Places I Remember with Lea Lane

Lori Erickson, an award-winning travel writer, shares intense experiences around the world, and discusses deep, meaningful travel, often of great beauty.
-- We talk of  spiritual journeys, not only for religious reasons. Lori's trip to Lourdes showed her how people rely on faith. and she reflects on the beauty of a Maori area in New Zealand...

A celebration of fall around the world! Lea remembers ceremonies she attended in Asia and Mexico, as well as offering the best places to view autumn leaves, suggestions for Halloween and Thanksgiving, wine and beer celebrations, and some of the most unusual fall festivals, including a laughing-in-unison celebration in Japan.
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Podcast host Lea Lane blogs at forbes...

CEO Larry Korman, a frequent California Highway One traveler, and Lea, who drove it on her honeymoon and many times since, take us along the Pacific Coastal Highway from Mendocino to Malibu, with stops along the way:  realities like washouts, and the frequent pleasures of this spectacular drive, going north to south.
-- We cover Mendocino with its glass beach; Bodega Bay where Hitchcock filmed The Birds (Larry is friends with star Tippi Hedren)...

Jason Flesher,  Expedition Team Leader on the discovery yacht Scenic Eclipse, shares all about Antarctica, from the elements to the explorers to experiencing the wonders of the icy continent.
-- Jason tells  how he became an expedition leader, and choosing the best ships to go to Antarctica. He gives us overviews of land and underwater, and talks about camping and budgeting...

Brian Demo, a former U.S. Marine helicopter mechanic and now a Master RV Technician, has taken to the RV life -- full time -- along with his wife and daughter. They have spent years traveling from one coast of America to the other in their recreational vehicle.

He tells us what to consider before buying or renting, types of vehicles, expenses,  health and safety, which vehicles are easiest to drive, RV clubs, rallies, and dealing with kids and pets...

Canadian expat Geraint Isitt has lived in the Middle East for 14 years, most of them in Dubai, the modern metropolis in the United Arab Emirates.

We talk of the history of Dubai, and Lea remembers when she first visited in the 1980s, when it was a small desert town.

Safety, expenses, heat, geography, outdoor activities, and lodgings from the opulent seven-star Burj Al Arab, to more inexpensive lodgings -- we discuss them all...

Patrice Henry, with The Korea Tourism Organization, shares her travel experiences and memories of Korea with Lea.

They talk a bit about the geography and history of the Korean peninsula, and then go on to the wonders of Seoul and of the areas outside the capital, including Busan and several of the islands, including national parks...

David Downie lives on the Italian Riviera -- the Ligurian Coast -- the area of Genoa, Cinque Terre, Rapallo, Portofino and other appealing towns. And lucky for us, he writes about them, both non-fiction and fiction. His latest thriller, Red Riviera, is set in and around Rapallo, and offers excitement and thrills as well as a gorgeous setting...

Jean Chatzky knows how to save you money. A frequent guest on Oprah's show, a columnist for AARP, and 'Today'  financial expert at NBC for 25 years, she's helped millions make the most of their budget. And that applies to traveling, as well. Jean offers us tips and then gets personal about some of her favorite travels, from childhood to now.

We start the episode with how Lea and Jean met, years ago...

Heidi Sarna, author of Secret Singapore, is an expat living with her family on that island-nation for 15 years. Lea introduces facts about Singapore, and then Heidi tells its secrets, including seawalls, shophouses,  rail lines, mansions and shrines.

We talk cruising and of exceptional Changi airport with its offerings, and 'Gardens By The Bay.' We discuss if safety in Singapore-- including fines for jaywalking, chewing gum -- is too much...