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<rss xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:podcast="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" version="2.0"><channel><title>Delightful Destinations</title><link>https://iheart.com/podcast/172213762</link><description><![CDATA[Delightful Destinations is a podcast hosted by iHeartRadio's Jeff St. Pierre.  We highlight and discuss different travel destinations in, and around, Maryland, the Mid-Atlantic and other regions with a goal of giving listeners plenty of options to pack up the car and head out of town for some fun.]]></description><atom:link href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/6163966/episodes/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><language>en</language><category>Places &amp; Travel</category><copyright>Copyright 93.1 WPOC (WPOC-FM)</copyright><image><url>https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg</url><title>Delightful Destinations</title><link>https://iheart.com/podcast/172213762</link></image><lastBuildDate>Wed, 27 Aug 2025 04:20:08 +0000</lastBuildDate><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:owner><itunes:name>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:name><itunes:email>jeffreystpierre@iheartmedia.com</itunes:email></itunes:owner><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:subtitle>Delightful Destinations is a podcast hosted by iHeartRadio's Jeff St. Pierre.  We highlight and discuss different travel destinations in, and around, Maryland, the Mid-Atlantic and other regions with a goal of giving listeners plenty of options to...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Delightful Destinations is a podcast hosted by iHeartRadio's Jeff St. Pierre.  We highlight and discuss different travel destinations in, and around, Maryland, the Mid-Atlantic and other regions with a goal of giving listeners plenty of options to pack up the car and head out of town for some fun.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:category text="Society &amp; Culture"><itunes:category text="Places &amp; Travel"/></itunes:category><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type><item><title>Visiting Williamsburg, VA</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-williamsburg-va--67471332</link><description><![CDATA[With next year being the 250th anniversary of the founding of this country, I think it’s fitting for us to make a trip back to Virginia.  Our 10th state hosted so many historically important events in the timeline of the United States.  From some of the first colonies to pivotal battles in the Revolutionary and Civil War, Virginia has been front and center for so much of our history.<br /><br />But there’s more than history in Virginia.  There’s theme parks, outdoor recreation, breweries, delicious food and so many opportunities for fun.  This week we are heading to the Williamsburg area.  I say area because my guest today not only represents Williamsburg, which is a pretty popular tourist attraction already, but he also represents some of the surrounding areas.<br /><br />With me this week is Edward Harris.  He’s the President and CEO of Visit Williamsburg]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67471332</guid><pubDate>Wed, 27 Aug 2025 04:20:07 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67471332/dd_episode40_082625_finalmix.mp3" length="21340160" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/555c0f90-2e45-45dc-b92b-cddf77cacc8d/555c0f90-2e45-45dc-b92b-cddf77cacc8d.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/555c0f90-2e45-45dc-b92b-cddf77cacc8d/555c0f90-2e45-45dc-b92b-cddf77cacc8d.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/555c0f90-2e45-45dc-b92b-cddf77cacc8d/555c0f90-2e45-45dc-b92b-cddf77cacc8d.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>With next year being the 250th anniversary of the founding of this country, I think it’s fitting for us to make a trip back to Virginia.  Our 10th state hosted so many historically important events in the timeline of the United States.  From some of...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[With next year being the 250th anniversary of the founding of this country, I think it’s fitting for us to make a trip back to Virginia.  Our 10th state hosted so many historically important events in the timeline of the United States.  From some of the first colonies to pivotal battles in the Revolutionary and Civil War, Virginia has been front and center for so much of our history.<br /><br />But there’s more than history in Virginia.  There’s theme parks, outdoor recreation, breweries, delicious food and so many opportunities for fun.  This week we are heading to the Williamsburg area.  I say area because my guest today not only represents Williamsburg, which is a pretty popular tourist attraction already, but he also represents some of the surrounding areas.<br /><br />With me this week is Edward Harris.  He’s the President and CEO of Visit Williamsburg]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1334</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>40</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Green Bay, WI</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-green-bay-wi--67262472</link><description><![CDATA[I have a friend that’s made an effort to visit every baseball stadium in the country.  He’s pretty close now. I think he only needs 4 or 5 more and he’ll have it.  One of the reasons he loves this quest is that it gives him an excuse to visit cities  he wouldn’t otherwise go to. <br /><br />I get what he’s saying.  I have this goal in life to run a half marathon in every state of the country.  I’ve checked 7 off so far.  I can’t say I would’ve traveled to Idaho if it weren’t for a race.  Sports tourism is a thing.  People travel all over the place to see landmarks or their favorite teams.  And the areas surrounding these venues get to benefit from all of the visitors.<br /><br />This week’s conversation is taking us to Green Bay Wisconsin.  A city that is best known as the home of the Green Bay Packers.  And while thousands of people travel there during the football season, the area has so much to offer throughout the year.  It’s landscape is beautiful and there is so much natural beauty there.  You’ve got the Bay of Green Bay and the Fox River that provide water adventures and unique opportunities to see the landscape.  There’s family friendly fun in theme parks and a remarkable food scene as well.  <br /><br />I don’t know if you’ve heard, but small towns are in.  People are bypassing major cities for vacations in smaller towns and cities.  Green Bay should be up at the top of your list for your next vacation.  Though, if you hate the cold, you might want to wait until next summer.  With me this week is Nick Meisner.  He’s the VP of Marketing for Discover Green Bay]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67262472</guid><pubDate>Tue, 05 Aug 2025 20:49:26 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67262472/dd_episode39_080525_finalmix.mp3" length="35674070" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/c2c4c079-c7d8-4748-a1a4-17148fbc53cc/c2c4c079-c7d8-4748-a1a4-17148fbc53cc.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/c2c4c079-c7d8-4748-a1a4-17148fbc53cc/c2c4c079-c7d8-4748-a1a4-17148fbc53cc.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/c2c4c079-c7d8-4748-a1a4-17148fbc53cc/c2c4c079-c7d8-4748-a1a4-17148fbc53cc.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>I have a friend that’s made an effort to visit every baseball stadium in the country.  He’s pretty close now. I think he only needs 4 or 5 more and he’ll have it.  One of the reasons he loves this quest is that it gives him an excuse to visit cities ...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[I have a friend that’s made an effort to visit every baseball stadium in the country.  He’s pretty close now. I think he only needs 4 or 5 more and he’ll have it.  One of the reasons he loves this quest is that it gives him an excuse to visit cities  he wouldn’t otherwise go to. <br /><br />I get what he’s saying.  I have this goal in life to run a half marathon in every state of the country.  I’ve checked 7 off so far.  I can’t say I would’ve traveled to Idaho if it weren’t for a race.  Sports tourism is a thing.  People travel all over the place to see landmarks or their favorite teams.  And the areas surrounding these venues get to benefit from all of the visitors.<br /><br />This week’s conversation is taking us to Green Bay Wisconsin.  A city that is best known as the home of the Green Bay Packers.  And while thousands of people travel there during the football season, the area has so much to offer throughout the year.  It’s landscape is beautiful and there is so much natural beauty there.  You’ve got the Bay of Green Bay and the Fox River that provide water adventures and unique opportunities to see the landscape.  There’s family friendly fun in theme parks and a remarkable food scene as well.  <br /><br />I don’t know if you’ve heard, but small towns are in.  People are bypassing major cities for vacations in smaller towns and cities.  Green Bay should be up at the top of your list for your next vacation.  Though, if you hate the cold, you might want to wait until next summer.  With me this week is Nick Meisner.  He’s the VP of Marketing for Discover Green Bay]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1487</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>39</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Baltimore County, MD</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-baltimore-county-md--67180400</link><description><![CDATA[This podcast has taken me all over the country.  We’ve even had discussions about trips you can take through Europe and other places.  But sometimes the coolest spots to hang are right under your nose.  Truthfully, one of the reasons I wanted to start doing Delightful Destinations was to learn more about some of the areas right near me that I didn’t know much about.<br />  <br />In my time living in the Baltimore area, I’ve spent most of it living in Baltimore County.  For those of you listening that don’t know the area, Baltimore County essentially wraps around Baltimore City and extends up toward Pennsylvania. It’s a massive expanse of land that offers a lot of different resources.  You have the more urban feel that’s adjacent to the city, and you have a lot of rural land filled with farms, horse training facilities and beautiful areas to experience the outdoors.  Not to mention the hundreds of miles of shoreline on the Chesapeake Bay.<br /><br />I think Baltimore County is an untapped resource for a lot of folks in the area.  As I said, when you live somewhere, it’s easy to overlook what you have at your fingertips.  So, I hope today’s conversation will offer some insight into special areas of Baltimore County that people need to check out.  <br /><br />Joining me today is Tom Yorke.  He’s the Chief of Tourism for Baltimore County.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67180400</guid><pubDate>Tue, 29 Jul 2025 19:45:50 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67180400/dd_episode38_072925_finalmix.mp3" length="32417750" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/4fc27c6e-f490-4a71-8d80-3140fd8f14ec/4fc27c6e-f490-4a71-8d80-3140fd8f14ec.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/4fc27c6e-f490-4a71-8d80-3140fd8f14ec/4fc27c6e-f490-4a71-8d80-3140fd8f14ec.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/4fc27c6e-f490-4a71-8d80-3140fd8f14ec/4fc27c6e-f490-4a71-8d80-3140fd8f14ec.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>This podcast has taken me all over the country.  We’ve even had discussions about trips you can take through Europe and other places.  But sometimes the coolest spots to hang are right under your nose.  Truthfully, one of the reasons I wanted to start...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[This podcast has taken me all over the country.  We’ve even had discussions about trips you can take through Europe and other places.  But sometimes the coolest spots to hang are right under your nose.  Truthfully, one of the reasons I wanted to start doing Delightful Destinations was to learn more about some of the areas right near me that I didn’t know much about.<br />  <br />In my time living in the Baltimore area, I’ve spent most of it living in Baltimore County.  For those of you listening that don’t know the area, Baltimore County essentially wraps around Baltimore City and extends up toward Pennsylvania. It’s a massive expanse of land that offers a lot of different resources.  You have the more urban feel that’s adjacent to the city, and you have a lot of rural land filled with farms, horse training facilities and beautiful areas to experience the outdoors.  Not to mention the hundreds of miles of shoreline on the Chesapeake Bay.<br /><br />I think Baltimore County is an untapped resource for a lot of folks in the area.  As I said, when you live somewhere, it’s easy to overlook what you have at your fingertips.  So, I hope today’s conversation will offer some insight into special areas of Baltimore County that people need to check out.  <br /><br />Joining me today is Tom Yorke.  He’s the Chief of Tourism for Baltimore County.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1351</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>38</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Lutsen Mountains and Snowriver Mountain Resort</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-lutsen-mountains-and-snowriver-mountain-resort--66989553</link><description><![CDATA[If you’ve been a listener of this program than you may have heard me mention before that I grew up in New England.  I spent the first 18ish years of my life in New Hampshire.  When I got to high school, snowboarding became a huge part of my life and personality.  It was what my friends and I loved to do all winter long.  I was happiest when I was on a mountain.<br /><br />My favorite thing to do was get to the top of the highest peak at any ski resort and just look around at the world.  These are images that, even though I saw them nearly 30 years ago, I still have burned into my memory.  I think snowboarding was what really made me fall in love with nature and the outdoors.<br /><br />When you live in New England you have pretty easy access to some world class ski resorts.  And of course everyone always hears about Colorado and Tahoe.  Basically it was always New England or the Rocky Mountains.  When you talk about the Midwest, it was always about corn fields and how flat it is.  Ski resorts weren’t exactly top of mind.  Let’s change that story today.<br /><br />We’re taking a look primarily at two wonderful resorts in Wisconsin and Michigan.  They are part of the Midwest Family Ski Resorts properties.  They actually have three, but we’re only going to focus on two.  Lutsen Mountains and Snowriver Mountain Resort.  With me to open my eyes about skiing and snowboarding in the midwest are Greg Fisher, the chief marketing officer, and Charlotte Skinner, she’s the chief financial officer and chief operating officer. ]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/66989553</guid><pubDate>Tue, 15 Jul 2025 20:38:26 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/66989553/dd_episode37_071525_finalmix.mp3" length="29689344" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/cad0fdba-5b26-44ca-adff-8070ee1e9987/cad0fdba-5b26-44ca-adff-8070ee1e9987.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/cad0fdba-5b26-44ca-adff-8070ee1e9987/cad0fdba-5b26-44ca-adff-8070ee1e9987.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/cad0fdba-5b26-44ca-adff-8070ee1e9987/cad0fdba-5b26-44ca-adff-8070ee1e9987.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>If you’ve been a listener of this program than you may have heard me mention before that I grew up in New England.  I spent the first 18ish years of my life in New Hampshire.  When I got to high school, snowboarding became a huge part of my life and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[If you’ve been a listener of this program than you may have heard me mention before that I grew up in New England.  I spent the first 18ish years of my life in New Hampshire.  When I got to high school, snowboarding became a huge part of my life and personality.  It was what my friends and I loved to do all winter long.  I was happiest when I was on a mountain.<br /><br />My favorite thing to do was get to the top of the highest peak at any ski resort and just look around at the world.  These are images that, even though I saw them nearly 30 years ago, I still have burned into my memory.  I think snowboarding was what really made me fall in love with nature and the outdoors.<br /><br />When you live in New England you have pretty easy access to some world class ski resorts.  And of course everyone always hears about Colorado and Tahoe.  Basically it was always New England or the Rocky Mountains.  When you talk about the Midwest, it was always about corn fields and how flat it is.  Ski resorts weren’t exactly top of mind.  Let’s change that story today.<br /><br />We’re taking a look primarily at two wonderful resorts in Wisconsin and Michigan.  They are part of the Midwest Family Ski Resorts properties.  They actually have three, but we’re only going to focus on two.  Lutsen Mountains and Snowriver Mountain Resort.  With me to open my eyes about skiing and snowboarding in the midwest are Greg Fisher, the chief marketing officer, and Charlotte Skinner, she’s the chief financial officer and chief operating officer. ]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1856</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>37</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Wilmington, DE</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-wilmington-de--66612786</link><description><![CDATA[About 10 years ago I decided that I wanted to run a half marathon in every state.  I had run a race in Nashville and then done another in San Diego.  During my run in Southern California I had this epiphany that running a half marathon was a great way to see a city and the areas around it.  Over the next few years I visited a variety of states from Idaho, Pennsylvania and Wyoming.  They all had a different beauty and charm.  But one of them really stood out, and that was my weekend in Wilmington Delaware.<br /><br />Yeah, I was surprised too.  No shade on Wilmington, or Delaware, but it was always a city that I had driven through to go north or south up the 95 corridor.  I’ve driven through Wilmington countless times and never had the thought to stop.  But when I was running through the streets and trails I realized how incredible Wilmington is. <br /> <br />In this podcast we’ve discussed the history that a traveller can find all along the north east coast or mid-atlantic region.  Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley are no different.  There’s an incredible amount of history there as well as some over the top and ostentatious estates that date back to the 1800’s.  And I say ostentatious with love.  These estates are remarkable and stunning.<br /><br />Today I’m speaking with Jennifer Boes.  She’s the executive director for the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau.  There are so many great options for ways to explore and discover the Wilmington area.  I hope you enjoy our conversation.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/66612786</guid><pubDate>Wed, 02 Jul 2025 05:00:08 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/66612786/dd_episode36_070225_finalmix.mp3" length="21307559" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/4bd20ff4-c5c0-48e1-8983-52796c939871/4bd20ff4-c5c0-48e1-8983-52796c939871.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/4bd20ff4-c5c0-48e1-8983-52796c939871/4bd20ff4-c5c0-48e1-8983-52796c939871.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/4bd20ff4-c5c0-48e1-8983-52796c939871/4bd20ff4-c5c0-48e1-8983-52796c939871.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>About 10 years ago I decided that I wanted to run a half marathon in every state.  I had run a race in Nashville and then done another in San Diego.  During my run in Southern California I had this epiphany that running a half marathon was a great way...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[About 10 years ago I decided that I wanted to run a half marathon in every state.  I had run a race in Nashville and then done another in San Diego.  During my run in Southern California I had this epiphany that running a half marathon was a great way to see a city and the areas around it.  Over the next few years I visited a variety of states from Idaho, Pennsylvania and Wyoming.  They all had a different beauty and charm.  But one of them really stood out, and that was my weekend in Wilmington Delaware.<br /><br />Yeah, I was surprised too.  No shade on Wilmington, or Delaware, but it was always a city that I had driven through to go north or south up the 95 corridor.  I’ve driven through Wilmington countless times and never had the thought to stop.  But when I was running through the streets and trails I realized how incredible Wilmington is. <br /> <br />In this podcast we’ve discussed the history that a traveller can find all along the north east coast or mid-atlantic region.  Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley are no different.  There’s an incredible amount of history there as well as some over the top and ostentatious estates that date back to the 1800’s.  And I say ostentatious with love.  These estates are remarkable and stunning.<br /><br />Today I’m speaking with Jennifer Boes.  She’s the executive director for the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau.  There are so many great options for ways to explore and discover the Wilmington area.  I hope you enjoy our conversation.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1332</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>36</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting The Omni Homestead Resort and Spa</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-the-omni-homestead-resort-and-spa--66612574</link><description><![CDATA[One of the things I’ve really loved about doing this podcast is discovering the hidden gems.  Sometimes it’s a particular attraction in a city I’m already familiar with, like a museum or something.  And sometimes it’s a beautiful, and historic resort, that’s tucked away in the mountains of Virginia.<br /><br />On this week’s episode we are heading to let’s say north central Virginia into the Allegheny Mountains to discuss the Omni Homestead Resort.  The Homestead has been getting visitors long before it was ever a thing.  The hot springs in that part of Virginia have been an attraction for locals for probably thousands of years.  The waters were believed to have special powers.  But it was in 1766 when someone finally put a building on it.<br /><br />The Homestead has gone through a lot of changes over the last couple centuries, but that hasn’t taken away from its charm.  The spa is second to none and it’s family friendly atmosphere has brought generations of visitors back for visits over and over again.  There’s an elegance to it that I feel like you only see in movies.  But you could see it in person at the Homestead.  It was a real pleasure to learn more about this legendary destination.<br /><br />With me today is Lynn Swann.  She’s the director of marketing and communications for the Omni Homestead Resort and Spa.  I hope you enjoy our conversation.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/66612574</guid><pubDate>Wed, 25 Jun 2025 05:00:08 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/66612574/dd_episode35_062525_finalmix.mp3" length="59906090" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/183bd7fa-4142-4e12-b367-d519213e9553/183bd7fa-4142-4e12-b367-d519213e9553.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/183bd7fa-4142-4e12-b367-d519213e9553/183bd7fa-4142-4e12-b367-d519213e9553.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/183bd7fa-4142-4e12-b367-d519213e9553/183bd7fa-4142-4e12-b367-d519213e9553.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>One of the things I’ve really loved about doing this podcast is discovering the hidden gems.  Sometimes it’s a particular attraction in a city I’m already familiar with, like a museum or something.  And sometimes it’s a beautiful, and historic resort,...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[One of the things I’ve really loved about doing this podcast is discovering the hidden gems.  Sometimes it’s a particular attraction in a city I’m already familiar with, like a museum or something.  And sometimes it’s a beautiful, and historic resort, that’s tucked away in the mountains of Virginia.<br /><br />On this week’s episode we are heading to let’s say north central Virginia into the Allegheny Mountains to discuss the Omni Homestead Resort.  The Homestead has been getting visitors long before it was ever a thing.  The hot springs in that part of Virginia have been an attraction for locals for probably thousands of years.  The waters were believed to have special powers.  But it was in 1766 when someone finally put a building on it.<br /><br />The Homestead has gone through a lot of changes over the last couple centuries, but that hasn’t taken away from its charm.  The spa is second to none and it’s family friendly atmosphere has brought generations of visitors back for visits over and over again.  There’s an elegance to it that I feel like you only see in movies.  But you could see it in person at the Homestead.  It was a real pleasure to learn more about this legendary destination.<br /><br />With me today is Lynn Swann.  She’s the director of marketing and communications for the Omni Homestead Resort and Spa.  I hope you enjoy our conversation.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1498</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>35</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Richmond, VA</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-richmond-va--66594787</link><description><![CDATA[I spent a great weekend in Richmond, Virginia.  It was the summer of 2019.  My wife and I went down for a wedding and ended up having a blast.  And we had some random incidents that made the trip one that we will never forget.  I tell the story in my conversation today.  I’m laughing about it right now just thinking about it.<br /><br />Richmond is one of those cities that I think gets overlooked.  It’s a couple hours south of Washington DC and right on interstate 95.  For a lot of folks on the east coast, Richmond is a city they drive through as they’re going down to Florida, or one of the Carolina beaches.  But I’m here to let you know that it’s a region that you need spend some time in.<br /><br />We can start with the history of the region.  Major events in the creation of this country took place in, and around Richmond.  It’s got a vibrant city experience in Richmond, tons of parks and outdoor spaces all around, a world class theme park in Kings Dominion, and an adorable pygmy hippo.  That’s right, Poppy the Pygmy Hippo that took over the world earlier this year lives at the Metro Richmond Zoo.<br /><br />So, let’s make our way to Richmond.  This week I’m speaking with Tom Loftus.  He’s the vice president of marketing for Richmond Region Tourism.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/66594787</guid><pubDate>Tue, 17 Jun 2025 20:00:06 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/66594787/dd_episode34_061725_finalmix.mp3" length="21011644" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/3de8cad5-2308-4e8b-900f-a75fd21fda87/3de8cad5-2308-4e8b-900f-a75fd21fda87.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/3de8cad5-2308-4e8b-900f-a75fd21fda87/3de8cad5-2308-4e8b-900f-a75fd21fda87.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/3de8cad5-2308-4e8b-900f-a75fd21fda87/3de8cad5-2308-4e8b-900f-a75fd21fda87.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>I spent a great weekend in Richmond, Virginia.  It was the summer of 2019.  My wife and I went down for a wedding and ended up having a blast.  And we had some random incidents that made the trip one that we will never forget.  I tell the story in my...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[I spent a great weekend in Richmond, Virginia.  It was the summer of 2019.  My wife and I went down for a wedding and ended up having a blast.  And we had some random incidents that made the trip one that we will never forget.  I tell the story in my conversation today.  I’m laughing about it right now just thinking about it.<br /><br />Richmond is one of those cities that I think gets overlooked.  It’s a couple hours south of Washington DC and right on interstate 95.  For a lot of folks on the east coast, Richmond is a city they drive through as they’re going down to Florida, or one of the Carolina beaches.  But I’m here to let you know that it’s a region that you need spend some time in.<br /><br />We can start with the history of the region.  Major events in the creation of this country took place in, and around Richmond.  It’s got a vibrant city experience in Richmond, tons of parks and outdoor spaces all around, a world class theme park in Kings Dominion, and an adorable pygmy hippo.  That’s right, Poppy the Pygmy Hippo that took over the world earlier this year lives at the Metro Richmond Zoo.<br /><br />So, let’s make our way to Richmond.  This week I’m speaking with Tom Loftus.  He’s the vice president of marketing for Richmond Region Tourism.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1314</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>34</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Hagerstown and Washington County, MD</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-hagerstown-and-washington-county-md--66513127</link><description><![CDATA[Sports can unite a community.  When a local team is doing well, people are excited.  They’re happy and they want to invest in that team.  But can a sports venue change a community?  Hagerstown, Maryland may be the blueprint for other communities around the country.<br />In this week’s episode we’re heading to Western Maryland to discuss Hagerstown and Washington County. <br /><br />One thing you’ll hear us talk about is the brand new, state of the art, minor league ballpark that opened about a year ago in Hagerstown.  The community has hinged some rebuilding and revitalization hopes around this stadium, and it seems to be working.  People are coming back to Hagerstown.  They’re hanging around, investing in local business and in a lot of cases, even moving there.  Hagerstown, and Washington County, is seeing a boom in new residents.<br /><br />This podcast isn’t all about the growth of communities.  We’re about giving you a reason to go visit a city or area.  And we will give you plenty of reasons why you’re going to want to visit Washington County.  From their national parks, to the ballpark and perfect small town feel, they have plenty for you to see.<br /><br />With me this week is Dan Spedden.  He’s the president of the Hagerstown and Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau.  I hope you enjoy our conversation.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/66513127</guid><pubDate>Wed, 11 Jun 2025 19:24:20 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/66513127/dd_episode33_060925_finalmix.mp3" length="22820153" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/366a77a2-89b8-4a92-bfa5-48ce6378bf6d/366a77a2-89b8-4a92-bfa5-48ce6378bf6d.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/366a77a2-89b8-4a92-bfa5-48ce6378bf6d/366a77a2-89b8-4a92-bfa5-48ce6378bf6d.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/366a77a2-89b8-4a92-bfa5-48ce6378bf6d/366a77a2-89b8-4a92-bfa5-48ce6378bf6d.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Sports can unite a community.  When a local team is doing well, people are excited.  They’re happy and they want to invest in that team.  But can a sports venue change a community?  Hagerstown, Maryland may be the blueprint for other communities...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Sports can unite a community.  When a local team is doing well, people are excited.  They’re happy and they want to invest in that team.  But can a sports venue change a community?  Hagerstown, Maryland may be the blueprint for other communities around the country.<br />In this week’s episode we’re heading to Western Maryland to discuss Hagerstown and Washington County. <br /><br />One thing you’ll hear us talk about is the brand new, state of the art, minor league ballpark that opened about a year ago in Hagerstown.  The community has hinged some rebuilding and revitalization hopes around this stadium, and it seems to be working.  People are coming back to Hagerstown.  They’re hanging around, investing in local business and in a lot of cases, even moving there.  Hagerstown, and Washington County, is seeing a boom in new residents.<br /><br />This podcast isn’t all about the growth of communities.  We’re about giving you a reason to go visit a city or area.  And we will give you plenty of reasons why you’re going to want to visit Washington County.  From their national parks, to the ballpark and perfect small town feel, they have plenty for you to see.<br /><br />With me this week is Dan Spedden.  He’s the president of the Hagerstown and Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau.  I hope you enjoy our conversation.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1427</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>33</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Indiana County, PA</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-indiana-county-pa--66072187</link><description><![CDATA[There’s a phrase that I’ve used during my previous interviews that sometimes sets my guests off.  I guess I can understand.  It could come across as being insulting, but I never mean it that way.  That phrase is ‘Middle of Nowhere.’  Or sometimes I’ll say ‘Off The Beaten Path.’  Some guests take that as my way of saying it’s boring or slow.<br /><br />But today’s guest gets it and they even pride themselves on that label.  We’re heading out to Western Pennsylvania to visit Indiana County.  They hang their hat on being in the middle of nowhere.  In fact, they say that’s a big reason why people come to visit them.  People want to disconnect, unplug and touch grass.  <br /><br />But don’t start thinking that there isn’t anything to do in Indiana County.  It’s quite the opposite.  There’s a lot happening there from music festivals, performance art and plenty of Christmas celebrations.  <br /><br />Joining me today is Laura Herrington.  She’s the Executive Director of the Indiana County tourist bureau.  We had a great conversation about all the things someone can do while visiting the Christmas Tree capital of the world. ]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/66072187</guid><pubDate>Wed, 21 May 2025 04:00:08 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/66072187/dd_episode32_052025_finalmixredo.mp3" length="34427811" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/4302d1ab-d54a-4e3d-8082-70e96a749de4/4302d1ab-d54a-4e3d-8082-70e96a749de4.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/4302d1ab-d54a-4e3d-8082-70e96a749de4/4302d1ab-d54a-4e3d-8082-70e96a749de4.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/4302d1ab-d54a-4e3d-8082-70e96a749de4/4302d1ab-d54a-4e3d-8082-70e96a749de4.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>There’s a phrase that I’ve used during my previous interviews that sometimes sets my guests off.  I guess I can understand.  It could come across as being insulting, but I never mean it that way.  That phrase is ‘Middle of Nowhere.’  Or sometimes I’ll...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[There’s a phrase that I’ve used during my previous interviews that sometimes sets my guests off.  I guess I can understand.  It could come across as being insulting, but I never mean it that way.  That phrase is ‘Middle of Nowhere.’  Or sometimes I’ll say ‘Off The Beaten Path.’  Some guests take that as my way of saying it’s boring or slow.<br /><br />But today’s guest gets it and they even pride themselves on that label.  We’re heading out to Western Pennsylvania to visit Indiana County.  They hang their hat on being in the middle of nowhere.  In fact, they say that’s a big reason why people come to visit them.  People want to disconnect, unplug and touch grass.  <br /><br />But don’t start thinking that there isn’t anything to do in Indiana County.  It’s quite the opposite.  There’s a lot happening there from music festivals, performance art and plenty of Christmas celebrations.  <br /><br />Joining me today is Laura Herrington.  She’s the Executive Director of the Indiana County tourist bureau.  We had a great conversation about all the things someone can do while visiting the Christmas Tree capital of the world. ]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1437</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>32</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Perryville, MD</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-perryville-md--66071987</link><description><![CDATA[Most of the conversations I’ve had for this podcast have been with representatives from counties, states or major cities.  But I think it’s time we swing through a small town near my home.  I live in Baltimore Maryland.  I always say Baltimore is a major city but it kind of feels like a small town since it’s sandwiched between Philadelphia and Washington DC. We are part of an area called the 95 Corridor since the highway Interstate 95 runs right through the center of the major cities on the east coast.  <br /><br />There are a lot of great small towns scattered along that route in between the major cities.  If you’re driving from Baltimore north to Philly, you could easily stop off in Perryville, MD.  Perryville is a town just south of Delaware.  It has a couple of big destinations: The Hollywood Casino and Great Wolf Lodge.  I think most people know Perryville because of those spots.  But Perryville has a lot to offer besides that.  There’s lots of nature, some great food and a lot of Maryland history to check out.<br /><br />Joining me for this week’s episode of Delightful Destinations is Ashley Hennessy.  She’s the community development coordinator for the town of Perryville.  I hope you enjoy our conversation.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/66071987</guid><pubDate>Tue, 13 May 2025 14:27:16 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/66071987/dd_episode31_051325_finalmix.mp3" length="36157449" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/f6f1bdd9-459b-465c-8d0f-b5e6165149fc/f6f1bdd9-459b-465c-8d0f-b5e6165149fc.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/f6f1bdd9-459b-465c-8d0f-b5e6165149fc/f6f1bdd9-459b-465c-8d0f-b5e6165149fc.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/f6f1bdd9-459b-465c-8d0f-b5e6165149fc/f6f1bdd9-459b-465c-8d0f-b5e6165149fc.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Most of the conversations I’ve had for this podcast have been with representatives from counties, states or major cities.  But I think it’s time we swing through a small town near my home.  I live in Baltimore Maryland.  I always say Baltimore is a...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Most of the conversations I’ve had for this podcast have been with representatives from counties, states or major cities.  But I think it’s time we swing through a small town near my home.  I live in Baltimore Maryland.  I always say Baltimore is a major city but it kind of feels like a small town since it’s sandwiched between Philadelphia and Washington DC. We are part of an area called the 95 Corridor since the highway Interstate 95 runs right through the center of the major cities on the east coast.  <br /><br />There are a lot of great small towns scattered along that route in between the major cities.  If you’re driving from Baltimore north to Philly, you could easily stop off in Perryville, MD.  Perryville is a town just south of Delaware.  It has a couple of big destinations: The Hollywood Casino and Great Wolf Lodge.  I think most people know Perryville because of those spots.  But Perryville has a lot to offer besides that.  There’s lots of nature, some great food and a lot of Maryland history to check out.<br /><br />Joining me for this week’s episode of Delightful Destinations is Ashley Hennessy.  She’s the community development coordinator for the town of Perryville.  I hope you enjoy our conversation.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1509</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>31</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting The Greenbrier</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-the-greenbrier--65951214</link><description><![CDATA[Something I’ve loved about doing this podcast is having the ability to learn more about places that I’ve heard a lot about but have never visited.  Places like South County in Rhode Island, South Carolina, Dutchess County New York to name a few.  But sometimes I get to speak with someone from a place I’ve literally never heard of.  <br /><br />Today’s conversation takes us on a trip to the mountains of south eastern West Virginia.  We’re going to The Greenbrier.  AFter doing some research, and having this chat, I find it so hard to believe that I’ve never heard of the Greenbrier before.  This five star hotel has hosted major sporting events, hosted pre-season practices for NFL teams and has hosted families for centuries.  <br /><br />This episode was also a demonstration of how my phone is listening to me because right after I recorded this interview I started getting all kinds of ads for The Greenbrier in my social media.  I’m not mad about it though.  I think my family needs to make a trip west to check it out.  It’s only about a 5 hour drive from my house.<br /><br />With me today is Cam Huffman.  He’s the director of public relations at The Greenbrier.  Cam grew up around the Greenbrier so he holds a special sense of pride for this American treasure.  Hearing him describe the beauty and history of the hotel really stuck with me.  I hope you enjoy our conversation.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/65951214</guid><pubDate>Tue, 06 May 2025 20:51:12 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/65951214/dd_episode30_050625_finalmix.mp3" length="24262113" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/d81d5201-fe2a-4a6d-93b9-f6577090c082/d81d5201-fe2a-4a6d-93b9-f6577090c082.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/d81d5201-fe2a-4a6d-93b9-f6577090c082/d81d5201-fe2a-4a6d-93b9-f6577090c082.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/d81d5201-fe2a-4a6d-93b9-f6577090c082/d81d5201-fe2a-4a6d-93b9-f6577090c082.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Something I’ve loved about doing this podcast is having the ability to learn more about places that I’ve heard a lot about but have never visited.  Places like South County in Rhode Island, South Carolina, Dutchess County New York to name a few.  But...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Something I’ve loved about doing this podcast is having the ability to learn more about places that I’ve heard a lot about but have never visited.  Places like South County in Rhode Island, South Carolina, Dutchess County New York to name a few.  But sometimes I get to speak with someone from a place I’ve literally never heard of.  <br /><br />Today’s conversation takes us on a trip to the mountains of south eastern West Virginia.  We’re going to The Greenbrier.  AFter doing some research, and having this chat, I find it so hard to believe that I’ve never heard of the Greenbrier before.  This five star hotel has hosted major sporting events, hosted pre-season practices for NFL teams and has hosted families for centuries.  <br /><br />This episode was also a demonstration of how my phone is listening to me because right after I recorded this interview I started getting all kinds of ads for The Greenbrier in my social media.  I’m not mad about it though.  I think my family needs to make a trip west to check it out.  It’s only about a 5 hour drive from my house.<br /><br />With me today is Cam Huffman.  He’s the director of public relations at The Greenbrier.  Cam grew up around the Greenbrier so he holds a special sense of pride for this American treasure.  Hearing him describe the beauty and history of the hotel really stuck with me.  I hope you enjoy our conversation.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1517</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>30</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Portland Maine</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-portland-maine--65656681</link><description><![CDATA[One of my favorite memories of my life happened in Portland Maine. I won’t go into too many details because it’s not relevant, but it involved a concert at the historic State Theater in Portland.  I have always had a fondness for Portland.  It goes all the way back to my younger years going camping with my Grandfather.  We’d swing through Portland from time to time. <br /> <br />It’s such a cool city that probably doesn’t get enough love because, well, it’s in Maine.  People think Maine is so far north it’s practically in the North Pole.  But actually it’s very accessible.  It’s only about 90 minutes north of Boston.  That’s really not bad.<br /><br />Portland has some amazing coastline, incredible artwork and an arts scene, and some wonderful seafood as well as some of the best restaurants in all of New England.  Ever since I was a kid I remember Portland being big in the food and arts scenes.  And don’t let me forget sports.  There’s a lot of minor league sports in Portland that bring in fans from all over to check it out.  <br /><br />I had a chance to talk all about Portland Maine with the president and CEO of Visit Portland, Lynn Tillotson.  I even got a little history lesson in the process.  I hope you enjoy our conversation.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/65656681</guid><pubDate>Wed, 30 Apr 2025 04:00:07 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/65656681/dd_episode29_042225_finalmix.mp3" length="24122932" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/52edc474-e4ea-46b4-b402-353ec3690d68/52edc474-e4ea-46b4-b402-353ec3690d68.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/52edc474-e4ea-46b4-b402-353ec3690d68/52edc474-e4ea-46b4-b402-353ec3690d68.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/52edc474-e4ea-46b4-b402-353ec3690d68/52edc474-e4ea-46b4-b402-353ec3690d68.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>One of my favorite memories of my life happened in Portland Maine. I won’t go into too many details because it’s not relevant, but it involved a concert at the historic State Theater in Portland.  I have always had a fondness for Portland.  It goes...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[One of my favorite memories of my life happened in Portland Maine. I won’t go into too many details because it’s not relevant, but it involved a concert at the historic State Theater in Portland.  I have always had a fondness for Portland.  It goes all the way back to my younger years going camping with my Grandfather.  We’d swing through Portland from time to time. <br /> <br />It’s such a cool city that probably doesn’t get enough love because, well, it’s in Maine.  People think Maine is so far north it’s practically in the North Pole.  But actually it’s very accessible.  It’s only about 90 minutes north of Boston.  That’s really not bad.<br /><br />Portland has some amazing coastline, incredible artwork and an arts scene, and some wonderful seafood as well as some of the best restaurants in all of New England.  Ever since I was a kid I remember Portland being big in the food and arts scenes.  And don’t let me forget sports.  There’s a lot of minor league sports in Portland that bring in fans from all over to check it out.  <br /><br />I had a chance to talk all about Portland Maine with the president and CEO of Visit Portland, Lynn Tillotson.  I even got a little history lesson in the process.  I hope you enjoy our conversation.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1508</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>29</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting South County Rhode Island</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-south-county-rhode-island--65656416</link><description><![CDATA[It’s been a few episodes since we’ve made our way into New England on this show, so let’s go back.  I spent the first 18 years of my life living in New Hampshire, and I go back up there fairly often to visit my family.  But do you want to hear a secret?  This is kind of a source of shame for me.  I’ve never been to Rhode Island.  True story.  I’ve been all around New England but have never made it down to Rhode Island.  So, let’s head to the smallest state in the country.<br /><br />I like to say that even though Rhode Island is small, it packs a punch.  There’s a lot of beauty in Rhode Island.  It has some of the most beautiful beaches in the country, there’s so much outdoor space to explore, and there’s a lot of art.  Especially in South County which is where we are heading in this episode.  <br /><br />South County Rhode Island isn’t technically the name of the county.  It’s really called Washington County.  But it’s the southern most county of the state.  Hence the nickname.  South County sounds wonderful.  I had a great conversation with Louise Bishop.  She’s the president of the South County Tourism Council.  I hope you enjoy our conversation.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/65656416</guid><pubDate>Mon, 21 Apr 2025 19:35:41 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/65656416/dd_episode28_042125_finalmix.mp3" length="23936940" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/31e029b9-b8e5-4a11-92fa-92a233a8838b/31e029b9-b8e5-4a11-92fa-92a233a8838b.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/31e029b9-b8e5-4a11-92fa-92a233a8838b/31e029b9-b8e5-4a11-92fa-92a233a8838b.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/31e029b9-b8e5-4a11-92fa-92a233a8838b/31e029b9-b8e5-4a11-92fa-92a233a8838b.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>It’s been a few episodes since we’ve made our way into New England on this show, so let’s go back.  I spent the first 18 years of my life living in New Hampshire, and I go back up there fairly often to visit my family.  But do you want to hear a...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[It’s been a few episodes since we’ve made our way into New England on this show, so let’s go back.  I spent the first 18 years of my life living in New Hampshire, and I go back up there fairly often to visit my family.  But do you want to hear a secret?  This is kind of a source of shame for me.  I’ve never been to Rhode Island.  True story.  I’ve been all around New England but have never made it down to Rhode Island.  So, let’s head to the smallest state in the country.<br /><br />I like to say that even though Rhode Island is small, it packs a punch.  There’s a lot of beauty in Rhode Island.  It has some of the most beautiful beaches in the country, there’s so much outdoor space to explore, and there’s a lot of art.  Especially in South County which is where we are heading in this episode.  <br /><br />South County Rhode Island isn’t technically the name of the county.  It’s really called Washington County.  But it’s the southern most county of the state.  Hence the nickname.  South County sounds wonderful.  I had a great conversation with Louise Bishop.  She’s the president of the South County Tourism Council.  I hope you enjoy our conversation.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1497</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>28</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting South Carolina</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-south-carolina--65291391</link><description><![CDATA[One of my bosses loves Charleston South Carolina.  No joke, the other day she came into my studio and said, “I haven’t been to Charleston in two weeks and I think I’m starting to get hives.”  She loves it.  And I hear that from a lot of people.  In fact, another coworker is going down to Charleston soon to take part in a 10K.  South Carolina seems to be one of those places that, at least in my area, people love to visit.  But the state is bigger than just Charleston.  <br /><br />South Carolina has so much to offer.  It has a little bit of everything.  Beaches, history, golf, mountains, rural escapes and so much more.  I would say it’s part of a handful of states that truly offer a little slice of everything that makes this country what it is.  You know what I mean?  Every state has something special to offer, but a place like South Carolina takes a piece of every state.<br /><br />So let’s take a dive into all that South Carolina has to offer.  I’m catching up with Devyn Whitmire.  She’s the Digital Engagement Manager for Discover South Carolina.  This was a great chat.  I think South Carolina is on my family’s radar for a little trip this summer.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/65291391</guid><pubDate>Tue, 01 Apr 2025 20:44:10 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/65291391/dd_episode27_040125_finalmix.mp3" length="35847732" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/8b32d9e8-be48-43d5-986c-b7753c5bcd63/8b32d9e8-be48-43d5-986c-b7753c5bcd63.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/8b32d9e8-be48-43d5-986c-b7753c5bcd63/8b32d9e8-be48-43d5-986c-b7753c5bcd63.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/8b32d9e8-be48-43d5-986c-b7753c5bcd63/8b32d9e8-be48-43d5-986c-b7753c5bcd63.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>One of my bosses loves Charleston South Carolina.  No joke, the other day she came into my studio and said, “I haven’t been to Charleston in two weeks and I think I’m starting to get hives.”  She loves it.  And I hear that from a lot of people.  In...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[One of my bosses loves Charleston South Carolina.  No joke, the other day she came into my studio and said, “I haven’t been to Charleston in two weeks and I think I’m starting to get hives.”  She loves it.  And I hear that from a lot of people.  In fact, another coworker is going down to Charleston soon to take part in a 10K.  South Carolina seems to be one of those places that, at least in my area, people love to visit.  But the state is bigger than just Charleston.  <br /><br />South Carolina has so much to offer.  It has a little bit of everything.  Beaches, history, golf, mountains, rural escapes and so much more.  I would say it’s part of a handful of states that truly offer a little slice of everything that makes this country what it is.  You know what I mean?  Every state has something special to offer, but a place like South Carolina takes a piece of every state.<br /><br />So let’s take a dive into all that South Carolina has to offer.  I’m catching up with Devyn Whitmire.  She’s the Digital Engagement Manager for Discover South Carolina.  This was a great chat.  I think South Carolina is on my family’s radar for a little trip this summer.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1494</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>27</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Pittsburgh Pennsylvania</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-pittsburgh-pennsylvania--64962361</link><description><![CDATA[I’ve mentioned before that I live in Baltimore.  I’m not a Baltimore native, but I’ve lived here for about 18 years now.  One thing I’ve learned in my nearly two decades in Charm City is that people here have no love for Pittsburgh.  Really it all stems from the NFL rivalry between the Ravens and Steelers.  But I haven’t quite been able to put my finger on why there seems to be so much tension between the two cities.  I’ve visited Pittsburgh before and, from what I remember of my short time there, I thought it was a funky city that was a lot like Baltimore.<br /><br />There’s the industrial history.  Both cities have dozens of unique neighborhoods that each have their own personality.  And of course there’s the pride from being a mid-sized city and having to compete with some of the big dogs for attention.  As they always say, we are more alike than we are different.  <br />So today I wanted to head out to the Steel City and learn more about why we should all give it a chance.  It’s a close spot to try to run away to for a weekend, and they seem to always have something special going on.  Whether it’s a big concert or event at one of their number of stadiums, or a food or beverage festival, Pittsburgh has plenty to do. Oh, and they have the NFL draft coming in 2026, which I know football fans will want to take advantage of.<br /><br />Joining me today is Alex Kenzakoski.  She’s a senior manager for public relations for Visit Pittsburgh.  I hope you enjoy our conversation.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/64962361</guid><pubDate>Tue, 25 Mar 2025 04:00:08 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/64962361/dd_episode26_pittsburgh_finalmix.mp3" length="24051043" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/5b1c0626-ad8d-4b27-a4e8-38a2cb705f0f/5b1c0626-ad8d-4b27-a4e8-38a2cb705f0f.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/5b1c0626-ad8d-4b27-a4e8-38a2cb705f0f/5b1c0626-ad8d-4b27-a4e8-38a2cb705f0f.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/5b1c0626-ad8d-4b27-a4e8-38a2cb705f0f/5b1c0626-ad8d-4b27-a4e8-38a2cb705f0f.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>I’ve mentioned before that I live in Baltimore.  I’m not a Baltimore native, but I’ve lived here for about 18 years now.  One thing I’ve learned in my nearly two decades in Charm City is that people here have no love for Pittsburgh.  Really it all...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[I’ve mentioned before that I live in Baltimore.  I’m not a Baltimore native, but I’ve lived here for about 18 years now.  One thing I’ve learned in my nearly two decades in Charm City is that people here have no love for Pittsburgh.  Really it all stems from the NFL rivalry between the Ravens and Steelers.  But I haven’t quite been able to put my finger on why there seems to be so much tension between the two cities.  I’ve visited Pittsburgh before and, from what I remember of my short time there, I thought it was a funky city that was a lot like Baltimore.<br /><br />There’s the industrial history.  Both cities have dozens of unique neighborhoods that each have their own personality.  And of course there’s the pride from being a mid-sized city and having to compete with some of the big dogs for attention.  As they always say, we are more alike than we are different.  <br />So today I wanted to head out to the Steel City and learn more about why we should all give it a chance.  It’s a close spot to try to run away to for a weekend, and they seem to always have something special going on.  Whether it’s a big concert or event at one of their number of stadiums, or a food or beverage festival, Pittsburgh has plenty to do. Oh, and they have the NFL draft coming in 2026, which I know football fans will want to take advantage of.<br /><br />Joining me today is Alex Kenzakoski.  She’s a senior manager for public relations for Visit Pittsburgh.  I hope you enjoy our conversation.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1504</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>26</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Rochester New York</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-rochester-new-york--64962276</link><description><![CDATA[It feels like we’ve been taking a little trip around New York recently.  We’ve discussed a few different areas in the Empire State, and now we’re going back.  I’ve said before that it feels like New York is really a few different states all combined into one.  Each region seems to have it’s own personality.<br /><br />This week we are going to Rochester.  I’ve been lucky enough to visit Rochester before.  My brother went to RIT for school and I spent a weekend with him bouncing around bars and eating garbage plates.  If you don’t know what a garbage plate is, look it up. I promise that it’s not as disgusting as it sounds.  Or looks.  <br /><br />Rochester has so many options.  It has sports, both at the professional and collegiate level, lots of nature, history and it even has Tim Horton’s.  I mean, Rochester is right near Canada.  Joining me today is Don Jeffries.  He’s the president and CEO of Visit Rochester.  And if this guy can’t convince you to go to Rochester, I’m pretty sure no one can.  I hope you enjoy our conversation.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/64962276</guid><pubDate>Tue, 18 Mar 2025 21:57:37 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/64962276/dd_episode25_rochester_finalmix.mp3" length="17817182" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/89beabee-7952-4f47-b9f7-51ade6c25e97/89beabee-7952-4f47-b9f7-51ade6c25e97.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/89beabee-7952-4f47-b9f7-51ade6c25e97/89beabee-7952-4f47-b9f7-51ade6c25e97.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/89beabee-7952-4f47-b9f7-51ade6c25e97/89beabee-7952-4f47-b9f7-51ade6c25e97.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>It feels like we’ve been taking a little trip around New York recently.  We’ve discussed a few different areas in the Empire State, and now we’re going back.  I’ve said before that it feels like New York is really a few different states all combined...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[It feels like we’ve been taking a little trip around New York recently.  We’ve discussed a few different areas in the Empire State, and now we’re going back.  I’ve said before that it feels like New York is really a few different states all combined into one.  Each region seems to have it’s own personality.<br /><br />This week we are going to Rochester.  I’ve been lucky enough to visit Rochester before.  My brother went to RIT for school and I spent a weekend with him bouncing around bars and eating garbage plates.  If you don’t know what a garbage plate is, look it up. I promise that it’s not as disgusting as it sounds.  Or looks.  <br /><br />Rochester has so many options.  It has sports, both at the professional and collegiate level, lots of nature, history and it even has Tim Horton’s.  I mean, Rochester is right near Canada.  Joining me today is Don Jeffries.  He’s the president and CEO of Visit Rochester.  And if this guy can’t convince you to go to Rochester, I’m pretty sure no one can.  I hope you enjoy our conversation.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1114</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>25</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Bucks County Pennsylvania</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-bucks-county-pennsylvania--64711490</link><description><![CDATA[This was a fun one.  I spent about 8 years of my life living just outside Philadelphia.  There was a period of time where, on the off chance I’d have some time off on a weekend, my friends and I would take a little drive north into Bucks County.  There are some beautiful, and funky, spots that were perfect for a little day away.  <br /><br />My personal favorite spot was New Hope.  Now, it’s been about 20 years since the last time I was there, but it’s such a funky place.  Lots of art, cafes and a relaxed atmosphere.  And there was this super cool flea market nearby where we used to find all kinds of great stuff. <br /> <br />Like I said, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve been to Bucks County. I discovered during this conversation that it’s still very much the same as I remember, but they’ve made some upgrades.  And there’s a new spotlight on the area.<br /><br />This week I got to speak with Paul Vencivengo, the president and CEO of Visit Bucks County.  By the end of this conversation I was ready to pack up the car and make the drive north right up to Bucks County.  I’m pretty sure you’ll find my family up there this summer.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/64711490</guid><pubDate>Wed, 05 Mar 2025 14:21:15 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/64711490/dd_episode24_030525_finalmix.mp3" length="36113003" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/2712530d-2b2b-4417-b9c1-ea4d82cc7ce2/2712530d-2b2b-4417-b9c1-ea4d82cc7ce2.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/2712530d-2b2b-4417-b9c1-ea4d82cc7ce2/2712530d-2b2b-4417-b9c1-ea4d82cc7ce2.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/2712530d-2b2b-4417-b9c1-ea4d82cc7ce2/2712530d-2b2b-4417-b9c1-ea4d82cc7ce2.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>This was a fun one.  I spent about 8 years of my life living just outside Philadelphia.  There was a period of time where, on the off chance I’d have some time off on a weekend, my friends and I would take a little drive north into Bucks County. ...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[This was a fun one.  I spent about 8 years of my life living just outside Philadelphia.  There was a period of time where, on the off chance I’d have some time off on a weekend, my friends and I would take a little drive north into Bucks County.  There are some beautiful, and funky, spots that were perfect for a little day away.  <br /><br />My personal favorite spot was New Hope.  Now, it’s been about 20 years since the last time I was there, but it’s such a funky place.  Lots of art, cafes and a relaxed atmosphere.  And there was this super cool flea market nearby where we used to find all kinds of great stuff. <br /> <br />Like I said, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve been to Bucks County. I discovered during this conversation that it’s still very much the same as I remember, but they’ve made some upgrades.  And there’s a new spotlight on the area.<br /><br />This week I got to speak with Paul Vencivengo, the president and CEO of Visit Bucks County.  By the end of this conversation I was ready to pack up the car and make the drive north right up to Bucks County.  I’m pretty sure you’ll find my family up there this summer.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1507</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>24</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Dutchess County New York</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-dutchess-county-new-york--64570031</link><description><![CDATA[Let’s go back up to New York.  I feel like the state of New York really is like 6 or 7 states combined.  There are so many unique areas throughout the state.  In this conversation I’m taking a trip up the Hudson River to beautiful Dutchess County.<br /><br />You might not be familiar with Dutchess County by name, but you know it’s role in the history of this country.  Have you ever heard of a guy by the name of Franklin D Roosevelt?  Or maybe the Vanderbilts?  Well they all had homes and businesses in Dutchess County.<br /><br />This was the area where all of the robber barrons had their summer homes away from the hustle and bustle of New York City.  So you can imagine the beauty and nature that fills Dutchess County.  Now, these families don’t hold the same kind of power over the world that they did a hundred years ago, but their homes still stand and are incredible historical sites.  The FDR Presidential Library and Museum is in Dutchess County, as is the site where Eleanor Roosevelt ran a furniture business.<br /><br />And history is just one reason to make a visit there.  I caught up with Melaine Rottkamp.  She’s the president and CEO of Dutchess Tourism Inc, and she is a fountain of knowledge about her county.  If she can’t sell you on making a visit, I don’t think anyone can.  Please enjoy my conversation with Melaine Rottkamp.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/64570031</guid><pubDate>Tue, 25 Feb 2025 20:26:19 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/64570031/dd_episode23_022525_finalmix.mp3" length="25047168" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/80166f6f-52b9-4e7b-afc7-25c9063a5efd/80166f6f-52b9-4e7b-afc7-25c9063a5efd.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/80166f6f-52b9-4e7b-afc7-25c9063a5efd/80166f6f-52b9-4e7b-afc7-25c9063a5efd.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/80166f6f-52b9-4e7b-afc7-25c9063a5efd/80166f6f-52b9-4e7b-afc7-25c9063a5efd.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Let’s go back up to New York.  I feel like the state of New York really is like 6 or 7 states combined.  There are so many unique areas throughout the state.  In this conversation I’m taking a trip up the Hudson River to beautiful Dutchess County....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Let’s go back up to New York.  I feel like the state of New York really is like 6 or 7 states combined.  There are so many unique areas throughout the state.  In this conversation I’m taking a trip up the Hudson River to beautiful Dutchess County.<br /><br />You might not be familiar with Dutchess County by name, but you know it’s role in the history of this country.  Have you ever heard of a guy by the name of Franklin D Roosevelt?  Or maybe the Vanderbilts?  Well they all had homes and businesses in Dutchess County.<br /><br />This was the area where all of the robber barrons had their summer homes away from the hustle and bustle of New York City.  So you can imagine the beauty and nature that fills Dutchess County.  Now, these families don’t hold the same kind of power over the world that they did a hundred years ago, but their homes still stand and are incredible historical sites.  The FDR Presidential Library and Museum is in Dutchess County, as is the site where Eleanor Roosevelt ran a furniture business.<br /><br />And history is just one reason to make a visit there.  I caught up with Melaine Rottkamp.  She’s the president and CEO of Dutchess Tourism Inc, and she is a fountain of knowledge about her county.  If she can’t sell you on making a visit, I don’t think anyone can.  Please enjoy my conversation with Melaine Rottkamp.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1566</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>23</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Montgomery County Maryland</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-montgomery-county-maryland--64228714</link><description><![CDATA[I’ve had a few different conversations on this podcast with different areas in Maryland.  It’s the state where I live and work, so it makes sense.  I have my own personal biases about what places are the best to visit in this state, and what locations would make great vacation spots.  For me, most of those places are near the beach or somewhere out in the lesser populated areas.  Today’s conversation opened my eyes to an area that I used to live in and how many great opportunities it has.<br /><br />When I first moved to Maryland, I was living near Washington DC in a city called Rockville.  It’s located in Montgomery County.  To me, Montgomery was kind of a suburb of DC.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed my time there.  But I guess I didn’t look at it as a place I’d vacation.  And maybe vacation isn’t the right word.  Just because you’re visiting a place doesn’t mean it has to be for vacation.  Day trips are amazing.  Even just a little drive down for dinner counts as tourism.  That’s what I had to wrap my head around for this conversation.<br /><br />I spoke with Kelly Groff, the president and CEO of Visit Montgomery.  She helped me understand the beauty and options available in Montgomery County.  From a wide array of inspiring restaurants and food, to a great craft brewery scene, historical landmarks and outdoor fun, Montgomery County Maryland has it all.  I hope you enjoy my conversation with Kelly Groff.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/64228714</guid><pubDate>Thu, 06 Feb 2025 13:03:09 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/64228714/dd_episode22_020625_finalmix.mp3" length="34220605" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/4250a5f7-ef09-458f-9a4e-f49225225528/4250a5f7-ef09-458f-9a4e-f49225225528.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/4250a5f7-ef09-458f-9a4e-f49225225528/4250a5f7-ef09-458f-9a4e-f49225225528.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/4250a5f7-ef09-458f-9a4e-f49225225528/4250a5f7-ef09-458f-9a4e-f49225225528.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>I’ve had a few different conversations on this podcast with different areas in Maryland.  It’s the state where I live and work, so it makes sense.  I have my own personal biases about what places are the best to visit in this state, and what locations...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[I’ve had a few different conversations on this podcast with different areas in Maryland.  It’s the state where I live and work, so it makes sense.  I have my own personal biases about what places are the best to visit in this state, and what locations would make great vacation spots.  For me, most of those places are near the beach or somewhere out in the lesser populated areas.  Today’s conversation opened my eyes to an area that I used to live in and how many great opportunities it has.<br /><br />When I first moved to Maryland, I was living near Washington DC in a city called Rockville.  It’s located in Montgomery County.  To me, Montgomery was kind of a suburb of DC.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed my time there.  But I guess I didn’t look at it as a place I’d vacation.  And maybe vacation isn’t the right word.  Just because you’re visiting a place doesn’t mean it has to be for vacation.  Day trips are amazing.  Even just a little drive down for dinner counts as tourism.  That’s what I had to wrap my head around for this conversation.<br /><br />I spoke with Kelly Groff, the president and CEO of Visit Montgomery.  She helped me understand the beauty and options available in Montgomery County.  From a wide array of inspiring restaurants and food, to a great craft brewery scene, historical landmarks and outdoor fun, Montgomery County Maryland has it all.  I hope you enjoy my conversation with Kelly Groff.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1428</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>22</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Massachusetts</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-massachusetts--63975027</link><description><![CDATA[If you’ve been listening to this show, you probably know that I live in Baltimore.  I’ve lived here for the last 17 years.  But my first 18 years were spent in Southern New Hampshire, right on the border of Massachusetts.  I would always tell people that Boston was my city, and I still might say that when the Red Sox are doing well. <br /><br />And while I feel like I have a pretty good understanding of Massachusetts and all it has to offer, there’s so much in that state that I’ve not had a chance to experience.  People get an impression that Mass is all about Boston, The Cape or witches.  Those certainly are big pieces of the puzzle, but they’re just pieces.  <br /><br />The history you can find in Massachusetts alone is magical.  This country was started right on those streets, and so much of it has been preserved so we can still enjoy it.  The sports are great, and no I’m not just talking about their pro teams.  Major, and even global, sporting events are held there on an annual basis.  Then there’s the landscape of the state as a whole.  They have everything from beach to city to small towns in the mountains.  My favorite thing about all of that is how close everything is.  <br /><br />Joining me today is Kate Fox.  She’s the executive director at the Massachusetts office of travel and tourism.  We’re going to have a good chat about my sort of home state and really dive into all the many reasons you need to make a trip up to New England.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/63975027</guid><pubDate>Tue, 28 Jan 2025 22:24:30 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/63975027/dd_episode21_012225_finalmix.mp3" length="36697061" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/53d050a6-0610-4bfb-9b32-23f322b03dfe/53d050a6-0610-4bfb-9b32-23f322b03dfe.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/53d050a6-0610-4bfb-9b32-23f322b03dfe/53d050a6-0610-4bfb-9b32-23f322b03dfe.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/53d050a6-0610-4bfb-9b32-23f322b03dfe/53d050a6-0610-4bfb-9b32-23f322b03dfe.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>If you’ve been listening to this show, you probably know that I live in Baltimore.  I’ve lived here for the last 17 years.  But my first 18 years were spent in Southern New Hampshire, right on the border of Massachusetts.  I would always tell people...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[If you’ve been listening to this show, you probably know that I live in Baltimore.  I’ve lived here for the last 17 years.  But my first 18 years were spent in Southern New Hampshire, right on the border of Massachusetts.  I would always tell people that Boston was my city, and I still might say that when the Red Sox are doing well. <br /><br />And while I feel like I have a pretty good understanding of Massachusetts and all it has to offer, there’s so much in that state that I’ve not had a chance to experience.  People get an impression that Mass is all about Boston, The Cape or witches.  Those certainly are big pieces of the puzzle, but they’re just pieces.  <br /><br />The history you can find in Massachusetts alone is magical.  This country was started right on those streets, and so much of it has been preserved so we can still enjoy it.  The sports are great, and no I’m not just talking about their pro teams.  Major, and even global, sporting events are held there on an annual basis.  Then there’s the landscape of the state as a whole.  They have everything from beach to city to small towns in the mountains.  My favorite thing about all of that is how close everything is.  <br /><br />Joining me today is Kate Fox.  She’s the executive director at the Massachusetts office of travel and tourism.  We’re going to have a good chat about my sort of home state and really dive into all the many reasons you need to make a trip up to New England.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1532</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>21</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting The World With Vacations By Rail</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-the-world-with-vacations-by-rail--63704676</link><description><![CDATA[Let’s kick off the new year with some inspiration to get out of your house and hit the railways.  I love taking the train.  I live in what’s known as the Northeast Corridor.  Essentially it’s the area between Washington DC and Boston.  The whole route is connected by rail and people often use them to get around.  Prices can be cheaper and I find the train to be so much more convenient than flying.  I almost always take an Amtrak or regional rail when I go to New York City because I’m not about fighting traffic to get into the Big Apple.<br /><br />While I’m used to using the train, most Americans miss out on it.  We always hear about how Americans under utilize trains.  But there are rails going throughout the entire country.  This is where Vacations By Rail comes into play.<br /><br />Vacations By Rail plans these special trips that take you through some of the most beautiful spots in the United States.  I’m talking the National Parks, Colorado, Southwest, Alaska and so many more.  And these trips are specially designed to make sure that you get a full experience of the location you’re visiting.  Some of them even provide unique opportunities that only come around every so often, like trips to see the Northern Lights.<br /><br />Vacations By Rail isn’t limited to the United States.  They have incredible tours that go all around Europe as well as other countries.  Seriously, these people have put together some remarkable packages.  I’m excited to discuss some of those with Liz Owens, she’s the senior vice president and general manager for Vacations By Rail.  I promise you after this conversation you’ll be on their website looking for a trip.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/63704676</guid><pubDate>Wed, 15 Jan 2025 21:21:32 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/63704676/dd_episode20_011525_finalmix.mp3" length="35961527" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/6e94b7af-d4ea-4d5a-a0c7-33b2d3ce4e36/6e94b7af-d4ea-4d5a-a0c7-33b2d3ce4e36.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/6e94b7af-d4ea-4d5a-a0c7-33b2d3ce4e36/6e94b7af-d4ea-4d5a-a0c7-33b2d3ce4e36.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/6e94b7af-d4ea-4d5a-a0c7-33b2d3ce4e36/6e94b7af-d4ea-4d5a-a0c7-33b2d3ce4e36.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Let’s kick off the new year with some inspiration to get out of your house and hit the railways.  I love taking the train.  I live in what’s known as the Northeast Corridor.  Essentially it’s the area between Washington DC and Boston.  The whole route...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Let’s kick off the new year with some inspiration to get out of your house and hit the railways.  I love taking the train.  I live in what’s known as the Northeast Corridor.  Essentially it’s the area between Washington DC and Boston.  The whole route is connected by rail and people often use them to get around.  Prices can be cheaper and I find the train to be so much more convenient than flying.  I almost always take an Amtrak or regional rail when I go to New York City because I’m not about fighting traffic to get into the Big Apple.<br /><br />While I’m used to using the train, most Americans miss out on it.  We always hear about how Americans under utilize trains.  But there are rails going throughout the entire country.  This is where Vacations By Rail comes into play.<br /><br />Vacations By Rail plans these special trips that take you through some of the most beautiful spots in the United States.  I’m talking the National Parks, Colorado, Southwest, Alaska and so many more.  And these trips are specially designed to make sure that you get a full experience of the location you’re visiting.  Some of them even provide unique opportunities that only come around every so often, like trips to see the Northern Lights.<br /><br />Vacations By Rail isn’t limited to the United States.  They have incredible tours that go all around Europe as well as other countries.  Seriously, these people have put together some remarkable packages.  I’m excited to discuss some of those with Liz Owens, she’s the senior vice president and general manager for Vacations By Rail.  I promise you after this conversation you’ll be on their website looking for a trip.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1501</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>20</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Sarasota Florida</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-sarasota-florida--62815483</link><description><![CDATA[When I think of Sarasota Florida, the first thing that comes to mind is baseball.  I live in Baltimore and the Orioles have their spring training home right there in Sarasota.  I think about the Grapefruit League and all the teams that start preparing for their new season under the sunny skies of Florida.<br /><br />But Sarasota County has more to offer than baseball stadiums. Sarasota County falls just south of Tampa and just north of Fort Myers.  I think a lot of folks may overlook this beautiful space of the Sunshine State when flying into other major airports nearby. I’ve been to Florida plenty of times, but it’s always been to Orlando or points further south.  <br /><br />My conversation this week is with Kelly Harb.  She’s the Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Visit Sarasota County.  Kelly totally opened up my eyes to the wonders of Sarasota.  If I’m being honest, Florida isn’t exactly on our trip list at the moment, but I’m going to bump Sarasota up near the top for our next trip.  I hope you enjoy my conversation with Kelly Harb.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/62815483</guid><pubDate>Wed, 11 Dec 2024 17:00:07 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/62815483/dd_episode19_121124_finalmix.mp3" length="39337577" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/49bedbdd-f80c-4f2b-afa8-4f28f7e0673d/49bedbdd-f80c-4f2b-afa8-4f28f7e0673d.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/49bedbdd-f80c-4f2b-afa8-4f28f7e0673d/49bedbdd-f80c-4f2b-afa8-4f28f7e0673d.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/49bedbdd-f80c-4f2b-afa8-4f28f7e0673d/49bedbdd-f80c-4f2b-afa8-4f28f7e0673d.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>When I think of Sarasota Florida, the first thing that comes to mind is baseball.  I live in Baltimore and the Orioles have their spring training home right there in Sarasota.  I think about the Grapefruit League and all the teams that start preparing...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[When I think of Sarasota Florida, the first thing that comes to mind is baseball.  I live in Baltimore and the Orioles have their spring training home right there in Sarasota.  I think about the Grapefruit League and all the teams that start preparing for their new season under the sunny skies of Florida.<br /><br />But Sarasota County has more to offer than baseball stadiums. Sarasota County falls just south of Tampa and just north of Fort Myers.  I think a lot of folks may overlook this beautiful space of the Sunshine State when flying into other major airports nearby. I’ve been to Florida plenty of times, but it’s always been to Orlando or points further south.  <br /><br />My conversation this week is with Kelly Harb.  She’s the Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Visit Sarasota County.  Kelly totally opened up my eyes to the wonders of Sarasota.  If I’m being honest, Florida isn’t exactly on our trip list at the moment, but I’m going to bump Sarasota up near the top for our next trip.  I hope you enjoy my conversation with Kelly Harb.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1639</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>19</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting The National Aquarium In Baltimore</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-the-national-aquarium-in-baltimore--62815472</link><description><![CDATA[I remember when I was first getting ready to move to Maryland.  Everyone I knew had some kind of comment about the National Aquarium in Baltimore.  Those voices got even louder when I officially moved to Baltimore.  I couldn’t believe it.  How was an aquarium this huge attraction for everyone?  All of my old friends and family who visit Baltimore always want to go to the aquarium.  Even my wife has told me that when she was younger her school in Upstate New York did a trip down to the National Aquarium.  <br /><br />Then I finally made my first visit to the National Aquarium and I totally got it.  First of all, the aquarium is situated right in the center of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor area.  It’s like a beacon right in the middle of everything.  And while some businesses and buildings have come and gone over the last 40 years, the aquarium still stands proud.  There’s something soothing and even hopeful about having the aquarium there on the water.<br /><br />If you pay a visit to the National Aquarium, you’ll find a wonderful tour through a beautifully designed building that gives you experiences with all forms of wildlife.  But that’s just the tip of the iceberg for the folks at the aquarium.  They’re involved in so many different conservation efforts around the Baltimore area, and world.  And they offer so many other programs for people to take advantage of.<br /><br />So let’s talk more about the joy of the National Aquarium in Baltimore.  I’m joined today by Emma Wesoloski.  She’s the vice president of marketing and engagement strategy for the National Aquarium. v]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/62815472</guid><pubDate>Wed, 04 Dec 2024 17:00:06 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/62815472/dd_episode18_120324_finalmix.mp3" length="23776444" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/9aae3f24-58c2-4c82-98e2-0dc2575b47fd/9aae3f24-58c2-4c82-98e2-0dc2575b47fd.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/9aae3f24-58c2-4c82-98e2-0dc2575b47fd/9aae3f24-58c2-4c82-98e2-0dc2575b47fd.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/9aae3f24-58c2-4c82-98e2-0dc2575b47fd/9aae3f24-58c2-4c82-98e2-0dc2575b47fd.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>I remember when I was first getting ready to move to Maryland.  Everyone I knew had some kind of comment about the National Aquarium in Baltimore.  Those voices got even louder when I officially moved to Baltimore.  I couldn’t believe it.  How was an...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[I remember when I was first getting ready to move to Maryland.  Everyone I knew had some kind of comment about the National Aquarium in Baltimore.  Those voices got even louder when I officially moved to Baltimore.  I couldn’t believe it.  How was an aquarium this huge attraction for everyone?  All of my old friends and family who visit Baltimore always want to go to the aquarium.  Even my wife has told me that when she was younger her school in Upstate New York did a trip down to the National Aquarium.  <br /><br />Then I finally made my first visit to the National Aquarium and I totally got it.  First of all, the aquarium is situated right in the center of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor area.  It’s like a beacon right in the middle of everything.  And while some businesses and buildings have come and gone over the last 40 years, the aquarium still stands proud.  There’s something soothing and even hopeful about having the aquarium there on the water.<br /><br />If you pay a visit to the National Aquarium, you’ll find a wonderful tour through a beautifully designed building that gives you experiences with all forms of wildlife.  But that’s just the tip of the iceberg for the folks at the aquarium.  They’re involved in so many different conservation efforts around the Baltimore area, and world.  And they offer so many other programs for people to take advantage of.<br /><br />So let’s talk more about the joy of the National Aquarium in Baltimore.  I’m joined today by Emma Wesoloski.  She’s the vice president of marketing and engagement strategy for the National Aquarium. v]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1487</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>18</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Martha's Vineyard</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-martha-s-vineyard--62815465</link><description><![CDATA[I think it’s fascinating how many beautiful and exciting places there are right in our own backyards that many of us have never seen.  This podcast has opened my eyes up to so many things around where I live in Baltimore Maryland.  I’ve lived in Maryland for the last 17 years and I’ve had conversations through this podcast about places in this state that I’ve never even seen.  I can’t help but think about all of the wonderful things I’ve been missing.<br /><br />That’s also a feeling I had during this week’s conversation.  I grew up in southern New Hampshire.  I like to think that I hit up a lot of cool spots while I lived there.  I used to snowboard all over New England, I spent a lot of time camping in the mountains, and always loved a trip to the beach.  But there is on particular famous New England spot that I never made it to.  That was Martha’s Vineyard.<br /><br />It’s legendary, right?  Martha’s Vineyard.  It’s been in movies and TV shows and so many famous stars have homes there.  It’s one of those places that almost doesn’t seem real.  But it very much is.  The Vineyard has a beautiful community of people that live there year round and provide such a wonderful experience to visitors.  <br /><br />I’m joined today by two guests who know Martha’s Vineyard inside and out.  Erica Ashton is the executive director for the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce, and Alessandra Hagerty is the Deputy Director.  I hope you enjoy our conversation.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/62815465</guid><pubDate>Wed, 27 Nov 2024 16:55:06 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/62815465/dd_episode17_120324_finalmix.mp3" length="22243370" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/d26b6c45-8511-4563-9cdf-7d43d1cbad91/d26b6c45-8511-4563-9cdf-7d43d1cbad91.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/d26b6c45-8511-4563-9cdf-7d43d1cbad91/d26b6c45-8511-4563-9cdf-7d43d1cbad91.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/d26b6c45-8511-4563-9cdf-7d43d1cbad91/d26b6c45-8511-4563-9cdf-7d43d1cbad91.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>I think it’s fascinating how many beautiful and exciting places there are right in our own backyards that many of us have never seen.  This podcast has opened my eyes up to so many things around where I live in Baltimore Maryland.  I’ve lived in...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[I think it’s fascinating how many beautiful and exciting places there are right in our own backyards that many of us have never seen.  This podcast has opened my eyes up to so many things around where I live in Baltimore Maryland.  I’ve lived in Maryland for the last 17 years and I’ve had conversations through this podcast about places in this state that I’ve never even seen.  I can’t help but think about all of the wonderful things I’ve been missing.<br /><br />That’s also a feeling I had during this week’s conversation.  I grew up in southern New Hampshire.  I like to think that I hit up a lot of cool spots while I lived there.  I used to snowboard all over New England, I spent a lot of time camping in the mountains, and always loved a trip to the beach.  But there is on particular famous New England spot that I never made it to.  That was Martha’s Vineyard.<br /><br />It’s legendary, right?  Martha’s Vineyard.  It’s been in movies and TV shows and so many famous stars have homes there.  It’s one of those places that almost doesn’t seem real.  But it very much is.  The Vineyard has a beautiful community of people that live there year round and provide such a wonderful experience to visitors.  <br /><br />I’m joined today by two guests who know Martha’s Vineyard inside and out.  Erica Ashton is the executive director for the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce, and Alessandra Hagerty is the Deputy Director.  I hope you enjoy our conversation.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1391</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>17</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Stowe Vermont</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-stowe-vermont--62815442</link><description><![CDATA[I’ve lived in Baltimore Maryland for the last nearly 17 years, I spent a year in DC and about 8 in Philadelphia.  But I grew up in New England.  The first 18 years of my life were spent growing up in southern New Hampshire.  Like most people in New England, I was really into winter sports. I started snowboarding and spent most of my winters on the mountains of New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.  Living in that area I’d see the bumper stickers and commercials for all of the local ski resorts.  One of the most popular was Stowe Vermont.<br /><br />The Stowe bumper stickers back then were just as popular as the OBX stickers you see today.  They were everywhere.  For whatever reason I never made it to Stowe.  It’s just not a spot that my friends and I traveled to.  Now, part of the reason is it was a little too far out of the way for a day trip.  But I’ve only ever heard wonderful things.<br /><br />If you’re looking for a mental image of Stowe Vermont, the best way is to picture a village from a Hallmark Christmas movie.  That’s what Stowe looks like.  Lots of small businesses, hardly any national chains, beautiful scenery and everything you could want to have a nice getaway from the madness of your life.<br /><br />While I grew up knowing Stowe primarily as a ski resort, there’s so much more there.  It’s amazing in the spring and summer with tons of events planned.  And it’s beautiful in the winter as well even if you weren’t heading on the mountain.  Joining me today is Carrie Simmons…she’s the executive director of the Stowe Area Association…otherwise known as GO STOWE.  I hope you enjoy our conversation.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/62815442</guid><pubDate>Wed, 20 Nov 2024 16:55:06 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/62815442/dd_episode16_112024_finalmix.mp3" length="24060656" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/5e7cc847-6071-47ce-add8-6b5c339b746a/5e7cc847-6071-47ce-add8-6b5c339b746a.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/5e7cc847-6071-47ce-add8-6b5c339b746a/5e7cc847-6071-47ce-add8-6b5c339b746a.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/5e7cc847-6071-47ce-add8-6b5c339b746a/5e7cc847-6071-47ce-add8-6b5c339b746a.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>I’ve lived in Baltimore Maryland for the last nearly 17 years, I spent a year in DC and about 8 in Philadelphia.  But I grew up in New England.  The first 18 years of my life were spent growing up in southern New Hampshire.  Like most people in New...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[I’ve lived in Baltimore Maryland for the last nearly 17 years, I spent a year in DC and about 8 in Philadelphia.  But I grew up in New England.  The first 18 years of my life were spent growing up in southern New Hampshire.  Like most people in New England, I was really into winter sports. I started snowboarding and spent most of my winters on the mountains of New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.  Living in that area I’d see the bumper stickers and commercials for all of the local ski resorts.  One of the most popular was Stowe Vermont.<br /><br />The Stowe bumper stickers back then were just as popular as the OBX stickers you see today.  They were everywhere.  For whatever reason I never made it to Stowe.  It’s just not a spot that my friends and I traveled to.  Now, part of the reason is it was a little too far out of the way for a day trip.  But I’ve only ever heard wonderful things.<br /><br />If you’re looking for a mental image of Stowe Vermont, the best way is to picture a village from a Hallmark Christmas movie.  That’s what Stowe looks like.  Lots of small businesses, hardly any national chains, beautiful scenery and everything you could want to have a nice getaway from the madness of your life.<br /><br />While I grew up knowing Stowe primarily as a ski resort, there’s so much more there.  It’s amazing in the spring and summer with tons of events planned.  And it’s beautiful in the winter as well even if you weren’t heading on the mountain.  Joining me today is Carrie Simmons…she’s the executive director of the Stowe Area Association…otherwise known as GO STOWE.  I hope you enjoy our conversation.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1504</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>16</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting The Maryland Zoo In Baltimore</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-the-maryland-zoo-in-baltimore--62716685</link><description><![CDATA[My wife and I became parents back in 2020.  It’s our first and only child.  Our families would ask us what we wanted or needed for her.  Aside from the typical things like diapers, formula and some clothing we really couldn’t think of anything.  Then my wife had the idea of a membership to the Maryland zoo in Baltimore.  We figured our kiddo would love walking around to look at the animals, even though she was still too young to really understand it.  Also, a membership allowed us to come and go as many times as we pleased.  So, if we went and she wasn’t feeling it, we could leave and not feel like we were wasting our money.<br /><br />Fast forward a few years and we still have a membership there.  The zoo has become a special place for my family.  It’s the place we go whenever we need to get out of the house and enjoy a nice day outside.  We go year round and our daughter loves it.<br /><br />The Maryland zoo in Baltimore is the nation’s third oldest zoo.  It has been such a pillar for the Baltimore community for the last 150 years or so.  And the zoo has become big on the world wide conservation scene.  The Maryland Zoo is dedicated to conserving wildlife for future generations, and keepers often visit other spots around the globe to work on local communities.<br /><br />Take the African Penguins for example.  They are in crisis and could very well become extinct thanks to things like climate change and over fishing.  The Maryland Zoo has been heavily involved in working to keep them alive.  The zoo cares for the largest colony of African penguins in North America, and it has a strong partnership with groups in Southern Africa trying to help these beautiful animals continue their legacy.<br /><br />The Maryalnd Zoo has some big changes coming up in the next couple of years that sound really exciting.  I’m excited to share this conversation with Kirby Fowler…the president and CEO of the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/62716685</guid><pubDate>Wed, 13 Nov 2024 11:00:01 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/62716685/dd_episode15_111324_finalmix.mp3" length="41861329" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/2bd6bfd7-005d-40cd-a822-b12f7e9c4724/2bd6bfd7-005d-40cd-a822-b12f7e9c4724.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/2bd6bfd7-005d-40cd-a822-b12f7e9c4724/2bd6bfd7-005d-40cd-a822-b12f7e9c4724.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/2bd6bfd7-005d-40cd-a822-b12f7e9c4724/2bd6bfd7-005d-40cd-a822-b12f7e9c4724.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>My wife and I became parents back in 2020.  It’s our first and only child.  Our families would ask us what we wanted or needed for her.  Aside from the typical things like diapers, formula and some clothing we really couldn’t think of anything.  Then...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[My wife and I became parents back in 2020.  It’s our first and only child.  Our families would ask us what we wanted or needed for her.  Aside from the typical things like diapers, formula and some clothing we really couldn’t think of anything.  Then my wife had the idea of a membership to the Maryland zoo in Baltimore.  We figured our kiddo would love walking around to look at the animals, even though she was still too young to really understand it.  Also, a membership allowed us to come and go as many times as we pleased.  So, if we went and she wasn’t feeling it, we could leave and not feel like we were wasting our money.<br /><br />Fast forward a few years and we still have a membership there.  The zoo has become a special place for my family.  It’s the place we go whenever we need to get out of the house and enjoy a nice day outside.  We go year round and our daughter loves it.<br /><br />The Maryland zoo in Baltimore is the nation’s third oldest zoo.  It has been such a pillar for the Baltimore community for the last 150 years or so.  And the zoo has become big on the world wide conservation scene.  The Maryland Zoo is dedicated to conserving wildlife for future generations, and keepers often visit other spots around the globe to work on local communities.<br /><br />Take the African Penguins for example.  They are in crisis and could very well become extinct thanks to things like climate change and over fishing.  The Maryland Zoo has been heavily involved in working to keep them alive.  The zoo cares for the largest colony of African penguins in North America, and it has a strong partnership with groups in Southern Africa trying to help these beautiful animals continue their legacy.<br /><br />The Maryalnd Zoo has some big changes coming up in the next couple of years that sound really exciting.  I’m excited to share this conversation with Kirby Fowler…the president and CEO of the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1745</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>15</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting St. Mary's County</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-st-mary-s-county--62398297</link><description><![CDATA[One thing I’m realizing while I do more of these conversations is that there’s a lot about Maryland I don’t know about.  I had always thought that I had a pretty good understanding and knowledge about the state.  But then I speak with folks like today’s guest and I know that there’s huge pieces of this state I’m missing out on.  And I feel bad about that.<br /><br />At one point in today’s conversation I talk about how this piece of Maryland gets forgotten a lot.  I do think that’s true for a lot of people.  I know it sounds bad but I don’t mean it that way.  Today we’re talking about St. Mary’s County.  If you’re looking at a map of Maryland, St. Mary’s County is the southeastern tip of the mainland of the state.  It sort of wraps around the eastern side of DC.  For me, once I hit the Capital Beltway I feel like I’m out of Maryland.  I always forget about all of the incredible places that are just around the other side of our nation’s capital.<br /><br />Today I’m speaking with Liz Mildenstein.  She’s the executive director at Visit St. Mary’s.  I learned a lot in this conversation.  Like I had no idea that the colonial capital was in St. Mary’s County in Leonardtown.  That’s kind of fascinating to me.  I hope you enjoy our conversation about St. Mary’s County.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/62398297</guid><pubDate>Thu, 17 Oct 2024 12:52:21 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/62398297/dd_episode14_101724_finalmix_edit.mp3" length="15598302" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/4ec04a4d-d69a-4c2f-a0da-7ae2aec44fa7/4ec04a4d-d69a-4c2f-a0da-7ae2aec44fa7.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/4ec04a4d-d69a-4c2f-a0da-7ae2aec44fa7/4ec04a4d-d69a-4c2f-a0da-7ae2aec44fa7.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/4ec04a4d-d69a-4c2f-a0da-7ae2aec44fa7/4ec04a4d-d69a-4c2f-a0da-7ae2aec44fa7.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>One thing I’m realizing while I do more of these conversations is that there’s a lot about Maryland I don’t know about.  I had always thought that I had a pretty good understanding and knowledge about the state.  But then I speak with folks like...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[One thing I’m realizing while I do more of these conversations is that there’s a lot about Maryland I don’t know about.  I had always thought that I had a pretty good understanding and knowledge about the state.  But then I speak with folks like today’s guest and I know that there’s huge pieces of this state I’m missing out on.  And I feel bad about that.<br /><br />At one point in today’s conversation I talk about how this piece of Maryland gets forgotten a lot.  I do think that’s true for a lot of people.  I know it sounds bad but I don’t mean it that way.  Today we’re talking about St. Mary’s County.  If you’re looking at a map of Maryland, St. Mary’s County is the southeastern tip of the mainland of the state.  It sort of wraps around the eastern side of DC.  For me, once I hit the Capital Beltway I feel like I’m out of Maryland.  I always forget about all of the incredible places that are just around the other side of our nation’s capital.<br /><br />Today I’m speaking with Liz Mildenstein.  She’s the executive director at Visit St. Mary’s.  I learned a lot in this conversation.  Like I had no idea that the colonial capital was in St. Mary’s County in Leonardtown.  That’s kind of fascinating to me.  I hope you enjoy our conversation about St. Mary’s County.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>977</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>14</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Ladew Topiary Gardens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-ladew-topiary-gardens--62283810</link><description><![CDATA[It’s easy when you live somewhere to overlook the beauty that’s right in your backyard.  I always think back to when I moved to Philadelphia for a few years.  One of the things I wanted to see was the Liberty Bell.  I asked a friend who had lived in Philly her entire life to go with me one day.  She told me she had never seen the Liberty Bell.  I was dumbfounded. If you’re not familiar, the Liberty Bell is literally right in the middle of the city.  I would’ve thought that just dumb luck would’ve brought her by the bell at one point.  But I guess not.<br /><br />I’ve lived in Baltimore now for nearly 17 years.  I like to think that I’ve gotten around to see a lot of the big spots, but I know there are still plenty of places I haven’t gone.  There’s this mental thing with me where I think about visiting one but then say, “nah I’ll see it next time.”  Then it just keeps getting pushed off.<br /><br />Today’s conversation is about one of those places.  I’ve driven by Ladew Topiary Gardens so many times.  Each time I say to myself, “we need to come check this place out.”  Then one thing leads to another and we never do.  After having this chat, I’m feeling very embarrassed for not visiting earlier.<br /><br />I’m speaking with Emily Emerick.  She’s the Executive Director for Ladew Topiary Gardens.  She has been there for a long time and knows the gardens inside and out.  This was a fascinating conversation.  I’m definitely planning on making a visit here soon.  I hope you’ll consider it too.  Please enjoy our chat about Ladew Topiary Gardens.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/62283810</guid><pubDate>Tue, 08 Oct 2024 11:45:16 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/62283810/dd_episode13_100824_finalmix.mp3" length="51868397" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/a1240e29-ff6d-4b45-a3c3-0f018c3e935b/a1240e29-ff6d-4b45-a3c3-0f018c3e935b.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/a1240e29-ff6d-4b45-a3c3-0f018c3e935b/a1240e29-ff6d-4b45-a3c3-0f018c3e935b.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/a1240e29-ff6d-4b45-a3c3-0f018c3e935b/a1240e29-ff6d-4b45-a3c3-0f018c3e935b.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>It’s easy when you live somewhere to overlook the beauty that’s right in your backyard.  I always think back to when I moved to Philadelphia for a few years.  One of the things I wanted to see was the Liberty Bell.  I asked a friend who had lived in...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[It’s easy when you live somewhere to overlook the beauty that’s right in your backyard.  I always think back to when I moved to Philadelphia for a few years.  One of the things I wanted to see was the Liberty Bell.  I asked a friend who had lived in Philly her entire life to go with me one day.  She told me she had never seen the Liberty Bell.  I was dumbfounded. If you’re not familiar, the Liberty Bell is literally right in the middle of the city.  I would’ve thought that just dumb luck would’ve brought her by the bell at one point.  But I guess not.<br /><br />I’ve lived in Baltimore now for nearly 17 years.  I like to think that I’ve gotten around to see a lot of the big spots, but I know there are still plenty of places I haven’t gone.  There’s this mental thing with me where I think about visiting one but then say, “nah I’ll see it next time.”  Then it just keeps getting pushed off.<br /><br />Today’s conversation is about one of those places.  I’ve driven by Ladew Topiary Gardens so many times.  Each time I say to myself, “we need to come check this place out.”  Then one thing leads to another and we never do.  After having this chat, I’m feeling very embarrassed for not visiting earlier.<br /><br />I’m speaking with Emily Emerick.  She’s the Executive Director for Ladew Topiary Gardens.  She has been there for a long time and knows the gardens inside and out.  This was a fascinating conversation.  I’m definitely planning on making a visit here soon.  I hope you’ll consider it too.  Please enjoy our chat about Ladew Topiary Gardens.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1656</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>13</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Cooperstown NY</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-cooperstown-ny--62089851</link><description><![CDATA[Are there places on your travel bucket list?  I’m sure you’ve got some spots that you’ve always wanted to visit.  One of the places I’ve always wanted to see is Cooperstown New York.  I grew up around Boston so baseball runs through my veins.  The baseball hall of fame has been on my list for so long.  I still have this vivid memory of watching A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN for the first time and thinking to myself how badly I wanted to visit that place.<br />And I’ve been so close so many times.  My wife grew up not too far from Cooperstown and her family still lives there.  But for whatever reason, we haven’t made it there yet.  I will say though, as I’ve spent more time in central New York, I ‘ve realized there’s so much more to Cooperstown than just the baseball hall of fame.<br />The area is beautiful.  Cooperstown sits on the south shore of Gilmmerglass Lake, there’s hiking, leaf peeping, beers and so much more.  Joining me for this episode of Delightful Destinations is Cass Harrington.  She’s the president and CEO of THIS IS COOPERSTOWN.<br />Ok that’s it.  I’ve convinced myself.  My family is going to Cooperstown next time we go up to New York.  I hope you enjoy my conversation with Cass Harrington.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/62089851</guid><pubDate>Tue, 24 Sep 2024 11:46:29 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/62089851/dd_episode12_092424_finalmix.mp3" length="33243433" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/9d409983-811a-4ec9-9cdf-1036b576d33a/9d409983-811a-4ec9-9cdf-1036b576d33a.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/9d409983-811a-4ec9-9cdf-1036b576d33a/9d409983-811a-4ec9-9cdf-1036b576d33a.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/9d409983-811a-4ec9-9cdf-1036b576d33a/9d409983-811a-4ec9-9cdf-1036b576d33a.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Are there places on your travel bucket list?  I’m sure you’ve got some spots that you’ve always wanted to visit.  One of the places I’ve always wanted to see is Cooperstown New York.  I grew up around Boston so baseball runs through my veins.  The...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Are there places on your travel bucket list?  I’m sure you’ve got some spots that you’ve always wanted to visit.  One of the places I’ve always wanted to see is Cooperstown New York.  I grew up around Boston so baseball runs through my veins.  The baseball hall of fame has been on my list for so long.  I still have this vivid memory of watching A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN for the first time and thinking to myself how badly I wanted to visit that place.<br />And I’ve been so close so many times.  My wife grew up not too far from Cooperstown and her family still lives there.  But for whatever reason, we haven’t made it there yet.  I will say though, as I’ve spent more time in central New York, I ‘ve realized there’s so much more to Cooperstown than just the baseball hall of fame.<br />The area is beautiful.  Cooperstown sits on the south shore of Gilmmerglass Lake, there’s hiking, leaf peeping, beers and so much more.  Joining me for this episode of Delightful Destinations is Cass Harrington.  She’s the president and CEO of THIS IS COOPERSTOWN.<br />Ok that’s it.  I’ve convinced myself.  My family is going to Cooperstown next time we go up to New York.  I hope you enjoy my conversation with Cass Harrington.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1387</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>12</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Queen Anne's County</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-queen-anne-s-county--61936603</link><description><![CDATA[Through the first 10 episodes of Delightful Destinations, I’ve been lucky enough to speak with a few representatives of counties on what’s known as the Eastern Shore of Maryland.  If you’re listening to this podcast and you’re not super familiar with the geography of Maryland, the state is almost kind of split in two by the Susquehanna and the Chesapeake Bay.  Both sides of the state have very different styles.  The western shore is what most people recognize of Maryland.  You’ve got Baltimore, the I95 corridor, the DC area etc.  On the eastern shore it’s a little more rural, you’ve got the beaches, nature and a whole lot of water activity.<br /><br />I’m excited this week to bring you a conversation about the beautiful Queen Anne’s County.  If you’re on the western part of the state and you want to go east you have to cross the Bay Bridge.  The Bay Bridge dumps you off right in Queen Anne’s County.  While that initial area is filled with shops, restaurants and activity, the county has so much more to offer.<br /><br />Joining me today is April Plummer.  She’s the Marketing and Destination Development Specialist for Queen Anne’s County.  This was a great chat.  I’ll admit to you that I haven’t spent a lot of time exploring Queen Anne’s County. My wife and I have spent a little time in the Kent Island area, and we’ve driven through to get to Ocean City.  But that’s about it.  I loved hearing more about what the county has to offer and the fun opportunities going on this fall.  I hope you enjoy my conversation with April Plummer.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/61936603</guid><pubDate>Tue, 17 Sep 2024 12:46:09 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/61936603/dd_episode11_091724_finalmix.mp3" length="30348183" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/e3e8883a-9840-4a12-a952-9750c8745078/e3e8883a-9840-4a12-a952-9750c8745078.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/e3e8883a-9840-4a12-a952-9750c8745078/e3e8883a-9840-4a12-a952-9750c8745078.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/e3e8883a-9840-4a12-a952-9750c8745078/e3e8883a-9840-4a12-a952-9750c8745078.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Through the first 10 episodes of Delightful Destinations, I’ve been lucky enough to speak with a few representatives of counties on what’s known as the Eastern Shore of Maryland.  If you’re listening to this podcast and you’re not super familiar with...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Through the first 10 episodes of Delightful Destinations, I’ve been lucky enough to speak with a few representatives of counties on what’s known as the Eastern Shore of Maryland.  If you’re listening to this podcast and you’re not super familiar with the geography of Maryland, the state is almost kind of split in two by the Susquehanna and the Chesapeake Bay.  Both sides of the state have very different styles.  The western shore is what most people recognize of Maryland.  You’ve got Baltimore, the I95 corridor, the DC area etc.  On the eastern shore it’s a little more rural, you’ve got the beaches, nature and a whole lot of water activity.<br /><br />I’m excited this week to bring you a conversation about the beautiful Queen Anne’s County.  If you’re on the western part of the state and you want to go east you have to cross the Bay Bridge.  The Bay Bridge dumps you off right in Queen Anne’s County.  While that initial area is filled with shops, restaurants and activity, the county has so much more to offer.<br /><br />Joining me today is April Plummer.  She’s the Marketing and Destination Development Specialist for Queen Anne’s County.  This was a great chat.  I’ll admit to you that I haven’t spent a lot of time exploring Queen Anne’s County. My wife and I have spent a little time in the Kent Island area, and we’ve driven through to get to Ocean City.  But that’s about it.  I loved hearing more about what the county has to offer and the fun opportunities going on this fall.  I hope you enjoy my conversation with April Plummer.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1267</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>11</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Alabama</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-alabama--61313138</link><description><![CDATA[I don’t know about all of you, but this is my favorite time of year.  It’s officially football season.  Both the professional and collegiate seasons are underway and I’m addicted.  My fantasy team could use some help, otherwise I’m a ver happy football fan.  With that season underway, I thought it was a perfect time to talk about Alabama.  No, not the school or its football team.  The state.<br /><br />On this week’s episode of Delightful Destinations I’m speaking with Brooklyn Lundy.  She’s a PR manager for the Alabama Tourism Department.  Brooklyn is a born and raised Alabamian.  Is that what we call them?  Alabamian?  Or is it Alabamans?  Either way.  Brooklyn knows her stuff and she’s great at painting these beautiful pictures of the small southern towns, the white sand beaches and history that Alabama has to offer.<br /><br />I went into this conversation known next to nothing about Alabama and I left with a whole new appreciation for the state’s beauty.  Hopefully my travels will bring me down that way at some point in the near future.  Please enjoy my conversation with Brooklyn Lundy.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/61313138</guid><pubDate>Mon, 09 Sep 2024 18:07:23 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/61313138/dd_episode10_090924_finalmix.mp3" length="32721349" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/00127fdc-f1f3-4d0e-bed8-096a9aa3c718/00127fdc-f1f3-4d0e-bed8-096a9aa3c718.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/00127fdc-f1f3-4d0e-bed8-096a9aa3c718/00127fdc-f1f3-4d0e-bed8-096a9aa3c718.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/00127fdc-f1f3-4d0e-bed8-096a9aa3c718/00127fdc-f1f3-4d0e-bed8-096a9aa3c718.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>I don’t know about all of you, but this is my favorite time of year.  It’s officially football season.  Both the professional and collegiate seasons are underway and I’m addicted.  My fantasy team could use some help, otherwise I’m a ver happy...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[I don’t know about all of you, but this is my favorite time of year.  It’s officially football season.  Both the professional and collegiate seasons are underway and I’m addicted.  My fantasy team could use some help, otherwise I’m a ver happy football fan.  With that season underway, I thought it was a perfect time to talk about Alabama.  No, not the school or its football team.  The state.<br /><br />On this week’s episode of Delightful Destinations I’m speaking with Brooklyn Lundy.  She’s a PR manager for the Alabama Tourism Department.  Brooklyn is a born and raised Alabamian.  Is that what we call them?  Alabamian?  Or is it Alabamans?  Either way.  Brooklyn knows her stuff and she’s great at painting these beautiful pictures of the small southern towns, the white sand beaches and history that Alabama has to offer.<br /><br />I went into this conversation known next to nothing about Alabama and I left with a whole new appreciation for the state’s beauty.  Hopefully my travels will bring me down that way at some point in the near future.  Please enjoy my conversation with Brooklyn Lundy.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1366</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>10</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Indiana</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-indiana--61198594</link><description><![CDATA[Today I’m learning more about Indiana. To be honest, the most I know about Indiana is that the NFL Combine is in Indianapolis, Peyton Manning is second to Tom Brady in everything and I feel well-versed in the fictional town of Pawnee Indiana from Parks and Rec. <br /><br />It was really nice learning more about this state through my conversation with Justus O’Neil, the public relations and social media officer for Indiana Destination Development Corporation.<br />Indiana has so many great things to offer.  More than I had any idea.  And it sounds like it’s perfect for a visit this fall. <br /><br />If you want to know more about Indiana the best place to go is the website <a href="https://www.visitindiana.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">visitindiana.com</a>.  I hope you enjoy my conversation with Justus O’Neil.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/61198594</guid><pubDate>Thu, 29 Aug 2024 13:35:33 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/61198594/dd_episode9_082924_finalmix.mp3" length="23340513" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/2b48400d-a054-4e07-8663-526c80b09bc5/2b48400d-a054-4e07-8663-526c80b09bc5.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/2b48400d-a054-4e07-8663-526c80b09bc5/2b48400d-a054-4e07-8663-526c80b09bc5.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/2b48400d-a054-4e07-8663-526c80b09bc5/2b48400d-a054-4e07-8663-526c80b09bc5.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Today I’m learning more about Indiana. To be honest, the most I know about Indiana is that the NFL Combine is in Indianapolis, Peyton Manning is second to Tom Brady in everything and I feel well-versed in the fictional town of Pawnee Indiana from...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Today I’m learning more about Indiana. To be honest, the most I know about Indiana is that the NFL Combine is in Indianapolis, Peyton Manning is second to Tom Brady in everything and I feel well-versed in the fictional town of Pawnee Indiana from Parks and Rec. <br /><br />It was really nice learning more about this state through my conversation with Justus O’Neil, the public relations and social media officer for Indiana Destination Development Corporation.<br />Indiana has so many great things to offer.  More than I had any idea.  And it sounds like it’s perfect for a visit this fall. <br /><br />If you want to know more about Indiana the best place to go is the website <a href="https://www.visitindiana.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">visitindiana.com</a>.  I hope you enjoy my conversation with Justus O’Neil.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1459</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Talbot County Maryland</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-talbot-county-maryland--60719067</link><description><![CDATA[I think it’s time we head back over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.  There’s this term, ‘Fly Over States.’  That term represents the states in the middle of the country that people fly over when they’re on their way to somewhere else.  Places like Iowa, Arkansas, Oklahoma, you get the idea.  For me, there is a similar thing here in Maryland.  I call them drive through counties.  These are the areas you drive through to get to your destination.  When I think about it, I’ve been to most counties in this state. But I haven’t really stopped to check them out.  I’ve just been on my own little mission.<br /><br />This week’s show is about one of those drive through counties.  I’m speaking with Cassandra Vanhooser.  She’s the director of economic development and tourism for Talbot county.  Talbot County is a beautiful area on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.  There’s water, tons of outdoor recreation, a big arts community and so much more.  But so many people just drive through it on their way to Ocean City, or down further south.<br />  <br />Cassandra is here to tell us more about the wonders of Talbot County and why you should take some time to explore the area.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60719067</guid><pubDate>Wed, 17 Jul 2024 15:29:39 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/60719067/dd_episode8_071724_finalmix.mp3" length="31341645" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/sounder/9a53d79f-7ab7-478d-b54d-7fa185029497/9a53d79f-7ab7-478d-b54d-7fa185029497.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/sounder/9a53d79f-7ab7-478d-b54d-7fa185029497/9a53d79f-7ab7-478d-b54d-7fa185029497.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/sounder/9a53d79f-7ab7-478d-b54d-7fa185029497/9a53d79f-7ab7-478d-b54d-7fa185029497.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>I think it’s time we head back over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.  There’s this term, ‘Fly Over States.’  That term represents the states in the middle of the country that people fly over when they’re on their way to somewhere else.  Places like Iowa,...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[I think it’s time we head back over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.  There’s this term, ‘Fly Over States.’  That term represents the states in the middle of the country that people fly over when they’re on their way to somewhere else.  Places like Iowa, Arkansas, Oklahoma, you get the idea.  For me, there is a similar thing here in Maryland.  I call them drive through counties.  These are the areas you drive through to get to your destination.  When I think about it, I’ve been to most counties in this state. But I haven’t really stopped to check them out.  I’ve just been on my own little mission.<br /><br />This week’s show is about one of those drive through counties.  I’m speaking with Cassandra Vanhooser.  She’s the director of economic development and tourism for Talbot county.  Talbot County is a beautiful area on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.  There’s water, tons of outdoor recreation, a big arts community and so much more.  But so many people just drive through it on their way to Ocean City, or down further south.<br />  <br />Cassandra is here to tell us more about the wonders of Talbot County and why you should take some time to explore the area.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1308</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Dutch Wonderland</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-dutch-wonderland--60662057</link><description><![CDATA[In the first 6 episodes of this podcast I’ve taken you on trips to different counties in Maryland and Virginia, and we made a stop in New Jersey.  This week I thought we’d check out one of the premiere amusement parks in the country.  Let’s visit Dutch Wonderland.<br /><br />I’ll admit that I’ve lived in the mid-atlantic now for about 25 years and up until last year I had never been to Dutch Wonderland. The jewel of Lancaster Pennsylvania sits on some 48 acres.  It was opened back in 1963 with the theme being a KINGDOM FOR KIDS.<br /><br />I think that’s why I hadn’t gone before.  I had been told that it is largely designed for families and children.  While it took me becoming a dad to finally make my first trip to Dutch Wonderland I’m so glad I finally made it.  The place is great.  I genuinely felt like I was in a safe space with my daughter.  There’s something special about being in a place with a lot of other parents and kids.  It’s like everyone was looking out for one another.<br /><br />My daughter had an absolute blast, and even though she was only 2 ½ at the time, she still got to ride so many different rides.  We’re looking forward to going back again this summer.  <br /><br />On today’s episode of Delightful Destinations I’m speaking with Dutch Wonderland marketing director Courtney Burkarth.  She’ll give us all the scoop about the best attractions, where you can stay when you come visit and other things to take advantage of.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60662057</guid><pubDate>Thu, 11 Jul 2024 10:33:31 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/60662057/dd_episode7_071024_finalmix.mp3" length="17899520" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/sounder/5984c794-6427-4ae7-842a-2f5cb1fa28d1/5984c794-6427-4ae7-842a-2f5cb1fa28d1.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/sounder/5984c794-6427-4ae7-842a-2f5cb1fa28d1/5984c794-6427-4ae7-842a-2f5cb1fa28d1.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/sounder/5984c794-6427-4ae7-842a-2f5cb1fa28d1/5984c794-6427-4ae7-842a-2f5cb1fa28d1.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In the first 6 episodes of this podcast I’ve taken you on trips to different counties in Maryland and Virginia, and we made a stop in New Jersey.  This week I thought we’d check out one of the premiere amusement parks in the country.  Let’s visit...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In the first 6 episodes of this podcast I’ve taken you on trips to different counties in Maryland and Virginia, and we made a stop in New Jersey.  This week I thought we’d check out one of the premiere amusement parks in the country.  Let’s visit Dutch Wonderland.<br /><br />I’ll admit that I’ve lived in the mid-atlantic now for about 25 years and up until last year I had never been to Dutch Wonderland. The jewel of Lancaster Pennsylvania sits on some 48 acres.  It was opened back in 1963 with the theme being a KINGDOM FOR KIDS.<br /><br />I think that’s why I hadn’t gone before.  I had been told that it is largely designed for families and children.  While it took me becoming a dad to finally make my first trip to Dutch Wonderland I’m so glad I finally made it.  The place is great.  I genuinely felt like I was in a safe space with my daughter.  There’s something special about being in a place with a lot of other parents and kids.  It’s like everyone was looking out for one another.<br /><br />My daughter had an absolute blast, and even though she was only 2 ½ at the time, she still got to ride so many different rides.  We’re looking forward to going back again this summer.  <br /><br />On today’s episode of Delightful Destinations I’m speaking with Dutch Wonderland marketing director Courtney Burkarth.  She’ll give us all the scoop about the best attractions, where you can stay when you come visit and other things to take advantage of.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1279</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Loudoun County Virginia</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-loudoun-county-virginia--60588332</link><description><![CDATA[This week let’s take a trip to wine country.  No, not that wine country.  We’re going to Loudoun County Virginia, otherwise known as Washington DC’s wine country.  <br /><br />I’m not sure where you live or where you’re listening from.  I live in Baltimore Maryland. Every Fall season it feels like so many people in my social media feed take the same trip.  I start seeing groups of people, largely women, all dressed in their flannels, vests and boots, making their way to wineries in Virginia.  They’re all going to Loudoun County.  There’s something like 50 wineries in the county.  It rivals Napa and other wine destinations in the country.  And the wine is good.  I’ve tasted some at wine festivals.  I’m serious. It’s good stuff.  <br /><br />But Loudoun County isn’t all about wine.  It also has breweries, beautiful bed and breakfasts, small town shopping and so many other beautiful opportunities.  I’ll tell ya, after this conversation my wife and I immediately started planning our trip to go this fall.  I can’t wait to see it in person.<br /><br />Joining me this week on Delightful Destinations is Beth Erickson, the president and CEO of Visit Loudoun.  ]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60588332</guid><pubDate>Wed, 03 Jul 2024 12:53:07 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/60588332/dd_070324_episode6_finalmix.mp3" length="22749936" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/sounder/54877997-28db-45b2-bebf-ddde6e7c1955/54877997-28db-45b2-bebf-ddde6e7c1955.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/sounder/54877997-28db-45b2-bebf-ddde6e7c1955/54877997-28db-45b2-bebf-ddde6e7c1955.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/sounder/54877997-28db-45b2-bebf-ddde6e7c1955/54877997-28db-45b2-bebf-ddde6e7c1955.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>This week let’s take a trip to wine country.  No, not that wine country.  We’re going to Loudoun County Virginia, otherwise known as Washington DC’s wine country.  

I’m not sure where you live or where you’re listening from.  I live in Baltimore...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[This week let’s take a trip to wine country.  No, not that wine country.  We’re going to Loudoun County Virginia, otherwise known as Washington DC’s wine country.  <br /><br />I’m not sure where you live or where you’re listening from.  I live in Baltimore Maryland. Every Fall season it feels like so many people in my social media feed take the same trip.  I start seeing groups of people, largely women, all dressed in their flannels, vests and boots, making their way to wineries in Virginia.  They’re all going to Loudoun County.  There’s something like 50 wineries in the county.  It rivals Napa and other wine destinations in the country.  And the wine is good.  I’ve tasted some at wine festivals.  I’m serious. It’s good stuff.  <br /><br />But Loudoun County isn’t all about wine.  It also has breweries, beautiful bed and breakfasts, small town shopping and so many other beautiful opportunities.  I’ll tell ya, after this conversation my wife and I immediately started planning our trip to go this fall.  I can’t wait to see it in person.<br /><br />Joining me this week on Delightful Destinations is Beth Erickson, the president and CEO of Visit Loudoun.  ]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1422</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting New Jersey</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-new-jersey--60424948</link><description><![CDATA[Through my first 4 episodes of this show I’ve spoken with representatives from different counties or parks.  So I thought I’d step up my game for the 5th episode and go for a whole state.  This week I’m speaking with Jeff Vasser.  He's the executive director of the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism.<br /><br />That’s right.  We’re heading to New Jersey.  I’ve always thought this state gets a bad rap.  It’s easy to make New Jersey the butt of a joke.  Lord knows I’ve done it.  But New Jersey has so many beautiful aspects to it.  It’s so much more than just the turnpike, or the Jersey Shore.  You can do everything in New Jersey.  I can honestly say that I’ve always had a good time when traveling to the state.  Not always on the roads necessarily, but always when I’ve made it to my destination.  <br /><br />New Jersey has a long and beautiful coastline filled with small towns to bigger resort areas.  There’s boardwalks and incredible dining mixed in with mom and pop style shops.  Outside of the shore you’ve got skiing in the northwestern portion of the state.  You have countless breweries or wineries.  The entertainment is incredible with music venues and new spots like American Dream.  That’s the huge mall up by the Meadowlands.  I hope you enjoy and are inspired by my conversation with Jeff Vasser.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60424948</guid><pubDate>Tue, 18 Jun 2024 15:56:24 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/60424948/dd_episode5_061824_finalmix.mp3" length="33452515" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/sounder/fa0fbf41-e85d-4f28-aa1d-ac944c7ad450/fa0fbf41-e85d-4f28-aa1d-ac944c7ad450.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/sounder/fa0fbf41-e85d-4f28-aa1d-ac944c7ad450/fa0fbf41-e85d-4f28-aa1d-ac944c7ad450.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/sounder/fa0fbf41-e85d-4f28-aa1d-ac944c7ad450/fa0fbf41-e85d-4f28-aa1d-ac944c7ad450.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Through my first 4 episodes of this show I’ve spoken with representatives from different counties or parks.  So I thought I’d step up my game for the 5th episode and go for a whole state.  This week I’m speaking with Jeff Vasser.  He's the executive...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Through my first 4 episodes of this show I’ve spoken with representatives from different counties or parks.  So I thought I’d step up my game for the 5th episode and go for a whole state.  This week I’m speaking with Jeff Vasser.  He's the executive director of the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism.<br /><br />That’s right.  We’re heading to New Jersey.  I’ve always thought this state gets a bad rap.  It’s easy to make New Jersey the butt of a joke.  Lord knows I’ve done it.  But New Jersey has so many beautiful aspects to it.  It’s so much more than just the turnpike, or the Jersey Shore.  You can do everything in New Jersey.  I can honestly say that I’ve always had a good time when traveling to the state.  Not always on the roads necessarily, but always when I’ve made it to my destination.  <br /><br />New Jersey has a long and beautiful coastline filled with small towns to bigger resort areas.  There’s boardwalks and incredible dining mixed in with mom and pop style shops.  Outside of the shore you’ve got skiing in the northwestern portion of the state.  You have countless breweries or wineries.  The entertainment is incredible with music venues and new spots like American Dream.  That’s the huge mall up by the Meadowlands.  I hope you enjoy and are inspired by my conversation with Jeff Vasser.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1396</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Harford County, MD</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-harford-county-md--60349587</link><description><![CDATA[This week’s episode was fun for me.  Not only did we talk about an area near where I live that I love.  I also got to speak with someone that I’ve known for a long time.<br /><br />On this episode of Delightful Destinations, we are talking about Harford County Maryland.  And I’m speaking with Tyler Zeisloft.  He's the marketing and communications Coordinator for Visit Harford.  Some of you listening may know him better as Tyler Daniel from his time on the radio for the country station WXCY based out of Havre De Grace Maryland. So it was great to catch up with him in his new endeavor promoting the beauty of Harford Country.<br /><br />For a lot of people in the Baltimore area Harford County is the place you drive through as you’re going north up to Philadelphia.  But there’s so much in Harford County.  From hiking and other outdoor activities to coastline along the Bay and Susquehanna River and a very rich history that goes back to the earliest years of this country, Harford County has it all.<br /><br />I hope you enjoy my conversation with Tyler Zeisloft.<br /><br />For more info about Harford County, please check out <a href="https://www.visitharford.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">visitharford.com</a>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60349587</guid><pubDate>Tue, 11 Jun 2024 12:57:11 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/60349587/dd_episode4_061124_finalmix.mp3" length="20954802" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/sounder/85435d56-9907-4408-8ab3-af7be7c63d2d/85435d56-9907-4408-8ab3-af7be7c63d2d.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/sounder/85435d56-9907-4408-8ab3-af7be7c63d2d/85435d56-9907-4408-8ab3-af7be7c63d2d.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/sounder/85435d56-9907-4408-8ab3-af7be7c63d2d/85435d56-9907-4408-8ab3-af7be7c63d2d.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>This week’s episode was fun for me.  Not only did we talk about an area near where I live that I love.  I also got to speak with someone that I’ve known for a long time.

On this episode of Delightful Destinations, we are talking about Harford County...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[This week’s episode was fun for me.  Not only did we talk about an area near where I live that I love.  I also got to speak with someone that I’ve known for a long time.<br /><br />On this episode of Delightful Destinations, we are talking about Harford County Maryland.  And I’m speaking with Tyler Zeisloft.  He's the marketing and communications Coordinator for Visit Harford.  Some of you listening may know him better as Tyler Daniel from his time on the radio for the country station WXCY based out of Havre De Grace Maryland. So it was great to catch up with him in his new endeavor promoting the beauty of Harford Country.<br /><br />For a lot of people in the Baltimore area Harford County is the place you drive through as you’re going north up to Philadelphia.  But there’s so much in Harford County.  From hiking and other outdoor activities to coastline along the Bay and Susquehanna River and a very rich history that goes back to the earliest years of this country, Harford County has it all.<br /><br />I hope you enjoy my conversation with Tyler Zeisloft.<br /><br />For more info about Harford County, please check out <a href="https://www.visitharford.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">visitharford.com</a>]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1310</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Shenandoah National Park</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-shenandoah-national-park--60219467</link><description><![CDATA[In my first two episodes of this show I spoke with people representing counties in maryland.  This week I’m heading south to Virginia.  We’re going to take a trip to the Shenandoah National Park.  Shenandoah is located about 90 minutes west south west of Washington DC.  It’s this incredible expanse of forest, hiking, fishing, camping, and beautiful views from skyline drive.<br /><br />Today I’m speaking with Jessica Cocciolone. She’s the executive director for the Shenandoah National Park Trust, the philanthropic arm of the national park.  Jessica and her team work tirelessly to raise funds to protect, preserve, and enhance the resources of Shenandoah National Park for everyone today and for years to come.<br /><br />The options at Shenandoah are nearly unlimited.  I’ve never been, but it’s definitely on my list now after speaking with Jessica.  She really sold me on it.  I hope you enjoy our conversation about Shenandoah National Park.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60219467</guid><pubDate>Thu, 30 May 2024 11:24:42 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/60219467/dd_episode03_053024_finalmix.mp3" length="32800223" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/sounder/0ea37573-0089-4c3b-9ee8-203e246d1c53/0ea37573-0089-4c3b-9ee8-203e246d1c53.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/sounder/0ea37573-0089-4c3b-9ee8-203e246d1c53/0ea37573-0089-4c3b-9ee8-203e246d1c53.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/sounder/0ea37573-0089-4c3b-9ee8-203e246d1c53/0ea37573-0089-4c3b-9ee8-203e246d1c53.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In my first two episodes of this show I spoke with people representing counties in maryland.  This week I’m heading south to Virginia.  We’re going to take a trip to the Shenandoah National Park.  Shenandoah is located about 90 minutes west south west...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In my first two episodes of this show I spoke with people representing counties in maryland.  This week I’m heading south to Virginia.  We’re going to take a trip to the Shenandoah National Park.  Shenandoah is located about 90 minutes west south west of Washington DC.  It’s this incredible expanse of forest, hiking, fishing, camping, and beautiful views from skyline drive.<br /><br />Today I’m speaking with Jessica Cocciolone. She’s the executive director for the Shenandoah National Park Trust, the philanthropic arm of the national park.  Jessica and her team work tirelessly to raise funds to protect, preserve, and enhance the resources of Shenandoah National Park for everyone today and for years to come.<br /><br />The options at Shenandoah are nearly unlimited.  I’ve never been, but it’s definitely on my list now after speaking with Jessica.  She really sold me on it.  I hope you enjoy our conversation about Shenandoah National Park.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1369</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Worcester County Maryland</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-worcester-county-maryland--60057633</link><description><![CDATA[Here in Maryland all of us western shore folks love a good trip across the Bay bridge to head down the ocean.  Ocean City Maryland is one of the hottest vacation spots in the region, and often comes up as one of the top beaches in America.  There’s something for everyone along our coastline from Ocean City up into Delaware.  But, Ocean City is part of a larger county that has so much to offer.<br /><br />Today I’m speaking with Brianna Dix.  She's the advertising and destination marketing specialist for Worcester County Maryland.  My goal with this conversation today is to highlight some of the beautiful and fun experiences people can have all around Worcester County, and show that there's so much more there besides the coastline.<br /><br />Brianna and I talk about some upcoming events this summer, like the Peach Festival and the Great Pocomoke Fair.  We also discuss other opportunities in Worcester County like the shopping, golfing, breweries and more.<br /><br />If you want more information about Worcester county and these events we discuss you can find it all at<a href="https://visitmarylandscoast.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> visitmarylandscoast.org</a>.  Please enjoy my conversation with Brianna Dix.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60057633</guid><pubDate>Thu, 16 May 2024 10:42:29 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/60057633/dd_episode2_051624_finalmix.mp3" length="26391235" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/sounder/6781a7a6-459c-4ed7-bcfa-14d336651c76/6781a7a6-459c-4ed7-bcfa-14d336651c76.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/sounder/6781a7a6-459c-4ed7-bcfa-14d336651c76/6781a7a6-459c-4ed7-bcfa-14d336651c76.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/sounder/6781a7a6-459c-4ed7-bcfa-14d336651c76/6781a7a6-459c-4ed7-bcfa-14d336651c76.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Here in Maryland all of us western shore folks love a good trip across the Bay bridge to head down the ocean.  Ocean City Maryland is one of the hottest vacation spots in the region, and often comes up as one of the top beaches in America.  There’s...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Here in Maryland all of us western shore folks love a good trip across the Bay bridge to head down the ocean.  Ocean City Maryland is one of the hottest vacation spots in the region, and often comes up as one of the top beaches in America.  There’s something for everyone along our coastline from Ocean City up into Delaware.  But, Ocean City is part of a larger county that has so much to offer.<br /><br />Today I’m speaking with Brianna Dix.  She's the advertising and destination marketing specialist for Worcester County Maryland.  My goal with this conversation today is to highlight some of the beautiful and fun experiences people can have all around Worcester County, and show that there's so much more there besides the coastline.<br /><br />Brianna and I talk about some upcoming events this summer, like the Peach Festival and the Great Pocomoke Fair.  We also discuss other opportunities in Worcester County like the shopping, golfing, breweries and more.<br /><br />If you want more information about Worcester county and these events we discuss you can find it all at<a href="https://visitmarylandscoast.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> visitmarylandscoast.org</a>.  Please enjoy my conversation with Brianna Dix.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1101</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Visiting Kent County Maryland</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/visiting-kent-county-maryland--59727477</link><description><![CDATA[Welcome to Delightful Destinations.  For our first episode I'm speaking with Shalyn Boulden.  She's the tourism manager for Kent County, MD.  Shalyn is a born and raised Kent County resident.  She's spent her whole life there and knows all the ins and outs of the best things for visitors to know.<br /><br />We discuss some of the highlights of the county as a whole, and what people love about it.  We also dive into some of the big upcoming events for Kent County, including July 4th celebrations, the Chestertown Tea Party Festival and more!<br /><br />For more information about upcoming events in Kent County, please visit <a href="https://www.kentcounty.com/events/annual" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">kentcounty.com</a><br /><br />For more about host Jeff St. Pierre, you can follow him at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stpierreonair" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">instagram.com/stpierreonair</a>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/59727477</guid><pubDate>Tue, 30 Apr 2024 11:13:56 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/59727477/dd_043024_kentcounty_finalmix.mp3" length="44727902" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/sounder/35fddb94-3b99-4f6b-b6c7-73632f4e700c/35fddb94-3b99-4f6b-b6c7-73632f4e700c.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/sounder/35fddb94-3b99-4f6b-b6c7-73632f4e700c/35fddb94-3b99-4f6b-b6c7-73632f4e700c.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/sounder/35fddb94-3b99-4f6b-b6c7-73632f4e700c/35fddb94-3b99-4f6b-b6c7-73632f4e700c.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Jeffrey St. Pierre</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Welcome to Delightful Destinations.  For our first episode I'm speaking with Shalyn Boulden.  She's the tourism manager for Kent County, MD.  Shalyn is a born and raised Kent County resident.  She's spent her whole life there and knows all the ins and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Welcome to Delightful Destinations.  For our first episode I'm speaking with Shalyn Boulden.  She's the tourism manager for Kent County, MD.  Shalyn is a born and raised Kent County resident.  She's spent her whole life there and knows all the ins and outs of the best things for visitors to know.<br /><br />We discuss some of the highlights of the county as a whole, and what people love about it.  We also dive into some of the big upcoming events for Kent County, including July 4th celebrations, the Chestertown Tea Party Festival and more!<br /><br />For more information about upcoming events in Kent County, please visit <a href="https://www.kentcounty.com/events/annual" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">kentcounty.com</a><br /><br />For more about host Jeff St. Pierre, you can follow him at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stpierreonair" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">instagram.com/stpierreonair</a>]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1119</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>boating,county,fishing,hiking,kent,maryland,recreation,travel</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a55401756f82503d9c85562e71458ddc.jpg"/><itunes:episode>1</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item></channel></rss>
