The Traveling Fool

Send us Fan Mail Wounded, no food, no water, no weapon. A young Texas Ranger wakes up on the ground near the Nueces River, realizes everyone has left him for dead, makes a decision that turns him into a legend. Subscribe for more travel history stories, share this with a friend planning a Texas Hill Country weekend, and leave a review with the next destination you want us to cover. Please subscrib...

Send us Fan Mail A lot of towns get remembered for a stadium or a slogan. Bryan-College Station deserves to be remembered for a man most people can’t name and for the living history that still surrounds Texas A&M. We trace the life of Major General James Earl Rudder, born in tiny Eden, Texas, who goes from teacher and coach to leading the 2nd Ranger Battalion on D-Day at Point Du Hoc, where Ra...

Send us Fan Mail A small Texas town holds one of the most improbable American legends: a tightly run brothel that fed families during the Depression, helped sheriffs solve crimes, and then ignited a statewide showdown once a TV crusader and a governor took notice Please subscribe and leave a review on I-Tunes. Feel free to drop me an email I would love to hear from you editor@thetravellingfool.com...

Send us Fan Mail We map the biggest travel shifts for 2026 using real search data, from spontaneous short escapes and small-town storytelling to purpose-driven city breaks and the return of cruises. Practical questions and examples help you plan a flexible, meaningful trip without the stress. Please subscribe and leave a review on I-Tunes. Feel free to drop me an email I would love to hear from yo...

Send us Fan Mail A quiet Texas town with a world-famous sweet tooth, a high-wire legend, and an oil claim that rewrote state history—Corsicana packs more surprises per mile than most big cities. We head south of Dallas to trace how a German baker created an early mail-order empire, why a mysterious one-legged tightrope walker still draws visitors to a simple grave, and how one cop built a parallel...

Send us Fan Mail We chase the disputed lifespan of Isaac Brock from headstone to census record, then turn a myth hunt into a smart Waco travel plan. Between archives, museums, and good food, we map a route where Texas legend meets places worth your time. Please subscribe and leave a review on I-Tunes. Feel free to drop me an email I would love to hear from you editor@thetravellingfool.com You can...

Send us Fan Mail We share a practical holiday travel game plan to cut stress, avoid delays, and keep your cool from booking to baggage claim. From early departures and car prep to smart packing, safety, and flexibility, these tips help you arrive safe and sane. Please subscribe and leave a review on I-Tunes. Feel free to drop me an email I would love to hear from you editor@thetravellingfool.com Y...

Send us Fan Mail Prices keep climbing, but the best travel bargains are hiding in plain sight. We walk through the smartest ways to cut travel costs using military portals, deal alerts, credit card strategies, and overlooked memberships that unlock private rates and perks. The goal is simple: stack savings on flights, hotels, cruises, and resorts without sacrificing quality. Please subscribe and l...

Send us Fan Mail Your next great getaway might be hiding an hour from home. We break down a practical, repeatable system for finding day trips that feel fresh, personal and affordable—without getting stuck in the same “top 10” lists. Instead of relying on broad search results, we tap into eight reliable sources that locals and curious travelers can use anywhere: state and county tourism directorie...

Send us Fan Mail What if your best travel memories aren’t on any list? We dig into the difference between moving through a place and letting a place move through you, with practical tips to shift from tourist to explorer. Instead of racing to landmarks, we talk about landing light, walking slow, and using your senses—smell, sound, and small cues—to find the real city living between the sights. Ple...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered if you need travel insurance and just what it covers? We break down when travel insurance is worth it and plenty of real-world detail, so you can decide what to buy, when to buy it, and how to make it pay when things go sideways Please subscribe and leave a review on I-Tunes. Feel free to drop me an email I would love to hear from you editor@thetravellingfool.com You...

Send us Fan Mail A strange 1897 newspaper report turns Aurora, Texas into a place with a curious story, a lasting legend and a mysterious visitor named Ned. We weigh thin evidence against rich folklore, then share nearby spots to explore if you go chase the story yourself. Please subscribe and leave a review on I-Tunes. Feel free to drop me an email I would love to hear from you editor@thetravelli...

Send us Fan Mail We map a six-stop Southeast Texas loop where Texas independence, immigrant craft, Spanish missions, and small-town museums meet rivers, saloons, and a famously strange cryptid. The route works as a long weekend or a slow, weeklong wander with time to linger and learn. Please subscribe and leave a review on I-Tunes. Feel free to drop me an email I would love to hear from you editor...

Send us Fan Mail We trace Abilene, Kansas from a Chisholm Trail boomtown to Eisenhower’s hometown, stopping for a mansion wired by Edison, a Greyhound Hall of Fame greeting, a 1901 carousel ride, and a back-room chocolate secret. History, food, trains, murals, and small-town charm deliver a trip worth planning. Please subscribe and leave a review on I-Tunes. Feel free to drop me an email I would l...

Send us Fan Mail Think travel demands deep pockets? We push back with a road-tested guide to seeing more while spending less. We challenge the idea that travel is only for big budgets, using a lifetime of road trips, points strategies, and common-sense choices to show how to see more for less. From camp stoves to tram rides, we trade luxury for stories and keep the wonder intact. Please subscribe...

Send us Fan Mail We head upriver from New Orleans to explore Louisiana’s River Parishes—where grand oaks, Creole stories, and a rare tobacco aged in whiskey barrels share a landscape with gators, smokehouses, and a 1950s drive-in. History isn’t erased here; it’s told plainly, tasted slowly, and easy to reach. Please hit that like or subscribe button When I do up the show notes for this podcast and...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wonder what happens when a con man's legacy becomes a cornerstone of state history? The story of this Texas town unravels like a frontier thriller – complete with embezzlement, assumed identities, and a silver-tongued fugitive who changed the course of Texas settlement. Meet Philip Hendrik Nering Bögel, a Dutch tax collector who fled Europe after stealing 250,000 guilder...

Send us Fan Mail Step into the shadows of Galveston's most captivating historical mystery as we unlock the secrets of Ashton Villa and its unforgettable resident, Betty Brown.  We'll also explore modern Galveston's vibrant charm—from historic districts and Gulf beaches to Victorian architecture and fresh seafood destinations.  Subscribe now to hear more untold stories from America&a...

Send us Fan Mail Dreaming of the perfect getaway but overwhelmed by endless planning details? You're not alone. The latest wave of travel innovation is here, and it's transforming how we discover, plan, and experience destinations around the world. As I reveal in this episode, nearly 20% of millennials turned to artificial intelligence for trip planning in 2024 - and I'm among the g...

Send us Fan Mail Tucked away in the northwest corner of South Carolina, Oconee County reveals itself as an undiscovered treasure where natural beauty intertwines with captivating history. As I wandered through this Blue Ridge Mountain paradise, I uncovered the poignant legend of Issaquena, a brave Choctaw maiden who risked everything for love, leaving her name on what is now a magnificent 200-foot...

Send us Fan Mail Every monument tells a story. Every museum preserves voices that might otherwise be forgotten. As a veteran who served for two decades, I've always been drawn to military history – not for political reasons, but because these sites connect us to our shared human experience. From the moment you step into the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, you're walking above...

Send us Fan Mail The famous historical landmarks of Texas like the Alamo and San Jacinto battlefield draw thousands of visitors each year, but the Lone Star State harbors dozens of lesser-known historic treasures that tell equally compelling stories without the crowds. In this episode, we uncover twenty overlooked historic sites across Texas that reveal surprising chapters of the state's rich...

Send us Fan Mail Uncover the secret weapon that savvy travelers have been using for years – local Visitor's Bureaus. These often-overlooked offices hold the keys to transforming good vacations into unforgettable journeys, and today we're diving into exactly why you should make them your first stop in any new destination. Whether you call them welcome centers, tourism boards, or CVBs (Con...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you venture beyond the bright lights of Austin, the packed River Walk of San Antonio, or the urban sprawl of Dallas-Fort Worth? Texas reveals itself in ways no guidebook fully captures—through towns with characters as big as the state itself but too often overlooked by travelers chasing the obvious. From Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas that has flown nine d...

Send us Fan Mail Ever feel like you're stuck in a tourist trap, surrounded by selfie sticks, waiting in line just to glimpse something you've already seen a thousand times on social media? There's a better way to travel, and it doesn't require visiting the Eiffel Tower or Times Square. Drawing from personal stories that span from small-town Texas to Czech beer halls and Filipin...