I taught World Geography for 32 years and led student trips through six European countries. Now I plan several types of trips: cruises, all-inclusive resorts, custom European itineraries and even family vacations to Disney and Universal Studios.
Those vacations have something in common. The decisions are numerous, the money is significant, and getting one wrong ruins a week you waited a year for. That's where an advisor changes the outcome.
What I don't plan: a two-night hotel in Austin. Book that yourself - you'll be fine, and I'd be wasting your time.
Tell me who's coming, what your budget is, what would make the week great and what would ruin it. I'll come back with two or three real options and honest notes on the tradeoffs, including the ones that don't flatter my recommendation.
CLIA - Certified Cruise Counselor
Galveston Cruises for DFW Travelers
Cruises look simple until you start comparing them.
Which cruise line fits you? Which ship? Which itinerary? Which cabin? Is a balcony worth it? Is the drink package worth it? Is that shore excursion leaving enough time to get back to the ship?
Those decisions can make a much bigger difference than the price shown on the search results page.
I'm a CLIA Certified Cruise Counselor and have completed training with the cruise lines I regularly book. I've also spent plenty of time aboard ships myself.
That matters because cabin location is one of the easiest things to get wrong.
A cabin underneath the pool deck can be a very different week from one a few decks lower. Forward, aft and midship locations can feel different when the water gets rough. And being twenty cabins farther down the hallway does not sound important until you've made that walk six times in one day. How to Avoid a Bad Cruise Cabin
I help you choose the ship, itinerary and specific cabin based on how you actually travel.
I can also coordinate the other pieces around the cruise, including flights, pre-cruise hotels, transfers and shore excursions.
The goal isn't simply to get you onto a ship.
It's to put you on the right one.
Adult Only or Family Friendly
This is one of the most frustrating parts of planning online.
Two resorts can look identical in photos, reviews, and price and deliver completely different weeks. Whether dinner reservations mean a 7 a.m. line at the concierge desk. Whether club level is the entire difference or $600 for a bathrobe. Whether that beach is one you'll swim at or one you'll admire from a lounge chair while the current rips past. Is this a quiet anniversary spot or a nonstop party?
Those are the details I sort out before you spend thousands.
Tell me who's traveling and the kind of week you want - quiet or active, adults-only or family-friendly, beach or pool-focused, relaxed or high-energy.
I'll narrow it down from there.
I plan resorts across Mexico and the Caribbean, including Cancún, the Riviera Maya, Los Cabos, Punta Cana, and Jamaica. Deciding between the first two? Read Cancún vs Riviera Maya: Which One Actually Fits Your Vacation? I've personally stayed at or inspected several properties in Mexico, including JOIA Paraiso and Valentin Imperial Maya, and I'll always tell you when I haven’t been somewhere myself. All Inclusive Getaways from DFW & Cancun vs Riviera Maya
I am also a Certified Sandals Specialist (CSS) - I will tell you what Sandals offers and what is not included - Sandals Resorts / Sandals Resorts - What is not included
Timing Matters Too
The resort is only part of the decision.
Weather, hurricane season, seaweed, school breaks, and holiday pricing can completely change the value of a week.
Sometimes the cheaper date is a great deal. Sometimes it isn’t.
I'll tell you which one you’re looking at.
Creating lifelong memories - together
Europe is where my old job and my new one overlap the most.
I taught World Geography for more than three decades and led student trips through England, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, and Italy - and I still love planning Europe.
The biggest mistake I see isn't choosing the wrong hotel. It's trying to do too much.
Five cities in twelve days can look fine on paper, but in reality it often means constant packing, travel days, and more time in transit than actually enjoying the trip.
I build itineraries around the time you actually have.
Which cities fit together? What order makes sense? Train or flight? Where should you slow down - or cut a stop entirely?
I handle hotels, transportation, tours, and entry requirements so everything works together smoothly.
Bring me your wish list first. Then we'll turn it into a trip.
European River and Ocean Cruises - Viking Cruises
Where memories are made!
I spent 32 years around kids.
That gives you a pretty good education in the difference between something that says "family-friendly" and something families will actually enjoy.
The same goes for Disney.
A Disney vacation has enough reservation systems, resort choices, ticket options, dining decisions and planning windows that waiting until you arrive and figuring it out as you go can get expensive quickly.
I'm a graduate of the College of Disney Knowledge and have also completed Universal training.
I can help with Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney and Universal Studios family vacations.
But the bigger question isn't simply what to book.
It's what works for your family.
A nine-year-old and a fifteen-year-old may have completely different definitions of a great vacation. So might their parents.
I'll plan around all of them.
Where the journey is the vacation
Most people don't think about a train until someone mentions Glacier National Park is visible right from the tracks, or that Alaska's rail cars have glass-domed ceilings built specifically so nothing gets missed.
Rail vacations solve a real problem with national park trips - someone always has to drive. A train removes that entirely, and does it with a level of comfort most people don't expect: private sleeping rooms, real sit-down dining, and a dedicated attendant who handles the rest.
I plan routes through America's national parks, Alaska rail-and-sail combinations, and glass-domed journeys through the Canadian Rockies - matched to how much time you have and which room type actually fits your group.