Untethered & Wanderwise: Female Travel Over 45

Nicky Omohundro & Heide Brandes
  • 5.0 (9)
  • Places & Travel
  • Updated Weekly

After decades of putting others first, Nicky and Heide found themselves single after 45 and feeling untethered, they chose to embrace the chance to spread their wings and explore the world on their own terms. Untethered & Wanderwise is a weekly podcast where Nicky and Heide share their adventures, insights, and mishaps as newly single women rediscovering themselves through travel. With each episode, we pull back the curtain on destinations around the globe, diving deep into the cultures, cuisine and experiences that come from wandering off the beaten path. Whether you're dreaming of a sabbatical, newly single, empty nesters, or simply craving an injection of wanderlust into your life, join Nicky and Heide for straight-talk, helpful tips, and wild tales from ther adventures embracing life as a globetrotting "wanderwise" woman. Join our dynamic duo each week as they explore uncharted territories, share travel tales, and inspire women to embrace adventure after 45.

  1. Jul 14

    The Cody, Wyoming Locals Don't Want You to Miss

    In This EpisodeBuffalo Bill’s hometown is more than the gateway to Yellowstone. This week Heide and Nicky show you how to do Cody, Wyoming like a local, solo or with the girls. We cover where to eat, where to sleep downtown, the five-museum complex you shouldn’t rush, the nightly rodeo, the moving Heart Mountain WWII site, and the smartest, lowest-stress way to see Yellowstone. It’s a Western why-cation built around soft adventure, real history, and a town that’s glad you came.   Everywhere We MentionedListed in the order they appear in the episode, with links so you can build your own trip. Eat & Drink Sitti’s Table A family-run cafe and gourmet market serving Middle Eastern and Mediterranean home cooking through traditional French technique. Our surprising, like-a-local lunch pick. Downtown on 13th Street; breakfast and lunch, Tuesday through Saturday. Web: sittistable.com The Blanca Tatanka Intimate, western-chic small-plate dining with signature cocktails, live regional music, and summer patios. Our day-two lunch and recharge stop. Web: theblancatatanka.com Cody Cattle Company Buffalo dinner-and-a-show with a live music performance before the rodeo. Doors open early; check seasonal closed dates when you book. Web: thecodycattlecompany.com Pat’s Brewhouse Pub-style food, Irish and American, with fifteen craft beers on tap. Our easy, comfortable last-night spot, and a great solo-dining bar seat. Web: patsbrewhousewy.com See & Do Cody Trolley Tours A one-hour narrated tour with historical photos and audio clips. Our arrival-day orientation move: “give us an hour, we’ll give you 100 years.” Web: codytrolleytours.com Buffalo Bill Center of the West A Smithsonian Affiliate housing five museums under one roof: the Buffalo Bill Museum, Whitney Western Art Museum, Plains Indian Museum, Draper Natural History Museum, and Cody Firearms Museum, plus the McCracken Research Library. Admission is good for two days, so spread your visit out. Web: centerofthewest.org Heart Mountain WWII Interpretive Center A National Historic Site and Smithsonian Affiliate telling the story of Japanese Americans confined here during World War II. A museum, original camp structures, a walking trail, and a military memorial. Give it a full, unhurried morning. Tip: call ahead to confirm current seasonal programming and special events before your visit. Web: heartmountain.org By Western Hands An artisan gallery and exhibit hall dedicated to preserving Western functional art and design. Quiet, beautiful, and easy to miss, which is exactly why it’s on our list. Web: bywesternhands.org Old Trail Town & Museum of the Old West Twenty-eight historic buildings on the original townsite of Cody City, including Butch Cassidy’s Hole in the Wall cabin, Rose Williams’ roadhouse, a cemetery with Jeremiah Johnson’s grave, and Mountain Men monuments. Flat, walkable, self-paced. Web: oldtrailtown.org Cody Nite Rodeo A family-friendly nightly rodeo running since 1938. Come early to meet the cowboys and bullfighters, and yes, you can get your photo on Norman the Bull. Confirm this season’s run dates before you go. Web: codystampederodeo.com Buffalo Bill Dam & Visitor Center At 325 feet, it was the tallest dam in the world when completed in 1910, and today it’s a National Civil Engineering Landmark with breathtaking canyon views. A quick, scenic stop about six miles west of Cody. (Source: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation; American Society of Civil Engineers.) Web: bbdvc.com Cody Firearms Experience An instructor-led experience covering history, safety, and optional live fire on an indoor range, with more than fifty firearms from flintlock to full-auto. Beginner-friendly and safety-first. Also offers indoor axe throwing, a wildlife exhibit, and a kids’ arcade. Web: codyfirearmsexperience.com Yellowstone, the Easy Way Cody Shuttle Service & Yellowstone Tours All-day, Park Service-certified guided tours into Yellowstone from Cody. Let someone else handle the driving, the bison jams, and the parking. The soft-adventure way to see the park, and ideal for solo travelers. Web: codyshuttle.com Where to Stay Buffalo Bill Cabin Village (Buffalo Bill Village Resort) A historic downtown landmark with 83 individual cabins, nostalgic cowboy exteriors, and modern interiors, from single king rooms to two-bedroom family suites. Walkable to dinner and the rodeo, with a complimentary summer evening guest reception. The resort also includes the Holiday Inn at the Buffalo Bill Village Resort. Web: blairhotels.com Plan Your Trip Cody Yellowstone (official destination site) The official tourism site for Cody and Park County, Wyoming. Trip planning, events, lodging, and everything we mentioned and more. Web: codyyellowstone.org   Heide & Nicky’s Like-a-Local Tips•       Your Buffalo Bill Center admission is good for two days. Don’t burn out on five museums in one afternoon. •       Stay downtown at the Buffalo Bill Village so you can walk to dinner and the rodeo. •       Let the certified guides drive you into Yellowstone and skip the rental-car stress. •       Eat at Sitti’s Table at least once. A cowboy town can surprise you. •       Get to the rodeo early to meet the cowboys and bullfighters. •       Give Heart Mountain a full, unhurried morning. It’s the soul of the trip.   Support the show

  2. Jun 24

    Alabama's Beaches: The Smart Woman's Beach Escape

    Is Gulf Shores, Alabama the best beach vacation most women haven't taken yet? We think so — and we're making the case. In this episode of Untethered & Wanderwise, hosts Nicky Omohundro and Heide Brandes break down everything you need to know about planning a Gulf Shores and Orange Beach vacation for women who want more than a beach chair — but also know how to use one. Nicky has been traveling to Alabama's Gulf Coast for years as a travel expert and licensed travel advisor; Heide is hearing it all for the first time and asking every question you'd want answered. Together they cover why Gulf Shores is 20 to 25 percent cheaper than Destin when you factor in lodging rates, Florida sales tax, and transportation costs — including Allegiant's direct flight from Oklahoma City to Gulf Shores International Airport (GUF) in just over two hours. They break down drive times from Dallas (10 hours), Nashville (7 to 8 hours), Atlanta (6 hours), and New Orleans (3 hours), plus tips for making the road trip part of the adventure. What's inside this episode: The four distinct hubs of Alabama's beaches; Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Fort Morgan, and Foley, and which one matches your travel style. Whether you want a luxury condo at Turquoise Place with floor-to-ceiling Gulf views, a glamping experience at Timberline in Orange Beach, a secluded beach house rental in Fort Morgan, or a budget-friendly base in Foley, this episode helps you choose. Soft adventure for women 45-plus, including parasailing, high-speed Cat Boats, self-drive Circle Boats on the intracoastal waterway, jet skis, deep sea fishing charters, dolphin cruises, cycling the 25-mile Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail through Gulf State Park, Segway tours, and what's new in 2026 at the Gulf Coast Eco-Center. The real Gulf Shores food scene from morning coffee at Foam Coffee to a hidden-gem Italian dinner at Fresco in Bon Secour that Nicky calls one of her top dining experiences of the year. Plus The Gulf on Perdido Key for the best fish tacos on the water, Fisher's Upstairs for a special occasion dinner, Lulu's for live music and waterfront fun, and what's new in 2026 including Jimmy Buffett's Last Mango Bar and Chill at The Wharf and Gulf Babe Wine Boutique. The case for a sunrise beach walk as the most restorative thing you can do on this trip — and why Nicky books a beach photo session with local photographer Lisa Williams to capture herself actually in the places she travels. Practical planning details: why you need a car (and what to know about summer traffic on Highway 59), the best time to visit for shoulder season pricing, how to use the Foley Beach Express, airport options including Pensacola International (PNS) and Gulf Shores International (GUF), and real budget guidance for every travel style. Whether you're planning a solo beach getaway, a girls' trip, or your first visit to Alabama's beaches, this episode is your guide to one of the Gulf Coast's most underrated destinations. Find Nicky's full Gulf Shores travel guides, restaurant recommendations, and Gulf State Park articles at LittleFamilyAdventure.com. All links in show transcript. Support the show

  3. Jun 5

    Your Bags Are Packed. Now What About Your Love Life?

    Whether you're married to a man who won't leave the zip code, freshly single and figuring out what solo even means, or somewhere in the beautiful messy middle, this episode is for you. Nicky and Heide get personal about the relationships that couldn't keep up with their wanderlust, and sit down with dating expert and somatic coach Lauren Salaun to talk about what it really means to be a woman over 45 who loves to travel and is still working out the love part. No guilt trips. No generic advice. Just an honest conversation about desire, independence, and what you actually deserve, in a relationship and on the road. Support the show

  4. Apr 28

    Why Your Brain Talks You Out of Every Trip — And How to Finally Stop Letting It - Guest: Sheri Larson

    You know the moment. The trip is right there. The timing works, the destination is calling your name, and your cursor is hovering over confirm — and then something shuts it all down. Not your budget. Not your schedule. Something deeper. A flood of "but what ifs" that sends you straight back to the couch wondering why you can never just go. Coach and Big Bravely founder Sheri Larson has a name for it, and more importantly, she has a way through it. In this episode, Heide and Nicky sit down with Sheri to talk about the mental patterns that keep women over 45 from taking the adventures they've been promising themselves — sometimes for years. Sheri breaks down what's actually happening in your brain during that freeze moment, why it has nothing to do with willpower or courage, and what you can do about it in real time. You'll walk away knowing which Saboteur patterns are most likely running the show in your own head, what mental fitness actually means and why positive thinking alone will never be enough, and the one small step to take this week if you have a dream trip that keeps getting pushed to someday. This is the episode to share with the woman in your life who has a folder full of saved itineraries and a reason not to go for every one of them. She's ready. She just doesn't know it yet. Find Sheri’s work at BigBravely.com Subscribe, leave us a review, and find us on social media — or send your story to untetheredwanderwise@gmail.com. We want to hear about the trip you almost didn't take. Support the show

  5. Apr 14

    Chasing Wildflowers - How to Plan a Wildflower Trip This Spring

    Join Heide and Nicky as they go chasing wildflower blooms this spring throughout the U.S. From Texas bluebonnets and California poppies to Shenandoah violets and Smoky Mountain trillium, springtime is the perfect time to plan an impromptu trip to destinations that also shine with food, accommodations and wine! Support the show

  6. Mar 30

    Yellowstone Like a Local: Expert Tips, Wild Places & the Trip You've Been Putting Off with Guest Mel Harrison

    What if your Yellowstone trip was actually good and not just crowded parking lots and blurry bison photos from the road? In this episode of Untethered and Wanderwise, Heide and Nicky sit down with Melynda Harrison, better known online as Traveling Mel, a Montana-based travel writer, content creator, and adventure trip leader who has spent years helping people experience Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier National Park in a way that actually feels meaningful. Mel is the author of Yellowstone Bucket List and Twenty Family-Friendly Hikes in Yellowstone, a contributor to Fodor's Complete Guide to the National Parks of the West, and the founder of TravelingMel.com and YellowstoneTrips.com. She has guided countless visitors through the Greater Yellowstone Region and has made it her mission to help travelers connect — really connect — with wild places and with each other. In this episode, we cover: 🐻 What Yellowstone actually feels like the first time you see it  and why photos never do it justice 🗺️ The biggest planning mistakes first-time visitors make (and how to avoid them) 📅 When to go, what to skip, and what most tourists miss entirely 🏔️ How to choose between Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier  and whether you can do more than one in a single trip 🤝 Mel's small group adventure trips for women  what makes them different, what a day actually looks like, and why the people you travel with matter just as much as the place 💻 How Mel's travel consults and online resources can help you plan your best trip yet Whether you're planning your first national park trip, dreaming about a women's adventure getaway, or you've been saying "I really want to go to Yellowstone" for the last five years — this episode is your sign to finally make it happen. 🔗 Find Mel Online: TravelingMel.com | YellowstoneTrips.com Instagram @TravelingMelMT, YouTube, TikTok & Facebook: @TravelingMel 📚 Mel's Books: Yellowstone Bucket List | Twenty Family-Friendly Hikes in Yellowstone Support the show

  7. Feb 17

    From Empty Nest to Living Fully: How Mary Baskin's Leap of Faith at 50 Can Inspire Your Own Second Act

    There's a moment many women know well — the house goes quiet, the kids are gone, and you find yourself standing in the middle of your own life wondering, now what? For Mary Baskin, that moment became a doorway. Instead of shrinking into the silence, Mary said yes — to a spontaneous detour through the lavender fields of Provence, to a van full of antiques and six overstuffed suitcases, and to a wild idea that maybe she could build something entirely new on the other side of 50. What followed was a travel company, a beautifully restored historic inn, a luxury print magazine, and a life that most people only daydream about. And here's the thing — she'll be the first to tell you she's not special. She's just someone who decided to go. In this warm, funny, and deeply inspiring conversation, Mary shares how she built Vagabond Travel Co. from a single trip to Provence into a beloved small-group travel company taking women all over the world — France, Morocco, India, Kenya, Egypt, Ireland, and beyond. She talks about restoring the stunning English Merchants Inn, a 1915 cotton merchant's mansion in Waxahachie, Texas, into one of the most charming boutique stays near Dallas. And she introduces us to Found Travel and Living Journal, the gorgeous biannual print magazine she co-founded to celebrate slow travel, artisan culture, and the soul of the places we visit. But more than any of that, this episode is about you — the woman who's wondering if it's too late, if she's too old, if she has what it takes. Mary's answer is simple and unwavering: you do, and it's not. We talk about: The 36-hour Provence trip that sparked an entirely new chapterWhy intimate, immersive travel changes people in ways a bus tour never couldThe 79-year-old on the back of a motorcycle in the Moroccan desert — and what she teaches us allHow Mary pushed through every fear before turning 50, one brave decision at a timeWhat it really means to reconnect with who you were before life got so loudIf you've ever felt the pull toward something more — more adventure, more meaning, more you — let Mary Baskin be the permission slip you didn't know you needed. ✦ Vagabond Travel Co. leads intimate, design-focused group tours for women over 50 to France, Morocco, India, Ireland, Kenya, Egypt, Spain, and beyond. ✦ Found Travel and Living Journal is a biannual luxury print travel magazine celebrating artisans, slow travel, and the world's most captivating destinations. ✦ The English Merchants Inn is a six-room boutique bed & breakfast in historic Waxahachie, Texas — named the Best Day Trip from Dallas by the Dallas Observer. 📍 Find Mary: @TheVagabondTravelCo | @FoundTravelJournal | @EnglishMerchantsInn 🌐 VagabondTravelCo.com | FoundTravelandLiving.com | TheEnglishMerchantsInn.com Support the show

  8. Jan 7

    Why 'Someday' Is Stealing Your Dreams (And How to Stop It in 2026)

    Stop letting "someday" steal another year of your life. If you're a woman over 40 who's been putting off that bucket list travel for "when the kids are grown," "when I have more money," or "when I find the right travel companion," this episode is your wake-up call. Hosts Heidi Brandes and Nicky Omohundro expose the three biggest reasons women delay their travel dreams—and more importantly, share the science-backed strategies that actually work to break the someday trap. From solo travel confidence building to budget-friendly adventure planning, they reveal how to book your dream trip before you feel "ready." In this episode, you'll discover: Why waiting for the "perfect" time guarantees you'll never goThe psychology behind implementation intention and how to use itThree proven strategies women over 50 use to turn dreams into booked tripsHow to start building travel confidence with stupidly small adventuresWhy solo travel is actually the fastest path to midlife adventureReal stories from women who stopped waiting and started exploringPerfect for women's empowerment seekers, empty nesters ready for their next chapter, and anyone tired of making excuses about travel over 40. Whether you're dreaming of Europe, an African safari, or simply a weekend away alone, this female travel podcast episode gives you permission to prioritize your own travel inspiration. Your homework: Ask yourself what trip you'd book if you trusted yourself more—then take one small action this week. Because the best time to book was yesterday, and the second-best time is right now. 2026 is your year. Stop stealing from your future self and start planning your adventure today. Keywords: women travel, solo travel, travel over 40, travel over 50, travel confidence, adventure travel, female travel podcast, travel inspiration, travel planning, bucket list travel, women's empowerment, midlife adventure, travel dreams, solo female travel Connect with us: @untetheredwanderwise on Instagram for daily travel inspiration and tips that prove adventure has no age limit. Support the show

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About

After decades of putting others first, Nicky and Heide found themselves single after 45 and feeling untethered, they chose to embrace the chance to spread their wings and explore the world on their own terms. Untethered & Wanderwise is a weekly podcast where Nicky and Heide share their adventures, insights, and mishaps as newly single women rediscovering themselves through travel. With each episode, we pull back the curtain on destinations around the globe, diving deep into the cultures, cuisine and experiences that come from wandering off the beaten path. Whether you're dreaming of a sabbatical, newly single, empty nesters, or simply craving an injection of wanderlust into your life, join Nicky and Heide for straight-talk, helpful tips, and wild tales from ther adventures embracing life as a globetrotting "wanderwise" woman. Join our dynamic duo each week as they explore uncharted territories, share travel tales, and inspire women to embrace adventure after 45.

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