 To celebrate this beautiful state, we are going to share 14 fun facts with you about it! Why 14 you ask? 1. For those new to the Colorado experience, a “14er” is the nickname given to 14,000 ft mountains, of which there are 58 in Colorado. 2. There are 4 National Parks here including Rocky Mountain, Mesa Verde, Great Sand Dunes, and Black Canyon of the Gunnison. 3. Wildlife includes bighorn sheep, mountain goats, mountain lions, black bears, prairie dogs, and bison. 4. The Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness located in the Elk Mountains of central Colorado is one of the most photographed mountain ranges in the entire country, and there is a wheelchair accessible path near Maroon Lake. 5. You can zip line across 1,000 ft. high Royal Gorge! 6. Whitewater Rafting has been a Colorado tradition for decades. Depending on where you spend your time in the state, some of the best bucket list waterways include the Colorado, Yampa, Animas, Cache La Poudre, and Arkansas Rivers. 7. For athletes of all abilities, skiing or snowboarding on fresh Colorado snow is one of the state’s ultimate outdoor experiences. 8. There are many events and festivals to celebrate the music, cuisine, arts, and other aspects of the state that make it so special. Colorado has a festival for everyone to add to their bucket list. Colorado is famous for the largest celebration of Celtic heritage west of the Mississippi River, the Great American Beer Festival, Winter X Games in Aspen, and many rodeo events. 9. With national recognition as one of the most beautiful places for live music, seeing a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater is an item that should be on every Colorado bucket list. 10. With volcanically formed mountains and geothermal activity beneath, there are many options to soak in a naturally fed hot spring pool throughout Colorado. 11. From breweries in Denver, Boulder, and Fort Collins to the vineyards of Palisade and beyond, you can enjoy the taste of Colorado in both crowded city streets and along scenic mountain byways. 12. With a scenic network of railways that navigate through river canyons and over mountain passes, Colorado by train is truly a delight. 13. Great with eggs, burritos, and just about everything else, Colorado Pueblo green chiles are a local favorite for a bit of spice and flavor. 14. The serenity and sheer beauty of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains draw millions of visitors from all over the world, searching for connections with nature and unforgettable outdoor experiences. We hope you enjoyed learning more about this state, one of our favorite US destinations to book for our clients!
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It may only be March, but now is the time to start planning for the world's Premier Halloween event! Go ahead and summon your scream squad, because you never go alone to Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights! Share the scares and stick together as you make your way through 10 terrifying haunted houses, 5 sinister scare zones, 2 outrageous live shows, and some of Universal Studios’ most exhilarating attractions and themed food and drinks. Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights brings together the stories and visions of the world’s most notorious creators of horror. From cinematic greats and crazed current cult favorites to the park’s original abominations—every year, the legend grows and the experience reaches beyond your wildest nightmares. As the sun sets on days filled with thrills in all of Universal’s theme parks, the night awakens with a frightening chill at Universal Studios Florida™. Surrounded in shadow by screams and mad laughter, you’re never quite sure if your spine is tingling with dread or sheer excitement. Step by step, you enter into terrifying haunted houses, inspired by the biggest names in horror. Face nightmarish creatures on streets twisted into sinister scare zones. Lose yourself in outrageous live shows filled with diabolically entertaining surprises. Then escape to some of Universal Studios’ most exhilarating attractions where heart pounding takes on a different meaning—until the horror calls you back. Our team has enjoyed this event for many years and (at the risk of embarrassing ourselves) could actually be called 101 Screams when going to HHN! Many of us LOVE the thrill and excitement with the jump scares and freaky characters, while others of us might be the ones shrieking, gripping the others arms until our knuckles are white, hiding behind, and closing our eyes until it's over! It's all in good fun! This event gets BUSY. Like, busy, busy. Like lines wrapped for hourssss to get into one of the TEN haunted houses busy. Believe us yet? We have the personal and professional knowledge to know exactly what to recommend so you have the best (scary) experience, with the least amount of waiting possible! And, if scary isn't your thing -- we can make sure your Universal trip is planned around event nights so you don't have to leave the park early when the event starts and closes to the general day tickets.  Ready to start planning your own Halloween Horror Night? Trick or Treat yourself and let us take care of all the details! Contact us today for a quote! Event may be too intense for young children and is not recommended for children under the age of 13. No costumes or costume masks allowed. Halloween Horror Nights is a separately ticketed event. Event occurs rain or shine. No rain checks, returns or refunds. Prices, dates, times, attractions, entertainment, and/or experience details are subject to availability, changes and/or cancellation without notice. Parks/attractions/entertainment may close or be unavailable due to capacity and benefits are subject to change without notice. Free self-parking after 6PM and Universal Cinemark Matinee Free Parking Program are not valid for Halloween Horror Nights event nights. Other restrictions may apply. Our company received some exciting news this week! Universal Orlando named 101 Vacations Travel Agency a U-Preferred Agency. This program was created by Universal Orlando to recognize and reward top-selling travel partners.  We have a passion for visiting Universal Orlando Resort ourselves, both as an agency and with our families and loved ones. That passion, personal experience, and professional knowledge helps us plan exceptional vacations for our clients and their families and loved ones.
Thank you to Universal Orlando for this incredible honor. If you are interested in a Universal vacation, click here to contact us! Happy National Plan for Vacation Day! National Plan for Vacation Day is celebrated every year on the last Tuesday in January to remind us to start planning our vacations and to take time off from work and school. There have been studies proving travel has been linked to greater happiness and science has also suggested that even thinking about a vacation can benefit mental health. While our lives have changed dramatically due to the effects of the pandemic over the last couple of years, there are still safe ways to travel and make sure we are getting that time to relax and recharge throughout the year.
It also just so happens that National Plan for Vacation Day falls on National Florida Day, so in honor of both, we wanted to share some of our Travel Concierges' favorite cities to visit and things to do in the Sunshine State! Leeanne Roberts "When visiting Daytona Beach, the Chart House is a must-do restaurant in a beautiful marina. It is a good idea to stay at an Ocean Walk hotel. The Hilton Ocean Walk is perfect. If you have a big group going, and everyone drives, pack plenty of beach games(bocce ball) is a huge favorite here with the large flat area on the beach. Plenty of room to play. Siesta Key is one of the most beautiful soft, white-sand beaches to visit. The sand is so white it looks like snow. You must park away from the beach & walk-up, but it is worth it! It has a small-town vibe with lots of beauty. You will not want to leave the beach. You will need to take your own chairs. Some days they do huge sandcastle building competitions. The Daiquiri Deck is a great place to try fun flavor daiquiris. There is a seafood & music festival going on this weekend." Kelly Swisher-Brown "Marco Island Marriott offers an adult-only option. Naples is close by with shopping, Botanical Gardens, and great local restaurants." Nicole Autry "I loved The Ritz in Sarasota. It's on the bay but they have a transfer to their Beach Club with really beautiful pools and of course their famous beach service. There is a tiki bar and full restaurant with private beach access. You can also walk to a few cute restaurants or take a 10-minute car ride to St. Armands." Shannon McCauley Sanibel and Captiva Island are wonderful places in Florida to plan a vacation! It is one of our family's favorite destinations to relax and rejuvenate. The most popular activity in Sanibel is shelling. I have actually gone early morning before the sun is fully up, walked into the ocean up to my shoulders, and used my feet to find really big (whole!) shells in the sand! Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille is excellent for a nice meal, and The Bubble Room is a fun kitschy dining option known for their huge homemade cakes - so save room for dessert! If you are thinking about taking some time off for a much-deserved vacation, contact us and we can assist you with all the ins and outs to create a stress-free getaway! If you have never used a Concierge to book your travel, you may have some misconceptions about the services that many agencies offer. While it may not work for everyone or every destination, there are many circumstances that provide the perfect opportunity to enlist some expert assistance.
Have you recently tried to book a trip for your family online? In some instances, you can do very well on your own. If you know all the tricks of the trade and have the time to research all the possibilities, you may find the price that is just right. Before I became a travel agent, I was the queen of Internet travel research. I had never used an agent and I was pretty well traveled personally and professionally. It wasn’t until I needed to book an international trip in a country where I had no contacts and could only rely on the ratings of Internet sites for travel tips that I had my first experience with someone else booking my trip. What I discovered is that it did not cost me anything extra, and I had someone handle all the details that made my trip memorable. Fast forward and now I have a fantastic team that has the pleasure of helping others with their planning. These are just a few of the reasons that you may consider using a Travel Concierge: Your schedule does not allow you to spend the time required to research the perfect vacation for your family. An expert can help you narrow your choices and price options in a much shorter time frame. They are well versed in not only a wide array of destinations, but logistical and safety factors as well. Have you noticed the number of natural disasters and hurricanes that have occurred in the last three months alone? I have personally booked and rebooked half a dozen families recently due to weather related incidents. Because I do this all day long, it was very easy to offer alternatives at a moment’s notice. The Concierge team in our office do what they do because they LOVE creating magical moments for their clients. They are there from the beginning of the client’s journey while planning every detail, to departure and even after the vacation is over. They not only expect a personal call if there is an issue but want to hear from their clients if there are any challenges. If you book your trip online, and have a scheduling issue or your room is not what you thought you booked, you may or may not reach someone or anyone who can help. A great Concierge is a real person who cares about you and your vacation. They know you saved and worked hard to get there and want it to be as perfect as possible. Why wouldn’t you want an advocate working for you? Updated information for your destination can make or break your trip. It would be important to know that the hotel you have chosen is on a very noisy highway or the portion of the park your children were most excited about visiting is closed for renovation. They may also know the secret passage way to get to the beloved favorite character before the park closes. On occasion, having a Concierge book your trip can also reward you with upgrades. Cruise lines, car rental companies and hotels have been known to give upgrades to passengers booked through an agency if space permits. It is also extremely helpful if you have a problem to have your Concierge handle it for you. Unfortunately, when mistakes are made, it is sometimes more difficult for an individual traveler to receive the service that he/she deserves. It is also very helpful if you are traveling to a destination that can be confusing with all the options, such as Disney. Did you know that Disney World offers more than 25 resorts onsite and over 90 restaurants? You certainly can book your own trip but it is nice to have the assistance of someone who can book your room, reserve your character dining and help you with the three generations of your family that will be attending. Also, if you are traveling to a destination that has different specials during the year, wouldn’t you like to have those options prior to booking your trip? Many agencies do not charge for these services. The hotels, resorts or cruise lines almost always cover the commission. Some agencies will charge a fee for booking when only airline tickets are purchased. In this instance, you can always check prices yourself and compare. We always provide our clients with the best options we can find and then they can decide if it is the right fit for them. If we can help you make your travel adventures a little less complex please contact us. We would love to assist you on your next journey. |