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.

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

  • #EmpireState of Mind with Talley Your Adventure #NewYorkState #DreamVacations

    While we both enjoy international travel, there is something truly amazing about getting in our car and driving around, visiting new places, and experiencing new cultures and fantastic food. Clinton and I decided that we wanted to spend a week driving from our home in Virginia through New York state, deciding where we would be the next day by searching the day before. Getting back to our original travel roots!

    One of the places that we visited during our journey through New York was the Erie Canal. With my experience working for the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park in Potomac, Maryland, it was really cool to go to the main source of the idea!

    With over 380 miles of traversable water and 83 lock lifts, the Erie Canal is an American engineering marvel – especially considering that it was built between 1817 – 1825. No large machinery, no examples to rely on past mistakes or lessons learned. The construction of the Erie Canal was the first of its kind in the United States. While it did model much off their European counterparts, the project as a whole still relied on mostly American techniques. Now, a trip that normally took two weeks could take less than five days with over twice the amount of product. American was moving towards a new industrial era!

    Another stop along our trip brought us to Saratoga Battlefield. We don’t usually see or go to American Revolutionary War battlefields, so it was a treat to have this show up on our recommendation list while driving through the state! Stop by the Visitor Center to get a map and maybe make a purchase at their gift shop before driving through the one-way loop through the battlefield. They have ten stops with informational panels as well as short trails to viewpoints. The field was kept pristine, and we really enjoyed learning as much as we did with the time that we had driving through the fields. We had our dog with us, and as long as we kept him on the paved trails, he was okay to walk with us. The viewpoints along the drive were gorgeous – though, thinking about late 1700s and picturing yourself in the middle of war did bring a bit of it into perspective!

    New York is full of so many different National Parks, and as we continued our journey we were met with yet another place that we felt we could not pass up – Women’s Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls, New York. The town is small and it seems almost impossible that such a historic place was nestled into such a sleepy, adorable town – but don’t let it fool you! Make sure to find long term parking so that you can walking around the town and really get a good feel for how it must have been to live and work during the women’s rights movement. Inside the museum/visitor center are wonderful exhibits that go into more depth about the stories and voices of the amazing women who led the charge for equal rights for women. Women such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton have a statue of their silhouette dedicated to them inside the Visitor Center, while others have their words plastered on plaques and in murals along the brick walls outside the building. Take a walk down the block to see more of the area. Find a place to sit to read the document that was produced from the women’s rights movement in July 19-20, 1848: the Declaration of Sentiments. This declares, without sympathy and unwavering, that women’s rights are equal to men’s and should be respected and acknowledged as such.

    Our drive was breathtaking in many places as we drove from one side of the state to the other. We enjoyed staying in IHG hotels, which always meet our standards for overnight accommodations! They also usually have a solution for traveling with a dog. At each hotel we stayed at, not only did we have the ability to have our dog stay with us but he was met with pets, treats, and hugs in most instances!

    What I really enjoyed was the ability to plan the next day the night before after we arrived to the hotel and had the chance to settle in. We made sure not to drive more than five hours in a day to avoid long stretches of time behind the wheel, and we were pretty liberal with the amount of times that we pulled over so that Kyzer (the dog!) could walk around and go to the bathroom. I didn’t feel like there wasn’t an opportunity to do this and really loved that New York entertained us with so many lovely viewpoints!

  • Ciao, Bella! Talley Your Adventure visits Venice, Florence, & Pisa, Italy #DreamVacations

    High on most people’s bucket list is crossing off the magical land of Italy. Talley Your Adventure was able to do this back in 2010, and boy! Did we have the time of our lives!

    Italy is a large country that will take you more than just a couple days to explore. At the time, we had the Eurorail Unlimited passes for those under the age of 30, and it was an amazing experience. We upgraded into first class tickets, which really meant for us we were guaranteed a place to put our backpacks. Many of the trains that are used throughout Europe, while fast and reliable, don’t necessarily account for space for a large backpack. If you do plan to travel internationally out of a backpack, be sure to take these things into consideration.

    To visit Pisa, we ended up taking a train for a day trip to the town and walking around until we found the leaning tower. It was a little strange to walk into an open field while navigating through a busy neighborhood to see a leaning tower that really isn’t as big as it seems in the pictures…but definitely worth the experience! Don’t be afraid to take the local transportation for a day trip to see sites near large cities. We only stayed in Venice, Florence, and Rome when we visited Italy but still were able to go out during the day to see other parts of Italy. Find a home base!

    One of our home bases was Venice, which was a gorgeous city with winding stone streets and gorgeous building facades. The store fronts hold majestic Italian leather purses from all sorts of designers – and you know they are authentic. I could really believe that the designer himself was living behind the stone walls of the store, waiting for an independent order to come through for a personalized designer purse.

    Walking is highly encouraged in the city of Venice – and try not to be on an agenda. Strolling through the streets and getting truly lost is part of the experience of visiting Venice. You feel like you end up on different parts of the city or maybe circling for a period of time – in any case, the people, the sites, and smells are worth the adventure.

    One of the places that your strolling should bring you is to the Rialto Bridge. This expansion of stone covers the Grand Canal. Spend time not just next to it, but walking over it and stopping to watching the gondolas float by is amazing! We did not end up going on a gondolas ride, but we did enjoy watching them in various places during our time staying in Venice.

    Another city on our list while spending a couple days in Italy was the beautiful city of Florence. Some tips – even if you do buy the Eurorail pass, be sure to make sure that you know which train or bus to take and be very patient and understanding if you end up in the wrong place and have an officer approach you. This happened to us while traveling through Italy – they simply want to check your ticket and if you are in fact on the wrong train or bus, they will direct you accordingly. You can always get off at the next stop and wait for the correct transportation! This is part of the travel excitement, but don’t let it bring you down during your travels. Even if you get a ticket or charged extra or end up in the wrong place (we have stories!) it will be okay! Keep calm, cool, and collected when trying to solve any of your travel problems.

    When we did end up in the correct city, one of our goals was to see the statue of David. We ended up standing in line, chatting with travelers from all over the world as we waited about two hours to finally enter the Accademia Museum to see Michealangelo’s masterpiece. While we ended up waiting in line, you could take a faster approach and book a tour where you usually get to the front of the line with a group. We have done this in many different cities, but chose to wait in line and chat with people in line this time around. It was a lot of fun getting to know Italians from across their country and other international travelers during our wait.

    Italy, even in the winter months, is a busy place that is popular not just for Americans, but for fellow Europeans as well. Say ‘excuse me’, be polite, and don’t be afraid to wait in a line – you might see something really cool! I still need to write about our time in Rome – make sure to continue following us so you can read more about our adventures!

  • Mountains, Waterfalls, and Wildlife – Visiting Yosemite National Park!

    Clinton and I have a long history with Yosemite National Park. Back when we lived and worked in Death Valley, we would frequently stop in Bishop before heading north to Tuolumne Meadows. The drive was gorgeous – depending on the time of year, snow capped mountains and crisp, cold air met us as we continued to rise in elevation. It was a relief during the summer when attempting to escape the dry desert heat. Yosemite always seems to show her true beauty with each visit. I’ve never been disappointed visiting Yosemite! 

    Travel was a bit easier since the team was flying into Fresno, meeting up to rent a car, and driving directly into the park. The Fresno airport is small and easily navigable – rental car companies are in the vicinity and uber/lyft is available if you plan to spend more of your time hiking or walking in the park. 

    Usually, Clinton and I are found camping in the National Forest. Sierra National Forest and Inyo National Forest are highly recommended if you are considering a camping trip, especially if you plan to visit with dogs. Remember that at National Parks, dogs must remain on leash at all times and they are not allowed on most trails, inside buildings (unless they are a service dog), or left unchecked at viewpoints. Plus, camping in a National Forest is remote and secluded! 

    Since it gets busier the closer you get to El Portal and Yosemite Valley (and it is a drive from one side of the park to the other), this part of the park has been less visited by Clinton and I. We tend to go to the less visited areas of a park if we are visiting during the busy summer and go back at another time to see the iconic parts – ie, Half Dome. It was nice that this time around we were staying in the Yosemite Valley Lodge and had only a quick trip on the bus or to a short hike to see the busier parts of the park. The Lodge is pretty basic – no AC, older buildings, limited parking – but the location cannot be beat. Even during the summer it is colder – I left my window open most nights. It became incredibly dark at night. Just a short walk away from the building lights lets you glimpse a mesmerizing night sky. You are also within walking distance or a short drive to multiple restaurants within the park (or just outside it.) Spend some time outside at night to see the sky – try for after 11 p.m. to get a true dark sky. It will be worth staying up to see!

    Another must-do is a hike, even if it is only a short one to a viewpoint. Sure – also make sure to get your picture at a drive up viewpoint. But take the time to really experience the reason that John Muir said “The mountains are calling, and I must go”.  I recommend the Lower Yosemite Fall Trail, which starts out of the Valley Visitor Center. It is a popular one mile hike, but it will bring you into the heart of Yosemite to see some of the most spectacular reasons visitors come to Yosemite – waterfalls! Early summer/late Spring is the best time to visit the park and see the waterfalls, but we were still able to see some when we visited in September. For those that want a more intimate experience with the beauty and serenity of Yosemite, try the Yosemite Falls Trail. Make sure your water bottle is full!

    Wildlife is in abundance throughout Yosemite, so drive slowly and be aware of your surroundings when hiking in the backcountry. Don’t put your headphones in and walk through the brush silently – remember that bears and other predator-like animals live in the area and need a warning that you are approaching. I usually hang my phone or speaker from my backpack and play it outloud while hiking – turning it down when coming up on other people or passing slower hikers. If you do end up stumbling upon bears – back up slowly, do not run, and make your way back the way you came. Don’t be THAT person!

    Yosemite should be on your bucket list if you have not already visited the park. Either camping or staying in a lodge, make sure to experience all there is at the park. Take a few days to truly absorb the beauty of Yosemite and don’t forget to see Half Dome!