About Dannelle Gay and the Traveling Cheesehead

The Traveling Cheesehead

Welcome! My name is Dannelle and I am “The Traveling Cheeseehead.” I am a serial entrepreneur who has a lot of ways to share my love of travel with people.

Dannelle Gay Headshot
Dannelle Fraser Gay, without the hat…

I’m a TV Host

Traveling Cheesehead Productions has a one-hour-long show that features different destinations. We do 24 episodes a year on a 50+ station network and syndicate to radio, podcast, and YouTube channels. If you are interested in being a guest just reach out to DannelleGay@gmail.com

My Sites

There is so much more to me than this lil’ old travel site. I have multiple travel websites that are more niche-specific.

This site and all of those are syndicated on Microsoft – so I have a reach of about 1.3 Billion readers.

I also freelance for GoRVing.com, Travel Awaits, 365 Traveler, and Travel Wisconsin

Membership Has Privileges

I am a member of SATW, IFWTWA, NATJA, Wisconsin Writer’s Association, and the Midwest Travel Network. This lets you know I am vetted, and know how to tell YOUR story.

My Books

My TV show and websites are just the beginning of what I do. I also write travel books!

When COVID shut down the world in 2020, I had an idea: Travel wouldn’t be dead, it would be different. We were all locked in our states and it was pretty clear that outside experiences were going to be the only way to move forward.

That is when I pulled camping articles and cave articles off this site to create the other two sites I mentioned above: World of Caves and Crazy Camping Girl.

It gets better – I wanted to bring other people together for a group project! I hit up my friends in the Midwest Travel Network to write a book about Midwest road trips. Writers who knew their own state, loved their community and were the best in their state that I could think of to work with. I built a ‘dream team’ of talent and we ended up with a best seller that just went into its 2nd Edition.

Midwest Road Trip Adventures takes travelers along some of the most storied highways and byways in the nation, including The Great River Road and Route 66. Stops include historic lighthouses along the shores of Lake Erie in Ohio, canyons in Kansas, crystal clear springs in Michigan, Underground Railroad history in Illinois, Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, and authentic fish boils in Wisconsin’s Door County. Movie fans can visit the ballpark from A League of Their Own in Indiana or tour Iowa’s covered bridges showcased in “The Bridges of Madison County.”

But wait – there’s more!

Our Midwest Dream Team has created a NEW group project – all about Midwest State Parks.

Dive into the captivating world of Midwestern state parks with Midwest State Park Adventures, your all-in-one guide to discovering the region’s most awe-inspiring natural wonders.

Written by a team of local authors with deep-rooted connections to the land, this meticulously crafted guidebook brings you closer to the heart of the Midwest than ever before.

My Love Letter to the Badger State

100-things-reusuable-block

My latest one is 100 Things to Do in Wisconsin Before You Die – with Reedy Press. It came out in early 2023. You can read more here: Why I’m Giving Half a Million Dollars to Wisconsin

But wait, there is more…

I Freelance for a few different travel sites! You can find my byline on Travel Awaits – a site for travelers over 50, written by travelers over 50, Go RVing – the hub of all things camping and RVing, and even 365 Traveler – which is also syndicated.

I Lead Group Tours

I have had so many people say “I wish I could travel with you!” Now, they can! I bring groups of 25-50 people to different destinations.

Did I mention my Coffee?

My traveling cheesehead coffee label

So, I had this fun little ‘travel tips” video where I held up a Ziplock bag of Kcups and mentioned how a lot of hotels had Keurigs now, but crappy coffee – so I always take my own.

It got a few million hits…and I knew I had to take this step! I have my own line of custom gourmet coffee that ties in with my travels and different destinations. With 12 flavors in our initial launch, we have 65 planned out so far – it is just another way to partner with the destinations that I adore. Get a sneak peek at a few flavors on the horizon:

They cover my travels – like my visits to Door County Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Dells, Chase County Kansas, Opelousas Louisiana, Janesville Wisconsin, Mason City Iowa, Bismarck North Dakota, and so much more!

Some labels are fundraisers – like the Day of the Dead Coffee will help feed families in a camp in Mexico and the King Cake Coffee will help a living history museum in Louisiana.

The bottom line

I love to travel, meet new people, and learn about the food and history of the area. If you are interested in partnering with me on any of that, or dog-friendly travel, reach out to me.