154. How Set Jetting Brings Your Favorite Shows to Life, from A Luxury Traveler's Perspective

What if your next trip didn’t just take you somewhere new, but dropped you right into the world of your favorite TV show? In today’s episode, I’m joined by Trish Boyd, and we’re spilling all the magic from our latest luxury travel experience, a set jetting adventure inspired by Bridgerton. In this episode, you’ll learn how set jetting turns destinations into living stories, what it’s really like to experience iconic filming locations firsthand, and why curated group travel creates deeper connections and once-in-a-lifetime memories.

Connect with Michele on IG: @jetsettingwithmichele or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/MMTinsiders

Contact Michele to plan your next vacation: www.makinmemoriestravel.co/contact, michele@makinmemoriestravel.co, or schedule a 15 minute consult: https://tidycal.com/texasmfs/15-minute-meeting

This episode was produced by The Podcast Teacher: www.ThePodcastTeacher.com.

Transcript

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SPEAKER_01 0:04

Welcome to Jet Setting With Me, a weekly podcast about all things luxury travel. I'm Michelle, your extra AF hostess. In this podcast, you'll discover luxury travel hacks to maximize your precious travel time and resources. We'll dive into which destinations and experiences are worth your effort. And you'll get to travel vicariously with me on my own trips. So grab your bevy of choice and join me for a quick coffee chat. Gilmore Girl style. Hello, jet setters, and welcome back to another episode of Jet Setting with Me. It is I, Michelle, your Wanderlust Insigator. I am so excited for today's episode because A, it is the first time, okay, second time, but Mr. Jet Setting With Me doesn't count, that I have had an actual guest in studio with me. I am so excited for you to meet my new bestie Trish.

SPEAKER_00 1:10

Trish, introduce yourself. Say hello. Hey everybody, I am Trish Boyd. I am uh based here in Austin, Texas. I love travel, people, food, which is why it is so amazing that I have gotten connected with Michelle.

SPEAKER_01 1:27

And we are connected. How is it that we have become such fast friends?

SPEAKER_00 1:34

Well, I was lucky enough to hear about your Bridgerton tour that you were taking in March in the UK. And as soon as I heard, I was like, oh, please, please, please, can I go? Because you know, I had been to London a couple of times before for work trips, but literally it was just you know in and out, and I never got to experience it until just recently, like I did with you, Michelle.

SPEAKER_01 2:02

Oh, thank you. So as you heard, we are both in studio here, so we are sharing a mic. So yes, the audio sounds different, but that's okay because we have so much to tell you about our recent trip. Like we literally just got back like a week ago. Yeah. I mean, I am still not sure if I'm over my jet lag even. So we, as you just heard, Trish came on the set jetting Bridgerton Spring Soiree. So now that you have experienced what set jetting is, because I cannot tell you how many people, especially even travel advisors, who are like, what is set jetting, Michelle? How would you describe it, Trish?

SPEAKER_00 2:45

I would describe it as intentional experience-based travel that is wrapped around a show, a television, or a movie to where then it just totally even submits the experience more because you are in a place that you already know about and now you're like deep in it and you're part of it.

SPEAKER_01 3:11

Oh my gosh, I love that. Intentional. I have never actually used that word before when describing it, so I'm gonna steal that. Okay, so I'm gonna take us back. So we got in a day early. So we went, I did some research, and I found the third oldest inn in the UK, and we went and tell me what your like because that was first impression.

SPEAKER_00 3:38

Okay, first impression was oh my god, I am in a whole nother world. Because I mean, everything in London or in the UK is older, it has history, it has energy.

SPEAKER_01 3:53

Yeah, I mean, it's yeah, that might not be the energy that we wanted.

SPEAKER_00 3:56

Yeah, well, later we found out there was some weird energy there, but that could be another whole podcast where we can dive into that. But I mean, it's just like it I could feel it, and uh this was yeah, you know, it looked like I expected it to, you know, and it was just this great little quaint place that had amazing, just little rooms where people would gather and have a meal or a brew or whatever. And it was uh it was so fun, and it was a great kickoff to get to know the other people that had, you know, come in early. So yeah, I was like, I felt like ooh, I was a secret. I got in on something.

SPEAKER_01 4:32

I know it was great. The reason I said it might not be the energy that we actually wanted to take home with us is because we found out that it was called a murder house.

SPEAKER_00 4:41

Well, afterwards, at least we'd already eaten and had a great meal and a great time.

SPEAKER_01 4:46

It was actually a really great like pre-kickoff, so to speak. But then the next day everyone arrived and we were on our way to bath and we checked in to our I can't say enough fabulousness about our lake hotel. Like, I want to go back to bath just so I can say hello to all those people at the hotel. They were so amazing.

SPEAKER_00 5:08

Oh my, they were so amazing. I mean, it was the fastest, smoothest check-in I've had in a hotel anywhere, and you know, I've been our full group at the same time. They were so amazing. Yeah, like we had our stuff was in our room before we were.

SPEAKER_01 5:24

I know, right? Right from the transfer, they took our luggage, it was incredible. Our rooms were ready when we got there, and then we had it was walk, I mean, it was so centrally located. We got to walk over to our welcome center. And this hotel we found out, although it's a modern brand, it was an IHG hotel, but when they had renovated it, it had used to be four Regency apartments. So we were staying in the time period that we were there to visit, and they had kept like all the original crown molding. So it's like we literally stepped into a period 250 years ago that we wanted to experience. I mean, that's the whole reason we were there.

SPEAKER_00 6:05

It was so cool. I mean, I was just mesmerized, but you know, everywhere you looked was something cool, like the molding or a painting or a statue, or even the way like the floor parquets are laid out or things like that. It was, yeah, it was great. And then, of course, we had amazing food too, which we just rolled out of there afterwards. I think we definitely had dessert on top of everything else. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:32

Oh, yeah. If I'm involved in the meal, there is dessert. Yeah. Another thing I learned about tea. Who knows what it was? But there was also for you, we had basically tea at every meal since we were in the UK.

SPEAKER_00 6:45

I am a tea addict. That is truly my Killy's tendon. Is like I have got to have tea, and I love tea. I start and it's caffeinated, and then I'll just, you know, taper it off and go to decaf. But everywhere, I was so excited. Everywhere we went, I could say I wanted tea, and people didn't go, okay, it'll take the brew some or whatever. You sure you don't want coffee? I got a pot may. And I was like, no, it was amazing.

SPEAKER_01 7:12

So I forgot that between the airport and bath, we stopped at this very small town, Lake Hawk. It's part of the cot swallows, and there's like only foot traffic allowed, except for the residents who are allowed to drive, but really it's walking. And talk about sut jetting and this little town. We made some people on our trip super excited because we found sites that were used in Pride and Prejudice and Harry Potter.

SPEAKER_00 7:42

Yes, and then even beyond that, after I was so excited about that, and then we just wandered around, and there was up the hill was a cemetery, and that I saw graves from 500 66, not 1500 of like, and then I was just like mesmerized. I was like, this is so amazing. It was a great little detour.

SPEAKER_01 8:07

Yeah, and I want, I mean, I'm talking about these things like they were just happened, but really and truly every single thing on this trip was choreographed to the minute. So we go Lake Hawk, we meet some of the locals, we find out what they where they should send us for lunch, and and then we get to bath and we already so day one in Bath, after we have our welcome dinner, we wake up and we meet the ultimate tour guide whom I had met the year before when I went scouting for this trip, and who really helped like make this trip from 360-degree view in my head. He brought it down to the tactile and he brought it to life, yes. So I didn't get to go on the tour this time because he can only take so many people, so I got to send all of you, but know that you were in great hands.

SPEAKER_00 9:05

Oh my god. What was your favorite part? Fred was amazing. Okay, my favorite part. I mean, everything, but I should say this was a Bridgerton filming tour.

SPEAKER_01 9:16

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 9:16

But he threw in Jane Austen and some bath history. I mean, she did it all. I mean, he was just like, we'd walk along and he'd say, Oh, by the way, here in 1624, Prince Albert fell off of something, or you know, whatever. I mean, he had everything, but you know, we started out and we landed immediately at the boutique, which in Bridgerton is Madame Delacroix's, you know, gown making place. Oh my god. I mean, just right off the bat, we're like, whoa, we want to be there. And then we went squeal. We went around the corner, and then it was the place where Penelope and Eloise are walking in the first episode, and where they're talking about or trying to figure out, you know, different things about life and you know, and help people, you know, mate or whatever. And I was like, I remember this conversation was right here, and then we just go around the corner, and then it was so many places that right now my mind is blown about like, and it was just like off the top, you know, it's like we're just walking, go, oh, by the way, round here, you know, this beautiful royal crescent, that's where like all the carriages line up.

SPEAKER_01 10:24

I mean, it was just and the moments after moments after half like he's really well connected, he's a native to Bath, and that was something that I worked really hard to make sure that I had for this trip in particular. And because I can't believe we have like literally already gone through half our time and we're only on day one. I have to go ahead and fast forward and say that I worked really hard to get great guides at where else do we get Greenwich Royal Navy College and the tour guide of Greenwich and the filming scenes there, and also Hampton Court. And at Hampton Court, we did not only the scenes that were filmed there from Queen Charlotte, Bridgerton story, and some of the Bridgerton scenes, but also all the Henry VIII history. So if you had to pick Bath, Greenwich, or Hampton Courts, I think I know what you would pick.

SPEAKER_00 11:21

You know what I'm gonna pick because I got the extra benefit that like not everyone else got because when we got to Hampton Court, and I, you know, I'm looking at the signage and it says tulip festival and it had dates. And I looked at my watch and I went, hey, and then I'm still like, you know, is it, is it, is it, is it possibly true? And so, yes, we go inside, and the all of the gardens of Hampton Court have a tulip festival. Tulips are my flower. I literally probably was floating on hair. I mean, I just was like, I was like, but the you know, the tour before that with Chabon was so amazing, and I felt a little bit bad because I didn't realize how bad Henry the Eighth was. I mean, he was not a nice man at all. Like when I think Henry VIII, I think of the movie Ghost, where Patrick Swayze's like singing, I'm Henry VIII, I am. And so I was like had kind of a happy thought about him. No more. Um, I felt sorry for everyone that he lived with, but he did have some great sets. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:34

And so, of course, I have to throw in yet another pop culture set jetting reference is of course the Tudor. So if anybody hasn't seen the Tudors and wants to know just how bad Henry VIII is, you can watch that. I think it's on Prime Video. Yes. Because as soon as I came home, I was like, Do I watch Pride and Prejudice? Do I watch Bridgerton or do I watch the Tudors all over again?

SPEAKER_00 12:58

So I started and I already have scoped out the Gut the Tutors because I had never seen it. Oh, so it'll be, you know, like that's amazing. So I'm excited about that.

SPEAKER_01 13:09

Yeah. Okay, so what would make you want to go on another set jutting trip with me?

SPEAKER_00 13:16

Well, okay, so I always thought about that. I mean, obviously, it's the amazing way that you bring people together and that you create a warm, loving environment where everybody like we just connected. Um, so I love that.

SPEAKER_01 13:33

And I feel like a chocolate because I can't do that without making sure that without a way of knowing that everyone that I am bringing on this trip feels the same way about society and travel and the world, and for some reason it was magic.

SPEAKER_00 13:52

Yeah, I was just I mean, I have lifelong friends now. You know, I'm definitely gonna talk to Cass and Sherry, Ashley, and everyone, and Irina, and you know, we're gonna be connected forever. But also the key thing for me is that as a person who has book traveled for executives and done this for years and years, it was divine. I didn't plan a thing, I literally only had to just show up and pack your backs. That was amazing. Yes, I loved it.

SPEAKER_01 14:27

Yes, that's awesome. So, where would you want to go on a future side zetting tour?

SPEAKER_00 14:33

So man, that was hard. But for me, I was thinking about this because I thought you might ask me this. Italy and Greece are top of my list. So, I mean, because like I've seen tons of shows that yes, that have been based there. I cannot wait to go there and be immersed in them and experience.

SPEAKER_01 14:54

So, my very first set jetting trip was a group of 10, and it was to the Greek Islands we did a cruise, which you can hear about on previous episodes, and that was based on the end of the Angus Like That season one finale or two finale, they end up on the beach in Greece, and so we had a special guest for that one, just like we did this one with Cass. That one we had Molly, Molly Davis, she was the costume designer for Angus Like That. Oh my god. So I always like to infuse like a special guest, like this time we had Cass, someone who can really help divine sort of the behind the scenes and give us a lot of things.

SPEAKER_00 15:38

That was so cool because she was totally geeking out everywhere we went. Like, did you see this? Did you see this? Remember, and so she like was like an encyclopedia on demand of right here. Oh, yeah, this was that episode, and this is what they said. And this was when he was four feet high, or yeah, it was amazing, yeah, yeah. And of course, we're all just like lapping it up with a spoon. It's like more, more, more, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:06

Is there anything that you would change?

SPEAKER_00 16:10

No, I mean, no, I mean, I don't think so. I like that it was small, you know. I think you talked before, I would never make it more than 10 or 12 people because the magic of it was we all rode in the car together. Yeah, we all ate together at the same table. Yeah, you know, we had that, it was truly a shared experience.

SPEAKER_01 16:32

Yeah, that was nice. There were no clicks, yeah, because it just wasn't big enough to have a click.

SPEAKER_00 16:37

No, there was no clicks, there was no prima donnas, there was nobody that was like well except me. No, you were just our guide.

SPEAKER_01 16:48

I am nothing, I'm not a luxury traveler. Everybody else is walking to tea at the lanesboro. Michelle's like, I'll meet you there. I'm taking my Uber. Charles, thank you so much for your time and your retrospective. I can't believe I we made it through, you know, day one. So, I mean, we did have high tea at the lanesboro.

SPEAKER_00 17:14

That was a highlight.

SPEAKER_01 17:15

Amazing Stonehenge with Irena.

SPEAKER_00 17:18

Amazing. Amazing. Going and actually being in the Roman bath and soaking in the water.

SPEAKER_01 17:26

We we spent some divine time inside. It was lovely, it was awesome. I hadn't done that on my first trip to Bath, so that was great. Yeah, we had time to go see, some of us went to go see the West End and plays, and I got to see the Delaware's Prada.

SPEAKER_00 17:43

We walked through Hyde Park. They walked park. It was amazing. There wasn't a moment where I wasn't happy.

SPEAKER_01 17:52

Oh. And this is the one thing that maybe I didn't plan in advance. We got to go to the opening night of Hell's Kitchen, the very first Gordon Roomsey Hell's Kitchen in the entire UK. And there we sat, all of us in the booth for opening night. And the food, I think that might have been the best meal we had.

SPEAKER_00 18:14

Oh, it was so delish, and it was so exciting being in there. I've never been to a restaurant opening, especially one as you know, amazing as Gordon. Yeah, we didn't get to see him. And like, you know, the wait staff kept coming over to us, and they were, they were like, you they were like, oh, they must be someone special. And we're like, yeah, we're special.

SPEAKER_01 18:34

Yeah, yeah, that was very cool. Yeah. I knew it was gonna be opening, but I wasn't sure we'd be able to get in. So that was the one big thing that I wasn't able to plan to shop. Yeah, that was awesome. Yeah, that was amazing.

SPEAKER_00 18:47

And then sadly every day was amazing, though. There was always something like that every single day that I go, how'd we do that? Whoa, that was freaking awesome.

SPEAKER_01 18:58

Oh, it was so amazing to have you and your lovely travel companion, your daughter. You the your energy just brought such enthusiasm and magic to the trip. And I really, really hope that we might see you again next year on either our Emily in Paris. Oh, yeah, this we have the the F-bomb allowance here or the Outlander are back, but Cass is gonna come to that.

SPEAKER_00 19:24

Everybody that I talk to, my hairstylist wants to go with on the next one, my sister wants to go.

SPEAKER_01 19:29

Well, I kept telling you, I told you before, you can be my number one salesperson, and I'll let you do the sales because I'm really bad at that part. Well, then nobody even knows what set jetting is. Okay, but another person on our trip, Sherry, who you're gonna actually, listeners, you'll get to hear what she had to say.

SPEAKER_00 19:47

And you'll love Sherry, guys.

SPEAKER_01 19:48

She sent me in a voice recording that I'm gonna put on here. But she said, we're gonna make set jetting a thing. So here's to our next trip. And until then, jet setters, or should I say set jutters, make every journey a memory worth savoring. And just like that, this episode is over. Thank you for joining me. If you've enjoyed today's episode, I would be thrilled if you would follow, like, and share this podcast with all of your like minded, wanderlusting friends, and leave a review on Apple iTunes or whichever podcast platform you listen to.