Mother and Daughter On the Road

By Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer

Laurita and Lauren Portee are a mother-daughter duo living in the Washington, D.C., area who love to travel. They co-host “Get Out of Town,” a weekly eight-part series on WETA-TV, Monday at 9:00 p.m. The show spotlights easy getaways within a few hours of the DMV. We recently chatted with the merry travelers during a recent segment of the Washington Informer’s “WIN-TV.”

“This is a concept for a show I knew I would want to watch,” said Laurita, who is retired. “I knew one of the producers, who asked if my daughter would do something like this with me, and we said absolutely.”

So far, the duo has visited Laurel Highlands, Pennsylvania, Richmond, Virginia, St. Michaels, Maryland, and Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. Laurita and Lauren usually travel by car, except for their trek to Richmond. Many of us know that driving to Richmond can be a nightmare. Producers work with local tourism agencies for places to stay, restaurants and activities for people with various interests and budgets.

“We have a lot of fun, and we are big foodies,” said Laurita about traveling with Lauren. “She is more of a daredevil than I am, so we had activities that stretched me out of my comfort zone.”

How To Get Away

In planning for a getaway, both travelers suggest determining the distance you are willing to travel and what type of lodging is preferred. Viewers saw Laurita and Lauren stay at a rustic pinewood decor hotel with modern comforts in Laurel Highlands, then a smaller boutique hotel in Richmond.

“We also incorporate a lot of Black history. We saw one of the first HBCUs in West Virginia,” Lauren said about upcoming episodes. “We also went to Monticello in Charlottesville, but instead of the Thomas Jefferson side, we saw Mulberry Row, where enslaved people lived.”

The co-hosts feel audiences will learn a lot from their travels.

“Since we are mother and daughter– different generations— there is something for everyone,” Laurita said. “When you travel, you want to do something out of the ordinary so you will have a good story when you come back home.”

Watch the “Get Out of Town WIN-TV segment on youtube. com or visit WETA-TV at weta. org.

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