August 2017 NEWS: Honored to be Published

August 2017 NEWS: Honored to be published in Smithsonian, Saturday Evening Post & POPSUGAR

YAY! It is time to CELEBRATE! Here are my latest published articles that I am so PROUD of:

Thank you to SMITHSONIAN for sharing my story, “75 years after the Battle of Guadalcanal, walk in the footsteps of history.”  They included six of my videos from my visit to the Solomon Islands.

Thank you to SATURDAY EVENING POST for sharing my article   “A World War II Hero Remembers Guadalcanal” about Roy Roush.

August 7 marks the 75th anniversary of one of the most brutal battles of World War II, the Battle of Guadalcanal. World War II veteran Roy Roush recalls his experiences as a member of the 2nd Marine Division during frontline action at this critical campaign.

Thank you to POPSUGAR for sharing my story about being terrified on my first ever Mountain Bike Lesson. I still cannot believe I did it! Here is the article.

More stories about the Solomon Islands: Honiara, Gizo and Munda on my site and

• MSN: 20 destinations that deserve more tourists: I am quoted about the Solomon Islands “Next month, the Solomon Islands will be celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal – one of the deciding battles in World War II – making it a special time to visit. What else does the place have to offer? “I went scuba diving, learned to make shell money, and spent time at a cultural village,” says Lisa Niver, travel expert and writer at We Said Go Travel.”
• FOX TRAVEL NEWS: 9 amazing beaches you’ve probably never heard of: 3. Kennedy Island, Solomon Islands “Although it’s named for one of the most beloved U.S. presidents, Kennedy Island receives only a handful of American visitors each year. (It has just six reviews on TripAdvisor.) While the uninhabited island has great snorkeling, most visitors come for the historical significance. “JFK, who would be 100 years old this May, was stationed nearby when his patrol boat was struck by a torpedo and he swam to this island,” says recent visitor Lisa Niver of We Said Go Travel

Lisa is a Travel Expert:

• interviewed for Moneyish: 5 Ways to Score Killer Hotel Deals: “Lisa Niver, a travel writer and contributor to USA TODAY‘s 10best column, tells Moneyish: “A lot of times there’s a secret deal price and that price is non-refundable. If your dates change, this can get you into trouble… [and] you can’t dispute the charge and get the money back,” even if you booked with a credit card. So, avoid too-good-to-be-true rates unless you are sure you won’t have to alter your travel dates later.4. Use a booking engine — but not just for booking. Niver also suggests using features like Booking.com’s Map function, which shows you where hotels are located in a particular place. Once you’ve found the one that best suits where you want to be, look into booking directly with the hotel to see if they offer a better price.5. Sign up for loyalty programs. These programs are a no-fuss way to rack up points and perks at leading hotel chains worldwide. Niver says bonuses include luxurious amenities like club floor access, and of course, these programs also help you build up a cache of money-saving points (which you can use to splurge on a dream vacation).

• How Entrepreneurs Stay Positive and Productive:

  06. Lisa Niver (Travel Journalist and On-Camera Host, Founder of We Said Go Travel)
  – Every morning at breakfast I read part of a book to help me grow my business and inspire my focus for the day. Right now I am reading Unshakeable by Tony Robbins. I read books by nearly all the sharks on Shark Tank and my favorite was The Power Of Broke: How Empty Pockets, A Tight Budget, And A Hunger For Success Can Become Your Greatest Competitive Advantage by Daymond John.

• THIS WEEK IN TRAVEL Podcast: Thank you to Jen Leo, Gary Arndt and Chris Christensen for inviting me to be on their podcast: THIS WEEK IN TRAVEL!

Where can you find my 749 travel videos?

Here are links to my video channels on YouTube, Amazon Fire Tv, and Roku Player. I hope you enjoy my “This is What it is Like” Episodes! I now have 749 videos, 622,897 views, 1444 subscribers on YouTube AND my total video views across all platforms is now over 1,250,000 (1.25Million)! Thank you for your support!

Find my new videos from my summer trip to Europe in my articles about Monaco (country 97), Ireland, Scotland (country #98) and San Marino (country #99)

Video #749 = Travel Media Showcase in Cabarrus, North Carolina. This conference brings together travel journalists and destinations! I went to the conference in 2016 for the first time and this year I was the GRAND PRIZE Winner for my coverage of Grapevine Texas in 2016.

Next month: Look for Video #750 My first ever Mountain Bike Lesson at NorthStar California Resort with Specialized Bike Academy!

Travel Writing Award: 

Thank you to everyone who has participated in our We Said Go Travel Competitions! Find the winners for the 2017 Inspiration Award here. We are publishing the entries from the 2017 Summer Independence Award. The Fall Gratitude Writing Award will open Sept 11 and close on Thanksgiving.

Travel Photo Award:

Our first ever Travel Photo Award is open! Thank you to our judges, Gary Arndt from Everything Everywhere and Jeana from Surf and Sunshine. Enter here Share your favorite shot! Why do you love it? How did you create it?  Submit a photo taken in the last two years. There is no fee to enter and there are cash prizes!

As my fortune cookies said: “You will find your solution where you least expect it.” and “Your talents will be rewarded and recognized within the month.” I was honored to win a journalism award in June and again this month in August! Thank you for years of support, kindness and sharing your hope with me that I could really make my dreams come true! If you have suggestions for my country #100, let me know! 

Thank you to Stephen Wise Temple for recognizing me for my Southern California Journalism Award for my column in the Jewish Journal!