Destinations

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I had never been to Canada before and I love trains, so I was thrilled with the opportunity to see Canada’s beautiful countryside from my comfy chair aboard Rocky Mountaineer! This 7-day trip was jam packed with amazing scenery and thrilling adventures. I flew into Vancouver. I haven’t been to the Vancouver airport before, and I think it might be one of my fav’s! Getting through Customs was a breeze. I found an ATM machine to exchange a little Money (the airport is the easiest and just charges $3 to do the exchange). I found that I really didn’t have to exchange money as everyone takes Credit cards, but it was nice to have a little Canadian money for tips and smaller things I purchased. Pretty much everyone takes American dollars, but you won’t get as good of a deal and the change will be in Canadian.

We stayed at the Beautiful Sheraton Wall Centre in Downtown Vancouver. Our tour started early the following day. We were treated to ‘Fly Over Canada’ (if you like Soaring over California in Disneyland, you will love this), ate lunch in Granville Island, and explored the nearby forest at the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. Vancouver loves Art and Cultures from all over the world. Everywhere you look, you see evidence of this.

On Monday we boarded Rocky Mountaineer headed east to Kamloops for our 1st night. We enjoyed ‘Gold’ service with 180-degree views. You are assigned a nice (heated) seat and there isn’t a bad seat in the house…but no one sits in their seat for long. You get to know your fellow travelers, and everyone shares seats so you can get the best views of both sides of the train. Downstairs is the dining area; I must say the food was excellent! We enjoyed Breakfast and Lunch at our assigned time. In between we were served snacks and Drinks from an open bar. We had a personal guide in our train car who shared history and stories about the areas we were traveling through. We arrived at our Kamloops hotel around 8:00pm. We had enough time to take a short walk and found an ice cream cone before bed.

The next morning started at 6am. We were on the train and headed out of the station by 6:30. The Rocky Mountaineer folks makes everything fun. The whole train station staff came out and waved goodbye as we rolled out of both stations. This day was amazing. We saw eagles, mountain goats, elk, deer, etc. Everywhere you looked there were rivers, lakes, & adorable villages. There is a lot of History here. Stories (good and bad) were shared about the building of the railroad, Engineering feats (such as the Spiral Tunnels built in the early 1900’s), and Local folklore. This was a long day, but fantastic!

We finally arrived Banff. I’m a huge Yellowstone fan, but these Rocky Mountains put Yellowstone mountains to shame. They reminded me of the Teton peaks on a massive scale. They surround you and seem to go on forever. Just beautiful. The quaint town of Banff is mostly for tourists, but so much fun. Besides shopping, restaurants, & beautiful Hotels, there are trails everywhere. Mountains, rivers, waterfalls, & wildlife, are all within walking distance or a inexpensive bus ride.

For the next 2 days we toured Banff. We visited lake Louise, (a place I have always wanted to go) and had lunch in Fairmont Chateau at Lake Louise. We visited other beautiful lakes, and waterfalls (Emerald Lake may be my favorite). The Blue hues of these lakes are amazing. We were lucky enough to watch a cute teenage Bear wander by the side of the road near lake Louise. He didn’t seem to mind that we were close by. On our final day in Banff, we were able to take the gondola to the top of Mt Sulphur. The views of the surrounding mountains and valleys below were amazing. After enjoying lunch here, we set off for Calgary for our final day.

We didn’t get to see a lot of Calgary, but it was a beautiful city and I’m sure there is a lot to do. We did get to visit and enjoy dinner at the Calgary Heritage Park. A great place to immerse yourself in pioneer and cowboy life over a century ago. Dinner was fun in the old Gasoline Ally Museum. The food was great, and the Mayor of Calgary deemed us honorary Calgarians. It was a great trip and one I would recommend to anyone.

Karrie Stewart
Morris Columbus Travel

 

 

If you think Africa is all desert and savannah plains, you’re incorrect. Its landscapes are as diverse as they are breathtaking, a liberal helping of pretty beaches, charming towns, and stunning panoramic views. Here are my picks for two of the most beautiful places in Africa.

Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique

Mozambique’s long coastline is lined with many unspoiled and stunningly attractive beaches, none more so than the sands of the Bazaruto Archipelago just offshore. Its clear turquoise waters are home to a plethora of marine life, including sea turtles and dugongs.

Photo credit: Tonis Valing/Shutterstock

Uganda’s Tea Country

Many of us associate tea growing with the hill country of India and Sri Lanka, but East Africa’s soil and climate are equally suitable. Uganda’s lush and verdant farms form some of the country’s most photogenic landscapes. On your way to see the gorillas, add two extra days to discover the beauty of Uganda.

Photo credit: Ashim D Silva/Shutterstock

I will be happy to help you plan a worry-free getaway. Please contact me at (801) 483-6533 or to view my full travel biography, please click this link.

Bon Voyage!

Murielle Blanchard
Black Pearl Luxury Services
A division of Morris Murdock Travel
(801) 483-6533
email me

 

 

I noticed a lot of interest in travel to Portugal a few years ago. I had been myself around 20 years ago but only as an ending to a trip to Spain. I had done a lot of research for my client’s trips and was eager to travel there myself. Portugal is a country with very diverse scenery and climate. We started our trip by flying into Lisbon. Our intent was to rent a car and drive 3 hours to Porto to begin our adventure. One can take very short flight from Lisbon to Porto but I figured that we needed a car eventually and flying was around the same amount of time as driving. Looking back I really should have considered flying to Porto. We arrived in Lisbon to see a couple thousand people waiting for immigration and passport control After 14 hours travel time, jet lagged and hungry that is the last thing you want to see. After 2 ½ hours in the line we finally made it to the car rental which was unorganized and crowded as well. 3 ½ hours after we landed we were on the road for our 3 hour drive. If we had connected in Lisbon we could have easily gone through the short line for connecting flights, been on the plane within an hour and in Porto in another hour. Lessons learned! Apparently there has been a boom in travel to Portugal and immigration told us that since everyone had put off summer travel to Portugal, everyone was going now.

The drive to Porto was very easy. Road signs in Portugal are in English as well as Portuguese. We were rewarded for our difficult time traveling to Porto by this beautiful city. We stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel, which I highly recommend because of it’s wonderful location to the old city, beautiful rooms, amazing service and beautiful historical building. We explored a bit that evening, finding an excellent seafood restaurant. The next day we took a walking tour of the city which included a Douro River cruise. This was a fun way to get to know Porto and the scenery along the river. The city itself is a exquisite city with historic, amazing architecture. One thing you notice is the colorful blue tiles on the buildings. There was a great street market along the river and we enjoyed browsing the city after our tour. We had wonderful Portuguese food that evening which consist mainly of seafood since Porto is a fishing port. Get ready to have the whole fish or whole prawn ready to dissect, but once you finish it’s well worth it for the freshest seafood you may ever have.

When you ask yourself or your family members where they would like to vacation that would be a truly remarkable experience, what answers do you think of? I consider different places based on location, weather, activity options, time, cost, etc. However one answer is always the same: I want it to be unforgettable experience! When people have shared with me their experiences in Alaska, I’ve not only put Alaska on my bucket list, it’s been at the very top! So, when my wife and I recently had the opportunity to tour inland Alaska with the world renown company Globus, I was ecstatic! I can already tell you… it was an unforgettable experience! Just looking at the itinerary made me feel like a kid in a candy store! We hit many of the highlights of Alaska including stops in Anchorage, Valdez, Fairbanks, Denali, Seward and the Kenai Peninsula.

To name just a few of the activities: Capturing photos of majestic mountains peaks and jaw-dropping Glaciers, cruising through Prince William Sound and seeing Orca whales, Beluga whales, Humpback whales, Sea-lions, Sea-otters, whales and native birds, visiting a local fish hatchery, touring Gold-mining towns, panning for gold, riding aboard a genuine Riverboat powered by steam, eating amazing Salmon-bake dinners, traveling into Denali National Park in a window covered train and then touring Denali Park with professional nature scientists, seeing Moose, Caribou, and other amazing animals, and then visiting the home of a 4-time Iditarod champion and playing with the dogs, and finishing a fantastic week with a cruise of the Kenai Fjords out of famous Seward, Alaska. Did I mention seeing the wild salmon spawning in unbelievably picturesque rivers?

In the last ten years I have clients who have asked me to build a trip around a concert they wanted to attend somewhere in the world. I think it is a fabulous idea. For many of us music is a part of life and is interconnected with travel. Music has the power to transport you to faraway lands, lyrics can inspire you to explore new cultures. Listening to a particular song can take you back to a memorable journey.

When I listen to The Buena Vista Social Club, I think of my trip to Cuba. When I listen to Ladysmith Black Mambazo, I am transported to Africa. When I listen to Andrea Bocelli, Italy comes alive. When I think of Prague, I relive the classical music concert I attended in a small church. Every trip I have taken is linked to music.

I can help you discover the world one music at a time.

I would be honored to help you plan your next vacation wherever your dreams might take you! Please contact me at (801) 483-6533 or to view my full travel biography, please click this link.

Bon Voyage!

Murielle Blanchard
Black Pearl Luxury Services
A division of Morris Murdock Travel
(801) 483-6533
email me