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

  • #TravelingTalleys blast from the past – #VisitRomania @Brasov,Romania

    Clinton and I embarked on an amazing journey through Europe after we both disembarked ship life in 2010. One of the countries that we visited on the fly and completely loved was Romania. We had only a small knowledge of the history and culture of the country before we started our adventure, but by the time we left we learned how much we loved the country and our travels!

    I was born the day before Halloween, so needless to say I had a lot of Halloween themed parties and grew up with a healthy love of horror movies. How does this tie into our visit to Europe? Well, if you’ve ever been fascinated with Vampires you have probably heard of Dracula and “Dracula’s Castle”. The castle used as the example in Bram Stokers Dracula is Bran Castle in Bran, Romania. The castle is close to Brasov and is a good launching point for a day trip through the countryside. My dad was able to visit Brasov when he was in grade school, so the thought of visiting an area many years later and seeing it for myself was another great reason to head into Romania.

    We had started heading into Slovenia to get to the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia but the train schedule was grueling. Getting to Brasov from Budapest, where we were at the time, was a twelve hour train that brought us through an ever changing landscape of the past and modernization that we had never seen before. Believe it or not that was actually faster than the alternative so we decided to head into Romania. Getting into Romania wasn’t a problem, but we were held up at the border for awhile as they used older technology to verify our credentials. The staff on the train were amazing though, and we didn’t skimp on the beer! When we arrived in Brasov we already had a hotel booked but since we didn’t use our phones (they didn’t have the convenient plans like they do today!) we relied on an outdated map to get around the city and immediately got lost. Walking into a few hotels was hit or miss since not many people knew English, but everyone was super nice and we eventually found our hotel! When we woke the next day we walked around the city center and saw a sign that advertised day trips. One in particular we wanted was to Bran Castle. We had already looked up the trains to attempt getting to the castle by ourselves, but the idea of a local run tour was exciting. We signed up immediately and the next morning our tour guide met us at our hotel. Only two other guys visiting from the Netherlands joined our trip so it was even better because it was personalized.

    The story behind Bran Castle and Dracula is actually more of a legend than fact. Vlad the Impaler, or Vlad III Dracula, was the ruler of Wallachia between 1448-1476. Wallachia is the historic and geographic location of Romania, meaning “The Romania Country”. Constantly under threat from Ottomans and Hungarians, Vlad III had the bodies of his enemies and the citizens impaled on large spikes to weaken the resolve of the enemy forces. The nickname “Vlad the Impaler” was born from these stories and later, when Bram Stoker described the castle where Dracula lived, Bran Castle was immediately brought to mind. The true history of Bran Castle is complex and fluid as the area was conquered and changed influence many times in early history. Vlad the Impaler didn’t even live in the castle but because of it’s uncanny resemblance to a fictional book during the height of vampire favorability the legend continued.

    In 1920 the castle became a royal residence within the Kingdom of Romania when Hungary lost Transylvania in the Treaty of Trianon. As the favorite home and retreat of Queen Marie the castle was later used as a hospital during World War II. When the Romanian government allowed claims on properties illegally expropriated the decedent of Queen Marie was awarded ownership. By 2009 the refurbished castle was opened as a private museum of the country. A Bran village concept was established in the area surrounding the castle to add to the historic importance and preservation. This addition was a delightful learning experience. We drank plum brandy and ate sheep cheese during this trip!

    Brasov is a beautiful city to walk around. Find a place to sit at some point and watch the world go by. The people are friendly and helpful and even though exchanging currency, finding directions, and understanding the language was a bit daunting it was never a problem. Romania is a Latin based language so when hearing it for the first time many of the words seem distinguishable and you get a general feel for what is being said. Take time to visit the Black Church in the city. The Black Church, or Biserica Neagră, is a wonderful example of historical preservation in a church.

    This gorgeous Gothic style monument is the largest Lutheran church in the region. Surviving wars and fire, the church is a testament to strength and resilience. It is impressively large and definitely worth the visit as the entire history of the area is within it’s walls for you to read and learn. We never rented a car when we were overseas and only relied on public transportation. It was a little hit or miss as we traveled into these remote areas, and we never were really guaranteed internet at the hotels, but we had a ton of fun and learned a lot about such a historic city! We did book our hotels ahead of time just in case which was worth it based on how late we originally arrived.

    Brasov was not the only city that we visited during our time through Romania. Keep tuned to this blog and follow the #TravelingTalleys as we reminice about our past European travels!

  • #TalleyYourAdventure #TravelTips – Your Vehicle is your friend!

    Moki Dugway, Highway 261

    Have you ever found yourself ready for your next adventure but not sure what to pack? When the #TravelingTalleys head out on the road we make sure that not only are we packed for a great trip, but the car is as well.

    We’ve always had smaller vehicles when traveling. Right now we own a Honda Accord and before that we traveled across the country with a Honda Civic. We aren’t afraid to head out into the frontier (whatever that may be for trip) but we do make sure that we are as smart about it as possible. We pack at least five bottles of water in case we need to drink it or we need it for an emergency with the car. We usually have radiator fluid and possibly oil in case of an extreme emergency. Recently we purchased a container that will hold gasoline. We also own a motorcycle (Harley Davidson 48 Special) and want to make sure that if we decide to head out on the open road that we have extra gasoline. Many motorcycle tanks are smaller and only hold 2-6 gallons depending on the bike. Long road trips are thrilling on a bike but we also want to make sure that we return – and gas stations are always along remote roads! We’ve taken care to note the area where gas stations are located along our normal routes and how many miles they are away from the next area. You don’t want to be lost in the middle of nowhere with no general idea of where you are or how far away you are from civilization. If this means you fill up at half a tank no matter what, stick with your plan. Clinton and I had a similar plan and it helps before we head out into an area where we’ve never been before. We know we have food, water, and enough gas for our vehicle to get to the next destination. We also always travel with an vehicle tire pump so that if we end up with a flat we can at least get to the next town.

    Know when to pull over and give your car a break just like yourself. It’s tiring driving in a car all day long – get out and stretch! Respect your car and take care of it. Get your oil changes, maintain your car, wash it occasionally. The sooner you realize that your vehicle is a valuable member of your entourage, the better!

    Red Canyon, Highway 12

  • #TalleyYourMiles on the Wiregrass Trail @Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

    Moving to northern Arizona has reminded Clinton and I of our travels back in 2011. We worked odd jobs near Bullfrog, Utah in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and near the Panamint range in Death Valley National Park. It was wonderful being in each location because they were immensely remote and close to many other national parks. I remember our epic drives and the gorgeous but difficult hikes that we went on back then. I was new to elevation, dry air, and temperatures that exceeded 100 degrees Fahrenheit. That may sound crazy, but I grew up in Orlando Florida. I didn’t leave the state until I was a teenager, and when I did start traveling the first few years I did so by boat! Sea level had been my friend for most of my life up until 2011.

    Now that we are back it has been amazing to discover the other parts of Utah and Arizona that we did not see in the past. One of those places is close to Page, Arizona, where we live now. The location is literally miles away from Glen Canyon NRA and while it reminds me of Bullfrog, there is still so much that is different.

    Starting off the new year right Clinton and I decided that we wanted to hike in Glen Canyon near Big Water, Utah. Take US 89 into Big Water and turn onto Ethan Allen to access the county road out into the recreation area. You’ll pass homes and businesses so be respectful – the area is NOT your personal party zone. Head down the road awhile and you’ll see the sign for the trail. There is no parking area and remember that the road is not necessarily maintained. If the road does not look cross-able, don’t test it. We drove our Honda Accord out there but we had only made it out maybe twice before this hike. We’ve turned around many times because of the hazards! Be smart!

    The hike itself was moderate but difficult if you don’t want to climb up and down a few areas where there is no steps or obvious way down. The path is through the wash so it is easy to follow, and we did take our dogs. There was one spot where they almost refused to go on because of the high jump (for them!) and the slick rocks, but we found a small groove in the rocks that allowed them to trot down. No animals were harmed, just laughed at! They were rather vocal with their protests until we showed them the path in a few areas but they always managed. As normal, we packed them a “snack” (a cup or two of dog food) and fed them when we reached the end of the trail.

    The trail is beautiful but very long. Hiking in January is also cold. We did see snow, but since we hiked at a good pace it never felt too cold. The hike was about 12 miles so hike in layers and pack water and food wisely. We are still learning which food to take with us and how often to eat, so while we had enough food, we could have eaten more often throughout the hike! When you arrive at “Lake Powell” (the end of the trail) you see immediately how far the lake level has fallen. The ground is cracked and dry, and absolutely magnificent to view! The lake is another few miles further but impossible to navigate due to the canyons and cliffs that were left behind as the water retreated.

    The hike is an out and back experience that takes a few hours. We started fairly early in the day so that we could end before it got dark, which was about 5 p.m. We didn’t encounter a single person along the path and no one else was parked next to us when we ended. It was a great experience for all, including the furry ones! Another twelve miles down in the #TalleyYourMiles challenge!