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Welcome to Cheryl's Travel Blueprint! I’m a former Spanish teacher turned travel advisor, passionate about curating unforgettable experiences. My expertise lies in European adventures (with a special love for Spain), cruising, and all-inclusive Caribbean getaways. I specialize in creating tailored trips for families, multi-generational groups, and teachers—whether they’re traveling solo, with colleagues, or leading student groups.
In this podcast, we celebrate the joy of travel, uncover hidden gems, share practical tips and tricks, and embrace the spirit of adventure. Each episode features inspiring conversations with fascinating guests from all walks of life as they share their unique travel stories, lessons, and favorite destinations. Whether you're planning your next getaway or simply love to dream about the possibilities, this is your place to explore the world from wherever you are.
Let’s embark on this journey together! 🌍✈️
Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please. Ready for an adventure? Whether you're revisiting cherished moments or planning new escapades, Nostalgic Travel Talks is here to inspire your wanderlust. Let's take off. Welcome everybody to today's show. And the theme today is what kids really think about travel. I have a special guest with me, Jaden, who is eight years old, and I have some questions for him. I'm in third grade, by the way. You're in third grade. Okay. Well, do you like traveling? Yes. And what is your favorite part about going on a trip? Probably if there's a beach, probably the beaches. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I agree with you. I love the beach. That's one of my favorite things to do. So we went to Jacksonville not too long ago. It was about almost a year ago, actually, and we're going to go back. What was the first thing you packed for our trip to Jacksonville? I cannot remember. No? I think I remember you packing toys. Oh, yeah. And maybe your um some of your favorite and maybe your one of your stuffies right? Your stuffed animals? Didn't you take one? Oh yeah I took I think I took Misty. Okay yeah because Misty went with us everywhere. So how did you feel when you found out you were going on a trip to Florida? I was so shocked. Yeah? Well, good. I'm glad you... Was it a good shock? Yeah. Okay. Well, I'm happy to hear that. What was your favorite thing that we did in Jacksonville? Because we did a few things. What was your favorite? Probably the beach. The beach. Yeah. I had a feeling you were gonna say that did you try any new foods no you sure you didn't try anything yeah Waffle House and Zach's and I had the mr. beast box yeah what of those two things what was your favorite mr. beast I kind of liked Waffle House I thought Waffle House was pretty good it was fast and you could watch them cook. Yeah, that's true. That was nice. If somebody else your age was going to Jacksonville, what would you tell them to do or to see? I would tell them to go to Margaritaville and look at the ships going to the harbor. We saw the ships from Margaritaville or was that from someplace else? I think it was from, yeah, I saw some from Margaritaville? Or was that from someplace else? I think it was from, yeah, I saw some from Margaritaville. We did see some cruise ships while we were there. Cause that's one of the ports. So, what was a funny thing or something silly that happened on the trip? Do you remember anything? No, I don't remember. Do you remember going to Bucky's? Yeah. What was cool about Bucky's? I liked that they had so many cool toys. Yeah, Bucky's is huge. And for those that don't know, how would you describe Bucky's? The best store ever. They had Icy's. Uh-huh. They had, it was pretty much Costco, but for toys. Costco for toys. Well, it was a gas station. Did you know that? No. Bucky's is a gas station. I mean, it's more than a gas station. You can get gas there. They had fresh food. So they had like sandwiches and stuff you could get. And they had delis. Yeah, so they had a lot. There was a lot. I think you bought some toys when you were there. Yeah, I bought that, not the tractor, elevator, I mean, excavator. Oh, you bought an excavator, okay, that's cool. And it was dump truck and excavator and a bulldozer, I think. Hmm, did we go anywhere else that you recall? The beach. Yeah, well we spent a lot of time on the beach. And St. Augustine. St. Augustine, yes, that was a really fun trip. That was a new state. That was, Florida was a new state for you? No, I'm talking about St. Augustine. Oh, it was a new country. A new city. A new city. Mm-hmm. Yes, indeed. Did anything surprise you at all about Florida? Probably how humid it was. Mm-hmm. It is very humid in Florida. We went in July, so it was really humid and hot. Did you like that? Mm-hmm. So, can you tell me what makes travel, what makes a trip fun for kids? Bringing your electronics. So that when you're bored in the airport, on the plane, you got something to do when you're not on the beach, right? Yeah. Is there anything you don't like about traveling? Yeah, probably my ears popping. On the plane? Yeah. Yeah. I kind of like that. Yeah? Well, you're the only one because I sure don't. What should grownups remember when they take kids on a trip? They need to remember to bring our iPads. Yes, your iPads, your stuffed animals, so that you're always happy, right? Mm-hmm. And if you could plan your perfect vacation, where would you go and what would you do? I would go to Grafton. Grafton, Wisconsin. Why Grafton. Grafton, Wisconsin. Why Grafton? Because that's the place I was born. Yeah, and you haven't been there since then, right? Yeah. Okay, what do you think you could do in Grafton, Wisconsin? I think I could see where I was, find where I was born at. You want to see the hospital? Okay, well I think we'd have to do a little bit of research about Grafton. The lake is not, Lake Michigan is not too far from Grafton. You could go to the lake and they have beaches. You'd love that. And snow. Yeah, there's a lot of snow in the winter. Yeah, for sure. If you were the travel boss, what would you put in every hotel to make it fun for kids? I would add an arcade. Hmm, that would make it really fun. I think adults would like that too, even, you know? And you'd only have to pay one cent. Hmm, that's great. You don't even have to buy a card. Okay, I like that. What do you think trouble you see there alligators? Of course, what else? What other kind of animals did you see? Crocodiles yeah, you saw crocodiles all kinds of alligators and crocodiles and Birds yeah in the bird pooping zone. Yeah, there was a pooping zone and you had to avoid that because it was pretty bad. Didn't we see a hippo or two? No. I thought there were hippos there. There were hippos there. No, there weren't. I saw turtles. There were turtles, yeah. So there were lots of things to see. And I think there were some fish. I think so. Like teeny, teeny were some fish. I think so. Like teeny teeny tiny fish. Well, and I saw some lizards. Since we got a chance to see all those great things at the alligator farm, I think it would be a perfect time because since we visited that alligator farm in St. Augustine, Jaden has been very excited. So we have a story. Would you tell us the name of the story and who wrote it? The Kind-Hearted Crocodile by Lucia Panzeri illustrated by Anton Gheannata Ferrari. Okay well let's hear it. The Kind-Hearted Crocodile. Once a time, there was a crocodile with big teeth, powerful jaws, and a swift shong, strong body. Everything he needed to be the most fearsome creature you could imagine. But the story goes that this crocodile had a very kind heart. He was gentle and sensitive, who longed to live in a home and to play with children. His great dream was to be a pet like a puppy or goldfish and to spend time and to spend his days as a companion to a happy family. And he would make such a good pet for he knew how to push a swing, how to dance on a rope, and how to bake an apple pie. He could even make himself into a bridge for a toy train set. But unfortunately, families didn't want pet crocodiles, they wanted puppies and goldfish instead. Then the kindly crocodile had a brilliant idea. He would sneak into a home through the pages of a lovely picture book. Inside the book there was huge just paper and paint. But the night he crept off the pages and into the house where he performed many kind and useful tasks to prove he was the perfect pet. He tidied toys, he washed the dishes, he folded laundry, he fought monsters and bad dreams, and as dawn approached he spread sweet jam on the toast, on toast for the family's breakfast. When morning came, the kindly crocodile ever so silently and reluctantly turned to the illustrations in the picture book. Meanwhile, the family wondered who was tidying the toys, who was washing the dishes and folding the laundry, who's chasing away our nightmares, and who is making our breakfast. And that's why one night the father, the mother, and the children squeezed themselves into a wardrobe and waited for their secret friend. They thought they would see a fairy, a troll, a wizard, or an elf. But instead they saw a huge crocodile. A ferocious looking crocodile with a long strong body and an enormous mouth with dozens of sharp pointy teeth. Help! Call the fire department, said the frank mother. Not to worry, I will fight him, said the courageous father. The children, who already knew and loved the crocodile from their picture book, cried, we want to keep him. Meanwhile, the kindly crocodile swiftly slipped between his covers. Later that night the mother and the father had a serious conversation. The mother who appreciated help with her laundry, with the laundry overcame her initial fear and now agreed with the children but the father had many doubts and as the crocodile had teeth. Everything has teeth. When morning came the crocodile who had learned a great deal about the likes and dislikes of the family he longed to live fixed a very good cup of coffee for each of the grown-ups. And guess what? If you visit the family today, the crocodile is still with them. The end. Thank you. That was a great story. I enjoyed it. And thank you everybody for listening and we will see you soon. Goodbye. Thank you for tuning in to Nostalgic Travel Talks. I hope today's episode inspired you to dive deeper into your next journey. If you enjoyed our conversation, don't forget to subscribe and leave a review. It really helps others discover the show. And if you want even more insider tips, exclusive travel deals, and personal stories, be sure to sign up for my newsletter. Just head over to my website, nostalgictravelco.com and hit subscribe. Just head over to my website, nostalgictravelco.com and hit subscribe. Until next time, keep exploring and keep making those unforgettable travel memories.