Chasing Wildflowers - How to Plan a Wildflower Trip This Spring

Join Heide and Nicky as they go chasing wildflower blooms this spring throughout the U.S. From Texas bluebonnets and California poppies to Shenandoah violets and Smoky Mountain trillium, springtime is the perfect time to plan an impromptu trip to destinations that also shine with food, accommodations and wine!

Transcript

 Welcome to Untethered and Wander Wise, where adventure has no age limit. We're your co-host Heide Brandes and I'm Nicky Omohundro and we're here to inspire and celebrate women over 45 who are embracing their independence and want to explore the world on their own terms.

 Welcome back to Untethered and Wander Wise, the podcast for women over 45 who are ready to travel on their own terms, at their own pace, and with absolutely zero apology. I'm Heide Brandes, and I'm Nicky Omohundro. And today, oh, today is a good one. It really is. We've been planning this episode for a while because the kind of travel topic that sounds simple on the surface.

Wild flowers, but go so much deeper once you actually start chasing them. Right? Because this isn't really about flowers. I mean, it is, but it's not. It's about learning to build a trip around something fleeting, something that doesn't wait for you to clear your schedule. Or get permission or find the right travel companion.

It's about saying this window is open right now and I'm going to be in it, which honestly is a pretty good philosophy for life. . So here's what we're going to do today. We're taking you through five of the most spectacular wild wildflower destinations in the United States. And we're not just telling you where to go.

We're telling you when to go, where to stay, where to eat, and how to actually be present for the experience instead of just driving through it. We have specific hotel recommendations with links you can check for yourself. We have restaurant picks that go beyond the obvious. When we have the on the ground strategy that makes the difference between catching the bloom and missing it by o say a week.

So whether you're planning a solo trip or a girl's fun weekend, whether you've done this before or this is the trip that finally gets you out of the door. This episode is for you, but if you could do us a favor and give us a follow, leave, a review, , subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, it really helps other people find untethered and wander wise.

Most definitely. So, with that said, let's go. I have to start in Texas because Texas is where Wildflower travel stopped being just a thing I did and became something that actually changed me. And that sounds dramatic. I know, , but hear me out. I was driving outside of Fredericksburg, Texas, in the Hill country.

On quiet morning windows down, and it's one of those mornings where the air still had a little coolness left in it before the Texas heat really kicks in, right, and then out of nowhere, boom, the hills just turned blue, completely overwhelmingly blue acres and acres of blue bon is stretching in every direction, and it was almost too beautiful to make sense.

Yeah. I love that you said that was just a random morning. Yeah, but because it was not every other weekend, and that matters. I pulled over like you do, and there were a handful of other people there, families with toddlers and the flowers. A woman by herself with a big camera, an older couple who looked like they'd been doing this for 30 years and nobody was rushing.

Nobody was on their phone except for to take photos and we were all just standing there in it. That's the thing about wild flowers. They don't care about your schedule. They show up when they want, typically on a seasonal schedule, and when they do, they demand that you just show up too. Exactly, and I think that's why this episode matters so much to me, wildflower travel is not passive.

You have to plan, you have to pay attention. You have to be willing to change your itinerary at the last minute. But when it works, oh my God. When it works, there is absolutely nothing like it. Hmm. So let's talk strategy because there is absolutely a right way and a wrong way to do Texas Hill Country in bloom.

Yeah. First timing, late March through mid-April is your prime window for the Hill Country Blue bonnet. But here's the thing, it's not a precise science. A warmer, drier winter can push blooms earlier. A wet cool spring can push them into early May. So before you book, check out the Texas Wildflower hotline.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center updates reports regularly and it will save you from showing up a week too early or a week too late. Hmm, and go early in the morning. Sunrise till about 10 in the morning is your golden window. The light is softer, the air is cooler, and the crowds haven't arrived yet.

By noon on a weekend in April, the Willow City Loop can feel like a traffic jam. The Willow City Loop is absolutely the iconic drive in the Texas Hill country. It's 13 miles of wild flowers. That's completely worth the hype, but like Nicky said, go early and go on a weekday if you can.

It's a lot less crowded on the weekday. Oh, definitely. And also drive the roadsides between Fredericksburg and Llano on Highway 16 and Ranch Road 965. Less crowded, equally gorgeous. And here's a tip I wish somebody had given me the first time. Bring something to sit on like a blanket, a low camp chair, anything.

Sitting in a field of blue bonnets in the early quiet of the morning. That's the real thing. That's the moment, not the photo.  And also before you sit anywhere in a field, check where you're sitting. Oh yes. Texas has little creepy crawlies like scorpions and red ants. And snakes.

And snakes because snakes are out during wildflower season. Yeah. So be careful where you sit, safety first, and you'll have a great time and you know, be respectful. Don't go over there and tramp all over wildflower blooms. I mean, there was, uh, such a controversy several years ago when they had the super blooms in California and all the influencers were out there and they were driving over them and laying on 'em, and it just kind of ruined the vibe for everybody else.

So, you know, be respectful for other people who want to see the flowers as well. Yeah. And don't be the ass hat that ruins it for everyone else. I like that, ass hat. Mm-hmm. Now for your home base in Texas Hill Country, you want to be in Fredericksburg proper or very close to it. Everything seems to radiate from there.

The wine, the food, the drives, the shopping. The shopping. Our first pick of where to stay is the Alberta Hotel. It's a boutique property right off of Main Street. It's got 105 guest rooms, a full spa, four restaurants, including the Wow House, which is wonderful. A gorgeous sunken limestone pool and bars.

It's elegant without being pretentious. And if you're doing a girls' trip and want one place where you can eat, drink, spa, and never need to leave, except for the chase, those flowers, this is the place you can find them@alberthotel.com. And for something more intimate, especially if you're traveling solo or want that real bed and breakfast experience, Hoffman house's perfection.

It's. It's five quiet acres, but literally a block from Main Street, 22 uniquely styled homes, cottages, and private houses. Some have soaking tubs and fireplaces. If you're coming with a group of four more rent, one of the private homes and have the whole thing to yourselves, the gardens alone are worth it.

When I was in Fredericksburg, I actually stayed at a really cool place there. It's called the Hangar Hotel, and that's H-A-N-G-A-R, it's like an airplane hanger, and that's exactly what it was. So the Hanger Hotel is not just for pilots, it's for anyone who wants more than a bed in a shower.

And it's located on the little airport in Fredericksburg, but it's. Built. It's been built new from the ground up recently, and it was uniquely designed with an exterior appearance of a World War II hangar of the romantic 1940s. So the exterior is kind of the understatement. Because inside is this beautiful curved metal roof and bright white siding, but it's very stylish environment and it features a lot of airplane memorabilia, USO history and the romance of the 1940s.

If you are looking for something really unique that doesn't look like any other hotel, well the Hangar Hotel is the place for you. That sounds fantastic. So another big deal where to eat in the Texas Hill country. You cannot go wrong with the Fredericksburg food. I will never stop talking about the Cabernet Grill.

This is the quintessential hill country dining experience. So you've got Executive Chef Ross Burwell. He's been making magic there for over 20 years, and their wine list has something like 150 Texas wines. The largest Texas only wine list in the entire country. And yes, Texas has wine and it's really good wine.

The food is elevated Hill Country, so you're gonna get certified Angus Beef, local Quail Gulf Seafood, and it's all prepared beautifully. You are gonna need a reservation, I would say dress up a little bit,. Hmm. And for something a little more eclectic, the Vaudeville Bistro on East Main Street is a true Fredericksburg ritual.

It's part art gallery, part boutique, part farm to table bistro. The space is absolutely stunning, and the wine is also on point. They're seasonal tasting menus, local wines, roasted quail and truffle dishes, lunch, dinner, or just pastries and espresso in the morning. It does it all. And the wildflower weekend in Fredericksburg genuinely needs to include at least one long slow winery lunch along Highway two 90.

You can pick from any of the 50 plus tasting rooms along this highway, but sit outside, order charcuterie board and let that afternoon just happen around you.


Now, California's wild flowers are a different kind of spectacular, entirely. Texas blue bonnets are intermittent and personal. California poppies are cinematic. They cover entire mountain slopes. In orange, you'll see photos and think they've been edited. They haven't. Yeah, the California poppy super blooms are what we were talking about earlier, and the peak season is march through May, and the key to California is that a super bloom is not guaranteed every year.

It depends on winter, rainfall, temperature patterns, you know, all of that. But when conditions are right, we're talking about the kind of blooms that make the national news. There are two main zones to know. The first is Antelope Valley and the Antelope Valley, California Poppy Reserve near Lancaster, about an hour and a half northeast of Los Angeles.

This is the dense, iconic orange hillside bloom that goes viral every spring. It's real and it is absolutely spectacular. But it's also popular. So having a strategy matters. Go on a weekday and go in the morning, you're gonna hear a theme here. Mm-hmm. The California Poppy Reserve opens at sunrise and the wildly and the wild flowers close up in afternoon wind and shade.

So morning is when they're fully open, but you're gonna bring layers because the desert can be surprisingly cold that early in the day. Hmm. And the second zone is the Cerro Plain National Monument, about three hours south of Antelope Valley near San Luis Obispo. This was the Wilder Lesser visited option.

Fewer crowds, more dramatic landscapes, wild flowers against ancient lake beds, and it's uniquely otherworldly

I actually love building this around a San Luis Obispo base. SLO. That's what the locals call it, is a perfect California coastal town with incredible food and wine, and it puts you close to the Carrizo plain. You can day trip to poppy Fields and then spend your evenings in one of the best small food cities on the West Coast.

It pairs beautifully with wine tasting in the Edna Valley. You're basically doing wild flowers by day and wine country by evening. That's my idea of a great trip. So where are you gonna stay? Okay. In San Luis Obispo Hotels is our top pick. It's an autograph collection boutique hotel that converted two historic masonry buildings in downtown SLO into something that's so beautiful.

There's a rooftop pool, a spa called Spa Arrow, an excellent restaurant called the Oak Grill, with a locally sourced California cuisine, and it's walking distance to everything For a solo traveler, a smaller group, this feels like exactly the kind of place where you settle in and you feel like a resident instead of a tourist.

 The Granada Hotel in Bistro is another fantastic option for women. 17 Luxury Rooms in a renovated historic building with exposed brick walls. Persian rugs, original hardwood floors, and a rooftop terrace with a fireplace and library.

I can see myself reading there already. It has a gastro pub on site too. It's moody and romantic and feels like SLOs best kept secret. Perfect for a girlfriend getaway. Yeah. What are you doing this week? You wanna book a trip? This is sounding great. I've never had a chance to see the poppies.

So, you know, I'm, I'm really excited about this one, but again, you can't talk about destinations without talking about the food. No, that's my top priority. And SLO has a remarkable food scene for its size for that one special meal. The trip, the flour house is one of the best from scratch Italian restaurants anywhere on the central coast.

We're talking handmade pasta, naturally, leavened bread, wood fired everything. It's casual enough that you don't feel like you're performing, but the food is exceptional and for something that's captures the SLO Farmer's Market Spirit foremost wine company is a hidden gem, a natural wine bar and cafe with rotating small plates all sourced from local farms.

It's the kind of place where you order one more glass and one more plate, and suddenly two hours have passed, and if you're lucky to be there on a Thursday, the Thursday night, farmer's market on Higuera Street is also a must. If you're there midweek. The entire downtown becomes a block party with live music, fresh produce, street food, local wines.

Don't miss out on the wine 'cause this region is famous for its wine and it's one of the best free things you can do anywhere besides hunt wildflowers. Mm-hmm. 

And so for our destination, number three, we head to the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, where the peak season there is typically April through June.

And if Texas is your heart and California is your wow factor, the Smoky Mountains are where wildflowers become meditative. Mm-hmm. There's a quality of light to those mountains that. Particular Appalachian haze that makes everything feel ancient and still, and luckily May is the peak month for wildflower diversity in the Smokies.

We're talking over 1500 species of flowering plants in the great Smoky Mountains National Park. This is one of the most wild flower rich places in the entire temperate world. Trillium Violets, spring beauties. There is so much to discover. It's almost overwhelming. Mm-hmm.

And there are two main areas we recommend. Cades Cove is the most accessible, a gorgeous 11 mile loop through an open valley with historical homesteads and incredible wildflower meadows. Go early because the parking does fill up. Cade's Cove is closed to cars on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, specifically for hikers and cyclists, which is the perfect way to experience it for a more immersive hiking experience.

Porter's Creek Trail in the Green Briar area is one of the most wild flower dense hikes in the entire park in April and May, the trail is lined with trout, lily, trillium, , and wild geranium. It's an easy four mile round trip hike and genuinely. One of the most beautiful hikes anywhere.

And one thing I'll say for solo women travelers, the Smokies are extremely well visited. And the main trails feel very safe and social. You'll constantly be passing other hikers, families, other women out on their own. It has a wonderful community feel. Yeah. Uh, that being said, there are black bears there.

And springtime is about the time they start coming out. So, you know, be bear aware and also consider downloading the All Trails app and the NPS app before you go. Cell service in the park is spotty. And having offline maps can be a lifesaver. Also parking at trail hits fills up before 9:00 AM on peak spring weekends, and I'm not exaggerating.

No. And one truly lovely option is the park offers Ranger led wildflower walks in April, in May, which are wonderful. You'll learn to identify what you're seeing rather than just photographing it, and that changes the experience completely.

Now, the Great Smoky Mountains Park is free. There's no entrance fee. But if you're planning to park for more than 15 minutes, a parking tag is required. It costs $5 a day, $15 weekly or annually. It's just a low cost of $40.

So where are you gonna stay? We strongly recommend staying in Townsend rather than Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge. Those are great towns with their own energy, but if you're going for the wild flowers and quiet Townsend. Which calls itself the peaceful side of the Smokies is exactly that. It's minutes from the park entrance and doesn't have the commercial strip feeling like some of the bigger getaway towns Dancing Bear Lodge is extraordinary.

It's a 38 acre wooded property with 28 well-appointed cabins, cottages, and villas. What makes it special is the Appalachian Bistro on site, which has been voted one of America's most romantic restaurants and holds a wine Spectator award. Chef Jeff Carter's farm to table menu changes with the seasons and uses ingredients from their private gardens for a girls' trip, where you want that special dinner moment, this is it.

The Tremont Lodge and Resort is also a wonderful boutique option. Right in the heart of Townsend is family owned. It's beautifully designed and it's got this outdoor ethos with an outdoor pool, an indoor pool, a hot tub, and a genuine emphasis on nature connection. It's within walking distance of the park and has that mountain lodge feeling without any of the, you know, kitch around it.

It's perfect for a solo traveler who wants amenities, but also wants peace. You know what I mean? Mm-hmm. Now again, the Dancing Bears Appalachian Bistro is a destination dinner on its own. Don't skip it even if you're not staying there. The menu rotates based on what's seasonal and local.

Think roasted heritage chicken with garden peas, Appalachian trout house made preserves, and a wine list that would impress any big city restaurant. And you know me, I like a good craft beer, so company distilling is my choice. It's set right along the little river in Townsend. It is a craft distillery with tours, tastings, and a full restaurant from acclaimed local Maryville spot Amichi. Handcrafted cocktails using local ingredients. Beautiful. Riverview outdoor seating is exactly the kind of place I love, and it's the kind of place you find yourself staying three hours longer than you planned because it's just so much fun and it's so pretty.

Mm-hmm. And the whole town in culture of Townsend is slow food, local ingredients, sitting outside. It matches the wildflower travel philosophy perfectly. You're not rushing, you're savoring. 

Our next destination, destination number four is Shenandoah and the Blue Ridge in Virginia. This has a later peak season is from May to June.

If you're hearing this in May or to June, you haven't missed out on the wildflowers yet, folks. So Virginia is a destination on this list that I think is so underestimated, especially by people who think the East Coast wildflowers can't compete with the big Western shows. You know what I. They're different.

They're quieter, but they are absolutely magical. Mm-hmm. Shenandoah National Park in May and June is a revelation. The Wildflower show moves up in elevation as the season progresses. So while Lower Valleys peak in April, the higher ridge lines along Skyline Drive are still flowering well into June. It extends your wild flower window beautifully.

Skyline Drive is one of the most beautiful roads in America. It's 105 miles along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains with over 70 overlooks. You can do the whole thing in a long day or spend three days stopping at every trail and overlook. Uh, we highly recommend taking the three day route. Most definitely.

For Wild Flower Hiking Dark Hollow Falls is iconic.

It's the most visited trail in Shenandoah for good reason. A 1.4 mile round trip to a 70 foot waterfall lined with Trillium and Violets in May.

Bear Fence Mountain is another favorite. This is a short but rocky scramble to a 360 degree summit view that is absolutely worth the effort.

Golden Hour at the Shenandoah Overlooks is something I believe everyone should experience at least once. Pack a picnic with local cheeses and Virginia wine and find yourself an overlook, any overlook, and just sit there as a mountain goes purple in the fading light. It's one of those moments you return to in your mind for years enter the park early or in the evening to avoid the midday rush, especially on weekends.

And consider staying inside the park if you can. Big Meadow's Lodge is the most accessible in park option, and there is nothing like waking up inside Shenandoah to Morning mist over the mountains, so other places to stay if you can't stay in the park. Charlottesville, Virginia is a great home base.

 It's a fantastic food and wine town with a pedestrian downtown mall, vineyards, just everywhere, and an infectious energy that comes from the University of Virginia campus. It's kind of place where women traveling alone feel completely at ease.

The Draftsman Hotel, part of Marriott's autograph collection, is sleek, modern, and has the feel of a boutique hotel rather than a chain. Their bar has 36 rotating self-serve taps, which is either a warning or a promise depending on where you are on this trip. Farm to table, dining on site, beautifully designed, and three blocks from the UVA campus and the corner dining district



Now where to eat In Charlottesville, Charlottesville's dining scene punches well above its weight. The C and O Restaurant has been a local institution for decades.

Warm candlelit, exceptional rotating menu, and it has the feeling of a place that has seen a thousand great nights for a spectacular splurge. The Inn at Little Washington, about an hour east is one of the most celebrated restaurants in the country. A Patrick O'Connell masterpiece with Jane Beard Awards to its name.

If you're doing milestone birthday, a big anniversary, a celebration that deserves something extraordinary, add this one to your trip. But you gotta book months in advance because again, it is one of the most celebrated and popular restaurants anywhere in the country. Okay, and don't miss the Monticello Wine Trail.

There are 40 plus wineries in the region, and many of them do farm lunches and picnic experiences that are perfect for a wild flower trip weekend. Barbersville Vineyards is a personal favorite. They have Italian style wines in a beautiful outdoor dining terrace. 

So our last is Boone and the Blue Ridge Parkway, and this is in North Carolina.

And again. It is got a late season. It peaks from May through June, and this is the longest wildflower season of all the places we're covering today and the highest altitude. Boone, North Carolina sits at nearly 3,500 feet above sea level, which means spring arrives late and it lingers long. You can chase blooms here in June when most of the country has moved on already.

Mm-hmm. And the Blue Ridge Parkway is the main character here. This 469 Mile Scenic Road is one of the most visited national park sites in the country, and for good reason, it is Drop dead gorgeous. The Boone section specifically gives you Grandfather Mountain, which I've hiked, and the famous Lynn Cove viaduc, Price Lake, and overlooks that go on forever. 

When I was a small, when I was a small child, um, we lived in North Carolina and one of my very distinct memories was going to Grandfather Mountain with my parents. It's always been a favorite place of mine.

Oh, well see, I hiked it a couple of years ago and that was probably one of the most grueling hikes I've ever done.

 I don't remember it being grueling. There were, but I was a kid. 

Yeah. This particular hike, and I would have to go back and see what the trail was called, but it had ladders. Ooh. It had rope holds where you had to climb, basically rock scramble up a rock face, Holding onto the rope. Yep. Um, yeah, it was a lot. Um, but the views, oh my God. You could see from miles and miles and miles. Absolutely. And you know, speaking of views in May and June, watch for the Rhododendron blooms, these great swaths of pink and purple flowering across mountain sides.

It's one of the most dramatic natural events in the eastern United States. And then the flame azalea come in June. You're talking orange and red, absolutely blazing against the green rich lines. Mm-hmm. And for hiking the trails off the parkway, near Boone are some of the best in Appalachia. The mountains to sea trail intersects the parkway at multiple points.

The hike to the summit of Rough Ridge near Grandfather Mountain is short, but gives you some of the most expansive views you find in the east. Is that the, is that the hike you did? No, that's not, I really am. Struggling to remember what it's called. I kind of wanna do that when I do ladders and ropes. I would do it again.

Okay, so here's one thing to know though. The Blue Ridge Parkway has no cell service along most of its length, so you're gonna have to download offline maps, let somebody know your plan, carry water and layers because the weather changes fast at that kind of elevation. 

 Boone has a lovely, walkable small town downtown with independent shops and restaurants again, and this is genuinely one of the best destinations for a solo women traveler Boone has a lovely, walkable small town downtown with independent shops and restaurants, a great art scene from the Appalachian State University and a vibe that's welcoming and unhurried. You can be completely on your own and feel completely at home. 

So where are you gonna stay? The 1850 hotel on King Street in downtown Boone is our top pick. It's a 20-suite boutique luxury hotel with mountain inspired designs, thoughtfully curated local details, and genuinely exceptional service.

It's walking distance to every restaurant and shop in downtown Boone. And guests consistently rave about the staff for a solo traveler or for a girl trip. It's kind of personalized boutique experience that makes you feel safe, like you're welcome and like the city itself is taking care of you. Hmm. And so for a truly immersive spa experience, and this one is especially nice for solo travelers who want to lean into the restorative side of this trip Westlow Spa and Resort is in nearby Blowing Rock is a sanctuary. It's set in a gorgeous manner. Property with mountain views, a full service spa, wellness, programming, and cuisine that's all health forward and locally sourced.

It's the kind of place you arrive at stressed and leave transformed, but for a more rustic feel, uh, one place that I stayed at my last trip was the Rhoads Motor Inn. That's R-H-O-D-E-S. It was a renovated. Motel where you actually can drive up and stay in front, in front of the room. Super fun. Kind of kitschy, very rustic vibe.

Outdoor fire pits, lawn games. Just fantastic service. Was amazing, comfortable beds. It was unassuming and it's a great place just to relax in simple settings. Oh, that sounds like fun. See, that sounds like more my style. I like little kitchy motor ends like that. And it just sounds like it has such a personality. Mm-hmm. It kind of remind me for like a 1950s vibe met modern amenities I, fantastic.

Fantastic. So where are you gonna eat?

Boone Shine Brewing Company has outdoor seating with mountain views, an excellent beer selection, woo woo, and surprisingly good food menu, craft burgers, shareables, comfort food done well. It's the perfect end of hiking day reward, and there's often live music on weekends. If you can end your day on a porch or balcony, sunset in the blue ridge wine in hand, mountain Air, it's kind of the moment that resets everything. That's the whole point of this kind of travel. It gives you back to yourself. 

Okay, so we just covered five destinations. Texas Hill Country, California, poppies, the Great Smoky Mountains, Shenandoah, and the Blue Ridge Parkway and Boone.

These are five generally different wildflower experiences, and what connects them is that none of them are about rushing. , They all require you to pay attention to show up at the right time, in the right place with the right mindset. I think that is a deeply intentional way to travel, particularly for those of us over 45 who have maybe spent years not quite traveling that way.

Yeah, we've earned those slow mornings. We've earned the winery lunches. Mm-hmm. We've earned the solo drive down a mountain road with the windows down and no plan to see what's blooming and no plan except to see what's blooming. And here's what wildflowers keep teaching me.

No matter how many times I do this. They're brief. You know? Mm-hmm. They're gorgeous, but they don't wait for a more convenient time, and that's something about watching a hillside turn blue or orange or purple for just a few weeks a year. It makes me want to live my whole life with that same quality of attention.

Right. Don't wait for the right season. Go be in the season that's already here. And that's something I'm learning. You know, I, I turned 55 in like three days and when I turned 50, it was a, it was a challenge for me. You know, I had in my mindset, oh no, I'm truly middle aged. I'm old now, but I'm learning this lesson.

I'm learning how wonderful it is to be in the right season and the season that I'm in. So I think I'm, I'm gonna be like the wild flowers. I'm just gonna show up when I want. I'm gonna show up in all my blazing glory and everybody's gonna go, Ooh, ah, when they see me too. Hmm. I love that for you. So pick one of these destinations, book something and go chase something fleeting.

So we'd love for you to share this episode with that someone in your life that needs that little push. You know that person who's not quite sure about taking that step into the new chapter and just living in the season? Share it with them. Subscribe to our podcast wherever you find us. 

If this episode gave you something to plan, something to look forward to, or even just a moment of dreaming about a hillside full of blue bonnets, will you do us a favor? Leave us a review. I know we ask this in every episode, and I know you've heard it before, but those reviews are generally how new listeners find us.

Five stars on Apple Podcast or Spotify takes about 30 seconds and it helps the show reach more women just like you and I who are ready to travel more intentionally and hit subscribe if you haven't already. We come out with new episodes regularly and we would love to have you with us for every adventure.

We're on Instagram and we love seeing who's in our community. We're building something here, a community of women over 45 who refuse to wait for permission to explore the world. And every time you share this show, you add one more woman to that table.

So let's go hunt down those beautiful blooms. Let's take this moment where we discover something fleeting. And again, thank you so much for listening to untethered and wander wise. Now go find something beautiful.

 Be sure to like, follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcast fix. Check us out on Instagram at untethered Wonder wise, that's no, and for even more travel inspiration and tips. Until next time, happy travels.