There is every reason to travel to less developed areas and remote places. However, one of the biggest objections about trips I recommend is the lack of knowledge about how to physically arrive at their destination.  Prospective clients are very excited about the adventure of a new and remote experience. This is their Trip of a Lifetime!  However, it can be very overwhelming to many as these itineraries can be very complicated.

The good news is that any trip you would like to take has been traveled before and there is a seasoned travel professional somewhere that can help you with all of the details.  When the internet became mainstream and travel agents were viewed as expensive. Unfortunately travelers gave up a wonderful resource. The good news is there are still very experienced travel professionals out there.  They are paid commissions by the resorts, hotels, car rental agencies, etc. so their service doesn't cost you anything. Guess what? You would be paying that rate anyway. Airlines do not pay commissions so there is typically a fee associated with those bookings - somewhere in the range of $35 to $55 per ticket. I think this is quite a luxury that most have forgotten about or think that they cannot afford. 

Nothing makes me happier than to complete an itinerary for someone as I know they will arrive when and where they need to be, with the proper expectations of the destination, and prepared for the experience.  We have our connections when it is a destination we travel frequently.  For example:  you know if you are traveling to Kodiak, Alaska I am going to know the weather, the hotels and B&B's, restaurants.  I can get you the best prices and recommendations and bail you out of a situation if a problem arises. 

If I don't know a destination I'll find someone who will take great care of you!  Yes - travel can be exhausting and there are times when things just don't go according to plan.  But whether or not it is the perfect experience can be enhanced by having a travel professional in your corner helping every step of the way.  We love what we do!

Kodiak Sportsman's Lodge had the privilege to fish again with Babe Winkelman and his family.  They came out last year to do some fantastic King Salmon fishing and that is just what they got!

If you've ever wondered about what the true experience of catching the big King is all about, watch Babe Winkelman's Good Fishing on the NBC Sports Network.  Airing of this segment, Old Harbor Kings, begins tomorrow, 2/7/12 and airs several times in the next week.  I'll be watching to see my friends in Old Harbor and the great fishing they had while Babe was there.  His beautiful daughter, Karlee, caught this whopper! 

Bill & I decided to go for the big King run this year and are heading to Kodiak in May.  Of course we'll be entering the Kodiak King Salmon Derby held each year on the island.  The lodge has a great run of big money winners...I'd love to be in that group!  My biggest King to date is 32 pounds that I caught in August.  The fishing will be fantastic and getting to meet some new people and spend time with my friends in Old Harbor always leaves us with great experiences, new jokes, and wonderful memories!

Be sure to check out Good Fishing episodes online and the current episodes on your local network.  Also, if you would like to join me in King fishing this year, just give me a ring or send me an email.  We'd love to have you!

It is already January 11th and I'm just starting to hit the blog again.  I had a great time and shared information with fantastic people at the Dallas SCI show last weekend. There was the usual, overwhelming groups from the world selling safaris, fishing, hunting...you name it - the adventures were plentiful.  There are always beautiful products from furriers, furniture makers, custom boot makers, jewelry, guns...an exhausting few days just looking at it all.

But this started my year off with a bang!  I had the pleasure of spending those days with Gary Sampson, the owner of Kodiak Sportsman's Lodge.  We had a lot of laughs and booked some new friends for 2012 Alaska fishing adventures. 

For the rest of the year I'll be doing some local fishing in Florida, then am heading to Costa Rica for a sailfishing tournament.  I'm also planning a trip to Kodiak (and of course Kodiak Sportsman's Lodge) in June to fish for the big Kings.  Who knows?  I may win the big bucks at the Kodiak King Salmon Derby!

Throughout the year I'll be working with my pals at Women's Prosperity Network, Ladies Let's Go Fishing, and Florida Sportswoman.  I'll admit, it doesn't seem like work when you have the opportunity to spend time with such great people.  I also have the privilege of ensuring that my clients have the most comfortable of travel days to and from their adventures. 

So what is on your list this year?  I didn't want to bore you with my ENTIRE list of to do's....but we all have some fun ones.  So SHARE!  What do you have planned that is going to make you sit up in bed each morning calling your name?

Mix up eggs, a little salt, milk, flour, and dump it into the pan with hot beef drippings from your Prime Rib and bake...either you love it or hate it. 
Wikipedia will give you the info on how the English love their puddings and this isn't REALLY a Yorkshire pudding unless it is 4 inches tall.  But I've enjoyed it although I didn't know any of that!  At some point our parents started making this with Prime Rib and that became the meal to have. (I think Mom just couldn't take one more turkey.)

In any case, the Yorkshire Pudding, Prime Rib, Twice Baked Potatoes, Caser Salad, Creamed Spinach and buttered Peas are our special meal.  As with many of us the anticipation of the meal is easily as enjoyable as the meal itself.  Having said that - we're all pretty stuffed afterward and fall asleep on the couch watching The Christmas Carol afterward - yet, another tradition! 

Merry Christmas everyone!

Along with the Twice Baked Potatoes you've got to have Prime Rib.  I always bake it for Christmas but rotisserie it the rest of the year with a delicious rub that would tempt the most devout vegetarian.

In my opinion overcooking this roast should be a felony with some serious hand-slapping type of punishment accompanied by a lecture.  I've only done it once when my friend and I started having cocktails a bit too early and Bill wasn't home to help with the timing.  Yikes!  It was a giant, meat basketball!  We managed to choke it down but what a disappointment.

Our dogs smell it cooking and you can see them signaling to one another "It's Prime Rib Night! It's Prime Rib Night!"  Kind of funny as I could swear I see the kids doing that too. In any case it is truly a feast and another element of our Christmas Eve Dinner tradition.  What are some of yours?

We have some long-standing traditions in our household and many of them involve cooking. This is how it was for me growing up. My love of spending hours in the kitchen engrossed in chopping, roasting, and baking with my own family is a big part of our lives.

Our Christmas Eve dinner is no exception.  We must have Prime Rib, Yorkshire Pudding, Creamed Spinach, Caesar Salad and...drum roll...the Twice Baked Potatoes. 

My children truly love the entire meal but the potatoes are coveted.  They are fluffy yet tangy, simply addicting.  After Christmas dinner they eat the remainders for breakfast, lunch and for snacks until the supply has been depleted.  The good part about that is the girls will wash potatoes, wash dishes - ANYTHING to allow me uninterrupted time so that those potatoes are perfect.  There are comments when the baking potatoes aroma fills the air, an empty skin or two ends up with some sour cream, salt and pepper and is an afternoon snack.

"It's only potatoes!" you say.  No, it isn't. It is being home again. It is the anticipation for that warm feeling of your family being around the table with everything as you remember it.  It is love and security and the feeling of simple happiness. 

So what have I been up to?  I picked up my daughter in Fort Lauderdale and headed down to the Keys. I was there to give a talk about Kodiak Sportsman's Lodge and was greeted by 60 lovely fishing ladies!  We all attended the Ladies Let's Go Fishing seminar in November headed up Betty Bauman.  I was so impressed with the quality of the break-out sessions and knowledge of the experts as were the other participants.                                                            

I always enjoy having the time to talk to people and find out what makes them tick. If you actually listen you hear about that person's loves, and hates and passions in life.  I spoke with a lovely lady who came from Grand Cayman, then lived in the Bahamas and now resides in Miami.  Her life was so interesting.  Discussing Grand Cayman and the Bahamas was interesting as well with her perspective and life stories attached.  I was blessed to meet her.

We had a great meal at the Green Turtle Inn the last night we were in town.  We didn't have a reservation and sat at the bar for dinner.  It was fun and the service and food was fantastic.  The selection was interesting and had great presentation.  We sat next to a man that I SWEAR was Jimmy Johnson's brother!  However, he had moved there from Evergreen, Colorado but it is hard to swallow when someone is such a look-alike! 

None of us want to be bumped from a flight. We have plans; a meeting, a reunion, a funeral, a VACATION!  But it still happens and this information is great to take notes about  who gets bumped, how not to get bumped, and what you're owed.

This immediately brings travel insurance to mind.  Yes, I'm a Travel Guard agent, but I always have travel insurance on a trip. It has paid for itself many times over and has lessened the blow when things go awry.  From my personal experience travel insurance has covered: clothing when luggage goes missing, hotels and meals, reimbursed for missed time on vacations, paid for alternative transportation, provided medical assistance, reimbursed missed flights, and rescheduled everything for me to boot.  So while I will keep all of the tips in this article in my pocket, I will also have my travel insurance to cover the trickle-down effect of a step missed in the itinerary. 

I know this article will be valuable to you - it sheds light on the whole "airline bumping" process.  http://bit.ly/rW03cV.