Vacation Mavens

08/10/2024

Tamara recently spent two weeks exploring Croatia and on this week’s episode she shares her itinerary and highs and lows from the trip (plus a few tips!) https://vacationmavens.com/229-explore-croatia/

24/09/2024

Tamara has spent a lot of time visiting Tucson, Arizona over the last few years and on today's episode, she shares her favorite things to do, places to stay, and where to eat.

Get the scoop on things to do, where to stay and where to eat the best Mexican food in Tucson, Arizona.

11/09/2024

If you have wanted to visit Iceland but don't want to do the driving and moving around, a cruise might be the answer! Tune in this week to hear more about Kim's recent mother-daughter cruise around Iceland on Windstar Cruises.

Find out what it is like to circumnavigate Iceland on a Windstar Cruise with tips on excursions and things to do in Reykjavik before the cruise.

18/06/2024

If you are traveling this summer, listen to this week’s podcast where Kim and Tamara run through their favorite travel apps.

Summer vacation is almost here and we are getting ready for the busiest summer travel season ever! Be sure to pack your patience, your travel insurance, and these travel apps. In this episode we talk about some of our favorite travel apps that we are using lately for road trips, plane travel, and in...

04/06/2024

New podcast drop! Hear all about Tamara’s press trip visit to the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort Casino & Spa in St Maarten and see if this all inclusive is right for your next vacation.

Get the scoop on the Sonesta Maho Beach St. Maarten all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean for families or couples.

14/05/2024

Considering a Caribbean cruise? Kim from Stuffed Suitcase Travel has been on many including Norwegian, Celebrity, Disney, and now Holland America. Find out all about her spring break cruise on Holland America on this weeks podcast episode. 

Kim took her oldest daughter on a Caribbean Cruise for her college spring break this past March. After sailing Holland America in Alaska in the past, she was excited to try the Holland America Caribbean cruise on the Nieuw Statendam. This was a unique itinerary that left from Fort Lauderdale and vis...

07/05/2024

Tamara finally visited her 50th state and it is…you guessed it, Oklahoma! Find out some hidden gems in and on this week’s podcast episode.

12/03/2024

Get ready for more regular episodes of Vacation Mavens in your feed! In this week’s episode Tamara covers her December trip to the German Christmas Markets. If this trip is on your bucket list, be sure to give it a listen.

In this episode, Tamara talks about her two-week German Christmas Markets road trip! If you have this magical trip on your radar, make sure to give this episode a listen.

31/01/2024

Hey listeners, we know it has been a while since we appeared in your feed and ears, but that doesn't mean we haven't been busy. But if you want to catch up in person, Tamara is hosting a small group trip to Portugal this fall (ladies only, sorry guys) and the itinerary is amazing!! I know at least one listener already signed up so how about we make this a Vacation Mavens listener trip??

Find out all the details here!

Have you considered visiting Portugal but don't know where to go beyond Lisbon? Are you looking for ways to travel without having to do the planning? Or, maybe you really want to visit Europe but

12/09/2023

Have you heard the new episode yet? Tamara and Kim recap summer travels including Tamara's month cruising around France on 2 barges and 1 river cruise!

Find out what it is like to cruise through the canals and rivers to the small towns of France on a barge or river cruise.

04/07/2023

Thanks for the shout out!

Planning a family vacation to Black travel or becoming a digital nomad, listen to these travel podcasts for inspiration and travel tips.

27/06/2023

Wonder where we have been? Traveling of course! We finally got together to record a new episode all about our spring travels including Tamara's family trip to Japan. Tune in!

Well it has been a minute since we had a chance to catch up and record a podcast but in this episode Tamara shares her insights and experience from her recent family trip to Japan. Kim and Tamara also share their love for Scottsdale, Arizona and some of the things they did on a girls’ […]

27/06/2023

A new episode is finally here! and talk about their spring travels including Alaska, Iceland, and a deep dive into Tamara’s recent family trip to Japan.

10/01/2023

Have you forgotten about us yet? We haven’t forgotten about you but life and work have gotten in the way of recording but today we are back with a new episode about Tamara’s trip to northern Italy plus a big announcement.

Happy New Year! We are back and apologize for taking so long to release a new episode. Moving forward, we will strive to have one episode a month to share our travels and tips, as we continue to each put more time into our respective websites. But first, Tamara has a big announcement and that […]

11/10/2022

Don't miss this week's episode about Glacier National Park and Western Montana's Glacier Country!

This episode is sponsored by Glacier Country Tourism. All opinions are our own. This week, Tamara shares what it is like to visit Glacier Country, Montana on a girls’ trip and Kim shares her thoughts on this scenic part of Northwestern Montana. From Missoula to Whitefish, Kalispell to Glacier Nati...

15/02/2022

Find out why a visit to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park is worth a trip of its own. This week on the podcast we talked to the ultimate family adventure traveler Karilyn from No Back Home about two of her favorite parks. https://vacationmavens.com/207-sequoia-kings-canyon-national-parks/

Family travel adventurer Karilyn Owen, from NoBackHome.com, shares her love of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California. Find out why you should look beyond Yosemite to these lesser visited National Parks. Tamara also shares a some new attractions in New York City that you should check....

18/01/2022

Since so many of us are in that travel dreaming stage right now, this week we talk to Tara Cannon, from Pint Size Pilot, to get her recommendations on some epic family vacation destinations and unique hotels for families to spark your wanderlust.

Tara Cannon, from Pint Size Pilot, gives her recommendations on some epic family vacation destinations and unique hotels for families to spark your wanderlust.

04/01/2022

Before we look ahead to 2022, we take some time to look back at our favorite places and travel products from 2021.

Before we look ahead to 2022, we take some time to look back at 2021 and recap some of our favorite travel places and travel products. Tamara’s Favorite Things for 2021 This post contains affiliate links, if you click a link and make a purchase, we may make a small commission. All opinions are our...

14/12/2021

This week on the podcast, Kim and Tamara are joined by Katja Gaskell from Globetotting.com to talk about their recent trip to the Azores. Hear what makes these islands so special, and what you need to know before you plan a trip to the Azores.

What is green and blue and volcanic all over? This week on the podcast, Kim and Tamara are joined by Katja Gaskell from Globetotting.com to talk about their recent trip to the Azores in a continuation of our Portugal coverage. The Azores are an archipelago of nine Portuguese islands in the middle of...

30/11/2021

Tamara and Kim recently traded the northern cold and rain for Arizona's sunny skies on a "momcation" to Tempe, Arizona. Find out what makes this college city a great option for either a family vacation or a girls' trip. With plenty of outdoor activities and great food, there is a lot about Tempe that may surprise you!

Tamara and Kim enjoyed a girls' weekend in Tempe, AZ recently -- listen in and hear their favorite places to eat and things to do in Tempe.

16/11/2021

Cruising is back and if you want to know what to expect, listen to this week’s podcast episode with Mikkel and Dan Woodruff from Sometimes Sailing: Small Ship Cruising. https://vacationmavens.com/201-cruising-in-back/

Cruising is back! Find out what to expect when cruising in 2021 and beyond with small ship cruising experts Dan and Mikkel Woodruff.

02/11/2021

Our 200th episode kicks off a series of podcast episodes covering Kim and Tamara's recent EPIC trip to Portugal. This week we are joined by Kirsten Maxwell, from and Multigenerational Vacations to talk about visiting Porto and the Douro Valley in Northern Portugal. Stay tuned for future episodes on the Alentejo, Algarve and Azores regions of Portugal!

Find out what you need to know about visiting Porto and the Douro River Valley, home to Port wine, including where to stay.

05/10/2021

Is the weather starting to change where you live? Autumn has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere and this week Kim and Tamara talk about where they have visited recently for fall travel and some other fall favorites. ALSO -- be sure to follow and on Instagram as they explore Portugal together for the next two weeks!

Fall into fall travel with these family travel ideas from the Vacation Mavens podcast.

21/09/2021

This week on the podcast we talk road warrior Ed Pizza from the Miles to Go podcast about the best hotel loyalty programs for families and ways to earn status and free hotel stays.

Find out the best hotel loyalty programs for families with Ed Pizza, road warrior and dad who travels over 100,000 miles a year.

07/09/2021

This week Kim and Tamara are catching up on their respective August travels. Kim shares what it is like to cross the land border between Canada and the USA right now, plus what you need to know before you go. Meanwhile, Tamara almost made it to the Canadian border on her Western New York road trip, but not quite. She tells us about her eating adventures along the Upstate Eats Trail in Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo, New York.

Find out what it is like to cross the USA-Canadian border right now by land and where to stop on a road trip to Buffalo, New York.