peek from this week's episode. Do you prefer a luxurious hotel with cozy bed and breakfast or the charm of an Airbnb?
And I'm Melissa. And
we are the Sunshine Travelers. Our passion is travel and sharing our experiences with those who enjoy it as much as we do, or those who want to learn more about travel, or even those who just want to live v for those do, who want to learn more about travel, or even those who just want to live vicariously through our travel stories. No matter where you fall along that journey, get ready to hear about our first-hand experiences as we visit some of the most interesting and amazing places on earth. This week, we wanted to take an opportunity for our listeners to get to know us just a little bit better and to share with you some of our favorite experiences from our travels. Join us as we ask each other questions about our travel favorites and see how they match up against the way that you would answer these questions. So pack your bags and come along as we uncover some of our favorite things about travel. I don't think anyone who's been listening to our podcast for any length of time would find it hard to believe that we definitely have opinions of what we like and what we don't like when we travel. So
we go along, think about how you would answer these questions as well. This can help you plan your next perfect getaway and then also figure out what your next adventure is going to lead you as well. And I just wanted to say one thing before as we start to answer these. So yes, we've talked about some of these, but we didn't talk about some of these just to kind of make it fun. And so these are things and are going to be things that like come to mind as we discuss these. And so it's not like an all inclusive list, right? There's probably some of these where we could have multiple places or multiple stories, but it's just kind of brings to mind, like, I like to say, like the first thing that comes to mind sometimes, you know, it's sometimes your best answer as well. So some of this will be, you know, some of those answers. Yeah.
And we kind of went through the questions, but we didn't answer these questions either. So I think there's certain times where you might ask me a question, but you don't know how I'm going to answer it
Right. And, you know, if you asked us after a different trip, right, the answers might be differently. Or you asked me on a different day that some of these are really going to be what comes to mind. And I think sometimes that's just, you know, what makes it fun. Well,
good. I'm ready. So I'm going to start it out and I'm going to ask you, and we can both answer this question, but what is your all-time favorite travel destination and why does it hold a special place in your heart?
So I really have two, but I'm going to just narrow it down to one.
Yeah, because we'll be here all night if you don't.
just narrow it down to one. Yeah, because we'll be here all night if you don't. So I am going to say like all time favorite for a variety of things. I'm going to say that I really enjoy going to Greece. I have been to Greece three times, very different trips, and I've enjoyed them all for different reasons. I just I love the beauty, both natural and the way that, you know, houses are and the buildings are. I love the food. We've always had great experience with the people. You know, we've been to Athens and experienced that as well. So I would say if my answer was right now, I have other places on my list, but I really have enjoyed the time that we've spent in Greece.
Yeah, Greece has been good. I think for me, I would choose Barcelona. And, you know, we've said this a couple of times on the podcast about how much I really love Barcelona. But like there's even things that we haven't done. So like we haven't been to Montserrat yet. And, you know, so that just stays on my list of places that I want to keep going back to. I love that architecture. I could go and probably see it every year and not get tired of it. I love the food, the people, the culture, the having those tapas, being able to go out late, you know, and have something to eat because you've been enjoying you the, the know, city all day long because you've been enjoying you the, know, the city all day long and everything that has to offer. And you're not having to feel like you got to rush back and try to get something before the kitchens close. Like those are just the things I really love about Barcelona. And it's got a beach. And when you have the beach, it automatically increases its value. That's true.
And it makes it less stressful if you're not worried about, okay, are we going to be able to eat dinner and things like that as well. So I also want to say that we aren't going to have episodes about every single thing that we talk about. But if we do have an episode, then I'll just link it in the show notes. It's like a mini directory. I mean, obviously you can go and like, you know, search the different ones, I obviously but you can go and you search the different ones, directory. mean, like, know, just to make it easy. but just to make it So we'll put you question one and then our answers. easy. like, know, And so then, so we have one about Greece. We'll have another one about Greece that's actually coming up as well. And so of course, if you're listening to this in the future, you can go see, you know, the episodes about Greece that we talk about. Barcelona, we have a complete episode about spending, you know, a couple of days there. So those will just be linked to kind of make it easy for you to find. So if some of these places that we talk about and the things that we talk about them pique your interest, then you can go dig in and get a little bit more information about those destinations. How about that? Great. All right, Scott. So what is your favorite hotel that you have ever stayed in? So
is one that I stayed in on business travel. So Melissa was not with me. However, I've said that if we ever go back, I do want to go to this place because it was just that nice. But Leela Palace in Bangalore, I have to say, I think that is probably the nicest place that I've ever stayed in my life. And
is in India. That's
For people
who may not know where Bangalore is. Yes.
Yes. Right. India, it is just the tale of two worlds, right? There's the, I always say there's the haves and the have-nots. There's, you know, they have a growing middle class, but for so long, it was either a really, you know, lower class or you were upper class in India. And this was an old palace that got converted into a hotel. And definitely this is on that side of luxury and beauty and just service beyond belief. And like everything about Lila Palace was just over the top.
And so, yeah, I would definitely like to go there. And also, I have not been to India. We've talked about this several times. You've actually been for work several times. And that is a country that I have not had the opportunity to experience yet.
Yeah. I still think we need to do an episode sometime on India. And we'll have a guest on, maybe someone who I've traveled with. I do have a trip that we're planning for later this year, so I can go and visit my staff that's in India that I've never had the opportunity in five years to meet. So I'm excited about that, to get to meet them. But maybe sometime around at the end of the year, we can get an episode in on India.
Yeah, that sounds good. I also want to say that we are not both going to answer every single one of these questions as well. Some of them we are, like the first one, but some of these, it's just going to be one of us or the other.
Melissa, do you prefer beach vacations, mountain getaways, or exploring bustling cities?
So, for anybody who knows me, knows that I like a lot of different things me knows that I, I like a lot of different things. Okay. So I like a lot of different kinds of foods. I'm not stuck on one kind of, you know, beverage, for example, and I like a lot of different places, but if I could only pick one, it's going to be a beach destination. And I think probably everybody could have guessed that if I had to only pick one. Now there's lots of cool places that you can go, though, where you can get the beach and the mountains at the same time. So that's pretty cool. But I would say beach for sure. What
the most memorable meal that you've ever had while traveling? Where was that at?
So two things come to mind. First off, the first one is in Madrid when we got to go to and you'll have to kind of help me with this. I believe it's like the oldest, the building is like the oldest place where like a restaurant is. Like, so that particular restaurant is not in that building, but the building is from 1492, which was just really cool. And we had to, we were able to have like a roasted lamb dish in these clay pots that they prepare for a long period of time. And we'd really been excited to visit this place. So that's number one. And then the second one is we have a friend who, when we have dinner with this person, likes to order a lot of different things, like likes to just try everything, which is so fun, right? Because a lot of times, especially if you go to a place and they have all these sides and you want to try a bunch of different stuff. And that's why we like tapas. Well, this was actually, this person has become a good friend of both of ours, but this was actually the first time I ever met him. And so we went to this nice place in London and it was, it was actually not, if you, if you know anything about London restaurants, they're not, they're usually not like huge places, right? So they have these little small tables. Well, he proceeds to order like, you know, we got to have all the starters. And then it's a place where you order the entrees and then we got to try all the sides. And so he's like, well, tell us the waiter, well, can you bring an extra table? So here we are, there's four of us in this tiny and we have to have this extra table. So it's just a great, it's just been a fun memory and a fun joke for, you know, when we, when we go out to eat and we just have, you know, great memories around that. What about you?
It'll be fun to see how long it takes them to hear this and come back to us. Yes. So
are you drawn to off the beaten path destinations or do you like popular tourist hotspots more?
This one is not hard at all for me. We talked about this just recently with Aruba. Aruba is, it's a nice place, a very nice place, but it is definitely a tourist hotspot and it's very westernized, very Americanized. And all the fast food restaurants that you would see in an American city, that's just not for me. I'd rather get off the beaten path. I'd rather go out and experience the local culture. I'd rather see things that the average person who's just popping in to, you know, do an Instagram post or something like this. These are the things that they're not going to find and explore. And that's where I want to go. Now, there is some value in those tourist places. And we've talked about that before, right? Some great things. Barcelona, perfect example. I love that kind of experience as well. But if I've got to pick something that it could just be anywhere in the world versus off the beaten path, then I'm going to choose that off the beaten path.
Yeah. And you know what? The other thing too is I think now with social media, like oftentimes we see, oh, you got to visit this coffee shop. You got to visit this restaurant. You got to visit this view. And all those are great. But sometimes those types of things add extra stress to our trip. Like, oh, I've got to see this and do this at this certain time. And honestly, some of the most memorable things that we have done or experienced have been a place where you just find, right? You didn't make reservations a year in advance. You just stumbled across it when you were hungry, or you just stumbled across this beach to watch the sunset. And I think that's an exciting part about travel. Yeah, That's an exciting
like Marfa's good hangout.
like Marfa's Yeah, good hangout. Marfa's good hangout. Yes, Yes. And I so, mean, there's value in sharing these things on social media, right? So you can have these experiences that you otherwise would have missed. But I think if you think about trying to always, I got to do this, then I got to do this, and then I got to do this, instead of just you happen upon this place where it could have been like a fun, great memory that then that's what you remember about that
Yeah, it's funny because there's this travel couple that I follow and they document every bit of their travel. I mean, it's part of what they do. And they were recently in Amalfi and they said that Amalfi didn't rate very high on their list of favorite places to go to. Now, I think some people would absolutely be, you know, shocked by that. beautiful and interesting. We also said that we thought it would be better to view from a boat looking up at it from the water than the vantage point that we had, which was on the roads with the chaos of the cars and the buses and all of that stuff, where you kind of miss a little bit of the beauty. But if you were out there on that water, looking back onto Amalfi and you see those cliffs and you see the houses and the shops and everything on those cliffs, that's a whole different viewpoint.
absolutely true. And the other thing I want to say about Off the Beaten Path is I often hear you tell people, and I think we both do, but just like from my perspective, I often hear you tell people, you know, go to Santorini, go to but make sure that you go to some of these Mykonos, other islands that we have been to, Milos and Peros and Sifnos, because those were for us, like then you could just get out and explore. And if you saw a beach, you know, you could relax. Or if you saw a restaurant and it just wasn't crowded with, I have to go see these specific spots or that kind of thing. So just not having all the crowds and maybe all the hype and you are the one to discover that. So
that's the destination. Then you also have the second half of that, which is the journey. So what's your favorite mode of transportation when traveling? Is it plane, train, car, or something else? So if I had to
pick a favorite, I really think train. And my experience with that has really been in Europe, I would say, just because it's you get to see I like to look and see out, right? So, okay, I'm the window seat person and I like to, to look and, you know, see out and see everything. And with the train, you, you get to do that. And, and you also, it just feels sometimes more like, I mean, I know it's like can be touristy too, or, but like more like a local, right? Yes, you have your suitcases and things like that, but then you're going to encounter people who live there and stuff like that. And then you just get to, you know, you see more and stuff. If I had to just pick one, I would say train.
Yeah. When I was reading this question and putting it together, I definitely thought that that's how you would answer it as well. Do you have a favorite travel memory or experience that always brings a smile to your face when you think about it?
So I do. And here's an example of you could have a million answers for this. But the one thing that came to mind, the first time that I went to the Grand Canyon, I was with my sisters. And I remember my sister, Stephanie, who we've had on the podcast. She was on the Alaska episode with us. who Stephanie, we've had on the she podcast, was on the Alaska episode with us. She was just watching me and she said to me, I want to see your face when you see the Grand Canyon for the first time. And then turn that around, I had that same experience when I planned that trip and surprised you when we went to the Grand Canyon. I wanted to see your face when you saw the Grand Canyon for the first
Yeah. And then the day that we were leaving, I remember we were on the bus and we thought that these people had actually been there because they were hopping on the little local transportation bus. But then we got up by it and we saw the canyon and the guy, like his jaw dropped and he was like, oh my gosh, you know? And so I got to kind of see that too through the same eyes watching someone else see it for the first time.
Oh, that's neat. I had forgotten about that, but yeah, that is very cool. So that's just the first thing that kind of came to my mind. So Scott, are you an early riser who loves catching sunrises or more of a night owl who enjoys vibrant nightlife scenes or sunsets?
that somewhere in the middle? Sure. Like, I'm a daytime person. I think probably I'm at my best during the daytime, not early morning, not late at night. And so I'm kind of right in the middle there. And I think that's, you know, as I've gotten older, while we stay up late a lot of times because we're working on the podcast or something like that, I'm also one that when it gets dark, I start getting
tired. Yeah. Not being out late at night. Right. So, but sunsets for sure.
Sunsets are great. And especially now that I understand more about what makes a good sunset, you know, when we were in the Grand Canyon and our sunset tour guide, she was like, you know, you don't want just clear skies. If you have clear skies, yeah, you'll see the sun drop below the horizon, but then it's over with. She was like, you want a little bit of that thin cloud cover in the sky. Some of those wispy clouds, because that's what's then going to collect those pinks and purples and oranges and really just paint a beautiful picture in the sky as the sun dips below the horizon. And so, yeah, definitely starting to appreciate and enjoy those sunsets even more. How about when it comes to accommodations? Do you prefer a luxurious hotel with cozy bed and breakfast or the charm of an Airbnb?
So this one is hard. I prefer a bed where the sheets are soft and have a cozy duvet. And so because we have stayed at places that like an Airbnb, for example, that was like so super nice. Like the whole thing was just so nice. The one that we stayed at in Crete and the views and just phenomenal. But if I just had like the sheets were just not quite soft enough for me and that cozy duvet. And I know that seems like a silly answer, but just like a creature comfort. But other than that, it really, I mean, I like to have the variety, right? Sometimes it is nice to, and this is going to sound whatever it sounds, sometimes it's nice to use the valet, right? Get at a hotel where you have valet parking and literally just park your car and walk in and, you know, enjoy the niceness of that hotel, especially if they have, you know, a nice breakfast, especially if it's included, you know, with our Marriott Elite benefits or something like that. But sometimes it's fun to explore something new. We've stayed at some really fun, great Airbnb type properties. Like in Greece, we did that. And in London this last we did that. time, And that was fun to like be in a neighborhood. So I it really depends mean, on the destination. And I think it's fun to explore and try out different We recently ones. went to a Kempton hotel and got to take the destination. And I think it's fun you explore to, know, and try out different We recently ones. went to a Kempton hotel and got to take the dogs. We don't often get to take dogs to something that's not an Airbnb because we have two large dogs and there's either they don't allow large dogs or there's a huge pet fee or something like that. And so that was just a different experience. So I don't know on this one that I could just
Well, I know that you talked about the sheets and it seems to be kind of universal across Marriott's that you really like the Marriott bedding, you know, the nice soft sheets with the good comfy duvet where you can get the temperature low in the room and cuddle up underneath there. And so I think that's one of the things that you always mention about Marriott. And then if we go somewhere else and they've got the scratchy sheets and like a thin blanket or something like that, you just don't sleep as
don't. And I mean, we've even stayed at various Disney properties where it's like, come on, Disney, like we need for this price point, we need better bedding. Like I just I'm not enjoying this.
Disney needs to step up their bedding. That's for sure. So I accidentally asked your question, but I'll go on with the next one. Do you have one item that you always make sure to pack when you travel, no matter where you're going?
I do. The first thing that comes to mind is my battery remote backup charger. Whenever we travel, I take that. And I think when we travel, we tend to take more pictures or videos or we use it for GPS or whatever. And I feel like on a day where we're traveling or exploring, I almost always use that. And most recently, I use the one. I like the one that the mag safe on the back. I do have an iPhone. I don't like the Apple one because it didn't charge, it doesn't charge for long enough because then that way I don't also have to have a cord. So I would say right now that is, that's the one thing that I always want to have because when you're traveling, you just can't have your phone die three quarters through the day because then you got to, you know, be able to have directions or catch the sunset or whatever.
is not what I thought that you were going to say that you always pack. I was thinking about your hang up makeup and toothbrushes and all that stuff that you've had this thing since, I don't know, since we were married.
Yeah, it's an L.L. Bean like toiletry kit. I'm sure they still make them the same.
It's like I think it's the large but it has literally been all over the gone through the test of It's the same one that I the same one I still I do always take That goes with size, me no matter if I'm going for one night or however world, many it stays partially time. packed with the things yeah, that I, use. So, yes, that. nights, you know, keep in it that I don't also or don't have to also use at home that or maybe I have like a home, you know, set of or something like that. But that's funny that that's yeah. Yeah, that's true.
Yeah, that's true. I was certain that that is what you were going to say.
Scott, are you more interested in immersing yourself in local culture, indulging in adventure activities or simply relaxing and taking it easy when you travel?
I'm going to answer this in a little caveated term. I love to take it easy, right? Because I still work full time. You know, this is something that we do in our spare time. And, you know, we've put a lot of effort around doing and we do a lot of travel. And most of the reasons that we enjoy travel is because of meeting and experiencing new cultures, which is partly why I say, you know, it's disappointing when you show up at this great island location and everybody's going to the Olive Garden. I really do love a nice, relaxing trip.
However, the one thing that you need to know about scott is that he could relax all day and then like at three or four o'clock he's like okay let's go do something or we could go to like an all-inclusive the one time i think we may have been more than one but the first time i think we went to an all-inclusive like after two days you're like okay let's go do something or let's go book a trip and do some jet ski and go into town and see something. So while you do, and I don't know that we maybe do enough relaxing trips, like when we go and want to experience all these things. But yeah, I think working that in, no matter if you, you know, it's a vacation, working that in, no matter what you do is having some time to relax.
But I go back to like Cancun. So the Westin that we stay at, the Laguna Mar in Cancun, we just can't get enough of this place. And as you can tell, we're all over the place. We like to try new things. But the Westin Laguna Mar is that place that we always gravitate back to at some point. And we've even been talking about we need to get down there and go spend some time at the Laguna Mar. But you can find me hanging out right there on the edge of that infinity pool, staring out at the ocean for several days in a row. I love it. That is my place. I can just zone out, hang out there all day long in the water with the sun, and I am happy. So yes, I do like to get out and go do things like in the evenings. But do I want to go and hike Mount Kilimanjaro? No, I have no interest in that, right? It's just not, that's not what I'm interested in. And we've had friends that who say, oh, say, oh, you should go kayak or whitewater raft the Grand Canyon because they really enjoy that. And to them, that is a great vacation. And so when they do it, they are relaxed. They are enjoying themselves. Would I find that relaxing and enjoyable? I might find it fun for a day, but I don't know that I would want to spend a week doing it. Of course, I might change my mind if I ever did it.
That's true. So let me ask you this as a follow-up. When we go places like St. John, for example, and snorkel, what do you consider that?
Yeah, that's a good question because that is an active vacation, right? When we go and we're in St. John, we're in the water and we're swimming all day long, and you are exhausted at the end of the day. But I find that the water is relaxing to me. And seeing the fish. And of course, there's a few times where we've gotten caught up in currents, and then you've got to just totally exert yourself to get back. But I think I find that more to be relaxing. So that's,
I mean, that's interesting. That's good to know because, and also based on what you said about whitewater rafting. So everybody is going to have a different version of what is relaxing to them versus, you know, what they, what they like to do. And I think that's what, you know, makes travel unique for everybody.
Absolutely. And I think that's why we want people to be asking their travel companions, who is it that you love to travel with? Take this list of questions and ask them, right? Have this discussion. Matter of fact, it's funny. We initially started talking about this and we were like, are we going to be able to get through this list, right? Because sometimes we don't, even the two of us don't 100% agree on these answers. And so we're like, oh yeah, sure, we'll make it through. But I think that's the interesting piece about asking these questions. Yeah.
And so Scott said, we'll put these questions in the show notes and then we'll also make it to where you can like click on it and then like print it out so that you can have it. Because I think it is a fun, you know, give you fun, you know, discussion of like, you know, planning your next trip.
Melissa, what's your favorite souvenir or keepsake that you've collected from your travels?
Okay. So this answer is not going to be like this one thing, but for me, it's like two categories of things. So the first thing is I have a bowl that I keep. And I think the first things that I started putting in it were the time that we went to Greece together and I collected. So a lot of the beaches that we went to were like rocky beaches, but beautiful color, like pink and different things like that. So I collected just a few rocks. I didn't bring like a suitcase full back of heavy rocks, but a few rocks to put. And I had a little bowl that I started putting
it in. And so if anyone's listening and that is illegal, she really didn't do that. She's just in her mind making that up because, you know, there's some places you can't bring
bring stuff. Well, was gonna say that so in aruba for example there were signs that said do not take anything from the you can't take like it's illegal to bring rocks and shells and sand and because because we've also seen people who have collected different color sand you know we've seen this i think you said you saw this on instagram people collect different color sand and then like it's different colors and so they have these layers and Aruba it's absolutely illegal to bring any anything back from those beaches so of course I did not do that and then we also had gone to a beach in Crete that was a pink sand beach and they did the same thing they there were lots of signs that said please do do not take this pink sand because if everybody takes this much of the pink sand, it's not going to be here anymore. It's not going to be here for people to enjoy because it takes a long time for those shells to get crushed down to regenerate that. So it's rocks. We were on some property in North Georgia one time and there was like a turtle shell. I have that and then driftwood and just different things from places that you can bring back. So I have that. And then the second thing is I'm not a huge shopper, I wouldn't say, but sometimes when we travel, I like to go to different shops. And if I see clothes or a purse or whatever, I like to purchase those on trips because then when I wear those I then think back to you know that that trip
she always brings back some kind of sandals
do I do like sandals but like the purse a purse that I use for well actually probably all my purses but one I used and I bought in Germany for example and and then you have a memorable story because I actually we went back intentionally to but to buy this purse and I thought the shop was closed because I couldn't get the door open and I was pushing it the wrong way and Scott was like no the door's open and then the machine went working and then Scott had to go you know get cash to buy the bag and not that it was you know something super duper expensive, but he went and did that for me. And so like I use this, this little crossbody bag all the time. And so just, I have that memory around these useful items that I wear all the time. So those are really my two things. So kind
of staying with that theme around memories, how do you like to document your travels? Photography, journaling, something else?
I, and I'm going to look at it real quick. Well, I don't even know how you look at it. Let's see. I have 76,681 photos and 20,332 videos. On her phone. On my
So if
I really like, I like to take videos. I like to do little video compilations. I do like, you know, pictures too. So honestly,
this podcast is a way for us to memorialize a lot of our travel experiences as well.
true. And I think too, is a lot of times we will, I'll take a picture too. Like that helps us to go back and sometimes find locations, right? We'll have taken picture at a restaurant or just different things. And so if we maybe don't, you know, write this stuff for the podcast for a while, like, and then I can go back and use the locations and be like, okay, this was the name of the place so that we can then share that. So for me, I, and too, sometimes I just like to flip back through those and, you know, you remember things or it reminds you of things that you have then, you know, forgotten. So that's what I do. And then I also obviously back everything up to the iCloud and to somewhere like a Dropbox or a Google Drive or something like that too. Scott, are there any specific cultural or historical sites that you have left like a lasting impression on you during your travels?
Yeah, this is another one of those where it was there for business travel to India. And, you know, we got there a day early and they said, hey, don't hang out at the hotel, you'll get tired and fall asleep, and you need to stay awake during the day. And so they took us to Mahabalipuram, and I think it's near Chennai. And this was these temples that had been there for thousands of years. And then just like a couple of years before we went there, they had the tsunami. And the tsunami washed those thousand-year-old, you know, several thousand-year-old temples out into the ocean. And they had one, a little more than one, still remaining. And, you know, that's just a place for them that is very special. And so having been there and seen that of these temples that are thousands of years old was very interesting. So when it comes to travel, Melissa, do you have a favorite season or time of the year for traveling? And if so, you know, what is that?
first response when we were talking over this was, no, that I like to travel in all seasons of the year, right? Because I mean, not only are there good places to travel that, you know, we talked about in the wild Mississippi episode, there are places in the South, like it's, yeah, you can go there, but when it's miserably hot, right, especially if you're not used to the heat, you're going to be miserable. But there are places that are good to go all the times of the year. But when I thought about it a little more, honestly, I don't like to go places in the peak season for that place. And it's just absolutely so crowded. That wouldn't be the time that I would pick for that place. Does that make sense? So it's kind of a different answer. So my favorite season of the year for a particular place is probably in their shoulder season.
I think for most part, that's probably true. But if you want to go snow skiing, don't go in June.
Yes, that's true. So for the activity, that's true. But you can also go like so they have places, for example, in Colorado, where it's a whole different experience, right? So then for there, you can hike those trails. There's mountain biking. You can still do, you know, the lifts to some of those places. So, yes, that's probably true for like a specific activity. But for example, when we just went on the trip to Crete, it's definitely their shoulder season where lots of stuff was still closed. Some the stuff trip to was Crete, open. it's definitely their shoulder season where lots of stuff was still closed. Some stuff was open. But let's say, for example, I think the temperature was like in the 20 to 22 degrees Celsius range. And they said in the peak time in July and August, it gets up to 44.
Yeah, which is around 100 degrees or so Fahrenheit. And some
places are not going to like have air conditioning and then you're just going to have the crowds of people. And so like, no, thank you.
Yeah, I can understand that. And one of the things that we've actually learned through doing this podcast and not that it was, you know, some big revelation, but things like if sometimes in the summer when it's really hot and you just need a break from that heat, well, there's a whole nother hemisphere where you could go and maybe go snow skiing.
that's true.
our summer. Yeah.
Yeah.
And so I think that's just kind of something that I've never really thought about before. But through interviewing people and talking to people, you know, we've learned some of these things. And so, encourage everybody just, you know, think about what it is that you want to do. And I think kind of year-round, you could find that somewhere. And that's sort of one of the things that you might want to use when you say, I don't know where I want to go, but maybe I have an idea of what I'd like to do. And so start with that idea of what you would like to do, and then you can find the places where that could happen.
Yeah, that's a great suggestion, right? Places that you might not have thought of. And there are places too, right, where you might have a mountain with snow, still be able to ski in the elevation, and then at the end of the day or in the afternoon, like you can end up at the beach, right? There are places like that exist. Oregon, some places in California, you know, stuff like that. And probably other places, you know, around the world, but just an interesting
thought. So I think my answer to this question is that I do want to be in a place where at the right time. So with my example of if I want to snow ski in Colorado, I don't want to go in June. I want to be there during the winter months when there's snow on the mountains. Same thing with going to beach destinations. I don't want to go to the beach when it's cold, right? I mean, I'll never turn down going to the beach, even when it is cold. But I really, from a vacation perspective, if I'm going to go there to enjoy the beach, I want it to be the water warm enough to where I can go swimming.
Yeah, that's a good point. Yeah.
think that's how I would answer that question.
good. And also think about, so one place that has been difficult for us, so while people in London and the UK like love the sun, right, when they have sunny weather. But for us, if it's like really hot and then there's no air condition, then it's not a lot of fun.
Yeah, I think this week was one of those for them. Like they had the really hot temperatures this week. And a lot of people like, you know, outside basking in the sun because they don't get that very often. But then there's that, oh, my God, I can't escape it because I don't have any air conditioning. Yeah.
and I think we've talked about this maybe, but we've even gone to like a store and bought like a box fan and then just left it in the last place we were because it was just,
and I
so hot. So, but I guess to sum it up, like we, so we don't necessarily have a favorite season to travel, but what you're saying is you like to do, like you like to be able to enjoy that activity that that's meant for. And that is a good point. So there are times, for example, the water was still very cold when we were in Crete. There was still ice on the top of the mountain, which was unexpected for I me. didn't realize that. And they said, because it's in the process of melting, then the water was really cold. Yeah.
The water around the beaches and all was very cold. Where
you might not find that in June or July, but a little more crowded.
the most breathtaking natural landscape you've ever encountered while traveling?
Okay, this one is hard too, but I think the one that comes to my absolute mind that I can't maybe top is the Nepali coast off of Kauai in one of the Hawaiian islands. The best way to experience that, like interesting because you mentioned that for the Amalfi Coast, is on a boat cruise, right? So we booked a day cruise to be able to see that Nepali coast. And then we were able to snorkel a little bit and stuff like that. Now, we also experienced that Nepali coast on a hike as well, but you don't see it in the same way. So, I think that is pretty breathtaking to me. I was
I was sitting over here laughing. And so, if I interrupted Melissa and her train of thought, I apologize. But I was sitting over here laughing because I was trying to remember, yes, we did do a scenic cruise. But was that when we were trying to do deep sea fishing and nothing was biting?
was on the big island. But I also, that's funny that the first one that came to mind was the boat because actually the first day on the island, we actually did a helicopter tour. That's the first time, I think the only time I've ever been in a helicopter, but they also took you to see that. I mean, it was of the whole island and part of that is where they filmed Jurassic Park in the middle with the waterfalls. But you come around and you see that Nepali coast by air. So I would say probably that is pretty incredible.
I think I agree. Are there any particular cuisines or dishes from around the world that you absolutely love, Ardwin?
Well, so if I had to narrow it down to just one thing, I really, like you mentioned about Barcelona, I really enjoy tapas. The good thing about like tapas, and I don't know, I mean, traditionally, these are going to be like Spanish type dishes, right? The cool thing is like lots of places now have kind of embraced that style. And so then you could get tapas in, you know, in other types of cuisines too. Like
Italian tapas.
Yeah. Yeah. And then I would say the second is probably like the Mediterranean, the Mediterranean food. What about
Yeah, I definitely love tapas. Also in that same area, paella. So like paella is really good. But that's one of the things about tapas is it's a great balance to that paella. So paella is a little more filling and heavy. And then tapas, you just want to have a couple of light bites. You know, that's great. You can do so. I really enjoyed the one place that we went to and they charged you by the toothpick, right? So all the tapas had a toothpick in them. And at the end of the mill, however many toothpicks you had, that's how they charged you. Scott,
how do you approach planning our trips? Meticulously organized itineraries or do you prefer like spontaneous adventures? And what's interesting before you answer is that you have actually gotten more involved with, you know, doing a lot of planning more recently. A lot of times it would literally be like everyone here. I would book a lot of the stuff and make a lot of the plans. But here recently you've started booking more of the things. Well,
that's what I was going to say is that it's interesting that you should choose to ask me this question because historically, you know, I've said this several times on the podcast, is like I'm the tourist on these trips and you do a lot of the seeking out and finding all the things to do and doing the planning. But when we decided that we were going to create itineraries for our website, and I took over the building of those itineraries out, well, it kind of got me into a habit of, you know, oh, let's go put this on the itinerary. And then all of a sudden it was a, well, we're going to be gone for three days. What do we want to look for? What do we want to do? Are there places that we definitely want to eat? And starting to fill out some of those things on the itinerary. And I think that that's kind of gotten me into the habit of at least planning out part of the trip. But one thing that I definitely don't like is when you over plan a trip. And so like every second of the day is planned. And if you don't, you know, you don't meet that plan or like, for example, if you book tours on every day of the trip, well, there's no ability to have any spontaneity. So if you hear about something while you're there and you want to change that, you know, it's like, oh, I've already got that planned and want to do this. Now, that's one of the good things about Viator is that in a lot of the trips and experiences, you can cancel up to 24 hours in advance. You just have to look and read the conditions on there. But you do have that full money back guarantee if you cancel. And so that's one of the reasons we like to use Viator. But I like to leave a little bit of time for the spontaneity. And when we're out at dinner and you ask the waitress, you know, what's your favorite thing? Or you're on a tour and you ask the tour guide, like, where would you eat? And just leave that open so that you can experience things that the locals might do. And that's definitely one of the questions that we always ask is, don't just tell me the places that all the tourists that come to the island, what they do. I want to know what you do. Where do you go? Where do you eat? And those type of things. And in some cases, we were going to have to go to people's houses because that was the answer, you know, is they eat at home. But it's like, okay, well, what time is dinner served? We'll be there. But, you know, I think I just like that mix between having enough of your trip planned out so that you're not just kind of constantly having this discussion of what are we going to do? What are we going to eat? You know, stuff like that. But then also have enough flexibility to where when you hear about new things that you can pivot and go in that direction.
Yeah, I think that's I think that's great. Yeah, because you do want to be able to discover. And I think I appreciated that a lot. You did a lot of the planning for Curacao and Aruba and you having researched, okay, we could go, here's a list of some beaches, you know, that kind of thing. And they were on the list, but then when we asked, we modified that a little bit and then we didn't have to go to visit, you know all those places or we had room for example we wanted to go back to the shipwreck on curacao to to snorkel that you know so we had time to do that i
time to do that i like planning from a directional standpoint and often you have questions that I just can't answer because like that is not in my brain to get down into those levels of details. But directionally saying, you know, I did some research and these are a few things that I found and letting that, you know, start our discussion.
And Scott, so I'm curious, what would you consider to be the best flight experience? So like flying on an airplane, what is the best flight experience that you've ever had?
Yeah, because I've taken some really long flights. The best one that I would say is I had an opportunity one time to fly on the upper level of a 747. And that's really neat because you don't have a lot of people rummaging through your cabin at that time. Now, those were first class seats and it was just a nice cabin to begin with. But it was really cool that you get on the plane and then you go up these stairs and then you're in just kind of a cabin, kind of all to yourself. Maybe it felt a little bit exclusive and stuff like that as well. It was definitely a much quieter experience than anything that I've ever had before. So I would say that's like my best flight experience. And by the way, I think that was like a 16-hour flight. So it was nice to have that level of comfort for 16 hours. Who
that? Who was is that with that was with delta
was with delta and it's
one of the planes where it's like got the like part of the plane has like a little bump up
and i don't think they fly any 747s anymore with delta but this was i don't know about six seven years ago
but now there are other planes that have the double-decker planes, right?
planes, right? Now they're double-decker all the way down the planes, like the A380. It's like two levels. And I laugh because, you know, there's a movie out there. I think it's a Snoop Dogg movie, Soul Plane, where, you know, they're really making fun of the different classes and stuff like that. And this ultra upper class has a disco and hot tubs and stuff like that, right? And oh my gosh, we haven't flown in one of these A380s yet, but I hear that there are some of them where the upstairs first class experience is amazing. Like it's almost like a little dine in restaurant and a bar and, you know, chandeliers and all kinds of stuff on an airplane that it's it's like craziness.
So on the flip side, what would you say
is your worst flight experience? we were doing technology work for nonprofits. And because it was a nonprofit mission trip type thing or whatever, they booked main class tickets for that. And it was an airline that I didn't have any kind of status or anything on. And for that flight, I was in the middle seat. And that is the worst experience I ever had. Matter of fact, I had so little room in my seat that I actually spent the majority of the flight in the laboratory just so that I would have some extra space. I know they thought that I must have been like sick or something like that. Literally, I would just go in there for, I don't know, 30 minutes at a time or whatever, just so that I could have some space.
Wow. Yeah. So it's definitely, and I know like that's something that you have prioritized. Like if I'm going to take a long haul flight, let's figure out, right, whether you can figure out how to use points or, you know, find, you know, be flexible on your plans if you can to find something that makes that a little more bearable. Yeah.
I have one last question for you. Check bags or carry on? So check
bags are definitely, I mean, easier, right? You just put your bag and you go and you don't have to, know haul it around but i there is some convenience to and peace of mind almost to having a carry-on and then i feel like you tend to not pack as much right or over pack because you you know if you can take a bigger suitcase and whatever overpacked. Honestly, we check bags more than we just do just to carry on.
For someone who traveled a lot for work purposes, carry-ons the way to go. But I think in just kind of luxury travel, I'm checking a bag. I don't want to, I'm not a porter. I don't want to be schlepping this bag all over the world. Let the airline do it. And you know what? We always put an extra change of clothes or a bathing suit or something like that into our carry-on. So that when way, we get if there, the luggage doesn't make we have it, something. And you
outfit. Yeah. And definitely know that. I mean, that's a good point is that there has been one time when Carrie and I traveled to Greece and we were going to miss a connection. And so the airline changed us to a different flight. And thankfully we had done things like chargers because we ended up having to spend the night, a couple of nights without our bags. So we had things like chargers, like Scott mentioned, and, you know, toiletries and things like that. Unfortunately, we didn't pack a bathing suit. We were going to a beach destination. So we had to, you know, buy it. But we did not take advantage of going back to the airline and doing what you needed to do to recoup our money for that or using, you know, having things booked on a credit card or things like that. So just knowing that those options are out there and taking advantage of keeping your receipts and taking advantage of if you have to go buy a few things to get you through, because in our case, we weren't going to be at the first destination very long. So there was no point by the time the bags got there, we were going to be on to Athens. And so we had to do make do, you know, for a couple of days. So just knowing that those opportunities, but yeah, that is a great point to pack, you know, medicines and supplements and, you know, toothbrush and things like that. And especially if you have kids, pajamas and a couple of diapers and, you know, whatever to, to get you through if those things are completely lost, for example, that's a good point.
want to know, have you ever had this conversation with your travel companion? We're going to put this list of questions into the show notes so that you can have fun sitting down and going through these with your favorite travel buddy. If you come up with a whole new set of destinations that you haven't considered before, we'd love to hear about it. Email me, scott at sunshinetravelers.com, and let me know. We are always inspired by your travel stories.
enjoyed this episode and found some inspiration to help you with your travel journeys. If you could take a moment and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform, we would greatly appreciate it. Your five-star reviews help us get discovered by others and possibly featured on your favorite platform. Don't forget to follow or subscribe to our podcast to get notified of new episodes as they are released. You can also find us on Instagram at Sunshine Travelers Podcast. Remember, that's Travelers with one L. Most importantly, please share it with your friends and help them catch the travel bug. You never know, they may become your greatest travel companion.
