They weren’t hard rules, but none the less they became so engrained in me, that to this day I can hear her voice telling me to correct what I am “thinking” of doing. Mom was a school teacher and had a knack of knowing even what we were “thinking” of doing.

One rule was to tuck your shirt tale in. The “fashion” these days is to leave your shirt tale out. Even business men who are wearing sport coats and buttoning them, have their shirt tales out. Horrors. Last Sunday our pastor, who is a very smart dresser in shirts and ties, had his shirt tale hanging out. And this was not a sport shirt tale. It was a long shirt tale. You used to be able to tell if it was to go in or out by the cut on the sides. Curved goes in, straight goes out. Seems easy enough. Well, Mom, things have changed.

Canning. Every summer all my life we canned. 200 quarts of peaches, 200 quarts of pears, and hundreds of pickles, beets (yuk), carrots (double yuk), beans, peas, sourkraut (triple yuk) and even beef at one point. All the neighborhood kids lived at our house and they all helped. It was hot in Southern Idaho in the summer, but we turned the garden hose on and played and worked. Mom was so good at getting us to work.

My job was to make the salad for every dinner. Usually it was cut up lettuce with bananas and mayonnaise. Horrors. But sometimes we had jello with fruit cocktail. We always had potatoes because Mom was Irish and you never ate dinner without potatoes. Most always mashing with a ricer (I still have it). Nice and fluffy with milk and butter.

Somtimes Daddy would be gone in the evening and we had rice. If you have read my previous blogs, you know my Dad was a POW in Japan during the 2nd WW and we NEVER ate rice when he was home. But, yea!! we got rice for dinner with butter, sugar and milk.

Colors. Mom was big on what goes with what. Pink does not go with red. And red would never go with purple. Now we have the Red Hat Society. Mom would have loved them. They just have fun and laugh a lot. But red hats with purple clothes?? Please!!! On a cruise ship one time my husband began joking with some of these ladies. They were hugging him and having their pictures taken with him. I am sure they thought he was their son or grandson. One morning they all come down to breakfast in their night clothes, with their red hats.

House rules. Oh my, I can hear her all the time. You always make your bed every morning. And you mitre the corners, always. I know Mom wasn’t in the army, but for some reason she had that rule. My husband has never figured that one out. “It is just a few short hours and you are back in it” he says. Well, Mom always said….. Once a week you strip the bed, wash the sheets, and put them back on. No need for 2 sets, they are hung on the line in the summer and dry quickly in the Southern Idaho summer. Or in the winter you lay them on the oil stove in the dining room and they are dry and scorched at the same time.

Timing. Mom always did everything the same time, every time. She baked bread and rolls the same day every week. She did the laundry the same day every week. She sent Daddy to the grocery store the same day every week.

For the last 53 years, with only exceptions for when we were away from home, I would strip our bed on Saturday morning, wash the sheets, put them in the dryer (because I don’t live in S. Idaho anymore) and remake the bed.

Now comes the need for a vacation. Oh yes, travel agents need a vacation. After all the stress of making sure YOUR vacation is as good as we can make it, we need to escape with our cell phones and lap tops!!

Last Wednesday, which is always the day in the middle of the week I do the laundry, I yanked the sheets off the bed and gathered the laundry to go down stairs. My husband came into the bedroom, looked at the bed, and said in his gentle kind voice “What day is this?” I replied “it is Wednesday, why?” Then he says “why did you take the sheets off the bed?” At that point I dissolved into laughter.
That was when I KNEW I needed a vacation.

When RRH got to Grandmother’s cottage and looked at “grandmother” in bed, she really thought it WAS Grandmother. Yes, there was the deal with the teeth, ears and nose. But wasn’t it Grandmother’s cottage, Grandmother’s bed and, in my book, Grandmother’s night cap? So, it must be Grandmother!!

Just like in the travel industry, there are many wearing “travel agent” signs around their necks. They may have business cards and pretty displays or flyers, but they are as phony as the pretend Grandmother in the bed.

I was thinking of her the other day as I talked to one of my travel suppliers. He had come across a phony web site for travel. Looked like a good site, had the right color and pictures, but when he dug deeper, the “specials” were not valid. Since this vendor also offered the same hotels, he called the hotel and asked for the same price. The manager told my supplier that price did not exist for anyone. Upon further investigation, nothing on the site was legitimate. The personal who made the site was probably on a beach someplace laughing his head off at all the credit cards he was gathering for non existant trips.

Then there are the people selling “memberships” and posing as travel agents. Their spiel sounds like a great vacation. But when you add on the cost of the membership and “oh by the way” that price isn’t there anymore, but we do have XXXXX”, well what kind of a deal was that?

But the most awful of all, is that the person selling that membership is probably a dental hygeniest or some other profession. I asked one of those one day that I came across what happens if the client gets to the hotel in Hawaii and the pool is under renovation and their room looks out over the garbage cans? Her reply was “makes no difference to me. They bought it on my web site just like Orbitz or some other company.” I said to her then you take no responsibility for making sure that client has the best trip possible. She said “No, doesn’t matter to me.”

It was at this point I came unglued. I think of the scores of times I wake in the middle of the night thinking about something I needed to do for a client. Or the hours I spend on the phone making sure all the dots are connected. I often say I am like a juggler with a bunch of balls in the air. If one ball falls, the rest all come tumbling down.

I am working with client’s emotions and hard earned money trying to get them the best value for their travel dollar. I take my responsibility very seriously.

Being in business FULL time since 1996, having the highest certification given in the travel industry of CTC, Certified Travel Counselor (I couldn’t begin that process till I had worked full time in an agency for 5 years and it took me 3 years to complete that certification), and ECC from Cruise Line International Association (which took me 17 years to achieve and included travel all over the US to take classes as well as a time at the University of Miami).

Don’t take a chance of becoming one of the victims of the above scams. Talk to the real Granny on the Go who is helping you see the world before you leave it.

Some years ago I was in China. I was with a group of travel agents touring many parts of the country as well as the Yangtze River. One day we were on the motorcoach driving out in the country. Altho we could not understand the conversation between the driver and guide, it was quite obvious we were lost. There are many “gift stores” in countries all over the world. Our driver was trying to find the “gift store” out in the middle of nowhere. Finally upon arriving at our destination we ask the guide what had happened. In a very quiet voice she said the driver was on roads that were off limits to tourists and he would be severily punished.

How sad that was. In this country we are free to wander all over the backroads anywhere we want to go. My husband & I do this all the time when we are out for a 2 day trip around the Pacific Northwest.

On another day in China we had a young girl as our guide. I always ask a lot of questions so was asking her if she wanted to travel to other countries and see the world. “Oh yes” she said but added it would never happen. They have a few days vacation every year but are not allowed to leave China.

I can get on a plane, take a bus or train and go to most any country I wish. Of course there are many that are dangerous and as US citizens we are not allowed to visit. But the majority of the world is wide open to explore.

We have a Freedom to Travel, let’s go.

As I have traveled all over the world on travel agent trips, I have often wondered if I took the trip by myself with a map and train ticket, would I have learned as much as I am learning by having a guided tour? The answer is a resounding “NO”! From learning the history, archeticture, knowing the best and safest areas of a city, to figuring how to find a street, you need a guide.

There are different way to have a guide. For instance, in Europe, you can go to the Information Offices at the train stations and get a tour guide for a few hours or a full day. Or you can have a travel agent pre book a tour where you pre pay and have someone who knows the area show you around.

As a travel agent, we have many road shows that come to town from countries all over the world. They bring their local guides who we can talk to and meet personally. Then we can contact them for our clients to have a personal guide wherever they go. This is much less expensive than using a tour company. Those companies also hire the same guides, so we are just by passing the middle man.

If you want an entire package to some international destination that includes air, transportation, hotels, tours, and meals, then we would pick a tour company who puts all those pieces together. Or we can get you an airline ticket, a train ticket, a rental car, hotels and local tours and give you all the confirmations. Then you decide the pace you want to travel and away you go.

In either case, it is important to have someone with some knowledge telling you where to go. In most countries, the signage is in a foreign language and you can waste a lot of time lost. I found that out in Paris when I went looking for the Hard Rock Cafe to get my souvenir pin. I think Paris laid out her streets to confuse incoming armies. It took me hours to go a few blocks. Then to find my way back to the train station was also daunting.

The main thing is to go see the world, but have a certified travel professional tell you the best way.

Today I hear British Airways is going on strike. Next week it may be someone else. And the volcano in Iceland continues to blow. Now I am reading about bedbugs in high end hotels. Then there are storms and earthquakes.

Say you are still booking your own travel. Are you buying travel insurance froma 3rd party? If so, there are provisions in there to help you with any of these circumstances. If you haven’t bought insurance, then you are on your own and that will be very uncomfortable and expensive. Even if you are stubborn and insist on doing your own travel planning, at least call me to buy an insurance policy that will cover a multitude of travel issues.

But if you have had enought of the “do it yourself” thing, then here I am ready to help you see the world before you leave it.

You may not have thought about doing some trips around the US. Easy to get to, speak English, the dollar is good, and you are familiar with the food and water. So here are some to think about:

New York City with a show
Washington, DC with historical tours
Boston and the fall foliage
Branson, MO with many shows
Nashville and it’s Legends
New Orleans and the French Quarter
San Francisco with a wine tour
Philadelphia, Memphis, Los Angeles, San Diego, Dollywood, Williamsburg and so many more

Or how about some events in the US
The Rose Bowl Parade that was my dream
Mardi Gras, Kentucky Derby, Indy 500, US Tennis, Daytona 500, Cherry Blossom Parade, Essence Music Festival

Or some Canadian tours
Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Miagara Falls, Vancouver, Victoris and the Calgary Stampede.

And don’t forget the fabulous National Parks in the US.

Maybe a week at a Spa or Dude ranch with the family. How about river rafting, bicycle tours or hiking? So many options and some don’t require long flights with connections.

Most people in the US never see their own country. Now is a good time and I can help you with any of it. Just call.

Happy Travels

Go ahead and do your research, check out all the possibilities of where you want to go and how you want to get there. There are a lot of ways to see the world, but not all are right for you. Without a Certified Travel Agent your trip could be very uncomfortable and expensive. Just because a relative or friend when that way, doesn’t mean it is right for you. I build a relationship with my clients to find the best value for their travel dollar.

Again the issue of buying travel insurance is coming into play. By buying the proper policy, you could have had some help with expenses as you were waiting. Even if you insist on booking yourself, buy travel insurance. I have a tab on my website and you can do it yourself.

All said, being independent in the area of travel isn’t the smartest thing these days.

Call me, a Certified Travel Agent, for guidance.

There is an idea out “there” that being a travel agent is glamorous and we get to travel all over the world for free.  I am here to tell you, neither is true.  We do get fulfillment when a client comes home and says they had a fabulous trip and thanks us for our help.  I wouldn’t call a job “glamorous ” when you wake up in the middle of the night remembering what you forgot.  As for traveling all over the world – yes, I have done that, but not for free.

Every day I read in my chat rooms about the “newbies” trying to break into the business.  I have owned 5 businesses in the past 30 years and being a travel agent is the hardest mentally of any business or job I have ever had.  So, why do I stay.  Because I am committed to helping people get the best travel value for their money.  Committment means something to my generation. 

When I started in the business you could go into a brick and mortar agency and file brochures, answer phones, listen to the agents and learn the business.  Those agencies are long gone.  Most moved home and many retired.  So who will be the next generation to carry on?  This is a commission job and without a following, how will young people make it?

Here is what my next step is.  Deep inside of me, I am a teacher.  I love learning and teaching my clients.  But I also love teaching “newbies” how to be a professional travel agent.  In a few weeks I will be having webinairs to teach anyone how to be a travel agent.  We will start with Setting Up The Homebased Office through every facet of the business.  It will be about 7 or 8 sessions 1/2 hour long.  There will be visuals of all my tools that have made me very successful over the years.  Some very unique developed by myself and another agent who is my dear friend.

How do you find out when these will be?  Send me a message to let you know and I will reply.  No one else is doing this and I think the time is right.  So, if you are serious, let me hear from you.   This industry is not dead and we will be demand forever.  But we have to make ourselves valuable.

From the West Coast where do you go to find sun and warm?  Hawaii, of course.  This was my 26th trip to the tropical Paradise.  But it has been 20 years since we went to Kauai.  So, off we go.

The Northern most island of the Hawaiian chain, Kauai is lush and very green.  Knowing where to stay, you need a professional travel agent.  Otherwise, you are under a cloud all day long.  Typical of the islands, there is a dryer side and a wetter side.   But on Kauai, wet is wetter than other islands. 

We stayed in the Lihue area close to the airport.  The Kauai Marriott is a beautiful  resort with everything you could want.  It is very large with a huge swimming pool as the focal point.  The sandy beach borders a bay with great shallow water.  Not many waves for surfers, but some were trying.  The Marriott offers complimentary airport and golf course shuttles.  But we wanted to see the rest of the island, so we rented a car.

Lihue is at the southern tip of the island close to Poipu.  This is ideal for sun and a slight breeze.  Every morning about 11:30 we saw the clouds start to gather over the mountain in the center of the island.  But they never bothered us. 

One day we drove around one side of the island all the way to Hanalei going through Princeville.  There are about 4 five star resorts in this area.  For the life of me I can’t figure out why they built them where you are under clouds all day.  That isn’t why I go to Hawaii.  From Princeville to Hanalei it is a very narrow 2 lane road with about 4 one way bridges.  The distance isn’t very far, but the time is lengthy because of all the stopping. 

The next day we went the other direction to the end of the highway stopping at Poipu Beach Park.  What a lovely quiet area.  I can stay there forever.  Along this road is the turn off into the center of the island into Waimea Canyon.  Absolutely spectacular.  Take a helicopter ride into the canyon.  There are several beautiful waterfalls that can be reached by car and about 14 beaches.      

There are all levels of accommodations.  From sinple motels to luxury resorts.  But location is the most important.  Also, having air conditioning is very important.  It was quite warm in the daytime, but cooled off at night.

One very funny feature is all the chickens.  They are everywhere.  We never saw any road kill, so they have learned where to go and not to cross the roads.  The roosters started crowing before sunup and all day long till sundown.  There is no lack of bugs and all are well fed.

Packing tips:  On the Inter Island flights, you are limited to size and weight.  Check your carrier.  Otherwise you have to check your bags and if you have valuables in your carryon, you will still have to check them.  One thing I recommend is to take an empty fold up duffle bag.  You can carry on as many bags as you want as long as each bag is under the limit and the right size to fit in the bag gauge at the counter.  And they do check you.   Also, take mosquito spray for Kauai.  We did get a few bites of some kind. 

Call me to book this beautiful place in paradise.

Any nature lovers who are interested in the unspoiled will enjoy hiking, quiet solitude, history lovers and adventure seekers.  Sport fishing for tarpon and bonefish are always a draw.  There are some partially excavated Maya sites throughout the country. 

San Pedro is the main town with sand streets, art galleries and a few beach bars.  The Western boarder has a tropical rainforest teeming with birds, wildlife, exotic plants, jaguars roaming the night forest. 

Flying into Belize City is convenient from Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Newark and Charlotte.  There are some extra taxes and service fees and you should check the websites to make sure how much those are.  The temperature is from 70 to 95 degrees during the year.  Rainy season is July to August.  Accommodation are few but cover the gamet from basic diving properties to a few resorts.  For an unspoiled vacation, try Belize.

Here is a new site to book on. Go to ppl.blastoffnetwork.com/sharoncemerson53.
Sign up, it is FREE, really FREE. Book your travel there and get a commission as well as deeper discounts than you get on the 1,000# Gorillas. Check it out. Then give your login in, which is like mine except for your name and number, to everyone you know and have them do the same. The more people you sign up, the more commissions you make, the more you can travel!!!
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