July 4, 2023 • 31 mins
We journey through Boston, Las Vegas, Orlando, Chicago, and San Francisco with Kayleigh McAllister, Senior Regional Director at Go City. She shares insider knowledge to get the most out of these iconic destinations.
From the historic cobblestone streets of Boston to the glitz and excitement of Las Vegas, Kayleigh gives us must-see spots and hidden gems. We learn about the best seafood restaurants, delectable cannolis, and breathtaking outdoor spaces in Boston, before diving into unusual attractions in Las Vegas. In Orlando, Chicago, and San Francisco, we'll uncover unique experiences like Universal City Walk's sushi burger restaurant, Chicago's architecture river cruise, and much more.
But it's not just about the places. It's also about the memories. Kayleigh shares her personal memory about supportive friends, proving that sometimes, the journey really is the destination. Whether you're a seasoned traveler or planning your first city trip, this episode is packed with useful tips and inspiring stories that will have you wanting to explore these US cities, and others.
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Kayleigh McAllister is Senior Regional Director at Go City.
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Podcast host Lea Lane blogs at forbes.com, has traveled to over 100 countries, and has written nine books, including the award-winning Places I Remember (Kirkus Reviews star rating, and 'one of the top 100 Indie books' of the year). She has contributed to many guidebooks and has written thousands of travel articles.
Contact Lea- she loves hearing from you! @lealane on Twitter; PlacesIRememberLeaLane on Insta; Places I Remember with Lea Lane on Facebook; Website: placesirememberlealane.com.
New episodes drop every other Tuesday, wherever you listen. Please consider sharing, following, rating and reviewing this award-winning travel podcast.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Lea Lane (00:00):
So many cities, so little time to travel.
On this episode, we're coveringfive US cities popular with
travelers Boston, Las Vegas,Orlando, Chicago and San
Francisco, to give you an ideaof the variety of pleasures you
can find when you travel tocities, even if you just take a
staycation or a long weekend.
(00:20):
Our guest is KayleighMcAllister, senior Regional
Director at Go City, the leaderin app-based attraction passes.
with products in 30 citiesworldwide, Go City has curated
under the radar experiences aswell as the bucket list items
travelers are searching for whenvisiting major cities.
Welcome, Kayleigh, to Places IRemember.
(00:41):
(Hi Lea.
Thank you for having me.
) Great to have you.
Before we start, I'd like tosay that wherever you travel
maybe even before you decidewhere you'd be traveling you
should do your research.
You can google and find atleast five things you'd like to
do.
Researching when you travelhelps you decide on where, how
long and what to see and do,where to eat and stay and when
(01:02):
to go.
What do you think aboutresearching ahead, Kayleigh?
Where would you check besidesyour app, Go City?
Kayleigh McCallister (01:08):
Oh, Lea, i am the consummate travel
planner.
I'm the person who shows up ata trip and I have, you know,
four itineraries created and myhusband, who likes to be on the
fly, says, oh, let's do that.
And I say, oh, that'sinteresting, i have an itinerary
for that.
He has no idea.
And I do a ton of research.
But my go to is, if I'm notusing the app because I'm in one
of our cities, google, ofcourse, just starting on google
(01:30):
and seeing, you know, there'sgoing to be lists from Eater and
Time Out, hidden gems, but alsoTripAdvisor.
I actually started my career atTripAdvisor, so I can vouch
personally.
The wealth of knowledgeavailable from actual travelers,
people who've been in thosedestinations and given their
actual feedback, is morebeneficial, truly, than any
article you'll ever read.
Lea Lane (01:50):
I want to hear from a traveler.
Interesting, because you know Iused to write guidebooks, the
paper kind, and that isn't evenmentioned anymore because of
course, they're dated by thetime it comes out.
Things have changed, So thatwas another era, But now it's
all online because it's recent,it's immediate.
Kayleigh McCallister (02:08):
And it's in your phone, you're traveling
light.
People don't want to betraveling with quite as much.
I do love a good guidebook, butI think, especially the younger
travelers, everything is justin your hand, Absolutely.
Lea Lane (02:18):
Okay, let's discuss five cities.
Kayleigh, you'll give fivesuggestions about each.
Some may be obvious and somesurprising, and I'll give some
of my suggestions as well.
We haven't seen each other'slist, so it'll be fun to see how
many suggestions we share.
Maybe none, which isinteresting, right, yes, Okay,
let's start with Boston,historic city in New England,
(02:40):
the capital and largest city ofthe Commonwealth of
Massachusetts and the culturaland financial center of the New
England region of the UnitedStates.
What are your five suggestions?
I not to miss there.
Kayleigh McCallister (02:51):
I am biased because I live in Boston,
so this is a list from a local,but also a visitor.
My five not to misses.
The first one, i would say isthe Charles River Esplanade.
The Charles River is well knownin Boston and you can swim if
you want to, you can sail, youcan kayak.
My favorite thing is just towalk or bike along the Esplanade
.
It's on the Boston side insteadof the Cambridge side, and it's
(03:13):
beautiful.
There's a number of differentdocks that you can just stop at
along the way, so they're alwaysfull of people picnicking,
having a lunch, just taking abreak, and Boston's really
awesome beer scene has a couplebeer gardens along the Esplanade
.
Nice on the water.
Lea Lane (03:28):
What is the Watching?
he Head of the Charles?
I've heard of that.
Kayleigh McCallister (03:32):
The Head of the Charles is a regatta, so
it's rowing and it takes place.
it starts, i believe, inCambridge, so actually my
neighborhood gets super busy atthat point in the fall.
But if you think of Harvard andyou think of sort of historic
classic rowing teams, that verypreppy New England activity,
that's the Head of the Charlesand it brings in a lot of
visitors.
Lea Lane (03:51):
Fun, and you can rent a boat, i guess, anywhere along
there.
I'm sure, yeah), go on theriver, absolutely.
Okay.
So that's a great one.
What's another?
Kayleigh McCallister (03:58):
The next one is Fenway Park, which is
iconic.
It's America's most belovedballpark for a reason, but my
favorite part is that it'slocated really centrally in the
city.
So you can buy tickets to agame if you want to, but you
could also just walk downLansdowne Street.
It's where music venues are,there's food vendors and you're
directly underneath Fenway Park.
So you can look up and you cansee the Green Monster.
(04:19):
(What is the Green Monster?
for those in the world whodon't know, The Green Monster is
a big green wall across FenwayPark.
You can actually buy tickets tosit inside.
They're very expensive, so Itypically don't do that.
Lea Lane (04:33):
Inside the wall or inside the park, Inside the park
on top of the wall On top ofthe wall,
Kayleigh McCallister (04:38):
Yeah, and so if you're hitting a Grand
Slam, if somebody's trying tohit a home run and you hit it
over, the Green Monster.
people just go crazy.
A lot of people don't know this, actually, but you can see a
game from inside a bar.
It's called Bleacher Bar onLansdowne Street and it's
awesome, so it's super, superbusy before games.
But they have this cool garagedoor, because it used to be part
of the park.
And now it's a bar and you canjust watch the game through
(05:02):
there.
So you can see the players, butthe outfield players can't see
you inside.
Lea Lane (05:06):
Oh how interesting, very good tip.
What's another?
Kayleigh McCallister (05:10):
I'm actually not a huge seafood
eater but for people who are,Boston is just in the most
perfect location because we haveMaine to the north, we have
Cape Cod to the south.
So, especially if you likeoysters, i think if you're
coming to Boston and you'retrying to get good seafood, i
would have to recommend Row 34,the Barking Crab, the Daily
Catch or Neptune Oyster.
(05:32):
All of those are either in theseaport north end four point
very, very walkable andtop-notch seafood of all kinds,
fish shellfish.
Lea Lane (05:42):
Yeah, we love food.
That's a great, great tip.
Is there another?
Kayleigh McCallister (05:46):
There is another.
I have two more, but I wouldsay the biggest one is the north
end.
The north end is a neighborhoodin Boston.
It's known for our Italianhistory and Italian population.
What I would say is people whogo to the north end are either
getting dinner, they're walkingaround and they're taking a tour
, but they're really stoppingfor a cannoli.
(06:08):
.
A cannoli is this pastry.
It's sort of a hard puff pastryshell filled with this ricotta,
the sweet ricotta filling.
The traditional one has littletiny chocolate chips on the end.
But you can get them in anyflavor and they're addicting.
I mean, they're sinful.
Lea Lane (06:22):
They are eah.
Kayleigh McCallister (06:24):
People in the north end.
Think about Mike's pastry,which is great cash only
always has crazy lines.
I would say, think about goingacross the street to Modern
Pastry.
Modern Pastry also has a secretunderground martini bar that a
lot of people don't know about,so you can get your cannoli and
then get a cocktail underneath.
Or, if the night gets away fromyou, you can go to Bova's
(06:45):
bakery, which is just down thestreet, which is 24 seven, and
that's sort of where you'll seethe creative folks at 3 AM.
Lea Lane (06:50):
Oh, my goodness, they're cannolis), Yum and wow.
Kayleigh McCallister (06:55):
Exactly.
One more, yeah.
Last, i would say the outdoorspaces.
I think people realize thatBoston is a little big city, so
we've got the skyscrapers andyou can walk through Back Bay,
downtown, seaport, but we alsohave a really awesome outdoor
space.
Obviously it's seasonal.
You don't really want to be outthere in the middle of February
in Boston, but I would say thatthe best outdoor spaces to get
(07:17):
a walk in or just see sort ofnature or flowers are the public
garden.
Of course The Kelleher RoseGarden over in the Fenway area
is beautiful, or the ArnoldArboretum in Jamaica Plain.
I love to go there in May forthe lilacs.
They have a massive lilacselection and you know lilacs
are temperamental.
They only bloom for two to fourweeks if you're lucky.
(07:38):
But all of those are beautifulspaces to spend an afternoon.
Lea Lane (07:42):
And they smell good too.
Oh, they smell amazing.
It's my favorite spot actually.
love it too.
Well, those were absolutelyfantastic and you live there, so
of course you have every littledetail down.
I had some of yours on my list,but I have a couple of other
things which you might want tocomment on.
You mentioned the botanicalgarden, the public garden, which
was built in 1837.
I also the oldest public park,the Boston Common.
(08:05):
That's connected near it, rightYou?
it's sort of like a necklace ofthese lovely green spaces And
there's the wonderful Swan Boats, which may be touristy to a
local, but they're wonderful.
They were introduced in 1877.
And the children especiallylove to go in those Swan Boats.
Kayleigh McCallister (08:22):
Yeah, they may be touristy, but I actually
took my nieces, my young nieces.
We took them here a couple ofweeks ago and they loved it.
So it's touristy, but it's sortof -you have to do it once.
Lea Lane (08:31):
It's old fashioned touristy, which is a nice
vintage, i would say.
The Chinatown is interesting inBoston.
There's a park nearby, theChinatown Gate, and that's
another nice place to walk andwith fountains and so forth in
the warm weather.
For those of you who like theballet and Broadway musicals,
there's a beautiful Boston OperaHouse.
(08:52):
It was redone in 2004 with thehelp of F Edward Kennedy, and
those of you who like buildings,interiors, it's just fun to go
there.
Kayleigh McCallister (09:01):
The areas are right next to each other
too, Chinatown and the theaterdistrict.
So that makes for a really nicenight, because you could go to
Chinatown, get an amazing,authentic dinner and then go see
a show, a play, a musical, acomedian, right down the street.
Lea Lane (09:13):
Perfect.
And of course there's theFreedom Trail, which is again
touristy.
Kayleigh McCallister (09:24):
Yes, it's all in the same area And the
Freedom Trail is So you canwalk it for free if you wanted
to.
Even if it's a little touristythe sort of costumed guides they
do add something to theexperience because they'll tell
you things that you just don'tget from an app, and it's not
the same experience.
Lea Lane (09:40):
Right, they're wonderful museums in Boston.
I like the Isabella StewartGardner Museum.
It was t house.
It looks like a Venetian palaceAnd you get free admission on
your birthday -- and anyone withthe first name Isabella gets in
for free.
Just saying.
ll the Isabella s out there.
Yeah, wonderful museum as well.
Ok, so we covered Boston.
How about switching to LasVegas, which springs out of the
(10:04):
Mojave Desert with entertainmentfor everyone?
It's the second largest city inthe Southwestern United States
and one of the fun capitals ofthe world.
Kayleigh McCallister (10:12):
Some suggestion I think so, first and
foremost, Vegas is amazing.
It's an expensive city.
You are going to spend somemoney on dining because there's
amazing dining shows.
If you're a gambler, then youhave to visit the casinos.
So I think my first tip is totake in the Strip.
The Las Vegas Strip is sort ofentertainment in its own right.
So I say that that's anybody'sfirst stop when you get to Vegas
(10:35):
.
Walk up and down the trip.
.
he first time I went there I wassurprised at how long it was.
I think movies and TV had mademe feel like it was this sort of
really condensed area nd it'spretty long.
And Vegas is one of the rarecities in the country that lets
you consume alcohol outside.
So you can get your drinksomewhere, so it could be
totally free.
Or you can buy a cocktail andjust walk down the Strip.
(10:56):
And you could see the fountainsat the Bellagio and people
watch and see sort of thedancers outside, and then decide
what you're going to do for therest of the night.
Lea Lane (11:04):
And then start.
Good overview.
Kayleigh McCallister (11:06):
Yes, next, thank you.
So next, if you're ready tomove inside, i have to talk
about the Verbena cocktail atthe Chandelier Room at the
Cosmopolitan you heard of this(I?
Tell me.
) me It's fabulous.
It's a word of mouth cocktail,so it was added to the menu in
December 2010.
They took it .
(11:26):
It was just seasonal.
And there was a sort ofwidespread uproar because people
love the cocktail, so they keptmaking it, bu n .
never put it back on the menu.
And now it's all word of mouth.
So it's a cocktail with aSiczuan button flower.
It's an edible flower, so yousip the cocktail, you eat this
flower, and the effect on yourmouth is it takes everything to
level 10.
(11:47):
So everybody's experience isdifferent, but it has this
effect on your tongue and yourmouth.
(The umami ).
A little bit.
And as you experience the drink, some people say it feels like
pop rock.
Some people say the flavorexploded And it's elegant,
elevated experience underneaththe chandelier and the Cosmo.
So you have to start there andthen go for your dinners or your
(12:07):
shows.
I always really enjoy spendingtime at the link promenade.
So the link promenade islocated just off of the Strip.
So it's right, in the middleof the hustle and bustle of
everything, and they've got somegreat attractions.
They have the High Roller overthere, which is a really, really
big enclosed ferris wheel forbrave heights?
(I, i'd say, at any rate right,it's a little slow, Very slow,
(12:30):
and it's super high.
So if you're afraid of heights,once you get to the top you're
sort of like, all right, let'sget going to the bottom ow I'm
ready to get off, But it's super, super fun and sort of an
off-shoot of the Strip.
Next, i would say you have toget outside of Vegas if you're
flying all the way to Nevada.
So the Grand Canyon is cliche,maybe because it's right, you
know the number one thing youthink about in America, but the
(12:51):
easy access from Las Vegas justcan't be beat.
So if you're doing a helicoptertour, you're taking a guided
van tour, a guided bus tour,you're just renting a car.
If you're an outside travelergoing to Nevada for the first
time, you should tack on a tripto the Grand Canyon from Vegas.
Lea Lane (13:04):
Yeah, a lot of people don't know how close it is.
What would you say?
know just couple Just hours.
there's really expensive luxuryways to get there or super,
super affordable ways that youcan do it yourself.
I once went in a train .
I where the outlaws come on thetrain, I don't think it takes
you anywhere, it's just there.
I forgot how long ago that wasand I don't know if it's still
(13:26):
going on.
But you're in this little trainand these outlaws come on and
rob you Because you don't expectit.
They don't tell .
it's gonna happen.
Kayleigh McCallister (13:36):
Of course.
Well, speaking of outlaws, Iguess my last tip would be
visiting the Mob Museum.
Yeah especially r o familiesmuseum.
If you're trying to get off the Strip at
all and you want to go to theFremont area, the downtown Las
Vegas area a little bit north ofthe Strip and get away from
some of the casinos and thehotels.
the Mob Museum is fascinating.
It's a true museum, so youlearn a lot, but it's also
(13:57):
really interactive.
You can take your own mug shot.
You can learn all about themobster history of the US but
also in Vegas, which was sort ofa mob run city for some time.
So that's really really cooland well worth the price And it
also tells you law enforcementagencies that fought the mob.
there is that as well.
It's fun and it's alsoinformative.
I love the Mob Museum.
Those are great.
(14:18):
I didn't have any of themexcept the Mob Museum, But I
have one that is veryinteresting : the National
Atomic Testing Museum.
Have you been there?
(No, I ) haven't.
In the 1950s, people would walkaround the streets on the strip
and watch an enormous atomicmushroom cloud appearing on the
horizon.
The development of America'snuclear weapons program is
hypnotic and horrifying, and LasVegas was close to the heart of
(14:42):
it, so you can visit whileyou're there.
It's a fascinating, sad butinteresting part of history.
The Las Vegas Preserve, SpringsPreserve have you been there?
That's the center, the originalwater source for the Las, las
Vegas Springs, and it's known asthe birthplace of Las Vegas.
It's bold, there's activities,you can bike around there.
It's green and nice.
So that's a nice One, one thatI've heard i about it.
(15:03):
It sounds I.
It's the heavy . playgroundHave you heard of that?
I have heard of that.
I haven't been there myself.
Lea Lane (15:09):
Neither have I.
You can get in a bulldozer, anexcavator and just big trenches
and stacked tires and buildmounds and just play like a kid,
And I think some people mightlike that and maybe don't know
about it.
So I have that on my list.
I think sometimes you putthings on your list that you
maybe will do.
You don't think you'renecessarily going to do it, but
it's good to know about it.
(15:29):
Also, the Neon Museum; have youbeen there?
Kayleigh McCallister (15:32):
I was just going to say that.
Lea, That reminds me of theNeon museum Same thing.
Yeah, it's wonderful.
Lea Lane (15:37):
Old neon signs.
They destroyed a lot of stuff.
You know, Las Vegas is alwaysnew, new, new, but they kept the
neon signs.
So you get a tour there.
They tell you about some of theold, you know, rat pack stuff
and all that kind of thing.
It's really pretty to see thelights and to hear the history,
so that's fun.
Okay, we've covered two.
How about Orlando?
It's home to more than a dozentheme parks, but beyond Walt
(15:59):
Disney World, Universal Orlandoand the Wizarding World of Harry
Potter, there are somesurprising must-dos as well.
So let's hear some.
Kayleigh McCallister (16:08):
First, if we're getting outside, the theme
parks, which you know tend tobring folks to Orlando, but I
think where you should expandyour horizons a little bit is
Icon Park, which some peoplemight say is also a little bit
touristy, but I've been there, iguess, as a tourist, but with
my family that lives in Floridaand it's awesome.
You you know you said wholesomebefore to talk about you know
something, in l s I It'swholesome.
(16:29):
Lots of activities, lots ofdining.
Again, like we talked about theHigh Roller, that observation
deck in Orlando that lets yo sesee the whole city.
And it's cool because you cansee the nearby theme parks, you
can see the tallest rides andwhat they're doing, and I really
love spending time there withmy family, my in-laws
specifically.
Where'.
Next, Orlando itself is super,super fun.
(16:49):
So whether you're driving down-- I drive -- you're getting
something to eat.
I think people underestimatehow drivable Florida is,
especially if you're going tothe parks and you need to rent a
car anyway.
So I would say, if you havesome extra time thinking about
what's in technically theOrlando area, but a little bit
outside, could expand your listof things to do.
So, whether that's KennedySpace Center, which is all the
way out to the east, or ifyou're driving a little bit
(17:11):
further south to Kissimmee, andyou're going to Old Town
Kissimmee or Fun Spot, which arelocals' favorites, or you want
to get out in nature.
I've done airboat rides in thearea too, and those are awesome
because you can't leave Orlandowithout seeing some alligators,
or you know whether they'reenclosed in a Gatorland type
space or out in the wild on anairboat.
I think people have differentopinions about this, about
(17:33):
eating alligator, But that'salso something that's a very
Orlando thing to do.
If you are open to eatingalligator.
, It it tastes like chicken.
That's what they say.
You know what.
I was offered the opportunityto eat one one time and I had
just seen them alive, and sopersonal, i get it.
I get it.
The people I was with did, andthey really enjoyed it.
I couldn't bring myself to doit (I I get it.
(17:54):
Where think?
Now I'm going to pivot to dining, because Orlando is full of so
many dining opportunities.
The first thing I would say isI don't think everyone realizes
this if they're coming from outof the country or out of the
state, but even though the parksare super expensive, you can
dine and sort of enter for freeat Disney Springs or downtown
Disney Universal City Walk.
So if you drive and just enterthere, you can experience the
(18:17):
theme parks without paying thehigh admission prices.
I love a theme.
I love anything sort of kitschy.
It's called Cowfish.
In Universal City Walk It's acombination sushi burger
restaurant.
You can get a really greatburger.
, Yeah, literally Sur f andTurf.
You can get really great sushi.
Or you can get a burger themedsushi which I've gotten before,
(18:39):
sort of cheeseburger sushi, noraw fish included.
(Oh my goodness.
And it's so specific, it'shilarious, it's super, super fun
.
I think Orlando really runs thegamut in terms of budget too.
At the Ritz Carlton they havean amazing restaurant called
Highball and Harvest, and t atip that I love to use in
different cities is, if I'm notdeciding to pay for the luxury
(19:02):
hotel experience, i might gotake one dinner at that luxury
experience.
Lea Lane (19:06):
Exactly, or even one drink at a bar, or even just sit
in the lobby.
I say that a lot.
You can enjoy the ambiencewithout staying there.
Yeah.
Kayleigh McCallister (19:14):
Exactly exactly.
I mentioned the Gators before,but there are a lot of areas
where you can either see Gatorsin their enclosures, like
Gatorland o, or just learn moreabout all the conservation
happening.
The swamp areas and sawgrass inthe state have changed the
landscape so much over the yearsthat a lot of these places will
let you learn what climatechange has meant to the state
(19:34):
and how it's changed over theyears.
It's really really fascinating,Interesting.
Lea Lane (19:38):
Okay, i have just one additional on my list.
I would add Winter Park, whichis a city just about 25 miles
outside of Orlando, verybeautiful little city.
There's a narrated Winter ParkScenic Boat Tour where you can
have a guided tour through thewaterways.
You see the natural scenery,the wildlife, Rollins College,
which is from the 1920s, a verybeautiful campus.
It's a lovely, lovely thing todo when you want quiet, get away
(20:01):
from the busy scene.
And then my favorite museum inthe area is the Morse Museum,
which is the world's mostcomprehensive collection of
works by Louis Comfort Tiffany,including the artist and
designer's jewelry, pottery,paintings, art, glass, leaded
glass, lamps, windows and even achapel interior from the 1893
World's Columbian Exposition inChicago.
(20:22):
It is a real surprise.
It's one of the great museumsof Florida and maybe of the
country, and it's right therenear Disney.
I highly recommend Winter ParkPark d Al day, get away.
Kayleigh McCallister (20:33):
I'll have to add the Morse Museum to my
list next time I'm visiting, (Ohit's just gorgeous, really is.
Lea Lane (20:37):
So how about Chicago Illinois, a it's among the
largest cities in the US, a realAmerican city.
What are some of the highlights?
Kayleigh McCallister (20:46):
The first highlight-- and people love
this, it's well reported on ini TripAdvisor and Yelp -- - an
architecture river cruise.
It's one of the top things todo in city.
city And for a reason, s hereare different providers that you
can take.
But Chicago's architecture isfascinating, and I think every
city has its own architecture.
So you sort of think, ok, well,what's so special about Chicago
?
But it truly is, and it's howcollaborative the architects
(21:10):
were in designing the city, so Iwon't spoil any of it.
But absolutely seeing the cityand learning about it from the
river is a must do.
Lea Lane (21:17):
Got all levels and all types.
It's a wonderful city forarchitecture, i agree, yes.
Kayleigh McCallister (21:22):
The next thing if you're a fan of Ferris
Bueller's Day Off, really easyto recreate and have your own
Ferris Bueller Day in Chicago.
You can add in as many sort offancy restaurants if you want,
like that scene with the hostilehost at the restaurant.
If you start your day at theSky Deck in Willis Tower and you
see the views of the city t(They have the thing that moves
(21:43):
and scares you, or is thatanother ?
)Yep, t the Tilt, right.
Yeah, you can T out into thebumpouts on the side of the
building.
The first time I did it I wastoo afraid, so I turned around,
i sat down on my butt nd I crabn back so that a my friends
could a take a photo, and thencrawled out because I, just
couldn't stand, to look beneathme.
And Tilt is scarier T that.
(22:05):
It's so tilt of the glass.
You have to t do that.
And fi e b a Cubs game, whichis iconic.
Just like Fenway Park in Boston, Wrigley Field in Chicago is W
must do if you're a baseball fanif you just like hot dogs.
Lea Lane (22:20):
Yeah, i think it was built in 1914.
They don't win a lot, butthey're very loved, very much.
Kayleigh McCallister (22:25):
Exactly.
Next, i would say the Bean atMillennial Park is super
touristy but super free, veryInstagrammable.
And that's something that yousee and you immediately think
Chicago.
That is just a huge piece ofChicago's public art . And it's
really fun.
You can go take selfies in itwith your friends or your family
.
You can get all kinds of angles.
(22:46):
So I wouldn't miss that.
Lea Lane (22:48):
A lot of other public art there too.
There's also the Boeinggalleries where you can stroll
through gardens.
You can relax on the lawn infront of the Frank Gehry
designed J Pritzker Pavilion.
It's a beautiful area.
Millennium Park I guess it wasbuilt for the Millennium,
correct?
Kayleigh McCallister (23:03):
I think so .Chicago just feels like a very
clean city.
I think part of that is thearchitecture truly.
I think it's the clean linesand how the city was built, but
it's also the public art.
It's just a really nice city tospend some time in, even if the
first time I went was March andit was freezing cold.
I would prefer to spend therein July or August.
Lea Lane (23:23):
It's lovely in the warmer weather.
I think Chicagoans are proud oftheir fortitude.
You can walk along the river too.
You mentioned the boat ride.
There's a pedestrian path alongthe main branch of the Chicago
River.
It's lined with restaurants,bars, gathering spaces a long
way or a short way, but it'svery pretty.
The architecture is right thereat night as well.
Beautiful Garfield Park isamong the largest conservatories
(23:47):
in the United States.
It has 600 species of plants,the gigantic trees that fill the
palm house and a fern room.
It's really warm in the winter,but it's cool to go because
it's tropical.
Those are my additions.
It's a great place for a longweekend.
You really feel it's a part ofAmericana.
I love it actually.
Kayleigh McCallister (24:07):
It's so centrally located in the US too,
It's an easy long weekend totake with East Coast, West Coast
exactly.
Lea Lane (24:13):
Absolutely.
We're going to end with agorgeous city, Probably my
favorite as far as beauty in theUnited States S San Francisco,
the commercial, financial andcultural center of Northern
California.
What are some of yoursuggestions?
Kayleigh McCallister (24:25):
The Golden Gate Bridge, of course.
you an can walk over it, youcan walk underneath it, you
could drive .
d really love to see it by boat.
It gives you this uniquevantage point of sailing
underneath the bridge too.
You can see it from one farside underneath it and really
look up and marvel at howmassive it is.
Then come out on the other sideand see another vantage point
with a different background it.
(24:46):
Alcatraz i it A lcatrazalcatraz is this top site.
The best tip that I have is youhave to plan ahead and do your
research.
There are so many differentways to visit, but it's very
much like the top tierexperience of visiting the
Statue of Liberty.
That's Alcatraz in SanFrancisco.
If you're interested invisiting, plan well in advance
and make that the focal point ofyour trip.
Lea Lane (25:09):
I would add, they have a night tour which is kind of
creepy, very creepy.
Kayleigh McCallister (25:12):
I don't know if I would do that.
Lea Lane (25:14):
It's there for people who want i t.
If it's foggy and all that,it's even worse, but it's kind
of cool.
Kayleigh McCallister (25:18):
What else?
Fisherman's Wharf in the Pier39 area in the Embarcadero.
They get a touristy rep.
I think it's well worthspending a couple of hours there
.
It's right on the water, plentyof free things to do if you
want to.
The famous Pier 39 seals ontheir deck.
Lea Lane (25:32):
They're sea lions.
Kayleigh McCallister (25:37):
Yes, they're hilarious.
I mean, they will talk to you.
They're snoozing on each other,but then they're making their
massive bellowing sounds andit's super fun.
Are you sure that was a sealion?
Lea Lane (25:46):
(No actually .
) It is fun.
I love that you can, in themiddle of a great city, you can
go and play with the sea lions.
Well, you can watch the play.
Kayleigh McCallister (25:54):
Exactly, there's plenty of food around
there.
You can take that route andmosey your way over to
Ghirardelli Square and try thechocolate, of course, Or you can
try the sourdough bread thatSan Francisco is famous for.
I think it's worth tweakinginto your itinerary for a quick
visit.
Lastly, i would say the paintedladies.
Lea Lane (26:10):
Those are so famous in San.
It is well worth a trip.
You know every city that youvisit.
You ou to take that iconicphoto.
But standing in Alamo Park andlooking out at the painted
ladies, you see the city beyondthem.
Sometimes you can see the water Painted ladies o
Victorian houses with three ormore colors.
It is beautiful.
Kayleigh McCallister (26:27):
Yes, San Francisco is known for being
super hilly.
Wherever you're coming from,you're going to be walking some
hills to get there, so maybestop for a snack or some ice
cream.
There's, you know, a bunch ofSalt and Straws in the area.
Get a snack and then just sitfor a little bit once you see
the painted ladies, and then goabout the rest of your day.
Lea Lane (26:42):
Speaking of hills, there's one street, Lombard
Street.
It's known as the CrookedestStreet in San Francisco.
I would go to the top of it.
It's a zigzag road that makeseight sharp turns across Russian
Hill.
You'll have a great view andthen you walk down the steps.
You see the mansions around you.
If you have a car, you can tryto drive it, which is probably
very hard.
I have never been in a cardoing that, but I have walked it
(27:04):
and it's cool.
I mentioned in my list GoldenGate Park, which is larger than
New York's Central Park and ithas so many wonderful
attractions.
You can spend all day there.
It's beautiful.
There's a museum and gardensand all kinds of wonderful
things to do with the family,and also Chinatown.
I think this is the largestChinatown outside of Asia.
(27:25):
It's just wonderful for Chinesefood.
If you go to the Golden GateFortune Cookie Factory, they
make 20,000 fortune cookiesevery day, folded by hand, and
that's where I think the fortunecookie came from.
It's an American thing, not aChinese thing, so you might
enjoy that as well.
Now, the name of the podcast isPlaces I Remember.
So, Kayleigh, could you pleasegive us a special memory of your
(27:48):
travels in a city or whereverin the world?
Kayleigh McCallister (27:51):
Yes.
So I'm going to bring us backto Las Vegas, one of my favorite
recent memories from Las Vegas.
I was traveling there with mywork team.
Actually, we're a very closegroup of colleagues.
We had previously done theamazing zipline experience above
the Safari Park at the SanDiego Zoo.
It was incredible.
You ascend this area and youzipline over the entire acreage
(28:15):
So there's just wild animalsgrazing underneath you and we
were all terrified.
I think some of us felt like,great did that once in a
lifetime, never going to do thatagain.
Well, a couple of years later, alot of the same group were in
Vegas and at the promenade thatI spoke about the Link
promenade, you can zipline overthat.
We all said we're going to doit.
(28:36):
I remember it so vividlybecause we're such a supportive
team and some of us were trulyscared down to our toes.
And halfway through we're inthe elevator and we're saying no
, we can't do this.
No, we can't do this.
Then we get to the top andthere's that line and you're
saying I can't do this, i can'tdo this.
Then they're putting equipmenton you, you're strapping you up
and that sense of just having asupportive group around you who
(28:57):
says you can do this.
It's terrifying, but it's alsoexhilarating.
.was amazing, and so I willnever forget.
Getting up to the top and yousee the promenade out before you
and, of course, sometimes yousee four-year-old,
eight-year-old kids in front ofyou and they're getting on no
problem.
So then you say, okay, well, ican do this, the eight-year-old
boy can do it, i can do it.
And so you jump up and theystrap you in, and when you're in
(29:19):
a line, especially with friendsor family, you can look to your
left and right and see themthere.
The adrenaline just takes overand we ziplined and, of course,
we're just screaming and nobodycan hear because it's so loud.
But we screamed and we ziplinedand we sailed over everybody
down below who was eating,drinking, walking around with
their massive yardstick smoothiecocktails, and I think I
(29:40):
remember screaming Las Vegas asI'm ziplining over the top and I
thought that I would never topthat experience.
The Safari Park in San Diego.
.
.
It .
topped it Very, very good.
Lea Lane (29:52):
Thank you so much, Kaylee Kayleigh McAllister,
Senior Regional Director atGhost Go City, for sharing your
suggestions with us.
Our cities are filled withsurprises, so let's travel and
enjoy them.
Thank you, Kaylee Kay
So many cities, so little time to travel.
On this episode, we're coveringfive US cities popular with
travelers Boston, Las Vegas,Orlando, Chicago and San
Francisco, to give you an ideaof the variety of pleasures you
can find when you travel tocities, even if you just take a
staycation or a long weekend.
(00:20):
Our guest is KayleighMcAllister, senior Regional
Director at Go City, the leaderin app-based attraction passes.
with products in 30 citiesworldwide, Go City has curated
under the radar experiences aswell as the bucket list items
travelers are searching for whenvisiting major cities.
Welcome, Kayleigh, to Places IRemember.
(00:41):
(Hi Lea.
Thank you for having me.
) Great to have you.
Before we start, I'd like tosay that wherever you travel
maybe even before you decidewhere you'd be traveling you
should do your research.
You can google and find atleast five things you'd like to
do.
Researching when you travelhelps you decide on where, how
long and what to see and do,where to eat and stay and when
(01:02):
to go.
What do you think aboutresearching ahead, Kayleigh?
Where would you check besidesyour app, Go City?
Kayleigh McCallister (01:08):
Oh, Lea, i am the consummate travel
planner.
I'm the person who shows up ata trip and I have, you know,
four itineraries created and myhusband, who likes to be on the
fly, says, oh, let's do that.
And I say, oh, that'sinteresting, i have an itinerary
for that.
He has no idea.
And I do a ton of research.
But my go to is, if I'm notusing the app because I'm in one
of our cities, google, ofcourse, just starting on google
(01:30):
and seeing, you know, there'sgoing to be lists from Eater and
Time Out, hidden gems, but alsoTripAdvisor.
I actually started my career atTripAdvisor, so I can vouch
personally.
The wealth of knowledgeavailable from actual travelers,
people who've been in thosedestinations and given their
actual feedback, is morebeneficial, truly, than any
article you'll ever read.
Lea Lane (01:50):
I want to hear from a traveler.
Interesting, because you know Iused to write guidebooks, the
paper kind, and that isn't evenmentioned anymore because of
course, they're dated by thetime it comes out.
Things have changed, So thatwas another era, But now it's
all online because it's recent,it's immediate.
Kayleigh McCallister (02:08):
And it's in your phone, you're traveling
light.
People don't want to betraveling with quite as much.
I do love a good guidebook, butI think, especially the younger
travelers, everything is justin your hand, Absolutely.
Lea Lane (02:18):
Okay, let's discuss five cities.
Kayleigh, you'll give fivesuggestions about each.
Some may be obvious and somesurprising, and I'll give some
of my suggestions as well.
We haven't seen each other'slist, so it'll be fun to see how
many suggestions we share.
Maybe none, which isinteresting, right, yes, Okay,
let's start with Boston,historic city in New England,
(02:40):
the capital and largest city ofthe Commonwealth of
Massachusetts and the culturaland financial center of the New
England region of the UnitedStates.
What are your five suggestions?
I not to miss there.
Kayleigh McCallister (02:51):
I am biased because I live in Boston,
so this is a list from a local,but also a visitor.
My five not to misses.
The first one, i would say isthe Charles River Esplanade.
The Charles River is well knownin Boston and you can swim if
you want to, you can sail, youcan kayak.
My favorite thing is just towalk or bike along the Esplanade
.
It's on the Boston side insteadof the Cambridge side, and it's
(03:13):
beautiful.
There's a number of differentdocks that you can just stop at
along the way, so they're alwaysfull of people picnicking,
having a lunch, just taking abreak, and Boston's really
awesome beer scene has a couplebeer gardens along the Esplanade
.
Nice on the water.
Lea Lane (03:28):
What is the Watching?
he Head of the Charles?
I've heard of that.
Kayleigh McCallister (03:32):
The Head of the Charles is a regatta, so
it's rowing and it takes place.
it starts, i believe, inCambridge, so actually my
neighborhood gets super busy atthat point in the fall.
But if you think of Harvard andyou think of sort of historic
classic rowing teams, that verypreppy New England activity,
that's the Head of the Charlesand it brings in a lot of
visitors.
Lea Lane (03:51):
Fun, and you can rent a boat, i guess, anywhere along
there.
I'm sure, yeah), go on theriver, absolutely.
Okay.
So that's a great one.
What's another?
Kayleigh McCallister (03:58):
The next one is Fenway Park, which is
iconic.
It's America's most belovedballpark for a reason, but my
favorite part is that it'slocated really centrally in the
city.
So you can buy tickets to agame if you want to, but you
could also just walk downLansdowne Street.
It's where music venues are,there's food vendors and you're
directly underneath Fenway Park.
So you can look up and you cansee the Green Monster.
(04:19):
(What is the Green Monster?
for those in the world whodon't know, The Green Monster is
a big green wall across FenwayPark.
You can actually buy tickets tosit inside.
They're very expensive, so Itypically don't do that.
Lea Lane (04:33):
Inside the wall or inside the park, Inside the park
on top of the wall On top ofthe wall,
Kayleigh McCallister (04:38):
Yeah, and so if you're hitting a Grand
Slam, if somebody's trying tohit a home run and you hit it
over, the Green Monster.
people just go crazy.
A lot of people don't know this, actually, but you can see a
game from inside a bar.
It's called Bleacher Bar onLansdowne Street and it's
awesome, so it's super, superbusy before games.
But they have this cool garagedoor, because it used to be part
of the park.
And now it's a bar and you canjust watch the game through
(05:02):
there.
So you can see the players, butthe outfield players can't see
you inside.
Lea Lane (05:06):
Oh how interesting, very good tip.
What's another?
Kayleigh McCallister (05:10):
I'm actually not a huge seafood
eater but for people who are,Boston is just in the most
perfect location because we haveMaine to the north, we have
Cape Cod to the south.
So, especially if you likeoysters, i think if you're
coming to Boston and you'retrying to get good seafood, i
would have to recommend Row 34,the Barking Crab, the Daily
Catch or Neptune Oyster.
(05:32):
All of those are either in theseaport north end four point
very, very walkable andtop-notch seafood of all kinds,
fish shellfish.
Lea Lane (05:42):
Yeah, we love food.
That's a great, great tip.
Is there another?
Kayleigh McCallister (05:46):
There is another.
I have two more, but I wouldsay the biggest one is the north
end.
The north end is a neighborhoodin Boston.
It's known for our Italianhistory and Italian population.
What I would say is people whogo to the north end are either
getting dinner, they're walkingaround and they're taking a tour
, but they're really stoppingfor a cannoli.
(06:08):
.
A cannoli is this pastry.
It's sort of a hard puff pastryshell filled with this ricotta,
the sweet ricotta filling.
The traditional one has littletiny chocolate chips on the end.
But you can get them in anyflavor and they're addicting.
I mean, they're sinful.
Lea Lane (06:22):
They are eah.
Kayleigh McCallister (06:24):
People in the north end.
Think about Mike's pastry,which is great cash only
always has crazy lines.
I would say, think about goingacross the street to Modern
Pastry.
Modern Pastry also has a secretunderground martini bar that a
lot of people don't know about,so you can get your cannoli and
then get a cocktail underneath.
Or, if the night gets away fromyou, you can go to Bova's
(06:45):
bakery, which is just down thestreet, which is 24 seven, and
that's sort of where you'll seethe creative folks at 3 AM.
Lea Lane (06:50):
Oh, my goodness, they're cannolis), Yum and wow.
Kayleigh McCallister (06:55):
Exactly.
One more, yeah.
Last, i would say the outdoorspaces.
I think people realize thatBoston is a little big city, so
we've got the skyscrapers andyou can walk through Back Bay,
downtown, seaport, but we alsohave a really awesome outdoor
space.
Obviously it's seasonal.
You don't really want to be outthere in the middle of February
in Boston, but I would say thatthe best outdoor spaces to get
(07:17):
a walk in or just see sort ofnature or flowers are the public
garden.
Of course The Kelleher RoseGarden over in the Fenway area
is beautiful, or the ArnoldArboretum in Jamaica Plain.
I love to go there in May forthe lilacs.
They have a massive lilacselection and you know lilacs
are temperamental.
They only bloom for two to fourweeks if you're lucky.
(07:38):
But all of those are beautifulspaces to spend an afternoon.
Lea Lane (07:42):
And they smell good too.
Oh, they smell amazing.
It's my favorite spot actually.
love it too.
Well, those were absolutelyfantastic and you live there, so
of course you have every littledetail down.
I had some of yours on my list,but I have a couple of other
things which you might want tocomment on.
You mentioned the botanicalgarden, the public garden, which
was built in 1837.
I also the oldest public park,the Boston Common.
(08:05):
That's connected near it, rightYou?
it's sort of like a necklace ofthese lovely green spaces And
there's the wonderful Swan Boats, which may be touristy to a
local, but they're wonderful.
They were introduced in 1877.
And the children especiallylove to go in those Swan Boats.
Kayleigh McCallister (08:22):
Yeah, they may be touristy, but I actually
took my nieces, my young nieces.
We took them here a couple ofweeks ago and they loved it.
So it's touristy, but it's sortof -you have to do it once.
Lea Lane (08:31):
It's old fashioned touristy, which is a nice
vintage, i would say.
The Chinatown is interesting inBoston.
There's a park nearby, theChinatown Gate, and that's
another nice place to walk andwith fountains and so forth in
the warm weather.
For those of you who like theballet and Broadway musicals,
there's a beautiful Boston OperaHouse.
(08:52):
It was redone in 2004 with thehelp of F Edward Kennedy, and
those of you who like buildings,interiors, it's just fun to go
there.
Kayleigh McCallister (09:01):
The areas are right next to each other
too, Chinatown and the theaterdistrict.
So that makes for a really nicenight, because you could go to
Chinatown, get an amazing,authentic dinner and then go see
a show, a play, a musical, acomedian, right down the street.
Lea Lane (09:13):
Perfect.
And of course there's theFreedom Trail, which is again
touristy.
Kayleigh McCallister (09:24):
Yes, it's all in the same area And the
Freedom Trail is So you canwalk it for free if you wanted
to.
Even if it's a little touristythe sort of costumed guides they
do add something to theexperience because they'll tell
you things that you just don'tget from an app, and it's not
the same experience.
Lea Lane (09:40):
Right, they're wonderful museums in Boston.
I like the Isabella StewartGardner Museum.
It was t house.
It looks like a Venetian palaceAnd you get free admission on
your birthday -- and anyone withthe first name Isabella gets in
for free.
Just saying.
ll the Isabella s out there.
Yeah, wonderful museum as well.
Ok, so we covered Boston.
How about switching to LasVegas, which springs out of the
(10:04):
Mojave Desert with entertainmentfor everyone?
It's the second largest city inthe Southwestern United States
and one of the fun capitals ofthe world.
Kayleigh McCallister (10:12):
Some suggestion I think so, first and
foremost, Vegas is amazing.
It's an expensive city.
You are going to spend somemoney on dining because there's
amazing dining shows.
If you're a gambler, then youhave to visit the casinos.
So I think my first tip is totake in the Strip.
The Las Vegas Strip is sort ofentertainment in its own right.
So I say that that's anybody'sfirst stop when you get to Vegas
(10:35):
.
Walk up and down the trip.
.
he first time I went there I wassurprised at how long it was.
I think movies and TV had mademe feel like it was this sort of
really condensed area nd it'spretty long.
And Vegas is one of the rarecities in the country that lets
you consume alcohol outside.
So you can get your drinksomewhere, so it could be
totally free.
Or you can buy a cocktail andjust walk down the Strip.
(10:56):
And you could see the fountainsat the Bellagio and people
watch and see sort of thedancers outside, and then decide
what you're going to do for therest of the night.
Lea Lane (11:04):
And then start.
Good overview.
Kayleigh McCallister (11:06):
Yes, next, thank you.
So next, if you're ready tomove inside, i have to talk
about the Verbena cocktail atthe Chandelier Room at the
Cosmopolitan you heard of this(I?
Tell me.
) me It's fabulous.
It's a word of mouth cocktail,so it was added to the menu in
December 2010.
They took it .
(11:26):
It was just seasonal.
And there was a sort ofwidespread uproar because people
love the cocktail, so they keptmaking it, bu n .
never put it back on the menu.
And now it's all word of mouth.
So it's a cocktail with aSiczuan button flower.
It's an edible flower, so yousip the cocktail, you eat this
flower, and the effect on yourmouth is it takes everything to
level 10.
(11:47):
So everybody's experience isdifferent, but it has this
effect on your tongue and yourmouth.
(The umami ).
A little bit.
And as you experience the drink, some people say it feels like
pop rock.
Some people say the flavorexploded And it's elegant,
elevated experience underneaththe chandelier and the Cosmo.
So you have to start there andthen go for your dinners or your
(12:07):
shows.
I always really enjoy spendingtime at the link promenade.
So the link promenade islocated just off of the Strip.
So it's right, in the middleof the hustle and bustle of
everything, and they've got somegreat attractions.
They have the High Roller overthere, which is a really, really
big enclosed ferris wheel forbrave heights?
(I, i'd say, at any rate right,it's a little slow, Very slow,
(12:30):
and it's super high.
So if you're afraid of heights,once you get to the top you're
sort of like, all right, let'sget going to the bottom ow I'm
ready to get off, But it's super, super fun and sort of an
off-shoot of the Strip.
Next, i would say you have toget outside of Vegas if you're
flying all the way to Nevada.
So the Grand Canyon is cliche,maybe because it's right, you
know the number one thing youthink about in America, but the
(12:51):
easy access from Las Vegas justcan't be beat.
So if you're doing a helicoptertour, you're taking a guided
van tour, a guided bus tour,you're just renting a car.
If you're an outside travelergoing to Nevada for the first
time, you should tack on a tripto the Grand Canyon from Vegas.
Lea Lane (13:04):
Yeah, a lot of people don't know how close it is.
What would you say?
know just couple Just hours.
there's really expensive luxuryways to get there or super,
super affordable ways that youcan do it yourself.
I once went in a train .
I where the outlaws come on thetrain, I don't think it takes
you anywhere, it's just there.
I forgot how long ago that wasand I don't know if it's still
(13:26):
going on.
But you're in this little trainand these outlaws come on and
rob you Because you don't expectit.
They don't tell .
it's gonna happen.
Kayleigh McCallister (13:36):
Of course.
Well, speaking of outlaws, Iguess my last tip would be
visiting the Mob Museum.
Yeah especially r o familiesmuseum.
If you're trying to get off the Strip at
all and you want to go to theFremont area, the downtown Las
Vegas area a little bit north ofthe Strip and get away from
some of the casinos and thehotels.
the Mob Museum is fascinating.
It's a true museum, so youlearn a lot, but it's also
(13:57):
really interactive.
You can take your own mug shot.
You can learn all about themobster history of the US but
also in Vegas, which was sort ofa mob run city for some time.
So that's really really cooland well worth the price And it
also tells you law enforcementagencies that fought the mob.
there is that as well.
It's fun and it's alsoinformative.
I love the Mob Museum.
Those are great.
(14:18):
I didn't have any of themexcept the Mob Museum, But I
have one that is veryinteresting : the National
Atomic Testing Museum.
Have you been there?
(No, I ) haven't.
In the 1950s, people would walkaround the streets on the strip
and watch an enormous atomicmushroom cloud appearing on the
horizon.
The development of America'snuclear weapons program is
hypnotic and horrifying, and LasVegas was close to the heart of
(14:42):
it, so you can visit whileyou're there.
It's a fascinating, sad butinteresting part of history.
The Las Vegas Preserve, SpringsPreserve have you been there?
That's the center, the originalwater source for the Las, las
Vegas Springs, and it's known asthe birthplace of Las Vegas.
It's bold, there's activities,you can bike around there.
It's green and nice.
So that's a nice One, one thatI've heard i about it.
(15:03):
It sounds I.
It's the heavy . playgroundHave you heard of that?
I have heard of that.
I haven't been there myself.
Lea Lane (15:09):
Neither have I.
You can get in a bulldozer, anexcavator and just big trenches
and stacked tires and buildmounds and just play like a kid,
And I think some people mightlike that and maybe don't know
about it.
So I have that on my list.
I think sometimes you putthings on your list that you
maybe will do.
You don't think you'renecessarily going to do it, but
it's good to know about it.
(15:29):
Also, the Neon Museum; have youbeen there?
Kayleigh McCallister (15:32):
I was just going to say that.
Lea, That reminds me of theNeon museum Same thing.
Yeah, it's wonderful.
Lea Lane (15:37):
Old neon signs.
They destroyed a lot of stuff.
You know, Las Vegas is alwaysnew, new, new, but they kept the
neon signs.
So you get a tour there.
They tell you about some of theold, you know, rat pack stuff
and all that kind of thing.
It's really pretty to see thelights and to hear the history,
so that's fun.
Okay, we've covered two.
How about Orlando?
It's home to more than a dozentheme parks, but beyond Walt
(15:59):
Disney World, Universal Orlandoand the Wizarding World of Harry
Potter, there are somesurprising must-dos as well.
So let's hear some.
Kayleigh McCallister (16:08):
First, if we're getting outside, the theme
parks, which you know tend tobring folks to Orlando, but I
think where you should expandyour horizons a little bit is
Icon Park, which some peoplemight say is also a little bit
touristy, but I've been there, iguess, as a tourist, but with
my family that lives in Floridaand it's awesome.
You you know you said wholesomebefore to talk about you know
something, in l s I It'swholesome.
(16:29):
Lots of activities, lots ofdining.
Again, like we talked about theHigh Roller, that observation
deck in Orlando that lets yo sesee the whole city.
And it's cool because you cansee the nearby theme parks, you
can see the tallest rides andwhat they're doing, and I really
love spending time there withmy family, my in-laws
specifically.
Where'.
Next, Orlando itself is super,super fun.
(16:49):
So whether you're driving down-- I drive -- you're getting
something to eat.
I think people underestimatehow drivable Florida is,
especially if you're going tothe parks and you need to rent a
car anyway.
So I would say, if you havesome extra time thinking about
what's in technically theOrlando area, but a little bit
outside, could expand your listof things to do.
So, whether that's KennedySpace Center, which is all the
way out to the east, or ifyou're driving a little bit
(17:11):
further south to Kissimmee, andyou're going to Old Town
Kissimmee or Fun Spot, which arelocals' favorites, or you want
to get out in nature.
I've done airboat rides in thearea too, and those are awesome
because you can't leave Orlandowithout seeing some alligators,
or you know whether they'reenclosed in a Gatorland type
space or out in the wild on anairboat.
I think people have differentopinions about this, about
(17:33):
eating alligator, But that'salso something that's a very
Orlando thing to do.
If you are open to eatingalligator.
, It it tastes like chicken.
That's what they say.
You know what.
I was offered the opportunityto eat one one time and I had
just seen them alive, and sopersonal, i get it.
I get it.
The people I was with did, andthey really enjoyed it.
I couldn't bring myself to doit (I I get it.
(17:54):
Where think?
Now I'm going to pivot to dining, because Orlando is full of so
many dining opportunities.
The first thing I would say isI don't think everyone realizes
this if they're coming from outof the country or out of the
state, but even though the parksare super expensive, you can
dine and sort of enter for freeat Disney Springs or downtown
Disney Universal City Walk.
So if you drive and just enterthere, you can experience the
(18:17):
theme parks without paying thehigh admission prices.
I love a theme.
I love anything sort of kitschy.
It's called Cowfish.
In Universal City Walk It's acombination sushi burger
restaurant.
You can get a really greatburger.
, Yeah, literally Sur f andTurf.
You can get really great sushi.
Or you can get a burger themedsushi which I've gotten before,
(18:39):
sort of cheeseburger sushi, noraw fish included.
(Oh my goodness.
And it's so specific, it'shilarious, it's super, super fun
.
I think Orlando really runs thegamut in terms of budget too.
At the Ritz Carlton they havean amazing restaurant called
Highball and Harvest, and t atip that I love to use in
different cities is, if I'm notdeciding to pay for the luxury
(19:02):
hotel experience, i might gotake one dinner at that luxury
experience.
Lea Lane (19:06):
Exactly, or even one drink at a bar, or even just sit
in the lobby.
I say that a lot.
You can enjoy the ambiencewithout staying there.
Yeah.
Kayleigh McCallister (19:14):
Exactly exactly.
I mentioned the Gators before,but there are a lot of areas
where you can either see Gatorsin their enclosures, like
Gatorland o, or just learn moreabout all the conservation
happening.
The swamp areas and sawgrass inthe state have changed the
landscape so much over the yearsthat a lot of these places will
let you learn what climatechange has meant to the state
(19:34):
and how it's changed over theyears.
It's really really fascinating,Interesting.
Lea Lane (19:38):
Okay, i have just one additional on my list.
I would add Winter Park, whichis a city just about 25 miles
outside of Orlando, verybeautiful little city.
There's a narrated Winter ParkScenic Boat Tour where you can
have a guided tour through thewaterways.
You see the natural scenery,the wildlife, Rollins College,
which is from the 1920s, a verybeautiful campus.
It's a lovely, lovely thing todo when you want quiet, get away
(20:01):
from the busy scene.
And then my favorite museum inthe area is the Morse Museum,
which is the world's mostcomprehensive collection of
works by Louis Comfort Tiffany,including the artist and
designer's jewelry, pottery,paintings, art, glass, leaded
glass, lamps, windows and even achapel interior from the 1893
World's Columbian Exposition inChicago.
(20:22):
It is a real surprise.
It's one of the great museumsof Florida and maybe of the
country, and it's right therenear Disney.
I highly recommend Winter ParkPark d Al day, get away.
Kayleigh McCallister (20:33):
I'll have to add the Morse Museum to my
list next time I'm visiting, (Ohit's just gorgeous, really is.
Lea Lane (20:37):
So how about Chicago Illinois, a it's among the
largest cities in the US, a realAmerican city.
What are some of the highlights?
Kayleigh McCallister (20:46):
The first highlight-- and people love
this, it's well reported on ini TripAdvisor and Yelp -- - an
architecture river cruise.
It's one of the top things todo in city.
city And for a reason, s hereare different providers that you
can take.
But Chicago's architecture isfascinating, and I think every
city has its own architecture.
So you sort of think, ok, well,what's so special about Chicago
?
But it truly is, and it's howcollaborative the architects
(21:10):
were in designing the city, so Iwon't spoil any of it.
But absolutely seeing the cityand learning about it from the
river is a must do.
Lea Lane (21:17):
Got all levels and all types.
It's a wonderful city forarchitecture, i agree, yes.
Kayleigh McCallister (21:22):
The next thing if you're a fan of Ferris
Bueller's Day Off, really easyto recreate and have your own
Ferris Bueller Day in Chicago.
You can add in as many sort offancy restaurants if you want,
like that scene with the hostilehost at the restaurant.
If you start your day at theSky Deck in Willis Tower and you
see the views of the city t(They have the thing that moves
(21:43):
and scares you, or is thatanother ?
)Yep, t the Tilt, right.
Yeah, you can T out into thebumpouts on the side of the
building.
The first time I did it I wastoo afraid, so I turned around,
i sat down on my butt nd I crabn back so that a my friends
could a take a photo, and thencrawled out because I, just
couldn't stand, to look beneathme.
And Tilt is scarier T that.
(22:05):
It's so tilt of the glass.
You have to t do that.
And fi e b a Cubs game, whichis iconic.
Just like Fenway Park in Boston, Wrigley Field in Chicago is W
must do if you're a baseball fanif you just like hot dogs.
Lea Lane (22:20):
Yeah, i think it was built in 1914.
They don't win a lot, butthey're very loved, very much.
Kayleigh McCallister (22:25):
Exactly.
Next, i would say the Bean atMillennial Park is super
touristy but super free, veryInstagrammable.
And that's something that yousee and you immediately think
Chicago.
That is just a huge piece ofChicago's public art . And it's
really fun.
You can go take selfies in itwith your friends or your family
.
You can get all kinds of angles.
(22:46):
So I wouldn't miss that.
Lea Lane (22:48):
A lot of other public art there too.
There's also the Boeinggalleries where you can stroll
through gardens.
You can relax on the lawn infront of the Frank Gehry
designed J Pritzker Pavilion.
It's a beautiful area.
Millennium Park I guess it wasbuilt for the Millennium,
correct?
Kayleigh McCallister (23:03):
I think so .Chicago just feels like a very
clean city.
I think part of that is thearchitecture truly.
I think it's the clean linesand how the city was built, but
it's also the public art.
It's just a really nice city tospend some time in, even if the
first time I went was March andit was freezing cold.
I would prefer to spend therein July or August.
Lea Lane (23:23):
It's lovely in the warmer weather.
I think Chicagoans are proud oftheir fortitude.
You can walk along the river too.
You mentioned the boat ride.
There's a pedestrian path alongthe main branch of the Chicago
River.
It's lined with restaurants,bars, gathering spaces a long
way or a short way, but it'svery pretty.
The architecture is right thereat night as well.
Beautiful Garfield Park isamong the largest conservatories
(23:47):
in the United States.
It has 600 species of plants,the gigantic trees that fill the
palm house and a fern room.
It's really warm in the winter,but it's cool to go because
it's tropical.
Those are my additions.
It's a great place for a longweekend.
You really feel it's a part ofAmericana.
I love it actually.
Kayleigh McCallister (24:07):
It's so centrally located in the US too,
It's an easy long weekend totake with East Coast, West Coast
exactly.
Lea Lane (24:13):
Absolutely.
We're going to end with agorgeous city, Probably my
favorite as far as beauty in theUnited States S San Francisco,
the commercial, financial andcultural center of Northern
California.
What are some of yoursuggestions?
Kayleigh McCallister (24:25):
The Golden Gate Bridge, of course.
you an can walk over it, youcan walk underneath it, you
could drive .
d really love to see it by boat.
It gives you this uniquevantage point of sailing
underneath the bridge too.
You can see it from one farside underneath it and really
look up and marvel at howmassive it is.
Then come out on the other sideand see another vantage point
with a different background it.
(24:46):
Alcatraz i it A lcatrazalcatraz is this top site.
The best tip that I have is youhave to plan ahead and do your
research.
There are so many differentways to visit, but it's very
much like the top tierexperience of visiting the
Statue of Liberty.
That's Alcatraz in SanFrancisco.
If you're interested invisiting, plan well in advance
and make that the focal point ofyour trip.
Lea Lane (25:09):
I would add, they have a night tour which is kind of
creepy, very creepy.
Kayleigh McCallister (25:12):
I don't know if I would do that.
Lea Lane (25:14):
It's there for people who want i t.
If it's foggy and all that,it's even worse, but it's kind
of cool.
Kayleigh McCallister (25:18):
What else?
Fisherman's Wharf in the Pier39 area in the Embarcadero.
They get a touristy rep.
I think it's well worthspending a couple of hours there
.
It's right on the water, plentyof free things to do if you
want to.
The famous Pier 39 seals ontheir deck.
Lea Lane (25:32):
They're sea lions.
Kayleigh McCallister (25:37):
Yes, they're hilarious.
I mean, they will talk to you.
They're snoozing on each other,but then they're making their
massive bellowing sounds andit's super fun.
Are you sure that was a sealion?
Lea Lane (25:46):
(No actually .
) It is fun.
I love that you can, in themiddle of a great city, you can
go and play with the sea lions.
Well, you can watch the play.
Kayleigh McCallister (25:54):
Exactly, there's plenty of food around
there.
You can take that route andmosey your way over to
Ghirardelli Square and try thechocolate, of course, Or you can
try the sourdough bread thatSan Francisco is famous for.
I think it's worth tweakinginto your itinerary for a quick
visit.
Lastly, i would say the paintedladies.
Lea Lane (26:10):
Those are so famous in San.
It is well worth a trip.
You know every city that youvisit.
You ou to take that iconicphoto.
But standing in Alamo Park andlooking out at the painted
ladies, you see the city beyondthem.
Sometimes you can see the water Painted ladies o
Victorian houses with three ormore colors.
It is beautiful.
Kayleigh McCallister (26:27):
Yes, San Francisco is known for being
super hilly.
Wherever you're coming from,you're going to be walking some
hills to get there, so maybestop for a snack or some ice
cream.
There's, you know, a bunch ofSalt and Straws in the area.
Get a snack and then just sitfor a little bit once you see
the painted ladies, and then goabout the rest of your day.
Lea Lane (26:42):
Speaking of hills, there's one street, Lombard
Street.
It's known as the CrookedestStreet in San Francisco.
I would go to the top of it.
It's a zigzag road that makeseight sharp turns across Russian
Hill.
You'll have a great view andthen you walk down the steps.
You see the mansions around you.
If you have a car, you can tryto drive it, which is probably
very hard.
I have never been in a cardoing that, but I have walked it
(27:04):
and it's cool.
I mentioned in my list GoldenGate Park, which is larger than
New York's Central Park and ithas so many wonderful
attractions.
You can spend all day there.
It's beautiful.
There's a museum and gardensand all kinds of wonderful
things to do with the family,and also Chinatown.
I think this is the largestChinatown outside of Asia.
(27:25):
It's just wonderful for Chinesefood.
If you go to the Golden GateFortune Cookie Factory, they
make 20,000 fortune cookiesevery day, folded by hand, and
that's where I think the fortunecookie came from.
It's an American thing, not aChinese thing, so you might
enjoy that as well.
Now, the name of the podcast isPlaces I Remember.
So, Kayleigh, could you pleasegive us a special memory of your
(27:48):
travels in a city or whereverin the world?
Kayleigh McCallister (27:51):
Yes.
So I'm going to bring us backto Las Vegas, one of my favorite
recent memories from Las Vegas.
I was traveling there with mywork team.
Actually, we're a very closegroup of colleagues.
We had previously done theamazing zipline experience above
the Safari Park at the SanDiego Zoo.
It was incredible.
You ascend this area and youzipline over the entire acreage
(28:15):
So there's just wild animalsgrazing underneath you and we
were all terrified.
I think some of us felt like,great did that once in a
lifetime, never going to do thatagain.
Well, a couple of years later, alot of the same group were in
Vegas and at the promenade thatI spoke about the Link
promenade, you can zipline overthat.
We all said we're going to doit.
(28:36):
I remember it so vividlybecause we're such a supportive
team and some of us were trulyscared down to our toes.
And halfway through we're inthe elevator and we're saying no
, we can't do this.
No, we can't do this.
Then we get to the top andthere's that line and you're
saying I can't do this, i can'tdo this.
Then they're putting equipmenton you, you're strapping you up
and that sense of just having asupportive group around you who
(28:57):
says you can do this.
It's terrifying, but it's alsoexhilarating.
.was amazing, and so I willnever forget.
Getting up to the top and yousee the promenade out before you
and, of course, sometimes yousee four-year-old,
eight-year-old kids in front ofyou and they're getting on no
problem.
So then you say, okay, well, ican do this, the eight-year-old
boy can do it, i can do it.
And so you jump up and theystrap you in, and when you're in
(29:19):
a line, especially with friendsor family, you can look to your
left and right and see themthere.
The adrenaline just takes overand we ziplined and, of course,
we're just screaming and nobodycan hear because it's so loud.
But we screamed and we ziplinedand we sailed over everybody
down below who was eating,drinking, walking around with
their massive yardstick smoothiecocktails, and I think I
(29:40):
remember screaming Las Vegas asI'm ziplining over the top and I
thought that I would never topthat experience.
The Safari Park in San Diego.
.
.
It .
topped it Very, very good.
Lea Lane (29:52):
Thank you so much, Kaylee Kayleigh McAllister,
Senior Regional Director atGhost Go City, for sharing your
suggestions with us.
Our cities are filled withsurprises, so let's travel and
enjoy them.
Thank you, Kaylee Kay
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