Let's Go Together: Recent Episodes
Travel + Leisure
Let’s Go Together, a new podcast from Travel + Leisure, features diverse voices sharing their unique travel experiences and inspiring others to explore the world. Each week host Kellee Edwards, award-winning travel expert, speaks to guests about inclusivity, including episodes that introduce an adventurer who climbed Machu Picchu in his wheelchair and the first documented black woman to visit every country in the world. Come back every Wednesday for a new episode!
On this episode of Let’s Go Together, Kellee heads to Hilton Head Island in South Carolina to chat with Ahmad Ward, the Executive Director of Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park, the site of the first self-governed town of formerly enslaved people in the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode of Let’s Go Together, Kellee sits down with actor Emily Hampshire to talk about small town travel, including Emily’s experiences working in a small town as a cast member on the hit television series Schitt’s Creek. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode of Let’s Go Together, Genealogist Nicka Sewell-Smith answers Kellee’s questions about tracing family histories through DNA testing and heritage travel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We’re wrapping up another amazing season of Let’s Go Together, but before we go, let’s take a look back at some of our favorite moments from this past season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode of Let’s Go Together, Genealogist Nicka Sewell-Smith answers Kellee’s questions about tracing family histories through DNA testing and heritage travel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode of Let’s Go Together, Kellee sits down with Corinne Rice-Grey Cloud, an educator and journalist, to talk about her work in diversity and inclusion for indigenous voices as well as what to keep in mind when traveling to indigenous spaces. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode, Kellee sits down with travel journalists and influencers Danielle PointDuJour and Travis Levius to talk about Black luxury travel and what it means to travel while Black. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode of Let’s Go Together, Kellee heads to Hilton Head Island in South Carolina to chat with Ahmad Ward, the Executive Director of Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park, the site of the first self-governed town of formerly enslaved people in the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode of Let’s Go Together, Kellee sits down with actor Emily Hampshire to talk about small town travel, including Emily’s experiences working in a small town as a cast member on the hit television series Schitt’s Creek. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this week's episode of Let’s Go Together, Kellee sits down with Captain Kate McCue, the first American woman to captain a commercial cruise liner, to ask about her experiences as a female maritime officer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jin Prugsawan, chief of interpretation, education, and volunteers at Haleakalā National Park in Hawaii, shares her experiences as a female Park Ranger in the National Parks Service, including walking on day old land and reuniting with long lost family members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode of Let’s Go Together, Kellee sits down with Cliona O’Flaherty, part of the Marine Biologist team at Kokomo Private Island Resort in Fiji. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode of Let’s Go Together, Kellee sits down with hospitality executive Diana Plazas-Trowbridge, the Chief Sales & Marketing Officer for Caribbean and Latin America at Marriott. Diana shares her experiences working in the hospitality industry, her thoughts on travel to Central and Latin America, and her childhood dreams of travel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode, we head to New Orleans… New Orleans East to be exact, to the Vietnamese American neighborhood of Versailles, where Linh Garza’s family opened Dong Phuoung Banh Mi & Baked Goods in 1982 after arriving in New Orleans as refugees. We talk to Linh about how her family’s bakery became one of the hottest bakeshops in the city, and ask how it felt when it was named an “American Classic” by the prestigious James Beard Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode, guest host Tanner Saunders sits down with newly engaged celebrity couple Jaymes Vaughan and Jonathan Bennett to chat about LGBTQ+ travel with their new travel company OUTbound Travel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode, Kellee sits down with writer Jordan Kisner to talk about her recent trip to Provincetown, MA, a seaside town on the tip of Cape Cod — the site of the Mayflower’s landing that has become better known as a haven for the LGBTQIA community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode, we join guest host Nina Ruggiero as she sits down with winemaker Denise Adams, co-owner of ADAMVS in Napa, CA and Château Fonplégade in Saint-Émilion, France, to talk about the joys and challenges of making wine in two of the most well-known winemaking regions in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode, Kellee chats with the Gamble Family who decided to sell their house, buy an RV, and spend the pandemic living on the road as a family of nomads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fencing has taken Ibtihaj Muhammad all over the world — including Rio, where she won a bronze medal representing Team USA in 2016. She talks about her path to the Olympics, her pilgrimage to Mecca, being profiled at the airport, and where she wants to go next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode, Kellee chats with Damien McDuffie, the the Director of Brand Strategy & Archives at the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation in Oakland, CA. Damien shares his favorite spots in Oakland, his experiences preserving the legacy of the Black Panther Party, as well as his work supporting Black art and culture in Oakland through the use of augmented reality technology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode of Let’s Go Together, Travel + Leisure’s Experiences Editor and guest host Tanner Saunders, sits down with actor and comedian Margaret Cho to talk about her experiences as a comedian, actor, and traveler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode, Kellee chats with travel influencer and adventure traveler Brian McIntosh (you know him from @whereintheworldisb on Instagram) about traveling to remote destinations and exploring the Canadian backcountry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week, we are sharing an episode from THE WILD with Chris Morgan, a podcast that explores stories of wildlife and our connection to nature. In this episode Chris Morgan, a wildlife researcher, award-winning TV host and filmmaker meets with a local forest bathing therapist named Julie Hepp to understand how nature that connects us all. You can hear their latest adventures at thewildpod.org or wherever you get your podcasts. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode of Let’s Go Together, Travel + Leisure’s Editor in Chief Jacqueline Gifford returns as a guest host. She sits down with fellow travel writer Jeff Chu, editor-at-large at Travel + Leisure, to talk about his recent coverage of Travel+Leisure’s Global Vision Awards, his fond memories of covering food and art while traveling, and his thoughts on travel post-pandemic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode, Kellee sits down with travel journalists and influencers Danielle PointDuJour and Travis Levius to talk about Black luxury travel and what it means to travel while Black. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode, we head to the oak tree-lined roads of Savannah, Georgia to visit The Grey, a formerly segregated Greyhound bus terminal turned award winning restaurant. Host Kellee Edwards chats with its co-owners, James Beard Award-winning chef Mashama Bailey and her business partner John O. Morisano. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode, we head to San Francisco’s Historic Castro District, home to one of the nation’s most well-know LGBTQIA enclaves, to talk with Terry Beswick, the Executive Director of the GLBT Historical Society. We chat with Terry about his personal history of advocating for the LGBTQIA community, his current work preserving LGBTQIA history, and his thoughts on the importance of the Castro. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We visit the World-Famous Apollo Theater in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood to hear from Billy Mitchell, The Apollo’s resident historian and head tour guide, as he shares his stories from over five decades of experience working for The Apollo Theater. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Travel bloggers Christina Guan (Happy to Wander) and Juno Kim (Runaway Juno) talk about their experiences as Asian travelers, increased anti-Asian racism around COVID-19, and why we need more diverse representation in the travel space. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With Pride 2021 coming up next month, we take a look back at some of our past conversations with travelers from the LGBTQIA community, including Gabi and Shanna, of 27 Travels, Matt and Brad, of Hello Ranger, and trans advocates Kam Burns and Aria Sa’id. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode, we head to New Orleans… New Orleans East to be exact, to the Vietnamese American neighborhood of Versailles, where Linh Garza’s family opened Dong Phuoung Banh Mi & Baked Goods in 1982 after arriving in New Orleans as refugees. We talk to Linh about how her family’s bakery became one of the hottest bakeshops in the city, and ask how it felt when it was named an “American Classic” by the prestigious James Beard Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode of Let’s Go Together, guest host Jacqueline Gifford, Travel+Leisure’s Editor in Chief, sits down with Neil Jacobs, CEO of Six Senses Resorts and Spas (a 2021 Global Vision Award winner), to discuss how Six Senses approaches responsible travel and sustainable living. Neil shares his beliefs in how resorts can better engage with their local ecologies and communities, as well as their responsibility in educating the next generation in sustainability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Infectious Disease Epidemiologist and Science Communications Specialist Jessica Malaty Rivera has made a career breaking down the complexities of pandemics in ways that everyone can understand. In this episode, she sits down with Kellee to talk about all-things COVID-19, including what’s up with the vaccines and when it’ll be safe to travel again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jin Prugsawan, chief of interpretation, education, and volunteers at Haleakalā National Park in Hawaii, shares her experiences as a female Park Ranger in the National Parks Service, including walking on day old land and reuniting with long lost family members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Deanna Wallace is an ICU travel nurse who journeys from hospital to hospital to help fill gaps in areas where there are nursing shortages. She joins the podcast to share her experiences of working as a travel nurse and what it’s been like over the past year working on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Annise Parker, former councilwoman, controller, and mayor of Houston, sits down with Kellee to talk about the city she loves. Annise shares the story of how she became the first openly LGBTQIA person to be elected mayor of a major U.S. city, and why she thinks Houston became one of the most diverse cities in the nation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Author Morgan Jerkins speaks six languages and has traveled all over the world. Most recently, she went on a journey to explore her own roots as a Black woman in America. She discusses encountering racism while traveling and how travel has helped inform her sense of identity as a Black woman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Season two of Let’s Go Together from Travel + Leisure is coming soon! Host and award-winning travel expert Kellee Edwards speaks to guests about their favorite destinations and the stories that shaped the people and cultures in those places. This season, the openly gay former mayor of Houston talks about building one of the most diverse cities in the nation, a female park ranger discusses striving for success in a traditionally male-dominated profession, Mr. Apollo himself explains how the Apollo Theater shaped Harlem, and more. Let these conversations about inclusivity in the travel space inspire you to travel the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week, we are sharing an episode from Passport. A podcast that helps you understand the world, one place at a time. It’s hosted by best friends Neil Innes and Andres Bartos, every week they take you somewhere new and tell you an amazing story about it. In this episode, Passport is taking a journey on the Indian Railway. These train cars are a moving microcosm of India, and the inspiration behind some of the country’s greatest love stories - on the Bollywood screen and in real life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Writers Martinique Lewis and Lawrence Ross discuss the precautions they must take as African Americans in a country with a violent history towards Black motorists. Despite their heightened awareness, Martinique and Lawrence take us on a journey on how they discovered their love of the American landscape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Far Flung with Saleem Reshamwala (a podcast from TED) is a journey across the globe in search of the world's most surprising and imaginative ideas. In this episode, Saleem Reshamwala explores AfroBubbleGum, an art movement from Nairobi, Kenya, that challenges the narratives often seen about Africa as limited to war, poverty and devastation. But sharing this joyous art is no frivolous task — it can even mean having your work banned. See why AfroBubbleGum faces opposition and what artists, like filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu, are willing to do to fight for it. Also featuring an interview and music from "Blinky" Bill Sellanga. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jessica Nabongo, the first documented black woman to visit every country in the world, and cross-cultural communication, diversity, equity, and inclusion expert Tayo Rockson talk with host Kellee Edwards about their experiences as Black travelers and why destinations across Africa should be on your bucket list. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
While we're busy recording new episodes of Let's Go Together, check out this episode of Allrecipes' Homemade. Chef, restaurateur, author, and philanthropist, Marcus Samuelsson, reminisces on his grandmother’s kitchen and shares how she made fish dumplings and apple jam. In this episode of Homemade, Samuelsson talks with host Martie Duncan about growing up in Sweden, traveling the US for No Passport Required, and seeing the best in people at the worst of times. They discuss the importance of Black cooks in American food history and how to support Black chefs in your community. Samuelsson also tells about his love of Thanksgiving and his secret ingredient for super crispy and delicious turkey skin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nearly one in five Americans has a mental illness, and these conditions can be unwelcome stowaways on vacation. Doug Leddin, a mental health advocate from Dublin, Ireland, hasn’t let depression and anxiety keep him from exploring the globe. He shares stories about his travels to Indonesia, Morocco, and more — and tips for how to manage your mental health while traveling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Elena Nikolova and Rabbi Daniel Bortz are two travel influencers who are deeply devoted to their faith. As a Muslim traveler, Elena helps travelers find the Halal travel destinations and interesting Islamic landmarks and Rabbi Daniel has extensive experience finding Jewish communities around the world. Elena and Rabbi Daniel talk to Kellee about the hardships and joys of faith-based travel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nyle DiMarco is a model, actor, activist, and the Executive Producer of the hit Netflix series, Deaf U, which takes viewers inside life at the U.S.’s only liberal arts university for the deaf. In this episode, Nyle talks to Kellee about his world travels—and how his deafness is an asset, not a limitation, when connecting with new people and cultures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bob Halicky is a commercial airline pilot who made history when he became the first Type 1 diabetic to ever fly for a major airline. In this episode Bob talks to Kellee about receiving his diagnosis, fighting to return to the cockpit, and his love of logging miles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Amoya Shante founder of Single Moms Do Travel and Libryia Jones co-founder of Wandering Moms Community sit down with Kellee to discuss the delicate balance of raising children as single moms and broadening horizons by taking their kids around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Professional travel blogger Gloria Antanmo offers tips for women traveling solo and explains how her once small travel blog grew into an independent business that has allowed her the freedom to travel the world, solo and at her leisure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jolie Varela is the founder of Indigenous Women Hike, an organization that gathers a community of Native women together to explore their heritage and relearn their ancestral landscape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Explorer Mario Rigby and Travel Writer Rondel Holder talk about tracing their ancestry, exploring multiple countries across the continent and common misconceptions about Africa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
LGBTQ couple Gabi and Shanna have documented their travels on their popular Youtube channel and blog under the moniker 27 Travels, which has become a go-to resource for LGBTQ-friendly destinations. They talk about their love for travel and each other. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Writers Martinique Lewis and Lawrence Ross discuss the precautions they must take as African Americans in a country with a violent history towards Black motorists. Despite their heightened awareness, Martinique and Lawrence take us on a journey on how they discovered their love of the American landscape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Although Corey Lee and Hannah Gavios are two travelers living with physical disabilities, that hasn’t stopped them from taking on new challenges and new heights with each destination they visit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Kam Burns and Aria Sa’id discuss what it’s like traveling with a Transgender identity. From navigating TSA to affirming their own identities while abroad, Kam and Aria talk through the challenges they face and the experiences they’ve had as Trans explorers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Professional travel blogger Gloria Antanmo offers tips for women traveling solo and explains how her once small travel blog grew into an independent business that has allowed her the freedom to travel the world, solo and at her leisure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Editor-in-Chief of Travel + Leisure Magazine, Jacqueline Gifford, takes over hosting for this episode of Let’s Go Together and talks to our host, Kellee Edwards, about her becoming a pilot, future travel plans, and where she developed her love of exploration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
While we're busy recording new episodes of Let's Go Together, check out this episode of Latina to Latina. On The Today Show and while covering red carpet fashion for Access Hollywood, Lilliana Vazquez has become one of the most sought-after style experts. As a first-generation Latina growing up in Texas, she assumed she’d become “an accountant, a lawyer or a doctor.” Instead, with her blog, The Cheap Chica’s Guide to Style, as a foundation, she built a fashion brand at “the intersection of aspiration and accessibility.” With the recent launch of her online boutique, Tesoro Collective, Lilliana is parlaying her love of fashion, her knowledge of e-commerce and her media training into much more: a sense of security and independence she’s never had before. Tips for editing your closet and secrets to the perfect influencer photo paved the way for her blueprint to “build something that belongs to you.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
While we're busy recording new episodes of Let's Go Together, check out this episode of Out Travel the System, from Expedia. 32,000 miles. That's how far Minh-Chau and Vu Chu, a.k.a. "The Traveling Chus" drove with their 4-year-old son, Harvey, on an epic 8-month road trip visiting 51 US National Parks. Together, they discovered the transformative power of travel as they reconnected with one another and explored their passion for nature. They join host Nisreene Atassi to share their stories and tips from the road. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
While we're busy recording new episodes of Let's Go Together, check out this episode of Homemade, from AllRecipes. On her YouTube channel, Emmymade in Japan, Emmy Cho (A.K.A. Emmymade) explores food and recipes sent to her from fans all over the world. In this episode of Homemade, Emmymade dishes with Martie Duncan on recreating old recipes, growing up with classic cooking shows, feeding a young family, and eating bugs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
While we're busy recording new episodes of Let's Go Together, check out the first episode of Festival Circuit: New Orleans, from Osiris Media. It's a podcast about New Orleans music, and the annual jazz festival. This five-episode series looks at the history of music in the city, monumental performances over the festival's 50-year history, and includes interviews with Ivan Neville, Anders Osborne, Irma Thomas, George Porter, Jr., Papa Mali, and dozens of other musicians. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fencing has taken Ibtihaj Muhammad all over the world — including Rio, where she won a bronze medal representing Team USA in 2016. She talks about her path to the Olympics, her pilgrimage to Mecca, being profiled at the airport, and where she wants to go next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Micah Kamohoali‘i and Alyssa London talk about Hawaii and Alaska, and the importance of cultural preservation in two of the world’s most amazing places. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Triple Cripples — London-based podcast and video duo Kym Oliver and Jumoke Abdullahi — talk about their experiences traveling the world as Black disabled women. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Writer Amanda E. Machado talks about traveling the world, hiking, and backpacking as a Latina and the daughter of immigrants — and why we all belong in nature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Travelers Jeff Jenkins (ChubbyDiaries.com) and Dean and Julie Couchey (TwoFatAmericans.com) talk about what it’s like to travel the world in a bigger body — and why your weight shouldn’t prevent you from following your dreams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Author Morgan Jerkins speaks six languages and has traveled all over the world. Most recently, she went on a journey to explore her own roots as a Black woman in America. She discusses encountering racism while traveling and how travel has helped inform her sense of identity as a Black woman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Solo travelers Charlotte Simpson (@travelingblackwidow) and Janice Waugh (solotravelerworld.com) share how traveling alone helped them overcome grief and handle tough situations — and give insight into what they’ve learned from hitting the road on their own. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Travel bloggers Christina Guan (Happy to Wander) and Juno Kim (Runaway Juno) talk about their experiences as Asian travelers, increased anti-Asian racism around COVID-19, and why we need more diverse representation in the travel space. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nearly one in five Americans has a mental illness, and these conditions can be unwelcome stowaways on vacation. Doug Leddin, a mental health advocate from Dublin, Ireland, hasn’t let depression and anxiety keep him from exploring the globe. He shares stories about his travels to Indonesia, Morocco, and more — and tips for how to manage your mental health while traveling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jessica Nabongo, the first documented black woman to visit every country in the world, and cross-cultural communication, diversity, equity, and inclusion expert Tayo Rockson talk with host Kellee Edwards about their experiences as Black travelers and why destinations across Africa should be on your bucket list. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Married couple Matt and Brad Kirouac spent a lot of time traveling for work and it was impacting the amount of time they spent together. So, they decided to ditch their city lifestyle and apartment to hit the road in a 26-foot RV. With a shared love of the great outdoors, Brad and Matt have spent time visiting national parks, historic sites, battlefields, and protected lands while reflecting on what it’s like to travel around the country as a gay couple. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
While surfing in California at the age of 17, Jesse Billauer fell off a wave and hit his head, leaving him instantly paralyzed from the chest down. This, however, didn't stop him from exploring the world. In fact, his accident has become the driving force behind his mission to show everyone there simply are no roadblocks that can stop you from living your best life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Travel + Leisure’s new podcast features host Kellee Edwards, an award-winning travel expert, discussing inclusivity in the travel space through diverse storytelling, inspiring everyone to explore the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices