Tag Archives: travel

Steve Perillo, Perillo Tours, Travel to Italy in 2026

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If anyone knows how to plan the perfect Italian vacation, it’s Steve Perillo. As a third-generation travel expert, he has curated hundreds of Italian itineraries that perfectly balance sightseeing, cuisine, and culture. 2026 is shaping up to be a standout year to visit Italy, especially as many major sites have been revitalized following preparations for the 2025 Jubilee.

Steve continually updates his travel advice and has introduced new 2026 offerings, featuring two Italian guided tour itineraries with longer stays and less unpacking allowing travelers to fully immerse themselves in a single region. In addition, Perillo Tours has introduced two new tours in Portugal and Ireland, continuing to broaden its offerings throughout Europe.

Steve shares expert insights on off-season travel, and what to expect visiting Italy not only in the off-season, but in 2026. For 80 years, Perillo Tours has been perfecting the art of traveling to Italy, drawing on deep roots in the country to choreograph every detail for travelers, whether they’re joining a guided group journey or customizing their own independent adventure, so they can make the most of their precious vacation time.

Steve Perillo is the president and owner of Perillo Tours, America’s leading travel company to Italy. A lifelong apprentice to his father, the legendary Mario Perillo who was also known as “Mr. Italy,” Steve represents the third generation of his family’s nearly 80-year-old business. Carrying on the legacy of his father’s famous TV commercials as spokesperson of the company, Steve personally stands behind every vacation sold. These widely recognizable commercials have grown to claim a new level of fame, most recently parodied by Adam Sandler on Saturday Night Live (SNL).

Mo from Veny, Using AI in a New Travel App

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Veny is an all-in-one travel app designed to consolidate everything a user needs during the entire travel journey into one place, solving the problem of needing multiple apps when traveling. The idea originated from founder Mo Matraji, who, while traveling solo, found it frustrating to navigate through numerous apps. The app features real-time flight updates, AR and classic navigation, turbulence alerts, bag tracking, a full travel marketplace and more.

Predict the Journey.
Reduce Stress.
Veny adapts to your travel mode Departure, In-Flight, and Arrival giving you exactly what you need, when you need it.

Dr. Steve Jasper, The Jet Lag Guy

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Rick talks jet lag with expert, Dr. Steve Jasper this week.

Did you know that Olympic teams flying across multiple time zones can have their gold Olympic medal counts cut in half – or worse? And that the number of silver medals by Olympic medal teams actually increases when athletes travel long distances across multiple time zones – because athletes that were expected to win a gold medal come home with a silver one instead? Jet lag has a massive impact on the performance of athletes who travel. The difference between a gold and a silver medal is often measured in milliseconds, and jet lag is enough to have an effect.

Per Dr. Steve Jasper: “While I was researching my thesis in jet lag and executive performance, I decided to examine Olympic medal counts as a side project. After crunching the numbers for several decades’ worth of Olympic games, the results were crystal clear – jet lag has a definite and measurable impact on Olympic gold medal counts.”

There are three key things that can have a massive impact on transforming jet lag:

Know yourself – are you an owl or a fowl? Do you like to wake up at the crack of dawn, or at the crack of noon? There’s no guilt in honestly admitting you’re not a morning person – and that will affect how you manage your jet lag.

Flight direction – for most people, “east is a beast, west is best”. But for the real morning people among us, you might find it’s the other way around!

Sunlight – such a simple thing but getting outdoors for a few minutes in the middle of the day, or when you feel a bit drowsy, can reprogram the brain and wake you up.

Jasper is a recognized expert in the field of jet lag and executive performance, and is passionate about transforming the conversation around jet lag. His background was as a pharmacist, where he worked mainly in the hospital system before transferring to the pharmaceutical industry. He worked on several global clinical trials, and while working in a global HIV/AIDS trial he headed up a team with branches in San Francisco, Raleigh (North Carolina, USA), Cambridge (UK), São Paulo and Buenos Aires. He undertook lots of international travel in this role, and experienced firsthand the toll of jet lag.

After completing an executive MBA, Dr Jasper completed his PhD in international management, examining the impact of jet lag on business travelers, and he is regularly contacted by the media in all matters relating to jet lag, sleep, and performance.

As a result of his research, he is launching a suite of products to support business travelers in managing their jet lag. This includes a book, an app, workshops, and one on one coaching, as well as franchising products that alleviate jet lag. He is available for speaking engagements, and can work internationally either by video conferencing, or travel if required. Please feel free to contact us at drsteve@jetlagguy.com.au if you have any questions or require additional information.

See more at: https://jetlagguy.com.au/

Paige Watts, Atlanta Author and ‘What’s With Atlanta?’

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Rick talks with Atlanta author and author of the new book: What’s With Atlanta?

Paige Watts

Why is every street in Atlanta named “Peachtree”? What do Atlantans mean when they say “Inside the Perimeter” or “Outside the Perimeter”? Why can’t Atlanta handle a little snow? Why do locals hate it when you call it “Hotlanta”? These and many of your other burning questions about life in Atlanta make up What’s With Atlanta?, a guide to some of the most unique aspects of Georgia’s capital city.

Author Paige Watts dives deep into the history and culture of Atlanta, from its beginnings as a railroad hub to its status as “Hollywood of the South.” Atlanta is full of one-of-a-kind attractions, unique festivals and traditions, architectural marvels, and a mix of Southern comfort food and international cuisines that make it a city unlike any other.

Want to know how Atlanta became the home of the Braves or what part fried chicken played in the Civil Rights Movement? This book will satisfy your curiosity about all the little things that make Atlanta tick and all the big events that shaped the city’s history. Whether you’re a local or are just passing through, a tourist or a life-long resident, this entertaining guide will answer all these questions and more.

Seasoned travel writer and Atlanta local Paige Watts has spent a decade writing about all things travel. She chronicles her journeys on her blog, PaigeMindsTheGap.com, where she highlights the joys of visiting Southern destinations. In addition to her blog, Paige has written for a number of online and print publications, including the Culture Trip, Matador Network, Epicure & Culture, MSN, and Travel the South. She received a double Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Evansville in Creative Writing and Literature, with a minor in International Studies.

Here’s some talking points from the book:

Atlanta has over 70 streets with “Peachtree” in the name.

Atlanta was founded as the end of a train line, which is where it got its original name Terminus.

Atlanta is a haven of street art with over 200 murals.

Atlanta Pride started as a 100-person rally and has grown to a massive month-long celebration in October.

The Fox Theatre was originally built in the 1920s as the headquarters for Atlanta’s Shriners organization.

Atlanta is at the center of Georgia’s film industry, earning it the nickname “Hollywood of the South” – In 2016, there were more major films made in Georgia than in California.

Buford Highway has more than 1,000 immigrant-owned businesses, more than 100 of which are restaurants.

The Big Chicken, Marietta’s beloved landmark, is so distinct that pilots use the building as a reference point when landing.

The Braves are the oldest continuously operating professional sports franchise in the country.

Atlanta has the largest concentration of colleges and universities in the South.

Jennifer Tombaugh, President of Tauck

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An Exclusive with the President of Tauck this week on family travel.

Jennifer Tombaugh, President of Tauck and mother of four. Tauck is a 98-year-old leader in upscale guided travel offering more than 150 land journeys and cruises to 70+ countries and all seven continents. Included in Tauck’s portfolio are 20 Tauck Bridges family travel adventures in North America, Europe, Africa and Latin America.

Jason Carlson, Founder and CEO of Wallabing

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Rick talks with Jason Carlson of Wallabing, about providing RV enthusiasts an open road to revenue, adventure, and peace of mind.

With life on the open road remaining as popular and alluring as ever, one innovative company, Wallabing, is seeking to transform this growing lifestyle trend by streamlining the recreational vehicle experience for owners and renters.

“Owners make more, renters pay less” is the simple but powerful concept at the core of the Plano, Texas-based company’s forward-thinking business model. Wallabing is a peer-to-peer RV rental marketplace and mobile app connecting RV owners, renters, travelers, and wandering adventurers alike.

Bringing owners and renters together in a platform providing value for each has fueled Wallabing’s rapid growth since launching in 2021. Through leveraging its unique team of 164 independent consultants able to assist owners and renters in 32 states, the company has increased its inventory by 682% in six months.

It’s a dilemma faced by many RV owners for years – how to get the most out of their RVs even though they only use their vehicles for a few weeks each year. A recent survey by Verified Market Research found the average RV owner uses their RV an average of 20 days each year leaving 345 days to rent to others. Despite the growing popularity of RVs and outdoor travel, industry experts cite there are more than 54 million idle RVs at any given time, worldwide.

Meanwhile, in recent years, the rental market for RVs has been on the rise. In 2020, the RV rental market size was valued at $546 million. It is projected to reach $810 million by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.31% from 2021-2028, according to Verified Market Research.

Demand for RV ownership, which is already at 11.2 million U.S. households, is growing by 500,000 to 1 million annually. Market research predicts that 20.5 million households intend to purchase an RV in the coming years.

Looking ahead, Wallabing’s five-year plan is to have 150K RVs featured on its site and on the road. To further build out its marketplace and increase inventory, Wallabing has developed a responsive business model and lowered its service fee, while keeping modest customer acquisition costs.

Wallabing is planning to launch an upcoming crowdfunding campaign to expand awareness about their company’s platform and mobile app among RV owners, renters, and potential investors.

A great option to try an RV and a new experience.

Jason Carlson
Founder and CEO, Wallabing

I’ve been interested in outdoor recreation for as long as I can remember. My family spent at least one weekend a month camping when I was a young boy and we had an annual reunion at a national forest each August. Between hiking, fishing, boating, and anything else I could get up to out there, I was always taught to appreciate all the wonders our world held for us and was encouraged to explore.
 
After earning a degree in finance at Southern Methodist University, and working in asset management and consulting, I realized I wanted to get back to that spirit of adventure that was instilled in me by my parents. When I started my own family, I was eager to show them the wonders that an RV adventure could bring. They fell in love just as I did and that was the true foundation of Wallabing. From there it took a few years to marry my expertise and educational background with the desire I had to instill that same sense of curiosity and exploration in each client to create the product we have today. Every day since then has been a different and challenging adventure on its own.