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Random Finds: Back in the USA

random finds, Random Finds: Back in the USA

When we take road or business trips in the US, we always seek local and authentic places to drink and dine. We have discovered some impressive finds in our travels and will share them with you. Our order has no rhyme or reason; it is just random cool places we discovered.

random finds, Random Finds: Back in the USA

Our favorite place to travel is overseas, as our blog shows. That said, we travel quite a bit in our homeland. Ryan has traveled for work and in the army, and Joelle travels with some volunteer work she does. Of course, we travel to visit family and friends regularly, Joelle the most often. In 2020, we took a road trip to New England to work on the blog since Covid prevented us from traveling overseas.

Ryan attended an army school before COVID-19 and spent his free time visiting several Kentucky Whiskey distilleries. Therefore, he has some fun places he plans to be writing about. Joelle has been to all fifty states, mostly on business and for speaking engagements over the years. She was always amazed at all the beautiful surprises this country offers in the most unexpected places.

We seek authentic, genuine local places with unique, memorable travel experiences. We will share the ones we enjoyed the most, those funky, memorable ones you come to love and tell stories about.

What can you expect from Random Finds?

When traveling, food and drink are very much part of the cultural experience, especially in Europe and the US. There are some incredible, unique foods and traditions throughout the US. We firmly believe you should seek local food and drink even on business trips. Hey, you worked all day; the evening is made for fun.

We are wine connoisseurs and love visiting wineries in the US’s best and not-so-good regions. We plan to write posts on our favorite wineries, the more fascinating ones that made our visit extra special. For example, Joelle had a business trip near Napa Valley, California, right before Covid. Once the workday was done, there were some fantastic meals and drinks with her colleagues every night! Many tasting rooms stay open quite late there.

We have visited distilleries in the US and overseas. As noted, Ryan enjoyed tasting lots of whisky in Kentucky during his business trip there! He brought along some of his classmates and made it fun for everyone.

But wine and whisky are not our only interests.

We seek local craft brews, especially in the family of dark beers, in any place, whether together or separately. Joelle loves to bring two gifts home to her husband: hot sauces and local specialty beer.

As we find these incredibly unique gems, we will share them with you on our Random Finds page.

As always, if you have exceptionally great places you discover as you wander this country, let us know. If we are in the area, we will check them out. Maybe, as a result, they will appear on our Random Finds page!!

Our Random Finds Posts

random finds, Random Finds: Back in the USA

Red Shed Brewery and Taproom Cooperstown, NY

As we travel through our great homeland, we encounter some fantastic gems. We came across the tremendous Red Shed Brewery and Taproom in Cooperstown, NY. Handmade fresh craft beer made with local ingredients, pride, and passion.

https://www.redshedbrewing.com/

random finds, Random Finds: Back in the USA

Frederick, Maryland: Where Craft Breweries and American History Make for the Perfect Getaway

As we travel through our great homeland, we encounter some fantastic gems. We came across the tremendous breweries in Frederick, Maryland. Handmade fresh craft beer made with pride and passion.

https://www.redshedbrewing.com/

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Travel Insurance

Squaremouth.com
Our favorite travel insurance site!

We could not be stronger advocates of being well-insured—not just for the little stuff but for the big things like medical emergencies. We never leave home without it. Our go-to place is Squaremouth.com. It does a fantastic job with its user-friendly interface and uses top-rated and reputable insurance carriers. They also mediate on your behalf if you have problems.

To empower you as a consumer, we suggest you read our blog post on the importance of travel insurance and how to get the best coverage from top-rated companies for an affordable price.

MedjetAssist
Medical transport back home from anywhere in the world

They are the premier global air medical transport. One caveat to travel insurance is that medical evacuation usually gets you to the closest facility to care for you. Medjet gets you back to the U.S. to the hospital of your choice once you are stable enough to fly. A Medjet membership is only for medical transport. Medjet Horizon offers expanded coverage. They have individual trip policies starting at $99 and annual policies for around $300. Most of their policies limit the age to 74.

To learn more about how Medical Evacuation membership with Medjet Assist works, check out our blog post for a more detailed review.  

Accommodations and Airfare

Expedia and VRBO
Hotels, home rentals, BNBs, flights, and other transportation & tours 

Expedia is a US-based company whose mission is to power global travel for everyone and everywhere. Wanderers Compass focuses on independent travel, and using sites like Expedia makes that possible. Every aspect of travel you need, from airfare, accommodations, rental car, and cruises to activities to do at your destination, can be booked on Expedia.  

Booking.com
Hotels, Home rentals, BNBs, Flights, and other Transportation & Tours 

Booking.com connects millions of travelers to memorable experiences, various transportation options, and incredible places to stay – from homes to hotels and much more. It is one of the world’s largest travel marketplaces for established brands and entrepreneurs of all sizes. It is our preferred booking site.

Transportation

Daytrip
Personalized city-to-city private car transfer service

Daytrip is an affordable private car service for city-to-city transfers around the world. We love their service, and it costs much less than renting a car. You can enjoy comfortable, stress-free travel with the added bonus of scenic sightseeing stops along your journey. For example, we used them between Budapest and Vienna, making some fantastic stops along the way. Their professional drivers and customizable routes ensure a smooth ride while allowing you to explore hidden gems and local attractions.

To learn more about how Daytrip, check out our blog post for a more detailed review.  

Travel Experiences

Viator
The leading marketplace for travel experiences

Viator believes that making memories is what travel is all about. And with 300,000+ experiences to explore—everything from simple tours to extreme adventures (and all the niche, interesting stuff in between)—making memories that will last a lifetime has never been easier. We use them often during our travels and love their liberal cancellation policy.

Communication products for seamless connectivity overseas

GigSky International eSIM Data Plans
Local Prices. No Roaming. Fastest Networks.


GigSky eSIM keeps travelers seamlessly connected worldwide without the hassle of swapping physical SIM cards or facing unexpected roaming charges. With affordable data plans and instant activation, you can enjoy reliable internet access in over 190 countries, making travel more convenient than ever. They have a great offer, a 100 MB data plan for free, and no credit card is required. They are that confident you will love their product!

Enjoy 10% off all GigSky Plans (except cruise and inflight) with our discount code WCOMPASS10

To learn more about how GigSky, check out our blog post for a more detailed review.

Shopping

Wanderers Compass Amazon Storefront
An excellent source for all travel essentials and guides

Amazon is one of the most comprehensive online shopping sources in the world. Teams worldwide provide lower prices, better selection, and rapid delivery on behalf of customers. They offer a vast inventory, and their 1.7 million small and medium businesses worldwide selling on Amazon.com offer extensive options to customers.

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