Places I Remember with Lea Lane

Lea Lane
  • 5.0 (40)
  • Places & Travel
  • Updated Semimonthly

On this monthly award-winning travel podcast, host Lea Lane shares travel memories and travel tips with passionate travelers, travel experts, and savvy locals around the world. Lea has traveled to over 100 countries, is the author of nine books, a blogger at forbes.com, and a contributor to dozens of guidebooks. Smart. Fun! Over 100 episodes!

  1. 1d ago

    Toronto, Canada's Exciting Metropolis on Lake Ontario

    Send us Fan Mail Toronto is a city built out of neighborhoods, food, and constant surprises. We sit down with Ashley Rochefort, Media Relations Manager at Destination Toronto, to unpack what makes Canada’s largest city feel so alive, from its long history to its modern identity as “the world in a city,” where roughly half of residents are born outside Canada and cultures show up block by block. We get specific about things to do in Toronto, starting with the CN Tower for panoramic views, the glass floor, and the EdgeWalk, plus the waterfront cluster nearby with Ripley’s Aquarium and the Rogers Centre. From there we hit iconic stops like Casa Loma with its seasonal programming. Museum favorites including the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the unexpectedly fascinating Bata Shoe Museum. We talk Toronto’s legendary diversity of authentic eats, and the fusion that comes with it, including the Toronto-invented sushi pizza, peameal bacon sandwiches at St. Lawrence Market, and the city’s serious love for Jamaican patties. We also map out walkable neighborhoods like the Distillery District and Kensington Market. Toronto's natural beauty includes beaches, parks, High Park cherry blossoms, and a quick ferry ride to the Toronto Islands. Finally, we connect the dots to a Niagara Falls day trip and the Niagara wine region, plus summer festivals, the CNE, and nightlife hotspots.  ** Ashley Rochefort isMedia Relations Manager at Destination Toronto. She loves her city and has done the Edge Walk on CN Tower.  Podcast host Lea Lane has traveled to over 100 countries, and has written nine books, including the award-winning Places I Remember  (Kirkus Reviews star rating, and  'one of the top 100 Indie books of  the year'). She has contributed to dozens of guidebooks and has written thousands of travel articles. Read her weekly essays on Substack. _____ Our award-winning travel podcast, Places I Remember with Lea Lane, has produced over 130 travel episodes! New episodes drop on the first Tuesday of the month, on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts. All episodes are also on the website: placesirememberlealane.com _____ Travel vlogs of featured  podcasts-- with video and graphics -- now also drop on YouTube.

    Toronto, Canada's Exciting Metropolis on Lake Ontario

  2. Jul 7

    Travel Excitement From Sharks To Grizzlies, With Travel Pro Angie Orth

    Send us Fan Mail We sit down with travel expert Angie Orth, host of Traveling with AAA and founder of AngieAway.com, to talk about the kind of travel that feels vivid and real: big bucket list wins, smart planning, and what to do when the “easy route” disappears overnight. Angie takes us from a Maldives liveaboard dive retreat with whale sharks and tiger sharks to the moment war-related airspace closures strand travelers and force a costly, creative path home. Along the way, we dig into practical travel advice that actually matters, like staying flexible, knowing alternate flight routes, and budgeting for disruption so you can make decisions fast instead of panicking. We also swap destination stories and grounded tips: Bahamas island hopping in Exuma with wildlife you would not expect, Egypt travel and why a guide can make culture shock feel like discovery, and a quick-hit Las Vegas trip built around the Sphere and great food. Plus, there is Costa Rica dental tourism, a brutal bullet ant bite, a Natchez Trace Parkway road trip warning about national park speeding tickets, Finger Lakes wine on a budget, Kauai hiking reality checks, and an Alaska finale featuring northern lights and grizzlies.  ** Angie Orth describes herself as a tour guide for global shenanigans, worldwide wanderlust, and misadventures near and far.  Podcast host Lea Lane has traveled to over 100 countries, and has written nine books, including the award-winning Places I Remember  (Kirkus Reviews star rating, and  'one of the top 100 Indie books of  the year'). She has contributed to dozens of guidebooks and has written thousands of travel articles. Read her weekly essays on Substack. _____ Our award-winning travel podcast, Places I Remember with Lea Lane, has produced over 130 travel episodes! New episodes drop on the first Tuesday of the month, on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts. All episodes are also on her website: placesirememberlealane.com _____ Travel vlogs of featured  podcasts-- with video and graphics -- now also drop on YouTube.

    Travel Excitement From Sharks To Grizzlies, With Travel Pro Angie Orth

  3. Jun 2

    Super Scenic Florida Road Trip: Key Largo to Key West

    Send us Fan Mail The Florida Keys Overseas Highway is a living corridor of reefs, bridges, history, and local tradition. We sit down with journalist and photographer Andy Newman, who spent 44 years with the Florida Keys Tourism Council, to build a true start-to-finish Florida Keys road trip. We talk logistics: how long the drive takes, why the mile markers function like addresses, and when you can get away without hotel reservations. From there, we trace the story behind the islands themselves: Henry Flagler’s Overseas Railroad, the 1935 Labor Day hurricane, and how the modern highway opened the Keys to a different kind of traveler. Then we start the itinerary. Key Largo brings John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and the Christ of the Deep, plus smart reminders about the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and boating responsibly around shallow, sensitive habitat.  Islamorada delivers sport fishing culture, the History of Diving Museum, and the simple joy of hand-feeding tarpon. Marathon adds the Dolphin Research Center, Aquarium Encounters, the Turtle Hospital, and a walk into history on Pigeon Key. The Lower Keys bring Bahia Honda beaches, key deer, and even an Underwater Music Festival.  Key West rounds it out with the Conch Republic story, Hemingway Days, six-toed cats, sunset celebration at Mallory Square, and the option to reach Dry Tortugas National Park and Fort Jefferson. If you love travel stories with practical tips, local food, and real history, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share it with your favorite road trip partner, leave a review. Andy Newman is currently an avid fisherman and photographer, and lives in the Florida Keys. Podcast host Lea Lane has traveled to over 100 countries, and has written nine books, including the award-winning Places I Remember  (Kirkus Reviews star rating, and  'one of the top 100 Indie books of  the year'). She has contributed to dozens of guidebooks and has written thousands of travel articles. Read her weekly essays on Substack. _____ Our award-winning travel podcast, Places I Remember with Lea Lane, has produced over 130 travel episodes! New episodes drop on the first Tuesday of the month, on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts. All episodes are also on her website: placesirememberlealane.com _____ Travel vlogs of featured  podcasts-- with video and graphics -- now also drop on YouTube.

    Super Scenic Florida Road Trip: Key Largo to Key West

  4. May 5

    Vienna, Austria: Imperial City of Music, Palaces, Cafes

    Send us Fan Mail We’re joined by American expat resident Cherie Siebert to trace Vienna from its Habsburg-scale grandeur to its everyday pleasures. Vienna can feel like a living museum and a laid-back neighborhood on the same afternoon. We talk through how easy it is to get around on foot and by public transportation, where palace areas like Hofburg, Schönbrunn, and the Belvedere fit into a real day, and why seasonal markets mix architecture, craft, and local tradition.  From St Stephen’s Cathedral’s tower and crypt to the surprising places where Roman ruins appear under your feet, Vienna keeps handing you history. Then we follow the sound. Cherie shares her favorite place to hear classical music, the Musikverein Golden Hall, plus the pull of the Vienna State Opera. As for art, the city’s deep museum bench, including Gustav Klimt’s iconic “The Kiss.”  We also make room for the city’s hard truths, including Holocaust memorial reminders found by simply wandering the center. To round it out, we get into Vienna coffeehouse culture, where to skip long tourist lines, why locals treat cake and coffee as a ritual, and how wine bars and nearby wine inns expand the food story.  We also cover parks, Danube swimming spots, the Prater Ferris wheel at night, and easy day trips by train to Salzburg, the Wachau Valley, Bratislava, Budapest, and even Prague.  If you enjoyed this, subscribe, and share the episode with a fellow traveler. ** Cherie Siebert is an expat who lives in and loves Vienna. She is a teacher, jewelry maker, traveler and life-lover. Find her at artsfish.com.  Podcast host Lea Lane has traveled to over 100 countries, and has written nine books, including the award-winning Places I Remember  (Kirkus Reviews star rating, and  'one of the top 100 Indie books of  the year'). She has contributed to dozens of guidebooks and has written thousands of travel articles. Read her weekly essays on Substack. _____ Our award-winning travel podcast, Places I Remember with Lea Lane, has produced over 130 travel episodes! New episodes drop on the first Tuesday of the month, on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts. All episodes are also on her website: placesirememberlealane.com _____ Travel vlogs of featured  podcasts-- with video and graphics -- now also drop on YouTube.

    Vienna, Austria: Imperial City of Music, Palaces, Cafes

  5. Apr 7

    Sicily: Layers of History, Beauty, Pleasure

    Send us Fan Mail Sicily is an Italian island in the Ionian sea between Italy and the African coast. Greece, Rome, the Arab world, and Norman Europe left remnants there that you can still experience.  Chef, blogger, and tour director Ric Orlando tells us why Sicily feels different from the rest of Italy. His “deep dive” trips take the Anthony Bourdain approach seriously: spend time with locals, follow the market stalls, and let conversations set the pace. We get into Palermo’s layered history, the Palatine Chapel’s mosaics, Monreale, Teatro Massimo, and the city’s street markets.  Ric also explains how Sicily’s volcanic soil around Mount Etna is changing the island today, from a booming Sicily wine scene to new crops driven by climate change, and why infrastructure outside the main tourist cities still shapes daily life. Then east to Catania, to the “Black City” built from dark volcanic stone. We linger at the pescheria fish market where small boats sell the morning’s catch. We talk Sicilian flavor, especially the Arab influenced sweet and sour combinations, and we end with cannoli, farm made cheese, and the living traditions of Piana degli Albanesi.  Finally, Taormina brings cliffside beauty, a Greek theater, an artistic past, along with the modern 'White Lotus' buzz, before Ric shares a personal memory that ties family photos back to a real village festival. Come wander through the best of Sicily with us. Subscribe, share with friends who love food and history, and leave a review.  ** Our guest,  Chef Ric Orlando, leads tours to Sicily. Podcast host Lea Lane has traveled to over 100 countries, and has written nine books, including the award-winning Places I Remember  (Kirkus Reviews star rating, and  'one of the top 100 Indie books of  the year'). She has contributed to dozens of guidebooks and has written thousands of travel articles. _____ Our award-winning travel podcast, Places I Remember with Lea Lane, has produced over 125 travel episodes! New episodes drop on the first Tuesday of the month, on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts. All episodes are also on her website: placesirememberlealane.com _____ Travel vlogs of featured  podcasts-- with video and graphics -- now also drop on YouTube.

    Sicily: Layers of History, Beauty, Pleasure

  6. Mar 3

    Yachting! Plus Travel Tips, Adventures From Below Deck's Captain Kerry

    Send us Fan Mail Wonder what luxury at sea really takes when the cameras stop rolling? We sit with Captain Kerry Titheradge from Bravo’s Below Deck, a leader trusted with 300-foot vessels and volatile reality TV moments. We unpack the true costs of chartering a superyacht, why five-star hotel service can’t match a dialed-in crew at sea, and how leadership—not boat handling—is the captain’s hardest job. We get a candid look at production rhythms, safety priorities, and the moment a cameraman helped avert disaster.  Then we slip into adventure mode: Cappadocia’s sunrise balloons, Fethiye’s paragliding cliffs, Dubrovnik’s stone ramparts, Kotor’s dramatic bay, and Australia’s trifecta of the Great Barrier Reef, the Outback, and Barossa Valley vineyards where kangaroos hop between rows. Back in Florida, Kerry chases quiet flight on an e-foil, skimming above water in search of small, perfect moments. That ethos flows into Yachting Concepts, his company guiding new owners—especially under 100 feet. Buying a yacht is the easy part; stewardship is the real voyage.  Kerry closes with a Maldives memory threaded through Middle Eastern terminals alive with peaceful diversity, coral gardens facing climate pressures, and a solo ascent of the Eiffel Tower on the way home. If you enjoyed this sea-level view of luxury, leadership, and adventure, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more curious travelers can find us.  ** Our guest, Captain Kerry Titheradge, CEO of Yachting Concepts, appeared for three years on Bravo TV's popular reality show Below Deck. Podcast host Lea Lane has traveled to over 100 countries, and has written nine books, including the award-winning Places I Remember  (Kirkus Reviews star rating, and  'one of the top 100 Indie books of  the year'). She has contributed to dozens of guidebooks and has written thousands of travel articles. _____ Our award-winning travel podcast, Places I Remember with Lea Lane, has produced over 125 travel episodes! New episodes drop on the first Tuesday of the month, on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts. All episodes are also on her website: placesirememberlealane.com _____ Travel vlogs of featured  podcasts-- with video and graphics -- now also drop on YouTube.

    Yachting! Plus Travel Tips, Adventures From Below Deck's Captain Kerry

  7. Feb 3

    Smart Choices For Solo, Budget and Women Travelers

    Send us Fan Mail A four-month plan turned into eight years on the road, and that leap reshaped everything. We sit down with Caryl Eve Dolinko, author of A Woman’s Guide to World Travel, to unpack how purpose-led planning makes travel deeply rewarding—especially for women considering solo adventures. What do you actually want from your trip? Whether it’s tracing your ancestry, learning to cook regional dishes, studying music, or chasing landscapes, your why helps you choose your how—solo freedom, a trusted travel buddy, or an interest-driven group.  Caryl highlights woman-friendly destinations with strong infrastructure and cultural openness—Thailand, Spain, Israel, Japan, Denmark, the Netherlands—and shares ways to navigate more complex regions through women-only hostel rooms, local rail options, and online communities that turn safety into solidarity. More tips: Caryl’s keeps packing simple: neutral layers, multi-use pieces, and a compact medical kit with prescriptions in original containers. We dig into airline fees, the power of carry-on travel, and the truth that you can buy what you forgot—often better and cheaper—once you arrive.  Ships can be a smart option at any age: onboard medical care, built-in security, and an unpack-once lifestyle that opens up new ports without the hassle. Solo travel gets special attention: how to meet people naturally, make dining alone feel purposeful, and turn restaurants into planning hubs. We map practical budget moves—museum free days, transit passes, street markets, and neighborhood lunches—and show how a few local phrases build instant rapport.  We also go there on romance abroad, both the allure and the boundaries, and we share grounded safety tactics. Caryl closes with a luminous memory from Machu Picchu. Follow the podcast, share the episode with a friend who needs a nudge. Our guest, Caryl Eve Dolinko, author of A Woman’s Guide to World Travel, has traveled to almost 100 countries, and speaks and writes about travel around the world. Podcast host Lea Lane has traveled to over 100 countries, and has written nine books, including the award-winning Places I Remember  (Kirkus Reviews star rating, and  'one of the top 100 Indie books of  the year'). She has contributed to dozens of guidebooks and has written thousands of travel articles. _____ Our award-winning travel podcast, Places I Remember with Lea Lane, has produced over 125 travel episodes! New episodes drop on the first Tuesday of the month, on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts. All episodes are also on her website: placesirememberlealane.com _____ Travel vlogs of featured  podcasts-- with video and graphics -- now also drop on YouTube.

    Smart Choices For Solo, Budget and Women Travelers

  8. Jan 6

    Peaceful Périgord, France: Chateaux, Caves, Cuisine

    Send us Fan Mail We head to Périgord—the historic heart of France's fertile Dordogne region—to map a four-color journey through Noir, Blanc, Pourpre, and Vert: cliffside castles, prehistoric cave art, limestone towns, vineyard hills, and green valleys stitched with old paper mills.  Our guests, Stephanie Williamson and Emily Conyngham, know the area from the inside, with details and choices that shape a smarter, quieter trip. We start in Périgord Noir, using Sarlat’s 14th-century streets and market days as our base, then climb to the hedged terraces of Marqueyssac for that golden-hour view as hot air balloons drift above the river. From there, we decode the caves—how to experience Lascaux’s faithful replica without harming fragile art, and why early mornings and shoulder seasons pay off.  In Périgord Blanc, limestone brightens the landscape around Perigueux, subterranean churches carve sanctuaries from rock, and truffle culture comes alive with local hunters and their Lagotto dogs. It’s not just about the black diamonds; it’s about stories passed down, guarded groves, and the rhythm of the forest. Périgord Pourpre brings the glass to your hand: Bergerac reds, Montbazillac’s famed sweet whites, and wine trails that weave past châteaux like Lanquais, the “Unfinished Louvre.” We connect history to taste, from old trade routes to today’s small estates where conversation is part of the pour.  Finally, Périgord Vert opens the lungs: forest walks, rivers, mills, and quiet paths that invite you to slow down and notice. Along the way, we talk duck and foie gras, chestnuts, mushrooms, strawberries, and why summer reservations matter even in small towns.  For would-be expats and for tourists, we end with memories covering language, cost of living, healthcare realities, and the charming community fabric that makes this quieter side of France so very special. *** Our guests are Stephanie Williamson, CEO and founder of Raison d'être travel that plans customized itineraries worldwide; and Emily Conyngham, who moved to the region in 2014 from the United States and owns a shop in Monpazier called Atelier Charmont. Podcast host Lea Lane has traveled to over 100 countries, and has written nine books, including the award-winning Places I Remember  (Kirkus Reviews star rating, and  'one of the top 100 Indie books of  the year'). She has contributed to dozens of guidebooks and has written thousands of travel articles. Contact her at placesirememberlealane.com _____ Our award-winning travel podcast, Places I Remember with Lea Lane, has produced over 125 travel episodes! New episodes drop on the first Tuesday of the month, on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts. _____ Travel vlogs of featured  podcasts-- with video and graphics -- now also drop on YouTube.

    Peaceful Périgord, France: Chateaux, Caves, Cuisine
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On this monthly award-winning travel podcast, host Lea Lane shares travel memories and travel tips with passionate travelers, travel experts, and savvy locals around the world. Lea has traveled to over 100 countries, is the author of nine books, a blogger at forbes.com, and a contributor to dozens of guidebooks. Smart. Fun! Over 100 episodes!

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