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!
— Talley Your Adventure – Dream Vacations (@TTalleys) July 14, 2025
Talley Your Adventure has over 25 years of travel experience – we've been to over 30 countries, all 50 states, and four continents. We know our stuff! Contact us today before scheduling your next travel adventure. #adventuretravel#travel#dreamvacationspic.twitter.com/wMJOvO1sle
— Talley Your Adventure – Dream Vacations (@TTalleys) July 25, 2025
Growing up in Florida on the sandy beaches only led to the early life assumption that I could spend the rest of my life barefoot. Stark realization hit me fast when I moved out of the state and realized my foolproof plan was unrealistic. From then on I’ve been attempting to make the best decisions I can daily about my footwear. I can’t say I always succeed, but I try!
It
is so important for you to take the time to realize what type of shoe
you want to wear when you #GetOutdoors. When we spent a summer in
Utah (2010) and would climb around on the sandstone I discovered that
I did not necessarily love the rugged Solomans that I owned. Around
that time “toe shoes” were starting to make an appearance. I
bought a pair and I LOVE THEM. They bend around the toes exactly like
I want when I am using a small rock crevice as a leverage point.
Clinton would disagree. He enjoys using the Solomans and prefers
shoes that do not separate at the toes. We definitely don’t have to
agree!
I
lived in Spokane Washington back in 2012. It was my first true
winter. I had never lived in a town over the winter to that point in
my life, and it was eye opening. I learned what type of footwear was
important when out playing in the snow. I also learned that slippers
and socks were important or you would have really cold feet! When I
was working in Alaska I knew I needed waterproof boots like XtraTufs
or thigh high water proof waders for getting and and out of the boat
in high, glacier cold water. I know this sounds crazy, but the main
point is take your time and think about your footwear! Be realistic –
what other body part goes through so much wear and tear on a daily
basis? Take care of your feet and be smart when gearing up for a
hike, walk, or run.
Back when I first graduated with my undergraduate degree in History & International Studies, I moved out to Spokane Washington and ended up working for a couple years for Enterprise Rent-A-Car. While I can’t say anything spectacular came out of the experience, I can say that an amazing friendship developed that continues today with a co-worker at the time – Erika! We’ve been on a couple trips together so far – Olympic National Park being one of the most recent – but COVID and other events (she has two kiddos!) has extended the amount of time between out latest visit. Erika is pretty active outdoors as well, so finding a good travel excuse as well as activities that kept us fit and outdoors was essential. Hello, Texas! The Rock & Roll 5K, which I ran with another friend in Vegas about two years previous, was quickly approved by both parties. We settled on a cool hotel along the Riverwalk. Why San Antonio? Well, I’m now living in Virginia and she still lives in Spokane – so it was an attempt at meeting ‘halfway’!
When thinking of visiting San Antonio, the Riverwalk and the Alamo are usually high on the list. This was no exception for us tourists! After our 5K, we walked around town to view the Alamo. The Alamo Church is free to visit and there are volunteers scattered amongst the artifacts to help answer any questions that you may have – I had a great time talking with one of them about the cannons that dotted the landscape. While the ‘battlefield’ was small, the historical integrity and preservation was amazing to see. Truly the state of Texas cares a lot about this site! I really enjoyed learning about the different flags/countries that ruled over the state of Texas and the veneration that lives within each Texas when it comes to their beloved state flag. Very cool history portrayed here – definitely worth a visit!
A lot of the rest of our time was spent strolling along the Riverwalk, and we were able to secure a boat ride along the river for part of the day! We had a great time learning about not just the history of the town, but the haunted history as well. It ended up inspiring us to visit multiple haunted bars and restaurants for the rest of our trip. We really enjoyed asking the bartenders and servers at each new place we went where we should go next, if they had seen any hauntings themselves, and what they knew about ghosts in the area. Usually we had a really fun and engaging experience! Many of them knew about the history and legends and pointed us to new places to explore.
The Riverwalk is absolutely gorgeous. We made a point to walk it each day so that we could enjoy not just the river, but the unique buildings and facades. There were unique statues and artwork at each turn. Sit for awhile at a local spot and people watch as well. Especially after the 5K, it was really exciting seeing who stuck around to explore the town and trying to figure out which one was more ‘local.’
I’ve really enjoyed staying at IHG hotels and was able to convince Erika that we needed to be extra fancy and stay at the local InterContinental in San Antonio – which boasts a lounge and since I am a Diamond Elite, I have access! It was definitely worth the experience. We had breakfast to ourselves each morning and one day, they even brough us a mimosa. We had happy hour each afternoon with Texan inspired snacks, and enjoyed watching the different sports games that they had playing when we decided to sit back and relax in the hotel.
Regardless of what brings you to new places, always keep exploring! Erika and I had never been to San Antonio before, and to be honest, Texas had not really crossed our minds to meet up. After doing a bit of research, I realized that San Antonio was actually perfect for the both of us! We are really excited to plan our next trip in 2026. If you find that you want help planning your own trip, contact Talley Your Adventure and let us help!
Back in 2010 when Clinton and I first met, it was aboard the Sea Lion, a US flagged ship with Lindblad Expeditions that sails from Colon, Panama to Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica. Clinton was working at the time as a Lead Steward with the Hotel Department, and I was working as a Deckhand with the Deck Department. Simply put, we had control of the ship! Ha, I kid. Working on a ship is filled with long hours, compacted days (no. days. off!) but lots of adventure and travel packed into multiple months working onboard a place where you also live. It was definitely an experience and led to not just great travel experiences, but amazing friendships that I still enjoy today!
One of those amazing experiences was traversing across the Panama Canal. This fifty-mile stretch of the Panama isthmus was built in 1904 and through a signed treaty, was transferred to the United States in 1914. It would be my first time working on board a ship as a deckhand going through a canal! The bummer, for me, was that the Panamanians were the actual line handlers – I was tasked with assisting them if they needed any help – but being able to take a step back and watch the process was fascinating. The electronic ‘mules’ that move the boat through the lock, watching the gates lift, and slowing rising or falling with the boat…I cannot give a true explanation! It is worth the experience going through the canal. Funny enough, for us, we ended up taking HOURS to get through the canal. It is HUGE!!
After making our way through the canal, we had made it to the Pacific Ocean! What a cool way to get from one ocean to the other! I had actually flown into Panama City, taken a taxi to Colon to join the boat, to come back to Panama City for a night! Panama is a beautiful country that lives within the local landscape. While Panama City is a larger city, towns found on Isla Coiba and other coastal towns were smaller and had a more intimate feel with nature. Food may not be presented in a manner we are use to back in the US, but it is delicious and absolutely worth trying. Take a stroll, meet some locals at a bar, and sample some of the local food. You will not be disappointed!
Isla Coiba was a cute island that we stopped off for the day. My shift had started overnight, so I was exhausted when 7 a.m. rolled around after starting work the night before at 7 p.m.! I was able to go out on a zodiac (inflatable boat with engine) and go to a remote part of the island and sit there for a couple hours to relax. It was nice looking back at the boat and Panama from the ocean!
The clients on board this trip loved every minute – from the personalized food options on board to the amazing excursions offered in Panama and Costa Rice – booking an adventure cruise is worth the extra expense! These boats are much smaller as well, which allows them to get closer to shore and to other areas where the larger boats simply cannot go! More importantly, it lets you learn more about new countries, customs, and cultures.
The rest of the cruise traveled into the neighboring country of Costa Rica – so make sure to follow me here to read more about Costa Rica and the remainder of this amazing cruise trip!
Talley Your Adventure - The Blog 