Episode 236: Fairbanks in Winter

Alaska is truly an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise. In past episodes, we talked about all of the amazing things you can do during the spring and summer seasons. But have you considered visiting in the winter? Imagine snowmachining on a frozen lake and then ice fishing while enjoying a reindeer dog. Or staying up late to catch the northern lights. Or how about visiting a dog mushing camp for a ride on a sled. This past March, Sandy and Lindsay did all of this and more, and they can’t wait to talk about why you should put Fairbanks on your bucket list!

Have you been to Alaska? Tell us about your trip!

Elizabeth – Sandy – Laura – Donna – Lindsay

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Episode 227: Travel for Animal Lovers

Anywhere you travel on this planet, you can rest assured that there are native animals where you are going.  From sea life to wild life, there is always something to see and do when traveling.  Some involve interaction and some are observing from afar. This week we are talking about some of the more unique experiences that you can have on your journey. 

Do you have a destination in mind to travel to where animals are involved?

Elizabeth – Sandy – Laura – Donna – Lindsay

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Episode 211: Scuba Diving Vacations

Scuba Diving can be done just about anywhere where there is water. From ocean dives in the tropics to fresh water diving in lakes to cold water diving in a dry suit to diving at your local aquarium, this “sport” can be done anywhereThere is a whole underwater world out there just waiting to be explored by you!

Episode 203: Cruising Alaska’s Inside Passage with Holland America

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You know on this podcast we love to talk about the 49th state. It’s awe-inspiring! It’s immense! It’s enormous! By far the largest state – even bigger than Texas! So even though we’ve talked about some great things to do there, we haven’t covered them all. Recently Sandy & Lindsay boarded the Holland America Eurodam for a round trip cruise from Seattle through the inside passage. Here to talk about it with us, as well as why Holland America is uniquely suited to cruise Alaska in style, is Tara Schreiner.  As Sr. Manager, Strategic Accounts, Tara  is responsible for supporting the growth of home-based travel partners. Hailing from Los Angeles, Tara has a diverse background in the travel industry, holding positions everywhere from a motorcycle travel company to tour operators and most recently at Fathom. She has an MBA from Loyola Marymount University and her personal travels have taken her to all 7 Wonders of the World.  We can’t wait to pick her brain about Alaska!
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Episode 202: National Parks with Adventures by Disney

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Recently, Elizabeth and her daughter, Athena, experienced national parks  in Arizona and Utah and they did it without camping! In fact, they went on their trip with one of our favorite travel providers: Adventures by Disney. Their itinerary included: Sedona (Enchantment Resort); Bearizona/Williams, AZ; Grand Canyon (Thunderbird Lodge; Monument Valley (Goulding’s Lodge); and Moab/Arches National Park (Red Rock Lodge).
In this episode we talk to Elizabeth about why she chose to see the parks this way and why you should too!
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Episode 190: See More of Alaska with Royal Caribbean

Elizabeth was recently invited to participate in a familiarization trip with Royal Caribbean international to experience the land portion of their Cruisetour products. We wanted to share her experiences in this episode and also wanted to invite an expert to fill in more details on the portfolio of tours they offer.
Alaska was the 49th state to join the union, and when it did, Texas went from our largest state to our second-largest… by a large margin. Alaska is a bucket list destination for travelers of all ages, but many people choose to only cruise the Inside Passage rather than explore the interior of the state. Although there is a lot to experience in such a vacation, Alaska has so much more to offer, which is why Royal Caribbean and some of their competitors offer Cruisetours, packaging the seven-night, one-way cruise with a land tour and allowing guests to experience so much more of Alaska, including the magnificent and vast Denali National Park. Tonight, we hope to share many many reasons that taking a cruise tour is a far better option for your dream trip to Alaska.To this end, we are excited to introduce our guest for tonight’s podcast, Brendan Halcomb from Royal Caribbean.
Brendan is a 15-year veteran of the Cruise industry and has worked with a broad range of Cruise Lines. For the last 3 years Brendan has overseen the Sales and Marketing for Alaska & Canada Cruisetours. Welcome, Brendan!
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Episode 184: Let’s Go on Safari!

The continent of Africa and the countries contained within it are rich in culture, natural beauty, welcoming people, and a diverse offering of cuisine, music, biodiversity and of course its native animals and wildlife. It is a continent that once experienced will open places in your soul you had long forgotten about and offer you moments of great joy and great peace. One of the most wonderful ways to experience this continent when you travel is to journey to South Africa, Tanzania or Uganda and include a safari. Our guest today has brought new meaning to the word “safari” and they are joining us to talk about their native land, South Africa, and to also share some of the newer offerings to Tanzania and Uganda where they are able to include experiencing gorillas in their Natural Habitat. They have so much to share with us…so buckle up ..and keep your eyes peeled for one of the “Big 5!”
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Episode 181: See Norway with Hurtigruten

Friends of the podcast Kevin and Peter joined one of their closest friends and spent 3 weeks this past August on the trip of a lifetime exploring Norway from many different vantage points. Norway is ranked as “The second happiest country” in the world, on criteria such as freedom, honesty, welfare, good health, and generosity. Norway is a Scandinavian country encompassing mountains, glaciers, and deep coastal fjords. Oslo, the capital, is a city of green spaces and museums. Bergen, with colorful wooden houses, is the starting point for many cruises into beautiful Fjords. Norway is also known for fishing, hiking,  skiing and is a hub for outdoor activities, fresh fish, farm to table foods, warm and welcoming people and some of the most beautiful scenery your eyes can behold. The fjords are said to be the soul of Norway, and that is in fact where Peter and Kevin’s journey began so listen in on this Norwegian adventure!

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Episode 178: Life is an Adventure!

One of the fastest-growing trends in the world of travel is adventure. Defining exactly what it means is a little tricky. For some, adventure could mean leisurely biking and hiking tours. For others, it might entail BASE jumping into an underground cave in Mexico. The main facets of adventure travel usually include traveling to a distant location, interacting with different cultures and undertaking a physical activity of some kind.

Can you imagine yourself paddling a kayak through the lush vegetation of the Amazon rainforest. Can you picture walking side-by-side with the mighty elephants of Africa? Maybe a bike trek along the Great Wall of China or a cattle drive through Patagonia is more your speed or camping under the stars on an iceberg in Antarctica sends your heart soaring. If any of these trips sound like a great way to spend your holiday, then adventure travel may be for you.

Episode 174: Adventures by Disney – China

This week, we are joined by a very special guest, Freddy Valderrama!  Freddy is the Disney Destinations District Sales Manager (DSM) for the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas territory.  He is our “line to the Mouse,” helping us Master our knowledge of Disney Destinations and supporting us as we help our clients plan their Adventures with Disney Destinations.  We invited Freddy here tonight to share with us his most recent experience with one of our favorite Disney Destinations offerings… Adventures by Disney. Freddy recently went to China with Adventures by Disney and is here tonight to tell us all about it! So let’s get started!