Speaking of Travel® With Marilyn Ball

Cynthia is on her way to Indiana and she has a unique way of passing time while traveling. “[Knitting] is a really good thing to do in the airport or on the fly to entertain yourself,” Cynthia said. “You actually get something done and have something to show for… spending time waiting.” Cynthia likes the convenience of flying out of AVL. “It’s really small and it’s easy to get through the line for...

Meghan is taking an impromptu trip to Las Vegas. By checking into the amenities offered at her destination, she was able to pack as quickly as possible. “I’m hoping that by staying at a house, it will have most of the necessities I need,” she said. “I pretty much just packed a couple pairs of clothes.” With little time to spare, she was thankful for the flexibility and convenience of her local air...

Gabriele is a PhD student from Italy studying Finance in Oklahoma. Over the past four years, he has learned a thing or two from traveling around the United States. “I try to avoid the touristic places,” Gabriele said. “I try to walk around the city and meet locals. That’s the best way to discover a city, to feel the atmosphere. Wherever the atmosphere is right, step in those places and look around...

Arielle is headed home to New York and she likes to strike the balance of cute and comfortable. “I like to get travel size makeup,” she said. “Whether it be mascara, my lashes or just some quick lip gloss. You have to look good when you travel. You don’t know who you’re going to see on the plane.” Arielle likes the customer service she receives at AVL. “It’s very intimate,” she said. “United lets...

Sierra is the Marketing and PR Coordinator at the Asheville Regional Airport. As part of the marketing team, she helps organize AVL’s art and music programs for passengers and airport visitors. “We invite local artists to come and play for our passengers,” she said. “It sets a nice relaxing tone for everyone.” Highlighting local talent in the terminal allows passengers to have an immersive Ashevil...

Stephanie Pace Brown is a travel and tourism professional and director of the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (BCTDA). Stephanie talks about how she began in the tourism industry and what travel means to her. Since travel was part of Stephanie's professional education early on, she believes travel changes with the stages of your life. She also discusses how the BCTDA promotes As...

Tina and Geoff Kinsey and their four boys love to travel and share their favorite family adventures. Each of the boys are named after special places and feel a connection to these places, even unseen. Over the years, they have shared their most memorable family adventures when they have pilgrimaged to the name places. Find out what it means to Bryce, Blake, Tim and Lucas to have been named after d...

Melissa Reardon, editor-in-chief of WNC Magazine and her husband Ryan Reardon, the director of the Asheville Music School, love to travel. After serious planning for a trip to Spain, they covered some epic ground, hitting nine cities in 2.5 weeks by doing three in-country flights, two car rentals, one train, and a grand finale at the Las Fallas Festival in Valencia. Find out how they did it with m...

Darren Nicholson of Balsam Range and Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters tell us about what life is like as traveling musicians and break down some perceptions of what it is like on the road. Darren is the founding member of Balsam Range (2018 IBMA Entertainer of the Year) and travels the world. Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters were on a European tour to England, Scotland, Ireland, Sp...

Since 2003, award winning journalist/photographer Mark File of RomanticAsheville.com has provided travelers the opportunity to make the most of a visit to Western North Carolina and makes a difference by contributing back to the region. Each year, RomanticAsheville.com gives back in paid and in-kind sponsorships to 200 non-profits in tourism, arts, heritage and environment. From the annual Giving...

In late 2015, Tess Vigeland embarked on a remarkable journey. Home now, she talks about her lessons learned, the logistics of travel, the experience of being an expat and her midlife philosophical journey. Tess visited 20 countries in two years and eight months, finishing up with her time abroad in Maldives, Australia, Brunei, Singapore, Cambodia, Indonesia and South Korea. Find out what Tess miss...

Linda Williams is passionate about living in community and brings her communication skills from the Living in Community Network in Sarasota FL. Find out how to decide if this is your type of lifestyle, how to get started in shared housing, how to find perspective housemates, what the benefits and challenges might be, how to downsize, and where to begin exploring your path to living more in communi...

Chef and food writer James Beard said: “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” Taking those words to heart, Katie Button and Felix Meana create food experiences to unite people. Katie & Felix are the husband and wife partners behind Katie Button Restaurants in Asheville and Cúrate Trips, the culinary travel expeditions to Spain and Portugal. An intimate conversation around the tab...

It’s beginning to look and feel Like autumn in the mountains of Western North Carolina! And while the Great Smoky Mountains are beautiful at any time of year, there is just something magical about the seasons changing and the weather becoming crisp and cool. And if you're looking for the best of the mountains in one place, head to Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park. General Manager Mary...

Natalie and her family can’t wait to begin their family vacation! They're flying from the Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) to Tampa to kick off their cruise to Cozumel and the Grand Cayman Islands. Natalie’s children enjoy the perks of traveling with family. “They love traveling with their cousins,” Natalie said. AVL helps Natalie start her vacation as quickly as possible. She said, “I love t...

Dan and Jen are making their way to Phoenix, Arizona, for a family event. Both Dan and Jen travel for work and they have figured out the secrets to packing like a pro. “Pack for the security line to get in and out as quickly as you can,” Dan said. “Make sure you have liquids handy at the top of your bag… and reduce the number of electronics that you carry on with you.” Thanks for listening to Spea...

Tom is off to Germany for an eight-day bike trip. Touring the country by bike leaves little room for excess when it comes to packing, and Tom understands the key is packing only the necessities. “I packed once and then I cut it in half,” Tom said. “People don’t need all that they pack.” Tom loves starting his travels at AVL. “Every chance I get I come out of Asheville because it’s small,” Tom said...

April and three-month-old Carter are making the trip back home to Orlando after visiting with family here in Asheville. With family in California and a six-year old at home, she knows the ins and outs of flying with kids. Traveling with a baby can be daunting, but April has some great tips for moms on the move. “We usually go to the dollar store and get a bunch of little items – they don’t even ha...

Drayton is a customer service representative for United Airlines. After working with an airline for 17 years, he knows all the tricks to traveling with ease. “Have your ID available,” Drayton said. “If you are traveling internationally, you must make sure you have your passport.” Drayton loves working at the Asheville Regional Airport. “I like the customers, working with the public and interacting...

Beth and Randy Fluharty are active hikers so taking a vacation usually includes some hiking adventures. They talk to us about why you should consider taking a hiking vacation and discuss various ways to go about it and what advantages and disadvantages might look like. Is it better to participate in an all-inclusive package or do a self-guided tour? Find out what to look for in picking a touring c...

Kelly McEnany is Chair of the Behavioral Sciences department at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (AB Tech). She also serves as AB Tech’s Global Education Committee Chair and Coordinator. She and her team develop global programming and encourage students to pursue the study of foreign languages and international travel. Kelly regularly presents at conferences on topics of curriculum i...

Hemp is one of the oldest crops and has been used for paper, textiles and fiber for thousands of years around the globe. Hemp is grown as a renewable source for raw materials and is incorporated into thousands of products. Its seeds and flowers are used in health foods, organic body care, and so much more. Join Franny Tacy of Franny's Farm, the first woman to grow hemp in North Carolina and D...

Gabriele Marewski is a 64 year-old adventurer who knows the difference between being fully alive and just existing. She helps us process how to let go of our fears and create the life we want to live. Gabriele began traveling in 1969! Find out how she started her adventure lifestyle, why she loves solo traveling and where she's heading next. Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel ! Visit...

We are celebrating the one-year anniversary of The Gourmet Highway on Speaking of Travel and Doc Lawrence is onboard sharing a conversation about people, places, food, wine and history! Doc and I reminisce about great cities and wonderful sites and we review some of the special destinations we've visited during 50+ shows. You will learn so much about quality travel and the amazing towns and c...

Tracey Nesbitt, editor of Solo Traveler, an online publication and community where people who share a passion for traveling alone go for tips and advice, shares wisdom and encouragement for solo travel. She’s also the moderator of the Solo Travel Society on Facebook, a very active group of over 230,000 travelers around the world. And she has traveled solo for over 20 years! She provides useful tip...