{"id":6864,"date":"2019-08-03T08:00:19","date_gmt":"2019-08-03T12:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.parksleepfly.com\/blog\/?p=6864"},"modified":"2025-09-12T10:14:29","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T14:14:29","slug":"food-travel-veronica-stoddart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/parksleepfly.com\/blog\/food-travel-veronica-stoddart\/","title":{"rendered":"Food &#038; Travel with Veronica Stoddart"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img srcset='https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/PlaneSimple-veronica-1-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/PlaneSimple-veronica-1-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/PlaneSimple-veronica-1.jpg 864w' sizes='(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px' decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"864\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/PlaneSimple-veronica-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6926\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Veronica Stoddart has been in the travel game for quite some time. Formerly the travel editor-in-chief of USA Today, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Stoddardt (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.veronicastoddart.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Stoddart<\/a> has gone through a multitude of travel experiences in more than 100 countries. Not only has she been able to travel on her own, but she has also been witness to the travel stories of many others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img srcset='https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Guanajuato-Mexico-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Guanajuato-Mexico-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Guanajuato-Mexico-1024x768.jpg 1024w' sizes='(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px' decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Guanajuato-Mexico-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6898\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Guanajuato, Mexico<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Stoddart&#8217;s passion for travel is fueled by her belief that travel is a force for good in the world. With travel comes the international understanding that&#8217;s so important as our world gets smaller. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Maximizing On The Travel Experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You say that you believe travel is a force of good for the world. Could you explain that? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>I feel very strongly about this. Travel, especially when you\u2019re traveling abroad, is really one of the most impactful ways for people to experience another culture and way of life. I would say that\u2019s even true domestically because if you look around our country, different regions have their own culture and you actually learn so much when you visit a place you\u2019re unfamiliar with. There\u2019s really no better way to encourage international understanding than to travel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s a travel quote that travel guru Rick Steves says, \u201cThe tiniest exposure to the outside world will change your entire life.\u201d I agree with that. It\u2019s really powerful what you can learn from travel. So that\u2019s my mission. You learn that people everywhere are the same at the core of who they are. They love their families, they want the best for their family, they want a good life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img srcset='https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Glacier-hiking-Antarctica-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Glacier-hiking-Antarctica-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Glacier-hiking-Antarctica-1024x768.jpeg 1024w' sizes='(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px' decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Glacier-hiking-Antarctica-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6895\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Glacier hiking in Antarctica<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How does one find the best travel experience?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Leave your preconceptions at home and really open yourself up to new experiences. Engage with the local people. Americans can be very insular in the way that they approach the world, stay at predictable hotels and eat at predictable restaurants. The more you step out of your comfort zone, the more you\u2019re going to learn about the place that you\u2019re visiting. Do something you maybe wouldn\u2019t do at home to break out of your routine. You\u2019ll find that people everywhere are genuinely helpful and want you to feel at home in their city or country, and they typically like to extend that welcome. If you go with that kind of attitude, you\u2019ll find that it\u2019ll be returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What would you tell someone who feels restricted by finances or work?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Everybody has a different situation, but in general, Americans don\u2019t take all their vacation time. 52% of Americans leave vacation days on the table. I\u2019ve never been able to understand this, I\u2019ve always taken every last bit of my vacation. It\u2019s very precious to me. Americans only typically only take 16 days a year but other countries take up to 41 days off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> We\u2019re starting with a huge deficit, and even with the deficit, American workers don\u2019t take all their time off because they\u2019re worried about their job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>The result of that is you get job burnout, decreased efficiency, general unhappiness and there are actually physical ramifications of not taking time off: increased blood pressure, which can lead to other diseases. <\/p>\n<cite>-Veronica Stoddart<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>I was looking this up yesterday, men between 35-57 who are at risk of heart disease and didn\u2019t take more than a week of vacation were about 30% more likely to die of heart disease. Now that\u2019s a pretty powerful argument for taking your time off. I would say, you should do it! You\u2019ll come back being more productive, you\u2019ll be more relaxed, more efficient and just renewed and refreshed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img srcset='https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Fly-fishing-Colorado-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Fly-fishing-Colorado-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Fly-fishing-Colorado-768x1024.jpeg 768w' sizes='(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px' decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Fly-fishing-Colorado-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6899\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fly fishing in Colorado<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Money is more of a challenge, some people just can\u2019t afford it. There are ways to take more affordable vacations, you can think about camping, visiting relatives, those are not necessarily high-cost vacations. <a href=\"https:\/\/home.nps.gov\/planyourvisit\/passes.htm#free_entrance_days\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National parks<\/a> are a great way to go, you can camp out there. They\u2019re beautiful and fabulous. And there are always options like house swapping or staying in a hostel. Hostels aren\u2019t just for students anymore, hostels have really grown up.  And Airbnb is another affordable way to go. If you really wanted to, there are really affordable ways to do it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Someone who lives in New England and travels to New Orleans, that\u2019s a totally different culture there. It\u2019s different in almost every way. The food is different, the music is different. The lifestyle is different. Our country is so huge and so varied, I really do think you can learn a lot just within the confines of the U.S. And road trips are a great way to do that, road trips don\u2019t have to be expensive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the biggest travel misconception you run into?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a tough one for me. I would say generally, it\u2019s having unrealistic expectations. People can put too much stress on what vacation will do for them. Travel is what you make of it, and while it can be renewing and refreshing and it can be transformational, it really depends on the attitude you bring to it. I always like to say, \u201cPrepare, but be open to serendipity.\u201d If you have a short amount of time, you can\u2019t just stumble around, but I think you should always be open to that serendipity and that surprise.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img srcset='https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Vietnam-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Vietnam-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Vietnam-1024x768.jpeg 1024w' sizes='(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px' decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Vietnam-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6900\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Enjoying a ride in Vietnam<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who do you look up to in the travel industry?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>I consider this more of a brand than an individual. Disney. I was just on a Disney cruise with some of my family members, and it just struck me when I left the cruise that Disney really does everything right. It\u2019s the little details they pay attention to that really sets them apart. Everything is storytelling, and storytelling is a very powerful vehicle for connecting to the people. That goes back to Walt Disney himself, he said everything we do has to be around the story.  The whole ship! All the restaurants were themed and told a story. All of it came together to tell a special story. It\u2019s a cliche, but there\u2019s a reason they\u2019re successful. The parks and the cruise lines. All of it. There\u2019s a reason for it, they do everything. They do it well with a lot of attention to detail. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Food: The Most Important Part<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tell us a little more about the connection between food and culture.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>I think food is one of the greatest entr\u00e9es there is to a culture. I mean it tells you so much about the place in terms of the ingredients they use to the produce they have. Is it a fish-based culture or a meat-based culture? And then of course how food is prepared, and how it\u2019s served. All of it is a deep entr\u00e9e into the culture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I love taking cooking classes. I started doing this years ago when I took a week-long cooking course in Tuscany. It pretty much changed my life, it changed my cooking style. It changed my approach to food. It was an amazing experience, absolutely fabulous. Ever since, even if it\u2019s a half-day or a full-day cooking class. I did it in Cambodia, I was recently in Peru, and I learned Bedouin cooking in Jordan. It\u2019s really a fun way to immerse yourself in the local culture. And it\u2019s fun, and at the end of it, you get to eat a wonderful meal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img srcset='https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Cooking-school-Bali-Indonesia-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Cooking-school-Bali-Indonesia-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Cooking-school-Bali-Indonesia-768x1024.jpeg 768w' sizes='(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px' decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Cooking-school-Bali-Indonesia-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6896\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cooking school in Bali, Indonesia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How did traveling change the way you cook?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>I always bring back recipes and those are fun to do at home and try out exotic recipes and show off a bit. In Italy, it changed a lot. I instantly switched to all olive oil. I only cook with olive oil now. We did a lot of things from scratch, which I don\u2019t necessarily do at home, like making pasta from scratch. But it was amazing to do that and to see the difference of homemade ravioli with homemade ricotta. It\u2019s like nothing over here, you know! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img srcset='https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Arctic-king-crab-fishing-Norway-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Arctic-king-crab-fishing-Norway-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Arctic-king-crab-fishing-Norway-768x1024.jpeg 768w' sizes='(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px' decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Arctic-king-crab-fishing-Norway-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6901\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Arctic king crab fishing in Norway<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is a food that you didn\u2019t think you would like but you did? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>There were two items I tried I definitely didn\u2019t like. One was bird\u2019s nest in China. I had it at a Michelin star\u2019s restaurant. It\u2019s sort of a gelatinous goopy thing, and it has no flavor. It\u2019s highly, highly prized in China. It\u2019s very expensive, but I didn\u2019t quite get the point of that. The other one was durian. The big giant fruit. I broke out in a rash after eating it, so it definitely did not agree with me. Those are really the only two that I was like, \u201cNope, this is not for me.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few things I\u2019ve turned down along the way: fried worms. I\u2019ve eaten fried ants. I\u2019ve eaten fried birds. I\u2019d say I&#8217;m a pretty experimental eater.  Some things you might not likely particularly, you wouldn\u2019t go out of your way to find them again. They\u2019re just okay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Along those lines, I do a lot of food writing among other things and that\u2019s something that\u2019s dear to my heart. I also typically try to take a cooking class wherever I go. I\u2019ve taken cooking classes all over the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What&#8217;s a food you want to try?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>I couldn\u2019t think of any food that I would want to try that I haven\u2019t already. However, I have three restaurants that I would love to try someday. I mean the top of the list is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2016-09-22\/where-to-eat-in-copenhagen-now-that-noma-is-closing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Noma in Copenhagen<\/a>, often considered the #1 restaurant in the world, I would love to try that. For sushi in Tokyo, I would like to go to Sushi Saito. And then in Lima Peru, I\u2019d love to eat in Central. Those are each in their own way top of the line. Sushi Saito is the best for sushi, Central is considered the best restaurant in South America, and Noma is considered the best restaurant in the world. That would be awesome! It\u2019s nice to wish&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Inside Scoop on Destinations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Top three destinations you want to travel to?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the top of the list is Tibet. In my ideal scenario, I\u2019d like to take the train from Beijing to Tibet. They opened up this train route about 10-15 years ago, and it\u2019s supposed to be an amazing way to get there. Tibet has always fascinated me and I would love to go and see it. The next would be Australia. I\u2019ve never been and I would love to go. The third is Scotland. For a variety of reasons I\u2019ve never been there either, and it\u2019s on the top of my list. It\u2019s always good to have a wishlist right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the most underrated place that you\u2019ve been?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>I would say Poland. I didn\u2019t have many expectations, I didn\u2019t know much about it, and I was so surprised. Especial and specifically Krakow. It\u2019s an absolutely beautiful university town. It was the old intellectual center of that country; it was left intact in WW2. All the beautiful medieval buildings are still standing, and they have a fabulous jazz scene. There are all these underground jazz clubs, and when I say underground I literally mean underground! There are lots of historic buildings, there\u2019s a beautiful castle. There\u2019s an old Jewish quarter. And they have one of the largest medieval town squares in Europe. I mean it was really a surprise for me. The people also surprised me. They were very engaging, very sophisticated, hardworking, industrious and prosperous. All of that was a big surprise for me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What&#8217;s one place you think people should go to in 2019?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>My answer was going to be Peru because there\u2019s so much going for it and it\u2019s so affordable. Some places are more affordable at different times than others, and this is a great affordable destination right now with so much to offer. It has amazing scenery with so much variety. You\u2019ve got deserts and jungles and mountains and coast. It has a thriving culture both ancient and modern. You\u2019ve got architectural ruins and some of the best food anywhere! Peruvian food is really coming to its own. As you probably know, it\u2019s one of the hot cuisines right now. I was there a year ago and the food was just amazing. I had Amazonian that blew me away, Andean food that was fascinating and delicious. I think it\u2019s an amazing destination. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img srcset='https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Machu-Picchu-Peru-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Machu-Picchu-Peru-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Machu-Picchu-Peru-1024x768.jpeg 1024w' sizes='(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px' decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Machu-Picchu-Peru-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6897\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Admiring the ruins of Machu Picchu, Peru<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As far as destinations that are changing, Cuba would have to be there. I\u2019ve been there a number of times, not very recently though. The last time I was there was \u201899, even between 1995 and 1999 I saw a lot of change. I can\u2019t imagine what\u2019s happened in the last ten years. It\u2019s really a destination that\u2019s in transition. That\u2019ll just continue to happen as more tourism comes. As a country changes, politically it changes too. They really have loosened up a lot about private ownership, there are lots of private places you can stay and private restaurants. All of that was not there when I was there in the nineties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fun Tidbits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What are your carry-on must-haves?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have a list of five.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Snacks<\/strong>. I never travel without food. You\u2019ll see food is a theme for me. Either for emergencies, tight connections or delays, I have a kind bar or a granola bar, some sort of granola mix, dried fruits, dried nuts or something like that. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pashmina<\/strong>. It\u2019s perfect to use as a blanket, to use as a pillow, to roll up and use as a backrest on the plane. You can throw it over something, to use it to dress up an outfit, for whatever. It\u2019s an all-purpose thing, and it\u2019s the best travel item I can think of. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Entertainment<\/strong>. I always have an electronic device for entertainment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Headphones<\/strong>. For flights, headphones or something to drown out the sound or to listen to in-flight entertainment. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reading material.<\/strong> And then I\u2019m old school, I always bring some sort of printed reading material just as a backup for electronics. I always have a magazine or two with me. That\u2019s what I always take! <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img srcset='https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Ta-Prohm-Angkor-Cambodia-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Ta-Prohm-Angkor-Cambodia-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Ta-Prohm-Angkor-Cambodia-768x1024.jpeg 768w' sizes='(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px' decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/psf_blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Ta-Prohm-Angkor-Cambodia-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6902\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ta Prohm, Angkor, Cambodia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What is your biggest airplane pet peeve?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This won\u2019t come as any surprise to you I\u2019m sure, but it\u2019s tight seats with no space to open a laptop. I\u2019m always working, doing something on it. And as you know, you can\u2019t even open them anymore. There\u2019s just not enough space. There\u2019s pretty much nothing you can do about that, and I think that\u2019s super annoying.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What is the sweetest thing you saw at the airport?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019re going to laugh at this answer. See\u2019s candy! I\u2019m a huge fan of See\u2019s Candy. As you know it\u2019s a west-coast thing, and when I\u2019m at the L.A. airport, it\u2019s what I make a beeline for. I love anything with caramel and nuts, and they have a lot of those in the candy boxes. I think See\u2019s is just amazingly delicious. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Want more travel insight? You can keep up with Veronica S\ufefftoddart on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram or her site VeronicaStoddart.com. Follow along with ParkSleepFly on Facebook, Twitter, and <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/parksleepflyus\/\" target=\"_blank\">Instagram<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>*<em>Interview edited for grammar, length, and clarity.&nbsp; <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Veronica Stoddart has been in the travel game for quite some time. Formerly the travel editor-in-chief of USA Today, Stoddart has gone through a multitude of travel experiences in more than 100 countries. Not only has she been able to travel on her own, but she has also been witness to the travel stories of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[678],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Plane &amp; Simple: Travel With USA Today&#039;s Former Travel Editor-In-Chief<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Former travel editor-in-chief of USA Today, Veronica Stoddart shares insight from her multitude of travel experiences in more than 100 countries.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/parksleepfly.com\/blog\/food-travel-veronica-stoddart\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Plane &amp; Simple: Travel With USA Today&#039;s Former Travel Editor-In-Chief\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Former travel editor-in-chief of USA Today, Veronica Stoddart shares insight from her multitude of travel experiences in more than 100 countries.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/parksleepfly.com\/blog\/food-travel-veronica-stoddart\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"ParkSleepFly.com Travel Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-08-03T12:00:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-12T14:14:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Iona Brannon\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Iona Brannon\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/parksleepfly.com\/blog\/food-travel-veronica-stoddart\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/parksleepfly.com\/blog\/food-travel-veronica-stoddart\/\",\"name\":\"Plane & Simple: Travel With USA Today's Former Travel Editor-In-Chief\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/parksleepfly.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2019-08-03T12:00:19+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-12T14:14:29+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/parksleepfly.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9710a72be549381a91866577609990c7\"},\"description\":\"Former travel editor-in-chief of USA Today, Veronica Stoddart shares insight from her multitude of travel experiences in more than 100 countries.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/parksleepfly.com\/blog\/food-travel-veronica-stoddart\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/parksleepfly.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/parksleepfly.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"ParkSleepFly.com Travel Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/parksleepfly.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/parksleepfly.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9710a72be549381a91866577609990c7\",\"name\":\"Iona Brannon\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/parksleepfly.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fb4b0de18370fcec1b5422a8e73f55f2?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fb4b0de18370fcec1b5422a8e73f55f2?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Iona Brannon\"},\"description\":\"Based out of Los Angeles, Iona Brannon is a content producer for ParkSleepFly.com. 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