Talking Travel with Ken Smoller

In 2000 three of my friends and I drove to Cleveland for an Indiana game. By 2020, the group had grown to as large as 12 on one trip. All told, we have visited 34 baseball stadiums, some now gone. With those and other trips I have made, my stadium total is about 50. That's only 2,650 or so behind Ken Smoller.

The "Stadium Vagabond" has been to more than 2,700 stadiums all over the world. On his website, the opening statement reads "exploring the world through the prism of sports stadiums." With that unique take on travel, I invited Ken to talk with me on Talking Travel for Global Traveler.

A writer and photographer, Smoller started his journey as a student at the University of Michigan. That journey has led him across the world to 26 different countries and 48 states, with plans to reach the last two in the near future. 

Along with his stadiumvagabond.com site, Smoller also wrote Last Comiskey, based on the documentary about the last year of Comiskey Park documentary, which featured a lot of Smoller's photographs. Currently, Smoller is working on a book about all of the stadiums of Illinois.

See the full story and interview on globaltravelerusa.com. Be sure to subscribe to the GT YouTube channel.

Talking Travel with Nia Gilliam

It took me a while, but I finally landed a full-time pilot. Captain Nia Gilliam isn't just any pilot, either!

As a black woman pilot, Gilliam already beat the odds. She has also attained one of the highest ranks. Her story is a fascinating one. She put it in writing in her recently-released book Cleared for Takeoff, but she shared a bit of it with me in our Talking Travel interview for Global Traveler.

Gilliam was nearby when 9/11 happened. Not only did she have to experience watching it develop, she had to get back into the pilot's seat and continue her job. I can't imagine the flood of emotions that would cause. Gilliam gave me a glimpse into that day, as we both choked back a bit of tears.

Her story is one of determination, passion and focus. The interview was a lot of fun and very informative, but her book is so much more detailed and fascinating.

Cleared fror Takeoff is her first book, but probably not her last. As her son is a pilot now, Gilliam plans on using that as the main topic for her next book. I already put in my request for another interview when that happens.

To see this interview, go to the Global Traveler YouTube channel. Please subscribe when you are there.

Talking Travel with JetSet Brooke

My latest Talking Travel interview guest is known as JetSet Brooke. Her given name is Brooke Morrison and she is a travel expert and influencer.

Much like her platform, Brooke is a bit all over the place, as you will see in the interview. It's all in the best way though. Brooke delivers a bit of everything through her platform and in our conversation.

The wife of a pilot, Brooke's interest in travel started in her youth and has grown ever since. Several years ago, she made travel her career.

In our interview, Brooke talked about touching the plane before boarding and other interesting things, along with the usual topics. Brooke was as informative as she was entertaining. Interview guests like Brooke make my job a lt easier. 

You can find the interview on the Global Traveler YouTube channel. While there, please subscribe to it. It's free, easy and you won't be bothered with emails.

Talking Travel with Travlin Girl Susan Barnes

I first came across writer Susan B. Barnes a few years ago. Somehow I stumbled upon her article about Reese's peanut butter cups being different than the seasonal varieties. She perfectly explained why there really is a difference. It was an argument I have made many times, but not nearly as eloquently or thoroughly. Fast forward a couple years and I met Susan at a Global Traveler event. I knew she was one of the freelance writers GT used. I thought she would be an interesting interview subject on Talking Travel.

Recently, we finally got that interview done. As I was doing a bit of research on Susan, I saw the Reese's article again. I had not made the connection until then. Of course, I led off our interview talking about that piece.

What does Reese's have to do with travel? Nothing really, but Susan covers a lot of interesting topics, along with her main focus of travel. We discussed all of it in our interview.

People like Susan are vital to the travel industry. As a freelancer, Susan is not obligated to write about anything. She basically creates her agenda. That makes her writing even more meaningful. She doesn't write fluff pieces assigned to her to promote destinations. She writes about her real experiences. Those pieces are much more important and Susan does a great job.

Find the interview on the Global Traveler YouTube channel. While there, please subscribe to help keep these interviews coming.

Talking Travel with Mayor Cavalier Johnson

After interviewing Palatine Mayor (and former NFL player) Jim Schwantz about competition between the northwest suburb and Chicago, I wanted to pursue the topic a bit more. I turned to Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson.

Much like Schwantz, Johnson agreed there is a natural competition for tourism dollars, but he also stated the focus is more on what Milwaukee has to offer than comparing it to Chicago. Johnson discussed the many great attractions of Milwaukee. Having been to most of the places mentioned, I agree with Johnson and am a big fan of the city.

Johnson gave me interesting insight on many topics, including sports. Having lost a star like Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks lost a major draw, but there is still plenty of fun to be had at Bucks games. The Cubs-Brewers rivalry is also good for both cities.

Go to the Global Traveler YouTube channel to see this interview. Also, please subscribe so I can keep doing fun interviews.

Talking Travel with Jim Schwantz

Once again, I was able to combine sports with travel for a Talking Travel interview. This time, I added politics, when I talked to Mayor Jim Schwantz.

I wanted to talk to a mayor near Chicago to discuss the challenges of "competing" with tourism with a big city. Since Palatine is about 20 minutes northwest of Chicago, it is a great option. It just so happens Mayor Jim Schwantz is a former NFL player, including two stints with the Chicago Bears.

Mayor Schwantz talked a bit about his career, including an interesting story about his first football card. He also gave his thoughts on the Bears potential moves. Palatine neighbors Arlington Heights, the suburb the Bears have selected as a candidate for the new stadium. Certainly if the Bears move to Arlington Heights, it will impact Palatine.

Talked turned o tourism as Mayor Schwantz stated his staff focuses on Palatine and not necessarily Chicago. He stressed the family aspect of Palatine and all else it has to offer. 

Watch the entire interview at Talking Travel with Jim Schwantz. While you're there, subscribe to the Global Traveler YouTube channel.

Talking Travel with Brooks Laich

A couple months ago, Global Traveler's sister site Trazee Travel ran a story about former NHL star Brooks Laich starting a travel booking company. Always looking for new angles for Talking Travel interviews and certainly always happy to discuss hockey, I contacted Laich about an interview.

I knew it would be a fun interview when Brooks atrted by saying he always loves talking about travel. As the co-founder and CEO or World Palyground, a fairly new travel booking company, Brooks does more than talk travel. He impacts travel for his clients.

Brooks had a long NHL career, mostly with the Washington Capitals. Of course, I had to ask him a few hockey questions before we moved on to travel. Brooks gave a couple fun stories, including one on his first hockey card.

World Playground promises to get your travel plans made without added costs. Brooks feels the more you save the more you can travel. That makes total sense. In the interview, you can really see Brooks loves what he does. This is more than just a business to him.

That interview is at Talking Travel with Brooks Laich. While you are there, please subscribe to the GT YouTube channel. Also, go to worldplayground.co for more info on this great company.

Talking Travel with Patricia Kara

Actress and tv host Patricia Kara returned to Global Traveler for her second Talking Travel interview. As she stated in our first interview, travel is her favorite subject.

Perhaps best known for her role as briefcase #9 model on television's Deal Or No Deal, Kara wrote "Dream On...Now Deliver" (notice the DOND acronym connection) about the entertainment business. On the surface it is a guide for making it and staying in show business, but there are plenty of other life lessons in the book.

On September 9 (notice the 9 connection), Kara will release "Open the Case," her book about her time on the popular game show. She promises it will be full of great pictures and stories. One story not in the book is the obstacles she overcame to finish it. She temporarily lost much of the content due to a computer issue. Fortunately, all was saved, but the release was delayed. Ever the positive and creative person, Kara decided 9/9 would be the perfect date to release the book.

It's always fun talking to Kara. Just like her live events, it's like being with an old friend.

You can watch the interview on the GT YouTube channel. I hope you'll enjoy it and subscribe. More subs, mean more fun content.

Talking Travel with Jennifer Weatherhead

Direct from Toronto, Canada, travel expert Jennifer Weatherhead is my latest interview guest on Talking Travel for Global Traveler. living up to her expert label, Weatherhead delivered hacks, tips, trends and more.

Feeling the lure of travel, Weatherhead left ELLE Canada to dive full-time into the travel industry. Through years of travel and research, Weatherhead earned her expert status. She is often the go-to person when media outlets need to discuss travel and not just in Canada.

We discussed all of this as well as her hometown in our interview. Without sounding like a sales pitch, Weatherhead spoke highly of Toronto. Having been there a few times, I also agree with her about the beauty and friendliness there.

Go to the GT YouTube channel for this interview and all the other great travel content. The more subscribers we get (and it's free to subscribe) the more interesting content we can produce.

Talking Travel with Haley Reinhart

I have written many times about musician Haley Reinhart. About four years ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing her. That interview helped launch my Talking Travel series on Global Traveler.

I have wanted to interview her again for a while, but the timing was never quite right. That changed with my recent interview with musician Dave Koz. While setting up the interview, I learned Haley would be appearing on his upcoming Somma cruise. I pitched the idea of doing both interviews to Koz's PR person and all agreed. Another factor in my favor was Haley releasing her newest song "Promise." 

I was a bit more relaxed in this interview with Haley. I am still just as big of a fan of her, but having talked to her many times in person, I was much more at ease. For her part, Haley was as charming and engaging as always.

We talked a bit about "Promise" and her voiceover work on "F is For Family." Then we moved into talk of the cruise. We finished with a little Chicago talk, as she is a Chicago area gal.

The interview can be found on the Global Traveler YouTube channel. I hope you'll enjoy it and that you'll subscribe to the channel. The more subscribers the channel gets, the more fun interviews I can do.

Talking Travel with Dave Koz

Saxophonist Dave Koz is one of the first celebrities to host a celebrity sea cruise. In fact, debuting in 2004, the Dave Koz & Friends at Sea Cruise might be the first.

With the growing number of such cruises and Koz's coming up in November, I thought it was the perfect time to do a Talking Travel interview with him about cruises.

That interview can be found on the Global Traveler YouTube channel. Watch it and subscribe. Every subscription (it's free) helps build momentum for the Talking Travel series, which allows me to get great guests like Koz.

Like millions of fans, I have enjoyed Koz's music for years, but I didn't know a lt about him. He was so nice and engaging on our interview, I didn't want it to end.

Koz discussed his career, his cruises and much more. He was a great addition to the series and I hope you''ll watch it and feel the same. 

Talking Travel with Dan Christian

I am not exactly a trend-setter. I usually am several years behind trends. Fortunately, when it comes to travel, I can turn to Dan Christian to learn all about travel trends.

Last month, I had the pleasure of interviewing Christian on Talking Travel for Global Traveler. After giving his bio, Christian gave his thoughts on several trends happening now and ones he expects. He also discussed the shortening of trends as society in general moves quickly. Christian was very entertaining and informative.

Go to the Global Traveler YouTube channel to watch Christian's interview and all the other great content and subscribe to it while you are there. Also, check traveltrendspodcast.com for all of Christian's content.

Talking Travel with Dr. Tiffany Brown

April was Autism Acceptance Month (formerly Autism Awareness Month). To learn more about how autism impacts travel, I turned to Dr. Brown, an autism mom, veteran traveler and author.

The author part of her description is one she shares with her son Caleb. Together they are raising awarness and spreading acceptance of autism. It's a beautiful, interesting and informative story they share.

Dr. Brown gave so much information, I couldn't do it justice in a recap. Go to Talking Travel with Dr. Tiffany Brown to hear it all. While you are here, please subscribe to the Global Traveler YouTube channel. 

Talking Travel with Andrew McCarthy

Similar to my feelings about interviewing musician Suzi Quatro, when I watched Andrew McCarthy's movies in the 80s, I never thought I would interview him. Like with Suzi, I also interviewed McCarthy on multiple occasions now.

To be honest, I didn't even know he was a travel writer until several years ago. Then I attended a couple of his presentations, met him a couple times and interviewed him. That first interview was one of the main reasons I was given the Talking Travel platform on Global Traveler.

Don't take McCarthy lightly. He is a legit travel journalist and enthusiast. Two of his previous books used travel as the backdrop for other stories. He walked 500 miles with his son in one and traveled to several cities finding himself in the other.

In his new book, "Who Needs Friends," McCarthy once again found travel to be a theme in his book. Initially, the focus was on reconnecting with old friends and exploring male friendships. He intended to return home after the first reunion, but found himself driving to the next after it. Friend after friend, mile after mile, he drove over 10,000 miles on his physical and mental journey. 

Once again, I approached his PR person and landed an interview. Once again, McCarthy gave a very interesting interview, which is at Talking Travel with Andrew McCarthy.

McCarthy's book is available now and I highly recommend it. I read am advance copy, but I picked up a hard copy at his recent presentation. It's a great read and not just for travel content. McCarthy is a very talented writer and this book works on several levels.

Talking Travel with Suzi Quatro

When I was a youngster and discovered Suzi Quatro, little did I dream I would one day interview her and three times, no less! Also, this was prior to her appearance on tv's Happy Days and also her "Stumblin' In" duet with Chris Norman. The newest interview is at Talking Travel with Suzi Quatro on Global Traveler.

This interview was to promote Freedom, her new album, which is available now.

How does that relate to travel? We did discuss her upcoming tour, but to be honest, I would  not pass on an interview with Suzi, travel or not.

Suzi was her usual self. She's honest and direct, funny and serious or the two sides of Suzi, as she would say. Talking to her and getting to know her a bit, I have even more appreciation for her.

Freedom is Suzi expressing her comfortability in herself. The songs play like an audio movie. I told her it could be used in a course on mental health. Accept yourself. Understand yourself. Announce yourself. It is so powerful.

Musically, it is pure Suzi, too. She can rock with the best of them, but there are also slower songs. Just when I though the ride was over, Suzi and Alice Cooper sang "Kick Out the Jams.' amazing.

I am so proud of this interview and thankful, too. Thankful to Suzi, her publicist and Fran from GT who lets me occasionally drift a bit from pure travel.

Talking Travel with Annie Pezza

My latest guest on Talking Travel was travel advisor Annie Pezza. That interview is at Talking Travel with Annie Pezza on Global Traveler.

Like a lot of others who started businesses, Annie saw a void in the travel advisor space and decided to fill it. Thus Pinerary was born.

Despite sounding like a mashup of Pinterest and Itinerary, Pinerary's name came from a brainstorm session. That is just the first of many information bits Annie gave in the interview. Of course, the others were more relevant to actually helping folks with travel. Still, I like a good name origin story and Annie had one.

Pinerary is a place for folks to leave their travel thoughts and gather those from others. It's like a big travel community and it is getting bigger. Annie stated it was more (or perhaps originally more) focused on women, but one look at the site and you can see it is helpful to all.

Watch the interview and please subscribe to the Global Traveler YouTube channel. It's free, easy and helps me pay my bills. Also, check pinerary.com for more info on Annie and her platform.

Talking Travel with Michele Lindsay

When I go on trips with my friends, I usually do most of the planning. I'm okay with that, but if I wasn't, I would use someone like Michele Lindsay.

The founder of Blue Pointe Travel, Lindsay is a travel advisor. Although she specializes in luxury trips and cruises, she can help with any trip. I had to start by askin what makes someone an expert. She responded with the steps she took to achieve that status. It's not a false claim.

Then I had to give her a short quiz about the current state of cruises, the changes over the years and upcoming trends. Lindsay easily passed my pop quiz with plenty of info to back up her answers. There's no question Lindsay knows her stuff.

My full interview with Lindsay is at Talking Travel with Michele Lindsay on Global Traveler. Once you've watched it (or even if you don't), please subscribe to the Global Traveler YouTube channel. Every subscription helps.

Talking Travel with Raymont Harris

My latest Talking Travel interview for Global Traveler is with former NFL running back Raymont Harris. The Ultraback just published a book and was happy to discuss it and a little travel.

Raymont's book, Control the Controllables, was especially of interest to me. It's a philosophy I try to use whenever I face a tough situation, like running a Marathon. If you take care of the things you can control, the rest is a bit easier and you have more time and brain power to handle all else. Of course, that is my simplistic interpretation. Raymont's book is much more in depth and informative.

This was a fun interview, because Raymonth was a popular member of the Chicago Bears for four seasons. The interview came together quickly and it was a pleasure working with Raymont.

I'm not just plugging the book because of the interview. It really is a good book. There are  life lessons mixed with his stories. Raymont's life wasn't always easy, but he shares all of it, including his mindset.

The interview is at Talking Travel with Raymont Harris. Also, do me a favor and subscribe to the GT YouTube channel.

Talking Travel with Stefan Holt

My latest Talking Travel interview was with anchorman, journalist and pilot Stefan Holt. The full recap and interview is on Global Traveler at Talking Travel with Stefan Holt.

The son of veteran newsman Lester Holt, Stef grew up around the media field. His mother was a flight attendant, putting aviation in his blood. Stef pursued both. One was a passion, while the other was a profession.

I talked to Stef about both. My initial focus was on Standard Terminal Arrival charts. In Chicago, several paths are named after Chicago sports legends. Other cities have similar names, too. Stef explained how all of that works.

He also talked about travel to cover events, his bucket list trips and more. Last, I had a little fun asking him about his Chicago favorites and the Bears. (His wife, a granddaughter of Green Bay Packers Hall of Famer Bobby Dillon) is a Packers fan.

This was a fun interview, but one with a lot of interesting aviation info. I thank Stef for his time and consideration and I encourage all to check out his Instagram account for more fun.

Lastly, please subscribe to the Global Traveler YouTube channel. It's free, easy and you won't be bothered. Plus it really helps me.

Talking Travel with Sara Richard

Happy New Year. I will start the year with one of my favorite people, artists and interviews. 

I have been an admirer of artist Sara Richard for many years. From the moment I met her around 15 years ago, I was immediately fascinated by her illustrations. She is amazingly talented. Over the years, I also learned what a cool person she is. I am proud to call her a friend.

While all of that is great, it isn;t the reason I interviewed her on Talking Travel for Global Traveler. I have met Sara in several places, including Chicago, New York, Columbus, Detroit and maybe a couple others. That is a part of the reason for the interview, but her recent travels are really the main reason.

Sara's work pulled her to Shaghai, where she made two trips and spent several days. Her passions brought her to Gettysburg, where she looked for the supernatural, while absorbing the history. All together, it made for a fascinating and fun interview.

Of course, I was happy to expose her talent to the GT viewers. I am always happy to spread the word on talented folks and just as happy to deliver talented folks to my viewers. The perfect combo is when that talented person is a friend, like Sara.

Watch our interview at Talking Travel with Sara Richard. While you are there, please subscribe to the GT YouTube channel.