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In this episode, the FAQ is: How can I travel solo while in a “group”? 
Today’s Destination is: Sedona, AZ
Today’s Mistake- I bought the wrong ticket online
Travel Advice:  Gas up when half full.
 
FAQ: How can I travel solo while still in a “group”?
 
Answer: Before or after your group trip, plan some solo time, for just you. That way, when you do get to the arranged activities, you will be ready and prepared. Some people like to warm up by going with just one friend, before they join the group. That’s ok, too.
 
After your group tour, you may want to spend a few days in the same region to explore other options and see things that were left off the tour. Tourguides generally only show you the best parts of the region. To really experience it, you need some solo trip time, too.
 
Today’s destination: Sedona, Arizona
 
Sedona, Arizona, and the Verde Valley area are 1200 square miles big and are a traveler’s delight. It’s like an oasis in the desert, but lifelike and real. It’s known for spirituality, wellness, and red rocks.
 
Sedona’s magic goes back to history and legend. It may have been linked to early Aztec or Mayan occupation thousands of years ago. The earliest native artifacts—such as pottery and weavings—found in the area date back to as early as the 7th century. Later, tribes were present, including the Hopi, Navajo, and (YA—VA Pie) Yavapai.
 
Cliff houses are worth exploring such as Sedona’s (pal at kI) Palatki Heritage Site or nearby Montezuma Castle. Way back in the 16th century, the Spanish called the local in-dig in us) Indigenous people Sinagua, which means without water. Sedona is named after the wife of TC Schnebly, the founder in modern days of the area.
 
https://visitsedona.com/
  
 
Today’s Mistake- I bought the wrong ticket online.
 
 
 
Today’s Travel Advice-Gas up when half full
 
Check the gas gauge when you get in the car. Make sure you have enough. It’s best to fill up early in the day if you can. I try to fill up whenever I am halfway full.
Gas prices have been dropping lately. Use the GasBuddy app or similar method of finding the cheapest gas in your neigbhorhood.
 
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In this episode: Best of Northwest Suburbs, Chicago
The FAQ is: What are some good travel questions to ask other travelers?
Today’s Destination : Best of northwest suburbs of Chicago
Today’s Mistake:  Getting stuck under the Coronado Bay Bridge
Travel Advice:  Record your travel stories
Destination:  Northwest suburbs, Chicago
For outdoor art, athenaeum-international-sculpture park, in Schaumburg.
https://www.chicagonorthwest.com/listing/chicago-athenaeum-international-sculpture-park/1383/
If you want to go exploring in the woods I would recommend Busse Woods, in Rolling Meadows, for Fishing and boating and their nature center. https://fpdcc.com/places/locations/busse-woods/
https://www.chicagonorthwest.com/
https://www.chicagonorthwest.com/event/arlington-alfresco/22517/
Today’s Mistake: Getting stuck under the Coronado Bay Bridge
Today’s Travel Advice: record your travel stories in notes and audio…. your descendants will treasure them
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Today’s Destination is: Best of San Luis Obispo
 
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In this episode: FAQ is: I get lost all the time, so how can I travel without getting frustrated and upset? I want to have fun and not fear making a mistake.



Today’s Destination is: Bremerton, WA
Today’s Mistake- Mixing up my cities in Washington State
 
Travel Advice:  Stuck in your planning?



FAQ: I always get lost, so how can I travel without getting frustrated and upset? I want to have fun and not fear making a mistake.



Answer: Like you, I get lost all the time. I’ve got a terrible sense of direction. How bad? If I leave a hotel room, I usually walk the wrong way out the door, which tells me I am not noticing the direction when I should.
 
What is a sense of direction? According to the dictionary, a Sense of direction is knowing one's location and performing wayfinding. It is related to cognitive maps, spatial awareness, and spatial cognition.
 
Given that, I’ve still traveled around the world solo and can help you deal with this issue. My personal experience is as a teacher. I admit my faults and weaknesses but don’t let them get the best of me. I make the same number of errors but don’t get distracted or upset.
 
I will try to be more self-aware of direction, and in the meantime, you can do the same with me.
 
Today’s destination: Bremerton, WA
 
I spent Easter vacation near this area, and it was beautiful. It was chilly compared to San Diego, but it was sunny, and it felt crisp to be hiking and enjoying the outdoors air. 
 
You will likely come from the Seattle airport, about a 90-minute drive, or you can take a ferry. Ferries are popular ways to get around the area, and I took a Fast Commuter Ferry from Port Orchard to Bremerton. Let’s back up a minute here.
 
From SeaTac, you can also take the Kitsak bus to Bremerton. It makes several local stops along the way, but it’s frequent, and you don’t need a reservation from the airport. Just pay the driver and jump on the bus. If you rent a car, consider the traffic you will face in Seattle and be patient.
 
Either way, look at the maps and the ferry routes as you navigate the area. You will discover a lot of water, islands, and sound here.
 
Bremerton sits on the Kitsap Peninsula, overlooking the Puget Sound. It’s a city with strong links to Seattle, well-known for its charming neighborhood restaurants and coffee shops, beautiful parks, and fascinating naval museums. You'll find plenty to do to pass the time in Bremerton, WA, with visitors of all ages able to enjoy the city’s scenic nature trails and family-friendly eateries. The top 6 things to see are?
 
1. USS Turner Joy Museum Ship
2. Puget Sound Navy Museum
3. Manette Bridge
4. Illahee State Park
5. Kitsap Forest Theater
6. Purple Scent Lavender Farm
 
I had a great dinner while walking around the downtown areas, observing the influence of Quincy Jones and the music scene. I could also see the snow-capped mountains in the distance, which was a beautiful and peaceful vision. In the spring, look for lilacs, daffodils, tulips, and other blooming beauties.
 If you are looking for some off-the-beaten-track places, check out Ollala. There is a winery and cidery here. You can see the history of a sanitarium, where a murder happened by starvation. You can go clamming here with a day license. I met Gregg Olsen, the author of several books and a clam expert. Another touristy town is Manchester, but you will miss it if you sneeze. Manchester State Park has some great hikes with military mines, which you can observe. There are barbeques, shelters, and hiking trails here.



https://vacationidea.com/washington/best-things-to-do-in-bremerton-wa.html




Today’s Mistake- Mixing up my cities in Washington State
I was mixing up my B-cities in the Seattle area. I was confused about Bremerton and Bellingham. I’ve now been to both cities, and they are very different. Sometimes, you need to be there in person to get

Today’s Destination: Chickamauga National Park: Part 2 of Chattanooga episode.
Today’s Misstep- Driving over hills, a tire came at us
Travel Advice: What exercises should I do when I travel?
 
FAQ: What do you wish you knew before booking your flight?
 
Response: A few more questions you can ask someone before you plan your trip are: 
Did you experience any frustrations related to the destination or the actual traveling?
If so, what should people be aware of to avoid those frustrations, hopefully?
What websites or services were the most helpful for planning/booking your trip?
What advice would you give someone going there for the first time?
What was the most enjoyable or relaxing part of your trip?
 
Today’s destination: Chickamauga National Park Part 2 of the Chattanooga series
It’s officially called Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park near Lookout Mountain. Use your National Park Pass for free entry.
http://cityofchickamauga.org/
When I first visited Point Park, I explored this area on the border of Georgia and Tennessee for about an hour. It’s across from the visitor center and was built by the Army Corps of Engineers. 
You can see artillery from the Confederate fighting.
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign. The battle was the most significant Union defeat in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. It involved the second-highest number of casualties in the war, following the Battle of Gettysburg. It was the first major battle of the war in Georgia.
The battle was fought between the Army of the Cumberland under Maj. Gen. William Rosecrans and the Confederate Army of Tennessee under Gen. Braxton Bragg, and was named for Chickamauga Creek, which meanders near the battle area in northwest Georgia (and ultimately flows into the Tennessee River about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) northeast of downtown Chattanooga)
There is also a monument to peace, The New York Peace Monument, symbolizing reunification and reconciliation. 
 
http://cityofchickamauga.org/about-history-chickamaugabattlefield.asp



Look for marble and pink granite materials. Visit the museum at Ochs Memorial Observatory for views of the Chattanooga area from the terrace. You can continue hiking the trails to other scenic views from Lookout Mountain. I first visited this area on a bus trip with my high school friends in the 1970s, and this was my first visit to return. 
I drove the two hours from Atlanta through some small towns and highways and finally to some neighborhoods and scenic drives. When you get to the neighborhood, you will drive on windy roads that take your breath away. 
This is a Step 1 or Step 2 destination and easy to explore independently. There is also a cute Visitor Center with restrooms and a small museum. The awe-inspiring view from Lookout Mountain Battlefield over Point Park shows a bird' s-eye view of the Tennessee River and how it bends, a bit like a foot at the ankle. You see the city of Chattanooga from above when you go around the bend. You can even see the three bridges that cross the river to the town.
The battlefield here was memorable, and you can follow the signs for the Chickamauga Battlefield Tour. Or you can just enjoy walking the grounds around the peace monument and listening to the birds chirping. It’s an excellent way to enjoy your day in Georgia or Tennessee.
 
http://cityofchickamauga.org/about-history-trainmuseum.asp
Today’s Misstep- Driving on the road over hills, a tire came rolling at us and hit our car.
You’re generally safe from tires in a car, but this tire stopped us. We hit the tire and could not drive any further. We got a tow truck to bring the car home, about 200 miles away. It was an expensive tow, and I hope you don’t have that experience. 

Today’s Travel Advice- What exercises s

 
In this episode, the FAQ is: How can I take a walking tour when I arrive in a city?
.
Today’s Destination is: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Today’s Misstep- Getting stopped by TSA security
Travel Advice: Plan for the unexpected
 
FAQ:  How can I get the walking tour when I get to a city?
 
Response: A guided walking tour of a city is a treat for a solo traveler, especially for a woman who is interested in its history.
 
The more popular ones are through platforms like Viator, TripAdvisor, Airbnb, and FreeWalkingtoursbylocals.com, but there are many ways to score a tour from someone who truly cares about the experience for you. 
Be sure to read the reviews and book in advance during a busy season. Some are free, and suggest a tip at the end if you liked it. Your hotel could also g**k you a tour. The Visitor Center or Tourism office can also give you guidance on this. You may also find a walking tour app for a self-guided tour, with maps and points of interest. You can GPS my city or check Detour. I found some walking tours on YouTube that were pretty fun to watch also.
 
https://freewalkingtoursbylocals.com/



Today’s destination: Chattanooga, Tennessee



My first visit here was in 1974, on a bus of young women heading to Florida. It was called Junior Trip. We were 80 women, two bus loads. I remember very little about Chattanooga from that visit.
I returned to see it in 2024, which made a more significant impression. This time, I was visiting the future Dr. Travelbest, who lives there now. We are currently working on a Planner for travel guidance, so look for that in the future.
It’s a central travel hub, especially for the railroads. A bridge crosses the railroad tracks, which are dozens of tracks wide. It may be one of the largest railroad hubs that I have experienced. You can see the city and the Moccasin Bend from the infamous Lookout Mountain.
Listen to the episode on Chickamauga to learn about President Abraham Lincoln's campaign to gain control of the South in the 1860s. It was a place of both Confederate and Union victories.
https://www.visitchattanooga.com/things-to-do/
https://www.visitchattanooga.com/plan/transportation/
 
The Zoo was a highlight, with a giraffe named George gladly accepting lunch from my hands to his 18-inch tongue. It seems that George loves romaine lettuce. Who would have guessed that? That experience was a treat. Kids like it, too. An assortment of other animals makes for a few hours of seeing wildlife at the Chattanooga Zoo.
Walk across the Pedestrian Bridge and the riverfront along the Tennessee River to get a flavor of the city. I walked the bridge at night, and it was a sparkling river with no watercraft because the weather was rainy and threatened winds. The Northshore District
has trendy boutiques, galleries, and food choices; you can walk everywhere. You can also learn much about the Civil War from an organized guided walking tour of the area.
I did get to see the historic train station, the Chattanooga Choo Choo. Parts of the terminal building were recently sold, so check the show notes for the latest.
https://www.local3news.com/local-news/preserve-chattanooga-sells-part-of-chattanooga-choo-choo-complex/article_a8d7781e-dbe5-11ee-abba-0b98f22b8f70.html
I also enjoyed Ruby Falls and will create a special episode about that destination soon.
On my next visit, I plan to Explore the Tennessee Aquarium and dive into the fascinating world of marine life at one of the top-rated aquariums in the country. From river otters to penguins, the Tennessee Aquarium showcases various aquatic animals.
I did a few hikes on this trip, but most of the days, it rained, so I will return and hike more. Chattanooga is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. You can go hiking on nearby trails like Stringers Ridge or Raccoon Mountain or try rock climbing at the Tennessee Wall, if you have that talent, or just go and watch the climbers.
Next time I come, I may al