Speaking of Travel® With Marilyn Ball

Straw hat in tow, Wesley and Madison are ready for a sunny escape. The couple is flying to Fort Lauderdale for a tropical cruise around the Mexican Riviera. This adventure marks Wesley’s first-ever flying experience, so he is depending on Madison’s expertise to navigate the airport smoothly. “Always plan early. Traffic, TSA – you never know if they are going to get something in your bookbag or not...

Taylor and Natalie are coworkers who enjoy traveling together for business. When they realized they were both scheduled to fly through the same airport for connecting flights to their differing final destinations, they decided to seize the opportunity to chat and catch up in the terminal.  The Denver-based friends are experienced travelers and know how to make the most of their trips. “Always be n...

Doreyl Ammons Cain, co-founder of the Appalachian Mural Trail, explains how honoring the rich mountain heritage through the arts is the core essence of the Appalachian Mural Trail’s vision and how storytelling is a vivid part of Appalachian culture, folk tales, Cherokee legends, mountain music & the beauty of nature. There are over 75 murals online at muraltrail.com and you can find directions...

Travel South USA is the official regional destination marketing organization for the southern United States. This non-profit organization promotes travel to and within its member states  of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Speaking of Travel is on location at the Travel South USA Domestic Showcase in Myrtle Beac...

Speaking of Travel is in Myrtle Beach, SC, for the Travel South Domestic Showcase, the premier marketplace event in the South where over 700 tourism professionals gather for three days of collaborative meetings with a goal of delivering more visitors to spend more time and money in the South. Travel South USA serves as an information source for journalists, tour operators, retail travel agents and...

LaBet Prichard knows travel changes us. She entered an eight-year solo vision quest to find her authentic voice with a soul-searching travel process that has carried her through many high and low roads. Her openness and willingness required courage, trust, and faith as this serendipitous and synchronistic pilgrimage took her from the mundane through the threshold into the miraculous. Her faith in...

Dayna Reggero of the Climate Listening Project and Suzan Satterfield, director of the PBS series Ecosense for Living, share solutions geared for treading lighter on the planet and improving the quality of life. Ecosense for Living aims to empower viewers with practical solutions to help save money, leave no trace and improve our quality of life. All important things we need to know inside/out. A m...

Town Mountain is an independent-minded steward of classic bluegrass, but their take on Appalachian music is infused with a modern-day feel that allows the group freedom of expression. With Town Mountain's newest album,  New Freedom Blues,  the band discovered a way to build off their past to craft something new and exciting, and so authentic in terms of who they are as musicians and as people...

Tim Lewis is president of TALA Professional Services, an international technology and innovation firm. By bringing innovative ideas to life, he impacts entire communities and helps create a focused vision. Tim explains how his work helps communities embrace and leverage technology for economic development, education and workforce training such as The Gateway Innovation and Discovery Center in Tusc...

Sunil Patel is the founder/farmer of Patchwork Urban Farms and Sunil’s Indian Suppers in Asheville, NC. He is an accomplished chef and visionary and is laying the groundwork for a citywide food system by creating networks of sharing relationships that can support a village scale food production platform. Sunil explains why having farming out in the open, where people can experience it on a daily a...

Graham Sharp, banjoist for the Steep Canyon Rangers since they first came together 20 year’s ago, talks about their life on the road, how the band has evolved over the years, their relationship with Steve Martin, and what’s ahead moving forward. Graham talks about how the band continues to evolve with a fresh sound and identity all its own and how the creative process unfolds. With such a passiona...

Today’s music scene is a golden age for women. French pop-rock soul singer Madeleine Besson and Australian-born, singer/songwriter and instrumentalist Katie Cole are two such Nashville-based women who are shining a light for others to follow. Madeleine tells us about her new recording Journey Home , an album about departures, destinations, and the lessons learned along the way. It provides insight...

Why is biodiversity important to the places we love to travel? The 2019 Speaking of Travel Climate Listening Project Series with Dayna Reggero begins with a discussion around Dayna’s recent photography series “Voices of Hope for Forests,” featuring individuals from around the world who are working together to protect forests as part of the Environmental Paper Network. The Environmental Paper Netwo...

Steven is off to New Orleans to spend the holidays with family, but he is not going alone. He is bringing along his favorite four-legged travel companion, Levi. As someone who frequently travels with a pet, Steven knows a thing or two about bringing furry friends on board. “He is fun to travel with,” Steven said. “He has traveled everywhere with me. A lot of people like him and try to pet him.” St...

Grace is heading south for winter. She will spend the season with family in Arizona. Her dog is also joining in on the fun, awaiting boarding in her carrier. “You have to pack a lot of stuff.” Grace said. “That is why we… carry her the way we do. We have so much to handle, to check in and out.” Grace likes how easy it is to navigate her way around AVL. “It is friendly and small,” Grace said. “It i...

The Warner family will be spending their holiday season across the pond in London, England. Commuting to visit relatives in Somerset is an especially interesting experience for the Warners. “We will drive down,” Doug said. “What is interesting about the drive is that you go… within 50 yards of Stonehenge.” As a family who frequently travels together, the Warners know what it takes to get the job d...

Robert is Memphis-bound for the holidays to be with family. The Tennessee native was only in town briefly, picking up his son who attends college in the area. With such a quick turnaround, he came prepared to navigate the airport with efficiency.  “I always anticipate the TSA stop. Wear stuff that is easy to get off and put back on. Have a backpack to keep it all so you do not misplace it. It will...

The Keaton family is making their first-ever trip to Rome, Italy. With the holidays on the horizon, the Keatons are eager to celebrate in a different way and make memories together over the holidays. When it comes to traveling as a family, Michael understand the importance of patience and flexibility. “It can try the patience a little bit,” he said. “Kids want to do their thing, and parents have i...

Best known as The Midlife Comic, Jason Scholder is also the inventor of a yoga product called the Three Minute Egg. His curiosities take him down many roads, both literally and figuratively. Jason tells us about how travel began impacting his life at an early age, studying abroad in Ecuador, hitchhiking the entirety of Turkey, studying yoga in India and how his travels have taken him to France, Sp...

Since 2006, Jeff Miller and his Blue Ridge Honor Flight team has transported veterans from WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War to Washington, DC, to visit the memorials dedicated to their honor and sacrifice. On May 4, 2019, they will fly again, giving those who have served our country a chance to experience the hope, healing, and welcome home they so deserve. Learn more about this great miss...

Each month in 2019, Dayna Reggero of The Climate Listening Project, along with guest experts, will discuss climate change and its impact on the places we love to travel and how how we can become sustainable travelers. We’re about to embark in this new transformative year of wonder and discovery. Remember, only dreams give birth to change. So let’s all dream BIG! As we move into the new year, you’l...

Kent Wolff and his two daughters, MaryKent and Cami, have a tradition of traveling together and love it. Find out how they make time to travel often and how their time together brings them closer. The family talks about their reasons for travel and their favorite traveling experiences. Explore with them as they tell us about their favorite cities and why and how traveling inspires them. Thanks for...

Emily Rathmanner’s mission to build a fair trade brand with artists brought her to the Intag Region of Ecuador where she witnessed what a small group of women could do to create positive change. She's been traveling since college, about 4.5 years, and is a graphic and web designer. A recent entrepreneur, she began a business partnering with women in Ecuador to make handbags made from cactus c...

Kenny Capps is a cancer patient advocate and the executive director for Throwing Bones for a Cure. In January of 2015, Kenny, an avid ultra marathon runner from Black Mountain, NC, had to stop running after being diagnosed with stage two Multiple Myeloma, which currently has no cure. Kenny tells his epic story of running the Mountains to Sea Trail in NC to raise awareness to Multiple Myeloma. &quo...

Michael works for Delta Airlines at the Asheville Regional Airport. As an avid traveler with 13 years of airline experience under his belt, Michael knows the and ins and outs of travel from both sides of the counter. “I love [working here],” Michael said. “Every day is a new day… there’s different challenges and different experiences. Meeting all types of people on a daily basis; I truly love it.”...