Berlin, Germany

Travel Photography (interview with Chris Marquardt)

Turkey

New York City (part 1)

New York City (part 2)

Trekking in the Himalayas in India

Norway

Lake Louise, Banff and Calgary, Alberta Canada

Cycling in Tuscany, Italy

Joe d'Eon, Airline Pilot and host of "Fly With Me"

Jamestown, Williamsburg, Yorktown

Turkey, Asia

Istanbul Turkey

A Year In Europe

Burma / Myanmar

Travel Photography tips

Rudy Maxa - Savvy Traveler

Around the World, Family Style

Life as an Exchange Student in Northern Italy

The Seychelles (and Dubai)

Malaysia

Rothenberg Germany, Zurich and Interlaken Swizterland

Italy - The Cinque Terra, Lake Como and Milan

Syria and Jordan

Tahiti and French Polynesia

Walt Disney World

Iran by Bike

Lancaster County Pennsylvania

Tokyo, Japan

The Amateur Traveler talks to Deanna about cruising to Alaska aboard a small boat from Cruise West In a nights ashore / days at sea program.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Shawn about his trip to Transylvania in Romania. We talk, of course, about Vlad III the Impaler (Dracula) but also about the green rolling hills, walled towns, castles and people of this beautiful country.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Zora O'Neil who is one of the co-authors of the Rough Guide in the Yucatan guide book. Zora talks about this very beautiful, very tropical and very isolated part of Mexico. Learn about the beach communities (Riviera Maya - Cancun, Talum, Playa del Carmen; Costa Maya - Majahual, Xcalak; Isla Holbox), getting around, the food (Xni Pec, Achiote), the colonial cities (Merida) and the Mayan ruins (the Ruta Puc, Uxmal, Calakmul).

The Amateur Traveler talks to Casey Wohl the author of the Girls Getaway Guide to Key West about Key West Florida. We will talk about how the area has changed in the last 20 years from Jimmy Buffet’s famous Margaritaville to an area with numerous nice restaurants, art galleries and hotels. We will also talk about beaches, Ernest Hemmingway and other sland characters and how to catch a spiny lobster with your tickle stick.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Friedel from TravellingTwo.com about their continuing bike tour around the world. Friedel was on previously talking about travel to Iran and has come back to talk about the Central Asian countries of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. This region of the world offers adventure travelers deserts, tea houses, camels, wild horses, yurts, tea houses, spectacular mountains, friendly locals and fermented mares milk.

The Amateur Traveler was nominated for a Lonely Planet Travel Blogging Award in the Podcast category and I could use your help. You will find a link to vote on http://AmateurTraveler.com

The Amateur Traveler talks to Anna Laura about her home city of Mexico City. We will talk about food, museums, architecture and history. We will puzzle about why the tourists stay in the Zona Rosa and we will tell you where they should go including Coyacan and Xochimilco. We will climb the world's third largest pyramid and eat street food. Discover this huge, bustling, diverse city. 20 million Mexico's can't be wrong.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Erik Smith (who was a guest on Travel to America’s National Parks - Amateur Traveler Episode 121) about Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. We talk about all the different geothermal highlights of the park including Old Faithful, other geysers, thermal pools, etc. We also talk about wildlife, hiking, camping, floating down the Snake river, the grand canyon of the yellowstone, the grandeur of the Tetons (and the strange original of the name Teton).

The Amateur Traveler talks to Jason and Janie about their trip to Bavaria and Southern Germany. Jason and Janie had perviously been on the Amateur Traveler on Travel to Barbados - Episode 109. The talk about visiting the Black Forest with its wineries, Geramany’s tallest waterfall and the world’s largest cuckoo clock. They also visited the walled city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Rothenburg (which may have been spared the ravages of the 30 years war by a hard drinking mayor) is the home to a wonderful Christmas market as well as a Christmas museum. The Rothenburg Nightwatchman’s tour is also something you should try. Jason and Jamie also went to Nurenburg with its wonderful market place and saw “Mad” King Ludwig’s castle Neuschwanstein. The finished the trip in the home of very large beer steins at Munich. In Munich they enjoyed the glockenspiel, the toy museum and some of the wonderful old churches.

This is a special Amateur Traveler episode that talks about the history of the show. It also includes one of the early episodes (episode 9 on Bad Hotels). It was recorded at the Park Royal resort on Cozumel

The Amateur Traveler talks to Carole Terwilliger Meyers the author of Weekend Adventures in San Francisco and Northern California. Carole comes on the show to talk about California’s traditional wine country of Napa and Sonoma Valleys. This episode focuses primarily on the Napa Valley and the many wineries that can be found there. We explore recreated castles, wine tasting , tours as well as other none wine related sites like mud baths, petrified forests, and the CIA (The Culinary Institute). We talk about restaurants and hotels, picnics and the wine train. Whether you are a connoisseur, a foodie or just a tourist, the Napa Valley has much to offer.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Sarah from Whitehorse in the Yukon about that corner of Canada with long winters but dramatic scenery. She tells of of Winter festivals like the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous as well as Summer festivals like Dawson City Music fest, Atlin Arts and Music Fest and the Kluane Mountain Bluegrass Festival. We talk about sporting events like the 24 Hours of Light and Kluane to Chilkat (Haines to Haines) bike races because Sarah says you have to like the outdoors to come to the Yukon. Sarah also gives us some itineraries for road warriors like the Top of the World Highway to Dawson (and the Dempster Highway for the bold among you) and the Golden Circle route into Alaska. We walk the Chilkoot Trail but without the requirement to bring 1,000 pounds of supplies like in the Yukon gold rush. It is the beauty of Kluane National Park that you will remember but strangely enough it was something else that Sarah was looking at when she decided to move to the Yukon.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Edith about the mountainous region of Austria where she grew up, the Tyrol. Edith designs for us both a winter and a summer itinerary, both of which involve getting outside and enjoying the beautiful mountains. In the winter we would ski and in the summer we would hike. When we are not hiking or enjoying one of the mountain alms then we can explore the palace at Innsbruck, a hiking museum and the Höfemuseum which is a farm museum. Edith talks about traditional foods such as Wiener Schnitzel, Kaiserschmarrn (sweet pancake dish), Kaspressknödel (fried cheese dumplings) and Graukäse (literally grey cheese). To work off that rich food (and of course beer) she will recommend we hike between the mountain huts or up her favorite hike Nochspitze.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Ira Bernstein about two lesser visited cities in Italy - Turin and Bologna. Turin has the reputation as the Detroit of Italy because of its long association with Fiat but that nickname does not express the beauty of the city, the warmth of its people nor the quality of its wine. Bologna has a reputation for good food in a country known for its good food which may be one of the reasons that Bologna is known as "the fat". The city is the home of bolognese sauce and lasagna. It also lays claim to one of the oldest if not the oldest university in Europe. Ira takes us on a tour of surprising museums (like the largest Egyptian museum outside Cairo), pivotal history and of course wonderful food. 

The Amateur Traveler talks to Eleonora about visiting eastern Germany. Eleonora grew up in Dresden and starts our tour there with a city restored from the rubble of World War II to one that boasts beautiful baroque architecture. She takes up verbally to the Master’s Gallery and also to the Green Vault in the old palace. She recommends the famous opera house as well as the recent rebuilt Church of Our Lady (Frauenkirche). We climb to the old fortress (Festung Koenigstein) which protected the area. After Dresden Eleonora directs us to the mountains of Saxon Switzerland and to the Oer Mountains with its tradition Christmas wood carvings. From there we go to Leipzig and to Bauzen (capital of a slavic minority – the Sorbs). We make a sobering stop at Buchenwald concentration camp before hiking in the Hatrz Mountains. Then we head north to Saxony-Anhalt where we stop by the oldest chocolate factory in Germany in Helle. Eleonora encourages us to visit the palace of Sanssouci at Postdam and the Hanseatic cities Rostock and Stralsund. While in Eastern Germany we should try Christstollen, Baumkuchen, and Saxon Potato Soup. Two special tips from Eleonora are to visit the Hechtfest multicultural art festival in Dresden and the medieval Christmas market.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Nancy Sathre-Vogel from FamilyOnBikes.com about their odyssey – a bike ride with two young boys along the length of the Pan-American highway from Alaska to the southern end of South America. Learn why they did this trip, how they have managed it and what they have learned along the way.

The Amateur Traveler talks to photographer Ralph Velasco about tips to keep in mind when you are taking pictures on your travels. We talk about:

    * telling a story
    * depth of field
    * giving your self assignments
    * giving a sense of scale
    * adding a human touch
    * reflections
    * avoiding the crowds
    * embracing the weather
    * seeking the unique picture
    * capturing the essence of a place

The Amateur Traveler talks to George Wendt from Oars.com about white water rafting down the Grand Canyon which is one of Chris’s dream vacations. The Grand Canyon can be traversed in motor pontoon boats, oars rafts, paddle boats or dories. Each has different advantages and disadvantages. The water is fast and cold and the rapids get up to class 5. All the while you are drifting through one of the wonders of the world with massive red stone walls on either side. You come around the corner and are surprised by waterfalls and a green oasis. You explore the side canyons where you can see fossils and the ruins of the ancient people who called this canyon home.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Chris Rosenkrans from Pennsylvania about his trip to the country of Yemen. Chris started in the capital city of Sana’a which he thinks is one of the beautiful cities he has ever seen. Chris then recommends a trip to the Haraz mountains to see Shibam Hadhramaut (a shibam is a city built into the cliffs) and north to Kawkaban. In addition wander around Sana’a to some of the community gardens in the area. Chris did not make it to Socotra island where many of the scents like Frankincense come from. Yemen also does sport gun markets and khat markets to this has to qualify as adventure travel.