This episode is from the final season of my original travel podcast, The Globetrotter Lounge, where I interview women who have found creative ways to travel more. I’m sharing it here as it is relevant to Traveling My Roots, and a good way to learn more about the project.

Summary

I talk with Kelly McCoy, a Seattle-based travel product developer and consultant specializing in cultural heritage and adventure tourism. She loves researching and illuminating little-known history in special places, and bridging the past with the present. Kelly shares what sparked her love of travel, her experiences traveling to African countries, and what led her to work in tourism. She also talks about upcoming travel projects highlighting Black history, her recent research trip to Charleston, tips for planning heritage travel – and much more.

What You’ll Learn

• What sparked Kelly’s love of travel
• About some of her cultural heritage travel projects
• A story about an orange camper van that gets my attention
• The historical connection between Black slaves and the Trail of Tears
• Why she focuses on untold black history stories
• What some of her trip itineraries entail
• Where to look for information when doing genealogy research trips
• The importance of supporting local businesses and communities when traveling
• The argument for traveling to Africa
• About her experiences with Rwanda in particular
• How travel has changed her

About Kelly McCoy

Kelly McCoy is a travel enthusiast who is passionate about creating and amplifying diverse, equitable, and inclusive community-based experiences. As a product developer and program management consultant specializing in cultural heritage and adventure tourism, she loves researching and illuminating little-known history in special places and bridging the past with the present.

You can find out more about Kelly on her website, and follow her on Instagram at flygurl and/or spirit.n.flow.

Resources Mentioned:

• Slave Voyages
• Celebrating Sarah Gammon Bickford | Women’s History Matters
• International African American Museum
• Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society
• Blacks In Tourism
• Black Cowboys Podcast
• Experience Black Culture

Listen to more episodes of the Globetrotter Lounge.