Don’t Limit Yourself on Vacation in 2020 —We Don’t!

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

Happy 2020!

As most of you know, I write all the time about river cruising. But since we do so much more than these wonderful trips, I thought I’d let you know how we help others find their Dream Destinations.

Our mission: We are a full service travel agency that specializes in European river cruises and adventures—we are Europe river cruise Experts!

Sometimes, due to our emphasis on Europe river cruising, it often causes some to think we can’t and don’t handle other vacations.

So, I thought I’d write about not limiting yourself on vacations—let us help you expand your travel experiences by using our full range of services!

A Story about a Leap of Faith—How I Learned Not to Limit Myself on my first trip to Europe

As we sat with our backpacks in front of us in Frankfurt’s Old Town, I started to realize we should have done a little more planning about my first trip to Europe in 1971. My expectations were starting to get a little out of control—I had really messed up! My friend and I had no real plan to find a room, or any real travel skills. What if this trip was going to be a bust?

I guess, to understand this story, you will have to go back to my early Army days as a young lieutenant. After graduating from West Point, we had 60 days leave prior to reporting tour our first assignments. A classmate and I decided to go to Europe for 6 weeks. We had a Euro rail pass, our plane tickets, American Express traveler checks (boy, is that a throwback to an unnecessary money form nowadays!), and a rough plan to make a big circle train trip in Germany, Denmark, Austria, Italy, Spain, France, and winding up in England. What more did anyone need?

We were a little foggy from the overnight flight and I’m sure looking quite lost in the Alte Stadt (German for old town) of Frankfurt. As we sat there on a bench, trying to figure out what to do, an elderly gentleman wandered up and ask if we were Americans, using English. We weren’t sure if this was some kind of scam, but replied yes. He then ask if we knew how to find a good place to stay. Again, not sure of his motives, we replied no. He then said, will you let me help? Still a little fearful, we said OK. He then led us to a small place and told us in Germany to look for a “Zimmer Frei” –a room available. He explained these were small B & B type operations, often modestly priced and a great value. Thinking maybe he wanted a reward, I offered a tip. He refused and said the Americans had liberated his country and he wanted to help Americans when possible. He also told us that good German food was often available at a Gasthaus (German for guest house). He then, ambled away, with a smile on his face.

Our first experience with Europeans was great. It taught me there are some really good people in this world. There are a lot of kind folks in the world. My anticipation of an adventure of a lifetime was high, and my expectations changed during the trip, mostly for the better. The whole trip was a life changing experience, challenging but fun and just stoked my desire to travel more, especially in Europe! Early on, I learned not to limit myself on a vacation.

**1971 Postcard from my first trip to Europe**

Yes, we are a Full Service Travel Agency

We have been in business for 24 years. Here is a partial list of places we have helped folks travel—Bora Bora, Vietnam, Australia & New Zealand, China, Mexico, most Caribbean islands, most every country of Europe, Russia, ski resorts in North America, Africa, Alaska, and almost all top vacation spots in the United States (California, Washington State, Las Vegas, Florida, Washington D.C, NY City).

I guess, with all these trips we have planned, it just goes to show that (as listed on our website) “we are small enough to give you personalized service yet big and experienced enough to get you the right trip”. No limits for us to help you!

Revisit in Depth—our Personal Experiences

A lot of our travel experiences, often after a Europe river cruise, has led us to want to explore more. Here are a couple of examples—our visits on the Moselle and Main Rivers while on the Castles & Rivers tour with AmaWaterways in 2009, inspired us to base in Koblenz, Germany and explore 3 great castles—Burg Eltz, Stolzenfels Castle and Marksburg Castle. We were able to tour all 3 and spend more time in the region. Here are some of our pictures:

Another favorite has to be Vienne, France. We stayed here after learning about this wonderful town on a Provence river cruise. There are a lot of Roman ruins, a 3 star Michelin restaurant, and other great shops and eateries. More pictures for your enjoyment:

Stretching Your Boundaries

Travel helps you visit new and exciting places. This is particularly true of tours and river cruises. Going on a river cruise gives you permission to explore a world you do not yet know.

I wonder how many of you would go on the Douro in Portugal or visit the Balkan countries of the lower Danube on your own? Some adventurous souls might, but for many, there is a degree of uneasiness about a visit where you do not understand the language, or cannot read the signs (sometimes in Cyrillic script). A river cruise removes these obstacles but still allows you a chance to reach out to the people of these new lands.

Speaking of language problems, we have even been on a special tour exploring Croatia, and learned about the Glagolitic 9th century alphabet once used for the Croatian language, by observing monuments erected depicting the individual letters. It is very close to the walled village town of Hum, a hilltop town on the Istrian peninsula, which claims to be the smallest town in the world (population 17-23). Now, that is stretching your boundaries!

**The world’s smallest town—the walled city of Hum—population 23-17!**

When we went on a lower Danube river cruise, it was so easy yet fascinating to visit strange lands. We actually visited Romania for 3 days after the cruise—I’m not sure we would have ventured there on our own, but the cruise sure made it much easier. You will be surprised what once seemed so exotic becomes more familiar. Not only does travel remove barriers in your life, you also will develop new perspectives about the world. We now have sent folks on the lower Danube (several Eastern Europe locations), the Douro (Portugal), and on the Zambezi (Africa) and this year the Yangtze (China). No limitations for these folks!

Avoiding Concerns

Travel is exciting but it also brings concerns—there is a certain “what if” factor on every trip, no matter how experienced or well prepared a traveler is for any trip. I think the goal of ever trip should be to get the best possible vacation, despite the obstacles, concerns and constraints of what is possible. Never forgetting the goal, the second part is to obtain the goal trip, given the constraints of real life (time available, cost, a trip offered at the desired time of travel by the desired vendor, etc.). It is a balancing act that requires just the right touch—what is the solution to the problem?

It should be easy—we should do the hard work for you and alleviate as many concerns as possible. We help you remove limitations. It should be hassle free for you—just follow the plan we created with you. It should avoid situations that make you so uncomfortable you are afraid to go and do and experience. And most of all, it should be fun, as we have addressed all your concerns and found a solution that puts you at ease.

My Final Thoughts

So our message for 2020 is—don’t limit yourself on your vacation. Take a leap of faith, take advantage of all our services, consider revisiting in depth places you have been and spend more time, stretch your boundaries and let us help eliminate your concerns. You can trust us to guide you with sage advice and reliable vendors.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise experts, and Europe destination experts. We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe. We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you. We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations. As you can see, our full service agency can get you to almost anywhere you desire to travel and provide you a great experience and vacation.

When you are spending your hard earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip. You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you! We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel. Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com. We want to help you: Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations! Your journey begins here!

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 48+ years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

Don't Limit Yourself on Vacation in 2020--We Don't!

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