Off the Beaten Path - Hidden Travel Gems in North America

Travel advisors Ryan and Julie kick off an exciting new series highlighting lesser-known destinations that deserve a spot on your travel bucket list. This episode focuses on hidden gems across North America - from charming small towns to pristine beaches that offer unique experiences away from crowded tourist hotspots.

Featured Destinations

Asheboro, North Carolina

Location: 30 minutes south of Greensboro, 90 minutes west of Raleigh
Star Attraction: North Carolina Zoo - world's largest natural habitat zoo
Activities: Hiking Purgatory Mountain, pottery shopping in Sea Grove, famous fried chicken at Magnolia 23
Stay: Postcard Cabins (32 luxury tiny cabins) or Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp Resort

Little Switzerland, North Carolina

Location: 2 hours northwest of Charlotte, 3,500 feet above sea level
Highlights: Swiss architectural style, "Jewel of the Blue Ridge Parkway"
Must-Do: Little Switzerland Books and Beans (3-story bookstore), Geneva Hall mountain music, North Carolina Mining Museum
Best Time: Mid-April through October
Stay: Switzerland Inn or Skyline Inn with panoramic valley views

Siesta Key, Florida

Location: Southwest coast between Tampa and Fort Myers
Features: 8 miles of quartz-laden sugar-soft sand, dolphin sightings
Activities: Siesta Key drum circle, snorkeling at Point of Rocks, Old Salty Dog restaurant
Accommodation: Tropical Breeze Resort or vacation rentals
Best Time: Fall and winter

Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Location: 1 hour southwest of Milwaukee, "Hamptons of Chicago"
Attractions: Gilded Age estates, Yerkes Observatory, famous MailBoat Tour
Stay: Grand Geneva Resort, Maxwell Mansion, or Abbey Resort
Season: Memorial Day to Labor Day for peak lake town experience

Johnson's Beach, Sonoma County, California

Location: 90 minutes north of San Francisco along Russian River
Perfect For: Quiet beach experience with canoe/kayak rentals
Accommodation: Bungalows, cabins, or camping options right on the beach
Best Time: Summer months

Bonus Local Recommendations

Maryland: Assateague Island - wild horses on the beach
Michigan: Southwest Michigan lake towns with wineries and breweries

Coming Up

Next episode: Ryan and Julie recap their Utopia of the Seas cruise and Disney World adventure!

Host: Ryan (Travel Professor) and Julie (Disney-loving Maryland mom, family travel specialist)

Transcript

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 0:00

Hello and welcome to All Things Travel. We tend to feature destinations that are popular or that we have personally traveled to, and today we're starting a new series highlighting not so popular destinations. These are destinations you may not know about. They might be a bit off the beaten path of your regular travel locations. These destinations though are worth visiting and we'll tell you why. Today we're starting with cities and towns across North America and over the next few weeks we'll be highlighting different parts of the world as well.

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 0:34

Listen in with travel advisors and destination experts. Ryan and Julie. I'm your travel professor teaching you everything you need to know to have a magical vacation, and she's a Disney loving Maryland mom of three and a specialist in family travel. Whether we're discussing incredible destinations, top vacation tips, or sharing personal stories, it's always all things travel.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 1:00

Okay, so this is a really exciting week for us.

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 1:03

Yes,

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 1:05

we are sailing on Utopia of the Sea in just a couple of days, and by we, I mean my family Ryan and his fiance and a couple friends. after that, Ryan and my family and Ryan and his fiance, just so people know, it's not like just me and you

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 1:23

Yeah.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 1:24

we are also going to watch Disney World for a couple of days. We are so excited. My kids are off the walls, excited. They've been watching YouTube videos of Utopia of the Seas walkthrough and just, so excited about the splash pad, the water park, the playground, the carousel, the mini golf,

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 1:43

There's too much to do in a three night cruise, but unfortunately, that's what fit the bill.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 1:48

I feel like we're never gonna see each other on the cruise because you are definitely not going to be

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 1:52

Yeah. it's like, where are you guys headed for Perfect Day on Perfect Day at Coco Kate, the adults area.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 1:57

Yeah,

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 1:58

Are you staying on the ship in Nassau? No, but we're gonna have a good time. a cruise is always fun. And you know, I, I say that about. Not enough time. And really there isn't. But the good thing about a ship like Utopia of the Seas, and this is what I found when I sailed Icon, the trip is what you make it. You don't have to do everything. It's not designed for you to do everything in three nights. So you choose the things that you want to do and that's what you focus on.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 2:25

Yeah.

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 2:26

you know, you joke, you're like, can you please take Steven to the adult shows because he never gets to do that. I've got all that in my schedule, but yeah, I'm really excited. you and I see each other and talk all the time, but it's very rare to be in the same space. So to know that in, 48 hours, we're gonna be sipping a drink together on the cruise deck, sounds pretty good to me.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 2:46

and my friends that are joining us, their family, have never been on a cruise before.

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 2:50

Very fun.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 2:52

I'm really excited to introduce them to that. My kids have never been on a Royal Caribbean cruise before, so I think this is a really good ship To start with because some of the older ships don't have all of the kid

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 3:04

Yeah.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 3:04

But this one, the more I looked into what was on Utopia of the season, the more I was like, okay, this is the right ship

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 3:11

I,

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 3:12

for my age kids.

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 3:14

agree and especially perfect day Coco KI mean, I have raved about it forever and I know you kind of went there with me for the first time, a little skeptical and really came back a fan. You were very skeptical and I think it blew you away.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 3:31

Yeah, I loved it so much. I actually, between my family and my friends, we rented a cabana on Chill Island, so I cannot wait to see what that's like. I'm sure that we will be recapping the cruise and our

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 3:43

Yeah.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 3:44

when we come back. and a couple of episodes. we also have a couple days in the parks at Disney together. And while we are not, doing all the same things, We do have some dining reservations that overlap

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 3:55

right.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 3:55

We have some rides that

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 3:57

Yeah. Jasmine and I will be happy to wave at you from across the dining room as you're dealing with all your kiddos, and we're like sipping a cocktail and, and you know, leaving when we're ready to leave.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 4:10

Oh my gosh. Yeah. I can't wait. I'm so excited. we have not packed. It's the day before we leave. we have clothes in a suitcase,

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 4:17

before we get into this great topic that you put together today, Julie, I wanna remind folks if you did not listen to last week's episode, Steven joined us and you and Steven talked all about your trip to St. Lucia. And maybe you'll be ready for an adults only trip after this cruise with the kiddos.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 4:35

And there is a really exciting event that happens during the

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 4:38

Yes. So make sure if you haven't figured it out. Sometimes I put little outtakes or things that I find funny, at the end of the show, but this one is definitely worth the extra listen. Alright, Julie, so why don't you talk about this idea of Off the Beaten Path. what are the types of places that we're gonna be talking about today?

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 4:59

Yeah, so sometimes we get vacation requests and it's somebody that's like, I don't wanna go where everyone else is. I just think that's a really fun idea. So we decided to turn this into a series. we knew we'd have a lot of places to highlight. we're starting with North America today with a couple of towns that I wanna recommend and Ryan's gonna help me share them with you. over the next couple of episodes, we're gonna go over, places in Europe. And potentially the Caribbean. We're, we're gonna keep kind of highlighting these type of places because a lot of times people go on vacation. If it's an all-inclusive, it's Mexico and the Dominican or Jamaica. So let's talk about places that are not those places. if you wanna go on a trip around the US it's usually the national parks, California, Florida, Texas. So let's talk about places that are, other places than that.

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 5:48

Okay.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 5:49

we're gonna switch it up.

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 5:50

What is the first North American location you wanna talk about?

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 5:54

So the first one is gonna be Borough North Carolina. To give you an idea where this

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 5:59

Not Asheville

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 6:00

No.

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 6:01

Yeah, I'm saying that because Asheville is well-known as a tourist location, so you're talking about Asheboro burro.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 6:07

Yes. this is 30 minutes south of Greensboro and 90 minutes west of Raleigh. This town is known for the North Carolina Zoo

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 6:16

Mm-hmm.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 6:16

can go and spot some polar bears froing around in the water. This is the world's largest natural habitat zoo and one of the most popular attractions in the state. There's also a lot of great outdoor activities around the area, a national forest It spans five counties in that region, including Randolph County where borough was situated. It's actually a 55,000 acre natural forest paradise. so in borough you can actually go hiking up what's called. Purgatory mountain and the trail head to get here is right near the zoo entrance. So it's kind of like a great couple of days you could spend there. I wouldn't say this is like, you know, you make your trip just to go to Asheboro. It's like you add it on to

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 6:57

Yeah.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 6:57

other portions of your trip or if you're driving down through the southern states, it's a good place to go. some other things to do order the famous fried chicken

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 7:05

I mean, these three things you're gonna talk about, these three things are always on a vacation itinerary. like when I'm, Yeah. For me.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 7:12

a couple things to do that are popular, in the area. Order the famous fried chicken at Magnolia 23. Shop for pottery in the Sea Grove community, grab an ice cream at mink ology and shop on Sunset Avenue where there's a lot of antique shops at checkout. The best time to visit is Autumn for their fall festival, and there's a couple of really popular places to stay. The postcard cabins is is comprised of 32 luxury tiny cabins on 31 private acres of rolling hills. There's trails you can do catch and release fishing, and it's just really close to downtown and the zoo. There's also Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp Resort, which is a really family friendly RV resort.

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 7:55

those are common in the Midwest here too. Yeah.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 7:57

Yeah. if you're doing that road trip, that's a great place to stay. Alright, Ryan, what's another new

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 8:02

So let's stay in North Carolina and let's go to little Switzerland, North Carolina. That. Got its origins back in 1910 when a Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court came across the area and said, this is a great place, to build a resort and let's have it be a Swiss architectural style. And there you go, little Switzerland, North Carolina was born. it's two hours northwest of Charlotte. If you have not been to Charlotte, Charlotte is a fantastic spot, for a little city getaway. this would be a good add-on for that. little Switzerland is 3,500 feet above sea level. It overlooks the region's breathtaking valleys and mountains. and it is what's called the jewel of the Blue Ridge Parkway. So it's just gonna be gorgeous. I'm thinking maybe, a fall foliage tour here. It's a little Switzerland. I love it. So things to do. There's little Switzerland books and Beans, a three story bookstore and coffee shop that encourages browsing. It has a maze of rooms. This looks like a place that you can really spend a nice, uh, rainy afternoon. You have, Geneva Hall, which hosts mountain music and traditional square dancing. There's all sorts of places to find souvenirs and kitschy items at places like the little Switzerland Trading Company. You have the North Carolina Mining Museum. There's also a lot of natural beauty. lots of waterfalls, hiking, different things like that. This sounds like the perfect little long weekend getaway. Where to stay? You can go to the Switzerland Inn and there's also the Skyline Inn that has panoramic scenes where you can soak up, the views of those beautiful valleys Little Switzerland is open from mid-April through October, so you'll need to plan, your visit in late spring, summer or early fall. So really it kind of shuts down in that off peak season.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 9:57

All right. We're gonna stay south and our next. Off the beaten path, but kind of becoming more well-known town is Siesta Key, Florida. this is located off the southwest coast of Florida, between Tampa and Fort Myers, just a bit south of Sarasota. in the past, Fort Myers, Sarasota, Clearwater Beach, those places have been more of a destination and Siesta Key is kind of up and coming It's known for its eight miles of quartz laden sugars. Soft sand, frequent dolphin sightings and calm golf waters. And there is a lot to do here. So I'm just gonna highlight a couple things. You can join the Siesta Key drum circle to mingle with artists, dancers, and hula hoopers, celebrating the sunset over Siesta Beach. You can go to snorkel point of rocks to see Nurse Shark. Dolphins and a variety of other marine life. After a day on the sand, you're gonna wanna hit the old salty dog for tempura battered hot dogs and frozen daiquiris under a palapa,

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 10:54

where you will that, that, that's where you will see me and a fedora hat holding court with a daiquiri in the corner.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 11:02

Oh man. you can stop by Captain Kurtz to sing your Heart out at the longest running karaoke bar on Siesta Key, established in 1979. Maybe Ryan will be there after being under his

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 11:14

that is not a place you'll find me, but who knows?

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 11:17

There's not a lot of, hotels and things like that. In Siesta Key, there is the Tropical Breeze Resort, which is an option, but most of the places to say are going to be vacation home rentals, and the best time to visit is fall and winter.

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 11:30

All right. Very good. Well, hey, before we head over to the Midwest and West, when it comes to Off the Beaten Path, Julie, I wanna talk about where the world is. All things travel, I was super excited today to see an international location pop up and That was Vin in Bosnia and Herzegovina

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 11:51

fun.

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 11:52

I loved about that when I started to look into that town, IT is a what's called a ESCO Learning city, and it is well known for medieval tombs and necro plexes. So lots of Medieval dead folks laying around with tons of history. So I'm thinking there's gonna be some very interesting places to see and learn about with our listener, from Z Vincente. And I am super excited that Bosnia Herzegovina is listening to all things travel. it looks like maybe they're planning a New York City trip.'cause that was the episode that they, Looked at first. So do me a favor. I would love to send a little thank you note all the way to you for being featured on the show today. So reach out to Julie or myself on Wonder and beyond travel.com and click on contact us and I would love to send you a little something. Alright, let's head to the Midwest and West Julie, first off, we're gonna stop in Geneva, Wisconsin. This is an hour southwest of Milwaukee and about 90 minutes southeast of Madison. it is the Hamptons of the Midwest. Geneva is often on those travel and leisure lists, of you know, the, the best resort towns around. And so it's very famous, for its Gilded Age estates built by Noble Chicago families. It also has a, a world round observatory a winding 20 mile shore path along the lake, and Many independent shops and eateries, which makes it one of those really fun places to explore. you can stay at the Grand Geneva Resort and Spa and get pampered with all of their services and that resort feel. You can check out the Yys Observatory, known as the birthplace of modern astrophysics. You can join the famous MailBoat Tour as it delivers mail to the lake homes via boat. You can enjoy some wonderful glocal seafood and you are guaranteed gorgeous weather and wonderful lake days in the summer. So where are we gonna stay we could stay at the Grand Geneva, We can stay at the Maxwell Mansion, which is a boutique property that has two distinct vibes, a restored historic mansion, and. an equestrian chic carriage house and stables? Or you could stay at the Abbey Resort. the only full service lakeside accommodation, which is a spa and resort. Really, you could go to Lake Geneva year round, but the best part is to go between Memorial and Labor Day, that traditional Hamptons, if you will. So if you've got people leaving the city, you know, leaving Milwaukee, leaving Chicago for their long weekends, this is where you're gonna find them. It's got that, summer, beach town feel to it.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 14:48

All right, so the last destination we're gonna highlight in North America is Johnson's Beach in Sonoma County California. This is an hour 40 minutes north of San Francisco, three hours west of Sacramento. So a couple different ways to build that into your California itinerary. This is a beach that's known for its long stretch of sand along the banks of the Russian River. it's very off the beaten path. The great thing about this is it's a small beach that offers everything you need for a great day, such as rentals of canoes, kayaks, inner tubes, beach chairs, umbrellas, a kitty area, snack bar, things like that. But unlike a lot of the lesser known smaller beaches in the area, you don't need to leave here. At the end of the day. There's places to stay right at this hidden beach area. There's bungalows, cabins. You can pop up your own tent. there's canvas tents to rent, so it's just a really nice. Place to go. If you've been in the hustle and bustle of California cities and want to enjoy a beach that's a little quieter, the best time to visit is in the summer.

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 15:55

So Julie, as we wrap up, when you think of your area in Maryland, DC Baltimore what's a hidden gem that you think people would appreciate knowing about when it comes to your area?

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 16:09

Oh, that's a good question. So I would think a hidden gem kind of near my area is. In Maryland, we have a lot of beaches on the eastern

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 16:20

Mm-hmm.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 16:21

a lot of people will go to Ocean City, New Jersey, ocean City, Maryland, Wildwood, New Jersey, Virginia Beach, Rehoboth Beach, all these more well known beaches. But actually if you drive down to towards Ocean City, Maryland. and then kind of change course a little bit. Go over to Aite Island. This is a really, not a lot of people go and stay there. You can camp there or there's houses to stay there. and they are actually known for their beaches, but also the wild horses that stay on the beach. So that's a really fun place to

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 16:49

Oh, very unique. So for me, I'm from Northern Indiana and if you go a little northwest, you are gonna hit Lake Michigan. And so there are, if you're not familiar with the area, Southwestern Michigan has so many small little towns that are great little summer resort towns for people from Chicago. so you're talking about tons of eateries, tons of shopping. The agriculture area there makes it perfect for wine. And so you have tons of wineries, distilleries, breweries. it's just a fun little spot, looking at like new Buffalo area. it's a great place to visit, and for people like me the beach, it's nice and close.

j_1_07-23-2025_142918: 17:37

The world is full of wonder and your next great adventure is waiting at Wonder and Beyond Travel. We work with you to create a one of a kind journey, taking the stress off your plate so you can focus on the joy of exploring and the memories that will stay with you forever. If you're ready to start planning or just want to dream a little bigger, head over to Wonder and beyond travel.com. We'd love to help you get started.

ryan_1_07-23-2025_142918: 18:02

look forward to talking to you next week on All Things Travel. When Julie and I talk about all the fun and expert tips from Utopia of the Seas and a recent Disney trip