The Adventures of a Travel Agent

The thought of wandering through fields of tulips in Holland filled will all colors of the rainbow had been a long time dream of mine.  I was not disappointed.... The Keukenhof Gardens is home to the annual tulip festival.  This is the most well know tulip festival in the world! The gardens are just under an hours drive outside of Amsterdam.  Many tours are available that provide motorcoach transportation and your admission to the park.  I chose this as an available option on my AMA Waterways River Cruise.  The grounds are open space filled with the most beautiful welcome to spring you can ever imagine.  And just when you find yourself holding your breath or making cooing noises from what the color surrounding you, you find the pavilions .  Now we are talking about millions of tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, jonquils, unique bulb flowers, cherry blossoms, and even orchids.  Seventy nine acres - seven million bulbs.  Im...

As a travel agent part of the adventure is exploring new options and places to suggest to my clients for their own personal travel.  I get excited about new opportunities that truly will enhance the travelers.  Well hats off to Royal Caribbean International for their new Autism friendly cruise program.  For families dealing with Autism, the thought of traveling can be a bit concerning.  Royal Caribbean has taken every step imaginable to assure a smooth process that allows the entire family to enjoy their vacation with peace of mind.  See the one sheet overview, and please contact me for full details.  Royal Caribbean's current promotions on top of this outstanding program could give your family the best summer you've had in a long time! mellanie.ingle@cruiseplanners.com Royal Caribbean Cruises

For as long as I can remember the Galapagos Islands had been on my Bucket List.  I love to view wildlife when I travel and knowing the unique creatures that inhabit the islands made it in my top three.  When my daughter came to me and invited me to do a mother - daughter trip we considered several possibilities. Afterall when you own a travel agency you know your options!   When she suggested the Galapagos Islands I seized the opportunity. I can honestly say that my expectations were insanely high for this trip and yet they were surpassed.  The islands are located about 600 miles west of Ecuador, in the Pacific Ocean. We were told to expect no cell service for a few days of the trip, I didn't it seriously.  Living in the world we do today, we think our smart phones will work anywhere.  By day number two into the cruise service was gone, and guess what I didn't care!  The sunsets, the air, the peace of being what feels like in the middle of now...

When sailing to Alaska, you see the cruise you have chosen passes through Tracy Arm Fjord, you might not really give it another thought as you focus on the destinations that offer excursions. Well, this is not a drive by, this is a highlight of your entire trip you won't want to miss. The only way I can describe Tracy Arm is 'breathless beauty".  Standing on my verandah in the silence of mother nature was a moment I won't soon forget.  The magical layers of clouds and fog over the mountains and in the steep valleys, thousands of waterfalls stories high, chunks of ice the size of trucks floating by, bald eagles soaring by, all while your ship is passing so slowly and quietly you think it must be a dream! The ship entered the fjord at 6:00 AM for it's four hour journey.  On board Naturalist, Brent Nixon, provided a soothing, quiet narration as we made our way through.  This was a wonderful addition to the experience. His extensive knowledge allowed u...

I wasn't sure what to expect when stepping out onto the verandah of our cruise cabin, upon arrival into the small port if Ketchikan.  But when I saw it, I realized it was exactly what I expected.  A small beautiful sleepy town perched on the side of the rocks adjacent to the water.  Covered in mist and vividly green.  At that moment you would never know that 10,000 people a day come to town via cruise ships throughout the summer season.  By the end of September the town reduces back to its year round population of about 500. Being on the water at the edge of a massive rainforest, the winters are not as harsh here as you might expect. Ketchikan offers many activities for shore excursions, or you can simply spend your time strolling through the small shops.  Its close to impossible to get lost, and hiking trails along the salmon streams, totem poles and more are within walking distance.  For those that delay and wish they would have booked...