Traveling is the gift we give to ourselves.  It broadens the mind with gentle education, helps you appreciate the diversity of cultures, and once awakened the spirit of adventure will call you over and over again.  Not everyone will visit the Galapagos Islands or stand next to the idols on Christmas island.  However not all travel is to exotic destinations!  I'm working on my list of adventures that will take a lifetime to complete - and helping you accomplish your list is what I do.

Do you need suggestions? I've traveled to many of the big cities in the USA and believe every American should visit Washington D.C. at least once.  It's a great vacation and one you'll talk about for years. Or how about a cruise though the Panama Canal - a wonder of engineering and built under incredible conditions. Have you seen the highest mountain on our continent - Denali,  the Great One, or its most recent name, Mt. McKinley? The Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument; our national parks are beautiful and accessible. I'm still working on my USA list and the Kentucky Derby is still on it! 

I've hiked a section of Kings Canyon in Australia and witnessed a sunrise in the Outback. My open water dive certificate is from Fiji - I prefer warm water diving, don't you? I've explored underwater in Hawaii, several areas in Mexico, Tahiti, and the Caribbean. I have spent about a month in combined trips to Italy - villas, hotels, B&B's, train travel, the Vatican, the Uffizi, the walled cities of Cortona and Lucca, the catacombs outside of Rome, are just a few of the experiences I can share with you. How about somewhere closer? Canada for instance - the skiing is fantastic, and the winter Olympics in Vancouver are just a year away! 

Thailand - one of my most strenuous trips with an elephant ride through the Teak Forest, and the river canal shopping in Bangkok, with amazing palace visits during the day and open markets to shop at night.  The Cloud Forest in Costa Rica really challenged me to cross a dozen suspension bridges, but I was rewarded with howler monkeys and the most beautiful hummingbirds I've ever seen in a secluded feeding area where I was "buzzed" by hummers the size of robins! 

I like to cruise - I get on a ship often.  My next one is to Alaska, with my mother and her friend who have never seen our 49th state.  It will be my third cruise in Alaska, and I'm looking forward to sharing it with them.  That's what travel means to me - sharing the memories and enticing others to adventure out of our backyard.  Let me help you add an adventure to your life story!

It's Official - Mexicana Airlines has stopped service!

September 01, 2010

Mexicana Group announced that it's three airlines, Mexicana Airlines, MexicanaClick and MexicanaLink have suspended all flight operations as of Saturday, August 28, 2010.  I didn't hear a word about it on the news - and I'm sure there are folks that are in for a nasty surprise at the airport this weekend for that last long weekend vacation in Mexico.  At Azumano we are contacting our clients to help them get a refund and new tickets on other airlines.  That's just part of the...

Don't Stand in Line for the Famous Museum Admissions!

August 26, 2010

Did you know there are ways to get an advance ticket to most of the famous museums in the world?  Two countries I sell the most have museums on the must see list - France and Italy.  In France there is a museum pass, over 70 museums on one pass!  It also includes discounts for plenty of other tourist sights.  No standing in line to get into the Louvre - it has a separate entrance and escalator for ticket holders.  In Italy several museums are capacity controlled and you...

Terracotta Army come to Vancouver Island!

August 13, 2010

The following message is from the Victoria tourism newsletter I receive - and since it's unlikely that I'll ever make it to China, I think I will do my best to get up to Vancouver Island during this exhibition!"The Warrior Emperor and China’s Terracotta Army will be on display at the Royal BC Museum from December 23, 2011 to April 22, 2012. The exhibition will feature over 250 artifacts, dating to the first millennium BC. Among them are 10 full-sized, complete terracotta sculptures...