Off the Beaten Path - Hidden Travel Gems in North America - All Things Travel Podcast

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (00:00):
Hello and welcome to All Things Travel.
We tend to feature destinationsthat are popular or that we have
personally traveled to, andtoday we're starting a new
series highlighting not sopopular destinations.
These are destinations you maynot know about.
They might be a bit off thebeaten path of your regular
travel locations.

(00:21):
These destinations though areworth visiting and we'll tell
you why.
Today we're starting with citiesand towns across North America
and over the next few weekswe'll be highlighting different
parts of the world as well.

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (00:34):
Listen in with travel advisors and
destination experts.
Ryan and Julie.
I'm your travel professorteaching you everything you need
to know to have a magicalvacation, and she's a Disney
loving Maryland mom of three anda specialist in family travel.
Whether we're discussingincredible destinations, top
vacation tips, or sharingpersonal stories, it's always

(00:56):
all things travel.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (01:00):
Okay, so this is a really exciting week
for us.

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (01:03):
Yes,

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (01:05):
we are sailing on Utopia of the Sea in
just a couple of days, and bywe, I mean my family Ryan and
his fiance and a couple friends.
after that, Ryan and my familyand Ryan and his fiance, just so
people know, it's not like justme and you

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (01:23):
Yeah.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (01:24):
we are also going to watch Disney World
for a couple of days.
We are so excited.
My kids are off the walls,excited.
They've been watching YouTubevideos of Utopia of the Seas
walkthrough and just, so excitedabout the splash pad, the water
park, the playground, thecarousel, the mini golf,

ryan_1_07-23-2025_14291 (01:43):
There's too much to do in a three night
cruise, but unfortunately,that's what fit the bill.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (01:48):
I feel like we're never gonna see each
other on the cruise because youare definitely not going to be

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (01:52):
Yeah.
it's like, where are you guysheaded for Perfect Day on
Perfect Day at Coco Kate, theadults area.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (01:57):
Yeah,

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (01:58):
Are you staying on the ship in
Nassau?
No, but we're gonna have a goodtime.
a cruise is always fun.
And you know, I, I say thatabout.
Not enough time.
And really there isn't.
But the good thing about a shiplike Utopia of the Seas, and
this is what I found when Isailed Icon, the trip is what
you make it.
You don't have to do everything.
It's not designed for you to doeverything in three nights.

(02:21):
So you choose the things thatyou want to do and that's what
you focus on.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (02:25):
Yeah.

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (02:26):
you know, you joke, you're like, can
you please take Steven to theadult shows because he never
gets to do that.
I've got all that in myschedule, but yeah, I'm really
excited.
you and I see each other andtalk all the time, but it's very
rare to be in the same space.
So to know that in, 48 hours,we're gonna be sipping a drink
together on the cruise deck,sounds pretty good to me.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (02:46):
and my friends that are joining us,
their family, have never been ona cruise before.

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (02:50):
Very fun.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (02:52):
I'm really excited to introduce them
to that.
My kids have never been on aRoyal Caribbean cruise before,
so I think this is a really goodship To start with because some
of the older ships don't haveall of the kid

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (03:04):
Yeah.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (03:04):
But this one, the more I looked into what
was on Utopia of the season, themore I was like, okay, this is
the right ship

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (03:11):
I,

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (03:12):
for my age kids.

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (03:14):
agree and especially perfect day Coco
KI mean, I have raved about itforever and I know you kind of
went there with me for the firsttime, a little skeptical and
really came back a fan.
You were very skeptical and Ithink it blew you away.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (03:31):
Yeah, I loved it so much.
I actually, between my familyand my friends, we rented a
cabana on Chill Island, so Icannot wait to see what that's
like.
I'm sure that we will berecapping the cruise and our

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (03:43):
Yeah.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (03:44):
when we come back.
and a couple of episodes.
we also have a couple days inthe parks at Disney together.
And while we are not, doing allthe same things, We do have some
dining reservations that overlap

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (03:55):
right.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (03:55):
We have some rides that

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (03:57):
Yeah.
Jasmine and I will be happy towave at you from across the
dining room as you're dealingwith all your kiddos, and we're
like sipping a cocktail and, andyou know, leaving when we're
ready to leave.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (04:10):
Oh my gosh.
Yeah.
I can't wait.
I'm so excited.
we have not packed.
It's the day before we leave.
we have clothes in a suitcase,

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (04:17):
before we get into this great topic
that you put together today,Julie, I wanna remind folks if
you did not listen to lastweek's episode, Steven joined us
and you and Steven talked allabout your trip to St.
Lucia.
And maybe you'll be ready for anadults only trip after this
cruise with the kiddos.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (04:35):
And there is a really exciting event that
happens during the

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (04:38):
Yes.
So make sure if you haven'tfigured it out.
Sometimes I put little outtakesor things that I find funny, at
the end of the show, but thisone is definitely worth the
extra listen.
Alright, Julie, so why don't youtalk about this idea of Off the
Beaten Path.
what are the types of placesthat we're gonna be talking
about today?

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (04:59):
Yeah, so sometimes we get vacation
requests and it's somebodythat's like, I don't wanna go
where everyone else is.
I just think that's a really funidea.
So we decided to turn this intoa series.
we knew we'd have a lot ofplaces to highlight.
we're starting with NorthAmerica today with a couple of
towns that I wanna recommend andRyan's gonna help me share them

(05:21):
with you.
over the next couple ofepisodes, we're gonna go over,
places in Europe.
And potentially the Caribbean.
We're, we're gonna keep kind ofhighlighting these type of
places because a lot of timespeople go on vacation.
If it's an all-inclusive, it'sMexico and the Dominican or
Jamaica.
So let's talk about places thatare not those places.
if you wanna go on a trip aroundthe US it's usually the national

(05:42):
parks, California, Florida,Texas.
So let's talk about places thatare, other places than that.

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (05:48):
Okay.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (05:49):
we're gonna switch it up.

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (05:50):
What is the first North American
location you wanna talk about?

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (05:54):
So the first one is gonna be Borough
North Carolina.
To give you an idea where this

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (05:59):
Not Asheville

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (06:00):
No.

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (06:01):
Yeah, I'm saying that because
Asheville is well-known as atourist location, so you're
talking about Asheboro burro.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (06:07):
Yes.
this is 30 minutes south ofGreensboro and 90 minutes west
of Raleigh.
This town is known for the NorthCarolina Zoo

ryan_1_07-23-2025_14291 (06:16):
Mm-hmm.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (06:16):
can go and spot some polar bears froing
around in the water.
This is the world's largestnatural habitat zoo and one of
the most popular attractions inthe state.
There's also a lot of greatoutdoor activities around the
area, a national forest It spansfive counties in that region,
including Randolph County whereborough was situated.

(06:37):
It's actually a 55,000 acrenatural forest paradise.
so in borough you can actuallygo hiking up what's called.
Purgatory mountain and the trailhead to get here is right near
the zoo entrance.
So it's kind of like a greatcouple of days you could spend
there.
I wouldn't say this is like, youknow, you make your trip just to
go to Asheboro.
It's like you add it on to

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (06:57):
Yeah.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (06:57):
other portions of your trip or if
you're driving down through thesouthern states, it's a good
place to go.
some other things to do orderthe famous fried chicken

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (07:05):
I mean, these three things you're
gonna talk about, these threethings are always on a vacation
itinerary.
like when I'm, Yeah.
For me.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (07:12):
a couple things to do that are popular,
in the area.
Order the famous fried chickenat Magnolia 23.
Shop for pottery in the SeaGrove community, grab an ice
cream at mink ology and shop onSunset Avenue where there's a
lot of antique shops atcheckout.
The best time to visit is Autumnfor their fall festival, and
there's a couple of reallypopular places to stay.

(07:34):
The postcard cabins is iscomprised of 32 luxury tiny
cabins on 31 private acres ofrolling hills.
There's trails you can do catchand release fishing, and it's
just really close to downtownand the zoo.
There's also Yogi Bear'sJellystone Park Camp Resort,
which is a really familyfriendly RV resort.

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (07:55):
those are common in the Midwest here
too.
Yeah.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (07:57):
Yeah.
if you're doing that road trip,that's a great place to stay.
Alright, Ryan, what's anothernew

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (08:02):
So let's stay in North Carolina and
let's go to little Switzerland,North Carolina.
That.
Got its origins back in 1910when a Justice of the North
Carolina Supreme Court cameacross the area and said, this
is a great place, to build aresort and let's have it be a
Swiss architectural style.

(08:22):
And there you go, littleSwitzerland, North Carolina was
born.
it's two hours northwest ofCharlotte.
If you have not been toCharlotte, Charlotte is a
fantastic spot, for a littlecity getaway.
this would be a good add-on forthat.
little Switzerland is 3,500 feetabove sea level.
It overlooks the region'sbreathtaking valleys and

(08:44):
mountains.
and it is what's called thejewel of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
So it's just gonna be gorgeous.
I'm thinking maybe, a fallfoliage tour here.
It's a little Switzerland.
I love it.
So things to do.
There's little Switzerland booksand Beans, a three story
bookstore and coffee shop thatencourages browsing.
It has a maze of rooms.

(09:05):
This looks like a place that youcan really spend a nice, uh,
rainy afternoon.
You have, Geneva Hall, whichhosts mountain music and
traditional square dancing.
There's all sorts of places tofind souvenirs and kitschy items
at places like the littleSwitzerland Trading Company.
You have the North CarolinaMining Museum.
There's also a lot of naturalbeauty.

(09:27):
lots of waterfalls, hiking,different things like that.
This sounds like the perfectlittle long weekend getaway.
Where to stay?
You can go to the SwitzerlandInn and there's also the Skyline
Inn that has panoramic sceneswhere you can soak up, the views
of those beautiful valleysLittle Switzerland is open from
mid-April through October, soyou'll need to plan, your visit

(09:51):
in late spring, summer or earlyfall.
So really it kind of shuts downin that off peak season.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (09:57):
All right.
We're gonna stay south and ournext.
Off the beaten path, but kind ofbecoming more well-known town is
Siesta Key, Florida.
this is located off thesouthwest coast of Florida,
between Tampa and Fort Myers,just a bit south of Sarasota.
in the past, Fort Myers,Sarasota, Clearwater Beach,
those places have been more of adestination and Siesta Key is

(10:18):
kind of up and coming It's knownfor its eight miles of quartz
laden sugars.
Soft sand, frequent dolphinsightings and calm golf waters.
And there is a lot to do here.
So I'm just gonna highlight acouple things.
You can join the Siesta Key drumcircle to mingle with artists,
dancers, and hula hoopers,celebrating the sunset over

(10:39):
Siesta Beach.
You can go to snorkel point ofrocks to see Nurse Shark.
Dolphins and a variety of othermarine life.
After a day on the sand, you'regonna wanna hit the old salty
dog for tempura battered hotdogs and frozen daiquiris under
a palapa,

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (10:54):
where you will that, that, that's
where you will see me and afedora hat holding court with a
daiquiri in the corner.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (11:02):
Oh man.
you can stop by Captain Kurtz tosing your Heart out at the
longest running karaoke bar onSiesta Key, established in 1979.
Maybe Ryan will be there afterbeing under his

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (11:14):
that is not a place you'll find me,
but who knows?

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (11:17):
There's not a lot of, hotels and things
like that.
In Siesta Key, there is theTropical Breeze Resort, which is
an option, but most of theplaces to say are going to be
vacation home rentals, and thebest time to visit is fall and
winter.

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (11:30):
All right.
Very good.
Well, hey, before we head overto the Midwest and West, when it
comes to Off the Beaten Path,Julie, I wanna talk about where
the world is.
All things travel, I was superexcited today to see an
international location pop upand That was Vin in Bosnia and

(11:50):
Herzegovina

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (11:51):
fun.

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (11:52):
I loved about that when I started
to look into that town, IT is awhat's called a ESCO Learning
city, and it is well known formedieval tombs and necro plexes.
So lots of Medieval dead folkslaying around with tons of
history.

(12:12):
So I'm thinking there's gonna besome very interesting places to
see and learn about with ourlistener, from Z Vincente.
And I am super excited thatBosnia Herzegovina is listening
to all things travel.
it looks like maybe they'replanning a New York City trip.
'cause that was the episode thatthey, Looked at first.
So do me a favor.

(12:32):
I would love to send a littlethank you note all the way to
you for being featured on theshow today.
So reach out to Julie or myselfon Wonder and beyond travel.com
and click on contact us and Iwould love to send you a little
something.
Alright, let's head to theMidwest and West Julie, first

(12:52):
off, we're gonna stop in Geneva,Wisconsin.
This is an hour southwest ofMilwaukee and about 90 minutes
southeast of Madison.
it is the Hamptons of theMidwest.
Geneva is often on those traveland leisure lists, of you know,
the, the best resort townsaround.
And so it's very famous, for itsGilded Age estates built by

(13:15):
Noble Chicago families.
It also has a, a world roundobservatory a winding 20 mile
shore path along the lake, andMany independent shops and
eateries, which makes it one ofthose really fun places to
explore.
you can stay at the Grand GenevaResort and Spa and get pampered

(13:36):
with all of their services andthat resort feel.
You can check out the YysObservatory, known as the
birthplace of modernastrophysics.
You can join the famous MailBoatTour as it delivers mail to the
lake homes via boat.
You can enjoy some wonderfulglocal seafood and you are

(13:58):
guaranteed gorgeous weather andwonderful lake days in the
summer.
So where are we gonna stay wecould stay at the Grand Geneva,
We can stay at the MaxwellMansion, which is a boutique
property that has two distinctvibes, a restored historic
mansion, and.
an equestrian chic carriagehouse and stables?

(14:18):
Or you could stay at the AbbeyResort.
the only full service lakesideaccommodation, which is a spa
and resort.
Really, you could go to LakeGeneva year round, but the best
part is to go between Memorialand Labor Day, that traditional
Hamptons, if you will.
So if you've got people leavingthe city, you know, leaving
Milwaukee, leaving Chicago fortheir long weekends, this is

(14:41):
where you're gonna find them.
It's got that, summer, beachtown feel to it.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (14:48):
All right, so the last destination
we're gonna highlight in NorthAmerica is Johnson's Beach in
Sonoma County California.
This is an hour 40 minutes northof San Francisco, three hours
west of Sacramento.
So a couple different ways tobuild that into your California
itinerary.
This is a beach that's known forits long stretch of sand along

(15:09):
the banks of the Russian River.
it's very off the beaten path.
The great thing about this isit's a small beach that offers
everything you need for a greatday, such as rentals of canoes,
kayaks, inner tubes, beachchairs, umbrellas, a kitty area,
snack bar, things like that.
But unlike a lot of the lesserknown smaller beaches in the

(15:29):
area, you don't need to leavehere.
At the end of the day.
There's places to stay right atthis hidden beach area.
There's bungalows, cabins.
You can pop up your own tent.
there's canvas tents to rent, soit's just a really nice.
Place to go.
If you've been in the hustle andbustle of California cities and

(15:49):
want to enjoy a beach that's alittle quieter, the best time to
visit is in the summer.

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (15:55):
So Julie, as we wrap up, when you
think of your area in Maryland,DC Baltimore what's a hidden gem
that you think people wouldappreciate knowing about when it
comes to your area?

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (16:09):
Oh, that's a good question.
So I would think a hidden gemkind of near my area is.
In Maryland, we have a lot ofbeaches on the eastern

ryan_1_07-23-2025_14291 (16:20):
Mm-hmm.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (16:21):
a lot of people will go to Ocean City,
New Jersey, ocean City,Maryland, Wildwood, New Jersey,
Virginia Beach, Rehoboth Beach,all these more well known
beaches.
But actually if you drive downto towards Ocean City, Maryland.
and then kind of change course alittle bit.
Go over to Aite Island.
This is a really, not a lot ofpeople go and stay there.
You can camp there or there'shouses to stay there.

(16:43):
and they are actually known fortheir beaches, but also the wild
horses that stay on the beach.
So that's a really fun place to

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (16:49):
Oh, very unique.
So for me, I'm from NorthernIndiana and if you go a little
northwest, you are gonna hitLake Michigan.
And so there are, if you're notfamiliar with the area,
Southwestern Michigan has somany small little towns that are
great little summer resort townsfor people from Chicago.

(17:12):
so you're talking about tons ofeateries, tons of shopping.
The agriculture area there makesit perfect for wine.
And so you have tons ofwineries, distilleries,
breweries.
it's just a fun little spot,looking at like new Buffalo
area.
it's a great place to visit, andfor people like me the beach,

(17:33):
it's nice and close.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918 (17:37):
The world is full of wonder and your next
great adventure is waiting atWonder and Beyond Travel.
We work with you to create a oneof a kind journey, taking the
stress off your plate so you canfocus on the joy of exploring
and the memories that will staywith you forever.
If you're ready to startplanning or just want to dream a
little bigger, head over toWonder and beyond travel.com.

(18:00):
We'd love to help you getstarted.

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918 (18:02):
look forward to talking to you next
week on All Things Travel.
When Julie and I talk about allthe fun and expert tips from
Utopia of the Seas and a recentDisney trip

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Off the Beaten Path - Hidden Travel Gems in North America

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