Retired chef and culinary instructor Dennis Littley (Chef Dennis) travels the world and shares recipes and stories from his journeys and from his kitchen at home. He is living his dream in sunny Florida, working on his second career as a Food & Travel Blogger.
1.)Where was the first place that you traveled that made you think WOW—travel is amazing (think history book come to life or …..)
Without a doubt Paris. Getting to see the Effiel Tower was an amazing experience for me. And for some reason, I had always thought it was black and seeing its brown color was mind-boggling. Everything in Paris brought history to life for me, the paintings and artifacts in the Louvre, the Orangerie and just walking along the Tuileries where so many had gone before me.
2.)If you had unlimited resources, where would you go and what would you do?
I would visit the bottom of the world. New Zealand, Australia, Tahiti and the South Pole are all on my bucket list.
3.)What apps do you use regularly that make your life easier?
Apps are a wonderful thing. For scheduling posts on Twitter I use Buffer and for scheduling to my FB groups I use Hootsuite. I love Snapseed for my images on my phone and whenever I live stream I use Ookla Speed Test which is on every device I own.
4.)What place do you wish more people have seen?
The Rocky Mountains, they are incredible. So majestic and so beautiful!
5.)Best advice you have been given and by whom?
Don’t eat the yellow snow. Only kidding! The best advice I got was to get a museum pass in Paris to avoid the lines and it was from Rick Steves. I use his books for all my destinations
6.)When were you surprised by the kindness of strangers on a trip?
On my attempt to drive in Ireland I nipped another cars mirror and the man whose car I damaged was so very nice. He called the insurance company and made sure I had everything I needed to get back to our hotel. I can’t imagine that happening at home in the US.
7.)What inspired you to travel for extended periods of time or live in a new country?
The countries I visit are the inspiration. Everywhere we go, we think about how we could live there. The logistics and the adventures are fun to imagine. We always plan to return to places we have visited, but there is always somewhere new to see.
8.)I travel because… I can. I really don’t need another reason. Too many people put off traveling until their too old to enjoy it. 
You need to get out every chance you get and see something new.
9.) My favorite travel or business book is…
A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle was one of my favorite travel books. And honestly, I don’t read business books. I get a lot of advice from fellow bloggers and influencers and the rest is by trial and error
10.) How about hotels? What’s your favorite or one you’d recommend?
Wow, there have been so many wonderful places. But one of the first we stayed at in Paris will always be close to my heart. Hotel de l’Esperance on the Rue Pascal in the 5th arrondissement. It was small but simply delightful, with amazing hosts.
Lastly, can you please recommend a resource for up-and-coming travel writers; this could be a course you know, a book, conference etc.
My suggestion would be to attend travel conferences whenever possible. Networking with other travel writers and learning how other people approach travel can be very enlightening. Course and books are great but nothing can beat all the first-hand information you can get from your peers.
Chef Dennis Littley helps his readers create deliciousness in their kitchens with my easy to make restaurant-style recipes inspired from his journeys around the world.
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Hey Chef Dennis,
I loved learning more about your story especially your reason behind traveling. Thank you! Maitri