Sydney and Jon, clients of Travel Consultant Christine Wolff, recently returned home from a 4-night trip to Las Vegas. They planned the trip to celebrate Sydney's birthday, but little did she know that Jon and Christine were planning an EPIC surprise proposal! Check out Sydney and Jon's testimonials about the proposal, Christine's testimonial about planning the trip and surprise, and to see the beautiful photos from the proposal below! Sydney:“I dreamed of the day I would meet a man like Jon and he would ask me to marry him. I am so excited that he was able to propose on our first big trip together alone! Hearing about all of the work Jon did with our travel agent [Christine Wolff] to plan this dreamy proposal in Vegas was amazing. It happened while riding on the gondola at the Venetian and reading “Will you marry me?” written in the clouds of the canal. It was like a movie! Everyone was so accommodating afterwards as we walked around the property with a photographer getting pictures. It was a trip I will never forget!” Jon:"When we began planning this trip, Christine was very patient with all of the changes and our questions. With the way of the world in 2020, the trip went from a large group to just me and Sydney. I knew that this was when I was going to ask Sydney to be my forever. Proposing is stressful enough, but having Christine able to make things happen for us made my proposal everything I wanted it to be. I wasn't even sure if the best way to ask her was in Vegas, but Christine gave me options and let me choose the perfect way to ask Sydney to be my wife. She was available at all times while we were on the trip and made us feel special with gifts of congratulations after Sydney said YES! I highly recommend using her and Brentwood Travel." Christine:"Sydney and Jon came to me back in June to plan a fun Vegas getaway for Sydney’s birthday! Not too long after we booked their trip, Jon reached out to me to plan several spa reservations, shows, dinner reservations, and an amazing proposal for his girlfriend! Of course, this was all going to be a surprise for Sydney. Jon and I spent the next two months planning multiple surprises for each day of the trip to make Sydney’s birthday weekend special. He wanted to make sure that she felt extremely pampered and special leading up to the days of the proposal. After going back and forth with all the options for an epic proposal, Jon and I decided he would propose to her at the beautiful Venetian Resort on a private gondola ride! We worked directly with the hotel to plan an elaborate proposal. I made sure to get Jon into contact with one of the property’s event coordinators to project the words “Will You Marry Me?” into the sky of the resort while they rode on the gondola, order a beautiful floral arrangement for Sydney after she said yes, and arrange a professional photographer for photos during and after the proposal. Planning this proposal was so special for me because I recently got engaged and married myself. I absolutely loved working with Jon to make this an amazing weekend for Sydney and was so happy to be a part of the day they will remember for the rest of their lives! Jon and Sydney— Congratulations again! I wish you both nothing but the best and cannot wait to see what future adventures you two will have together!" Interested in planning the proposal of a lifetime? Contact Christine Wolff to start planning today!
Call her at 314-439-5700 ext. 134 or email her
0 Comments
When you work in the travel industry your resolution list doesn't always include just diet and exercise; instead, it's where to travel next! Some of our staff members have shared where they hope to travel in 2020 that they have not visited before. We wish everyone a Happy New Year and we hope you complete your travel resolutions, too! Ashley Curry- Walt Disney World "I am hoping to go to Disney World in October for the 50th anniversary." Brenna Shea- Boston, Massachusetts "This summer I'm planning on taking a trip to Boston and Cape Cod!" Carrie Fry- Australia or Alaska "Fingers crossed we can do Australia in 2021, but I’ll be happy with an Alaska cruise." Cathy Robinson- AmaWaterways Rhone River cruise "I'm hoping in late summer to sail with AmaWaterways on the 'Colors of Provence' Rhone River sailing- visiting wonderful little towns & experiencing local vintages like Beaujolais & Corte du Rhone." Cheryl Hegger- Anywhere! Christine Wolff- All around the world! "I plan on traveling to Puerto Vallarta in the Spring, Florida in the Summer, Iceland in September and Ireland in October!" Christy Sorth- Taiwan "All year I have been reading travel blogs learning more about Taiwan. From the friendly people to the amazing food, I hope to travel to this destination soon!" Dagmar Morrison- Mediterranean cruise "A Mediterranean cruise is on my bucket list!" Lynne Meyer- Cancun, Mexico "My family and I plan to go to Cancun and stay at the Marriott Casa Magna Resort in June." Melanie Muchnick- Park City, Utah "We recently bought a condo in Park City so we plan on traveling there and possibly taking a beach vacation!" Mickey Gaona- Europe "We would love to get back to Italy and Greece. Or our easy go-to is Florida!" Trish Roth- Cancun, Mexico "We have another trip to Cancun booked for last week of March!" To book your 2021 resolution trip contact one of our travel specialists!
|
| |
Fun Fact about “Bird Rock” – Bird Rock was completely covered in 4 to 5 feet of pelican and cormorant guano until 1930 when it was harvested as a fertilizer. Sea lions took advantage of the cleaned-off perch and have been sunbathing there ever since!
| |
Day Fourteen: Big Sur & Our Pacific Coast Highway Drive to Malibu
What is the Pacific Coast Highway? State Route 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) is a major north-south state highway that runs along most of the Pacific coastline of California. At a total of 656 miles, it is the longest state route in California.
This area is located on a natural harbor making it a fantastic place to see marine wildlife. What Morro Bay is MOST known for is the “Morro Rock”. This rock is a giant volcanic behemoth located directly on the beach.
Morro Bay is also known for its seafood, clam chowder and fish & chips so of course we stopped and had fish and chips on the bay. After lunch, we walked around the small town and did a bit of shopping before getting on the road again.
We got to our room and there was a bottle of wine and chocolate covered strawberries waiting for us. We spent the rest of our evening ordering room service, enjoying wine and taking in the sounds of the ocean at night right from our balcony.
Days Fifteen & Sixteen: Malibu
Unfortunately, the Spa was closed due to COVID but the restaurant on property was still open! For breakfast, lunch, dinner, and room service and thankfully the restaurant was closed to the public and was only serving hotel guests at the time we were there.
The restaurant on property is called Carbon Beach Club Restaurant. It sits on the beach itself overlooking the waves and wildlife of the Pacific Ocean and the Malibu Pier. This restaurant is also the same place that offers the room service. They only use locally-sourced ingredients from One Gun Ranch and resident farmers’ markets to create seasonal land and sea menus and boy was the food DELICIOUS! Everything we ate was, even the food we ordered to our room!
| |
More photos of the resort below:
Interested in planning a domestic road trip? Or visiting any of these destinations? Contact Christine Wolff to start planning your trip today! Call 314-439-5700 ext. 134 or email her!
Our road trip started in Seattle, Washington, and ended in Malibu, California, and totaled 2,871 miles! We made so many stops along the way at notable destinations like Olympic National Park, Cannon Beach, Redwoods, San Francisco, Yosemite National Park, Big Sur, and more! Our very close friends, Nick and Lindsay, joined my husband and me for the first week of this adventure and they brought SO much joy and laughter along with them.
Day One: Olympic National Park, Washington
(Driving to Olympic National Park & Lake Crescent)
What is Olympic National Park? Olympic National Park was established on June 29th, 1938, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. This 922,651-acre park consists of 56 mammal species (including 24 marine mammal species), 300 bird species, 37 native fish species, 20 reptile and amphibian species, 22 species listed as threatened or endangered. There are few parks with such diverse climates and varied geography as this one. Olympic consists of four distinct ecosystems and you can easily visit all four in just one day! There over 73 miles of Washington coastline and beaches, forests are found all over the park with huge trees older than 200 years also consisting of over 3,000 miles of rivers and streams, 60 named glaciers, more than four large temperate rainforests are found on the park’s west side, and mountain ranges that completely dominate Olympic’s central zone with its tallest peak sitting at 7,980 feet (Mt. Olympus). These are just a few reasons why Olympic National Park had been on our “Domestic Travels Bucket List” and the next 3 days’ worth of stories and pictures will have you adding it to yours!
| Lake Crescent - The drive from the airport to our first destination, Olympic National Park, was breathtaking! Beautiful mountainous hills and fall colors surrounded us on every corner. After about 2.5 hours of driving and a quick stop to a local grocery store for road trip essentials, we arrived at Lake Crescent. The arrival at Lake Crescent was something that I will always remember. We took a turn around a bend in the road and out of nowhere this beautiful lake was presented to us. All our jaws dropped at the beauty that seemed to have come out of nowhere! |
What is Lake Crescent? Lake Crescent is nestled in the northern foothills of the Olympic Mountains and is the second deepest lake in Washington as an official maximum depth of 624 feet. It is known for its vibrant blue waters and exceptional clarity that is caused by lack of nitrogen in the water which inhibits the growth of algae. Residing on the lake itself, is Lake Crescent Lodge where we were fortunate enough to spend our very first evening.
Day Two: Olympic National Park, Washington
(Hurricane Ridge, Sol Duc Valley & Forks)
Side note: The only downside to visiting Olympic National Park is that driving through the park is not possible, as you can only drive around the park to visit its various locations. The 101 (main highway surrounding the park) is the only road that surrounds the park entirely, so that is the main road we drove during our visit in ONP and is the best way to get around this HUGE park and its various locations.
What is Sol Duc Valley? Sol Duc Valley is named the most beautiful falls in the entire park and is situated just a few miles from Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort and Campground.
What is Forks? Forks, Washington, is a small town that is located right outside of Olympic National Park. It is named after the forks in the nearby Quillayute, Bogachiel, Calawah, and Sol Duc rivers. The town gained popularity in tourism after the book and movie series, Twilight was set in Forks. Twilight tours are available here, but there was no way I was going to convince my friends and husband to take these tours (even though I hate to admit that I am a huge Twilight fan and would have loved to take part in these tours).
Day Three: Olympic National Park, Washington
(Hoh Rainforest, Third Beach, & Forks)
What is Hoh Rainforest? The Hoh Rainforest (pronounced “Hoe”) gets its name from the ever-flowing Hoh River that has carved its way from Mt. Olympus towards the Pacific Coast forming from glacier runoffs. Known as one of the world’s lushest rain forests, the Hoh Rainforest gets as much as 14 feet of rain each year and the prevalent fog and mist contributes the equivalent of another 30 inches of rain each year! Mosses and ferns blanket the surfaces of the entire forest and its surroundings.
What is Third Beach? Third Beach is a tidepool beach located on the Olympic Pennisula Coast near Forks. This is one of the Olympic Coast’s famed wilderness beaches with excellent opportunities to view bald eagles and seals. The hike to Third Beach is known to hikers worldwide as it delivers wonderment in every season throughout the year.
Upon arriving at the Third Beach Trailhead, we parked our car and began the infamous roundtrip 2.8 mile hike through extremely tall sitka spruce, western hemlock and red alder trees. Along the way, we could hear sounds of a nearby rushing creek and many birds in the trees above us.
The sun was beginning to set so we made the wise decision to begin our 1.4 mile hike back to the car to return back to the Forks Airbnb for our final night in Washington.
Day Four: Olympic National Park to Cannon Beach, Oregon
(Ruby Beach & Cannon Beach, Oregon)
What is Ruby Beach? Ruby Beach is located on the Washington Coast and is part of Olympic National Park. It got its name from the reddish granules that gather on the shore. It is known for the many rocks, sea stacks and huge driftwood logs on shore.
We said goodbye to our adorable Forks Airbnb and drove 35 minutes to Ruby Beach. We parked at the main parking lot and began walking down to the shore. The walk was amazing within itself offering views of Ruby Beach from above with extremely tall trees surrounding us. Once we reached the bottom, we climbed over many large driftwood logs to reach the beach.
What is Cannon Beach? Cannon Beach is located along the Pacific Coast of Oregon. It is a small, quaint beach town famous for the “Haystack Rock” that resides on the beach. Haystack Rock is a 327-foot tall sea stack that has tide pools home to many animals including colorful starfish, sea anemone, crabs and sea slugs. It is taller than the Leaning Tower of Pisa! The rock is also a nesting site for many seabirds and puffins. Low tide offers the chance to walk right up to the tide-pools. This famous Haystack Rock can be seen in the opening scene of the 1985 movie The Goonies.
Day Five: Cannon Beach & Bend, Oregon
(Cannon Beach, OR and Bend, OR)
We spent our morning enjoying coffee on the beach and watching the morning fog rise from the coastline. Come late morning, we left the hotel to explore the adorable small beach town of Cannon Beach. We had the most delicious crepes and eggs benedict at Pig ‘N Pancake right in town. It was the best crepe I think I have ever had. After breakfast, we walked around the town a bit, did some shopping, and stopped at The Wine Shack and bought some local wine to bring on the rest of the road trip with us!
Day Six: Redwood National & State Parks, California
(Redwoods National & State Parks)
Our first week officially came to an end and our lovely friends departed us as we continued on to our second week. Stay tuned for next week’s blog to read about week two of our road trip! Next up: San Francisco, Yosemite National Park, Big Sur, and more!
Interested in planning a domestic road trip? Or visiting any of these destinations? Contact Christine Wolff to start planning your trip today! Call 314-439-5700 ext. 134 or email her!
Photo Album with Travel Memories
This year has been full of reminiscing on some of our favorite trips over the years. With being able to take photos on our phones, we often forget to print out the amazing photos we take and forget about them. Putting together a photo album full of a loved one's travel memories is a gift they will cherish for years. |
Noise-Cancelling Headphones
The Bucket List: 1000 Adventures Big & Small
This book, by Kath Stathers, is full of location-specific activities. It is full of activities as geographically unique as bird-watching in Kenya or driving through clouds in Sri Lanka, as well as other to-dos that can be done anywhere, such as sketching a sunset behind an architectural monument. Perfect for your most adventurous friends and family! |
Packing Cubes
Brentwood Travel Gift Certificate
Call us 314-439-5700 or email us!
Ships by size
On-board lifestyle
Special Interest Cruises
Now that you've learned a little more about different types of cruising, let's start planning your next cruise! Contact Brentwood Travel today.
Call 314-439-5700 or email us!
Consider what could happen if...
- The night before your long-awaited second honeymoon, your boss tells you he has scheduled a 3-day conference with your biggest clients and absolutely insists on your attendance.
- Your sister-in-law becomes seriously ill just as you’re preparing to leave for Europe, and you need to cancel your vacation.
- A snowstorm in your hometown shuts down the airport, and you miss the sailing of your cruise to Mexico.
- As you arrive in Maui, you find your bags are lost with all of your clothes, personal items and medications.
- You reach for your money in a crowded Turkish market and find that your wallet and passport have been stolen.
- You are at a beach resort in Jamaica, and you are forced to evacuate due to an approaching hurricane.
- While hiking Denali National Park in Alaska, you fall and break a leg, necessitating an immediate evacuation to the nearest medical care facility.
- It’s 10:00 p.m. and you and your family arrive at the airport in Rome for the last leg home from a wonderful Mediterranean cruise, only to find your flight has been canceled.
Common Objections to Travel Insurance
Traditional Domestic Health Insurance Plans:
- Limit coverage for out-of-country medical expenses to emergency-related costs
- Have high deductibles and co-pays for emergency treatment abroad
- Don't cover out-of-country emergency medical transportation
- Medicare won't pay for health care and supplies you receive outside of the U.S. in most situations
- Medicare cannot cover prescription drugs purchased outside the U.S.
- Credit card coverage for trip cancellation and interruption is highly limited compared to travel insurance
- Credit card coverages vary. You would have to find your credit card agreement to determine if your card carries coverage. This could be time consuming for you.
- Credit cards usually only reimburse for death, injury, or illness of the insured or a family member, or for a supplier default
- Credit cards may not reimburse consumers in cases of travel delay
- Credit cards may not automatically cover medical emergencies, and usually don't cover emergency medical transportation and evacuation
Travel insurance doesn't just cover you. It also provides coverage if you need to cancel or return home if something covered happens to your:
- Traveling companion
- Children
- Spouse
- Parents
- Other family members
- Travel insurance is only a small percentage of your total vacation cost
- If you need to cancel, could you afford to re-book?
- If you have to get home in an emergency, do you have the funds?
- Cruise line "Cancel for Any Reason" coverage is not insurance and in most cases doesn't allow for cancellation. It's actually "Postpone for Any Reason" coverage:
- Paid in voucher
- Must use within 12 months
- Only good for the final payment
- Emergency medical coverage amounts offered by cruise lines are lower than what we recommend
The Travel Consultants at Brentwood Travel are ready to teach you even more about travel insurance. Let's start planning your next protected vacation today! Call 314-439-5700 or email us
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interested in squeezing in a last minute trip before the end of the year? Contact Brentwood Travel today! Call 314-439-5700 or email us
How It Works:
- Meet with a Brentwood Travel Honeymoon Specialist to plan the perfect dream getaway for you and your fiancé; then let us make your reservations.
- You and your fiancé will be featured on our website with a photo and your story.
- We will provide you with personalized registry cards to give out or include with shower invitations.
- Enjoy the honeymoon of your dreams, courtesy of your family and friends!
Ready to register for the honeymoon of your dreams? Contact the Honeymoon Experts at Brentwood Travel today! Call 314-439-5700 or email us!
Brentwood Travel Vacation Experts
In the 63 years since Brentwood Travel was founded in 1957, we've grown into the largest, full-service travel agency in the Greater St. Louis area. No matter what your travel needs may be, our consultants will be able to assist you.
Categories
All
Alaska
All-Inclusive Resorts
Caribbean
Client Spotlight
Cruise Expo
Cruising
Destination Weddings
Dreaming About Travel
Ecotourism
Europe
Family Vacations
Just For Fun
Mexico
Rave Reviews
River Cruising
Staff Travels
Travel Advice
Travel Insurance
US Travel
Archives
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
December 2013
November 2013
July 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
September 2012
August 2012
June 2012
May 2012
February 2012
December 2011
November 2011