Travel Brigade

Visit Santa Barbara with Travel Brigade to enjoy beaches, boats and bikes in a town full of great dining and fun hotel options near the ocean. From the historic Mission overlooking the ocean to the Urban Wine Trail in the “Funk Zone,” to glamping in the beautiful hills of El Capitan Canyon to shopping on State Street, Santa Barbara is the perfect town to hang out and soak up the beautiful sunny weather. We’ll also tell you how you can enjoy all sorts of discounts on hotels, dining and activities by pledging to go “Car Free” in a town that’s easy to get around. Enjoy the trip! Follow us on Twitter @TravelBrigade.   Photos Courtesy Visit Santa Barbara

  Some of the world's best known Fairy Tale characters - Snow White, Red Riding Hood, Cinderella - all got their start in one particular area of Germany where the Brothers Grimm collected their famous Fairy Tales. Just in time for Halloween and prince and princess costumes, Travel Brigade takes you on a trip along the “Fairy Tale Route” to the Brothers Grimm Museum and places where they lived and worked, as well as landscapes and castles that inspired these stories. We'll take you to the tower that led to the Rapunzel story, the “Sleeping Beauty Castle,” an area where it's tradition for girls to wear a red cape, and towns where they still celebrate the characters that are beloved by everyone from kids to grandparents. Enjoy the trip! Follow us on Twitter @TravelBrigade.  

  Join Travel Brigade in the Windy City as we make our way to top attractions, eat delicious food, hit the theater district, enjoy great hotels and the experience Lakefront parks. We will have interviews with The Second City comedy club, the Art Institute of Chicago, a food critic, Water Tower Place shopping area on the Magnificent Mile and the city’s own “Local Tourist.” Come check out the great attitude of the friendly people in this huge city. Enjoy the trip! Follow us on Twitter @TravelBrigade.    

Join Travel Brigade in Solvang, a California town that feels like it’s in the middle of Europe’s Denmark. We’ll go in search of the famous Danish pastries at the several authentic bakeries, and make time to tour the wine tasting rooms in town representing nearby Santa Ynez Valley wineries - the area featured in the movie Sideways. Solvang keeps things local and has banned national chains, so we explore the unique dining and accommodations to be found. Enjoy the trip! Follow us on Twitter @TravelBrigade.   

Join Travel Brigade in Zurich, Switzerland, an international city full of historic churches and museums, but also home to the vibrant growth and revitalization of Zurich West, full of new and interesting businesses, restaurants and entertainment. We’ll take you up to Mount Uetliberg for a beautiful view down to Lake Zurich, and also take you swimming in the refreshing waters of the lake and rivers right in the heart of the city. We’ll go shopping on Bahnhofstrasse in the Old Town, one of the most exclusive shopping streets in the world and also to the hip Freitag store made of shipping crates in Zurich West. Enjoy the trip! Follow us on Twitter @TravelBrigade.

Sail with Travel Brigade on the Norwegian Pearl cruising through the Western Caribbean. We’ll have interviews as we sail to Dunn’s River Falls in Jamaica, swim with sea life at Stingray City in Grand Cayman, hit the beaches of Cozumel and visit the Mayan site of Tulum on the Mexican coast. We’ll talk about relaxing, rum drinks and great seafood in a tropical paradise. Enjoy the trip! Follow us on Twitter @TravelBrigade.

  Join Travel Brigade in Frankfurt, Germany, to discover a city with amazing history but also has a modern skyline that is unique in Europe. From going to the top of Main Tower to overlook the river running through the city, to trying local food and drink at the Apple Wine Festival, to leaving a lock on the Iron Bridge that celebrates a couple’s love, we’ll take in all that this amazing city has to offer. Thanks to a large international airport that connects to the autobahn and regional trains, Frankfurt is also a great base for exploring the entire Frankfurt Rhine-Main Region, which includes everything from vineyards, wineries and spas in the Rheingau to the edge of Bavaria to tracing the trail of the Brothers Grimm on the Fairy Tale Route. Enjoy the trip! Follow us on Twitter @TravelBrigade.  

Disneyland is a favorite for a family vacation, but there is so much more to do in the Southern California town of Anaheim outside of the Disney Resort. Join Travel Brigade as we venture beyond the Disney gates to find out about revitalized areas in Anaheim like the Packing District and Center Street, where unique restaurants and shops can offer a different experience from the theme park. We’ll also talk about hotels in the area that make for a great base for exploring Disneyland and the town. Enjoy the trip! Follow us on Twitter @TravelBrigade. 

Disneyland Resort is the perfect theme park vacation. What’s new for 2013? Hear about the latest additions with Travel Brigade. We’ll tell you about a new Fantasy Faire where you can see all of the famous princesses at Disneyland and other updates at California Adventure. We’ll also talk with a Disney expert about new places to eat and touch on some all-time favorite food stops in the park. We will also discuss various hotel options available on the property for your stay. Enjoy the trip! Follow us on Twitter @TravelBrigade.  

Fall is the perfect time to visit Sonoma with Travel Brigade for the harvest season. Along with the vineyards, check out skating at Snoopy's Home Ice, visit the Charles Schulz Museum, have a wild encounter at Safari West, explore beautiful parks, eat some great food, including amazing Spanish Paella at the Vineyards Inn, all while driving through Sonoma’s world-famous vineyards. We’ll also talk about relaxing at the Hyatt Vineyard Creek and the Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa. Enjoy the trip! Follow us on Twitter @TravelBrigade.

Travel Brigade visits Laguna Beach, a unique Orange County, California, coastal town that has beautiful beaches to go along with a thriving arts scene. In our travel podcast we’ll talk about the annual Pageant of the Masters art festival, tell you the best places to find beach views that inspire artists, interview local experts about the many great dining options and activities and tell you about a hotel with amazing beach access. Enjoy the trip! Follow us on Twitter @TravelBrigade.

Enjoy summer in Lake Tahoe when Travel Brigade hits this beautiful body of water on the border of California and Nevada. Come take in amazing views from the Heavenly gondola, kayak and paddle board at Camp Richardson, have dinner aboard an old Mississippi paddle wheel boat and jet ski and enjoy organic shaved ice at Zephyr Cove. We’ll eat to our heart’s content at Riva Grill, The Beacon and Edgewood Tahoe. Check out the art scene with the Shakespeare Festival on the Beach or find out where to try your hand at one of the local casinos. Enjoy the trip! Follow us on Twitter @TravelBrigade.   

Experience the dramatic natural beauty of Zion National Park as Travel Brigade takes you everywhere from the heights of Angel’s Landing to the depths of the slot canyons in this episode focused on one of America’s national treasures. We’ll interview a local outfitter to find out about adventures in and out of the park. We’ll also talk with a local about Springdale - a charming small town right on the border of the park - about the wide variety of options for dining and accommodations in the area. Enjoy the trip! Follow us on Twitter @TravelBrigade. Hiking and canyoneering photos by Seth Hamel.   

Join Travel Brigade to visit Ireland to find your Celtic ancestors. Many Americans and Canadians have Irish roots and we'll talk about how you can trace your family history and travel to Ireland to “go back home.” We'll have interviews with American genealogist David Rencher of FamilySearch.org to learn how to prepare before you go , and noted Irish genealogist Helen Kelly, whose many titles include "Genealogy Butler," to learn what to do when you get to Ireland to make your trip successful. We'll also talk about what we learned from our own experiences traveling into history in the "Townlands" of the beautiful Emerald Isle. 2013 is the year of "The Gathering" in Ireland, so pack your bags and get ready to find your history!  Follow us on Twitter @TravelBrigade. Enjoy the trip!

Enjoy summer in Lake Tahoe when Travel Brigade hits this beautiful body of water on the border of California and Nevada. Come take in amazing views from the Heavenly gondola, kayak and paddle board at Camp Richardson, have dinner aboard an old Mississippi paddle wheel boat and jet ski and enjoy organic shaved ice at Zephyr Cove. We’ll eat to our heart’s content at Riva Grill, The Beacon and Edgewood Tahoe. Check out the art scene with the Shakespeare Festival on the Beach or find out where to try your hand at one of the local casinos. Enjoy the trip! Follow us on Twitter @TravelBrigade.