Hi all!

As many of you know, I’m a huge fan of light packing. But I may have harped on this idea a little too much, with unfortunate consequences for a friend who came to visit in Asheville over the weekend.

“I kept trying to cut back, cut back to get it all to fit,” she said about her packing. “Then when I arrived, I only had one sneaker. I guess I cut back too much.” Lesson learned: count your shoes ladies!!

And now, some more travel guidance for you, because it’s…

Travel Tips Tuesday

Are you looking for a way to escape the mayhem and madness of 2025? Whether you’re traveling on your own, or with us (we hope you do!) here’s some interesting travel advice and news we’ve curated from our sources.

Roots Travel

Increasingly, the family tree is offering inspiration for a vacation itinerary. More and more people are booking trips that take them to the places their ancestors lived. Think of those three generations of men in last season’s White Lotus who were in Sicily to “come home.” (It didn’t turn out so well for them, but….)

Some of the most common destinations for this “geneoliday” (I just made up that word), are Scotland, Ireland and Italy. And who wouldn’t want to see if there’s an old castle hidden in your lineage.

Take Better Travel Pictures

I was married to a brilliant National Geographic photographer for almost 30 years, and I didn’t realize this till lately, but a bit of what he knew about photos has rubbed off on me.

I’ve written up some tips to help our trip leaders get better photos, but I thought you, as an enthusiastic traveler (and probably social media poster) might like to read them too.

• Get closer. That was always my ex’s number one advice in his photography classes. It adds immediacy and power.

• Focus on action and emotion. Nothing is more deadly than a shot of people posing stiffly for the camera. Take the photo while they’re doing something, engaging with each other—even if not everyone is looking in the camera.

• Get rid of clutter. Too often I see photos that have an electrical box on the wall above someone’s head or backpacks down on the ground, or plastic water bottles in hand. Grrrrr!

• We don’t want to see people’s backs. Say, you’re walking around a pretty town with your pals, you might want a shot that shows them in context. Instead of lazily raising your phone for a quick pic, get out in front of them for a photo of them walking toward you, but again they don’t need to be gawking at the camera. Have them be natural.

• Don’t be afraid to crop. In the camera or with editing tools. You don’t need everybody in every shot and you usually have a lot of unnecessary ground at people’s feet. Also, I often cropped out an unsmiling person in the photo. Focus on the good stuff.

I could go on and on. And with that in mind, I’ve decided to offer a travel photo webinar. I can show you examples of how to make your photos better. RSVP here if you want to join me on Monday, April 7th.

More Thumbs Up for Asheville

Another round up of top places to travel, another shout out to my beloved hometown. This time Forbes Magazine named Asheville in the top 12 destinations in the world!!  Here’s your chance to see it as an insider.

Don’t Miss Out on Low Airline Prices

We do all we can to offer the lowest prices on a jam-packed, beyond-the-expected itineraries, but we can’t help much with airfare costs. However, this article can…

Jeannie Ralston

CEO and Co-Founder

HOT FLASH!!!

Grab the last spot on the Colombia trip (in a shared room). Yes, that’s Colombia in the photo above! Sigh. Check it out here.

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