The Middle Seat

✈️ This Week In The Middle Seat We recorded a whole podcast from our cabin every night so you didn't have to miss a single sea lion. You're welcome. ⏱️The Short Version This week’s episode is a little different — we’re taking you with us, day by day, through our time aboard the National Geographic Islander II in the Galápagos. From golden rays and giant tortoises to first-time snorkeling nerves, b...

Six weeks into the year is when travel “predictions” stop being guesses and start becoming patterns. In this episode, Claire (travel advisor) and Dakota (resident passenger perspective) break down what’s really happening in travel right now — not what magazines are forecasting, but what people are actually booking, asking about, and craving. From longer trips and slower itineraries to small-ship c...

This week on The Middle Seat , we’re rewinding to the trip that accidentally started it all: our Gatlinburg “honeymoon” that was really more chaotic mini-moon with a heart-shaped tub, a 3am airport alarm, and an unopened Airbnb email that almost derailed the whole thing. Consider this our official origin story and a loving cautionary tale: why you should not fly out the morning after your wedding,...

This week on The Middle Seat, we’re picking up where we left off in Costa Rica — trading Papagayo’s coastline for mineral-rich rivers, volcano views, and a hillside hideaway that made Dakota rethink what a “good bathroom” even is. In true Claire-and-Dakota fashion, this episode is part adventure recap, part honest storytelling, and part “we learned this the hard way so you don’t have to.” Consider...

This week on The Middle Seat , we’re heading to Costa Rica — a destination that somehow manages to feel both wildly alive and completely at peace all at once. In true Claire-and-Dakota fashion, this episode is equal parts travel inspiration, honest storytelling, and “we learned this the hard way so you don’t have to.” From embracing the pura vida lifestyle to finding out why “rainy season” is actu...

In this episode, Claire (the travel advisor) and Dakota (the traveler) unpack one of the most obvious—but most misunderstood—topics in the travel world: why using a travel advisor still matters in 2025 . From information overload to industry connections to the rise of AI, they explore how working with a travel advisor isn’t about outsourcing decisions—it’s about elevating your entire travel experi...

Welcome to The Middle Seat—the podcast where a travel advisor and a traveler (who just happen to be married) finally hit record. In this “episode triple-zero,” Claire, founder of Paradise Falls Travel Co., and her husband Dakota share the story behind the show, how they see travel differently, and why those differences might just be what make every trip unforgettable. From window vs. aisle debates...

Peru, but make it personal: Lima + an Amazon river cruise What you’ll hear Why Lima is so much more than a gateway city (Miraflores, San Isidro, Barranco—yes, please) What a DMC is (and why I always partner with one for authentic, in-country experiences) A stay at the storied Country Club Lima Hotel and why its lobby lives rent-free in my head ( Architectural Digest 's 3rd best hotel lobby in the...

Welcome aboard The Middle Seat —a travel podcast from a husband-and-wife team: she’s a travel advisor who unlocks smarter logistics and hassle-free plans; he’s a photographer who turns every trip into a highlight reel. Together, we’ll help you choose destinations that fit your style, time your bookings with confidence, dodge rookie mistakes, and come home with photos you’ll actually print. In this...