Stacking Adventures: Every Traveler Has a Story

The trip was planned. The Airbnb was booked. The dinner reservations were made. Then a text arrived Monday night: broken clavicle, ravine, emergency room. Five days before departure, everything was off. What followed was two and a half hours of Joe and Cheryl bouncing across the globe on a map, racing a midnight cancellation deadline, and trying to figure out where in the world to go instead. This...

Karen Cordaway of the Everyday Bucket List booked Amsterdam almost on a whim after watching a Ted Lasso episode. She stayed in the Jordaan neighborhood -- one of the swankiest in the city -- walked to the Anne Frank House, spent an afternoon at the Van Gogh Museum, took a canal tour in the rain, and nearly got knocked into the water by a cyclist who apparently had the right of way. She brings back...

Thirty-two thousand people. Forty miles. Five boroughs. One bridge that will test everything you have left in your legs. Crystal and Joe did the NYC Five Borough Bike Ride together -- Joe with his family, Crystal flying solo from DC with her own bike strapped to the back of her car -- and came back with everything the official website doesn't tell you. From booking bikes six months out to finding...

Here are the full corrected show notes: Group Travel 101: The Good, the Bad, and Why It's Almost Always Worth It You don't know what you don't know -- and nowhere is that more true than when you're planning your first international trip. Group travel solves a problem most people don't realize they have: not just the logistics, but the insider knowledge, the local connections, and the moments that...

Most people plan Hawaii all wrong. They try to hit three islands in ten days, get stuck behind slow drivers on the Road to Hana, and never make it past Waikiki. This week Joe and Crystal sit down with Doug Norman, who has lived on Oahu since the 1980s, for the kind of advice you only get from someone who actually lives there. In this episode: Why the Big Island should be your first stop, what make...

The gate agent calls for volunteers. The number keeps climbing. It feels like free money. Crystal took it once in Denver and spent the night in a windowless hotel with a $12 meal voucher she couldn't use. This week Joe and Crystal break down what actually happens when you say yes, plus everything else changing fast in the world of travel right now. In this episode: The real math on airline voucher...

River cruises look effortless in the brochure—twinkling lights, mulled wine, storybook towns. But what really makes the experience unforgettable isn't just the scenery… it's everything happening underneath. Traveling with family (including a first-time international traveler), navigating group dynamics, figuring out when to splurge, and occasionally ending up on the wrong bus in a foreign country....

Prepaying for travel extras feels like smart planning. Until you lose money because your plans change and there are no refunds. Joe Saul-Sehy and Crystal Hammond trade travel updates and money lessons, starting with Crystal's quick February return to Barbados. She chose an Airbnb near the beach with a pool over an all-inclusive resort, made grocery runs to cook her own meals and avoid overindulgen...

What happens when you stop treating retirement like an ending… and start treating it like an expedition? On this episode of Stacking Adventures , Joe Saul-Sehy and Crystal Hammond connect with retirement mindset mentor George Jerjian (creator of the DARE Method) from London to unpack the 80-day, around-the-world journey that reshaped how he thinks about identity, courage, and life after 55. George...

Want to travel more without overspending or falling for tourist traps? In this episode of  Stacking Adventures , Crystal reports back from the Travel & Adventure Show in Washington, DC, breaking down what the experience is really like, whether the upgraded ticket was worth it, and what she'd absolutely do differently next time (hint: show up early and never skip the insider perks). Crystal and Joe...

What starts as a European trip in 1987 turns into a quirky quest across England after a chance bookstore discovery, and eventually becomes something far more meaningful than anyone expected. Crystal Hammond and Joe Saul-Sehy are joined by award winning mystery writer Michael Balter, who shares how stumbling upon a coffee table book listing historic pubs across England accidentally launched him on...

What would happen if you said yes to the adventure that's been quietly tugging at you for years? Joe Saul-Sehy talks with author and long distance cyclist Cory Mortensen, who decided to stop dreaming about a big ride and actually pedal one. He biked from Canada to Mexico along Highway One. This isn't just about cycling. It's about committing to something that feels bigger than you, preparing witho...

Alright, Adventurers…let's hear it. Where are you going in 2026—and what's the trip you  really want to take if time, money, and real life would kindly stop being so clingy? Whether you've got a big international swing planned or you're stacking mini-adventures closer to home, this is your official invitation to say it out loud and let the rest of us cheer you on (and possibly steal your ideas). T...

Sometimes the best adventures are the ones that surprise you. In this episode of  Stacking Adventures , Crystal Hammond and Joe Saul-Sehy hit the road expecting a great trip—and come back with a whole new appreciation for West Virginia (and a certain famous theme park just over the border). From the cozy charm of small towns to jaw-dropping national park views, this journey blends classic road-tri...

Planning a trip to London and wondering what's actually worth your time versus what's just tourist theater? Karen Cordaway from the Everyday Bucket List podcast and her husband Rich are guest hosting this episode to share what they've learned from their own London adventures. This originally aired as an episode of their podcast, in fact, Everyday Bucket List!  Karen and Rich have done the research...

The first Christmas song of the season hits, and suddenly Crystal Hammond and Joe Saul-Sehy are deep into holiday travel daydreaming mode. Some people want snow, twinkling lights, and mulled wine at a European Christmas market. Others want to flee the cold entirely and spend December with their toes in warm sand. Both are valid, and this episode celebrates them equally. Crystal and Joe map out the...

Some people go to Barbados and never leave their resort. They come home with a tan and some poolside photos, having experienced about 10% of what the island actually offers. Crystal Hammond just wrapped her third trip to Barbados with the same group of friends, and she's here to tell you what you're missing if you think paradise begins and ends at the swim-up bar. Don't get her wrong—the resorts a...

River cruises look amazing in the brochures, but are they actually worth the money? Or do you end up trapped on a floating hotel with mediocre food and tours you could've Googled yourself? Crystal Hammond and Joe Saul-Sehy sit down with Nathan and Kathrin, two experienced travelers who just finished a Viking River Cruise through France's Rhône Valley. They're here to give you the real story about...

Want to know how to travel smarter? Ask people who obsess over every dollar and still manage to see the world. Crystal Hammond and Joe Saul-Sehy just got back from FinCon in Portland, where they collected travel wisdom from some of the sharpest money minds and most experienced travelers they know. These aren't Instagram travel influencers with brand deals—these are people who've figured out how to...

Here's what most music lovers get wrong about road trips: they hit the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and call it done, missing dozens of museums where music history is still alive, personal, and unexpected. Crystal Hammond and Joe Saul-Sehy sit down with Josephine Matyas and Craig Jones, co-authors of The Music Lovers' Guide to North America , who've spent decades visiting music museums across the cont...

Ready to turn your everyday spending into first-class experiences? In this episode of Stacking Adventures , Crystal Hammond , Joe Saul-Sehy , and Cindy Zuniga-Sanchez dig into the art (and a little science) of mastering travel points. Whether you're a seasoned jet-setter or just starting to explore the rewards world, this episode will help you stack your points like a pro—and actually use them for...

Ever wondered if ghost tours are actually fun, or just touristy gimmicks that sound better on Instagram than in real life? Crystal Hammond just got back from a ghost tour through Alexandria, Virginia with U.S. Ghost Adventures , and she's got answers. Spoiler: this one's worth the price of admission—especially if you like your history served with a side of haunted pub crawl. From the allegedly hau...

What if the trip you've been dreaming about doesn't have to wait until retirement—or cost a fortune? Crystal Hammond and Joe Saul-Sehy sit down with road-trippers Miranda and Jason, who just wrapped a 26-day adventure from Idaho to Oregon. Hot springs. Star-filled skies. A night in a giant flowerpot Airbnb (yes, really). And the best part? They didn't come home broke. Miranda and Jason break down...

Imagine if you went to a place where people knew how to save money AND also to have fun? How about if those same people LOVED dishing out advice? Crystal and Joe attended FinCon, a financial media creator's conference in Portland, Oregon, and Crystal shoved her microphone in the faces of some of the TOP money people at the event. Luckily, they all loved it AND shared some incredible gems. From rew...

Ever dream of packing five countries and a lifetime of memories into less than a month? Buckle up, Adventurer — this episode of Stacking Adventures takes you along for a whirlwind 26-day journey across Europe and beyond. Hosts Crystal Hammond and Joe Saul-Sehy sit down with globetrotter Jon to unpack the highs, lows, and priceless lessons from his epic family sabbatical — a trip that covered Germa...