5 Minutes With Jeremy Jones of Discover the Burgh

For McCool Travel’s 171st travel interview, I am pleased to present Jeremy Jones of Discover the Burgh. I briefly met Jeremy at the TBEX travel conference last year, where he gave a talk outlining tips to grow a travel brand with a local focus. His Pittsburgh-themed Discover the Burgh is one of the top sources for information about the city.
Jeremy Jones’ bio: “Jeremy Jones and his wife Angie run the Pittsburgh travel blog Discover the Burgh which chronicles their attempt to do everything in southwestern Pennsylvania—restaurants, museums, parks, and everything in between. The site has been visited by over 2 million people since being founded in 2015. They also run the global travel blog Living the Dream which features their travels in 70+ countries around the world from the last 10 years. Jeremy and Angie were voted one of USA Today’s 10Best Travel Blogging Couples in 2014.”

McCool Travel interview with Jeremy Jones of Discover the Burgh.
Angie and Jeremy Jones of Discover the Burgh in Pittsburgh

Jeremy Jones of Discover the Burgh

HOMETOWN …
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
ALWAYS IN MY LUGGAGE …
Jeremy doesn’t leave the house without his Sony a6000 camera. It is always around his neck whether he is going down the street for takeaway or halfway around the world. Angie always travels with a leather bound notebook for journaling about her travels.
3 FAVORITE HOME-AWAY-FROM-HOME PLACES …

  1. Nepal
  2. Switzerland
  3. Venice

A FAVORITE TRAVEL MEMORY …
Trekking to Mt. Everest Base Camp. The cold nights, grueling hills, and altitude sickness made the moment that we reached Base Camp all the more victorious.

McCool Travel interview with Jeremy Jones of Discover the Burgh.
Jeremy Jones and Angie Jones at Mt Everest base camp

3 FAVORITE TRAVEL BRANDS …

  1. Hilton
  2. United
  3. Airbnb

3 MONEY-SAVING TRAVEL TACTICS I USE …

  1. Using credit card reward points for free flights/hotels. We just got back from a $13,000 trip to the Seychelles for just over $3,000 out of pocket due to points!
  2. Checking airline routes from nearby cities to find cheaper flights. We’ve visited Macedonia, Oman, Iceland, and Morocco by searching for flight deals originating in cities that were not our intended starting points (but close enough to get to in a day). Saving money and going to new places? Sign us up.
  3. Traveling with friends and family. We usually rent a larger Airbnb like a whole house or apartment which ends up being cheaper per person. Costs like taxis, private tours, etc., can also be shared across everyone. Plus sometimes we get sick of traveling with just each other so this keeps things fun!

3 WAYS THAT I HAVE FUN WHILE TRAVELING …

  1. Always going somewhere new and/or off-the-beaten path.
  2. Researching just enough not to miss out, but not enough to know it all before we go.
  3. Eating, of course!

8 WORD (OR LESS) TRAVEL MANTRA …
Why…? Because it’s there.
FAVORITE NON-TRAVEL WEBSITE …
We’re addicted to Serious Eats.
MOST MEMORABLE SOUVENIR …
Locally: Spirits from our local distilleries Wigle, Maggie’s, Quantum, and Liberty Pole.
Abroad: Rock maoi heads from Easter Island. Our first set got stolen on the road along with our backpack, so we had to wait a few years for a friend to go to buy some and mail them direct from Easter Island (which was surprisingly cheap).

McCool Travel interview with Jeremy Jones of Discover the Burgh.
Jeremy Jones and Angie Jones of Discover the Burgh on Easter Island

FAVORITE CHEAP EAT …
Locally: Street food in the Strip District, a neighborhood popular for international markets and stores.
Abroad: Bun Bo Nam Bo in Hanoi, Vietnam.
RECENT DISCOVERY …
Locally: Ascend, an awesome bouldering and rock climbing gym with a view of Pittsburgh’s skyline.
Abroad: Baie Lazare in the Seychelles—not on any must-visit maps but one of the most beautiful beaches we found during our trip.
I AM FORTUNATE TO HAVE MET …
Locally: Many chefs and brew masters from our favorite spots
Abroad: All of those five-minute friends we’ve met along the way. Whether we were commiserating about an unfortunate travel incident or sharing in the wonder of a destination, we’re grateful to have met many cool people all over!
I WOULD LIKE TO MEET …
Locally: Rick Sebak, a legend in local Pittsburgh broadcasting
Abroad: Andrew Zimmern, to talk about eating unusual food around the world.


Thank you so much, Jeremy, for sharing your travel inspiration and tips.
Follow Jeremy Jones on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and Discover the Burgh and Living the Dream RTW.


McCool Travel presents tips from travel experts in our 5 Minutes travel interview series—featuring travel industry giants, super frequent travelers, and adventurous persons. Check out McCool Travel’s previous travel interviews. Previous 5 Minutes travel interview: John Roberts of In the Loop Travel.
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