Travel in the USA

Hello everyone! I’m still processing all of the amazing things I learned last week at my virtual Virtuoso® Travel Week conference. I’ll be posting some thoughts about travel in our “new normal” in the coming days. 

First off, I want to focus on travel that’s closer to home since I know many people would prefer to not travel internationally, even when it becomes possible beyond Mexico and the Caribbean. I met with several suppliers that do just this! They can create custom trips with tailor-made itineraries just for you, small group trips, RV tours, self-drive or rail tours, family trips, adults-only trips, etc.

Enjoying the great outdoors where social distancing isn’t a problem is going to be a very popular trend. Why not visit our beautiful National Parks? Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Tetons, Bryce/Zion, Grand Canyon, and Great Smoky Mountains are all great options. I’ll work with my suppliers to put together an itinerary so you don’t have to do the legwork. They can even get space at many of the lodges that book up far in advance. 

Cruising in Alaska has long been popular but you can also see a lot in “The Last Frontier” by a land-based vacation. We can create custom, private trips with stays at lodges, boat trips to see the glaciers, dog sledding adventures, fishing excursions, etc. You can travel by car, motor coach, or by a scenic train. And in the fall and winter months you can even have a chance to see the Northern Lights.

There are countless amazing cities right here in the USA that you may not have had time to visit in the past. I know it may seem easy to just book a flight or drive yourself to a city and get a hotel room, but my suppliers will custom craft a vacation that is inclusive of transportation, accommodations, sightseeing & entertainment. Some exciting destinations include Atlanta, Boston, Branson, Charleston, Chicago, Denver, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami, Napa Valley, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Niagara Falls, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Santa Fe, Savannah, Seattle, Sedona, St. Augustine, and Washington DC. The list is endless. You could go for a long weekend or for a couple of weeks and see multiple places along the way. Amtrak vacations are another way to see the USA for people who don’t want to drive or fly.

In the wintertime, my suppliers can put together packages to the mountains, too. They can include airfare, lodging, lift passes, transfers, equipment rental, ski/snowboard school, etc. Even for people who don’t necessarily want to ski — they can book getaways where you can relax or do other activities like snowshoe or dogsled.

I will write more about this in another post but as a Virtuoso® agent, if you are looking to stay at a 5-star luxury resort pretty much anywhere in the USA I can get you added bonuses that you likely can’t get on your own. Things such as free breakfast for two, resort or spa credits, early check-in/late check-out, free room upgrades, etc. are all benefits of working with me.

As you can see, just because the world is mostly closed off to Americans right now, there are plenty of amazing vacations that can be had close to home. As was the case every day during Virtuoso Travel Week, one of the biggest takeaways was how everyone has been adjusting their businesses in order to protect the health and safety of their guests in this unprecedented time. Things will definitely be different once we all start traveling again. I’ll write more on this subject soon!

Thanks again for your support and I hope you and your loved ones stay safe & healthy.