Comedian and TV host Mike Siegel talks with comedians, actors, writers and travel professionals about the joys and nightmares of travel. New episodes weekly.https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/en-ushttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/ryando-smithman/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/ryando-smithman/When travelers say they live their lives above ground, most are referring to airplanes. But for Colorado resident Ryando Smithman, living above ground means making a living high in the forest as a tree trimmer.Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/mike-siegel-2/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/mike-siegel-2/Ahoy, Mateys! Yours truly has just returned from a whirlwind comedy tour throughout Europe and has plenty to talk about. After taking the Queen Mary across the pond from NY to Southampton, England, I spent all of August performing on cruise ships, stopping in top-rate ports of call like Barcelona…Fri, 04 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/ian-harris/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/ian-harris/When it’s time to go, it’s time to go. For comedian/film producer Ian Harris, that moment came early in 2026, when he, his wife, and grown daughter decided to leave Hollywood for good.Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/alex-starr/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/alex-starr/The term “digital nomad” conjures up a number of opinions from people.Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/dennis-hoerter/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/dennis-hoerter/Some retire to the rocking chair. Others do the exact opposite. Count former Hollywood camera and visual effects man Dennis Hoerter as one of latter. When he wasn’t working on blockbuster films like Avatar and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Dennis and his wife made travel a priority in their lives…Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/antoinette-hannan-leon/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/antoinette-hannan-leon/Never get caught unprepared. For Antoinette Hannan Leon, her job is to make sure her customers have their paperwork in order when crossing borders. All too often, travelers are caught unaware.Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/david-razowsky/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/david-razowsky/“Yes, and…” For those who’ve ever studied the art of comedy improvisation, the phrase “Yes, and…” is well known: saying no to a question or idea stops a scene cold, while yes opens infinite possibilities.Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/barton-brooks/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/barton-brooks/The true mark of a good person is leaving the world a better place than how you found it. If that is truly the case, then there’s no question that Barton Brooks can be considered a good person.Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/dorie-klissas/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/dorie-klissas/It all started with tennis. Growing up on Long Island, Dorie Klissas grew up playing and traveling as a competitive tennis player. When the championship dreams ended, tennis opened another door into a meeting with legendary tennis broadcaster Bud Collins, who helped Dorie get her first job on a TV…Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/harry-mitsidis/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/harry-mitsidis/And I thought I got around. Sure I’ve seen a few things, but it’s nothing compared to this week’s guest, Harry Mitsidis! Born in Greece but lived most of his life in England, Harry is widely regarded as the world’s most traveled person, having visited nearly every region on Earth – and one of only…Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/leo-flowers/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/leo-flowers/Humor has always been a great tool for handling whatever life throws our way. For comedian Leo Flowers, laughter was a ticket to places he never saw himself going. The Chicago native first got his taste of international travel as a child with yearly visits to see family in Belize.Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/kaitlyn-rosati/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/kaitlyn-rosati/The life of a female solo traveler presents its own unique challenges. One particular inconvenience is often being asked by complete strangers, “Where is your husband?” Kaitlyn Rosati was never one to wait for any man to see the world. She booked her ticket and never looked back.Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/mike-schibel-2/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/mike-schibel-2/Nine years is a lot of time between Travel Tales. Mike Schibel last guested on the show back in 2017, when the sales exec and former showbiz agent had returned from a lengthy world journey determined to make travel a focus in his life.Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/lance-ringnald/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/lance-ringnald/Let’s hear from the judges! Actually, Lance Ringnald doesn’t have to worry about getting high marks from judges anymore since his competitive days as a world-class gymnast are behind him. He now leads a much lower pressure life being judged by audiences on cruise ships worldwide.Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/clint-palmer/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/clint-palmer/Hollywood is a word and a concept that is recognized in every corner of the globe. It’s also been the catalyst for cameraman Clint Palmer to travel to much of the world himself. Recently retired and still living in Pasadena, CA, Clint has a resume that reads like highlights from the last 50 years…Thu, 14 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/teresa-stevens/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/teresa-stevens/They say a dandelion can grow through just about anything. When it comes to navigating and thriving in new environments, immigrants have always found themselves at an inherent disadvantage.Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/angie-orth-2/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/angie-orth-2/Travel long enough, and eventually it will happen. For those of us who’ve led the travelers’ life for years and crossed countless borders and time zones, inevitably a journey will arise that tests the limits of patience and expertise.Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/ronan-oconnell/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/ronan-oconnell/A Tall Order from Down Under. That’s how someone (well, me really) would describe six-foot-five Australian journalist/photographer Ronan O’Connell, who despite his stature, has a knack for laying low while quietly documenting the world around him.Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/janice-martin/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/janice-martin/I’m not doing enough on stage. Those were my thoughts in a nutshell the first time I worked with Janice Martin on a cruise ship, watching her dangle 30 feet in the air on silks while singing and playing violin.Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/lisa-pattenden/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/lisa-pattenden/Lights! Camera! Action! Many have gone to great lengths to chase the elusive Aurora Borealis, AKA “The Northern Lights.” And many have returned disappointed. Some spend small fortunes to travel to remote northern climes to see the elusive display, only to miss out due to cloud cover, light…Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/kyle-lamont/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/kyle-lamont/When deciding on a big move, we’re often told to follow our hearts. No one usually suggests following our ears instead. But for Maine native Kyle Lamont, it was her love of music that drove her to pack her bags and cross the country to Los Angeles and a new life.Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/joe-miragliotta-2/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/joe-miragliotta-2/A lot changes in our lifestyles as we get older. But for Joe Miragliotta, a change in lifestyle means a change in his entire business. Joe is an OG lifestyle blogger who first appeared on Travel Tales way back in 2015.Thu, 19 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/marin-may/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/marin-may/Who’s ready for a reboot? Travel has a way of bookending certain chapters in a person’s life: gap years, graduation trips, honeymoons, divorce trips, work sabbaticals, retirement, etc.Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/maria-kamau/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/maria-kamau/All it takes is one adventure to change a person’s life. For native Kenyan Maria Kamau, a month spent in Germany as a teenager opened her eyes to life outside the only country and continent she had known. Maria vowed then and there she would spend the rest of her life discovering new places.Thu, 05 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/bob-gillespie-2/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/bob-gillespie-2/A fair-skinned Chicagoan making his home in sunny Costa Rica? Why not? In 2025, return guest Bob Gillespie followed through on a plan that had been in the works for years- to move to Costa Rica when his son finished high school and left for college.Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/bryan-lewis/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/bryan-lewis/Sometimes a left turn can make all the difference. Back in the mid-Aughts, Boston native Bryan Lewis was ready to make a change from the standard business route he’d taken up to that point.Thu, 19 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/graham-elwood-2/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/graham-elwood-2/Wherever there are people, there are people who could use a good laugh. Comedian Graham Elwood put that theory to the test in 2025 when he sold everything he owned, left Hollywood, and moved to Thailand full-time.Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/gavin-solomon/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/gavin-solomon/G’day, Mates! Nothing like watching the Australian Open tennis tournament in January to remind me I owe a call to one of my favorite Aussies- Gavin Solomon! Gavin grew up outside Sydney near beautiful Manly Beach doing what most young Australian boys do: surfing, rugby, cricket, Aussie Rules…Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/jack-rathmell/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/jack-rathmell/It’s a long way from Pennsylvania Amish Country to South Africa. No, Jack Rathmell was not raised without electricity, nor did he ride a horse and buggy or churn butter. But he did live in the vicinity of the Amish people, in a bucolic area of the Keystone State.Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/sarah-dandashy-2/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/sarah-dandashy-2/You never really leave the hospitality business. When we first met Sarah Dandashy ten years ago, she was employed as a concierge at a chic West Hollywood hotel. In her spare time, she worked on building her personal brand as a travel and hospitality expert.Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/j-keith-van-straaten-2/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/j-keith-van-straaten-2/It’s a Three-Peat! Our first three-time guest J. Keith van Straaten returns to the pod to talk about his recent honeymoon to Europe and Africa, as well as a bonus “miniMoon” to Buenos Aires! After their LA wedding, J.Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/rael-zieve/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/rael-zieve/For many professional athletes, retirement often leaves a gaping hole where daily adrenaline and excitement used to be. Filling that void leads many into some dark, even deadly spaces. But luckily for former professional jockey Rael Zieve, he had a wife who had long worked in the travel space.Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/2025-year-in-review/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/2025-year-in-review/Time to put the wraps on another year of life and travel. For yours truly, 2025 was a year of love and loss, of wonder and tragedy. From street dancing at Carnaval in Rio, fighting seasickness along Kauai’s magical Kaanapali Coast, or organizing a memorial for friend gone too soon, this year…Fri, 26 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/johnny-cardinale/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/johnny-cardinale/Entertainers will go just about anywhere for a gig. Johnny Cardinale is a comedy road warrior, spending nearly three weeks a month on land and sea entertaining audiences. If that gig involves traveling via Blackhawk helicopter, sleeping on cots in a tent, or bribing customs officials in far-off…Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/steve-mazan/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/steve-mazan/Thank you for your service! Comedian and US Navy veteran Steve Mazan has grown quite accustomed to that response when mentioning his time in the military. While it’s been decades since he’s worn the uniform, Steve still spends plenty of time on bases around the world – only now, he’s armed with…Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/mark-phipps/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/mark-phipps/Ever lose your passport? For many travelers, misplacing that all important document is one of their greatest fears when abroad. Replacing a missing passport leads to canceled plans, bureaucratic hassles, and wasted time and money.Thu, 27 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/azdean-elmoustaquim/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/azdean-elmoustaquim/We’re riding on the Marrakesh Express! The country of Morocco has come a long way since that late ’60’s song about a train ride along the infamous “Hippie Trail.” It’s now become Africa’s most popular country for tourists, surpassing heavy hitters like Egypt and Kenya.Thu, 20 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/scott-neeson-2/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/scott-neeson-2/This week is an encore repeat from 2021, with Scott Neeson, former Hollywood exec who left it all to help starving children in Cambodia. Truly inspiring.Mon, 17 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/cathy-ladman/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/cathy-ladman/“Hello, Europe! Are you ready to laugh?!” Actually, those words were never uttered by longtime comedian Cathy Ladman at any point during her recent 16-day trip around The Continent with her boyfriend of two years.Thu, 06 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/krishna-shivdasani/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/krishna-shivdasani/As most marketing classes will tell you, there is no better advertising than personal recommendations. That personal touch is something that Krishna Shivdasani and his sister thought was lacking in major travel apps like Trip Advisor and Yelp. They set out to do something about it.Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/mark-parton-2/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/mark-parton-2/A first trip to the Land of the Rising Sun is an eye-opening experience for millions every year. Mark Parton is no exception. When we last met my old high school buddy on Travel Tales, he was in the wine business and living in the hills outside San Francisco.Thu, 23 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/craig-d-forrest/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/craig-d-forrest/The best camera operators will do anything to get the shot. As a man who spent the bulk of his 40-year career behind a lens as a filmmaker and TV producer, Craig D. Forrest has seen it all.Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/melissa-rodway/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/melissa-rodway/Save your old emails! When Toronto native Melissa Rodway took a 4-month backpacking trip through Southeast Asia in 2010, she filled her downtime on the road by sending lengthy emails to her friends back home about her adventures.Thu, 09 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/jennifer-johnson/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/jennifer-johnson/Couples who adventure together, stay together. Early on in their courtship, Jennifer Johnson and her now husband Scott Mobley realized they both had similar cases of terminal wanderlust. With time (and a pandemic shutdown), the talking and dreaming of living abroad became a reality.Thu, 02 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/kenny-dunn/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/kenny-dunn/Eat my way through Europe? Yes, please! A job and a relationship led Philly native Kenny Dunn to move to Rome, Italy back in 2009. What he thought might be a short-term stay is still going to this day. What didn’t stay long was his job, and he soon found himself unemployed in the Eternal City.Thu, 25 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/george-jerjian/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/george-jerjian/Does anyone really know what their retirement will look like, or if they’ll have one at all? As a working Londoner with a wife and two daughters, George Jerjian entered his 50’s still in full work/money mode. But soon, his health had other plans.Thu, 18 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/carrie-dow/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/carrie-dow/Let’s hear it the animals! Carrie Dow has covered a lot of ground as a freelance writer, much of it centering on travel and food and beverages. But she had other interests when it came to travel.Thu, 11 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/evlyn-mondo/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/evlyn-mondo/Many of us could use a major pivot in our lives at some point. For Quebec native Evlyn Mondo and her husband, that meant ditching their lives in the Great White North and making their permanent home on a tropical island.Thu, 04 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/oli-france/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/oli-france/English adventurer Oli France has a dream. As we’ve learned on Travel Tales many times, it’s often dreams that propel people to travel in the first place. But Oli’s dream would leave most people shaking their heads in disbelief.Thu, 28 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/eryn-gordon/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/eryn-gordon/Chalk it up to Covid inspiration. Having lost her writing job during the pandemic, Eryn Gordon figured it was as good a time as any to make a career pivot. Having never been before, Massachusetts native Eryn threw caution to the wind and accepted a job teaching English in South Korea.Thu, 21 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/melissa-curtin/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/melissa-curtin/Need the LA scoop? We last interviewed travel writer Melissa Curtin in 2013 when she was a schoolteacher getting her Los Angeles-centric travel/lifestyle blog LaLa Scoop off the ground. Now it’s 2025 and the site is still flying high – and so is Melissa.Thu, 14 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/jordan-giberson/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/jordan-giberson/Yee-haw! Look who’s in London! As a tried-and-true Texan, few of Jordan Giberson’s friends and family took her seriously when she declared on her first visit to Old Blighty- “I’m going to live here someday.” Once Jordan finished her masters degree in 2019 and received a job offer in Houston, she…Thu, 07 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/justin-walter-2/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/justin-walter-2/The future is never guaranteed. Justin Walter has made it his mission in life to encourage others to go after their dreams – especially if that dream involves travel. We last met Justin nine years ago as a neophyte travel blogger with a borderline obsession for the TV reality show Survivor.Thu, 31 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/kate-fincham/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/kate-fincham/When life on land is in turmoil, a life on the water sounds pretty good to a lot of people. For Ontario resident Kate Fincham, it was the Covid pandemic that inspired her to make a major change – she bought a houseboat and moved in.Thu, 24 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/tom-mclauchlan/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/tom-mclauchlan/“Have songs- will travel.” That phrase could be on Tom Mclauchlan’s business card, because it’s the Englishman’s prodigious musical talent which has helped him tour the world. Though he was tempted in his teenage years to shred the electric axe in a prog-rock band, Tom soon saw that his tastes and…Thu, 17 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/kellie-paxian/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/kellie-paxian/Interacting with wild mountain gorillas in Africa is often considered a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most people fortunate enough to do it. But for some, it can be a life-altering experience.Thu, 10 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/bonus-episode/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/bonus-episode/In this special bonus episode we're headed to Oregon with the our friends the hosts of the Hidden Trails of Oregon Podcast . “It’s part action movie, part rock show blurring into the superbowl. It feels modern, but bull riding itself goes back to the bronze age.Mon, 07 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/alex-bogaard/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/alex-bogaard/There’s something to be said for the old-school methods. While most people (and certainly most travelers) are never without a camera phone on their person at all times these days, Alex Bogaard cultivated his talent for photography the way many of us did in the pre-digital age – lugging a film…Thu, 03 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/laura-kiniry-2/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/laura-kiniry-2/It’s been too long! Eleven years after her first appearance on the Travel Tales Podcast, travel writer Laura Kiniry returns to share her Tales of where she’s been in the meantime. Hint- she’s been everywhere! The San-Francisco based writer has been to every continent since we last spoke: recent…Thu, 26 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/kinga-philipps-2/https://www.traveltalespodcast.com/podcast/kinga-philipps-2/All hail the Queen! To be fair, Kinga Philipps does not go around calling herself The Shark Queen. But if she did, there wouldn’t be many around to argue. Since we last met up with the TV host/producer back in 2019, Kinga has continued to fill the niche of on-camera worldwide adventurer, and shows…Thu, 19 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT