If you’ve missed previous newsletter emails that I’ve sent out, you can find them below! I don’t archive the What to Be Planning ones because they are typically only relevant in the month they are sent. Let me know if any of these make you eager to travel!
These clients are a family coming from 3 cities in South Dakota. They wanted a roadtrip experience that wasn't too far away but that allowed for ample activities for everyone: grandparents, parents, and kids. As they lived in opposite ends of South Dakota, the range for how far away they wanted to go was fairly narrow, but in the end they decided upon the Fair Hills Resort in Detroit Lakes, MN.
Read MoreNot only is it my birthday month (yay! happy birthday to me!), but it is also the month we head up to the cabin for a family weekend and the one in which the Minnesota State Fair and the Minnesota Renaissance Festival begin! So much fun in just one month!
Read MoreHailed as the "land of many waters," Guyana is a relative newcomer to the vacation bucket list but is an amazing country that is largely untouched from tourism. It has extensive rainforest with beautiful rivers and waterfalls (like the one above). For an eco-tourist or adventure-seeker, Guyana holds a special spot as it is full of tepuis (which are table top mountains or mesas) and wildlife.
Read MoreI know, I know, it's still summer! You can't think about Spring Break now... but I promise you, if you think about it now, you'll get better pricing, better availability and you won't be scrambling to plan your family's Spring Break trip later! Since I know most people already think about Mexico and the Caribbean for Spring Break, I'm here to offer a couple more unique suggestions for Spring Break 2025.
Read MoreThis couple had a long bucket list of places they wanted to check out in Australia, but knew all of it wouldn't be possible. They wanted to maximize their time there, and called in a professional (hey, that's me!) to help figure out what was feasible and what would have to wait for another trip. They're going to have such a great time there!
Read MoreJuly's another 5 Wednesday month which means it's time for tips & tricks! This month it seems a great time to talk about navigating airport travel in general, especially with the recent Crowdstrike outage issues we've seen.
Read MoreWe loved the city we used to live in, Robbinsdale, as it always felt like a small town right in the big city. Because of how much we still love it, not only is Experience Culture Travel in the Robbinsdale Chamber of Commerce, but we also love going to Robbinsdale for their Whiz Bang Days celebrations every July! One of our favorite aspects of the celebrations is the parade. It is one of the last pieces of Whiz Bang Days and occurs at 3pm on Sunday. We've hardly ever missed one!
Read MoreVietnam is one of the countries that make up Southeast Asia, and is probably most well known for the eponymous war fought there. While there are definitely historical battle sites that can be visited, Vietnam holds so much more than that - and so many more beautiful things.
Read MoreI'm throwing the usual planning guide on its head this month: instead of telling you what to plan, I'm going to tell you what you shouldn't be planning for 2025, and that is Italy, particularly Rome.
Read MoreThis particular client reached out to me with a request to visit Colombia, as he has been learning Spanish and wants to put himself in a position where he has to use what he's learned. His tutor is from Colombia, so he thought this would be a good first trip to take to Latin America. He didn't have too much time off work approved, so we fit in his trip into 5 days, not counting travel days on either end.
Read MoreSummer's kicked off and we're off to a good start. Last summer was the first summer where I had the kids home with me full time, and it got a little chaotic by the end. So, in light of that, this summer I made a daily schedule to try to keep a bit or order (while still allowing for a lot of fun)! One item on the list that I think will be good for everyone is cleaning the house - each person (me, EV, and Malcolm) has a designated hour of cleaning in the morning before being able to play with friends.
Read MoreIf you're not familiar with the locations of the countries in southern Africa, you may not know where Zimbabwe lies: north of South Africa, east of Botswana, west of Mozambique and south of Zambia. For a landlocked country, it does offer a lot of water activities though - mostly due to the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls. Avid whitewater rafters (and beginners alike) often come here to experience the Class 5 water on the Zambezi, and those who love to fish will travel to try their hand at catching the Tiger Fish found in that very same river.
Read MoreSomething that's often on people's bucket lists are those overwater bungalows. Most often found in the Maldives, Bora Bora, or even sometimes in the Caribbean, if you've ever wanted to experience this type of relaxation, you should start planning now!
Read MoreThese clients realized that for their honeymoon, they wanted to go as far away that they may never get back to. Rio ended up being what the selected, and I think they'll have a grand time.
Read MoreWith sun and warm weather, the Browns love to bike! (Minus Dad, who doesn't enjoy biking.) This summer, our goal is to average about 25 miles per week. EV is a great biker, has already done a 10-miler day this year, and is fully onboard for the goal. Malcolm hasn't yet learned to ride a bike, so he sits in the trailer and on trails will get out and very speedily scooter for a ways.
Read MoreNestled in the North Atlantic, the island of Ireland is a land of captivating beauty, rich history, and vibrant culture. Divided into two distinct political entities – the Republic of Ireland to the south and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, to the northeast – the island offers a diverse tapestry of landscapes and experiences. From the rugged cliffs of County Clare's Cliffs of Moher to the verdant hills of County Antrim's Glens, Ireland's natural splendor never fails to enchant visitors. In addition to its breathtaking scenery, the island boasts a wealth of historical and cultural treasures, from ancient Celtic ruins to medieval castles and bustling cosmopolitan cities.
Read MoreThis month I recommend you grabbing your calendars and figuring out what your plans are for holiday travel - specifically Thanksgiving and Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa-time. The December holidays are a particularly popular time to travel, as many people's work slows down then and kids are off school, and with that popularity comes increased demand...and increased cost.
Read MoreThis client came to me feeling like she was a bit behind in planning her trip, due to a misunderstanding with a previous travel agent she had been working with who ended up not being able to help her plan her custom itinerary and cost her a few months' time. Lucky for her, this very unique trip is exactly my cup of tea! Her trip revolves around tickets to Taylor Swift that she'd secured for her family, and wanting to expose the kids to the culture of Amsterdam, Düsseldorf, Zürich, the Amalfi Coast, and Rome!
Read MoreI personally think that traveling with babies is a lot easier than people think -- if you've planned appropriately. It's the toddler stage that brings a few more challenges, and even then, I still think its a great idea to travel with your kids! Here are a few tips I found helpful when Malcolm and I went on a 2 week trip to Europe alone (the picture above is all we packed!).
Read MoreThis month we celebrated EV's birthday with some of her favorite things: cats, bowling, cake, and presents! She's been into learning origami recently, but didn't have any square shaped paper (meaning I had to help cut precise squares out of normal rectangular paper) so she got some real origami paper as one of her presents.
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