My husband Jim introduced me to travel when we married almost ten years ago now, and since then he has literally given me the world.  He took me to Washington, D.C. for our honeymoon.  I had never been to the east coast of the U.S.  For me to be able to see so much history was truly a lifetime dream come true - the National Archives ,where we saw the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence!, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, the Holocaust Museum, not to mention the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Memorial, and everything in between.  Since then, we have continued to expand our horizons and enjoy this beautiful world of ours and all it has to offer.

 

Since I began on this journey to become a home-based travel agent,  I have completed and passed severalTravel Institute classes.  I am a Travel Institute Alaska Destination Specialist and a Princess Cruise Lines Alaska Specialist.  In addition, I am a graduate of the Holland America (HAL) Academy program for advanced travel industry training; I have completed the Cruise West training and am now a Small-Ship Partner; I have completed my Commodore level training for Princess and Cunard ; I am a graduate of Royal Caribbeans University of WOW; I have started training with Disney and Norwegian Cruise Lines; and I am also a certified San Diego Specialist through the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau.  I am also a member of SATH (Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality) and am presently enrolled in my Accessibility Specialist course.

 

I have a true enthusiasm for travel and especially for cruising; and I thoroughly love researching all of the possibilities for each one of our vacations.  In addition, I have found a tremendous interest in photography and have started creating Shutterfly coffee table books of our travels so that we will have our memories to share for years to come.

 

We have cruised on Princess, Celebrity, Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Holland America.  Not only have we cruised to Alaska, but we have also been to the Mexican Riviera, to Canada/ New England,  Pacific coastal repositioning cruises and were recently on the maiden voyage of the Ruby Princess in the Caribbean.

 

Alaska is my passion.  From the first time I stepped off the plane in Anchorage, I felt something very special about this pristine country with its glacial blue rivers, snow capped mountains and majestic glaciers.  I have been as far north as Fairbanks and as far west as Homer.  I have been to many of the surrounding areas of Anchorage including Talkeetna, Alyeska, Tok, and Wasilla.  Going halibut fishing in Homer was a real highlight for me.  We have also done the land tour from Fairbanks into Denali and have taken the Alaska Railroad from Denali to catch our ship in Seward.  From driving down the highway and passing a moose grazing alongside the road to seeing orca and humpback whales spout to see Dahl sheep climbing the mountains near Denali or seeing a bald eagle take flight right before your eyes, the excitement of everything is so spectacular it is difficult to describe.

 

Before I moved to San Diego, I lived in South Lake Tahoe for 17 years .  There are many special memories I have of that area.  Some of my favorite memories are of the sun shining on the glistening white snow after the first snow fall of the year.  Being able to cross country ski to Angora Lakes and Fallen Leaf Lake with the spectacular views of Lake Tahoe below us is something I'll never forget.  Then, hiking back up to the same area in the summer and enjoying a fresh squeezed lemonade jwhen we reached the top just can't be beat.  And, of course, sitting out on the deck of Sunnyside Resort on a Sunday afternoon watching all of the antique wooden Chris Craft boats glide into the harbor was something truly spectacular to see.

 

Our children live in Northern California and Oregon and one of our favorite vacations is to drive  up the coast of California, Oregon and Washington, visiting lighthouses along the way, driving through the giant redwoods and passing through quaint coastal areas.

 

Because of my passion and enthusiasm for traveling, I hope to give you a level of service that you will enjoy and appreciate.  I will definitely enjoy working with you to help you plan your next vacation or cruise.  I will be your "enthusiastic" excursionist!  I look forward to hearing from you.

 

                                                                                      Barbara