Places I Remember with Lea Lane

Send us Fan Mail One of the world's greatest travel experiences is to visit the mountain gorillas of Central Africa.   Lea just returned from this once-in-a-lifetime quest, including other animal safaris, and talks with Africa travel expert Chris Johnston about the how-tos, what-to -expects, and special memories of this aspirational adventure. _____ Chris Johnston of Steppes Travel i n Englan...

Send us Fan Mail Five authors discuss special aspects of Florida with Lea, (who lives in the state). Discussions range from history to natural history. Florida was under many flags and offers special and unusual flora and fauna. This interesting episode is a must, for those who travel --or plan to travel, to Florida. _____ A History Lovers Guide to Florida is written by historian J ames Clark. Awa...

Send us Fan Mail David Downie shares insights about the great Italian capital city, used as the setting for his new mystery/thriller Roman Roulette . He tells us why he chose Rome as the setting of his newest book, and talks with Lea about not-to-miss sites and insider suggestions of what to do and see. We talk of food specialties , and top destinations just outside of Rome , including Ostia, and...

Send us Fan Mail Patricia Schultz, author of the mega-best seller 1000 Places to See Before You Die , says to Lea: "We're kindred spirits." And that's part of what makes this conversation based on her new book, Why We Travel: 100 Reasons to See the World so special. The two seasoned travelers converse with wisdom and laughter , and share  tips, memories, stories both profound a...

Send us Fan Mail Beautiful Dominica has been named the top island in the Caribbean, Bermuda, and the Bahamas for 2022 in Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards . Yet most travelers have yet to discover it. Dominicans Colin Piper and Aziz Roberts share Dominica's geography and history,  and sights/sites to experience -- from "boiling lakes" and "champagne snorkeling" to  trai...

Send us Fan Mail Podcast host Lea Lane chooses favorite excerpts from Episode 63 to Episode 74. (And check out Part One , in the previous Episode, 75, including favorites from the first half of 2022.)   In this "best of" sampling for the second half of 2022 you'll learn about a South African garden where you walk among the treetops, hiking and skiing , pandas and parks in China, and...

Send us Fan Mail In honor of this 75th episode ,  podcast host Lea Lane chooses favorite excerpts from Episode 48 to Episode 62 (Part Two, in the next episode, will include favorites from the rest of 2022.) Excerpts include beautiful memories of the Serengeti plains and Pacific Northwest waterfalls, twilight train rides in Finland , swimming in the Baths of Virgin Gorda , and seeing Icelandic geys...

Send us Fan Mail Harvey Bierman is a championship skier with loads of info about the snow sports he knows and loves. He offers us tips including, learning to ski,  back country skiing, and a nuanced comparison of  skiing and snowboarding. Harvey goes on to discuss what makes a great ski resort , offering  his choices of the best international and U.S.  ski areas. He ends with a personal memory of...

Send us Fan Mail Hotels and resorts that have a sense of place and tell a story are the ones we remember most. Tim Peck, chairman of the luxury design and architectural firm OBMI, has based his projects on that theme, and shares his insights and experiences. We hear about an ultra-luxury hotel in Marrakesh designed as a souk, a palace updated to a hotel in Saudi Arabia, and other fabulous places a...

Send us Fan Mail San Miguel de Allende the colonial town in the highlands of central Mexico has won numerous awards. Tania Castillo, tells why it was chosen by Conde Nast travel for the sixth year as "Best World's Best Small City." Art, good food, hot-air balloons, vineyards, hot springs, top hotels, plus day trips -- there's much to enjoy in San Miguel and the surrounding area...

Send us Fan Mail The simple pleasures of recreational walks -- hiking -- is our topic.  Jeff Herman, avid hiker, first talks with Lea about the Appalachian Trail and The Pacific Crest Trail. Lea discusses hiking jargon: " Zero Hike,""Nero Hike" and others.  We also discuss top hikes around the country.  Jeff then talks with Lea about his company's survey of the 10 best pla...

Send us Fan Mail Did you ever want to ask a hotel General Manager the best way to get a good rate? How to get an upgrade? Do you wonder if  they clean the throw pillows? How much to tip the housekeeper? The oddest thing a hotel guest left behind? In this episode (with lots of laughs as well as loads of info) we talk with four hotel GMs from top hotels around the U.S. They cover questions and offer...

Send us Fan Mail Natalie Dietl, and Cornelia Stahr, who represent Southwest Germany and the spa city of Baden-Baden, describe their favorite things about this special area. They cover cities including Heidelberg and Stuttgart; natural beauty in and around the Black Forest and Lake Constance; historical sites; outdoor activities, arts, and festivals; summer and winter pleasures -- and their persona...

Send us Fan Mail One of the nicest ways to take a break from the rush of sightseeing as you travel is to enjoy a garden . And throughout the world  you will find spectacular ones, charming ones, traditional ones -- all designed to please your senses. Beverly Hurley is passionate about gardens , and of  natural places filled with flora and fauna, wherever she travels. She defines a botanical garden...

Send us Fan Mail Paul Spencer Sochaczewski has been a conservationist with the World Wildlife Fund for over 40 years. He tells of his boyhood adventure in upstate New York State. He talks of following in the steps of his idol, Alfred Russell Wallace, who studied species with Charles Darwin, and of later quests in the jungles of Borneo, Laos and other exotic destinations around the world. Paul tell...

Send us Fan Mail What are specia l pleasures of a river cruise experience? The biggest differences between river cruising and ocean cruising? How can you convince a cruise skeptic to try river cruising? AmaWaterways co-founders Rudi Schreiner and Kristin Karst answer these questions, and tell us about some of the best river cruises in the world , on major rivers and also less-traveled ones in Euro...

Send us Fan Mail Madrid is a grand capital city of Spain, and David Paul Appell and Jose Balido moved there to enjoy it. We compare the city to Barcelona, and discuss the history, art scene, food, gardens, architecture and vibe of this great city from the viewpoint of insiders who love it. David and Jose then offer info about outstanding day trips from Madrid including to  El Escorial, Toledo, Seg...

Send us Fan Mail Living history can be informative and fun. And visiting the early settlements and battlefields of America's Historic Triangle -- Jamestown, Yorktown and WIlliamsburg -- offers both. Beyond learning and better understanding the  past , there are the modern pleasures of dining, shopping and recreating . Victoria Cimino, CEO of Visit Williamsburg, takes us along. We begin with J...

Send us Fan Mail We are in the midst of a worldwide golden age of park creation, and featured in this episode are powerful examples. This recent surge of park development offers us much to celebrate.  Parks are being designed as proactive, dynamic green spaces. Our guests, Victoria Newhouse and Alex Pisha,   are the authors of Parks of the 21st century: Reinventing Landscapes, Reclaimed Territorie...

Send us Fan Mail From the Cape Cod peninsula to the nearby islands of  Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, Massachusetts offers some of the most charming towns and activities in the U.S. And Leon Bolivar, a true Cape Codder, leads us along the way. We start on the Cape, discussing places to go and things to do in and around Falmouth, Sandwich, Hyannis, Yarmouth, Dennis, Chatham and Provincetown....

Send us Fan Mail Today's trains are not only a part of the green "slow travel" movement, they can be ultra-fast  and super deluxe. Lea and Guest Yi Ding, a Eurail executive, share train tips and trips, from speedy, efficient Eurail to the luxury private train tours of the world. Riding the rails proves it's the journey, not just the destination. We first discuss all about  Eura...

Send us Fan Mail The U.S.V.I and the B.V.I are beautiful Virgin Island "cousins "-- dozens of tropical isles and cays set between the Caribbean and Atlantic near Puerto Rico.  Lea covers the the U.S. islands, and Clive McCoy, Tourism Director of the BVI, discusses the delights and must-sees-and-dos of his island country. The U.S. Virgin Islands boast St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix; T...

Send us Fan Mail Anabela George , born in Lisbon and living in California, has traveled to over 75 countries . She's one of those bold, passionate travelers we love talking with on Places I Remember.  Anabela has experienced  travels at all levels , from being a yachtie on both sailing and motor yachts, to a backpacker riding the rails on top of a train in Ecuador, to being a corporate flight...

Send us Fan Mail Marie Sutro, who sets her newest crime thriller, Dark Obsession , in the Pacific Northwest, loves the beauty and creativity of Oregon and Washington State . She shares info and memories of the best -- from Portland to Seattle, and all around the spectacular region. We begin the episode talking of Portland and environs, including its creative "weirdness" :  the Oregon Coa...

Send us Fan Mail Have you thought about moving to another country ? Retiring or becoming an expat where safety, climate and cost of living are excellent ? International Living has been  rating countries for dozens of years, and this year's listings focus on the world's top 10 countries to move to. Jennifer Stevens, Executive editor, and Jessica Ramesch editor of the Panama edition, join...