Trip Tales | A Family Travel Podcast

I love the Enneagram, I love travel, and today we’re combining the two just for fun! In this episode, I’m breaking down all nine Enneagram types and how each one shows up on vacation! From the planners and peacekeepers to the dreamers, helpers, adventurers, and everyone in between. Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/kelseygraves Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelsey_grave...

Nikki Packer from Utah is back on Trip Tales, and this time she’s sharing her family’s spring break trip through England and Paris! Mostly booked on points, Nikki’s family started in London with classic sightseeing, Borough Market treats, and the Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studio Tour before making their way to Oxford, Bath, and the dreamy English countryside. But the true surprise of the trip? The...

What happens when your dreamy, romantic France trip suddenly turns into a European heat wave survival mission? In this episode of Kelsey Unpacked, I’m sharing the real-time pivots we’re making before our kid-free getaway to Paris and Chablis — from confirming air conditioning at our tiny French chateau to rethinking my cute wine country outfits, packing electrolytes, and asking ChatGPT to heat-pro...

Amy from Colorado joins me to share all about her family of five’s multigenerational Southwest road trip with her husband, their three kids (ages 3, 7 and 9), and her parents. They started in Northern Colorado and made their way to Moab, Utah to explore Arches National Park, then continued on to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon before ending with sunshine, pool time and spring training baseball i...

I took my 8-year-old daughter, Elle, on a two-night work trip to Clearwater Beach, and it turned into the sweetest little mother-daughter getaway. I’m sharing all about our stay at the Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach, the bunk bed room, pool days, gorgeous beach, sunset dinners, and what it was like bringing one kid along for the ride - plus Elle joins the pod to share her very honest review! This...

Angela ( @angelashellhaas ) from Columbus, Ohio joins Trip Tales to share about how her family of five road-tripped to Hilton Head for Spring Break in 2025 and 2026 — and why it has become one of their favorite easy family beach getaways. In this episode, Angela shares what made Hilton Head worth returning to two years in a row: spectacular sunrises, biking on the beach, wide low-tide beaches perf...

I’m unpacking TSA PreCheck Touchless ID - what it is, how to set it up, and why I couldn’t actually use it thanks to my very complicated name situation. Plus, a little summer catch-up and my latest can’t-stop-watching Netflix recommendation. Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/kelseygraves Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelsey_graves Follow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok...

In this episode, I’m recapping our family of five’s first all-inclusive trip to the Dominican Republic and our stay at Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana. I’m sharing why we booked it, how we used points, and whether this popular resort lived up to the hype. I’ll walk through the rooms, pools, beach, food, activities, water park, Scape Park excursion, nightly shows, and all the little details you'll want to know...

In this quick Kelsey Unpacked episode, I’m reporting back from our very first family all-inclusive vacation - and I’m happy to say that we are, in fact, all-inclusive people!!! We may not be cruise people, but this trip gave us: space to spread out, endless food and drinks, fun activities, beautiful pools, and the freedom to say yes without thinking about the bill! I’m also sharing a quick sargass...

Kelsey sits down with Kelly from @have.kids.will.adventure to talk about her family of 5’s week-long trip to Lima, Peru in February 2026. Looking for somewhere with warmer ocean water than New England in the winter, Kelly booked Lima on points without realizing just how much there would be to do with kids. In this episode, Kelly shares why her family skipped Machu Picchu this time and instead spen...

In this episode of Kelsey Unpacked, I’m sharing the unglamorous side of travel -forms, passports, government websites, and all the behind-the-scenes admin that happens before a family trip. I’m also breaking down exactly how we got Global Entry for our entire family of five for $0, why we chose it over TSA PreCheck, how the application and interview process worked, and why it may be worth doing be...

Kyle is back on Trip Tales! After previously sharing about his all-inclusive ski trip to Club Med in Quebec and his epic trip skiing in Austria while visiting the German Christmas markets, Kyle returns to share another incredible family ski adventure. In this episode, Kelsey sits down with Kyle to recap his family of four’s spring break ski trip to Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada in April 2...

This week on Kelsey Unpacked, I’m recapping our wild, rainy, unforgettable weekend at the Indy 500 to celebrate my dad’s 70th birthday! From race day traditions and checkered outfits to suite snacks, Black Hawk flyovers, the Snake Pit, a photo finish, and the chaos of getting 350,000 people out of one place, this was a family weekend we’ll never forget. This episode is available to watch on YouTub...

Kelsey sits down with Kirsten ( @pointstravel.md ), a Pediatric ER doctor from upstate New York, to recap her family of five’s incredible trip to Italy in April 2025. They spent time in both Rome and Sorrento, with day trips to Pompeii and Orvieto, plus unforgettable adventures along the Amalfi Coast and out to Capri. In this episode, Kirsten shares what it was really like visiting Italy with kids...

In the midst of May-cember chaos, I’m sharing 10 things that are saving my life right now — from new favorite beverages, clothing pieces I'm loving, and a summer dinner hack that's making life easier.  This episode is available to watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kelseygraves If you’d like to share about your trip on the podcast, email me at: kelsey@triptalespodcast.com Buy Me A Cof...

Kelsey sits down with Nina from New Jersey to discuss her family of 4's epic 12-day Disney adventure in August 2025. They started their trip at Walt Disney World, staying at the new Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Resort and visiting all four parks: EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Magic Kingdom. From there, they boarded the new Disney Treasure cruise ship for a 7-night Caribbean...

I'm is finally answering one of my most-asked questions: What should we do in Nashville? After years of getting texts and DMs from friends, followers, and listeners planning trips to Nashville, I'm sharing it all! This episode covers Nashville as both a family trip with kids and an adults-only getaway, including where to stay, what to do, favorite restaurants, Broadway tips, live music spots, brun...

Kelsey sits down with Liz from Portland, Oregon to hear all about her family’s epic winter adventure to Ottawa and Montreal in February 2025. This trip was planned as a surprise 40th birthday bucket list trip for Liz’s husband, with one very specific goal: ice skating on the Rideau Canal in Ottawa, Canada (the world's largest natural ice skating rink). As a big hockey and skating family, this was...

I’m sharing the family games we’re loving right now! The ones we love so much, they actually come on trips with us! From ski condo game nights to beach house fun, these are the games that keep our family laughing and playing together. In this episode, I’m breaking down our favorite family games by kid and age, from elementary school to middle school to teens, plus the one game our whole family can...

Amanda is back (she previously joined to share about her family’s trip to Bali and Singapore) and this time she’s taking us along on her family of four’s Thanksgiving week adventure to London and Paris. Amanda ( @thetravelingbixlers ) traveled in November 2025 with her husband and two kids, ages 7 and 6, for a magical European trip packed with iconic sights, kid-friendly fun, and a little Disney m...

I’m not scared of AI - I’m here for it! In this episode, I’m sharing 7 ChatGPT prompts that will change how you plan travel. From finding family-friendly hotels that actually sleep everyone, to building smarter itineraries, choosing restaurants, decoding wine lists, finding off-the-beaten-path road trip stops, creating your own self-guided tours, and even building a realistic packing list — these...

Kristen from Massachusetts is back on Trip Tales! She previously shared all about her family’s catamaran trip through the British Virgin Islands, and this time she’s taking us to Mont Tremblant, Quebec. Kristen, a mom of two, traveled with her family of four, including her 10-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son, plus a few other families, for a Presidents Day weekend ski trip in February 2026. Mo...

If you’ve ever traveled for a soccer tournament, dance competition, or any youth sports weekend, you know these trips are never quite what you think they’ll be. In this episode, Kelsey unpacks the good, the bad, and the ugly of youth sports travel. She also talks about the mindset shift that changed everything for her and shares practical tips to help make youth sports travel smoother, less stress...

Kelsey chats with Paige ( @packwithpaige on Instagram) from Huntsville, AL about her February 2026 trip to New Orleans for Mardi Gras with her mom and two little ones, ages 4 and 2. She was pleasantly surprised to discover such a fun, family-friendly side of Mardi Gras. In this episode, Paige shares why these were some of the best parades she has ever been to, the super fun “catches” her kids love...

I’m sharing my favorite online spots to shop for resortwear, easy rompers, swimsuits, cover-ups, shoes, and more. These are the places I keep going back to when I want pieces that feel cute, easy, and vacation-ready. I’ve linked everything for you in the show notes so you can browse my favorite finds for your upcoming trips! My "Shop My" Shelves: https://shopmy.us/kelseygraves/shelves Pink Lily, C...