Episode 193 - The squad sits down with Gary Arndt to talk about what it’s like to travel the USA and the world as a travel photographer, pivoting careers into travel adjacent media, and unique facts about some of the most unique corners of the earth. Gary is the host of Everything Everywhere, the world’s most popular daily educational podcast. Prior to that he was a three time travel photographer of the year and spent 13 years traveling to all 7 continents, 204 countries and  every US state and territory and has a wealth of knowledge on culture, nature, and how to explore unique and lesser known special places across the globe. This interview will without a doubt teach you something you didn’t know before and maybe even inspire you to discover a new place for yourself.

You can find Gary on his podcast Everything Everywhere on his website and everywhere podcasts are streamed, or connect with him on Instagram @everythingeverywhere

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Episode 192 is taking you to Mesa Verde National Park in Southern Colorado to experience the 800+ year old Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings. These incredibly well-preserved ancient ruins will really get you going as you walk through actual steps and pathways the Ancient Puebloan people did nearly a century before. We visited Cliff Palace, Long House, and Balcony House on this trip, all which require a guided tour. Guided tours can be booked on recreation.gov. In this episode we share what you’ll see on those tours, tips for visiting Mesa Verde National Park, and make you feel like you’re exploring the park with us.

Cortez, CO is the nearest town to Mesa Verde National Park, here are some hotels we either stayed in or considered, and that we recommend you stay in while visiting.

• Baymont by Wyndham Cortez - We stayed here and really like the indoor pool and terrarium look and feel of the levels and balcony walkways.
• Hampton Inn Mesa Verde/Cortez
• Retro Inn at Mesa Verde - Super unique spot!

We did this trip in two days of tours, but you can fit it all in during one day! We recommend a Mesa Verde tour with Viator that gives you 9-hours through the park and dwellings with a tour guide to give you the history behind each spot.

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Connect: ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, and ⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠and contact us at [email protected] to submit a question of the week or inquire about guest interviews and advertising. Submit a question of the week or inquire about guest interviews and advertising.

Episode 191 is giving mid-term travel its time to shine in this special guest interview with Furnished Finder CEO and Founder, Brian Payne. Brian shares the travel and income opportunity in mid-term rentals and the phenomenon happening at the intersection of travel and living. We explore the lifestyle of mid-term travel whether you’re your own boss, a remote worker, or travel as a part of your occupation. He also shares more on how to list your home or room for rent on Furnished Finder to build your travel fund. Brian and the squad discuss the benefits of renting mid-term over long or short, and tools to help you get started if you are considering starting.

Learn more about Furnished Finder at furnishedfinder.com and all their resources for travelers and property owners.

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In this weeks Travel Flashback Episode we are taking you to see Oregon waterfalls on an epic three-day road trip around the state. This entire trip was planned around waterfalls in Oregon big and small. The Pacific Northwest gets so much rain and is a land of vast lush greenery which makes the waterfalls even more gorgeous. We detail this Oregon road trip with every stop, where we stayed, the hikes we did, and the best waterfalls in Oregon that are so good you’ll want to plan a whole trip around!

• Download the ⁠⁠4-Day Oregon Waterfalls Road Trip⁠⁠ Itinerary to follow this same trip!

Trip Highlights:

• Waterfalls: Bridal Veil Falls, Multnomah Falls, Sahalie Falls, Koosah Falls, & Trail of Ten Falls at Silver Falls State Park

• Lavender Valley
• Mirror Lake

• Tamolich Blue Pool
• McDowell Creek Falls Country Park

• Columbia River Gorge Viewpoints

Where to Stay in Portland: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Hyatt Regency Portland⁠ & ⁠Crowne Plaza Portland⁠ near downtown or ⁠Radisson Hotel⁠ & ⁠Holiday Inn Express ⁠near the airport

Where to Stay in Salem: ⁠⁠Holman Riverfront Park Hotel Salem⁠⁠, ⁠⁠The Grand Hotel⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Holiday Inn Salem⁠⁠

If you can't take this trip on your own, consider a Viator tour like the ⁠⁠Morning Multnomah Falls and Columbia River Gorge Waterfalls⁠⁠ or the ⁠⁠Columbia River Gorge Waterfalls Tour from Portland⁠⁠

If you love the Pacific Northwest, also check out our ⁠⁠Washington National Parks Road Trip Itinerary⁠⁠ to see all three of the parks up there with similar lush mossy greenery and waterfalls.

Flight Deals: Find a great flight deal to the PNW by signing up for⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Thrifty Traveler Premium⁠ and get flight deals sent straight to your inbox. Use our promo code TSP to get $20 off your first year subscription.

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In this Episode, we’re giving you five epic road trip ideas to take in different parts of the United States. We have long cross-country road trips, coastal road trips, and even some of the iconic road trips you see in movies – like the Hwy 1 in California. We love a good road trip at the Travel Squad and have taken many together! Some of these road trip ideas are from our own trips, and others are the so-called best road trips to take in USA that are still on our bucket lists.

There is something quintessential about a road trip that brings you back to childhood playing car games, sharing snacks, and photo bombing each other when we fall asleep. These are road trips to take with your best friend, your lover, your family, and anyone as adventurous as you are to get lost, see weird stuff, and realize it’s not always the destination, but the journey that really makes the trip.

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Episode 188 is welcoming summer with 10 of the top beaches in the US! From the east coast to the west coast we’re sharing some of the best beaches we’ve been to for sunbathing, people watching, swimming in the waves, and enjoying summer cocktails on the boardwalk. Some of these are the prettiest beaches in the US and others on this list have a lively vibe, all of them are amazing and should be added to your list!

Our top 10 beaches in America for 2023

Travel Itineraries on Sale Now! Explore our instant download trip itineraries for trips to iconic USA, international, and national park destinations that plan every detail of the adventure for you. On sale for $30! travelsquadpodcast.com/travelitinerary

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Ecuador is one of South America’s most diverse and underrated destinations, offering everything from colonial cities and colorful markets to the Amazon rainforest and towering volcanoes. We took this incredible trip with ⁠Gate 1 Travel⁠ for just $1,200 at the time. Our package included international flights, hotels, most meals, transportation, and guided tours—making it one of the best-value international trips we’ve ever done.

In this episode, we share our full week-long Ecuador itinerary, with highlights from Quito, Otavalo, the Amazon, Baños, and beyond. From standing on the equator to ziplining in the rainforest, soaking in hot springs, and dining in historic haciendas, this trip had it all. Plus, we share our must-know tips on vaccines, altitude sickness, and cultural differences so you can be prepared for your own adventure to Ecuador.

On this 8-day Ecuador trip we explored:

• Quito's colonial district
• The Equator! Visiting to the middle of the world and monument that stands on the equator (sort of)
• Shopping at Otavalo Market
• Exploring Peguche Waterfall
• Spa and thermal hot springs high in the Andes Mountains at Termas de Papallacta
• La Punta Ahuano on the Napo River, a tributary leading to the Amazon River
• Hiking the Amazon Rainforest in search for wildlife with natives of the region
• El Pailon del Diablo, the largest waterfall in Ecuador
• Banos, Ecuador
• Rose plantation in Ecuador

Although this was a guided tour, should you decide to do this trip on your own and need to find your own accommodations, we recommend the following hotels in each of the places we visited:

• ⁠Hilton Colon Quito⁠
• ⁠Hotel Otavalo⁠
• ⁠Termas de Papallacta⁠
• ⁠Kuyana Amazon Lodge⁠
• ⁠Hacienda Leito⁠

Whether you go on this trip with a guided tour, or on your own, be sure to check our ⁠additional activities⁠ to do and see in Ecuador via ⁠Viator⁠ to help make the most of your trip!

If you're looking for a flight deals to Ecuador, or anywhere else, we recommend signing up for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thrifty Traveler Premium⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠to get daily flight deals (points & cash) emailed directly to you! Use our promo code TS10 to get $10 off your first year subscription.

Since this is an international trip, make sure you can stay connected and access internet and data on the cheap with ⁠Airalo⁠. Airalo is an E-Sim instant download that allows you to avoid the high costs of accessing internet and data with your home country cell provider while traveling internationally.

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Episode 186 is taking you to a very unique national park in America -Gateway Arch National Park! This urban center has historic roots as the gateway to the West during the expansion era in America. This is the perfect day trip from Chicago or stop during a St. Louis trip. You can ride the tram, explore the museum, and take a steamboat cruise to get the full experience at Gateway Arch National Park. We recommend purchasing a combo ticket.

Recommended St Louis Hotels:

• Drury Plaza St. Louis at the Arch
• Hyatt Regency Saint Louis at The Arch

Save on Flights: Find a great flight deal to St. Louis by signing up for Thrifty Traveler Premium and watching the daily flight deals (points & cash) that are emailed directly to you! Use our promo code TS10 to get $10 off your first year subscription.

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Connect: ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, and ⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠and contact us at [email protected] to submit a question of the week or inquire about guest interviews and advertising. Submit a question of the week or inquire about guest interviews and advertising.

Episode 136 is taking you on our Tulum vacation where we spent a full week exploring the best cenotes in Tulum, walking ancient Mayan ruins in Tulum, eating endless tacos, lounging on the beach, and exploring nearby Bacalar. On this trip to Tulum Mexico we explored four different cenotes and three different ruin cites including the famous Chichen Itza. After spending a good amount of time here, we’re able to give you the insider tips on the best things to do in Tulum that are worth the money so you can plan and maximize your own Tulum trip! Out of all the vacation places in Mexico, we highly recommend this one!

Episode highlights:

• Mayan Ruins: Tulum Ruins & Sian Ka'an with Muyil Ruins 

• Tulum Beaches

• Cenotes

• Day trip to Bacalar

• Day trip to Chichen Itza

We made taking this trip extremely easy with our completely built out 1 weekTulum itinerary available for instant download now! The Tulum itinerary gives travel tips, restaurant and hotel recommendations, links to every activity we booked, packing list, and a day by day itinerary for you to follow.

Here are a few hotel recommendations in the Tulum area.

Tulum Beach: Alaya Tulum, La Zebra Colibri Boutique Hotels, Kanan Tulum Treehouse

Tulum Town: Orchid House Tulum Jungle, Layla Tulum, or Hotel Muaré

Be sure to check out our Tulum Viator experiences for all activities we recommend and even some that we wanted to do but couldn't get to.

If you're looking for a flight deal to Tulum, we recommend signing up for Thrifty Traveler Premium to get daily flight deals (points & cash) emailed directly to you!

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Connect: ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, and ⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠and contact us at [email protected] to submit a question of the week or inquire about guest interviews and advertising. Submit a question of the week or inquire about guest interviews and advertising.

Episode 184 is going to inspire you to explore America’s great outdoors. In honor of National Park Week, we are sharing even more ways to see these amazing national parks for free! There are more year-round free national parks than you might think and each one brings unique landscapes. Whether you want to see America by sea, go north to see America on ice, or gaze up at the tallest trees in America, and the world - you can do it all and do it all for free. 

This episode shares what national parks week is, what other days throughout the year you can get into all parks free of charge, and shares 10 of our favorite parks that are free all year long.

Travel Itineraries on Sale Now! Explore our instant download trip itineraries for trips to iconic USA, international, and national park destinations that plan every detail of the adventure for you. On sale for $30! ⁠travelsquadpodcast.com/travelitinerary⁠

Shop our favorite travel gear, packing lists, and gifts for travelers on our Amazon Shop ⁠https://www.amazon.com/shop/travelsquadpodcast⁠ 

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