Discovery Map® Podcasts

Beyond the Map

Discovery Map® is proud to be one of the country’s leading providers of curated guides to top tourist destinations, cities and towns throughout North America. Each of our market specific maps highlights local attractions, things to do, restaurants, accommodations, retail shops, real estate and other services. Join us each week as we offer you insight to the hidden gems you can find while visiting these destinations. You will hear from Discovery Map® franchisees that own these maps and learn what they love most about their communities, how they got started, and what tips and tricks to know as you are cruising through.

If you have any travel stories you would like to share with us on the podcast, please email them to katie@discoverymap.com. We will share your stories in our weekly episodes. Thank you all and happy travels!

About the Producer

A native of Vermont, Abi joined the Discovery Map® team at its Waitsfield, VT headquarters in 2017. She is a Champlain College graduate with a degree in Graphic Design and Digital Media. Prior to joining the production team at Discovery Map®, Abi worked as a graphic designer and screen printer. Outside of her design career Abi is passionate about traveling, history, music, and cooking. Her favorite travel experience so far has been to Normandy, France. Since she is a huge WWII fanatic, visiting Normandy and going to Omaha Beach was a dream come true. She was even able to enjoy traditional French crêpes, one of her favorite foods! Random fun fact - Abi taught herself to play guitar 15 years ago and is currently attempting to learn the piano. Abi is looking forward to taking Discovery Map® users on an exciting travel journey with this new podcast.

Discovery Map® Travel Podcast

Produced by Discovery Map® franchisee Mark Ciociola, the Discovery Map® Travel Podcast takes you on a journey each week to a unique destination through the eyes of an expert in the area. Join us as we dissect each locale, getting down to what each place is really about how we would want to experience it. You never know what you might find out—you may be inspired to add a destination you've never before considered to your bucket list!

Title Description Date Length Listen Discovery Map® Guide
Ireland Learn about Ireland with Irish native Manchán Magan, a regular contributor to the The Right Hook, a Dublin-based talk radio program. Apr. 21, 2016 48 min.
Block Island, Rhode Island On this episode we talk with Jessica Willi of the Block Island Tourism Council. Apr. 21, 2016 37 minutes
Gatlinburg, Tennessee & Great Smoky Mountains National Park We talk with Pat Richardson, a volunteer at Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the owner of Santa's Claus-et in Gatlinburg, Tenn. Apr. 21, 2016 40 min.
Vienna, Austria Michelle Hrvat, author of the highly successful blog American in Vienna, shares her take on her European home. May 1, 2016 50 min.
Big Island, Hawaii James Ward, owner of Epic Tours, talks about the diversity of the Big Island of Hawaii, from green-sand beaches to black lava fields and even a bit of snow. May 9, 2016 1 hr. 2 min.
Narragansett, Rhode Island Christine Quigley from the Narragansett, Rhode Island, talks about a wide range of topics relating to this coastal city, part of the smallest state in the US. We even dive into the difference between New England and Manhattan clam chowder. May 16, 2016 44 min.
Italy, Part 1 Jessica Spiegel, operator of ItalyExplained.com, tells us about all things Italy, from trains to gelato. May 23, 2016 42 min.
Italy, Part 2 Jessica Spiegel returns to share more of the unique things she's learned in a decade of writing about Italy, including Italian breakfasts, farm stays and agritourism, festivals, Italian soccer and Italian food. May 30, 2016 36 min.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Michael Milne who, along with his wife Larissa, runs the website ChangesinLongitude.com, talks about all things Philadelphia, from Independence Hall to the Libery Bell, the Penn Relays and the Mummers Parade. They have been traveling the world in search of the tasty, the historic and the quirky. June 6, 2016 48 min.
Mad River Valley, Vermont Eric Friedman, marketing director at Mad River Glen in Waitsfield, Vt., shares how a quiet river valley in the mountains of Vermont has become a quintessential New England destination. June 13, 2016 1 hr. 4 min.
Richmond, Va. Erin Bagnell, public relations manager for Visit Richmond, talks with us about how Richmond's unique history blends with modern amenities to create a vibrant destination city. June 20, 2016 44 min.
Slovenia First we talk to Dr. Božo Cerar, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to the United States, and then we talk to Mattej Valencic with Luxury Slovenia. Luxury Slovenia, based in the capital of Ljubljana, provides custom tours in Slovenia. We talk to both gentlemen about this picturesque country located in the heart of Europe bordering Italy and Austria. June 27, 2016 53 min.
National Days Around the World In our Fourth of July special edition, we look at national holidays in the United States, Sweden, Italy, Slovenia and Austria. July 4, 2016 17 min.
Pigeon Forge & Sevierville, Tennessee Max Fultz, the Manager of the Bush's Visitor Center & Community Relations for Bush Brothers, talks about the Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, Tennessee area. July 11, 2016 40 min.
Croatia Sara-Jane Begonja, an Australian who runs the Croatian blog Chasing the Donkey and goes by SJ, talks about traveling to Croatia and some of what she's learned having lived there for 3 years now with her husband and son. You can read more about Croatia and their experiences there at ChasingTheDonkey.com. July 25, 2016 40 min.
Park City, Utah Nancy Tallman, creator of InsideParkCityRealEstate.com, talks about skiing, homemade ice cream, moose, the Sundance Film Festival and celebrity sightings in the city she has called home for over a decade. Aug. 8, 2016 40 min.
Australia Blogger Megan Jerrard of Mapping Megan talks about her native Austraila, including everyting from platypus, kangaroo, and koala to climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge and where the phrase to "down under" originated. Aug. 22, 2016 36 min.
Helinski, Finland Leena Karppinen, the public relations coordinator with Visit Helsinki, talks about her hometown of Helsinki, Finland. Sep. 5, 2016 56 min.
Crystal Coast, North Carolina Carol Lohr from the Crystal Coast Tourism Authority shares her local knowledge about this picturesque region along the North Carolina coast. Oct. 10, 2016 38 min.
Providence, Rhode Island Elise Swearingen from GoProvidence.com talks about this capital city located in the smallest state in the USA. May 3, 2017 32 min.
Beaufort, South Carolina Learn about the second oldest settlement in South Carolina, we talk about authentic vs. contrived tourist destinations and we learn what makes Grand Live Oaks so special… as we talk to Billy Keyserling, the mayor of Beaufort, SC. Oct. 30, 2017 47 min.
Carefree & Cave Creek, Arizona We travel to the old west of Carefree & Cave Creek, Arizona, with our guests Diane Schure & Evelyn Johnson. Nov. 6, 2017 49 min.

About the Producer

Mark Ciociola has always had a love of traveling and a desire to experience other cultures. Combining these loves with his radio background led him to create the Discovery Map® Travel Podcast. Mark’s primary goal for each episode of the podcast is to bring attention to a destination that listeners may not have considered as a vacation destination. Having travelled to 49 U.S. states and eight foreign countries, as well as living abroad, Mark brings his travel knowledge and insight of other cultures to each episode as he interviews his guests.

For updates on the podcast and to follow Mark’s travels you can connect with him on Instagram @markmapstheworld.