Safe Travels

This show is not for everyone. But if you're a biker, have a motorcycle, know a biker, or have seen Easy Rider...it's for you. Ben Van Leewarden runs PlanetChopper, a business that plans and operates guided motorcycle tours with small groups of up to 15 bikes. They handle route planning, lodging, dining options, know all the cool places to see, and even have a support vehicle that follows with a mechanic and extra bike parts. In short, it's pretty worry-free. But, he does have some tips and advice for getting ready for a trip like this, what to do, and what not to do. Enjoy!

My guest today has been travel podcasting about as long any anybody at 15 years, so he brings a lot of experience and insight into today's short show. Everyone is asking similar questions about travel. Should I start planning? Is it too soon? What are the safest options? Chris will share his thoughts on cruise line reopening, how to compare risk levels of different forms of travel, how he's handling a possible Galapagos trip, and more.  

The summer of the road trip has led many travelers to our wonderful National Parks...but many don't know what to expect. Our guest today is Alicia Filley from TheHealthyHiker.com. Alicia and her family traveled to 2 National Parks and has a full report of safety conditions on the road, mask usage, regulations in the parks, and tips for when to go for the best enjoyment. Please enjoy

With so many RVers hitting the road this summer, RV rentals are through the roof. But what if it's your first time renting an RV? What type should you get? Where should you rent it from? How does it all work? We have a pro today. Brooke Johnson is the founder of TumbleweedTravelCo.com, where she helps first time RV renters plan trips. She helps with all the RV details, itinerary planning, and more. Enjoy!

Travelers are pondering many of the same questions. When should I start planning again? Is it crazy to think about this now? What about a simple road trip? There is no clear, simple answer to this that guarantees a no-risk trip, but it is always helpful too hear what others are up to. Today's show is a Quick Take...only about 10 minutes. We'll hear from Nicolette Kay from SemiBudgetTravel.com. Nicolette is planning a short road trip, but will be crossing state borders and has taken into account several safety aspects to stay healthy.

Our guest today is parenting coach, author, and speaker Melissa Schwartz from LeadingEdgeParenting.com. Melissa has advice today for any family considering taking a travel or gap year due to coronavirus. The fall reopening plan for many schools has parents pondering taking a year off...but with that comes many concerns about school, family dynamics, and just getting along. Melissa shares tips about the importance of boundaries and routines, natural learning, and other parenting tips for these tough times.

Have you heard of Unschooling? How about Deschooling? Roadschooling? Worldschooling? I'm sure you've heard of homeschooling, and the bizarre words above are (mostly) all variations of homeschooling. Parents this year are facing an uncertain fall school start. Some districts have already gone to remote learning, some are aiming to go back, and others are in between. The only certain thing is this: No school will open exactly like they did last fall. With all of this uncertainty, some parents (who are able to) are considering taking some time to either home school...or hit the road for some travel and "road school" their children. It's a complicated topic, but today's guest will help guide you towards some answers.  Karen Ricks from OurKitchenClassroom.com is a 25+ year teaching veteran, she opened and later sold a Montessori school in Japan, and she has been traveling and worldschooling her son for years. Karen's love for teaching children is obvious, infectious, and will make you smile. It's a big topic so you won't walk away with a master plan. But for those thinking about homeschool that might be overwhelmed, I bet you will walk away inspired to try. Please enjoy!

Most people have heard of homeschooling, when families choose to skip the typical education system and teach their children themselves. Roadschooling is similar....it's basically homeschooling while traveling. It's a term that covers a lot of different styles from Worldschooling to Unschooling, and it's an overwhelming topic for parents. Today we are speaking with Caroline Makepeace from yTravelBlog.com. Caroline, her husband, and 2 daughters have been traveling the world and roadschooling for most of the kid's lives and she has a lot of experience. She has tips for choosing a style of homeschooling, find help with a curriculum, tackling the social aspect with kids, and more.

As we've talked about before, 2020 us the summer of the road trip. Travelers are packing up the car, renting RVs, and finding any way they can to get out and explore. But, as we all know there are safety concerns. What are safety conditions like on the road? What are hotels doing? Are people wearing masks? What should I do to prepare? To help with all of this we are joined by Cindy Richards, who is the editor in chief of TravelingMom.com. Cindy has combined information from their almost 70 writers, and her personal experience, to bring you a report about what is going on out there. She has road trip safety tips, questions to ask your hotel before you book, and more.

You will probably learn something new in this episode, I definitely did. Here's the situation: Imagine grandma is in Florida and you want to move her closer to you in Boston. She has medical needs and is currently in a nursing home. How do you move her? She can't just get on a plane by herself, and you could help but she has medical needs.  Plus, there's air ambulance services, but the cost is way too high. Today's guest Bob Bacheler runs FlyingAngels, which is a non-emergency medical transport service, and they could help. Bob will answer all the basic questions, including how it works and the ballpark costs, in today's short episode.