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Suitcase Divas: Travel Agent Tips, Tricks & Travel Tales
Join co-hosts Denise and Cheryl as they chat about the journey of life and how travel plays an intricate role in navigating its twists and turns. Whether it's sharing travel tips, swapping stories over a glass of wine or mimosa, or welcoming special guests, there's always something new to explore! Grab your suitcase, pour a drink, and let’s dive into the adventure of life together—because travel makes everything better!
Suitcase Divas: Travel Agent Tips, Tricks & Travel Tales
Window or Aisle? Let’s Unpack Your Travel Personality!
Ever wonder what your travel quirks say about you? In this episode, we’re spilling the tea on the little (and not-so-little) decisions that shape our adventures—starting with the ultimate packing showdown. One of us swears by the art of rolling clothes, but let’s be real... by the time we’re heading home, that suitcase is a full-on disaster zone.
Then it’s time to settle some hot debates: planes vs. trains, hotels vs. Airbnbs, street food vs. familiar favorites. Are you all about efficiency, or do you travel for the romance of the journey? Do you crave the comfort of a well-made bed with room service, or are you here for the full local immersion?
And don’t even get us started on sightseeing! Are you lining up for that iconic selfie at a tourist hotspot, or do you prefer discovering hidden gems that most travelers miss?
We’re wrapping it all up with a rapid-fire round of travel preferences—some of which might surprise you! (And yes, we will be judging whether pajamas at the airport are acceptable.)
So grab your boarding pass and join the conversation! Where do you land in these travel debates? Slide into our DMs and tell us what makes you the traveler you are!
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Good afternoon. How are you doing today, cheryl? I am good, it's sunny. It's nice, it is sunny and spring is here. Cheers to spring.
Speaker 2:I have a mimosa, I'm just having wine.
Speaker 1:There's nothing wrong with that. Yeah, so I think there may be a bird going into the bird box. Sorry, that was a little squirrel moment. I was looking out. I was looking out and appreciating the fact that the bradford pears have shed all of their white funk. Yes, because I'm serious, like my the allergies. I keep talking about it and I'm not trying to keep talking about it, but it's like serious. It's like the resistance is out there. May the author ever be in your favor.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Um so what are we talking about today?
Speaker 1:So we're just talking about kind of like a this or that travel style. You know, like what is your preference? Um, so, for example, I'll give you a this is like easy. So would you prefer, are you a carry on or are you a checked bag type of person?
Speaker 2:I'm a both I'm taking a carry on and I'm taking a checked bag. Oh well, and let me rephrase that Carry on is not always the carry on suitcase. Sometimes it's just a larger bag.
Speaker 1:It depends on what airline you're on right because they're really stretching the whole carry-on. It's really more like a personal item with a lot of the budget places like that's not.
Speaker 2:Yes, carry on that like well, am I personally going checked bag?
Speaker 1:yeah, bag at the very least, and we've traveled together and we don't travel light, so it could be a checked bag and a carry-on and a personal item there.
Speaker 2:That's my preference If I had a choice. Honestly, yeah, yeah. How about? Oh, when it comes to packing, because we do overpack, are you rolling your clothes in that new, that style that everybody's talking about to pack tighter orpack? Are you rolling your clothes and that new, that style that everybody's talking about to pack tighter, or are you just folding your clothes?
Speaker 1:I. I mean, my first choice is folding, just because I'm a creature of habit and that's what I know. I tried the whole rolling. I don't feel like for me. I don't feel like I got more in by rolling. I think I think you can still stack it in, I don't know. So I'm going to go with. I'm a folder. What about you?
Speaker 2:I start off as a roller and my suitcase and my bags are very organized pre-trip. What it looks like coming back is a whole different experience. It is literally just thrown in there, however it will fit.
Speaker 1:There's no organization agreed because I don't give a shit. By the time it's coming home it all needs to be washed and stuff like that. I just need to make sure that the suitcase zips that's my only criteria coming home. It does not have to look neat, not wrinkled, it can be whatever it, just the suitcase has to zip. That's what I got.
Speaker 2:Right, and I, when I'm packing, I'm making a list, like even if it's a mental list, I'm having my days, I'm if we're going somewhere where we need bathing suits, I've got all the components for that, like I'm putting things in piles and organizing it like that, so I know I have everything I need. The funny thing is coming back, especially when I don't travel with the kids, and when the kids were little I did this, but I'm not making sure I'm bringing everything back. I've totally left things before because I'm not doing the check.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I totally get that. And how about suitcase versus backpack? But I think I've brought both and I use the backpack as like a day trip type of thing. If I'm going to the beach or whatever, I want to be able to put sunscreen and all that stuff. So I'm not bringing my full suitcase but I want to have even if it's not a backpack. I want to have a secondary bag that I can do for day tripping. How, how do you do the same thing pretty much do for day tripping.
Speaker 2:How do you do the same thing? Pretty much, yeah, I. Usually. I try to make sure all the bags that I'm taking are usable. In some way.
Speaker 1:So if I'm doing a checked bag and a carry-on, or like a personal item.
Speaker 2:I'm making sure that personal item can be used for the rest of the trip. It's got a purpose. And then if I can't like, depending on the style of trip we're going on, I will take one of those rolled up style bags and stick that in my suitcase or the backpack or whatever. So I have it when I'm there. But yeah that's definitely about that. And obviously we talked about packing light versus packing for every scenario. I'm packing for every scenario.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, I don't pack light and I'm not planning to adjust that behavior.
Speaker 2:Right, okay, so this is interesting because when it comes to luggage and packing, we are very similar in that we are perfectly fine bringing the whole house and kitchen sink and all like. We're perfectly fine.
Speaker 1:I think we've entertained other guests in the hotel when they see our carts carts yes. They have to help us get into the door and into the elevator. They're like damn girls, are you moving in? And we're like, no, we're just here for the weekend.
Speaker 2:I know that's the thing there for the weekend, all right, so we're very similar in that, but let's see how we are when it comes to transportation showdowns. Okay, are you a plane versus train? What would be? And those two what would be?
Speaker 1:your choice. I'm definitely playing, I mean I. I it's not that I don't want to do, I'm dying to get on rail bookers. That's one of our big vendors and they have fit packages that are really customizable. So I do want to experience train, but for me I'm just basing this on um it takes a lot longer to travel by train versus plane. So when I'm traveling these days, I'm traveling to make it the shorter distance, otherwise it for me it would be um, plane versus road, tripping it. And then where are you there? Because then, if we're talking, we just we just had to encounter that for podcast, right? Yeah, we had to decide whether we wanted to take really bad flights that were not the ideal time and it would have taken us the same amount of time to go. There wasn't even a direct flight to get down to Florida. It was going to take us almost as long to fly two different flights with a layover than it was to just drive straight through.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was so much cheaper. So I agree with you. If it's plane versus road trip, it really depends on am I is the goal here to just get to the destination of the goal. Or if, like, road tripping is fun. I like road tripping to a certain extent. Yeah, train travel Again. If I'm just trying to get from point A to point B, I'm going to choose plane and probably car over train.
Speaker 1:Well, but I will say if you are going for the experience of because on those trains there's beds, there's like you can be sleeping while you're traveling you can't. If you're driving straight through the driver, he does not get any reprieve. You're driving. But if you're trying to get from point A to point B in a timely manner and you don't feel like you could do the 12 or 15 hour drive, then I would recommend a plane over versus a road trip, because then you're on there and you can do whatever. You can eat, you can drink, yeah, sleep, you can do whatever you want.
Speaker 2:It's like being on a cruise on land, being on the ship. Everything is there. Now I would for the adventure. I would do like you said railbookers or rocky mountain tier um, both of those are really good for the adventure, uh, and I and they're. But it's set up that way. Their trains are different. They're made more for that adventure versus your regular like amtrak, where you just have a seat right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I agree with that and the next category, um, I think would depend more so where you live in the country, if you're in a city, versus. But what do you think about like Uber versus like public transportation per se?
Speaker 2:I would rather take an Uber over a taxi and we're talking about in the state side. I would rather take an Uber versus a taxi because, as we found out on one of our trips, the taxi was so much more expensive. Yeah, and it was just not the best experience. Public transportation if we're talking about, like the buses or the subways, I would do that, I would love to take. I wish we had better public transportation here.
Speaker 1:Well, but I'll say the light rail has come a long way. We did not when I was just doing that campus tour with Alex, and the light rail to get to Uptown Charlotte is included in the your tuition of, and you can just hop on the light rail and be in Uptown Charlotte in less than 30 minutes Like that's amazing you could have you taken the light rail yet? Yeah, yeah, I have taken the light rail.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so if I for events cause, I'll park at that right in front of you and CC that parking garage and then take it all the way into Uptown, so I don't have to deal with the traffic. So it's great for events.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for real, yeah, and we didn't have that. So I mean public transportation where you can take it, especially if you're dealing with just traffic in general. It definitely will save you some time because it's a direct shot up the rail, it can be intimidating though, because I remember we were both when we went to New York City.
Speaker 2:We were like, let's do the subway. And we walked down, we tried to buy tickets and we saw the signs and we're like, never mind, and we walked back up. We couldn't figure it, we didn't feel confident.
Speaker 1:That was after we had spent two hours walking around like a four-block grid, right yeah, and we had just traveled.
Speaker 2:We were so lost? Yeah, but it was one of those. We were only there for less than 24 hours, so we did not take the time to like investigate it, but I public transportation can be intimidating.
Speaker 1:It can be intimidating, especially in New York city like the big apple. I want to do it.
Speaker 2:So that's on my bucket list when we go back to. New York city. I want to experience, I want to learn how to navigate that. But, all right, let's talk about accommodations, because this people are pretty picky about and I'm I feel that Hotel versus Airbnb, what are you choosing?
Speaker 1:And that's pretty complicated because for me that is situational to the trip that I'm going on. Sometimes I want to be in a hotel. Sometimes I want to be in an Airbnb, like if we're in New York city and we want to be walking around in Times Square, I would definitely pick a hotel. If I'm in the like in the mountains, out in like Gatlinburg or near Dollywood, I want to be in an Airbnb that has a hot tub on the deck and I want to be able to be surrounded by nature and I want that experience of that. See what I'm saying yeah, I'm hotel.
Speaker 2:I will choose a hotel over Airbnb and what is your reasoning behind that?
Speaker 2:um, I think Airbnbs are. They're just not my preference. I don't want to clean. I don't even like to clean my own house. I have no desire to do it now, and this is not to say that I leave messy. Because we have a timeshare, we have to clean it. We don't have services come every day. I prefer the condo style or something like that, where there's amenities around and all that's kind of included. But I don't want to have to deal with all those extra fees that you get. All these rules Nope, I want clear cut fees. Pampering, I guess, is the word. I don't know. I'm not there to follow this list. I don't know. Airbnb stressed me out.
Speaker 1:Okay, fair enough. I get you, but I think, especially when you're going with larger numbers, hotels get really like the amount you can get condo style hotels.
Speaker 2:When I'm thinking that I'm like you can get three, four bedroom connecting or um, you can go through. It's not individually owned. I think that's more of what I want. Is that style versus?
Speaker 1:yeah, because you're blurring the line a little bit for me on that, because when I think a hotel, I think the max you're getting and there's four people in two queen beds.
Speaker 2:I guess because we've always had more than one room in our hotels because of the kids as we got older. When we were young and broke as hell, it was the two double beds with everybody, but as we got older we had separate bedrooms, and then even Dale and I travel with separate bedrooms, if we can, because we like our space, we to sleep, and so I can get all the amenities of the hotel with the hotel amenities in kind of like a airbnb type of more room, more more freedom.
Speaker 1:As far as what?
Speaker 1:you and I guess I just don't want to have to worry about I also watch way too much true crime when I also think of hotel as, like, if I'm out in the mountains, I want to sit in my own hot tub on the deck you know what I mean like I don't want to have to go to a hotel down into the pool area where there might be a lot of people, like some in certain areas. I just want more privacy, which I think you can definitely, I think you would get.
Speaker 1:So for me it just depends on the situation. If I'm I've got a girl's weekend going on and we just want some downtime, it doesn't have to be, or or even if it's a couple's weekend, I want I want a more chillax atmosphere versus if I'm going to Nashville, I'll stay at a hotel with my girls, and if we're just going to different clubs and going out to restaurants.
Speaker 2:And let me answer this, then, because I think you're right. I think, when we say the word Airbnb, which is more of a branded word versus what it encompasses, because I think about, like the cabins at, like Treehouse, vineyard or something like that I don't consider that an Airbnb, but it's also not a hotel.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like that's why I'm saying it's. For me, it's the scenario. It depends on where we are and what we're doing versus what would be the best accommodations, and maybe I'm thinking too much into this because I'm a travel hotel.
Speaker 2:I agree with you, though, but I think if you say the word Airbnb, I'm usually turned off right away, but when you dive deeper into what that means, maybe we need to come up with a different word. When we're talking to people and we say hotel versus and I don't know, that's a good point. We're going to table that and come back to it. As travelers, we need to find out a better way to use that word, because Airbnb means this to me, whereas hotel means all the others. So, and I think there is a there's definitely gray areas and that's an onion.
Speaker 1:There's a lot of layers right.
Speaker 2:It's like checking the onion. It's an onion.
Speaker 1:So that's something.
Speaker 2:I'm going to definitely write that down and be like let's look at that, because I think using that verbiage is just making it more pigeonholed when it's not, it shouldn't be Right.
Speaker 1:There is like that's also like this, the what level of luxury you're looking for in these accommodations, like a hostile, hostile, hostile. You see how I feel about a hostile. I know, I see, I know that's where you're going, but Troy didn't slip there. Do you want to stay in a hostile?
Speaker 2:or a boutique hotel, and I'm assuming your answer is going to be boutique hotel.
Speaker 1:I mean, I've never stayed in a hostile and well, yeah, I would probably fare better, or that would be. My first choice would be not even a boutique. I'm not that prissy pants, but I'm just saying, let me ask you this what do you consider a boutique hotel?
Speaker 2:I don't think boutique hotels are always super expensive. I think they're more.
Speaker 1:I think I think it's the experience and see it all back to the experience. Like some boutique hotels are just that, just means they're small and they pay for to. They cater to wellness, they cater to beauty, they cater to-.
Speaker 2:Or they're like a bed and breakfast, or they are small mom and pop style. That's what I think of when I think of boutique, not bougie. I think bougie is on a different level.
Speaker 1:Again, I think it's an onion. I think there's layers of a little bit of that everywhere you go. But, yes, would I rather stay in a more boutique style or than versus a hostel? Yes, what about you? Would you prefer?
Speaker 2:I think it depends on if I'm traveling like solo or just like one or two people. I'm probably going to choose the boutique over the hostel. However, if I'm traveling with a group, I think hostels are great. I've looked into group or hostels for group travel, especially youth and student groups and scout groups, and there are some amazing ones out there.
Speaker 1:Plus international travelers.
Speaker 2:We actually have hostels here in the States and I'm familiar with a few of them, but hostel stays are more traditional that's not the right word. You see them more often internationally than you do here in the States and I've read reviews. They're great. You have your own. Sometimes you have your own space. It's just a tiny room, but you have a shared bathroom. It's like being in a dorm most of the time is what I would think of it. So again, like you said, I guess it all comes down to what experience are you looking?
Speaker 1:for and, and I think you can find that in any one of these, this or that category. So if we're talking destination and experience, um, how about Disney adults versus Disney avoiders? This is a hot topic right, am I right, mm-hmm? Do you have your Mickey mouse ears?
Speaker 2:ears on. Nope, I'm a disney avoider if I can.
Speaker 1:I'm a disney avoider. I am. I. I've been to disney. I do believe it's magical, um, but I'm definitely not one of those people that like budgets out for multiple times per year and that's where you're truly in your happy place I'm, and you all dress up with the ears and the outfits. I think that there's a place for that and I'm happy for those people that this is what you know they. It really gives them something. You can see, it, you can tell. You can see how enthusiastic they are to get in their outfits day by day and is something but it that for it doesn't do that for me and I think it's also different because one we went when our kids were younger and now we don't, which and my kids want to go back.
Speaker 2:They absolutely talk about it. They've even talked about that be. Instead of us having like a Christmas, this year, we go to Disney instead as Disney adult, as adults going to Disney, not Disney adults. There's a difference there.
Speaker 1:Maybe it's something the thing with.
Speaker 2:Disney, though is I. I really think it takes to. It depends on if you're going and it's like a one one and done kind of thing. It takes a lot of planning to get the best bang for your buck.
Speaker 1:I really think it does, absolutely not a on the fly kind of trip and I would recommend for sure people that are travel agents that are disney fanatics also. We know a couple of them. You know brian, jackie, julie. You know what I mean. Like they are, they are invested and they know the back doors to go. There's so many like hidden, like if you go to this bench and mention this code word like it's a whole underground world.
Speaker 2:I think people should do their research and get assistance. If you've never been or you just don't like planning it, but google disney travel agents or travel agents that specialize in disney, because those are the ones that are like with any niche they can change level up your experience, yes, yeah, and I'm going to say I'm totally going to own it out there.
Speaker 1:I'm not that, I'm not that travel I would send you if I had somebody that's like I want the most amazing Disney experience, like I can get you a. I mean, I, I had an amazing Disney experience but I don't know I know some of the inside secrets just because I did so much hours and hours and hours of research. But there are people out there, like the Brian's and Jackie's, that just know all of the hidden secrets.
Speaker 2:Like yeah, and they enjoy that. Like I'm going to be straight up, that's I. Would I, if you know what you want, you know where you want to stay, you know where your tickets, I'll a hundred percent help you and schedule.
Speaker 1:I'll show you like sneaky club level shit, you know what.
Speaker 2:I mean, I'm not doing that, I don't, I'm not like that's where my, that's where I shine. I know that that is customer service when it comes to disney is to recommend amazing disney agents because I agree so many, or we have a few that I know of that. This is something they are super passionate about so I would definitely recommend that one out. Yeah, throw that one out. All right, let's talk. Oh, this is a good one. Touristy hotspots versus off the beaten path travel.
Speaker 1:Well, you know what I like.
Speaker 2:I'm more.
Speaker 1:I love your off the beaten, like the hidden gems. We thrive on hidden gems. I think sometimes in this day and age, if there's like a influencer or something and they send somebody to all these places and it's overcrowded, I'm avoiding that all day. Like I I've been to a lot of touristy places, I'm kind of more into the off the beaten or the hidden gem and going behind the waterfall hikes, like that's my jam. Where I'm at right now, like I've done touristy stuff and I'm not saying that I would never. I still have so many things on my bucket list that are touristy, but right now my vibe, my gem, is the hidden gem type of off the beaten path. What about you?
Speaker 2:I want the touristy stuff. I because usually if it's something touristy, that's what drew my attention to that area. But I don't like crowds. I don't mind the crowds and I can choose to go off season. But if I've been planning so, I think about this like when I went to Vegas, I did all the touristy things. When I went to the Grand Canyon, did all the touristy things. I went to the four corners, which is literally nothing in the middle of nowhere. It's four corners. It's something that I learned about, I've either heard about for years or it sparked my. I have no problem doing the touristy things. When I get to travel internationally and I get to go, like, to Paris, I'm seeing all those touristy things that I grew up.
Speaker 2:That's what.
Speaker 1:I said I'm going to do both, but I don't mind doing the off the off the beaten path stuff. I have had so much joy walking behind a waterfall here in North Carolina that I'm like who else gets to walk behind this waterfall? Like this is kind of magical with the water coming down and you feel like this is a hidden gem, it gives you a different. So I I'm going to be like Switzerlanditzerland all the time, because this is what I am. I'm gonna see like there's a time and a place and an opportunity to enjoy any of this and all of this.
Speaker 2:Given the scenario, I was thinking that, since we've been going through this, this isn't a great version for us of this or that as travel agents, because we love it all I know we really can love to book all of it for everybody. But I, when it comes to the tour, if I had to choose between touristy and off the beaten path and it's somewhere I've been planning I really want, I'm going to do all the touristy things because that's nothing wrong with that that's what I learned about, or whatever I.
Speaker 2:I'm really going to do that. All right, the next two winter vacations versus summer vacations.
Speaker 1:So this is funny because you know me and I don't like the cold. I was born and raised in Maine and I love Maine and Maine is beautiful, but it's pretty fucking cold and it has a very small window of summer. So it's funny when you ask me winter versus summer, in winter I'm going to be going on a cruise to somewhere tropical and and in summer I'm going to still also be going to, maybe the mountains on a waterfall hike or going to Dollywood. I'm still going to be enjoying whatever warmer, whatever the warmest thing I can do You're not going to find me on a ski lift.
Speaker 1:You're not going to find me like ice fishing or doing the polar plunge. That's my version of vacation. Is whatever is not cold. You see what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was funny when I first read this. I thought, well, I'm going on vacation in the winter, if I'm able to, and the summer. But what you're saying is correct, they mean winter style vacations like the skiing or something like that. I mean I would try it because, honestly, I've never, but I've never been skiing. But I went snow tubing because we went up, we have the mountains near us, so I've done snow and I enjoyed it for less than an hour and then I was ready to go sit by the fire. But I I won't mind trying it, but you're right, and I would, I would love to try to ski, but it would probably be like a half a day sing and then I'm depending, maybe I love for me, the biggest branching out winter trip that I'm willing to take at this point in my life is an Alaska cruise.
Speaker 2:That is yeah, but you're going to take that in the summer, so it's still going to be it's it's going to be cold, you're going to see snow.
Speaker 1:That is true, potentially, yeah all right, that's as branching out as I can go to the winter wonderland.
Speaker 2:Well, our next one is beach versus mountains, but I'm going to just say we both will go to both, depending on the time of year, and move on. Since we are chatting and we got a couple more, I definitely want to get through. So let's move on to big cities versus small town travel. What's your preference there? Well, you know, I like them both. I realized we didn't think about this topic before we. We came up with all these verses, but we, I don't think what.
Speaker 1:I would say is I'll pick small towns over big cities, because big cities have larger populations and I don't like crowds, and so I think I would pick us, and there's so many beautiful small towns like Chimney Rock and Blowing Rock and all of the little.
Speaker 1:I love a small town where you can go into like the general store or whatever, and they've been there forever and everybody's so welcoming I. To me, I would pick a small town over a big city, just because I guess that's how I was born and raised and I do not like a ton of people Like I don't want to feel claustrophobic, I like, I like I like open air.
Speaker 2:You want your waterfall and your mountain. Yeah, I totally get that. I my goal is to hit most of the big touristy cities. I really truly want to hit all of them. I was actually just watching a show based in LA yesterday and I was seeing all the scenic views when they're driving around and I was having like FOMO I cannot wait to. I've been to LA one time as a layover.
Speaker 1:We stayed the night for our flight but I didn't get to explore the city. But those I want to go to, the big cities I want to hit them all. Yeah, Okay, Well, similar to that. We have definitely two different paths that we could diverge on them. So big city versus small city. Then we're talking about guided tours versus exploring on your own. I think for me, that just depends on where you are. If I'm in Europe and I don't know anything where I'm going, I want a guided tour. If I'm bringing you to North Carolina, where I've been on the trails and I know the suspension height, bridges and all of that type situation, then I'm I'm definitely would be fine to be exploring on my own. Um, so I? For me, it's always situational. What about you? I?
Speaker 2:think um, it would be a structured tour versus a guided tour.
Speaker 1:I would like someone there if I'm going somewhere I've never been like overseas or Kind of like when you were in Jamaica, when you just got in the taxi and you're like show me all the cool places. I did, I just went and found the local driver and was like hey, take us to the.
Speaker 2:I think there are times I want that, but there's also been times where I've gone on certain trips, like when we went to Hawaii, we had a guide. Now we were with a bigger group and we were there for an event and we had someone in the location that if we needed them, they were there. We were on our own, we had a schedule, but we had someone if we needed. I think I would want that, especially if I'm traveling overseas, even if you don't know all of the customs, like certain shit means different things in different countries so.
Speaker 1:I think the more you branch out, the more you need some kind of assistance, I agree.
Speaker 2:Well and I don't. But I don't want a fully guided tour, because if I find something, I'm the type that will deviate. You don't want it to be cookie cutter. Well, I don't want it to be so structured that I come across something that's absolutely amazing and I can't do it. That's what I don't want. I want to be able to have like a general plan and then, if something amazing comes up, we can pivot, or you know, that's what I really want. I don't want someone telling me guys, we are only an hour. If I'm loving it, I'd rather spend half the day here and skip the next one. If that's what I'm loving, that's what I would prefer.
Speaker 1:Well, and then that takes you to fast paced sightseeing versus slow travel. And I think it depends on what your trip, how long you have invested in that trip, how much you're hoping to see. If if I'm only going to, uh, italy once in my life which please Lord, but that not be the case, but my goal is to to hit all of those places in that window it depends on if you're there for a week versus two weeks. You then you can go fast paced versus having a little more leisure time. So it just for me that depends on what that trip that you've booked out.
Speaker 2:I agree. I think there's a place, a time and place for both. Fast paced sightseeing is more for I need to get in as much as I can, because I'm probably not going to be back here, versus this is somewhere I can go. I can go up to DC because I love DC. I don't have to be fast paced there. Because I can, I'm not gonna find Miss D in DC anytime.
Speaker 2:I love Washington DC. I love the museum. It's not anything against DC. I just the crowd in the big city and I have to use public, or I use public transportation there. I absolutely do in DC, um when I've gone there. But oh, here's one um early morning flights versus red eyes. What's your choice? What's your preference?
Speaker 1:I would take an early morning flight over a red eye, for sure.
Speaker 2:I want an early morning flight there, but I want a red eye back.
Speaker 1:That's fair because I well agreed. I try to get well and as a travel advisor we know the early morning flights get out the the there's least amount of chance of delay, trip delay, and if your trip is delayed then you're going to make it to your destination that day. So I would always advocate for an early morning flight, versus like rolling in there at like noon or after. That's where you start to run into some trouble. Um, but I don't mind. Like you said the red, I go on home. You're exhausted anyway. But I can't sleep on a plane. So that's my oh, I can't, it's that's. I. Wish I had that superpower or power, because I feel like sleeping on a plane, train, any for me it's unaccountability of my belongings and my person, like what's going to happen if I fall asleep? Anything, somebody could fucking kill me inject.
Speaker 2:I can absolutely fall asleep. I have you know. I've told you I sleep in the airport. I've slept in the airport when we've had layovers.
Speaker 1:I'm all in those chairs.
Speaker 2:No, no, totally crashing, I'm not.
Speaker 1:No, somebody could harvest my organs. I can't do that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, here's one of our fate Well, it's one of mine food and drink debates. Are we doing street food or are we doing fine dining?
Speaker 1:Well, you know what? This is a gray area for me, so let me ask you what you are.
Speaker 2:because, because a I don't eat that much and I I have reservations about what they're cooking up in those food trucks. See, I'm picking street food with maybe one night at fine dining or even an amazing brunch, or fine dining, just because I don't like long drawn out meals like that's me too. I don't love that.
Speaker 1:I don't like long drawn out meals, like but also I like to.
Speaker 2:I will never forget. Dale and I went to a fine dining and I say that air quotes in Vegas, um experience and the. It was a type of restaurant. This was gosh. I don't even know how many years ago. When I asked, I don't remember if I asked for a soda, or did you ask for a soda? Because I don't? I mean, we both aren't super big, we weren't super big drinkers, but they kind of frowned upon us for the soda. They had to bring a can. It wasn't even something they offered.
Speaker 1:And that reminded me of you. Can't take them anywhere. Quote that.
Speaker 2:Well, that, and then the one time for Alexis's birthday she wanted to go to. Anyway, I'm just embarrassing in a fine dining because I don't have the ethic. I don't. I don't do it on purpose, but I would much. I don't want that rigid structure but I want to dress up and I will dress up to go to a street vendor, street food. I think you should wear whatever you want, I don't need the fine dining experience to have the fine dining. I guess.
Speaker 1:I want a happy medium between. I want the. I want the food to be cooked and good oh street food is so good.
Speaker 2:I mean, yeah, but you have a risk of getting at any restaurant crap food. I think more of street food is. I don't. It's not commercial, so they're not just putting out thousands of different stuff. No, that's a fucking hard job to have. It is so, I think they're investing in it.
Speaker 1:I think most people that have a food truck are like they love to cook and that is their passion and they so. For me, I think I would choose street food over gourmet dining. If the situation is always situational, but I mean, yeah, I don't like long drawn out meals. If it was a special occasion where there's this amazing restaurant that you want to see, then there is a time and a place for that. But overall, the long, fine dining I would just. I would much rather do like tapas style and sit over a few hours with glasses of wine versus a gourmet dinner being all stuffy.
Speaker 2:All right. So are we sticking with what we know, or are we trying local cuisine? What is what would be your?
Speaker 1:choice. You know that I don't branch out. I know, no, I'm good, that's a goal I am going to. I am trying to branch out more in 2025. That is a goal I'm. I am and I'm trying things that I haven't before at. I just did it at a restaurant the other day. I ordered something that I would not have normally ordered and I enjoyed it and it was okay. But so many times I've not, and I am a creature of habit, I will say that but, um, I'm trying to branch out more in 2025. How about you?
Speaker 2:I want to try the local cuisine so much more over something. I know, however, since I've had my gallbladder out, that that's risky. Oh, you got something else you got to factor in? I do, but I will just prepare, especially if I'm going some a location that is known for their food. I want to be. I will prep for that because I want to be able to try all those street food, the mom and pop places. I want to go where the locals are going.
Speaker 1:Now, that makes sense, and that makes a lot of sense because they know where the good places are in that area. Well, so we got food covered. How about drinks, like are you more like coffee, more cocktail?
Speaker 2:It depends, because I will choose coffee 90% of the time unless we're drinking, you know. But cause? I will say that I do not like coffee and alcohol together. I've not found a coffee alcoholic coffee drink I like, but I will drink coffee all day, even as I remember when we were on the cruise you were going to bring that up.
Speaker 1:You were like I need good coffee.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was hard to find good coffee on that cruise.
Speaker 1:And so, yeah, you were definitely like we'd wake up in the morning and you're like I need good coffee, Denise, and I'm like, okay, I need a mimosa, Cheryl, let's get us both what we need, and we found a great place that offered both. I got my coffee and then that was our jam Once we found your good coffee place and my mimosa place. Where do we go Every morning? Yeah, Went to that place.
Speaker 2:I know there are some times where I will have a mimosa. Let's be real, it's not a mimosa, it's a Prosecco, because I don't want all the juice and the acidic. I maybe a splash of cranberry, just like you say, for color. I learned that from you.
Speaker 1:Other than that, it's just and cranberry is healthy for your digestive system. So to me it's I I call it a blush champagne and uh or mimosa, and it's Prosecco or the splash of cranberry, and it's a little bit healthier. It gives it good color. I mean, I think it's just you guys should try it, it'll make you feel better on a cruise.
Speaker 2:Yes, all right, let's talk about tech and travel, because that is interesting, where we started out with all the things and then where we are now with the tech Paper maps versus Google Maps, I mean.
Speaker 1:I listen, you're making me feel old Like I. I was never really a paper map person, like where I came from back in my day like the crypt keeper, but I prefer I.
Speaker 1:I have problems with both because I am not very navigationally. Um, I am navigationally challenged, meaning like I'm not good with directions and I could be using GPS on my phone because who knows what the fuck. 500 yards, you know. Am I turning on this? Yes, tell me, am I turning on this street or is it the next street up? Get, throw me a fucking bone. You know what I'm saying. Like I don't know, I don't know what 500 yards is I? If I did, I wouldn't even need your fucking app in the first place. But I have more. I have more hopes to getting to my destination with google maps than regular maps, because regular paper maps? I mean, you have any paper maps? No, but I have. In my life I've looked at paper maps, but do I own them? No, what about you?
Speaker 2:I do have like I have North Carolina maps. Um, I used to know because I traveled a lot before we had phones and everything. I mean you're so.
Speaker 1:Crypt Keeper old too.
Speaker 2:Yes, I am, and I had to drive. I used to drive before we had. I print out MapQuest. Let's throw that one back. I have some MapQuest directions and because I travel a lot by myself or with my kids, I would always take the post-it note, write the next step and put it on my rear view mirror. And as I reached that step I pulled it off. But since I stopped using maps actual paper maps and I absolutely 100% rely on Google Maps that is my jam.
Speaker 1:I know, but we're so reliant on it.
Speaker 2:But what if the battery dies, then what? Well, not only that, I think, since I've been doing the digital mapping, my skill has really taken a nosedive. I don't pay attention, and I don't mean, I'm not paying attention Like no, I know exactly what you're saying, because when we were kids how many phone numbers that were?
Speaker 1:what 10 digits Did we have to remember in our brain my mom's number's number, my grandma's number, my best friend's number, like we remembered all flashy back, let me remind you we used to not have to remember area codes.
Speaker 2:remember that it was only seven digits. It was right, you didn't have to remember the area code. That wasn't always something you had to dial or for me it wasn't because we lived, I guess, further out in the country, but I remember when it became a thing like you had to start dialing the area code, and that was a whole other thing.
Speaker 1:And then I'm just saying our children have no idea what, probably what their number is, let alone our number, or they're like it's all just in the phone, that's all they know. Scroll through the phone, find what you need, but it's not. It's not. We live in, we're so fucked.
Speaker 2:I know, all right, we're at like a little over time, so let's do this. Next, the last few parts and rapid fire. Okay, okay.
Speaker 2:Let's's try it, we've actually tried rapid fire before and it doesn't go well, because we always want to give an explanation, because we like to chit chat, but we're on time for our timing. Let's do this real quick. Okay, when you're traveling, are you doing a digital detox or staying connected while traveling? I'm staying connected. Same, I'm staying connected. I don't need to digital detox. All right, selfies, selfies or asking strangers for photos. I'm all about a selfie. I used to be like always wanting to ask someone for the photo, but now I prefer. I feel awkward, so I will prefer to do the selfie and I don't like it. It makes me uncomfortable when people ask do you want me to take that for you? If people will.
Speaker 1:If people come to me and ask, I be like, absolutely, but you've, you've heard the horror stories where they just run away with your phone and I don't know what I would do if I don't have my phone. So that's that. Honestly, what factors into whether I let a stranger hold.
Speaker 2:My phone is my wallet. Like I know that's got everything my life on it.
Speaker 1:So when somebody offers to take my phone to take a picture, I I'm like you know what we need to do when we travel.
Speaker 2:Have the stretchable lanyard.
Speaker 1:That might seem a little awkward.
Speaker 2:They might not offer her at that point, that's all right, though. All right, let's move on. Are you checking your emails on vacation? Are you completely logging off? I'm checking my emails. I'm checking my emails. We kind of have to, though Window seat versus aisle seat. Windows, all aisle. This is why we are such great travel Cause I don't. I want the aisle.
Speaker 1:I want to be able to look out and see where I'm leaving from, see where I'm going to. I like to look at the fluffy clouds. I like, I like to just look, it's I listen. I used to work in the cartography lab at university in North Carolina, so I'm all about some maps and some topography and I just I like it. I like to look out and see what different types of land I'm flying over.
Speaker 2:I'm choosing window seat because I want the illusion of being able to escape. I don't like feeling trapped Now. There's nowhere to escape on this plane, but I like the illusion that I'm not trapped in the middle I thought you said your aisle I said aisle okay, so you like the illusion of the window seat, but is I? Thought oh, I'm sorry, I like the illusion of the aisle seat. Did I say that incorrectly?
Speaker 1:yeah, that's why I was confused. You said I like the illusion of a window seat.
Speaker 2:Oh, no, no, no, no I like yeah, okay, let me, I'm just making sure, because you know, clarifying maybe what I was, I don't know what I want. The aisle seat 100 okay, like the illusion of not being trapped, of being able to escape in the aisle seat, okay that's what I was like for a potty break.
Speaker 2:If you need to go pee, you need to get out and not have that too, like I don't want to feel, like I have to, you know, inconvenience others. I don't like to feel trapped. I do not like the middle or the window. Now, one of the things you okay, we need to not go on our tangent. We suck at the whole this or that, or rapid fire where it's quick answer, because we always want to elaborate. So let's move on.
Speaker 2:I want aisle. You want window check. Are you reclining your airplane seat or are you staying upright?
Speaker 1:I just stay. I like I, you know me, you've slept with me. I like I just stay in my area, stay in my lane, Don't cause any ruckus, I don't, I don't recline, I just stay there and I read my naughty book and I'm just like there for the ride and I try not to cause any kind of footprint. I take my trash with me, that's. I'm just moving on. I'm just there for a fraction of the moment to get from point A to point B.
Speaker 2:Yes, I am. I want to recline my seat, but I don't want to inconvenience others, so I usually stay up straight. Now, if it's a long flight I might have to, just for comfort, like whatever, but I would.
Speaker 1:I do. I sacrifice my comfort to just stay in my lane and just be. I don't want to inconvenience others.
Speaker 2:I do too. Just stay in my lane. All right, I know the answer to this for you, but was on the list wearing pajamas to the airport why do people think it's okay to wear pajamas everywhere like I?
Speaker 1:I'm trying not to judge you, but I'm kind of fucking judging you because I know, I know it's not comfortable to be on a plane.
Speaker 2:That's what leggings are for, though, like you can, can still wear comfy clothes. Yeah, I'm look, I'm with you. I know you're.
Speaker 1:I'm never catching you. Pajamas or pajamas.
Speaker 2:You don't even go down to breakfast at the hotel? I will not. I will say you've gotten better because you'll wear, like your, your sleep leggings and your t-shirt, but you always put your sparkly sweater on over it that you have. Whatever one you have that you're wearing for, like keeping warm, right, but you don't. 100 change now since you've been traveling with me because I'm not wearing pajamas?
Speaker 1:because because mine are like fleece line leggings, yeah, like honey love tops, and it's like stuff that you could work out in it doesn't look like even that you don't prefer, you still will.
Speaker 2:No, I would still prefer to. I'm literally going down now. I won't wear my pajama pants to the airport, unless I ever read I. Maybe I haven't really done that, but I'm wearing leggings and comfy clothes. The only time I'm dressing up is when we have to go straight from the airport to an event. Then I'm wearing something that's business casual usually.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm definitely something that's business casual usually, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm definitely. I can't do the pajamas thing. I just I just can't.
Speaker 2:All right, let's do one more, because we are way we don't do well at being quick, rapid fire this or that. We want to chat All right overpacking snacks or relying on airport food. Well, I don't pack snacks, I know, and that I don't pack snacks, I know, and that I don't understand that.
Speaker 1:I'm always packing snacks. I don't Well, but I don't order stuff at the airport either, so I guess I just don't eat. I'm going to rely on your snacks. I hope that we go together.
Speaker 2:I am always taking snacks and if there's something really good at the airport, I'm probably grabbing something there, depending on what my transition is, if I'm getting there in the morning or just like a quick thing. But yeah, I'm usually probably I don't really I don't feel like I spend like We've got the charcuterie. Did we get the charcuterie board on the airplane?
Speaker 2:It's not a charcuterie board, it was like a lunchable for adults, but I think we bought it that one time on the airplane, it was at the airport, it was somewhere. While we, I know, with the champagne, did we not get that combo?
Speaker 1:no, we just got the champagne.
Speaker 2:Oh, got you okay, but that was fun. Remember, we take time because we are so over time right now. We get on so many damn tangents. Save that for another episode. All right, you guys want to hear what she's gonna say. You gotta come back next week. We'll probably forget what it was but we had. This was a lot of fun, because I like to learn. You know our differences as well as what we want to hear. What you guys do, um, yeah, everybody's travel style is so different, you know.
Speaker 1:So interject, intervene, give. We want to hear what your comments.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Interact with us guys. We need to know you're listening. That's right. We want to we're just having fun talking with ourselves. We'll keep going, but we'd like to participate.
Speaker 1:Okay, we wanted to and we are invested in you. We want to hear your travel style and that might help us like, if you give us some input. We are travel agents that might help us help somebody else because of your input, so we're here for you to help others all right have a great day, guys, you.
