The Traveling Fool
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© 2025 The Traveling Fool
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Traveling off the tourist path. Talking about those places most tourists just don't know about because, well, nobody ever told them. Also travel tips and news about travel and tourism to make your trip a little easier, cheaper and more memorable.
51 Episodes
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Send us a text Your next great getaway might be hiding an hour from home. We break down a practical, repeatable system for finding day trips that feel fresh, personal and affordable—without getting stuck in the same “top 10” lists. Instead of relying on broad search results, we tap into eight reliable sources that locals and curious travelers can use anywhere: state and county tourism directories, nearby public lands, event aggregators, historical societies, niche discovery apps, food trails,...
Send us a text What if your best travel memories aren’t on any list? We dig into the difference between moving through a place and letting a place move through you, with practical tips to shift from tourist to explorer. Instead of racing to landmarks, we talk about landing light, walking slow, and using your senses—smell, sound, and small cues—to find the real city living between the sights. Please subscribe and leave a review on I-Tunes. Feel free to drop me an email I would love to hear ...
Send us a text Ever wondered if you need travel insurance and just what it covers? We break down when travel insurance is worth it and plenty of real-world detail, so you can decide what to buy, when to buy it, and how to make it pay when things go sideways Please subscribe and leave a review on I-Tunes. Feel free to drop me an email I would love to hear from you editor@thetravellingfool.com You can sign up for my email list Past Podcasts Follow me on social media FaceBook Twitter now ...
Send us a text A strange 1897 newspaper report turns Aurora, Texas into a place with a curious story, a lasting legend and a mysterious visitor named Ned. We weigh thin evidence against rich folklore, then share nearby spots to explore if you go chase the story yourself. Please subscribe and leave a review on I-Tunes. Feel free to drop me an email I would love to hear from you editor@thetravellingfool.com You can sign up for my email list Past Podcasts Follow me on social media FaceBook...
Send us a text We map a six-stop Southeast Texas loop where Texas independence, immigrant craft, Spanish missions, and small-town museums meet rivers, saloons, and a famously strange cryptid. The route works as a long weekend or a slow, weeklong wander with time to linger and learn. Please subscribe and leave a review on I-Tunes. Feel free to drop me an email I would love to hear from you editor@thetravellingfool.com You can sign up for my email list Past Podcasts Follow me on social med...
Send us a text We trace Abilene, Kansas from a Chisholm Trail boomtown to Eisenhower’s hometown, stopping for a mansion wired by Edison, a Greyhound Hall of Fame greeting, a 1901 carousel ride, and a back-room chocolate secret. History, food, trains, murals, and small-town charm deliver a trip worth planning. Please subscribe and leave a review on I-Tunes. Feel free to drop me an email I would love to hear from you editor@thetravellingfool.com You can sign up for my email list Past Podcast...
Send us a text Think travel demands deep pockets? We push back with a road-tested guide to seeing more while spending less. We challenge the idea that travel is only for big budgets, using a lifetime of road trips, points strategies, and common-sense choices to show how to see more for less. From camp stoves to tram rides, we trade luxury for stories and keep the wonder intact. Please subscribe and leave a review on I-Tunes. Feel free to drop me an email I would love to hear from you editor@...
Send us a text We head upriver from New Orleans to explore Louisiana’s River Parishes—where grand oaks, Creole stories, and a rare tobacco aged in whiskey barrels share a landscape with gators, smokehouses, and a 1950s drive-in. History isn’t erased here; it’s told plainly, tasted slowly, and easy to reach. Please hit that like or subscribe button When I do up the show notes for this podcast and and I do the transcript, I will put a link to a blog post I wrote about the area, if you're inter...
Send us a text Ever wonder what happens when a con man's legacy becomes a cornerstone of state history? The story of this Texas town unravels like a frontier thriller – complete with embezzlement, assumed identities, and a silver-tongued fugitive who changed the course of Texas settlement. Meet Philip Hendrik Nering Bögel, a Dutch tax collector who fled Europe after stealing 250,000 guilders in 1793. Please subscribe and leave a review on I-Tunes. Feel free to drop me an email I would love ...
Send us a text Step into the shadows of Galveston's most captivating historical mystery as we unlock the secrets of Ashton Villa and its unforgettable resident, Betty Brown. We'll also explore modern Galveston's vibrant charm—from historic districts and Gulf beaches to Victorian architecture and fresh seafood destinations. Subscribe now to hear more untold stories from America's most fascinating destinations! Please subscribe and leave a review on I-Tunes. Feel free to drop me an...
Send us a text Dreaming of the perfect getaway but overwhelmed by endless planning details? You're not alone. The latest wave of travel innovation is here, and it's transforming how we discover, plan, and experience destinations around the world. As I reveal in this episode, nearly 20% of millennials turned to artificial intelligence for trip planning in 2024 - and I'm among the growing number of travelers leveraging these powerful tools despite being decidedly outside the millennial demogra...
Send us a text Tucked away in the northwest corner of South Carolina, Oconee County reveals itself as an undiscovered treasure where natural beauty intertwines with captivating history. As I wandered through this Blue Ridge Mountain paradise, I uncovered the poignant legend of Issaquena, a brave Choctaw maiden who risked everything for love, leaving her name on what is now a magnificent 200-foot waterfall – just one of over 300 cascades dotting the county's landscape. My journey took me to P...
Send us a text Every monument tells a story. Every museum preserves voices that might otherwise be forgotten. As a veteran who served for two decades, I've always been drawn to military history – not for political reasons, but because these sites connect us to our shared human experience. From the moment you step into the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, you're walking above a symbolic field of 9,000 poppies, each representing 1,000 combat deaths during that conflict. This museum ...
Send us a text The famous historical landmarks of Texas like the Alamo and San Jacinto battlefield draw thousands of visitors each year, but the Lone Star State harbors dozens of lesser-known historic treasures that tell equally compelling stories without the crowds. In this episode, we uncover twenty overlooked historic sites across Texas that reveal surprising chapters of the state's rich past. These overlooked historic gems provide a deeper, more nuanced understanding of Texas history tha...
Send us a text Uncover the secret weapon that savvy travelers have been using for years – local Visitor's Bureaus. These often-overlooked offices hold the keys to transforming good vacations into unforgettable journeys, and today we're diving into exactly why you should make them your first stop in any new destination. Whether you call them welcome centers, tourism boards, or CVBs (Convention and Visitors Bureaus), these modest offices staffed by passionate locals are goldmines of informatio...
Send us a text What happens when you venture beyond the bright lights of Austin, the packed River Walk of San Antonio, or the urban sprawl of Dallas-Fort Worth? Texas reveals itself in ways no guidebook fully captures—through towns with characters as big as the state itself but too often overlooked by travelers chasing the obvious. From Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas that has flown nine different flags across its 300-year history, to the Victorian charm of Waxahachie with its perfect ...
Send us a text Ever feel like you're stuck in a tourist trap, surrounded by selfie sticks, waiting in line just to glimpse something you've already seen a thousand times on social media? There's a better way to travel, and it doesn't require visiting the Eiffel Tower or Times Square. Drawing from personal stories that span from small-town Texas to Czech beer halls and Filipino prisons, I reveal how real travel magic happens when you ditch the guidebooks and tourist hotspots. Through five pr...
Send us a text In this episode, we tackle the crucial topic of respectful travel and how to avoid the all-too-common pitfalls that turn people into "bad tourists." From respecting local customs to understanding food etiquette, we discuss ten essential tips to ensure your travels are both enjoyable and considerate to the cultures you are visiting. Subscribe, share your thoughts, or tell us about your travel blunders to keep the discussion alive! Please subscribe and leave a review...
Send us a text Experience the thrill of the open road as we delve into the advantages of road trips in our latest episode. Join me as I share my personal journey preparing for an exciting drive from Texas to South Carolina, discussing why I prefer the freedom of the highway to the chaos of airports. Hear stories from past adventures, sprinkled with insights about ensuring your vehicle is ready for long travels and packing the essentials to make the journey enjoyable. Please subscribe and leav...
Send us a text Ever wondered how a cryogenically preserved grandfather became the life of the party? Join me, as we uncover the story behind this festival and other eccentric festivals, where the bizarre meets the beautiful, and communities come alive in the most unexpected ways. But that's not all—we're cooking up a storm with some of the quirkiest food festivals across the globe. Each festival provides a glimpse into the vibrant tapestry of human celebration, proving that food and fun are ...
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