

Other Podcast Episodes Featuring Whidbey Island:

A Spectacular Weekend on Whidbey Island - I am Smitten!

A Conversation with Restaurateur Jenn Jurrians

Art & Life on Whidbey Island with Holly & David Price

Kayaking and Island Life on Whidbey Island

Orchard Kitchen: Farm-Focused Fine Dining

Regenerative Travel on Whidbey and Camano Islands

In this episode, we travel to Tuscany, but we make a couple of stops first.

Angela Correll is one of just a few guests who have appeared on my show more than once. However, back in October 2022, our conversation was not about Italy; it focused on all things Kentucky. She was an essential part of a three-episode series devoted to my passion for this beautiful state and, of course, the Bourbon Trail.

Here's an interesting side story: Angela and I first met in Tuscany when she and her husband Jess were saying goodbye to friends in front of their home. I was in Tuscany working with Tuscan Women Cook, an Italian Cooking school inside the medieval walls of Angela's Italian village.

Our travel connection in Tuscany allowed for further connections with Kentucky. What a fantastic coincidence!

I intentionally share these travel connections with you because stepping out of our comfort zone, especially while traveling, so often enhances our lives in ways we never dreamed of. I love sharing my travel connections with you! Here's more about Angela!

Angela Correll is the author of Restored in Tuscany, released in March 2024. She also has written Grounded, Guarded and Granted, a trilogy of novels that became Amazon bestsellers and have been adapted to the stage for sold-out audiences at the Pioneer Playhouse, Kentucky's oldest outdoor theater.

I have read them all and absolutely loved them!

Angela and her husband Jess are co-founders of Wilderness Road Hospitality, a suite of businesses on Main Street of Stanford, Kentucky's second-oldest city.

The couple have been traveling to Italy for nearly twenty-five years but recently made a second home in a small hilltop village by restoring a former horse stable inside the medieval walls of a tiny town called Montofollonico. These experiences formed the basis of her travel memoir, Restored in Tuscany: A True Story of Facing Loss, Finding Beauty, and Moving Forward with Hope.

I have the unique perspective of spending a great deal of time in this magical Italian town, and I am so excited to share our conversation about one of my favorite places on Earth.

• How did Angela transition from writing fiction to memoir?
• Why is Italy such a healing place?
• Why are the natural rhythms of the Tuscan village so soothing?
• What steps must we take to slow down and enjoy life more?
• Excellent advice from Angela on how to do some "pruning" before we can embark on new adventures
• Thoughtful lessons from her book Restored In Tuscany
• What must we do to embrace a new season of life?

Important Links:

AngelaCorrell.com

Travel Connections Podcast

Adventures of Empty Nesters

Tuscan Women Cook

Instagram

@AngelaBCorrell

Facebook

Angela Correll

Adventures of Empty Nesters

Travel Connections Kentucky Series

Welcome to our third and final episode devoted to our tour of Southern Africa. We recorded three episodes that focused entirely on this spectacular experience on this tour by Collette.

In Episode One, I talk with my husband, Craig, about the tour's unique details. In Episode 2, I interviewed our tour manager, Samantha Johnson, who ensured we all had everything we needed and the tour ran smoothly.

I am sad to see the end of this series. This Southern Africa tour was incredible and magical, and I truly enjoyed sharing these details with you.

The tour by Collette is called Wilderness of Southern Africa: Safari By Land and By Water. You can find the links to the tour and other things we discussed below.

In this episode, I interview Terry Anders, the owner and operator of Iganyana, a luxury tented camp in Zimbabwe. During our stay at Iganyana, Terry and his team are responsible for creating some of the most amazing experiences of our tour!

Terry Anders grew up in a small country town in Zimbabwe, and during our conversation, he shared how growing up in the outdoors shaped who he is today. He started as a young apprentice, and then after 4-5 years of education, experience, and rigorous testing, he began his travel career.

He and his wife created Iganyana, and Iganyana means spotted dog. You will hear all the details of the camp, which is located on the African savannah in Hwange National Park. When I envisioned what I thought a tented camp would look and feel like, ironically, it looked just like Iganyana.

Terry's stories are captivating and he describes the African- tented camp as "simple luxury". I concur! Our experience at the camp included the "most memorable travel experience of my life." Truly.

• Hospitality in Africa
• The beauty of simple luxury and how to define it
• Details of The Presidential Herd of elephants that live nearby
• How to keep the pool clean when the elephants come to visit
• How Iganyana was constructed to blend in with nature
• What is the benefit of a walking safari, and why is it different?
• The huge impact and importance of tourism in Africa

Important Links:

Episode One of the Africa Series with Craig Stavert

Episode Two of the Africa Series with Samantha Johnson of Collette

Wilderness of Southern Africa: Safari By Land and By Water

Travel Connections Podcast

Adventures of Empty Nesters

Facebook:

Collette

Iganyana Tented Camp

Adventures of Empty Nesters

Instagram

Iganyana Tented Camp

Suzanne Stavert

Adventures of Empty Nesters

Collette

Welcome to Episode Two of our African Safari series. In Episode One, I interview and talk with my husband, Craig Stavert. We share many details of what it was really like going on safari with Collette. It is a great way to begin this series of episodes.

Now, in Episode Two, you meet Samantha Johnson. She was our Collette tour guide, and she managed our experience perfectly. The tour is called Wilderness of Southern Africa: Safari By Land and By Water. This is a small group tour, where we bonded easily with the guests and had a blast getting to know each other.

This woman has touched my heart, and I cannot wait for you to get to know her as well. It is an extraordinary experience for me to meet someone like Samantha. I don't mean to be dramatic, but meeting her has absolutely 100% changed my life for the better. She introduced me to a world in Africa I never knew. It's a wonderful privilege.

Samantha has 27 years of experience in the tourism business in Africa; she is highly knowledgeable and passionate about sharing her beloved Africa with all of the guests on tour. Samantha begins our interview by telling us a little bit about growing up in Apartheid, having a black father and a white mother, and the struggles that they had to endure. You will be captivated.

We then talk about what it is really like on safari with Collette. (It's out of this world!) She shares how wild animals are a part of everyday life in Africa and that her "peace" came from the animals.

• Details of Chobe National Park, where there are 70,000 elephants, several prides of lions, 450 species of birds, enormous giraffes, dazzles of zebras, herds of kudu, impalas everywhere, leopards, hippos and so much more!
• The importance of tourism in Africa
• Why Africa should be at the top of your bucket list and doable!
• How the local people enhance your experience in Africa
• The many incredible surprises that the tour offers
• How Collette creates the perfect tour by land and by water

Important Links:

Wilderness of Southern Africa: Safari By Land and By Water

Travel Connections Podcast

Adventures of Empty Nesters

Facebook:

Collette

Iganyana Tented Camp