Brendan Leonard is not a good enough skier to get caught in an avalanche.
You may wonder what on earth that means.
The answer is the key to Brendan’s site, Semi-rad.com. A site for regular people, who like the outdoors. Not professional climbers, or skiers, but regular people going outside to do something they love because they love it.
Today Brendan joins us to talk about how he got into the outdoor lifestyle, how taking a conference call from his smelly car changed his life, and the reality behind the concept of security.
So listen to Part 1 of this awesome interview, and learn what Brendan means by not being a good enough skier to get caught in an avalanche. His reason may lead you to more answers than you expected.
Heather and I decided to take advantage of our Southwest Companion Pass (the best companion pass there is) and travel around the United States. For 2 months.
In today’s episode we take some of the travel advice we give for traveling abroad and apply it to our planning process for this trip. Many of you travel domestically and here are some great examples of how to save money while traveling right at home!
Don’t forget to sign up for Frequent Flyer Bootcamp if you’re interested use the special code just for podcast listeners! I’m looking forward to whipping you into frequent flyer shape!
What’s better than having all the conveniences of home while you’re away?
Getting them for free.
We’re all about traveling more while spending less, and getting free accommodations is THE way to spend less. So what is it we did? Housesitting
An ever-growing community of people who opens their homes to people in exchange for the knowledge that their property and sometimes pets will be well cared for in their absence.
Today Heather joins me as we run through some of the best tips and tricks on how to find your first housesit and once you get it, what to do next.
We had a great time housesitting in beautiful Breckenridge, Colorado and we want you to be able to get your own awesome housesitting gigs all over the world. Let us know where you’ll be applying to housesit in the comments below!
The captivating peaks of the Rocky Mountains surround a beautiful five bedroom house overlooking the charming town of Breckenridge.
Yeah, that Breckenridge.
The insanely popular ski destination.
The place with world class restaurants and amazing hiking and biking.
And oh, those views; some of the most majestic America has to offer.
Add it all up, and you’ve got one of the most expensive places in the US to stay.
So how did I, a frugal traveler known to walk a mile in the rain to save the $5 taxi fare, end up in a 5 bedroom mansion complete with a BMW and a hot tub?
The answer is simple (and is also your key to unlocking a world of amazing travel opportunities):
Housesitting!
Heather and I have been members of the popular and ever-growing site Trusted Housesitters for almost two years now (which was founded by our good friend Andy Peck, whose interview you can find here).
And for the last two years, I would open my email every single day and lust after the amazing options available for a free house in various countries.
From castles in Ireland to bucolic estates in the French countryside, I knew one thing for sure…
Someday we needed to housesit.
Enter Breckenridge.
When this opportunity came through my email, I jumped on it.
It just so happened that spending three weeks in the Colorado Rockies at the beginning of fall fit perfectly into our schedule.
Finally, we were going to housesit…
And wow, what a house it was!
We had an absolutely amazing experience housesitting and taking care of two labs, Gracie and Rufus.
The house we stayed in was spacious and well decorated and the house owner provided every convenience we could need – including a car.
And not just any car – a BMW SUV!
There were plenty of rooms, and while every house sitting profile is different, this particular one did not mind if we had guests (within reason, of course).
Heather’s sister and our friend came out to visit and we all enjoyed hiking and relaxing in the hot tub with the amazing view of Breckenridge.
We arrived in Breckenridge just as the temperature started to drop at night.
It was the perfect opportunity to enjoy a nice soak in the hot tub and for the leaves to begin changing.
So, How Do I Start Housesitting?
If you’re someone who is interested in housesitting, the first place you should start is with Trusted Housesitters.
Not only is it the world’s biggest housesitting website, but it’s also the easiest to use.
And because Andy is a friend of mine, I’ve even been able to work out a special discount code just for EPoP readers.
If you grab a 12-month subscription, you’ll get an additional 3 for free!
Here’s how to sign up and make sure you get the extra free months:
Click this link to be taken to the Trusted Housesitters website.
Hit “Join Now” in the top right-hand corner.
Click on “Housesitter Membership and Pricing Plans” on the right-hand side.
Scroll to the bottom and enter EPOP where it says “Have a Promotional Code?”.
Hit Apply Code. Scroll back down to bottom and you should see a message that says “Promo code applied” as well as a checkmark.
Now, pick your plan.
Enter your info and create your account.
When you get to the confirmation page, you will see that the length of your membership has been extended. Yeah!
I LOVE housesitting because it offers an incredible opportunity for all people involved.
For the homeowner, they know that they’ll have people taking care of and watching after their house while they are away (and in some cases, their pets as well).
For the traveler, it provides the unique ability to stay in some amazing places across the world while having all the conveniences of home – and sometimes even more – for free.
Housesitting is part of the new wave of accommodations opportunities that every traveler should look to take advantage of.
From short weekend stays in penthouses in Manhattan to long term opportunities on remote islands, Trusted Housesitters has a wide variety of options, and with new ones being posted every day, there’s always something for everyone!
So, what are you waiting for?
Sign up today (don’t forget the discount code) and let me know what amazing housesits you’ll be applying for in the comments below!
Colorado. A state where the names of towns and mountains produce a sense of nostalgia for the past. A state of beautiful national parks, gorgeous mountains, and amazing scenery.
And what better way to learn about Colorado then speaking to a local? Today we bring Jason back to share his experiences living in Colorado and to hear what he would suggest for anyone looking to visit.
We cover the best cities, how to visit all the national parks for cheap, great ski spots, delicious food, and of course, great beer. Jason also shares his Rule of Three, a great way to tell the best restaurants in any area you visit!
Have you ever been to Colorado? Tell us about the things Jason’s been missing out on in the comments below!
Some of the best restaurants to eat at in Boulder, Denver, & Breckenridge
An Epic way to save money on skiing during the season. (If you like to ski, this is a MUST do!)
The top 3 ski locations if you’re on a time crunch
and much more!
Things we talked about in this episode:
Click on the map to see all the locations listed below on a Google Map! It’s a great tool for planning your own trip to Colorado!
A Great Roadtrip Path
Take the 285 starting in Denver and head towards Salida and Gunnison before turning south towards Telluride and the San Juan National Forest. Here you’ll find some of the youngest mountains in the state, which are craggier, and very different from mountains found elsewhere in Colorado. Turn west towards Mesa Verde National Park and then loop back up north towards Grand Junction or loop back to Salida before returning to Denver via Boulder.
The captivating peaks of the Rocky Mountains surround a beautiful five bedroom house overlooking the charming town of Breckenridge.
The answer is simple (and is also your key to unlocking a world of amazing travel opportunities):
Enter Breckenridge.
