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.  

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.  

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. 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. 

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. 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 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 in town, 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.

Join Travel Brigade to visit Ireland in search of ancestors. Many Americans and Canadians have Irish roots and we'll talk about how you can trace your Celtic roots and travel to Ireland to “go back home.” We'll have interviews with American genealogist David Rencher of FamilySearch.org, and noted Irish genealogist Helen Kelly, who's many titles include "Genealogy Butler." We'll also talk about what we learned from our own experiences traveling into history in the "Townlands" of the beautiful Emerald Isle. Pack your bags and get ready to find your history! 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.

In Winnipeg, they don’t hibernate in the Canadian winter, they get out and enjoy it. Travel Brigade visits Manitoba’s biggest city where, when the rivers freeze over, people gather to skate and play hockey on them. This is a city where people actually ice skate to work! We’ll learn about local dining and fun hotels, places to keep warm, and Manitoba’s own version of “The Da Vinci Code” in the legislative building. We’ll also go from the outdoor cold indoors to a hot experience at a Turkish-style hamam. Enjoy the trip! Follow us on Twitter @TravelBrigade.

Enjoy Winnipeg’s Festival du Voyageur! Travel Brigade will be on hand at the “Festival of the Traveller” which runs from Feb. 14-23. This Canadian city’s French Quarter turns into a winter paradise when the rivers freeze over, and it’s time to get out in the day and enjoy the world’s longest naturally frozen skating trail, bike races on ice and a game of broom ball  At night, enjoy concerts galore and unique gourmet dining and arts exhibits ranging from snow sculptures to high concept ice huts. 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 that begins this weekend, 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.

Travel Brigade takes in the red rock beauty of Moab, Utah, for hiking, canyoneering, mountain biking, rock climbing and river rafting in an area that has both Arches and Canyonlands national parks. We’ll have interviews with Discover Moab and the Red Cliffs Lodge located right on the banks of the Colorado River, and we’ll also find out about exploring slot canyons from the rigger Danny Boyle and James Franco consulted when making the movie 127 Hours, just one of many Hollywood movies filmed in this stunning location. After a day in the outdoors, in our “Ya Gotta Eat!” segment we’ll tell you about local Castle Creek winery, a classic drive-in with handmade buffalo chili burgers and a local diner’s breakfast concoction called the “Sweetwater Skillet.” Enjoy the trip! Follow us on Twitter @TravelBrigade.

Bypass winter and go directly to spring as Travel Brigade visits Scottsdale, Arizona, for a sunny winter getaway in the beautiful 70-degree weather. We’ll chat about great resorts, relaxing spas, championship golf courses and restaurants that give Southwestern fare a fun new twist. Enjoy the trip! Follow us on Twitter @TravelBrigade.

Join Travel Brigade in Rudesheim, Germany, as we float along the castle-filled Rhine River, while enjoying locally produced riesling wines. Off the water, you can ride a cable car up to the hills above the river and walk through the vineyards while enjoying beautiful views down to the river. This is known as the “Romantic” area of Germany because there are so many castles lining the river, some that you can even stay in. We’ll also tell you how to make a local treat called a flaming-hot “Rudesheim Coffee.” Enjoy the trip! Follow us on Twitter @TravelBrigade.  

Join Travel Brigade as we travel to the Principality of Lichtenstein, a small nation nestled in the Alps between Switzerland and Austria. Though small in geography, Liechtenstein is filled with history, beauty and opportunities for fun. We’ll drive up to the Prince’s Castle which overlooks the town of Vaduz, stop by museums and wineries and get our passports stamped. We’ll also head up to the mountain resort area of Malbun for skiing in the winter and mountain recreation in the summer. Enjoy the trip! Follow us on Twitter @TravelBrigade.   

Join Travel Brigade in Lexington, Kentucky - “The Horse Capital of the World.” We’ll visit Keeneland Race Course, a National Historic Landmark where races have been held every spring and fall for decades, and we’ll even interview a “Betologist” who helps novices learn how to have fun playing the ponies. Next, we’ll go to Kentucky Horse Park to see famous horses and breeds from abound the world. We’ll also head out to the rolling hills of historic Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. Enjoy the trip! Follow us on Twitter @TravelBrigade.

Hit the slopes with Travel Brigade’s Ski Utah episode as we glide through “The Greatest Snow on Earth.” We’ll talk with Ski Utah, Visit Park City, Snowbird and Snowbasin to find out about the state's 14 different resorts - 11 of them located within an hour of Salt Lake International Airport. Besides the powder, we'll talk about what to do off the slopes with great hotels, spas, apres ski, dining and fun non-ski activities. Enjoy the trip! Follow us on Twitter @TravelBrigade.

Join Travel Brigade in Lucerne, Switzerland, to explore this city rich in beauty and history. The city is built around massive Lake Lucerne and its stunning views. It’s a place where you can find people jumping in for a swim at one of the lakeside spas, or you can take a boat trip around this amazing body of water. The river that runs out of the Lake runs through the Old Town past a tower, bridges, churches and buildings that are hundreds of years old. The city is also home to the moving “Dying Lion” monument. Beautiful vistas can be viewed when you take “Europe’s Steepest Railway” up to the top of Mt. Pilatus. Enjoy the trip! Follow us on Twitter @TravelBrigade.

Disneyland Resort is the perfect theme park vacation. What’s new this year? Hear about the latest additions with Travel Brigade. We’ll tell you about a new Princess Pavilion 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.