Disney for the Holidays With Krystin Turner from Dreams Unlimited Travel
Fly with Chris and Di
What happens when you take the magic of Disney and the magic of Christmas and combine them? You get Disney for the holidays. Our friend and Disney travel expert Krystin Turner is here today to talk about some of the cool things that are available from Disney during the holiday and Christmas season. She has stayed at all of the resorts and has extensive knowledge about Disneyland, Disney World, and Disney Cruises. We were lucky enough to have Krystin as our guest on season one of the podcast when we talked a
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Health and Wellness While Traveling
Fly with Chris and Di
We are joined by Jamie and Skylar from Explorcation on this episode of the podcast. They have a fantastic blog and vlog on YouTube. They share a ton of advice for staying healthy and well when you are traveling.
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Get to Know Chris
Fly with Chris and Di
It is finally time to get to know our other host better. Today we are going to dig deeper and get to know more about Chris and his travel adventures. He waits until the very end of the episode to share his special story about his favorite childhood travel experience and adds some special guests in on the discussion.
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Africa with Ashley
Fly with Chris and Di
Award-winning travel agent, Ashley Morris from Alpaca Your Bags, will be joining us to talk about AFRICA! Ashley joined us in Season 1 to tell us all the tips and tricks to planning an amazing destination wedding or vow renewal. Ashley is back and fresh off of a trip she recently took to East Africa. She is going to share all of the details of this once-in-a-lifetime experience. She shares how she was lucky enough to get to go on a safari and preparation including visas and vaccinations.
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Italy Quick Tips
Fly with Chris and Di
Hey, fly listeners, thanks for joining us for this quick tip Thursday. If you haven't checked out episode 41, be sure to do so. In that episode, Tanya Shelburne of the Traveling Tanya blog took us through all of the ins and outs of planning a trip to Italy. If you're thinking of taking a tip to this amazing company you will want all of that info. Today, Tanya gives us some top tips for how to make the most out of your Italian vacation. Some of the things we talk about include when to go to Italy.
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Italy with Traveling Tanya
Fly with Chris and Di
Tanya Shelburne, author of the Traveling Tanya blog is here with us. Tanya is on a mission to inspire busy people like you to make travel a priority by sharing her vacation adventures and travel tips. Like us, she has two teenagers and loves to travel the world. Today, Tanya is going to take us to Italy. Tanya shares all kinds of insights about going to Italy. She even shares a great tool for trip planning and creating your own itinerary. This episode will have you dreaming about visiting Italy and will giv
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Affording Travel with Danielle Desir (The Thought Card)
Fly with Chris and Di
Having the right mindset is a popular topic no matter what you’re trying to accomplish. When it comes to travel, the two main mindset issues people often have are lack of time and lack of money. Our guest today has developed strategies to make travel a priority. She talks about her techniques for intentional budgeting and saving for travel. We also talk about how to find the best flights and deals, the difference between a trip and a vacation, and why travel can be so rewarding.
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Budget Friendly National Parks with Michelle (The Wandering Queen)
Fly with Chris and Di
National parks are a great way to explore natural beauty close to home and in other countries. Today, we chat with Michelle Stelly who fell in love with hiking, backpacking, and camping. She runs the The Wandering Queen blog, where she talks about her adventures and shares tips and tricks for beginner and experienced hikers and campers. Michelle’s enthusiasm and love of nature is contagious as she talks about how she began, where she’s been, and her favorite places to go.
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What is Your Post-Quarantine Travel Destination?
Fly with Chris and Di
Hey Fly listeners, we are thrilled to have you with us today. We are your hosts Chris and Di, and if you are anything like us, you are ready to get out of the house and go somewhere, anywhere, as long as you can get the heck out of dodge and see something besides your four walls.
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How to Budget for Travel with Nikki Rue
Fly with Chris and Di
Our friend Nikki Rue from She Saves She Travels is back. Regular listeners may remember her tips on How to Book the Cheapest Flight Possible from episode 23. Nikki runs a travel and finance blog that specializes in helping people work with the income they have to go on the trips they want. Her blog is a wealth of tips and resources to save money, budget, and find the best travel deals. We loved all of her tips for finding cheap flights, and today we take it a step further by talking about how to plan and
info_outlineWith music, sports, nightlife, and great places to eat, Nashville has it all. It’s also our hometown, and we are excited to talk about it today. There is so much to do and see in Nashville, and we’ll be talking about this in upcoming episodes, but today is all about where to stay when visiting Nashville. From modern upscale hotels with rooftop bars to unique boutique hotels, there are so many choices when deciding where to stay in Nashville.
We share our planning expertise to help you find a place to stay that suits your interests and what you want to do during your visit. Nashville is made up of different neighborhoods that all have their own unique vibe. We kick off with some of the nice places to stay downtown that are located close to stadiums and bars. Then we move on to hotels that are in The Gulch, Midtown, and Printers Alley. If you want something a little quieter, we also talk about some lovely residential areas that have Airbnb options. Nashville has something for everyone, and we want to help you find the perfect place for you to stay.
Show Notes:
[03:47] Chris lived in Nashville for a couple of years after he finished school. We recently moved back.
[04:11] In the last 7-10 years, Nashville has really grown. Especially, the downtown area called SoBro or South of Broadway.
[04:33] Downtown is the most popular area. This is where the stadiums and the bars and clubs are located. This is where you can experience Nashville.
[05:36] The Westin Nashville is close to everything and a wonderful place to stay with two restaurants and a rooftop bar.
[06:28] The Noelle is a boutique hotel. It's a creative gathering place with a rooftop bar called the Rare Bird. It looks like an old train station and a really great unique feel.
[07:41] Hilton is one of our main go-tos with three restaurants and two bars. You can also get suites. This is great if you love Hiltons or are a rewards member.
[09:01] When you have a special occasion or want to go all out, the Bobby Hotel is an upscale experience on the cusp of the Nashville music scene. It even has a rooftop lounge with a swimming pool and it's right in Printer's Alley.
[11:30] Other great downtown locations include The Omni, the J.W. Marriott, the Renaissance, the Sheraton, the Hilton, and the Hilton Garden Inn.
[11:48] The Fairlane Hotel is a metro modern hub. It's a quirky mid-century modern design from the 1960s and 1970s. If you were around at those times it will hearken your childhood memories.
[12:55] A boutique hotel specifically designed for groups is the Bode. They have from one to four bedroom units with chef kitchens and balconies. This would be a wonderful and unique place for a group to stay.
[13:35] Nashville has country music and honky tonks, so you can just get down and have a good time. There are also very trendy upscale places to stay. NashVegas can compete with places across the world.
[14:26] The Gulch is an upscale trendy area. It has more of a local feel, it's about two miles off of the strip. There are cool hotels and restaurants.
[15:50] We're going to start with the Thompson Nashville. All of the rooms have floor to ceiling windows that overlooks the Gulch and downtown. The decor is mid-century modern with hardwood floors and there are three restaurants there.
[16:24] The 404 Boutique is a tiny hotel. They only have four king suite rooms with custom vintage furniture. They also have loft spaces and photography by local artists. They also have the award-winning 404 Kitchen restaurant.
[18:23] Midtown is about 5 miles away from downtown. Hattie B's Hot chicken is in Midtown. This is a great area for young professionals. Each area has a different vibe. You'll find more locals here.
[19:49] Embassy Suites and Home 2 Suites are good choices. There's also The Kimpton Aertson with 180 guest rooms. They also have 12 suites and 12 different room types. There is private dining and an award winning brasserie. Di wants to spend the day at their spa and get a four handed spa.
[21:56] West End is one of Chris's favorite areas. It's a little further from the city. This is where Vanderbilt is at. It's also a little more affordable.
[23:14] You can walk to Midtown from West End, but you'll need a car for the other areas.
[23:40] You can stay at the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt or the Loews Vanderbilt or the Hayes Street Hotel. The Hayes Street is a boutique hotel with a minimalist vibe and the Hayes Street Bar.
[23:53] The Hutton Hotel is a four star, four diamond hotel that caters to musicians. It's upscale and casual, and it has creative spaces for musical professionals. It also has penthouses and is super pet friendly. You could also run into one of your favorite musicians here.
[24:51] The Hutton is also very pet friendly with special water bowls and treats. They also have a complete vinyl library and in room record players. They also have a house car that will take you anywhere in a 3-mile radius, and it happens to be a Tesla. The fitness center has a Peloton bike and TRX.
[26:10] All of the music studios are between West End and Midtown.
[26:57] 12 South is a residential neighborhood. There are a lot of bars, restaurants and shops here. It's walkable and has Bartaco. There's a cool vibe with a lot of locals.
[28:31] Belmont University is also a large school in Nashville. It's a small quaint beautiful area. You can great Airbnbs in these neighborhoods.
[30:10] Hillsborough is an urban neighborhood with younger adults and college students. There are over 25 bars and restaurants.
[30:55] East Nashville is well-known because of the musicians and artists that live here. It's like its own city with over 100 restaurants and shops. You can't walk to other neighborhoods if you are staying here.
[32:48] When you are planning your trip, think about all of these things when determining the right place to stay.
Links and Resources:
Airbnb Get $40 off your first home booking of $75 or more and $15 off towards an experience of $50 or more
Waldorf Astoria and the Conrad Hotel and Resorts Get a $100 daily credit when you stay 2 or more nights and book at least 3 days in advance
Embassy Suites Nashville at Vanderbilt University Hotel
Henley Modern American Brasserie