Talley Your Adventure – The Blog

Adventure Awaits!

At Talley Your Adventure, we don’t just plan luxury and culturally rich travel experiences—we live and breathe them. Our blog, travelingtalleys.blog, is where we share the real stories behind our adventures: kayaking alongside glaciers in Alaska, exploring temples in Japan, chasing waterfalls in Iceland, and wandering through storybook towns in Germany. If it’s unforgettable, chances are we’ve done it—or we’re planning it next. Impact-Site-Verification: 8a69d429-4a55-4b53-b8f6-72c437661af5

Nicolette brings deep experience in travel and heritage. With a Master’s in Public History, she’s worked as a Supervisory Park Ranger, Revenue Manager, and Program Analyst across multiple national parks for over a decade. Her career has taken her from managing interpretive boat tours in Alaska’s wild backcountry to overseeing large-scale visitor service projects with million-dollar budgets. And yes—she’s also a licensed 100-Ton Inland Master Boat Captain who’s led cultural and ecological tours from riverboats to remote beaches.

Clinton’s travel roots run just as deep. He’s worked in logistics and operations for the National Park Service and was a key member of the hospitality team aboard National Geographic Lindblad Expeditions. From managing guest services on remote international voyages to coordinating facility software systems stateside, he knows what it takes to deliver seamless, high-end travel experiences—even in the most unpredictable places.

Together, we created Talley Your Adventure to bring our experience, passion, and attention to detail to your travel planning. Whether it’s a fully curated group trip or a personalized vacation built just for you, we combine expert-level service with insider know-how—so you can focus on the magic of the journey.

Want us to help you on your next adventure? Head over to www.talleyyouradventure.com!

@talleyyouradventure_dv
Sakura Blooms – Inuyama, Japan

  • Visiting London: #CuzUK plays tourists while touring #WestminsterAbbey and the #ImperialWarMuseum

    If you’ve been keeping up, the #TravelingTalleys blog has already updated you to the adventures of #CuzUK in Sunderland, Scotland, the gardens of London, and the Tower of London. But everything in England isn’t roses! While Emily and I were in London we went to a few iconic places along with immersing ourselves in the history of Great Britain at the Imperial War Museum. Visiting London of course means visiting Big Ben, which was unfortunately under construction (leave something to come back for!) and Westminster Abbey, which we were not allowed to take pictures inside while visiting.

    Imperial War Museum

    During one of our daily marathon walks we were able to travel over Thames by various bridges, one of them being London Bridge. The history of this bridge spans many generations, including a stone-built medieval structure that lasted 600 years. The current span opened to traffic in 1973 and is built from concrete and steel. London Bridge remained the only road-crossing downstream of Kingston over Thames until 1792 when the Putney Bridge opened. Central London, where we spent some of our time, is very similar to large, metropolitan cities that have a high percentage of visitors from around the world. Commercially, London also caters to many businesses across Europe and the world. Remember, Great Britain was an incredibly spread out empire – very much so even today. Seeing the blend of modern architecture and medieval was like when Clinton and I walked through the old Roman ruins, to an extend. While the Romans are no longer in power and arguably Great Britain still rules part of the world, the structures speak of an affluent time with creative minds. I appreciated the intricate details that were molded into everyday Great Britain.

    Westminster Abbey courtyard

    Walking around the town of London also included educational trips to a museum, and one of the best museums we found during our travel was the Imperial War Museums. Actually a museum with five different branches, three of them in London. The museums were founded in 1917 to record the civil and military war efforts of Great Britain and its Empire during World War I. Today, the museum includes all conflicts that Great Britain was involved in since 1914. Included in the museum’s collection is the personal and official documents, photographs, film, and video material from various wars. It was an extremely impressive collection that included oral history recordings. As a self proclaimed “historian” of humans throughout time, a very important part of history is oral history recordings. Hearing from the person directly who lived during different time periods is always moving. The museum also includes a large art collection and many examples of military vehicles and aircraft. Entering the museum is free but donations are always encouraged!

    Winchester Palace ruins

    One of the more popular places we visited during our trip was Westminster Abbey. This beautiful Gothic abbey church is one of the most notable and famous religious places in London and is also the traditional place of coronation for the monarchy. Formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster. SInce 1066 the Abbey has been a coronation church – or the official ceremony where a king or queen is officially crowned – since 1066 and is also the final resting place of seventeen monarchs. The present church was begun by Henry III in 1245 and still holds a medieval shrine of Anglo-Saxon saint. Today, the church is not used for coronations but is a place for tourists to visit and for those to come to throughout the day for worship. Services are daily and just the thought that over 1000 years of history is in one building always amazes me. I’ve been to many “old” buildings and love visiting churches because of this!

    Westminster Abbey does require a fee to enter and you are not allowed to take pictures, but there is a nice gift shop where you can purchase a picture book and you are given a self guided tour to peruse the Abbey on your own time. Seventeen monarchs reside within the Abbey and if you were like me to actually enjoyed your history class, it’s pretty cool when you round a corner and see a shrine to a monarch whose name your recognize. Who is not there – notably, Henry VIII. Of course not, right? 🙂 There is a section called “Poet’s Corner” where famous authors of the day were buried, including Charles Dickens. Death wasn’t the only thing celebrated in this gorgeous abbey. Wedding are also popular, including that of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – William and Kate. The building is absolutely beautiful and the surrounding area is pretty as well, though it is very crowded as it is part of the main city center of London. Be prepared for lines and rude visitors!

    I’ve found that even knowing the language of the locals doesn’t necessarily matter, so patience is key in many situations. Don’t let a language barrier (or in this case lack of one) give you a false sense of security. You are still in a foreign land! We tried to stop into tea shops throughout the day and tried to learn as much as we could about the local history and culture wherever we traveled. It was nice not having language as a barrier, but customs still took a little time to get use to! I loved our many adventures and walks around town each day and appreciated the help we received along the way. This isn’t the end of my blog adventures since we also visited Wales and that post will be next, but our adventures in London will end here. Thanks for keeping tuned to the travels of #CuzUK and keep here for details of Wales! Till next time!

  • Touring Historic #TowerofLondon with #CuzUK #HistoricLondon #BringaRainJacket

    Our time in London would not have been complete without visiting the Tower of London. Located on the north bank of the River Thames in central London and contains over 1,000 years of history, the Tower of London is an impressive structure. Much like visiting an aquarium or large popular museum there was a large line and hundreds of visitor from around the world constantly around you, oblivious to where they are walking or who else may be around them. We opted for a self tour more than joining a paid tour, and note that when you pay for the ticket it includes a “donation” that you can ask to remove beforehand. When Emily and I visited it was very rainy so we didn’t stay outside too long, and the line to visit the crown jewels was directly in the rain and was very long so we didn’t see the jewels.

    Medieval Residence

    When you first arrive you walk over the moat and can continue into a courtyard or walk up on the ramparts. The first are we visited was the Tower’s Mint, which as where the coins were made for the realm within the safety of the walls in the tower from c1279 and until 1810. Since tampering with coins was considered treasonous many thieves and forgers were deterred from continuing with their nefarious actions – but as we learned in the Mint they weren’t all deterred. Keep walking along and you arrive at the medieval residence. The Tower was once the residence for the royal family back in the medieval times of the 1200s. Like most medieval residence, the monarchy rarely lived for long periods of times, but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t “Fit for a King” in anticipation of their visit. Lavishly decorated and stylishly furnished, the residence and the Great Halls of the residence could be a busy place depending on the night. While wee didn’t get to visit the crown jewels, we were able to walk close by the current residence for the royal family, which had a guard out front! I cannot imagine being so “important” that a guard would need to be in front of my residence! The little lawn was so quaint in front of the apartment but I have to admit seeing such a large, old historic building surrounded by central London was a little off putting. Seeing a monarch’s apartment being guarded even though no one was actually in the apartment was also strange. It was extremely interesting to see history and culture/tradition in action though! The guards also walked in shifts around the entrance to the crown jewels. The jewels are actually underground and heavily guarded. Seeing the uniforms and “changing of the guards” (not the same as at the castles where the royals currently are actually living) was extraordinary!

    Monarchy’s Apartment and residence for employees

    A notable area to visit in the tower is the historical armaments and the torture areas. I was astonished to see the lack of historical data about torture. It almost seemed as if the museum was trying to gloss over this part of their history. As a self proclaimed historian, I disagree with this method of historical preservation. The tower did a great job of easing into the discussion of England’s role in torture and what took place in the tower, and I do know that torture was not as prolific in the tower as we all originally thought, but they could have done a better job. My opinion! Plus, it was interesting! I wanted to learn and read more but there was only one small room that explained this part of their history. The armaments area was more interesting because a historian for the monarchy admitted to changing history and was caught! To their credit, after the discovery the history was changed and is currently correct. Though it does make you wonder!

    Controversial figures throughout the British history have been imprisoned at the Tower of London, including Anne Boleyn. The wife of Henry VIII, she was doomed the minute she fell for Henry. Not much is really known about her but her body does rest in the tower. Princess Elizabeth, imprisoned by Mary I, lived a luxurious life in the tower during her imprisonment until she returned for her own coronation. Guy Fawkes was interrogated and tortured in the tower for plotting to kill James I. He was eventually hanged, drawn and quartered, and his body parts displayed to warn others. How medieval!

    The Tower of London was larger than I pictured and had so much more history that I could have imagined. Of course, 1000 year is a lot, but with such a span of history as the #1 in the world it also was really neat to see a timeline of events and evolution. England went through so many changes over their 1,000 years and it is evident visiting the tower. The food is a lot like visiting a cafeteria so if you are looking for more of a British feel, wait and eat in the restaurants around the tower. You can buy tickets online or that morning and of course there are multiple gift shops for you to get your gifts! Take most of the day to visit as there is a lot to cover, and give yourself the time to walk around next to the river Thames. It is very pretty and the bridges that span around the river are remarkable. Take the Underground and get off at the Tower Hill stop and it’s just a short walk into the Tower. Bring a rain jacket if you are visiting during the summer – but also bring your sunglasses because the day could change. And don’t forget to have a great time! Until next time. ❤

  • Historic #London Part One: Camden Town, Regent’s Park, Queen Mary’s Rose Garden and Princess Diana’s Memorial Walk

    Welcome back! So far you’ve read about #CuzUK’s adventures in Sunderland and Scotland, but today we head into London, or more specifically the area where we were staying – Camden Town. We took a day just to stroll around the surrounding area, visiting multiple cafes and restaurants/bars along the way.


    Visiting London wasn’t done in just a few days, which was good planning on our part because there was a lot to see and we definitely did not see it all. We had met a few lovely ladies during our adventure to the Spice Girl concert who had given us a little idea of places to go or areas of the country to visit if we had the time. On our drive down from Sunderland to London we ended up stopping at a few places for a little bit but we didn’t stay long. The weather was rainy, we were driving on the wrong side of the road (in our opinion), and we had a 5 hour drive without stops so we weren’t necessarily looking to stay in one place for too long. After we arrived at the hotel we were starving, so we walked down the street to a pub and had dinner before they closed for the night. At one point we met another fellow American who worked at the pub (I can’t quite remember if we met him the first or second time we went there) but he was delightful. His husband was a UK citizen and had convinced him to travel across the ocean to live with him permanently. He talked a little about his dreams and goals, but the best part was just talking with a fellow traveler. Many times on our adventures Clinton and I run into others who are willing to travel outside their comfort zone, or take a chance on an opportunity. Not many really would do the same.

    The next morning we tried to wake up early enough to get a good long walk around Camden, the are where we were staying. We walked into another pub and had a drink before continuing into the parks. There are many public areas in England but surprisingly not much public land in general. I guess I forget how large the United States really is until I travel to other countries that are much smaller. England especially, since it is an island, had a completely different traveling vibe than other countries. When we were in Iceland I felt similar, just like when traveling to the islands around Alaska or Costa Rica…in any case, driving around I noticed large swats of land for farms or something similar, but not many parks. The countryside was absolutely beautiful because, while they didn’t have the green space as public land they still had tons of green space. It made driving on the highway a completely different experience as well. Set aside the driving on the left side of the road situation, there were barely any signs (what exit is a gas station, where are the houses, what road is coming up?) so you really had no idea where the heck you were, and because the roadside shrubbery and rolling hills hid the cities and towns behind them it was difficult to know when there was an exit or what was available at the exit. We speak the same language but we also don’t! We asked plently of locals to translate English verbiage into American-speak (lorre = semi truck, for instance) but we definitely would need more time to really get the hand of it. In London there are many different parks mostly with gorgeous gardens.

    One park we frequently walked through was Regent’s Park. At different points during our time in London we would stop through a park to have a cup of tea or enjoy a pretty pond or garden view for some time before continuing to our destination. I love parks. I think they are extremely calming and soothing. If I can cut through a park on a drive, walk, run, or for any reason I’ll make the excuse or take the time. Not everyone agrees with this mentality, though. As with any travel experience, especially one far away from home, adapting to your surroundings and making sure you can fluctuate planning wise is always important! We walked thousands of steps a day, most of the time well over 20,000. We made sure to be smart about how we dressed each day and if the situation called for a rain jacket or another pair of socks we made sure to follow through. Even in a populated city where the language is the same doesn’t mean that it’ll be easy if an emergency arises. Walking through Regent’s Park the first day we were very aware of this. I remember feeling very tired because I personally had just experienced over 48 hours of traveling based on coming from Page, Arizona through Iceland and then to Sunderland after a 5 hour drive from London. Emily had done basically the same trip in her own fashion and we were still adjusting to the time. Walking around with no agenda felt like the perfect way to introduce ourselves to the area.

    I have never quite been a fan of roses, but there were so many rose Garden’s in London I became a fan pretty quickly. The Queen Many’s Garden’s was beautiful and includes over 12,000 roses. The London Zoo was right above Regent’s Park and close to our location as well, but we only walked around the garden permeter. Neither of us were the biggest fans of zoos (no offense, they are great!) and we just wanted to keep walking. We ended up at Princess Diana’s Memorial Fountain. There were many children playing in the fountain and enjoying the nice weather. My mom had always been a fan of Princess Di and to see a gorgeous area for kids to play made me smile – I’m sure she would have loved it. Most of London reminded me of Baltimore or Philadelphia. A large city with historical buildings with visitors queued outside for hours and gorgeous structures. When we walked around downtown London I was historically and happily surprised to see the damage done during World War II was left for visitors to view. What a great way of showing the horrors of war for future generations! Later when we went through the military museums we would notice the pride and honor on full display of the British military. I always love visiting museums when I travel because it’s the best time for the people of that nation to show their successes and failures – basically their history. As a history nerd I’m all in!

    Walking around London is just as interesting sign wise as driving on the highway. It took us a little bit of time to find the Underground, but once we did that was the best mode of transportation that we could find. We used a taxi once, which was okay, and walked most of the other time but there was a daily unlimited option for the Underground which was usually cheaper in the long run. We’d walk to a destination, take the U, walk to another destination, etc until we were just too tired to walk anyway. We had a station close to our hotel so it worked out well.

    Our adventures in London weren’t over with just a few stops through parks and gardens, however. We did visit touristy spots such as London Bridge, Old Ben (though it was under construction) and Westminster Abbey. I’ll save those for next time though! ❤ Till next time…