Know Where You Want To Go Travel Podcast: Recent Episodes

Cam DeJong

Taking you to new places with ideas on how to get there and have a great vacation.

In this episode, Cam De Jong dives deep into the world of travel agents and the sometimes controversial practices within the industry. He shares his personal experiences and frustrations, emphasizing the importance of integrity and honesty in travel consulting. Cam explains why he decided to hyper-niche his agency, CamJon Travel, to focus exclusively on Virgin Voyages and highlights the significance of transparency with clients. He discusses unethical practices he has encountered and advises travelers to do thorough research when selecting a travel consultant. The episode also features insights on how to identify and avoid misleading travel agencies.

Key Points:

Introduction and reflection on the previous episode about work-life balance while traveling.
Announcement of the hyper-niche focus on Virgin Voyages for CamJon Travel.
Cam’s frustrations with the lack of integrity among some travel agents.
Importance of honesty and transparency in the travel industry.
Tips for travelers to do their research and find trustworthy travel consultants.
Mention of an open letter Cam wrote addressing these issues.
Information on joining CamJon Travel’s intro to Virgin Voyages cruise on October 2nd.
Explanation of why CamJon Travel will only consult on Virgin Voyages and not mislead clients about other cruise lines.

Links Mentioned:

CamJon Travel - https://www.camjontravel.com

An Open Letter about Integrity, Honest, and Clients First as a Virgin Voyages First Mate - https://camjontravel.com/open-letter-virgin-voyages-integrity-honest-clients-first/

Virgin Voyages Fit Quiz - https://camjontravel.com/virgin-voyages/#quiz

Intro to Virgin Voyages Cruise October 2-6, 2024 - Learn More

Welcome back, travelers! In today's episode of the Know Where You Wanna Go Travel Podcast, we're diving deep into the world of work-life balance and how travel plays a crucial role in achieving it. Join your host, Cam De Jong, as he chats with Angela Myers, a seasoned freelance health writer and content strategist who has an impressive track record of visiting 38 countries while maintaining a thriving freelance business.

Together, they'll explore Angela's unique approach to balancing work and travel, her favorite destinations, and her dream travel list. Angela will also share invaluable tips on managing work commitments on the road, finding that elusive balance, and effectively using asynchronous communication to maximize both professional productivity and personal adventure.

If you're aspiring to blend your career with your passion for travel, this episode is packed with insights and inspiration you don't want to miss. So buckle up, grab your favorite travel snack, and let’s get started on this journey to mastering work-life balance through travel!

Show Notes:

In this episode of the Know Where You Wanna Go Travel Podcast, host Cam DeJong is joined by Angela Myers, a freelance health writer and content strategist. Angela shares insights into balancing work and travel, recounts some of her favorite trips, and discusses the challenges of maintaining productivity while exploring new destinations.

With 38 countries under her belt, Angela offers practical tips for integrating travel into a busy professional life. This episode is a must-listen for anyone aspiring to achieve a harmonious work-life balance through travel.

Guest:

Angela Myers: Freelance Health Writer and Content Strategist

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-myers-creative/

Portfolio: https://www.angelamyerscreative.com

Introduction to Angela Myers and her work.

Angela's travel experiences and favorite destinations.
How to balance work and travel as a freelancer.
Tips for making work more asynchronous to fit travel plans.
Challenges Angela has faced while working and traveling.
Managing client expectations and setting up effective systems.

Host:

Cam DeJong

Website: https://camjontravel.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camjontravel

X: https://x.com/camjontravel

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/camjontravel

Travel

WorkLifeBalance

Freelancing

DigitalNomad

RemoteWork

TravelTips

If you liked the episode, make sure to like, rate, and review our podcast. For more travel tips and updates, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

In this landmark 25th episode of the Know Where You Want to Go Travel Podcast, Cam DeJong reflects on the beginnings of the podcast and discusses its future direction. He dives into the feedback received over the years, sharing how it has shaped the podcast's evolution. Cam revisits some of the most popular episodes, including highlights on Curacao and Virgin Voyages. He announces a new focus for upcoming episodes, including featuring special guests and deepening the coverage of travel through knowledgeable interviews. The podcast remains committed to providing concise and insightful travel content, aiming to keep episodes under 20 minutes for focused and valuable listener experiences.

Book Your Next Cruise -
Virgin Voyages - Explore cruise options and plan your next adventure at sea. Use this link and Cam will be your personal travel consultant --> https://www.virginvoyages.com/book/voyage-planner/find-a-voyage?cabins=1&USD[%E2%80%A6]lors=2&toDate=2022-10-04&agentId=38927&agencyId=589

Curacao Travel -
The Dive Bus - Amazing scuba diving and fun people! www.thedivebus.com
Irie Tours - Superb tours that cover ALL of Curacao. www.irietours.com

Top Podcast Episodes -

Cruising Back to Safe Travel (KWYWTG 12) - https://podcast.camjontravel.com/e/mn4244zn
Introduction & Curacao Top 10 (KWYWTG 1) - https://podcast.camjontravel.com/e/5nzz7x4n
Vegas is Changing in 2022: Tips, Changes, & More (KWYWTG 13) - https://podcast.camjontravel.com/e/lnqv5yv8

Host: Cam DeJong

Summary:

In the first episode of 2024, host Cam DeJong discusses the increasing trend of checked bag fees in the airline industry. He explores the idea of bundling these fees into ticket prices and the impact it could have on travelers' choices. Cam also delves into the concept of all-inclusive pricing and its potential application in the airline industry, along with the customer service implications.

Cam highlights the unique strategies employed by emerging airlines, such as Breeze Airways, and their approach to offering amenities and services. He emphasizes the need for innovation and convenience in air travel, inviting listeners to consider how airlines could improve their current offerings by streamlining services and enhancing the overall travel experience.

Links:

Alaska Air: Alaska Airlines
Southwest Airlines: Southwest Airlines
Breeze Airways: Breeze Airways

Don't forget to follow, subscribe, and leave a review for the Know Where You Wanna Go Travel podcast.

Happy travels and stay tuned for more engaging and insightful discussions on the future of air travel!

In this episode, host Cam DeJong discusses the challenges and headaches of holiday travel and provides valuable insights and tips for navigating through the high-demand holiday travel seasons. He emphasizes the advantages of considering alternative travel dates, such as traveling on the shoulder of holidays to avoid the peak travel times, reduce costs, and minimize the stress associated with crowded airports and congested roads.

Cam shares personal experiences and tips for finding cost-effective flights and accommodations by exploring less traditional holiday destinations, and suggests strategies for making the most of vacation time while avoiding the peak travel periods.

Highlights from the episode:

The impact of supply and demand on holiday travel costs
The benefits of traveling on the shoulders of holidays
Tips for saving on flights, accommodations, and avoiding crowded destinations
Insight into choosing less traditional holiday travel destinations
Strategies for making the most of vacation time during holidays

Locations mentioned in the episode:

Cedar Point in Sandusky
Miami, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Venice, Florida
Siesta Key, Florida

Thank you for listening to the "Know Where You Want to Go Travel Podcast." If you enjoyed this episode, please like, leave a review, and share it with friends and family. Stay tuned for more insights and tips on travel in 2024, and have an amazing holiday season!

In this episode of the Know Where You Wanna Go travel podcast, host Cam De Jong explores the top travel industry trends for 2023 to 2026. He discusses some of the key findings from an article on explodingtopics.com by Josh Howarth. Cam shares his insights and opinions on these trends, including:

Travelers going solo: A website reports that 25% of American millennials plan to travel alone each year. Cam discusses the fear of traveling alone and highlights the benefits of group travel and booking properly to ensure safety and social interaction.
Travelers craving local experiences: Cam emphasizes the importance of personalized travel, interacting with locals, and avoiding commercial tour groups. He mentions Virgin Voyages as an example of a company that focuses on providing local experiences.
Travel tech adoption: Cam discusses the use of technology in the travel industry, such as robots for room service, chatbots for customer service, and facial recognition for check-ins and security. He mentions Delta's boarding pass scanning system as an example.
Blending business and leisure travel: Cam talks about the trend of combining work trips with vacation time, turning them into hybrid experiences. He also mentions the rise of people working remotely from vacation spots.
Sustainability in travel: Cam briefly touches upon the future of sustainable travel, including electric air travel and eco-friendly initiatives by airlines.

Cam encourages listeners to think about these trends and how they can embrace solo travel, seek local experiences, leverage technology, blend business with leisure, and support sustainable travel.

Links:

Article: "Top Travel Industry Trends for 2023-2026" by Josh Howarth at https://explodingtopics.com/blog/travel-industry-trends
Virgin Voyages website: www.virginvoyages.com
Delta Airlines website: www.delta.com

Links mentioned in the show:

Founderscard (NOT Foundersclub, I'm sorry!) - Get a PREFERRED rate at https://founderscard.com/membership?code=FCCAMERON039

American Express Platinum - Get a boost in sign up points at https://americanexpress.com/en-us/referral/JONATFWIiQ?XLINK=MYCP

Capital One Venture X - Amazing card with awesome travel benefits. https://i.capitalone.com/J4IEbuMHU

Hyatt Hotels - Great points program! https://www.hyatt.com

Welcome to the Know Where You Want to Go Travel Podcast! In this episode, we have some exciting news to share: Delta has announced that they will be relaunching service to Curacao starting December 16th, 2023. This is a big deal because it's been over a decade since Delta last flew to Curacao, and it's expected to bring some much-needed competition to the market and potentially drive down airfare prices. Plus, who doesn't love flying with Delta? They are known for their exceptional service and quality.

Curacao is a destination that has always captured our attention, and we have talked about its many attractions in previous episodes. From its low crime rate and year-round beauty to its new all-inclusive resorts and exciting activities like scuba diving and ATV tours, there is always something to do and see in Curacao. And with Delta's flights originating from their main hub in Atlanta, there will be ample opportunities for connections from various other cities as well.

As we explore Curacao further, we'll delve into the diverse range of accommodations available, from name-brand hotels to charming boutique options. And don't worry about timing your visit perfectly, because Curacao doesn't have a bad weather season. And if you plan your trip during the off-peak times, you might just score some great deals on accommodations.

Join us as we uncover the hidden gems of Curacao, from the stunning turquoise waters and the Queen Emma pontoon bridge to the national parks and the Kura Hulanda Museum, where we can learn about the island's history. Curacao is often overlooked by US travelers in favor of more well-known destinations like Aruba, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. But that's exactly what makes Curacao even more appealing – its under-visited status allows you to experience a different side of the Caribbean, away from the Americanization found in some other destinations.

So buckle up, grab your favorite drink, and get ready for an exciting episode that will make you want to pack your bags and head to Curacao in 2023! This is the Know Where You Want to Go Travel Podcast, and I'm your host, Cam DeJong. Let's dive in!

On this episode of Know Where You Want to Go Travel Podcast, we are diving into the topic of the best beaches in the domestic US.

We start by exploring Destin, Florida, which is considered a great place to live and visit. With less crowded beaches but busy with boats, Destin is known as the "World's luckiest fishing village." It also offers cooler weather in winter compared to southern Florida, making it a desirable destination.

Next, we discuss Clearwater Beach, which is ranked number 5 on the US News report for domestic states. Clearwater Beach is often overlooked in favor of ocean beaches. However, its three-mile-long stretch on the Gulf Coast of Clearwater, Florida, boasts calm waters and clear blue-green water, making it picturesque. We then move on to Laguna and Malibu Beach in California. Late fall is recommended as a good time to visit these beaches, as there will be fewer crowds despite potentially chilly weather.

The beautiful beaches of Laguna is ranked number 7 overall, while Malibu Beach takes the number 4 spot on the US News report. Throughout the episode, we discuss the US News rankings extensively, trusting their expertise in selecting the top beaches. From Destin's shallow waters to the breathtaking sunsets at Siesta Key, we cover a range of locations that offer unique experiences. We also provide recommendations for finding places away from traffic and highlight Sanibel and Captiva Island's beautiful beaches for shelling.

To make your beach adventure easier, we plan to include information about these beaches in the show notes and share a link to the top beaches in the US. Additionally, we are in the process of setting up interviews and an exciting segment called "Know Where You Wanna Go" to further enhance your travel experiences.

Tune in to this episode to discover the best beaches in the domestic US and find your next beach destination.

Siesta Sun Villas - Highly Recommended - https://www.siestasunvillas.com/
US News Top Beaches in the US - https://travel.usnews.com/rankings/best-beaches-in-the-usa/

On this episode of Know Where You Want to Go Travel Podcast, Cam DeJong discusses the benefits of staying close to home during holidays, specifically Memorial Day weekend. He emphasizes the importance of relaxation and avoiding the stress associated with traveling during peak periods. Instead, Cam suggests taking advantage of off-peak times for weekend activities and organizing travel plans in advance. He also provides tips for enjoying a staycation, including spending time with loved ones, exploring local parks, and taking advantage of retail business specials. Don't miss out on this episode's practical advice for a cost-effective and relaxing holiday weekend.

Welcome to "Know Where You Want to Go Travel," the podcast where we help you make the most of your travel experiences. I'm your host, Cam DeJong, and in this episode, we'll be discussing the common frustrations of air travel and how to overcome them.

At some point, every traveler has experienced the dreaded long lines, unexpected delays, lost luggage, or rude passengers. But with a little bit of planning and preparation, you can avoid contributing to the frustration and enjoy a smooth flight.

If you're traveling with family or a larger group, it's essential to plan and book flights far in advance to ensure you can sit together. Getting seat assignments early in the booking process can help confirm your group's seating arrangements and alleviate the anxiety of not being able to sit together.

Checking bags instead of carrying on can also help relieve stress at the airport. Lugging heavy bags through security and across the terminal can be tiring and lead to unnecessary delays.

Trip insurance is another great way to manage travel-related stress. It can offer peace of mind knowing that if something unexpected comes up, like a flight delay or cancellation, you're covered.

When it comes to the in-flight experience, being courteous and respectful can go a long way. Waiting until the plane reaches the gate before taking off seatbelts and waiting for your turn to exit the plane can help avoid delays and frustration.

Travel is an investment in ourselves, and it's essential to do everything we can to make the experience as enjoyable as possible. Join us on this episode, where we provide tips and advice on how to overcome the frustrations of air travel.

Thanks for listening to "Know Where You Want to Go Travel"! If you've enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and review. And, be sure to follow our travel company on social media for more travel advice, news, and ideas on where to go next.

On this episode of Know Where You Want to Go Travel Podcast, we explore the exciting 80's cruise happening with a stop on the Caribbean island, Curacao, in 2024. Featuring original and cover bands from the 80's, the cruise offers amazing excursions, including shore diving and snorkeling with the Dive Bus, tours with Irie Tours, and adventures with Eric's ATV Tours.

Some of the featured bands on the 2024 80's Cruise include 38 Special, Soft Cell, Air Supply, Debbie Gibson, and many more!

Not interested in the 80's Cruise, but want to go to Curacao via cruise ship? Learn more about Virgin Voyages by clicking here.

Learn more about the Dive Bus by clicking here. Tell Mark that Cam sent you!
Learn more about Irie Tours by clicking here.
Learn more about Eric's ATV Tours by clicking here.

Hosted by Cam DeJong, a travel expert with over 15 years of experience, this podcast is the ultimate guide to investing in yourself through travel. Future episodes will cover unique travel destinations, offer recaps of recent travel experiences, and share news related to travel, such as COVID updates. So make sure to stay tuned and follow Cam's website and social media for the latest travel advice and inspiration.

I hope your President's Day weekend was awesome! I had a nice stay-at-home, but while driving around Austin I got stuck in some traffic jams. That got me thinking: is it really worth it to travel during peak holiday times, like President's Day or Memorial Day? Well, tune in to the latest episode of the Know Where You Want to Go Travel Podcast and you'll find out!
In this episode, we'll take a look at the monetary and time costs of traveling during holidays versus choosing some other times and dates.

We talk about the amazing Google Flights, where you can get quick and easy flight price comparisons. Check it out at https://www.google.com/travel/flights

Looking to take an amazing cruise in 2023? There are (as of this publishing date) amazing deals with Virgin Voyages, our favorite cruise line. Up to 55% off the second guest and tons of bonuses. Click here to learn more. If you book with the link in this show, I'll be your personal guide to help you decide on dates, activities, and more.

2022 was a great year for travel, with a few exceptions. In this episode I talk about travel to Florida, Las Vegas, Indianapolis, and San Diego.

How was the Cape Coral and Fort Myers area before Hurricane Ian? How is it looking now that the clean up is in progress? I'll look at some market statistics and share some ideas on when and where to go in the Fort Myers area.

In 2022 I had two work trips. The first was to Indianapolis and the second to San Diego. San Diego was a pleasant surprise across the board. Was the Indianapolis airport all the awards make it out to be? Listen and find out what I think.

Las Vegas was a wonderful trip. In our last episode, we previewed the trip. Now we take a look at what we liked and what could be better about Las Vegas. There's a lot going on and I think you'll enjoy your time there.

For 2023, I take a look at Curacao, CES 23 and how Delta "stole the show" with their new enhancements, and much more.

References from this show:
Alaska Air - https://alaskaair.com
CanITravel.net - https://canitravel.net
CES23 - https://www.ces.tech/
Curacao Chronicle - https://curacaochronicle.com
Delta Airlines Future of Connection - https://news.delta.com/ces2023/future-of-connection

Want to save on travel, business, and more? Check out Founders Card today

This card does have what appears to be a high cost of entry, but the benefits that you get (some of which are very valuable in Las Vegas) are worth taking a look. Use my link for a special rate https://founderscard.com/membership?code=FCCAMERON039 or click here.

Please like, share and subscribe today!

Please note that the following transcript may contain errors:

[00:00:00] : yes, travel, there's so much more to life than just staying in the same place all the time travel is an investment in yourself. We couldn't agree more. Welcome to the know where you want to go travel podcast. You'll get recaps of recent travel advice on where to go and why to go there in the future. We'll talk about the news that's impacting travel and we'll cover some places that you may never have even thought about going. We've been planning personal and corporate travel for over 15 years and it's our passion to help you discover new places, buckle your seatbelts. order up your favorite food or drink and let's do this. This is the know where you wanna go, travel podcast and now your host Andy Yang, Hello and welcome to season three of the know where you want to go travel podcast. My name is candy young, I'm your host. I'm excited to be here in 2023 as we continue our efforts to bring you solid good information on travel as you can tell. We have a new intro, we'll have a new outro. We have some new artwork for the podcast as we look to continue to expand and grow in the new year. So Again, hopefully everybody had a great holiday season. We'll get right into things with a recap of 2022 and I'll talk a little bit about where I've been and where we went last year and any thoughts we had on that and of course, uh the intention is to help you with maybe some interesting and, and, and things that you wouldn't have thought about otherwise. So we'll kick it right off with florida. So our first trip and this was last year was kind of a light travel time for us when it came to leisure travel. There's a little bit more business travel that we'll talk about today. But our first trip was to Fort Myers florida and uh we had a wonderful time there. We went to Cape Coral where we bought land last year. So It's interesting you'll you'll see of course they had that horrendous hurricane later in the year. And quite frankly, the values of properties have not really gone down in some cases they've gone up since then, which is interesting. I think there was a lot of gloom and doomers saying that property values were gonna plummet by 50% in a few months after the hurricane. And and they're definitely not plummeting by any means. They're going down across the country. But this isn't a real estate podcast. I won't get too far into that. But talking about Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples Estero uh punta gorda, etcetera. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. And we went in june and we're gonna go again this year in May in the off season. We were on the outer band of the off season and it was just so relaxing and nice and not full of tourists and not full of uh snowbirds. And I mean that with all due respect snowbirds had gone back to their humble abodes in the north at that point, so it was very quiet and and in Cape Coral, which is one of the fastest growing areas in the country, there's still some opportunity for infrastructure improvements before I'm a I'm a huge uh anti fan of four way stop sign site because nobody knows how to use them. And quite frankly, sometimes I don't know what I'm doing other than waiting for everybody else to go until I even dare go. But that said, you know, they're gonna they just infrastructure with lights and so on. And I think a lot of that will come after the hurricane. Unfortunately took so much infrastructure out. But in at least in june of last year there was some interesting things there when it came to infrastructure and a little bit of traffic on on areas where the infrastructure wasn't quite there. You're gonna find a lot to do even in the off season. There's one thing we didn't get a chance to do. I think it's very interesting if you're over near the western. The little uh marina at the western, it's a beautiful area. There's some great seafood restaurants, pincher seafood was really really good. Some good uh little bakery in their great boardwalk. The restaurant bar at the western is amazing as well. And you can easy parking in the parking deck that's outside there. I mean there was no problem finding parking. We stayed at the Westin. But even if we weren't staying there, you would see that the parking was just abundant and I don't expect that's going to change in the off season this year. And there was a ferry that we could have had pick us up outside the west end at the marina to take you to Well Fort Myers Beach, I don't recommend that. I think I know people are going back to Fort Myers Beach this year. I just don't recommend it. They really need to have the area cleared out so they can rebuild that. There's other areas siesta um down at marco Island Naples beaches down there, go there. Uh Stay away from Sanibel and and from Fort Myers Beach in my opinion because it's just we just get in the way and it's just not cool. And plus the waters may not be safe there's still some some uh interesting materials that are in the water that may be causing some problems. That's still up to. That's not really up for debate I guess it's true but it's just not worth it. So look around a little bit. Um outside of that there's so many different restaurants, there's some great fun outdoor activities there. We did a Tiger Woods mini golf excursion. That was really really fun. That was in Fort Myers. The airport's totally fine. I am a big judge er of our big judge of airports and the Fort Myers Airport was fine, I wish they had a Delta Sky club but that's a first world problem for sure. They don't have any clubs from what I could ascertain. And then of course the restaurants so many different things. You can see the influence of people from other parts of the country. Especially New England. They have several new England style seafood restaurants which made us happy. We went to the Lobster Lady which was really cool and we're gonna go to another couple others when we go back and of course you know just that weather is amazing. It's that tropical subtropical weather that's pretty unique even in florida. So certainly something to check out there. Um Outside of that. I had to work troops in 2022. That gave me an impression that I can share. First was to Indianapolis and the Indianapolis airport for some reason wins the best airport award in the country um from some publications nearly every year. It's not bad. Um I just wasn't seeing it. You know I went into the Sky Club there and turned around, walked back out because it was too busy. That's not a judgment of the airport because there's no they have no control over over airlines in their in their clubs. However I didn't see much excitement about it. Our work conference that we had there for a couple of days was on the outer edges of the city of Indianapolis. So we uh we're in Plainville and Plainview, wow I had to go back to my nose. So it was interesting. Uh nice little building up shopping center. It isn't a growing area, it's just not something that I would be excited to return to on the counter offense there. We did have our annual conference for work at in san Diego and I thought oh no California, I never want to go to California, I'm happy in texas, but san Diego was absolutely gorgeous. Mission Bay, Mission Beach, absolutely amazing. Amazing food from the mexican influence to the sushi too, just everything in between the seafood was so amazing that people were super nice everywhere um everywhere we went that Uber drivers were super friendly, the people at the restaurants were super friendly at the every place we went and it was just so beautiful. The weather around there year round is amazing. So if you look at going to san Diego for a couple of days or a week or whatever, you know, there's still an offseason per se, but you really can't go wrong with the weather. So if you catch a good flight And I know from Austin, Alaska air often has $59 1 way fare and that's really, really cool and so check that out for sure and just sign up for Alaska errors, uh mileage, um, club and savings club, I should say and I think you'll find that there's a lot of good to be seen there. So definitely check that out as a destination. And then of course we talked about in the past podcast about going back to las Vegas and we did do that and had a fabulous time. I would say that las Vegas um you know, certainly has changed a couple of notable changes with las Vegas, circa circa hotel downtown was absolutely beautiful. We went to the sports book there and just sat and watched some sporting events on the humongous screens. It was so much fun, we had a blast doing that. And of course the fremont Street experience with the new four K dome is amazing. We visited the El Cortez for the first time. It's a cute little old hotel casino, definitely something worth checking out. It's a hop skip and a jump off of Fremont Street. So you're still in the safe zone there. So don't worry about that. The strip continues to develop, You have a ton of things going on there. So you know, it's uh, I would say that one thing I noticed on the negative outside of all the positives. Well two things one, the prices prices are just going up, there's not many freebies anymore. You can gamble your, your life away and still struggle to get a freebie when it comes to buy drinks and so on, which we didn't worry too much about because we didn't gamble much, but a lot of homeless, a lot more than I've ever seen there and you know, you'll see a lot of times panhandlers of course and then of course the costume people that are doing performances for, for tips, but I saw a lot of people throughout the days and nights that were just passed out sleeping and that's not something you typically saw as much in the past. There a couple of other notable expansions in Las Vegas, the the Valley's resort was starting to undergo its transformation to the horseshoe, which is interesting the, the resort world, resorts world, which is close to, we went down to circus circus because my dad, my dad when he went to Vegas way way back in the seventies love circus circus, so I always go there and take a picture for him. Uh we stopped at resorts world on the way and that's looking absolutely fabulous as well. I definitely recommend checking that out. The T mobile arena has been around for a bit now but that was looking good, the football stadium was looking great, there's a lot of new things and if you look over near flamingo and the link the links a renovation off of of a former of a former hotel and it's, it's pretty nice but the outside the little area between the flamingo and the link is really well done with some great shops, some some eateries and bars et cetera that you should definitely check out a lot of construction at caesar's spouse, they're doing a lot of work there, but otherwise a lot of great things and you know, we definitely were excited for the first time going to las Vegas to be able to go over to secret pizza at the cosmopolitan. Super, super good, super good experience, fun, fun to do. I'd highly recommend that. So that's, it was a great trip. We had a good time, We had a great rate on the hotel room, we had great support at the hotel, we stayed at Planet Hollywood and at Planet Hollywood at numerical mile shops. There's so much to do when it comes to eating and shows and everything. I sound like I'm eating so much, I ate so much, but I really didn't every morning we were able to get breakfast for, for two for under $15 which is really good. There's 33, maybe four different places within the miracle mile shops that you can do that and it was just just filling enough to get the day going. So definitely check that out. So as we look at um 2023 again this show is definitely gonna hit on, it already has and it's hitting on a lot of different aspects of travel. I certainly still recommend before you commit to any travel, especially foreign travel that you go to, can I travel dot net, which I'll note in the notes and go there to make sure that there are no new travel updates when it comes to Covid or anything else. Covid, it just continues to morph and continues to change and and unfortunately it's just been um some weird stuff going on as we look at the latest updates as of january 7th japan updated a couple of years ago that you know they're they're vaccinated are allowed. So they're asking you know for for that to be the case. That's that's the latest update there. So you have um Morocco has reopened the borders Ghana requiring a visa to enter Ghana. This is just again this website is amazing. So if I wanted to go to from from the United States let's say I want to go to um Mongolia you know uh and I'm vaccinated single vaccinated and yeah so you you know must re conditions entry has been lifted, negative tests before are no longer required. So a lot of open things at the moment just always check out can I travel dot net amazing website. We love them before you plan any travel and before you go and always buy trip insurance because anything can happen at any time. And um there's amazing offers there and I can help you with trip insurance. I don't typically sell my services on my podcast but if you reach out to me I can help you with trip insurance and get you really uh very high high end and and moderate cost package that will more than pay for itself in the unfortunate event that something happens couple other travel notes to wrap this show up is uh first carousel. Uh that's our favorite place ever. So we haven't been in way too long. We're not gonna go this year, but it's not in our plans for this year, our plans this year or to go back to Fort Myers, Cape Coral's area and also go up to new Hampshire later this year and I'll be back in las Vegas for work as well this year. So we'll have some reports on that um in curacao, it's it's pretty stable right now. There's an interesting, there's a huge oil refinery in carousel and there was a rumor of that shutting down and the Prime Minister of curacao was working on that, that's typically things that tourists don't see because they mask it from them. But you don't notice it because what happens is you go to a country like curacao or anywhere and you might notice something is amiss if you've been there several times, but you really have no clue what it is. I know when we went like a day or two after the Prime Minister was shot dead on the beach across the street from where we were, we would not have known unless there was, unless I had looked at the curacao Chronicle before I went there, we would have known the same thing with this, you won't really know. But it's good to know the stability or instabilities of what's going on uh in your travel destinations. Again that goes to the point of you don't want to have a shock coming up. Uh you know when you go to travel to these places so definitely keep an eye on that. And again I recommend checking out the curacao Chronicle dot com. Uh It's not be curious, I'll chronicle, it's just curious out Chronicle dot com. Uh And I'll put that in the notes as well to check out, just keep an eye on the news. Their their political environment seems to be stable right now that instability was about uh 10 9 or 10 years ago. They had the instability with the prime minister being shot and killed unfortunately. Which was really sad. But certainly check check that out exciting news for today other than the new brand. And the new intro outro is the fact that Delta has really unleashed a bunch of cool things. I before I when I was putting my notes down of what I wanted to talk about today, I intentionally did not write down Southwest because I don't want to I love southwest and I think that they've learned a major lesson uh and they're going to fix it and that's all I'll say about that. But Delta has really uh the C. E. S. Conference in Las Vegas took the uh the show by storm with a lot of new updates. There one is free wifi for everybody and it's gonna be high speed wifi and what they've said, they've been testing that for a bit. If your Sky Miles member, there's really no reason not to be just sign up for sky miles and it's free. And of course there's privacy policies you want to look at and they're gonna track some things in order to give you the best, in their opinion, the best experience. So definitely check that out on the delta dot com website, but they're going to have some really cool things there with their new, they're new, they were one of the first airlines, in fact probably only, um, airline to have the, to buy into the seat back screens, sorry, couldn't talk for a second. The seat back screens with entertainment on them. And they're going to evolve that, which is really, really cool. So first, of course wifi, by the end of february, they expect to have 80% of the flights covered by wifi, which is amazing. And then they're going to from there, they're going to have some really cool things on the screen on the back of your seat, the entertainment hub. So it's going to be very, very exciting to have that where you're gonna be able to not only have the free wifi, but delta sync and it's going to, you're going to have, you have to sign up with, of course the Sky Miles, Delta, Sky Miles and then you on demand, you can order in flight dining, discover content is curated for you. So based on your interest that you set our interest that they're tracking that your back screen will look different than anybody else's because it'll be curated to you and that's all from the back of the screen and from what I understand that's gonna cover everything from economy to first class, maybe first class will probably still have a personalized service there where you're not ordering in the back of the seat because I think that that human aspect is still important but you'll be able to really do some cool things are also in Detroit in Atlanta right now doing face facial matching at check in and for checking your are for uh yeah, checking your bags. So that's interesting as well. I'm a privacy buff so I do get uneasy about some of this stuff but I do think it's really cool what they're trying to do and we're gonna hopefully phi Delta to Fort Myers in May and at least the wifi should be happening, be super cool with this at the back screen or the seat back screens were working as well because wow, that would be cool. And we're gonna be flying through Atlanta most definitely, most definitely if not it'll be through Detroit won two of the big hubs. So we'll see what happens there. So, very exciting things there. So si es 23 or C. E. S every year is always super cool to see what comes out of it and it's super super amazing when it's related to travel. So yeah, so that's what's going on. 2022 a good year for travel restrictions coming off quite quite a bit. We get bumps in the road every now and then of restrictions coming back. So yeah, we definitely want to keep an eye on that always. But I appreciate everybody listening. I know we had I've had you know, dozens of folks that have clicked through and and reached out over the past two years and And I've always said and I always put my foot in my mouth saying I'm gonna continue to improve and get better and do more and get guests and so on. But we are, we're going to do great things. It's not a new year's resolution. I don't believe in those, I believe in just improving a 101% every day of my life and hopefully I can improve your travel experience 1% at least today And definitely comment. Leave any comments you have and and I look forward to returning soon and we'll we'll get more in depth in somebody's very, very broad topics that I covered today. So thank you so much and have a wonderful January and hopefully your 2023 continues to be amazing. Thank you so much. You've been listening to the know where you want to go. Travel podcast, cam has been planning personal and corporate travel for over 15 years. It's what he loves to do. And with this show we can give you recaps of our recent travel and advice on where to go and why to go there in the future. We'll give you news on things that impact travel like Covid and we'll throw in some places you may never have even thought about going. We hope you enjoyed the show. Make sure to like rate and review and we'll be back soon. But in the meantime, hit up cam jOHN travel dot com and find us on instagram, twitter and facebook at caM jOHN travel. See you next time on the know where you want to go travel podcast.

I have seen downtown (Fremont), the Strip and areas outside of the city and give some thoughts on what I know about what was going on then and what is new now for all of us to explore as I make my return to Las Vegas in just under a month.

I referenced Founderscard in the show notes. This card does have what appears to be a high cost of entry, but the benefits that you get (some of which are very valuable in Las Vegas) are worth taking a look. Use my link for a special rate https://founderscard.com/membership?code=FCCAMERON039 or click here.

Other references:

Planet Hollywood Hotel (where we are staying on the Strip next month) - https://www.caesars.com/planet-hollywood
Downtown Grand (where we are staying near Fremont Street next month) - https://www.downtowngrand.com/
Tix4Tonight - Make sure to visit their kiosks located throughout the strip - https://tix4tonight.com/
Fremont Street Experience - Amazing 4k overhead screen - https://vegasexperience.com/

Middle Strip Hotels - Caesars, Linq, Flamingo

Recommended Airlines - Alaska, Delta, Southwest

Travel has been increasing over the summer, even with the pandemic rearing its ugly head time and time again. We talk about safe travel on flights, slight inconveniences, and really get into cruising on this episode. Virgin Voyages launched it's Mermaiden Voyage out of Miami this month. Learn more about this cruise line and why YOU should feel safe getting on a cruise ship and traveling now and in the future.

There are some great resources for keeping up with where you want to go and where you CAN go during the pandemic. We'll go over some places you can visit, can't visit, and may be able to visit under certain circumstances.

Happy New Year - 24 days into the year already! This episode talks about travel requirements during the pandemic. We talk about cruise lines, airlines, general travel, and more as it relates to the new administration. Also, are you ready to go scuba diving? It's almost time!

The election on Tuesday November 3rd is near. Today's podcast talks about some of the thoughts about how election results impact travel now and into the future.

Today we'll talk about what is going on in the world along with some thoughts on safety with flying, cruising, staying in hotels and much more.

Today I will focus on excursions as it relates to cruising in general but really going deeper into options you have in Curacao. Do you need to book through your cruise line or can you book independent of them?

Today's topic continues with the second and final part in a series about travel anxiety. We will talk about a couple of supplements that have worked for me before and during travel. (PS - Sorry for the bad audio!)

Do you become anxious before travel? There are potentially answers that can help you out before your next trip. We talk briefly about one possible solution today in part one of two of our travel anxiety series.

Today's topic is the health and safety issues being presented in the media when it comes to the Dominican Republic.

Go back in time with us for the 2020 80s cruise. The 80s cruise is our FAVORITE 80s theme trip. Learn more about how you can join our fun group for this trip in our podcast.

I am glad to be here for our second episode of the Know Where You Want to Go Travel Podcast. We are still new to podcasting with this our second episode. Today's topic is scuba diving.

Welcome to our first episode of the Know Where You Want to Go Travel Podcast. We are very excited to get into the world of podcasting and look forward to sharing insightful hints today and into the future.