Gotta Love Getting to Hang Out with Friends While in the Islands

I'm at Beaches Turks & Caicos for a learning conference, along with several of my CP colleagues. This evening's kick-off reception by the water's edge finds me with friends this evening, before dinner. I love my CP peeps - it really is like a great big family! So fun to be able to get together on different adventures together throughout the years.

My Suite Life at Beaches Turks & Caicos

I made it to Turks & Caicos and this amazing resort! Pictures to come... But let me just say WOW! If you're looking for a fantastic family beach vacation...THIS is it! I won't steer you wrong. Beautiful waters. Gorgeous accommodations. Plentiful restaurants. I can't wait to get the touring started tomorrow. Initial pictures will be uploaded later and throughout this learning adventure... except for this first glimpse of my room's front verandah (there's a back one too).

Welcome to my suite in the Key West Village at Beaches Turks & Caicos. Anyone ready for a party? There's room for many in here! With a fully stocked supply of included top-shelf liquors and Mondavi wines (replenished daily as needed), local island-brewed beer, soft drinks, bottled water, and juices, within a full kitchen it's ready for company - although the stove is just for looks, as it's non-functional, just there to complete the look, as explained to me by my Concierge Hostess who escorted me to my room and gave me my tour upon check-in - and yes, all guests receive the same treatment.

Moving to the back of the suite, there's a beautiful bedroom with a queen-sized bed, and gorgeous bathroom, with a washer & dryer, so any family could a) pack less, and b) enjoy the comforts of home while they dry the beachwear each evening quickly and efficiently.

The bedroom opens out onto the back verandah, which includes another table & chairs for outdoor enjoyment. The front verandah overlooks the main courtyard of the Key West Village, and the back verandah overlooks a beautiful grassy knoll and the Italian village.

On this trip, agents are scattered about within the resort in different villages. The fact that I got this beautiful Concierge Suite was just the "luck of the draw", but it's really cool to be able to experience it. There are 44 different room categories at this beautiful resort - ranging from beachfront villas to island-style cottages, luxurious rooms for two, and suites to accommodate families up to five - and more... there are even suites ranging up to four bedrooms (three stories tall!) to accommodate multi-generational families. Butler Suites and Concierge Suites add to an amazing mix of accommodation options that really are unrivaled on the island.

The resort is divided into 4 distinct themed "villages" - Caribbean, Italian, French, and Key West. Add to all of that the 21 restaurants, 14 bars, 10 pools, and 10 waterslides in their own on-site waterpark; and unlimited included watersports and this resort is a total wow factor for so many who choose to stay here. I can't wait to get to explore it all tomorrow!!

I'm Ready to Get Back to Alaska!

I rarely have my picture taken on board ship, much less purchase whatever photos are taken, but this is one that I wanted. Such a wonderful destination. Can't wait to be able to experience it again someday.

I LOVE Fresh Alaskan Salmon!!

Fresh Alaskan salmon bake onboard was a fantastic final lunch for this voyage! Yummmmm-my! Served buffet style with a nice assortment of salads, sides, and a delicious apple pie.

Catching Salmon in Ketchikan - Such a Thrill!

Today was a great day in Ketchikan and the waters nearby. I caught 4 salmon (3 Coho and 1 Pink), though I had a total of 5, one got away just as I was lifting him in the captain's net. Oh, man! But 4 is awesome and will be some good meals in our house as it's all being shipped home.

The excursion was small and intimate with only 6 of us, plus the captain. We were all from the same ship. One couple from Florida who's been to Alaska multiple times. One couple and their grandson from Southern California, and me. We had a great time chatting and getting to know each other during the numerous long periods of nothing.

We were trolling, which is very common in southeast Alaska, and went out about 10 miles from Ketchikan where the waters were about 500 feet deep, per the captain. All together we caught 14 fish, but one fellow had him in the boat while another guy and I were also bringing ours in, and it slipped out through a drainage vent. We were all sad for him at the time as he hadn't caught a thing yet, but we're laughing about it by the end as he ended up catching two more later on.

It was a 4 1/2 hour excursion and was a fantastic time, and I was definitely thinking of my grandpa today!

I am so thrilled to have been invited to this Seminar at Sea. Getting out to the destinations and experiencing things personally definitely lends a lot more credibility to recommendations I make to my clients and is so very important as continuing education. You won't get THAT from a dotcom site or a club warehouse!

Alaska has been fabulous, and I cannot wait to be able to experience more of this beautiful state in the future. Tonight we set sail back southward with no more port days. We'll be in the classroom again tomorrow morning, and enjoying more of this lovely ship during the rest of this voyage. 

Ketchikan - The Salmon Capital of the World

Good morning from Ketchikan, the salmon capital of the world! As we pull into port, I enjoyed breakfast in bed with a fantastic view of the channel and watched a great video on the fishing industry here, which correlates to my adventure today. Today in honor of my grandfather, dad, great-grandfather, and assorted uncles, I'm off for some salmon fishing. Hopefully, I catch something! It's 61 and overcast, but the air is so crisp and clean. Looking forward to a great day!

Glacier Bay National Park

Today we arrived in Glacier Bay National Park at about 6:15am, and picked up one of the Park Rangers, and a Tlingit cultural representative who stayed on board with us until about 3:30pm, answering questions, providing insight, and more. It was awesome!

As we worked our way up into the park and the bay, we saw a lot! We got to see Reid Glacier, Lamplugh Glacier, Johns Hopkins Glacier, part of Grand Pacific Glacier, and the biggest and best of them all, Margerie Glacier. The captain parked us very close to, and in front of Margerie Glacier, which is up in the Tarr Inlet for an hour. Starting with the port side, and then rotating the ship to the starboard side, everyone was amazed at the sheer size and majesty of that glacier. We reveled as we got to see several small calvings and one really big one! (I took about 400 pictures of the glaciers alone, but am only sharing these select few now...more will be shared later after getting home to wifi that isn't so expensive).

As we woke this morning it was raining, and everyone was a bit disappointed at the prospect of not being able to see a lot, but as we got closer in, the sky stopped and the misty fog lifted. Southeast Alaska is a rainforest, so having rain on any given adventure is to be expected. The glaciers were surreal. The beautiful colors and the sounds of the cracking were amazing.

After the captain set sail once more and as we pulled far enough away from being able to see Margerie Glacier it was lunchtime. Followed by a great presentation in the main theatre by the Park Ranger. She shared some great stories and wonderful information about GBNP and the assorted critters that call it home. And then after her presentation, the Tlingit lady - Alice is her English name, but sorry, I couldn't even begin to know how her Tlingit name is spelled - gave a presentation on the Tlingit peoples that have called this area home for centuries.

What an amazing day filled with such beauty, and just a teeny tiny bit of this great state.

Yukon Ho!

Skagway is such a wonderfully easy port to maneuver. A very short walk from the ship puts you right at the station for the White Pass-Yukon Rail station, but it's also just a quick walk into town and is of course looking very much as it did back in the 1890s the heart of gold rush days.

My excursion package was a White Pass train combo, which actually was the reverse of many of the ones that are readily available. Instead of taking the train first, for my group, it was a bus first, followed by the return trip on the train. We drove about 72 miles north of Skagway into the Yukon (my mind kept thinking of Calvin & Hobbes and "Yukon Ho!"). Shortly after starting up the mountain we encountered a good bit of fog - actually about 20 minutes of our drive was very hard to see anything outside the bus, but thankfully after we'd crested the White Pass summit, we also left the fog behind us as the sun shone brightly.

We passed many beautiful lakes, streams, and some historic mining sites as we reached nearly 3,000 feet - but kept going. Along the way, we heard fascinating tales of how the gold rush came about, and how prospectors had some extreme conditions to face as they moved up from Skagway into the Klondike and the Yukon.

We enjoyed lunch near Carcross, Yukon, and there I got to meet Kenai and Fuzzy, along with other beautiful mushers. The dogs train in the off-season for the Iditarod at this facility in the Yukon. Since there's no snow in the summer, they use special sleds with wheels instead of runners and give rides to visitors. They LOVE to run, and of the nearly 90 dogs there, they all were seeming to bark out "pick me" as their handlers were selecting the dogs that would pull our sleigh. It was great fun, and I'm thrilled to have been able to experience it, as I doubt I'll ever experience the Iditarod for real.

After that, it was time to start trekking down the trails again, and we drove down from Carcross to Fraser, BC, where we picked up the White Pass train south to Skagway. Riding inside the car was nice, but honestly, I loved riding on the platform between cars for most of the way. It was awesome!

The scenery was spectacular as we passed through the Alpine Tundra, and then over the sub-continental divide, which separates the water flow to the Pacific down by Skagway, or way out west at the Bering Sea and down through the rainforest that is around Skagway. It was such fun, I'd love to do it again! It is absolutely a must-do recommendation for all my clients.

Best kept secrets/finds of the day? The arctic desert in the Yukon, and beautiful beach Lake Bennett. Whoo-hoo, some new sand for my "sands of the world" jar.

Glaciers & Whale Watching

Today we arrived in Juneau. Whales were spotted off the sides of the ship this morning long before we arrived, and it was spectacular to watch one fully breach. Breaching is a typical part of the mating ritual, per the naturalist on board, and not commonly seen in Alaska (usually in Hawaii where the humpbacks migrate to each October). It may have been a calf learning what he needs to do once he starts his own mating rituals soon. Calves are born about 12 feet long weighing in at about 2,000 lbs and zero body fat, but then start to add upwards of 100lbs per day throughout their first year.

Upon arrival in port, I went out on a fun excursion that included both a visit to Mendenhall Glacier and whale watching. There I learned that every single humpback has a unique diagram within their skin on the bottom side of their tail...it's their "fingerprint" if you will. Researchers at NOAA here in Juneau photograph the whales and are able to track them that way, vs. tagging them or other methods. And while it isn't exactly known how long they all live, the average life expectancy is about 50 years. Females have one calf at a time, and usually have another calf every two to three years, and will continue to give birth for almost their entire life. Calves learn everything they need to survive within their first year of life, and are then essentially " on their own" from that point on, even though they tend to travel in pods.

Here are few pictures from each part of that fun-filled and informative afternoon.

Greetings from the Inside Passage

Greetings from the Inside Passage. Just a few quick images before I go to the first class of this trip. We set sail yesterday from Vancouver and are working our way north. Tomorrow is Tracy Arm and Juneau. Today is cloudy (at least this morning), but the forecast is calling for great weather for most of the rest of this trip. The stars last night were fantastic, and we're supposed to have fantastic visibility of the meteor showers this week. More to come later.

Happy Sunday all!

Advice from a Travel Agent...Fly in the Day or Night Before Your Vessel's Scheduled Departure

I ALWAYS recommend flying in the day before a cruise and staying overnight, as there are just too many possibilities of things going wrong that you have ZERO control over. This is exactly what happened to me on my flight to Vancouver. Thankfully I made it safely to Vancouver, but it certainly wasn't a trip without incident! Delayed flights due to other airport issues, sitting on the tarmac entirely too long waiting for the gate to open up in the connection city, nearly missing a connection because of both previously mentioned things. All things that could absolutely ruin a trip and cause people to miss their ship if flying on the day of sailing. It was all too much stress and frustration for one day, but I'm very thankful for arriving here safely...even if it was nearly an hour later than it was scheduled to be. The stressful part is over. Now I can relax and get a good night's sleep as I look forward to heading to the ship in the morning rested and relaxed. I'm so looking forward to this adventure, and hope you'll follow along with me on the journey.

Setting Out for the Last Frontier. Thinking of my Grandfather.

On this date many years ago - August 5th, 1979 - we got word that my grandpa died. He and my grandma were living in Alaska at the time so it had been quite a while since we had last seen them in person. They were teachers throughout their careers, and in retirement spent a couple of tours of duty as teachers in a missionary school in remote Unalakleet (west coast, south of Nome). That year I turned 9 but was only 8 still when he died. Of course, being so young I didn’t know him for the man he’d been most of his life, but I have some fantastic memories of the man that I knew him to be… kind, fun-loving, gentle, a great outdoorsman, avid fisherman, and a great teacher – he was my Papa Les. Some fun memories include going to their house in the woods of Oak Glen, riding on his motorcycle with him, sledding in the snow in winter down the hills, taking walks with him, and the teacher in him coming out as he shared what the different flora and fauna that we passed were.

I’m thrilled to be departing today for an Alaskan Seminar at Sea and no doubt will be thinking of him as we sail past some amazing flora and fauna. I fly to Vancouver this afternoon, and then board the ship tomorrow morning. My adventures during the week ahead will take me nowhere near where they lived all those years ago (opposite side of the state), but it’s a fun little connection back to a man I loved so much, and miss still all these years later.

While so much of the rest of Facebook is increasingly filled with negative political junk, my little corner of the neighborhood will be filled with a few pictures and maybe some video from a few beautiful places from God's creation over the next week. Come along with me virtually! I’m happy to share my adventures with you…

It's Time for U.S. Companies to Update their Ideas About Time Off

 

"When Netflix still had your typical vacation policy, employees asked an important question:

“We don’t track the time we spend working outside of the office—like

e-mails we answer from home and the work we do at night and on weekends—so why do we track the time we spend off the job?”

Management listened. They couldn’t deny the simple logic behind the question."

All too often I hear from people that they can't help or participate in this, that, or something else because they've used up their time off allotment for the year already... if only other companies would "get it" too. Of course many will think I'm sharing this because I am a travel professional, but it's NOT just about going on trips to rejuvenate yourself...often it's about being able to volunteer within the community, or to go camping as a mentor, to be able to spend a day here or they're working in a shelter or with Habitat or some other worthwhile organization, or just to recharge mentally and physically with the family at home. We don't live in the industrial age any longer... why do so many U.S. companies still have policies that date back to that era? My last employer had a policy requiring that at least one of the several weeks of vacation provided must be taken all at the same time to ensure time was taken for rejuvenating, while the rest was free to use in smaller segments as needed - that was a step in the right direction. Moving away from such regimented regulations would be so much better for employees everywhere.

Two places that I find to be very special both have a milestone anniversary today. I wish I could visit both of them - but I can only go spend time in one of them today. Happy 61st to my favorite magical little park - Disneyland! And Happy 50th to my favorite Indiana destination - Ransburg Scout Reservation!

 

Why I Do Scouting

For the past decade or so Father's Day has meant heading off to Summer Camp. It's been a wonderful part of my life, as I've enjoyed camp with both of my sons... and several dozen other "sons" through all of those years. This year Matthew surprised me, upon returning home from camp, with my Father's Day gift..this little video that he put together while we were at camp this year - and then shared with the entire Troop last night at our meeting.

This guy is proud of that guy, and all of his mad, excellent skills - and of course, a little misty-eyed too when I first watched it. All of the guys in this video - and all of the other guys not in it but part of my overall decade-long Ransburg adventure - have touched my life in so many wonderful ways. And as a friend of mine within the Troop likes to say about all of the things he does for the youth of the Troop, I only hope that someday these guys will think back fondly on good old Mr. Lingren.

Client Meetings Don't Always Happen in an Office or at Starbucks

 

Traveled to Chicago today for a meeting with St Paul Lutheran Church & School to talk about their 130h Anniversary Cruise.  I met Glenda at the Chicago Travel & Adventure Show back in January, where she was excited to start the conversation in planning for their annual fundraiser.  Travel isn't just for getting away and relaxation, but can also be a valuable tool to build awareness and raise funds for worthy causes. 

Morning Meetings Don't Always Have to be Over Coffee

My final meeting of this trip is in my mobile office this morning. Client meetings are often just coffee meetings, but a walk along the beach while planning that next getaway is so much cooler.

The View On The Way to Day 3 of My Conference

Good morning from Fort Lauderdale! Day three of CP Boot Camp is about to begin as the sun rises over the ocean heralding a beautiful day ahead.

While Continuing Education events like this take me away from family and day-to-day obligations, they are so very important as another means of growing my business. From the networking with other agents and some of CP's Millionaire Club members; to interacting with new franchise owners and associates attending their orientation; to building relationships with suppliers over a delicious dinner of lobster, steak and more these few days has been a worthwhile investment of time and money.

Whatever your industry might be if given the opportunity to attend events, go for it. It’s never a mistake to take those opportunities to improve yourself and ultimately those you work with and for.

You Use a Professional for your Health, Finances, Insurance, Legal Concerns, and Even Your Hair...You Should for Travel Too!

DIY can be great for many assorted projects - Pinterest has flourished for that reason alone - but when it comes to things like your hair, your health, your finances, insurance, legal advice - and YES - your travel plans - you really should seek a professional who does it day in and day out all year long for that one vacation per year you take. Why spend hours upon hours searching through too much information available online when you can easily turn to a professional to take care of you. Nolan lays out the reasons plainly and simply.

#travelagentawareness

A New Addition to the Team

I've said it before, and today I'm very excited to say it again...some days warrant a little more yippee than others! The last time I said something almost exactly like this was in the summer of 2013. That was when Rachel Brolsma joined my team. After a couple of frustrating fits and starts in 2014 and 2015 (and ultimately God's grace telling me that neither one was the right person at those times) - it is finally time to share that my team is growing again.

Liz Chriscoe is officially becoming my second Associate and will help us take this business of fun - planning amazing adventures and vacation experiences for wonderful clients and friends throughout the country to a new level. From day one I've marveled as God has blessed us in numerous ways with this business venture (one that seemed like such a paradigm shift for me all those years ago), and am very proud of the continual growth that we have experienced - both professionally and personally.

It was fun to watch Rachel grow and expand through this adventure of helping people with their vacation dreams, and now it will be fun to watch Liz get to experience it as well. Like both Rachel and I, Liz is a Disneyphile (Disney freak some might say), and is very excited to help people make their travel dreams come true. Unlike Rachel and I, Liz lives in North Carolina, not Indiana, so we'll miss out on some of the face-to-face opportunities, but we'll still be able to have a great time working together to help people create fantastic memories to last a lifetime.

Liz was highly recommended to me by a very special friend, Jimmy Whitesell, who I'm very honored to know and trust from within my vast group of Disney friends. I'm looking forward to the day to be able to make another announcement like this someday, but it's all in God's timing, not mine. For now, the big excitement is that Liz will officially begin her training with me, and then in early May will be heading to Ft. Lauderdale for a week-long intensive training session by the CP team. I'm very excited about this expansion!

Welcome to the team, Liz!