Why use a travel advisor?

Probably a reasonable question, eh?  Especially considering most people are pretty comfortable jumping online and searching for what they need.  And actually, if all you're doing is flying from Atlanta to Chicago, booking a flight and a hotel is straightforward these days.

But what about when it gets more complicated, or more important to get right because it involves your family's big annual vacation?  Is it worth all your time doing research?  Can you really trust that online review from someone you don't know?  Can you possibly know all the options that may be available to you, and what the best match is for you and your family?

Below are some of the most important reasons why using a travel advisor is still beneficial to you.  Do any of these resonate with you?  Let me know!


PERSONALIZED SERVICES
We offer expert travel advice and personal service that you can't get from the Internet.  We take the time to ask the right questions and learn about your interests and preferences.  Whether you are looking for a romantic getaway, a family cruise, or a European adventure, we will match your needs to the perfect travel experience just for you.

TIME SAVINGS
With so many travel choices available, you can spend hours, days, or even weeks in front of a computer searching for the best vacation and reading anonymous reviews... or you can quickly talk to someone you can trust who puts your interests first.  We take the hassle out of travel planning and guide you through the entire process.

VALUE-ADDED BENEFITS AND AMENITIES
We don't charge any fees or increase prices to cover our commission.  The tour vendors, resorts, and cruise lines pay this out of THEIR bottom line because of the volume of business we bring them.  In addition, because we are top producers with the best suppliers in the industry, we can offer you competitive prices, exclusive vacation packages, low fares, and special amenities.

AMERICAN EXPRESS BENEFITS
As an American Express Travel Representative, we are able to offer American Express cardmember benefits such as Pay with Points and Mariner Club sailings.

EXPERT KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
We are certified specialists who have completed extensive training on select destinations, cruise lines, resorts, tour operators and more.  As experienced travelers we can give you insider tips based on our knowledge and connections.

FULL-SERVICE ASSISTANCE
Like a personal shopper, we can provide one-stop travel shopping for you.  We can handle land tours, river cruises, ocean cruises and shore excursions, all-inclusive resorts, air arrangements, rental cars, hotel stays, weddings and events, honeymoon and celebration registries, travel insurance, passport and visa services, and so much more.

PEACE OF MIND
Our service doesn't end after you've made the booking.  We are here to help and advise if something should go wrong before or during your trip such as canceled flights or revised itineraries.  You can't call "the Internet" if you have an issue, but you can call us.

www.ImaginativeGetaways.com

Super Bowl Sunday

Dateline:  2015-02-01, Sunday
Location:  University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ


Super Bowl 49 was held in the University of Phoenix Stadium, just a short drive south from us.  We joined 80,000 of our closest friends by heading to Glendale to experience the game's festivities, entry lines, vehicle congestion, concession stand lines, inebriated screamers, parking fun, and bathroom lines.

Okay, no way did that happen.  We tried to stay as far away from 80,000 people as we could, in fact.  To that end, we actually drove north (not south) to a nearby park for an early afternoon hike.  So actually, let's just go ahead and re-title this Blog post correctly at this point...


Pinnacle Peak hike
(Dateline:  2015-02-01, Sunday)
(Location:  Pinnacle Peak, AZ)

Pinnacle Peak Park has a hiking trail that winds through the mountains that is one of the most popular in the area.  There was something less than 80,000 people on the trail today, probably in the 150-200 range.  Even though it's about 2 miles long, that makes for a pretty busy trail area — definitely more heavily trafficked than some of our other recent hikes.  The route goes up and down in elevation several times and provides great vistas from different perspectives, which is nice.

This first picture is a good example of the scenery and surroundings.  The massive saguaro in the center is likely 200+ years old.

Ever wonder what the inside of a saguaro is actually like?  This is a picture of a fallen saguaro, where you can see the individual stalk-like branches that make up the "skeleton".

I wasn't lying about the name of the "teddy bear cholla" in my previous post, see?

These next two are red barrel cacti.  I like the trio of siblings all bunched up together in the first picture.  And the second picture is astounding — that's definitely the coolest red barrel on the entire hike.  It's a pretty good-sized cactus growing straight on top of a massive flat section of rock jutting out from the cliff side.

This is looking up one of the mountainsides that we were about to climb.  The trail is invisible from this perspective, but it winds back and forth up in elevation until you're just below the massive rock cluster at the top.  I like how this picture captured the clearness of the sky and the brightness of the sunshine.

The full Flickr album of all photos taken during the hike can be found here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/CPGetaways/sets/