May 9, 2025 • 35 mins
🎧 Episode 177: Hidden Gems of the South: Family Adventures Off the Beaten Path Looking for your next unforgettable family getaway without the airport hassle or a sky-high price tag? This week on The Family Vacationer, Rob and Traci welcome Lesli Peterson, founder of 365 Atlanta Traveler, to uncover the best underrated destinations across the Southern U.S. perfect for families seeking flexibility, fun, and meaningful travel experiences. From hiking Georgia’s hidden canyons to exploring the unexpected charm of Huntsville, Alabama, Lesli shares her favorite off-the-beaten-path destinations, travel tips for every age, and why you don’t have to leave the South—or spend a fortune—to have a memorable vacation. Plus, she reflects on her own family’s epic year-long RV adventure and the power of traveling with your kids while they still want to hang out with you. 🎒 In this episode:
👉 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review wherever you listen! 📸 Follow us on Instagram @thefamilyvacationer 📰 Get bonus content and episode extras on Substack 🎒 Remember to keep your hearts and your passports open. Safe travels, everyone!
- Why traveling with kids when they’re young matters more than you think
- Favorite lesser-known destinations like Martin County, FL and Henry County, GA
- The surprising magic of places like Columbus, GA and Huntsville, AL
- Family-friendly festivals you won’t want to miss (yes, even Dragon Con!)
- Top tips for planning budget vacations using state parks
- How to stay flexible and intentional when travel plans go sideways
- The real reward of travel writing: helping families make memories
- 365 Atlanta Traveler – 365atlantatraveler.com
- Little St. Simons Island
- Okefenokee Swamp and Georgia State Parks
- Wire & Wood Songwriters Festival (Alpharetta, GA)
- Dragon Con Parade (Atlanta, GA)
- Hot Air Balloon Festival (Helen, GA)
- Martin County, FL
- Columbus, GA dining + outdoor rec scene
- RV travel tips and national park highlights
👉 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review wherever you listen! 📸 Follow us on Instagram @thefamilyvacationer 📰 Get bonus content and episode extras on Substack 🎒 Remember to keep your hearts and your passports open. Safe travels, everyone!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Today, I'm the Family Vacationer. If you're looking to uncover
underrated destinations and unforgettable family adventures across the Southern US,
you're in for a treat with today's show. Episode one
seventy seven starts right now.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Welcome to The Family Vacationer with Robin.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Tracy, your go to podcast for families on the moon.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Hey everybody, and welcome back to The Family Vacationer, the
podcast where we explore how to travel better, smarter, and
more joyfully with your family.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
I'm Rob and I'm Tracy. Today we're diving into one
of our favorite regions to explore with family, the Southern
United States. From the mountains to the coast. There's so
much to see and do, especially if you know where
to look.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
And joining us today as someone who absolutely knows where
to look Leslie Peterson. Leslie is the founder of three
sixty five, a traveler and an incredible resource for family
friendly adventures, especially in the Southeast.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
She's got years of experience as a travel writer and
a mom who knows how to plan a fun, flexible,
and meaningful vacation for the whole crew.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Leslie, Welcome to the show.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
We're so glad you're here. Let's start from the beginning.
What inspired you to start three sixty five Atlanta traveler.
Speaker 4 (01:26):
Well, I worked in corporate it for I don't know,
eighteen or twenty years, and then decided to have kiddos.
I got pregnant, quit work, and UH had the baby,
and staying at home was amazing, but I needed something more,
(01:50):
and so I started doing adventures with him with the
oldest one, and everybody was asking me about what we
were doing. So I was having to repeat myself five
hundred times a day, and I was like, I'm just
gonna I've been hearing about this blog thing. I'm going
to put it on a blog. And then it kind
of grew from there. I mean, that's really how it started.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Right over time, I imagine your travel style has changed.
How has it evolved as your children have gotten older?
Speaker 4 (02:22):
Well, So, I have two adult children, one of them
is turning thirty this month, but the littles are the
ones that we did most of the travel with, so
and they're not so little anymore. They're twelve and sixteen.
And the sad thing about the sad thing about I mean,
I love having the older kids now and there's so
(02:45):
much we can do, but they don't want to, you know.
On the twelve year old has got three baseball games
a week that he plays in the older one is like, Oh,
I'm going to go out, you know, I want to
go out with my friends to eat sushi or whatever.
So I can't, you know, I can't go. We can't.
That's this is not a good time mom. So I
(03:08):
think that it's it slowed down a lot and instead
of big week long vacations, it's more like overnights or
I mean we are we're doing a five day overnight
this month later later this month. But that's pretty rare. Yeah,
(03:30):
And I think if there's anything I would say to people,
A lot of people were like, we're traveling with their
kids when you're young, Like that seems so hard, but
it wasn't. All they wanted to do was be with us, right, so,
and they were willing to do and try anything. And
I would say, do it as early as possible, Like
(03:50):
so my first flight with my youngest, he was only
two months old. We got on the airplane, we're off,
and would have been earlier if I could have moved
around faster, But just do it early because it's it's
easier when you travel when they're older. But it's not
easier to travel.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Right, Yeah, we can totally. Really, we have a fourteen
year old and he doesn't want to ever do anything, right.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
It's so sad.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
Yeah, yeah, you know that's that is one of the
the I guess debates that I hear amongst parents, you know,
traveling with younger kids. Well, they don't remember anything. I
don't know, you well, exactly exactly you do as the parent,
but they may not remember the experiences, but I feel
(04:39):
like they remember the feelings that they you know, that
while they're traveling. We travel, We've traveled with ours from
the you know, I can't remember we were at Disney
with one of them when they were about two months old, right.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Tracy, Yeah, they were in a stroller.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Yeah, yeah, so I mean we were Yeah, you're right,
we remember it, so that that to me is enough
value in and of itself. But I think they remember
the feelings of traveling and being with their family, and
because when you're at.
Speaker 5 (05:08):
Home, like oh, I gotta make dinner, I gotta do
the laundry, I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do that,
and you want to spend time with them as much
as you can, like that face to face, looking in
their eyes time.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
But it's a lot easier to do when you're.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Not who for sure for sure, And I know my
dad worked extremely hard, but yet when we went on
family vacation, I got to see him in a different light.
I got to see him relaxed and having a good time.
And you can't you can't put a price tag on that.
So you've been on so many trips. What are a
few of your most cherished family travel memories?
Speaker 4 (05:47):
So do you have like an hour?
Speaker 2 (05:49):
We got as much time as you want, let's go.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
I think the most precious to me was probably the
one recently we took in twenty twenty one. We rented
an RV. We got rid of most of our stuff,
but some of it in storage, and we were on
(06:13):
the road for over a year, traveling around the country,
but back and forth. We zigzagged everywhere, and we were
all squished into this forty foot RV and forty foot
is a pretty big RV, but but it's not a
lot compared to our house, right, And we have friends
(06:33):
at RV, so we met up with them on the
road a couple of times, and we made new friends
and we saw places that you know, we wouldn't normally
have been able to see because it's not close to
an airport or you know whatever. And that was probably
one of the most precious times. And like I said,
(06:54):
it was like four years ago, so the boys were
old enough to do, Like we went to Glacier Nash Park,
we did the fourteen mile hike. They're old enough to
do that sort of thing. But and they were enjoying it.
But you know, they weren't old where they are now.
Like if now, if I told him we were going
out fourteen months in an RV, they'd be like, heck, no, we're.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Not right, right, that's a lot of life to leave behind, right, Yes.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
So that was probably one of my all time favorites.
But we around Georgia. So I I went to high
school in Japan, I lived in Germany, travel internationally quite
a bit, and we just haven't it hasn't been right
(07:44):
for us for a number of ways to do a
lot of that with them. So one of the things
that I that I enjoy sharing, or one of the
reasons why I enjoy sharing Georgia in the southeast with people,
especially people who live there. Is to say, just because
(08:05):
your job or your time, or your responsibilities or your finances,
just because they can't take you to Greece doesn't mean
that you can't be a traveler. You could still travel,
you know, around the area. So we did a lot
of that. Probably some of my favorite things were little
(08:25):
Saint Simon's Island, which is that you know, private island
they have to take a boat to get to. We
went out there. The hike in in Georgia, which is
the the only way in is to hike. I think
I can't remember how long it is, three miles or something,
(08:46):
but I remember the one year we did that just
me and two boys in the fall and one of
the boys, the youngest one, was like two years old.
So I did that hike with the overnight backpack on
my back and the kiddo on my front and then
six year old. I felt really proud of myself. But
(09:07):
we loved it so much. And then the next year
we went with Dad, and then like the Blue Ridge
Trade or really any train that we ride. We like
to ride things when we go around the country. Those
are probably some of my favorite things, but really it
doesn't even matter where we go, it's just being together,
(09:30):
you know, and experiencing something new together that you can
talk about later with each other. And I hate going
somewhere by myself and then having to come home and
explain it was so cool because and this picture doesn't
do it justice. You know, it's just better winter together.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Yeah, they don't get it unless they see it right
experience it. So let's talk about destinations. What are some
lesser known spots in the southeast you would recommend for families.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
There's a place in Florida on the Atlantic called Martin County.
Have you ever had y'all ever been to Martin County? No,
that's the county name. There's a couple names. Now. Port
Saint Lucie is over there, Hutchinson Island. That is a
(10:24):
gorgeous place. So the first time I went was because
my in laws who live in New Jersey came down.
They did the snowbird thing and they got, you know,
a house there, and they were like, come visit us,
and it was amazing. The beaches are really cool, but
there's lots of cool things to do, and then they
have a state park right there with marshes. It was
(10:50):
there's a car. There's the coolest car museum. They have
like this elevator so you can call a car and
like these old cars and it'll come and rotate and
go up the I'm using my hands even though we're
on a podcast, but we can see it. I guess
it was just a really neat place. So then we
(11:12):
went back with them the year after that, and then
we started going ourselves. We rarely rarely visit a place
more than once, but Martin County is one of those places.
And the other place that I think is great for
(11:35):
either couples without kids or with for families that I
think people overlook is Huntsville, Alabama.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Huntsville, Yes, we have, We've had so you mentioned you
mentioned travel sports. We're a travel We're a soccer family,
so we've been to Huntsville quite quite a few times
for soccer's.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Go on vacation though.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
Yeah, it's amazing. There's so much to do. There is
so much to do. Everything's like top notch quality. There's
a little downtown section that's adorable. There's the big Lake.
There's a great art scene there. Their food is amazing.
It It surprises me every time, and I've been several
(12:27):
times there. It surprises me every time I go. I
I could see myself living in Huntsville, okay, And I
think most people are like, Okay, Huntsville.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
Yeah, that's how I am right now.
Speaker 4 (12:43):
Just trust me.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Well, I mean, and to be fair, we didn't have
a lot of time to explore because you know, you
go in for a soccer tournament. You you get there,
you go to sleep, you get up, they have soccer,
then you go to bed and then you know, you leave.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
So not a lot of exploration.
Speaker 4 (13:01):
And the only place you eat or where you can
put fifteen kids in a place together right.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
Right right and not get thrown out for the noise. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:13):
I wanted to share though about the Southeast that I
think I underappreciated, as you know, as we moved around
to different different places. Is all the civil rights history
that's in the Southeast. Being able to walk on sell
(13:34):
you know, the Selma Bridge, or visit the school in
Little Rock, or go to the National Civil Rights Museum
in Atlanta. I mean, just to eat at Pascal's right
where am all cays to just kind of hang out
and make plans. Those are special, special places that you
(13:59):
can take well, you can learn yourself, right, But you
can take the kids and share some of those experiences
like in a I hate to say fun because we
know it wasn't a fun time, but share them with
them in a way that helps them really remember it
instead of so when they read about it later it
(14:23):
hits differently.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Yeah, it's one thing to read it in a history book.
It's another thing to see the pictures, the all the
interactive displays. Yeah, that's it's important they learned that history
so absolutely. Well, speaking of Georgia, that's our home state.
You lived in Georgia. Are their destinations here that you
think families consistently overlook? We've talked several times about Macon.
(14:49):
Macon is a city that's on the com there one. Yeah,
they have the newest or I don't know if it's
officially a national park yet, but they will have the
newest national park in the country. But are there, right,
are there other places that you would recommend families given
a second look to, Well.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
I think that especially because most of us live in
like Atlanta or the northern part just kind of from
a population perspective, so we forget about the Okefinoke it
is an incredible state park. It's gorgeous. It's the only
(15:28):
national you know, dark sky park in Georgia, so you
can see the the stars. I think it's and it's
what's interesting is it's not I mean it's on the border,
but it's not Florida. It's not the same as like
if you go to the Everglades. It's a completely different
experience that you really can't have anywhere else, and so
(15:51):
I think people overlook that. But you know what else
I like is Henry County, which is just south of
the city. That's where the Atlanta Motor Speedway is, and
they got like some hidden gems there, Like there's more
(16:13):
state parks. Of course, there's the the race the race
car area where they have concerts sometimes. But you know
what we did there once. They have an Army aviation
I guess it's a museum. But you can go and
see like the old army vehicles and everything, but for
(16:36):
a really affordable price, and I don't know what it
is today, but super affordable. Go up in the helicopter.
We were the helicopter and it was amazing. The doors
were open, you know, and yeah, it was it was cool.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Yeah, you wouldn't catch my husband doing that.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
Gravity has a hold on Army.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
He is.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
And the other one's Columbus. I think, I think people
there's so many free things to do there that makes
it affordable because if you go, you're gonna want to
do the rafting. Right, they have like the great man
made rafting area, and I think they just put a
zip line over it too, and that that's not cheap.
(17:26):
But the cool thing is if you want to go
there for like, let's say, an extended weekend, he's splurge
on that, and then almost everything else you want to
do there is really cheap or free. And I think
outside of Atlanta, they've got the most number of restaurants
(17:47):
that are unbelievably delicious, like not chain restaurants, No, I don't.
I'm sure they had chain restaurants somewhere, but I don't
remember seeing any of them. But that there's this place,
this place called Black Cow, which is kind of weird
to me because isn't that like that's also what you
call manure that you put in the yard. So I
(18:08):
think that, but but it's got I just all I
wanted to do was eat there, and that's not even
the only one. There's so many, so so many, and
it's you do find places that have a couple of
good restaurants, but it's hard to find a place that
has so a smaller place has so many.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
Well let's talk money. So what's your top tip for
planning a budget family friendly vacation.
Speaker 4 (18:39):
My top tip in Georgia and really anywhere is state parks. Yeah,
so you can get lodging much more affordably with them.
You've got the hiking opportunities obviously most of many of
them have water opportunities as well. If you've got the kids,
(19:01):
then you've got the Junior Ranger program that you can do,
you can work with, you can earn badges like I
know the Georgia State Parks has things like the Canyon
Climber's Badge, So if you go visit all the parks
with that have a canyon, then you get a special
little badge which is really fun for the kids. They've
(19:22):
got tons of programs that the jew that the the
Rangers put on. We love the Ranger programs and if
they charge anything, it's like five bucks, but usually they
don't charge anything. And the let's back to the lodging,
super super affordable, and they've refurbished at least in Georgia,
(19:47):
almost all of the cabins, so some of them what
we've stayed in felt like little southern living retreats, and
they're you know, more than half or I should say
less than half, I said. The hotels, you know, so
much more affordable. Plus how cool is it to just
be in the park when it's closed. Yeah, that's that's
(20:11):
what we try to do. Almost everywhere we go. We
focus on the national and the state parks because it
just offers so many things to do, so much to learn,
and it's really affordable.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Well, you know, one of the major challenges on a
family vacation is balancing the activities so that both kids
and adults are having a great time.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
How do you approach that?
Speaker 4 (20:42):
Well, the first thing I do is split it up.
So my husband, since my we homeschool our kids, and
my husband and I both work on this blog as
our job. We're all together like twenty four hours a day,
so one day a month or one weekend a month
(21:03):
we go on and away date night. You know, since
since they were little, either the grandparents watch them, the
adult kids watch them. So if we need to do
something that's very adulty, then we'll do that then, but
(21:24):
we rarely, very rarely, I'm trying to say this the
right way, go on a vacation for the kids. Okay,
So we have done Disney once with the older kids
and once with the younger kids. With the younger kids,
(21:44):
we did three days at Disney and three days on
at Disney Crouse. Okay, but like we're not we're not
Disney people. We're not or Universal people for that matter
or whatever. But we just I just don't want to
always feel I don't want them feeling like I have
(22:05):
to always entertain them. I don't want them having expectations
about you know, when we go on vacation, that's when
we do whatever that's just for them. We just do
the things we want to do, and it always works out.
(22:29):
I mean when like Little Saint Simon's, that place I
recommended we have most of the year is adult only,
but they have a couple months a year where they
allow kids. So we just waited till then we've taken
our kids to four twenty fest. We take we just yeah,
(22:53):
I don't that's I'm sorry, I'm kind of stumbling through this,
but we just don't do that.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
Yeah, we just go on.
Speaker 4 (23:01):
Vacation where we want to go on vacation and assume
that the kids are going to enjoy it and then
they do right, fair enough.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
Are there any festivals or annual events in the Southeast
that families should try and plan around for sure?
Speaker 4 (23:21):
I was thinking about when y'all asked me about this earlier.
I was thinking about Georgia. There are three festivals in
Georgia that are our favorites that we like to do
no matter what. The first one is in October and
Alpharetta they have what's called a Wire and Wood Songwriters Festival.
(23:43):
Have y'all heard of that one?
Speaker 2 (23:45):
No?
Speaker 4 (23:45):
I have not know that. If there that is the
festival we will not miss.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
Okay, an complete.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
It's all different kinds of music, different stages. I think
it's usually two nights, but they shut off the streets.
And what's cool about it is they have, you know,
in Alpharetta, they have the big green area that there's
a name for it and I can't remember, and there's
just kids playing there to the music. People are dancing,
(24:12):
you know, and there's food trucks and all that sort
of thing. But you're hearing really special musicians that you
might not have an opportunity to hear. They come from
all over the country and there's I've never heard of
pet musician there and there's probably like forty baby and
(24:37):
the kids will find one that they like. So that's
that's my all time favorite one. The other one, of course,
is dragon Con. Now we never go to the festival thing,
but Dragon Con the parade in downtown Atlanta is a must.
So everybody's dressed up in there, you know, like Star
(25:00):
Wars or you know, whatever sci fi kind of thing
the boys like. When they were younger, they would go
and wear their like Spider Man costume or whatever. And
we always take Marta because it is packed. There's no
you're not going to buy a place to park. So
I don't recommend Marta very often, but that's the time
(25:23):
when I would. But and if you do it right,
you're gonna see Stormtroopers on the you know, on the
Martyr train almost every time. It's great. And then the
other one that we really like is in Helen. It's
the the balloon races out of Helena Air Balloons. Those
are really magical.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
What time of year is that one in Helen.
Speaker 4 (25:47):
That's in June, So that one's coming up.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
Okay, Well, you know one thing that we always tell
our listeners is that flexibility when you travel, that's key.
So what advice do you have for staying flexible? You
know and weather or something always changes your plans. What
what's your advice for staying flexible?
Speaker 4 (26:06):
Staying flexible? Well, I think you have to decide to
stay flexible, right, you have to make that decision before
you leave your house with regards to weather, unless it's stormy,
I say do it with just go anyway and make
it fun. Obviously, if there's a storm or something, you
don't want to do that. We went to Orange Beach.
(26:30):
I guess the last time we went to Orange Beach.
We went in about about this time of year, so
like in May, and the pools were supposed to still
be heated, but it was so cold that nothing was
it wasn't wasn't making a difference, and it was unusually cold.
(26:52):
So we spend a little more time inside than we
probably would have wanted to do. But at that point
we just made sure to still focus on our family time.
It's really easy if it's raining or something gets canceled
to go, Okay, well we're gonna sit here and everybody's
(27:12):
going to be on their phones, and I think you
have to make a that's what the kids are going
to want to do. You have to make a conscious
effort to be like, no, we're going to you know,
there's usually games if you're staying you know, at an
airbnb or a condo or something. That's what we did,
board games or you know, going to explore something inside.
(27:39):
I think I'm trying to summarize this. Number One, make
sure that it really is a situation that you can't do.
I mean, you can still go to the zoo in
the rain, it's totally it totally works. But if you
really can't, don't give into it and just sit on
your heine, Like, make sure that you're taking advantage of
(28:02):
that time to be with them.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
Yeah, one of my favorite memories growing up with my family,
we were up in the mountains and we lost power
and played board games for hours by candlelight. And that's
for us. For us, that's not something that we did naturally.
I mean, we never played board games, but but yeah,
that was great and it was intentional that you know,
(28:25):
that we stayed together. And of course that was before
cell phones became so prevalent and kind of ruined just
about every kind of family time there is. But but yeah,
that was one of my favorite favorite memories growing up.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
I don't think you realize how many memories you're making
in moments like that.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
For sure, Yeah, as long as you stay intentional. And
I really I was kind of kidding at the beginning,
but I really believe that that begins before you leave
the house. You have to say like, okay, well, whatever happens.
My friend Sue says, there's no such thing as a
bad trip, only better stories.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
That's true.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
Well, you cover a huge, wide variety of destinations on
your site. How do you decide which ones to feature?
Speaker 4 (29:16):
Well, we just we at the time when the kids
weren't complaining. We were just traveling a lot, and so
if I thought it was something that people in my audience,
which is mostly Georgia but loosely the Southeast, if I
thought they would like it, then you know, we try
(29:38):
to write about it. We've been to a million places
that are not on the blog. We went to Nova Scotia,
for example. That was probably one of my favorite family vacations,
but it's not on the blog because most people aren't
going to go to who are listening to me, you know,
reading my stuff that they're not going to go to
(29:59):
Nova Scotia. So I didn't write it. But the other
thing is, you know, make sure I like it. We've
we've had a couple places where we went and I
was like wanh wah, and well, I'm not going to
write about it and say want wah. Yeah, just don't
(30:20):
write about it.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
You know.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
Now I'm curious where those places are, but I want
to ask you that I won't put you on the spot.
Speaker 4 (30:27):
Well, so for once, one was not a destination, but
like a hotel that we went to visit that I
was so excited about. I mean, I had wanted to
go there for eons, and I finally convinced the grandparents
to go with us. So we're all there and inside
(30:48):
even in our room, we weren't near the pool, but
even in our room, the chlorine smell was overwhelming. Then
we everybody left to walk to dinner, and I forgot something,
so I came back and I was getting the stuff
out of my purse and one of the staff members
(31:10):
just walked in the room and I was like hello,
oh gosh. And then things were kind of dirty, and
I was so disappointing. And so now when people ask
me about that hotel, of course I'll tell them the truth.
But yeah, I was like, I'm not going to bad
mouth them. That's not what I want to do. So
(31:33):
if you don't see something that on my site what
you think should be on my site, then maybe you
should write me.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
You know, when people think of the coolest jobs out there,
travel rider to most people seems like the best job available.
I don't think they understand a good job you have to,
but I think a lot of folks don't understand all
the work that goes into as well. For you, what's
been the most rewarding part of your work as a
(32:04):
travel rider?
Speaker 4 (32:07):
I think it's when people write me and tell me
what they did and that they found something on our site.
I mean that sometimes when I'm like, I don't know
if I want to do this anymore, and then I'll
get an email like that. The latest one I got
was a family with a one kid and he looked
like he was about seven or eight years old, and
they took their first camping trip, like the mom had
(32:30):
never been camping before, and wrote sent pictures said that
they used our you know, stay park guides and hiking
guides and waterfall guide and that was so awesome to me.
I mean, I can't even tell you how incredible that was,
because think about that little kid. He's gonna one day
(32:52):
he's going to grow up and he's going to be
on somebody's podcast and he's going to be talking about
when he went camping and his parents made it amazing
and we inspired them to do that. Yeah, uh, that
has to be. Or emails people, you know, like I'll
send an email out and people will write back and
(33:12):
say I just booked my ticket and then they I'm like, okay,
well write me back when you get back.
Speaker 2 (33:20):
And.
Speaker 4 (33:22):
It just it. It feels good to know that things
aren't going into a black hole, that people are actually
encouraged and inspired to go on some of the same
tracks that we've been on.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
So Leslie, before we wrap up, where can our listeners
follow your work or connect with you for more travel inspiration?
Speaker 4 (33:46):
Three six filently on our traveler dot com is our website.
We do have social media account, but I have to
tell you I'm too busy for social media.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
I don't blame you.
Speaker 4 (33:57):
I don't blame you, but when you if you go
to our site, you can sign up for our newsletter.
So if you're in Georgia, you'll want to get on
our daily newsletter. We send out three articles every day
with like what's going on that weekend or what tickets
just went on sale, or where you should go on vacation.
(34:17):
And then if you're in the Southeast and you just
kind of want some inspiration but you're not going to
be able to leverage all those recurring events, then you
can just pick up the weekend edition.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Well, Leslie, thank you so much for joining us today,
your tips, your stories, they're going to help a lot
of families plan their next great adventure.
Speaker 4 (34:36):
Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (34:39):
Be sure to check out three sixty five Atlanta Traveler
for even more ideas and inspiration.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
And don't forget to subscribe to the Family Vacation or
wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow us
on Instagram and on substack. We'd love to hear where
your next trip is taking you. Remember, folks, to keep
your hearts and your passports open.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
Safe travels everyone.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
Thank you for listening to the Family Vacation.
Speaker 3 (35:05):
Make sure I like and subscribe to hear more from
Robin Tracy Cercy
Today, I'm the Family Vacationer. If you're looking to uncover
underrated destinations and unforgettable family adventures across the Southern US,
you're in for a treat with today's show. Episode one
seventy seven starts right now.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Welcome to The Family Vacationer with Robin.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Tracy, your go to podcast for families on the moon.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Hey everybody, and welcome back to The Family Vacationer, the
podcast where we explore how to travel better, smarter, and
more joyfully with your family.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
I'm Rob and I'm Tracy. Today we're diving into one
of our favorite regions to explore with family, the Southern
United States. From the mountains to the coast. There's so
much to see and do, especially if you know where
to look.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
And joining us today as someone who absolutely knows where
to look Leslie Peterson. Leslie is the founder of three
sixty five, a traveler and an incredible resource for family
friendly adventures, especially in the Southeast.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
She's got years of experience as a travel writer and
a mom who knows how to plan a fun, flexible,
and meaningful vacation for the whole crew.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Leslie, Welcome to the show.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
We're so glad you're here. Let's start from the beginning.
What inspired you to start three sixty five Atlanta traveler.
Speaker 4 (01:26):
Well, I worked in corporate it for I don't know,
eighteen or twenty years, and then decided to have kiddos.
I got pregnant, quit work, and UH had the baby,
and staying at home was amazing, but I needed something more,
(01:50):
and so I started doing adventures with him with the
oldest one, and everybody was asking me about what we
were doing. So I was having to repeat myself five
hundred times a day, and I was like, I'm just
gonna I've been hearing about this blog thing. I'm going
to put it on a blog. And then it kind
of grew from there. I mean, that's really how it started.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Right over time, I imagine your travel style has changed.
How has it evolved as your children have gotten older?
Speaker 4 (02:22):
Well, So, I have two adult children, one of them
is turning thirty this month, but the littles are the
ones that we did most of the travel with, so
and they're not so little anymore. They're twelve and sixteen.
And the sad thing about the sad thing about I mean,
I love having the older kids now and there's so
(02:45):
much we can do, but they don't want to, you know.
On the twelve year old has got three baseball games
a week that he plays in the older one is like, Oh,
I'm going to go out, you know, I want to
go out with my friends to eat sushi or whatever.
So I can't, you know, I can't go. We can't.
That's this is not a good time mom. So I
(03:08):
think that it's it slowed down a lot and instead
of big week long vacations, it's more like overnights or
I mean we are we're doing a five day overnight
this month later later this month. But that's pretty rare. Yeah,
(03:30):
And I think if there's anything I would say to people,
A lot of people were like, we're traveling with their
kids when you're young, Like that seems so hard, but
it wasn't. All they wanted to do was be with us, right, so,
and they were willing to do and try anything. And
I would say, do it as early as possible, Like
(03:50):
so my first flight with my youngest, he was only
two months old. We got on the airplane, we're off,
and would have been earlier if I could have moved
around faster, But just do it early because it's it's
easier when you travel when they're older. But it's not
easier to travel.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Right, Yeah, we can totally. Really, we have a fourteen
year old and he doesn't want to ever do anything, right.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
It's so sad.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
Yeah, yeah, you know that's that is one of the
the I guess debates that I hear amongst parents, you know,
traveling with younger kids. Well, they don't remember anything. I
don't know, you well, exactly exactly you do as the parent,
but they may not remember the experiences, but I feel
(04:39):
like they remember the feelings that they you know, that
while they're traveling. We travel, We've traveled with ours from
the you know, I can't remember we were at Disney
with one of them when they were about two months old, right.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Tracy, Yeah, they were in a stroller.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Yeah, yeah, so I mean we were Yeah, you're right,
we remember it, so that that to me is enough
value in and of itself. But I think they remember
the feelings of traveling and being with their family, and
because when you're at.
Speaker 5 (05:08):
Home, like oh, I gotta make dinner, I gotta do
the laundry, I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do that,
and you want to spend time with them as much
as you can, like that face to face, looking in
their eyes time.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
But it's a lot easier to do when you're.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Not who for sure for sure, And I know my
dad worked extremely hard, but yet when we went on
family vacation, I got to see him in a different light.
I got to see him relaxed and having a good time.
And you can't you can't put a price tag on that.
So you've been on so many trips. What are a
few of your most cherished family travel memories?
Speaker 4 (05:47):
So do you have like an hour?
Speaker 2 (05:49):
We got as much time as you want, let's go.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
I think the most precious to me was probably the
one recently we took in twenty twenty one. We rented
an RV. We got rid of most of our stuff,
but some of it in storage, and we were on
(06:13):
the road for over a year, traveling around the country,
but back and forth. We zigzagged everywhere, and we were
all squished into this forty foot RV and forty foot
is a pretty big RV, but but it's not a
lot compared to our house, right, And we have friends
(06:33):
at RV, so we met up with them on the
road a couple of times, and we made new friends
and we saw places that you know, we wouldn't normally
have been able to see because it's not close to
an airport or you know whatever. And that was probably
one of the most precious times. And like I said,
(06:54):
it was like four years ago, so the boys were
old enough to do, Like we went to Glacier Nash Park,
we did the fourteen mile hike. They're old enough to
do that sort of thing. But and they were enjoying it.
But you know, they weren't old where they are now.
Like if now, if I told him we were going
out fourteen months in an RV, they'd be like, heck, no, we're.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Not right, right, that's a lot of life to leave behind, right, Yes.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
So that was probably one of my all time favorites.
But we around Georgia. So I I went to high
school in Japan, I lived in Germany, travel internationally quite
a bit, and we just haven't it hasn't been right
(07:44):
for us for a number of ways to do a
lot of that with them. So one of the things
that I that I enjoy sharing, or one of the
reasons why I enjoy sharing Georgia in the southeast with people,
especially people who live there. Is to say, just because
(08:05):
your job or your time, or your responsibilities or your finances,
just because they can't take you to Greece doesn't mean
that you can't be a traveler. You could still travel,
you know, around the area. So we did a lot
of that. Probably some of my favorite things were little
(08:25):
Saint Simon's Island, which is that you know, private island
they have to take a boat to get to. We
went out there. The hike in in Georgia, which is
the the only way in is to hike. I think
I can't remember how long it is, three miles or something,
(08:46):
but I remember the one year we did that just
me and two boys in the fall and one of
the boys, the youngest one, was like two years old.
So I did that hike with the overnight backpack on
my back and the kiddo on my front and then
six year old. I felt really proud of myself. But
(09:07):
we loved it so much. And then the next year
we went with Dad, and then like the Blue Ridge
Trade or really any train that we ride. We like
to ride things when we go around the country. Those
are probably some of my favorite things, but really it
doesn't even matter where we go, it's just being together,
(09:30):
you know, and experiencing something new together that you can
talk about later with each other. And I hate going
somewhere by myself and then having to come home and
explain it was so cool because and this picture doesn't
do it justice. You know, it's just better winter together.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Yeah, they don't get it unless they see it right
experience it. So let's talk about destinations. What are some
lesser known spots in the southeast you would recommend for families.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
There's a place in Florida on the Atlantic called Martin County.
Have you ever had y'all ever been to Martin County? No,
that's the county name. There's a couple names. Now. Port
Saint Lucie is over there, Hutchinson Island. That is a
(10:24):
gorgeous place. So the first time I went was because
my in laws who live in New Jersey came down.
They did the snowbird thing and they got, you know,
a house there, and they were like, come visit us,
and it was amazing. The beaches are really cool, but
there's lots of cool things to do, and then they
have a state park right there with marshes. It was
(10:50):
there's a car. There's the coolest car museum. They have
like this elevator so you can call a car and
like these old cars and it'll come and rotate and
go up the I'm using my hands even though we're
on a podcast, but we can see it. I guess
it was just a really neat place. So then we
(11:12):
went back with them the year after that, and then
we started going ourselves. We rarely rarely visit a place
more than once, but Martin County is one of those places.
And the other place that I think is great for
(11:35):
either couples without kids or with for families that I
think people overlook is Huntsville, Alabama.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Huntsville, Yes, we have, We've had so you mentioned you
mentioned travel sports. We're a travel We're a soccer family,
so we've been to Huntsville quite quite a few times
for soccer's.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Go on vacation though.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
Yeah, it's amazing. There's so much to do. There is
so much to do. Everything's like top notch quality. There's
a little downtown section that's adorable. There's the big Lake.
There's a great art scene there. Their food is amazing.
It It surprises me every time, and I've been several
(12:27):
times there. It surprises me every time I go. I
I could see myself living in Huntsville, okay, And I
think most people are like, Okay, Huntsville.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
Yeah, that's how I am right now.
Speaker 4 (12:43):
Just trust me.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Well, I mean, and to be fair, we didn't have
a lot of time to explore because you know, you
go in for a soccer tournament. You you get there,
you go to sleep, you get up, they have soccer,
then you go to bed and then you know, you leave.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
So not a lot of exploration.
Speaker 4 (13:01):
And the only place you eat or where you can
put fifteen kids in a place together right.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
Right right and not get thrown out for the noise. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:13):
I wanted to share though about the Southeast that I
think I underappreciated, as you know, as we moved around
to different different places. Is all the civil rights history
that's in the Southeast. Being able to walk on sell
(13:34):
you know, the Selma Bridge, or visit the school in
Little Rock, or go to the National Civil Rights Museum
in Atlanta. I mean, just to eat at Pascal's right
where am all cays to just kind of hang out
and make plans. Those are special, special places that you
(13:59):
can take well, you can learn yourself, right, But you
can take the kids and share some of those experiences
like in a I hate to say fun because we
know it wasn't a fun time, but share them with
them in a way that helps them really remember it
instead of so when they read about it later it
(14:23):
hits differently.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Yeah, it's one thing to read it in a history book.
It's another thing to see the pictures, the all the
interactive displays. Yeah, that's it's important they learned that history
so absolutely. Well, speaking of Georgia, that's our home state.
You lived in Georgia. Are their destinations here that you
think families consistently overlook? We've talked several times about Macon.
(14:49):
Macon is a city that's on the com there one. Yeah,
they have the newest or I don't know if it's
officially a national park yet, but they will have the
newest national park in the country. But are there, right,
are there other places that you would recommend families given
a second look to, Well.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
I think that especially because most of us live in
like Atlanta or the northern part just kind of from
a population perspective, so we forget about the Okefinoke it
is an incredible state park. It's gorgeous. It's the only
(15:28):
national you know, dark sky park in Georgia, so you
can see the the stars. I think it's and it's
what's interesting is it's not I mean it's on the border,
but it's not Florida. It's not the same as like
if you go to the Everglades. It's a completely different
experience that you really can't have anywhere else, and so
(15:51):
I think people overlook that. But you know what else
I like is Henry County, which is just south of
the city. That's where the Atlanta Motor Speedway is, and
they got like some hidden gems there, Like there's more
(16:13):
state parks. Of course, there's the the race the race
car area where they have concerts sometimes. But you know
what we did there once. They have an Army aviation
I guess it's a museum. But you can go and
see like the old army vehicles and everything, but for
(16:36):
a really affordable price, and I don't know what it
is today, but super affordable. Go up in the helicopter.
We were the helicopter and it was amazing. The doors
were open, you know, and yeah, it was it was cool.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Yeah, you wouldn't catch my husband doing that.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
Gravity has a hold on Army.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
He is.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
And the other one's Columbus. I think, I think people
there's so many free things to do there that makes
it affordable because if you go, you're gonna want to
do the rafting. Right, they have like the great man
made rafting area, and I think they just put a
zip line over it too, and that that's not cheap.
(17:26):
But the cool thing is if you want to go
there for like, let's say, an extended weekend, he's splurge
on that, and then almost everything else you want to
do there is really cheap or free. And I think
outside of Atlanta, they've got the most number of restaurants
(17:47):
that are unbelievably delicious, like not chain restaurants, No, I don't.
I'm sure they had chain restaurants somewhere, but I don't
remember seeing any of them. But that there's this place,
this place called Black Cow, which is kind of weird
to me because isn't that like that's also what you
call manure that you put in the yard. So I
(18:08):
think that, but but it's got I just all I
wanted to do was eat there, and that's not even
the only one. There's so many, so so many, and
it's you do find places that have a couple of
good restaurants, but it's hard to find a place that
has so a smaller place has so many.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
Well let's talk money. So what's your top tip for
planning a budget family friendly vacation.
Speaker 4 (18:39):
My top tip in Georgia and really anywhere is state parks. Yeah,
so you can get lodging much more affordably with them.
You've got the hiking opportunities obviously most of many of
them have water opportunities as well. If you've got the kids,
(19:01):
then you've got the Junior Ranger program that you can do,
you can work with, you can earn badges like I
know the Georgia State Parks has things like the Canyon
Climber's Badge, So if you go visit all the parks
with that have a canyon, then you get a special
little badge which is really fun for the kids. They've
(19:22):
got tons of programs that the jew that the the
Rangers put on. We love the Ranger programs and if
they charge anything, it's like five bucks, but usually they
don't charge anything. And the let's back to the lodging,
super super affordable, and they've refurbished at least in Georgia,
(19:47):
almost all of the cabins, so some of them what
we've stayed in felt like little southern living retreats, and
they're you know, more than half or I should say
less than half, I said. The hotels, you know, so
much more affordable. Plus how cool is it to just
be in the park when it's closed. Yeah, that's that's
(20:11):
what we try to do. Almost everywhere we go. We
focus on the national and the state parks because it
just offers so many things to do, so much to learn,
and it's really affordable.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Well, you know, one of the major challenges on a
family vacation is balancing the activities so that both kids
and adults are having a great time.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
How do you approach that?
Speaker 4 (20:42):
Well, the first thing I do is split it up.
So my husband, since my we homeschool our kids, and
my husband and I both work on this blog as
our job. We're all together like twenty four hours a day,
so one day a month or one weekend a month
(21:03):
we go on and away date night. You know, since
since they were little, either the grandparents watch them, the
adult kids watch them. So if we need to do
something that's very adulty, then we'll do that then, but
(21:24):
we rarely, very rarely, I'm trying to say this the
right way, go on a vacation for the kids. Okay,
So we have done Disney once with the older kids
and once with the younger kids. With the younger kids,
(21:44):
we did three days at Disney and three days on
at Disney Crouse. Okay, but like we're not we're not
Disney people. We're not or Universal people for that matter
or whatever. But we just I just don't want to
always feel I don't want them feeling like I have
(22:05):
to always entertain them. I don't want them having expectations
about you know, when we go on vacation, that's when
we do whatever that's just for them. We just do
the things we want to do, and it always works out.
(22:29):
I mean when like Little Saint Simon's, that place I
recommended we have most of the year is adult only,
but they have a couple months a year where they
allow kids. So we just waited till then we've taken
our kids to four twenty fest. We take we just yeah,
(22:53):
I don't that's I'm sorry, I'm kind of stumbling through this,
but we just don't do that.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
Yeah, we just go on.
Speaker 4 (23:01):
Vacation where we want to go on vacation and assume
that the kids are going to enjoy it and then
they do right, fair enough.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
Are there any festivals or annual events in the Southeast
that families should try and plan around for sure?
Speaker 4 (23:21):
I was thinking about when y'all asked me about this earlier.
I was thinking about Georgia. There are three festivals in
Georgia that are our favorites that we like to do
no matter what. The first one is in October and
Alpharetta they have what's called a Wire and Wood Songwriters Festival.
(23:43):
Have y'all heard of that one?
Speaker 2 (23:45):
No?
Speaker 4 (23:45):
I have not know that. If there that is the
festival we will not miss.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
Okay, an complete.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
It's all different kinds of music, different stages. I think
it's usually two nights, but they shut off the streets.
And what's cool about it is they have, you know,
in Alpharetta, they have the big green area that there's
a name for it and I can't remember, and there's
just kids playing there to the music. People are dancing,
(24:12):
you know, and there's food trucks and all that sort
of thing. But you're hearing really special musicians that you
might not have an opportunity to hear. They come from
all over the country and there's I've never heard of
pet musician there and there's probably like forty baby and
(24:37):
the kids will find one that they like. So that's
that's my all time favorite one. The other one, of course,
is dragon Con. Now we never go to the festival thing,
but Dragon Con the parade in downtown Atlanta is a must.
So everybody's dressed up in there, you know, like Star
(25:00):
Wars or you know, whatever sci fi kind of thing
the boys like. When they were younger, they would go
and wear their like Spider Man costume or whatever. And
we always take Marta because it is packed. There's no
you're not going to buy a place to park. So
I don't recommend Marta very often, but that's the time
(25:23):
when I would. But and if you do it right,
you're gonna see Stormtroopers on the you know, on the
Martyr train almost every time. It's great. And then the
other one that we really like is in Helen. It's
the the balloon races out of Helena Air Balloons. Those
are really magical.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
What time of year is that one in Helen.
Speaker 4 (25:47):
That's in June, So that one's coming up.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
Okay, Well, you know one thing that we always tell
our listeners is that flexibility when you travel, that's key.
So what advice do you have for staying flexible? You
know and weather or something always changes your plans. What
what's your advice for staying flexible?
Speaker 4 (26:06):
Staying flexible? Well, I think you have to decide to
stay flexible, right, you have to make that decision before
you leave your house with regards to weather, unless it's stormy,
I say do it with just go anyway and make
it fun. Obviously, if there's a storm or something, you
don't want to do that. We went to Orange Beach.
(26:30):
I guess the last time we went to Orange Beach.
We went in about about this time of year, so
like in May, and the pools were supposed to still
be heated, but it was so cold that nothing was
it wasn't wasn't making a difference, and it was unusually cold.
(26:52):
So we spend a little more time inside than we
probably would have wanted to do. But at that point
we just made sure to still focus on our family time.
It's really easy if it's raining or something gets canceled
to go, Okay, well we're gonna sit here and everybody's
(27:12):
going to be on their phones, and I think you
have to make a that's what the kids are going
to want to do. You have to make a conscious
effort to be like, no, we're going to you know,
there's usually games if you're staying you know, at an
airbnb or a condo or something. That's what we did,
board games or you know, going to explore something inside.
(27:39):
I think I'm trying to summarize this. Number One, make
sure that it really is a situation that you can't do.
I mean, you can still go to the zoo in
the rain, it's totally it totally works. But if you
really can't, don't give into it and just sit on
your heine, Like, make sure that you're taking advantage of
(28:02):
that time to be with them.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
Yeah, one of my favorite memories growing up with my family,
we were up in the mountains and we lost power
and played board games for hours by candlelight. And that's
for us. For us, that's not something that we did naturally.
I mean, we never played board games, but but yeah,
that was great and it was intentional that you know,
(28:25):
that we stayed together. And of course that was before
cell phones became so prevalent and kind of ruined just
about every kind of family time there is. But but yeah,
that was one of my favorite favorite memories growing up.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
I don't think you realize how many memories you're making
in moments like that.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
For sure, Yeah, as long as you stay intentional. And
I really I was kind of kidding at the beginning,
but I really believe that that begins before you leave
the house. You have to say like, okay, well, whatever happens.
My friend Sue says, there's no such thing as a
bad trip, only better stories.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
That's true.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
Well, you cover a huge, wide variety of destinations on
your site. How do you decide which ones to feature?
Speaker 4 (29:16):
Well, we just we at the time when the kids
weren't complaining. We were just traveling a lot, and so
if I thought it was something that people in my audience,
which is mostly Georgia but loosely the Southeast, if I
thought they would like it, then you know, we try
(29:38):
to write about it. We've been to a million places
that are not on the blog. We went to Nova Scotia,
for example. That was probably one of my favorite family vacations,
but it's not on the blog because most people aren't
going to go to who are listening to me, you know,
reading my stuff that they're not going to go to
(29:59):
Nova Scotia. So I didn't write it. But the other
thing is, you know, make sure I like it. We've
we've had a couple places where we went and I
was like wanh wah, and well, I'm not going to
write about it and say want wah. Yeah, just don't
(30:20):
write about it.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
You know.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
Now I'm curious where those places are, but I want
to ask you that I won't put you on the spot.
Speaker 4 (30:27):
Well, so for once, one was not a destination, but
like a hotel that we went to visit that I
was so excited about. I mean, I had wanted to
go there for eons, and I finally convinced the grandparents
to go with us. So we're all there and inside
(30:48):
even in our room, we weren't near the pool, but
even in our room, the chlorine smell was overwhelming. Then
we everybody left to walk to dinner, and I forgot something,
so I came back and I was getting the stuff
out of my purse and one of the staff members
(31:10):
just walked in the room and I was like hello,
oh gosh. And then things were kind of dirty, and
I was so disappointing. And so now when people ask
me about that hotel, of course I'll tell them the truth.
But yeah, I was like, I'm not going to bad
mouth them. That's not what I want to do. So
(31:33):
if you don't see something that on my site what
you think should be on my site, then maybe you
should write me.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
You know, when people think of the coolest jobs out there,
travel rider to most people seems like the best job available.
I don't think they understand a good job you have to,
but I think a lot of folks don't understand all
the work that goes into as well. For you, what's
been the most rewarding part of your work as a
(32:04):
travel rider?
Speaker 4 (32:07):
I think it's when people write me and tell me
what they did and that they found something on our site.
I mean that sometimes when I'm like, I don't know
if I want to do this anymore, and then I'll
get an email like that. The latest one I got
was a family with a one kid and he looked
like he was about seven or eight years old, and
they took their first camping trip, like the mom had
(32:30):
never been camping before, and wrote sent pictures said that
they used our you know, stay park guides and hiking
guides and waterfall guide and that was so awesome to me.
I mean, I can't even tell you how incredible that was,
because think about that little kid. He's gonna one day
(32:52):
he's going to grow up and he's going to be
on somebody's podcast and he's going to be talking about
when he went camping and his parents made it amazing
and we inspired them to do that. Yeah, uh, that
has to be. Or emails people, you know, like I'll
send an email out and people will write back and
(33:12):
say I just booked my ticket and then they I'm like, okay,
well write me back when you get back.
Speaker 2 (33:20):
And.
Speaker 4 (33:22):
It just it. It feels good to know that things
aren't going into a black hole, that people are actually
encouraged and inspired to go on some of the same
tracks that we've been on.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
So Leslie, before we wrap up, where can our listeners
follow your work or connect with you for more travel inspiration?
Speaker 4 (33:46):
Three six filently on our traveler dot com is our website.
We do have social media account, but I have to
tell you I'm too busy for social media.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
I don't blame you.
Speaker 4 (33:57):
I don't blame you, but when you if you go
to our site, you can sign up for our newsletter.
So if you're in Georgia, you'll want to get on
our daily newsletter. We send out three articles every day
with like what's going on that weekend or what tickets
just went on sale, or where you should go on vacation.
(34:17):
And then if you're in the Southeast and you just
kind of want some inspiration but you're not going to
be able to leverage all those recurring events, then you
can just pick up the weekend edition.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Well, Leslie, thank you so much for joining us today,
your tips, your stories, they're going to help a lot
of families plan their next great adventure.
Speaker 4 (34:36):
Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (34:39):
Be sure to check out three sixty five Atlanta Traveler
for even more ideas and inspiration.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
And don't forget to subscribe to the Family Vacation or
wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow us
on Instagram and on substack. We'd love to hear where
your next trip is taking you. Remember, folks, to keep
your hearts and your passports open.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
Safe travels everyone.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
Thank you for listening to the Family Vacation.
Speaker 3 (35:05):
Make sure I like and subscribe to hear more from
Robin Tracy Cercy
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