The Wake and Wander Podcast

#24 - Skiing in Europe vs America, the Key Differences Between Utah and Colorado, and Underrated Southern Cities With Aaron Bible

Will McGough — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 11:00:44 -0800

Aaron Bible is an artist, writer, and photographer with three decades of experience as a multimedia developer, content specialist, curator, and award-winning journalist. He is a father, yogi, cyclist, runner, angler, and skier. He joins the show to chat about a variety of travel topics, including airline credit cards, the future of the ski industry, Utah versus Colorado, the peculiar drinking laws in Utah, and underrated southern cities, like Savannah and Atlanta. You can view his writing, art, and photography on his Instagram page, @definitelywild.

"Whole Wide World" Soundtrack by Boy Pierce Music (@boypiercemusic)

#23 - Class Warfare Ramping Up On Airplanes

Will McGough — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 14:38:20 -0800

Will discusses the evolving class warfare happening in the airline industry.

Want to understand the K-shaped economy? Go fly on an airplane | CNN Business

"Whole Wide World" soundtrack by Boy Pierce Music (@boypiercemusic).

#22 - "Van Life" Exploration: Living, Working, and Traveling in a Van with Ted Baird

Will McGough — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 15:47:24 -0800

Ted Baird lives, works, and travels in his van with his wife. He joins Will to discuss the ins and outs and everyday realities---the highs alongside the lows---of "van life."

"Whole Wide World" soundtrack by Boy Pierce Music (@boypiercemusic).

#21 - The Government's New Plan to Improve Airports, the Jetway Jesus Phenomenon, and Grand Teton Thunderstorms

Will McGough — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 12:36:09 -0800

Will discusses the administration's plans for healthier and family-friend airports, airlines moving to non-reclining seats, the "Jetway Jesus" phenomenon, bad local news reporting, and his trips to the Everglades and Grand Teton.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy Suggests Putting ‘Workout Areas’ in Airports (People)
They get wheeled on flights and miraculously walk off. Praise 'Jetway Jesus.' (Wall Street Journal)

#20 - Government Shutdown & Flight Delays

Will McGough — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 23:13:11 -0800

Will discusses the recent reports of increased flight delays due to the government shutdown.

Flight Statistics: https://www.transtats.bts.gov/homedrillchart.asp

"Whole Wide World" Soundtrack by Boy Pierce (@boypiercemusic)

#19 - Visiting The Walmart Museum and Making $24,000 Dining Tables With Dan Ovryn

Will McGough — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 05:00:00 -0700

Dan Ovryn is a custom furniture maker and the owner of Rust & Root Furniture on Oahu. He joins Will to talk about why he hates traveling, his travels to Arkansas, New York, Vermont, and Japan, how travel cuts through government propaganda, Mongolia building a Mars simulation site for tourists, and more! Follow him on Instagram @rustandrootfurniture.

Recording location: Honolulu, Hawaii

"Whole Wide World" Soundtrack by Boy Pierce (@boypiercemusic)

#18 - Going on a Silent Retreat with John Holman

Will McGough — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 09:08:53 -0700

Could not talking for a couple days benefit you? What about a break from responsibilities, and the onslaught of advertising and iPhones? John Holman returns to discuss his recent adventures on a multi-day silent retreat in California, including the benefits and challenges he encountered along the way. He and Will also discuss Buddhism and how its basic practices could help you while traveling and navigating life.

John Holman previously appeared on Episode 4 of the podcast: Antarctica on a Budget and Why It's Easier to Visit All 7 Continents Than All 8 Hawaiian Islands. He is the Founder of Evolution Coaching (www.johnpaulholman.com) and has traveled all over the world (60+ countries) and to all seven continents. He has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa and to Everest Base Camp in the Himalayas. He has also spent time backpacking the John Muir Trail in the Sierras, the W Circuit in Patagonia, and through the Peruvian Andes trekking to Machu Picchu. John has also organized expeditions to climb Haleakalā volcano on Maui, kayak the remote north coast of Molokaʻi, and whitewater raft down the Grand Canyon.

"Whole Wide World" Soundtrack by Boy Pierce (@boypiercemusic)

#17 - The Life and Travels of The Hip Abduction With Chris Powers

Will McGough — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 09:17:23 -0700

Chris Powers is a founding member and the bassist of The Hip Abduction, a reggae band from St. Pete currently on tour with Stick Figure and Stephen Marley. Chris joins Will on the pod to discuss seeing a show at the Sphere, how technology has changed the quality of live performances, teaching in Micronesia, what makes a song timeless, the challenges of being authentic in music, life on the road with The Hip Abduction (travel stories!), pre-show perks while on tour, and more! Will shares a story about winning a radio contest to interview Adam Duritz of the Counting Crows.

Further reading:
There’s Something Happening In St. Pete, Florida (Forbes)

Recording location: St. Pete, Florida (Shorecrest Prep School)

"Whole Wide World" Soundtrack by Boy Pierce Music (@boypiercemusic)

#16 - Tipping While Traveling, Keeping Your Luggage in the Bathtub, Ancient Cliff Dwellings in Colorado

Will McGough — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 07:52:49 -0700

Will discusses tipping while traveling, a variety of news articles and listener mail, and his trip to Mesa Verde National Park in Southwest Colorado.

Why You Should Put Your Luggage in the Hotel Bathtub (Travel & Leisure)
Greenpeace: Train travel often more expensive than flying in Europe (DPA International)
Why 'best time to visit' no longer applies (BBC)

"Whole Wide World" soundtrack by Boy Pierce (@boypierecemusic)

#15 - Joe Biden, AI Airline Pricing, The Danger of Autopilot, TSA Teases End of Liquid Limits, Avoiding Tsunamis and Nuclear Bombs

Will McGough — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 05:00:00 -0700

Will discusses Joe Biden taking Ambien during his presidency, airlines announcing the use of AI to price flights, how autopilot might be making flying more dangerous, the TSA teasing the end of the liquid limit in carry-on luggage, and his experience dodging tsunamis and nuclear bombs in Hawaii.

News Clips:

Joe Biden puts little Delaware in big tourism spotlight | CNN
Delta moves toward eliminating set prices in favor of AI that determines how much you personally will pay for a ticket | Fortune
Michael O'Leary confirms staff are given bonuses for catching oversized cabin bags (Her.ie)
Autopilot Is Making U.S. Airline Pilots Worse (The Drive)
TSA Teases End Of Limits On Liquids In Carry-On Luggage (Forbes)
The Tsunamis That Shaped Hawai‘i’s Coastline And Emergency Response (Forbes)

"Whole Wide World" Soundtrack by Boy Pierce (@boypiercemusic)

#14 - Listener Mailbag and The Curious Case of Mt. Rushmore

Will McGough — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 10:03:48 -0700

Will answers listener questions and discusses his recent trip to Mt. Rushmore.

More reading:
Were the Airline Bailouts Really Needed? - The New York Times
The West - Thomas Jefferson | Exhibitions - Library of Congress

"Whole Wide World" soundtrack by Boy Pierce (@boypiercemusic)

#13 - The Sole Survivor of a Plane Crash and the Dark Side of Vacation Rentals

Will McGough — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 08:53:10 -0700

Will discusses airlines overcharging certain passengers, the sole survivor of the Indian Airlines plane crash, the growing conflict over vacation rentals, and one of the worst cruises in the history of cruising.

#12 - Reaction to Southwest Airlines Tanking Its Brand, People Not Traveling to the U.S. Because of Trump, and Things to Know About Belize

Will McGough — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 07:56:54 -0700

Will reacts to the barrage of news about Southwest Airlines abandoning some of its fan-favorite policies and a report suggesting that international travelers will avoid the U.S. because of Trump. He then shares some highlights and insight from his first trip to Belize.

Disturbing discovery at bottom of The Great Blue Hole (New York Post)

Largest 'blue hole' discovered is 1.3K feet deep and counting (New York Post)

"Whole Wide World" soundtrack by Boy Pierce (@boypiercemusic)

#11 - Selling Your House and Traveling Around the World With Joe Flynn

Will McGough — Sat, 31 May 2025 10:22:09 -0700

Sixteen months ago, Joe sold is house and left behind a career as a winemaker to travel the world. He sits down with Will while on a week break (before heading back out for another year of travel) to discuss his round-the-world trip, what it's like to travel continuously for 16 months, advice for planning such a journey, and to share various stories, such as how he only spoke with 2 people his entire month in Japan, saw bodies burning in India, traveled overland in Africa for two months, and why he loves Southeast Asia. You can follow his travels on Instagram @jpf3.

Recording location: Palisade, Colorado

"Whole Wide World" soundtrack by Boy Pierce (@boypiercemusic)

#10 - Brazil, Jaguars, and the Pantanal with Luiza Coqueiro

Will McGough — Mon, 19 May 2025 05:00:00 -0700

Luiza Coqueiro is a wildlife guide at Caiman Ranch in the Pantanal, one of the world's largest wetlands in the interior of Brazil. Luiza joins the podcast to discuss the rise of wildlife safaris in the Pantanal, the "Big 5" animals you can see, why it remains relatively unknown, what makes it special, and what it's like to guide in such a remote area. Plus, some info about Brazil, its large cities, and how it came to be part of Portugal.

Recording location: Pantanal, Brazil

"Whole Wide World" soundtrack by Boy Pierce (@boypiercemusic)

#9 - Just Walk: An Introduction to Austria and Vienna With Basti Knobel

Will McGough — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 05:00:00 -0700

Basti Knobel is the co-owner of Rebel Tours and a walking tour guide in Vienna, Austria. He joins Will on the podcast to discuss his Brazilian roots, Austrian humor and the tendency for them to complain, why young Germans flock to Vienna, the difference between Austrians, Germans, and the Swiss, how tour guides tend to be older, the lengthy process to become a tour guide in Europe, Hitler's legacy in Vienna, first timer tips for Vienna, the most famous address in Vienna, famous Viennese, why the Catholics made their churches so epic, favorite Austrian cuisine, and more! Find Rebel Tours online @rebeltoursvienna or en.rebeltoursvienna.com/home

"Whole Wide World" soundtrack by Boy Pierce (@boypiercemusic)

#8 - The Mexican State of Oaxaca and the Mixe People with Uriel Alcántara

Will McGough — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 08:51:26 -0700

Uriel Alcántara is the Founder of Raíz Ayuuk, a regenerative tour operator specializing in cultural hiking trips in the Sierra Mixe of Oaxaca. He joins the podcast to discuss the explosion of rooftop bars in Oaxaca, how it feels at the end of a trip for a guide, the history of the Mixe people resisting colonization, why the Mixe people were never conquered, the Spanish conquistadors’ most feared weapon, the cycle of life and seasonal calendars, the opening of the Mixe region for tourism, the overwhelming amount of Mexican drinks, and more!

Recording location: Oaxaca City, Mexico

You can learn more about Uriel and the tours offered by Raíz Ayuuk at www.raizayuuk.com or on Instagram, @raiz_ayuuk.

"Whole Wide World" Soundtrack by Boy Pierce (@boypiercemusic)

#7 - Airline Crashes, Traveler's Guilt, and Bribing Mexican Cops with Tim Wenger

Will McGough — Sat, 29 Mar 2025 14:25:16 -0700

Tim Wenger is a Senior Editor at Matador Network. He joins Will to discuss his transition from playing in a punk band to travel writing, how much it would suck to be a political reporter, Canadians boycotting travel to America, countries you wouldn’t travel to because of politics, Saudi Arabia opening up to the world, heliskiing in Canada, the string of commercial plane crashes, the odds of being killed in a plane crash, the payout fliers received from the Delta crash in Toronto, the rise of autonomous vehicles, greenwashing in travel, to pay or not to pay for carbon offsets, criticism of Al Gore, the media making travelers feel bad for traveling, the breakdown of air travel and carbon, people who should be punished before the everyday traveler, airlines selling flights to unknown destinations, getting scammed and bribing cops in Mexico, and more!

Recording location: Palisade, Colorado

Tim's articles on Matador discussed on this episode

Air Travel Pollutes Relentlessly. Is Carbon Removal the Solution?
San Francisco Is Proof: Waymo Is Changing the Way Tourists Explore Cities
Powder, Passion, and the Pull of the Mountains: An Affair With the Powder Highway
Tim Wenger, Author at Matador Network (https://matadornetwork.com/author/twenger/)

"Whole Wide World" Soundtrack by Boy Pierce (@boypiercemusic)

#6 - The Transformation of St. Pete Florida with Jason Latimer

Will McGough — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 04:43:41 -0700

Jason Latimer is the Director of Public Relations for Visit St. Pete-Clearwater in Florida. Previously, he worked as a public relations specialist for the Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, and Miami Marlins. He joins Will on the pod to discuss the growth of podcasts, life on the road with a professional baseball team, the unique way he met his wife, why people don't trust public relations reps, the recovery from last year's hurricanes, how destinations balance disaster recovery with the return of tourists, Miami versus St. Pete, the transformation of downtown St. Pete, how it may or may not be named after a Russian city, hidden gems in small towns along Florida's west coast, the best times to visit, and more.

Recording location: St. Pete, Florida

"Whole Wide World" soundtrack by Boy Pierce (@boypiercemusic)

#5 - Small Ski Areas Selling Out to Big Corporations and the Future of Skiing With Scott Grasser

Will McGough — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 08:45:28 -0700

Scott Grasser is the owner of Lost Trail Ski Area in Montana. He joins the podcast to discuss the unpredictability of ski travel, what it's like to own a ski area, weather anxiety, why lift tickets keep increasing in price each year, Lost Trail's unique operating schedule, how decreasing snow totals may or may not affect the ski industry in the future, the trend of big corporations buying up smaller ski areas, the pluses and minuses of corporate takeovers, whether he wants a big corporation to buy Lost Trail, and more.

Recording location: Lost Trail Ski Area, Montana

More reading:

Small ski businesses are benefiting from an influx of visitors and snow : NPR

"Whole Wide World" Soundtrack by Boy Pierce (@boypiercemusic)

#4 - Antarctica on a Budget and Why It's Easier to Visit All 7 Continents Than All 8 Hawaiian Islands with John Holman

Will McGough — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 09:01:40 -0800

John Holman is a professional executive coach, speaker, and world traveler from Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. He joins the podcast to discuss how to travel to Antarctica on a budget and makes the claim that it's easier to visit all 7 continents than it is to travel to all 8 Hawaiian Islands. Also in this episode, Will expresses his frustration with getting denied Global Entry and the rising popularity of TSA PreCheck.

Recording location: Honolulu, Hawaiʻi

John Holman is the Founder of Evolution Coaching (www.johnpaulholman.com) and has traveled all over the world (60+ countries) and to all seven continents. He has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa and to Everest Base Camp in the Himalayas. He has also spent time backpacking the John Muir Trail in the Sierras, the W Circuit in Patagonia, and through the Peruvian Andes trekking to Machu Picchu. John has also organized expeditions to climb Haleakalā volcano on Maui, kayak the remote north coast of Molokaʻi, and whitewater raft down the Grand Canyon.

Antarctica on a budget resources:

Ushuaia Turismo Deals (https://ushuaiaturismo.tur.ar/deals/)

"Whole Wide World" Soundtrack by Boy Pierce (@boypiercemusic)

#3 - Rapping On a New York City Bus Tour and Virtual Tourism with Matt "Boy" Pierce

Will McGough — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 07:30:49 -0800

Matt "Boy" Pierce is a rapper and producer in New York City and the creator of the "Ambient New York" YouTube channel. He is a live performer and freestyle rapper on a bus tour called The Ride NYC.

He joins the podcast to discuss his inspiring journey of going from a New York marketing and advertising specialist to a full-time hip-hop artist, his role as a freestyle rapper on a bus tour, how The Ride is changing the way bus tours do business, the evolution of bus tours since their inception in the early 1900s, how bus tours and rap became integrated in New York City, why Times Square is so popular with visitors, the best 3 minutes each day in Times Square, the benefits and dangers of virtual tourism, how one can use YouTube to plan trips, why it's so important for New Yorkers to travel, tips for traveling around New York City, and more.

Originally hailing from the Philadelphia area, Boy Pierce is best known for his Philadelphia Eagles' songs. His track "Nick Foles" achieved viral success, reaching one million people and gaining coverage from Barstool Sports, Philly Voice, and 6ABC. His latest album "The 6th Avenue Shift" was released in 2024. You can find him on Spotify, YouTube, and Instagram @boypiercemusic.

More reading:
The Ideal 3 Minutes To Visit Times Square (Forbes)
Agency Exec Creates a Quarantine Anthem to Help Musicians (Ad Week)
This Bus Tour Is One Of New York City’s Most Unique Experiences (Forbes)

#2 - Traveling with your Grandma with Brad Ryan

Will McGough — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 08:13:37 -0800

Brad Ryan is a veterinarian, travel influencer, and the creator of the Grandma Joy's Road Trip Instagram account. He joins the podcast in Antarctica to discuss the surprising reason he began traveling with his grandmother when she was 85, the trials and tribulations of traveling with your grandmother to every single National Park, the personal growth that intergenerational travel can spark, and his upcoming book about their journey and the lessons he has learned from it. You can find him and his grandma at @grandmajoysroadtrip on Instagram.

Recording location: Antarctica

More Reading:
Grandma Joy, 93, toured 63 national parks and healed a family rift along the way : NPR

"Whole Wide World" soundtrack by Boy Pierce (@boypiercemusic)

#1 - Skiing to the South Pole with Sunniva Sorby

Will McGough — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 15:38:25 -0800

Sunniva Sorby is an expeditioner, historian, guide, citizen scientist, speaker, and the "Godmother" of the HX Nansen, an expedition-style vessel exploring the Arctic regions. She is best known as a member of the first women's team to ski to the South Pole in 1993. She joins the podcast to discuss this harrowing, near 700-mile journey as well as her thoughts on tourism to the polar regions.

Recording location: Antarctica.

"Whole Wide World" soundtrack by Boy Pierce (@boypiercemusic)