What I Learned at the Travel and Adventure Show (And Why You Should Go) New

I showed up to the Travel and Adventure Show in Santa Clara with my first ever media pass! Just call me Walter Cronkite! Nobody was impressed or clammoring to talk to me. However, I was deeply impressed by just about everyone else.

This was my first time attending this show, and I walked in not entirely sure what to expect. Two days, one enormous convention hall, three stage areas with back-to-back lectures, and a floor packed with booths from travel agencies, tourist boards, and – fair warning – timeshare sales reps who are very, very good at what they do. Scan a QR code and suddenly you're nodding along to a presentation about a vacation club.

The show is geared toward consumers planning their next trip, so if you're thinking about a cruise, a safari, or finally going to Southeast Asia, this is a genuinely useful place to get a landscape view of what's out there. There were also booths from California destinations I'd never even heard of, which was humbling given that I've lived here my whole life.

But honestly? The speakers were what made it worth every minute.

The speakers were the real show

I attended as many lectures as I could fit in, and the through-line across nearly all of them was the same: travel makes you more human. You hear that sentiment a lot, but when you're in a room full of people who've collectively been to something like ten thousand countries, it lands differently. It just feels good.

Patricia Schultz: 1,000 Places to See Before You Die

Patricia Schultz, the author of that iconic book, talked through a few dozen of her personal favorites. These weren't the obvious bucket-list classics. They were places I'd vaguely heard of but never seriously considered. By the time she finished, I wanted to go to all of them. I bought the book on the way out. Consider yourself warned.

Her presentation left me (someone with a travel blog, for goodness sake!) feeling like I needed to get out more and do some traveling, time is wasting!

Phil Rosenthal: Somebody Feed Phil

Phil Rosenthal (creator of Everybody Loves Raymond, and now the face of Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix, soon moving to YouTube) was hilarious and unexpectedly moving. His whole thing is eating extraordinary food with curious, open-hearted strangers, and his enthusiasm for it is completely contagious. His quote of the weekend: “Travel makes you younger.” I wrote that one down, and I beleive it! Curiosity is where it's at, man!

He also suggested asking your hotel's housekeeping staff for restaurant recommendations. Not the concierge, the person cleaning your room. That's the inside track, he said. I am absolutely doing this going forward.

Peter Greenberg: The Travel Detective

CBS News Travel Editor Peter Greenberg (whose shows: “The Travel Detective”, “The Royal Tour”, and “Hidden” air on PBS, Amazon, and Apple TV) gave what might have been the most practically useful talk of the weekend.

His big message on safety: do your own research from multiple sources, and don't rely solely on the U.S. State Department travel advisories. He said they're often significantly more alarmist than the actual situation warrants…a lot of CYA in those ratings, as he put it. His recommendation was to cross-reference with the British Foreign Office advisory, which he described as more carefully researched and grounded in reality.

He also suggested finding English-language news sources based in whatever country you're considering, to get a clearer read on what's actually happening there day to day.

Tips I did not expect to walk away with

Stop booking your own flights online

This one came up repeatedly, from multiple speakers, and it genuinely surprised me. The advice: don't book flights directly through booking websites. You're seeing only a fraction of what's actually available. Instead, research your options online first to know what you want, then call the airline directly or use a travel agent to actually book it. Better seat selection, better rates, and access to inventory that doesn't show up on third-party sites.

Use a travel agent (seriously)

Multiple speakers brought this up. Travel agents can access hotel rates and inventory that aren't publicly listed, know about flight options like fifth freedom routes, and can generally get you things you wouldn't find on your own. This used to feel like old-school advice. Apparently it's just smart advice once again.

Turkish Airlines flies everywhere

More than one speaker mentioned this. Turkish Airlines flies to more destinations than any other carrier in the world. If you're trying to get somewhere unusual, it's worth checking their routes first.

Ask locals what they love, not what you should see

This one was subtle but good. Don't ask a local what tourists should see. Ask them where they eat, what they do on weekends, what their favorite spot is in the city. That's how you get the real list. These answers are completely different from what you'll find online (exept in fabulous travel blogs, ahem!)

The ATM currency conversion trick

From travel blogger Avagail of Avagail Adventures: when an ATM abroad asks if you want the currency conversion done now or by your bank always choose your bank. You'll get a better rate. Every time.

GuruWalk for free local tours

Also from Avagail: the website GuruWalk connects travelers with locals who lead walking tours, many of which are free or tip-based. I'd never heard of it. Now I will absolutely use it.

Would I go back?

Yes, without question. If you're in the early stages of planning a big trip, or even just in that “I should travel more” phase that many of us live in permanently, this show is a genuinely useful and inspiring way to spend a weekend. The speakers alone are worth the ticket price.

The show runs annually, typically in late March in the Bay Area. Check their website for the next one. They have shows in many US cities through out the year, all with great speakers. Also, the bulk of the show floor will be taken up with lots of local promoters letting you know about the cool attractions/ spots to visit that you may have never known about.

The thing that stayed with me most after two days wasn't any single tip or speaker quote. It was the feeling in that room. Everyone there – the 70-year-old who just got back from Mongolia, the woman planning her first solo trip to Portugal, the guy who talked about eating his way through 40 countries with Phil Rosenthal's show as a guide – all of them were just lit up about the world. Travel does that. It reminds you how much is still out there, and how much of of the world you still have left to see!

I came in as a first-time attendee with a press pass nobody cared about. I left with a book, Phil Rosenthal's autograph, a list of tips I'm already using, and a renewed sense that the whole point of all this is to keep going.

See you at the next one.

Where I stayed: the Avatar Hotel, Santa Clara

The Avatar Hotel is part of Hilton's Tapestry Collection and leans hard into a mid-century California vibe: bright colors, retro furniture, and a pool area that convincingly thinks it's in Palm Springs. The pool is genuinely the star of the property, and the on-site restaurant (Parkstone Wood Kitchen and Taps) and a Starbucks right in the complex took care of all my food and caffeine needs between travel show sessions.

I've got a full review, and a video tour of the room, lobby, restaurant, and pool here on the blog if you want the complete picture before you book.