Vacation Mavens Travel Podcast

Kim Tate and Tamara Gruber
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Vacation Mavens Travel Podcast

Vacation Mavens is a travel podcast offering practical travel tips and destination inspiration from two moms who know how to plan the perfect trip. Hosted by Kim Tate, from StuffedSuitcase.com, and Tamara Gruber, from YourTimetoFly.com, we have over 40 years of combined travel expertise. We share our favorite vacations from road trips to cruises, European adventures to theme parks. Whether you are planning a family vacation, romantic couples trip, or mom getaway we have the tips and tricks to make memories that will last a lifetime.

  1. -5 J

    Nova Scotia for the Holidays

    Tamara is just back from a festive trip to Nova Scotia, Canada where she was able to experience small town holiday celebrations, the Halifax Evergreen Festival, and the Christmas Tree Capital of the World! Her trip was sponsored by Tourism Nova Scotia. All opinions are her own. We are looking for feedback for 2025! Do you want weekly episodes? More interviews? Short episodes? Video? Drop us a line at tamara@yourtimetofly.com and kim@stuffedsuitcase.com. Mentioned on the podcast: Tamara visited Halifax, New Ross, Mahone Bay, Lunenberg, Barrington, Liverpool, and Shelburne in Nova Scotia. While Nova Scotia is popular in the summer, it has plenty to offer in the winter for the holidays Many of the small towns feel like walking into a Hallmark Christmas movie set with a great small town, community atmosphere. It is a different vibe from big city holidays or German Christmas Markets, but it is perfect for those that prefer a small town environment. The Canadian dollar is also weak against the U.S. dollar so it is a good budget, off-season destination. It is only a 1.5 hour direct from Boston, but there are also direct flights to other cities on the U.S. East Coast. Downtown Halifax has an Evergreen Festival that includes an Evergreen Bright Trail, a small Evergreen Market with shops and fire pits, and other special events like a sports area with mini curling. Glow Gardens in Halifax is a great event for families featuring indoor light displays, bouncy houses, mini golf, roller skating, a Christmas train, live entertainment, and more. 2 days in Halifax was perfect. Museums in Halifax include the Pier 21 Immigration Museum and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, which has a great exhibit on shipwrecks including fragments from the Titanic. New Ross is the Christmas Tree Capital of the World, which ships its Balsam Fir trees. You can visit the Ross Farm Museum or one of the cut-your-own Christmas tree farms. There is also a trail called Ruby's Trail that you can climb through the evergreens to a small chalet, which is home to "Twig the Elf." Mahone Bay had a Christmas festival with a small craft fair and a Christmas bells concert, as well as holiday decorations throughout the shops downtown. Lunenberg hosted a huge community arts and crafts fair for the holidays. The town of Lunenberg is very pretty, with colorful architecture and plenty of restaurants and shops. In Shelburne, Tamara stayed in a huge waterfront suite at Albert's Inn. Shelburne hosted Miracle on Dock Square with a walk-through Christmas parade, visit with Santa, craft fair, and various stands throughout town. It finished with fireworks over the water. Tamara also went searching for the lobster trap and buoy Christmas trees along the coast of Nova Scotia. Tamara finished her stay at the White Point Beach Resort, which has cabins, a lodge, and glomes (glamping domes). It was warm and cozy, with a great view and very nice, even in the winter. Other Episodes You May Enjoy: Summer travel recap: New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island German Christmas Markets European Christmas Markets

    19 min

  2. 3 DÉC.

    Where to go in 2025!

    Not sure where to go on vacation next year? We have all kinds of ideas from new theme parks, new attractions, new hotels, cities and destinations celebrating anniversaries, destinations that are easier to access thanks to new direct flights, and more. Plus, stick around to hear where to avoid in 2025 too! Universal Orlando is opening Epic Universe in May of 2025 and you currently need to buy a three-day ticket, with one day to be spent in the Epic Universe Park. There are also three new hotels opening in 2025 in conjunction with the new park. Walt Disney World is also reopening the Test Track attraction and getting a new parade in Magic Kingdom. Disneyland will also be celebrating its 70th anniversary all year long and adding a new Walt Disney animatronic attraction. Two new attractions will also open in the Avengers land. Mattel Adventure Park is opening in Glendale, Arizona with a Barbie Fun House and Hot Wheels roller coaster. Oklahoma City is opening an Okana Resort with a hotel and waterpark right next to the new First Americans Museum near the Bricktown entertainment district. Santa Rosa, California is celebrating the Peanuts comic strip's 75th anniversary at the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center. (Hear more about Kim and Tamara's trip to Santa Rosa.) Germany is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its Fairy Tale Route (read more about Jade from Vagabond 3's tripwith her daughter) Southwest is now flying direct flights to Iceland from more cities (such as Nashville). Just know that you won't be able to use your Companion Pass for Iceland flights. This winter is also supposed to be another peak solar cycle to see the Northern Lights in Iceland, Alaska, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. There are also new direct flights from Atlanta and Philadelphia to Copenhagen via a KLM code-share with Delta. Copenhagen is one of the oldest theme parks in the world and the city is quite family friendly. If you are traveling to Europe next year, at some point they will introduce the ETIAS visa and the UK is now going to introduce its own visa system in January 2025. 2025 is the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth and cities like Bath, England will be doing a lot to celebrate. It is a great time to plan a trip for literary fans! Fiji now has direct flights from Dallas. Fiji is an affordable and exotic destination for families, which is easier to get to and much cheaper than places like the Maldives. There will also be new direct flights from Newark, NJ to Faro in the Algarve in Portugal (hear about Kim and Tamara's trip to Portugal). United also has flights to Sao Miguel in the Azores. Turks and Caicos has opened many new luxury hotel properties and beachfront villas and offers beautiful beaches. They are also opening a second airport. Indianapolis will be a great spot for a girls' trip or a mother-daughter sports-themed trip - just get your tickets to the Indiana Fever very far in advance. Seattle is also a great sports city with a women's soccer team and WNBA team. Italy is celebrating the Jubilee year from December 2024 through Epiphany January 6, 2026. Rome is going to be extra busy next year, especially at the Vatican (and it could be closed for events.) In 2025, Tamara will be visiting both Peru and Chile in March and April 2025. Kim is meeting her daughter Mia in Paris in July and doing eight days in Switzerland.

    35 min

  3. 19 NOV.

    Weekend Getaway to Victoria, British Columbia (By Ferry!)

    Imagine taking a weekend getaway to another country without needing a car or getting on a plane! Kim recently took a trip to Victoria, British Columbia. Victoria is on the tip of Vancouver Island and is actually closer to the U.S. than Vancouver. You can take a high-speed ferry on the Victoria Clipper directly from Seattle. Another option is to take a seaplane from Kenmore Air or Harbour Air from Vancouver. There is also a car ferry from the Port Angeles area. You can listen to more about Kim's previous trip on Episode 139 about Victoria or read her tips for taking the Victoria Clipper. This trip was hosted by the Victoria Clipper. The high-speed ferry takes about 2.5 hours from Seattle. The ferry drops off in the main Victoria Harbor and you can walk to the Inn at Laurel Point. Kim has also stayed at the Coast Hotel during a previous stay, but that is slightly further away from the city center. The Fairmont Empress is great for a luxury stay or even just to book a high tea experience. Things to do on a weekend getaway: Butchart Gardens - which also offers high tea in the original family home. If you book a trip on the Victoria Clipper, they offer vacation packages that also include things like bus transfers to the Gardens. In the Harbour, Canada has done a place-making project to give more visibility to First Nations as it was historically a very important cultural site for many local First Nations people. There are three free daily shuttles to the Malahat Skywalk, which is owned by the Malahat Nation. You climb a ramp through an open, beehive-like structure and at the top, you can climb on a net and look out over the scenery and the water. There are also various sculptures made by locals. You can walk back down or take a slide for part of the descent. You can also go wine tasting in Victoria at Blue Grouse Estate Winery with a gorgeous tasting room, or the Venturi-Schultz Vineyard, where they also make estate balsamic vinegar and Enrico Winery. Local wines include Pinot Noir, sparkling wine, and white wines. Ritual Nordic Spa in downtown Victoria has a great Nordic spa experience with steam, a sauna, a cold plunge pool, salt room, showers, an infrared sauna, and a private patio for relaxation. Aura is the restaurant at the Inn at Laurel Point and is excellent (the coffee shop also has amazing croissants) Endive is a pescatarian restaurant with seasonal ingredients and many things are served family style.

    32 min

  4. 5 NOV.

    231: Family-fun in San Antonio, Texas

    Tamara recently took a press trip to San Antonio, Texas, hosted by Visit San Antonio, to see what there was to do in San Antonio for families. She found that San Antonio has a lot of history and culture, great food, fun theme parks, and plenty of free or affordable attractions. San Antonio could make a great winter or spring break family vacation (when the weather is cooler). The city is also ideal for a girls' trip or couples getaway weekend. Top sites include: San Antonio is the theme park capital of Texas with four theme parks within a short drive. They have the largest SeaWorld of all the parks. There is also a Six Flags, Schlitterbahn water park, and Morgan's Wonderland. Morgan's Wonderland is an ultra-accessible amusement park but built so that everyone can play. Each ride and attraction has been designed from the ground up to be accessible and conscious of those with special needs. The San Antonio CityPASS can save you money if you want to visit quite a few museums and attractions (including the San Antonio Zoo). The Riverwalk extends for 15 miles and outside of the core downtown horseshoe section, it is a quiet and lush urban park. You can even kayak on the river. The Pearl is a dining and entertainment district with residences and the Hotel Emma. The food in San Antonio is great and it is a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. Some highlights: Eddie's Taco Shop, Best American Daughter, Burgerteca, Stix and Stone, The Jerk Shack, and La Panaderia In addition to the Alamo, there are four other Missions that are run by the National Park Service, which offer even more to see. The Witte Museum is great for kids with plenty of interactive exhibits and play areas. The Japanese Tea Garden in Brackenridge Park is beautiful and peaceful Hemisfair Park downtown also is great for family with young kids with splash pads and climbing structures. Tamara stayed at the Intercontinental San Antonio Riverwalk on the quieter section of the Riverwalk. There are also great resort hotels in Hill Country just outside of San Antonio. See more about Tamara's trip and reasons to visit San Antonio with kids. Other Episodes You May Enjoy Girlfriend getaway to El Paso, Texas Things to do in Austin, Texas with kids

    29 min

  5. 22 OCT.

    Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Florida

    Kim recently took her two girls to Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando for a mother-daughter getaway. Hear more about her trip, learn some strategies for using Lightning Lane, new rides, new theme parks coming, and comparisons between the parks. It was hot, humid, and rainy in the afternoons, but they still had a fun time exploring all the parks. Luckily, Universal Orlando has more indoor rides that help on rainy days. Updates from Walt Disney World Tron in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom - it is like riding a motorcycle but on a roller coaster track. The ride is fabulous but really short. Splash Mountain is now Tiana's Bayou Adventure - this is a two-by-two flume-like ride that has been redesigned. Disney now has Lightning Lane Multi Experience and Lightning Lane Single Experience. With the Multi Experience, it works on multiple rides and as soon as you tap into one ride, you can request the next Lightning Lane. You want to purchase and prebook your first ride in advance. Single Experience is where you can buy a Lightning Lane time slot for individual rides like Tron or Rise of the Resistance. Disney's Lightning Lane experience is better than Universal's Express Pass because they load people from that lane faster. Disney has also changed their rules around their Disability Access service and made it much harder to obtain a pass. Keep this in mind if you have children with special needs and have used that service in the past. Tip: If you want to stay at one of the Deluxe hotels on property, you can stay by renting Disney Vacation Club points. (Riviera has Skyliner access) See Kim's article on renting and using DVC points. Disney is building a new ride in the Avengers Campus and they are getting rid of the Tom Sawyer Island and Riverboat in Magic Kingdom to create Cars Land. Updates from Universal Orlando Note: Universal Orlando hosted Kim's family for this part of the trip. Kim stayed at the Loews Sapphire Falls, which is a Moderate property and does not include the Express Passes. The Sapphire Falls is within walking distance to the parks and guests get one hour early entry. Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure still has very long lines. The nice thing about the Universal Express Passes don't require you to book any times online, so it is less stressful to manage. However, many people have these passes because they are staying at the premium hotels and the lanes load slowly so sometimes you don't save a lot of time (sometimes only about 10 minutes of time savings). There is a Universal Express Unlimited Pass that lets you ride a ride in the Express pass lane as much as you would like, without limits. Universal Orlando is building a whole new theme park in 2025 called Epic Universe. It is going to be further away from CityWalk and the other parks or hotels. It will also have another portion of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Ministry of Magic. There will also be two premium hotels and a How to Train Your Dragon land.   Other Episodes You May Enjoy Disney Vacation Club tips Choosing a Disney World hotel Walt Disney World tips Universal Orlando's Volcano Bay Universal Orlando insider tips

    29 min

  6. 8 OCT.

    Explore Croatia from Dubrovnik to Istria

    If you love Italy and Greece, you are going to love today's destination! Tamara shares her two-week trip with her husband to Croatia. They visited Dubrovnik, Korcula, Hvar, Split, Zadar, and Istria for a mix of relaxation, food, wine, history, and cultural exploration. Croatia is a lovely country to visit because it is very clean and one of the safest countries to visit in the world. Unfortunately, it is also surprisingly expensive. It isn't the "cheaper" Italy. You can see a full Croatia budget breakdown. Istria was less expensive than other parts of the country. Tamara's itinerary included: 3 nights in Dubrovnik at the Rixos Premium 1 night in Korcula at Aminess Hotel Korcula 3 nights in Hvar at the Beach Bay Hvar Hotel 1 night in Zadar at Hotel Bastion 4 nights in Istria at the Hotel Meneghetti You can find her full Croatia itinerary for couples here. It is best to fly into one city and fly out of another. For example, fly into Dubrovnik and out of Zagreb. To get around in the southern Dalmatian region and islands, you can ferry hop to different islands. To visit the northern part of the country, it is best to rent a car. Another option is to take a small ship cruise or yacht charter to explore the coast and islands that way. Other Episodes You May Enjoy Tamara's anniversary trip to Greece Couples trip to Piemonte, Italy

    33 min

  7. 24 SEPT.

    228: Experience the Southwest in Tucson, Arizona

    Tamara heads to Tucson, Arizona frequently since her daughter Hannah is now a junior at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Kim and Tamara first experienced Tucson together at a Family Travel Association Conference, but since Hannah started school Tamara has visited a number of times. While many of her activities are centered around the University of Arizona, she has taken time to explore more of the area. A few tips for visiting Tucson: Visit in the summer for lower prices but expect dry temps over 100 and it can also be monsoon season with short heavy rain storms and flooding Avoid May graduation, August move in, Parent weekend in September or October, the Mineral & Gem Show in February, and big football or basketball games to find better availability for hotels If you want a resort hotel with a pool, you are better looking at some of the hotels in the foothills versus downtown You need to rent a car if you want to stay at a resort and explore the area It is about 2-2.5 hours from Phoenix if you want to fly into there instead of Tucson or combine the two destinations Favorite hotels: Best for families: Westin Paloma See Tamara's picks for the best places to stay in Tucson Favorite for couples: Hacienda Del Sol Best near campus: Graduate Tucson Best downtown: Home2Suites by Hilton Things to do in Tucson: Saguaro National Park Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum Sunset at West Gate Pass Night sky star gazing at Mt Lemmon Windy Point or Kitt Peak Hiking in Sabino Canyon Pima Air and Space Museum Horseback riding at White Stallion Ranch / Cowboy Cookout at Tanque Verde Ranch Old Town Tucson Shopping along Fourth Avenue Enjoy Mexican food See more things to do in Tucson Great brunch spots in Tucson Other Episodes You May Enjoy Scottsdale Tempe, Arizona

    25 min

  8. 9 SEPT.

    Explore Iceland on a Windstar Cruise

    Kim just came back from her third cruise of the year and her first small-ship cruise on Windstar Cruises. TL;DR, she loved Windstar and small ship cruising! In this week's episode Kim dishes on everything you need to know about small ship cruising on Windstar. Plus, hear about her pre-cruise excursions from Reykjavik including a small group Golden Circle tour with Hidden Iceland and hot springs experiences at the Sky Lagoon and Blue Lagoon. Note: Kim was hosted by Windstar Cruises for purposes of her review. All opinions are her own. Highlights of the Windstar Cruise experience: Small staff with personalized service Easier to make connections with fellow cruisers Very large cabins with a sitting area, walk in closet, and large bathroom Dining options Observatory lounge OTHER EPISODES YOU MAY ENJOY Princess Alaska Cruise Holland America Caribbean cruise Barge and river cruising through France Off-the-beaten path in West Iceland Iceland family travel tips

    33 min
Tout afficher (235)

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À propos

Vacation Mavens is a travel podcast offering practical travel tips and destination inspiration from two moms who know how to plan the perfect trip. Hosted by Kim Tate, from StuffedSuitcase.com, and Tamara Gruber, from YourTimetoFly.com, we have over 40 years of combined travel expertise. We share our favorite vacations from road trips to cruises, European adventures to theme parks. Whether you are planning a family vacation, romantic couples trip, or mom getaway we have the tips and tricks to make memories that will last a lifetime.

Informations

  • Création
    Kim Tate and Tamara Gruber
  • Années d’activité
    2016 - 2024
  • Épisodes
    235
  • Classification
    Tous publics
  • Copyright
    © 2016-2025 Vacation Mavens, all rights reserved.
  • Site web de l’émission
    Vacation Mavens Travel Podcast

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