Next year marks 25 years that I’ve been a travel host, and through my career I’ve had the chance to experience bucket list-worthy opportunities time and time again. Seven years ago when I decided to produce my own show, “Places to Love,” I sat down and thought hard about what kind of travel show I wanted it to be. Through so many adventures over two decades, one thing really stayed with me - the people. Not only did I want to introduce viewers to all sorts of unique locations, I wanted to introduce them to the people who made those destinations places to love.
Through six seasons, I’ve been able to meet so many people from so many backgrounds. We throw around the word “diversity” in travel a lot, but what does it really mean? Below, I want to share just a handful of the incredible people who have taught me the meaning of the word.
1. Clarissa Cropper Egerton of Frugal Bookstore
Now that I have kids, I’m constantly reminded of just how perceptive they are. There are so many things we don’t consider as adults but kids narrow in on with surprising clarity. You realize how important it is for them to be seen in the movies they watch, the books they read, and the media they consume. Representation matters even if it’s not so obvious to us grown-ups.
That’s why I absolutely love what Clarissa Cropper Egerton is doing with Frugal Bookstore in Boston, Massachusetts. Located in historic Nubian Square, it’s the only African-American owned bookstore in the city and specifically focuses on amplifying BIPOC authors. One of the things she said to me that’s stuck with me to this day is that she wants to make sure that any child who walks through her store’s doors sees themselves in the books sitting on her shelves.
2. Meherwan Irani of Chai Pani
Being able to experience new foods and cuisines is truly one of the best parts about travel. That’s why I love discovering eateries that have brought new cuisines to unexpected places and blended seemingly different cultures into one menu. This is what Chef Meherwan Irani has done with his restaurant, Chai Pani in Asheville, North Carolina.
Chai Pani, which is a slang phrase Indians use when they want to go out for a bite to eat, brings the culture of Indian street food and mixes it with US Southern favorites. The dishes are both familiar and unfamiliar, and his restaurant has become a favorite amongst locals and tourists alike for over a decade.
3. Cory Lee of Curb Free with Cory Lee
Diagnosed with spinal muscular dystrophy (type 2) at age two, my friend, Cory Lee, is a true trailblazer in the travel industry. With his blog, Curb Free with Cory Lee, he takes his followers all around the world and is an advocate for accessibility. Since his very first international trip to the Bahamas at age 15, and starting his blog in 2013, he’s been able to visit all 7 continents and countless countries. These days he’s even running wheelchair-friendly group trips.
I had a chance to visit Cory in his home base of Chattanooga, Tennessee and see all the ways this city has made itself accessible to residents like him. As he took me to his favorite spots along Chattanooga's Riverwalk, I gained a whole new appreciation for wandering and exploring.
4. DeWayne Barton of Hood Huggers & Collin Knight of Live Like a Local
Both DeWayne Barton and Collin Knight share stories that have historically been pushed to the wayside.
With Live Like a Local tours, Collin Knight brings visitors to the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston. Formerly its own town, Roxbury goes all the way back to 1630 and has been at the center of Black culture since the 1900s. Both Malcom X and Martin Luther King Jr. once lived here!
Meanwhile in Asheville, Dewayne Barton developed Hood Huggers tours to share more of the community’s lesser known Black history. He takes guests around The Block, a historic Black business district with one of the oldest Black community centers in the country. There he shares the history of a place that once held 65 Black-owned businesses and introduces guests to newer places that have opened up more recently.
So much of history has always been centered around specific narratives, and both Knight and Barton have done incredible work bringing equally important histories to life in their hometowns. It’s made me want to be more out of the box when planning trips and to look for the less obvious tours and places in new destinations.
5. Chris and Rob Taylor of 2TravelDads
What does travel look like for a family with two dads instead of a mom and dad? Well, Chris and Rob Taylor of 2TravelDads, the original LGBTQ family travel blog, have been sharing their experiences for years. As the dads of two kids, their goal is “to normalize non-traditional families and promote acceptance of loving, caring people no matter the family makeup.” This is a challenge that shouldn’t be a challenge but unfortunately still is, and I’ve always admired how they share their mission with thoughtfulness while still having fun!
I visited them in their new home of St. Augustine, Florida to learn more about how they use travel as an endless form of education for their kids. I truly love that they never miss an opportunity to peak their kids’ curiosity and get them learning.
6. Kara Wilson of Wilson Ranches Retreat
I’ve always told people meeting Kara Wilson of Wilson Ranches Retreat is what helped really solidify my goal with “Places to Love.” I met her a year before I began filming our Oregon RV Road Trip episode for Season 1 of the show. Meeting her is what made me think, “I want to do a travel show where people like me know that people like you exist.”
Ever since she was struck with Lyme disease at age nine, Kara has been paralyzed from the waist down. Don’t you think she let it stop her, though! She’s the 7th generation of an Oregon Trail family and spends her time running her family’s cattle ranch, competing in rodeos, and more. She’s taught me that no matter your circumstances, you can always approach life with grit and grace.
7. Jess Fiero of Atrevida Beer Co.
As the first Latina brewery owner and head brewer in Colorado, Jess Fiero knows a thing or two about the importance of diversity. In fact, the motto for her company, Atrevida Beer Co., is “diversity, it’s on tap.” She absolutely lives up to her company’s name, which translates to “bold, fearless woman.” Jess first fell in love with beer when her husband was stationed in Heidelberg, and she spent her time honing her knowledge through Germany, Belgium, and the Czech Republic.
Both she and her husband have two goals in mind with Atrevida - serve delicious brews inspired by their Latin heritage and to bring diversity into everything they do. Brews not only taste good, they spark conversation, and as small business owners in Colorado Springs, they are always vocally supportive of all sorts of causes and missions.
Meeting Jess has inspired me to be braver and bolder not just in my daily life but with my platform as well.
8. Kay Heritage of Big Bon Bodega
Want to know where to get the best bagels in Savannah, Georgia? From Big Bon Bodega in the Starland District, of course! When Korean-American Veteran, Kay Heritage, had a difficult time finding decent bagels this far south, she decided to make her own. Today her shop is known for serving Montreal-style bagels during the day and pizzas in the evening.
Not only has Kay managed to bring a much-loved product to Savannah, she’s also helping to revolutionize the way businesses can interact with their employees. She has a completely open-book policy, which means she shares all the company’s finances with her staff. Through this method of transparency, she encourages a new kind of communication and entrepreneurship that many businesses and franchises could learn from! Who doesn’t want to support a place that makes good food and treats its employees with equality and respect?!
I love the way she’s simply revolutionizing the industry by doing things differently to the norm.
I could keep going with all the incredible people I’ve met through “Places to Love” and just 25+ years of travel hosting in general. Travel has helped me open my eyes to so many stories and viewpoints different from my own, and I’ll always be an advocate for encouraging diversity in all its shapes and forms. As Atticus Finch once said, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view....” I’m forever grateful to the many people who have let me learn from them!
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