In this episode of Amateur Traveler, Chris talks with Nathan Brennan from brennanfitnessacademy.com about a week-long summer road trip through Salt Lake City and Northern Utah, combining Utah history, mountain scenery, Olympic venues, hiking, lakes, small towns, and some distinctly Utah food.

Nathan lives between Salt Lake City and Provo and recommends a summer itinerary that begins and ends in Salt Lake City. The route travels north to the Great Salt Lake, east into the Wasatch Mountains and Park City, south through the Heber Valley and Provo Canyon, then loops back through Utah Valley and the Cottonwood Canyons.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-northern-utah/

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Hear about travel to Detroit, Michigan, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Cassandra Sugarman about her adopted hometown and a week-long itinerary that explores the city’s comeback, automotive heritage, music history, neighborhoods, museums, food, and nearby communities.

Cassandra describes Detroit as a city of revival. The rise of the automobile industry transformed Detroit into one of America’s great industrial cities, while later economic downturns and the city’s 2014 bankruptcy left visible scars. In the years since, new investment, restaurants, public spaces, art, and restored historic buildings have helped reshape the city.

She recommends spending about a week in Detroit, although travelers with three or four days can easily choose the parts of the itinerary that interest them most.

Day 1: Downtown Detroit and the RiverWalk

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-detroit-michigan/

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Hear about travel to Madrid, Spain, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Felicity Hughes of TheMakingOfMadrid.com about how to spend about a week exploring her adopted hometown.

Felicity moved to Madrid in 2012, writes and podcasts about the city, and is currently the lead writer for Lonely Planet’s Madrid guides. She recommends giving Madrid more than the typical three-day visit. While you can see the headline sights quickly, a week gives you time to explore Madrid’s historic neighborhoods, museums, food culture, and parks, while also taking two important day trips to Toledo and El Escorial.

Why should you go to Madrid?

Felicity says, “I think it’s brilliant… Madrid has London beat… the transport system here rarely breaks down. It’s really efficient, it’s really cheap… And the people… everybody’s really accepting of you… They’re so friendly and open. And of course, the glorious sunny weather. For me, the essential charm of Madrid is the people… you won’t get to experience that unless you take a breath and just sit in a bar and have a conversation with someone… People are so friendly here, it’s incredible.”

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-madrid-spain-2/

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Discover the lush landscapes, charming towns, Atlantic beaches, historic cities, vineyards, and national parks of Portugal's Minho region in this one-week itinerary with Sandra from Verdeful. 

Why should you go to Minho?

Sandra says, "The reason why I would like to tell people more about this part of the world is because it's such a beautiful place with a lot of greenery. It's what makes Minho special to me. If someone has a week in northern Portugal, I would suggest a route that mixes coast, countryside, and also a bit of city life... we can explore some coastal villages, beaches, spend some time in some historical cities, and then, of course, go to the vineyards and have some nice sparkling Vinho Verde."

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-northern-portugal/

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In this episode of the Amateur Traveler podcast, Chris talks with Virginia-based travel writer and television host Malorie Mackey about visiting Richmond and Virginia’s Historic Triangle.

Malorie recommends combining Richmond with Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown rather than treating them as separate trips. Together, they offer a mix of colonial history, Revolutionary War sites, Civil War history, museums, gardens, outdoor recreation, restaurants, breweries, living-history experiences, and theme parks.

A rushed version of the trip can be done in three days, but Malorie and Chris agree that five or six days would provide a much better experience.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-virginia-richmond-williamsburg/

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Travel to Orléans, France, with Riana from Teaspoon of Adventure as she shares a seven-day itinerary featuring Joan of Arc history, Loire River scenery, medieval towns, museums, local food, and some of the most impressive châteaux in the Loire Valley.

 Orléans is about 75 miles southwest of Paris and approximately 90 minutes away by train. Its compact historic center, good train connections, and access to the surrounding countryside make it a practical base for exploring both the city and the Loire Valley.

Riana recommends spending the first three days in Orléans, taking train trips on days four and five, and renting a car for château-hopping on days six and seven.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-orleans-france/

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In this episode of Amateur Traveler, I recount a six-night sailing voyage aboard the Schooner Heritage, one of the vessels in the Maine Windjammer Association fleet.

The trip began and ended in Rockland, Maine, and covered roughly 116 miles through Penobscot Bay. Unlike a conventional cruise, there was no fixed daily itinerary. Each day’s route depended on the wind, tides, currents, weather forecast, and the availability of a safe anchorage.

I was a guest of the Schooner Heritage. The cruise was hosted, while I paid for transportation to Rockland, expenses before boarding, and crew gratuities.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/sailing-maine-windjammer/

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In this episode of Amateur Traveler, Sam Williams joins Chris to talk about the Caribbean island of Dominica, a destination he describes as “unspoiled Caribbean.” Unlike many Caribbean islands, where the main draw is the beach, Dominica is known for its rainforest, mountains, waterfalls, hot springs, snorkeling, whale watching, canyoning, and sea turtles.

Sam recommends spending about a week on the island, renting a car, and using the Roseau area as a base for much of the trip before finishing on the wilder east coast near Rosalie Bay.

Why Visit Dominica?

Sam says Dominica is a good choice for travelers who want a Caribbean island experience that feels different from the standard resort-and-beach vacation. The island has beaches, but its real appeal is its jungle interior, dramatic waterfalls, volcanic activity, rugged roads, and low-key feel. Outside of cruise ship days, many sights can feel surprisingly uncrowded.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-dominica/

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In this episode of Amateur Traveler, host Chris Christensen talks about his press trip through Aragon, Spain, joined by fellow travelers Kevin Revolinski and Cathy Bennett Kopf. Aragon sits in northeastern Spain, west of Catalonia, and stretches from Zaragoza north to the Pyrenees and the French border.

Why Visit Aragon?

Aragon offers Roman ruins, Mudéjar architecture, cathedrals, castles, abbeys, Garnacha wine, medieval villages, mountain scenery, and outdoor adventure, without the crowds of Spain’s better-known cities. 

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https://amateurtraveler.com/zaragoza-and-aragon-spain/

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Hear about luxury barge cruising in France as Chris Christensen describes a week aboard the Renaissance, a European Waterways hotel barge traveling through Western Burgundy and the Upper Loire.

Chris and his wife previously cruised with European Waterways on the Canal du Midi. For this journey, they returned to France to explore the Briare Canal, one of the country’s oldest canals, aboard a vessel carrying just eight passengers and five crew members.

The result was an unusually intimate trip combining French cuisine, historic towns, private châteaux, Sancerre vineyards, canal locks, and long, leisurely afternoons on the water.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/cruising-the-briare-canal/

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