About

It’s so nice to meet you!

Hello! I’m Jim Widder — 3x girl dad, husband, former teacher, and Christ follower. You might be wondering why a middle-aged man (okay, a few years past middle-aged) decided to start a travel blog. That’s a fair question, and I’m glad you asked.

A Little About Me

I grew up in Sugarcreek, Ohio which is a small town of about 2,000 people known as “The Little Switzerland of Ohio,” sitting in the heart of the largest Amish settlement in the world. I spent 33 years in education teaching at the elementary, junior high, and high school levels, with the last 29 years spent in a public school where most of my students were Amish.

Teaching shaped how I think about everything including this blog. I naturally love researching, breaking down complex topics, and helping people make smart decisions. Those same instincts now go into helping readers plan better trips and spend less money doing it.

I’ve been married to my wife Tonya for 35 years. She’s a third-grade teacher and my best friend. We have three grown daughters Maddie, Kenzie, and Cassidy. Faith and family are at the center of everything I do.

Why I Started Travelwidstom

It really comes down to merging two of my biggest passions which are travel and saving money.

Growing up, my dad got six weeks of vacation every year. We didn’t come from a wealthy family, but my parents made travel a priority anyway. We road tripped all over the United States, drove the Alaskan Highway to Alaska, and explored national parks that I still think about today. Looking back, those were some of the best memories of my childhood — and they planted a belief I still hold:

Travel doesn’t have to be expensive to be incredible.

That belief is what Travelwidstom is built on.

My Travel Experience

Over the past several years I’ve personally planned numerous multi-day trips for my family and friends, including:

A 16-day, 6-national park road trip through the American Southwest, a 17-day road trip through Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico, a 10-day California trip covering Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon, a 7-day Bar Harbor and Acadia trip, and a 15-day trip visiting 6 national parks with a friend.

I’ve now visited 25 national parks personally and I’m not done yet. Planning these trips figuring out the routing, the logistics, the budget, the points strategy is something most people find overwhelming. I genuinely enjoy it.

My Experience Saving Money on Travel

When our daughters were young I dove deep into budgeting and personal finance. That led me to serve in a personal finance ministry at our church for several years, helping people learn to manage money wisely.

Through that experience I discovered something I love helping people stretch their dollars further.

Over the years I’ve saved thousands of dollars on travel by learning how to earn and maximize credit card points and miles. I share those strategies here in a way that’s simple and beginner-friendly, because the points world can feel intimidating and it doesn’t need to be.

Why Now

After retiring from teaching I spent time praying about how to use my time meaningfully. My daughters kept telling me I should start a travel blog. After enough nudging — from them and from God — I finally decided to go for it.

So here I am, definitely outside my comfort zone, but genuinely excited about this adventure.

My goal with Travelwidstom is simple: help everyday people travel smarter, spend less, and create memories that last a lifetime.

I’d love for you to join me.

— Jim